(no subject)
Title: Best Served Cold: Chapter 3: Greater Faith
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh
Characters: Alister and Raphael
Theme: 10(Speed
Leitmotif (when applicable): Driving
Warnings/Ratings: Language PG-13
Synopsis: He was so damned close to winning, he could have tasted it, but it ended up in a draw, a goddamned draw.
Author’s Notes: Phew. Finally. Yes, I’m slow, but I do update. As you can see, this chapter is the longest and as usual, didn’t turn out the way I thought it would. Maybe it’s for the best. I pegged Industrial Illusions to simply be in San Fransisco instead of what appeared to be a desert. See, the deserts are actually pretty far to the south east(at least a few hours drive), so I kind of modified everything based on what I found about California. I also put Paradius in the same city. Can’t hurt any. At any rate, enjoy. Oh, there’s quite a bit of Mai bashing here, but that’s Alister’s fault, not mine. Heh.
“It’s like a goddamned sauna in here,” Alister muttered, his bootsteps echoing in the dark Paradius garage. As his trenchcoat sliced through the air, he couldn’t help but remember complaining about the same thing to Valon a little over a year ago.
Gee, mate, maybe you should have thought of that--
Shut up, Valon! You’re just jealous because I look good!
Of course, if Valon had said that now, Alister would have simply given him a nice cup of shut the fuck up. He sure as hell wouldn’t be kidding either. He suddenly stopped at his red motorcycle that now stood alone. He didn’t know nor care where Valon and Mai would be, but Raphael? Alister sighed, knowing full well that he’d either be with or, at the very least, near them.
Alister’s lean muscles tensed as he pictured his longtime best friend with those two. Valon was never the friend that Alister was, and Mai was nothing at all. He didn’t want to help how he felt as his gloved hands clenched into fists.
I’d give my left nut to have Raphael here now.
It’d be perfect. They’d go driving together while Alister badmouths Valon at over ninety miles per hour. Raphael would sit with his arms crossed, nodding at every swear word as the freeway flew past them. Not that it would happen now. Raphael was nothing if not the leader of the three DOOM swordsmen and like most decent leaders, he would be where he was needed the most.
Spinning on his heel, Alister almost ran from his bike. He understood, of course. In fact, if he were the leader, he’d do the same, but that didn’t stop his blood from boiling. Just as Seto Kaiba didn’t deserve the wealth and power he had, Valon and Mai didn’t deserve to smell Raphael’s shit, much less have him at their side.
Besides, we built a car together.
The car was a shiny black Camaro with a vintage nineteen-seventies exterior and an interior that contained the very best modern times had to offer. It took the two of them one year to build it from the bottom up and everytime they had a chance to upgrade it, they did.
Alister grinned as he opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat, which was made of the same Russian leather as his trenchcoat. He didn’t find the heat as intense in the car as he did in the garage itself, but he still found himself wincing when his exposed fingertips touched anything.
“Better than freezing my ass off,” he muttered while shifting out of neutral and stabbing the ignition. While the engine rumbled, he turned on the air conditioner and settled back in his seat, letting the cool air seep through his trenchcoat and caress his bare belly. Closing his eyes, he grit his teeth as he recalled the duel against Seto Kaiba.
He was so damned close to winning, he could have tasted it, but it ended up in a draw, a goddamned draw. Alister supposed that it could have been worse, but he knew it could have been better if it weren’t for a huge blue-grey dragon that appeared out of nowhere.
Clitoris? Oh, Critias. Whatever...
Just that he couldn’t deny his own mistakes no matter how much he wanted to put the blame entirely on Kaiba. He remembered attacking Pitch Dark Dragon with his Gorlag and he thought it was brilliant at the time. Now? Not so much. On the way back from the island, he felt like banging his head against the helicopter’s controls as he practically dragged the sky with him when he went full throttle. He could have destroyed Pitch Dark with Versago and then directly attack Kaiba with Gorlag. But noooo...he didn’t do that. Sure, he did well in spite of that mistake and almost won, but almost wasn’t good enough.
God damned dragon!
Sighing, Alister ran his hand over the gearstick while his other tightened around the steering wheel. He couldn’t imagine what the duel would have been like if Valon were there. Just a year ago, he probably would have dragged the younger boy along with him. Now? “Fuck no” wouldn’t have been a strong enough answer. Valon almost always considered Alister a ‘sloppy duelist’, and that always made Alister’s already hot blood become volcanic. Not that a breath of fire ever stopped Valon. Nah. He just grinned and claimed that he ‘struck a nerve’ which, of course, infuriated Alister even more. Not something he needed while flying a helicopter twelve thousand feet above the Pacific Ocean.
