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


Had Yuna probably tried, there was an ever so slight likelihood he would have believed the story. But with the mounting pointing to the fact that his eyes were not in fact screwed up in the slightest, the chances were diminishing faster than those of the two Sector morons they fought together. And the change in voice all but hammered the final nail into the coffin.

Truth be told, though...He didn't know what to feel.

Yeah, she had technically deceived him...And he probably should be pissed, especially since to him it was such a trivial detail. This wasn't the Yukio he knew...This was Yuna Takeda, apparently. Someone throwing away their identity for a cause they believed in. And for the right reasons; women were hardly taken seriously, both in the Tops and here in Satellite. And any chance Sector got to 'interrogate' a woman, they would take it...And in some cases, be back for 'follow ups'. And who was going to stop them otherwise? It was something Sosuke had seen all too much of, and something he and his crew had beaten those thugs to within an inch of their life for. Not because he was looking to get laid or recognized...But because he was tired of Sector getting away with their bullshit. All of it.

"Yuna, huh?"

That was all he said at first, still just looking down at the young woman spilling her guts (thankfully not literally) to him. It was clear that it bothered her, having lied to him for as long as she did. But instead of replying, he just walked right past her...And into her bathroom, finding a small medical kit full of stolen Sector supplies: Antiseptic wipes, pain meds, even needle and thread. Everything to perform an extremely rough field extraction, even picking up her discarded top in the process.

"I would say this won't hurt...But fuck it, it's going to be painful." he replied, kneeling down next to her and giving her two pills to swallow, as well as her shirt to bite down on in case she felt like crying out in pain. She might not have known this, but he'd been shot a fair number of times, as had the rest of his guys. He wasn't a surgeon, but it made him know how to get those damn slugs out.

"Yuna...If there's anything I am pissed about, it's you assuming I won't help you out just because you're a woman. Last I checked, we were both helping out everyone that's been brutalized by Sector."

If there were ever any words that might dispel any notion of anger or resentment he would have towards her, it would likely be those. And really? The notion of not helping someone because of gender was fucking retarded in and of itself. How many allies would he have if he tried to pull that kind of shit with some of the hotheads on the East Side? None too many, and some places there Sector didn't do go near at all, because they were worse than he was. Always helped to have friends, after all.

"I won't lie though; you pulled off a damn convincing dude. And now that I do know the real you...That's honestly fucking terrifying" he joked, letting the meds at least start to work a little bit before getting the forceps and sterilizing pads, the latter of which would probably sting. "Do me a favor and try not to pass out from the pain, alright?" was his next quip, oddly enough not overly foaming at the mouth about the deception.

Thankfully it seemed none of the slugs fragmented, which meant no fishing for tiny pieces of lead in the soft tissue. In that respect at least, she dodged a bullet. The stitch-work wasn't perfect either, but at the very least it would stop the bleeding; she would need to see a person he knew that was better skilled than he at this sort of thing.

And when it was all said and done, she had two wraps on in addition to the one on her chest: Her shoulder and thigh were gauzed and bandaged, allowing the newly revealed Yuna to breathe a little bit easier. "Well...Better days, right? I lose my number three and Yomi's leader gets shot...Talk about getting it through the back door, huh? Not a drop of lube to be seen either." he then commented, sitting on the ground with his back against the wall, jacket off and hanging over Yuna's shoulders to help warm her up.

"Gotta ask though...Why Yukio? Was that a name you pulled out of your ass, or did you know someone called that?" was his final question for her. He knew why he let people come to know him as Sosuke, but now that seeing she wasn't the Yukio, he couldn't help being curious about what made her think of it.
 

Yuna swallowed, feeling more and more of her insecurities begin to manipulate her logic and train of thought.

Fuck. You really screwed up, huh?

Her head bowed as she bit her lip. It wasn't like she couldn't blame him but ... ugh. She hated being right about such things.

Except ... she wasn't?

"Yuna...If there's anything I am pissed about, it's you assuming I won't help you out just because you're a woman. Last I checked, we were both helping out everyone that's been brutalized by Sector."

" ... Huh? Wait, what?"

The weakest of smiles crossed her face as she gave a nod of appreciation. "Thanks. Really, I do appreciate that." The grin remained, though it mingled in with a grimace as she took note of the medical supplies Sosuke had managed to find. A defeated sigh passed her lips as she took the pills and swallowed them, making a face as she forced herself not to spit them right out.

"Wish there could be a better tasting medicine," she muttered, slowly accepting her own shirt and biting down tightly onto the fabric.

... It appeared to be a smart move. Because, yeah. It had been needed.

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMF!!"

Her body shuddered as Yuna forced her hands to grip the sheets instead of Sosuke so he could work. Her eyes shut as she breathed heavily through her nose, trying to calm herself.

Motherfucker! Ahhh, shit, shit, shit!

The curses were more directed at the pain than Sosuke, but it didn't stop them from inwardly screaming in her brain anyway.

For a few seconds, it appeared as if she would end up passing out from the pain, as Yuna's eyes remained tightly closed for a good minute, if not longer. And even when they opened, it was done in a slower than usual manner. The brief sense of relief quickly disappeared as she felt Sosuke carefully lifting her leg.

... That's right. Damnit. They got you twice. Assholes.

A frustrated growl resounded as she clenched the sheets once again, waiting for the second bullet to be extracted.

Despite not being a licensed doctor, Sosuke ended up doing - thankfully - a pretty damn good job, all things considered. As the last of the bandages were placed over her wounds, Yuna removed the top out of her mouth, panting slightly.

"Well...Better days, right? I lose my number three and Yomi's leader gets shot...Talk about getting it through the back door, huh? Not a drop of lube to be seen either."

"Hehe. You're ... telling me. Yep, definitely no lube. Made painfully clear by the fact I'm still gonna feeling all of this shit in the morning. I can already tell. Ugh. Better days in-fucking-deed."

When the origin of her name was brought, Yuna moved her head in a negative manner and chuckled softly. "Definitely not out of my ass. I'm better than that, and cleaner than those Sector bastards. Nah though, I don't know anyone. I chose it because it's close to my name. It made the illusion I kept surrounding myself more ... real, I suppose."

After giving her top a quick inspection and seeing any saliva that may have stayed on the camo shirt was dry - or at least gone - she looked towards her drawers. She did have a few bras hidden away, simply because ... well ... she never once forgot she was actually a woman. Plus, as she'd told Sosuke, she tried living her life as her actual gender.

Which, unfortunately, implied they were probably a bit small.

And even if that wasn't the case, getting up to try to retrieve one wouldn't be the smartest of ideas.

.... He's already seen pretty much everything so ...

"If it helps," she began to say in a matter-of-fact tone, "I was going to eventually tell you this. I just .... wasn't sure when a good time would be, or if I could even muster up the courage."

Letting him mull over those words, Yuna lowered her hands and began unwrapping the bandages.

Admittedly, the pressure leaving her chest did feel good, made easy to assume by the sigh of relief Sosuke would hear. A bit of crimson painted her cheeks as her breasts were freed from the white bits of fabric and kept briefly into view, only to be concealed as Yuna pulled her camo shirt back over.

Before then, though, Sosuke would get a rather decent - albeit brief - show at her true size and appearance.

" .... I know I'm gonna have to relay this to the others somehow. But until then ... mind keeping it to yourself?"
 
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Yuna. Yukio.

Thinking for a second, Sosuke realized it made sense. Better than him, having taken his late father's first name as his alias. He debated whether or not to reveal that, but figured it would be imprudent...Or would it? After all, revealing her real identify- not just the name but the real person - was putting a hell of a lot of faith in him.

And to be honest, maybe it would show that he could be trustworthy. Eye for an eye and all that shit.....or something. Though his gaze did kind of linger for a moment when she undid the bandages, showing her chest to him. Honestly, he was still a bit in shock that the badass dude he knew for so long was a woman all this time; not many could pull a convincing act like that. He knew she wasn't trying ro show him anything special and he did look away as she put her shirt back. A bit on the small side but it fit her body, at least that was what he thought.

"You tell people when you're good and ready, they won't hear it from me." was the first thing he said to her, adding "But...I guess since we're being honest, maybe I should extend the ol' olive branch like those snobs love to say. But you have to promise not to mention this to anyone or I will beat your ass."

Ruffling his hair a little, he then looked at her and stated firmly "You probably already figured this for yourself, but Sosuke ain't my real name. It's Hotsuma. Hotsuma Oboro....Sosuke was my dad's name. Shouldn't be too hard to figure why it was his his name." And even if she couldn't figure it out from that, the sour expression on his face spoke volumes. He still remembered it too, in disgustingly vivid detail: A Sector raid where they mistook his father for someone they were searching for. The beating, hearing that crack as they all but split his head open, leaving the man to die on the floor. Not even apologizing to the kids or helping them out now that they were orphans. His elder brother holding him tight as he cried his heart out. And when he was taken trying to get them out of this dump, that was the last straw for Hotsuma...And he took on the identity of Sosuke, the Fiend of Satellite. Corny as the name was, anything that made those Sector fuckheads think twice about crossing him he wore with pride; lord only knew how many green officers he'd made wet their pants when saw the Disciples just showing up at all.

"Anyway...Don't worry about when you were going to tell me. Like I said, I get it; women have it worse than guys by a long shot." he replied, leaning back against the wall and looking up at the ceiling. "But...After we lay low for a bit, we really should go see someone to patch you up better than my half-ass hackjob. I got a friend that runs a clinic of sorts; hopefully he won't be too pissed that I didn't use self-dissolving sutures." the man smiled, chuckling a little.



A few days later, and things started to normalize. Sector was still out and about in force, some of the new recruits already hitting the streets in a first wave. Hotsuma could only bet that they thought they were untouchable. Another badge-wearing symbol of security for New Domino.

And it was because of this that he made their lives a living hell.

Especially now that Raiko was out of the picture, Sosuke invested more time than ever before in front-line operations. And mostly, doing it so that all Sector would do was try to find him; last thing he wanted was Yuna getting caught or another one of his guys ending up like Raiko. And probably got rougher than he should have with a few of the new recruits, and the more experienced ones he caught alone beaten to sometimes within an inch of their lives...But fuck it, they deserved what they got. These spoon-fed pigs saw the bigotry, the mightier-than-thou attitude and chose to ignore it. Hell, he even had a few of them get so damn scared that they promised they would resign if he let them go.

Needless to say...They wound up back in their substation with borderline-grievous injuries. They wanted a fiend, he would give them a demon from hell.

All that aside, he'd taken Yuna down to his friend and got her injury better taken care of. At the very least, she could walk now and run if she had to but not for very long. Hajime had seemed to take up more of a leadership role while things blew over with Sector, helping 'Yukio' return Yomi to a state of relative normalcy. Same went with Yamichi, whose technical expertise had become even more vital now that they basically poked the sleeping bear too hard.

And it was now that he was coming back from an excursion, the hacked-together bike carrying another load of supplies for Yomi. It was about the end of the two-week mark since they changed the delivery schedule...And thankfully this one had gone rather smoothly despite the slightly increased number of beat officers. Sosuke wouldn't be able to stay long though; he had a plan to cross back over into New Domino and cause some trouble there. Honestly, if it weren't for his pact with Yuna and helping everyone here in Yomi, there was a very real chance he might have established a base of operations in the Tops somewhere. If only to hit Sector the hardest.

"Wow, man...I didn't think we would get that thing to work. Thank God you managed to hack the override, Yamichi." Sosuke breathed, helping his and Yuna's crew start to unload the goods, the techie stating with a goofball grin, "All you had to do was wait three more seconds, ya dingus. All those extras hits on West Side patrols are keeping Sector clear of the pipeline like Takeshi said it would. If it wasn't for me, we'd be up to our hair in Tops' trash." Sosuke just gave him a noogie, "Alright, wise-ass, I goofed. No need to rub it in."

Looking over to see the fearless leader of Yomi, he then just said with a smug smirk that reeked of impure, Tops-bashing thoughts "Hey...Feel like raising some hell in the heavens of New Domino? I think it's high-time we give those trust-fund babies a taste of Satellite."
 

"Thank you," Yuna repeated, a sigh of relief enunciating the end of her gratitude as Sosuke reassured her he would be silent about fnding her true identity out until she brought it up to everyone else. "I also gotta admit, it'll feel good. I haven't liked this false guise or anything. But ... well ... " She gave a casual shrug, only to almost immediately regret doing so as her shoulder painfully stung. "Ahh, fuck, fuck. That was dumb, okay. I get it, I get it," she muttered, speaking more to her body than Sosuke, though it was technically directed at both.

Her head definitely tilted curiously as even Sosuke began to speak, revealing he had his own secret. It wasn't surprising that he possessed one; more so that he was okay with admitting it to her right then and there. Everyone had at least one skeleton in their closet nowadays. Whether it was literally or not was just another story.

"You probably already figured this for yourself, but Sosuke ain't my real name. It's Hotsuma. Hotsuma Oboro....Sosuke was my dad's name. Shouldn't be too hard to figure why it was his his name."

" ... Oh? I mean, that sounded natural but .... "

A small smile spread over her face.

"I suppose for a while, Yukio did to you, huh?"

Indeed, the glare that could be detected in Sos -- Hotsuma's - rather - eyes hinted why the name was significant. She hoped her attempt at lightening the mood and atmosphere would help out a bit. But at the same time, she could understand if it failed. Yuna had, on a very technical note, lost her parents also. Definitely not in as brutal or literal of a manner, but some could argue it was as bad, if not worse than what Sosuke had encountered.

When one was justified at leaving what was supposed to be their own home and turning their back on their own family was actually the right move to make ... yeah. That in itself spoke volumes of the choices Yuna had made thus far. Even if her parents weren't officially deceased like Hotsuma's father was, it was easy to argue they may as well be with how neglectful they'd been.

"Hotsuma, huh? That'll take a bit to get used to. Don't worry though; I won't let anyone know before you bring it up either. Right now though ... "

Yuna plopped down onto her bed, panting and breathing, though not due to pain. A quick glance would show she was exhausted, rightfully so.

"I'm fucking tired," she muttered, "Tell everyone else to leave me the fuck alone, unless they wanna get bitched at. I'll be down in a bit, probably a few hours."

Despite Yuna's body still being relatively sore, she felt otherwise really good. One hell of a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she truly was ecstatic she had finally been able to tell someone the truth. Sure, it was only one person. But it was a very important individual, which made all the difference to Yuna. Grinning upon realizing what she had said and done, her eyes almost instantaneously shut. The moment they completely vanished from view, Yuna passed out, feeling - overall - much better than she expected to be. Especially after the make shift surgery Hotsuma had given her moments ago.
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The day after Hotsuma and Yuna getting ambushed was the first of recovery. Primarily for Yuna, mind you, but it technically did extend for everyone.

Luckily, Sector hadn't found Yomi's base and thus didn't raid it. However, there had been a lot of areas that weren't so fortunate, something that Yuna learned about thanks to the news and a bit of additional aid from Yamichi. It made her that much more relieved she'd made everyone leave, as a good number of duelists that were found also got caught and arrested.

Those fuckers. I hope they get their share of Karma soon ...

It was now the third day since the 'field trip gone wrong' had occurred. Yuna was ... still a bit sore. Not physically, but mentally. Just thinking and knowing Sector had the ability to waltz around and own both Satellite and the Tops was getting Yuna even ore pissed than she had originally been at the so-called 'police'. It wasn't easy for someone like Yuna to actually hate someone - or a group of people - more than she already had. But Sector was doing a damn good job at tempting her to forgo any morale compass she still owned.

... Thankfully, she wasn't that far gone. Not yet.

So, her own plan hadn't changed. She would continue to work on getting rid of Sector. However, she wouldn't intentionally cause any deaths. If they happened, it wouldn't be on purpose, unlike said force whom had no qualms in actually trying to kill her, as they proved three days ago.

