Author's Notes: A new story! And since this is a sequel, I shouldn't I have to state my policy on comments right? Right. 'Cause you should already know=)
Just to clarify: In case you didn't know, both this story and A Secret Kept assume that season two never happened (for the most part; some of it is the same as you already know). Blame that on the fact that I wrote A Secret Kept before the second season of the dub ever aired (or very soon there-after... I'm not sure which ^^;).
Also, when Crow mentions that its been six months, it's been six months since the bridge has been completed (about three since the events of A Secret Kept). I don't think I really gave much of a time frame for the previous story, but if I did and it conflicts with what I say in this one, I'm sorry.
Anyway, on with the story! I don't own Yugioh 5D's, only the plot and my OCs.
Chapter One - Normalcy
Yusei had fallen asleep on the couch. In the middle of the afternoon. Again.
Crow shook his head at the sight, a smirk on his face. Akiza had recently acquired her turbo dueling license, and, as consequence, Yusei had spent the last week working on building a runner for her. She'd had a license to drive a runner for quite some time now, but, now that she had license to duel, he was building her a new one. He had completed the shell in a little less than three days time (granted, he hadn't slept the entire time) and had obviously been working on the engine program again when he crashed, based on the open laptop sitting on the coffee table to the side of the couch.
The bird duelist gazed around him, still unable to grasp the fact that this was his home now. Even after six months he still thought he'd wake up back in Satellite at any moment to find this all a dream. Even in his wildest dreams he had never seen himself living in the Tops. But here he was: A fireplace surrounded with comfy chairs on a raised platform slightly behind him to the left; a kitchen and dining room beyond the platform; two couches and coffee table with floor-to-ceiling windows behind them straight in front of him; a pool and garden out on the patio; a staircase leading up to all of their bedrooms, a guestroom and den to his right. He shook his head. Would he ever get used to this? Crow wasn't sure he would.
Jack came down the stairs then, interrupting the other teen's thoughts. "Have a good time with your 'secret' girlfriend, Crow?" the blonde inquired.
"Yes, actually I did," he answered smugly, crossing his arms. "Just like always."
"So, do we get a name then?"
"Hmm. Nope."
"Why not?"
"'Cause I said so, that's why."
Jack huffed as he pulled on his jacket. "Fine then. I don't have time to argue. I'll be out late; don't wait up."
"Off to see Carly again, are we?" Crow asked with a smirk.
"Where else would I be going?" Jack responded as he closed the apartment door behind him.
Jack couldn't believe how much everything had changed in the last several months as he raced through the streets on his duel runner. Even just in terms of himself and Carly, everything was different now. When he'd first met her, Jack hadn't wanted anything to with her, but now he and the black-haired reporter-girl had been going steady for almost two months now. And then there was Crow and his girlfriend whom he refused to name until the two of them had decided how serious their relationship was. Then, of course, there was Yusei and Akiza, the couple everyone else knew was meant to be together. Though they had yet to make it official, Jack was certain it would happen before too much longer, based on the amount of time they had been spending together recently.
Jack pulled up to the door of Carly's apartment building then, and, before he could dismount his runner, the bubbly reporter rushed from the door towards him, nearly tripping in the process. "Ready?" he asked as she slipped on the helmet he handed her.
"Of course!" she nodded, climbing on behind her boyfriend. "You really have to ask?"
The blonde hit the accelerator, shooting the pair off to some unknown destination.
At the same moment the duo passed under an over-head cable-car, Akiza Izinski was staring out the window of said cable-car as it skated towards its next station, an anxious, impatient look in her eyes.
The red-head sighed. Her father had promised weeks ago to take her to find a good duel runner, but, so far, he hadn't had time. And she couldn't ride her old one; some part had given out, and Yusei said he didn't have the means to fix it and that it would cost an arm and a leg to have a repair shop fix it. That was the whole reason she was getting a new one. So here she was, stuck riding the cable-car.
After a few more impatient minutes, Akiza climbed off and started walking the five blocks from the station to the Tops. At least, she knew, she wouldn't have to take that awful thing back home again; Yusei always offered to give her a ride home. That would be the one and only thing she'd miss once she had her new runner: Riding with Yusei.
Akiza couldn't help but notice the change in him over the last few months. He was still the same Yusei she loved, still the same Yusei who had saved her from herself, but he had changed immensely as well - as had all of them, really.
He was still the same Yusei, but he was - happier. He was so much happier than when she'd first met him all those months ago at the Fortune Cup. And Akiza was glad for it; Yusei of all people deserved to be happy after everything he'd been through in life.
She walked into the apartment without even bothering to knock. ("You're as good as family," Kara had once told her. "You don't have to knock!") Not seeing anyone, she called out softly: "Hello? Anybody home?"
Crow stuck his head out of the kitchen. "Oh, hey, Akiza!" he greeted.
"Hey, Crow. Where's Yusei?"
