Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Beyond the Future

Chapter 10: "Ruka's Resolve"

"I can't believe it… Dad could still be alive?"

Present day Rua was on the verge of tears as he soaked in Ruka's story. He had listened to his sister carefully for the past 20 minutes as she retold her experiences within the small German restaurant. Unbeknownst to the preoccupied twins, they had attracted unwanted attention from the other families eating across the room from them.

Ruka looked up at her brother with a surprised expression. "You mean you aren't angry that I used Team 5D's like this?"

"Of course not!" Rua jumped excitedly from his chair, wiping away his tears. "I would have done the same thing! Yusei and the others will understand. I'm sure of it. If it bothers you that much, we'll tell the others when we get to Japan together. Okay? So stop worrying about it!"

Ruka stared at her brother for a long time before a smile slowly came to her face. "Thanks, Rua… I was worried the others would hate me for this."

"There's no way Yusei, Jack, Crow, or Aki-san would ever hate you. You know that! Besides, there's no way Team 5D's would ever lose to anyone!"

Ruka smiled up at her brother, recalling that she said something similar to Ingrid the day she came to the decision to go along with their plan.

One week ago – Germany

Ingrid was enjoying a bowl of Raisin Bran when she heard a pair of footsteps walk into her European-styled dining room. Looking up, she met a determined Ruka standing in the doorway not far from where she was seated. Ruka was wearing a pink dress with purple flower patterns and had her hair tied back with a flower-shaped hairclip. A pair of red earrings dangled from her ears. Ruka's expression was stone cold, depicting she had a mission to complete.

Ingrid showed the girl an approving smile. "Judging from your expression, I take it that you've made up your mind."

"I'll do it," Ruka responded solemnly.

"I thought you were against using your friends as bait," Ingrid said, playing devil's advocate.

"I'm not using them as bait. As soon as I find out who the enemy is, I'll fight them myself. I won't put them in danger."

"That's nice, but you need to realize your friends could end up in danger just by being associated with you. Even so, do you still intend to do this?"

"In the chance they end up involved, I'm confident in the strength of Team 5D's. We won't lose against anyone."

Wilstone, dressed in a blue bathrobe, entered the room from the other doorway behind Ingrid. "That's a very good attitude, Ruka. You're the one who needs to contact Yusei Fudo and set this tournament up. As soon as you do that, I'll take it from there."

Ruka nodded to the older man. "Thanks for your help, Wilstone-san."

Wilstone lowered his eyes and used his black lighter to light a cigarette. He placed the cigarette in his mouth and puffed a ball of smoke into the air. "I told you to call me Jack. You're being far too formal with me, young lady."

Ruka shook her head politely. "I told you I have a friend named Jack. It's too weird to call you Jack too."

Wilstone attempted to act cool, but by reflex he bit through the cigarette with his teeth, almost dropping it onto the rug much to Ingrid's annoyance. "Is that so?"

Ingrid kicked the man in his shin, dropping him onto the ground like a sack of potatoes. "Take a seat, lover boy." The woman ignored the FBI agent's cries and turned back toward Ruka. "You can use my video phone in the living room. We'll wait over here."

Ruka nodded and turned around, headed in the direction of Ingrid's fancy living room. Ruka was impressed with the medieval artifacts Ingrid had in her home, especially in the living room. As Ruka picked up the video phone and began dialing on the keypad attached to the wall, Wilstone watched her through the doorway. He had a noticeably irritated look on his face.

"Are you really that annoyed with her?" Ingrid asked in a sarcastic voice.

Wilstone turned around to glare at her. "No, I'm pissed at this Jack Atlas character! How dare he have the same name as me!"

Ingrid placed a spoonful of her cereal into her mouth and answered him with a mouthful of Raisin Bran. "You're hopeless when it comes to woman, you know that? There's no way she'd like someone like you."

"Shut it." As if to get back at her, Wilstone ran over and snatched one of Ingrid's donuts from the carton on the table beside her bowl.

"Don't eat without my permission." By the time she finished speaking, he had the entire donut shoved into his mouth.

BREAK

As Ruka waited for the connection to reach Japan, she took a deep breath and took a seat on one of the nearby chairs. She noticed her face looked far too serious in a nearby mirror and tried her best to appear more natural. She knew Yusei was smart and that he knew his friends well enough to see through any differences in their behavior.

"Hello?" Yusei's black-haired secretary answered the phone. Ruka nodded politely to the woman through the phone's monitor. "Ruka Heartlily, right? I recognize your face."

Ruka offered the woman a friendly smile. "Yes, I'd like to speak with Dr. Fudo, please."