Since their last conversation, Yuna had kept her word about being silent on whom Sosuke truly was.

In regards to herself, though ... well ... she couldn't quite say the same. Only one other person now knew who she was and it was indeed the man that anyone could fairly assume.

Hajime.

He had, naturally, followed Yuna when she got the more official surgery done. So .... yeah. He found out quickly enough, though not without earning a smack upside the head for trying to be stealthy.

Aside from her blue-haired right-hand man though, she couldn't find it in her to tell the others she was actually a woman.

It was stupid. She knew that. But some lingering sense of dread had no doubt kept her quiet. And the incentive was only strengthened as her ,ind continued to remind her of one fact.

They won't all be as understandable as Hajime.

Like Yuna had predicted, the most loyal member and closest friend within Yomi was indeed shocked for a brief amount of time. Once it vanished, however, he accepted the news, only questioning why she'd bothered hiding herself for so long. But when he heard the same things Sosuke had, he admitted even to her that Yuna's logic had been fair enough.

... Well, whatever. Shit needs to get done, and that definitely won't happen if you keep lying your lazy ass down ...

Nodding to herself, Yuna finally sat up and began changing into a new outfit, settling for a new casual approach. Alas, her lack of courage led to the bandages ending up binding her chest once again.

.... But you have no one to blame but yourself ...

Taking a slight breath, she nodded to herself before half-walking and half-limping out of the room. The wound was mostly healed; the main issue was her muscles. They hadn't forgotten how the bullet had felt and it sometimes caused her muscles to twitch, even when she least wanted them to react in such a manner.

"Yun -- err -- Yukio? You sure you should be up and about?"

Yuna jumped slightly, though now that she thought on it, she should have expected Hajime to be waiting. A soft chuckle would be the first thing he'd hear before seeing Yuna give an affirmative nod. "Sure enough," she replied back softly, allowing her voice to turn to normal since he was the only person in front of her for now. "I can't stay in bed fucking 24/7. You know that as well as I do."

"But ... " Hajime quickly stopped as he saw Yuna cross her arms under her concealed chest and nodded. "Fine. Are you okay to walk?"

"Damnit, Hajime. Look ... I do appreciate the concern. But I'm not that frail."

"I wasn't trying to imply that! Just ... I don't want you to risk ruining your body for good and ... "

Yuna grimaced, knowing his words did hold some truth to them. "I get it," she confessed, "And I'm glad you're trying to help me. But I'm pressed for time. If I tried to stay cooped in my room .... that wouldn't work out well for me. Likewise, I need to get shit happening again, for the better. This all involves me taking the risk, whether I wanna or not. Just ... keep doing what you have been. As things are, I know that on the off-chance the absolute worst case scenario does ever arise, I'll have you that I can count on. And, obviously, Hotsuma. But I can't say that same loyalty is ... absolute from any of the others within Yomi."

" ... I understand. Alright."

After giving Hajime a bow of appreciation, she descended down the stairs, using the rail as a precaution, and met up with Hotsuma - or, for now, Sosuke.

"Hm?" she inquired, shifting right back to Yukio as she seemed to walk down on ... an interesting talk, apparently. "Your hacker find something?"

When it was hinted that Yamichi had managed to find and show something off to Sosuke, a smug smirk crossed her own face.

"Heh, you really are quite the fiend, aren't ya? Wasn't everything we did three days ago good enough? Nah though, thinking back, it wasn't really, was it?"

Knowing the answer to her own rhetorical inquiry, Yuna paused - more on purpose in an effort to add tension - before giving an affirmative nod.

"Sure. This payback for the cowardly ambush? Or is there more reasons for this outing besides that?"

Quickly patting her right hip, Yuna felt her deck was still attached in a pouch. Now that she knew everything was ready to go, all she needed were details, be it from Sosuke or Yamichi, if not both.
 
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Yeah, it was definitely good to see 'Yukio' walking around again. Meant things were at least going to be rolling straight into the next act, and 'Sosuke' was definitely ready to get some divine retribution against those fucking Sector pigs. Still wearing his glasses, he just grinned as she started asking about what they were talking about.

"Yeah, Yamichi found something alright; and if you think that clusterfuck scared ME off, I think those bullets you took knocked a few screws loose. If anything, them trying to kill my guys just makes me want to shove my foot that much farther up their collective asses!" he roared energetically, earning some woops and loud laughs from those that had slowly filtered back into Yomi's protective domain.

Walking forward, Yamichi brought his datapad forward so that Yukio could see, the young man not knowing just who the Yomi boss was "Look at this; Sosuke asked me to look into this as he saw an armored car pulling down the road just outside of a card shop on the Northeast border of the Tops. We thought it was a money truck, something that we could hit later...But then listen to this."

At this, he turned on the audio, a short delay before a slightly garbled conversation took place:

"Make sure this gets there, alright? I don't want that asshole Goodwin thinking I'm holding out on him; if he's having that much trouble with those punks from Satellite, this card - if you can teach your idiot underlings how to use it - will make them all but invincible."

"Yeah, yeah, we will...Don't worry, these copies of Beelze will get there..."

"Hey, moron! No talking about what this really is! I don't know about you, but the last thing I need is someone overhearing it and figuring out what we're carrying!"

"Sooooorry, you fucking whiner; we do have guns on us you know? No one's going to care if we drop a few Satellite dregs anyhow. Especially after what happened with the Fiend. My brother fucking died because of him...If I see that shithead, Imma put one right between his eyes myself."

Sosuke just grinned, "Whoops" but not meaning it in the slightest. "So, get this...Actually, you know what, Yamichi's on a roll. I'll let him tell about this Beelze"

The hacker then typed something into the datapad, pulling a card image:

300


Yamichi then continued, "After I did some digging, I found this: It's a limited-production card, something Industrial Illusions probably made as a specialty card for Sector. It's supposed to be near-invincible, and the card text shows it: Immunity to card effects and battle destruction, and any damage taken gets added to its attack. And notoriously easy to summon; I've found over a thousand possible combinations that can summon this card from any Sector deck. Any deck; if this makes it into their arsenal, we're in deep shit."

And it was here that Sosuke stepped in, "And I for one, am not about to let them get this thing scot-free. Not after what happened. So if you're with me, I say we get this show on the road. We're going to get some fucking payback for hurting us like they did, and steal this Beelze so we can hit them even harder." Turning to his guys, he then said Yamichi, Takeshi, you stay here in case anything happens though; lend Hajime a hand however he needs it." And though Yamichi was a little tired of Sosuke's constant worrying, he knew where it was coming from: They were his family, everyone he wanted to protect. And besides, they needed a backup plan in case this went wrong. And going after Sector as hard as this again, it could go very wrong.

"You got it, Boss; consider Yomi under Disciple protection." Takeshi then said, making the Fiend grin. "Well then...We're off, so don't wait up; who knows how long this could take. Might even have to sneak in and crash in some snoot's upper story apartment for a night or two, haha."



It wasn't easy getting across the pipeline, but eventually they did: Yamichi had told them of the route they would need to take to intercept the truck. He still had the rifle he stole from three days ago, perfect for shooting out the tires...This was something he would give to Yuna; plus if anyone got too rowdy he would need to get insurance that they wouldn't be attacked.

Riding the motorcycle they had used to transport goods, he followed the path that Yamichi described; the bike's HUD was repaired and had located the truck's transponder signal, enabling him to track where it was going...And they were getting based on the signal strength.

"Alright Yuna, get ready...We're hijacking this shit, and if we have to get rough, don't hold back." he said to her, twisting the accelerator so that they would speed along more rapidly; though when the truck finally came in sight, he noticed the lack of escorts. Fuck no, he wasn't taking that chance again. "Shit...This might be another trap..." he said, slowly backing off to follow it from a safe distance; and for a while that's exactly what they did, watching it disappear down a side alley. He rode past it, only as a ruse to make them think he was just someone with a fellow rider going for a ride around town. However...They would then park the bike and make their way back to where it disappeared on foot.

Unaware that this was a trap of an entirely different kind.

Hotsuma approached and saw the truck parked; weird, why would they do that? Still...If they were going to just sit there and let themselves be taken off-guard, who was he to deny the opportunity? However before he could act, he then heard someone say.

"Ah, so the Fiend of Satellite finally steps out of the shadows...Master was expecting you would come out of the slummy cesspool before long, with the appropriate bait of course."

The voice came from his left, Hotsuma's eyes seeing an unidentifiable person in a dark hooded robe. Definitely didn't look like Sector, unless they were super into dressing up now. "Who the fuck are you?" Sosuke then demanded to know, the hooded figure chuckling as - from the voice it sounded like a he - replied, "Dear me, that's no way to make friends. I believe you were chasing this down, were you not?" He then pulled the very card out from underneath one of the sleeves: Beelze.

"Much like you, our Master doesn't want Sector having this either; you would think that Goodwin would have provided better security for such a rare and powerful card." the male snickered, Hotsuma's growing aggravated, "So...What is it exactly you want? Give me one good reason why my friend here shouldn't just blow your head off and we just take it?" At this the man laughed again, "Oh? And what makes you think I'm alone? And besides, there's really no need for violence...How about a Duel? I believe you're quite accustomed to that...Arent' you, Hotsuma Oboro?"

Hotsuma just froze; how did this fucking dick know his name?
 

"Nah. Nothing was altered from those bullets. Nor did I say I was fretting you were getting too tame or shit like that. The day I start spouting that kind of stupid shit, please feel free to smack me upside the head. I'm not that far gone yet though."

As both Yamichi and Sosuke revealed what had been found, Yuna let out a low whistle. "Verrrry nice. Awesome find. I had been hearing rumors, truthfully. Something that did imply an almost invincible dragon was indeed in the process of being made. But I just blew it off because ... well ... every card has its downfall. But ... hmm."

Moving forward a few more paces, Yuna took a better and much closer look at the card image projected by Yamichi.

"This doesn't really seem to have much of a down side to it. Fuck."

.... Yeah. Sector definitely did not need to acquire something this deadly. It was far too dangerous to even risk those bastards getting their filthy hands on.

Even the best cards in my deck wouldn't really be able to handle it. Not when Beelze can overpower anything that beats the 3,000, nope.

"Definitely count me in. Fuck if they're getting those."

Pivoting on her feet, she turned her head and gave a quick peek back towards Yamichi. "Hajime's got his priorities in the right place and whatnot. Just help him ensure he doesn't forget anything, will ya? On the off chance he starts to panic or freak should shit get bad here, you have my consent to smack him and yank him back to reality."

Offering a quick but at least genuine wave to Yamichi, Yuna turned back around and began heading to the garage. The loud sounds of her D-Wheeler's engine revving up would echo briefly, only to decrease steadily in volume as she drove out of her base and into the streets of Satellite.
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Suffice to say, Yuna definitely had not expected the rifle. She wouldn't have blamed Hotsuma for wanting to keep it. He probably had more skills and, in truth, should still have it.

But ... she would risk letting him down just as much as she would letting Sector get a hold of this new card.

That was to say, not at all.

When Hotsuma demanded she shouldn't hold back if push came to shove, her lips pressed tightly together. A stern but affirmative nod would be seen, and even with her wearing a helmet, Hotsuma would be able to feel the resolve without seeing it reflect in her eyes.

"Understood. I definitely won't hold back."

Just don't judge me if it means I end up taking a life, accidentally or otherwise ...

The first thing she also took note of was the lack of escorts. Her eyes narrowed as she bit down on her lower lip.

Hm? The fuck's up with this?

"Yo, Hotsuma? You feeling ... on edge all of a sudden? Because I sure as shit am."

Given her partner had addressed her as Yuna instead of Yukio, it seemed fair to return the favor and use Hotsuma's proper name.

Besides, you're alone. Not like anyone else will overhear you or whatnot ...

After following Hotsuma and taking several more detours, they stopped at their destination. But ... the truck they had been following also came to a halt?

.... Oooookay, I guess ...

Shrugging lightly, causing the softest of pained hisses to pass her lips from the still lingering soreness, Yuna dismounted and removed her helmet.

"Alright, so .... "

That was far as she got before the first voice began to talk. Just from the tone, it was making Yuna even more uneasy. She felt herself gulp nervously and want to back away. She held her ground, but it was easy enough for anyone to notice this one single male - she was pretty sure that was the right gender - was beginning to make her feel really on edge.

"Oi! My partner asked you a question! Don't fucking ignore us!"

"Oh don't worry ... we don't intend to. Well, not completely, anyway ... "

.... Behind?!

Sure enough, Yuna's ears had been correct. Before she could turn and face the other voice, though, one arm crossed over her neck and began lightly squeezing. The other kept a firm grip on the rifle.

"Is the Fiend so scared that he felt obligated to bring firearms?" the second voice teased, chuckling as he pulled Yuna's back against his robes. "Now, now. You seem like you're smart enough. Struggling's only going to make things worse for you. Relax. Accept this ... and we'll go easy on you."

"Fuck ... you!"

A ghost of a smirk appeared on the second male's face, only hidden due to the cloak pulled across his features.

"Master did say even you would be a feisty one. But I suppose that makes sense. You're a legend in your own right; just an unknown one. How would everyone react if they knew the literal underworld - Yomi, that is to say - was led not by a man, but Miss Yuna Takeda?"

Now Yuna did stop struggling, blinking a few times as she repeated the last rhetorical inquiry. Had this fucker really identified her just like the first one had?

" .... Who the fuck are you assholes?!"

"All in good time. Well ... since you refuse to surrender, I suppose the duel will go on, hm?"

When he saw the first possible affirmative gesture, he moved away -- taking the rifle with him while simultaneously letting go of Yuna.

Yuna coughed a few times, trying to regain the lost breaths that had been stolen from her. "You ... you fuckers!" This time, she didn't bother trying to act as Yukio. Why? No point now that they revealed they knew more than she wanted to hear. "You're not keeping that rifle!"

"On the contrary, I'd say we are. So, Yuna, do you and your partner want to go first?"

"Pfft, no. Order doesn't matter. I'll crush you as easily as I would any Sector bastard!"

"Alright then. It's settled. I'll begin, then Yuna may go, followed by my partner, and last - but certainly not least - the Fiend."

Several beeps resounded as all of the Duel Disks were activated. "Normally, I'd agree. Alas, my deck doesn't feel like taking its time, it seems. I summon Shadowpriestess of Ohm and activate two Fires of Doomsdays."

Yuna grimaced, acknowledging he did seem to be right about that much.

He's only played two cards but yet, has a full field?

Each Fires of Doomsday summoned two tokens.

"Hmph. Fine, but -- "

"I know. It doesn't do me any good if I can't attack, right? That's fine; I didn't intend to. I activate Shadowpriestess of Ohm's effect. I can tribute as many Dark monsters as I wish. Each successful tribute is worth 800 points to you. Yuna ... tell me. What is 800 times five?"

Yuna damn well nearly dropped her hand, moving her head from side to side. "You're ... there's .... "

"Sleep well. Don't worry, Yuna; I'll take excellent care of your body while you're out."

By now, the priestess had finished collecting energy. An orb formed in front of her right palm, growing as each token vanished. The moment she joined the tokens, the ball of energy shot towards Yuna, hitting her square in the ribs.

She'd expected the impact to hurt. However, the sensation of this actually being a very dark, strong power was what really made her scream in agony.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Try as she might, her eyes refused to stay open. The new and very foreign ability the Psychic showed off was way too much for her to handle. She began to stumble forward, almost falling down on the ground.

... But, right before she could collapse onto the concrete, Yuna's body fell instead against the robed figure who stole the rifle and tossed her over a shoulder. What would really make the sight seem the most eerie wasn't that Yuna seemed to find her way towards her assailant. Rather, it was the fact he didn't move. Never once did he leave his spot. It was like watching a puppet master guide one of his own tools to him. But there were clearly no signs of strings being used. He'd manipulated her body ... with ... his own will power?

