A/N: Sorry for the long delay, I had a bit of trouble with the first half, in the end decided to skip the meeting with Goodwin and leave it to "it happened like it did in canon". I'm updating regularly again, but I can't guarantee the same rate as before. Also, fair warning: this chapter and the next are particularly dark.

Episode 7: Darkness and Loss

"There's no guarantee he'll tell us the whole truth." I warned Yusei as we got out of the car Goodwin had sent for us.

He replied plainly, "I know he won't, but its not like we have any choice but to count on him. We can't go in blind."

"True." I sighed and we marched towards the doors of the massive mansion. I happen to notice something unsettling as we walked. Aki was standing next to Yusei... on the complete other side from where I was. Worse was how close she was standing. She was pretty much hanging on him. Just an inch closer and she'd be pressing her body against him.

She leaned in a little, "Yusei, are you really sure about this? Didn't this guy kidnap your friends, and fund Divine's experiments? Is it alright playing into his hands?"

"I doubt he'll do anything to hurt Koyou while we are there." Yusei assured her.

Aki was taken aback slightly and glance at me, as if she'd forgotten I was there... I had to be reading too much into it though. After all, we had become lovers the night before. In her words, I had 'taken back' her virginity from that liar Divine. She had asked me to do that, not Yusei. Then again, had she ever said that she loved me?

"Yusei, I see you're taking Goodwin's bait." a husky and forceful voice I recognized called my attention to the door ahead of us. It was there that Jack Atlas, the King of Turbo Dueling that Yusei had dethroned and his former friend, was waiting. "You're more of a fool than I thought."

"So I hear, but you're here as well, Jack, and despite everything I'm glad you are. We all need to be on the same side if we're going to deal with these Dark Signers."

Jack scoffed, "I never said I was on your side. I'm on my own side. We just happen to have the same goal."

I sighed, "This is hardly the time for ego or regrets, so curb both, Jacky-boy."

The former champion scowled at me and looked me over, noting the mark on my arm. He turned to Yusei and pointed at me, "The fifth?"

"No." I replied, "Sixth if anything, but that's a long story."

"I imagine it must me."

He eyed me, and it was easy to tell the thought processes running through his head. He had been struck by my seemingly unfounded inclusion of 'regrets' in my early reprimand, and got a strange feeling about me. It only took him a moment for him to decide to tolerate my presence, likely based on my forthrightness about my mark not being the fifth. Actually, it was probably not trusting me at all. In fact I'm sure it wasn't that at all. It was more that, despite everything, he trusted Yusei completely. It was clear from his body language and how he glanced at Yusei as certain thoughts visibly went through his mind. Having heard the tale of Jack's betrayal, I wasn't surprised Jack would trust Yusei. After all, when given a choice between his precious card and runner (not to mention a path to the city) and a friend, Yusei had chosen his friend without hesitation. Jack, like everyone else, gravitated to Yusei.

Thinking about it, at the time Jack and I probably had more in common than I would have liked to admit. We both understood how Yusei drew others to him naturally without even trying, and both of us were envious of that. Yes... Even then I knew I was jealous of Yusei, even if I didn't want to admit it to myself. He was probably my best friend in the world at the time. We had a special connection, a strange chemistry that transcended words, the kind of friend you only find once and only if you are blessed by the gods of fate... and part of me hated him. Actually, it was probably just moments before that I had started hating him... or maybe the night before when I noticed his strange reaction to finding out Aki and I were lovers... or maybe it was when I heard that Yusei had been able to reach her when I couldn't... then again, maybe that part of me had always hated him.

"Koyou!" Leo called back to be and I came out of my thoughts to realize the others were starting into the building. "You coming?"

Aki was still following Yusei... she wasn't even looking back at me. She should have been the one to call me, not a little boy that barely knew me. I pushed that fact aside and smiled at that young boy, "Yeah. I was thinking about stuff." I kicked myself mentally, Stupid. I can't talk about Jack's issues if I have the same problem. There's no time for my ego. I have to act. I have to fight these Dark Signers and find Mei. There's too much riding on this battle for me to be jealous of Yusei. Even I have to admit he's our best chance of winning. We can't beat the bad guys without someone keeping us together.

I caught up to the others and took the initiative, grabbing Aki's hand and smiling at her. She smiled right back, as if I had nothing to worry about at all... as if she hadn't been clinging to my best friend instead of me. She leaned her head on my shoulder briefly and reassured me, "Your dad will find Mei soon I'm sure. With Kai-sensei and all of us allied against these Dark Signers, I'm certain everything will be fine."

"Yeah."

She looked at me, grinning, "I bet Kai-sensei could even beat them all by himself."

True... I'd only even seen Dad lose once or twice, and that was against my mother, who was a godly duelist in her own right. Though something my mother had said still worried me, something I hadn't told the others. My father's time might be up. If what I'd been told was true, Dad would die in this war.

