Adrian Gecko ended up choosing the coffee shop right down the street. It was, as Phil noticed to his mild displeasure, within eyesight of both the bar he had gotten wasted at last night and the alley where he had killed Dimitri. Still, besides those unfortunate factoids, it was a decent coffee joint. Plenty of choices, no line, and out of the sun.
Oh, and Anastasia begrudgingly paid for the drinks. That was a bonus. Especially considering Phil was flat broke by now.
“So.” Adrian began once the chain-smoking waitress had deposited the fragrant cups of joe and a few weird-looking pastries. Phil nodded at him to continue, staying silent for a moment in favor of taking a bite out of one of the pastries.
Apricot. Interesting. But not bad. Not bad at all. Phil took another bite to see if his taste buds had been lying to him the first time, or if the pastry truly was good.
“It appears you're already an acquaintance of our source, David. You said his last name was Rabb?”
Phil brushed a few crumbs of the surprisingly decent apricot pastry from his lips and took a fortifying gulp of coffee in a futile attempt to banish his hangover.
“Yeah. I was already a bit suspicious about the American Duel Academy branch. During Kaiba's tournament, I had a chance meeting with David Rabb which confirmed those suspicions. Something nasty’s going on, and it needs to be stopped before the nasty gets nastier.”
Adrian’s eyebrows rose with interest. “Something nasty… do you know specifics?”
“Some.” Phil admitted. The real question bouncing around in his mind was less of the specifics and more of what specifics he could let these two know before they started thinking he was a lunatic. “The principal is heavily involved. So is his daughter, Reggie MacKenzie. According to what I’ve seen, and David agrees with this, they’re after this set of cards called the Planet Series. They’re willing to fight dirty to get them.”
Phil fell silent while he considered his next words carefully. A quick look around the table was able to tell him a little bit. Adrian Gecko looked like he was quite interested in his words. The burly teen had his head resting in his palms, staring right at Phil with hawkish eyes and the utmost concentration. Anastasia Capet seemed to be trying to ignore Phil’s very existence, but he couldn’t see much hostility in her face. Just sullen disinterest as she stared into her coffee. She didn’t seem to like him very much, but it also felt to Phil like Anastasia was fine following Adrian’s lead, and was very willing to be involved in all of this. She… yes. She seemed to have an incredible amount of trust in her teammate. That was quite reassuring.
“And what is this ‘Planet Series’?” Adrian spoke to his surprise.
Phil started. He’d gotten lost in thought. And also in his fun little hangover headache.
“Well, off the top of my head…” Phil listed off, wincing at the sound of his own voice, “Jaden Yuki’s Elemental Hero Terra Firma, David Rabb’s The Big Saturn, and Reggie MacKenzie’s Splendid Venus. Obviously, there’s probably more since they seem to be based on planets in our solar system, but those are the only ones I've seen with my own two eyes. In addition, Chazz Princeton’s Light and Darkness Dragon and Jaden Yuki’s Winged Kuriboh are involved, according to David. The principal wants them for some reason, despite them not being planets. Also…”
Phil hesitated to say his next words, but… it would be the height of folly for them to join him without knowing. Potentially lethal. And if they chose not to believe him? Then he would just get up without another word and focus on tearing through the academy with his own two hands.
“If you’ve lost contact with David Rabb, it might be worse than I thought.” Phil continued. “There’s a lot of bad shit going down in there. The ride that got me from Japan to here touched down in California. I’ve had duelists coming after me since I first stepped foot in this country. Do you know what they’ve all had in common? All of them have been working for Principal MacKenzie. All of them have been dueling to kill.”
“Wait a moment!” Anastasia Capet spoke in shock for the first time since the group had sat down at the coffee shop. “Just what do you mean? Dueling to kill? How does that even work? Are you messing around with us? Gecko what is this guy saying?!” Her eyes were still narrowed in a mixture of dislike and disbelief, but there was a small hint of concern hidden deep in her voice. The sound echoed around the shop, and Anastasia shot a look of apology toward the chain-smoking waitress once she realized how loud her voice had been.