To the untrained eye, it would appear as if that had indeed been the case. There was, of course, a secret to his trick. He just hadn't given any hints even on how he seemed to control Yuna.

"One down, one to go. Since she's unconscious, it's my partner's turn."
 
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The way this smug bastard was talking was starting to piss off Hotsuma, his teeth clenching as he shouted, "Just try it, you fucking creep! Fuck the Duel, I'm just going to beat your face in!" The first robed figure just smirked, "Oh, I wouldn't be so hasty if I were you...Your friend there just learned why." Sosuke turned his head and saw Yuna being restrained...Overpowered. "Yuna!" the young man shouted, starting to tun over to her but then felt his legs buckle as a heavy but unseen force seemed to make his body fold, the ground cracking a little as he went down to all fours.

"Now, now...We're not here to hurt you. Too badly, that is; he warned us we might not be able to play nice. In fact, you two are people Master is very keen on meeting so let's not keep him waiting shall we?" he then said, Hotsuma getting more and more pissed off; why would anyone impersonate those Sector pigs? Was this really all a ruse to drive them into the open?

Regardless, the Duel started...And with all four activated, Yuna and Hotsuma had their backs facing each other, both of them against opponents they knew nothing about. How this was going to play was anyone's guess...But unfortunately, neither one of them would be able to stand against these adversaries.

And the first opening turn was not a good one; he didn't know exactly what Shadowpriestess did, but he got a good look firsthand...Especially when he heard Yuna's pained cry. Again, he tried to go help her, watching as this robed freak's partner grabbed his comrade...Only to be forced to the ground again. "Ah, ah, ah....We still have a Duel to finish, and I'm not one to appreciate being robbed of my fun. So if you please, let's continue...I'm curious to see what the Fiend of Satellite has to offer." Gritting his teeth again, Sosuke stood up and shouted, "Once I win, I'm going to fucking murder you both! Now take your damn turn!"

The first robed man just chuckled, "Oh dear, such rage! How delightful...It's a wonder more of Sector hasn't fallen because of you, especially after what they did to you...And your family." Hotsuma's eyes narrowed even more, the robed figure saying "I draw...Oh, and this will be such fun! I play Foolish Burial, sending my Gold Gadget to the Graveyard, then play Iron Call, summoning it back to the field....And thanks to its effect I can summon a 'Gadget' from my Deck. And of course, Red Gadget is the obvious choice. And with its effect, I think I'll add Yellow Gadget to my hand." Both monsters appeared, their joints clanking a little as they readied to attack. "Now...Allow me to Normal Summon one monster that I think you'll appreciate...Dragon of metal, focus your three barrels on my foe, show him the true meaning of firepower! Barrel Dragon, be born!" And with it came the three-barreled monstrosity, roaring to life as it rose from a pool of slag.

"Now since it's the first turn...I obviously can't attack. So be ready; Barrel Dragon's ire is nothing to sneeze at after all. Just look how sleek it is! Simply glorious!" the man stated excitedly before saying "I then place two cards card face down and end my turn." Making Hotsuma grimace as he drew his next card.

"Fine by me! I play Foolish Burial, sending one monster from my Deck to the Graveyard...And I choose Archfiend Empress! Then comes Archfiend Cavalry!" Hotsuma stated, the dead-looking horseman riding forth. "Next, I Special Summon Archfiend Commander: Whenever there's an Archfiend monster I control, I can summon it without Tribute!" The mountainous Fiend appeared, Hotsuma stating "Now I target Cavalry to trigger its effect: When I summon Commander like I did, he destroys one Archfiend I control...And Cavalry's effect activates! Return to the field, Archfiend Empress!" And in a flourish, the ghastly maiden reappeared, drawing a hand across her lips temptingly.

"Oh my...Quite the combination, Hotsuma! Yes, I can see why Master is set on having you" his opponent complimented creepily, Hotsuma shouting "I'm not done yet! I then play the Equip Spell, Falling Down! If I control an Archfiend Monster, I can take control of one of your beasts! Now surrender unto me, Barrel Dragon!" Shadowy tendrils erupted from the card, coiling about the mechanized beast and making it march to Sosuke's field before turning to face its former master. "How d'ya like that, fucker!? Your Dragon's mine, and once it's my turn again, you're done!"

"Partner...You best be careful with this one, Much as I know you love to play with your food, Master did warn us about these two. Though frankly this one was sadly easier to beat." then said the one holding Yuna hostage, the first replying "Yes, fearsome indeed. Apologies you didn't have as much fun...But seeing this kind of strength just sends tingles down my body! More, give me more, Hotsuma~!" before bursting into a creepy laughing fit. "I set two cards face-down and that's it for me. Come at me now!"

"Oh I will, Hotsuma...I draw..." his opponent chuckled, stating "You know...I was going to give it to you, but now I can't even do that much...You really know how to ruin one's fun." Hotsuma just bellowed, "Can you knock it off! Trap Card, activate! Nightmare Archfiends! And since it requires a tribute, I'm taking Barrel Dragon off the field!" Just then, three ghoulish spectral monsters appeared on the robed man's side, staring down Hotsuma's lineup. Level Six, 2000 ATK...One could only wonder why they would summon three powerful monsters for their opponent. "Oh? A gift for me? Well aren't you sweet? Though throwing away Barrel Dragon like it's scrap was a bit uncalled for..." the strange man muttered, making the Fiend clench in anger as he retorted, "You're stupid if you think you're keeping them! Trap Card, open! Bottomless Trap Hole! Whenever a monster's special summoned to my opponent's field, it's destroyed and banished! And whenever a Nightmare Token is destroyed, its controller takes 800 damage! So take 2400 points off your Life, creep!"

The three monsters then seemed to shatter and disappear, the robed man letting out a pained gasp as he fell down, his LP dropping to 1600. Hotsuma smirked smugly, "Whats the matter, comedian? My gift didn't sit well with you, eh?!" Though that fell away once his opponent began laughing again, this time more sinisterly, making Hotsuma take a step back.

"One thing you should about my partner, Hotsuma...Is that he revels in strength. And the stronger you are, the more he enjoys watching you fall." the second robed figure snickered, the first saying "Yes, and fall hard you shall! I activate my own Trap Card, Double Payback! Whenever an opponent's card effect inflicts damage to me, I pay it back twice as much at the end of their next turn...You might not be a genius, but you don't need to be one to figure out that it's more than enough to wipe out your Life Points!" And as the card opened, a massive caricature of a medieval King stepped out, standing on the field with a giant sword in hand. "I set one card face down and end my turn..." the robed man muttered gleefully, seeing the realization of loss cross the boy's face. "Yes...Let the fear sink in. Revel in your powerlessness, bahahahaha!" the robed man cackled.

Hotsuma just shouted, "Shut up already! I draw! Appear, Trance Archfiend!" The tiny shriveled monster appeared letting out a small chuckle as it readied its form. "Now I send Invader of Darkness to the Graveyard and increase Trance Archfiend's power by 500! And because you're really pissing me off, I'm hitting you with everything I've got! Archfiends, finish him off!" And all three of Hotsuma's monsters charged, going for the kill with an open field. The robed man just chuckled, "How very like you to seize this opportunity...Trap Card, Open! Negate Attack!" The three Archfiends bounced off some invisible barrier and were sent back to Hotsuma's field, leaving the young man speechless. "And with that, the curtain falls...You have my gratitude, Hotsuma. Not many have given me such entertainment before...Now fall, Fiend of Satellite!" The massive King from before then stepped forward, swiping his sword and clearing Hotsuma's entire field...And sending the Fiend slamming hard into the alley wall, the boy falling unconscious as his LP hit zero. "Now then..." the first robed figure said, pulling a card out of his pocket, which turned out to be the one Hotsuma and Yuna were searching for. "Let's get these two back to Master. I wonder how these ones will turn out..."

*A few hours later*

Hotsuma lay on a hard bed, his eyes stirring awake to see nothing for a moment, bleariness clouding his vision as his head pounded. "Sonofa..." he muttered, feeling his head and body pound from the pain; giving a small wince, he felt his side, and could feel slight twinges from what was likely broken ribs. Though when he pulled his shirt up, he saw that he was bandaged. This was all before noticing he was in a room. Where the only entrance was a series of bars, and the walls were barren but painted a warm beige color. And it was clean...Like immaculately clean. Not the drab concrete and piled trash everywhere he was used to, not was he was expecting given that it was very clear he was imprisoned. Especially since it was *him* that had been captured; he was picturing being thrown into the dirtiest most rotten cell they had for all the trouble he caused them, if they didn't outright kill him first,

This was the Facility?

No, it couldn't have been...Though his mind quickly switched back to his partner. Yuna, where was she? She'd been taken, somehow moved even though it was clear as day as she was out cold. Something he still noticed still was true as she was in the opposite cell from him "Yuna!" he weakly shouted, trying to stand up only to feel a tug; he looked down and saw that his arms were chained to the floor.

"Hey, what the fuck is this!?!" he then said a little more energetically, pulling as hard as he could before shouting again, "This how you pigs get your jollies, huh? Locking people up for no reason at all!? Come on, you Sector fucks! Just because you beat me in a Duel doesn't mean I can't still break your fucking heads open!"
 

.... Should you have gone first?

As Yuna's consciousness gradually began to return, she silently thought about the rhetorical question that echoed in her head. Indeed, would it have made a difference? She didn't know. Part of her had a sickening feeling that even if she had been able to conjure up an amazing offense, it wouldn't have mattered. That entire turn had replayed far too many times over, haunting and teasing her for failing so miserably. Very much like the most perfect nightmare that could tempt anyone to succumb to despair and madness.

Thankfully, it wasn't working that well on Yuna. Well, not the insanity part. The depression and despair? Not completely, but it was fair to notice there was a considerable change in her attitude.

"Agh .... ahhh, shit ... " Yuna muttered, beginning to push herself up. When her arms attempted to move, however, the clinking of metal helped her wake up more. "Hm?! The fuck?!" Not quite cuffs, but manacles, were keeping her wrists behind her back.

Sons of bitches ... Yuna inwardly cursed, only keeping her thoughts to herself for one easy reason. Unfortunately, having a fit wouldn't do shit for her. This wasn't to say she was suddenly calm. Nowhere close to it. However, Yuna would try to ... be ... smart about it?

"Is that what you're really trying to think?" she muttered, scoffing and rolling her eyes at the thought.

... It was and it wasn't. She knew what she was aiming for but at the same time ... Yuna had no clue. The lingering damage from the duel was no doubt still affecting her train of thought, because she wasn't typically this dumb or clueless in her logic.

Shaking her head in a frantic side to side gesture, Yuna resumed trying to move into a more comfortable position than being forced to remain on her knees. The floor, while at least clean, was still cold. Not as badly as it could be versus if she were in shorts. Still, the frills and tears in her jeans helped her feel the difference in her body temperature and the air around her.

"Urgh!" she growled, finally stopping after about four to five failed attempts at changing her position. Whereas Hotsuma's arms were kept pinned to the ground, it was the opposite with Yuna. Her ankles were chained in place, keeping her so she was forced to remain on her knees. Before that, however, there was something else Yuna noticed -- and Hotsuma would, if he took the effort to study her movements. Her breasts bounced, implying the bandages that were usually wrapped around her chest had been removed. Sure enough, a quick peek down her shirt revealed someone had been bold enough to actually do such a thing.

... I'll fucking kill them ...

There was only one real saving grace, and it came in the fact whomever had removed her make shift bra had at least allowed Yuna to keep her clothes on.

Probably the same creep who you fought, she assumed, grimacing at the thought of him being able to freely get away with something like that.

Not wanting to dwell on the thought for very long, Yuna lifted her head and she finally saw - albeit across from her - Hotsuma.

"Hotsuma!" she cried back, briefly breaking eye contact to study her surroundings before looking back at her ally, "The fuck are we? Do you have any ideas? Anything? Seems a bit too tidy to be the Facility but .... I dunno. I've been wrong before ... "

Yuna's voice held the usual tone that Hotsuma often heard; smug, cocky, teasing. But there was an undertone that even he would be able to pick up on, and it was something that he hadn't heard since three to four days ago. Her voice was shaking. Even without admitting it out loud, it was obvious that Yuna was scared, rightfully so.

Her mind had all but jumped to the worst possible scenario, especially as she was stuck in quite the vulnerable position. Knowing whomever she was with also had knowledge of her true identity was only making this all the more terrifying of a situation for her.

"Y-You okay, Hotsuma?" Yuna added, taking note that he was wearing his own set of bandages.

As long as she could think about pretty much anything but herself, Yuna was ... mostly okay.

Or that had been her hopes.

Her eyes widened as Yuna's head jerked downward again. She glanced to her left hip .... then her right .... and her eyes narrowed as she found a new sense of courage.

"YOU FUCKERS! MY DECK! WHERE IS IT?! GIVE IT BACK, NOW!"

The hell with whatever may or may not happen to her. That suddenly became the least of her concerns. But if they'd done something to her deck?

She may not be the Fiend of Satellite, but Yuna would definitely figure some way to bring Hell onto Earth; or at least this exact spot.

Wherever the fuck 'here' is, anyway ...

"I'M NOT PLAYING TWENTY FUCKING QUESTIONS! WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE?!"
 
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Normally, having people like Hotsuma and Yuna locked up together was a bad idea for whoever was behind this.

However, someone did their homework. Quite clearly since the goons that were sent after them knew their actual names...And knew about Yuna's secret. And by extension, his own as well...Though thankfully she hadn't been conscious to hear that part. He didn't need her knowing just how personal his beef with Sector was. Not yet.

Regardless, his struggling ceased after a few moments, his breathing heavy as he tried to calm himself down. He wouldn't admit it, but he was just expressing his own dread in the form of rage.

"Yuna! Thank god...Yeah, I'm fine...Just a little banged up." he replied; he didn't react quite as strongly as she did, figuring that one of the first things they would do was strip them of anything that could be weaponized. Of course, he was pissed at losing his deck...But he was more angry that he was now essentially a fucking prisoner, his eyes lowered to the floor as she tiraded, demanding answers to the questions he himself had. He didn't notice too much that her breasts were free; he too was shirtless, and noticed the card pendant holding his brother's card was still there. Something he was thankful for, and would explain why he wasn't more upset about losing his deck like Yuna was.

But the biggest question remained as to who exactly captured them if it wasn't Sector...Why would anyone else care if they were going after a Sector transport? Little did Hotsuma know he was about to get his answer.

Just then, the two of them would hear someone say:

"Well now...Thank goodness you two are awake; I was afraid Jun and Takumo had taken their fun too far. It would be most unpleasant if you two had actually died during that Duel. Very impressive by the way, to the both of you, to even stand up to them like that."

And in the alley between the cells, stood a man wearing a clean-pressed suit with a green vest over the top. His bangs swept to one side, he looked between Yuna and Hotsuma interestedly.

"As for who I am...I am simply known as Divine. I'm sure you heard my two associates refer to me as 'Master'...Well, in case you were wondering who they might be referring to, I decided to welcome you to Arcadia personally. Don't mind the restraints, however; those are just to make sure you both don't hurt yourselves."

Hotsuma lunged, only stopped by the chains that bound his limbs, snarling "So you sent those goons after us, huh? Too much of a little bitch to do your own dirty work? Just like you Sector pussies..." Divine just laughed, the back of his hand covering his mouth as he replied calmly, "Ah, my apologies. Jun was telling me you thought they were Sector officials. Well, let me assure you that I do not associate with those barbarians. In fact...I could argue I despise them even more than you, Hotsuma."

This certainly made the young man pause, Divine smiling "What? Did you think the poor people of Satellite were the only ones brutalized by those rabid dogs? I'll have you know that they don't just look down at your people...They look down at mine too." Hotsuma just scoffed, "And who would those people be? You seem pretty well dressed and you don't look like you've had the pleasure of trying to scrounge for scraps." The stranger's expression didn't falter, "No, I suppose I haven't...But as you saw and likely felt, I am of course referring to the Psychics."

