Day 4 (7/10): Training Wheels
With a blast of pure, raw energy comes Rua/Leo! He might not be the best at what he does, but his determination and love for his sister is the stuff that makes us root for him!
I wrote this scene for last year, but 1) I don’t think I really did it justice, and 2) I goofed. Limiter Removal only works on machine types and Life Stream is not a machine.
***
Leo screams as the shockwave of dirt from Cusillu’s fist crashes down on him.
This is it.
He survived by the skin of his teeth. He has only 400 LP left and even when Power Tool regains its attack points, he still won’t have enough to defeat Cusillu.
He’s going to lose.
He’s going to die. All because he thought he could be a hero. He’s not a Signer and he can’t save anyone.
No! Leo shakes his head against the sting of tears, hands curling into fists in the dirt. He can’t give up yet! He still has to do this! For Luna!
His battered dragon leans over him, mechanical joints creaking. Leo looks up into its gleaming red glass eyes and Power Tool Dragon stares back. Once, he would have thought the dragon just a card, just a hologram, but Leo knows better now. “You’re...trying to tell me something, aren’t you?”
Power Tool bows its head.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you want. I can’t understand duel monster like Luna.” Leo pushes himself up with a wince, pulling his legs free. Everything hurts. There probably isn’t a single part of him not covered with scrapes or bruises.
Power Tool emits a sort of metallic scraping noise. Leo laughs weakly. “I can’t give up, right?” It’s as good a guess as any. “Yeah, I know that.” Forcing himself back to his feet, Leo sways and catches himself against Power Tool’s leg. The metal is warm. Not this-piece-of-tech-is-overheating-I-should-turn-it-off warm, not left-too-long-in-the-sun warm; warm like...like something living.
“Still standing?” Devak’s voice pulls Leo’s attention back to the Dark Signer. “I’ll be sure to rectify that. I activate the trap card Cursed Prison, allowing me to special summon a synchro monster of my choosing.”
Ah, crap, oh crap! Leo flinches away as the trap flips up. If this guy can attack him again he’s really done for! But the battle phase is already over right?! Leo frantically checks the indicator on his duel disk as Devak slots the card in place. The monster appears bound in chains behind the bars of an ornate cage, and Leo vaguely recognizes those pastel wings.
“Ancient Fairy Dragon!?”
“Say hello to my prisoner!” Devak laughs. “Because of Cursed Prison, Ancient Fairy Dragon can’t attack, But I think she makes a lovely trophy, don’t you?”
“You monster!!” Leo’s vision blurs and he stumbles against Power Tool Dragon’s leg again.
Devak’s laugh grates against his ears. “Give up now, boy. You can barely stand!”
“I’m not giving up!” Leo yells. “Not as long as I have life points!”
“Then show me what you can do with a measly 400.”
The turn passes to Leo who stubbornly pushes himself upright to draw his card. Limiter Removal flips over to greet him and relief sets in as a plan starts to form. He’s still in this. Power Tool Dragon’s effect adds Central Shield to his hand, but Leo hesitates to equip it. The dragon stares at him. He’s still trying to tell Leo something.
“I don’t know what you want,” he whispers, equips the card, and plays two more face down. His eyes water and sting from the dust in the air; he feels Power Tool’s gaze like a weight on his shoulders; everything hurts. Just a little longer. He just has to hold on a little longer. If this next play goes right…
He could win. But why does winning this way make him feel so-
Devak scoffs. The sound sends a chill down Leo’s spine. “A pitiful last effort by a pitiful child! Your metal toy cannot hope to stand up to my Earthbound Immortal!”
“He’s not a toy!” Leo screams and catches himself on Power Tool’s leg again. The metal pulses gently beneath his hand. He’ll show this bastard! He’ll show him! He’ll win! And save Luna! Just this once, he’ll save his sister instead!
When Devak attacks, Leo activates Limiter Removal and overpowers Cusillu.
“You fool!” Devack sneers. “Did you really think that would work? You are facing the power of a god!”
At least it took your life points down a peg. Leo really wishes he had the energy to sneer back, but he has to keep most of his focus on seeing straight. He knows he’s only standing upright because of Power Tool’s leg braced against him. And he thought that stupid duel against Sayer was bad. This is, like, ten times worse. Guess that’s what it means to have his life on the line.