Meanwhile, Adrian sat back and sighed, answering her question before Phil could open his mouth to respond. “So, you mean to say… shadow games are real.”
Phil ignored Anastasia, who was opening and closing her mouth like a surprised fish after hearing Adrian’s words. He nodded. “Yes. Very real and very dangerous. If you don’t believe me, take a moment to call the main Duel Academy. Professors Banner, Crowler, and Hibiki can all vouch for my words. Fuck it, even David Rabb can confirm if we can get ahold of him.”
Adrian took a moment to think while Anastasia recovered her composure. Seconds stretched into minutes while Adrian toyed with his coffee cup in thought. While he pondered, another apricot pastry was violently erased from the face of the planet by Phil.
“Okay.”
Phil raised an eyebrow in surprise. “That’s it?”
“Yes.” Adrian nodded. “Your words make sense when I also start thinking about the events of this last school year. I do not think you fully understand how many contacts I’ve gained not only in the business world, but also among the different schools. Think of it as a nice little benefit that comes with who I’m related to. That, and I like to think I’m an easy guy to talk to. I’ve heard nothing but rumors, of course, but the thing about rumors is that if they start sounding exactly the same between multiple people, there may be a grain of truth hidden beneath the speculation and gossip. And for Samui to disappear? At this exact time? When this many events are happening one after another? Quite a coincidence. Even more of a coincidence that I was contacted afterward by someone I was not very familiar with who knew too many details about the situation to be faking it. Right now, I can plainly see that we’re at the stage where this is no longer pure coincidence. Something is obviously going on. The only question I still had before our meeting today was the nature of that something, which is a question you’ve answered.”
“Okay.” Phil repeated Adrian’s simple response. The easy acceptance of the teen sitting across from him was… actually kind of nice. “Okay. I can work with that. Now that we’re on the same track, we need to find David Rabb. He will know the layout of the academy grounds, and might even be able to lead us straight to your friend. That would be the easiest way to approach this whole mess, I think.”
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
As it turned out, finding David Rabb was super easy, barely an inconvenience.
“That’s him.” Phil confirmed to Adrian as the two peered over a wall separating the academy campus from the rest of New York City. Adrian nodded and let go of the wall to drop a few feet down to the grass, where Anastasia was waiting after declaring their idea to simply peek over the wall as ‘stupid’.
Phil immediately leaned over to Adrian and Anastasia, the latter of whom leaned away from him in disgust. “He saw me and started heading for the gates. We should move.”
“Fantastic.” Adrian smiled. “Let’s go across the street behind those cars. We can wave David over when we see him.”
It didn’t take long for David Rabb to be visible. He looked anxious and exhausted, always checking around his shoulders, but once Adrian partially stood up and discreetly waved him over, the four duelists were able to meet up in the shadow of a rusted brown pickup truck.
“Phil. You made it.” David greeted him first with a nod and a relieved smile. “Gecko, Capet, it is good to finally speak in person. I’m sorry about Samui Kori. If I’d known that the principal was looking for more soldiers, I’d have approached you back at the tournament with a warning, as I did for Phil when I noticed Reggie eyeing his friends.”
Phil’s eyes sharpened in interest at David’s words. “More soldiers? Why?”
David shook his head helplessly. “I don’t know for sure. For the longest time, he was content with using me and Reggie to take care of most matters. We were essentially his enforcers. Reggie took care of the subtle work, and I was always tasked with whatever was left.” David winced and fell silent, seemingly caught up in what he remembered from his time being possessed.
“And if that wasn’t enough, he has a pet psychic and a few other capable associates at his disposal. I could understand Principal MacKenzie acting if Samui Kori found out some sort of truth about him, but I don’t even know how they met. Samui doesn’t belong to the American branch. There’s very little rhyme or reason to this.”
“A psychic?” Adrian Gecko’s eyes sharpened and he interrupted David’s stream of thoughts.
David nodded. “He calls himself Big Shoe, for some insane reason. The man’s a total nutjob, but I’ve seen him at work. His power is real, though it does require him to specifically seek answers on a subject. It’s not a catch-all.”
