Shadows in Control

Story
Crow and Axel run out of the police station, helmets ready to hop onto their motorcycles. White Dragon and Mokuba fly up, White Dragon dropping Mokuba down.

Crow: White Dragon? You’ve got some nerve coming in now.

Axel: This the mercenary?

Crow: The one and only.

Mokuba: Yami needs you guys! Some guys kidnapped Luna! Those who worked for Dartz, and Broder!

Axel: We have our own priority. Roman Goodwin has broken out of prison.

White Dragon: I have a feeling that the two incidents are related. I’ll track him down. You go get Aster Phoenix.

Crow: Hey, why don’t you do that?!

White Dragon: Because my sensors can detect the target better, and I don’t care much for Phoenix.

Crow: He gives money obsessed mercenaries such as yourself a bad name, huh?

Mokuba: Hey! Leave him alone!

White Dragon activates his jet boots, flying off.

Axel: If it’s that bad, then we’ll need to get Aster. Let’s move out.

Crow: Fine. But I don’t like him bossing us around.

At a mini-mansion, Skurd is sitting on a luxurious couch, with the TV on in the background, reading a newspaper. Angela Raines is on the TV.

Angela: (On TV) The chief of police continues to decline giving more explanation to what has become known as the Battle of Five Forces. All that he states is that it was a battle between the Police, Arcadia Movement, Enforcers, the new Hunters and the Signer members Yami and Aster. The battle has much speculation around it, including the fact no one outside the battle bared witness to it, and that there were deaths to occur. It is believed that this was a sting operation to capture the leaders of the Anti-Hybrid movements Enforcers and Hunters, which it did, and that the entire incident was a set up. Further proof is that the arrested Arcadia Movement members arrested in the aftermath, including leader Sayer, were recently released, further showing the police leaning in favor of the wretched half-breed!

Skurd: Wow, that lady is so off it’s not even amusing. Now, this Carly Carmine, newspaper reporter, has a much stronger grasp on the events. “There is no evidence from any source that anything at such a magnitude as this battle was foretold, leading me to believe that it was a very spontaneous event. What’s more, Domino Square is a relatively unused area, it being abandoned when the sun is down, making the possibility of the event being unnoticed highly plausible.” And to think that humans have primate ancestors.

A knock occurs on the door, as Skurd sighs. Skurd stretches a pseudo-pod, unlocking the door.

Skurd: It is open!

The door opens, as Crow and Axel walk in. The two look in confusion, before spotting Skurd, having not looked up from the newspaper.

Axel: The Slimebiote?

Skurd looks at them for the first time.

Skurd: Ah! You two! There must be official Signer business, for you to be here so late in the evening.

Crow: Where’s Aster?

Skurd: In the bedroom. Up the stairs to the left, second door on the right. I don’t quite understand a homo sapien’s necessity to sleep a designated amount of time during the day, but I do my best to respect his boundaries. Don’t bother knocking.

Crow: So much for respecting his boundaries.

Crow and Axel run up the stairs, as Mindy comes out of the bedroom door, wearing a pink bath robe. She lets a small scream out as she spots the two, closing the door.

Mindy: C-c-c-crow?

Crow: Mindy? What are you doing here?

Mindy: Well, I moved in with Aster, and am his secretary. I’m afraid that Aster is sleeping at the moment. If you want to set an official appointment, I can, hey, wait!

Crow and Axel push past Mindy, as they open the door. Both Aster and Mindy are under the covers, Mindy holding the covers close to her chest. Axel does a double take at the Mindy in the hall, and back at the one in the bed.

Axel: How?

Crow: Cloning.

Aster: Hey! Ever hear of knocking?!

Crow: Skurd said not to bother. Get dressed, lover boy. We’ve got Signer business to attend to. End Scene

Yami waits right outside the dock district, as Ishizu meets up with him.

Yami: Give me the situation.

Ishizu: Luna came, and revived Marik’s dark form. I thought you had cleansed him.

Yami: Me too. But obviously, the darkness lived on.

Ishizu: In my brother and in Luna.

Yami: This is Zorc’s doing. I have a feeling we’re about to encounter him.

Crow, Axel, Aster and Skurd arrive, Aster riding along Crow’s motorcycle.

Yami: Where’s White Dragon?

Axel: He went tracking Roman Goodwin.

Yami: Him as well. That makes it Roman, Raphael, Kalin, Broder, Luna, Marik,

Crow: Luna?!

Yami: And Atticus, or Nightshroud as he calls himself. That makes seven of them. And there’s only six of us.

Skurd: Eck-hem. Are you forgetting someone?

Yami: No, I counted you in there. It’s Aster I left out, since you’re the one doing the transforming.

Skurd: Thank you.