“By sacrificing a monster on my field, not only does my Immortal avoid destruction, but your life points are halved!”
Ah nuts! He forgot about that! Can he take another hit? No, he has too! Focus, Leo! This is the part you were waiting for!
“That’s why I summoned that pitiful creature!” Devak points to Ancient Fairy and Leo’s anger flares all over again. He can do this. He. Can. Do. This! Leo braces himself against Power Tool’s leg as Ancient Fairy leaves the field and his life points take the hit. Only 200 left. Crap, he can barely feel his legs. Power Tool leans down to nudge his head.
“‘M still in this,” he mumbles to the mech and manages a shaky smile as he faces Devack once more. “I was waiting for that.”
“What?”
“It’s a classic bad guy move - dangle what the hero holds precious right in front of them only to take it away again.” Gods, he’s so tired. He can’t even hope to pull off the cocky air he wants for this. “Heh. I guess...just this once...that makes me the hero.” His eyes water again. Brushing the tears aside, he presses the button to activate his trap. “The continuous spell, Respect Synchron. When you send a synchro monster to the graveyard by card effect, I can special summon that same monster to my side of the field.”
“You can’t!”
“I can.”
Breaking free of its chains, Ancient Fairy Dragon rises to Leo’s side with a harrowing shriek. It sounds a bit like a victory cry. “Hey, Ancient Fairy Dragon.” Leo grins up at the monster. She’s beautiful. “Bet you’re glad to be back. I’ll get you to Luna real soon.”
“Bold words for a weak little boy!”
Leo glares at the man but doesn’t bother wasting breath on pointless arguments. He’s got more important things to focus on. Like standing. And winning. “Limiter Removal’s second effect activates, but I send Central Shield to the graveyard to negate it and save Power Tool Dragon from destruction.”
“As if it will make a difference. I end my turn. Show me your futile struggle, boy. And you, Ancient Fairy Dragon…” Devak’s smile becomes cruel and twisted, a deep menacing laugh reverberating through the space between them. “Enjoy your freedom while it lasts.”
Ancient Fairy growls as Leo draws. “Then it’s my turn. And Ancient Fairy Dragon’s effect activates. By destroying a field spell, I gain 1000 life points.” Finally! He can breathe properly again. Some strength returns to his legs and he can stand without leaning against Power Tool’s leg.
“A field spell?” Devak jerks as Closed Forest shatters around him and Cusillu screams. “No!” Bursting into particles of light, the Earthborn Immortal disappears from the field.
Yes! It can’t survive without a field spell! This is Leo’s chance. He’s one attack away from winning. “Now, Ancient Fairy Dragon- AH!” His arm burns. Doubling over, he clutches it close, eyes and teeth clenched against the burning pain. It hurts! This is way worse than any scrapes or bruises he’s gotten on the playground before, even that one time he twisted his ankle!
“Release your power.” Huh? A voice? Is that...Ancient Fairy Dragon’s voice? But how can Leo hear it? “I’ve cleared the way, now release your true power.”
“But- but I’m just normal! I don’t have any special power.”
“Look at your arm.”
“What?” It hurts. It hurts so bad, but Leo risks pulling his hand away and gasps at the glowing red lines on his skin. “No way… Is this…? But Power Tool isn’t a Signer Dragon!” Wait.
Luna said she saw a dragon that looked similar to Power Tool in her dream.
Looking up at Power Tool again, the mech scratches across his chest as if trying to pry off the metal plate.
The pulse beneath the metal.
-Release your power.-
It can’t be.
“Impossible!” Devack screams. “That red light- How could you- Why do you have the Dragon’s mark?! You’re not a Signer!”
Jerking, Leo holds his burning arm close again and almost agrees, but- “That’s where you’re wrong.” The words come unbidden. He’s shaking. His arm burns even more. He doesn’t care. It can be. “I’m not weak or pathetic! I am a Signer and this is the proof!” He clutches his arm close as that burning red fills him with a sense of power, and looks at the cards in his hand.
It’s a crazy idea.
“I summon Morphtronic Lantron!” He never declared an attack, so they’re still technically in the main phase. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, but he’s gotta try all the same. “And I tune Morphtronic Lanton with Power Tool Dragon!” The red lines disappear from his arm as the burning warmth spreads across his back. Lanton turns into a green tuning ring that encircles Power Tool and seven stars become eight that becomes the light that beckons a new monster to the field as Devack stumbles back.
