I was talking with Naito Writer about a potential plot for a crossover between Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's that has Yusei making his grand return while keeping Yusaku as the main protagonist, but then we decided that that wasn't going to happen in the canon. Naturally, we decided on making a fic about it. From VRAINS, we have Akira (on the phone, of course), Emma, Skye (Aoi), Kolter (Shoichi Kusanagi), and, of course, Yusaku. You'll see who I have from 5D's in a moment.
DISCLAIMER: Yu-Gi-Oh! and all of its related media belongs to Konami. I don't own anything.
The Missing Signer
Den City was a technological paradise with SOL Technologies as its leading developer. Essentially the answer to the Leo Corporation in Paradise City and KaibaCorp in New Domino City, they created a virtual Dueling world that no other company could've dreamed of: Link VRAINS. The cyberspace world was a paradise for Duelists who want to challenge one another, with some even using avatars, such as its main celebrity Blue Angel, and its resident hero Playmaker. Naturally, no one knew who they were. Blue Angel didn't even know who Playmaker was in the real world, but he knew who she was.
In a plaza in Den City stood a hot dog stand, the Café Nom. Since it was night time, the owner closed shop for the night. He was sitting at the computer looking over a baffling note that came across it. Normally, no one would pay any mind to it, but he read it and started freaking out. The owner was a young man with purple hair that came to his neck as well as a goatee. Naturally, he was concerned, mainly because of the note. He heard the door open and saw a young friend of his with blue and pink hair, green eyes, and a boys' uniform for the local school he was going to.
The young man breathed a sigh of relief before an angered expression came across his face. "That was real funny, Yusaku," he said. The teenager noted the sarcasm laced in his voice.
"What did I do?" Yusaku asked.
"You posted a note in a type of code that only a computer expert like us and SOL Tech can decipher, that's what you did." The younger of the two looked at the note. Translated, it read:
'If anyone reads this, I'm afraid I've been captured, and I don't know where I'm at. Ask my friends in New Domino City if they've seen or heard any hints on where I'm at.
Y. F.'
"Kolter," said Yusaku. "This note isn't from me."
"Yeah, and my name's the Sledgehammer."
"No, look. Whoever this 'Y. F.' is, they live in New Domino City. I don't know anyone there personally."
"Of course not," said an AI that was coming from Yusaku's Duel Disk. "You're ignorant to anyone except for Blue Angel lately."
"Please be quiet, Ai."
"Must be something very alluring about her," Kolter teased. "Or is it Skye herself?"
"Shut up, will you? Anyway, I think if we hack into New Domino City's Police databanks, we can find this other 'Y. F.' I have a feeling I should know who he is." With that, Yusaku set his Duel Disk on the keyboard and went right to work, Ai popping up in a miniature humanoid form. It was tough for them, but they managed to get through after a bit. The trio were looking through a series of profiles under the letter 'F'. They managed to come across the only one with those initials. He was a young man with blue eyes, black hair with gold highlights, a slight tan, a jagged mark on his face, a black sleeveless shirt with a red mark on it, blue jacket with a high collar and amber gems, brown gloves, black jeans, and brown boots. "No wonder he was able to code that message," Yusaku said. "It's Yusei Fudo. He's a scientist. He doesn't really look the part, though."
"He's not just a scientist, bud. He's also a skilled hacker like you and me, a very skilled mechanic, and a Turbo Duelist."
"Uh, what's a Turbo Duelist, Kolter?" Ai asked. It was obvious that Yusaku was wondering the same thing.
"A Turbo Duelist is one that Duels on a type of motorcycle called a 'Duel Runner'. Turbo Duels are the most common type in New Domino City, but the Master Duel is still there. When a Turbo Duel starts, the Runner is put on autopilot, so the rider can concentrate on the competition. They Duel on the Field Spell 'Speed World 2'. Once that's activated, regular spells have to sit in the caboose. If one gets played, the one playing it takes 2000 points of damage. Instead, 'Speed Spells' are used in their place, but they require something called Speed Counters. The more of those you have, the more 'Speed Spells' you can play. As the icing on the cake, with 'Speed World 2', if one has four or more Speed Counters, they can deal out 800 points of damage for each 'Speed Spell' in their hand. Seven lets them draw another card. Ten lets them destroy one on the field. Other than the 'Speed Spell' thing, the Duel is played like a Master Duel, so there's a second Main Phase, unlike in Speed Duels."
"I hope I can learn how to ride a motorcycle, then," Yusaku said, making his intentions clear.
"And maybe you can get Skye as a passenger," said Ai, prompting Yusaku to put him in mute.
"So, you're thinking of going to Domino City?" Kolter asked.
