Matarra: Writing this one on the request of my Fanfiction friend Ryu-Ran 2200. I am going to have so much fun with this...

Misael: PLEASE tell me I'm not in this!

Matarra: Okay, you're totally not in this.

Misael: Are you lying?

Matarra: Yes.

Misael: F*ck you.

Matarra: HEY! You TOLD me to tell you that you weren't in it! You never said it had to be the truth.

Misael: Once again, f*ck you.

Matarra: Oh! And this story also features a fully reformed Don Thousand like from 'Redemption'. Because I like that Don Thousand and I want to have him interacting with Dark Mist. Also I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, like usual. *rubs piggy-bank* Soon though... soon...

Misael: NASCH! I need a gun to commit suicide with if she ever does own the franchise! Or a rope and chair, both work!

Matarra: Baby.

A pair of heterochromic eyes groggily blinked open, then winced against the bright light pointed at his face. "Where...?"

"Oh, flashlight! You're awake." Astral jerked his head towards the horrifyingly familiar voice. He was met with another pair of heterochromic eyes taunting him with cruelty in their depths.

"Dark Mist, where am I?" Astral demanded, cutting to the chase.

"Not one for hellos are you, original?" Dark Mist commented.

"What do you want?!" Astral snapped as he tried to move. Looking down, he noticed the black tentacles holding him to a chair.

"I haven't even answered your first question yet," Dark Mist admonished, "Impatient much?"

Astral seethed at him. "Let me go!"

"And now we're to the demanding stage," Dark Mist sighed, "There we go, took us long enough to get to that unpleasant one. Now if you will move on to the fruitlessly begging and crying stage I can start having fun."

Astral shut his mouth and settled with glaring daggers at the number, who frowned. "What? Nothing to say? Cat got your tongue?" Astral remained silent and Dark Mist heaved a great sigh, "You are just TRYING to ruin my fun, aren't you?" At Astral's continued silent treatment, Dark Mist scowled, "Alright! Alright, you win. I'll explain."

"Thank you," Astral huffed.

Dark Mist smirked ominously, "I wouldn't thank me quite yet."

Astral narrowed his eyes. "Where. Am. I?" he demanded.

Dark Mist spread his arms wide. "Look around you. It shouldn't be too hard to discern what's important."

Astral looked up and around him. He appeared to be in a warehouse of sorts with grey walls and large metal doors that appeared to open to let in a large truck or something else of that nature. A table stood in front of him and an interrogation lamp like he had seen in the magic box was pointed at his face. "I'm on earth, but not with Yuma."

Dark Mist clapped his hands in mock excitement. "Very good, blue-boy! Gold star!" he exclaimed sarcastically

"You kidnapped me," Astral stated.

Dark Mist gasped. "What?! No! Really?"

Astral ignored his sarcastic reaction, "How did you kidnap me?"

Dark Mist rolled his eyes. "I'm a number! Apparently since I am tied to you, I can enter the key whenever the hell I want. Also, I can bring stuff in it too! Like chloroform. Now isn't that something?"

Astral glared at the obnoxious number again. "What do you want?"

"NOW we get to what's important," Dark Mist smirked, "I want..." he paused for dramatic effect then extended one arm and lifted Astral's chin up with one lithe finger. "You." he finished.

Astral's eyes widened. "Um... I am not attracted to you nor will I ever-"

Dark Mist instantly recoiled, floating back quite a few feet. "WHAT?! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO! WHY on Earth, Astral World, or Barian World would that thought cross your mind?!"

"Because that is a classic pick-up line," Astral explained, "I've heard it on soap operas."

Dark Mist blinked. "Oh. I had not considered that. Wow, I need to work on my evil speeches. Or better yet, not plan them in advance. It is said that first instincts are the best, after all."

"You planned this conversation?" Astral asked, slightly distracted.

"I planned an evil speech. That was my opening line." Dark Mist explained, "You know what? Screw the plan, I'm winging it!"

"Are you done being immature?" Astral growled, still furious at the number and a feeling of dread growing in his stomach.

Dark Mist looked slightly annoyed before smiling cruelly again. "Right. Back to my little explanation. You and Yuma have been gigantic pains in my ass for far too long."

"I don't see why you still care," Astral commented, trying to remain calm, "The number war is over. Everything is peaceful."

"And yet you think I don't want to cause chaos and rule the world because...?" Dark Mist asked. At Astral's silence, he scowled, "You know, conversations go both ways."