“A psychic…” Phil muttered. “That tracks with what I’ve heard from the duelists I’ve fought that were working for the principal.”
“You’ve fought his men?” David questioned. “Did you get any names?”
Phil took a moment to think. “Conspicuous Sam was one. I dueled him back in Reno. A psychic put him up to it. I don’t think he told me the name of the psychic, but it was probably that ‘Big Shoe’ guy.”
“Interesting.” David’s eyes lit up as he began to think. “Conspicuous Sam was a duelist of no small ability. To have him out of the way this early is a good sign.” He ruffled his hair and thought for a second. “Well, no matter what, we need to take care of Big Shoe ASAP before he locks onto us and warns the principal. It’s only a matter of time before that happens.”
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Adrian nodded in agreement, and Anastasia copied the movement soon after with cautious eyes. “Taking care of their early warning system quickly would be best. What about the security measures on campus? Cameras? Guards?”
“Big Shoe usually stays in the camera room. He has a really weird radio show he runs out of there. I don’t think many of the guards truly know what’s happening behind the scenes. The only ones I know of that for sure do are Bon Lectro and Aunty Nan. Reggie usually roams around campus, too. She’s high-enough ranked in academics that she doesn’t have to attend most classes.” At Phil’s raised eyebrow, David began to elaborate.
“Bon Lectro’s the head of security. Aunty Nan’s some sort of ninja. They both have authority over campus security and are powerful duelists. Reggie’s still under the principal’s control. I am sure you’ve seen her ability in the tournament yourself. If she sees intruders, I imagine she’ll either challenge them directly or notify security.” David shook his head sadly. “Poor Reggie. She doesn’t deserve any of this. And as for Samui, it seems Big Shoe took a liking to him. He spends most of his time in the camera room with the psychic. I don’t know much more than that.”
Phil peered over the side of the truck and shot a considering look toward the walls that separated the academy from the rest of the world.
“So, what you’re saying is that we’re on more of a time crunch than I thought. Okay. Fine. How about this. I’ll cut off the head of the snake and focus on the principal. I’ve got serious beef with him. Who wants camera-busting duty?”
Adrian raised his hand, and Anastasia mimicked his movement without a second of hesitation. “Shrouding our movements is highly important. And if Samui’s in the camera room with the psychic, then it is all the more important for the two of us to be there to rescue him.”
Phil nodded at Adrian. “Of course. David, I assume they haven’t figured out you’ve slipped away from the principal’s control.” David shook his head, so Phil continued his train of thought. “That means you have freedom of movement as long as you don’t do anything too crazy. Try to confirm the condition of my… associate in the infirmary. If you see Reggie or any of the security, try to direct them away from our movements. Say something along the lines of you've seen some weird crackhead jumping the wall on the other side of campus to hit on chicks and steal drug money. Something that will keep them off our asses for a bit.”
“Hm. And once Anastasia and I cut the communications off, that distraction should help us out quite a bit. Fantastic. If we’re lucky and they fall for David’s words, we may be able to complete our goals and get out before they realize what’s even happening.” Adrian finished with a grim smile.
Phil nodded, pleased that Adrian was able to follow his line of thought perfectly. “Right. Gentlemen, Lady, may you all have good fortune in the battles to come. After this is over, let’s get pizza or something.”
“Good fortune indeed.” Adrian echoed. “Good fortune indeed.”
Anastasia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, becoming visibly calmer. Adrian adjusted his duel disk with a steady, placid look on his face. David shook his shoulders and stood up resolutely.
"I'll head in first through the front gates. I can pretend I went out for lunch. Give me five… no, ten minutes before you guys try to sneak in.”
“Roger that.” Phil confirmed. He closed his eyes as David casually walked away, counting out the minutes one by one while he attempted to banish the last bits of his hangover.
The minutes went by. One by one. Cars rushed by. Another minute passed. Adrian and Anastasia whispered to each other. Another minute passed.
Phil opened his eyes to a tap on his shoulder. He looked over to see Adrian gesturing at his watch.