"Yes, and for three reasons: 1) I feel that Yusei would make a great ally. According to his profile, he's the champion of the Fortune Cup, as well as the one who dethroned Jack Atlas; 2) If Yusei really is in trouble, then he needs our help. New Domino City can't function without him; and 3) Turbo Duels sound like they could be a lot of fun."
"You? Going for fun? What brought all this?"
"Let's just say that after beating Varis, I've learned to lighten up quite a bit."
Meanwhile, at the SOL Technologies building, another young man spotted the note. He wore a blue business suit, had blue and teal hair, and pink eyes. He also had a serious look on his face, obviously concerned about 'Y. F.' His boss told him not to worry about it, but he knew that Yusaku had those initials, which is what he was worried about. He got on the phone to make a call. The one who answered it was a girl with short brown hair, slim physique, a white T-shirt with blue sleeves, a pair of short shorts, and a pair of slippers. "Hi, Akira," she greeted. "What's up? You don't usually call from work unless you're leaving for home."
"Good to see you're alright," said Akira. "I called to ask you something. Have you seen Yusaku Fujiki in school today?"
"Yeah, I did. In fact, he actually asked if I wanted to hang out with him this weekend and I said yes."
"Well, that's good to know. You both could use each other from what I've seen of him. The reason I asked was because I was worried, Skye. I got a note from a 'Y. F.' that was dated three days ago. It said that he was missing and didn't know where he was at. Until now, you haven't told me how you and Yusaku were getting along."
"Well, don't worry, Akira. We're getting along fine. Aside from Emma, he's my best friend."
"That's good to know. Before I hang up, though, where exactly did Yusaku say he'd take you?"
"He said we could go to that spot overlooking the Stardust Road, providing it's not raining of course. If it is, we might wind up at the skating rink."
"Okay then, have fun," Akira said, hanging up. 'At least I can count on Yusaku and Playmaker both to keep my sister safe.' He then made another call, getting an answer from an attractive young woman with pink and lavender hair, pink eyes, a black and violet motorcycle outfit, and a black choker. "Emma, I got a really disturbing note earlier."
"It's the 'Y. F.' note, isn't it?" she asked, getting a nod from Akira. "I got it too. I kept my eye on Skye for a while and every day, Yusaku was with her. I checked Domino City's databanks and found out about Yusei Fudo. If that name doesn't ring a bell, he's a researcher at the RRD in KaibaCorp. Yusei's also the leader of Team 5D's, the champions of the first ever World Racing Grand Prix."
"Then he's a Turbo Duelist?"
"Way to come to that conclusion. Yusei's champion material, so he'd be an excellent opponent against the LIGHT and WIND Ignis, as well as one of our allies. In fact, I was actually considering taking Skye on a little field trip to Domino City."
"Well, I'm afraid it may have to wait, Emma. She and Yusaku are going to hang out with one another this weekend. If Playmaker shows up in Link VRAINS, I'm afraid that he won't see her."
"I know Yusaku. I bought a couple of sandwiches from his buddy Kolter at that food truck that's always in the plaza."
"Skye told me that the Café Nom was pretty good. Then again, it was Yusaku at the grill filling in for his friend."
"Akira, if those two keep hanging out with each other, we might have to find Skye a dress and a chapel."
"Let's just focus here. If you were planning to take Skye to Domino City to look for Yusei, then you might have to force the two to cut off their day together. You'll want to keep an eye on her, though, and keep her out of the Satellite sector. Yusei may have grown up there, but like Playmaker, he's had a rough life."
"Got it. I'll make sure to keep Skye safe." With that, the two of them hung up. However, Akira noticed a mischievous on her face when discussing taking Skye to Domino City, which he didn't like.
At Yusaku's house, which was just a plain living space on the inside, Yusaku had on a plain blue T-shirt and blue jeans, in addition to his sneakers. Since he got his homework done in the Study Hall at school, he was ready for his day with Skye. Unfortunately, Ai wouldn't stop making fun of him. Luckily, Yusaku kept his Duel Disk at Kolter's food truck. He got a message on his phone, so he checked it. It soured his good mood because it was a message from Skye telling him that something came up, so they'd have to cancel their 'hang out' day. He texted back that he understood before leaving for the food truck.
When he got there, he saw that Kolter was serving a customer that had white hair with purple highlights, blue eyes, a grey suit jacket over a pink shirt, black pants, and white shoes. Yusaku kept his distance, knowing who it was and not wanting to deal with him. When he went away, Yusaku went into the truck and sat down, Kolter finally taking notice of him. "Hey, pal," said the older of the two. "Varis stopped by. He wanted to give this to you." Yusaku saw that it was a card of sorts, so he grabbed it and saw that it was a Spell Card he's never seen before. "He's been a little chummy lately. My guess is that he wants to help prepare for the trip to Domino."