The secretary returned her smile and rose from her chair. "One moment, please. I'll go tell him."

As Ruka was waiting for Yusei, Wilstone stuck his head through the doorway and cupped his hands around his ear.

"What are you, five years old?" Ingrid's annoyed voice came from the kitchen.

Wilstone twirled his head around and had his index finger pressed against his lips. "Shhh!"

After a moment, Yusei's face appeared on the screen. He was sitting at his desk in his personal office. He smiled at the girl warmly.

"Good afternoon, Yusei." Ruka nodded politely to her friend.

"Likewise, Ruka. You look great. How is everything?"

"Everything's well, thank you. It's been an eventful week, though."

"Oh, that's right. You were moving to Germany this week, right? Did you get settled in?"

"Yes…" The young woman laughed cutely. "Though it was a bit hectic for a while there. But I made it through!" She proudly beat her chest, making Yusei chuckle.

"You sure have come a long way. Just where did the shy little girl I once knew run off to?"

Ruka began to blush slightly, puffing her cheeks. "Don't tease me."

Yusei answered her with a sly smile. "Sorry."

"I could say the same for you," Ruka said, returning his sly smile. "Just where did the stoic, humorless young man I once looked up to run off to?"

"Touche," Yusei laughed. "I guess we've all changed for the better."

Behind Ruka, Wilstone bit his finger, feeling a wave of jealousy consume him. "Damn you, Yusei Fudo! I envy you so!" The agent turned his head back over to Ingrid in the kitchen. "You did tell her not to reveal our secrets, didn't you?"

"What she decides to tell her friends is entirely up to her. We are going to be using them as bait, so it's only fair that they know exactly what they're up against."

"Yes, but you know we can't let information of what we're doing leak out. I can't be certain whether I can trust these people yet!"

Ingrid ignored the man and buried her face in a piece of chocolate cake. At the same time, Ruka was continuing her conversation with Yusei.

"Yusei, the truth is…" she started. Yusei eyed her curiously as she continued. "I called you today because I've been thinking about something I wanted to do."

"Oh? What is it? Why are you getting so serious all of a sudden?"

"Oh, she's going in for the kill now," Wilstone called over to Ingrid, nearly blowing his cover. "Let's see what his response is."

"It's just, well, you said it before. That you haven't been talking that much with the others. I don't think it's very healthy for friends to go so long without communicating with each other."

Yusei suddenly seemed like he was concerned about the young woman before him. "Ruka…"

"That's why I came up with an idea," Ruka continued, straightening her expression. "You said you're announcing your prototype later this week, right? Why don't you delay it a bit further?"

"Delay my announcement? Why?"

"You've been working for ten long years on this, right? A simple announcement isn't big enough! How about hosting a Duel Monsters tournament?!"

As the girl grew more excited, Yusei seemed to distance himself from the idea. "A tournament? There's no need to blow this out of proportion…"

"Don't you think you aren't giving yourself enough credit? What you're doing is going to change the world for the better. You should relax and have fun once in a while!"

As Yusei grew silent, a sudden voice made the two jump in their seats.

"Oh! That is brilliant, Ruka-san!"

Yusei took a step back from his chair when Yeager popped in front of him. He shot a suspicious glance toward the clown-like man. "Yeager! Were you eavesdropping again? I thought I told you to quit doing that?"

"I am responsible for your well-being! It is only natural that I know who you are communicating with."

Ruka waved her arm nonchalantly as she wore a blank expression. "No, that's definitely eavesdropping."

Yeager coughed as he was called out. He then straightened his tie and looked at Ruka more seriously.

"Anyhow, I like the idea! Do continue!"

Ruka couldn't help but chuckle at Yeager's antics. "Well, I wanted to call for a reunion of Team 5D's. What do you think?"

"Oh, that is most fabulous! Perfect timing! It just so happens that I was to meet with the United Nation leaders next week. Japan is being rated on its standing among the other nations. An event like this will certainly boost our country's reputation!"

Ruka sighed, giving the little man an exasperated look. "I knew it. You're only interested for personal reasons, Yeager-san."

"H-How rude! I am most certainly not thinking about my appearance in front of the other nations! That would be preposterous!"

"Put Yusei back on, please," Ruka said flatly, giving him a patronizing stare. "I'll talk to you about this later."

Yeager could feel her aura through the screen. Without realizing it, he yelped. "Y-Yes, ma'am!" Yeager turned to Yusei and bowed. "Yusei, please continue."

"Thank you," Yusei mumbled sarcastically. He then turned back to face Ruka, but he couldn't hide his suspicious expression.