Mei's Perspective

I sat up slowly, rubbing my aching head and trying not to make the feeling in my stomach overwhelm me. It wasn't fully pain. Even that ache in my head was more a stiff feeling, a remnant of pain that was not quite done healing. I looked around, uncertain, then remembered that I had washed up on the shore of Satellite. I was still recollecting events when I heard a child's voice.

"Crow-nee-san! The lady woke up! She's up!" I just missed seeing the little girl run away from the doorway to tell this news to 'Crow'.

"Oi! No shouting! She might have a headache or something. She was in and out all yesterday ya know." A familiar voice reprimanding the girl. It was gentle, but rough. Like a street punk with a 'heart of gold'.

"Sorry, Crow."

The man in question appeared in the doorway in the next moment. "You feelin' okay? What kind of jerk beats on women and throws them in that disgusting river?"

"Long story... I need to get back to the city... warn my brother..." I stood, wobbling a little. I grabbed my stomach as my knees buckled. Something was definitely wrong. My insides didn't feel right at all.

He promptly forced me to sit back down. "Yeah, you mentioned that. Like I said, there's no way you can get back into the city, especially when you're still recovering."

I accepted that simple truth. I'm no fool, "How long was I out?"

"Just twelve hours. Is someone after Koyou?"

Things clicked back into place as I sorted my scattered thoughts once more, "That's right, your the Crow that helped him out a lot when he was here."

"It was a mutual assist, but that's not important. Who's after him?"

I frowned, "You wouldn't believe me."

"I don't know about that. There's been some strange things going on lately."

"Strange things?"

"Yeah, recently people in weird robes have been holding gatherings and taking anyone who comes to them to an unknown location. They aren't seen again."

"Abduction?"

Crow shook his head, "Odd thing is they follow of their own accord, like zombies."

"And people keep going to these gatherings? Why?"

"Curiosity maybe? Desperation? These guys are making promises of salvation from life in the slums and from something called the Crimson Dragon."

I froze. It was Dark Signers after all.

Crow continued, "Obviously they're spoutin' nonsense. That thing appeared when Yusei and Jack were duelin' anything that comes from those guys can't be bad."

I stood, resolute. He tried to stop me but I didn't ield again, "I'm going to find those people. They have to be related to the people after Koyou."

Crow sighed, "I figured they were. Yusei's involved in this for sure thanks to that dragon, so it makes since Koyou is too. They were gonna meet up in the city." That said, he tried to sit me down again, and again I didn't budge, "I can't let you go out there in your condition though." He tried again, "Dang, how are you so strong now? You were feeble a minute ago."

I grabbed him, showing my determination by meeting his eyes, "I have to save my brother! I'm not losing him again! You can either help me or stay out of it but you sure as hell aren't stopping me. Got that?"

He was shocked, but nodded, though I could tell he still wanted to argue, "Fine, I'll come with you. I could never face Koyou again if I let his sister get hurt."

"Good." I quickly spotted my duel disk on a table nearby and grabbed it, "You have nice eyes by the way."

Crow tensed, taken off-guard, "Well... that was kinda outta nowhere."

"Sorry, I go off on random tangents sometimes. Runs in the family."

"Apparently."

I checked my pockets for my deck, and realized first that I wasn't wearing my deck case, next I noticed I wasn't wearing my clothes, I was wearing some ragged dressings that were certainly from the area, they didn't even fit even remotely right, "Um... did you...?"

Crow saw where I was looking and immediately defended himself from the allegation, "NO! No way! Martha changed your clothes, I would never do something like that. Never!"

"Martha?"

"She runs this place. Your at the Satellite orphanage. It was the closest place with medical supplies."

"So that little girl...?"

"Yeah. Little Sara lost her parents a while back to a sickness. This place is full of sob stories like that. Most of the older ones lost their folks in the Zero Reverse Incident. I can relate, so I help out around here."
"You're an orphan?"

"Almost everyone native to Satellite is actually. It doesn't bother me anymore. I'm a pretty happy guy all in all, Martha saw to that and I like repaying the favor."

Nice guy. All those criminal marks on a dude that took care of orphaned children? Strange. Regardless, "That aside, we've got to get going. Where's my deck?"

Crow looked stunned, then looked away, finding it hard to tell me, "I was afraid of this."

"What?"

He looked at me a spoke frankly, "I was hoping you weren't carrying one, but I did find it odd that you had a disk, but-"

"No cards?" I finished his sentence, "You mean I didn't have my deck on me when you found me?"

Crow shook his head, frowning in sympathy, "Sorry, it might have been lost in the river or maybe looters took it before I found you."

I immediately collapsed to my knees, tears flowing out of my eyes, "My deck... my deck is gone?"

Crow rushed over to me and grabbed my shoulders to console me, "Hey! I understand, but you can't let it get to you like this. I-" I punched him, knocking him flat on his back, "OW! What the heck?"

"You don't understand! You can't understand! That deck...!" I stopped my yelling and starting weeping even harder, "I-I have so many memories with that deck. My mother helped me build it! Every single card was a gift from someone I cherish! That deck is irreplaceable! I might as well have lost my soul!" I thought back to the battle with the Dark Signer, "The bastard... he beat my deck with that bullshit... then he makes me lose it! I'll kill him! I swear to fucking god I'll kill him!"