"How did he even come to know about it in the first place?" Yusaku asked. "The only way he could possibly know is if Specter overheard us and last I checked, the walls were soundproof."
"Keep in mind, Yusaku, that the Knights of Hanoi are expert hackers as well. If Varis was able to decipher that note that Yusei sent, then he must know what we're up to. My guess: Since Yusei's a champion, he wants him rescued as well before Lightning gets to him."
"So, there's a good chance I could run into Bohman if we go to Link VRAINS?"
"It's likely but remember that KaibaCorp focuses on Ener-D and Duel Disks, not Link VRAINS. Still, it's worth a shot."
"Then we better get going."
"Why the rush?" said Ai, who was finally speaking up. "I thought you had a date either today or tomorrow."
"It wasn't a date, Ai. Besides, something came up, so she called it off." Ai didn't believe him but decided not to argue about it. Kolter got everything packed up and started the truck. The next stop for the three of them was New Domino City.
Meanwhile, Skye was in a bit of a sour mood as well. Emma kept dragging her to her motorcycle, which was one thing, but she revealed that she cancelled Skye and Yusaku's 'hang-out' day together, which is what ticked her off. "Emma!" she exclaimed. "Will you let go? What do I care about going to Domino City? Besides, Akira won't be happy if he found out I was gone and not with Yusaku!"
"On the contrary, kiddo," Emma said with a smile on her face. "Akira's the one who agreed to it in the first place. You'll be fine. Your date with Yusaku can wait."
"Emma, what's really going on?"
"I'll tell you once we get on the road and out of the city." Though angered, Skye felt like she had no choice in the matter. Emma put the suitcases in the trunk of her motorcycle and gave her a helmet. After a while, they got out of the city, not even knowing that the Café Nom was headed there as well.
"Okay, Emma! Start talking!"
"It turns out that the 'Y. F.' that sent the note was a researcher named Yusei Fudo! He's the lead scientist at KaibaCorp's RRD, which focuses on the Ener-D research that powers it! He's also the champion of the Fortune Cup as well as the leader of Team 5D's, the champions of the WRGP! He's been missing for the past three days, so Akira sent us to look for him!"
"You mean to tell me that the DCPD couldn't find him?"
"No, and neither could Sector Security! That's why it's up to us! Besides, we could use a break from Link VRAINS and Den City! No handing out autographs, no Dueling for your fans, no Playmaker, and no Duel Club!"
"But that also means no Yusaku! Emma, I was really looking forward to this weekend because of him!"
"Sorry, Skye! You can voice your complaints to Akira later!" With that, the two of them continued their path, not knowing that Skye would be reuniting with Yusaku soon.
It was nightfall before the two groups managed to get to Domino. While the girls were in a hotel, the guys were at an old apartment in the alleyways. Kolter parked the food truck in the garage before they got out. While he got the suitcases out, Yusaku had a look around the place, finding that it was a little worse than Yusaku's house as far as the condition was concerned. "Sorry this place isn't exactly what you're used to, pal," Kolter said. "A contact of mine let us borrow the place, including the computers. He's set up shop at an orphanage in the Satellite right now."
"The Satellite sector was the old Domino City, right?" Yusaku asked. "Wasn't that where Seto Kaiba had established the first KaibaCorp building?"
"It was. It also served as the setting for the Battle City Tournament. Anyway, when the sun comes up, I'll start serving hot dogs at the Fountain Plaza. Maybe you can ask around there if anyone's seen Yusei."
"Of course. Maybe I can also ask this friend of yours as well. What's this guy's name anyway?"
"His name's Blister. In addition to me and Yusei, he's also friends with an ex-Pro Duelist named Bolt Tanner. You can probably ask him as well."
"So, Blister and Bolt Tanner, huh? Got it." Yusaku and Kolter both decided to hit the hay. Kolter had the bed while Yusaku had the couch. He checked his phone and got a voicemail from Skye.
"Hey, Yusaku," she said. "I'm really sorry about cancelling on you. I hope I can make it up to you next time. I'll spend a whole month with you if you want. I really didn't want this to happen. Anyway, if you want to talk, you got my number. I'll see you at school. Later."
After listening to the message, Yusaku went to sleep, thankful that Ai was still dozing off.
Meanwhile, at the hotel, Skye and Emma had decided on separate rooms to make up for the older of the two ruining the younger's weekend. They were across the hall from one another, so Skye would get some degree of privacy. She knew that Emma would know when she was heading out, though, so she didn't even bother sneaking around. Skye looked at her phone, heartbroken that she had to leave Yusaku a voicemail. She thought that he felt rejected when their weekend was called off, but she didn't know that Yusaku was asleep when she left it. She changed into her pajamas and went to bed, looking at a photo she took on her phone of her most serious friend one more time before dozing off. "Goodnight, Yusaku," she said to the picture.
