Who: Adam and Atlas Where: Adam's tour bus What: Scared, hurt, and angry friends battling Yu-gi-oh Rating: Low Status: Complete
Adam Koon Adam had never had another friend that knew the truth about him. There was never anyone but Atlas and now that was being threatened. What if he really chose the other side? Orochi was hissing in his head. He was waiting for Atlas to show up and flipping through his deck. He'd been working on his deck set-up a long time. This was no starter pack. But so had Atlas and this was game they were both good at. He would usually pull out that yo-yo to mess with Atlas because he was better at it than him, but didn't feel up to it, not this time. The second he saw Atlas show up he said, "I'm sorry I never told you. I couldn't." They'd had more than one argument since Atlas found out he'd been living with demons all along.
Atlas Acron "Stop. I know. Quit doing that. I hate apologies. We've been over this a hundred times now. Let's just not. It's not important anymore. It hurt like a mother-fucker you could lie all this time after everything I've told you. I trusted you. I guess I still do." The mothman said as he closed the bedroom door behind him, shutting out the nurses and Imps on the other side of the RV that followed Adam around like caravan on the open trail. He dropped a glow-in-dark bandanna on the chimera's lap and sat down across Adam ready to card battle, his own deck in his other hand. He drew five cards and then one extra because the person who moved first always drew an extra card and said, "I'm going first. I'm sick of being last." He Summoned “Petit Moth” in attack mode. Then he played spell card insect barrier. Then he turned one card face down. Then he activated the “Cocoon of Evolution” and in 6 turns this set up the cocoon to summon the "Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth"
"End Turn" He said with eyes up in a dueling dare.
Adam Koon "Yes it is. It's important. I'm so sick you of you saying everything isn't important, you Bug. It is!" Adam started to set his deck for play. His words were vile and angry and came out harsh without warning as he played his first card never touching the bandanna or even looking at it. It reminded him of Atlas's glowing skin and he didn't want to think about that. He didn't even ask what it was for. Adam played the spell card “Polymerization” to fuse together the “Berfomet” and “Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts” from his hand to summon “Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast”. Then calls out an attack on the “Petit moth.”
"End Turn."
Atlas Acron Atlas looked down at that first cards and his eyes shot up to Adam. They both had their favorite decks but he knew when Adam came out with his Chimeratech OTK deck (one time kill) he was upset and starting with such an aggressive move too. They weren't ok. He knew it right then. Sure he'd spouted off when he entered the room but they knew each other better than that. They'd be speaking through the game probably far more than they'd be speaking to each other. It was a language they both understood. "What's it matter now? Huh? Too late to change a thing." Then Atlas activated a trap card “DNA Surgery” He calls out Insect. All monsters on the field are insects, therefore insect barrier stops the attack of all of Chimeras monsters.
"End Turn."
Adam Koon "Fuck you Insect." Adam spouted off. How dare he pull a surgery card when Adam's life was ruined because of one? Do you know how hard it was to hold back on you? I was keeping you safe too. Not just me." Adam summons to the field “Little Chimera” in attack mode then plays the spell card, “Swords of Revealing Light”. This made it so Atlas cannot attack for 3 turns. Then he plays “Pot of Greed” to draw 2 cards. Then plays one card face down.
"End Turn."
Atlas Acron Atlas looked down felt slighted. He couldn't attack for three moves over that one. "I never asked for your protection, Scaly. I can take care of myself. I'd have dealt with it. Not telling me means you think I'm too stupid to make my own decisions. I thought you were better than that. I just thought wrong, so fucking wrong." He ends up having to draw one card. But he knew he had five turns left before the summoning of the moth activation. So he played the “Pot of Greed” drew 2 cards. He plays one monster face down on the field in defence mode. Then he played one card face down.
"End Turn."
Adam Koon "You always make your own decisions. You're the only person I know that does! So quitcher bitching already." Draws one cards. Activates the “Stray Lambs” Spell card to summon two Lamb tokens. Then activates Heavy Storm to get rid of all Spell and Trap cards on the field.
"End Turn."
Atlas Acron "That's right I do. And if I were you I'd pick my rattly ass tail up bite the hand that feeds and just be with me. I can take care of you." Then Atlas triggered the trap card “Magic Jammer” to stop the “Heavy Storm.” He discarded “Cockroach Knight” which activates its effect to go right back to the top of his deck.
"End Turn."
Adam Koon "No you can't and for what, so you make my decisions instead of him? No thanks." Then he picked up the bandanna and threw it at Atlas.
