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Johan should be happy. He has won one of the biggest tournaments he has ever been part of, reaching as far as knocking out Yugi Muto and taking his throne. But, as the applause washes over him, and he waves half-heartedly to the crowd, his body just feels empty and burnt out. Every step feels heavy. He inhales. This, here, is not his dream. A brown-haired, lively man with the widest smile and the brightest, chocolate-brown eyes in the world should have been standing here in his place.
'Judai.' He shakes his head mentally in an attempt to banish the thoughts, and he, then thanks Yugi for the duel, as the former champion hands him the golden trophy in the form of a Kuriboh, making another silent sigh leave his mouth. As he leaves the arena, under the gaze of his envious competitors, he feels his eyes glued to the trophy, but not for the reasons the crowd cheer of. The Kuriboh staring back at him was just another bitter reminder. 'Four years. And nothing has changed.’
Well, that's not entirely true. Every child knows his name. As soon as he leaves the house, he is frequently recognized and asked passionately for autographs. And his bank account is so full, that he's constantly getting calls from the bank with new absurd investment offers. And then, there are all the people who assume to be his best friends. Women try to impress him in one way or another...
Well, all that… and then there's Judai. Or rather, there should have been Judai. But six months ago, contract with him suddenly broke off without a trace. Since then, he disappeared from the face of the earth. Not even Seto Kaiba or O'Brien have been able to track him down. Not to mention, his cell phone has also gone dead since...
In his dressing room, Johan gets rid of his show outfit, and slips back into his normal black jeans, a cream-colored sweater and his thin, blue hooded jacket. As he bends down to put on his white boots, his smartphone rings. He glances at the display out of the corner of his eye, internally exhaling, before answering the call.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” He says tonelessly, tightening the zipper on the boots, and then, adjusts the black cuffs, which he pulls over the boots. Once done, Johan stretches and packs the outfit into his rucksack, which he throws over his shoulder a little later.
“Wow, you're in a good mood too. Quite the party animal.”
Johan grimaces, and looks around again before picking up his smartphone, holding it to his ear. He switches off the lights, as he leaves the changing room, and waves goodbye to one of the security guards, before disappearing into the winding corridors of the stadium.
“It was a win like any other, Jim.”
“How can you just say that, when now, you' re actually the new King of the Games?” Kenzan's voice suddenly rings out.
“It's just a title.” Johan huffs, running his fingers through his bangs. “I didn't know you were visiting Jim, Kenzan.”
“Ah, this is a spontaneous visit to meet the in-laws,” says Kenzan.
Johan's breath catches for a moment, causing his footing to waver momentarily, and he instinctively places a hand over his heart, which feels as if a dagger has been plunged into his chest.
“Oh.” Johan clears his throat, and forces himself to smile. “So, how is it so far?”
“They love him,” Jim reports with a laugh. “Have you heard anything from Judai yet?”
“No.” Sighing, barely audibly, he takes a quick look around. He finds information signs on the wall and follows them. Turning right, he sees daylight at the end. “I didn't expect anything else.”
“Huh. Aniki must be really busy.”
Johan rolls his eyes. ‘This is so typical to think, huh?’ But saying anything back would be a waste of time, though. 'How can he still call Judai Aniki?’ He reaches the exit, and raises a hand to shield his eyes from the brightness.
“Ouch.”
“Sometimes you're an idiot.”
'And insensitive,' Johan mentally adds to Jim's words. After a few steps, he pauses and turns back to the arena.
“Are you still meeting O'Brien today?” Jim asks Johan. “I'm sorry I can't be there.”
“You won't miss anything,” Johan reassures him.
“Be careful.”
“Of course. Bye.” Johan lowers his hand, and puts his phone in his back pocket. Then he turns around, blinks briefly and takes a step back. Just a few meters away from him, leaning against a fence, stands a very familiar person. The gold jewelry glitters in the sunlight and reflects the sunlight. They make Johan's eyes water for a moment.