The next morning saw the sunlight hitting Skye and waking her up. She got up, took a shower, and went to the lobby to get some breakfast. There, she saw a young woman with black hair down to her back. She had on a striped sweater with two different shades of blue, an orange vest, blue jeans, and sneakers. She also had on a pair of trifocal glasses. She thought nothing of it until she overheard the woman's conversation with herself. "…So, Angela can give a Pro Duel report, but can't notice that we haven't heard word one from Yusei?" she said, surprising Skye. "Why am I not surprised."
"Excuse me," Skye said, getting the woman's attention.
"Oh. Can I help you?"
"I couldn't help but overhear your monologue there. Are you looking for Yusei as well?"
"Yes, I am. You see, I'm a friend of Team 5D's overall, as well as Jack Atlas' number one fan, even after Yusei beat him at the Fortune Cup. Unfortunately, Yusei's been missing for the past four days now and no one else on Team 5D's knows it."
"Trust me, I'm aware. Can we talk in my hotel room?"
"Oh, sure. Okay." After that, the two of them got to Skye's room. She sat the reporter down in a chair while she sat on the couch. "So why did you want to bring me here?"
"My friend across the hall had picked up a coded message that Yusei sent four days ago. She's an expert hacker, so she was able to decipher it, much like how the company my brother works for has. I learned from her that Yusei was missing. The poor guy doesn't even know where he's at right now."
"And you wanted me to come here so no one would freak out, right? Yusei's the most important man in New Domino City. If anyone found out he was missing…"
"Exactly, which is why we need to work together to find him," Skye finished.
"Well, thanks for the lead," said the woman. "Before I forget, my name's Carly Carmine."
"Skye Zaizen. My friend across the hall is Emma Bessho."
"Nice to meet you. If I come across anything else, I'll let you know."
"Thank you, Miss Carmine."
"Please, call me Carly." With that, the two shook hands and Carly left to find more clues.
"Get any leads?" Emma asked, coming out of her door to greet Skye.
"Well, I figured out that Yusei's extremely important," said Skye. "I met Jack Atlas' self-proclaimed number one fan Carly Carmine and let her know about the note Yusei sent. She's a reporter, so she'd be a lot of help."
"Well, that's good. We better see what else we can find."
"Roger that."
Meanwhile, at the Clock Tower Plaza, while Kolter was serving hot dogs, Yusaku was looking around for anyone who might know Yusei. He observed around and saw only loving couples. He didn't know why, but it made him upset. The teenager didn't have time to think about it, though, since he spotted a waitress at a place called the Café la Geen. She was a light brunette like Skye, only with slightly longer hair and a French Maid outfit. He knew it wasn't his friend and classmate, though, so he shook his head and approached her.
He sat down, getting her to notice him. "Hi there," she greeted in a friendly manner. "Would you like a Blue-Eyes Coffee? It's the favored drink of the legendary Jack Atlas."
"Actually, I'm here for…" Yusaku began before being interrupted by the waitress.
"Oh, you want to see the picture I have? It's signed by him too."
"No thank you. I'm here for some info."
"Info? I had a feeling you weren't from here. Tell you what: I'll get you a Blue-Eyes Coffee on the house. Just hold on." With that, she went inside and came back out with a coffee pot and a cup. "So, this info you're looking for? If it's the nearest Jack Atlas Fan Club building, you're at it."
"You're starting to amuse me, but no, I'm afraid I'm not looking for anything related to Jack Atlas. I was wondering if you can tell me about anyone who knows Yusei Fudo."
"Yusei, huh? Are you an acquaintance of his?" she asked.
"Very indirectly, yes," Yusaku answered. "Do you know where I can find anyone who knows him?"
"Let me think on this one…" As the waitress thought, Yusaku observed her. "Well, there's his former landlady who's in this plaza. She owned the garage that he, Jack, and their friend Crow Hogan were staying in. Then there's the staff and students at Duel Academy; that blogger Carly Carmine, who lives in the apartments; Akiza Izinski's parents; and Sector Security, mainly Mina Simington and Officer Trudge."
"Thank you." Yusaku finished his cup of coffee and got up. "That was a good cup of coffee, Miss."
"Thank you. My name's Stephanie."
"Mine's Yusaku." They shook hands and Yusaku left to look for the people Stephanie had mentioned. Figuring that Yusei was extremely close to Akiza, he ruled out asking her parents. He also ruled out telling Yusei's old landlady, not wanting her to suffer from the news. Since he didn't know where Duel Academy was, that just left two options: Sector Security and the Satellite. Because Kolter mentioned Blister the previous night, he decided to look for him. He took a bus to get to the orphanage.