“Ten minutes. It’s go time.” Adrian confirmed.
“Cool. Good luck.”
Adrian patted him on the shoulder and nodded.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
“Isn’t that fool too casual about all of this?” Anastasia remarked as the pair watched Phil ignore the front gate in favor of heaving himself over the wall. “Hm. Or perhaps he is still drunk.”
Adrian shrugged noncommittally. He left his own thoughts on the matter unsaid, lest they unsettle his friend. The fact that, by all likelihood, their new acquaintance may very well be forced to kill Principal MacKenzie. At least if it was to be believed that shadow duels were mixed into the equation. It was a fact that Adrian had prepared himself for as well. Hell, it wouldn’t be the first time. His family history was a sordid affair already. A series of blood-soaked actions committed by his ancestors to keep power firmly in their grasp. At least he was doing this to save a friend. That alone was enough for Adrian to rationalize the whole situation.
Anastasia continued to speak despite Adrian’s lack of response. It was something he’d noticed was a nervous habit for the girl, ever since they had first met… oh when was it…
Right. It was at a company party to introduce him to the rest of high society. Adrian Gecko, a newly come-of-age scion of the Gecko family. Anastasia had been dragged along with her own family, the Capets.
It certainly wasn’t love at first sight. More like ‘barely tolerate’ at first sight. That ‘barely tolerate’ eventually did blossom into friendship, but not until the two of them had fought in the amateur dueling circuit numerous times and ended up going to East Academy together out of random chance.
And now they were in America, working with a guy they dragged out of a dumpster. Wow. Now that he thought about it, the two of them had come a long way.
“-what do you think?”
Adrian started upon realizing Anastasia was looking at him, expecting a response to a question he hadn’t really been listening to.
“About what?” He questioned with a tiny bit of embarrassment.
Anastasia rolled her eyes. “That annoying guy is going after the principal alone. Do you… think he’ll be alright? Should we head over to help him once we rescue Samui?”
Adrian chuckled. She was definitely still angry about her duel with Phil during the tournament. “All we can do is hope he can back up his words. I have a feeling he can, though. His performance during the tournament was satisfactory, and I doubt that was his true strength.” He cracked his neck and stood. “Come. We should head in as well. Perhaps through the front door, and under the guise as students.”
“Good.” Anastasia shuddered as she took one last look at the wall Phil had disappeared over. “I was going to slap you silly if you were to suggest climbing the wall too.”
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
“Test test. Testing, testing, testing." Big Shoe smacked his lips and knocked his hand against the new microphone on his desk. It was shiny, covered in chrome, and looked hella fancy. Still, he wasn’t all too impressed. It was already experiencing issues connecting to his equipment. Well, in the end, it was his fault. Who'd have thought the guy he stole it from had terrible taste in audio equipment? Served him right for picking the wrong fella to knock out with a wrench to the head. But hey, free stuff was free stuff.
“Test test. 1, 2, 3." He nodded in satisfaction. Finally, it was starting to sound like it should. That meant the program could get back on track. "Hey hey hey, another beautiful day here in the city that sings, the city that never sleeps! This is ya’ radio jockey and part-time fortune teller Big Shoe. I tell ya, it's getting real crazy here at the big academy. Yup, yes sir. The big academy. Now viewers, allow me to wind your brain backward like I'm cranking a music box. Way, way back to yesterday, when I put out the word on the street about some fool coming to NYC to mess with us.”
Big Shoe cleared his throat and let loose a grin that fully displayed his gold-plated teeth. Each tooth bore a different letter, all to spell out his full name – Big Shoe.
“Well, turns out that cocky fella is heading right toward us. And hey now, listen up my precious populace. The big man on campus threw down the hammer. He don't want any of you fools messing with our new friend. No, he’s gonna take care of it himself. And yours truly? Well, ah plan on clearing out the riff-raff our boy’s bringing with him. Gotta do something to justify my pay, am I right or am I right?”
