A/N: As I said, I like to get the first chapters out quickly. Also celebrating getting a new job today annnnd super special thanks to the lovely person who reviewed, I love you so much for such lovely compliments. Now, onto important stuff. Pairings. I have some in mind but I'm open to requests and suggestions, but please remember that it will not be cute and fluffy over all. Because love is pain (can you tell I'm bitter, jaded and heartbroken?). So please review and enjoy. Not necessarily in that order.


Luck, it seemed, was on Divine's side. The day he'd decided to stop in and check on his research subjects Kiryu seemed in a particularly sombre mood. Wonderful. He wanted to get to know Kiryu before he started to experiment. He needed to figure out his limits and triggers. And to set in place some safety measures.

"Help me."

The plea had been irresistible. He wasn't going to turn down such an opportunity. He sat on the bed, flicking through his note book to the section on Kiryu, all the information he'd managed to gather.

"What kind of chat?"

"Nothing too pressing or serious," Divine said. While Kiryu was still drugged, hopefully he wouldn't pose too much trouble. "I'm just rather curious about you."

"Curious?" Kiryu drawled. He looked bored if anything, although that may have simply been his medicine. "Try reading my file."

"Oh, what I want isn't in any file." He sat back and pulled a pen from his inside pocket. "So, you grew up in the Satellite? It must have been hard."

"It was." Divine smiled sympathetically and nodded. "But we managed."

"You had friends? Family?" Any emotional attachments he could play on?

"No…" Kiryu sighed and shook his head. "Not anymore."

Well now, for a drugged up, bored, insane teenage murderer he was showing surprising control and awareness. He almost smirked. More reason to like him. He was still curled up, his arms around his legs, hugging his knees to his chest, but it didn't seem to be as defensive or scared as that kind of position would indicate. Divine cast his eyes over him slowly. Working with psychics was much like working with animals, he couldn't imagine convicts were must different. He'd learnt to read the signals they didn't give off willingly. After all, only eight per cent of communication was the words they spoke. Usually, curling up like that was a way of making yourself a small target, hiding and looking weak and harmless.

This was something else though. More bored and disrespectful. Although Kiryu seemed to naturally have that kind of aura anyway. Still, 'not anymore' meant there once was someone he cared for.

"Who were you asking for help?"

"I don't know, I don't remember anymore…" He lifted his head and gave him a lazy smirk. Was Kiryu mocking him privately? "Perhaps the monsters."

"Monsters?"

The little convict chuckled and lowered his head again. "Duel monsters."

Divine kept his face calm and impassive but that rattled him. Did he mean that? Or was he trying to play games? Duel spirits existed. People also got incredibly attached to their cards, especially Satellites where getting any card was a complicated matter. Or perhaps that was the extent of Kiryu's insanity. For some reason, Divine didn't believe Kiryu was saying it just to be awkward.

"You're a duellist?" Divine said. More of a statement than a question. Idle chit-chat often got the most useful information, though he doubted Kiryu would drop his guard much just yet. "Do you enjoy duelling?"

"I don't have my deck," Kiryu muttered, eyes dulling a little more.

He was one of those attached to his deck then. Divine made a note of this before getting up and knocking three times on the door. It opened and the wing's deputy warden was there. None of the officers here seemed to have names at work. They were all coldly professional at work, if they wore their helmets it'd be impossible to tell them apart. It was almost like a hive mind. Divine would have loved that for the Arcadia Movement but that would affect his psychics. They needed some individuality to use their powers to the fullest.

"Kiryu's deck was taken from him upon arrest and detainment, correct?" Divine said.

The officer looked up at him for a moment and Kiryu's gaze focused on her as she nodded once. "It's policy to remove all personal possessions and put them into storage. Being a Satellite his cards and duel disks were also illegal."

"My dear, could I ask you to track down Kiryu's deck for me?"

"It's against regulations to allow a convicted criminal such privileges as a deck."

"I never said I wanted to give it to him." He could hold Kiryu's deck hostage. Having his cards would mean he would have no choice but to cooperate. "Please, find it for me."

It was an order, despite the polite tone but she didn't move until Kiryu turned his gaze on her. "Hurry up, Lady, I want to duel again."

There was something hungry and almost dangerous in his voice that drew Divines attention. Not only that but the name. Lady? He glanced at her, Kiryu had stopped paying attention again. Lady huffed, the first sign of emotion in a long while.

