#if she interacts with Tom I’ll faint I mean probably not I’ll be surprised if she even gets to talk to the kids

[twinge-of-cosmicangst]

Shout out to Marianne for not turning up for Roy weddings but showing up for Roy funerals 💅👄

[myimaginespot]

I WAS IN THE DARKNESS SO DARKNESS I BECAME- Chapter 6

I’m so sorry for the delay these months were crazy and I did not have time to finish the chapter but I promise to upload new chapters every week and make them longer. :)

Reader x Thomas Shelby

Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5

Thomas

I took her to a guest room, she weight nothing, her bones felt prominent. Wasn’t she eating? I’ll have a talk with her babysitter, as she call her. She have a rare sense of humor, I like it. She’s so stubborn just like me or maybe more. I  worry about her dislike to being touch, not because I wanted to touch her , I really truly not… I think. But because that means she’ve been dealing with abuse for  a long time, clearly by her fathers hand , I don’t even want to think about that but one more reason to hate that bastard. She is definitely not what I expected. Something within me makes me want to help her  and protect her but at the same time I can’t trust her, what she told us makes sense, I do believe that all of this wedding thing is a trap, I must watch her closely this month. I place her in the bed and examine the wound on her head, it looks that she is really good at sewing. I make the maid call for the doctor and wait in her room, she looks tiny in the big bed, she makes it difficult to remember her stature, thanks to her attitude she seams taller than must men I knew. Even in her sleep peace eludes her. Teresa enter the room with worry on her face. she has not seen me sitting in the chair in the corner. She starts to take the pins of (Y/N) hair, then she proceeds to remove the gloves from (Y/N)  hands, that’s when I see the blood staining her hands and bruises on her knuckles. Teresa take the tray with water that she brought with her and start cleaning (Y/N) hands with a sigh. She does not look surprised, rather resigned, that makes me wonder what the fuck really happen . “What really happen before she arrived here?” I demand in a cold voice. Teresa jumps scared and looks for the intruder, she looks at me and bow her head. “ I’m sorry Mr. Shelby I didn’t see you siting there” “ I ask you a question” I repeat . “ She look between me and (Y/N)  thinking about what to say or what to do. “ I’m sorry sir but is not up to me to revel information of Miss. (Y/N)” she said apologetic “ If you want to remain with her you’ll tell me what I want to know or else go pack your bag and leave my house.” I said with any remorse. She looks at me trying to figure me out. Good luck with that. “She was in a fight “ was all she said. “ obviously, but why ?” I waited. “ I honestly don’t know how to answer that question Mr. Shelby” “She told us that she ‘ll kill Vitali and what he planed , she is willing to work with me , so if your afraid of betraying her , don’t. I want to know if I can trust her and you seem to know her really well, she respects you, for the little I saw.” Teresa stare at me with shock then back to (Y/N). She sigh and took a sit in the chair near the bed.

“I care for her, and I will never do something to harm her, I fear more her anger than yours Mr. Shelby but I was the one to tell her that she needed to cooperate with you, because you both seem to have the same goal. I think she try to do that by what are you telling me, you need to understand that she is very different and complicated. She struggle to interact in a civilized way with people and that’s because she had have a rough life whether you believe it or not.” She look at (y/N) again and sight “Her father send men to do that to her because you call him and make him believe that you would call of the wedding because of her behavior and he got angry at her, that’s what happened.” I didn’t know what to say , guilt and anger run through my mind, this was the first time I regretted the way I handle things to achieve what I wanted . “Men? ” I ask with disbelieve. “ Yes, men. It’s not the first time neither.” “Why? she is his daughter why would he do something like that?” “Because he can” “ That motherfucker. I dislike him more and more” “Mr. Shelby….you can trust her, she is the kind of person that does not have to lie or cheat to get something, she sees and takes, she says and acts, she promises and fulfills, she dictates and exercises. That is why in our world she is feared. Brutal honestly is fear among this circles, you should know, People do not expect it.” “ How can I trust her when I don’t know anything about her. No one I hired could find information about her, it’s like she don’t even exist.” I told her. “I talk to women in the city to find out about you Mr. Shelby, you’re very famous, respected and feared, I know your people try to find information about her. ” I study Teresa closer, she was about Pollys age and didn’t seem to be a simple maid. I was now intrigue to know the relation between her and (Y/N). I take a cigarette and lit it up. “She moves in a different circle than anyone, not richer , but darker and dangerous. The people that know about her will never tell. within this land the probability that at least one person knows about her is high if some one is in debt with the iItalian mafia. But you see, they fear her more than they fear you , that is why you found nothing about her. “ “ Like I said, she is honest and if you want to know about her just ask her.” I thought about the things that Teresa told me, what kind of circles exactly? Would it be true that people fear her more than they fear me? Better change the subject for now. “She is so thin, Doesn’t she eat ?” I ask her. Teresa looked  uncomfortable “ She does eat Mr. Shelby, sometimes she doesn’t have time or she forgets to eat at all,  she lives under a lot of stress. That’s why she call me her babysitter” she smile “ I often bother her about this subject and make her sit down and eat, she cannot leave until she finish everything.” “ I can’t imagine her doing as she’s told, you’re important  for her if she  does what  you tell her” “ Her mother died when she was five years old, I’ve known and carry for her since that age. “ “Good, then you’ll make sure that she eats proper, I’ll supervise her but when I’m not around it’ll be your duty” “Of course Mr. Shelby”

We waited in silence until the doctor arrive. He was about to examine her and he  ask me to go out of the room, I tell him to fuck off and do his job. Teresa was about to said something but she think it twice. I was not about to leave (Y/N) with a strange man in her room.