“What the hell is this?!”
“Break free of your metal shell and show us your true power!” Leo bellows as metal armor crumbles to reveal a flesh and blood beast. The name comes to him as if he’s known it all his life. “Evolve, Life Stream Dragon!”
Life Stream roars as brilliant red power lights up the field. The burning fades to a pleasant warmth beneath Leo’s skin. So this is what it feels like...the power of the Crimson Dragon, the power of a Signer.
“Life Stream’s effect boosts my life points to 2000!” Another weight lifts from his battered body as his meter shoots up again. Devak stuppers curses and denials, but it’s far too late for such things. Life Stream’s 2900 attack is more than enough to wipe out Devak’s remaining life points. “Go, Life Stream! For Luna!”
Life Stream charges. Devak screams. And it all ends in a brilliant burst of light.
Leo breathes in the following silence. He...won? As if in answer, the glowing purple lines disappear. The warmth on his back fades and the red lines of his mark appear on his arm once more. “I actually won…” He looks up at the dragons as they fade and swears they both nod at him. “I did it! Didja see that, Luna!” Punching the air with a joyous cry, he laughs, overwhelmed by emotions that threaten to spill from his eyes.
His celebration cuts short with a scream as Devak looms in front of him, fine black dust dripping from the man’s body with every shaky step. “I...lost? No… No, this isn’t over. I’ll take you down with me!”
Leo trips backwards with a yelp, somehow more terrified of this half dead, barely standing man than he had been of the giant evil monkey. He trips over his own feet and lands hard in the dirt. Trudge yells his name as Devak looms above him, hands outstretched like a greedy zombie.
“You...will not stop the shadows from devouring this world, for I will...kill you I will drag you down into hell...”
Ohgodohgodohgodohgod! Leo can’t get his shaking legs to move. Trudge is too far away. This is it! This is how he dies! He won the duel but this is how he dies!
A brilliant beam of light streaks down directly in front of him and Leo throws up his arms to shield his eyes. Now what?! As if death by disintegrating zombie man wasn’t enough!
The light fades and Leo is surprisingly still alive. What the-
“Leo!”
That voice! “Luna!? You’re back!” Leo jerks his arms down to stare at his sister, blinking spots out of his eyes. “But! Devak! What happened to-” His eyes land on a suspicious pile of black dust beneath Luna’s feet and decidedly stops asking questions.
“You’re hurt! What happened?” Luna crouches next to him, eyes shining with worry.
“I dueled Devak!” Leo punches out, leaping to his feet. “And I won! I won! And I got Ancient Fairy back! You should have seen it!” He shoves the card proudly at his sister and both their eyes catch on the red lines on Leo’s skin.
“Your arm!”
“I KNOW RIGHT I’M A SIGNER!” The excitement explodes out of him. “I thought I was gonna die but then Power Tool was all trying to tell me something and had a pulse like heartbeat and I used Devak’s effect against him to get Ancient Fairy back and she took out Devak’s field spell which got rid of the evil monkey and it was so crazy I tried to attack with her to end the duel but my arm started burning and I upgraded Power Tool into Life Stream Dragon and it was so powerful and warm and I…I’m…”
He finally stops to breathe and looks at the mark on his arm, all sharp symmetric angles. It almost looks like an arrowhead, or a creepy mask if flipped the other way. “I’m actually a Signer…” He whispers. The tears well up again and this time he can’t stop them. “I did it, Luna. I was actually a hero…”
She gives him that smile, the one so full of warmth and love that it hurts to look at because he never really believed he was worthy of such admiration. “Of course you were, Leo. You’ve always been my hero.”
Leo hiccups as the dam finally cracks and the sobs pour out of him. He goes weak in the knees but Luna’s there to catch him just like always. “I was so scared I thought I was gonna die and never see you again…!”
“I’m right here,” Luna whispers into his hair. “We both made it. I’m so proud of you.”
Leo is Signer, the hero he always wanted to be, but he’s also a kid, and it feels really really good to just be a kid and cry.
He’ll be a big strong hero again later.
***
Leo strikes me as a comic book kid.
Yes, I’m much happier with how this turned out. Ugh, I was just so burnt out last year from scripting the silly thing. No more doing scripts and full edits in one day. (If I can help it.)