"The Psychics? The hell did you smoke? Psychics aren't real, just people pretending to be able to do shit." Hotsuma retorted, Divine stating clearly, "Then answer me this: How did Jun manage to force you to your knees without being anywhere near you?" A question that made the Fiend shut up almost instantly, his mouth floundering "How did you..." before being interrupted, "Like I said...Psychics. And believe it or not, you two have potential to become Psychics yourself. You can't tell me having a power like Jun's doesn't intrigue you...Especially you, Hotsuma, with everything they've done to you and your family."

And before Hotsuma could even say anything, Divine had turned his attention to Yuna, "And naturally the same goes for you...All the people Sector has brutalized, for a hobby no less. Would certainly make running that little underground of yours much easier, wouldn't you say?"
 

Normally, patience was actually something Yuna possessed and used rather well. Hell, she'd pretended to be a male for quite the number of years. The success on her guise had relied on, among other things, a good amount of patience. Even when Hotsuma found out, it wasn't because she'd lost that very virtue. Nah. Too much shit had ended up happening, and fortune was not in her favor. That's all there really was to it; nothing more, but certainly nothing less.

Yuna whined and whimpered, coughing a few more times as she yanked several more times at her chains. When they remained firmly holding her in place, however, she stopped again, breathing and panting rapidly.

Someone better fucking get their ass over here and explain what's going on ...

"Y-Yeah. I hear ya. I am too ... the fuck was that, anyway? If I didn't know better, something akin to --- "

Before Yuna could complete her analogy, a new voice interrupted her own. A quick turn of her head caused the young woman to snicker. At a first glance, it merely looked like a snobby, rich fuck from the Tops.

"Heh. Explains why we didn't run into you first. You're 'too good' to deal with us personally, or some bullshit like that, huh?"

Her quip had meant to be sarcastic. Yet as he revealed his name - both that many referred to him as 'Master' or 'Divine' - Yuna couldn't help but feel a bit sick. There was something about people like him that made a knot form and tighten in her midsection. The 'mightier than thou' attitude was a very ... infuriating one, especially if people couldn't back it up. Either this man was one of those individuals or ... Yuna simply had yet to see if he actually had the right to display that sorta mindset.

Until then, it didn't even start to stop her from reacting the way she was. Much like Hotsuma was fighting, almost appearing like an animal desperately wrestling against any and all forms of restraints in order to get to their target and rip their throat off.

... Though to be fair, that may very well be his exact goal.

And the worst part?

Yuna couldn't blame him. In fact, she may very well join him, literally or otherwise.

If you can ever get the fuck out of here ... she reminded herself, reluctantly resorting to merely heeding the back and forth exchange between this Divine bastard and Hotsuma.

"Hah! You? Psychic? Don't fuck with us, we're not -- "

Yet when she heard him reveal the same knowledge about Jun apparently incapacitating Hotsuma with no effort, Yuna also went quiet.

This is unnatural .... unreal ....

Any and all bravado began to vanish as Yuna's body shook a bit. Knowing that despite wanting to believe this was all fake and it was very real was what made everything that much more intimidating for Yuna. She knew Divine wasn't just spouting bullshit. He was being serious, deathly so.

Which meant that even with the bars barely covering her and Hotsuma, he could easily hurt either of them if he so desired.

"And naturally the same goes for you...All the people Sector has brutalized, for a hobby no less. Would certainly make running that little underground of yours much easier, wouldn't you say?"

Yuna's eyes narrowed again as she moved her head from side to side. "I don't fucking need your help!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "None of my people are weak! And they're ... normal. Without your so-called Psychic abilities, but just as strong as me, some days more so. If your 'assistants' really do have that sorta capability, then as far as I'm concerned, that Takumo fucker cheated. I refuse to easily believe he had all of those cards in his hand and ready to play. He probably cheated, didn't he?!"

... Yet as she forced herself to look up and stare at Divine, the same sense of dread Yuna felt earlier was detected again.

.... Does that mean he didn't cheat?

Either way, it didn't justify a lot of what was happening, including being kept imprisoned like this.

"No. Regardless ... no. It wouldn't make things easier. It'd just cause an even bigger target to appear on my back. I'm not stupid. I realize I already have one from all the times I've defied Sector. Trying to 'accept' your ... whatever the fuck you wanna call it - talent, gift, what have you - would be anything but a good thing. I don't need nor want it."
 
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Everything Divine expected from these two.

Many of his disciples were much like them: Defiant, distrusting, and crass. It was only natural given how much people shunned them; such exclusion really brought out the worst in people. It was partly why he founded Arcadia in the first place...Even if that wasn't his ultimate endgame, it did feel nice to give others that had his gifts a form of sanctuary.

And then Hotsuma had to speak up, "Fuck you and that shitty offer! Let me assume everything you just said is true. You ain't with Sector and you didn't kidnap us out of hate or whatever bullshit you might think about us. What, you expect us to be grateful? Like my friend said, then your 'associates' are just as fucking whipped as Sector's goons are! Maybe even more so, since at least those fucking gorillas don't cheat in Duels!"

Divine snickered, "Cheating, you say? You two talk about Psychics as if we're mind-readers or something of that nature. If anything, we're telekinetics who don't put the same threat on Dueling as much as Sector does. Like I said it's a hobby...Do you honestly think you deserve to be persecuted for such?" Hotsuma spat "Fuck no, but that doesn't mean we're inclined to side with you. Far as I'm concerned, you just put all my people in jeopardy...And hers by association. And if you're so knowledgeable about me, you should know I don't care for my friends being threatened!"

And it was true; though granted he had done it to himself mostly by going after the card...But it was a move that had to be done. How much worse would it be if SECTOR had that card? Still, he didn't quite know what this guy's deal was. "I know what you're thinking; you're betting I'm also against the people of Satellite, right? The ones you call friends, family? Well...This is my family here, and not just Sector but everyone from the Tops has looked down on us. Surely you two can relate right?"

Hotsuma sneered, "Stop talking like we're on the same side...Far as I'm concerned, you're a pompous Tops douche yourself with shitty style in hair. Who the fuck sweeps their bangs up to one side like that?" Even with this, the strange man just chuckled, "Stretching a little, aren't you? Going after my looks? I mean, I never figured you the genius sort but I had hoped you would be somewhat wittier. Ah well...It doesn't really matter. Jun, Takumo...Let's get them acquainted with their new selves."

Now this made Hotsuma's stomach drop out; the hell did he mean, new selves? But he didn't have long to contemplate, seeing the man who had just beat him walk through the door and it pissed him off knowing his equally-creepy partner was going near Yuna. "Your friend does anything to her and I'm going to rip you apart" the Disciples' boss snarled, Jun chuckling "You really shouldn't fight this you know, Master has grand plans for us all." And then the creepy fuck tried to stroke Hotsuma's cheek...Something that lead to the young man biting down hard on his hand, making Jun scream in agony as his captive's teeth drew blood and forced him to rip his hand away.

"Why you!" Jun screamed as he raised his uninjured hand to strike down Hotsuma, Divine stating "Now, now...Even you have to admit that was your fault. Besides...Our friends here just seem to not fully understand who we really are. We need to welcome them, not shove them away." Easier said than done, especially since Hotsuma was grinning stupidly, his teeth reddened by the blood of his captor before he spat it out on the floor. "Yeah...Let's play nice." he teased, Jun's brow twitching "You're lucky Master wanted to have you two so badly, else I would kill you for that little stunt."

And with the chains undone, Jun used his powers to have them tightly wrapped about the boy's body before leading them...somewhere. "Trust me, Hotsuma...Yuna...What I plan will not change who you are as individuals. But rather, it will unlock the fullest potentials of your mind. Naturally, living in the squalid conditions you had to endure for your entire lives to this point didn't give you much chance to see it...Your mind is exceptionally powerful, and can do things others can only dream of." Hotsuma could only roll his eyes, "If I wanted a lecture, I would have gone to school...Oh wait, there are no schools in Satellite. Sorry, guess you're shit out of luck."

Divine said nothing, only continuing "But...My aim is help those with potential unlock it, as well as grant them safe haven. You can at least agree with me that no one needs to be beat up by Sector for playing a card game, right?" At this, Hotsuma couldn't argue; else what was the point? Well for him there was more to it, but at its core he was sick of seeing innocent people getting tortured, raped and killed just because some asshole spoon-fed baby felt so mighty in his high chair.

"Fine...But that's as far as we go." Hotsuma replied coldly, Diving smiling "That's fine, just so long as why we have common ground. And even though it seems like I'm not giving you a choice, in a way I actually am." It was here that they finally reached a room where there was rows upon rows of metal chambers...And inside were people of all ages. But it looked like they were...sleeping?

"The hell is this?" Hotsuma muttered, Divine stating "This is a place where we monitor our members for brainwave activity. I won't lie, the worst you'll feel is a bit of a headache. All you'll have to do is just rest in the chamber and my team of analysts will document your brainwaves...That's really all there is to it. Can you at least do that for me?" The Disciples' boss sneered, "And if I don't?"

Divine snickered, "Are you sure you want to find out?" before going over and whispering into Hotsuma's ear...Something that would make him noticeably freeze. And truly show his fear, his face blanching white a little as Divine pulled away. "You son of a...." he growled feebly, feeling his anger grow as Divine just said "What? Surely such a small thing like THAT can't be too troubling right? Besides...It will certainly help you in the long run. So...What do you say?"

He couldn't believe it, his eyes drooping shut as defeat was written all over his face; he was forced into a corner...And now with little other choice, he just nodded "Fine...Do your worst. But if anything happens, just know I will come for you, assclown." And with this, Divine just clapped his hands together cheerfully "Splendid...Now then...Let's see what kind of trouble we can get into."
 

"Seriously," Yuna muttered bitterly, nodding in agreement with Hotsuma, "The fuck were you expecting, hm? Why should we be even the slightest bit happy to be in your goddamn custody? The fuck are you playing at, if not to hurt us then? Stop fucking around with us and get to the point already."

When Divine went on to insist that Psychics couldn't - or at least didn't - resort to reading minds, oh yeah. Yuna definitely raised an eyebrow and scoffed. All without a second thought, quickly followed by the sight of her eyes rolling. "Yeah. Uh-huh. You expect me to believe that shit? Whatever. Mind you, I'm not really religious or superstitious in the first place anyway. But you're gonna tell me that a group claiming to be Psychics actually don't do things they're well known for doing? Hah! What fucking blasphemy. One of the worst jokes I've heard in a while."

At least the one Hotsuma made about Sector not using lube when we got ambushed made sense, even if it was a bit lewd. This ... just ... nope. Lost me on the punch line, baka ...

" .... Fine. So we can do such things. But what Divine-sama is saying is otherwise true. We don't need to resort to such tactics in order to get proper reads off you." A woman also wearing the same cloak that Jun and Takumo were clad in stepped forward. Unlike said two men, though, she wore a white, mostly blank mask over her face. Even the pupils of her eyes were hidden away.

But the voice made it very clear to both Hotsuma and Yuna it was definitely a woman. No mistake about that much.

"You, miss, have very loud thoughts. I could hear them while waiting for Jun and Takumo to retrieve you both. Just from those alone, I could easily discern you were actually a woman trying to disguise herself as a man." Her head tilted slightly to the side. "Why though? Why bother with the guise? Were you really that ashamed with yourself?"

Yuna clenched her fists behind her back, feeling the tips of her fingernails begin to dig into her palms. After silently mulling over her options, she elicited an irked "Hmph" and turned her head away, no longer looking at either Divine or the newcomer. "You should understand. I'm not going to explain. After all, you can probably hear the reasons, can't you?"

" .... "

For a while, neither woman spoke. Both merely glared daggers at one another. Finally, the masked one raised her arm and placed a card down on her duel disk, seeming to know what exactly she wanted. Maybe that was the point, to prove she could use her powers to will whatever she needed to her hand which, admittedly, would strengthen the belief that Yuna had been right. Because if that was what happened, then Takumo - at least - had cheated in his duel.

Either way, neither Yuna nor Hotsuma would be able to determine what had actually occurred.

The next few seconds would look ... odd to Hotsuma, mainly because he was at a horrible angle. However, he could see the card that had been set down on the woman's disk. It simply read Ivy Shackles. And if he had enough knowledge - or common sense, at the very least - he would be able to understand why Yuna started to squirm and wince, barely avoiding screaming out loud by biting harder on her lower lip.

Divine, on the other hand, would know even without having to adjust himself. Not just because of the card his right-hand woman placed, but having been someone who had seen this duelist use every card in her deck at least once, and often times against an actual person, Psychic-user or not. He would know vines that were as sharp as barbs were mingling in with the manacles and starting to wrap around Yuna's flesh, particularly the wrist area.

"If you have even the slightest bit of intelligence, you will learn to be respectful. Maybe not to me, but definitely to Divine-sama."

Waiting a few more moments for her threat to sink in, the card was pulled off as quickly as it was set down, returned back to the deck in one, fluid movement.

"Ah! Hah .. hah ... ngh .... "

What perhaps Divine may not have expected was for his assistant to have actually held back. The vines had dug deep ... but not enough to draw blood. She purposely avoided doing that, but he also wouldn't need to use his abilities to know it definitely hadn't been done out of mercy. No, it was simply because Divine hadn't told her to do so. Not yet. Always the obedient right-hand woman, this new female continued to prove the number of ways she was competent and simultaneously dangerous in her own regards.

No doubt, by now Divine seemed ... tame compared to everyone else Yuna and Hotsuma had met so far.

Poor Yuna looked .... torn. Infuriated on one hand, hopeless on another.

.... So even my own mind isn't safe?! The fuck!

Her head bowed as she glared angrily at the stone floor, not sure whether her fury or sense of humiliation was more dominant at that moment.

"Jun, Takumo...Let's get them acquainted with their new selves."

"NO!" Yuna growled, quickly lifting her head up, showing her face was slightly paled. "You keep that fucker away from me! I'd rather deal with her over that son of a bitch!"

"Aww," came the fake mocking voice of Takumo, chuckling as he began stalking towards Yuna. "Why the cold shoulder? I kept my word, didn't I? I took good care of your body. And aside from getting rid of those pesky bandages, I did nothing else."

By now, Jun already got bit, making Takumo snicker and look briefly back before shifting his gaze toward Yuna again. "Of course he got bit. Idiot," he muttered, reaching down and gripping a fistful of Yuna's black locks. Keeping a firm hold, he knelt beside her right ear and whispered softly, "I won't lie though, it was very tempting to do much more than simply admire you in your sleep. You look very peaceful. Has anyone told you that?"

Yuna whimpered and shook slightly, visibly grimacing and wincing as the hold on her hair remained. If anything, it strengthened when she did make an effort to pull away, making her cry out and breathe heavier than usual breaths. "Asshole .... " she muttered, unable to conjure anything wittier or more bold up.

"Hmph. Lucky for you and your friend indeed that what Jun said is true. Divine-sama has given us very strict orders. Otherwise ... this would be a very different story."

Lowering his empty hand, he began waving it, much like a conductor would do while ordering an orchestra around. Soon, the chains keeping Yuna's ankles to the floor left, seeming to vanish into the very air itself. Her wrists, however, were kept tightly restrained behind her back.

"I don't trust you quite yet; I'm sure you'll understand."

Offering little more than an irked "Tch", Yuna shakily started to stand up, only to be jerked to her feet by Takumo.

"Ahh, fucker! I'm going, I'm going!"