Big Shoe’s grin widened to nearly impossible proportions. He rubbed his hands roughly together, letting a massive cloud of dried skin fall from his palms to coat the floor. Behind him, still huddled in the corner, Samui Kori blankly stared at the wall of monitors. One by one large groups of white-uniformed students popped in and out of view. Chatting, laughing, and altogether innocent of what was happening behind the scenes. The only ones that appeared any different were a muscular teen with glasses, a girl in an elegant dress with an icy demeanor, and a skinny kid in a ragged jacket stained with some sort of black dust.
“Hey hey hey, it’ll be a beautiful~ day today. Yes, a beautiful~ day today. Stay tuned, listeners, and pop that news station on. I have a feeling our big man on campus is gonna make a ruckus. Yes~ a big ruckus indeed.”
Big Shoe tapped the mute button on his microphone as the show went to a commercial break. “Nice, nice.” He muttered upon seeing the three intruders. “Now then. I wonder which one will come for me first.”
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Phil cast an expert eye over his surroundings. Whitewashed buildings, done in the boring, drab style of the 70s. Ugh. Brutalism. He scrunched his nose in distaste and forced his mind to focus on anything other than the shitty architecture. Luckily, there were signs everywhere. Parking garage, administration, student union, etc.
Looking at the little campus map next to the signs, Phil noted that he was currently in the quad. A nice little grassy area right outside the student union. He nodded. Now that he was oriented, his best bet was probably the administrative building. That was where principals usually lurked, poking their heads around to spend taxpayer dollars on really stupid ideas that were of absolutely no help to a student’s education whatsoever. Principal MacKenzie seemed to be like that kind of guy, except for in this instance the ‘stupid ideas’ were gathering the planet cards and doing something or another with synchro summoning.
The sound of shoes scuffing against the sidewalk brought Phil to maximum alertness. He licked his palms and smoothed his hair back. There was only so much he could do to mitigate the damage of the coal cars and the dumpster he’d slept in. All he could do was to make himself as presentable as possible, and try to pull off the classic teenage ‘I don’t care, I’m a rebel without a cause’ look.
Phil walked forward into the mass of students approaching from the sidewalk. Secretly, he heaved a sigh of relief. Only about half of the students were actually wearing their uniforms. The rest were rocking street clothes, which actually made it possible to somewhat blend in with the crowd. Phil, with his own battered street clothes and duel disk, looked quite the part. Even his Ra Yellow jacket, which would have immediately denoted him as a member of the main Dual Academy, was scuffed up and stained with enough coal dust that it simply looked like a regular jacket.
For a few tense minutes, Phil moved with the flow of the giggling and chattering crowd until it finally spat him out right before the doors of the administration building. His eyes widened slightly in surprise. That was easy. Now he could only go and see if the next bit would be just as easy…
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Phil worked hard to conceal his surprise in the face of the information the nice secretary lady gave him at the front desk of the administration building.
“You mean… Principal MacKenzie’s just in the lower level of the parking garage?”
"Yes, of course, sweetie." The lady, whose name Phil had forgotten to get, looked back at him patiently. “He told me specifically to send anyone that wants to meet him right over there. Do you need directions, dearie?”
Phil shook his head. What the fuck was Tragoedia playing at? The secretaries’ words all but screamed that Tragoedia knew Phil was close by. So, what was this? A trap? Or was he tired of all the bullshit and wanted to settle it before Phil caused too much damage to whatever operation the monster had running out of here?
“I’m good, thanks for the info ma’am. I’ll head right over.”
Phil shook his head in disbelief again and exited the building, making a beeline straight for the parking garage he remembered passing on the way over. Why the hell was it the parking garage, of all places? If this was Tragoedia trying to be dramatic, he would have expected a rooftop duel at midnight or something. It was like there was something… something that Phil was missing…
Then it all made sense. Clear, perfect sense. Like a man who had gone through life with bad eyesight was just given a perfect pair of glasses to use. A pile of information that hit Phil straight in the head just as he opened the door leading to the stairway down to the lower parts of the garage. It was less of a realization made under his own power and more of one triggered by a single noise echoing throughout the nearly empty parking garage.
It was the steady rumbling of a motorcycle engine.