"He insists on giving everyone a name," she said before striding out and locking them in again.

Divine sat on the bed once more, making another note. "You feel the need to give people names?"

"Just her. She's my key," Kiryu replied, a small, knowing grin spread across his lips.

Oh, clever boy. Divine can't help smiling. Such a smart little thing, he liked him more than ever. He keeps his voice level and calm though, not letting it sound like praise no matter how much he has the urge to give it. "So she is. Tell me. What kind of deck did you use?"

Kiryu lifts his head and slowly stretching out, wandering from his chair to the bed. His movements are all heavy and sluggish. Divine imagined without his drugs he would be confident and strong, with sweeping strides and simply filling the room with his presence. It was a crime what they were going to him. Although, he did look perfectly content to flop on the bed, ignoring Divine and simply stretching out around him. Yes, Kiryu looked like the kind to enjoy a good cat nap.

"Fiends mostly." He chuckled tiredly and beckoned Divine down. Divine frowned. He was wary of close contact this early on. Kiryu's mental state and conviction made him all the more wary. After a moment he did lean down a little closer. Kiryu opened his eyes and grinned. "Demonic creatures for a monster like me."

Divine hummed. "Monsters are simply misunderstood by those who declare themselves normal but they are sometimes the most compassionate creatures of all."

Kiryu didn't seem to be listening though. He was staring out the window, his eyes slightly wide and had gained a sharp glint. He frowned and followed the boy's gaze. There was a shadowy shape in the garden, under one of the trees. It looked like a big black dog. But apparently Kiryu didn't like it. He seemed even paler than normal.

"Do you not like dogs?" Divine said.

"That's no- you can see it?"

"Of course." That time it was more of a question than statement. Why was he so surprised? Kiryu had turned away and was busy burying himself under the covers, apparently done for the day. "What is wrong with you?"

"I'm going to sleep."

"Kiryu-"

"I'm not talking about it, I'm having a nap."

Honestly, what a strange child. He glanced back at the garden but the dog had vanished. A strange creature to go with a strange child. Never mind. It was of little consequence really. He jotted it down then got up slowly. If Kiryu had shut down he didn't see any point carrying on. He'd return soon and hopefully Kiryu would be on less medication by then. It was a promising start though. Perhaps by his next visit Lady would have tracked down Kiryu's deck too.

"I suppose I should leave you to it then?" Divine said, folding away his note book. Onto the next one. "It was good chatting to you, Kiryu, I hope to talk to you again soon."

Kiryu didn't answer. The blanket he was under didn't even move. Yes, he'd definitely shut down for the day. He was getting nothing more from him today. It was a shame. He knocked on the door again and was let out. He mentioned to the guard about the dog he'd seen and the only answer was that they'd look into it.

As Divine expected, none of the others were anything like as interesting as Kiryu. A few had potential, the others Divine quickly cut from his research list. On his way out he stopped in the garden, trying to find any sign of the dog that rattled Kiryu so much, but there was nothing. Not even a blade of grass out of place where it had been sitting. Lady approached him quietly while he was investigating.

"I have some news," Lady said. Divine glared back at her. "His deck was disposed of when he was sentenced to life. It was illegally obtained and therefore was disposed of." Divine frowned. He wasn't sure if that was good news or bad at that moment. "Sir, I really must insist that you leave now. Your visits are disturbing the peace of our patients and Kiryu in particular is-"

He spun around and caught her chin, yanking her head up and squeezing roughly. "My dear girl, I have the city in the palm of my hand and the mental peace of your prisoners is what I'm most interested in. You should not get in my way."

Something flashed in her eyes, something a pale blue-green, and Divine narrowed his eyes. Interesting. His body jerked back as a something shocked him. A static shock? He turned his glare on Lady who was dusting off her jacket, completely calm.

"I think you should leave, sir."

Oh, that wonderfully clever boy. "I want to stop in with Kiryu first, just to check on him. He was rather upset when I left. Something had spooked him."

"I think it's best for him if you don't."

He turned and strode away, ignoring her arguments. She might have been sweet at heart but she obviously held as much distain for Kiryu as the rest of her colleges. He didn't blame them, the murder of one of their own wasn't taken lightly. She didn't care about Kiryu's mental wellbeing, just keeping him locked up and miserable as punishment for his crimes.