'Isn't he getting warm in that black outfit?’
Even though he knew they were meeting, he didn't expect to be surprised by him.
After a brief hesitation, a smile appears on his lips before he approaches O'Brien. Raising a hand in greeting, he receives a nod in return.
“Am I too late?” asks Johan, tilting his head.
Instead of answering, O'Brien just shakes his head and holds out a package to him.
Johan's smile disappears immediately, as he puts on a serious expression.
His hands shake a little, taking the package and pressing it against his chest almost protectively.
“If you find him, give him this.”
“Then you still haven't heard from him.”
“No, but I know where his smartphone was last used,” replies O'Brien, who sends the data over to Johan with just two clicks on the display of his own cell phone. Johan opens the files after taking the smartphone out of his trouser pocket again, and furrows his eyebrows. He was expecting a map and a red dot. But instead, he finds video footage from various cameras. The quality leaves a lot to be desired, but Judai is easily recognizable through his red jacket. According to the time stamp in the right-hand corner, the footage was recorded six months ago.
The first videos still appear normal. It shows a gigantic marketplace where a group of children are being taught Duel Monsters by Judai. At least that's what it looks like to Johan, as Judai points his finger at cards and then speaks to the children, who immediately nod.
The videos that follow, showing crossroads or roads, look more like battlefields.
There are deep craters everywhere, in which dented cars are stuck, collapsed house walls block roads and sidewalks alike. Amid this chaos is Judai, who is wiping something off his cheek. His left arm hangs uselessly down... Around him are at least ten masked people, all holding activated duel disks in front of them, and summoning monsters...
Johan furrows his eyebrows, and presses pause. Then, he zooms in on the picture. The blurry image makes his eyes water, forcing him to blink several times. A stinging sensation between his eye’ s spreads to his temples.
But he ignores it.
“O'Brien?”
“Hm?”
“The duel disks... they're strange.” What Johan means is the fact that the disks are glowing red.
To his knowledge, this behavior should be impossible.
“The group calls itself Red Forces. The disks they use were stolen from one of Kaiba's labs before they were finished,” O'Brien replies with a sigh. “Judai was ordered to retrieve the duel disks.”
“But?” asks Johan with bated breath.
“They had reprogrammed the duel disks, and started hunting down duelists, who can see duel spirits.” Johan raises his head so quickly that it cracks in his neck. Open-mouthed and wide-eyed, he stares at O'Brien speechlessly. He raises a hand and shakes his head.
“At the time, we didn't know Judai was going to be a target.”
Johan swallows hard. Then he looks at the screen again, and restarts the video. He watches, as Judai defends himself, and his smartphone is sacrificed to fend off a fatal attack. Emerald green eyes fix on all ten masked people, before narrowing.
“Do we have any more info on them?” he asks in a calm voice that belies the storm raging inside him.
“We know for sure they don't have Judai.” When O'Brien clears his throat, he gets Johan's full attention. “Be careful though. You're on their list, too.”
“I'll check in regularly.”
“Here.” O'Brien hands him a slim, white envelope, which Johan opens immediately. A broad grin appears on his lips. It's a plane ticket to Germany.
“You're the best, O'Brien.”
They shake hands, before Johan turns and storms off.
“Wait, Johan.” Johan stumbles as he comes to a halt and half turns. A card comes flying towards him, which Johan skillfully catches with one hand. “The custom-made one you asked for.”
He turns the card over and beams, happiness apparent all over his face. His heart beats with anticipation. 'That's exactly how I imagined it. The card that will connect our decks.’ “Thanks.” After sliding the card securely into his deck holder, he starts moving again.
****GX****
Emerald green eyes look around. A small smile plays around his lips, as he throws his small rucksack over one shoulder, and then, leaves the station. He uses the navigation app on his smartphone to find the place where Judai fought. To his surprise, the clean-up work has not progressed very far. There are still deep craters in the streets, and some houses are only blocked off with red tape and a construction fence.