The doctor check for a concussion but there was non, they take her dress out to examine her ribs and I could see her body just cover by a thin piece of clothe, I focus on her wounded arms, they were fill with bruises from defending her self, she had black bruises in her ribs, they were not broken just a couple were  fracture, the blood that she coughwas du to a hit lung but she was not in danger she just needed rest. When the doctor finish he gave us instructions to take care of her and then they left her room and I stay back contemplating her.   What have I gotten myself into?

“She ok Tom?” Arthur ask . “She’ll be just fine, she needs rest thats all.” I sit down on a couch and lit up a cigarette. “She is something else” John laugh and Esme look at him. “ She thinks she is better than us John” Esme argue. Polly stay silent looking hard at me. “ What is it Poll spit it put” “I don’t trust her Thomas, keep your eyes open. You don’t want another surprise like what happened with Grace, a fucking cop”

It was late I was in my office doing some paperwork but I couldn’t seem to focus. Grace have been gone for almost two year now, she got married and I let her go but a couple of months back she started to write me letters, I never open one. I didn’t want to know about her  but true be told I don’t know what would happen if I ever see her again. I fell in love with her and she betray me .

(Y/N)

I woke up in pain, nothing new, the bed felt different, fluffier and big, immediately I sit and look around me, reaching for my gun but there was no gun and  I was in my underwear, my head spin and my ribs were killing me. “Fuck!!” I said without a breath. What the hell happen? all I remember are cold eyes of the most intense blue I have ever seen… Thomas! I am in Thomas house, I faint. Fuck. I tried to get up of bed, my knees felt weak, what the fuck did I sleep through the whole year?. I tried to reach the bathroom and I fell to the floor. “Motherfucker!!” I let out a small scream and I stay lying on the floor in pain and  resigned. I start thinking about the meeting with the Shelbys, sure as hell I made an impression. I sigh. Why can I get along with people!? I try I swear I tried but what is the point if they already think bad about me . Bha.. even if they get to know me they ‘ll probably hate me, I’m not a good person. While I was ranting someone enter the room. “Teresa how many years did I sleep in, my legs don’t function.” I said with my face buried in the wooden floor. She didn’t  answers and I felt a strong hand turn me around  with care. My eyes collided with the must beautiful set of eyes, I felt shivers running through my body.

“You should take it easy” Thomas said, he approach me with the intention of lifting me up. “Stop” I said with panic to Thomas “Whats the matter? you can’t stay on the ground you’re wounds haven’t heal yet, yo need rest” he was about to pick me up but i held my hand to stop him “ I can get up by my self “ “ Clearly you can’t even stand up so let me help you don’t be stubborn” he tried to touch me again. I started to feel scared , this is one of the things that i couldn’t handle. being touch. there are a few reasons why I don’t let people touch me, fist one,  innocent people get close to me they die, Michael was innocent . Maybe Thomas was not innocent at all but he didn’t deserve my bad luck. I gather all my strength and lift myself up the floor , the pain run through my body. I almost lost my balance but reach the bed and I held on. I look Thomas in the eye and I could see that they way I was acting was strange and will I would raise suspicions about why I hated being touch but I couldn’t care less.

“I’m ok now so you can continue with your things I don’t need another babysitter.” Thomas took a sit in front of the bed , took out a cigaret and light it up. the way he held the cigar and smoke it was something so intense to behold,. “Tell me more about you’re fathers plan“ I took a seat on the edge of the bed and realized that I was in my underwear in front of Thomas and I felt my face turn red but I decided to act naturally as if I do not care. “All I know is that this marriage is a trap he is crazy about getting the wedding held and some people of the new york familia are in town.” “but if somewhat came to happened you will be at risk at the wedding reception, you’re the daughter of the Head.

I laughed hard “ He couldn’t care less for me Thomas I am disposable” he look at me not believing what  I told him I could see it in his eyes. “ Lets assume that what you’re telling me is true, for me to trust in you I need to now every detail, how many people came from new york?”

“I have no idea but I could find out” “I also need to know who are they and why they came here “ “yeah that may be a little difficult but I’ll see what I can do” I stretch my hand to the night stand and pick up my cigars and lit  one” “See Thomas you're not the only one who needs to trust someone , we’ll work together but don’t you ever think of betraying me, you would not like the outcome” he smile at me, not a real smile “ The same goes for you and you better watch the way you talk to me y/n I am not working for you and I don’t like threats , be careful” I stare at the ceiling“ I think we both need to be careful”

With that being said he walk out the room  and I kept staring at the ceiling. Something wet was rolling down my cheek, water stain my fingers. Tears, I could not remember the last time I cry so it was a shock. It have to be cause by the pain I felt , must certainly was that. Nothing to do with the fact that my chest felt hollow.

[real-life-pine-tree]

Leo Will Never Know: Duel Spirits Revealed (6/?)

In an alternate timeline, Yugi indirectly prevented the events of Arc-V from ever happening. But how could this small change have an impact on a few selected people? A spin-off of the Arc-V Aftermath series. Based on the hilarious comic by @justanotherotakuandartist​​​. Co-written with @violetganache42​​​.

Ultimately Jesse, Syrus, and Ray found Jaden lying unconscious. Syrus went off to get some water, while Jesse and Ray stayed with Jaden. The Crystal Beast user let out a sad sigh, gently touching Jaden's cheek.

"It's going to be alright," Ray said.

"I know," Jesse said. He smiled softly. "Funny how meetin' a guy like Jay can change your whole life. One minute you're tryin' to recover after your folks kick ya outta the house for not followin' family traditions, the next ya meet a guy who's practically everythin' you're lookin' for in a soulmate."

Jesse never brought up his family at all because southerners are typically more conservative than others. While growing up, he didn't believe in those "traditions" because his home country has changed over the last few centuries; more people were more liberal and he felt this philosophy met with his standards. Unfortunately, his relatives didn't accept his beliefs and threw him out into the streets for not meeting their expectations. Deep down, he has been struggling to cope with that incident until the day he first met Jaden. There was something about him that attracted the North Academy student, which became clearer as they hung out more.