Kiryu was sitting at his window again, not in the chair, just kneeling on the floor, staring at the window at something far away. He almost looked adorable wrapped up in his blankets. Like a child. Divine almost wanted to give him a stuffed animal and assure him it was just a nightmare and everything would be alright. Perhaps that was what he needed.

"Why am I being punished?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Beca-"

Divine held up his hand and Lady glared at him but stayed silent as he approached Kiryu. Kiryu tilted his head slightly, gazing at him over his shoulder. "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

"Kiryu?" Divine said softly. This wasn't a good situation, he decided. He didn't like the look in Kiryu's eyes. Broken and desperate. "Talk to me."

"Do you know why I'm being punished?"

Divine didn't know how to answer. He didn't know what Kiryu wanted to hear. Or if he was even capable of hearing his words. "Is there any way I can ease your suffering, Kiryu?"

"I want to duel," he murmured. "I want to duel Jack."

"Your deck was destroyed and you are certainly not allowed visitors," Lady said.

Divine's eyes narrowed as Kiryu's widened. Now he was certain this was a dangerous situation. Although which one it was most dangerous for he wasn't sure. Kiryu dropped the blankets from his shoulders and was on his feet within the blink of an eye, lunging for her in a blind rage. Divine went to grab him but was a millisecond too late to stop it.

Lady had her baton out quick enough though, driving it into his stomach. He doubled over, coughing, but certainly not out of it his rage.

"You will stand down or I will have you restrained by force."

"You destroyed my deck," Kiryu snarled.

He lunged for her again but this time Divine managed to catch him. He was a strong little bugger. Divine barely managed to hold him back but he wasn't endangering his investment. Kiryu was just like the psychics he dealt with. A monster. And Lady could certainly do some damage if she wanted, Divine was sure. The Security officer Kiryu had killed was nearly bottom rung. With only basic training. The officers in this hospital were trained to deal with dangerous killers. They knew what he was capable of and were ready for it.

"This will not help your plans, Kiryu," he hissed in the boy's ear. "I'll bring you a deck next time I come."

Kiryu stopped fighting and yelling and stood, trembling in anger, wrapped in Divine's arms. Good. It was telling that even when in a blind fury or pumped full of mind numbing drugs, Kiryu knew well enough to preserve his plans. The bouts of rage and sudden adrenaline seemed to counteract the pills, leaving him lucid for a while. He could talk to the real Kiryu for a while. He just needed him alone.

"I think you should leave," Lady said firmly.

Using psychic powers without something to channel it, like cards, was incredibly difficult and only achievable by the most powerful of them. Divine was one of those who had mastered it. He summoned up his powers and Lady was thrown from the room into the wall across the hall and the door slammed shut behind her, held closed by an unseen force.

Kiryu was shaken and staring up at him, something in his eyes between fear, hatred, gratitude and respect. Divine held him still, waiting for his breathing to calm and the shaking to stop before he released him. There were officers trying to force the door open but Divine was confident in his powers. And his certainty gave Kiryu confidence in them too. The little convict gave the door one glance and nothing more.

"Who are you really?"

"Divine, leader of the Arcadia Movement," he said. There was no point wasting time in this situation. He needed to give Kiryu enough to hold his attention after this disaster. "I wish to tear this city, and its Director and everyone below him, down to the ground for their crimes."

"What do you want from me?"

"I'll be blunt. I believe you and others in here have the potential to be powerful assets. You more than others. I would be so bold as to say you have the potential to be my right hand. The most powerful weapon in my arsenal."

"I'm no one's weapon."

Divine knew no one wanted to be used as a weapon but Kiryu would see through lies. "I will get you out."

"I'll get myself out."

"With Lady?"

"People who don't know their helping don't have ulterior motives." Divine chuckled. True. So true. That's why he didn't tell his psychics what he was truly using them for, or what his real plans were. "Leave me alone. I don't want to talk anymore."

Divine sighed and put on a show of giving in. He couldn't stay forever. He had to leave sooner or later and Kiryu would take his punishment. He could let Kiryu think he'd won this battle. The blankets were still on the floor but Kiryu didn't seem to care, so Divine picked them up. Despite being visibly unimpressed, Kiryu didn't object to Divine wrapping him up in the blankets and brushing his hair from his face, ignoring the one or two tears he was certain Kiryu would be ashamed of.

"Who's Jack?" Divine said quietly.

