Brother vs Brother; Duel Between the Stars

“That’s right,” said Chaser, unable to keep himself from grinning. He was so happy that the teen thought for a moment tears would begin pouring down from his perfect face. What made it all the more perfect was the look on his idiot brother’s face, no doubt wishing he could count with his fingers to double check the math. But it was there, more than 8000 attack points between his three monsters. More than enough to end Hunter once and for all. “You will have nothing left to protect you’re miserable life points. They will be cut down, you’re ‘friends’ dropping closer to the water with each attack until finally I put them out of their misery with the same ease as drowning puppies! You will lose and then we will switch bodies. I will go on to reclaim my glory, becoming the god I was always meant to be and returning to paradise while you spend the rest of your pathetic life in jail. Sitting there in a cell, living with the knowledge that you couldn’t save anyone until you die like that loser that you are! I WIN!”

“CHASER!” screamed Hunter, a scream whose memory Chaser would cherish till the end of time, as The First Darklord swung his sword. As a wave of death and decay crossed the field, ready to turn everything to ash, a memory returned to Chaser. One so clear that he felt like he was living it once more.

When Chaser had been much younger, there had been this one tree not too far from his house. If it was still there, he had no idea nor did he care all that much to look. But that tree, back then, was special as all the kids in the neighborhood would gather around it and try to climb it. He had no idea who started it or how all the kids knew that they needed to try and climb it. All he and the others knew was that they had to climb it as high as they could. Of course, nobody climbed it higher than he did since he was Star Chaser.

What’s more, that was the first time others really praised him. Sure, his parents had praised him plenty, but this was the first time kids his own age saw just how amazing he was. How they looked on with envy as he climbed to that last branch, how they cheered him on when he made it back down. The looks of shame from the slightly older kids who could not do what he could naturally. The rush he felt was almost beyond description. But, what Chaser remembered most of all, was how he would sit there on that high branch and watch the others struggle. He could have sat there for hours with a smile on his face, as he watched them try to reach him only to fail like the losers they were. There was satisfaction in that, the proof that no one could ever reach the same heights as he could no matter how hard they tried. Because he was Star Chaser. Because he was someone who was truly destined for greatness.

But the sweetest of all the failures he saw belonged to Hunter, the last time he had tried to climb it. At first, he looked like he was struggling to get up like every other time. A truly pitiful sight that made Chaser ashamed that they belonged to the same family. However, once he got past that point, he began to move in a way that alarmed Chaser! He seemed to know the best path with the strongest branches, as if he had figured something out. What’s more, he was moving up faster than when Chaser had done it! Alarm spread through Chaser as he heard the voices of the other kids, cheering him on to reach the same heights as Chaser! No! To go higher than Chaser was willing to go! He began to tremble, no one had ever gotten this close to him. And if his idiot brother could do it…did that make Chaser less special? Less amazing?

Looking down, Chaser saw Hunter grab the branch right below him. Without thinking, Chaser kicked Hunter’s fingers so they slid off causing his brother to fall. As he looked down, watching his brother flailing about as branches knocked him around, Chaser grinned while the memory of the sight was burned into his mind. He had come the closest only to fail, landing on the ground with a thud. Kids screamed, running away to avoid getting in trouble but one must have told his or her parents about what had happened. That or an adult had looked out the window at just the right moment to see Hunter’s failure and called an ambulance. But Chaser, he had not gotten in trouble as he had been too high up for anyone below to see what had really happened. Nor did Hunter realize he had been kicked when he came too. The only thing that happened was that kids were no longer allowed to climb on that tree, which was fine with Chaser since it meant that no one would ever be able to out climb him.

And now, Chaser got to watch Hunter fall for the last time.

Hunter’s brain was working on overdrive as the wave got closer and closer, seeming to slow down as his thought process sped up. If his maids were in their dragon form, then they would have been alright as those forms had an effect which protected them from destruction effects while there was a fusion monster on his side of the field. But he couldn’t switch them out until the battle phase started. And he had nothing in his hand that could protect them and on the field he had-

Hunter’s eyes widened in realization, activating his face down without bothering to call it out a microsecond before the wave crashed into his monsters. Powerful wind blew against Hunter as he fought to stand his ground while smoke covered his side of the field.