'Maybe that's for the best.’
He pulls his black jacket tighter around him, and bends down, as the sun's rays reflect a red object. Johan raises it to eye level. He immediately notices that it is part of a smartphone.
“Judai.”
His hand clutches the piece of metal, before he puts it in his jacket pocket, and then follows the street to the market square. A small group of children are sitting in a small corner under a tree, chatting happily. On closer inspection, Johan realizes that they are exchanging cards with each other. One of the children looks familiar to Johan from the videos earlier, so he approaches them.
He is already opening his mouth to address the group, when Ruby suddenly appears on his shoulder. She holds the ruby at the tip of her tail in front of his right eye, and suddenly, he sees the world in red... except for the black energy that lies around the children like a thin, invisible layer. When Johan stretches out his senses, he can't feel anything malicious, on the contrary...
“Is that...”
“Hmm. That's Judai's energy.” Johan looks to the side, and finds Sapphire Pegasus, inspecting the children closely.
“Oh! Is that... Ruby Carbuncle?” asks the only girl in the group. She comes running up to Johan, and looks at him with sparkling eyes, as she crosses her hands in front of her chest. Johan estimates her to be eight or nine years old, because of her height. A smile creeps onto his lips, as she squeals like a real fan. “T-then you must be... Johan Anderson. Judai-san has talked so much about you...”
Johan kneels on the floor in front of her, like a knight, and nods at her with a soft smile. “Do you know where I can find Judai?”
The girl shakes her head, and bites her lower lip. Her fingers claw at her skirt, as she looks at her friends, and then back to Johan's face. He puts his head to one side, and waits patiently.
“The bad men... they said they were taking Kira - a friend of ours - to Greenland. Judai-san promised to free him.” Tears form in her eyes, which Johan gently wipes away and embraces her. “K-kira is back. B-but Judai-san... he hasn't returned.”
Her words choke him up. He suddenly feels, as if a hand is wrapping itself around his heart, and squeezing it tighter than he could bare. Before the feeling overwhelms him, he shakes his head. Only the thought that Judai is by no means hot-headed calms him down. So, he concentrates entirely on the new information. 'Greenland? My next stop is fixed then.’
“Thank you for telling me about it.” Johan looks her in the eyes, and then holds out his little finger, which she interlocks with hers. “When I've found him, we'll come and see you.”
“Promise?”
“Promise,” Johan answers before standing up. “Now you should get back to your friends. They're already looking over here. They must be worried, huh?”
“Hmm.”
As she runs back to her friends, he waves before turning around with a determined expression.
“Can you locate Judai off the source of his energy?” he inquires, turning to Sapphire Pegasus.
“Not from this distance, but if we get close enough.”
“Then, we'll set off.”
Sapphire nods to him, before he and Ruby retreat again, leaving him alone. With one last look at the children playing in the shade of the tree, he returns to the station.
On the way there, he takes his smartphone out of his jacket pocket, and opens the chat with O'Brien. He presses the microphone button, and starts talking.
“Hi. There's a group of kids in Berlin, who were apparently targeted by the organization. Judai has been protecting them, but it would be better, if we kept an eye on them.” Johan pauses to make sure he's still on the right track before sending off a second message. “I'm on my way to Greenland. That was Judai's next stop. Wish me luck.”
****GX****
Greenland is pleasant at this time, and if Johan had more patience and fewer worries, he would take a closer look around. Instead, he chases after Ruby, who materialized immediately after they arrived, and took off running. Her ruby at the end of her tail flashes like a warning light.
“Ruby, not so fast!”
How many times has he shouted that at her? If she ignored him a hundred times, she'll do it again now. He almost laughs to himself. And although he realizes this, he doesn't give up. He quickens his steps. Their path leads over bumpy meadows, through small villages, and finally to the other end of the island. On a hill, she finally comes to a halt. But instead of sitting down and waiting for him as usual, her purple fur stands up and she hisses. 'But there's no one there!’
