Harley Card 3rd Draw

Sirens blaring, three police cars scream by Clarissa who stands by pretending to window shop some dresses in a store window. She knew what they were after and the way she looked would have caused guns to be pointed her way. Poison Ivy was out and robbing banks for whatever reason and Clarissa...was on her way home from work. Where she was needed to look the part of the villain. Unable to change from her work uniform, which consisted on an old school green one piece suit over matching green leotards, gloves, and boots Clarissa knew she had to keep as low a profile as ever on her way home. So when the cars have sped off in the distance, Clarissa turns to resume her hurried walk home only to catch sight of the second most unwelcoming sight for her walk home tonight.

“Heya, Red.” Harley smiles as Clarissa staggers back against the window attracting the clown's attention as she takes aim with her massive cork gun. “Good choice! Let's get these dresses to go!”

“No!” Clarissa dives herself into Harley pushing up the gun startling her coworker. Having to think fast, and having proof of Harley being armed and already dangerous, Clarissa checks down the road. “If...we set off another alarm, the cops will know where we are. Harley.”

“Huh.” Harley replies as though having not thought of that. She holsters her weapon and looks her friend over. “Busy night? What happened to the new duds?”

“Wash. They're...they're in the wash. You know how long they take, so...figured I'd, you know, do...something while waiting.”

“That makes sense.” Harley says throwing an arm around Clarissa's shoulder leading the way down the road. All the waitress can do is glance back and wonder how her luck could be so unfortunate for such a thing to happen. “So where's this “something” you did, huh? Stash it in some safe house?”

“Mmhm.” Clarissa quickly replies. She knew the real Poison Ivy was out robbing banks but the mere notion of it was so hard for her to comprehend that she couldn't even just say it here. All she could think of was the hard object hanging off the side of Harley's hip pressing into her own. Bombs? Laughing gas? Proof that Clarissa's been lying to her this whole time and this walk is going to lead into a dark alley where she'll have her throat slit but not before be given a permanent smile? Was that her style too? Admittedly, Clarissa didn't know enough about her and, to be honest, she had no intention of ever asking.

“Gotta be scorching there now then. Can't go back to my place, Bats was there earlier.”

“B-B-Ba-atman?” Clarissa panics. Just great. She quickly looks up half expecting to see him drop down from the roofs to confront the pair.

“Yeah. Don't worry though, sure he's off at the bank sniffin' up clues or whatever. Enough time for us to find a place to hold up.”

“Hold up?”

Everything was slipping from the waitresses mind. Of course Harley wouldn't just let her go, not when the heat was on. At the same time, she knew she couldn't keep panicking like this less Harley catch wise to the situation. She had to be like Poison Ivy and what would she do at a moment like this? Admittedly, Clarissa didn't know that either but as she thinks of it she feels Harley grab hold of her hand and quickly pull her down the road.

“Jeez, Red, those flash bangs they're usin' these days must've really put you out of it. C'mon, I just so happen to know a place we can lie low.”

Harley races past with Clarissa in tow past another storefront playing footage of the latest news and it's a good thing they were in a hurry as the tagline along the bottom proclaims “Poison Ivy Caught”.

“ROOOOOOARRRRRR!!!”

Clarissa jumps at the sudden shriek of the massive digital beast looming overhead of them. They were everywhere! Around every street corner, each more bloodthirsty and vicious than the last. Keeping herself close to Harley, the pair make their way through the yelling crowds right to the point when Clarissa finally starts to notice the people dueling from either end. The monsters would appear as soon as a face up card was laid on their devices. In fact, a lot of this was familiar to her and once the overall shock subsided, she started to recognize monsters from her younger brother's collection.

“This...is duel monsters.” Clarissa eventually gets out as Harley nods.

“Perfect place t'hide, if you ask me. So much noise, people, and fun all around. No one's coming in here with foul moods.”

It...made sense to Clarissa, even though being home would be safer. Especially with two figures from the shadows watching them.

“Keh keh keh. Look at those newbies. Not even a duel disc among them.”