"End Turn." Adam didn't let Atlas force a move on him, not one.
Atlas Acron Atlas understood, but seeing the bandanna thrown back at him hurt. He hadn't told him why he'd given it to him yet, but it was sentimental. But, he and Adam had both struggled with being themselves and making their minds up in a world that made them conform to things they didn't really want to for their own survivals. It didn't matter who was out there making decisions for them. What mattered is neither one thought they had any choice in the matter. The world made decisions for them and they didn't think it was fair. Demons had fucked them both over and humans made them both out to be monsters when their real faces were shown. They were monsters. But, they had each other to lean on. Evron spoke of suffering together and that's what Adam and Atlas already did. Atlas had always felt that pull of Adam keeping himself an arm's length away, even as best friends and partners, so Atlas kept measurable distance himself. But, everything that had ever kept these two distant before had been breached and announced and was now completely open to them both. No lies. No sarcasm. All truth. Raw and real truth was before them and this was either going to make them the best friends the world had ever known or tear them completely apart.
"Better me than someone else?" He shook head. "I wouldn't do that. I'm your best friend. I should be what you're about not them."
Atlas drew a card. He had four turns till the summoning of the moth. Then he flipped face up his “Parasite Paracide” monster. Its effect moved it to Adam’s deck. If Adam draws the Parasite, he will take 1000 points of damage and his deck will be infected causing everything of his to become insects.
"End Turn."
Adam Koon "You'd have to. I can't do it myself." Adam was a functioning cripple of Caim Frankenstein's mad lab and no one would be charging Caim's castle with pitch forks over him. The one's that carried pitch forks were Frankenstein's friends in this case. "I don't get to choose the other side like you. I need him. It's his sorcery. He's my Dad. You even know I can't leave him and you're spending way more time with that saint than you are me. This tour was supposed to be our time. I'm the one that's sick of being last."
Draws a card. Then plays the spell card “Graceful Charity” He draws 3 cards then discards 2. From this he draws the Parasite, he is forced to play it on the field, One Lamb token is removed and the parasite is played in defence mode. Chimera takes 1000 points of damage an only has 7000 lp remaining. All of his monsters are infected with a parasite and so all of his monsters are now insects and cannot atk from the spell card “Insect Barrier”. Then he sacrifices one lamb token to summon “Leogun”
"End Turn."
Atlas Acron
Ouch. That burned his chest up inside quick watching Adam take a thousand points damage and running so low as he spoke on the damage Atlas was causing him by running around with the Jax so much.
He drew a Card. There were still three turns until the summoning of the Moth. Atlas didn't have it in him then. He did not make a move and did not say a word otherwise.
"Ends Turn."
Adam Koon Draws a Card. Swords of Light effect ends. Then plays the spell card “Foolish Burial” to send to the graveyard “Necro Gardna”
"Ends Turn."
Atlas Acron It seemed their game was going silent from both sides after Adam mentioned Jax. It was getting stale in there.
Atlas drew a card. There were two more turns until the moth appears. He played the spell card “Monster Reborn” to bring back “Necro Gardna” from Adam’s graveyard to his side of the field in defense mode. This would prevent Adam from using “Necro Gardna’s” effect to block his attacks.
"End Turn."
Adam Koon Draws a card. lays one card face down.
"Ends Turn."
It may have been silent but Adam's glare across both fields was relentless and full of hurt. He knew Atlas was just waiting for that moth to activate too, setting him up from the very first move.
Atlas Acron Atlas drew a card. One more turn until the moth could be summoned. He plays the Ritual Spell card “Javelin Beetle Pact” sending “Necro Gardna” and the “Hercules Beetle” from his hand to the graveyard to Summon “Javelin Beetle” in attack mode. Adam's three move hold on him was over.
"End Turn."
Atlas couldn't stand the silence anymore though and said, "I wanted you to have that bandanna to remind you of me when I was gone in Hell with Nathan. I didn't want you to forget me." He ran his hand over the new tattoo he had of two jacks and a ball. The guilt was setting in deep. He'd barely known Jax but for a couple months now and branded himself with his reminder and was giving Adam something so easily lost or taken or thrown away.
Adam Koon Adam saw the tattoo. He knew what it was. He knew what it was for. But hearing what Atlas's reason was for the bandanna only hurt more when he compared the two gestures.
Draws one card then switches all monsters to defense mode.
