Chapter 4

Akiza's mind was running in circles. What the heck was going on here? What was Yusei doing here? When she was told she was being taken into protective custody, she had been expecting a team of security goons to be shipping her off to a government building where she'd be isolated and alone. Now she found herself being led by Yusei, one of her best friends, to the hospital parking lot. Why Yusei? Why had he been chosen to protect her? Was that even the case? Or was he just being a good friend and seeing her off? She soon got her answer. After a few minute's, she found herself in the parking lot, walking towards a chrome black Jaguar. Trudge and Mina were waiting beside the vehicle. When the two of them reached the car, Yusei then released her hand and turned to look at Trudge and Mina.

"How long do you think it will take you to get there, Yusei?"

Mina held a stone-serious look in her eyes.

"If we leave now we should be there before sunset. I can use the phone you gave me to send a signal to your headquarters at different waypoints along the journey, but we'd have to be certain that the line the signal went through would be secure."

"Don't worry, kid. We've got your lines to Sector security on lockdown. No one will know about the signal but us."

Trudge walked up to Yusei, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen, kid, if anything happens or there's trouble, remember what I told you. OK?"

Yusei nodded, holding a look of deep determination.

"Is everything we talked about in the car?"

Akiza stood there, unsure what to do or say. Hearing the conversation at hand was making her nervous. It was clear now that Yusei would be the one watching over her until the authorities got Sayer behind bars, which she wasn't complaining about. She had developed a crush on the head signer during the battle with the dark signers when he had not only got her to make amends with her parents but also taught her about becoming a more open person. He was the reason she had left the Arcadia Movement and the reason she turned her back on Sayer. She had never been more attracted to anyone than him. She loved his bravery, his kind personality, his vast intelligence, everything. His deep blue eyes entranced her, making her heart skip many beats.

"It doesn't matter, though, he'd never see me the way I see him. He cares about all his friends too much to give one pitiful girl any attention. He's probably just doing this to be a supportive friend. I'm hardly worthy of him anyway. He deserves much better."

"Akiza, are you ready?"

She sprung back to reality at the sound of her friend's voice. She nodded, handing Yusei her other bag of clothes and moving to get into the passenger side of the car. After a few minutes, Yusei appeared in the driving seat, turned the ignition and pulled out of the hospital car park and onto the road.

Now that the two were on the road, Yusei decided it was a good time to explain the situation to his friend.

"I'm sorry that no-one told you what was going on. We were going to tell you but with the prep that we had to do over the past few days, there was no time to fill you in."

"What? Preparation?"

This was making Akiza's head spin. Yusei's face remained neutral, as he kept his eyes on the road.

"Trudge, Mina, Jack and myself all agreed that protective custody was the prime solution to keep you safe until we had Sayer behind bars, but we also agreed that due to some...complications that we-"

"Don't do that."

Yusei's eyes widened and glanced sideways to Akiza, who's confused eyes had converted to dead serious ones.

"Don't leave out details just because you're worried that they'll frighten me or make me angry. I know you're only trying to help me feel better, but I want to know the whole truth. I want to know everything about this."

Her expression softened, and she turned so that her eyes were locked on Yusei.

"Please, Yusei...don't lie to me. I need to know."

She put her hand over his free hand, which was sitting limply on the car's gearstick. The sudden contact startled him slightly and made him turn his head towards her. His deep blue eyes gaze collided with her own hazel ones, which held a deep longing within them. It was a gaze he had seen many times before, only it had been clouded and glazed with anger and fear in the past. Now, seeing all that longing as an entity, it made his heart melt. There was no way he could refuse her.

"I'm sorry Akiza, I just didn't want to make this whole mess anymore frightening for you. I know it already is. You understand, right?"

He caught her nod and turned his eyes back toward the road, continuing the explanation.

"We did some digging into Sayer's criminal record and found out that he has ties to certain underground gangs in the city. People who are paid to do their superior's dirty work. They threaten, assault sometimes kill people in exchange for money and protection. Trudge and Mina reckon that he was many of these gangs' puppet master, pulling all the strings on what they did, who they hurt, and so on..."

He paused briefly to watch Akiza's expression, which had returned to confused and curious.

"Trudge and Sector Security managed to catch many of these gangs and get them behind bars behind bars, but there is still one out there..."

Akiza's heart stopped. She knew exactly where this was leading, and the thought made her blood run cold.

"And Sayer is controlling them, isn't he?"

Yusei's hand gripped the steering wheel in frustration. He hated this, not being able to comfort his friends when they needed it. One of his best friends, the girl he cared for deeply, was sat here being told that she was being targeted by a gang who were being controlled by the man who used her and violated her and he couldn't tell her anything to make her feel better. His heart was practically ripping just seeing her face, seeing that fear and sadness infecting her eyes. He had to do something, say something to make her feel at least slightly better. He looked to her free hand and tentatively took it in his own. The sudden movement made her jump, and she turned to look into his eyes. He took a deep breath hoping what he was about to say would help lift her spirits.

"I...I'm sorry Akiza. I know how scary this must seem to you, and I can't say I understand your situation and what you're feeling. However, I stand by the promise I made when you were in the hospital to Trudge. I don't care what I have to do, or for how long, I won't let anyone hurt you again. You're one of my best friends, and I value your safety more than anything. I give you my word as a signer, Akiza."