Much like Hotsuma, she couldn't disagree with Divine about one thing. She was as sick as Hotsuma about seeing bystanders, children, and innocent individuals - often people that fell under all three categories - becoming unnecessary victims of Sector. Her head turned as she gripped her lower lip before nodding firmly. ".... Yeah. But I'm with Hotsuma; that's as far as I'm going with you so far. And likely the furthest I'll go."

Soon, Takumo, the masked woman, and Yuna began to walk with Divine, Hotsuma, and Jun all in tow.

.... Suffice to say, Yuna looked even less pleased upon entering the new room than watching and feeling Takumo get to freely touch her.

" ... The fuck is this?!" she cried out, instinctively taking a step back, only to have her back collide with Takumo's chest. Truthfully though, Yuna hardly noticed that. The first thing her mind registered were the words 'monitor', 'brainwave', 'activity', and 'chamber' -- all in that order. Her head quickly moved from side to side and for perhaps the first time in his life, Hotsuma would see Yuna wearing a new expression.

One of pure fear.

Even when he walked in on her and realized she was Yuna instead of Yukio, he hadn't seen that.

Now ... she looked more as if she were about to be executed.

"Nuh-uh! No! Fuck and no! I'm not going in that thing!"

Again, common sense would come into play. No one needed to possess any supernatural abilities to even take a stab at why Yuna was so frantic. Unfortunately, any chance of being able to keep this metaphorical skeleton tucked away in her closet vanished as Takumo piped up.

"Claustrophobic?"

" ..... Fucker .... "

"Then yes?"

"Not just .... that's .... " Yuna stared at the devices, continuing to move her head from side to side, "Fucking hell, that isn't much better than .... than a .... " Her head bowed as the last word seemed to get stuck in her throat, instead merely echoing in her head.

"Coffin .... "

Mind you, she understood it wasn't actually one. But between the few experiences she'd had with them - way before meeting Hotsuma - and her brain altering what she was seeing slightly ... well ... it was becoming increasingly difficult for Yuna to stay even somewhat calm.

"Oh? You're not going to be cooperative?" Takumo mused, looking over to Divine. He'd found his loophole, and obviously wanted consent to do more than simply keep Yuna from running.

.... Unfortunately, his own thoughts were about as loud as Yuna's to the other masked individual, whom still hadn't identified herself. And while she herself could definitely be a sadist, she was still a woman. So it was only natural that even she wouldn't wish for Yuna to undergo anything overly unpleasant.

For the briefest of seconds, a tattoo of a rose appeared on Yuna's right cheek. Another card had been set down on the masked figure's disk; Mark of the Rose. Yuna's pupils temporarily vanished. As quickly as they disappeared, they reappeared .... only to show a now unconscious Yuna.

"There," the other woman murmured, panting slightly at having forcefully taken over Yuna's body and causing her to pass out. "She's ... sleeping. May as well get her in now while she's not freaking out."

To say Takumo looked pissed off would be an understatement. Alas, now that he knew his only chance to have his way and fun were gone - at least for now - he knew better than to go against Divine. Taking what were obviously slow and very reluctant steps towards one of the unoccupied pods, the glass moved away. The manacles that had been wrapping Yuna's wrists behind her back faded away as she was set down in the shallow but still very cold water. Unfortunately, the very temperature was what caused Yuna's eyes to shoot open again.

"Holy fuck!" she exclaimed, first at how cold she suddenly got before seeing where she was. "HEY! WAIT! I SAID NO TO THIS!"

"Too bad," she earned as a reply from the other female, the glass moving over her before she could protest any further. "Now be silent. Take solace in the fact you won't be alone. Hotsuma has already agreed to cooperate; be thankful of that. Consider that your blessing."

"Fuck all of you," Yuna whimpered, her arms moving as she held herself tightly, shivering from both fear and the cold water lightly caressing her clothes and skin.
 
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By the time Hotsuma climbed in the pod, laying on his back, he felt the same chill soaking through his clothes; mother of all fuck, this was cold! He was just thankful that it didn't touch the family jewels, else they might want to back into the vault faster than most could probably blink. "Any reason we have to get our clothes wet? Or is this some fucked up way you torture people?" Hotsuma sneered, Divine chuckling, "Oh dear no, it's more to preserve modesty than anything else; especially for your companion there. Must have been so hard to hide it for so long..."

Approaching the glass, Divine then asked, "But tell me...Why did you let her deceive you? For all you could have known, she was a double agent working for Sector." The scowl on the Disciples' leader's face intensified, his voice low as he replied, "That's really none of your damn business, now is it?" The brown-haired male just held up his hands, "I was only curious, but it's not like I can't hear your answers. You're betting I've never known betrayal...Never known what it meant to bond with people in the same boat as you. And of course, you're wrong; Arcadia is my family, my Yomi...And my disciples are my most cherished people."

The young man had a hard time believing he was doing this so selflessly; no one from the Tops ever cared about others, not like those in Satellite did. And then there was that redhead, the one with the mask. Something about her felt...off, and it didn't help that he was basically powerless to help Yuna once she worked some weird psychic bullshit on her. "Oh, don't worry about her; unless you actually try to move against anyone here, she'll leave you alone." then added Divine, motioning to the young woman.

"I don't care if she does anything to me...But if she pulls that crap on Yuna again, I'm going to break that fucking mask and her face." he sneered right back, Divine still just smiling as if to say 'I would love to see you try'. "Well now, truly does seem you have a heart beneath that rough and tumble exterior...But anyway, we really should move things along. If your displays in Satellite are any indication, I look forward to seeing how this develops for you two. And I think once all is said and done, you'll be thanking me for helping to unlock your potential." And with that, a couple of other people soon came to the tubes, sliding masks down through ports and instructing them to fit them to their face.

Being half-masks, it only covered their mouths and noses, but the seals were good...Though both got quite the shock when the chambers suddenly flooded with water, the chill on their backs now felt over their entire bodies. Hotsuma instantly felt his package play scared turtle; fuck it was like reverse puberty! However, that wasn't the worst of it; his breathing was starting to slow and his eyes started feeling really heavy...They were being drugged! "Oh hell no..." Hotsuma said mentally as he fought to remove the self-sealing mask.

"Don't worry, it's just an anesthetic to help you relax. We don't need you fighting every step of the process, and right now we're just taking the initial readings of your brainwaves. Seeing what parts are most active..." Hotsuma and Yuna would hear Divine say through speakers in the glass. "Know that even my lovely young friend here has undergone this process and look how strong she's gotten. If either of you reach even a fraction of her potential, I'll consider this a great success and you'll have something you can use to protect yourselves and those you care about against Sector."

Of course, Divine was banking on them having Psychic latency to begin with; he knew about their trip to the old Reactor Building, their exposure to the energies in the Barbaric Area as the locals called it. And his earliest analyses of them showed that the potential was there, but it might take some effort to unlock it. And really, this was more an experiment in how to help these gifted individuals reach their potential. The young woman beside him only did this once as a means to measure her hidden strength, for her abilities were natural.

And soon enough....Both Yuna and Hotsuma were out cold, and wouldn't wake for another few hours.

After which they would find themselves back in their cells, the Fiend slowly stirring as he felt his head pounding like a drum. "At least that asshole was kind enough to warn me..." Hotsuma thought irritatedly, rubbing the side of his head as he sat up; again, he found his limbs bound to the walls. "Choice my ass..." he grumbled, asking "Hey...Yuna, you alive over there? You better not have keeled over in fright or anything. I ain't too keen on sitting in this place alone, not with these damned freaks."

"Well now, that's just hurtful..." he then heard another voice say a few moments later, seeing Divine just outside his cell. "Fuck off, will you?" Hotsuma growled lowly, squinting as he felt a sharp throb in his head. "At least you can't say I didn't warn you..." the Psychic retorted playfully, Hotsuma snarling "Didn't exactly ask to be part of your shitty little family, so forgive me if I seem ungrateful." Divine just waved his hand nonchalantly, "It's no trouble; it usually doesn't take too many sessions of the chamber, after all."

He then turned his attention to the young woman across from Hotsuma, asking "And you, dear? Hopefully you're not hurting too much? I'm sure I have some pain medicine if the headaches are an issue."
 

Yuna's eyes had closed in an effort to try to simply relax. She was frantically thinking of multiple ideas, all of which were meant to be comforting. Reassuring. Keeping her from having another panic attack.

This is just a bed. A really weird, unorthodox water bed ... yeah. Go with that.

Before she focus on the new set of thoughts, though, Divine began to speak again. She could have ignored it ... if it werent' for the fact he was asking about her. Why she got away with being able to lie to Hotsuma for so long. Why they were still allies - dare she believe friends - even now. And ... a small part of Yuna couldn't help but be curious about that answer herself.

... Unfortunately, that would have to wait, it seemed.

.... I kinda wish you'd have said why, even if only just for my sake, she lamented internally, giving up - at least for now - on caring that any other Psychic could hear her musings. If there was no way to stop her train of thoughts from being heard and detected, why try?

"Don't talk about me like I'm not fucking here," she growled, the words more directed towards Divine. Admittedly, though, it was also slightly aimed at Hotsuma, if only because he should have known better. Hell, it wouldn't have taken a young prodigy to figure Yuna didn't like the 'being talked about as if they were dead, invisible, what have you' techniques.

Takumo had already left, seeing no reason to remain behind. The masked female, however, stayed behind. For her own reasons, though both Yuna and Hotsuma could fairly assume it was linked to Divine. And though neither could see it actually appear thanks to the mask, both may be able to feel her smirk as Hotsuma vowed to break her. If her expression hadn't been hidden, it would have almost perfectly matched Divine's grin, silently daring Hotsuma to try. Because unless he was faster to throw a punch before she could use her powers on him, he would lose.

Of course, he didn't need to know that. Not yet. There would be tons of other chances to show that until one or both of them started waking their potential up, they were more helpless than they realized.

Yuna had zoned out in her attempt to fall asleep that she honestly didn't immediately take note of the mask covering her nose and face. It wouldn't be until the gas started flowing into her nostrils and system that the same sense of dread and panic swept through her, strengthening as the water rose and fully covered her.

FUCK, NO! NOT LIKE THIS! YOU'RE GONNA KILL US, YOU IDIOT!

But then, that was the less logical side of Yuna talking. If she'd given herself a few seconds of actually stopping and thinking, she would have understood that wasn't true.

Alas, as things were, all she knew were the following facts. She was being forced to 'rest' in what was all but a glass coffin. Said container was now full of water and definitely had the potential to drown her, even with the mask giving her oxygen. Finally, point C, was that although Yuna could swim under normal circumstances, this was by no means 'normal'. Far from it. So - reluctantly but nonetheless - Yuna fell asleep, doing so while still panicking more than keeping a decent, mental grip on her emotions.
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When Yuna did begin to wake up, it wasn't gradual. Oh no, it was with one fuck of a start. She sat up as fast as humanly possible, not seeming to care whether she'd been in the chamber still or not.

"NO MORE!" she instinctively cried out, seeming to fear the worst was beginning to happen to her.

Yuna gasped and swallowed, a bit too quickly it seemed. A few droplets of the water had managed to sneak past the mask and into her mouth, causing her to cough. Her head fell forward, resting atop her kneecaps as Yuna finally began working on calming herself, starting with taking long, deep breaths.

"Ngh ... " she groaned, feeling her efforts interrupted every now and again by her heart rapidly beating as well as her head. "Can't he be wrong about some things?" she muttered, remembering Divine had hinted the headache may be inevitable. When Hotsuma spoke to her, however, a ghost of a smirk crossed her face. Her head slowly lifted as she looked over to her friend and weakly chuckled, "Okay, so maybe I appear a bit less of a bad ass now given how easily I've been .... well ... beaten, in pretty much every possible way. But I'm not weak enough to die from mere fright of all things. Not yet."

... A crappy jest, but it was one of the few ways she could even try to lighten the mood. Not much, no, especially upon hearing Divine was nearby.

But it'd be a start and hopefully, it'd do some good for her and Hotsuma. Either way, it was quickly becoming more and more clear they would need each other and a bit of sanity in order to get through these tests.

While Divine and Hotsuma had their exchange, Yuna lowered her hand and ...

... Wait. I moved it?

Upon closer examination, she found her wrists were free this time around. Her ankles, however, were chained back to the floor. Still, compared to how she'd woken up last time in the cell, this was rather merciful, all things considered.

"No," she quickly hissed through gritted teeth upon hearing the offer for medicine. "It's not that dire. If I could handle two bullets plus sleeping in by far the worst 'bed', I can sure as shit handle you and whatever the fuck else you have. I'm fine ... "

.... It was definitely not the most civil response. But it was the most honest answer Yuna could offer Divine. And if that meant she would keep being brutally sincere, well ... too bad for anyone who wouldn't like it. Especially people like a very certain masked female, who likely already "heard" Yuna going against the 'you will learn respect' threat.

That was fine though. Damn everything, especially the consequences. There were few more things Yuna could lose at this point and she wasn't going to succumb solely to fear or despair. No. That would require putting her through more than sleeping in her 'glass coffin'.

So unless Divine or any of his 'loyal members' intended to do just that, Yuna had every intention of fighting whenever needed, using any and all means necessary.
 
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Had this been any other situation, Hotsuma would have definitely given Yuna (or Yukio more likely, had she not revealed herself to him) a very hard time for getting so scared. But this was serious shit, and doing so would probably give these assholes some smug satisfaction that they were able to come between them. So he kept his mouth shut even as Divine had turned away, smirking as he heard Yuna rebuke his offer. Quite nicely too.

"Guess I'm not the only that sees through that fake-ass shark-tooth smile of yours." the Disciples boss joked, still grinning a little; Divine just sighed, "You two should really understand something about me: If I didn't think you had potential, I would have had Jun and Takumo kill you once they had beaten you. And don't even think that you would have had a chance of victory; they analyzed both of your decks inside and out." And it was here that Hotsuma said, a bit of heat in his tone, "Then how come I was able to put a dent in your freak's Life? Guess his analysis wasn't as spot on as you think."

Divine snickered, "Jun is...How do I put it...an interesting fellow. He knew about that Hole and Nightmare combination you would use, but wasn't sure how you would pull it off...Or even if you could. Mostly he wanted to see if you had the smarts to use a situational double trap like that, and when you did, I could feel his glee from here. Though I think you hurt his feelings when you bit him...He happened to like you, you know. Said you were the most fun he's had in a long time, and despite that would like to Duel again once you get a better hold on things." Hotsuma's lips curled up into a snarl, Divine commennting, "Yes, yes, I know. The feeling wasn't mutual."

And it was here that Hotsuma spoke up again, "And since he's not around to hear it, you tell him that if I do fight his creeper bitch ass again, I'll turn him into a bloody smear." And even though he was sure the masked bimbo was probably seething at them for being so disrespectful, his eyes went to her as if to say, "Do your worst". Daring her to come after him, and as if to provoke her, he then said "And then...Trust me, I'll make sure to do good on my promise to you. After I break that stupid mask, I'll crack your fucking head like an egg."

Divine at this point stepped in, "Now now, I fully intend to have you Duel some of my stronger disciples. But you're too many years too early to challenge her. Besides, your bravado's not fooling anyone, Hotsuma...How would your brother feel if he saw you acting like this, given his sacrifice?"

Now this seemed to set off something in the guy, Hotsuma practically flying off his bed only to be stopped as the chains on his limbs quickly reached their limit, making his body jerk backwards. "You're lucky I'm in these chains, you fuck." he growled all too dangerously, Divine chuckling, "Yes, I suppose I am, because then I might have to hurt you." And though Hotsuma couldn't reach him, there was something else he could do...And not two seconds later, Divine felt something warm and wet hit his forehead, a gloved hand coming up to wipe the spit.

"Well then...I suppose neither of you are interested in talking. It's to be expected; you'll just need time to adjust...Come along, dear. Best you not associate with these types yet." And once they stalked off again, Hotsuma just stood there, adrenaline racing through him as his eyes followed the pair. "ONCE I'M OUT OF THIS CAGE, YOU TWO ARE FUCKING DEAD! YOU HEAR ME!? DEEEEAD!" he bellowed, Divine not even gracing him with a response as he disappeared from sight.