"Soulmate…" That word ran through Ray's mind just as Jesse finished his sentence. She remembered seeing the exhibition match at the start of the new school year, where it looked like he and Jaden were flirting with each other. A thought soon struck her that made her realize that he was actually gay.

"Did your parents kick you out because you're gay?" Ray asked.

"They sure did," Jesse answered, sounding a bit heartbroken. "Growin' up, my folks were plannin' on me marryin' that Westshire dame. She's a nice gal, but I never considered her as anythin' more than a good friend. 'Course it didn't take a long time for me realize my attractions were towards other fellas. I told my folks 'bout it, but..." His expression became heartbroken. "...they didn't take it very well." Tears started pouring down his face. "There was a lot of yellin' 'bout breakin' marriage traditions. Next thing I knew, I was kicked outta the house. Now the Crystal Beasts are the only family I have."

He felt like he couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his cheeks because of how fast his old life went. He never thought he would be rejected by his own family just because of a difference in personal beliefs. Ray lightly patted his back and wrapped her arms around him to embrace him in a comforting hug.

"You're not the only one who suffered,"  Ray said, still comforting Jesse. "When I was younger, the popularity of Duel Disks caused my dad's business to go bankrupt. I ended up selling my hair and my old cards to help out. My dad did get a stable job, but it took us years to get a new house. My new deck containing the Hope Dragons symbolizes my hope for a bright future."

Jesse looked over his left shoulder to see Ray still hugging him, with his eyes overflowing with tears. He never knew about her father owning a gaming company and was informed on the concept of creating Action Duels. The idea was to implement mass into Solid Vision to have Duelists interact with their monsters and the duel field, but Kaiba was more concerned about the risk of the monsters growing sentient and causing armageddon, so he rejected it. She honestly felt like it was for the best because she has grown to enjoy this new life she was living. She has an amazing boyfriend and is a well-known Duelist around the Academy for modifying the uniform policy and her powerful skills with her Hope Dragons.

"Ya don't...feel bad 'bout what coulda been?" Jesse asked, his voice laced with sorrow.

"I used to," Ray answered. "But I came to realize Kaiba could have been right about Solid Vision with mass causing the end of the world. Besides, if Action Duels were made into a reality, I probably wouldn't have met the love of my life. You just have to keep in mind that things happen for a reason."

Jesse realized that she may be right; if he hadn't told his family about his sexuality, then, he wouldn't have gotten the Crystal Beasts, attended North Academy, and meet his soulmate at Duel Academy. He encircled his arms around her and thanked her for the reassurance as he struggled to hold back his sobs. The two friends remained in each other's arm until he managed to calm down; shortly after that, Jaden started to regain consciousness and asked them what happened. They told him they found him passed out in front of Viper's unlocked door after dueling against Stein and Syrus went off to get some water and look for help. The Slifer Red student knew Viper was bound to cause more trouble with the Bio-Bands and these Survival Duels, so he tried to go after him, but due to his weakened state, he needed some rest.

Just as Jaden was about to tell a story of how he was a magnet for "power-crazy loonies", the trio heard the sound of a motorcycle and Jesse knew exactly who that was. He told Jaden and Ray how he saw the Duel Monster Spirit of Jerry Beans Man and followed it to see a young boy named Tom, who explained that someone forced him into a duel and lost his card through the Ante Rule. Ever since then, he has been searching for him until now.

"So you've been searching for this Trapper person ever since?" Ray asked.

"Yep," Jesse answered. "But I never did find 'em. I came close a few times, but Trapper caught on pretty quickly and always stayed one step ahead. Now this may sound crazy, but I saw 'em down here."

"You sure?" Jaden asked.

Just then, the sound of wicked laughter was heard. "Is that...?" Jaden asked.

"Yep," Jesse responded. "I know that laugh anywhere."

Suddenly, Ray heard a soft, melodic roar from her deck. She took it out and looked at the first card she saw: Hope Dragon Bird. "Was that you?" she asked, surprised to hear sound coming from her cards.

Just as Jesse ran towards the doors entrance, he too heard Bird's roar and turned around to see the card's spirit. "You must be one of Ray's Hope Dragons," he realized. "Guess ya wanted to help too."

Bird growled "Yes" and flew over to the door just as the spirits of two Crystal Beasts appeared.

"Okey doke, Jess," Sapphire Pegasus said as he emerged alongside Topaz Tiger.

"It's feeding time," Topaz Tiger declared. "And I see fresh meat." As he was wrapping up his sentence, he leapt up into the air.

"Wait!" Jesse yelled out. He saw a whip being used and it was heading straight for Topaz Tiger.

"Look out!" shouted Sapphire Pegasus as he and Hope Dragon Bird pushed the tiger out of the way to take the whip, electrocuting them both. While the dragon roared in pain, the pegasus exclaimed, "Great Scott!"

A disquiet Jesse hollered, "Not Ray's dragon and my pegasus!"

Jaden walked to the side of the entrance, using the wall as support. "What's going on? Is it Trapper?" he asked.

"The one and only," Jesse answered.

Ray looked heartbroken. "What's going on?" she asked, clutching her head in pain. "I heard Hope Dragon Bird's pained cries."

"Wait, ya can't see what's goin' on?" Jesse asked.

Ray shook her head 'no' in response. Why was this suddenly happening to her? Is this how Michael communicates with his dragons?

As Trapper laughed maniacally, two capsules attached to dark pieces of rope shot up and imprisoned Sapphire Pegasus and Hope Dragon Bird, with the two neighing and roaring from inside. "Well whaddya know?" he asked. "Two spirits for the price of one!"

"No!" Jesse yelled as Ray gasped in horror.

"No way, bro," Jaden commented. "He can trap spirits too?"