Ruka looked a bit disappointed by his reaction. "What's wrong, Yusei? I thought you'd be a lot happier about this."

Yusei caught himself and quickly shook his head. "No, it's nothing. I really do like the idea. It's just a little unlike you to bring up Duel Monsters so quickly. You never were into Dueling as much as Rua was, after all."

Ruka placed her finger to her lips thoughtfully. "That's true, I guess. Well, it was more because of my spiritual powers that used to drain me of energy when I was a child. I'm all grown up now, you know!" As she spoke, Ruka again beat her chest with confidence.

Yusei smirked in response. "Are you really sure?"

Ruka flushed a bit and quickly defended herself. "You said before that I grew up a lot."

Yusei laughed at her reaction. "No, I meant are you sure you will be all right Dueling? I don't want you to get hurt again."

"You doubt me? Now I'm not taking no for an answer. I have to show you just how much I've improved over the years."

After a long pause, Yusei smiled. "Well, if you're so insistent on this, I guess I can't refuse. But what about university? You just transferred to Germany."

"Don't worry. My school already knows about this. I told them in advance, so I can self-study the material while I'm away."

Yusei's smiled seemed to deflate as he leaned on the desk in front of him. "I guess you really thought things through. Since you've done so much, I'll do whatever you want me to."

"That's the spirit! Then Yeager-san, can you handle the organization?"

Yeager jumped in excitement. "Absolutely! You can count on me!" The small man ran out of the room, calling out, "Exciting!" as he ran.

Ruka turned to Yusei and smiled again. "Okay, I have a lot of preparations to do myself. I'm going to contact the others and tell them to come to Neo Domino City as soon as they can. This is going to be really fun!"

Yusei nodded, returning the smile. "Okay, Ruka. Just contact me again when you've got things worked out on your end."

"Will do! Bye-bye!"

Ruka smiled widely as she waved to her friend before turning off the video phone. As she hung the phone back on the receiver, a sudden wave of guilt overcame the girl's senses. She was serious about what she said to Ingrid, but there was still a part deep down inside of her that was worried about what would happen as a result of all of this.

"Please forgive me, Yusei. I'll make it up to you one of these days…" Wilstone watched as Ruka sank into her chair. When he saw the sad look on her face, he felt his heart beat faster than normal.

"Poor girl."

Ruka looked up when she heard Wilstone walking over to her. She quickly changed her expression, not wanting anyone to see her sad.

"Don't make such a sad face, Ruka." Wilstone tossed Ruka a coke, which she just barely caught. "You've got a pretty smile. Your friends want to see the happy Ruka, not the sad one, right?" The man winked at her and offered her a friendly smile.

"Wilstone-san…"

Wilstone began walking back to the kitchen, pumping his fist in the air in front of his chest where Ruka couldn't see. "Well, Ruka? Did my words earn me some love points?" he thought giddily.

"You were eavesdropping, weren't you?" Ruka said sourly, making him freeze in his tracks.

Wilstone slowly turned around and shook his head. "Huh? Of course not."

"How'd you know I was finished then?"

"Well, you know…"

Ruka rose from her chair and began walking toward her room. She stopped and turned her head just enough to show the man a grateful smile. "But thank you."

"Sure…" Wilstone tried to hide his blushing face behind a nearby plant.

"Good job, Ruka," Ingrid said as she joined the two. "But are you sure you don't want to tell Dr. Fudo?"

Ruka stopped walking, but she did not turn around to face the woman. "I'm going to focus on getting the team back together first. Once I do that, I'm going to tell my friends in person alongside Rua."

"Do they know your father went missing?"

"They know, but they don't bring it up when we talk. It's not an easy subject, after all."

"Well, this is your own personal struggle. I won't bother you about it anymore. So what are you going to do next? The seed has been planted, but we now have to make it grow."

"Once I call the others, I'll go meet Rua. I want to tell him about this in private before we meet the rest of the team. Then we're going to go to Japan to prepare for the tournament. Yeager-san is going to handle the rest, so all I need to do is explain the situation and prepare myself for battle."

"I see. If you don't mind, I'd like to meet your brother before you leave."

"Sure."

Wilstone began walking toward the basement. "Well, I guess I better go prepare my deck. Best of luck, Ruka."

Ruka finally turned back toward the two. "Wait, you're going to participate?"

Wilstone offered the young woman a confident nod. "It's only natural that I fight alongside you. It was my idea in the first place."

"But that would expose your identity, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, but screw it. If all goes well, I won't need to track Urteil anymore anyway."

Ruka smiled at the man. "Thank you, Wilstone-san."