“It’s over Hunter,” said Chaser happily. “Now time to end this so you can stop wasting my ti-” Chaser’s words were cut short as the smoke cleared, revealing a single maid on the field taking a knee. This one was dressed in black, with light blue horns coming out of her blond hair that were tipped black. Wings rested on her hips, only instead of webbing, hers had bluish feathers and she had a long black tail coming out of her maid uniform. “What?!? NO! This can’t be! All your useless monsters should have been destroyed. Nothing! That’s what you should have been left with: NOTHING! You cheated! You cheated! You-”

“I activated my face down card at the last second,” explained Hunter, interrupting his brother’s temper tantrum while his newest maid grinned like an apex predator. “Dragonmaid Send-Off is a quick play spell card that lets me send one Dragonmaid from my field back to my hand and then special summons another Dragonmaid monster with a different name in defense mode. So I took back my Nurse in order to bring out Chamber Dragonmaid.” (500/1800)

“You. YOU!” growled Chaser through gritted teeth. “Do you really think that’s enough to stop me? One fucking maid vs. everything I have?! DO YOU?!” Hunter said nothing, angering his brother even more. If that was possible. “Fine then. If you want to prolong this then you will suffer! I attack with The First Darklord!” Chaser’s monster swung his sword slowly in a side to side slashing movement, leaving in its wave a line of darkness which then shattered like glass into thousands of pieces before flying across the field right at Chamber. And while she was pierced many, many of these shards, Chamber was not destroyed.

“The other effect of Dragonmaid Send-Off prevents Chamber from being destroyed by battle or card effects,” announced Hunter.

“Fine, but thanks to Nergal you’ll still take the damage,” spat Chaser.

-Star Hunter’s Life Points: 4300-

As Hunter’s life points fell, some of the shards that had blown past Chamber seemed to swerve in mid-air towards him. When the first one struck him in the ribs, cutting into his clothing and drawing blood, Hunter cried out in pain. A shaking hand reached towards the object that had pierced his, feeling it as if it were completely solid before another shard impaled itself into his flesh. And then another. And another. Hunter cried out more and more, moving backwards a little at a time as he felt his blood leaking towards his sides as he felt like he was about to die from a thousand cuts.

What was worse was that, as the attack ended, Hunter’s friends and loved ones were dropped down towards the holes in the holographic floor. They all cried out as they were swung side to side.

“Nergal, attack!” shouted Chaser, his snarling face twisting back into glee as an orb of darkness appeared above the outstretched hand of the fallen fairy. Hunter was panting madly, his mind trying to come to grips with what was happening as Nergal flung his attack over the field towards Chamber. His maid held out her hands as if to try and block the attack, but the orb seemed to liquefy so that it went around her before launching itself at Hunter.

-Star Hunter’s Life Points: 3400-

Cold swept over Hunter, enough to cause his breath to be caught in his lungs. It…It was like being dropped in the middle of a frozen lake, trapped under the ice as his lungs screamed for air. What’s more, the cold seemed to dig itself deeper into him until it felt like the cold had wrapped a hand around his heart. It squeezed tightly, causing Hunter’s eyes to bulge while tears formed. Unable to help himself, Hunter fell to his knees as he tried his best to breathe while at the same time the cages were dropped even more. Now Hunter could hear a splash, as well as the cries of everyone captured. He managed to look over to see that they were all standing now, everything belong the ankles now hidden.

As small bits of air began to return to his lungs, Hunter noticed that Chamber had turned her head to look at him while remaining in the defense mode. Unless he was mistaken, and he had every reason to believe he was at this moment, Chamber’s face had changed. It was no longer the look of a predator with the intent to kill clear in her eyes. Now they seemed softer somehow. She seemed worried. Maybe even scared.

“This is what you get Hunter for thinking you could beat me,” spat Chaser. “For wasting my time! Darklord Zerato, make him feel pain!” Zerato didn’t make a sound, only raising his blade before lunging across the field before delivering a downward slash at Chamber. His maid, thankfully, had turned her head back just in time and raised her hands above her head to catch the blade before it touched a single hair on her head. But the force of the blow still impacted the area around her, wind shooting out all around Chamber before hitting Hunter.

-Star Hunter’s Life Points: 2400-

Hunter felt himself nearly knocked backwards from the wind, but cried out as he felt something cut downwards. His shirt ripped in half, blood being spilt while tears ran down his face. Shaking with fear, he looked over to see those he cared about being dropped into the water even more. Most of them looked like they had been submerged all the way to their stomachs with Breaburn at the hips.

“Darklord Tezcatlipoca, strike him down!” commanded Chaser. Hunter’s attention was moved from his monster to Tezcatlipoca, who raised both his thin arms to the sky just as black lightning struck them. He then lowered them, instantly sending the black bolts right at Chamber. Hunter saw that she had to grit her teeth as the lightning danced along her body before bouncing right to him.