Trapper turned his head around to see the trio, chuckling at the Crystal Beast and Hope Dragon users. "Your little pony and lizard are mine now," he remarked. He revved up his motorcycle and drove away, taking the capsules containing Bird and Sapphire Pegasus with him.

"Tiger, come on back, boy," Jesse instructed before Topaz Tiger's spirit disappeared. Facing his friends, he then said just as he was taking off, "Jaden and Ray, stay here. He's mine."

Worried about her dragon, Ray called out, "Hold up! Wait for me, Jesse!"

"Wait! Ugh!" The fatigue was starting to effect Jaden's body as he saw the others chasing after Trapper. "Wait. Be…careful…" His body collapsed onto the floor as he fainted yet again.

"Ray, I told ya to stay back!" Jesse said as the two ran.

"I'm not going to stay behind!" Ray insisted, her stubbornness showing. "My Hope Dragons mean a lot to me! They saved me from a life of sorrow, so now it's my turn to save them!"

"Well alright," Jesse said. "But I don't want ya to get hurt."

The two ran through another open—albeit busted—door and into an empty room, where they saw Trapper with their monsters. As he straightened his whip, the capsules launched up into the air and stabilizers were locked in place on the ceiling and floor to keep them in place.

Ray looked at the capsules. "Hope Dragon Bird!" she exclaimed. "Are you alright?!" She held the card up to her ear. "Please speak to me!"

"She can't respond," Jesse explained. "From the looks of it, she looks unconscious."

Ray clutched her chest in pain. "No!" she exclaimed. "She can't be...!" Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Don't worry, Ray," Jesse said. "I'll get your dragon back."

He then proceeded to begin his duel against Trapper after playing cat-and-mouse with each other for too long. Unfortunately, the first few turns were very dicey for southern Duelist because of Lure Phantom, who was in defense position, and the Hunting Net Trap cards. Despite having 0 ATK and DEF, the Level 1 DARK Fiend-Type Monster's effect causes itself and the attacking monster to return to their owners' hands. What's worse is Hunting Net causes to place the returning monster in the Spell & Trap Card Zone while adding a Prey Counter on it—which was used a couple times on Amethyst Cat.

During the due, Jesse and Ray learn that there was a reason why they needed to rescue their monsters. At the beginning of his turn, they noticed Sapphire Pegasus and Hope Dragon Bird were breathing heavily, as if they were having trouble getting air. Trapper explained he uses those capsules to isolate Duel Monster Spirits from their cards, using Gokipon as an example. Duel Monsters need the energy from the Spirit World to survive, but the capsules prevents them from doing so; Gokipon's capsule glowed yellow and vanished from existence, killing it in the process. This revelation angered Jesse and horrified Ray because the lives of their captured monsters were at stake.

"What just happened?!" Ray asked, looking at her Hope Dragon Bird card. "Is Hope Dragon Bird...?!"

"Relax, Ray," Jesse said, understanding that Ray can't see Duel Monster Spirits. "That wasn't Hope Dragon Bird. She's still alright."

He pointed towards the capsule where her dragon was concealed in. Ray may not have the same ability as him, but she knows the capsule next to Sapphire Pegasus' hasn't vanished yet and began to calm down a little. However, she suddenly heard three distinct roars from her deck.

Curious, Ray took out her cards. It was Hope Dragon Flower, Hope Dragon Wind, and Hope Dragon Moon! "What's that?" the red-haired Duelist asked. "You want to join in too?" She heard the roars again. "Alright Trapper, I'm joining in!" She proceeded to activate her Duel Disk.

What was originally a 1-on-1 duel now became a 2-on-1 duel because Moon, Wind, and Flower want to rescue their sister and there was no way they were going to be bystanders in this situation. "What's this?" Trapper asked. "You think your dragons could stop me?"

"These aren't ordinary dragons," Ray said. "They're my Hope Dragons. And I refuse to let you capture one of their sisters!"

"Hope Dragons, huh?" Trapper asked. "I've heard all about those dragons. They can restrict monster zones and restore life points." A wicked grin appeared on his face. "With those dragons in my deck, I'll be unstoppable!"

Ray scowled at the thought of her dragons being taken away from this inhumane hunter. At first, she was thinking that he was a monster, but she didn't want to insult the spirits. With 4000 LP, she let Jesse carry out his turn before she could start hers. He summoned Amber Mammoth and have it attack Lure Phantom, but Trapper activated his face-down Capture Snare; it has a similar effect to Hunting Net, but it targets attacking monsters when there's at least one Prey Counter. With no monsters on the field, Jesse passed the turn to Ray.

Ray looked at her opening hand and smirked. "I'll start things off with Lord of Dragons and Flute of Summoning Dragons!" she declared. "Allowing me to bring out two of my star dragons: Hope Dragon Flower and Hope Dragon Moon!"

The two dragons flew into the field as they bellowed out their trademark roars. While it was true the Hope Dragons can restrict Monster Zones and restore Life Points, they each have their own distinct abilities. Flower is immune to battle damage, Bird can inflict 200 life points worth of damage for every opposing monster on the field, Wind has an ability to target a Spellcaster from the Graveyard and directly inflict damage equal to the target's Level x 200, and Moon can attack twice in one turn.

"I activate Hope Dragon Flower and Hope Dragon Moon's special abilities!" Ray continued. "Since I summoned both of them, I can block two of your monster zones and gain 100 life points for each blocked monster zone! But that's not all! Using Hope Dragon Flower's other special ability, I can special summon Arcana Force VI - The Lovers in defense mode!"

As Ray's LP increased to 4200, The Lovers materialized between her and Jesse in defense position with its arms reached out. To her, it means the monster is shielding herself and Michael due to their undying love for each other; however, since he wasn't here at the moment, it was protecting her and Jesse, much to his confusion.

"What the?!" Jesse asked. "Since when could a monster defend like that?"

