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Yu-gi-oh 5Ds: Rise of Darkness and Corruption (Athene/ImaginaryMuse & Razgriz)

Jack grimaced as Kiryu just stood there with his sadistic grin; their eyes had locked, light versus dark. Poor Yamichi meanwhile, had gone to try and protect Ling from being hurt; even if he had no chance against this...Kiryu...Wait a minute....

The name more than definitely rang a bell. This is Kiryu? Yamichi thought; so this was the one that Yuna had stood up to...And resisted. If the guy could incapacitate this many people so easily just by doing...Whatever it was he had done...then it just made in his mind her ability to stay so strong all the more impressive. And his eyes went wide as Fayth directly challenged him; granted it was clear she and Jack shared the same trait that allowed them resist whatever this man had done.

Kiryu clicked his tongue in an annoyed fashion as she spoke, leaping on the balcony railing they were sitting on, sitting there on his haunches "Fayth, Fayth...Why you gotta be like that? I come to personally greet you and you bring up that bitch? And you didn't even use the juicy tidbit I gave you in the Facility either...So rude. You were usually so polite and compliant. Jack...You ruined her, didn't you? Guess we know your type, eh? Hehehe." Kiryu just shrugged, "Since it's obvious you spoke to her, she must have told you of the fun we had...Still, our moment was so much better right? Then again...I wouldn't have joined you for very long apparently. So either way, I'd still be like this."

Jack snarled, "Just what do you want? Is this your pitiful attempt to frighten me? So you can cheat death...Impressive, yes, but hardly anything a punk should be proud of!" Kiryu wagged a finger, "No, no, nothing so primitive like that! Come on Jack if I really wanted to frighten you, you would be convulsing on the ground...After all the time we spent in the Satellite, you honestly still don't know how I work? Yeesh."

Jack grimaced in reply, causing Kiryu to snicker, "Oooooh...Lemme guess, Miss Oriental and her limp-dicked sidekick didn't know?" Kiryu stepped down off the stage, locking eyes with Ling, "So...You're the new Queen. About time someone knocked that arrogant weasel off his high horse. Well, shame you probably won't live in the next few days; much rather have had you as the Duel Champion."

At this Yamichi finally spoke, "You say all that...But even with everything you did to Yuna, she still fought you and managed to make it back to us. You can't be that tough." Jack raised a brow; this kid was associated with Yuna? "Ahhh, so you're part of the Fiend's crew then? A scrawny little shit; saw you get your ass whooped by Takeshi. You say I'm not tough? Why don't you come down here and fight me, you little bitch?" Yamichi seemed just about ready to, but Jack stopped him. "Don't..." Jack warned, before turning back to Kiryu. "You still haven't said what you wanted...Is it to kill us?"
 
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"Why? For the same reason you're here being an annoying little prick; because I can bring her up. You're not really caring about our reactions to your presence or anything. I'm just extending that same courtesy back."

Jesus, Fayth ... holy fuck ...

Out loud, Ling uttered little more than a weak groan, followed by several rapid pants, and shakily managed to grab onto Yamichi's hand. A sign that she was mostly well; still feeling the literal pressure, but it wasn't so bad she'd passed out. Or worse, even. As footfalls approached, her head lifted ... and she found Kiryu closer. Not in her or Yamichi's face, but probably able to reach down and grab one of them.

Which made her reaction just as bold as Fayth's. Ling shook her head, laughing softly.

"If you're going to threaten my life, you're making yourself seem far more like an incompetent punk than successful murderer. I'm ... going to assume Fayth and Yamichi know exactly what they're talking about. So ... you already had someone. In your custody. And.... failed to kill them?"

"Or interrogate her successfully. Period."

... Interrogate? Ling briefly wondered. Okay, admittedly, that did make her a tad bit nervous. Why had that happened at all? Still, it didn't otherwise change the rest of her logic, let alone the words deciding to be declared from the new Queen.

"So ... yeah, no. Excuse me if I'm not trembling from your pathetic words."

Fayth would allow Jack to be immediately in front of Kiryu. She, meanwhile, took a more protective stance in front of Yamichi and Ling. Her teeth latched onto her lower lip.

Isn't there something discreet we could do?

Unfortunately, there's your keyword; discreet. Not overly. Even if I coated my powers in crimson to give the illusion it could be the Crimson Dragon's doing, it'd still get sealed if this Kiryu made the right moves. And while he wouldn't know fully well what he did, that wouldn't matter. It'd be the results that would.

Fayth grimaced, feeling her heart race as each option that came to her mind was shot down. Nothing. Goddamnit. It seemed the best was to hope he'd leave soon. But that wasn't likely, so it came down to the next best - and most likely - scenario; that he'd be chased out of here, somehow. Forced to leave in any form or fashion.
 
"Guess the shock knocked your brains lose; I'm not here to kill any of you. Yet...So do me a favor and shut up with that. Believe me, you would be dead...It'd be like...." Kiryu paused here and blew a short puff of air from his lips, "Blowing out a candle. Laughably easy; especially since you two have others you gotta be wary of. Me? I can inflict as much collateral damage as I'd like; I'd probably bury this theater and everyone inside it if I went all out."

It was here that Kiryu then focused on Fayth; even with her blind state, she would feel his gaze upon her. "Oh and Fayth...You give me all this shit, but you don't even bother to tell your friends about what you're really hiding." He then leaned forward, "Might want to tell whoever's sharing your space that there's nothing they can do...Hi in there. In case you were asleep, name's Kiryu...And your little friend here is going to die very soon. Again...I should add."

Yamichi just blinked and looked at Jack, who just shrugged; was this guy mental? Something Kiryu noticed, "So...All that talk about being a good honest person, and you're really just a shitty liar like everyone else." Kiryu just laughed, "Ah well, not like it matters!" Giving a grunt, he then leaped back and landed on the stage, joined there by three other henchman in the same style of dark robe. "As I said...You won't die just yet, but make no mistake!" He then pointed at the four of them with his right index finger, drawing a line between them, the maniacal note of his turn taking a marked rise upward "When the time comes, you'll all fall down! Howling in despair as you get ripped from this life of comfort! Hahaha!"

After a few moments, Kiryu seemed to relax as he then said, "Exit...Stage down!" At this a massive blue hand - its outer surface covered in black blunt spikes - burst through the ground, swallowing up Kiryu and the other robed individuals before dragging them downward. Leaving only a massive hole as the pressure would finally subside. The people in the theater seemed to finally be able to breathe, husbands, wives and friends checking on everyone to make sure the guests and the officers who had tried to intervene were alright.

"Everyone okay?" Jack then asked, still transfixed on the stage where Kiryu had both appeared and vanished, Yamichi just saying "Yeah...Yeah, I'm alright. I can finally breathe..." Of course, anyone who looked would see the tech was shaking in the legs; it was unlikely anyone would blame him, as he had no idea about any of this.

"We should go...We'll let Security handle the others. But Ling, Fayth, Yamichi...We need to get you out of here..." he would add, Yamichi nodding "No arguments here...But before we go...Jack...Are you...from the Satellite? Kiryu seemed to know you...So I was just wondering..." Jack was silent for a couple of seconds, but then replied, "Yeah...I am." Instead of ridicule though, Yamichi just said, "I can see why you'd want to keep that a secret..." Jack looked to Yamichi and said, "And you're with the Fiend...Hotsuma, from what Yuna told me...Is what Kiryu said correct?" Yamichi nodded, "I am." Jack didn't seem perturbed; no, if anything the way the tech acted wasn't someone who was a dangerous sort. "Well, rest assured, I won't say anything. All the same, you should probably get back to the Satellite as soon as you can."

With that fiasco under control, Sector began to escort the attending celebrities from the event; despite all this, the paparazzi was still outside. Now pressing for reports on the commotion and seeing an armada of officers storm the building. The officers held them at bay, allowing the guests to leave in taxis and other personal vehicles. "Come on Ling...I'll drop you off at home." Yamichi then offered, walking with her to his Runner; once they were both on, Yamichi sped off. "So....Not quite how I envisioned the night going...Still fun though." the tech then muttered, adding "Also...Thanks for inviting me. I'm glad we were able to do this."
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Moments later, Kiryu would arrive back at the Satellite himself, his little posse. "Rutger-sama, I'm home!" Kiryu called out cheerfully, seeing the dark-skinned man staring at a map of the Satellite. Different colored Xs dotted five separate locations, each one seemed to correspond to the color of the trim of their robes. "What's this, boss man? Oooh, is that where I get to kill Yusei?" Kiryu then said with malicious glee as he approached and stared at the blue X, Rutger smirking, "Yes....That is where you will have your final Duel with Yusei. How you accomplish it is of little importance; just make sure you do not let him escape alive."

Rutger then traced a pattern, "Misty will deal with Akiza, the Black Rose Witch, here....Demak shall handle the young lady Luca here....I will have Carly lure both Jack and Fayth here when she has finished her own business." Kiryu raised a brow, "What, she didn't kill whoever it was she wanted to? You want me to do it for her?" Rutger shook his head, "That is something she must do herself; and she let him go because she wanted to break his world. Steal all that was precious to him; needless to say, her strike has sounded the horn. Hence why I had you go to Jack and put him on notice. This ritual requires the absolute most amount of conflict for it to succeed...And once that is all completed, we can begin the final stage. And let the Immortals walk the Earth unhindered."

Kiryu just laughed, "Just so long as I get to snuff out Yusei myself; then ol' Apu can tromp his bus-sized clods all over every inch of this pathetic world for all I care." Rutger nodded, "Oh...Speaking of letting someone wander, I believe it is time for our newest 'associate' to go for a test run. I'm giving you the honor of doing so; see how he handles himself. But do not let him near his former comrades...Yet. His power is still developing, strong as it is. I do not wish to jeopardize his progress because of some indeterminate spark of camaraderie."

Rutger snapped his fingers, two men in dark robes leading a third towards him and Kiryu. "So...Seems he's taken to it well. I can feel it; the urge to decimate. I bet Yuna had him all neutered up; she seems the type to never let her guys go all out." Rutger chuckled, "Takeshi admitted as much when the powers took hold; he felt stifled, only the Fiend encouraging his men to show no mercy. And wishes to Duel him and Yuna as he is now: To see how his power compares...Supposedly even the Fiend has a literal demon for a spirit." At this he turned to face Kiryu, "If the need arises, feel free to eliminate them both once and for all. But be Takeshi's escort for now; I want him to move around, let him flex his strength more on the people here. And then when the time is right, I will unleash him on any of the remaining Signers."

Kiryu then approached Takeshi, hood covering the former Disciple's face, saying "So, little man...Ready to play in the big leagues?" Takeshi let out a small chuckle, head lifting up to let them see those blank eyes but energetically malicious expression, his tone even but lethally cold "Since day one...Let's go bust some skulls." Kiryu just laughed and placed an arm around Takeshi's shoulder, "You're gonna go far kid....Alright, boss man, we're off. Try to get some sun though; we might be dead, but no one likes a pasty Patty."

Once Kiryu left, Rutger would then speak to Demak, currently standing by to await instruction, "Follow Kiryu and Takeshi; scouts have reported the Fiend and Yuna Takeda searching, likely looking for their friend. Ensure that neither she nor him interfere with Takeshi's growth. Do not fail me, Demak." The robed man bowed his head, "I would sooner die than fail you, my Lord." And with this, Demak took his own leave...Leaving the Dark Signer leader to ponder best strategies
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hotsuma and Yuna meanwhile, met up once more; they had covered so much of the Satellite, but there was still so much to explore. Hotsuma had already gone on toward explore near an old abandoned amusement park, thinking that maybe whoever took him would try to use some place secluded to hide him. They knew exploring alone was dangerous; but at the same time, they needed people to hold down the fort in case the demons weren't enough.

And with Hotsuma taking his own leave, Yuna would be able to go off on her own direction.
 

Fayth fought the urge to take a step back as Kiryu leaned forward. Relief mingled in with rage as she heard he wasn't here to kill them. And yet, at the same time, some part of her was honestly annoyed. So ... this whole psychological warfare shit with him still wasn't over? Since he was here simply to tease, it meant there would be another encounter with this bastard. That ... honestly pissed and disgusted Fayth off.

But not as much as hearing him take his own jabs at her.

While learning he could sense Morningstar wasn't overly amazing, the next part was. In fact, her eyebrows widened as she took her own step forward.

"You're .... "

Impossible. That had been a goddamn theory! There was no way he was implying Reiji was right about that? Really, what were the odds even?! A shaky hand rose and landed hard on Kiryu's face.

"LIAR! I'M NOT -- !!"

But she couldn't finish the sentence. The words got stuck in her throat every time she made an effort to complete it. She didn't want to think that somewhere in this dimension was a grave with her name on it. It'd make sense. Perfect sense, in fact. But it really just didn't sit well with her. It'd been why she avoided going with Fuyu to debunk that theory. Her head moved to gaze where her Mark was ... and she felt tears forming once again under her blindfold.

As quickly as he'd arrived, Kiryu finally left. Ling coughed a few times, shaking her head.

"What a piece of work," Ling muttered, looking between Jack, Yamichi, and finally Fayth. There were questions going through her head. Tons of them. But ... Jack was right. They needed to leave, preferably sooner as opposed to later.

So, as she walked up to Fayth, Ling made up her mind on what she wanted to know the most.

"Fayth? You didn't really want him to just ... off you, did you?"

Fayth's head bowed in shame.

"Honestly? For a few seconds, I kinda did. If it helps though? I'm glad he opted not to. Ling ... that night Yusei returned to the hotel late and I didn't? It was because we'd been found by Yuna and told about his revival. So ... the real reason I started living with Jack is because of Kiryu. We assumed he knew where I had been living and just .... figured it was safer. But ... "

Fayth shook her head.

"How could I say someone had come back from the dead? At the time, it sounded insane. So I made a half-lie and allowed you all to think it was Mukuro we were worried about. It wasn't completely an unfair assumption, though; it just wasn't the whole truth."

Ling swallowed, slowly nodding before weakly chuckling.

"Yeah ... you're not wrong. I probably would have had a lot of doubts before tonight about that being possible. Either way .... "

Fayth gasped softly as Ling pulled her into a hug.

"Don't you dare even allow your life to be tossed away like that again! I know we haven't known each other very long, but ... gods, Fayth! Don't say that again, please."

"Sorry. I won't."

As the embrace ended, Ling's eyes shifted to a more serious look that, despite not being able to see, Fayth could definitely feel. Just like she had with Kiryu's stare. "We are far from done with this talk. We just are for tonight." The grimace disappeared, replaced by a small smile. "That dress really is amazing, by the way. I know I already said it earlier, but wow. There's no way you chose that without some help. Am I right?"

Fayth nodded, chuckling softly.

"You are. A good friend of mine relayed the styles and colors of each dress I 'looked' at. I just ... chose the one that seemed like it had the best image in my head."

"Mission accomplished. It was good to see you guys again .... even if only briefly."

Ling would offer Jack and Fayth one last wave before hurrying out of the ruined theater with Yamichi. "Nope. Definitely not what I would have ever guessed would have happened, either. But umm ... thanks. This'll be worth whatever additional consequences I'll get."

Her arms wrapped gently around Yamichi's waist, holding on as his Wheeler started up and they rode out.
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Fayth, meanwhile, felt disgusted and horrified. Almost like Kiryu had ripped her dress off and exposed her by all but revealing the pact with Morningstar. Granted, he wasn't completely wrong. It wouild have needed to be talked about to Jack .... eventually. She just ... hadn't wanted to mention it now. He hadn't been part of the talk during the Fortune Cup advising her to be careful.

But something told Fayth that had Jack been there with Yusei and Judai, he would have said something similar, if not the exact same words.

Now that she'd gone against any possible warnings, though, it made Fayth feel as if she'd let all of them down. And it wasn't a good feeling. But at least that sensation was merciful compared to the mere thought of her maybe being dead in this dimension.

"So I guess ... I need to tell you something, Jack. But ... not now, if you don't mind. Later. When we're alone."

With Kiryu gone, her adrenaline rush was beginning to die down. She had been standing largely due to the burst of energy. But now? She was ready to collapse ... and would have given into that temptation right then and there. Except for the last parts of her vow. In order to keep to her promise, it meant she'd need to move, even if just well enough to get back to the limo they'd ridden to arrive here.

"I umm ... I know this wasn't a very long celebration. But I did enjoy it while it lasted, Jack."
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In all honesty, it was fair to say these searches were always dangerous. Even if the Dark Signers weren't part of the equation, there was Sector. Sure, they were easier to deal with. But only to certain extents. They were still armed themselves. And even if Yuna would get poetic justice by being shot by an officer, it was something she wanted to avoid. Even more so with Rose still being sealed away.

However, all of the above plus her still being mute made this ten - maybe a hundred, if not more - times dangerous than usual.

