~Returning Home~

The police sirens screech down the vacant highway as the morning sun is just peaking over the urban horizon. The cars race away from the morning sun up a straight road, out of the city to what appears to be an enclosed area. The organized line of five police cruisers escalade through the street as the path narrows out to the open, the endless road ahead directing the escorts through a wooded forest. Their destination was visible even from 5 miles away, a large brick-red Victorian mansion at the middle of the endless forest. The police escorts drift up the road at top speed, racing an unknown clock to reach their destination. Inside the 3rd cruiser, heavily guarded by the remaining four, Yusei rests in the back seat as the driving officer silently chauffeurs him up the passageway. Yusei's eyes were closed, but by the impatient twitching of his leg, one can tell he's anything but rested.

"I can't believe my parents asked for an escort back home, again!" Yusei says out loud to himself, but loud enough for his driver to hear him. "I mean, it's not like they have anything to worry about. I call them once every few days; just to put them at ease. I'm not selling drugs or doing any-possible-thing illegal, unless fixing bikes is against the law know. Is it, officer?" Yusei asks.

She glances at him through the rear-view mirror. "No, sir. As far as I know, you are not in any trouble. They orders we were given was to find you alive and bring you back to Fudo Manor. No arrests, no force, no trip to the county jail."

Yusei sits up in shock. "Alive?! What did those two think I was doing, jumping off a bridge?!? Mina can believe I wouldn't try anything stupid, but Trudge is a different story. Sometimes I wonder how such a hothead got into the force! Probably scared all the competition away with his foaming-at-the-mouth trick."

The officer accidentally snickered and burst into a muffled laugh. She was imagining Commander Trudge barking at the senior officers with red eyes and steam coming out of his nose, telling them what would happen to the force if they didn't give him his promotion.

Yusei hears the quiet laugh and snickers. "I see that Trudge is really popular for his demeanor. I pray he isn't working the whole division to the ground? Or worse."

The officer calms herself down before answering back. "'Ha-ha!' N-No, sir. Chief Mina and Commander Trudge are both excellent leaders, the best of their kind. Ever since both of them were promoted last year for their skills, the crime rate in Neo Domino has dropped by 24%!"

"Well! That's quite a lot! But why do you officers bother to fuss over me? Bored? With all the real danger off the streets, don't you think that makes it safe for us rich cats to see the outside world for a change? Don't tell me that Trudge actually cares for my safety!"

"Not him, sir! It's your parents who are worried sick! You really shouldn't run off of the property like that." The officer glares at him through the mirror. "Mr. and Mrs. Fudo have worked hard their entire lives just so they can promise a bright future for you, their only son! If you were any grateful at all, you wouldn't be running around these dangerous streets without supervision Yus-...! Ah! Excuse me...sir."

Yusei smiles coyly at this and leans back, pleased to make a normal conversation with somebody new. "Don't excuse yourself. Yes, I do deserve a tongue-lashing, but mother and father would never go at me like that. Why? I'm not really sure. Sometimes I wish they would be a little stricter with me."

The cruiser line pulls up to the encircled front driveway, arranged so Yusei's car stops at the front staircase. Trudge and Mina exit the lead car and shuffle to Yusei's car as the other officers exit their cruisers, saluting both of them as they stop at the middle car. The officer driving Yusei's car salutes to her commanding officers first, and then opens the backseat door. Yusei steps out nonchalantly and, not bothering to wait for any orders, moves in between Trudge and Mina and makes his way to the front door.

At the top of a cream colored semi-circled staircase, 2 elderly butlers were positioned on either side of a bronze 2-door archway. As if by impulse, they open the double-doors leading to the shimmering hallway of the manor. The butlers bow and speak in unison, "Welcome home, Master Yusei." and await any orders. The doors were wide enough to just make out the beautifully carves dome ceiling and the red velvet carpet from the bottom of the steps. Yusei towers the staircase slowly and turns around at the landing.

"Trudge! Mina!" Yusei shout, "I trust you would be giving everyone a raise or some form of reward for wasting their time with me! As you can see, I'm not returning 'home' a broken man."

Trudge grinds his teeth painfully slow. "Only in my dreams, Yusei! If you could so much as spring your ankle, you'd be out of my hair for a month! Then maybe you would inherit the company faster and be stuck in a lab for the rest of your life!"

Yusei chuckles. "Mmm, true. But until that happens, pick me up around the same time, say, about 3 weeks from Tuesday. I'll be waiting for you at the movies downtown." He winks and walks in calmly, the butlers following him in and shutting the doors. Mina can only sigh as 2 officers hold Trudge back, who threatens to break the doors down and strangle Yusei.

In the back, Yusei's chauffer chuckles quietly, mortified that someone might hear her.

-Inside Fudo Manor-

Yusei follows the butlers down the hallway, neither of them muttering a word of any kind. There was a few more butlers and maids in the hall, but most of them were too busy to pay attention. A bypassing worker would say "Good day, sir" or "Welcome, young master" and offer him any assistance or an exotic treat. Yusei shoos them away and just follow the butlers to the end of the hall. They step aside and bow as the wall opens up, revealing a private elevator, gold and silver plated flooring and complete with a personal elevator operator. Yusei steps inside and the elevator shuts with a silent clank, the operator pulling a lever and the elevator rises through the building. "Next stop, Master Yusei's penthouse room." said the operator.