“Yeah! Let's stomp 'em! Like-”

“A dinosaur, I get it. But not everything needs to be [i]dinosaur based![/i]”

“Oh yeah? Beats crawling around in the dirt like some disgusting insects!”

“Insects that trounced even your [i]mightiest[/i] of lizards!”

“Well, you couldn't even beat that brainless Wheeler!”

“You couldn't even beat that brainless Wheeler!”

Both adolescents begin growling toward one another until it becomes clear to Weevil who turns toward the two surprising Rex.

“Hey, where ya stomping off to?”

Not dignifying that with a response, Weevil instead bugs on up to both Harley and Clarissa.

“Hello, ladies.” He says following it up with a sinister laugh surprisingly coming through his teeth. Clarissa looks around as Rex quickly comes to join.

“And on top of everything, we have lost children.” Clarissa sighs feeling responsible in this situation as she takes another look around. “This game, all this excitement.”

“We're not lost! We're duelists!” Weevil corrects as Raptor nods in agreement. Underwood then presses a finger to the beetle of his glasses pushing them into place. “We couldn't help but notice you have a deck holder but no duel disk.”

“Duel...disk?” Clarissa repeats looking back at Harley in confusion.

Weevil scoffs and jumps back throwing up his arm activating the disk as the card reader shoots out coming along his arm all the while laughing to himself. However, the result isn't as he expected as Harley pinches the end giving it a bit of a wiggle.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Weevil demands.

“This thing's kinda cool, I guess. Little cheap looking. Where's the “Made in China” imprint?”

“Ch-China? This duel disk is the pride and joy of Kaibacorp! Any duelist worth their deck knows that!”

“So it's that place we should go.” Harley surmises before she starts walking. Clarissa quickly catches up as Weevil stomps a foot down repeatedly against the ground.

“Don't poke the hornet's nest and walk away!” He threatens prompting Harley to stop and look back causing Clarissa to come to a halt as well. Seeing he has their attention, Weevil presses in his glasses a second time. “There are unnamed dangers within the insect kingdom that no person would ever investigate. But I have them here in my deck.”

“So they're named then.” Clarissa points out as Harley nods.

“What? Just...duel me!”

“Whoa!” Rex exclaims. “You're really getting under his skin.”

In response, Weevil quickly points out at him.

“You just stick your deck life puns to yourself!”

“Deck life?”

“How do you even look the part of a dinosaur?”

“I-”

“Hey!” Harley shouts out. “I thought we were dueling.”

Weevil turns back to his opponent as Rex steps off the field. “Of course, but first you'll need to be properly equipped.”

A few moments later, Harley now stands back in place looking over her duel disc as Clarissa stands off to the side not too far from Raptor while Weevil explains.

“Since we're playing in Battle City, the rules of location apply. Locator and rarest cards will be up for grabs to the winner. But seeing as you don't have any locator cards we'll need to think up something else for the wager.”

“Guess so.” Harley says placing her cards into the deck reader finding her 8000 LP appearing on the small monitor atop of it. She lets out a long impressed whistle as she wiggles out her arm to give the device a real test.

“How about this? After I win...you both become my own personal cheer squad!” Weevil ends it by laughing, his cheeks turning a bright pink at the thought of both Harley and Clarissa cheering him on into the finals.

“Fair enough.” Harley says, much to Clarissa's surprise.

“Then if it's agreed...let's du-hey!” Weevil shouts as Harley is already looking over her five drawn cards. “Don't you even know proper dueling etiquette?”

Harley stares blankly back at Weevil for a bit and then draws her sixth card. Pushing out a “tch” between his teeth, Underwood draws his five realizing Harley means to go first. He could call her out on this, but this is already an unsanctioned duel. Besides...in the end? It won't matter.

“Wee-vil! Wee-vil! Wee-vil!”

The chants circle his mind as he stares off at Clarissa frightening the young woman. Harley catches sight of this and pushes the one card she had selected back down into her hand.