Wilstone gave her a wink before he turned back to the direction of the basement. As he walked, his face turned red and he had a love-struck expression. "I decided to make you my woman, Ruka Heartlily. To do that, I'll need to show you a bit of my cool side." He thought to himself while giggling like a schoolgirl.

"I'll be participating as well," Ingrid said. "You and I need to have a practice match before you leave."

"Sure," Ruka replied, nodding excitedly.

The two sat at the coffee table in the living room and began a Duel.

BREAK

In the present, Ruka stood up from the table where she and Rua were busy eating their meal. Rua's words before were just what she needed to forgive herself. She still had some doubt of her actions, but she was going to trust her brother that Yusei and the others would forgive her for lying.

"Now that you're all caught up, I have some people that want to meet you."

Rua's eyes lit up excitedly. "Is it those people you were talking about?"

"Yep. They're our ride to the airport. Follow me."

That said, Ruka ran toward the exit, leaving Rua behind with a table of food. He never liked to waste good food, so he stuffed the rest of his noodles in his mouth and nearly choked on them. "Wait up, Ruka!" he cried through watery eyes.

Rua met the waitress as he stood up, nearly knocking her over. She was holding a bill in her hand. When Rua took the piece of paper from her, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"Hey, what about the bill?! I don't even know what currency they use here!"

Ruka stopped in her tracks and ran back over to the table. "Oh, whoops. I got so excited I forgot to pay the bill. Sorry."

Rua smiled to himself as he watched his sister pay the bill up at the front desk. He couldn't help but laugh at her, thinking she was a terrible liar. He knew she was terribly nervous about this entire situation, especially about telling Yusei and the others.

Once outside, Rua was shocked to see a long, white limousine parked in the front of the restaurant. Many onlookers stared at them with awe-struck eyes.

"Get in," Ingrid said through a rolled down window.

Rua laughed excitedly. "Cool! We're going in style!"

Ingrid turned to the young man and nodded. "You must be Rua Heartlily. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Ingid!"

"It's Ingrid."

"My bad, my bad."

Ingrid had Ruka help Rua pull his D-Wheel up into the very back of the limo. After that was taken care of, the two got into the second row of seats up toward the front.

Ruka eyed Ingrid through the rearview mirror. "Isn't this standing out a bit too much, Ingrid-san?"

Ingrid, at the driver seat, sighed and looked visually troubled. "I said the same thing, but Jack insisted we take a limo."

Wilstone grabbed the mirror and adjusted it so Ruka could see his face. He was back to wearing his sunglasses. He had a fancy white suit and a red bow tie on.

"What do you think, my dearest Ruka? Can you think of anything sexier than riding with style? Feeling the wind blow through your hair? Heightening your senses to the utmost peak? Allow me to be your personal guide to a world of imagination, my fair lady."

Rua's jaw dropped as the man reached out and took Ruka's hand into his own. He gave her fingers a soft kiss.

Ruka laughed nervously, a red blush now showing on her cheeks. "Um, thanks. Please don't do that."

Rua jumped forward in his seat and slapped Wilstone's hand away. "Who the hell is this guy?! What do you think you're doing to my sister, you pervert?!"

Wilstone lowered his head so his eyes met Rua's. "You must be Rua Heartlily," he said in a low voice, adjusting his sunglasses. "Do not worry, my dear brother. I swear to take care of your sister."

"Brother?! What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Enough chitchat," Ingrid interrupted while her eyes were on the road. "Let's get out of here."

"Okay. Let us depart to paradise, my sweet angel!" Wilstone patted Ruka's hand once more before sitting straight in his seat again.

After a couple minutes of silence, Ingrid changed the atmosphere in the limo. Everyone was now serious and fully alert.

"Here's the plan, you two. We'll give you a week to straighten things out between your friends in privacy. It's the least we can do. We'll sign up for the tournament in a week once registration is open. We'll arrive on the assumption Team 5D's is ready and willing to fight against Urteil in the coming tournament."

"We'll take care of it," Ruka replied.

"Don't worry," said Rua. "We're gonna beat these guys and find where our father is!"

"Just remember not to get your hopes up, little boy," Wilstone said flatly from the front.

"Little boy?! I'm not a kid!"

Rua glared at him through the side view mirror. The man ignored him and continued speaking. "There's a chance your father may have no connection to Urteil at all. I hope the both of you keep that in mind. It will hurt all that much more if you get your hopes up."

Hearing that, Ruka grew silent and began to sulk.

"Look what you did, ya jerk! I just got her feeling better!"

"Ah, I'm so sorry, my honey! Please forgive me!"