At least Raphael had greater faith, a fact that made Alister smile. Never once did Raphael accuse him of being ‘sloppy’ nor did he ever lecture him. Instead, Raphael would give a knowing look, which was more than enough to inspire Alister to try harder and become stronger. Perfect for dueling with Seto Kaiba, perhaps with Joey Wheeler and the Pharaoh if the need ever arose. He didn’t think it’d ever be necessary though. He never questioned Raphael’s ability and as much as he wanted to cut off Valon’s dick, he knew that the young Aussie mix was a powerful and unique duelist.
Alister opened his grey eyes. Seto Kaiba was far from unique, but very powerful. Once upon a time, he was the best duelist in the entire world and then the Pharaoh ended that fairy tale. Alister knew that he would do the same. Regardless of his mistake, he threw the CEO off in ways that no one, not even the great Pharaoh, ever could. No one, not even Valon, would accuse Alister of being a ‘weak’ duelist once Kaiba’s soul became Leviathan food. With that in mind, he kicked the car in gear, released the handbrake, and scorched the cement as he practically flew out of the garage.
Heh. I feel a whole lot better now.
He quickly upshifted, easily passing the much slower cars. In the San Francisco streets, Alister was King and God. People might see that as arrogance, but not him. He saw it as simple fact, and knew for certain that no one could challenge him. Especially not a cell phone talking SUV that tried to sideswipe him. He quickly floored it, easily avoiding the much larger vehicle. All Alister could do was shake his head.
Pathetic.
Still, he knew for certain that an oblivious driver was the least of his concerns. Nah. A timid driving shithead in front of him proved far more irritating as it suddenly stopped right in the middle of the right lane just because another car tried to exit a parking lot. Most drivers would have stopped behind the panicky car, but not Alister. Oh hell no. Gritting his teeth, he quickly swerved past the car, neither knowing nor caring if the other car ever got out.
Lucky.
This time, Alister could feel his blood pressure rise once again. Those very same drivers were the sort that stopped while they were supposed to be merging into traffic, the ones that slowed down too quickly for God knew why, the ones who drove too slow in the speeding lanes, and the ones who almost never turned unless no approaching car was in sight. Alister always had and always would swear up and down that such drivers caused more accidents than everyone else combined. That included the rubberneckers, the zombies, and the numbskulls who couldn’t back up their aggressiveness with skill. Other drivers made him grateful that he was taught by the best: Raphael. Thanks to him, Alister had never even been in a near miss, much less an accident, and he grinned at that fact. He knew for absolute certainty that he would keep it that way.
Not even the often sloping, hilly roads San Francisco was noted for threatened him. He traversed them easily, as he were a native of the renowned and beautiful California city, which he was not. He wasn’t even from America. None of the DOOM members were, except Mai, and even she was part Japanese.
Like Kaiba.
He slammed on the brake, glaring up at the red light like it was a thing in the way. Alister amazed himself with how quickly his feelings could change. Just a second ago, he actually felt like a million bucks. Now, he could easily burn that million the same way he cut and burnt multiple pictures of Seto Kaiba. Or, like the rubber he burnt when the light turned green. After shifting to third, Alister turned on the CD player and pure electronic noise blared out of the speakers. He could feel it pulsate through his veins as he reached a state of raging euphoria he hadn’t felt for quite awhile. Easing back against the seat, he kept one gloved hand on the wheel and the other on the gearstick. For Alister, anger music was happy music, but even at his angriest, he could never deny how bright San Francisco always seemed to be, even in the less than ‘ritzy’ areas.
Alister always figured that it had to do with the very nature of the people. They defied everything that needed defying, including war. Those who were “alternative” were more than welcome and in some areas, Alister not only felt safe, but accepted. He never took a single soul in those areas and he never would, no matter what others might say. Alister realized that he would not be going in that direction because he passed by a garish pink and purple sign that quoted, “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”.
Pegasus.
An actress named Katherine Hepburn quoted that statement, but the cute bunny cartoons and a Dark Magician Girl surrounding the quote indicated that the creator of Duel Monsters used it too. Alister smirked, knowing full well that people in San Fransisco and similar cities would agree. He knew damned well Valon would have and upon thinking of that ungrateful prick, he knew exactly where to go. Passing by a large blue Cadillac Convertible, Alister headed towards Industrial Illusions in half the time it took for most people to get there.
Whenever he saw Pegasus’s main building, Alister always thought it looked like a giant silver penis. Or rather, one giant penis and a smaller one to the side. He remembered how Valon would giggle at the analogy and Alister himself couldn’t help but find it funny. Even the monsters Pegasus really used for dueling looked like they had penises on their eyeball filled heads. Raphael, who seldom laughed, found that hilarious when Alister mentioned it to him.
Still, the building was a shimmering silver color that shone like white gold when the sun struck it just right. The sides were all windows that faced each other and looked like golden glitter during the day, and white diamonds at night. Alister couldn’t help but admire its Spartan beauty and was not surprised that Pegasus himself designed the place. However, he wasn’t concerned with the towers at this time; he only cared about what was in them.