"He'll be King one day," Kiryu whispered, lifting his head and meeting his gaze, as if daring him to say otherwise. "He'll be King and he'll show everyone the power I gave him. He promised." Then his gaze lowered and his shut his eyes, all hope suddenly vanishing. "No… He won't…They've forgotten me."

Divine nodded and adjusted the blankets. "Then we will just have to make sure they remember."

Kiryu had retreated into himself and Divine decided it was time to leave. He got up from the bed, ruffled Kiryu's hair gently and let the door open. The guards rushed in, restraining Kiryu with unnecessary force and forcing more pills into him. Divine took his leave, slipping out before anyone could stop him. The head warden was standing in the middle of the hall way. Divine didn't stop but the warden walked with him. They couldn't stop him seeing Kiryu, or any of the others, not with a chokehold he had on the city.

"You shouldn't cause so much trouble or we will have to ban you from seeing them."

"It was your guard who caused the trouble, telling him they'd destroyed his deck." How could they be so stupid as to upset Kiryu like that? "Please, instruct your wardens to try to reduce the medication of my subjects. I want them as natural as possible. I'll return in a few days to check on things. I trust I can leave it all with you?"

"Of course," he said quickly. "But the patients-"

"I'm glad to know you can take care of it. Good bye."

It hadn't been a waste of time at least. And he had a place to start with Kiryu. He had a name. Jack. He'd have to look into it. How hard could it be to find out who Kiryu's former associates were. This Jack… perhaps he was the key to Kiryu's past, what had made him snap, and his power.


Yusei had fallen asleep over another letter to Kiryu and Crow had vanished. Probably gone to stay with the kids, and the new people in his life. Jack didn't remember their names. He'd never really cared. All he knew was that Crow was slipping away from his family because of them.

So it was just the two of them. Jack sighed, slowly helping Yusei from the desk to the bed. He turned his attention slowly to the letter on the desk. This was a cycle they'd repeated over and over. He'd collect the letter and put it in an envelope to be left with the rest, hidden away in Martha's room. But today something drew him to read it. It was silly, they probably all said the same, but what did that matter? Sometimes things didn't make sense. Sometimes it was just instinctual.

'I know it's silly but maybe this time Jack and Martha will let me send this. I miss you, Kiryu, I've written that in every letter. I miss you. It's not the same without you. Jack and Crow seem to think there's something wrong with missing you but you gave us so much. You gave us purpose and now it's gone again. It's impossible to ever forget what you did for us, Kiryu. I'll never forget you. I'll keep writing until one day something gets through to you. And I'll keep using Stardust. Stardust can carry everyone's hopes and dreams now, because you're not strong enough right now. And your hopes and dreams too. I'll do my best to carry on, I'll try to carry on your wishes. You watch me, Kiryu, one day we'll all be free from Security and the city. The Satellite will be free one day, all because you gave us strength. I just wish we'd seen in before it was too late.'

Jack wished that too sometimes. Perhaps if they'd not ignored the signs, he'd still be here. They should have held onto him and refused to let go. Kiryu had never done so well on his own, he needed a team, they shouldn't have let him go. They'd thought he need them so much he'd come to his senses. They should have known better. They should have dragged him to Martha's home, tied him down and stayed with him until he cooled off.

Kiryu had murdered that man, yes, but they'd let him.

Crumpling the letter in his hand, Jack turned away, striding out the room and throwing it into the trash. He wasn't going to let it happen. He wasn't. He wasn't going to feel guilty. Kiryu had done this himself. Yes, they could have done more but they could never have known where it was going to end. How were they supposed to know he was going to snap and murder someone? It wasn't their fault, damn it.

"Jack." He bit his lip as fingers closed around his ear, tugging him from the kitchen. No matter how old they got Martha still pulled them around by their ears. "What are you doing down here after I sent you to look after Yusei?"

"He's sleeping for once. Finally passed out."

She scowled down at him and Jack folded his arms over his chest. They were almost the same height by down. He wasn't a child anymore. Sooner or later, he was going to get out of this dump and he was going to find a way to pay Martha back for all she'd done for him. It was just a matter of time before he was in the city. Without Kiryu. He shook his head, trying to push away those thoughts. Sure, without Kiryu, but that didn't matter, did it? Kiryu was locked up, he was gone and never getting out. They all just had to get over it.

"It's alright to miss him, Jack."