Add in that she opted to come alone instead of with Hajime?

Yeah. She knew and understood how stupid she was being. Very much so. This thus led to an agreement between her and Hotsuma to use the built-in screens. She'd hold up fingers or nod her head, depending on what was easier.

A frustrated sigh passed her lips as she rode around one last time ... and found the docks to be void of Takeshi.

Reaching down, she would push and link up with Hotsuma, shaking her head no before mouthing where she was. She then mouthed where she intended to ride over towards next.

"BAD Area. Not because I don't trust you, but maybe they moved around?"

She shrugged, sighing softly before disconnecting moments after Hotsuma gave a 'farewell' cue of sorts.

Really though, with how long it's been, it'd be impossible for them to remain in one spot and not be found. Wouldn't it?

Ugh. This would honestly be one of those times she wouldn't mind hearing Rose's input. The lack of an answer was irritating ... about as much as constantly failing to find their comrade.

Gripping the handlebars of her bike, she pressed hard on the accelerator, speeding off to the BAD area.
 
With the group having parted ways, Yamichi focused on the drive back to Ling's place; following her directions, they would soon arrive back at her house. Stepping off he would then remove his helmet and smile at her, "You know...I never honestly thought I'd get to do this. Helping a girl...my girlfriend...defy her parents? How scandalous of me..." This was said in a joking tone, showing that he had in fact felt a thrill about breaking rules. Granted with who he worked for this should be no big deal...But he felt oddly proud of himself.

"Consider yourself lucky then, because young man, you will never see her again!"

Yamichi heard the voice and turned to see Mr. Tsou standing at the doorway. Wearing what was arguably the most furious expression he had ever seen. "So...Not only does my daughter disobey my commands...she sneaks off with you. I knew you were trouble, Satellite trash...but never did I think you would be this low." Yamichi then replied, "Sir with all due respect I love your daughter...And fully believe she deserved at least one night to celebrate her victory in the Fortune Cup."

Shen just straightened his glasses and said, "Well as I mentioned...this is the last time. Sector is already on its way to arrest you...And as for you Ling, you are grounded for a year. We will call your principal tomorrow, and arrange for you to be homeschooled. Your mother has already taken the lock off your door; no more trying to shut us out." At this he then pulled out a stack of cards, something Ling would very likely recognize, "We found this by the way; you were told no cards, young lady..." And with a casual flick, he then threw them out to his side. Her pride and joy scattered across the pavement, a few looseleaf cards getting caught in a breeze and being blown away.

"Oi, what the fuck?! Those were hers, you selfish dick!" Yamichi shouted, going to help Ling start picking them up, Shen scoffing at Yamichi's brashness "You sure it is wise to stick around? I was not joking about Sector, Satellite scum. Maybe if you apologize for being a rude youngster with no manners, I could stop them from beating you...Too much."

Yamichi then snapped his attention back to Shen, shouting as he stood up and stormes over to get in Shens face, "I ain't apologizing for shit! You're a fucking tyrant who can't see what a great woman your daughter's become! You just don't want her to duel because it doesn't fit in with your agenda for her life. If she wants to be a Duelist...then I guarantee she's gonna be a Duelist. Even if I have to help her run away to make it happen." No one could be sure this was the same Yamichi Ling knew, and even he would know he was being far more bold than usual...But he didn't care; some freak in a robe just threatened to kill them. So maybe he was still on a slight adrenaline high who knew?

"Threatening to kidnap her now? You're lucky I'm a pacifist, boy...Else I would break you for saying such a thing." Shen replied lowly, his eyes narrowing as both he and the tech stared each other down.

"Well...he may threaten, but I'll definitely act." then said a fourth voice, eyes looking to see a figure dressed in the same manner of robe as Kiryu had been, except that it was a plain slate blue grey color with no markings of any kind. His face concealed by a hood, the onky thing visible was a mouth formed into a malicious grin.

And it was here Yamichi's face blanched, his voice low as he muttered "Oh shit...." Meanwhile Shen had turned to face this new comer and said directly, "Oh another Satellite punk come to harass my daughter? Xue, get my bat...And take Ling inside." The robed figure just laughed, "So hostile...Good, good. But don't think she's going anywhere; Master Kiryu wants me to use her as my benchmark. I had hoped to use the one without Sight as my test...But I suppose you'll do, won't you? You are the new Queen of Games after all; if you can defeat a Signer, you must be strong...Hehehe..." At this the robed figure lifted his head, revealing blank eyes that gleamed with manic desire to destroy as he shouted, a sickening aura flaring up around him, "Join me in the Void, and dance with me this dance of death! Ling Xiu Tsou!"

And with that declaration, a ring of black fire came to encircle her, rushing past everyone to ensnare her in his trap. However...Ling would then find herself knocked back. The flames closing up just in front of her...In her place, a kneeling Yamichi, eyes squinted from a pain in his chest. "Just like with Kiryu..." the tech mumbled, the strange figure scowling "You little weasel...So eager to die? Very well then...I'll use you as a warm-up before I deal with your girlfriend!"

Shen ran over to check on his daughter, making sure she was alright as Yamichi pulled his disk off the Wheeler now trapped in the ring of fire with him. "Nǐ hái hǎo ma? Nǐ shòushāngle ma? (Are you alright? Are you hurt?)" Shen asked his daughter, the tone now taking that of a worried father as it should be.

The air felt heavy around him, and honestly Yamichi felt himself having a hard time standing...But it wasn't as bad as it was with Kiryu. He could tolerate this...He had to, he thought to himself. Hotsuma was right; he wouldn't give this up. Not without a fight.

"I gotta warn you...I don't exactly play nice with those who try to harm people I care about. Doubly so if it's someone I love." Yamichi replied as he activated his Disk. His opponent snickered, "How noble of you...your girlfriend should at least know that she'll die if she crosses the barrier of fire. So no interfering, little lady".

And with that done, both Duelists would then ready themselves as they shouted "Duel!"
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"Don't worry about that for now...I'm just glad we got through that without too much harm" Jack replied, his tone taking on a bit of its former edge. He did catch it this time though and added, "Sorry...Still trying to process what happened. Even with being told he'd died...Hard to believe I would see him."

Still he would smile at Fayth as she went on to compliment the time they'd shared here. "As did I...But let's go home for now...I think we've both had enough excitement for one night." And like Ling and Yamichi, they would be protected by a walm of Sector officers as they would then get in his limousine before taking off for home.

Jack rode in relative silence with Fayth for the first part of the trip home. The events played through in his mind, everything Kiryu had said and done. He'd made his intentions clear enough...But what more worried him was more about what he'd said regarding her. And even he could tell her body language was one of someone thinking heavy thoughts.

"Fayth...I know what Kiryu said probably shook you. And I understand that you don't want to speak about it right now. But...don't feel like you have to clam up. Whenever you feel ready, I'll be here. Alright?" he then said, sliding next to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

__________________________________________

Hotsuma was starting to get frustrated with the lack of progress; they should have found SOMETHING by now. But each spot they searched turned out to be either empty, a squatter's nest or a Sector ambush. And while he was trying to stay positive...he was wondering if he would ever see Takeshi again.

All he knew was that if he ever found who took one of his best friends...They were in for a world of hurt.

And when Yuna reached out and informed him of going to the B.A.D Hotsuma just nodded and replied "Yeah...I'm going to check the east packing district again then I'll meet you there. Stay safe." before disconnecting the call.

"Not that I don't trust you my ass...You don't trust me at all..." Hotsuma muttered bitterly, gritting his teeth as he sped off. Not knowing what Yunawas about to encounter.

Once Yuna would arrive at the BAD, the air seemed to get denser. Like trying to move through water, without the soaked clothes. Unaware that which she sought was so very close...

And soon enough another familiar face would cross paths with her...This time escorting a plus one, the scene surrounded in prone figures. All of them gang members from different groups, looks of horror on their faces. "Oh! Takeda...Why am I not surprised that you're here?" Kiryu would say with a grin.

"But you're probably not here for idle chatter so let's cut right to it. A little birdy told me you're looking for someone...Well, thanks for saving me the trouble" the silver-haired male continued, laughing a bit and then contiuning as he pulled back his partner's hood...Revealing a very familiar face.

"Now is there something you'd like to say?" Kiryu asked his newest charge, Takeshi replying - those eyes of his blanked out, a light smrik on his face - as the Disciple said with a widening grin, "These people....so weak. Yuna...Fight me. Let me show you how strong I've become...the strength of one who fights without limits!" Kiryu held a hand over his heart, giving a fake approving sigh as he commented "Aren't you so proud of him? They grow up so fast...Hehehehe."
 

Ling giggled and smirked slyly as they arrived and she heard Yamichi's first lines. "Mhm. What a scandal indeed, eh?"

Her head turned as she elicited a slightly defeated sigh.

"If we had more time and weren't rushed ... " Ling now lowered her voice as she added, "I'm sure we could get some more legit scandals in before this night ended."

But before she could see if he was finally bold enough to kiss her goodnight, her father's voice interrupted them. Another breath passed her lips. But this one wasn't forced nor even fake. Instead, her head shook as Ling looked back over and spoke slowly. As if she were talking to a child.

"Eighteen minus sixteen. I'm sure you know the answer to that, yes? So ... you wanna make it a year? Go on. See if I care. Seriously, this control you and mom have won't last forever. If I gotta wait till I'm a legal adult, so be it."

Her eyebrows narrowed as her deck was pulled out.

"No. Confiscated isn't the same as not being able to --- "

But before she could finish her argument, Ling's deck was unceremoniously tossed aside, as if that were little more than unwanted trash. Her eyes quickly watered as she began shakily recollecting her deck. "That was my deck .... Kuàng! Nǐ zěnme gǎn?!"

Tears continued streaming down her face as she desperately clung and pulled every card in sight and reach close. But by the time she finished, there were some cards missing. Thankfully, not as many as it'd looked like. Even still, the half a dozen or so that had managed to get away were essential to her deck. It was enough to make her look up with a furious glare in her eyes. Something that, before tonight, had never been directed at her own father.

"You don't think I can make any decisions on my own, do you?! You may not wanna believe it, but tonight? That was my idea! Mine! Even if you and mom wanna refuse to believe it, I can be a 'bad girl', if that's how you wanna view me or whatever. But even then ... even despite all my flaws ... "

Her left fist clenched tightly.

"I've never pulled this shit on either of you! And not just because I'm the teenager and you're the adults! I don't ... just ... "

But every time Ling tried to complete her sentence, the words got stuck in her throat. And when it seemed like she knew what to finally say? Another robed figure appeared, making her shake. Her head weakly shook from side to side. Two of these creeps in one night? Seriously?

"Please go back inside, dad. Just trust me with this, please. You're gonna need much more than a bat."

As if she heard her cue, Xue arrived with said weapon. She did a few double takes, looking first at the odd aura surrounding her spouse, daughter, the one Satellite trash and ... who in the world was this other robed person?

"That's one of Yamichi's friends, isn't it? Figures. Takes one to -- "

"No! It isn't!"

"And how would you know?" While waiting for that answer, she tossed the bat over to Shen. Only to gasp as it disintegrated the moment it touched the odd-colored flames. All but confirming this robed man hadn't been bluffing with one thing; Ling - or any of them - would die if they tried to move through the barrier.

"Because ... "

The first thing to make Ling pause was hearing her entire name being uttered from this stranger. Okay. Now that was definitely creepy. She was accustomed to only hearing her parents say her middle and surname.

"W-Why do you ... ??"

A sharp gasp was the next thing to pass her lips as she was thrust back, landing with a harsh thud against the barrier. A few more tears fell down her face as she tried to muster enough strength to get beside Yamichi. "W-Wait a second! Strong as you are ... we hardly know what they can do! Don't!"

Her head bowed as the duel started up anyway.

"I know that's not one of Yamichi's friends because ... another one of those figures arrived at the theater and wrecked it. If the news covered that accident ... that's where it came from."

"You expect me to believe one man brought an entire building down? Even if they do have some sort of mystical powers, that's a bit too much to just --- "

"Wǒ bùshì piànzi!" Ling shot back, sounding horrified and hurt her mother had so little faith in her response.

The one without ... Fayth ...

Well ... she was at least glad to hear they'd failed in finding her. But just ... goddamn. How could a night that started out so amazing take so many shitty, consecutive turns?

Ling managed little more than a slow nod as her dad checked if she was fine or not. As much as she wanted to look away ... she didn't. It'd be as much of a slap to Yamichi's face as she'd proverbially gotten for her to avoid watching the duel. If her parents wanted to toss all trust and faith away, so be it. But she wouldn't make that mistake, least of all with Yamichi. And for Ling, there were more reasons than him being someone she loved.

He was the same person who eliminated her from the very first selection tournament. Even if he hadn't gotten as far as Ling had in the Fortune Cup, Yamichi had proven he was very strong.

Qǐng ràng tā zài zhè chǎng juédòu zhōng chéngwéi shènglì zhě, Ling silently begged, clasping her hands together and actually looking like she were properly praying.
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"You're ... well, you're not alone. With all the days I had and we never heard from him again ... "

Fayth scoffed, shaking her head at herself.

"I suppose that was too hopeful of me, huh? And now .... damnit. I haven't even had a chance to figure out how to ... 'deal' with him. Every time I try ... I just find myself praying I don't have to even go down that train of thought. But tonight? It all but revealed I have to."

Hell, the few number of times she'd replayed the two weeks Yuna had been in captivity ... she couldn't understand. Even Yuna had gotten so close to breaking. So what kept her whole? Was it really as simple as her own group? Everyone she held dear?

"I know I said it once to her face, but I truly envy Yuna. If I could even have an ounce of her strength ... I'd feel so much better. I can't. Not with him. Not around him ..."

Granted, her harsher than usual words and even the slap implied it wasn't completely impossible to repeat keeping a strong front. But the current words were indicating it wouldn't be as easy to achieve as she'd prefer.

"The thing about his words, though ... is they may very well be right. Remember way back when I even suggested why Reiji thought I may be a Signer? Because ... there may be a version of me here that's gone? Well .... if he's right and not lying about that much .... "

Fayth's hands trembled as they held her midsection.

"That's what makes it painful. Of all the things that bastard said ... that was just as true as his intentions. And it makes sense. It did in the beginning. I just ... I didn't want to check. I didn't wanna find out. I mean ... how would you feel if learned your own other half died, let alone with no real hints as to how?"

Now, the multitude of other reasons Fayth hadn't wanted to consider that theory being a reality flooded her mind. Had this version had parents? A better life than her? Had she managed to keep her sight?

Each unanswered question only made her eyes sting harder.

"It probably is as we've thought. If there was a Synchro me, it should be her who you're speaking with. Her who's helping you out. But instead, I'm somehow defying Death like a freak of nature! And now ... I have to risk facing that all over again?! And all because Kiryu won't just go away ... "

Finally, a new set of tears fell from under her blindfold.

"I'm not so stupid to have never heard the old saying about life not being fair. But fuck, Jack; that's really beyond unfair. I don't want to ... not again .... "
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Just the simple feeling in the air seeming to change made Yuna frown. Even with Rose sealed, it was obvious something was off. This sorta feeling ... it hadn't shown up. And she doubted it would randomly arrive without a reason.

Her bike would come to a sharp halt as bodies littered the ground. They weren't dead ... but the expressions could have fooled almost anyone. They looked as if they may as well be.

Who the fuck?

Had Hotsuma come here earlier?

Her head jerked up as she heard an all-too-familiar voice, narrowing her eyes furiously.

Hmph. Hey, fuckface. I know you can hear me. So I'm sure that you know, by now, you dumbasses failed to keep me silent.

An uncanny, if not incredibly, ironic jab at his pride. If Yuna knew or heard that Fayth had said basically the same thing not too long ago, she'd be snickering. Unfortunately, that reaction wouldn't last for very long. Not when Kiryu revealed the person beside him.

Her eyes widened and mouth fell agape.

Takeshi?!

Well ... that was definitely a relief, if only because it confirmed he was alive. Maybe not 'well' as the glazed over eyes hinted, but alive. That was a damn good start.

Yuna quickly caught herself and closed her mouth, shaking her head now.

Now isn't the time. But I promise, later. Takeshi ...

Shooting Kiryu another glare, Yuna took a few slow steps forward, steadily closing the distance between herself and the Shiranui user.

Come back. You know how fucking worried me, Hotsuma, and the others have been? Oi, don't tell me you forgot him and the others he's with made me mute like this.

It was exactly because of her forced state that, honestly, she had no idea if Takeshi was hearing her.

So, she opted to use a simple gesture; one that could be read even without hearing Yuna. She extended her hand out towards Takeshi. All while carefully watching Kiryu to ensure he didn't get close to her.