The orange-haired duelist came over to me again and embraced me, "Calm down. I get it. My deck is precious to me too. Please, calm down. I'll make you a new one, somehow. It can't really replcae the old one, but you can make new memories. You can't let this beat you alright?"

"Shut up! You can't get those cards in Satellite! Don't make promises you can't keep!"

"I'll go to the city then. I'll show all these robed freaks the door then swim over there if I have to."

"Don't be stupid!"

"I'm serious! I won't let you lose your deck permanently. I'll get every single card and you can find the guy that beat you. I'll watch you avenge you're memories and cheer you on."

"You mean it?"

"Yeah. I mean it."

Calming down, I swallowed my tears, "God, I'm acting like a kid."

Crow chuckled, "You've been through a lot. I won't hold a little melt-down against you." he tensed up suddenly, "Could you do me a favor though?"

"What?" I said with a grin.

"Could you stop groping me?"

I laughed through my remaining tears, giving his nice firm rear a final squeeze before letting go and releasing my hug, "Sorry. Just lightening the mood."

He gave me a skeptical look, "You're a very strange girl."

I was going to make a snappy comeback, but suddenly there was an explosion someone. It was loud as heck, but sounded distant, so there was not telling how far it was based on sound alone. The little girl came in and shouted to Crow, proclaiming that a building had just burst into flames and collapsed in the next block over. Something huge was going on.

Crow was quick to act, and let me ride on the back of his duel runner to the scene. As we neared the site, various thugs, all badly wounded, were running for their lives from it. Crow was quick to identify the people and the building, "That's Danny's crew, and that's their hideout! What the hell could do this kind of damage?"

We stopped in front of the building, just in time to see a tall and muscular man step out from the flames carrying a person. The large man seemed to be on fire, but didn't seem to care. In fact, strangely the fire seemd to be black and white. Those strange flames disappeared as he stepped into the light. His cargo was beaten but not at all burned. That wasn't important though. That important thing was that large man was someone I knew, though I almost didn't recognize him. His face was so different than I'd ever seen it. I'd never seen him so angry.

"Dad!"

Crow was dumbstruck, "That's your father? Why am I not as shocked as I should be?"

My father's face softened, going from monstrously enraged to his normal jovial demeanor. It was like he transformed into another person, "Ah, found you."

I climbed off the bike, though it was hard thanks to the growing pain in my abdomen. "This is no time to be playing superhero, we've got to get to Koyou." I noticed my father's face suddenly turn to terror and I hunched over in pain as I approached, Dad and Crow rushed to my side. I was all smiles, "What are you even doing here?"

My father ignored my question, "Ssh, you need to sit down. You're bleeding."

"Bleeding?" I was bleeding? From where? I couldn't keep myself from collapsing, and certainly couldn't think straight enough to find my wound.

Dad looked to Crow, "How could you put her on a bike in this condition?"

Crow was kicking himself inside for some reason, "I didn't know this would happen!"

Bike? I looked over at Crow's duel runner. Why is it covered in blood? I'm... bleeding internally? Then that pain in my abdomen was my organs bleeding? God... god I don't want to die... I don't want to die... "Daddy?"

Dad held me with that desperate look on his face, "What is it sweetie? Daddy's right here. Nobody's gonna hurt you... I'm right here."

"I'm going to be fine... don't... don't cry. You're Superman... Superman doesn't get to cry..."

He tried to stop the waterworks, but naturally he couldn't, "I'm not crying, Sweetie. You're just seeing things. Daddy's being strong for you."

I smiled, "Yeah..."

I placed a deck box in my hand, "They had your deck. I got it back for you. See? I made sure you weren't without it too long."

"Thanks... I... I was really sacred I'd never see it again. Ha-ha. Looks like that plot point was resolved quickly."

He tried to smile, "Yeah. It's like we're in some poorly thought-out fan fiction."

I started losing consciousness and Crow started freaking out, "Oi! Oi! Stay with us! Don't-"

I laughed, "Not dying, stupid... just... sleeping."

"Oi! Oi!"

I was out like a light though. I couldn't reply. As my awareness faded I thought back to the ominous fortune Misty Tredwell had given me. It was certainly accurate. Betrayal, loss, tragedy, and sorrow were all my future held. After all I had done to my family over the past few years, it was all I deserved.

Next Chapter: Sorrow and War

Set in stone events: Yusei and Koyou return to Satellite, the Dark Signers and Signers meet face to face, and an epic duel that changes the fate of our heroes forever. One duelist's story ends next chapter.

What lays beyond the deepest sorrow? Koyou shall soon discover the burden of devastating despair and heart-rending rage. His downward spiral begins here. This is the point the story starts getting really dark, as bad stuff starts happening and Koyou starts struggling to deal with his 'inheritance'. The upcoming chapters will create issues that plague our heroes all the way to the end of this series.