“Was gonna go easy on ya, shorty.” She says snapping Weevil from his trance. “But given Red the goo-goo eyes makin' her uncomfortable? Nuh-uhn. Ain't gonna happen. So you better get ready 'cause mama's comin' home t'spank ya!”

With that said, Harley places down Vorse Raider in attack mode along with another card face down catching Weevil off guard.

“How...how would you even get a card like that? It doesn't matter, it'll be swarmed soon enough with the might of my insects!”

With nothing that can be used just yet from his hand, Weevil places his first card face down ending his turn.

“That it?” Harley asks drawing up her next card. “Then Vorse dude, kill that thing!”

Vorse Raider comes alive as both Harley and Clarissa watch on, the latter much more marvelled by the act as the quick battle wages on. With a swipe of his ax, Vorse Raider chops Beetron down to size. Once it happens though, Harley blinks realizing her face down card.

“Shoot. I guess I should have used that.”

“Ha! As I thought, just a newbie who thought she could buzz her way through.” Weevil chortles loudly before drawing up his next card not exactly hiding his poker face when he draws it. “Your Vorse Raider is certainly a sight to behold, but you fell right into my web.”

“Enough bug puns!” Clarissa pleads.

“Your tune will change shortly, my dear, especially as I banish my Beetron from the graveyard in order to summon...Aztekipede,the Worm Warrior!”

Discarding Beetron from the graveyard, Weevil slaps down his new monster in the form of Aztekipede, the Worm Warrior. Clarissa steps back in disgust as Weevil laughs out again.

“Don't be frightened, my future pet, this creature is quite tame to those it trusts. But for those that dare stand against it, it holds nothing but the most severe of-”

Before his eyes, he watches as his monster vanishes from the field leaving nothing but Harley's glowing face down card.

“What...what did you do?”

“You took too long.” Harley shrugs. “There's like a time limit to moves, right?”

“No!”

“Oh. Well...I kinda wanted to see what would happen if I attacked.”

“My...my beautiful worm...”

“Dude, that's beautiful?” Raptor questions as Weevil snarls his way, tears fresh in his eyes.

“Well, I can only summon this card now and I guess that's it.”

Weevil sees a face down monster card on Harley side and then rubs at his eyes, despite having glasses, and looks back at his cards before drawing his next.

“You'll pay for that. It's not called the insect kingdom for nothing.” With that, he places Armored Bee on the field in attack mode. “Since you're such a clueless duelist, I'll assume you mistook attack points for defense points and so I'll see your monster fall! Armored Bee, attack her face down monster!”

Armored Bee moves in as Clarissa jumps thinking the virtual beast is coming at her. But it pays no attention to her and instead destroys the face down Sangan card. With it gone, the bee gets back into position as Weevil looks across at the motionless Harley.

“Well? Draw your card! Did you just find out about this game an hour ago?”

“This morning, actually.” Harley says not exactly giving Weevil reason enough to calm down. With Sangan's effect, Harley finds herself a card that appears to work perfectly for her.

“It's your turn so you might as well draw another now.”

Harley takes up a second card looking it over. She stares at her lineup for the longest time, staring over the wording of one card in particular as Weevil grinds his teeth.

“Left is attack, right is defense! Is it really that hard?”

“I'm reading.” Harley says before nodding playing a different card than the one she chose from Sangan's effect in a face up attack position. Ancient Elf. Seeing it, Weevil begins to laugh.

“Are you serious? In attack mode?”

“It's my personal favorite.”

Harley nods ending her turn as Weevil draws and even summons out the certainly grotesque Cross SwordBeetle. It's enough to make Clarissa thankful she didn't eat since lunch as Weevil calls the attack from Armored Bee.

“Ha! Face down card activate!” Harley calls turning up her face down card, which happens to be...Mirror Force!

“What? But...no!” Weevil cries out as both his Bee and Beetle are destroyed before his eyes.

“Just cause I learned doesn't mean I didn't study.”

However, Weevil isn't too concerned now as he instead smirks and even laughs.

“Hey, what's funny?” Harley asks.

