The Final Day

[airlockedmods]

[Friday comes with the usual morning announcement. There's no blood or anything anywhere, and nothing visibly disturbed.

>Investigate...?]

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[le_mat]

We give them the fight they've been asking for the whole time.

[playthedamncard]

You know we can't win.

...I'm not saying we should. But this was an accident, and they're running out of motives. We could make it one more week. [And the week after that, and the week after that? How many weeks of peace would they be able to stand?]

[le_mat]

We could. I... don't think I'd mind, being trapped with all of you. But this has to stop, and I... I promised Penny I wouldn't let anything happen to her while I was still standing. You understand?

[And... well it wasn't in Akira to accept what little peace he was offered. To pretend it was okay, being trapped here for the rest of his life, even if they could eek out some form of happiness here.

Maybe not this week or next or even a year from now. But eventually, it would kill him. He would snuff out like a plant without sunlight.]

[playthedamncard]

...She'll drop us all with that shock. Even Penny isn't fast enough to take her out before that happens. If Dudely can help us interfere like he did before--but we can't plan on that.

[le_mat]

I know.

You don't have to be part of this, Seto. You have a family to think of. But I'm going.

[playthedamncard]

[He grasps the locket around his neck tightly.] It only matters if I get back to him. He's smart, and experienced, and he's got people around him to care. Besides, a slow decline, a quiet and possibly inevitable death--do you think that sounds like me?

No. No, if there's even the most remote chance we can pull this off, or even if I have to go down, it's going to be fighting. Always. To my last card and my last breath.

[le_mat]

[He smiles at that, all the affection he has for Seto exposed and bare in the small look]

I thought so. I'm... sorry. If I had been more careful we'd have more time

[More time for... a lot of things, honestly]

[playthedamncard]

[This isn't how he planned to go, but hey, if they had actually had that Monday meeting, planned that full-scale attack, they all would've gone out a lot sooner. This...this is just going to have to do.]

More time doesn't seem to have done us any good so far. Except to give us more time to be hurt.

[He closes his eye for a moment, digging up the memory of hot desert sun, brilliant golden light, a smile shared across dimensions. Would Atem have found a way out? Or would he have ended up here, facing this same fruitless decision?

There might not be a heart of the cards or a goddess of dueling or a maiden with eyes of blue. What he has is himself and the others around him. And in the end, isn't that always what Atem had?]

Don't. It's not the time for apologies. It's time to get as ready as we can be.

[le_mat]

You're right, you usually are. And I can't fight at my best if I'm worrying about things.

Still, I wish... we... had more time.

[playthedamncard]

[There's so much he could say, so much they both could, but now it seems they've run out of time. For a moment, he thinks of Yuri, giving them time to...just giving them time.

So he gathers Akira into a hug.]

[le_mat]

[And Akira hugs back, hard enough to hurt]

I'll... see ya later, yeah?

[playthedamncard]

On the other side.

[in4apounding]

Akira's right. This is- it might've been a mistake, but it's my mistake. None of you have to help me if you don't want to.

[playthedamncard]

Penny--let's be honest with ourselves. Finding a way out without going full force against them was never going to happen. If we stay, our chances of getting out are that much slimmer. They're whittling away at us.

And I will deny them the satisfaction of seeing me broken down in their ridiculous game.

[in4apounding]

...thank you, Seto. And- I'm sorry things happened this way.

[playthedamncard]

Maybe someday you'll still be able to see her again. Someday, somehow, somewhere. The end here...it doesn't have to be the end. You'll keep fighting, too, won't you?

[in4apounding]

[She nods.]

To the end. ...I've died once before already, I think. At least this time I get to choose it. And go with- with friends.

[playthedamncard]

[You know what? He's not even going to argue. Ain't nobody got time for that.] Having the choice makes all the difference.