Alister felt tingly as soon as he pulled up in front of the entrance. He tingled more when he shifted to neutral and lifted the parking brake. He knew what the feeling meant; his instincts were correct and he couldn’t believe that he didn’t figure it out sooner. Then again, he had a lot on his mind after finally meeting Kaiba for the first time. After turning off the CD player, he saw a group of individuals in front of the door, but they had nothing to do with him. Well, not really. The tallest one had short hair in the back and a huge spike in the front. Even from behind, Alister sensed that the guy could have easily been in the military if he wanted to be. On his right stood a girl in a light white jacket and a short, pleated beige skirt with matching knee high boots. Alister didn’t know nor care who she was, but he knew who stood on the faux military boy’s left.
The Pharaoh. Anyone with the intelligence of stone knew who the Pharaoh was and knew what he looked like. Just the heavily spiked black, red and blonde hair was enough of a tell-tale sign. He was close to the girl’s height, but far shorter than the boy’s. Still, the Pharaoh had a commanding presence even when his back was turned. It made sense for Raphael to target him. That, and the fact that Raphael could wipe the floor with every duelist in the world. Alister didn’t doubt that even Kaiba would become a brown stain on the ground if he ever dueled Raphael. The thought amused the redhead, but he knew that he’d never have to worry about anyone covering for him. He’d defeat Kaiba, and then have some fun with everyone else, except for Raphael.
As for Joey Wheeler, all Alister had to do was lean a little towards the steering wheel and there he was, almost as tall as the brown haired boy and wearing denim jeans, a denim coat, white t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. His blond hair was a mess, not like Valon’s, but a mess anyway. He knew that Wheeler relied a lot on luck and while Alister couldn’t find any fault with that, Valon sure did. That dolt, much like Kaiba, never believed in luck. That same dolt, also much like Kaiba, considered Joey ‘feisty’, but either a “bonkotsu” or a ‘mediocre plank (Australian for idiot).’ Alister never really felt that way about Wheeler. He didn’t feel much about him either way, but admired his devotion to his little sister, Serenity. For that reason, he could never go out of his way to insult or play mind games with Joey that way Valon and Kaiba seemed to take pleasure in.
Fuck you, Valon. Fuck you, Kaiba. Maybe you two should get together and go fuck yourselves.
Then, there was Mai. Oh, yes. Mai Valentine, the ‘slut’ of the dueling world. Or at least that’s what Alister wanted to believe. He could barely see her beyond the four people in front of her, but he saw her long, blond hair and her purple leather ensemble complete with thigh high boots and elbow length gloves. She held her black dueling disk up and Alister pressed his lips together. She challenged Joey to a duel and quite naturally, he accepted.
I have to give credit where it’s due, she could beat him. She’s good. So, where would that leave poor Valon? Aww, poor baby, no Joey Wheeler to take on so you could hopefully win that trash thing you call a ‘beautiful woman’. She doesn’t give a shit about you, loser.
He knew Valon was there and had no doubt that Raphael was with him. Alister couldn’t see them though, but he knew that they had to be on the balcony above everything. He wondered if he should join the two of them, but realized that being anywhere near Mai and Valon gave him hives and so quickly decided against it. He saw Mai hold out a card and he knew right away what it was: the Seal of Orichalchos. Alister held his Orichalchos pendant tight, but green light flooded out between his fingers. Now Mai and Joey were trapped within the Seal until either one of them loses the duel or they draw.
Alister didn’t know who to route for. He’d love nothing more than to see Mai suffer a ton and that in turn would make Valon suffer. With her soul gone, he had no doubt that Valon would be dead set on Wheeler, which would be very bad for the ‘Joe Blow duelist’. Alister had known Valon for three years, one of those as a friend and one more as a lover. He knew damned well what Valon was capable of. That kid was water, cold water. Not like the Arctic, that was Seto Kaiba. Rather, like the Mediterranean, known for clear, perfect blue beauty, but also known to be insanely wild. Alister knew it well, both in good and in bad ways. He winced when his right wrist throbbed with the memory of just what Valon would do to someone when angered, especially when threatened. Not wanting to remember what happened when their relationship finally disintegrated, Alister thought of the current duel.
If Mai were defeated, Alister didn’t doubt that Joey would not only lose his soul, but his very body. So, in a way, it made sense to simply route for Mai. Even if she won, she’d lose and bring it all on herself since the Pharaoh was a powerful duelist in his own right and had the reputation of being very vindictive. Alister grinned; he could get behind that. Even if the Pharaoh didn’t go after her, Raphael surely would. He disliked her as much as Alister did, and only Valon was more ruthless. Just that little “modern day Romeo” would never ever hurt his darling Mai. In fact, he’d probably protect her, and that thought set Alister’s teeth on edge. If he had any ideas of going anywhere near Valon and Mai now, he quashed them.
Just no. If Valon is on a balcony, I’ll toss his little ass over.