You don't need him. You're much, much better than Kiryu. Please, Takeshi. I'll fight you when you're back to your normal self. I don't need Rose to know you're anything but that.

... Of course. Of course this would all have to happen not only when she was separated from Hotsuma, but without Hajime. Although ... the latter annoyance was a bit of a blessing. If only because it kept Kiryu from being able to use anyone else as leverage. Still, it'd be easier to get a hold of Hotsuma with her lieutenant and let him know she'd found Takeshi. But that was exactly why Yuna was quickly trying to figure a plan out ... even though she was basically an open book. Particularly to Kiryu.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to try to come up with something. Better to try and fail, right?
 
Yamichi grimaced as he looked back and noticed Ling was still inside the barrier; now he was pissed at himself. He'd tried to get her away from this guy...Now she was stuck in here with him, trapped with a madman who clearly wasn't about to just let them go.

"Well...Since you interrupted my fun, it's fair I go first right? Draw!" the robed man chuckled, taking the first turn. "Ah...So this is the power of this deck. Kiryu-sama, I thank you...As does its owner. That mystery man I saw speaking with Master Rutger..." Yamichi raised a brow; who was this Rutger? What was this guy talking about?

"Ah well...It doesn't require your knowledge. You won't be around long enough to enjoy it. I summon Dragon Guard of Flamwell in Defense Position...Then I since I Normal Summoned this turn, I can Special Summon this guy. Come out, One-Shot Booster!" Yamichi was starting to see a familiar pattern; he'd seen these cards before. "No way..." Yamichi muttered; his expectations were confirmed when the man played his next card. "I then activate the Magic Card, Machine Duplication Technique! Out comes two more One-Shot Boosters!" And with four Level One monsters on the field, Yamichi gulped as he knew what was coming.

"Everything's set..." Yamichi's opponent, chuckled as he showed them a very familiar boss card as he went ahead with his turn, "Rise, oh titan of misery! Crush those with hope beneath a mountain of darkness! Bring out the pain and woe! Despair God! ANTI-HOPE!"

A swirling vortex of black energy appeared, the monsters being swallowed up as a pair of gleaming red eyes peered out from within. The beast inside let out a primal roar and dispelled the shadow twister, revealing that monstrous titan which nearly beat Yusei standing over the tops of nearly every house. "That's Shimoda's deck....Shimoda, is that you? What the hell are you doing?!" Yamichi shouted, more than a bit upset that he was acting this way.

The robed man chuckled, "Oh did that upset you? I'm sorry...Allow me to properly introduce myself." And when he pulled back his hood, it revealed someone who looked a good bit like Shimoda himself. Except aside from the deadpan expression and red hair of course. "Ryu Nosuke, at your service. You said Shimoda was the owner of this deck? I'll have to thank him...Or rather I would. Unfortunate; he seemed like quite the amicable fellow." Yamichi's eyes widened at the implication, "You didn't..."

Ryu just grinned maliciously, "What? He's some no-name Topsider; who's going to miss him? I set one card and end my turn." Yamichi was about to protest, but Ryu then waved dismissively, "Besides, he didn't suffer if it helps. Figured I could do with one merciful parting...Anyway, can you do me a huge favor and hurry it up? I'd rather not waste time with the small fry if I can help it."

Yamichi just grimaced; if he was allied with Kiryu, it was no wonder he had no qualms with death. "My turn! Draw!" Taking a look at his hand, Yamichi knew that this would not be easy an easy duel. "I activate the Magic Card, Scrapyard! I add one Scrap Tuner monster from my Deck to my hand, then I Set a monster face-down, as well as two other cards! Turn end" There...At least he had a wall set up.

Ryu then just chuckled, "Unlike Kiryu-sama...I watched your Duel quite closely, Yamichi. I know how your Deck works. You use your own effects on your Main Deck to stockpile Materials, but your Extra Deck is the real workhorse that relies on destruction by an opponent's card effects or battle. And that Set monster...Is Scrap Goblin, isn't it?" Yamichi didn't answer, making Ryu chuckle "I'm right, aren't I? It's a viable strategy...But it's still a weakling monster. My turn! Draw!"

And it was here that he then declared "Battle! Despair God, trash his face-down! Darkness Crusher!" Yamichi then replied, "If it is Scrap Goblin, then you should know it can't be destroyed by attacking it!" Ryu laughed, "True...But that doesn't mean you're safe! Reverse Card, Open! Permanent Trap, Aura of Howling Grief! If the only monster I control is Despair, it and this card cannot be destroyed by card effects!"

And as Yamichi's monster was revealed to show Goblin ready to intercept the attack, "What does that do? Goblin doesn't destroy cards except itself!" Ryu just laughed, "You don't get it yet? The other effect of Aura activates! If my Despair God attacks a Defense Position monster while it's the only one on my field, you still take piercing damage!" At this Yamichi then declared, "Reverse Card, Open! Scrap-Iron Statue!" Ryu laughed, "You honestly think that will save you?! I activate Despair God's effect! I banish one of the One-Shot Boosters in my Graveyard to make it immune to your card effects! Now Despair God, continue the attack! Darkness Crusher!"

And with one fluid motion, the oversized demon pulled back its fist swung hard. In that one attack, Scrap-Iron Statue was decimated, Goblin tanking the hit but the blowback from the overwhelming power slammed Yamichi against the barrier. Making him howl in pain as the dark energies ripped through him along with the sheer power of the strike, his Life dropping to 3500 from the strike. He slumped to the ground, his face contorted into a agonized grimace as he felt a trickle of blood seep past his lips; his whole body felt like it was on fire, and his head spun something awful. "Awww, don't tell me you're done already? I'm barely getting warmed up! Hah! And you're someone Lola-san said was a viable enemy...Frankly I'm not seeing it. Turn End..."

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"Fayth..." Jack tried to say, but she was already spilling her worst fears to him. And it was true; he likely wouldn't know how to process if he had another half that he suspected was dead. Maybe it was because he knew he was still alive in the 'Pendulum Dimension', but he didn't really know how to react to that other than acknowledge it and move on. He did at times ponder what his other self was doing, even more so if he recalled that Fayth had told him the other Jack also lost his crown.

So...He ended up doing the only thing he could do: Sliding closer and holding her against him, a hand resting comfortably against her hair. "Fayth...I'm not going to pretend I know what you're going through. I'm not going to pretend I have the answers you might want."

He then said rather seriously, "And it's true; maybe you weren't the original recipient. Maybe this Crimson Dragon did want the Fayth Milner of the Synchro Dimension to bear its mark." At this he then pulled away, keeping his hands on her shoulders as he looked her in the place where her eyes would have been, his voice direct. "But you have to understand that it thought you worthy. It believed in you to help stop whatever resurrected Kiryu and his group from accomplishing their goals."

It was here that he then took his hands in her own, "Remember...It won't just be you either. It'll be Yusei, me, and whoever else they marked. And as much as you distrust Goodwin, he does have a plan to defeat them. He knows how valuable you are...And I also know how strong you can be. How you handled yourself in the tournament....In the Facility...Against Kiryu in the theater. Fayth, at the very least answer this question: Does that really sound like the actions a woman who wasn't strong would take?"

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Kiryu let Yuna approach; he could always stop her if it came down to it. And besides, Takeshi was still looking rather uninterested. His blanked eyes focused on Yomi's leader in silence for a few moments before he finally spoke up.

"Come back....You want me to come back..." Takeshi muttered, seeming to consider her at first. But that would be dispelled when he then said, "But what if I don't want to?" Kiryu looked at his charge and grinned, Takeshi continuing, "Here...I'm free. I can use my full power; I hadn't been able to in so long that I'd nearly forgotten what it was like. Mercilessly crushing your enemy, no matter who it might have been. There were only two others in Yomi that respected that, Yuna...And you know who they both are."

Takeshi then grimaced, a dark aura roaring up around him as a purple glow encompassed his right forearm, "But you....All of you always forced me to rein it in. Disparaged me for going full-bore, for not being 'sporting'. Why should I have to limit myself because weaklings can't rise to my level? Why would I want to go back to that?!" Kiryu then patted Takeshi's shoulder, "Easy, tiger; she's not someone you need to waste your anger on. Not yet, anyway."

At this Kiryu then looked at Yuna, "Well...You satsified, Yuna? We give him the freedom your group never could...Well, maybe Hotsuma could; from what ol' Tak here tells me, he felt like he was the only one aside from that little punk Yamichi who really got him. He also told me how your group loves to chew him out whenever he decides to let loose." Kiryu grinned, "Oh yes, he's told me lots of things. Especially about the demons guarding your little clubhouse; tell me, how'd a weak little shit like you swing that kind of deal?" He of course already knew, having asked all this to Takeshi because Misty felt like knowing how much of a potential threat Hotsuma could be, Yuna herself already an established danger.
 
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Ling's eyebrow also rose upon hearing the new name. Master Rutger? Who the hell was that?

God, with our luck, another one of these robed freaks ...

But that quickly became the last of her concerns as a very familiar turn started playing out.

"Shimoda?! What are you doing?!"

The answer came with good and bad news. It wasn't him, thankfully ... although the fact he was even somewhat similar was eerie in its own rights. But, apparently ... he'd ... killed Shimoda?

Ling's mouth fell agape at the news, her head shaking.

"You ... just ... in cold blood? You ... murdered him? For next to no reason?"

She scooted back as far as possible without touching the unnatural barrier surrounding her and everyone else.

"Monsters ... the whole lot of you."

Her mind was beginning to race alongside her heart. She didn't want to hope Yamichi would lose. But she had to be realistic ... just in case. Her gaze slowly moved to her deck, causing a few more tears to fall down her face.

"Rúguǒ wǒ jīn wǎn sǐ, nà bùfèn shì nǐ de cuò. Rúguǒ wǒ xūyào, wǒ běn kěyǐ fǎnjí. Dàn xiànzài? Zhè bù kěnéng! Zhège tào pái bù zài wánzhěngle!"

Harsh? Maybe a bit, yeah. But as far as Ling was concerned, the worry was a very valid point. And it only got stronger as she watched Yamichi collapse, blood trickling down his face.

"YAMICHI!"

W-Wait! Just like ... back then. In the selection tournament. He .... can do that? Make damage real?

... Then ... even fighting him would be as dangerous as trying to run past this barrier. Possibly worse. A low whimper passed Ling's face as she held herself, suddenly feeling colder. As if she were surrounded by a very active spirit.
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"Why though?" Fayth barely choked back. "I can barely help others, let alone myself."

Is that not one reason we made our pact, girl?! Have you no shame?! How can you talk like that to the very man who's been risking his life to allow you to live with him?!

And ... even though it wasn't what Fayth expected to hear from Morningstar, he was completely right. Which was exactly what made her head bow in shame.

We may have made the agreement for me to help you out. But it's on you to let me know when you're ready. I can pry, sure. But you will need to be physically and mentally ready. My regiments will not be easy. You're terrified of that Kiryu boy? I may have to be a bit as harsh as he will be, mayhaps a bit worse. But if you truly want to stand up properly to him - and anyone else wishing to direly harm you - then you'll have to shove your fears aside.

By now, Jack would see Fayth's lips moving, but not hearing anything come out. If the silence hadn't grabbed his attention yet, these gestures may be doing that much.

Fayth herself seemed to remember she wasn't alone and quickly nodded.

"The umm ... the problem is kinda what you just pointed out. I had others at all of those locations and moments. But ... "

Gulping softly, Fayth slowly laid her head against Jack's arm.

"I ... guess running isn't really gonna do me much good. I technically did face Sora alone."

Not by choice, no. But the fact remained she had still stood her ground. And that had definitely been an instance she could have heeded the 'flight' instinct instead of 'fight'.

"So .... I guess this brings me to part two. The other thing he had to be nosy about and drop a hint on. It wasn't his business anyway ... "

The last few words were mumbled in an irritated tone. And she was. If his presence hadn't been annoying enough, having her affairs publicly announced really hadn't been much better. It was bad enough she was so far behind on telling everyone from the Fortune Cup everything she'd vowed to relay. This ... was another thing that she - her honor did, anyway - felt obligated to inform them of later on.

"But .... given I'm still living with you ... maybe sooner as opposed to later would be better to get this off my chest. It wouldn't be fair to have you find this out in an awkward way, so .... "

Fayth took a slight breath, steeling herself. She wasn't worried, not any more at any rate, that he wouldn't believe her. Too many weird occurrences had happened, both around and directly to them. The dubious part of Jack had been pretty well tamed, so to speak.

"I ... made a pact. With Darklord Morningstar. He's kinda been talking with me for a while. Back during the Fortune Cup, actually. He just ... chose to keep himself hidden back then."

And perhaps when she confessed that much, Jack would recall Rex being told about the 'anomaly ' during Fayth and Ling's duel. And even recall she'd barely managed to remain on her feet. But the words would, more likely than not, begin piecing together why exactly things had gone the way they had.
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Well, yeah. Me and Hotsuma both want ya back. Yamichi also. Christ, we've all been worried!

And as he went on and on about not wishing to go back - as well as why - Yuna's hand fell back beside her hip, clenching into a tight fist. It looked like she was ready to sock Takeshi in hopes that alone would snap some sense into him. And, admittedly, that thought got more and more tempting as he kept speaking. Kiryu would get an irked scoff and see Yuna roll her eyes as he gave his two cents.

Excuse me if you're not my main focus right now, loser.

Taking a few seconds to flip Kiryu off, she rose her right hand, slowly unclenching it and, rather than cave into the pissed off side, she simply laid her hand atop Takeshi's shoulder. True, she normally needed Hajime to do this, but ... fuck it. She had to at least try directly speaking with him.

You know that isn't fully true. I did hear about the one incident when you were partaking in the selection tournaments. Apparently, you really went to town on some gal. But considering both you and Shivini damn well nearly died from your own fight? He has valid points. There are some moments where self-restraint is far more important than relying on pure, raw strength.

Her left hand rose beside her head as she began to add more words.

I know, I know. That was, supposedly, a freak accident. Something went very wrong with the virtual technology or whatnot. But that's not the point. It still happened when it shouldn't have. The Takeshi I know gives a shit about his comrades. So unless you can tell me here and now you wouldn't have cared about risking killing Shivini off like that .....

Yuna's head shook.

No. Even if you tried to insist you wouldn't care, I know that's not true. You've just been manipulated; like how Yamichi was for a bit by Divine. You were one of the four who came and got me out of the shitty-ass warehouse he and the others left me for dead in.

When Yuna uttered the word 'he', she gave a furious nod and glare towards Kiryu.

You didn't have to help me; none of you did. That could have been something Hajime did all on his own. And from the sounds of it? It may have gone that way. He and Yamichi had their own argument ... and .... but, again, that's not how it went down.

A slight pause before Yuna nodded and resumed speaking.

You know the truth, Takeshi. Save that one incident, we haven't hounded you or anything like that. Not on a daily basis, for damn sure. Once at absolute worst. But don't make it sound like this is a twenty-four seven issue. It isn't. You're exaggerating worse than an emo boy. That definitely ain't you. But if that single incident bothered you so much, then we'll leave.

Yuna shrugged.

Hell, I found and kept Yomi's original base hidden away for years. I'll need to do some quick things before that. But once they're finished, I'll get myself and my crew outta your hair if that would make it easier for you to agree. But honestly? We need you back. So if that means getting into an actual fist fight with both of you just so I can keep my end of the deal to Hotsuma ... so be it. But I refuse to not make an effort in keeping the promise we both made; that we would find and get you back. Your choice .... but if you decide you wanna go down the brawl route, I won't hold back. Nor do I need Rose to be a competent fighter.

Now she would finally address Kiryu. Just because it was simple enough that she didn't really care about replying to it. If anything, he was either being sarcastic or legit stupid. This was just a simple way to figure out which.

... Did you forget you sealed a warrior spirit away? You should know that wasn't my doing.

Her head shook from side to side.

Fucking idiot, I swear.

And now, this was where the next part of her mental plan would be much, much easier if she still had Rose. She needed to get back to her Wheeler and alert Hotsuma she'd already found Takeshi. In all truth, she should have done that from the get-go; something she was internally slapping herself about.

But there could be an opening to remedy that error and begin getting Takeshi outta here. It'd all depend on what he'd decide.
 
"A monster, huh? Little girl, I've been called much worse than that. Come on, say something that will really hurt my feelings. It'll make killing your shitty little boytoy here all the more fun!" Ryu mocked, Yamichi still not moving too much. His vision swam, having barely heard Ling scream his name, and his body felt like it was cracked in four places. He could barely move, his eyes barely able to meet with this strange man's blank own, one closed shut from the sheer amount of pain. His tux by this point was in tatters, tears and . "Oh dear...Looks like little Yamichi isn't quite ready for the big leagues yet after all." Ryu chuckled, adding "You should just surrender; I promise to do you like I did your friend Shimoda. Quick and painless...You won't feel a thing."