"Just tell me why you kidnapped me and what you want," Astral demanded.

"So touchy," Dark Mist clicked his tongue, "But fine. As I said, I want to rule everything, cause chaos, make everyone bow down to me, etc. But I know you and Yuma would always stop me as you have every. Single. Goddamn. Time. So I thought, why do and blue flashlight and a stupid hormone-filled teenager keep beating me?"

"Because of our bond of friendship," Astral snarled.

Dark Mist snapped his fingers then pointed finger guns at Astral. "Ding-a-ling-a-ling! That is EXACTLY the same conclusion I came to."

"You will never break our bond," Astral growled, straining against his restraints.

"Um, yeah. I will. That is literally the entire plan," Dark Mist commented.

"You've tried that before when you possessed me." Astral replied.

"Yeah. And I remember how well THAT turned out," Dark Mist rolled his eyes and shuddered. "So then I thought, what was the closest anyone ever got? Answer: Vector when he pretended to be Rei. Why was that? Because he made Yuma more of his friend and less of yours. So then I thought, what if I made you my friend and Yuma's enemy? Then I am on cloud nine!"

"That will never happen," Astral snarled.

"And THAT'S where your wrong, Astral!" Dark Mist smirked, "I've done my research. I know all the techniques for brainwashing. Not to mention Vector forgot to reclaim this," Dark Mist held up a card between two fingers. Rank-up Magic: Barian's Force. Astral visibly paled. He didn't know what effect that card could have on him, but he knew how humans were affected by it.

"I- I won't fall prey to your mind-games," Astral replied.

"You don't sound too sure about that," Dark Mist smirked, "As well you shouldn't."

"Let me go!" Astral struggled frantically, "I won't turn my back on Yuma and I will NEVER join you!"

Dark Mist laughed. "Don't be silly, of course you will." Astral's bonds tightened and a few tentacles wrapped around his head, forcing him to stare straight ahead. Dark Mist held the card in front of Astral's face and it started to glow red. "Now, let's begin shall we? Dark Mist is a friend. I hate Yuma, Dark Mist is a friend..."

…... (^0^) ...

"Shark!" Yuma yelled.

Nasch sighed, "What is it Yuma?"

"Have you seen Astral? He wasn't in the key when I woke up," Yuma complained.

"Haven't seen him," Nasch replied, "Ask Kite or Vetrix or Tori."

"I have!" Yuma exclaimed.

Nasch blinked, "None of them saw him?"

"Nope! I asked Tori, Bronk, Flip, Caswell, Kathy, Trey, Quattro, Quinton, Vetrix, Kari, Dr. Faker, Hart, Kite, Alit, Gilag, Merag, Misael, Dumon, Jinlong, Ponta and Mach! None of them have seen him!" Yuma sounded worried and Nasch's expression mirrored that sentiment.

"In that case, we might have a problem," Nasch muttered, "Did you ask Vector?" Yuma shook his head so Nasch took a deep breath and yelled at the top of his lungs, "VECTOR!"

A moment later, Vector teleported next to the irate violet-haired barian king, closely followed by a certain blond-and-red-haired patron who had become reformed after the war was over. "What did I do now?" Vector complained, "Seriously, I can think of twenty different things you'd yell at me about."

"Where's Astral?" Nasch asked.

"What? Isn't he with Yuma?" Don Thousand asked. Both Yuma and Nasch shook their heads. "Have you asked anyone else?"

"Yeah, Yuma's asked almost literally everyone we know," Nasch replied.

"Have you called my brother yet?" Don asked. Nasch looked at Yuma, who shook his head. "There you go. Astral probably went to Astral World."

"You think so?" Yuma perked up.

"Yeah, I'll call Eli just to make sure," Don Thousand offered. He pulled out a cellphone and dialed in a number. "Hey, order-freak." He paused, "Yes, I have a purpose for my call. Listen, I was wondering if you could put Astral on." He paused again for a long time, "What do you mean he's not there?!" Nasch, Yuma, and Vector shared a worried look, "No, he's not here! Yuma's apparently been asking around all day." He paused, then pulled the phone away from his ear. "He hung up-" he started before a blue overlay network opened. "Oh, that's why." A moment later, another blond patron stepped out, looking worried.

"What do you mean Astral hasn't been seen all day?!" Eliphas demanded, adjusting his square glasses. Don Thousand snorted and Eliphas glared at him, "Why do you still find it funny that I need glasses in human form?!" Don said nothing but simply smirked. "Anyway, where is Astral?"