"No, he's right," Ingrid cut in. "You have to go into this hoping for the best, but expecting the worse."

Ruka lifted her head and regained her composure. "I understand. All we can do is fight like we always have. Whatever happens happens."

"That's the attitude you should take," Ingrid said with a smile.

"By the way," Wilstone continued, "we didn't tell you about the other organization we're associated with."

Rua raised a brow curiously. "There's more of you people?"

Ingrid nodded, still watching the road. "Yes, we're just one side of the same coin. We of the Black Ops are working to track down Urteil. There's another group stationed in Australia called Project Advanced Duelists. Rua, you actually met the leader of that organization recently."

"Huh? I did?" Rua looked clueless.

"Hayato Maeda. He's also the CEO of Industrial Illusions."

"He didn't mention anything about a Project Advanced Duelists. What kind of organization is it?"

"It's a group even more secretive than us," Wilstone explained. "Called Project A.D.'s for short, they focus on the study of all supernatural events associated with Duel Monsters. You'll most likely be meeting this organization during the tournament. As soon as you're safely on your plane, we will be contacting them and asking for their support."

Rua sighed as he looked out the window. "This just keeps getting more intense."

"But Wilstone-san," Ruka cut in, addressing the suited man. "I thought that you were part of the Black Ops of the American FBI?"

Wilstone eyed the girl through the rearview mirror, offering her a smile. "Yes, that's the truth. There is a Black Ops section part of the FBI, but there is also a Black Ops associated with Project A.D.'s. We are responsible for the most secretive data in the organization. We literally live double lives, and that is why we must hold down ordinary jobs in society so as to not give our real identities away." The agent gave a laugh as he continued. "Of course, the FBI is also a highly secretive organization, so you can say I live three lives instead of one, with two undercover lives. It's quite an experience."

Ruka tilted her head slightly to the side as she processed all of this. "Really? Impressive…"

Wilstone snickered under his breath, looking pleased with the girl's compliment. Rua shot the man a dark glare through the side view mirror, which he promptly ignored.

"Speaking of which," Ingrid said suddenly, "there was supposed to be another agent assigned to our Black Ops Division recently. She was supposed to arrive two weeks ago, but she never showed." The older woman shifted her expression slightly as she recalled this information. "I wonder what happened with that. Maybe I'll ask Maeda at some point…"

Ingrid looked ahead, recognizing her surroundings. "Once we take this right up ahead, we're at the airport."

Around ten minutes later, the group arrived at the massive airport. Ingrid parked the limousine, once again attracting the attention of some nearby people. Rua and Ruka got out of the car and nodded respectfully to the two adults.

Wilstone ran forward and grabbed Ruka's hand once more. "Do not fret, Ruka! This parting will only strengthen the bond we share!"

Ruka chuckled uncomfortably while he let go of her hand. "Right… Goodbye."

Rua began to mumble under his breath while hiding the murderous look he shot Wilstone from his sister. "Dirty punk, touching her like that…"

Wilstone smirked at the boy before getting back into the limo, this time taking the driver seat.

"Best of luck to the both of you," Ingrid said as she got into the passenger seat. "We'll see you in a week."

"I'll arrange to have your D-Wheel shipped, Rua." Wilstone shot another smirk at the young man, who sarcastically thanked him.

The twins waved to them as they drove away. Once Wilstone pulled out of the airport, Ingrid turned to him with a serious look on her face.

"I hope you're ready as well. There's no going back now."

Wilstone was quiet for a moment as he lit up another cigarette. "I'm placing my life's work on the line for this one chance. If I lose, I may never get a chance like this again. I'm going to fight with everything I've got. That's all I can do."

"The same goes for me. Team 5D's aren't fighting this fight alone. In the coming week, the two of us will do what we can to prepare for the coming battle."

"Of course," Wilstone said quietly, blowing smoke out the window. "There's still a few other leads I haven't checked in on. The more information I have about the enemy, the better. Gathering information is my job, after all."

Ingrid nodded approvingly. "And I still have many diaries my ancestors left behind to translate. If I go on leave from my other jobs, I should be able to learn quite a bit in a week's time. As soon as we get into contact with Team A.D.'s, we'll begin our work."

"Right." Wilstone went quiet and his thoughts drifted to Ruka's tight short shorts and her low-cut tank top. Ingrid caught him drooling all over the steering wheel and let him have it.

"And no slacking off to think about your fetishes! You have work to do!"

Wilstone mustered up a reply that was drowned out by his swollen, bleeding lips.

At the same time, Rua and Ruka walked toward the boarding gate when their seats were called. Rua turned to his sister and gave her a big grin.