“You fool! We've only just begun to duel! Forget Duelist Kingdom, ignore the original Battle City tournament...I have a monster in my deck that will see how truly sturdy your Anciet Elf actually is! You're about to get stung and hard!”

COMMERCIAL

“Alright, it's my draw.” Harley says taking out a card looking it over. She furrows her brow some letting out a loud hum to herself.

“Learn the game or stop playing!” Weevil shouts. “You newbies, thinking you can just traipse into this world thinking you can push world champions aside! Who was Yugi Motoh? Who was Joey Wheeler? Nobody! I was presented a trophy by Pegasus himself! This! Is! Our! WORLD!!!”

With that outburst, Harley is left standing there. Not at a loss for words, but as though she gets something. She plays a monster in attack mode, which is Silent Magician Lv4.

“Your move.”

“Finally!” Weevil draws out a card as a token appears above Silent Magician Lv4 increasing her attack strength by the requisite 500. “Ha! Ha ha! This is it! The beginning of your end! You'll never throw another card down as long as you live! Giant Flea, come forth!”

Weevil throws down his card bringing out another, according to Clarissa's reaction, revolting creation to the field.

“And I equip it with this! Insect Armor with Laser Canon increasing Giant Flea's attack by 700!”

The armor and (frickin') laser beam attach to Giant Flea as Raptor pumps out a fist in excitement.

“Yeah! You got this clown on the ropes now!”

“When Yugi and Joey defeated me, they both prattled on about the heart of the cards. After those defeats I swore to myself that I would demolish the myth of such things and obliterate any heart anyone had in their decks! So Giant Flea, take aim at her heart and destroy the Ancient Elf!”

“Whoa! Dude, don't-”

But Raptor's comments come too late as the flea fires out its laser beam at Ancient Elf destroying it and taking a good portion of Harley's LP with it. Weevil laughs out anxious to see a distraught Harley upon the smoke's clearance...but sees nothing of the sort causing him to grit his teeth.

“Is it my turn?” Harley asks as Weevil throws down his hand to signify he has no other moves he wishes to make.

Harley draws her next card placing it on the field. Given that the insect armor is a permanent equip card it still proves too difficult for her Silent Magician to handle. So she ends her turn.

“A rookie mistake! And now you'll see why! I play this!”

“Wait! You still have to draw.” Harley says as Weevil looks across furiously. Though it was his own mistake as in his excitement he went straight to his next draw allowing Silent Magician to gain another 500 attack points.

“Even with the added bonus your magician still isn't powerful enough for my flea. Luckily for you, you're going to have an even bigger itch to scratch as I play my Cocoon of Ultra Evolution!”

The large cocoon pops up covering itself over the Giant Flea and, without much hesitation, bursts as Weevil looks up in awe as the mighty beast flies overhead. Even Harley, Clarissa, and Raptor look up in surprise as the Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth comes down to the field.

“Behold! The true king of the insects! The all powerful Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth!” Weevil proclaims before laughing. “And it'll make your Silent Magician scream! Great Moth, attack with poisonous pollen!”

The Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth (goddamn, son) begins flapping its wings covering the field with a thick pollen. However, despite the amount of it it's clear it's not getting through to the magician.

“What?” Weevil exclaims before seeing the mystical figures of Waboku protecting the magician. “The card you played earlier.”

Harley nods holding it up.

“It doesn't matter,” Weevil says as the pollen subsides. “All you did was survive one more turn. There are only so many cards that can challenge the great might of my moth. Plus, even on my next draw your Silent Magician still won't be powerful enough to attack!”

“We'll see.”

Weevil growls under his breath as seeing Harley not resign to her fate starts to really irk him.

“Then draw.”

Harley does so and lays down a single trap card on the field and then looks across at Weevil. Clarissa notices the look in her eyes and is practically drawn in. This is a determined Harley, she isn't about to lose everything here.

“Time to finish this duel and to do so, I play this! Card Destruction!”

Harley activates it on the field and places her entire hand in the graveyard drawing out replacement cards as Weevil laughs out.

“Your attack is to restart your hand?”