After a while, Yusaku got off the bus, happy that he muted Ai along the way since he'd be really irritating. After a bit of walking, the two of them were surrounded by a bunch of thugs with marks on their faces. This was what Akira was worried about in terms of Skye's safety, which was why the older Zaizen told Emma not to bring his younger sister there. As they surrounded Yusaku, he got a scowl on his face. "Woah, boys," one of the thugs said. "It looks like we got a tough guy here."
"What do you suppose he's doing here?" said another. "Looking for a lost puppy."
"Right now, I'm thinking on how to take you guys down," Yusaku said, smarting off on the thugs. That got them started, so they tried to jump him, only to collide with one another as he jumped out of the way. He ran off as they gave chase. Yusaku looked and found a garbage can. He tossed the lid to knock out some of the thugs and kicked the can to knock out the rest. He kept running until he lost them. The Den City Duelist then saw that he reached a retirement home. He saw his destination right next to it. "Well…" he said, catching his breath. "This is the place."
He leaned against the doorframe and knocked. Not too long after that, an elderly woman with tan skin, brown hair, and a brown nun's outfit with a white collar. She was surprised to see Yusaku in the condition he was in, so she brought him into the dining room for him to rest. "You look like you've run into some of Satellite's worst," she said. "Here, have some water."
"Thank you," he said, taking the bottle.
"So, what brings you here? You don't look like you're from Domino City, young man."
"I'm not. I'm from Den City. I'm here to talk to Blister."
"Ah, then you must be here to look for Yusei, right?" The old woman's question surprised Yusaku, who wasn't planning on telling her why. "That look on your face tells it all. I've known that Yusei was missing for the past four days. I haven't told Jack, Crow, or any of their friends because I didn't want them to worry."
"I see. I don't blame you one bit. So, you must be Martha."
"That's right. I'll go get Blister." She went into another room, leaving Yusaku with Ai and a bottle of water. He checked his phone and got a text from Kolter. It was asking if he found Blister yet. He responded that he found where he was supposed to go as well as mentioning the trouble he ran into. Soon, the door opened and a shaggy looking man with green pants, a white shirt, green vest, and messy brown hair greeted him.
"You're here to see me?" he asked, getting a nod from the Duelist. "Come with me." Yusaku followed Blister to his office, which was a living area with a couch, a rug, a coffee table, and a computer. "So, you're Yusaku, I take it? Kolter told me about you. From what he said, I expected you to be older."
"Sorry to disappoint," Yusaku said. "Do you have any leads on Yusei's whereabouts?"
"Nothing past the note, I'm afraid. Yusei usually kept to himself when something was on his mind. He wasn't one who liked worrying his friends."
"I can relate to that keeping to myself part."
"I bet you could. Did you contact anyone else before coming here?"
"Just a waitress named Stephanie at the Café la Geen. She told me about Akiza Izinski's parents, Officer Trudge, Mina Simington, Carly Carmine, and the old woman who was Yusei's landlady, as well as the staff and students at Duel Academy."
"Well, I have a few more contacts for you, kid," said Blister. "Bolt Tanner, Kalin Kessler, Misty Tredwell, and Yusei's old friends at his hideout. I'd have mentioned Greiger, but he lives in South America."
"Thanks," said Yusaku. "I'll be sure to talk to them."
"One more thing: You might want to be careful talking to that last bunch. Nervin's a nervous wreck as it is and Rally, along with Leo and Crow, are the closest things to little brothers Yusei has."
"Dually noted." With that, Yusaku left the orphanage to look for the contacts Blister gave him. He saw a statue made of scrap metal. It resembled a legendary Duel Monster. "Ai, do you know what that monster looks like?"
"Yeah," said the AI. "It looks like Firewall Dragon. Only you know, without the circle on its head."
"I mean, what kind of info do you have on it."
"Okay, okay, I'll check." It took a minute, but Ai finally found the answer that Yusaku was looking for. "It says here that that monster is Stardust Dragon, a Level 8 Synchro Monster with plenty of bite. While it only has 2500 ATK and 2000 DEF, its status as a Level 8 Monster comes courtesy of its special ability, which negates a destruction effect and destroys the source card. You have to tribute Stardust in order to activate it, but it can come back at the end of the turn."
"Quite a special dragon, don't you think?" said a voice. Yusaku turned and saw Martha approaching. "That Stardust Dragon is Yusei's main monster, a protector much like him. Our old friend Mr. Bashford put that statue together after Crow brought him here. He lives with us, but I recommend you don't tell him about Yusei's current status."
"Understood," Yusaku said. "And thank you again, Miss Martha."
