- Joined
- Jan 27, 2011
"Indeed; with all that has happened, I can appreciate that you realize I'm pressed for time. Perhaps when an opportunity arrives that is more conducive to conversation, we can discuss this in detail. Until then, take care of yourself, Fayth." was his reply, obliging by her request to be called by her given name before Mikage came in and led her out.
With their meeting concluded, Goodwin would see to his own matters...Namely the still-present issue of the theft of Beelze cards, along with the issue of having the randomizer tampered with. With this in mind, he had a message sent down saying the next set of duelists would have to wait while the issue was investigated.
A short delay would do him some good too; he needed to figure who this 'Fiend' was anyway, and make sure that little punk didn't interfere any further. Those Beelze cards were dangerous, even more so now that the rogue elements had them.
Once Mikage returned, he instructed her to see to Jack; now that his prodigy had had his fun, he needed to get ready for the Fortune Cup itself. Even if it was still far away. And of course, the last item was keeping tabs on Fayth Milner; if she truly was a Signer, then it would behoove him to be kept abreast of everything she did. Especially since the duelist named Mister E - he would need to find his real name, if only to stop using what was clearly a fake name - had confirmed a group was hunting these 'Agents of the Light'.
And with everything that had happened so far, he found it better to be safe than sorry. Thankfully, there was one thing that did work out: The recruiting drive for Sector was an enormous success, even with all the trouble those brats in the Satellite caused. But first things first: Get the randomizer checked out by the techs, then get this tournament series back underway. He would get a detail gathered for tracking Fayth's whereabouts later; he had little doubt she would want to do much else after such a trying experience.
"Not a damn clue, Yuna...But best we don't bring it up here. That'd make the next conversations even more awkward." Hotsuma replied, chuckling as she remarked about how Mister E's little stunt got to her. "Damn, he really got under your skin, didn't he?" Hotsuma joked, watching his lover leave the room.
"Hotsuma...So, if you don't mind my asking, when exactly are you guys leaving?" Yamichi then asked, Hotsuma replying "Not entirely sure...We'll definitely let you guys know though. It might be by the end of the week though...Longer we wait, more time Sector has to plan their bullshit." Hotsuma then patted his right-hand man on the shoulder, "And hey buddy...Look, I know we're about to walk right into a shitshow. But I promise, Yuna and I do have a plan. And we will get back out. Name one time I broke a promise..."
And when Yamichi said nothing, Hotsuma just grinned, "I thought so. I appreciate you looking out for me though. Even still...You should see about entering a tournament. Ask Takeshi and Hajime if they want; I know you guys will kick some ass. And once we're out, we'll join right along with you guys."
Yamichi just blinked, before chuckling, "Yeah...Might be a good way to kill some time. Think I'll do that."
About a week and a half later, Yuna and Hotsuma had things - largely - figured out. Naturally, there were some smaller details that they couldn't figure out, but that was because they couldn't really get much else until they were inside. Which suited Hotsuma just fine; they would likely have to play it by ear anyway. And since they would be largely going in blind, Yamichi did them a solid and helped identify patrols that were newer and lower in rank, stating that they would have a better chance of being taken alive if newer officers arrested them.
After all, Hotsuma was - unsurprisingly - the subject of one of the largest manhunts after the assault on the reactor building. They still referred to him by his alias 'Sosuke'. No bounty was offered, but that wasn't too surprising since it would only embolden the criminal elements to track him down, and Sector wasn't keen on handing out reward money to fund their illict operations.
Regardless, with all the pieces set...It was time to put their plan in to action.
With her tournament concluded for now, it was time for plenty of relaxation and planning on how to proceed. Unknown to her, Goodwin had finished putting together an observation detail, tracking her every move. The Director watched keenly each time a report was made; she certainly knew how to lay low. Even so, he needed one more field test...See if she truly was a Signer.
And he knew just how to do it; when he knew she would be home, there would be a knock at her door before a letter came through the mail slot. In it she would find a letter from Jack, reading
"Fayth -
I've had some time to think about what you said, and after what happened with the tournament, it might be best if we met again.
I can't say I'll fully agree with everything you might tell me, but I will promise to listen with an open mind and reserve judgment.
Meet me on the western edge of New Domino past the Sector checkpoint."
- The King, Jack Atlas
And if she noticed, it was written in Braille; certainly odd that he would draft a personal letter, let alone one tailored to accommodate her disability. But he did show a hint of humanity or two last night; and the tournament certainly had its fair share of strange turns during her participation.
Now all that remained to be seen was if she would follow through.