And with this Hotsuma actually fell to his knees, still feeling somewhat light-headed and weak from the anesthesia...Though if Yuna were to look, she would see twin dots of sparkling light pricking the corners of his eyes.

Seemed they both had something they did today that made them seem like less than badasses.
 

"Oh ... just shut the fuck up," Yuna growled, barely getting any time to thoroughly enjoy the tease from Hotsuma before Divine spoke up again. "We're not dead. And we're not going to die. Not from you fucks. So stop trying to freak us out with what-ifs and shit like that. Won't work on me nor Hotsuma." Usually, Yuna wouldn't speak for other people. And .... maybe she should have been careful about doing just that. Still, she liked to believe that she knew Hotsuma enough to have properly said everything she just did.

" .... Analysis my ass. Okay. Maybe after knocking us out the first time, sure. But you're trying to say they knew our decks even before we fucking met them?!"

Her eyes narrowed as she elicited a "Hmph" and moved her head from side to side. "Nope. Don't buy it. Now you really are bullshitting us. Do me a favor and don't do that shit again. I just don't appreciate it."

The same masked woman had been silently standing beside Divine. Now ... she had enough. It was time to speak, and maybe act depending on how this all went. "Tune Warrior, Rose, Warrior of Revenge, Marauding Captain, Command Knight ... these are cards in your deck, are they not?" Upon seeing Yuna raise an eyebrow, she added, "No. I know you're not thinking about your deck. Nor have I been near or even touched it. Divine-sama has been the only one to lay a hand upon either of your cards."

"You could be lying for all I know ... " Yuna replied in a low, sour tone.

"... So ungrateful! You little bitch!" Actual anger now entered the still unidentified woman's voice as she clenched her fists, no doubt trying to keep herself from placing as many cards upon her disk as possible. Not out of fear from Hotsuma's words, either, but because she needed to restrain herself. For now. Only if - when - Divine said they were too useless would she stop caring, but not before then. "You don't understand just what all I'm truly capable of, do you? If I ever get consent from Divine, you will learn this first hand. And you will regret not watching your tongue."

Her head turned as she glared over at Hotsuma. "And you .... I will kill your pride by forcing you to watch, if that's what must happen. Because you definitely won't be able to stop me, nor help save her. You may be known as the Fiend in the Satellite. Here? You're nothing, not until your potential starts waking up. And even then, there's no guarantee it will add up to anything useful."

.... I wanna go home ....

Which was ... new. Never once had Yuna ever thought about going back. And for good reasons. But when she was already starting to feel like guiding her feet out the door had been a bit of a mistake, that was a big deal.

Apparently, as much of one as something she couldn't help but tilt her head at.

... Hotsuma .. has a brother?

At least that was what Divine said. And for a more certain way to know if it had been true or not, she studied Hotsuma's reactions. Oh yeah. It was obvious he had struck one chord too many with her comrade which meant ... it was indeed a true fact.

Lucky ... assuming he's alive and well, that is ... she added, trying to think. What could be said in this situation? Hell, what could be done?

"JUST GO AWAY!" Yuna finally screamed, feeling frustrated that the answer came in the form of 'pretty much nothing'.

"Don't make promises you can't keep. That is definitely one you can't do, at least for now, Hotsuma," the right-hand woman merely said before turning and walking with Divine through the halls of Arcadia's base.

Yuna glared at the duo as they moved away before sighing. Her eyes softened, losing the dangerous expression as whatever remained of the anesthesia reminded her a few hours wasn't enough to have had a complete, let alone decent, rest. As such, she was as fatigued as Hotsuma, both mentally and physically. Sure enough, her head lifted as Yuna began to open her mouth, trying to figure out something to say. Instead, she saw the tears forming in his eyes.

... It definitely was something she never would have expected to see. The leader of the Disciples, one of the strongest men she'd been around for the past years of her life, actually shed a few tears.

" ... Hotsuma ..."

The name came out in a soft voice, barely above a whisper. Tired as she was, Yuna started to move, pulling herself forward. It was a bit of a strain, simply because her ankles were chained, but she did reach the bars. However, rather than grabbing them and shaking them like someone may have expected, she slipped a hand through and actually tried to reach out for Hotsuma.

"Don't leave me," she pleaded. "I got through that chamber. So ... don't let them get to you. I know their abilities don't really make shit easy. But ... damnit ... I'm not good with this shit. Just ... please. For me ... don't cave into them and their words. Please .... "

"Because I don't know if I can deal with this alone should you give up or, gods forbid, have an even worse fate put upon you ... "

The last set of inner thoughts made Yuna bite down on her lower lip and lift her own head up, fighting off her own set of tears. But ... why? Was it really that terrifying to fear of Hotsuma dying? Apparently, yes, and more scarier than if she were to be killed. She wondered if that was meant to signal something. Probably. But for right now, she ignored it, instead simply trying to reach out to him. Even if she could only brush his hand, that'd work, so long as he heeded her words and somehow returned to the more normal version of himself.
 
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In truth, Hotsuma wasn't just crying for his brother; though the painful memory of their separation was definitely the trigger for his leaky eyes. This whole situation proved that even despite all his efforts, he was nowhere closer to getting him out. Nowhere closer to beating Sector's collective asses, nowher to liberating Satellite from their totalitarian regime.

In the end, it was the proof of powerlessness that got to him...And Divine made sure to let him know that. In the only way that Tops bastard knew how.

And as the silence fell back over the halls, Hotsuma was left to his own sorrow and devices; he tried to tell himself to man up, to quit being such a weak little bitch. But it didn't do its job this time; that arrogant fuckhead had opened the oldest wounds too deeply, poured salt into them and rubbed them with sandpaper.

And then there was that woman's words.

"And you .... I will kill your pride by forcing you to watch, if that's what must happen. Because you definitely won't be able to stop me, nor help save her. You may be known as the Fiend in the Satellite. Here? You're nothing, not until your potential starts waking up. And even then, there's no guarantee it will add up to anything useful."

"Don't make promises you can't keep. That is definitely one you can't do, at least for now, Hotsuma"

As much as he refused to acknowledge, deep down he knew she was right; he was too weak right now. Too damned pathetic to do anything; and if anything did happen to Yuna, he knew he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. His whole life had been about being a shield for others, to bear the weight of Society's hatred on his shoulders and give them the finger as he laughed and destroyed their shining symbol of order, Sector.

What was it worth now, he thought to himself...Where's all this gotten you except locked up by a madman trying to turn you into a Psychic, Hotsuma.

Yuna's voice, however soft it was, disrupted the self-pity, his eyes - red from the tears that now ran down his front and spotted the bandages around his torso - lifted up to see her standing just outside his cell or rather leaning quite heavily against her own, her arm reaching through to him as she begged him not to give up. Something he had in fact considered doing; what other choice was there? Twice now he had been beaten, once by that freak and once by that asshole douche which apparently commanded that freak.

Talk about a fucked up week.

Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, Hotsuma sniffled and said, "Shut up...Just something in my eye, plus the headache's killing me." It was a lame attempt at a joke, horrible in fact...And it didn't make him feel any better, not like the previous times he would have used humor to deflect sadness.

Taking a deep steadying breath, the entirety of it shaky as was his current resolve, he then said to Yuna "Guess we both had our moments today...You see now, the real me. I don't know that dickhead knew about my brother though; I was careful not to share that with anyone. But I guess it's a little late for keeping secrets..."

Not bothering with Yuna's hand for the moment, he reached down and touched the pendant, "My brother was incarcerated...All he wanted to do was get us out of Satellite. Try and start somewhere new in the Tops. But Sector found us...I still feel powerless to this day...Sector beat him, and beat him...And then they carted him off to the Facility bleeding and near death." His hand closed around the cardholder, thankfully made of fairly strong metal such that he wouldn't crush it, "And this...This is all I have left of him. I've been trying, and trying for years to get him out...But that damn place is a fortress...If we go in there now, we're never coming out."

And it was here that Yuna got another surprise: Genuine fear laced his tone, every single spoken syllable. "My brother was brave enough to face the Facility and I can't even do the same for him...What kind of brother am I? He sits in there, just rotting away and I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!" At this, he ripped the necklace off of his person and threw it through the bars before breaking down again, having it land in Yuna's cell...And when the hatch opened, she would see her third and final surprise:

A mint copy of Dark Magician Girl, her bright smiling face a stark contrast to the current wreck of the Disciples boss sitting before her.
 

Yuna chuckled and smirked softly as Hotsuma told her to shut up. "Oi, baka. I didn't point out the thing that you've officially confirmed. Every - well, most - times a guy says he has something in his eye, it means he is crying. And that's fine. There's no shame in doing so. We're both human. It's just in our nature. But ... anyway .... "

She went silent, trying to listen to his words. And the problem wasn't that Yuna had trouble hearing Hotsuma; it was more like they were all things she didn't want to hear. They were easy ways to entice him to only give up instead of trying to stand up and fight. Her head frantically moved from side to side as she tried to stretch her arm out further, not caring that it occasionally caused her light surges of pain from the recent surgery performed on her shoulder.

"Don't say that. Please, don't say such things. Hotsuma!"

When he elaborated on his brother and the situation he was in, it only made Yuna's heart sink further. Each word made her grimace, from learning he was one of the many unfortunate people locked away in the Facility to learning his 'crime' was as stupid as most of the other 'criminals'.

"Fuck," she muttered, taking a few minutes to choose her next reply carefully before speaking in the calmest tone she could muster. "I'm sorry. But ... I mean ... at least you have someone! Before you, before Yomi ... I had nothing. Well, I may as well have nothing. I don't count my pathetic parents who resorted to constant drinking and sleeping around with other partners. Fuck if I know how they managed to stay together. I ran away when I was fourteen! Three goddamn years ago! You know what they did when I left?"

She paused, allowing him to guess, listen, or do both if he so desired.

"Not a goddamn thing. Literally, nothing. No attempts to stop me were made. No fucks were given. I may as well be an orphan. You though ... you have a brother! Someone who gives a genuine fuck about you! You know how much I envy you right now?"

Yuna swallowed nervously, gathering a new set of thoughts before going on, "I already had a good amount of incentives for wanting to get rid of the Facility. But if I were you and had a very personal, important person trapped there? You bet your ass that would be my fuel for my fire. If the other reasons weren't good enough, getting someone who matters to me would do it. Use that! Don't just --- "

When the tone from Hotsuma changed and briefly rose to a point where he actually screamed, Yuna stopped and flinched, even covered her ears for a few seconds. Her mouth opened, only to halt as something lightly bumped against her exposed knee cap.

Lowering her head, she saw the same pendant Hotsuma had been wearing, and even took note of the card within it.

Pulling her hand back into the cell, she slowly gripped the necklace, closing it to hide the card. Yuna then lifted her head and looked across the way. Hotsuma was almost like a shattered mirror; broken, threatening to be unable to be repaired in any form or fashion. Her teeth bit onto her lower lip as she put the pendant around her own neck.

"Oi ... Hotsuma."

And in case that didn't get his attention, the next action - hopefully - would. Otherwise ... well, she'd probably be wasting her breath. But it wouldn't stop her from trying. Holding one empty palm out, she then brought her right hand up ... and slapped her left. Hard. The strength and impact echoed loudly throughout the halls as her hand stung. The gesture was done in hopes of helping Hotsuma realize the slap would have been given to him, if she could have reached him. Alas, the bars and cells made it impossible.

It was the easiest way to slap him despite being imprisoned and separated from him. And who knew? Maybe he would somehow feel the pain even though it had been inflicted on herself?

"HOTSUMA OBORO! YOU FUCKING LISTEN TO ME! LOOK AT ME, DAMNIT!"

Regardless of whether he did or not, she continued.

"THIS ISN'T THE MAN I MET! YOU'RE STRONGER THAN THIS! CALM YOUR ASS DOWN, STOP, AND THINK FOR A BIT!"

Finally, she took a much needed, deep breath, knowing her own exclamations wouldn't help him out in the long run.

"Are we in a shitty situation? Oh fuck yeah. Not gonna even try to sugar coat it. But ... damnit, Hotsuma! This is - in a very unorthodox way - a blessing. If these fuckers really can wake up some sorta ability in us, we can use it. Jesus, if I'd known earlier about your brother, I would have more eagerly agreed. Because ... we both agreed to ruin the Facility. Completely. Remember? You're still with me on that plan, aren't you?"

... You better fucking say yes. Because ... I don't wanna realize the Hotsuma I've known and grown to like - respect even - is dead ...

Her body shook at the thought. This was exactly why her voice had turned into a desperate, frantic tone. She needed to be heard, lest she was too late to do anything to help Hotsuma out.

"So maybe what we said is originally true. Yes, we didn't want these powers to begin with. But .... maybe we should accept them. In our own, weird ways, it's kinda a good thing that we were found. Sought out. Brought here. We can use this to get everyone out. However ... if I'm too late to convince you to return to the Hotsuma I first met .... "

Yuna's eyes narrowed as her tone changed, now growing strict and stern, "Fine. But I'm not giving up. I will go in the Facility. Alone, and only because that way, Hajime can take my spot if I don't return. But come hell or high water - both if needed - I will get everyone out. Including your brother. Assuming I get my ass out, I'll probably be bruised, battered, maybe shot a few more times, very likely bleeding. But I will do my damnedest to walk out with the others. Furthermore, until I'm convinced you're going to speak again as the same man I knew, I'm keeping this safe. Until then ... you're not getting your pendant back, plain and simple."

.... Hopefully, he would be back to normal sooner than later.

While she waited to see, hear, and gauge how Hotsuma would react to this, Yuna stayed firmly planted on the floor. Still sitting on her knees - which were definitely screaming for he to get up on her cot and lie down - and still glaring angrily at Hotsuma.

... If those fuckers somehow killed the original you, then I will revive you! No matter what that will or won't include! But I'm not letting you stay like this. Oh, and since someone's probably listening to me like the nosy bitch or bastard they are, I hope you realize that if you're going to keep us here, fine. But don't make us starve. Dumb shits.
 
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Needless to say, he initially paid little attention as Yuna told her story; he had paused as she explained the direness of her situation. How it must have felt to have the ones that brought you into this world, so carelessly let you go. Not even a word of sorrow or regret to be heard.

But in a way...She was also lucky, in his mindset. If she should fall, should get captured, she had no one she would personally endanger. No family members to worry about, nothing to be leveraged against her. He on the other hand...Had only that lifeline. Miyamoto had been his drive, his reason for bringing together the Disciples...And now imprisoned here, with the very real threat of never being able to overcome these new enemies - these Psychics - had all but broken the fragile ties of his own persona.

For the moment at least, gone was Sosuke, the Fiend of Satellite. Now sat Hotsuma Oboro, mourning the loss of a chance to save his brother from damnation, just as he'd done all those years ago.

And even as she slapped her hand, trying to rouse him, he felt nothing stir; at the very least, if he'd been imprisoned in the Facility, he could have seen his brother. Tried to work something out and been more of his old self, only playing the fool to keep the security there guessing. That is, if he didn't get himself locked in isolation or worse.

And her words did little better, only serving to earn her a bleary, puffy-eyed stare as she went on her tirade. His mind, very very deep down, was trying to kick his ass into gear. Give Yuna the recognition she needed to let her know that he was still with her. That he would do whatever it took to bring the Facility crashing down into rubble, never to be used again. But as she finished, sitting across from him and glaring at him...He said nothing.

Did nothing.

"Oh dear...Seems Miss Takeda's got even more of a fiery spirit than I realized. I thought the Fiend here was the only one with a bite. Apologies for the delay; the main dining hall is actually downstairs, so it took some time to prepare your meal and have it brought up. Once you two are better settled, I'm sure you'll be able to join the others."