The orange-haired teen chuckled. "Passed on the couch again. He's still working on his super-secret project... Even though it's not really secret around here anymore."
"You know what it is?" she asked, surprised.
"Yup."
"Well, what is it then?"
"Can't tell ya!"
"Why not?" Akiza crossed her arms in front of her.
"'Cause it's a secret!"
"You beat all, ya know that, Crow?" Akiza stated in frustration.
Crow laughed. "Yup! Well, I'm headed back out; packages don't deliver themselves after all! See ya later!" With that, he disappeared out the door Akiza had entered through only a moment before.
Akiza sighed, shaking her head, as she approached her sleeping friend. Lying on his stomach, his right arm under his head, Yusei looked truly peaceful. She sat down on the floor next to the sofa, content to just watch him sleep. Akiza hadn't been sitting long when the boy began to stir. Almost begrudgingly it seemed, he slowly opened his deep sapphire eyes.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Yusei sat up. "Akiza... When did you get here? You could have woken me up, ya know."
"I haven't been here long. I didn't want to disturb you... You're more than welcome to go back to sleep."
"What time is it?" he asked, attempting to stifle a yawn.
"Almost four. Why?"
He shook his head. "I definitely need to get up then, or I'll never be able to sleep tonight."
Akiza smirked. "You won't anyway; you'll be up working on this project of yours."
A ghost of a smile graced Yusei's lips. "Normally you'd probably be right, but I'm just about done with it, so that means no more late nights."
"Really? I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me what it is then?"
The raven-haired youth was silent for a moment as he thought her question over. Finally he nodded once. "Seeing as how it's for you and that it's almost done, I don't see why not." As he stood, he beckoned Akiza to follow. "It's in the spare bedroom; Mom agreed to let me work in there as long as I promised not to destroy the place."
"It's something for me?" Akiza asked in astonishment.
"Yep." Her friend's smile widened. "And I think you'll really like it, too." Yusei opened the door, flicking on the lights as he entered. There, in the center of the room, was a deep rose-colored duel runner, much like her old one, though with a few stylistic changes.
Akiza gasped, her amber eyes flying wide. "Y - you built me a new duel runner?" she asked in disbelief.
Yusei chuckled lightly. "Yup! That's why your dad procrastinated taking you to pick one out."
"He knew about this?"
"It was partially his idea, to be honest..."
"Yusei... This - this is amazing!" she spoke as she stroked the carefully planned, detailed panels.
"It's not quite done yet, but all that's left is the engine program and a few test runs to get all the bugs out. You should be able to have it in a few days."
The next thing the black-haired mechanic knew, Akiza had flung her arms around his neck in an embrace. "Thank you!"
He returned the embrace, murmuring, "It's nothing, really..."
After a moment, Yusei pulled away. "I'd better get that program installed then, huh?" She nodded once as he left to retrieve his laptop. Returning a moment later, he pulled up a chair for Akiza and a stool for his computer, while he himself plopped down on the floor. Another moment later he had attached his computer and was typing away, an attentive frown creasing his brow.
Minutes turned to hours as his fingers continued to fly over the keyboard making minor adjustments to the program as needed. They only stopped working when Kara forced her son to stop long enough to eat something, and then those fingers flew back into motion. Akiza knew he was probably only vaguely aware when Crow returned from work and when Jack returned earlier than expected saying something about Carly and probable food poisoning.
Finally Yusei relaxed, letting a smile grace his face. "There; that should be about all. I'll give her a test run tomorrow and get any bugs worked out. Then she'll be all yours, Akiza."
"I don't know how to thank you, Yusei."
He shrugged. "No need. I enjoyed doing it. I'd better get you home now though; you're parents will be wondering where you are before long." She nodded and both rose form where they were sitting.
But something didn't feel right to Yusei as he stood. Something - he wasn't sure what - just felt off to him.
Akiza gazed at her friend in a worried, curious way as he began to sway on his feet. "Yusei? Are you okay?" When his only answer was to continue staring off into space, more worry crept into her voice. "Yusei?"
The red-head's voice seemed a mile away to the head signer's ears. What was going on? Why was this happening so suddenly? He'd felt just fine a moment ago! But now... He wasn't sure what was going on!
Then, as suddenly as the feeling had come, it was gone again. 'That was strange,' he thought. 'Maybe this lack of sleep is starting to catch up with me...' To Akiza he said, "Sorry... Uh, what were you saying?"
"Are you okay?" she repeated, concern evident in her tone.
"Yeah, just fine," he lied, brushing what had happened aside. "C'mon; I'd better get you home."
"Right."
But the head signer was anything but fine. As he took a step towards the door, darkness engulfed his sight. The last thing he knew was Akiza screaming out his name as he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Author's Notes: Well? What do you think of the first chapter? Once again, I'm giving free, tasty internet cookies for reviews=) (Plus reviews=new chapters!)