Realizing that Joey was in deep trouble, Alister decided it was time to go. He stomped out of neutral, released the handbrake and gunned the engine. He could have sworn he saw a large blue convertible entering as he was leaving, but Alister didn’t worry about that as he headed for the freeway. He thought of exiting San Francisco entirely and drive to Altamont Pass or wherever the eastern path took him. Such a thing was not new to him, and for most people, such a drive took about two hours. Not for Alister, he could get there in just over half the time and then be back home for some nice, Italian dinner before planning on how to get Seto Kaiba once and for all.
As soon as he was able, he kicked the car in high gear, masterfully weaving around any vehicles that got in his way. He didn’t bother turning on his music as he wanted complete silence. Or least as much silence as a San Fransisco freeway had to offer until it became a path that went through the famed windfarm of Altamont Pass. He had never driven that way before, preferring to travel south or north, but he had flown over the mountainous area covered by windmills. The place took his breath away with it’s golden fields that would suddenly turn green. From his helicopter or Raphael’s plane, it looked like patchwork quilt made by a skilled sewer. He could only imagine what it would look like from the vantage point of a car. Plus, he always wanted to see what Professor Hopkins’s house looked like from the ground before Raphael got his hands on it and on the noted Atlantean scholar.
Alister began to wonder how Joey and Mai were doing. If a soul were taken, he’d have known by now, so he assumed that either the duel continued or it ended in a draw. He didn’t bother to use any scry ability to look. Mai wasn’t worth it. A slight ping from his Orichalchos pendant told him that not only did the duel indeed continue, a legendary dragon was summoned.
“Hermos,” the redhead whispered, then fell silent as he put on his signature golden sunglasses. Mai is so screwed. Poor Valon.
Not that they don’t deserve to suffer.
He didn’t know how long he traveled, but he knew he was halfway to Altamont Pass and that’s when his cellphone went off. Most drivers would try to run their mouths while driving, but not Alister. He hated doing that and tried to avoid it whenever possible, so he pulled over to the side of the road, glad that it was no longer a huge freeway.
Alister knew who it was as soon as he answered. “Raphael?”
“Mai didn’t defeat Joey.” Came the simple and to the point reply. Alister always loved that about his best friend.
The redhead found himself salivating in spite of himself. “Did she lose her soul?”
“No, Valon saved her.”
“What?” He could feel his blood pressure rising. Not that he was surprised Valon would rescue his lady whore. Still, he couldn’t help but feel sick. “He broke the Seal, didn’t he?”
“Yes. He jumped from the balcony and used his ring to break the Seal. I had to teleport all three of us away.”
“Where are you at?”
“Mai--”
“I don’t give a shit about Mai!” Alister snapped.
“Heh. Me neither, but Valon is back at Paradius. He’s hurt.”
Alister’s stomach dropped. “Hurt?” He sighed. “Of course...to break the Seal and not have the power to deal with it... .” Alister grit his teeth. Fucking idiot! He could have been killed! And for what? “How badly is he injured?”
“Not too badly. It won’t take long for him to recover.”
“I see.” Alister leaned back against the seat. “So, where are you at?”
“Altamont Pass, near the professor’s house. I have a group ready to take the old man and then I’ll leave my mark there.”
Alister leaned forward. “I’m half way there. We’ll meet at the Professor’s house-”
“That won’t be necessary,” Raphael interrupted. “I need you in Death Valley with your helicopter. You’ll find me, I know you will.”
“Of course I will,” Alister grinned, holding right hand up in a gesture Dartz often used when casting a spell. “Beautiful...” He whispered when he saw Raphael on top of a green hill near mechanical windmills. A white helicopter with wheels sat behind him, ready to pounce on the professor’s house at his beck and call. “So, the professor is a decoy to lure the Pharaoh and his friends to you. And from there, you duel the Pharaoh, yes?” He put his hand down and the vision vanished. As a sorcerer in his own right, Alister knew that such magic could not be used too often as it took energy and he didn’t want to use his considerable energy right now. Best to save it for Kaiba.
“Yup.” Raphael answered. “I don’t know when the friends will come by, but by the time they do, the professor’s lab will be rubble.”
“When you’re ruthless, I don’t mind so much,” Alister said. “I trust you completely.”
Raphael chuckled, “Deserts were made to train the faithful.”
Alister couldn’t help but find that amusing, even though he knew from experience that it was true. “Oh, ha ha ha. No one’s more faithful than the two of us. I’m on my way.” Alister turned off the cellphone and removed his sunglasses. “Valon...”. He shook his head, remembering what he himself had done for his ex-boyfriend. “You never risked yourself for me.” Alister took out his pack of smokes and lit up. “But, you’re not important right now.” Cigarette between his fingers, he grabbed the gearshift. “I have other, more important things to deal with”. He spun around and headed right back to San Fransisco.
On the way, he passed a blue Cadillac convertible going in the opposite direction. Realizing that the Pharaoh and his friends were in there, Alister couldn’t help but smile.