Shen seemed noticeably stung when his daughter pointed out his mistake; how was he supposed to know this would happen? And seeing his daughter in danger, himself not able to intervene at all. His face was noticeably stressed, clearly upset that Ling was having to go through...And all through his own efforts to protect her. His hands clenched at his sides, his voice quiet before he would finally.

"Yamichi...If you truly love Ling...If you truly want to be her boyfriend..." he said, his voice quivering as he struggled to find his words...Before long crying "IF YOU LOVE LING, PROVE IT TO ME! SAVE MY DAUGHTER! I'M BEGGING YOU!" At this Shen all but collapsed, Ryu laughing as he slapped a hand to his forehead, "Ahhhh, there it is! The father's heart-felt plea to rescue his little girl! You need new glasses, old man! Your 'savior' here is barely conscious!"

But then...Yamichi seemed to get more life, slowly able to push himself to all fours, a hand coming up to wipe the trail of blood from his mouth. "I won't lie...That hurt like a motherfucker, Ryu. But I'm not done yet....You're going to have to do better than that." Ryu just grinned, "Oh, so you can still move? And here I thought Despair God turned your bones to mush; maybe you're stronger than I thought. But you still got nothing; and with Aura's effect, even Goblin's self-protection effect won't save after my next turn."

Yamichi struggled to push himself up, but he finally managed to stand on shaky legs, his breathing heavy and labored; he was still hurting a lot, but he had to push through. For Ling's sake...And Shen's. He wouldn't let Ling die here...Not to this freak.

"My turn! Draw! I activate the Permanent Magic, Hokyū Butai...Then I activate the Field Magic, Scrap Factory!" he would declare, the field turning into that which his deck thrived in. "Oooh, so you managed to get that then...Well then, I believe you may just have a chance. Not likely...But still, good work, good wooork, hehehe" Ryu mocked, grinning maliciously. Yamichi shook his head, trying to clear some haze from his vision as he then said, "Then I set one card face-down...Turn end!"

Ryu sighed, "Oh dear...You're not even trying now? Come on, and here I thought you would actually be able to do something! Ah well...For the best. Like I said...You're just trash. It's your girlfriend I want to try my luck against." Yamichi grimaced; Ling didn't have a completel deck, which meant that he would try something with her when he found out. "Ling...Please just don't say a word...I'll win this, I promise..." he thought to himself, watching as Ryu would begin his turn.

"My turn! Draw!" Ryu shouted, immediately seeming to go into his Battle Phase, "Despair God, crush his Goblin and end this Duel! Darkness Crusher!" At this, Yamichi declared "Quick-Play Magic, Scrapstorm! I target Scrap Goblin and destroy it!" At this Scrap Goblin exploded into bits, Yamichi continuing, "With its destruction, I send Scrap Beast to the Graveyard and draw a card!" Ryu laughed, "I see....You're going to summon another monster to lessen the damage! Well done! That's good, keep it entertaining for me!"

Yamichi grimaced, "I also draw from Hokyū Butai's effect, and use Scrap Factory to Special Summon Scrap Golem in Attack mode!" Given that Aura gave Despair the ability to inflict piercing damage, Summoning it in Defense would have been suicidal. "Wooo...This is gonna hurt! Do it, Despair God!" The titanic demon howled as Scrap Golem reduced to a trash heap, the blowback knocking Yamichi back against the barrier again, another scream of pain leaving him as his Life dropped to a dangerous 1000. He would slump to the ground once more, landing on and holding his side with pained coughs leaving him as his eyes squeezed shut, drops of blood falling from his mouth.

"Still conscious? Well well...You amaze me little man. Turn end...." Ryu chuckled, adding to Ling, "Oi, little lady....Best get your deck ready...Because once I'm finished with him, you're next!" Ryu taunted, giving a slicing motion across his throat as Yamichi would slowly push himself to a knee. "Shit..." Shen would then swear, grimacing as he said at the robed man, "I hope you burn in hell, you rotten scumbag! I will make you pay for hurting my daughter! My pride and joy in this life!" Ryu just held his arms open, "I'm right here, old man...Just go through the barrier if you hate me that much."

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"See....And yet despite everything he did, you're still here. That alone should speak volumes." Jack would say, trying to console her. Which was kind of tiring...But that was likely because he was still trying to get used to it again. However, he just raised a brow when she mentioned that she formed a contract with Morningstar. "The Darklord card?" he thought to himself; then he remembered what Akutsu had said during her duel with Ling.

There was an anomaly....That had to be it. What else could it be? And there was no real reason to dispute it; too much weird crap had happened already. To deny it now would be idiotic at best and dangerously foolish at worst.

Instead of rejection or ridicule, she would find him very accepting. "Fayth...I won't pretend to understand how you did that. Nor will I pretend that I'm not worried about you forming...a 'pact' with a Duel Monster. But you had good reasons for doing the things you did, so I'm going to assume that you had one for this. Just...Promise me something, alright?"

At this he pulled her closer, letting her feel him embrace her completely, "If it does get to be too much...Don't be afraid to come to me, alright?"

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Kiryu just grinned as he noticed Yuna getting frustrated; what, did she expect that Takeshi would just magically come back? That she could just snap her fingers and he'd go crawling back like a loyal dog?

Granted, with what Takeshi had said to him about her former identity...It wasn't a surprise that she seemed to think herself the high and mighty Yuna Takeda. Especially when she barely left the compounds up until Takeshi went missing the first time. Maybe she was just feeling insecure, the poor thing, he thought gleefully. Kiryu slapped a hand over his mouth as she said she would brawl both of them; did she mean Hotsuma or him? Either way, wasn't a fight he saw her winning. She tried with him and have Rose...And wound up beaten, mute and near broken from the experience.

Only when she finished her tirade, "Heh, so testy; guess it's that time of the month for you...Or should I say when isn't it that time? Because you're always in such a chipper mood whenever we meet up. Lemme guess...Trouble at home? Hotsuma's pretty sore at you I bet, about you trying to kill him and all. You should really try losing the 'jaded bitch' angle; can catch more flies with honey than vinegar, you know?" Even if she did try to slug him, the aura of oppression still flared around him would ensure the result would not be any different.

However....One thing they would both notice was that Takeshi seemed to actually regard some of her words, a hint of light coming back to his eyes. "Yuna..." he breathed, a smidge of recognition coming back to his tone, Kiryu looking down in mild surprise. However, before it could get any further, Yuna would feel something slam into her from the side, a shoulder charge knocking her off her feet. Standing next to them now was a dark-skinned man in the same style robes as Kiryu; Yuna would recognize him as the one she had seen from demon-Mihara's shared memory, the one that had beaten to a pulp in the first place before being called away by Misty.

"Kiryu....Master specifically warned you not to linger." the man said coldly, Kiryu waving a hand, "Yeah, yeah...She's the one who got in my face, so I had thought about how many different ways I could teach her a lesson. So...How'd Takeshi do?" Demak's expression did not change, "More than acceptable; he is ready. Take him where he needs to go; I will deal with this interloper." At this the smallest hint of Takeshi's conscience seemed to fade away, returning that blank expression once more, "No....I want to fight her. I want to destroy her; they I'm just a rabid dog, I'll show her how right they are."

Demak shook his head, "Not now; you're needed elsewhere. Kiryu...Go." Kiryu just sighed, "Man...Ah well, he's right. Come on, Takeshi boy; we've got some Signers to annihilate." At this Kiryu would lead him to a parked Runner - pitch black with blue decals and trim along the body - before hopping on and taking off.

At this Demak stood taller, not having moved from his spot where "So...you're Yuna Takeda. Admittedly I'd expected something...more from the woman who could resist Kiryu's sadism. But I will warn you here and now: Leave while you can...Else I will kill you."
 

"Fuck you! I'm not giving you that sorta satisfaction!"

But .... she'd likely fail in her own vow if she spoke. So, even though it irritated her, Ling kept quiet and broke her gaze from this new robed figure. She tried to focus on Yamichi. But this duel ... it was looking more and more grim. And it was making her gradually tremble. Was she really going to have to face this bastard with an incomplete deck?

It took a lot to truly scare Ling. And she hadn't been lying on not viewing Kiryu as overly scary. But right here and now? This exact situation was horrifying. If it came down to having to try to defend herself ... she wouldn't be able to. It was as frustrating as it was nerve-wracking.

All because they didn't like me playing a card game ... it's ruined ...

Maybe if it had been only monsters, she could have tried to duel. But that hadn't been the case. Several essential trap and magic cards had vanished, effectively destroying some of her combos.

"Yamichi .... "

This time, the name came out weaker. Not fully coated in despair, but clearly holding a tone that implied she wasn't liking what she was seeing either. But then ... who could blame her?

If this is really going to be my last night alive ... then whoever's up there ... keep Fayth safe. If they do find her, at least let these fuckers fail in hurting or killing her.

It seemed like a fair enough exchange. One life fades away, another is protected in return. That was how it worked, right?

She didn't know, and frankly, there was a lot Ling wasn't hearing or paying heed to. She barely heard her own father's plea for Yamichi to win or even the taunt directed at her dad to run through the barrier. She was legitimately speechless, and even more scared, to think straight, let alone focus.
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" ... Alright. I suppose you do have your points."

A ghost of a smirk appeared on her face as she finally decided to at least accept Jack's reassurance. It most definitely didn't get rid of all of Fayth's fears or anxiety. But hearing that there was someone who was believing in her was helping out. Even more so with her self-esteem almost fully shattered.

"I umm .... "

It was only the second real embrace they'd had, but it was enough to make Fayth pause and enjoy it. It was warmer this time around. It also helped that Jack initiated the contact, rather than Fayth all but forcing him to tolerate the first one.

"I'll definitely talk to you. In all honesty? I'm not completely sure how the pact worked as well as it did. Nor even what made Morningstar appear to me in the first place."

Her own arms would wrap around Jack's waist, her head falling gently against the former King's chest as Fayth relaxed. Kiryu had taunted her about Jack ruining her, but as far as she was concerned? The very opposite was the truth. Fayth felt safest and the most wanted around men like Jack, Yusei, and Reiji. They understood her, had more than enough patience with her.

If anything, Kiryu and men like Mukuro were the real ones who had 'ruined' her. She never had any kind of attitude prior to meeting or enduring any type of torment, regardless of its nature.

The rest of the drive would be mostly silent. Only when the limo came to a calm but abrupt halt did Fayth lift her head. To help confirm her thoughts, the driver would speak.

"We're back home, Mr. Atlas, Miss Milner."

"Thank you," Fayth sleepily replied. The night hadn't been as long as it should have, if only because of the unwanted interruption. However, between the past few days - including meeting Ling and speaking with her parents - plus all of the other various preparations that were done to get ready for tonight? That had been exhausting.

Fayth would silently link her arm with one of Jack's and step out of the limousine, soon entering the mansion.

"Thank you again for this evening. Even if it didn't go as smoothly as it could have."
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God, Yuna would give anything to slug Kiryu with a fist. Or even a bullet and re-kill this fucker. But, especially when it came to the latter, he already proved those were all but useless. His power - whatever the fuck that had been - slowed her down. With Rose still sealed away, Yuna wasn't about to be so stupid to pull her firearm out. Not yet.

Maybe if an opening arrived, sure. But not before then.

Instead, she opted to simply roll her eyes at Kiryu's words, ignoring him. No reply in any form or fashion would come from her.

When Takeshi finally seemed as if he'd return to his true self, however, she looked over at him, relief immediately entering her eyes.

There ya go! Knew you were tougher than that! Come on, let's ---

Her eyes would widen as raw strength from a sudden newcomer's shoulder found her sternum. She flew back - not all the way to her Wheeler, but rather far all things considered. A few gasps and coughs left as she landed roughly on her back.

Motherfucker .... agh ....

For a good few minutes, Yuna just stayed down. Kept her gaze up towards the sky ... silently throwing curses at whatever twisted God was watching her and seeming to love toying with her. If she didn't know any better, Yuna would swear Kiryu's powers somehow could effect entities that should be immune to shit like that. Her head shook as she slowly stood up, feeling her body tense up.

It didn't take long at all for her to recognize Demak.

Well ... that helped confirm one thing. The display of strength she'd seen back during Mihara's flashback was very, very accurate. Possibly tame compared to what she just felt. The truth made her frown. There was no way she could fight him. Definitely not without at least Hotsuma around, and even that may be questionable.

Hmph. Aren't you all demanding assholes, eh? Sorry to disappoint.

She hated it. But the more Yuna contemplated and weighed her options, the more she knew it was the right move to make. She had to heed the 'flee' option instead of fight.

So when she was actually given the option to do just that ... it took every ounce of her willpower not to snicker. Was he seriously being that stupid?

Either way, she wasn't gonna test her luck. Not if she could help it.

Fine. Then for now, see ya later .... maybe. I'm no Signer, so I'm not really on your guys' agenda or anything. But who knows. Fate's fickle like that.

Yuna would leave it at that before turning and going right to her Wheeler. Although her gaze had primarily stayed on Demak, she noted out of the corner of her eye the direction Kiryu and Takeshi had gone. This was the exact opening she needed. If she could haul ass and hurry up ... then it'd make up for the past five or so minutes and failing to return with Takeshi.

That was Yuna's hopes and train of thoughts, anyway.
 
"Oi, oi, come on...Just quit. You're starting to bore me." Ryu taunted, Yamichi pushing himself up to stand again. "I'm not done...I still have Life left. And so long as I can breathe...." he huffed, clutching his side as a wave of pain threatened to make him drop to his knees once more, his head bowing as he fought back the desire to cry. "I'm not...letting you near her!"

Ryu just sighed, "This is one thing I've always hated...Such meaningless resistance." Ryu's tone then grew more malicious as he all but shouted, "You never just die! None of you do!" Yamichi grinned at this, even as dire as the situation was, "Heh...You're right...I don't. Because in the Satellite, the fight to survive is all we've got. Why would I want to give anyone the satisfaction of just fading away...." Grimacing in pain, he then finished "Besides....I've got someone waiting for me! My turn! Draw!"

"Yes!"

That was what he proclaimed when he saw what he got. He had six cards in his hand...And his face-down still on the field. He just prayed this would work. "I activate the Equipment Magic, Scrap Assembler! I discard one card, target one Scrap monster in my GY and Special Summon at the cost of my Life equal to its Level times 100! Return, Scrap Golem!" At this the mechanized behemoth seemed to form up from rubble, Yamichi's Life dropping to 500. "You do realize you're not supposed to hurt yourself, right?" Ryu teased, Yamichi ignoring him and declaring "I activate Golem's effect and Special Summon a Scrap monster from the Graveyard! Rise, Scrap Beast!" Now he had two monsters. "I then Special Summon Scrap Breaker from my hand and destroy Scrap Beast! Activating the effects of Scrap Factory and Hokyū Butai, I Special Summon a second Golem and draw one card!" There was one more that he needed...And he just prayed.

"To keep Ling safe...Let me draw this card...."

Placing his hand upon his deck, he then removed the top card, eyes closed as he prepared for the worst...But when he would draw and open them again, his pained smile grew even wider. "This is it..." he muttered, looking at his opponent. Ryu paused for a moment, but then just clapped mockingly, "Bravo, bravo....But you realize none of them even come close to Despair God, right? Even if you summon your Scrap Dragon, its effect won't work because of Aura's own effect. Face it, loser...Your hands are tied!"

Yamichi just chuckled, making Ryu raise a brow, "What's so funny?" to which Yamichi just said, "I thought you said you watched my Duel closely....Clearly there was something you missed. Scrap Dragon is one monster I have...But I have a way of getting rid of your Despair God and winning this Duel! I tune Level 4 Scrap Beast with one of my Level 5 Scrap Golem! Synchro Summon! Level Nine! Scrap Twin Dragon!" Continuing with his turn, he then declared, "I activate Twin's effect! I destroy my other Scrap Golem...And return Despair God and Aura to your hand! Iron Recall!" Scrap Twin's mouths opened and howled loudly, Despair God and the Trap shattering as they were bounced to Ryu's hand.

"I'm not done! "I activate the Magic card, Resurrection of the Dead! Rise once more, Scrap Golem! Golem's effect will allow me to Special Summon another Scrap monster from the Graveyard...I choose Scrap Hunter! Then I Normal Summon Scrap Mind Reader!" And with that, Yamichi would have a full field. I tune Level Six Scrap Breaker and Level Three Scrap Hunter with Level One Mind Reader! Burn, erupt and destroy! Raise your three heads and howl in fury! Incinerate my enemy with the power of the sun! Synchro Summon! Level Ten! Atomic Scrap Dragon!" And much like his match against Gill, Yamichi would call out his strongest monster in front of Ling's eyes. Ryu seemed impressed, but just said "Heh...Even if you do manage to ding my Life, you won't be able to finish me this turn. Once Despair God is back out, you won't stand a chance!"