End Turn
Atlas Acron
If that wasn't a statement Atlas didn't know what was. Adam just flipped the whole game on him. He stared back, right across the field. He'd been playing offense offense attack attack from the start with straight up aggression then flipped the field right when he knew it was time for the moth's set-up attack. Clever fucking Chimera.
Atlas drew one Card and sent “Petit Moth” and “Cocoon of Evolution” to the graveyard to summon “The Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth” Then he then played “Heavy Storm” destroying all spell and trap cards on the field. Then he played the spell card “Stop defence” switching “Chimera the flying Mythical Beast to attack mode.
Then he called out the attack.
Adam Koon
Activates “Necro Gardna’s” effect, removing it from play to stop the The Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth's attack in one move.
"I wouldn't have forgotten you."
Atlas Acron Atlas played one card face down.
"End turn."
This game was beginning to hurt his head. It had gotten out of hand. It was far more than a game right then and he knew it and felt himself losing.
"I just want to live Adam. I just want to live like we both deserve like we always talk about, free as we are, and not hiding like scared animals just for showing our damn faces for God's sake." He tried explaining his liking of the saint to his friend. "I know the risks he runs us both when you're world is full of demons. I know. Sometimes I think he could help us both. Sometimes I think he's a braindead fool that doesn't understand anything at all." His voice got more desperate not wanting to lose his friend. "But, even when he's like that..." he paused there, or more like stopped short. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say.
Adam Koon Draws one card, Then plays the magic card “Eradicating Aerosol” Destoring all insect monsters on the field.
"WHAT? Tell me now. Why would you gamble with our friendship Atlas?" He was angry. He was angry about it all. "It was always Adam and Atlas against the world. Now it's just retarded."
Atlas Acron Atlas had to make a play to fix this and played a face down trap card “Mystical Refpanal” sending the effect unto the “Parasite Paracide” and said, "Because he cares. Because even when he's being a jax-ass he's doing because he fucking cares even if he says the stupidest things sometimes and that feels good. Ok? It...just...feels good." He looked down at the field not sure if his move was good enough. Admitting he had feeling for the saint was hard. He knew Adam had decided the same thing he did and that was that love would never work for either of them and declared it together. That was another reason Adam and Atlas were strong and bonded even during their disassociated keep each at arm's length days. He knew it would hurt Adam to hear he was moving along in that direction without him.
Adam Koon This time Adam felt bad. Adam wanted to be loved too. He was too ugly for that. He knew no one could ever love a face like his. If his best friend had a chance at what he could never have then he couldn't be mad anymore. He was jealous. But, he wasn't mad.
Then sacrifices all three beast monsters to summon “Chimera, The Master of Beasts” in atk mode. Then activates 3 “Wild Nature’s Release” Spell cards. Increasing the Chimera’s atk power to 12000 atk points. Called an atk on the Moth an causes 8500 point of life point damage winning the duel.
Then he picked up the bandanna and pulled his old nose guard off. Atlas was the only person he'd ever take it off for. But he rolled up the glow in the dark on and placed it over his nose and tied it in the back. Then Adam looked up at Atlas staring in silence.
"WILD NATURE'S RELEASE!" He chanted more than once. It was so fitting. Two pinned up individuals forced to conform no matter how rebellious the pair of them appeared in fashion. They were forced to be conformists and they were both sick of it. They were so close to breaking this friendship completely and Adam put on his glow-in-dark gift and stared that way a snake stares, so unblinking. Atlas was used to it and he just felt everything right wash over him. They were going to be ok after all.
Adam Koon "Wild Nature's Release!" Adam called back then flipped the lights off so they could see all the glow in the dark stars that were all over his ceiling and walls. He leaned back against the side of his bed and crossed his legs and stared up smiling beneath his nose mask.
Atlas Acron Yeah, they were good. They had an understanding. Atlas shimmied himself up next to Adam took his hand and weaved his fingers between them then looked up at the ceiling too, their glow not much different than his own. He leaned his head against Adam's shoulder and started to relax as they star gazed their plastic neon sky.
Then his shoulders started to rise up and down to the beat of the song that started this night's conversation off and started to chant the lyrics outloud and silly,
Adam laughed and started to sing along when Atlas got to the part that said, "Everyone feels like a monster sometimes" and held up his lighter like they were at a concert and swaying back and forth.
Atlas Acron
Atlas sang the whole song out through to the end and left it by drawing out the very same line. "Everyone feels like a monster sometimes." Then the room went silent and the pair of best friend conformist rebels leaned against bed star gazing till they fell asleep, hand-in-hand.