And back again was Divine, Jun and Takumo flanking his sides and carrying plates of food. "Now then...Hotsuma, it seems you're being a little quieter...Perhaps you're more aware of the actuality now, yes?" said the Arcadia leader, adding solemnly, "I don't wish for either of you to feel imprisoned; as you commented, Miss Takeda, these gifts can help you as you correctly surmised." Leaning in closer to Hotsuma's face through the bars, knowing the man couldn't reach him, he just said, "But that will require us to cooperate...Can you do that for me, Hotsuma?"

At first, the man said nothing in return, Jun chuckling "Seems you broke him a bit, Master; maybe threatening to reveal to Sector the identity of the Fiend was a bit excessive." Divine sighed, "Well, I needed something else he would have just fought me until his face turned blue; and truth be told, I would never go so low as to endanger someone's family like that. No, that's reserved for the pigs of Goodwin's 'elite security force'." And as he explained why he had to go to such lengths, Jun and Takumo would slid the trays of food - nothing like gruel, but an actual meal of what appeared to be some kind of meat curry, rice and a canister of water - through the holes in the floors of the cells.

But it was here Hotsuma spoke up, mumbling something incoherent.

"Hmm? Speak up, boy! Master needs to hear you acknowledge him properly!" Jun sneered, grinning maliciously.

And it was here that Hotsuma spoke again, this time more clearly as he glared directly at Jun, "I said...If you do end up awakening some kind of power...I'm going to kill you first." Jun didn't seem scared, but in fact elated, "Oh good, and here I was worried we might not get to play again!" Divine placed a hand on the man's shoulder, "Jun...Please calm it down a bit, yes? I think our guests have had enough excitement for one day...Besides, they'll need their rest for tomorrow. Now that we have the backgrounds, we can start trying to see what we can do to help unlock their potentials."

Turning to leave, Divine only said, "Please...Take your time and enjoy the food. I'll send someone along shortly to collect the trays." before leaving the pair in peace. However, as quickly as the fire had returned in Hotsuma for that brief few seconds, it just as quickly died away. Back into the hollow abyss of his defeat.

After a few minutes, he did reach for his food, taking a bite of the curry...And another, and a third before just pushing it away and close enough to where his friend would be able to grab it if she wanted. "Yuna...Take this. I don't want any more." he then muttered to her, wiping his eyes clean of the remaining tears.
 

... You're joking, right? You're not really going to tell me he's gone?

Thankfully, not literally. But seeing Hotsuma in this state wasn't too much better. It was just as saddening - if not a bit more - than if she were burying him six feet under. Her head fell atop her kneecaps as she held herself, eliciting a muffled growl of frustration.

Not again. I'm not fucking doing this again. Fuck and no ....

There had indeed been a very good reason Yuna freaked out upon seeing the 'chambers' she was expected to sleep in. While she was fortunate to not have had to bury too many people, the fact remained she still had. It had been during the very first days of creating Yomi, even before meeting Hajime. A few overly confident men had gone after Sector themselves. Without telling her or Hajime.

... Of course, that went as well as anyone could have guessed. Not at all. The poor bastards were gunned down faster than they could activate their duel disks.

Supposedly, Sector claimed they feared her members had been reaching for their own firearms and shot them in self-defense. A pitiful excuse for a corrupt group of police who couldn't even serve true justice to the people of Satellite.

Go fucking figure.

When others told her about what had happened, Yuna took it upon herself to sneak out and get the bodies and give them both proper burials. Which thus meant making coffins and putting the respective corpses in the wooden boxes, hence where the fears had come from. Despite not having known the two people she buried for very long, the sight had been eerie. Something no sixteen-year-old should ever have to do. And for a good month or so after that incident, she had been haunted with numerous nightmares about her being buried; but it was while she was alive, not even a dead version of herself.

"Hotsuma?! HOTSUMA! Say something ... " she pleaded, looking frantically back over. The same, unnerving silence only hovered over her, making the urge for Yuna to cave in and cry that much stronger. She probably would have ... if Divine hadn't shown up. But there was one comfort. He was here not to taunt them, but rather, to comply and give them a goddamn meal, finally.

"Aww. Don't look so tense. That expression doesn't suit you, Yuna." Tokumo said as he approached her cell and delivered the food to her.

"Who the fuck says I'm scared of you?" she quipped sharply back. "And rest assured, Divine, I do have a lot more fire in me. There's much more where that came from. That .... I swear."

"Your heart. Your mind. Everything - even your very soul - does. You said earlier you weren't very religious, yes? I'd start converting if I were you. Because it will take little more than a pure miracle for me not to claim you ... and your innocence. Mark my words, if I get my way, I'll enjoy every second of it."

"Good. Because after that, you'll be dead. So enjoy it while it lasts."

... He would have added more. His expression easily said that much. But the moment Jun started to get told to stop his own teasing, he knew he'd be next. So, he moved away, allowing his threats and desires to linger.

Yuna merely sighed, both out of annoyance and relief that Divine and his cohorts were gone. And, hopefully, they would be until morning. Moving a few raven strands of her hair behind her ears first, Yuna gripped the chopsticks that had been included and began to eat. It hadn't really dawned on her until her subconscious bitched out Divine for not giving them food sooner, but she was famished. Both herself and Hotsuma had been given more drugs and anesthesia than actual nutrition, so this was definitely an amazing change of pace. Soft moans of approval resounded from Yuna as she wasted little time starting on eating her food, working first on the curry.

The sound of something moving - sliding, in fact - made her look up to see it had been Hotsuma's tray.

"Yuna...Take this. I don't want any more."

" ... Don't be fucking stupid!" she scolded, quickly reaching forward and pushing it back. "That's one of the few things I'll eagerly agree with Divine on; you will need your strength. And in order to do that, you'll need sources to give you said strength. At least keep it near you, in case you get hungry. But I'm not taking your tray. Don't push it away. It's bad enough you're already doing that to me in your own ways. Don't .... no more. Please."

Knowing she'd done and said all she could, Yuna broke eye contact once more, focusing again on her meal.

A bit under ten minutes went by and by then, Yuna had finished. That was how hungry she'd been. Admittedly, she still was but ... no. She made no effort to beg for Hotsuma to push his tray back. She had always been a woman - man for the duration she was known as Yukio - of her word. As such, even i he did shove the tray back over, Yuna didn't touch it. Moreover, she kept the pendant around her neck.

" .... I hope to wake up to the real you again ... " she said softly, pulling herself onto the cot and covering herself with the small blanket that had been provided. "Either way ... I'm getting the real you back. One way or another. I'd prefer you don't make me resort to anything overly stupid; however, if push comes to shove, I will endure any and everything in order to bring the Fiend I knew back to life." Tilting her head up at the ceiling of her room, Yuna sighed softly before slowly closing her eyes.

" .... Good night. Try to get some sleep ... "

You really are gonna fucking need it; I don't need to have any powers awakened to know that much is true.

Either way, it didn't take long for Yuna to naturally pass out, finally getting the first wanted and non-forced bit of slumber since their captivity began.
 
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Needless to say, her words again went unnoticed by him, staring at the tray in a deadened manner; what was the use? He was a prisoner just like his brother. He didn't even stir when Takumo threatened to rape her, and normally that was one of his biggest triggers after seeing those Sector pigs do it so many times. And had he been his normal self, he would have probably dislocated his shoulders trying to get at the freak for even speaking about such a thing. And he heard it all too clearly too; deep down it sparked a fire, but the currently broken mindset wasn't allowing for much expression.

Hopefully by tomorrow indeed, he would be back to his old self again, cracking jokes and being an overall pain in the ass for these clowns. However, for now...He didn't even crawl into bed, opting instead to sit on his haunches...And wait for morning.



Morning couldn't come quick enough, the light filtering in through the windows and subtly striking Hotsuma in the face. He had hardly slept at all the night before, pangs of fresh guilt over his failures to liberate his brother poking at his mind and making him stay awake. The food, as well, had not been touched since he took those measly few bites; though he did find it pushed closer to him.

His body hungered, stomach rumbling loudly and with a groan, he gingerly reached out and took the tray, using the chopsticks to pick at the meat and rice. After a few bites, it turned into more...And surprisingly, he actually did finish it. Though not surprisingly, his body felt better. His mind was still shit, but...Oddly enough, he didn't feel quite as down on himself today. Still wouldn't be the same smarmy ass he was before.

"Yuna..." he croaked out, slowly standing up and leaning against his cell bars. And once she might awaken, he continued, "Yuna...Take care of that for me. You're right, I shouldn't be such an idiot...But put yourself in my shoes: Had I fucked up, if Sector managed to catch me and found out my brother was my brother...They'd kill him. And that bastard Divine said if I didn't cooperate, he would tell them that random kid they picked up was related to the Fiend of Satellite. And honestly? They would use that against me...And I don't know if I could hold out from giving them whatever they wanted..."

Yes it was true, he did want Sector gone. Wanted the Facility destroyed brick by brick and level by level...But if push came to shove and he wound up having to choose his brother over his friends...He might very well have betrayed them all. And for a few seconds there was a pause...Before a particular voice cut through the silence.

"Ah yes, that unfortunate gimmick. My deepest apologies for that; I had no idea the love for your brother was so deep. But now that you're here...Consider your secret safe with me."

And then HE showed up, the cocky fucker. "Ah, finished your meal I see. Good; you really shouldn't starve yourself, my boy. Does horrible things to the brain, and for today we'll need those beauties in top form." Divine stated simply, adding as he turned to Hotsuma, "I have to admit, yours especially, Hotsuma was very active...More than I would have thought. Though that's not to say you were a slouch yourself, Yuna...Most impressive activity."

Hotsuma looked away in disgust, "How do I know you're not just playing me? For all I know...He could be dead right now." Divine just smiled, "Such distrust...As I said, I would never endanger someone's family, that's just cruel. But I understand that you might not be willing to believe me; once your potential awakens, you'll be able to find out for yourself. Speaking of which...Let's get started for today, yes? Oh, and you two will need to disrobe almost completely; yesterday was just a reading of your unaltered minds. Today we'll be doing some actual experimentation, see if we can't help speed things along a little."

And of course, the robed trio accompanied them...Including the masked bitch, a sight that made Hotsuma react a little more visibly. Not in fear...And the daggers he glared at her and Jun showed evidence to the former fire he had before his meltdown. "Feeling better today? Good, good! No biting though! My hand still hurts from the last time, naughty boy." Jun teased, already moving to help undo the Fiend's binds.

Divine of course, noticed that Yuna was now wearing Hotsuma's pendant; though said nothing about the exchange. Having gleaned the information from his departure later that night, he smirked at the camarderie these two had: And even though the latter wasn't exactly his brave self right now, he knew these two would do anything for each other.

Moments later, they were back in the room with the pods; Hotsuma only wore his underwear, allowing his strong legs to be shown on display and let them see how much use they'd gotten. Being that he ran around a lot in Satellite, they were quite well developed and looked powerful enough to kick someone through a door, adding to the totality of his impressive physique. Regardless, they would both find themselves back in the pods, masks over their faces and once again submerged in water...Hotsuma allowed to slumber more easily this time, the anesthesia doing wonders; though he did absent-mindedly grip at his chest a few times, as if searching for the pendant that wasn't there. He was so used to wearing it that its absence was easily noticeable.

"Takumo, did you have pick something so revealing for Yuna?" Divine then asked, Jun chuckling, "Oh, you should know by now he's insatiable, Master...Don't worry though, if he gets too handsy I'll put a stop to it." Of course, he had no real intentions of depriving his partner of fun; all he cared about was making Hotsuma stronger. And if it took letting something happen to his friend then so be it...In fact, such anger it could produce it was heady to just think about. "I wonder what will happen...Hotsuma, just how strong will you be?" Jun asked aloud, feeling delight run through his body and a creepy smile crossing his face.
 

As someone who was used to waking up rather early every morning, Yuna's alarm clock seemed to remain the same despite being in a very different and unfamiliar setting. About ten minutes after Hotsuma arose and began to eat, Yuna groaned and slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Mattress could be better," she grumbled, weakly smiling as she walked over and took note of Hotsuma finally eating. "Good. Glad to see at least some part of the old you is back."

When he asked her to keep taking care of the pendant, she merely smirked and nodded. "Well no shit, silly. I told you I would. I was gonna keep true to that. Don't worry. I definitely will."

...But put yourself in my shoes: Had I fucked up, if Sector managed to catch me and found out my brother was my brother...They'd kill him. And that bastard Divine said if I didn't cooperate, he would tell them that random kid they picked up was related to the Fiend of Satellite. And honestly? They would use that against me...And I don't know if I could hold out from giving them whatever they wanted..."

... It was a much easier said than done thing, to put oneself in another person's shoes. However, with Yuna having wondered if she may have a sibling that was alive and mostly well, she understood more than she should.

It's not like anyone or anything is stopping those assholes from fucking and reproducing. Definitely not common sense so ... it's not impossible either ...

But then, how old would they be? About three to four years old which made Yuna grimace. Too young to be around such horrible influences, and if only because the age difference wasn't enough, she prayed her father's potency wasn't as good compared to when she'd been created.

Because no one should have to endure half the shit I did ...

Out loud, however, she finally said, "I ... think I can understand what you're saying. Kinda. Well enough."

... And then, of course, he had to make his 'grand' entrance, accompanied by Yuna and Hotsuma's favorite three other people.

Tch. Yeah, right ... she thought, rolling her eyes, offering the four people little more than an irked glare. The expression only got worse when Divine said they'd need to all but strip. "Fuck that," she growled, moving her head from side to side.

"You can always go all natural, then," Tokumo quipped, smirking as he walked forward, holding his hands behind his back. The others plus Hotsuma would see what he was hiding, but Yuna wouldn't have to wait very long. Soon, she found herself staring at one of the most revealing sets of lingerie. "I think this would look amazing on you," he added in a very matter-of-fact tone. "Go on. It's either that or exposing yourself completely to us all. Pick your poison~"

Yuna's face quickly went red. No amount of acting would have helped her keep an even somewhat straight face. Nope. The 'lingerie' - if it could be called that - was ... almost something more similar than what a stripper or escort may wear.

"Y-You asshole ... " Yuna stammered, looking between herself and the small, sky-blue outfit. "Fine! But get these off first!" she snapped, lightly tugging at her ankles. "Won't be able to slip into them if I'm kept here ... "

Takumo grinned as he slid the bra and panties through the bars and gave them over, moving away a few steps back.

" .... Don't fucking stare."

"Is there really a point to me turning away? I'm going to see you clad in those anyway."

" .... Urgh!"

Knowing that the bastard had a point, Yuna angrily huffed and began stripping, putting her normal clothes down onto the cot. "Those better still be there when we get back," she mumbled bitterly, her face turning even more crimson as she pulled the lingerie fully over her breasts and crotch.

"See?" Takumo said, whistling as she finished. "It suits you really well. Come on ... aww, don't be ashamed of your body."

Yuna's arms had immediately raised and went over the exposed areas of her bra, keeping anyone from seeing as much skin as possible. Granted, she wouldn't have that luxury once she went back to the chamber, no. But while she still had the liberty, she'd embrace every second of being able to defy these bastards while also complying with them as much as possible. Ahh, loopholes within loopholes; what amazing things they could be.

"It's fuckers like you that are exactly why I pretended to be a manfor so long!" she hissed, quickly moving beside Hotsuma the moment her door opened. "I can walk by myself! Don't you fucking touch me!"

"That's okay. The 'look but don't touch' approach can sometimes be the best one to take. Especially with feisty women such as yourself."

.... Just go fuck off already ....

Yuna damn well nearly jumped when she actually heard a reply back; in her head.

Hehe. Maybe I will. I'll think on that. You'd definitely be a pleasant image to dwell on while I do that.