"Okay, sis, let's go see our friends."

"Okay!" Ruka returned the smile and the two walked up to the stewardess checking their passes.

Standing within the large crowd, Sly Mizuki watched the twins board the plane. He had a small smirk hidden underneath his dark hood.

BREAK

Neo Domino City

Inside an abandoned building toward the back streets of Neo Domino City, several Urteil members were gathered within one of the dark rooms when the door slammed open. Heads turned toward the open door, the sound of footsteps approaching.

Yukio Kyoji emerged from the dark doorway, his face just barely visible through the dimly lit candle on one of the dusty tables in the corner of the room. He slowly approached the second-in-command of Urteil, Fynn Hartmann. He wore a hateful expression on his face.

"So nice of you to join us, Yukio Kyoji. I appreciate you coming all the way here personally to accept your punishment. Saves me the trouble of dragging your ass here."

Yukio was now standing directly in front of the man. He leaned forward so close that their faces almost met. Yukio's eyes went bloodshot and he stared daggers right into his superior.

"Eat shit, asshole."

Fynn's eye began to twitch as a vein popped out of his forehead. "What did you say to me?"

Beside them, most of the lower ranking Urteil members appeared concerned by the expression on Fynn's face. It was a look they knew all too well, and it never ended good.

"Now he did it," one of the grunts named Riley said.

Etzel stepped forward, ignoring Fynn completely. His eyes were focused on Yukio. "What a fool… I told you to not act on your own."

Yukio turned away from Fynn to redirect his hatred to Etzel. "Why did you stop my Duel with Jack Atlas?! I told you not to interfere with my personal battles!"

The grin from Etzel's face faded. "Your personal battles are going to expose our entire organization. Do you have any idea how privileged you are to have been chosen by us? And yet you have the gall to spit in our face?!"

"I was chosen by you?" Yukio repeated mockingly. "Don't make me laugh. You asked me to join because you needed me. Don't try to sugarcoat it."

This time it was Etzel's turn to get angry. "What did you just say, you piece of shit?!"

Anton Bartholomew shook his head in annoyance. "Why did he even bother to stop Fynn if he's getting just as mad? Goodness gracious…"

Etzel was stopped by Fynn's outstretched arm. The two met eyes, and Etzel growled at the man. "Don't try to stop me, Fynn!"

"Shut your damn mouth. I'll handle him."

"Oh boy," Anselm quivered. "He's about to go on one of his rampages again."

Anton slapped his hand against his forehead. "Damn… This newbie doesn't understand. He needs to stop before he gets himself hurt."

Leah Kruger, Anton's girlfriend, gave the man a bewildered look. "What are you so worried about? Just let them beat each other up. It should be of no concern to us, as long as our goals aren't affected. Isn't that right?"

"Leah, how can you say that? You know how Fynn gets…"

"I told you," Leah replied in a dark tone. "I don't care about any of these people."

"Even so…" Anton looked back up at Yukio with a worried expression.

Fynn took a step forward, placing a tight grip on Yukio's shoulder. "Yukio Kyoji, do you know one of the customs we uphold here in Urteil?"

Yukio gave his boss a sarcastic smirk. "No. Please do enlighten me."

"Insubordination is intolerable. On your first offence, you will are sentenced to a beating within an inch of your life. If you manage to survive, you can continue working with us. But only if you survive. Your second offense is punishable by death. No exceptions."

"Is that so? Tell me, though, are you sure you can afford to not have me on your side?"

Fynn narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on the man's shoulder. "Repeat that."

Yukio slapped his arm away. "Do you really think you can accomplish your goals without me?"

"It sounds to me like you're suggesting that you're stronger than us. Please do correct me. I don't have the best hearing."

Yukio grinned, not backing down against the man's threatening stare. "Let me be clear about one thing. You people need me."

Etzel gritted his teeth. "This arrogant bastard…"

Fynn looked down at his feet, the dark shadows of the room now concealing his face. "We need you?"

"There's not a single person in this group who can defeat Yusei Fudo! Not Anton! Not Jafar! Not Leah! Not Anselm! Not Murdock! And most certainly not you!"

Leah and Jafar said nothing, but they shot the man murderous stares.

Anton simply rubbed his hand over the back of his head and sighed loudly.

Anselm became depressed and began sulking.

Riley and Absalom knew he was stronger than them, so they could do nothing but grit their teeth in frustration.

Etzel's face twisted with rage. "I can't hold it in any longer! I so wanna butcher this guy!"

"Shut the hell up!" Fynn shouted. "I told you I'd handle him."