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh
Characters: Alister and Raphael
Theme: 10(Speed
Leitmotif (when applicable): Driving
Warnings/Ratings: Language PG-13
Synopsis: He was so damned close to winning, he could have tasted it, but it ended up in a draw, a goddamned draw.
Author’s Notes: Phew. Finally. Yes, I’m slow, but I do update. As you can see, this chapter is the longest and as usual, didn’t turn out the way I thought it would. Maybe it’s for the best. I pegged Industrial Illusions to simply be in San Fransisco instead of what appeared to be a desert. See, the deserts are actually pretty far to the south east(at least a few hours drive), so I kind of modified everything based on what I found about California. I also put Paradius in the same city. Can’t hurt any. At any rate, enjoy. Oh, there’s quite a bit of Mai bashing here, but that’s Alister’s fault, not mine. Heh.
“It’s like a goddamned sauna in here,” Alister muttered, his bootsteps echoing in the dark Paradius garage. As his trenchcoat sliced through the air, he couldn’t help but remember complaining about the same thing to Valon a little over a year ago.
Gee, mate, maybe you should have thought of that--
Shut up, Valon! You’re just jealous because I look good!
Of course, if Valon had said that now, Alister would have simply given him a nice cup of shut the fuck up. He sure as hell wouldn’t be kidding either. He suddenly stopped at his red motorcycle that now stood alone. He didn’t know nor care where Valon and Mai would be, but Raphael? Alister sighed, knowing full well that he’d either be with or, at the very least, near them.
Alister’s lean muscles tensed as he pictured his longtime best friend with those two. Valon was never the friend that Alister was, and Mai was nothing at all. He didn’t want to help how he felt as his gloved hands clenched into fists.
I’d give my left nut to have Raphael here now.
It’d be perfect. They’d go driving together while Alister badmouths Valon at over ninety miles per hour. Raphael would sit with his arms crossed, nodding at every swear word as the freeway flew past them. Not that it would happen now. Raphael was nothing if not the leader of the three DOOM swordsmen and like most decent leaders, he would be where he was needed the most.
Spinning on his heel, Alister almost ran from his bike. He understood, of course. In fact, if he were the leader, he’d do the same, but that didn’t stop his blood from boiling. Just as Seto Kaiba didn’t deserve the wealth and power he had, Valon and Mai didn’t deserve to smell Raphael’s shit, much less have him at their side.
Besides, we built a car together.
The car was a shiny black Camaro with a vintage nineteen-seventies exterior and an interior that contained the very best modern times had to offer. It took the two of them one year to build it from the bottom up and everytime they had a chance to upgrade it, they did.
Alister grinned as he opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat, which was made of the same Russian leather as his trenchcoat. He didn’t find the heat as intense in the car as he did in the garage itself, but he still found himself wincing when his exposed fingertips touched anything.
“Better than freezing my ass off,” he muttered while shifting out of neutral and stabbing the ignition. While the engine rumbled, he turned on the air conditioner and settled back in his seat, letting the cool air seep through his trenchcoat and caress his bare belly. Closing his eyes, he grit his teeth as he recalled the duel against Seto Kaiba.
He was so damned close to winning, he could have tasted it, but it ended up in a draw, a goddamned draw. Alister supposed that it could have been worse, but he knew it could have been better if it weren’t for a huge blue-grey dragon that appeared out of nowhere.
Clitoris? Oh, Critias. Whatever...
Just that he couldn’t deny his own mistakes no matter how much he wanted to put the blame entirely on Kaiba. He remembered attacking Pitch Dark Dragon with his Gorlag and he thought it was brilliant at the time. Now? Not so much. On the way back from the island, he felt like banging his head against the helicopter’s controls as he practically dragged the sky with him when he went full throttle. He could have destroyed Pitch Dark with Versago and then directly attack Kaiba with Gorlag. But noooo...he didn’t do that. Sure, he did well in spite of that mistake and almost won, but almost wasn’t good enough.
God damned dragon!
Sighing, Alister ran his hand over the gearstick while his other tightened around the steering wheel. He couldn’t imagine what the duel would have been like if Valon were there. Just a year ago, he probably would have dragged the younger boy along with him. Now? “Fuck no” wouldn’t have been a strong enough answer. Valon almost always considered Alister a ‘sloppy duelist’, and that always made Alister’s already hot blood become volcanic. Not that a breath of fire ever stopped Valon. Nah. He just grinned and claimed that he ‘struck a nerve’ which, of course, infuriated Alister even more. Not something he needed while flying a helicopter twelve thousand feet above the Pacific Ocean.
At least Raphael had greater faith, a fact that made Alister smile. Never once did Raphael accuse him of being ‘sloppy’ nor did he ever lecture him. Instead, Raphael would give a knowing look, which was more than enough to inspire Alister to try harder and become stronger. Perfect for dueling with Seto Kaiba, perhaps with Joey Wheeler and the Pharaoh if the need ever arose. He didn’t think it’d ever be necessary though. He never questioned Raphael’s ability and as much as he wanted to cut off Valon’s dick, he knew that the young Aussie mix was a powerful and unique duelist.