Yamichi just smirked, "Sorry...But I'm ending this here. Trap Card, Open! Scrap Overcharge! I target the Atomic Scrap Dragon I control, then destroy up to two Scrap monsters on the field or in my hand! For each one, my Atomic Dragon can attack again!" And when Yamichi would turn the last card in his hand, he would reveal Scrap Chimera. Ryu's eyes seemed to widen as he realized the implication. "I destroy Scrap Twin Dragon on my field and the Scrap Chimera in my hand! Battle! Atomic Scrap Dragon....Attack him directly!"

Ryu now seemed to panic, backing up as the three heads of Yamichi's beast gathered the energy into their mouths, its entirely body glowing as the essence of its destroyed brethren flowed into it. "You bastard...You won't get away with this! The Dark Signers can't be defeated by weaklings!" Ryu shouted, Yamichi just saying "Maybe not your bosses....But they're not here right now. You are..." Yamichi then looked up at his monster and shouted, "Nuclear Scrap Blaster - Triple Shot!" And in one final blow, Yamichi's opponent would scream as the energy tore through him, dispelling the power the Dark Mark had given him and his Life plummeting to zero, the heat of the blast leaving the barrier enough to warp the bodies of several cars and the asphalt that made up the street. "Kiryu...Sama..." Ryu said, falling to the ground as smoke rose from his skin; he wasn't dead, but with how he fell down he might have very well looked it.

Yamichi breathed heavily as he realized just how close this was, the Duel Field dispelling around him...500 Life left...And against a near-invincible combination. He started to ask, "Ling? Are you al..." but quickly fell as the pain and exhaustion from trying to just stay on his feet finally overtook him, rendering him unconscious. And it seemed to happen right as Sector was pulling up, the flames dispelling as right as they arrived. "Sir, madam! Are you alright?" said one of the officers, the others rushing to Ling's side to check on her. "Yes, we're fine...But that man in the dark robe tried to attack my daughter! I want him arrested!" He could have said that both of them were from the Satellite; which might have been true, but he wasn't about to do that to the man that put himself on the line for Ling.
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Jack actually felt fairly good about helping her overcome her fears; weird as it was, he couldn't help wanting to make sure she felt secure. Maybe it had to do with him wanting to secretly redeem himself for his past actions; they were deplorable, and at least with this, he could try to make up for it. "That's all I ask for, Fayth. Just don't be afraid to tell me if you're feeling scared or unsure." he would say, keeping her close.

However...The moment was cut short as they arrived home, Jack seeming to have enjoyed it and not quite wanting to pull away just yet. But...It was late. And tomorrow was likely going to be a busy day, seeing as he was sure that news outlets would be hounding both him and Ling for interviews about their brush with a potential assassin.

"Well...I'll agree that it didn't quite turn out like we had planned. But I did enjoy myself as well...Mister Evans can have the staff cook you something light if you're hungry. I need to take care of a couple of things, but I'll see you in the morning, alright?" he then said, turning to leave for his bedroom. It was time for and the Director to have another chat...And he wasn't about to take no for an answer.
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"Demanding yes...But that is because we know you cannot win. Your defeat at Kiryu's hands was proof enough of that; seems he truly did seal your spirit away." Demak mused; he should have figured as much. His eyes continued to watch her unwaveringly, even as she went for her motorcycle.

Did she honestly think him a fool? Her intent was far too clear. And in the blink of an eye, he would be in front of her again, blocking Yuna from getting on her bike. Small puffs of air trailed behind him, indicative of his quickness. It was certainly inhuman, that much was clear as day. "No...You will leave this here and go home on foot. You may retrieve it once I deem you capable of not following where you are not wanted." He already figured that she would try to fight him off, but she would find him more than capable of dealing with her.

And as if to reinforce his point, she would feel him strike her again; a flat palm would connect with her chest, knocking her on her back again. "But before you leave....Let me ask something. The power sealed within you...How did you obtain it?" he would question her, coming to stand over her. However, she would then find his hand around her throat; though it was not squeezing her as Kiryu's boot had done.

Instead, his eyes narrowed as he perceived the curse that Rutger had done on her; he could undo it, as his old village had someone who could cure maladies with but a touch. "And for both our interests....You may speak as you once did. Talking to you while you speak through my mind is not something I am fond of." she would then hear, before long a warm sensation running over her throat.
 
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The last turn made an entire sea of emotions flood through Ling. First terror, both from his life decreasing even lower. To a dangerous 500, to be precise. And then just failing to see how he could come out of this duel as the winner. But then, he began to make numerous summons, replacing the fear with relief and even hope. Could he actually do it?

Thinking back, it was little more than a pure miracle that not only had Yusei beaten Despair God, but he'd done so twice against Shimoda.

And while, yes, Yamichi most definitely did have the capability to best it, luck was the main concern for Ling.

Yet as Yamichi continued to act, her emotions got even stronger. Now resolve was mingling in with her belief he could win.

Please god, please ....

And when the moment likely everyone had been waiting for arrived, Ling's heart pounded hard against her chest. Feeling like it wanted to completely leave her rib cage and body altogether.

Oh thank you ... thank you ...

While she did mentally note these people were supposedly known as 'Dark Signers', that wasn't Ling's immediate priority. It was Yamichi, whom she helped catch and gently laid down, allowing his head to rest on her legs. A few tears slowly streamed down her face as she shakily checked his pulse ... and let out an audible sigh as she felt it.

Weak at worst .... but existing all the same.

"Hospital ..... "

Her head slowly lifted as she looked pleadingly to the Sector officers. "He needs to get to the hospital. Get an ambulance here ASAP. Please .... "

The frustration at her parents would likely not go completely away for a good few days. Maybe even a week. However ... as she noted her dad kept the fact Yamichi was from the Satellite hidden ... she'd turn her head and bow her head politely. Even mouthed the words "Thank you" to show her sincere gratitude.

"I know he should be fine at the hospital, but .... I'm gonna go with him."

It wasn't nearly as strong as it had been before, but both Shen and Xue could hear a very adamant tone in Ling's voice.

"Regardless of whether troubles supposedly came in threes or not, I .... " Her head shook. "It's not fair. Someone should be with him."

And even without her saying anything directly, it would be easy to assume that anyone else who could accompany Yamichi would have a hell of a time getting over here. Especially with the earlier attack on the theater.
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"Hmmm .... "

Fayth's head tilted as she briefly seemed to contemplate whether she should heed Jack's suggestion about a small meal before going to sleep. It was definitely tempting. In the end, her head slowly moved from side to side.

"I'll probably make up for skipping dinner in the morning. That ... encounter was almost as draining as the Fortune Cup itself. But I'll definitely see you tomorrow."

Fayth would flash Jack a very tired but otherwise content grin before unlinking her arm and walking slowly up the stairs, eventually entering her room. A soft breath passed her lips, soon accompanied by the sight of her smile widening.

You have a thing for him, do you?

Fayth's eyebrows furrowed as she paused to think on this. First, she shut the door. Afterwards, she proceeded to start carefully stripping out of her outfit, beginning with the shoes and working her way up.

Maybe? The thing is, though .... it'd be one-sided. Exactly like Yusei. I'm not gonna ... if that's not what he wants. I'm not sure. But with the revelation I may have already lived in this dimension and died ....

Her teeth briefly held onto her lower lip.

It's fair to assume that version of me died alone. I don't wanna do that again if I can help it. But ... I'm not gonna just give that sort of thing to any random person either.

Everything but the shoes and dress would be tossed into her hamper. The latter was hung back up on a hanger and placed in the closet. If only because it seemed like Morningstar hadn't manifested physically, she didn't seem as uncomfortable talking to the spirit whilst nude.

But that was exactly why he failed to mention that to her; the truth was, he'd appeared right when she walked inside. The telepathy, however, made it seem as if he were still in her head.

As such, he was getting an unfair but still very pleasant view of his hostess.

And I suppose it's fair to assume you wouldn't want me to ... even the odds out, as it were?

"Absolutely not!" Fayth replied out loud, horrified at the implication.

S-Sorry, but seriously ... no. I already know first hand what it's like to be coerced to adjust to something you don't want. To do so with something like love?

Her head shook from side to side.

I'd never forgive myself for allowing that.

Heh. Alright, alright. It mostly a joke and only an offer. Anyway .... get good rest. We're gonna start your training soon, if not tomorrow.

Morningstar's smirk would only expand further as he watched Fayth slip into a light pink nightgown and then crawl under the covers.

"Night ... " Fayth sleepily murmured, very quickly passing out seconds after her head fell atop the pillow. Morningstar would watch her for three minutes tops before disappearing himself, leaving no traces he had ever manifested in the first place.
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Hmph. I'd be more inclined to agree that 'I lost' ... if Kiryu weren't too chicken shit and fought me with his fists only. But no. He couldn't do that. He was too scared, so he had to use his powers. What-fucking-ever. Such a loser.

... Okay. So maybe Yuna had used her own, yes. But not until Kiryu started giving hints he had his own abilities also. From the get-go, though, he basically resorted to using his own spirit.

Two weeks and he couldn't get even an answer or a simple name outta me? Hah! He was pathetic as a human, and he's more so as .... whatever the hell type of undead you all are.

Her eyes narrowed as Demak rapidly shifted positions, ending up in front of her Wheeler.

... Leave it and just allow it to be stolen? Fuck that. Gods sakes, make up your mind. You gave me the choice to fight or leave. I'm trying to --- ahhh!

The second attack made her fly back again, grunting and groaning as she landed roughly on her back. Her fists clenched tightly, grabbing a bit of dirt in the process before she started pushing herself up.

.... Why the fuck do you care about Rose? God, you're a fickle one, ain't ya?

But even her eyes widened a bit as Demak's hand found her throat. Her breath hitched as she half-expected to start fighting for her life. When she ended up feeling an odd energy, her eyebrow rose, body staying tense from the sudden grip.

"The fuck are you ... ??"

And for the first time in months, Yuna's voice worked properly. This thus brought up a few more internal questions; could he somehow make her mute status return? Even if he couldn't though ... was it worth taking the risk and refusing to answer his question?

Urgh! I'd feel better if I'd contacted Hotsuma first. Shit ....

At least she could answer and know she was stalling.

But at this point, it seemed like the very least she could do. He'd done something Yuna never would have expected. So, even if very begrudgingly, she'd actually give him the truth. "Rose came from Arcadia. I was captured by Divine and some of his former workers way back when. They did a shit ton of experimenting and turned me Psychic. Really though, why do you care? Because I got it through an easier and more 'natural' way than being brought back to life? Or .. ??"

Oddly, she wasn't trying to be sarcastic nor anything close to it. It could easily be interpreted as that, yes. But right now? Yuna was just being her honest to gods, brutal self.
 
Ling didn't have to wait long, two of the officers assessing the young man's condition; immediately she would see and hear them calling for an ambulance to their location. Two, one for the other man so that he can be detained for questioning. The officers talked among themselves, wondering how these two got hurt during a Duel Monsters game. As they waited and one officer - cleared for practice in emergency situations - administered basic first aid as they waited for the transport to arrive, others would question Ling and the parents about exactly what happened.

Shen gave his statement about what happened; he didn't go into detail about what Ling was doing, only that her date was dropping her off when the robed man appeared and the blonde-haired one intervened to protect her. And when the ambulance did arrive, that's when things got hectic; a crime scene unit also arrived to start gathering forensic evidence to levy charges against the unknown male. However...Ling would find there wasn't enough room for her to go. "I'm sorry miss....But with how serious your friend's injuries are, he's going to need extra attendants until we can get him stabilized." the medic would say as the crew loaded Yamichi up - a breathing mask over his face and his neck locked into a brace - to be shipped off to Domino General Hospital, the man in the dark robe also loaded up in a separate vehicle to be treated and detained for questioning.

To which, if this night could get any more surprising, Shen would then offer to his daughter, "Not to worry; I will drive her there myself. If it is alright, we will follow you." It was the least he could do, especially since the man had fought to protect his only child from this madman's attack. The Sergeant on scene overheard this and approached the parents, "Since my officers will have to go there to stand guard over the suspect's room, they will give you an escort." He then turned his head to address two shorter officers, "Toa! Akira! See to it this family gets to the hospital unharmed!" The two officers would only reply "Hai!"

Shen then cautiously said to Ling, an attempt at a smile on his face as he said, "Well...They're going, so we should go too." And within a relatively short period of time, the entire convoy was off to the hospital. In the car, it was fairly quiet...But what could be said? The young man had proven himself to Shen; even if he was from the Satellite, it was clear now that Yamichi loved Ling. Enough to take on serious damage to save her from harm.

But...He was a man of principle, and he knew one thing his daughter did deserve. "Ling Xiu Tsou...Wǒ zhǐ néng wéi zìjǐ de yánxíng dàoqiàn. (I can only apologize for my words and deeds.)" His tone was somber but filled with determination, to prove to her that he meant what he was saying. "Wǒ zhīqián shuō dehuà kěnéng yǒngyuǎn bù huì bèi yuánliàng...... Dànshì nǐ néng yuánliàng yīgè zhǐ xiǎng ràng nǚ'ér ānquán xìngfú de fùqīn ma? (What I said before may never be forgiven... But can you forgive a father who only wants to make his daughter safe and happy?)"

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Jack meanwhile had gone upstairs to his room, asking that he not be disturbed in any way, shape or form. His staff had instructions to assist Fayth however she may ask, as he was likely going to be at this for a couple of hours at best. He had yet to change out of his tuxedo, instead reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out his cellphone, going to the Director's number and hitting dial. A few moments later, it wouldn't be the Director that answered....But Yeager.

"Ah Mister Atlas, what can I do for you? Director Goodwin said to expect your call."

Jack's face was evident of his displeasure, but the man on the other side of the line couldn't see it, "Put him on. We were attacked on his watch, and I demand an explanation." Yeager's voice seemed to falter, but he then said, "Well...The Director is actually dealing with that at the moment; if you turn on the news, you'll see that he's holding an emergency conference."

Taking the remote, he did as such and found that Yeager was in fact not lying, the Director's burlesque frame standing behind a podium. Flashes of cameras going off all around as he gave what appeared to be his final statement. "At this time, the Public Security Maintenance Bureau is conducting a full-scale investigation into what happened during the film's premiere. We do not know what happened or who was the responsible party, but rest assured that there were no casualties aside from some minor headaches and scrapes. I would like extend my sincerest apologies to those who attended; this oversight will be corrected, and you have my word this will not happen again."

The camera then cut to see a variety of reporters trying to ask questions, but then one managed to shout, "Director sir, rumors are that it's because of Jack Atlas this happened; several witnesses stated they saw the assailant speaking to him directly, and mentioned he was from the Satellite. Can you confirm this?" The angle zoomed in for him to see that the reporter in question was Angela Raines; Jack snarled into the phone, "Yeager, the hell is the meaning of this?!" The man on the phone said nothing at first but just let out a sigh, "That troublesome woman..."

However, Director Goodwin just answered immediately, "Unfortunately, Miss Raines, that information is still unclear. We're in the process of gathering witness statements and compiling evidence to go after the ones responsible behind this attack. I'm afraid I cannot answer such a question without concrete proof one way or the other. Now if you will all excuse me...I need to continue assisting with the efforts of my office." The crowd shouted at him demanding more answers, but a legion of Sector officers then cleared the way, pushing the crowd back.

"Now...The Director may be back shortly if you'd like to wait..." Yeager offered, Jack just saying "Just have him call me back tomorrow; it's been a long night, but I do need him to answer some questions." Yeager just said, "Of course...Good night, Mr. Atlas" before hanging up. Jack put down his phone on the nightstand near his bed, going to look out the window of his room towards the Satellite. "Goodwin...Is this what you warned us about? Are the Dark Signers readying to attack us?" he pondered mentally.
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Demak ignored her petty insults; it was merely a front and he knew it. The girl wasn't stupid...Bold and foolish, perhaps, but not stupid. She knew better than to try anything, but when she brought up Arcadia he raised a brow. "So...You were once a captive of Divine then. How very interesting...Misty will be interested to learn this, as his most trusted henchman is in fact a target of ours. I suppose we have your blessing to get rid of her then?" Demak replied, a knowing smirk crossing his face; even if she did know the woman and wished her safety, it wasn't like she could do anything.

However...His heightened instincts made his warning signals go off in his body, leaping away from Yuna as a massive blade shot towards him , his body leaping up and over it before it crashed through a wall behind him, bringing it tumbling down. It would have been somewhat close to Yuna but far enough that she would see she was not even close to being the intended target. Demak landed and looked up to see a massive figure in purple armor standing a few meters away. "And who might you be?" "Depends on your answer to this question...Are you with the people that took Takeshi?" The plate-covered titan would ask, Demak chuckling, "And what if I am?"