Yusei didn't even bother to say anything or open his mouth. It wouldn't be nice to interrupt their work. They would rather count my money than count how many days I've been gone. Not like they would care what happens to me. Yusei stares at the polished ceiling sadly, staring deep into the eyes of his own reflection. I miss the outside world already. I miss it soo much. The elevator stops and Yusei rushes out and makes his way down a hallway identical to the floor hall. Two guards open a pair of smaller double-doors that lead to an enclosed bedroom.

"Master Yusei," states one of the guards, "your parents would like to let you know that you are forbidden from leaving the Fudo Manor until further notice. It is of the highest importance."

Yusei blinks at the message. Apparently, I better be careful what I wish for, next time. Yusei glares at the guards hard. "And why is it so important that I don't leave this place?"

The guard sweat drops and clears his throat, never looking up at his young liege. "Your father is on the phone in your bedroom as we speak, sire. He is on speaker and will give you the details when you enter." With an unhappy grimace, Yusei moves past him through the doors.

As Yusei enters the room, he is greeted with a king-sized bed with clean white sheets and a silk comforter. The remaining room included a HD 81-inch TV, a work desk with a wall covered with high-speed internet computers, a private patio, a walk-in closet with countless clothes and accessories inside, and a gold floor lined with imported fake-fur carpeting. As Yusei crawls into the heavenly bed, there was a cordless house phone laying in the middle of the bed. He didn't want to talk right now, but he really didn't have a choice.

"Hello?" Yusei talks to the phone as he closed his eyes, obviously exhausted.

"Yusei!" A strong yet foreworn voice answers him. "Thank goodness you are alright! Where have the officers found you in this time!? Some box in a dark alley? I bet beaten to a pulp by those 'friends' of yours."

Now that woke Yusei right up! "Dad! They're good people. Really good people. They're almost as protective of me as you and mom."

"Well, at least you are safe."

"I wasn't in any danger, dad."

"Fine, fine. Anyways, your mother and I are at the lab, working on a new type of purity energy reactor. This one is smaller and moves faster, so maybe that it will give off more energy for the city! This will work, but only if we could just scramble the atoms gently enough to..."

Yusei rolls his eyes. "Dad."

"Wha-? Oh! Right. A-hem. About your punishment. I have been talking to your mother, and she believes that the main reason for your rebellious behavior is due to the fact that you refuse to get along with other peers."

"That's ridiculous. Who do you think the people I hang out are? Future employees?"

"Not what I meant. You have a knack for making friends out of the shadiest people I've ever seen, Yusei. Remember when you introduced us to Mr. Tanner?"

"He only looks tough, dad! And that was a twice-hung jury! He's like a, uh...bear."

"The cute little stuffed teddy bear or the 1300 pound brown bear that could rip you face off?"

Yusei snickers. "I think we both know the answer to that, 'daddy'."

"Tear-off-your-face bear it is."

Yusei sighs and rolls over, taking the phone and placing it on the pillow next to him. "So, how long am I grounded for? A month?"

"Actually, two months! But your mother has other plans, my son. She has been invited to a little dinner party being held by Director Goodwin taking place tomorrow night, and she has just been informed that she has permission to bring me along. And by me, I mean me and you."

"What!" Yusei sits up, staring at the phone in disbelief. "I'm suppose to force a grin on and attend some boring rich party!? You want me to break down and cry, don't you!?!"

"Yusei! There will be other parents there, bringing their children there as well. Some of them who are your age. Who knows, you might be able to make a new friend, there. Someone with the same demeanor, hobbies, interests,-"

"-And social class?" Yusei interrupts.

"I never said that. Please Yusei, just be ready for the party. It would make your mother very proud, and you will help strengthen a relationship with the good Director Goodwin and Sector Security! "

Yusei is silent for a minute, checking his gloves. "I don't know, pops. I could just bust outta here like the last time. Climb out the balcony, shimmy down the fragile vines, trek 3 miles in dangerous woods in the middle of the night..."

"Do this, and I will shorten your 'sentence' to five weeks."

"Two weeks."

"One month."

"12 days."

"Three weeks, exactly. And, you have to spend 'family time' with us!"

Yusei looks at the phone as if it was his father. "Deal."

"Then it's settled! Dress in casual attire and be ready by 3 pm tomorrow. A limo will take you to the party. Bye for...what?" The phone is silent for a few minutes. "Oh, okay! Your mother and I send you hugs and kisses. What? No! Dear, please! (Grumble) I...I love you and miss you very, very, very much my little... little...Einstein. "

Yusei stares at the phone. "What?!"

"LOVE YOU SON BYE!" The phone clicks loudly and the dial tone goes off.

Yusei stares at the phone in absolute shock. After a full minute, he picks up the phone and clicks the off button. He stares at the open window, the morning sun rising higher in the sky. "He hasn't said that since I was a, a baby." Yusei then bursts out laughing, rolling on the comforter and tearing up. "T-T-Thank God to dad! Ahahahah! That was the name mom was going to give me! Sheesh!" Yusei rolls over and stares out into the sunrise.

"Don't worry, mom and dad. I'll behave." The golden yellow sunlight brushes gently on his face, reflecting his sapphire-blue eyes." But will something interesting happen at this party? Will I meet anyone...interesting?"

*I think we all know the answer to that! Please write me back!"