Alister opened his grey eyes. Seto Kaiba was far from unique, but very powerful. Once upon a time, he was the best duelist in the entire world and then the Pharaoh ended that fairy tale. Alister knew that he would do the same. Regardless of his mistake, he threw the CEO off in ways that no one, not even the great Pharaoh, ever could. No one, not even Valon, would accuse Alister of being a ‘weak’ duelist once Kaiba’s soul became Leviathan food. With that in mind, he kicked the car in gear, released the handbrake, and scorched the cement as he practically flew out of the garage.
Heh. I feel a whole lot better now.
He quickly upshifted, easily passing the much slower cars. In the San Francisco streets, Alister was King and God. People might see that as arrogance, but not him. He saw it as simple fact, and knew for certain that no one could challenge him. Especially not a cell phone talking SUV that tried to sideswipe him. He quickly floored it, easily avoiding the much larger vehicle. All Alister could do was shake his head.
Pathetic.
Still, he knew for certain that an oblivious driver was the least of his concerns. Nah. A timid driving shithead in front of him proved far more irritating as it suddenly stopped right in the middle of the right lane just because another car tried to exit a parking lot. Most drivers would have stopped behind the panicky car, but not Alister. Oh hell no. Gritting his teeth, he quickly swerved past the car, neither knowing nor caring if the other car ever got out.
Lucky.
This time, Alister could feel his blood pressure rise once again. Those very same drivers were the sort that stopped while they were supposed to be merging into traffic, the ones that slowed down too quickly for God knew why, the ones who drove too slow in the speeding lanes, and the ones who almost never turned unless no approaching car was in sight. Alister always had and always would swear up and down that such drivers caused more accidents than everyone else combined. That included the rubberneckers, the zombies, and the numbskulls who couldn’t back up their aggressiveness with skill. Other drivers made him grateful that he was taught by the best: Raphael. Thanks to him, Alister had never even been in a near miss, much less an accident, and he grinned at that fact. He knew for absolute certainty that he would keep it that way.
Not even the often sloping, hilly roads San Francisco was noted for threatened him. He traversed them easily, as he were a native of the renowned and beautiful California city, which he was not. He wasn’t even from America. None of the DOOM members were, except Mai, and even she was part Japanese.
Like Kaiba.
He slammed on the brake, glaring up at the red light like it was a thing in the way. Alister amazed himself with how quickly his feelings could change. Just a second ago, he actually felt like a million bucks. Now, he could easily burn that million the same way he cut and burnt multiple pictures of Seto Kaiba. Or, like the rubber he burnt when the light turned green. After shifting to third, Alister turned on the CD player and pure electronic noise blared out of the speakers. He could feel it pulsate through his veins as he reached a state of raging euphoria he hadn’t felt for quite awhile. Easing back against the seat, he kept one gloved hand on the wheel and the other on the gearstick. For Alister, anger music was happy music, but even at his angriest, he could never deny how bright San Francisco always seemed to be, even in the less than ‘ritzy’ areas.
Alister always figured that it had to do with the very nature of the people. They defied everything that needed defying, including war. Those who were “alternative” were more than welcome and in some areas, Alister not only felt safe, but accepted. He never took a single soul in those areas and he never would, no matter what others might say. Alister realized that he would not be going in that direction because he passed by a garish pink and purple sign that quoted, “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”.
Pegasus.
An actress named Katherine Hepburn quoted that statement, but the cute bunny cartoons and a Dark Magician Girl surrounding the quote indicated that the creator of Duel Monsters used it too. Alister smirked, knowing full well that people in San Fransisco and similar cities would agree. He knew damned well Valon would have and upon thinking of that ungrateful prick, he knew exactly where to go. Passing by a large blue Cadillac Convertible, Alister headed towards Industrial Illusions in half the time it took for most people to get there.
Whenever he saw Pegasus’s main building, Alister always thought it looked like a giant silver penis. Or rather, one giant penis and a smaller one to the side. He remembered how Valon would giggle at the analogy and Alister himself couldn’t help but find it funny. Even the monsters Pegasus really used for dueling looked like they had penises on their eyeball filled heads. Raphael, who seldom laughed, found that hilarious when Alister mentioned it to him.
Still, the building was a shimmering silver color that shone like white gold when the sun struck it just right. The sides were all windows that faced each other and looked like golden glitter during the day, and white diamonds at night. Alister couldn’t help but admire its Spartan beauty and was not surprised that Pegasus himself designed the place. However, he wasn’t concerned with the towers at this time; he only cared about what was in them.