"We HOPED he was with you," Don Thousand said.

"Well, he's not!" Eliphas exclaimed, agitated.

"Okay, let's focus on old enemies," Nasch reasoned, "Because I think this just crossed a line from 'let's be worried' to 'let's assume the worst'."

"I've got the fearsome four under control. If they messed with Astral, they know what I would do to them," Vector explained.

"And Dr. Faker, Vetrix, all of the emperors, and Don Thousand here are our friends now!" Yuma added.

"Okay, who does that leave?" Nasch asked.

Vector hissed through his teeth, "Is Dark Mist accounted for?"

Nasch and Yuma looked at each other in alarm and Don put his face into his hand and sighed heavily, shaking his head. Eliphas looked confused. "Who exactly is Dark Mist?"

"He's one of Astral's numbers, technically my and Astral's son even though it weirds me out to think I have a kid, and your nephew and grandson since you're basically Astral's dad," Don Thousand explained. At Eliphas' look, he hastened to add, "It's a lot less incestuous than it sounds."

"It better be," Eliphas warned.

Don coughed awkwardly and his face turned slightly red. "Anyway, he takes after me. As in, he takes after me when I was "destroy everything in the multiverse then kill some more"."

"Has he ever kidnapped Astral before?" Eliphas demanded.

"He's possessed him and tried to kill him, does that count?" Yuma asked.

"That counts," Eliphas hissed through his teeth, "Now that I know Astral's been kidnapped, I'm going to look for him. I can't waste a second."

"Hold up!" Don Thousand called, "You should take Yuma with you. Both of you are more attuned to Astral's energy than Dark Mist's. Vector and I can look for Dark Mist."

Nasch nodded his acceptance of the plan. "I'll rally the other emperors and everyone else. Heartland will be turned upside down." Yuma bit his lip and Eliphas had a worried look on his face. Both of them feared for the blue astral being's safety and had wondered what the number had in mind for their friend.

…. (^0^) ...

"Now, what is Yuma?" Dark Mist prompted.

"Yuma... is... an... AAUGH!" Astral yelped and shook his head. "Yuma's my friend! He's my best friend! YOU'RE the enemy!"

Dark Mist scowled. "It's been ten hours! Give up already!"

"Never!" Astral panted, trying to clear his mind of the brainwashing. "You've never had a friend! You have no idea the lengths I would go to for Yuma!"

Dark Mist crossed his arms. "I'm surprised you've held up this long. Whatever, I didn't want to do this since when you finally do come around, you'd be damaged goods, but you leave me no choice." Dark Mist floated over to a corner of the room then came back with a doctor's bag in one hand and a needle in the other. "Just relax, Dr. Mist is in the house," Dark Mist smirked.

Astral eyed the needle with trepidation. "What is that?"

"Nothing you need to know about. It's just something to help you relax." Dark Mist's smirk told Astral that whatever was in that syringe, there was nothing relaxing about it. "Just a smidgeon of this and a few of these when you misbehave," Dark Mist pulled out a hammer and some long nails out of the bag and his smirk grew wider. Astral's eyes went wide and he began to struggle frantically. Dark Mist floated next to Astral and jammed the needle into his skin. Astral was slightly surprised it actually made contact but he had expected Dark Mist to have somehow taken care of that snafu.

As Dark Mist injected the liquid into Astral, the heterochromic astral being struggled and yelled, "No! STOP! YUMA! YUMA, HELP! NASCH! ELIPHAS! SOMEONE! ANYONE! HELP!" Astral began to see many colors flash across his vision and his head flopped limply to his side. "Yuma... Eliphas... please help..." Astral begged before he stopped knowing which was up and which way was down.

"Let's try again, Yuma is the enemy. And Eliphas... you don't know who Eliphas is because I sure as hell don't."

"Yuma... is an... enemy. Who... is... Eliphas?" Astral muttered, knowing what he was saying was wrong in the back of his mind.

"Yuma is the enemy," Dark Mist repeated.

"Yuma's... my friend," Astral murmured, fighting for control.

Dark Mist set the tip of a nail against Astral's arm, then slammed the hammer on the end of the nail, burrowing it into his arm. Astral screamed in agony, trying to think about Yuma, but failing to due to the drugs in his system.

"Repeat after me: Dark Mist is a friend."

"Dark Mist... is... a... friend..."

A smirk graced the number's face. "Excellent."