Yukio's grin widened as he walked closer to the two Urteil top members. "Hell, I have to wonder if even our leader can handle Yusei," Yukio said with a shrug. "He sits alone in that room without giving us any proof of his strength."

Fynn started into a slow laugh, increasing his volume as he tilted his head up toward the ceiling.

"I didn't think this was a joke."

"I love it! I freakin' love this shit! I love people like you so goddamn much! I knew letting you into this organization wasn't a waste!"

Yukio grew silent as the man laughed like a maniac.

Fynn lowered his gaze and stared right into Yukio's eyes. "Those eyes! It's those goddamn eyes that spell absolute confidence and lack of fear! It's those eyes I love to break! Arrogant bastards like you who think they're above it all! Guys like you who think they're never gonna die! You're the type of person I like to kill more than anyone else in this godforsaken world!"

Anselm took a few steps back, beginning to shiver all over his body.

Riley also took a step back, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "The guy's gone off the deep end again. What should we do?"

"We do nothing," Absalom said, not moving an inch. "Only a madman would intervene between a lion and its prey."

Yukio watched the minions and couldn't help but chuckle. "You know, I've thought this for a while now, but when it comes down to it, you people act more like common thugs than an international organization."

Etzel balled his hand into a fist, growling profusely. "That does it…! First he insults us, then he insults Heilandes… I'll be the one to punish him!"

Etzel ran forward and swung his fist hard in Yukio's direction. He was aiming for his face.

Yukio dodged the punch easily and maneuvered his body so he was standing by Etzel's side. "I wouldn't look down on us Satellite natives. We didn't survive through that hell because of mere luck, you know."

Yukio smashed his fist right into Etzel's nose, breaking it in the process. Blood splattered on his hand and began gushing out of the man's nose. "Shit…! Damn you…!"

As Yukio's foot landed on the ground, he felt a sudden sharp pain shoot up his bone. The pain came and went, but it signaled trouble for Yukio. "Is this from the EXPAIN System?" Yukio asked himself.

Etzel remained quiet for a moment, letting the blood drip freely onto his shoes.

"Oh great," Riley muttered. "As if one berserk guy wasn't bad enough. Yukio just pushed Etzel to the edge. That can only mean one thing. He's coming."

Etzel wiped his nose and slowly looked up. His expression was far more evil looking, and his eyes were veiny and red. "I'll kill you!"

"I told you not to interfere, Etzel…!"

Before Etzel could do anything, Fynn used the back of his fist to pound the back of his spine. In a split second, the force of the hit sent him crashing through the wood floor tiles. His body made a hole in the floor, and he was now lying in that hole unconscious.

"Phew," Riley said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "With Etzel out of commission, at least we won't have to worry about that murderer coming out anytime soon."

Fynn stepped over Etzel's unconscious body and grinned at Yukio, who looked a bit more concerned now. His vision was beginning to go and he was seeing doubles of everyone in the room.

"Do you know why Heilandes appointed me second-in-command?"

Anton looked on in horror as Fynn approached Yukio with both of his arms raised above his head.

"Etzel…! Fynn, don't do this! That's enough!"

"Don't interfere, you moron," Leah said, pulling him back.

"It's because I'm the strongest one here! I don't give a rat's ass whether you're a better Duelist than me or not! All of you bow to me like a flock of sheep because it's your fate to do so! The weak can do nothing before the strong! That's all there is to it!"

Yukio spit on the floor as he felt blood dripping down his chin. "Scum like you wouldn't even know the difference between weak and strong!"

Fynn's eyes went berserk as he swung both of his fists down hard on Yukio. "Then let's put your theory to the test!"

At the last second, Yukio avoided the impact. Fynn's body shattered the floor below, this time going all the way through to the next floor. Fynn growled and swung down again on Yukio, but this time he grabbed his arm in mid-swing. Yukio attempted to hold him down, but the man's strength increased and he was sent flying backward. Yukio attempted to catch his balance, but the pain in his leg returned. He staggered backward, almost falling on the ground. When Yukio looked up again, Fynn was no longer in his line of vision.

"Over here!" Yukio gasped when the man suddenly appeared from behind.

"Accept your punishment!" Yukio didn't have enough time to react. As he braced himself for the impact of the hit, Fynn was suddenly blocked by a wall of light. The punch was too strong and the light was shattered, but it gave Yukio enough time to get out of his range.

Fynn's eyes went bloodshot as he turned toward Anton. Anton stood with his Duel Disk activated, a Mirror Force Trap Card out in full view.