-Star Hunter’s Life Points: 1400-

Hunter screamed in pain as he fell backwards, his vision white from the pain. He could hear it zapping along his skin, singeing his flesh as it went. The teen could feel his body jerking, his body feeling like trillions of tiny daggers were digging into his skin made all the worse by his open wounds that were slowly closing. Oh God, he could feel the lightning as it shot around his teeth. But worst of all was how long it felt. Seconds seemed to stretch into days, a never ending sea of pain that just dragged on and on. His tears ran freely, moving down his cheeks as he prayed that it would end. And, eventually, it did. Hunter let out a noise like a wounded dog, his ears picking up on the sounds of the cages being lowered.

“You deserve this. You know that, right?” asked Chaser. “This is what you get for standing up to me, for thinking you could climb to the same heights as someone like me. You are nothing compared to me, a true god. Everything in this world belongs to me. You’re hopes, your dreams, your desires are nothing compared to mine. I can end you with a thought. But, I am a benevolent god. So I will offer you this one chance: beg for mercy with all your heart and end your foolish resistance. Do so and the pain will end. I don’t want to damage my future vessel any more than I already have. So go on, beg like the miserable sack of shit that you are!”

As Chaser laughed, no doubt throwing his head back judging by how insane it sounded, Hunter laid there sobbing openly while wishing he had the strength to curl into a ball. Every bit of his body hurt like nothing he had ever felt in his entire life. He could still feel himself shaking as all the attacks Chaser had launched on him were still being felt by his body. His insides still felt cold, his skin still felt like it had been cut so many times, the tingle of electricity. He no longer cared if this was technology or magic at work, he was too scared to think straight. Whatever this was, it was simply too much for him. Too much for anyone really. He just…He just wanted the hurting to stop. To never go through any of that again. And begging Chaser seemed like such a small price to pay to never feel this again.

“Hunter! Hang in there,” came a voice from his side. The sound caused Hunter’s eyes to open slightly while a bit of his strength seemed to return. Not much, just enough for him to roll over to look with tears still running down his face at those who were still held captive. He could see his aunt, the one who had called out to him, submerged all the way to just below her shoulders. He looked at her and saw that she was looking at him with fear. But he could tell that she was scared for him, worried about him!

Flashback[/hr]

“So how’s it going kiddo?” asked Aunt Star Chart from across the counter, her voice slightly raised in order to be heard over all the noise around them. The two of them were seated at Batty’s Pizzeria, a pizza parlor joined with an old fashioned arcade. Of course it had more than just that. At the far end, embedded into the wall was a two story play area that looked like a haunted house with slides coming out of the top floor, secret passages, a mirror room, and so much more. There was a massive ball pit as well as several stations with large sheets of paper where kids could color on. In short, it was the perfect place for a six year old Hunter to have a birthday.

“Alright,” said Hunter quickly, smiling happily as he sat down his pizza. To be honest, things were better than alright since he didn’t think he’d even get to have a party like this. His parents had gotten him a couple of gifts and he had been allowed to invite a few friends over for lunch, but that was about it. He knew that they had spent most of their extra cash on a larger party for Chaser a couple months back, renting an entire hall for the event. That along with a surprise hospital bill meant that extra money was tighter than normal.

For Hunter at least.

“That’s good to hear,” said Star Chart before leaning back in her seat and taking a sip of her drink. But as she did, Hunter could see her eyes going down to his arm where several bruises still remained. Large discolored portions of his skin to serve as a reminder of his fall from the tree. The rest of his bruises were, thankfully, hidden. “So, are you going to tell me what happened?”

“I just slipped,” said Hunter with a shrug. Honestly he couldn’t remember since everything had happened so fast. One moment he was climbing and the next the world was a blur as fell to the ground. After that, his memories were scattered with the only thing he could remember clearly were weird dreams about living in a huge manor. Then, when he woke up, it had been a couple days later with him in the hospital with his grandparents sitting in the chairs next to him. After that, his grandfather went to get a doctor while his grandmother made a few calls to tell everyone he was ok. He remembered that when she called Aunt Star Chart, he could hear her yelling through the phone demanding to know why no one had called her.

For a moment, Star Chart said nothing. She just kept sipping her drink with a worried look on her face. Her eyes kept scanning Hunter, as if looking for some sign while her free hand went to her cross. Finally she set her drink down.