"It's my pleasure, young man. Now, you go and find Yusei." Yusaku nodded and set out for his original objective. He took a picture of the Stardust Dragon statue before doing so, making sure he had something to show Kolter when he got back to the food truck. He looked at the Duel Highway, seeing several monsters on the move, projected thanks to KaibaCorp's technology. He grew more and more interested as he looked, but he wanted to see a Duel Runner up close.
Meanwhile, Kolter was enjoying his time serving his customers. He called his food the best that Den City had to offer. He was especially glad that people in New Domino knew what a sandwich was. He was cleaning off the counters when a man in a white shirt, black slacks, and black shoes approached the stand. He had black hair that came down to his neck and bangs in front of his face. The man also had a tan and a scar on his face. "How's it going, sir?" Kolter greeted. "What'll it be today?"
"A hot dog and a soda sound good," the man said. "I need a break from this case I'm working on."
"Oh, so you're Sector Security, huh? In that case, no charge."
"Ah, well thank you. Hey, listen, you're from Den City, right? I have a friend in the Satellite who said that a couple of people were coming from there to help with this case."
"This friend of yours wouldn't happen to be named 'Blister', would he?"
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"You're talking to one. The name's Kolter. A friend of mine went to meet Blister where he's at."
"The name's Trudge. So, what do you know about Yusei's disappearance?"
"That he left a coded message. As far as I know, me and my friend are the only two from Den City who managed to decipher it and decided to come here."
"I know that Den City has a reputation for computer geeks. Are you and your friend hackers like Blister?"
"That depends if I can trust you."
"Good answer. Anyway, do you think you can help find Yusei?"
"We're working on it."
"That's good to know. We could use all the help we can get," Trudge said as he left. "See you later, Kolter."
"Yeah, see you later, Officer." After Trudge left, Kolter's phone rang. "Kolter here," he greeted.
"Kolter, it's Yusaku," said the younger hacker.
"How goes the search?"
"I met up with Blister. In addition to the contacts that that Stephanie girl gave me, he gave me a list of a few more. Sure enough, Tanner was one of them."
"That one doesn't surprise me one bit. I came across a contact of my own as well. It was Trudge."
"So, Officer Trudge paid the stand a visit? That's what I call a 'coincidental fortune'."
"You got that right. Ai's not giving you any trouble, is he?"
"No, but then again, I had him on mute until I left the orphanage. I got something pretty cool to show you once I get back there. It's a picture, but I'm afraid that if I sent it over the network, Lightning might intercept it and he and Windy would know what we're up to."
"Got it. See you when you get back, bud."
In the downtown area, Skye was continuing the search on her end. She wasn't having much luck on her end other than her contact with Carly, but she figured that there might be some clue as to Yusei's whereabouts around there. She stopped for a second after seeing a dress a window. It was a white wedding dress, which made her blush at the thought of wearing it. She shook her head, remembering that she had a mission to do. She looked at her phone for an article she picked up regarding Team 5D's. In addition to Yusei, she saw a redheaded woman wearing a red motorcycle outfit and a hair-curler holding her bangs up.
She also saw a man with spikey blonde hair and a white motorcycle outfit, a young man with orange hair and a brown outfit, twin children with green hair – the boy's in a ponytail and the girl's in pigtails – and another young man with dark blue hair, blue jeans, and a white jacket. "So, Team 5D's win the WRGP, save the city from total destruction, and then vanish without a trace?" she asked. "These guys must be phantoms. I wonder what this 'Yusei' guy is like." She stopped by the bus station as the passengers were getting off, seeing a familiar face. "Yusaku?"
"Skye?" he asked, just as surprised as her. "What are you doing here?"
"I was going to ask the same thing."
"Well, ladies first." They looked around before the brunette grabbed her friend's hand and took him somewhere private to talk. She took him to an alleyway, so no one would listen.
"I'm sorry I had to cancel our hang-out day. I was brought here by a friend of mine to look for Yusei Fudo, who's been missing for the past four days. I was really looking forward to strengthening our newfound friendship, Yusaku, but I guess I wound up straining it."
"Hey, you didn't strain it. You had your reasons. I'm actually here for the same thing."
"Wait, so you know a hacker friend as well?"
"Yeah, I do. In fact, I was going to meet him at the Clock Tower Plaza to show him a picture I took."
"Wait, is it the owner of Café Nom?" Skye asked, getting a nod from her friend. "Yusaku, how many other secrets do you have?"
"I was going to tell you at the Starlight Road," he said. "I trust you, you know."
"Then maybe we should have our hang-out day while we're here. In the meantime, let's meet up with that friend of yours so we can compare notes."
"Sounds good. The hot dog and coffee are on me."
"Well, ain't this cute," said a voice. The pair of classmates turned around and saw a thug approaching. He was bald, had on a vest and a pair of slacks, and had a mark on his face. "Hey, cutie. Why don't you ditch the zero and I'll be your hero?"