A dark aura roared up around him, the right arm erupting into a black mass of tendrils, Demak's body doing the same as he called more upon the power of his Immortal, "Then I'm the one guy you shouldn't have crossed; I tend to get destructive when I'm pissed. I'll string up your corpse as a warning...Then I'll butcher every last one of you."

The tendrils around Hotsuma's right arm then shot forward, aiming to ensnare Demak; however, the robed man seemed to vanish out of sight, appearing behind Hotsuma before landing a hard strike on his back and making him stumble forward, a 'clang' echoing from the hardness of the attack. Demak shook out his hand, "That's some impressive armor you're wielding..."

"That is because this boy holds contract with the Demon Emperor, First of his Name. You are mightier and far quicker than him, but he still poses a danger. Strike quick but with caution; one slip-up could quite possibly spell your demise. And I will not allow my vessel to fall before he faces against our true enemy." a fourth voice then spoke, reaching out to all of them telepathically. Even Yuna would be able to tell this was not the Emperor speaking...No, it was something that was just as powerful as he, maybe even more so in his current state. "Believe me, Cusillu...I do not plan to disappoint Master. They are both merely minor annoyances in the end..."

Hotsuma normally would have questioned this...But he was too pissed off to care, evidenced as such as he held out his right arm, the tendrils retrieving the massive sword from where it was embedded before he would then raise it in front of him. "Yuna...If you can move, go find where Takeshi went. And if you can't...I'll make this guy talk and find out where." Hotsuma growled, Demak snickering, "Try me if you can, boy; strong you may be...But the bond I hold is far more powerful. More so than you can even process...."

And with that...Demak and Hotsuma would enter into physical combat, the latter seeming to hold his own for now...But it would remain to be seen how well he could do, considering the opponent was incredibly agile on top of being superhumanly strong.
 

Before Yamichi was put on the stretcher, Ling would shakily reach a hand down and search his pockets. She was gonna have to be the one to relay the bad news. Whom to? Well ... even she wasn't sure. From the bits and pieces she'd heard, there was more than only Hotsuma that Yamichi knew and tended to be around. There was good of a chance of it being someone she'd seen and spoken with as there was the opposite case.

Either way, they deserved to know. It may not be what they would want to hear, but it didn't change that someone needed to relay this unfortunate news to them.

Ling barely finished her search, managing to find a phone, thankfully. Her head would quickly lift as a new dose of despair filled her upon hearing she wouldn't be able to accompany Yamichi to the hospital. Her mouth opened as she almost tried to protest ... but stopped. If it was that bad, she couldn't argue. They were right, after all. He'd need damn good medical attention, and if that meant her staying home and waiting, so be it.

Indeed, she hadn't expected many more surprises. Least of all from her father. So hearing he would actually drive her there caused her to look over and flash a sad but appreciative grin. Ling would run off just to quickly put her cards in her room. But she would just as swiftly come back and join her father in the car. And only after he finished speaking did she reply back.

"Being protective is one thing. It's another when it feels like nothing I ever did, nor anyone I tried to see, was good enough."

Her smile widened a bit.

"Granted, the latter was kinda right."

Her tone got a bit more serious.

"But even I knew that. It's why I was fine dumping everyone else. I picked up on the signs and knew you and mom were right to worry about them. I've been learning though ... "

She paused, trying to figure out how to word it.

"There's a lot about the Satellite and residents from there that prove they aren't all bad. Yamichi isn't the only decent individual from there. I met a few others from the Fortune Cup. There's much more to them than what meets the eye."

A soft sigh passed her lips before she leaned back, holding Yamichi's phone firmly in her hands.

"Can I forgive you and mom? Yes. But it won't be overnight. I'm not going to say even I knew what would happen tonight. I didn't even know it'd happen at the theater for that matter. But ... "

She paused, wanting to make sure she got the right words.

"At this point, I give up on trying to make you and mom like the fact I'm a duelist. But can you at least accept it now? Can you let me play without all of these stupid restrictions? Can you see that, despite tonight, it has brought its fair share of good times for me? It really isn't all bad. I promise. Tonight ... truly was just an unfortunate evening. And something is beginning to tell me it was even worse for others who are duelists like me."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________​

Yuna's eyebrows narrowed.

"Actually, I do mind for a few reasons. Aki wasn't directly responsible for anything that happened to me in Arcadia. That was all on Divine and a few other pricks who are now dead. Two? I don't condone outright murder. Killing for self-defense, sure. But cold-blooded murder? Never."

Of course, she knew the irony surrounding those words. She was just glad that Demak didn't know she'd already tried going against her usual vows. Mentally, she wasn't herself, no. But it would have still been her body, and thus, Yuna who would have killed Aki. And possibly Hotsuma, if things went her way as they did that fated night.

Simultaneously, this would prove the same thing Hajime had repeatedly insisted to Yamichi in order to ensure he wouldn't rescue Yuna alone. She hadn't been herself.

The Yuna Demak was staring down at was the true one. The same one who ....

Well ... none of those mattered, she supposed, mentally dismissing the thoughts. Mainly intimate ones. Hectic as the Arcadia captivity had been, it had its own share of decent days. It was there she'd given her first time to Hotsuma ... something that made her eyes soften for the briefest of seconds.

That was a mistake, wasn't it?

Gripping her lower lip briefly, she glared back up towards Demak.

"There. You got your answers. So ... you mind?"

Before he could respond, however, someone else did for her. She would roll away as her assailant was forced to move. Yuna shifted her gaze to the newcomer ... and felt a bit relieved and nervous to see Hotsuma had arrived. But definitely not as himself. The decision had been the right one, mind you. Hell, if Yuna could change, she'd do so herself.

The problem, however, laid within Demak and whatever power he used. Even if she could become Yuse .... or full-fledged Rose .... there was a good chance they still couldn't best him.

"Yeah ... yeah, I can move. I shouldn't need too long. But when I get back? We need to haul ass and return. I don't expect this to be a fray that'll end tonight."

Hearing Hotsuma, even in his Fiend form, use her name certainly earned a smile from the Yomi leader. Something he would see even as she ran away. Her spirit may still be sealed away, but she was fast in her own rights. Just not to her own god-like rights. Still, it was more than enough for Yuna to get to her D-Wheeler. And as she put her visor back on, the engine roared to life.

Yuna didn't even bother daring to look back. She slammed hard on the breaks and began riding off, recalling exactly where Kiryu and Takeshi had gone towards.

Even if it's just a lead .... that'll work. But fuck if I'm going back empty-fucking-handed!

The thoughts fueled her on as she sped up even further, doing all she could to prevent Demak from catching up with her.

Bastard better not be able to teleport, or I swear ....
 
Yamichi's consciousness faded during the ride, hearing a cacophony of voices as his mind tried to keep him functional; his head swam as the IV dripped a steady supply of painkillers to ease his discomfort. He could feel every jolt, every turn and pause of the ambulance...And through all of that, he just thought:

Was Ling alright? Was she safe now? He was too tired to even talk, but his eyes cracked open, his vision blinding as a tech shined a light in his eye, the lids squinting shut as a voice called out something about him being responsive...But whatever they tried to ask him was just lost in the noise of his own mind....

Shen didn't refute his daughter's claim; he could see now, that he was perhaps over the line in regards to her dueling. "Ling...All your mother and I ever wanted is to make sure that you were safe and happy." Shen started; he had hoped that she would see their only concern was for her future. But maybe it wasn't how they envisioned it...Much as he was loathe to admit, she did have a gift for it.

"But...You are also right in that we were too harsh." Shen would then admit, likely as a surprise to both his wife and daughter. "To that end...I will unlock your Runner; and if you can find out which cards are missing, we will purchase replacements for you to add back to your deck." It was a hard pill to swallow, admitting his fault; however, she at least deserved that much. And more, most likely; even if he didn't agree with it, Dueling was a part of his daughter's life.

Which meant that he would have to use some of negotiating skills to aid his daughter in getting contracts from sponsorships...Thinking on it, compared to what happened this night, that was something to definitely look forward.

Saying this as the ambulance pulled up, Yamichi was quick to be unloaded; Ling would be informed that he wouldn't be able to be seen until sometime later that night. They would offer to allow her to stay as a guest in the side bed of his hospital room, however, once he was out of the exam room.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

​
Hotsuma continued to engage Demak while Yuna rode off, using his bulk to shield her egress from the area. "Hmph....Such impudence" Demak breathed as Hotsuma and himself would take a breather from their scuffle. The latter was certainly more beaten and bruised than the former, but Hotsuma had managed a couple of shots. Nothing overly damaging, more glancing blows. "Why....Why did you take him? Huh? He didn't do shit..." Hotsuma demanded, his voice filled with both exhaustion and ire. Demak chuckled, "He did quite a bit actually; had that pretentious Director allowed him to Duel Atlas, there was little doubt he would crushed the Signer."

Demak then shook his head, "Regardless...He is none of your concern. Lord Rutger demands your subject as our newest member; and to fulfill our assignment, he will stay." Demak explained, a snarl leaving Hotsuma's throat as he looked up from behind the armored helmet, eyes full of rage. "Boy....Withdraw, he is too strong." Hotsuma heard the Emperor speak to him; true enough, Hotsuma knew this wasn't a fight he was going to win. This 'Demak' was a lot stronger...A lot faster...And a lot more capable than he thought.

Even so....He still had yet to give up where Takeshi had gone. "No....He is my concern. My friend...And I'll let every bone in my body break before I just hand him over without a fight!" Hotsuma bellowed, his arm billowing into a writhing mass that shot straight towards Demak. "Hmph....Your funeral, boy..." the robed man muttered, going back into fighting his assailant.

But as Yuna would try to find Kiryu and Takeshi, their trail likely cold...Hotsuma continued to battle, his opponent pushing him back further. Even with his upgraded form, it was difficult to estimate how much longer he would last in this fight.
 

" ... Thank you. Truly ... I do appreciate it."

Ling would wait for the car to stop in front of the hospital before leaning over and hugging her dad.

"I'll give you a list in a few days, more likely than not. I think I saw pretty well what ended up missing, but ... I put the deck back in my room. I ummm ... I'm not going to skip school forever. But definitely tomorrow."

While certain obvious facts and implications could be seen - like the fact she was dressed and ready for prom instead of a normal school day - there were other reasons that Shen could guess without Ling saying so. From unfinished homework to still being very fearful - rightfully so, too - for her own life, as well as Yamichi's. In this regard, they would be safest - should, anyway - in the hospital. Especially since her father had aided in keeping the fact her lover was from the Satellite away from Sector.

And Ling certainly had no intentions of telling them.

So ... this was probably the best course of action.

A deep breath passed Ling's lips as she moved away. Hazel orbs lingered on her father ... and even went to include the car she was in.

"I think," she slowly began to relay, "You and mom should take a really, really long vacation. You thought tonight was crazy? I ... don't think it's gonna get better anytime soon. Sector was able to help us tonight, but .... "

Ling's head slowly moved from side to side.

"I doubt we'll have the ability to use that same fortune too many more times. Either way, whatever you choose, please .... be safe. Be careful. I don't really know who that guy was, exactly, nor how he could do ... whatever he did. And that makes him all the more dangerous."

Ling would bow her head before finally exiting the vehicle and hurrying inside. Not out of fear, but knowing that normal visiting hours were coming to an end. Thankfully, they had done exactly what she hoped; made an exception and allowed her to stay overnight with Yamichi.

"How is he?! Is ... he pulled through. Right?"

Those would be the first questions the doctors would hear as they walked out, having finished all operations and medical procedures being completed on Yamichi. And finally, one last inquiry was added with the others. "Is he awake? Or still asleep?"
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________​

Yuna was nowhere near as good with technology as Yamichi. But she was a bit better than Hotsuma. Enough that she could use most devices without help. They just didn't come with as many quick movements or her fingers going rapidly over any keyboard. Or anything, for that matter. Still, she was able to use what was available which, as of this very moment, included her GPS.

She'd seen Hotsuma's right-hand man do a few tricks involving maps. One of which involved expanding the area. And while he could stretch it so he could not only see the Tops and Satellite simultaneously, Yuna at least succeeded in showing what she needed to be able to view.

Satellite, as well as the nearby area.

While the trail was mostly cold, she at least followed long enough to get a decent idea. Yuna had gone the right direction. That much she knew. And because she followed them far enough and could see faint but very fresh tire tracks that weren't from her Wheeler, it helped her get a good enough idea she'd gone the right way.

Not only that, but it allowed her to mark off the B.A.D. area as well as the docks.

Was it much? Fuck no. But finally - finally - for the first time in almost a week, they'd gotten a saving grace. The fear of finding Takeshi dead was gone. Both Kiryu and Demak made it blatantly clear they needed him alive and well enough.

We will get you back, Takeshi! Just hang in there! Yuna silently vowed, clenching her fists tightly.

Though it was very reluctant, she still turned her motorcycle around and drove back to where Hotsuma had been.

Annd .... elicited a sigh of relief to see he was much better than he could have been. Clearly beat up slightly and likely bruised. But compared to what Yuna had half-expected? This was merciful.

Not that she doubted Hotsuma.

But at the same time, Yuna arrived in time to catch even the Emperor demanding he leave. If that didn't send off alarms in Hotsuma's head ... well ... Yuna would try to help his spirit out in keeping him from dying tonight.

"Oi! Come on, Hotsuma! We need to go back!"

For now, she purposely avoided mentioning, or even thinking about, her findings. Mainly in case this bastard could also read her thoughts which, as far as Yuna could determine, was a very high possibility. He could have simply been intelligent enough to block her from getting to her Wheeler. But something told Yuna that there was another factor which caused Demak to react in such a manner. Regardless, Demak had failed enough to keep her from leaving, and worse off, getting a good enough assumption on where they could go. If he knew just how justified his concerns had been?

Yuna bit her lip, fighting off the urge to dwell on those thoughts for very long. Instead, she worked on conjuring a get-away plan, should it be needed. All the while, she remained on the seat of her D-Wheeler, watching - for now - the fight from afar.
 

Shen seemed satisfied with his daughter's wishes, glad that she at least could in part appreciate their concern. However, as Shen heard her suggest he and her mother take a long vacation, Shen just replied, "Just as you will be stubborn in not stopping your Dueling, young lady...Neither will I allow ruffians to run us from our house." If it hadn't been obvious when he'd asked Xue to get his bat to confront the strange man, it was clear Shen would defend his home and family against any sort of threat.

"And no matter what happens...I will not allow danger to come to my family. You should know that better than anyone, Ling Xiu Tsou" he would then add; a fighter he may not be, but he could not call himself a man if he did not do everything possible to ensure his wife and daughter would be safe.

However...As they arrived, it was clear where Ling's mind now laid. And honestly? Shen also wished to check in on the young man who so selflessly threw himself in harm's way for his sake. Especially since he'd been so blatantly discriminant against him from the start; as Ling mentioned, not all people from the Satellite were bad. Yamichi alone had been proof enough of that.

When the procedures were finished, a male doctor - young, about Ling's height and hair color - would come out to address the Dueling Queen's concerns. "Miss Xiu Tsou, let me alleviate your concerns by saying he is not dead. Very severely battered, but alive...However, I'm afraid the magnitude of his pain forced us to sedate him. He'll be unconscious for quite some time, but no more than a day; whatever transpired did a heavy number to his chest and torso area. We've managed to stabilize him and put him in traction, but he'll need plenty of bedrest."

At this Shen then asked the doctor, "This young man...Is there anything we can do to help?" The doctor then replied, "At this moment, his life is not in any immediate danger; it was thankful that Sector arrived as fast as they did." Shen said nothing; to think they had been on scene because he had called them to arrest Yamichi for trespassing. "But..." the doctor continued "If you know of anyone who might be related to him, or other friends, I would suggest giving them a call. I'm sure they would want to know."

"And what of the other man? The one who attacked my daughter?" Shen queried, the doctor smiling "He's on the secure wing, several floors up; trust me, he is nowhere close by. I was informed that you'll be staying the night, Miss Xiu Tsou; but I'm afraid we only have room for one visitor." Shen nodded, "Understandable..." He then came forward and hugged his daughter, saying “Ānshuì dé hǎo. Wǒmen zǎoshang huì gěi nǐ dài shàng xīnxiān de yīfú. (Sleep well. We will bring you fresh clothes in the morning)”.