"This card originally belonged to Sartorius," Ray explained. "But he discarded it when he manipulated me and lied about my future. Michael was able to retrieve it and he gave it to me, revealing that my future is with him. Since then, Arcana Force VI - The Lovers symbolizes the strong bond I have with my soulmate."

Whether he's nearby or afar, Ray always knew she was meant to be with Michael, giving The Lovers a unique bond with her. "I would attack, but I don't want to risk losing the other Hope Dragons," she said, placing a card face down. "So I'll have to end my turn."

At the start of Trapper's turn, he tributed Lure Phantom to summon Infernal Beasthound and used it to attack Jesse directly, who played his face-down G Force to Special Summon Cobalt Eagle, but the face-down Trap Jammer negated and destroyed G Force. After the direct attack, Infernal Beasthound's effect destroyed Cobalt Eagle from his hand, resulting in it to become a Continuous Spell thanks to its ability. Before Trapper ended his turn with a face-down, Jesse and Ray recalled in their heads on why they needed to save Sapphire Pegasus and Hope Dragon Bird: they meant so much to the duo and felt like they were part of their families. In Jesse’s case, when he was dueling in a tournament one day, the creator of Duel Monsters known as Maximillion Pegasus witnessed the Crystal Beasts reacting to the young foreigner’s duel and he knew they had found their rightful owner. As for Ray, it was when she and Leo were still living in poverty and she had given up on being a Duelist…that is, until not long after Battle City had ended and a while before Doma unleashed its Orichalcos mayhem upon the world.

Ray started trembling at the thought of losing her precious dragons. "You alright, Ray?" Jesse asked.

"I won't let you get away with this!" Ray shouted at Trapper. "The Hope Dragons mean so much to me!"

"Oh, I already know all about your dragons," Trapper said. "I was initially plannin' on capturing all seven Crystal Beasts to unlock Rainbow Dragon, but gettin' your Hope Dragons as well will be mighty sweet."

"Don't you dare!" Ray exclaimed, showing both rage and sorrow in her eyes.

"Well why not?" Trapper asked. "Sure Rainbow Dragon's got a lot of power, but when all four Hope Dragons merge into one, they can prevent any opponent from summoning any monsters. Why wouldn't I want that for my deck?"

"Ray, don't let him get to-" Jesse began to say.

"How dare you!" Ray exclaimed. "My four Hope Dragons are pieces of my own soul! They represent the hope I have for a bright future!" Her eyes started to tear up. "So if you want them, you're going to have to get past me!"

Jesse was caught off guard and surprised by Ray’s sudden outburst. There was something about her small speech that made it clear of why she and her dragons were connected: the strong-willed tenacity of Flower, the ambitious strength of Moon, the graceful beauty of Wind, and the feminine determination of Bird. They each represented a different identity that when put together would become the brave and powerful force known as Nature. She is that embodiment of Nature and losing her dragons would be losing what could be considered a reincarnation of her. No matter how difficult the situation may be, the traits she possessed are what made her who she is today. She is an Akaba and Akabas never give up!

"Well if you want, you can go up next," Jesse suggested.

"Really?" Ray asked.

"If the dragons mean that much to you, then sure," Jesse said.

"Alright," Ray said. She drew a card. "I'll start things off with the Spell card Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw two cards in exchange for discarding two cards that were already in my hand."

Jesse looked surprise as Ray sent two cards to the Graveyard. Was it just his imagination, or was one of those two cards Hope Dragon Bird?

"Now by tributing Lord of Dragons and The Lovers, I'll summon Hope Dragon Wind!" Ray continued.

Hope Dragon Wind materialized onto the spot where Lord of Dragons was and soared through the air, unleashing her roar to finish her summoning sequence.

"Now I'll activate Hope Dragon Wind's special ability!" Ray declared. "Since Lord of Dragons is a Spellcaster-Type monster, she'll transfer his level into effect damage, so you lose 800 life points!"

"Ray, what're you thinking?" Jesse asked. "You know-"

"That Trapper will capture my dragons if they attack?" Ray asked in response. "That's why I have Hope Dragon Wind. This isn't an attack, so my dragon is perfectly safe."

In other words, Ray might have found Trapper’s weakness: effect damage. Their opponent relies on their monsters attacking him so that he can unleash his traps like the animal—or Duel Spirit—hunter that he is. However, by not declaring attacks and using any of their monsters’ effects that deals damage instead, they may be able to obtain the advantage and rescue Hope Dragon Bird and Sapphire Pegasus.

But as Hope Dragon Wind used her special ability to deal out 800 points worth of effect damage, Jesse glanced at Ray's face down card. "Is that card what I think it is?" he asked.

But Ray didn't answer. "I get what you're tryin' to do," Jesse said. "So why dontcha play it?"

"Because it might be risky," Ray said, glancing at the two capsules. "I don't want to put any of my dragons in danger. That's why I'll have to end my turn without attacking, just like during my previous turn."

With her turn over, it was now Jesse’s and he started it off by summoning Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger and have him attack Infernal Blasthound, but Trapper’s face-down Trap Hole destroyed it, resulting in its target to become a Continuous Spell card. Jesse then activated Rare Value where, if he has at least one Crystal Beast in Spell and Trap Card Zone, he can send one of them to the Graveyard and draw two cards. From his hand, he played E Force to special summon Topaz Tiger in attack position and destroyed Infernal Blasthound, reducing Trapper’s Life Points from 3200 to 2200 thanks to its effect of gaining 400 ATK during the damage step. With his monster destroyed, Trapper activated its effect to special summon another Infernal Blasthound, leading to Jesse playing his face-down Triggered Summon to special summon Emerald Turtle in attack position and his M Force to increase its ATK by 500. Another attack was declared and Trapper was down to 2100 Life Points, but he special summoned yet another Infernal Blasthound in defense position this time.