Alister felt tingly as soon as he pulled up in front of the entrance. He tingled more when he shifted to neutral and lifted the parking brake. He knew what the feeling meant; his instincts were correct and he couldn’t believe that he didn’t figure it out sooner. Then again, he had a lot on his mind after finally meeting Kaiba for the first time. After turning off the CD player, he saw a group of individuals in front of the door, but they had nothing to do with him. Well, not really. The tallest one had short hair in the back and a huge spike in the front. Even from behind, Alister sensed that the guy could have easily been in the military if he wanted to be. On his right stood a girl in a light white jacket and a short, pleated beige skirt with matching knee high boots. Alister didn’t know nor care who she was, but he knew who stood on the faux military boy’s left.
The Pharaoh. Anyone with the intelligence of stone knew who the Pharaoh was and knew what he looked like. Just the heavily spiked black, red and blonde hair was enough of a tell-tale sign. He was close to the girl’s height, but far shorter than the boy’s. Still, the Pharaoh had a commanding presence even when his back was turned. It made sense for Raphael to target him. That, and the fact that Raphael could wipe the floor with every duelist in the world. Alister didn’t doubt that even Kaiba would become a brown stain on the ground if he ever dueled Raphael. The thought amused the redhead, but he knew that he’d never have to worry about anyone covering for him. He’d defeat Kaiba, and then have some fun with everyone else, except for Raphael.
As for Joey Wheeler, all Alister had to do was lean a little towards the steering wheel and there he was, almost as tall as the brown haired boy and wearing denim jeans, a denim coat, white t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. His blond hair was a mess, not like Valon’s, but a mess anyway. He knew that Wheeler relied a lot on luck and while Alister couldn’t find any fault with that, Valon sure did. That dolt, much like Kaiba, never believed in luck. That same dolt, also much like Kaiba, considered Joey ‘feisty’, but either a “bonkotsu” or a ‘mediocre plank (Australian for idiot).’ Alister never really felt that way about Wheeler. He didn’t feel much about him either way, but admired his devotion to his little sister, Serenity. For that reason, he could never go out of his way to insult or play mind games with Joey that way Valon and Kaiba seemed to take pleasure in.
Fuck you, Valon. Fuck you, Kaiba. Maybe you two should get together and go fuck yourselves.
Then, there was Mai. Oh, yes. Mai Valentine, the ‘slut’ of the dueling world. Or at least that’s what Alister wanted to believe. He could barely see her beyond the four people in front of her, but he saw her long, blond hair and her purple leather ensemble complete with thigh high boots and elbow length gloves. She held her black dueling disk up and Alister pressed his lips together. She challenged Joey to a duel and quite naturally, he accepted.
I have to give credit where it’s due, she could beat him. She’s good. So, where would that leave poor Valon? Aww, poor baby, no Joey Wheeler to take on so you could hopefully win that trash thing you call a ‘beautiful woman’. She doesn’t give a shit about you, loser.
He knew Valon was there and had no doubt that Raphael was with him. Alister couldn’t see them though, but he knew that they had to be on the balcony above everything. He wondered if he should join the two of them, but realized that being anywhere near Mai and Valon gave him hives and so quickly decided against it. He saw Mai hold out a card and he knew right away what it was: the Seal of Orichalchos. Alister held his Orichalchos pendant tight, but green light flooded out between his fingers. Now Mai and Joey were trapped within the Seal until either one of them loses the duel or they draw.
Alister didn’t know who to route for. He’d love nothing more than to see Mai suffer a ton and that in turn would make Valon suffer. With her soul gone, he had no doubt that Valon would be dead set on Wheeler, which would be very bad for the ‘Joe Blow duelist’. Alister had known Valon for three years, one of those as a friend and one more as a lover. He knew damned well what Valon was capable of. That kid was water, cold water. Not like the Arctic, that was Seto Kaiba. Rather, like the Mediterranean, known for clear, perfect blue beauty, but also known to be insanely wild. Alister knew it well, both in good and in bad ways. He winced when his right wrist throbbed with the memory of just what Valon would do to someone when angered, especially when threatened. Not wanting to remember what happened when their relationship finally disintegrated, Alister thought of the current duel.
If Mai were defeated, Alister didn’t doubt that Joey would not only lose his soul, but his very body. So, in a way, it made sense to simply route for Mai. Even if she won, she’d lose and bring it all on herself since the Pharaoh was a powerful duelist in his own right and had the reputation of being very vindictive. Alister grinned; he could get behind that. Even if the Pharaoh didn’t go after her, Raphael surely would. He disliked her as much as Alister did, and only Valon was more ruthless. Just that little “modern day Romeo” would never ever hurt his darling Mai. In fact, he’d probably protect her, and that thought set Alister’s teeth on edge. If he had any ideas of going anywhere near Valon and Mai now, he quashed them.
Just no. If Valon is on a balcony, I’ll toss his little ass over.