“Ok,” she said with a sigh. “I guess…I hope I’m just seeing things wrong. I pray that I-” As Hunter looked at her, wondering what she was talking about, his aunt shook her head before the familiar playful smile she normally hard returned. “Ah don’t worry about it kiddo. Just over-thinking things. Just do me a favor and let me know when things aren’t looking too good. Your parents sort of have a habit of downplaying things.”

Hunter frowned. “What does that mean?” he asked.

“Well,” began Star Chart in a nervous tone, her head leaning back for a moment before turning to look away from him. A finger was brought to her face, running up and down her cheek as she spoke. “I, ah, sometimes they…what I mean to say is those two…” She then paused, slumping in her seat. Slowly she looked at Hunter, her eyes half lidded. “I just worry about ya sometimes. I know your parents love you, but it feels like too often they forget they have two amazing children and not one.”

A warm feeling filled Hunter’s heart when he heard this. It wasn’t often when he heard something like that. Most adults seemed to only notice Chaser and all the things he could do without seeming to try. So to hear it like this, well, he was glad that his aunt quickly pulled him out of his seat so they could color together because if she hadn’t she would have seen him burst into tears.

End Flashback[/hr]

“You got this Hunter!” shouted Moondancer next to his aunt. Glancing over at her, Hunter could see she was shivering a bit but still looking at him with determination. “I believe in you.” Warmth began to fill Hunter’s heart as he heard that, pushing away the icy cold that had taken root while visions of her laughing as he plucked a leaf from her hair filled his vision. The touch of her lips against his as he remembered their first kiss, how clumsy it had been. The warmth of her body against his own.

“Don’t give that asshole what he wants!” shouted Lightning. “Go on, kick his ass!”

More of them began to shout while Hunter’s tear returned at full force, guilt becoming a massive lump in his throat. He could feel the physical pain being pushed back as guilt swelled up inside him, allowing him to think straight again. Oh God he was so weak. How could he have thought for even a moment giving up? If Chaser was telling the truth, he would live on with the knowledge that he had let them all die. And that…that was worse than any pain Chaser would do to him. He didn’t know how he could ever go on living.

Slowly, Hunter struggled to get up. Trying to push himself off the ‘ground’ with what little might he could. But while the pain had been pushed to the side, it was still there sapping him of his strength. He managed to get on his stomach, pushing himself off the ground like he was doing a push-up only for his arms to give out. But he didn’t give up, instead moving a leg forward so he could maybe use that to propel himself up. As he moved his arms again to try and rise, Hunter noticed that Chamber was looking at him again with a smile on her face. A kind one as something seemed to twinkle in her eyes. But Hunter ignored that for the moment as he fought to get back up.

“Let us help you up, master,” came a soft whisper in Hunter’s ear, a voice he remembered from his dreams. Then, all at once, Hunter felt hands touching him. The first was a small one, the hands of someone a few years younger than he was, taking hold of his own. There were hands on either side of his stomach, helping to lift him as well as a pair on either side of his chest. They weren’t lifting him, rather it felt like they were trying to make sure he didn’t fall down again. And there was something familiar about all this, like he had felt these hands before. But, he could not see them at all. The only thing he did see was Chaser who was watching in wide eyed horror. Eventually Hunter did get back onto his feet, strength slowly returning. But his legs still felt shaky and weak while he panted.

“I won’t give up,” gasped Hunter as he looked across the field at his brother. What he saw was his brother, looking at him as if he had just come back as a zombie. As if the very notion that he could find it within him to stand after all that was impossible. Or maybe he had seen something else. But that look lasted for only a few moments before Chaser’s venom returned in full force.

“You really do belong on the short bus, stupid piece of shit wasting my time!” yelled Chaser. “You can’t even figure out the obvious! There’s nothing you can do!” He then spat off to the side before a sneer appeared on his face. “But, you know what? I think I prefer it this way, watching you struggle in vain before me. I end my turn! Meaning the third effect of my field spell kicks in, returning my life points to 8000!”

-Star Chaser’s Life Points: 8000-

“Now do you understand?” demanded Chaser. “Not only are my monsters stronger, but as long as The First Darklord is on the field you can’t target them or destroy them with card effects. And next turn, I can use his effect to special summon another fairy from my hand or graveyard. Add that with the fact that my life points will always return to 8000, there is no hope for you! Now tremble before the might of your god!”

I hate to say this, but Chaser is right about one thing, thought Hunter as he glanced down at his deck. It’s going to be hard to break his board. And I have to do it, fast. I won’t be able to survive another attack like that. I can’t afford to waste time stalling and hoping that the police will show up. This next draw might just decide the match.

And with that, Hunter drew.