Aster: You playing me, bro? I’m the one who fights! I’m an accomplished Signer, one of the few actually known!

White Dragon lands by them.

Yami: Let me guess. Warehouse 7.

White Dragon: How’d you know?

Yami: I fought Nightshroud there once. They are most likely waiting for us. Two things. First, comm links.

Yami pulls out a case of comm systems, everyone taking one.

Yami: Second, their powers. Nightshroud uses shadow wings and wind, Roman utilizes spider legs and webs, as well as spiders that can control others. Marik is brutal, Kalin uses shadow claws, Raphael shadow lightning, Broder ice powers.

White Dragon: He’s using some scepter to use darkness as well.

Yami: And, Luna has been receiving training in her powers. With the darkness, I only assume it’s stronger than ever. I expect the battle will extend out along the docks to try and weaken us, so relay any patterns you notice to the others, and stick together as best you can.

White Dragon: Is this entire expedition going to be you ordering us around again? Cause I don’t do that.

Aster: Right, the loner doesn’t like throwing his weight with true heroes.

White Dragon: (Gauntlet sparking) Wanna repeat that?

Ishizu: This is no time to fight each other.

Yami: Agreed. We need to take them out and save Luna.

At the warehouse, the door is open, Bakura in the shadows. Broder, Raphael, Kalin, Nightshroud, Roman, Luna and Dark Marik kneel before him.

Bakura: I name you, the seven Shadow Riders. Each of you being infused with my darkness. Now, your primary job, will be to eliminate those who have become known as, the Signers. Led by Yami, which I think you all have had an encounter with before.

Dark Marik: Heh! It will be an honor to destroy him.

Yami: Will it?

Everyone turns, Yami standing alone. He has two cards already on the blades of the Dueltrix.

Yami: You guys would be lost without me to fight. Hello, Bakura.

Bakura: Greetings. Did you know I had a role in this the entire time, or are you just good at hiding your surprise?

Yami: Roman and Nightshroud ranted on about the Dark One for a while. That is your title, if I recall.

Kalin: There he is! Let me dig my fangs into him!

Bakura: Quite right. Shadow Riders, take him out.

Kalin forms shadow claws over his claws, as he charges Yami. Yami takes off running, Kalin giving chase. Yami slaps down the Dueltrix, transforming into Amp-Eye.

Amp-Eye: Coming towards you.

Amp-Eye shoots lightning arrows from the eyes on his back. Kalin leaps into the air, climbing up a warehouse, getting on the roof to pounce down at him. Crow appears, kicking Kalin in the jaw, distorting him.

Crow: Hey there, puppy dog. You break off your leash?

Kalin: The chicken?! Oh, I’d love to barbecue you!

Kalin lunges at Crow, who dodges with ease. Amp-Eye jumps up onto a rooftop, moving his arms to form a bow and string, his eyes sparking to fire a lightning arrow. Nightshroud forms shadow wings over his arms, as he flies after Amp-Eye, Broder alongside him. Amp-Eye fires a lightning arrow at them, Broder deflecting it with his scepter.

Broder: Your eye is one big target, you know. Perfect for my…

Axel runs along a roof, jumping and taking his Pyronite form, landing on Broder’s back. He blasts Broder with fire, causing him to dive and crash into the ground. Nightshroud watches this happen, as shadow wyvern armor forms around him.

Nightshroud: I won’t be caught off guard the same way you were.

Aster: In that case, you may want to look up.

Nightshroud raises his head, as Aster with Fell Wygic armor around him comes, tackling him. Aster kicks at Nightshroud, though Nightshroud takes it with ease, Aster pushing away. Aster flaps his arm wings, releasing a mana wind, which Nightshroud counters with a dark wind, a gust blowing back, felt by the others. Raphael stands below them, towers sparking with dark lightning. A lighting arrow flies past his face, the lightning scorching his cheek. Raphael recoils back from this, searching for the source. A lightning blast hits Raphael from behind, as he turns, White Dragon flying behind him.

White Dragon: If I had to take on any of you, you’d be my first choice.

White Dragon fires a lightning blast, Raphael blocking it with dark lightning. Dark Marik goes past them, and charges for Axel and Broder, who maneuver in a circle, releasing blasts of fire and ice to try and push through to the other. Dark Marik thrusts his palm forward, a dark palm shooting out. Ishizu intercepts it in Anodite form, cutting it with mana.

Ishizu: Brother. Allow me to cleanse you again, so we don’t disrespect Odion’s memory.

Dark Marik: Oh, I live to insult his memory! His death means that nothing can stop me!