Although Yuna did a lot of running herself, her body was the opposite of Hotsuma's. Now that almost nothing was left to the imagination to anyone around Yuna, it was clear to see she had more muscles in her arms and shoulders than legs. Even after getting shot twice, her body still had a very feminine look to it despite the scars that were forming slowly but surely over her wounds.

Soon, Yuna found herself standing beside the same pod she had been forced into ... two days ago? Was that really how long it had been now?

Yeah, but it feels a shit ton longer than that ....

Taking a deep breath, Yuna steeled herself before stepping inside, shivering as the cold water quickly greeted her once again. Her body continued to tremble - and not just from the cold temperature, but fear - as she laid down. Yet compared to last time, she was being a lot more brave. Cooperative. Eager, even, albeit in her own regards and methods.

Seconds after the mask covered her mouth and nose, Yuna fell back asleep. This time - on the off chance Divine hadn't been paying nearly as much attention to how her mind seemed to think in this forced state of unconsciousness - it would be noted that even asleep, a lot of things were on Yuna's mind.

.... But interestingly enough, there were very specific topics that were at the top of her list of 'to fret about' things.

In third place was the life she left behind and the chance she did indeed have a sibling she needed to find and help get away from "that shitty excuse of a home". Tied for second were Hajime and the other associates, friends and comrades who were still at Yomi. How were they? Were they okay? Safe?

Which may have made the topic for first either surprising or not, depending on one's point of view; Hotsuma.

Admittedly, even if she had been awake and able to talk, Yuna actually wouldn't have known exactly why the other leader was the main concern for her. She knew he could handle himself well enough. It was clearly being fueled on by something she didn't realize existed but Divine and the others would; her id.

Tokumo merely grinned, now seeing exactly how Yuna's mind was working and noting her priorities. "Oh come now," he replied to his Master's questioning of the bra and panties that had been given to Yuna, "It really does suit her perfectly. Do you disagree on that?"

The masked woman said nothing ... but she didn't need to for Divine to know she was tucking the reaction of Tokumo away. And, unlike Jun, she would seriously stop him if it came down to it.

Until then, she would keep being the silent, obedient right-hand woman she had always been since being found and helped by Divine.
 
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Hotsuma still felt numb...But part of his anger at seeing Yuna objectified like that was starting to resurface. Though not nearly enough to make him say anything, not even to the masked woman that stuck to Divine's side like a pet. Honestly, he was just going through the motions...Wanting this to be over, but at the same time wanting to feel...Not like this anymore.

He was sick of feeling helpless, sick of feeling like he couldn't do anything.

"So maybe what we said is originally true. Yes, we didn't want these powers to begin with. But .... maybe we should accept them. In our own, weird ways, it's kinda a good thing that we were found. Sought out. Brought here. We can use this to get everyone out. However ... if I'm too late to convince you to return to the Hotsuma I first met .... "

These thoughts played in his head the whole way to the experimentation chambers, even as the water completely immersed him. Naturally, she spoke the truth...And he was being a little bitch about it, when push came to shove. But the thought of honestly and truly losing his brother, especially if he would be none the wiser, scared the crap out of him. Still...If this did work, and they could actually use their brains for more than just thinking...

Who knew what they could accomplish. Maybe even drive Sector out of Satellite for good. Yeah...That'd be awesome.

The thermal shock, slight as it was by now, served to actually help wake his mind up a little. "Just relax, man...Take this time and calm down. It's like a vacation...A really, really fucked up vacation." he tried to tell himself, something that made him actually quirk his lips up a little in a weird-ass smile.

With both of them now in the pods, Divine would oversee every waking minute of this set of experiments. He could both of them, chattering away in their own heads. Amusing, really, especially since a whole new world was about to open up for them. He had their brainwave profiles...Now to find their triggers and help them expand their minds beyond the physical shell, make the thin membrane between illusion and reality shatter like glass. And with both of them laying in the water like that...One could easily think he was creating monsters.

Little did even one such as Divine know how right that was.

Near the central terminal, a set of handles seemed to extend outward from the face; grabbing hold of one, Divine would motion for the red-haired woman to grab the other. In layman's terms, it was almost like they were going to give them Psychic abilities by direct transfer; however, that wasn't exactly how it worked. This experiment would expose them to true Psychic energy, and the team of technicians would analyze the feedback and see how their bodies reacted. Once it stabilized, it was a matter of then finding the trigger, followed by specifically training them to act on that trigger to activate their abilities. There was a reason he had them strip down; not always, but stronger Psychics were often 'marked', usually associated with something in their Decks.

Though with these two having gone to the B.A.D. there was no telling how this would turn out.

Divine waited for a second, then said, "Alright...Start it." One tech - a blond-haired male with thick-rimmed glasses wearing a white polo shirt and khakis - typed in some commands and flipped a switch. "Beta-wave synchronization, active. Baselines - Stabilized. Commencing neurolink...Completed" he then said, his screen lighting up with what appeared to be an animation of overlapping brainwaves.

"Oh, I always do love watching this part..." Jun commented, leaning over to see how this boy would react; just what would happen?

Hotsuma's body began to convulse; imperceptibly at first, but then the water grew more turbulent as he shook more violently, his chest 'jumping' several times as the process would continue. And if one were to look closely, a faint mark would appear right above his heart like a tattoo, the center looking much like his own monster-seizing card Falling Down, but only for a few seconds before it vanished again.

And after a few minutes of this, the experiment was stopped; Divine felt no worse for wear, but asked "Aki dear...Are you feeling alright?" Of course, given her power this was no doubt nothing more than a teardrop in a rainstorm for her, but he still felt it polite to ask.

"Master? Now that you've done this much...How do we go about awakening them?" Jun then asked, Divine smiling, "Simply really...We see what emotional states help elicit the strongest response, then help hone that in so that their ability to use it becomes second-nature. I'll likely delegate most of that to you three, since you'll have a better understanding of what it's like to have your powers suddenly surge outward." Of course, he would still be watching over them; last thing he needed was them collapsing and having a seizure fit or something; it was a fate he'd seen befall too many people before them.

He then said to the red-haired woman as Jun and Takumo went to stand in front of their newest members' cells, Divine said "Aki...If you would be so kind as to keep watch of Takumo. Watch where his hands wander; last thing we need is a scandal about a senior member getting too hands on." She probably already sensed his malicious intents like he did, but he was just giving her the verbal all-clear to do what she must to make sure Takumo didn't take his privilege too far.

Divine then went and joined Jun,, "Hotsuma? Can you hear me?" There was a slight delay, and then nothing. "Hotsuma? You're probably going to need to focus...Try to direct a thought at me. Anything you like." Again, silence; maybe he needed another dose? "Oh no, hopefully Master's brain didn't overwhelm this gorilla..." Jun then commented, soon eliciting "I swear to god, once I get out of here you're sharkbait." Jun just grinned and chuckled, "Well now...THAT certainly got a rise out of him. Too charismatic for my own good, oh to live my life is such a hard one, hehehe."
 

... Hotsuma ....

It had been a repeating thought in Yuna's head. Now, however, was the time when her words were accompanied by a unique and very unexpected action. Yuna turned, as if lying on her side, atop a normal bed rather than the chamber she was trapped in. Her hands pressed against the glass, as if trying to reach through them and go through with the failed attempts at holding Hotsuma.

You better not give up, you bastard ...

And throughout all of this, her eyes remained shut.

Which hinted her brainwaves were definitely - most likely, anyway - Beta or even Gamma stages. Very strange, no doubt, for someone who was indeed still unconscious, courtesy of the anesthesia.

Both Aki and Takumo took note of this, though it was clear as the day itself whom was more sincere about actually being curious and who was merely tucking the information away for their own personal uses. Alas, before Aki could get too invested in studying Yuna's movements, she took note of Divine's out of the corner of her eyes. He didn't need to tell her that he wanted her help; that was just how much faith and trust the two had in one another.

Keep to your 'look but no touching' agreement, Takumo-kun, she inwardly threatened as she forced herself to move away, ignoring the glare that she knew was being directed at her for using the '-kun' suffix. What? You're acting like an immature, bratty teen. You know, like the ones in the chambers. As such, I will treat you like the age you're acting. Grabbing tightly onto the handle. Only when Divine's arm started to move did her own follow suit, making sure her actions were mimicked at the exact same second. Timing was crucial, more so for tasks like this.

As the experiment came to an end, Aki let go of her handle. The softest of pants could be heard but it was otherwise as Divine had predicted. This had barely caused her any real trouble. If she'd been anyone else then yes, this would have been a far worse strain for her. But as things were? This hardly used much energy, Psychic or otherwise. A concealed smile spread on face though as she heard Divine go on and politely ask how she was feeling.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for the thoughts though."

Her head started to turn - more out of curiosity than concern - towards Yuna, but halted as she saw Divine subtly signal for her to move briefly away.

"Aki...If you would be so kind as to keep watch of Takumo. Watch where his hands wander; last thing we need is a scandal about a senior member getting too hands on."

The smile mingled with a smirk as she quickly nodded, "One hundred steps ahead of you, Master," she replied, not bothering to hide the disgust at Takumo even having started walking towards one of the few lines that never should be crossed in the first place. "He won't be doing anything too extreme; I'll make damn sure of that myself, no matter what."

Upon walking back with Divine to the still imprisoned set of leaders, she found Takumo was at least keeping himself behaved. But the less-than-decent intentions were practically screaming and loudly echoing in his head, which made her clear her throat. "Oi. Takumo-kun, calm yourself. Now. If you can't do this, then leave and I will take over as her primary watcher from here on out."

"What's it to you?" he growled, only to be shoved away by a strong burst of Psychic energy.

"Quite a bit. Divine-sama has given me the green light to be as strict as needed. And you know this is hardly 1% of my power. Now leave ... while you still can."

With that, Takumo stormed off, indeed appearing very much like the same bratty adolescent that Aki had identified him as. Taking his spot, she saw Yuna had gone from being on her side to back again. However, her right hand was still up against the glass, still seeming to try to - literally and metaphorically - reach out to Hotsuma as best as she could.

... What type of mark will you get? And where? Aki mused, tilting her head.

.... For all of his perverted desires ad tactics, even Aki had to admit one thing that Takumo was right about. In her own rights, Yuna was actually very pretty. Even now, maybe a bit more because of this forced sleep state - it seemed to be true. Maybe it was a trick the water was performing but she looked .... almost angelic. Or was it more like a fallen angel? Either way, it was an interesting and very appropriate image for her which .... made Aki's amused grin spread wider over her face.

I suppose we all have our personas; I'm the Black Rose Witch. She needs to be something, after all. Even Hotsuma is the Fiend of the Satellite; it should be only fitting his closest comrade has her own title.
 
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Divine watched from the corner of his eye as Aki sent Takumo away; the man was good at what he did yes, but often times he took far too many liberties with his power. He would have to thank the woman later for deciding to use a firm hand with him; he tried to be fair to all his pupils, but sometimes one needed a second opinion to show they were in the wrong.

And Aki definitely knew how to make people see how wrong they were; much like her own latent abilities, it was a natural talent for her it seemed. Even against people like Takumo.

And though Yuna had tried reaching out to Hotsuma, the young man seemed to be still withdrawn...Hesitant, despite the small lashing out he demonstrated to Jun. "Oh, don't tell me you've gone all quiet now, we were just starting to connect! Hmm, Master, might I try something?" Divine's eyes narrowed, "What is it?" Jun just chuckled, "Oh please, you know I look forward to Dueling again far too much to inflict any serious harm. But I feel someone like him..." Jun paused in his words to look at Hotsuma's body, the light shining around from the water in the tank, "Needs more 'forceful' persuasion." As he said this, a shadowy aura appeared around him, the whites of his eyes glowing a faint shade of blue-white.

Divine just smiled and replied, "Ah, I see...Very well, but be careful." His associate just chuckled, "You know I will...Now Hotsuma, this might sting a little." And as he said this, he would reach a hand out, eyes glowing more brightly beneath the hood he wore, using his own powers to influence some of Hotsuma's more vital systems. It wasn't much, just stopping the arteries intermittently for a few seconds at an instance...Long enough to make it seem like he was about to have a heart attack.

And the whole time, each time the tightening feeling his chest would surge, Hotsuma's body reacted quite visibly: Fists clenched and even though he was under anesthesia, his eyes squeezed tightly with each near-stop of his heart. "Now, Hotsuma...There is a way to stop this. Release your power...It calls to you, let it out!" the man proclaimed excitedly, his thoughts loud enough for those sensitive enough to hear it, including Hotsuma and Yuna. When it didn't work, Jun tried squeezing harder and longer, the Fiend's chin tilting upward reflexively to try and open the airway as much as possible.

'Divine-sama, vitals are going into the yellow! BP 150/94, pulse - 114 bpm!' then said a technician from over the speaker, Divine just replying "Keep monitoring..." And after a few moments of this torturous method, Divine mused, "Hmmm....Jun, you can stop." And much like a well-trained pet, Jun's influence ceased, letting the Fiend start to come back down. After about ten minutes of letting him rest, he then asked, 'How do his vitals look now? Any changes in brainwave activity?' The same tech replied, 'Vitals normalizing...Only the expected pain and panic responses from the brain though, Divine-sama.'

"Well, clearly pain isn't a trigger; not that I would expect much less from someone that lives in Satellite." the Arcaida leader said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as he pondered what else could be done. That mark that appeared on Hotsuma's chest alone was intriguing enough to warrant further investigation; though first he would have to find a way to make it stick, as the saying went. Still...He had seemed awfully protective of Yuna...Maybe in a way she was the key?

'Jun...Do what you did to Hotsuma again...But this time, inflict it upon the woman." Divine then commanded, Jun looking shocked for a moment before grinning, "Ah, so that's your goal...Very well." His eyes glowed and a hand reached, the same sensations that Hotsuma experienced soon being passed onto Yomi's leader. Though to a lesser degree, since he wasn't interested in hurting someone that could lose so easily to the likes of his partner.

"Stop...Leave her alone..."

That was what Hotsuma's mental voice said, Divine just smiling "Well then...That's entirely dependent on you, isn't it? Dig deep, Hotsuma and you might just be able to save her." Jun was being uncharacteristically delicate with Yuna, but applying greater pressure to a smaller number of areas to make it *feel* the same.

"I SAID...LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Divine's smile widened, "And I said you have to dig deep...Do you want to not only fail your brother, but the woman that dared confide in you her greatest secret?"

Hotsuma's mind was a whirl; he didn't know how to turn it on, if he had anything to turn on to begin with! What did they expect from him?! And even though unconscious and in water, his eyes began to tear up, sadness and anger elevating the stress on his body. And within moments, the same dark aura that surrounded Jun began to envelop Hotsuma's body as well, the mark on his heart reappearing and getting bolder, almost seeming to fill itself in like a child coloring a picture book.

What would have been an ear-shattering wail of fury instead resonated within the minds of Jun, Aki, Yuna and Divine as Hotsuma's anger reached a boiling point, drowning out the reports that the subject was redlining and his thought patterns becoming too complex for the machine to process efficiently. The powerlessness and self-loathing driving him to push it all away...And triggering the first stage of the transformation into a Psychic. It was of such magnitude that though the glass didn't break, it actually started to crack and fragment a little, the mark over his heart glowing a strange black light for a short time before fading...Himself now possessing what appeared to be a tattoo of sorts, but his body otherwise unchanged.

'Divine-sama...Subject stabilized, increased activity in the amygdala and hypothalamus." the tech said over the loudspeaker, Divine ignoring it and staring in wonderment, Jun having since stopped his own torture of Yuna's body. "Well now...I wasn't expecting THAT to happen." he then mused, walking over to stand next to Hotsuma's spiderweb-fractured tank; what did this mark mean, he wondered. Did it have something to do with their exposure to the energies of the Barbaric Area?
 
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