Jesse ended his turn and passed it on to Trapper, who simply set a card face down before switching it over to Ray. However, after she drew a card, she glanced at her own face down. "I use Hope Dragon Wind's special ability to deal another 800 life points to you!" she announced, prompting the dragon to deal out effect damage to a Trapper. "Then I'll..." However, she hesitated.

"What is it Ray?" Jesse asked.

"I... I'll end my turn," Ray decided.

"Come on, Ray!" Jesse said. "I know that face down's your Call of the Haunted! I know what you plan on doin'!"

"But I can't risk Hope Dragon Bird's safety!" Ray exclaimed. She clutched her chest. "Somehow I can feel her sorrow! She's hurt! What if using that card is too risky?"

Jesse was surprised to hear that. "You sure care 'bout your Hope Dragons more than I care 'bout my Crystal Beasts." He drew a card. "But don't worry. I understand what you're tryin' to do."

"Really?" Ray asked.

Jesse nodded in response. "But don't you worry. We'll take Trapper down together. I just know it."

Ray smiled softly. "Thanks Jesse," she said.

"Don't mention it," Jesse said. "Now for my next turn, I think I'll switch Emerald Turtle back to attack mode. Now take out his Blast Hound, Emerald Turtle!"

Emerald Turtle got into his shell and spun it around, shooting out green curved blades that destroyed the third Infernal Hound, crippling Trapper’s Life Points from 1300 to 700. Jesse then declared a direct attack with Topaz Tiger, securing a win for him and Ray. Trapper laid on the ground due to getting clawed by Topaz Tiger; he couldn’t believe that she had determined a way to turn the duel in their favor. If she hadn’t interfered, I would’ve been the victor, he thought to himself. His eyes glanced at the capsules where Hope Dragon Bird and Sapphire Pegasus were and shifted to his shirt pocket when he suddenly had an idea. He might have lost the duel, but there may be another way for him to get what he wants. Desperate times call for desperate measure, he stated in his head.

As the monsters and face-down cards disappeared (with the exception of Ray’s Hope Dragons), Jesse and Ray were about to walk towards Trapper when orange light began to glow from the Bio-Bands. The energy drain took a toll on both male Duelists, resulting in the Crystal Beast user to fall down on his knees.

"Don't move!" Trapper exclaimed, holding up a familiar card. "Or the little guy gets it!"

Ray and a weakened Jesse gasped in shock at what the drained Trapper was holding: the stolen Jerry Beans Man! The latter had barely enough energy to sit up, but he could only support himself with one knee; shortly after that, the spirit of Jerry Beans Man appeared next to Trapper, which was only visible to him and Jesse. Although Ray may be able to communicate with Duel Spirits and not actually see them, she was convinced that the captured spirit residing in that card was still there. But for how long though?

"I might not be able to see Duel Spirits, but I know stealing someone else's card is wrong!" Ray exclaimed. "Now unhand that card before-"

"Gotcha!"

A voice echoed throughout the empty room where the trio were and it instantly sounded recognizable to Ray and Jesse. They all looked up to see Jaden holding onto a rope and swinging his way across the room. His extended legs kicked Trapper back onto the floor, losing his grip onto the Jerry Beans Man card. Right as Jaden landed, he saw it gliding through the air and managed to grab it.

"It's all good," Jaden said. "I got him. He's okay. Now go save your Pegasus!"

"Alright," Jesse said. "Now I summon Sapphire Pegasus!"

But Trapper let out a laugh. "Ya really think that could help?"

"Maybe not," Jesse said. "But I noticed Ray was plannin' the same strategy, so I suspect she was on to somethin'."

He briefly looked at Ray, who nodded her head because she was glad he caught on to her strategy during their duel. She didn’t want to take any risks playing her face-down card because she feared her dragons would get captured; fortunately, Jesse knew why she was hesitant on playing that card: they needed to find the right moment to free their monsters, which was why she relied on effect damage as a way to win. However, now that the duel was over, the other Hope Dragons were going to be safe. She could finally put her plan into action.

"In response to Sapphire Pegasus being summoned, I activate the Trap card Call of the Haunted!" Ray declared. "This will allow me to retrieve Hope Dragon Bird from my Graveyard! So take flight once more, Hope Dragon Bird!"

The cards were the keys to the Duel Spirits’ survival as they harness the energy from the Duel Monster Spirit World in order to exist in the real world. Trapper’s capsules prevent the spirits from gaining that energy and seeks to terminate them, but that was not the case for Hope Dragon Bird and Sapphire Pegasus. With the cards summoned onto their owners’ Duel Disks, their capsules started to glow purple and sapphire blue respectively before shattering the glass and soaring onto their individual sides of the field. Jaden, Jesse, and Ray were all glad that the two monsters were finally free, much to the hunter’s shocked dismay.

"Welcome back, buddy," Jesse told Sapphire Pegasus.

"It's great to see you again, Hope Dragon Bird," Ray said as the other three Hope Dragons were reunited with their sister.

"My sisters... It is so good to see you again."

"Aw, we missed you too, sis!"

"We couldn't stand letting you get hurt."

"Just don't do something that reckless again, okay?"

Bird couldn’t help it; she was determined yet stubborn, but she was going to make sure serious situations like that don’t happen to her or her sisters from now on.

Wait, did Ray actually hear her Hope Dragons speak?

Hope Dragon Flower quickly noticed Ray's surprised expression. "Uh, my sisters..." she said. "I think our mistress is staring at us."

The other three Hope Dragons noticed Ray. "Mistress Akaba, why are you looking at us with such a peculiar expression?" Hope Dragon Bird asked.

"You... You can talk..." Ray stammered a bit.

"Well duh!" Hope Dragon Wind exclaimed. "We're not savages!"

"But your voices..." Ray said. "Why do they sound just like my own voice?"