Akiza's hearted thumped wildly. She stared into his deep blue eyes, feeling tears forming at the corners of her eyes. This was the person she had fallen in love with and grown to admire. His eyes spoke nothing but sincerity that extended deep into his soul. Yusei saw her reaction and quickly pulled the car over, startling Akiza slightly. He then turned and drew her into a deep hug, which caused Akiza's emotions to break and send her into floods of tears. Yusei held her firmly, his own head resting on top of her own.

"Thank you, Yusei. Thank you so much. I'm so glad to have you as one of my friends."

Yusei squeezed her firmly in their hug, before letting go to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"I'm glad too. Let's get going now, yeah?"

She nodded in response and Yusei pulled the car out onto the road once again, and Akiza soon found herself looking across the pure blue waters that flow between the Satellite and New Domino while riding across the Daedalus bridge. She couldn't help but think back to the war with the dark signers, and how she had been controlled by Sayer during her duel with Misty.

"It makes me sick to think that I actually admired and credited him. He may have given me a home, but he used me to further his own goals in the Arcadia movement. He knew what he'd done to Misty's brother and he tried to use me in order to tie up loose ends. That lying son of a bitch! When he fell into the never world, I actually felt sympathy for him, and I wished I never had! I can't believe that I tried to destroy Yusei and my friends and family because of my anger and upset after Sayer disappeared either. If I had just forgotten my past and tried to move forward, I wouldn't have fallen into Sayer's grasp or fed into his lies. And now, he and his cronies are trying to hunt me down. What if hurt Yusei when he's trying to protect me? They could even kill him! I couldn't bear that, to see him get hurt, It would tear me apart."

As she continued to bask in deep thoughts, her fatigue from being in the hospital started to take over, bringing deep yawns and groggy eyes. Yusei looked over briefly to see one of her yawns.

"Hey Akiza, there's a blanket and pillow on the back seat if you're tired. I can recline the seat a bit too if you want to sleep."

"Are you sure? I..."

She yawned deeply once again.

"I don't want you to feel like I'm not wanting to talk to you."

Yusei smiled and turned his gaze toward, being sure to keep an eye on the road.

"I know that's not the case, Akiza. Besides, you were in the hospital for four days, and everyone knows you never get proper rest in a hospital. I'll be fine, so you get some sleep." She smiled and nodded, before reaching into the back for the blanket and pillow. Yusei reclined her seat so she was lying down in a comfortable position.

"Comfortable, my lady?"

He flashed a smile, making her giggle. She decided to play along.

"Very much so, thank you, good sir."

He impression of a British accent made Yusei laugh as well as her. She smiled once again, before leaning back into the pillow and drifting into her dream world.

Akiza's Dream.

The wind was rushing through her hair, and an engine was revving eagerly as she sped through the streets of New Domino. She was on her red runner, blasting her music and drifting smoothly around corners. After a while, she pulled onto the Daedalus bridge, where she heard another deep engine approaching and saw another deep red runner in her video feed.

"Hey, Yusei!"

She slowed up til she was level with her friend. He smiled at her and winked, causing her to blush slightly.

"Hey Akiza, loving those drifts around town. You're looking great out there."

She nodded back and smiled, though she was surprised to hear he'd been following her.

"Thanks, Yusei, but I did have a great teacher. I reckon I could take him on in a turbo duel a kick his butt now thanks to his tips."

She smirked playfully, making Yusei smile slyly.

"Is that a challenge, Akiza? If so, I'd prepare to lose."

He stuck his tongue out playfully, which made Akiza giggle.

"Sorry Yusei, but today the king is going to bow to me."

She winked playfully before revving her engine and speeding ahead.

"Oh, it's on NOW!"

He called after her revving his own engine and speeding after her...

Yusei pulled carefully into the area around the building before quietly turning off the ignition, and leaning back from the steering wheel.

"Man, I haven't been back here for years. I guess after Kalin was put away, I just couldn't face the memories we all shared here. But going back now, I get a sense of safety once again. No one could hurt us while we were here together, the Enforcers. I just hope Akiza feels safe here too.."

He turned to see his friend still sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat, with the blanket curled around her body. Her face looked peaceful and happy, which made him slightly question waking her up, but in the end, he leaned over and shook her gently.

"Akiza...Akiza time to wake up."

She moaned slightly before sitting up, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"What? How long was I out?"

"About three hours or so. I was going to wake and see if you wanted to stop for anything but I figured you needed the sleep."

She smiled at him and nodded.

"Yeah, I feel a bit better from the sleep."

Yusei smiled at her, before turning his gaze toward the house. Akiza quickly followed sync.

The house looked fairly small but well kept. A deep grey exterior was shown along with what looked like a slope that led into an underground garage. The roof was flat, almost bunker-like but the doors were simple wooden and pastel coloured.

"You ready to go inside?"

Yusei tilted his head with questioning eyes and Akiza graced him with a smile and nod. the two exited the car and retrieved her two bags from the boot. Once Yusei had parked the car in the garage, the two walked toward the door. Yusei took a moment before unlocking it and the two signers entered the house.