Dark Marik charges Ishizu, as Ishizu blocks his dark palm with a mana shield. She releases mana arcs, Dark Marik breaking some, as others fly past him. Broder flies at Axel, going to stab him with the scepter. Axel slides underneath him, as lightning arrows hit and shock Broder’s wing, him dropping. Broder is hit by the mana arcs as he lands, Axel following with a kick to his back. Broder falls towards Ishizu’s and Dark Marik’s battle, though he phases through the ground, disappearing.

Amp-Eye: Axel, he’s tracking you somehow. Keep moving, and engage Dark Marik for a moment before going airborne. White Dragon, lure Raphael into that fray. Ishizu, rise a wave of water. Crow, see if you can knock Kalin in as well.

Aster: (Dodging a wing swipe from Nightshroud) And me?

Amp-Eye: Keep your guy busy.

Axel runs towards Dark Marik, as Ishizu zooms backwards over the water. Dark Marik gets ready to attack, when Axel punches Dark Marik, Dark Marik falling to the ground. Axel takes to the air, as White Dragon flies over, firing lightning blasts to lure Raphael after him. Crow kicks Kalin off the roof, him colliding into Raphael. Ishizu raises her hands, as the water rises up, a wave washing over the battlefield. Dark Marik, Raphael and Kalin are soaked, Raphael’s dark lightning electrocuting them all. Axel hovers overhead, as Broder phases through the dock, freezing the water and the other villains. Broder raises his scepter, preparing a darkness blast. A lightning arrow strikes his hand, sending the scepter flying. Luna walks over, picking the staff up.

Luna: We are losing, oh Dark One.

Bakura: Yami is leading them well. Block him.

Aster: Skurd, make a head and bite him!

Skurd: What am I, a non-sapient feral monster?

Aster: With this thing, yeah!

Skurd forms a neck with Fell Wygic’s head off Aster’s head, going to bite Nightshroud. Nightshroud spins around and kicks the neck, causing Aster to drop. Nightshroud flaps his wings, dark wind striking Aster, him plowing through and breaking the ice below. Aster uses only his legs to stand, as he’s surrounded by a recovering Dark Marik, Raphael and Kalin.

Aster: Uh, buddy? How about a warm winter coat?

Skurd: I have just the thing.

Skurd morphs, forming into Iron Emperor. The steel penguin body forms around Aster like a tuxedo, with sharp metal wings, a beak forming on Aster’s chest.

Aster: Uh, you know the beak goes on the mouth, right?

Skurd: Don’t complain. I have a plan.

Aster spins on the ice, as Skurd opens the beak, releasing a blizzard breath. Dark Marik releases darkness to protect himself, Raphael counters with dark lightning, as Kalin uses a sonic howl, stopping the wind and shattering the ice around them. Skurd uses his blizzard breath to freeze the ground, as Skurd moves the beak onto Aster’s hand. Aster slides on his belly, going between Raphael’s legs, firing a blizzard from below, freezing his hair.

White Dragon shoots a lightning blast at Nightshroud, who lands on a roof, firing dark feathers. Lightning arrows intercept them in midair, as Crow leaps and kicks at Nightshroud. Nightshroud blocks the attack with his wing, as he’s struck by a lightning blast, tumbling back. Axel and Broder fly at each other, their collision releasing a mist in the air.

Amp-Eye: Ishizu, get in there with Aster. It’ll keep Dark Marik distracted. Crow, Nightshroud’s going to…

Amp-Eye stops, looking confused. Roman appears on the roof with shadow legs, jabbing at Amp-Eye. Amp-Eye begins to move, shooting lightning arrows as he goes. Roman gives chase, not allowing him to slow down. Amp-Eye catches a glimpse of Luna below, focusing her powers on him.

Amp-Eye: Darn it. Luna’s blocked my mind reading power.

Luna: ''That’s right. I blocked off some of your neurotransmitters, which, in this form, allows you to convert the electronic signals of the brain into sound and words. You can’t read what we’re about to do. ''

Amp-Eye: Get ready for something big!

Roman fires a shadow web, as Amp-Eye tries to dodge it. Luna fires a darkness blast from the scepter, hitting and stopping Amp-Eye’s movement, allowing him to be snagged in the web. He gets stuck hanging off a roof, as he reverts.

Kalin’s eyes go black, as he fires a sonic howl after Aster. Aster freezes a new section of the dock, sliding along it, using his wing to steer. He slides back at Dark Marik, who places his palm to the ice, releasing darkness that shatters it. Aster is flung into the air, as Nightshroud forms a large shadow dragon, which flies at Aster.

Aster: Uh, could use a hand on that one!

Ishizu fires a powerful mana blast, Raphael blocking it with dark lightning. Nightshroud slams into Aster, as he goes flying into the water. Broder phases into a warehouse to evade Axel, as he comes out, shooting a freeze ray at White Dragon. White Dragon dodges, as the Shadow Riders begin converging, except for Broder.