After those goodbyes, Ling would be shown to a cot next to Yamichi's hospital bed: The tech was hooked up to all sorts of monitors, from heart rate to EEG to SpO2, a ventilator helping him breathe due to the chest trauma he suffered. And if Ling would look at Yamichi's phone, she would see an entry marked under Contacts for 'Home': An indiscriminate label for a direct encrypted link to the main messaging system at the former Facility.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

​
Hotsuma and Demak continued to fight while Yuna searched for Kiryu's trail, the latter seeming no less fatigued than when he started, the other holding out but quite clearly on the losing side. "Boy, you are annoying as you are tenacious." Demak scowled, Hotsuma replying "Same goes for you...Whatever this 'Rutger-sama' is holding over you, must be huge." Demak grimaced, "You have no idea...But the fact you are going so far for your friend, risking certain death, means he must mean a lot to you. I can relate..."

"Feh...You can relate...Don't mock me, you sonofabitch!" Hotsuma shouted, rushing at Demak with his sword raised high; the man, however, seemed to move like lightning. A pained howl left the former Disciple's leader as Demak's fist crushed against Hotsuma's side, nearly puncturing the plate over his chest as Hotsuma fell down to his back...Gasping as Demak's hand found his throat, the massive blade falling as his opponent began to squeeze. "I do not mock; you are not our true enemy, but you must realize you are at a disadvantage. Your contract is strong but mine is far stronger...And Takeshi is but a pawn in a much larger game. We did not take him out of malice towards you; his strength, however, is irreplaceable and necessary for our goals."

Hotsuma's armored hands beat against Demak's arm, the man's strength and resilience easily able to overpower his futile efforts to free his airway. Demak looked at Hotsuma in the eye, stating "Before you die, I will tell you this: I know what it feels like to be wronged. To have that which you treasure stolen from you. Rex Goodwin...is the one responsible. He is the reason for this island's suffering, in more ways than you can realize. Rutger-sama will fix what is wrong with this world, and your friend will be a powerful aide in helping this goal come to fruition."

At this Hotsuma stilled; to Yuna, it would likely seem as if the robed man had killed her former lover, especially with how still he was laying. Demak smirking as he relaxed, " This world is ill...And we are the cure. Destruction and creation are naught but two sides of the same coin, after all. In your anger, you fail to see that, it seems. What is one life lost to save billions of others, to get revenge on those that are responsible for spreading this decay of mortalkind? To that end, we shall wipe the slate clean and start an..."

However, Demak was so busy - in his own way - taunting Hotsuma for his failure and thinking he'd won that the Disciples' former boss snuck the Emperor's tendrils close enough to his throat and quickly wrapped around him. "Hate...You're right in that I do hate Goodwin. That arrogant fuck has made the lives of everyone here a living hell. But that doesn't give you the right...To trample on them as you see fit..." Hotsuma breathed, Demak now taking his turn to gasp for breath as Hotsuma put on the pressure. And as Hotsuma rose to his feet, it seemed the tides had turned...For the moment, at least. "Now...I will kill you for what you have done. You can repent in Hell" Hotsuma growled, raising his blade to strike down Demak as he lay seized in the Emperor's trap.

"Demak...I warned you about being complacent. But as I said...You shall not be slain by this boy. You must retreat; the time to confront your true target grows closer by the minute." that mysterious voice boomed; instantly a surge of yellow-tinged ran through Demak's form, shattering the Emperor's corrupting power and setting him free. And now with his back to Yuna well and truly...This was not a fight worth continuing. Demak, without a word, then seemed to vanish out of sight...The only evidence of their parting the numerous contusions on Hotsuma's body, the armor ruptured in several places from the power of Demak's blows...A fact that made Hotsuma crumple to a knee, barely able to push himself up.

"This is not over...Yuna, I'm going to keep looking for Takeshi." Hotsuma grumbled, shifting out of his Emperor form as he hobbled back over to his Runner; if she looked close, she would see the massively disfiguring markings on his face were no longer that same yellow color he'd received. No, if anything, they'd turned nearly pitch black; whether she would agree or not was of little importance to him. These bastards knew where Takeshi was, and he wasn't going to rest until he'd found him now.
 

" .... Fine. Just ... careful. You saw that barrier. They're much more than mere ruffians. What more?"

Ling shook her head.

"I'm not sure, really. But that wasn't the first supernatural display I've seen tonight. Earlier at the theater, the first guy in robes made the whole room feel heavy. Me and Yamichi were stuck to the floor ... like gravity just ceased to exist or something."

Her head shook again, a visible grimace appearing on her face.

"It was unnatural," she simply replied, not able to describe it any other way than with the cold, hard reality.

When the doctor began to speak, she clutched the phone against her chest. Ling held her breath ... releasing a deep sigh as she heard Yamichi had pulled through. A new set of tears fell down her face as she quickly nodded, "Thank you .... thank you for saving him."

As glad as she was for being able to have worked on making amends with her dad, she was just as glad to hear only one of them could stay at the hospital. This was something she'd wanted to do alone. If her father wanted to speak or thank Yamichi, she wouldn't be against it. Just for tonight, she would have figured a way to ask to be with her lover alone. Even if not in the best of situations.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she whispered back, soon finding herself without anyone around her. Ling's head slowly fell down to the phone, lifted before glancing at the door. This would repeat a few more times before she gulped and steeled herself. With hearing how roughed up the tech had gotten, she had figured the sight would be less than pleasant.

She just didn't know how right she'd been upon pushing the door open and finding all of the machines attached to Yamichi. It overwhelmed her, in all honesty. To the point where she damn well nearly dropped his phone.

"Yamichi .... "

Taking note of the cot nearby, she first sat down in a chair beside his own bed. Her left hand shakily rose and fell gently atop Yamichi's own hand. She wasn't trying, nor expecting, him to wake from the simple gesture. She just hoped the warmth and gentle feeling would give him some solace to ensure his sleep could remain peaceful. That he could somehow know she was safe and beside him.

Her right, meanwhile, pushed down on the phone, finding the "Contacts" with ease. And only one truly stood out. The one labeled "Home". From what she did know of his past, it seemed like the right number to call.

But for a few minutes, Ling hesitated. Would Hotsuma answer? Would he lash out at her for giving this news out? Was he really as bad as Goodwin had hinted in the Fortune Cup?

Her head shook again. Even if he was, they deserved to know. She had to be brave, even if a part of Ling was wishing she didn't have to do this. Ling took another breath, tilting her head back briefly before looking back down.

And finally ... she forced her thumb to push down on the "Send" button.

"Hello?" she heard from the other end.

With all of the Disciples gone, it would be a familiar voice she heard.

" ... Judai? I didn't know you were here."

"Oh, Ling! Heya! I know I already said this and all, but congrats on becoming Queen!"

"Heh, thanks, but umm ... that's not why I'm calling."

"Okay. Go on. You got my attention."

"Well .... "

Now she just didn't know how to begin. Did he even know Yamichi had gone out with her? What did she need to tell him? In the end, she decided the best answer was everything; that come to the Tops and they both went to the premiere of Atlas Rising, that Kiryu had ruined the movie showing as well as the theater, that another Dark Signer had arrived and forced him into a duel. But above all else, that he saved her despite the coerced nature of the duel, as well as why it was so significant.

"So ... you dad doesn't approve of dueling so much he tossed your deck away?"

"Tried to, anyway. I got most of it recovered, but ... some of the cards got permanently lost."

"Damn. That ... really sucks. All of this does. Shit."

"Yeah, yeah it does. So ... I'm staying with Yamichi tonight. I'm probably gonna be coming here after school for a while, to be completely honest. But .... "

Ling would pause, being cautious with the words she chose to say out loud.

"I still don't know every single thing about Yamichi. But from what I've gathered, he's got a link with Hotsuma and Yuna. And with how highly he's spoken of them, he must trust them a lot. So .... even if Goodwin was right about their true colors, they need - nay, deserve - to know why he hasn't come back. As well as anyone else who may be there."

"They'll definitely appreciate you at least keeping them informed. But ... yeah. They're definitely not gonna like hearing this. Takeshi's still missing, and that's been really taking a toll on everyone here. They're out trying to find him, in fact."

Ling knew Judai hadn't meant to make her feel guilty. But a surge of regret definitely flooded her. That wasn't what she'd expected to hear; that Takeshi was still missing. Her mouth opened. But .... no. That could wait. If this was an ongoing problem, then there was a good chance everyone was mentally exhausted and not in the mood to speak on the matter.

"I see. I hope they find him. I'm sorry to add more bad news, really -- "

"Hey, hey. It's fine. The honesty will be appreciated. Promise. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will. Thank you, Judai."

The "End" button was now pushed, with the phone being placed on the nightstand between her and Yamichi's cot. She'd roll her fingers lightly over his knuckles before gently kicking the heels off her feet. "Sleep well," she whispered softly, carefully getting under the covers of her own temporary bed. She stared at the unconscious tech, not falling asleep for at least ten minutes. Only when she felt confident his heart monitor would keep beeping did fatigue overcome her, lulling the new Queen into her own unconscious state.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________​

Yuna sighed softly. She understood perfectly where Hotsuma was coming from and why he seemed to all but ignore her right then and there. But at the same time ... even his own spirit had seemed to understand now was a fight neither of them could have won, and that included if Yuna had the ability to ask Rose for any aid at all.

"Hotsuma! This was meant to strictly be a search mission, with no to little physical contact! Now come on, please!"

The 'little' came into play when people like Demak had appeared. It was inevitable to not act when he'd kept her pinned and from reaching her Wheeler. But after that had been done? That was when Hotsuma should have vanished. He had the ability, and a far more stealthier one than Yuna possessed.

Her teeth dug tighter into her lower lip. Another breath passed her lips as she watched Demak disappear.

Good. Because it was becoming more and more obvious Hotsuma wouldn't have otherwise ceased. As much as Yuna enjoyed a good fight every now and again, she also knew her limits; something that her other partner wasn't always as good with accepting or acknowledging.

" ... Don't be stupid. Look at yourself! You're barely walking fine! Even if you found Takeshi, then what?!"

Her head shook.

"Listen. I got the areas narrowed down. Let's go back and recover. There's only so many times they can keep transferring him around, really. I should know. That's what they did with me; only moved me around when it was absolutely necessary. Besides ... "

Yuna would finally get off of her Wheeler and stand in front of Hotsuma, placing her hands gently but firmly on his shoulders.

"Finally, finally, we have a saving grace! Proof that he's alive! Before tonight, we didn't even know that for certain! So please ... I know you hate this. I do too. But even your Emperor knew fighting that bastard wasn't smart, and ... "

.... She could feel it. She wouldn't win this debate easily. Not unless she resorted to certain actions. Hotsuma would hate her even more.

But hey, what more do you have to lose when it comes to you both?

Goddamn did that thought send a surge of pain in her heart. It really did. Hell, maybe Hotsuma would sense that much. Her eyes softened as she let her hands fall away. He would move three paces before something metal and hard slammed against the back of his head. The last thing he'd hear Yuna utter were the words "I'm sorry" and maybe even feel himself lifted and carefully guided towards their Wheelers.

From there on out, Yuna would ride off with her ex, using the tow cable to get his own motorbike back to the Facility.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________​

It had now been two days since Kiryu attacked the theater. Her nights were primarily when she participated in her training with Morningstar, though it would ultimately depend on Jack's schedule. With him being occupied with Goodwin, the fallen angel had managed to sneak in a few early afternoon sessions.

Ahh, the perks of having his own share of powers; he could make the room sound proof. In fact, it was needed. Because he had been as hard on her as he'd warned. Worse, to be honest.

If Fayth had thought seeing what Yuna suffered was horrible, getting her own version in an attempt to help Fayth out was worse.

But, as promised, Morningstar did make some significant alterations. He wanted her getting stronger, not panicking and scaring herself to death. Even still, her back was now covered with a considerable amount of relatively fresh welts from being repeatedly lashed and whipped. Verbal insults and taunts would be hurled in as well. Each time Fayth spoke out, it earned another slash on her back.

"The more you argue with him, the more satisfaction you give the brat. That's exactly what he wants, Fayth!"

Those had been the first bits of advice Morningstar gave Fayth.

Now, though, she was getting one of the few reprieves. The sun hadn't yet set, after all, so it wasn't time for them to do another session. Fayth didn't often use her powers, as those required precautions. Now, however, she was taking enough advantage of them to activate the abilities. Whilst sitting in front of the large windows, she stared out and watched the sky get painted with bright, vibrant colors.

Simple, yes.

But these had been things she hadn't been able to witness in months that felt more like an eternity. Fuyu and Morningstar had both noticed and teased Fayth about it, but the observation was correct. She did have a romantic side to her. It was just .... never made painfully obvious.

Or .... she tried to keep that part tucked away.

This dimension had basically no chances nor right moments to let one's guard down. She had with Yusei, because .... well ... he deserved it. Didn't he?

Fucking hormones. They make things too fucking complicated, she internally cursed, resting her chin in her right hand. Despite the inner thoughts, a warm smile was on her face. Granted, she never fully forgot what had happened very recently as far as seeing Kiryu. But it was the seemingly small things which helped her avoid fully succumbing to the more negative emotions like despair.

Of course, to keep the guise that she didn't have any 'unnatural' - as some people would very likely call them - capabilities, she still had the blindfold. Fayth just now had the ability to actually see the sight before her.

You ever going to see Jack with that new ability?

A satisfied smirk that Fayth could now see appeared on the angel's face. Though it wasn't yet time to do their training, he'd found watching her to be interesting. That was the word he used for himself, of course.

If anyone else knew, they'd likely use 'creepy'.

But that was fine. Why should he care? As long as things kept going mostly down certain routes, there were very, very few things that Morningstar truly cared about.

" .... Maybe. I mean .... it'd be doable since he probably added two and two and likely knows the pact came with some bonuses. But ... "

As her thoughts trailed off, Fayth sighed.

"This has been great and all; being able to finally see, even if limited. But it's brought quite a few other emotions with being able to regain my sight."

Do you feel guilty?

"A bit, yes. I may already be dead in this dimension. So for me to have the ability to manipulate something that should be permanent ... is this really right? And yet ... why was it more just to have my sight taken away to begin with?"

Then have you not answered your own question?

" .... "

Well ... she couldn't argue with that. Her own smile widened as she slowly nodded, replying with a simple "I suppose" and going quiet again. Opting to enjoy the sun steadily setting instead of worrying about every rather small thing. There was already enough as it was to be concerned about. Giving herself more worries over nothing overly significant would do no one good, least of all herself.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________​

It hadn't been many times, thankfully. Still, the fact remained that even though the Fortune Cup had been over, his own Sign had acted up. A few days ago, in fact.

While it hadn't been enough to conjure the Crimson Dragon, this honestly wasn't something Yusei had intended to feel so soon. It was bothering him ... and that was putting it kindly.

Something was very, very wrong. He could feel it, and it was this instinct that led him to getting in touch with Crow the day before and agreeing to meet up. Preferably somewhere without the kids nearby, as this would be a very mature conversation.

For that, though, Crow needed time to get a temporary sitter to ensure the kids could be safe. And that was more than fine with Yusei. It, likewise, would give him time. He didn't really need to tinker with his Wheeler, but it was an easy way to help pass the time.

Fayth and Jack had been the first people that came to his head, mainly because of the timing of his Sign going off. Everyone, regardless of whether they lived in the Tops or Satellite, at least heard about the movie premiere. And with them both being Signers ..... it was a fair enough concern.

A somewhat tired but moreso satisfied huff passed his lips as he put the wrench away and took a bit to admire his work. Good. Now, he could focus. In fact, a quick glance at the sky hinted he'd finished at the best possible time. It was drawing near for him to head off, anyway.

Grabbing his visor off the handlebar, Yusei placed it over his head. He then proceeded to start up his Wheeler. The engine loudly roared before speeding off, going towards the docks; the very destination he and Crow had agreed to meet up at.
 

Yamichi would remain calm throughout the night; he was unconscious, but if Ling paid attention, she would almost feel his fingers reflexively curl around her own when she gripped it. Like he knew she was by his side, even if he couldn't speak or do anything to confirm it. But sometimes that was all that was needed, just to confirm that someone in a bad situation was still around. Still kicking as it were.

And when Ling fell asleep, the night would go relatively smoothly. Just a few interruptions as the nurses and doctors would check his vitals and change out his IVs, allowing the beaten tech to rest as comfortably as he possibly could.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
​
Hotsuma almost instantly blacked out from Yuna's strike, his eyes going wide as he nearly face-planted on the ground...And that was the last thing he remembered before awaking in his room the next day. If he were at full strength, it's likely the attack would have add only a small effect on him...But he did in fact wake up rather pissed off. "Sonofa..." he muttered as he rubbed the back of his head, the Emperor saying "Well now...That looked like it hurt. Will you just let her stop you from finding your friend?" Hotsuma just grunted while trying to sit up, succeeding in putting his legs over the bed, still fully clothed from yesterday, "Fuck you; only reason was because that asshole didn't die. I don't care what she says; come hell or high water, I'm getting Takeshi back."