Realizing that Joey was in deep trouble, Alister decided it was time to go. He stomped out of neutral, released the handbrake and gunned the engine. He could have sworn he saw a large blue convertible entering as he was leaving, but Alister didn’t worry about that as he headed for the freeway. He thought of exiting San Francisco entirely and drive to Altamont Pass or wherever the eastern path took him. Such a thing was not new to him, and for most people, such a drive took about two hours. Not for Alister, he could get there in just over half the time and then be back home for some nice, Italian dinner before planning on how to get Seto Kaiba once and for all.
As soon as he was able, he kicked the car in high gear, masterfully weaving around any vehicles that got in his way. He didn’t bother turning on his music as he wanted complete silence. Or least as much silence as a San Fransisco freeway had to offer until it became a path that went through the famed windfarm of Altamont Pass. He had never driven that way before, preferring to travel south or north, but he had flown over the mountainous area covered by windmills. The place took his breath away with it’s golden fields that would suddenly turn green. From his helicopter or Raphael’s plane, it looked like patchwork quilt made by a skilled sewer. He could only imagine what it would look like from the vantage point of a car. Plus, he always wanted to see what Professor Hopkins’s house looked like from the ground before Raphael got his hands on it and on the noted Atlantean scholar.
Alister began to wonder how Joey and Mai were doing. If a soul were taken, he’d have known by now, so he assumed that either the duel continued or it ended in a draw. He didn’t bother to use any scry ability to look. Mai wasn’t worth it. A slight ping from his Orichalchos pendant told him that not only did the duel indeed continue, a legendary dragon was summoned.
“Hermos,” the redhead whispered, then fell silent as he put on his signature golden sunglasses. Mai is so screwed. Poor Valon.
Not that they don’t deserve to suffer.
He didn’t know how long he traveled, but he knew he was halfway to Altamont Pass and that’s when his cellphone went off. Most drivers would try to run their mouths while driving, but not Alister. He hated doing that and tried to avoid it whenever possible, so he pulled over to the side of the road, glad that it was no longer a huge freeway.
Alister knew who it was as soon as he answered. “Raphael?”
“Mai didn’t defeat Joey.” Came the simple and to the point reply. Alister always loved that about his best friend.
The redhead found himself salivating in spite of himself. “Did she lose her soul?”
“No, Valon saved her.”
“What?” He could feel his blood pressure rising. Not that he was surprised Valon would rescue his lady whore. Still, he couldn’t help but feel sick. “He broke the Seal, didn’t he?”
“Yes. He jumped from the balcony and used his ring to break the Seal. I had to teleport all three of us away.”
“Where are you at?”
“Mai--”
“I don’t give a shit about Mai!” Alister snapped.
“Heh. Me neither, but Valon is back at Paradius. He’s hurt.”
Alister’s stomach dropped. “Hurt?” He sighed. “Of course...to break the Seal and not have the power to deal with it... .” Alister grit his teeth. Fucking idiot! He could have been killed! And for what? “How badly is he injured?”
“Not too badly. It won’t take long for him to recover.”
“I see.” Alister leaned back against the seat. “So, where are you at?”
“Altamont Pass, near the professor’s house. I have a group ready to take the old man and then I’ll leave my mark there.”
Alister leaned forward. “I’m half way there. We’ll meet at the Professor’s house-”
“That won’t be necessary,” Raphael interrupted. “I need you in Death Valley with your helicopter. You’ll find me, I know you will.”
“Of course I will,” Alister grinned, holding right hand up in a gesture Dartz often used when casting a spell. “Beautiful...” He whispered when he saw Raphael on top of a green hill near mechanical windmills. A white helicopter with wheels sat behind him, ready to pounce on the professor’s house at his beck and call. “So, the professor is a decoy to lure the Pharaoh and his friends to you. And from there, you duel the Pharaoh, yes?” He put his hand down and the vision vanished. As a sorcerer in his own right, Alister knew that such magic could not be used too often as it took energy and he didn’t want to use his considerable energy right now. Best to save it for Kaiba.
“Yup.” Raphael answered. “I don’t know when the friends will come by, but by the time they do, the professor’s lab will be rubble.”
“When you’re ruthless, I don’t mind so much,” Alister said. “I trust you completely.”
Raphael chuckled, “Deserts were made to train the faithful.”
Alister couldn’t help but find that amusing, even though he knew from experience that it was true. “Oh, ha ha ha. No one’s more faithful than the two of us. I’m on my way.” Alister turned off the cellphone and removed his sunglasses. “Valon...”. He shook his head, remembering what he himself had done for his ex-boyfriend. “You never risked yourself for me.” Alister took out his pack of smokes and lit up. “But, you’re not important right now.” Cigarette between his fingers, he grabbed the gearshift. “I have other, more important things to deal with”. He spun around and headed right back to San Fransisco.
On the way, he passed a blue Cadillac convertible going in the opposite direction. Realizing that the Pharaoh and his friends were in there, Alister couldn’t help but smile.