Broder: What are they doing?

Broder flies back over towards Bakura, as Roman releases a swarm of shadow spiders. A group approaches Yami, as he struggles to activate the Dueltrix.

Yami: Don’t let them on you, or your neck!

Yami slaps down the Dueltrix, transforming into Humungoopsaur. The shadow spiders crawl up his body, as he melts through them with acidic slime. He then moves through the web, his body splitting from the sections but reforming.

Humungoopsaur: For once, that was a perfect random choice!

Nightshroud floats over the other Shadow Riders, as he holds his wings out. A suction wind occurs, drawing the Signers in. Ishizu heads straight towards Kalin’s shadow claws, as Raphael blasts Axel with dark lightning. Crow skids along the ground, shadow spiders swarming at him. White Dragon blasts the spiders with a lightning blast, keeping them off Crow. Dark Marik fires a dark blast at White Dragon, him being knocked out of the sky. Aster leaps out of the water, as Raphael hits him with dark lightning, Aster sucked in towards the attack. Aster is electrocuted, as he drops, out cold.

Skurd: Oy, vey! You make me do everything!

Skurd uses his tendrils to curl Aster into a ball, as he morphs into Crabdozer armor, resembling a planetoid. Humungoopsaur stretches his arm, punching Roman, knocking him over. Kalin uses his claws to slice through the slime. Humungoopsaur swings his severed arm, shooting acid balls at them. Nightshroud lands and uses his wings as shields, taking the acid with ease.

Broder: What have you done?

Luna: I’ve used my powers to unite their minds through their darkness. I control everything they do. Except you, with your cursed Rune Eye preventing my access, as well as you (She holds the scepter up) Not truly wielding darkness.

Broder swipes the scepter away from Luna, looking at Bakura.

Broder: Why remove their minds?

Bakura: Their individual personalities weren’t syncing together well, so I removed a variable.

Humungoopsaur wraps around Raphael, who electrocutes him with dark lightning. Dark Marik leaps and grabs Humungoopsaur’s head, pulling him off Raphael and slamming him to the ground. Dark Marik then lifts and chucks Humungoopsaur into the water. Ishizu goes to catch him, as Nightshroud rams him, distorting her.

Ishizu: You will not prevent me from rescuing him.

A shadow web ensnares her, Roman pulling her in. Kalin scratches at the Crabdozer armor, trying to get at Aster. Crow kicks him away, though Kalin fires a sonic howl at him, blowing him back.

Crow: Aster! Anytime you want to wake up!

Bakura: Broder, anytime you want to join back in.

Broder snarls at Bakura, snatching the scepter from Luna as he flies back into the action. He fires a dark blast from the scepter, which Axel blocks with a fireball. Raphael shoots dark lightning at Axel, him flipping to dodge, then uses his flames to propel him upward. White Dragon flies with him, as the two rain down fire and lightning blasts down. Kalin looks skyward, using a sonic howl as a shield. Ishizu dives towards the water, as a shadow talon stretches down and grabbing Ishizu, pulling her back in.

Ishizu: Get, off!

Ishizu releases a powerful blast of light, destroying the shadow talon and freeing her. The water trembles, as Way Back stands up out of the water.

Way Back: Team, clear the way.

Ishizu flies back over land and picks Crow up, as Axel and White Dragon follow after. Skurd morphs into Hypnotick, forming wings on Aster’s back, flying off. Way Back thrusts his palm forward, slamming into the docks, knocking the Shadow Riders back and cracking it. Dark Marik and Broder fires dark energy blasts, Roman fires shadow webs, Raphael fires dark lightning, Nightshroud fires dark winds and Kalin fires a sonic howl. All the attacks his Way Back, the energy being absorbed into the gold bolts on his body, charging him up. Way Back crosses his arms, as he fires a powerful electric cosmic blast, desolating the dock area.

Characters

 * Signers
 * Yami
 * White Dragon
 * Crow
 * Axel
 * Aster
 * Skurd
 * Ishizu Ishtar
 * Mokuba
 * Mindy

Villains

 * Bakura
 * Shadow Riders
 * Raphael
 * Kalin
 * Nightshroud
 * Dark Marik
 * Roman Goodwin
 * Luna
 * Broder

By Yami

 * Amp-Eye
 * Humungoopsaur
 * Way Back

By Skurd

 * Fell Wygic
 * Iron Emperor (first appearance)
 * Crabdozer

Trivia

 * Bakura stating that the Shadow Riders weren't working in sync with each other is a usual reason that villain teams can never defeat the good guys.
 * It's revealed that Way Back can absorb any kind of energy, including darkness, wind energy and sound energy.