However...More unwelcome news would soon come as Judai came to check on Hotsuma. "Eh...The hell do you want?" Hotsuma snarked, Judai raising a brow, "Good morning to you too..." Hotsuma snarled, "If you don't have anything useful to say, fuck off; got someone to find, in case you forgot." Judai didn't seem intimidated, just crossing his arms and replying, "You know...Takeshi's not the only who's in danger. Yamichi, you know, your number two? He got hurt in a Duel."

This definitely made Hotsuma pause, his red irises seemed to contract as he then demanded, "By who..." Judai shook his head, "Yamichi's girlfriend called, saying a Dark Signer attacked them. Yamichi beat him back, but apparently Kiryu held some influence on the guy who attacked her..." That tidbit seemed to really set him off, Hotsuma's teeth baring as his anger started to boil again. "Kiryu...I'll fucking murder him!" Hotsuma shouted as he punched the bed he sat on, Judai stepping closer, "No you won't; I don't know what all happened between you and Yuna out there, but the fact that you were brought back unconscious means you're in no condition..."

That was the last word he said though, before Hotsuma stormed over and knocked Judai across the jaw; even with his Yubel contract, the young man fell to the ground, head spinning as Hotsuma growled "And you're in no position to tell me shit...I'm done playing by everyone else's rules. You all can sit back and play it safe if you want...But I'm not letting my man flounder out there as some kind of fucking toy!"

And like that, Hotsuma found his way out, going to his own Runner and after punching through the center console to disable the tracker installed in his vehicle and starting it up...Took off once more. Leaving Yomi behind; in case Judai's prone form wasn't enough of a clue, it was highly unlikely he was coming back to Yomi. Not anytime soon at least.

And needless to say, the laugh that echoed through his mind was not lost on him...Now he could truly begin, after all.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
​
Crow was more than a little surprised that Yusei reached out to him; granted he was glad that he did, as he was filled with more than a few questions. A series of wrapped bandages covered his arm, as the kids were starting to get worried whenever he would hold back a shout of pain. And over these past few weeks, it had flared more than once.

"Thanks, you guys...I really owe you." Crow would say to his friends as the last of them was led into her home; his friend had agreed to watch over them for a while, as she knew Crow would do anything for these kids, and it took the verbal equivalent of a crowbar to get him to leave them alone for any longer than a few minutes. And if there was something that Crow had said that he didn't want them to witness, she knew it was serious. "No trouble at all, Rally; just mind yourself out there. Satellite's a dangerous place." replied Rally, Nerve saying "Yeah don't worry so much. We'll make sure these little tykes are good and safe." Of course, Taka was already some of them use him like a human jungle gym, a benefit of his larger thicker stature. "Anyway, Crow-san...You should get going" Blitz added, pushing up his glasses with one of the youngers shouting "Crow-ni! Come back soon!" Crow just got down to a knee and patted the little boy on the head, "Don't you worry, Nagato...Big Bro's just going to be gone for a little bit. He'll be right back...Oh and Rally, make sure Taka doesn't get too rough alright?" Taka was a nice guy...But a little thick in the head.

But with that all taken care of, he hopped onto his Duel Runner and sped off. "Yusei...What could be so important? Is this about the Marks?" Crow mentally pondered; ah well, no use fretting about it now. He would find out when he got there.

The news about the premiere definitely didn't escape him either; and though Jack had technically abandoned them, he was still glad to see that Jack hadn't been hurt. But...What could cause that kind of damage? The press reports didn't cover anything about what caused the destruction, only that there was an attack.

Arriving at the docks, Crow disembarked to find his friend waiting for him. "Sorry, Yusei; had to try and scramble to make sure everything was in order." Crow said, coming up to embrace his friend. "First off...Rally, Nerve, Blitz and Taka say congratulations on your Duel against Shimoda. That was a crazy comeback." At this, Crow did step back though and asked,

"But...I suppose we should get this out in the open. Yusei, what in the world is going on?"
 

It wasn't too amazing that he'd gotten at the docks first. Truthfully, Yusei would have been a bit more amazed if Crow had beaten him there. Either way, he would greet his comrade with a grin that most definitely widened upon hearing everyone else congratulate him.

"Heh, yeah. That definitely was an insane comeback. Probably my craziest to date."

His face then turned back to a more stoic expression ... looking just a bit regretful. And frankly? That was a somewhat fair assumption. On one hand, he would definitely rather be here on a more pleasant note. However, given what he'd received yesterday, it only strengthened his resolve to meet up with Crow. He would reach down and produce a note from his pocket, handing it over to the orange-haired duelist.

Amazingly, he would find it to be a letter from Jack.

"Kiryu's revival ... I hate to say that isn't new to me. What is, however, is hearing about the attack at the theater. One of the convicts who assisted in liberating the Facility informed me about Kiryu's resurrection. Apparently, he and this group he's now with had kept her held captive for a few weeks and ... really went to town interrogating her. They've got a huge target on all of us, but it's been seeming like Fayth in particular has Kiryu's attention. Likely to try to lure me over, if I had to guess."

His head shook, the serious look turning into one of disgust as he relayed everything he did know to Crow.

"I was gonna relay this sooner. Just never had much of a chance, nor reason, to do so before now. At any rate ... since Jack and Fayth had a very recent encounter with our former Enforcer, visiting them could be a viable option."

Of course, Yusei also knew the dangers that would come with that very suggestion. Particularly with the attack having been very recent, which meant most - if not all - of Sector was occupied protecting and guarding the Tops and certain 'high priority' individuals. Such as Jack, for instance.

"Or .... arrange for him to meet us? But I do think somehow giving him a reply would be beneficial."
 

Crow didn't say anything as Yusei started to explain what was going on, reading over the letter that apparently Jack had written to Yusei. He was surprised that the blonde had reached out to them, and if Yusei himself hadn't been here to verify what was on the letter? He wouldn't have believed it, not even for one second. Kiryu died...Then came back even more psychotic than ever?

Given his state of mind when Crow and Jack left the Enforcers? That was something; he'd heard second-hand from Yusei that Kiryu was getting worse before he ended up in the Facility...And now he was even more deranged? That was honestly terrifying, especially since if this was even remotely true about what he had become...Then Kiryu would have no regrets going after each and every one of their throats.

Only when Yusei finished did Crow fold the letter back up, eyes staring at the ground. "First off...Yusei, I understand that you couldn't relay this right away. It sounds like you had to hit the ground running...But this Fayth girl that's staying with Jack. Even if he's using her as you suggest, he's never been the type to fixate on any one person that didn't directly wrong him." Something about that wasn't adding up; he was no psychologist, but when he'd last seen Kiryu at his worst, the man was like a rabid dog. Going after anyone and everyone without much discrimination.

"I suppose that doesn't matter though. Like you said, we'll need to give him a response. And despite what Kiryu might try to pull, it would be better if we went to them. Strong as Fayth might be, if he's gunning for her: It's better to go into an environment where she'll have more protection, even if we might not be protected ourselves. Besides..." At this Crow laughed, "I kind of want to see Jack and let him know that despite what's happened, I'm going to help him. Past is the past, you know?"
 

"I know. Believe me, I know."

Yusei grimaced, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It was ... disheartening enough the night he died. Her friend, Fuyu, she really did try to save him. I could tell she didn't really like the idea nor wanted to. But she kept her word despite that. I hate agreeing with her ... but more and more, it's seeming like Fuyu was right. Kiryu doesn't want to be saved. He's ... embraced ... "

His head shook as a low chuckle passed his lips.

"It's a bit funny in an ironic way. We all thought he was nuts for wanting to get rid of Sector. But honestly? That's seeming much more normal than what he's been resorting to as of late. Yuna could relay what she showed us while under his custody. It was fortunate enough those sights didn't scare Fayth to literal death."

It'd been relatively close, though. In fact, there could have been a possibility of that happening had Fayth been alone and Yusei wasn't there. She definitely reacted very strongly to certain parts more so than others. Not that he could blame her. It was unreal. Like watching someone else's bad dream come to life. Actually, that scratch 'like'; that was exactly what it had been, plain and simple.

When Crow mentioned the thought of leaving Satellite, his own mind seemed to focus more so on Yuna.

"I did get a considerable amount of money from getting as far as I did. We likely could figure something out if you really wanna go through with staying in the Tops for a bit."

His head would tilt slightly.

"Do you need to let the others know you'll be gone a bit longer than just thirty or so minutes? Either way ... if we are gonna do this, I know I'm gonna need to get some of my belongings as will you. And since she's been mentioned a few times, I do think Yuna wouldn't mind helping us out. We got along well enough while we were both in the Facility."

It'd be more Hotsuma he was hesitant about. But that would be a bridge that could be crossed if it was even a worry in the first place. It'd been .... what? At least one month, if not more, since he'd seen Yuna. For all he knew, they may not be working together.

Not that he wished for it.

But the partnership between her and The Fiend Of Satellite had felt .... off. How, he couldn't explain.

Waving his hand dismissively through the air, he then looked up to Crow.

"So ... you really wanna go through with this?"

A coy smirk appeared on his face.

"Last chance if you wanna change your mind. Otherwise, we need to haul ass before it gets too late."
 

Crow just nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure; I'm not entirely sure what this all means. But from the sounds of the letter, Jack's got a pretty good idea about what's going on. Especially about these marks..." He looked down at his arm, seeing the brand that scarred his forearm. He'd honestly thought it was a birthmark, however weird it was to look at...But when it started burning, he even went to Puzzle Hospital - a reliable place for treatment even with its limited resources - to see if it was getting infected. And when that was a no...Well, he didn't quite know what else to do, and since it just seemed to burn only episodically, he could bear with that.

Learning it was something more? He would be crazy not to do it.

And after learning from Yusei where he would be going again - something he still couldn't believe was the case - he would head back to his hideout. "Crow? You're back rather quickly" Nerve would say, Crow just replying "Yeah...About that, turns out it's going to be a little bit longer than an hour. I might be gone for a day or two, there's something Yusei and I need to check out." Nerve raised a brow as if in question of what Crow had in mind, and after Crow looked around to see that the others were still occupied, leaned in and whispered to Nerve. The elder man's eyes widened in surprise as Crow revealed what Yusei and him had talked about.

"Well...I can certainly see why you went to speak with him in private. If I didn't know you or Yusei any better, I would have thought you were lying to us just to get a break." Nerve said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Crow just rubbed the top of his head, ruffling the wild fire-colored hair, "Yeah, I know...I feel really bad about asking you guys this, but I don't know who else to turn to."

Nerve just shook his head, "I'll be sure to keep the news away from Rally; poor lad's still sore over what happened between him and Jack. I'll them you had an emergency in case they ask." Crow shook his head, "No...Tell them the truth when I leave. Better that they know where I really am." Nerve just shrugged, "Very well. Be safe, and thank you for letting us know." Crow just nodded and after hopping back on his Runner...Went to meet Yusei at the last place he would expected him to meet at.

The Facility....Or apparently, the former Facility.

Something he found as he began to approach; on top of the building was a giant lit sign that spelled out "YOMI". So it was true then; the place had been overtaken and Sector rooted from its stronghold. However...That was the least of his surprises as he pulled up alongside his friend. "Yusei....Is this really it?" Crow asked as he stood off his Runner...Having to shield his eyes as what seemed like half a dozen floodlights focused on both him and Yusei.

"INTRUDER!" A rough voice shouted, almost instantly the duo encircled by a large number of freaky-looking soldiers carrying large curved swords armed and at the ready. The light showed off their deep purple skin coloration, glinting off the armor that covered their head, forelimbs and groin. "State your business...Are you with Security?" one of them asked, Crow leaning in to ask Yusei, looking more than just a little nervous "Uhm...Is this something she came up with? Please tell me those are just costumes or something really weird..."
 

All he needed was the green light from Crow. Once Yusei got it, he gave a quick nod and practically jumped back onto his Wheeler, speeding off to his hideaway. While Satellite would always be his home, there was something about this idea he was rather curious about. Even a bit excited. The change would be good either way ... hopefully it would.

Ever the optimistic, he shoved all negative concerns aside for the time being. Yusei was also a realist and, as such, those worries were very valid. But there was no sense in immediately worrying about them, either. With him knowing this, he simply focused on packing about four days worth of outfits and putting them in a dufflebag. He may not even need that much, but it was a precaution. Better to have too much than not enough.

Slinging the bag over his right shoulder, he grabbed his concealed money and put it in his pockets. He took a slight breath, glanced around, and smiled weakly. This was a 'farewell for now', not 'forever'. He'd be back when the time was right.

Nodding and convincing himself that much was correct for sure, he walked out and put his bag in the trunk of his Wheeler before riding back to meet up with Crow, arriving soon enough at the new version of the Facility. Suffice to say, he couldn't help but whistle as he glanced up and looked at all the work that had been done.

"Yeah. I'm pretty certain this is --- "

But Yusei stopped, his voice temporarily fading. When Yuna had hinted she and The Fiend both had 'powers', there were certain ways of them being used and displayed he'd envisioned. The sight of actual soldiers? Definitely not one of them.

"No," he quickly but confidently replied, "Definitely not with Sector. We're --- "

"Well, hello there ... Yusei and .... " Standing behind the demons was Yuna herself, panting slightly. Indicating she'd seen them on the cameras and hurried out ... just in case. Hotsuma had made damn sure she had control over the fiends, but some days, she half-expected a coup that would lead in her being forced to leave. Demons were .... fickle, and she didn't want to press her luck if she could avoid it.

"I don't believe I've gotten your name."

"He's one of my other friends. Crow."

Yuna crossed her arms over her chest. "Is he more sane than Kiryu?"

Yusei blinked a few times. The disdain in her voice didn't go unnoticed .... fuck. Something else had happened, hadn't it? He nodded after a few moments, realizing she was waiting for an answer. "Yeah ... yeah. He definitely is. I wouldn't have brought him over if that weren't the case."

".... You're right. I should have .... "

Yuna took her own turn to look back at the demons and made a 'shoo' motion. "I'll keep watch here. They're safe. No need to guard the front. Secure the sides and back."

Only after they left did Yuna look back to the other two, only knowing for sure one was a Signer.

"That's fair enough, Yusei. Yeah, I should have at least took that much into consideration. To say the last few days have been shitty are an understatement. Some events courtesy of Kiryu ... others from .... various and equally unfortunate factors. With Hotsuma gone now ... "

... Oh? Really now?

That was ... somewhat expected. Not that Yusei would wish for that to happen. But it only strengthened how he thought the partnership had seemed kinda .... odd. Yuna definitely had her share of flaws. No doubt. But not enough to make Yusei believe she could ever have been with someone like Satellite's Fiend.

"I have to be even more cautious and shit. And ... no. Those demons were definitely not my doing, nor are they guys dressed in costume. They're the real deal. Honestly, the Facility as a location for a base wasn't even my idea. That all goes to Hotsuma. But .... "

Yuna turned to stare at the Facility for a few seconds, lowly chuckling.

"Even I can't deny, it does have its share of perks. So it was definitely not the worst idea; just not one I can take credit for. Anyway .... " Yuna now looked back over to the guys. "I can practically see that you need something, so ... what's up?"
 

Crow seemed to be rather hesitant in lowering his guard while these 'things' were around him and Yusei; he didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified that Yusei didn't know what was going on. Regardless...The woman that appeared seemed to hold authority over them, the creatures speaking in some kind of weird guttural tongue as they scattered. Leaving the pair to talk with Yuna alone.

Crow definitely didn't share Yusei's more involved knowledge with Yuna or this 'Hotsuma'; of course, neither was he aware that Hotsuma was in fact the Fiend of the Satellite. And while he was more than a little curious how Hotsuma managed to not only secure the Facility as a base, but reinforce with it literal demon...This wasn't the time for that. Yuna seemed to have it under control, so he would have to stow his questions. Maybe if he ever ran into Hotsuma, despite him having apparently left, he could ask.

But when Yuna asked what they needed, Crow stepped forward and pulled out Yusei's letter, handing it to her, "This came to us from Jack; Yusei and I need to get into the Tops. There are some questions we should have him answer in person." Yusei nodded, "And from what it seems like, Jack and Fayth were attacked by Kiryu not too long ago." Of course, if Yuna had been watching any of the news stations, she would likely piece together that it had been Kiryu who had attacked the premiere.

And if she wasn't pissed at him already? This news would likely do nothing but inflame her outrage against his former friend. Not that he could blame her; even still, Yusei held it deep in his heart that Kiryu - the one he knew and came to respect and admire - was down there. Wanting to escape from the cycle of violence that had consumed his life.

"So, we were wondering if you knew of some way we could get over into the Tops. The only other way was closed off recently; and with a base like this, you guys must have a way of bringing in supplies." Crow asked, Yusei chiming in, "Basically, we're just wondering if we can use it for a one-time trip. If you're available to help us, that is."
 
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