She was right; they do sound like her own voice, but they were rather different from one another. They each have varying pitches based on their personalities that help make themselves more individually noticeable to the Duelists. Hope Dragon Flower's voice was cheerful and bubbly, Hope Dragon Moon's voice sounded stern and rather serious, Hope Dragon Wind's voice made her sound cutesy, and Hope Dragon Bird spoke in a melodic and soothing tone.

"It's like what you said during our duel," Hope Dragon Moon explained. "We're pieces of your soul. Our spirits are forever bounded to yours."

"That is why you are our chosen mistress," Hope Dragon Bird said. "When we combine our powers, we create a ray of hope for a bright future."

"And it's our job to keep that ray of hope shining bright," Hope Dragon Flower continued.

"Besides, some of us have taken a liking to your boyfriend's dragons," Hope Dragon Wind added, sneaking glances at Hope Dragons Flower and Moon.

Ray immediately knew that Wind was referring to Odd-Eyes Dragon and Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. She had no idea Flower and Moon harbored feelings for them. But what about Wind and Bird? They haven’t met their crushes yet, but based on what was already given, she had a feeling Michael will receive two more dragons in the future.

"Michael..." Ray said, her expression changing to that of sorrow. "I hope he's alright."

"Don't worry," Hope Dragon Moon said. "I suspect that he's still sleeping. But for now, we have to focus on defeating this new threat."

Ray smiled softly. "Thanks guys," she said. Then in a flash of light, the dragons disappeared as she deactivated her Duel Disk.

"Congratulations Ray!" Jaden happily said. "You can finally communicate with your Hope Dragons!"

"Wait, you guys didn't hear what they said?" Ray asked.

"Not one bit," Jesse answered. "All I heard were a buncha roars and growls."

"Same here," Jaden said.

Ray glanced at the still-unconscious Trapper. "At least he's taken care of," she said. "So with that diversion out of the way, let's meet up with the others."

Right as Jaden and Jesse agreed to find the others, Trapper started to awaken a little. The three turned around to see him as he was about to explain something to them. He used to have a connection with the Duel Spirits like them, especially Jesse, until he became a victim of losing that connection one day. Now he ruthlessly hunts those spirits and drains them of their energy as a way to fill the void of his past until the day he met Professor Viper.

“You met Viper?” Jesse asked in surprise.

“I did,” Trapper responded. “And he promised me that if I helped him out, I could get my hands on the ultimate spirit. If I wanted, the Rainbow Dragon could be all mine, so I took him up on his offer.” He then closed his eyes.

“You tell us where Viper is!” Jesse exclaimed before wincing in pain from the sudden energy drain he suffered a bit earlier. Jaden and Ray held him in their arms just as he was about to collapse.

“Jesse,” they both said.

“What’s happening?”

The trio looked back at Trapper, who was now in some sort of dark, shadowy, purple realm in his eyes.

“What’s going on?” Trapper asked as his question started to echo. He then saw six glowing white orbs of light float towards him yet he knew what they are. “Oh. It’s the spirits I trapped…and they’re coming to get me!”

Those spirits revealed themselves to be Gokipon, Treeborn Frog, Petit Angel, Thunder Kid, Key Mace, and Watapon and they are out for revenge. Trapper gasped out of fear as the spirits engulfed him in an aura of white light. “Looks like…I’m done trapped……in…”

The white light flashed from where his body laid and grew brighter until he vanished from the room.

“Where did he go?” Jaden asked.

“He just plumb disa—“ Before Jesse could finish, he fell limp again and started to breathe heavily.

“Jesse, you okay? Let me help,” Jaden stated.

“It’s cool. I’ll be okay,” Jesse replied. “What do you say we go hunt down Viper and put an end to all this?”

Jaden and Ray both nodded in agreement. “Alright. But first, let’s go find the others,” Jaden said. “We gotta go and make sure nothing has happened to them.”

[tessatechaitea]

New Titans #110

DC has been "unleashing" characters for over twenty-five years!

Twitter might be a smoking rectum of a filth and despair but let me tell you what it's given to me. I signed up to Twitter nearly ten years ago, mostly to secure the name Grunion Guy. I think my first tweet was "Why are they called Sixlets when there are only five colors?" Fucking insightful stuff, that. Anyway, at some point, a junior high school girl from Missouri followed me on Twitter. I followed her back and she lost her fucking mind because Grunion Guy started following her. It turned out, her and two of her best friends loved A Really Scary Story and some of Grunion Guy's other stories that were online (I say "Grunion Guy's other stories" and not "my other stories" because some of them (some of the best of them and certainly the first of them!) were not written by me. I just sort of took over the persona). Apparently the stories had been something fun they shared and they were excited to be acknowledged by Grunion Guy. They were funny and clever and I enjoyed reading their tweets and following their lives. Since then, I've watched them grow into compassionate, hilarious college students. I'm proud of them like I would be proud of my actual nieces if they were the kind of people to make me proud (ha ha! Just kidding, actual nieces! Whatever your names are!). But there's a dark side to this other aspect of Twitter, this allowing instant access between writers and their audience. For the most part, it's what makes Twitter truly terrible. But long before Twitter, fans already felt entitled to the stories they expected. But if they didn't get them, they actually had to write a letter that would almost certainly only be read by some person whose job was to act as a firewall to the creator. Now when Tom King writes Batman stories where Batman actually has to deal with the existential ramifications of taking on the role as sole arbiter of justice to the universe, Batman fans can tweet directly at him saying, "You suck! Batman is about punching things, idiot!" I would like to believe that most creators ignore what the audience claims they want and just continue to express what they feel they need to express. Art isn't about feeding the masses what they want; obviously it's about stroking one's ego as if it were a massive cock that just needed orgasmic release. Mostly when people scream at me for writing shit they don't agree with, it doesn't bother me. On the other hand, there's a part of me that feels proud that when those three young kids from Missouri found something they enjoyed in my writing and subsequently followed me on Twitter, they were able to find that the person behind those stories was somebody they actually enjoyed interacting with, somebody whose beliefs they could respect and agree with. I can't imagine how disappointing it must be for, say, a Dilbert fan to get online and follow the douche that does that comic book only to be greeted by his terrible politics and inane philosophies. Actually, I can't even imagine somebody being a Dilbert fan so that was probably a poor analogy. Ultimately I know that who I am doesn't matter when somebody reads A Really Scary Story (a story which, might I add, was once read out loud (by Daniel Heath Justice, no less!) before an audience that contained Connie Willis. So I'm practically a Hugo Award winner myself!). But I'd rather be seen as a somewhat enlightened, mostly compassionate moron than a selfish asshole who thinks they're the smartest fucker in the room. While I'm rambling on about Twitter, here's a little free advice for debating online: only respond to the person angrily responding to something you've written if your response makes you laugh. And never respond more than twice (only once if at all possible. I just say twice for a little bit of latitude). I generally don't engage in "discussion" on the Internet. I "write" posts. If somebody responds angrily, I'll either ignore it, say something whimsically stupid in response, or will clarify once and leave it at that. Most people having debates on the Internet seem to think that they're arguing their side and that they really have to make sure their point is understood. But that's a huge mistake! Because nearly 100% of the time, the angry respondent has intentionally misunderstood what you've written, and will continue to believe that what they said you said is what you said. So even one clarification is probably too much but I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Very occasionally, the misunderstanding isn't intentional and we can part on good terms. Anyway, Dick is traveling through the rain forest looking for Kory this issue.