But when he looks down, his breath catches, and he shakes his head. The corners of his mouth twitch dangerously.
“Why does every place have to look like a battlefield?”
In front of him in the soft sand are deep, water-filled holes. There are stones, metal splinters and blood scattered all over the sand. Judai has probably found their hiding place and blown it up single-handedly. Johan stares for a moment longer, before burying his face in his hands.
“You really can't be left alone.”
Did he show consideration for himself? Is the blood from him? Or from his opponents? Questions upon questions fill up his mind. But he calms himself, reminding his heart, 'Fortunately, I've already decided to accompany him.’ He pulls his smartphone out of his pocket, and takes a photo, which he sends to O'Brien, and then composes a voice message.
“A clean-up crew is needed here.” Then, he puts the device back in his pocket, and begins to explore the battlefield. “Ruby, do you feel anything?”
“Rubi bii.”
Johan bends down to her, and looks through her crystal again. At first, he sees nothing at all, but then, he notices the concentrated energy hidden under one of the stones. Without delay, he rushes to it, and even stumbles over his own feet. Virtually powerless, he sinks to the ground. A piece of stone digs into his knee, and causes a stinging sensation, but he ignores it. With shaky fingers, he begins to dig in the sand, until, he comes across a small box. Carefully, he takes it out and opens it. What he finds inside, however, confuses him, because he has never seen this object on Judai before. 'Maybe the others know what it is?’
He takes a photo and sends it to the group chat. Before the screen goes black, messages trickle in like light rain.
Fubuki: This is the pendant he received from the Gravekeeper. Before the battle with the Shadow Riders.
Sho: It was supposed to protect him from the dark forces of the Shadow Riders.
Asuka: Boy, that was a long time ago. He hasn't worn it, since freshman year.
Ryo: He would never voluntarily part with it. Where did you find it?
Johan rolls his eyes. Now they're worried all of a sudden? He shakes his head, massaging the bridge of his nose, and takes a deep breath.
Johan: Greenland. But he's not here.
He picks up the piece of jewelry with the red stone in the middle of the eye, and suddenly, it activates. A concentrated red beam hits his forehead. Before he can scream or drop the necklace, the light spreads out and blinds him. He instinctively squeezes his eyes shut, and feels Judai's own energy racing through his body. It seizes every pore, but it does not attack his organism. On the contrary. It feels as if the energy is purring contentedly, and does not see him as a threat. Unconsciously, a smile appears on his lips, and when he opens his eyes again, he is no longer on a ruined beach with ice-cold seawater, but in a dense forest.
“Huh?”
“Rubi?”
Johan breathes a sigh of relief when Ruby appears on his shoulder. For a split second, he fears he had left her behind in Greenland, when Judai's energy brought him here. Wherever this is... He pulls his cell phone out of his pocket, and switches on the tracking function. While he waits for the result with bated breath, Ruby begins to get restless. Her ears twitch incessantly, and tickle his cheek.
“Bi biii.”
“How on earth did we end up in the middle of the Amazon?”, Johan gasps. His voice cracks and startles the birds around him. He puts his cell phone away and looks around, lost. “And now what?”
“Rubi bii!”
Ruby jumps off his shoulder in one leap, and starts running again. In order not to lose her, he follows her through the jungle, over raging rivers and muddy swamps. The red light of her crystal, which moves up and down, shows him the way. Branches and sharp stones tear at his clothes and his skin. When they stop in front of a cave, he feels more like a bushwhacker, as dirty and disheveled, as he looks. But all that is forgotten, when he hears it. The voice he loves so much. The one he has had to go on without for six whole months. Tears involuntarily well up inside him, flowing down his cheeks like two streams.
“Rubi?”