“No. Everything I need is already out. But you need to discard and draw too.”

Weevil shrugs. “Fine. I have everything I need to win any...way...”

It's then that Weevil realizes. For every card he draws...Silent Magician gains another token.

“N-no...y-you can't.”

“Oh, but I am so gonna. Silent Magician...level up and transform, girl!”

In aid of a bright light, Silent Magician Lv4 grows quickly and becomes Silent MagicianLv8. She stands staring back at the Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth with matching attack points.

“You mean to sacrifice your monster again just to destroy mine? That's all that could ever-”

“Book of SecretArts!” Harley shouts as Weevil steps back in disbelief watching the card Quinn had set before begin to activate.

“N-not possible!”

“Oh, it's possible. It's possible that you just got your butt whooped! Silent Magician, let's here ya sing!”

Silent Magician doesn't sing, but with the aid of her book she destroys the Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth subtracting a bit of LP from Weevil who takes most of the brunt himself. Not physically, obviously, but definitely psychologically. He drops to his knees visibly shaken at the sight as Harley stands waiting.

“My...my moth...I destroyed the heart...but...”

“That's where you're wrong!” Clarissa shouts out. “Harley's heart doesn't reside in a single card, but the entire deck! People who build their entire deck to a single outcome are always defeated.”

Weevil has nothing to say as he trembles on the ground. It's all true, he built his deck up just to summon this moth of his to the field and with nothing now to defeat the Silent Magician...he has no choice but to put a hand overtop his deck. Once the disc takes the submission, the Silent Magician fades and Clarissa claps in celebration.

“You did it, Harley! You...Harley?”

Harley strides her way across the former battlefield stopping in front of Weevil who looks up still shaking.

“Are,” Weevil begins. “You here to make a speech about...sportsmanship?”

“No,” Harley replies back cracking her knuckles. “I'm just here to take my prize.”

A moment later, Harley turns back to Clarissa holding up a fresh locator card and the Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth. She approaches Clarissa giving her the moth card.

“Here. Doesn't look like I can use it. Plus you're more the bug gal anyway, Red.”

“Red... Oh, right. Red. Yes, thank you, Harley.” Clarissa smiles briefly looking down at the card she had been given. In all the excitement of the duel she had forgotten all about her running away.

Not too far off, someone in the dark shadows of an alley pushes themselves from the wall letting out an impressed noise. She turns flicking her blond hair back as she starts away from the scene.

“About time we got another girl kicking tail around here.”

“Mokuba,” A stern voice calls from behind a case, which is quickly closed to reveal the handler as being Seto Kaiba. “Are you ready to go?”

The younger sibling comes over carrying his own case looking a little more surprised than his brother.

“I am, big brother, but why are we leaving the tower so soon?”

“Two reasons.” Kaiba begins to explain. “First, I didn't organize this rebirth of Battle City just to sit up at the top and watch the duels take place.”

“And the other?”

To answer this, Kaiba activates a hologram off his wrist mounted computer showcasing duel stats. On one side is Weevil Underwood. The other...blank.

“There was an unregistered duel that took place earlier along the outskirts of the city. One of the duelists isn't even in our files.”

“Doesn't that sound like something security should be called for?”

“I don't want this duelist thrown out. Especially since they managed to summon Silent Magician Level 8 legitimately.”

Hearing this certainly surprises the younger Kaiba brother.

“Seriously?”

“I intend to search Battle City for this duelist...and test their skills myself.”

Mokuba nods as the two approach an elevator. Though waiting for it to come up, Mokuba looks back over his shoulder.

“What about the tower? Are we really leaving it all in his hands? I don't...think we can trust him.”

“Neither do I. That's why I'm keeping the most sensitive material we have close to myself on a separate server. But when he came here he was able to explain my own system before I even had a chance to learn his name. So if anyone can keep things going...”

The doors open as both enter inside. Kaiba presses the button to go down as the doors close. Meanwhile, at the controls, a man rests a hand down over a set of buttons. His arm is covered with a green sleeve...with a question mark cufflink.