Dick seems shocked by the acrobatic oral sex customs of these indigenous peoples.

Dick finds Kory in the jungle telling stories of her homeworld to this Amazonian tribe. If Dick doesn't stop her, Starfire's stories will soon usurp the stories of the native tribe, being that they're far more exciting and filled with more aliens and space lasers. She's going to destroy this entire culture nearly as fast as a white Christian missionary! Before Starfire can supplant the basis of the village's cultural understanding of their place in the universe by telling space operas, the stars of one of her space operas attacks the village! And just as the story begins to get exciting, the scene changes to the bureaucracy of Checkmate running the Titans. Now that the Titans need the government's help to battle lawsuits brought against them for their familial disputes causing citywide destruction (which the Titans deny but, I mean, have they been reading their own comic book? Eighty percent of their battles are against family members and the other twenty percent are against villains who have a grudge against the Titans themselves), they're being given political missions by the government. On one hand, it's despicable that they're going to be used as pawns for political and corporate interests. On the other hand, there's at least a 50% chance they'll actually be helping to make the world a better place for once.

What a surprise. There first mission is against a guy who wants to make the world a better place by saving the environment! I wonder if the Titans uniforms will have Shell, Mobile, and Exxon patches added to them.

How do I not remember this guy? That was a rhetorical question that means "I love this guy! Why didn't I have a shirt with him on it?! Why did I spill so much semen over Lobo when this guy existed?!" What I really meant to say was "Terraist? No wonder nobody remembers this guy!" You know when something clever goes a bit too far into clever so that it becomes fucking idiotic instead? That's the name "Terraist." But he's cradling a cat and a rose and he's battling for the environment! How is this guy the bad guy?! Just because he lives in Zandia? Fucking racist, man. Oh wait. Maybe I should have listened to the rest of The Terraist's rant. He plans on destroying the world quickly unless government's stop all pollution immediately. That doesn't seem insane and unreasonable at all! But I don't think his cat is into it. The cat just wants a few nice chin scritches and a plate of fancy food. The lasers that hit the rain forest were part of The Terraist's attack to save the world by destroying it. Maybe I was wrong about judging the people of Zandia. Maybe they are all fucking assholes.

"We know you can't get into space but we need the Titans to stop Terraist and his death satellite!" "You know there are heroes that can fly into space?" "WE NEED YOU!"

Red Planet declares that they will help and Arsenal is all, "Are you fucking nuts?! I don't have a rocket arrow!" But Flash is all, "I used to hate you because you were a Communist and Russian, Leonid. I just wanted you to know!" Fucking Wally. Although in Wally's defense, I once said this same kind of bullshit. I once told Mistina La Fave of The Prids how I didn't really like their music the first time I heard them but that I loved the show I had just watched before saying that horrible thing to her. Now in my defense during Wally's defense, the first time I saw The Prids (way back in like 2000 or 2001, I think? Yeesh), I also saw The Faint for the first time (touring for Danse Macabre) and I can't be responsible for comparing everything else poorly in relation to that glorious spectacle. But I still suck for saying that thing. The Titans decide to accept help from Alexander Luthor since he's the only private citizen with a ship that can get them into space so they can stop an eco-terrorist from saving the environment in completely the wrong way. This was twenty five years ago. It's like nothing ever changes! Why does anything we do matter if we're just repeating the same shit over and over again?! Oh God, I'm so tired! New Titans #110 Rating: B-. If you were paying attention to the cover, you might be wondering when Baby unleashed his beest. It happened over one panel where he attacked Steve Dayton but Dayton instantly downed him with some neuro-laser. I'm not sure why Checkmate didn't hire Steve Dayton to take down The Terraist since, using the transitive property, if Dayton can defeat the Titans, he should also be able to defeat The Terraist. Also, he probably has a ship that he's not letting the Titans use because he's tired of being used by them. Also he might still be insane seeing as how he's working on another Mento Helmet. Maybe going insane is the cure for being insane? So a second Mento Helmet is the cure for a first Mento Helmet! Man, no wonder I'm not a genius. When I break my arm, I rarely ever think the cure is breaking it again! But then, I know I've heard doctors talking about rebreaking arms to help fix broken arms! So I really am stupider than I thought!