"Funny," Skye said. "The only zero I see around here is you." That only made the thug chuckle as he approached both Den City Duelists. Yusaku grabbed a trash can lid, tossed it to a ladder, and had it come down on the thug's head. "Nice shot."
"Let's go," Yusaku said, grabbing Skye's head as they ran. Given the head start they had, Yusaku took that opportunity to come up with a plan. He found an old building that was unoccupied, so he took Skye inside. "Stay here until I get done with this guy."
"What about you?"
"You're about to figure out another secret." She saw Yusaku put on a hoodie, pull up the hood over his eyes, and equip a voice filter on his ear, which reached down to his mouth. He then stepped outside to challenge the thug.
"Oh, so you want to take me on too?" the thug asked after seeing the hooded Yusaku.
"Yes, but in a Duel," the Den City Duelist said, his voice filtered by the device. Luckily, Yusaku was able to acquire a Duel Disk that had the Extra Monster Zones while in the Satellite.
"Okay then, you little punk! I'll take you on!"
"LET'S DUEL!" They both exclaimed.
Yusaku: 4000 LP; Thug: 4000
"I'll start things off!" he exclaimed. "I'll set a monster in Defense Mode, followed by two more face-downs! That'll be that for now!"
"Okay, you little punk! It's my draw! I send Phantom Steamroller to my graveyard to Special Summon Goblin Steamroller to the field!" The monster that was played had the upper body of a goblin while its lower body was a roller that was normally found on a steamroller machine.
Goblin Steamroller
LVL: 5
[Fiend/Effect]
ATK: 2100 DEF: 0
"And since it was sent from my hand to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon my Phantom Steamroller to my field." The monster that the thug had summoned out was a ghost with a roller on the bottom.
Phantom Steamroller
LVL: 4
[Zombie/Effect]
ATK: 2000 DEF: 0
"Aw glitch!" Ai said.
"'Glitch' is right," said Yusaku. "Steamroller Monsters have a Piercing Effect, which spells trouble for us."
"You got that right, my friend. Go, Goblin Steamroller! Flatten that monster to the pavement!" The Goblin Steamroller charged for Yusaku's face-down monster, which flipped face-up and formed a shield made of tiny squares. This caused a stalemate with neither side losing a monster.
Dotscaper
LVL: 1
[Cyberse/Effect]
ATK: 0 DEF: 2100
"I believe you remember what happens when a monster in Attack Mode attacks a Defense Mode monster and they have the same points. Neither monster is destroyed, and we take no damage."
"Well, that just gives me an opportunity to attack with Phantom Steamroller!"
"He's crazy!" exclaimed Ai.
"Oh no he's not!"
"Yusaku's right," Skye told herself. "Phantom Steamroller can only attack the opponent directly when they have a monster out on the field. That Dotscaper of his can't block it." Phantom Steamroller phased through Dotscaper and hit Yusaku directly. (Yusaku: 4000 LP - 2000 LP)
"You're up, my friend," said the thug.
"Before I draw this turn, I activate the Trap Card Cynet Gain," Yusaku announced. "Since I took damage with a Cyberse-type Monster on the field, I get to add a Cyberse-type to my hand. And I believe he's ready to be summoned out as well. I call out Cyberse Synchron!" What came from the card was a metal circle with spikes on the back and a pair of eyes in the center.
Cyberse Synchron
LVL: 1
[Cyberse/Tuner/Effect]
ATK: 100 DEF: 100
"You know, there are some cases where I like to double up, and Cyberse Synchron's effect lets me do just that with a Monster's level. Now, Dotscaper becomes a Level 2 Monster." (Dotscaper: LVL 1 - LVL 2) "Now, my Level 1 Cyberse Synchron tunes with my Level 2 Dotscaper to Synchro Summon my Level 3 Cyberse Integrator!" Emerging from the light and into the Extra Monster Zone to Yusaku's left was a miniature jet with claws on the bottom as well as a cybernetic box.
Cyberse Integrator
LVL: 3
[Cyberse/Synchro/Effect]
ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000
"Now, I activate Dotscaper's special ability from my Graveyard. Since he was sent there, I get to Special Summon him back." Dotscaper reappeared in the second-right Main Monster Zone. "Now, it's time to create the ultimate circuit!" A hexagonal portal appeared with an arrow on each side and corner. "The requirement is one Level 1 Monster. I place Dotscaper in the Link Arrow!" Dotscaper turned into a tornado and went into the arrow pointing behind it. "I Link Summon Link-1 Linkuriboh!" What came out of the portal was a monster with its Link Arrow on its tail, a pair of eyes on its face, and a pair of feet.