Ruby looks at him worriedly, before she climbs up, and licks his cheek in an attempt to wash away the tears. This causes Johan to giggle, as her rough tongue tickles.
“Ah Ruby, what would I do without you?” he whispers to her, before mumbling a warm ‘Thank you’ as he presses his forehead against hers. “Come on, let's surprise them, and then read them the riot act!”
“Bi bii!”
Determined, they enter the cave, and follow the voice, that echoes off the rocks. It sounds like a siren's call that casts a spell over him.
“Oh no, not at all. This isn't your fault. It's the fault of those ignorant, power-hungry maniacs.”
'Uhh, someone's mad,' Johan thinks in amusement, but then, he's pushed back by a huge force. It's a lot stronger than even his own Rainbow Dragon, and instantly reminds him a little of the three Sacred Beasts...
“Last time, I thought you were safe. But it's clear that I'd better take this into my own hands. So, get some rest.”
Johan hears a chirp, as if from a large bird, and suddenly, the pressure and the golden light are gone. 'What was that?' Unconsciously, Johan clutches his chest. Then, he creeps further into the cave, until he turns a corner, and stands rooted to the spot. In front of him is Judai. He is sitting on a small stone ledge with his legs crossed. But what really knocks him off his feet is the huge golden chicken that has wrapped itself around him, and is clearly a duel spirit. But not just any normal duel spirit. The energy feels completely different. No, this baby bird is powerful!
Johan puts a hand on his hip, and clears his throat. He immediately attracts the attention of the golden-brown eyes. “I've been worrying about you non-stop for six months, and you're here cuddling up to a golden god!”
“Uhh? Johan?” Judai blinks continuously, and rubs his eyes, then even pinches his cheek. “What are you doing here?”
Johan massages his forehead and sighs. Then, he walks straight up to Judai, grabbing him by the collar.
“Wah... Jo- mmhh!”
Not wasting another second, Johan presses his lips relentlessly hard on Judai's, before he begins to massage them. After a few moments, he sucks the lower lip into his mouth, and bites it playfully, making Judai moan, leaving a violent shiver washing over him. With a loud and obscene plop, Johan pulls away from Judai, whose cheeks could compete with Ruby's crystal.
“Man, you're going to send me to my grave!” Then he takes off his backpack, and rummages around, until he finds the small packet. He takes it out, and presses it against Judai's rapidly rising and falling chest. “From O'Brien.”
“W-what's that?”
“Open it,” Johan demands, shrugging his shoulders, before reaching into his deck holder, and holding out a card to Judai. “Happy 21st Birthday, Ju-chan. This one's for you.”
Judai grabs the card, and turns it over. His eyes widen.
“J-Johan? Really?”
“It's a custom-made one. Just for you.”
He has barely let the words out, when Judai falls around his neck.
“You're the best,” Judai breathes into his ear, and Johan shudders. “Rainbow Kuriboh, level 12... He's perfect. Just like you.”
“Can I stay by your side then?”
Pulling back a little to get a better look at Johan’s face, “And what about your career?” Judai inquires. He has drawn his eyebrows together and is biting his lower lip.
“It's lonely and boring there...” Johan admits, shrugging his shoulders. “I'd rather be with you.” His cheeks color, before he clears his throat, and looks right past Judai's ear at the golden bird. “Don't you think we've wasted enough time?”
“This is officially the best birthday ever,” Judai laughs, before snuggling against Johan's chest, and listening to his heartbeat. “You're right. Enough waiting.” Then he stretches and closes Johan's lips with his own. At the same time, he presses his body weight against Johan, so that he has no choice, but to lie down. Judai comes to rest on top of Johan’s body, as they engage in a wild tongue game.
“What about the organization?” Johan asks sometime later, as they lie snuggled close together in Judai's sleeping bag.
“Oh... I wiped them out.”
“...Y-you... are really going to drive me six feet under one day.”
End