Linkuriboh
[Cyberse/Link/Effect]
[Bottom Arrow]
ATK: 300 LINK-1
"Now, I activate the special ability of my Cyberse Integrator, which allows me to Special Summon a Cyberse-type Tuner Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode. I Special Summon Cyberse Synchron again!" Cyberse Synchron popped back up next to Cyberse Integrator. "Now, I activate Cyberse Synchron's special ability, which allows me to double Cyberse Integrator's level." (Cyberse Integrator: LVL 3 - LVL 6) "Now, Cyberse Synchron tunes with my now Level 6 Cyberse Integrator! I Synchro Summon the Cyberse Quantum Dragon!" Emerging from the light was a large cybernetic dragon that had a white and blue mane, a pair of large wings, and large legs.
Cyberse Quantum Dragon
LVL: 7
[Cyberse/Synchro/Effect]
ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000
"What the hell is that monster!?" the thug asked in astonishment.
"You're undoing," answered Yusaku. "I activate Linkuriboh's special ability. By sacrificing it, I can knock off all the Attack Points of your Phantom Steamroller." (Phantom Steamroller: 2000 ATK - 0 ATK) "Now, Cyberse Quantum Dragon, Attack Goblin Steamroller!"
"You're not going to get much damage in. You lowered Phantom's Attack, not Goblin's!"
"And this is where Cyberse Quantum Dragon's Effect activates. On the first attack, you take no damage because Goblin Steamroller goes back to your hand. After that, the Quantum Dragon can initiate a second attack!" The thug was surprised by the effect overall, as Goblin Steamroller was sent back to his hand while Phantom Steamroller was back in the Graveyard. (Thug: 4000 LP - 1500 LP) "I end my turn by placing one card face-down.
"Okay, then I draw! I summon Gardna Steamroller!" The monster that came out was a Fiend with two large shields on its arms and the usual roller on its lower body.
Gardna Steamroller
LVL 4
[Fiend/Effect]
ATK: 0 DEF: 2600
"Okay, there is no way that this card can have a Piercing Effect," said Ai.
"You're right. It doesn't," Yusaku responded. "But it can switch the battle position of a monster on the field, as well as the Attack and Defense stats."
"And that's exactly what I'm going to do!" exclaimed the thug. (Cyberse Quantum Dragon: ATK 2500 - 2000; DEF 2000 - 2500). Yusaku, Ai, and Skye saw that Cyberse Quantum Dragon was switched to Defense mode. Now, I activate the Spell Card Shield & Sword! Thanks to this bad boy, the original Attack and Defense of both of our monsters are switched." (Cyberse Quantum Dragon: ATK 2000 - 2500; DEF 2500 - 2000) (Gardna Steamroller: ATK 0 - 2600; DEF: 2600 - 0) "Now, Gardna Steamroller, flatten that Cyberse Quantum Dragon!"
"Not so fast! I activate the Trap Card Cybernetic Ricochet! This Duel's over because when you attack a Cyberse Monster, all the attacking Monster's Attack Points go straight to you as damage!"
"What!?" The thug couldn't help but watch as Gardna Ricochet bounced off the trap and flattened him instead. (Thug: 1500 - 0)
"Now, I suggest you get out of here and don't mess with anyone else," Yusaku told the thug, who was frightened into running away. Yusaku saw that the coast was clear, so he took off his hood and the filtering device and signaled for Skye to come out of hiding, which she took. He also had Ai on mute, so he wouldn't ruin the moment.
"Yusaku, that was incredible!" she exclaimed, happy that he won.
"Not really. I've had closer encounters with a toothpick."
"So, when were you going to tell me about you being Playmaker?"
"I was going to tell you everything at the Stardust Road, where we originally planned to meet. Ai, Takeru, Flame, Kolter, Jin…Those are just allies. I figured if I could use anyone for a friend, it's you. Someone to keep me anchored."
"Then you can count on me. Now, let's get back to the Café Nom to meet up with Kolter."
"Got it." With that, the two of them headed back to the Clock Tower Plaza, not knowing about a figure that was on a nearby roof. It was a young woman with long blonde hair reaching down to her ankles, a white motorcycle outfit, charcoal grey padding, a red undershirt, and eyes as green as Yusaku's.
"That kid is good," she said to herself in a French accent. "Maybe he might be the reason we find Yusei. I'm looking forward to the day he gets on a Duel Runner."
CHAPTER 1 END
Let the records show that this was my longest document for a Yu-Gi-Oh! story. I've never done a crossover with this franchise before, so this might not be the best one. Anyway, that's the pilot chapter for this. Hope you enjoy it. Also, the Steamroller archetype is one of my own creation, as are Cynet Gain and Cybernetic Ricochet.
EDIT: I originally had this listed as a VRAINS/5D's crossover, but at Naito Writer's recommendation, I have this under the VRAINS fandom until it gets more of a following.