"That's enough, Fynn. Yukio is still valuable to us, whether you want to admit it or not. Just let it off with a slap on the wrist. You risk exposing us here."

"What's this? A piece of trash like you opposing me? Do you think you really have what it takes?"

"Just calm down. Why do you need to hurt your own comrades?"

"You just don't know when to shut your mouth." Fynn left Yukio and sent his fist flying in Anton's direction.

Anton clicked his tongue in irritation. He placed two more cards on his Duel Disk, sending two female Monsters to strike back.

Fynn overpowered the Monsters quickly and shattered them to pieces. "Psychic Duelist or not, you're no match for me!"

Anton gasped and tried to avoid Fynn's fist. It was too late, though, and the force of the impact sent him crashing through the wall of the building. Pieces of glass from the window sliced up his face as he was sent falling to the ground. He coughed up blood and began to fall unconscious.

Fynn spit disrespectfully before running back toward Yukio. He suddenly found his body frozen, and he turned toward the familiar source of his new obstacle. Feet away from him, Leah Kruger stood angrily with bulging red eyes. A heavy aura surrounded her body, which suppressed Fynn like steel.

"Leah Kruger…! You're a stronger Psychic Duelist than the trash lying over there, but don't think you can hold me down with your powers."

Fynn released an ear-shattering roar from his throat and slowly began to move his arms upward. His muscles began to stretch and double in volume, veins appearing all over his body. As he screamed, his eyes went completely white. After several moments, his screaming came to a halt and he broke from the aura surrounding him.

Fynn laughed loudly as he stomped his way over to Leah with his fists in front of him.

Yukio narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. "Only scum would attack a woman."

Fynn's white eyes went even wider as he lost interest in Leah and dashed again for Yukio. "Don't you get cocky with me, trash! I said I was going to beat you within an inch of your life and I meant it!"

Yukio had no time to react. Fynn's fist nailed him dead-on in the stomach. Yukio heard his ribs crack as he was forced backward. Blood shot out of his mouth as he was sent flying onto the ground. Fynn grabbed his leg and slammed him hard against his foot. He then started to wail on him like a punching bag, kicking and punching him like he was a lifeless dummy.

"If you survive this, I'll have your rank increased!" The man laughed viciously as he continued to land blows on the now defenseless Yukio. "As if that'd happen!"

Yukio felt his entire world shutting down. Just as Fynn was about to land a blow to his skull, the man's body went completely numb. Unlike before, Fynn found himself completely immobilized.

"Wh-What…?!"

"You've done enough, Fynn Hartmann."

Fynn used the corner of his eye to look toward the direction the voice came from. Jafar stood quietly in the corner of the room, holding a portable video phone out in his hand. On the screen of that video phone was Alf Kappler, the leader of Urteil. He had a bored look on his face as he watched his subordinate making a fool of himself for the umpteenth time.

"Heilandes…! What are you doing?! Let me continue punishing this foul-mouthed trash who dared to disrespect our great name!"

"Did you not hear me? I said you've done enough."

Fynn felt his numb body fall to the ground against his will in a bowing position.

"I would like you to keep something in mind. The others may bow to you, but you bow to me."

Fynn growled fiercely before giving in. "I understand, Heilandes."

"Very good," Kappler said with a flick of his wrist. Fynn was forced onto his feet like a puppet.

"Regarding this matter, I hereby place Yukio Kyoji on backup. I have already taken the liberty to arrange another individual to deal with Yusei Fudo when the time is right. Kyoji, I was originally planning to have you participate in the coming tournament. However, I've changed my mind. You will wait for us to contact you, and you are not to act on your own again. Is that clear?"

Yukio managed to hold his swollen and bleeding body up with his arms. Through heavy pants, he stared hard into Kappler's eyes.

"I take your silence as an agreement. I will be appointing Jonas to take your place during the tournament. Hopefully we will find use for you later on, once our goal has been accomplished. You are welcome to sit on the sidelines during the matches, though. That is all." The video screen went blank.

Yukio heard an obnoxious giggle from across the room. The masked man Jonas, who hadn't said a word the entire time, hopped forward and ran over to Yukio. "You hear that, Yukio? Looks like the boss feels that I'm the stronger one after all." Jonas grabbed Yukio by the hair and pulled him up so they were eye to eye.

Yukio managed to choke out a laugh despite the pain he was in. "I don't want to hear that from a coward hiding behind a mask."

Jonas scoffed and let his body hit the floor. He then stepped on the back of his head and began stomping on his skull. "You still have the balls to trash talk us, do you? Take this! And this! And this!"

"Jonas…"

The masked man turned toward the sound of Jafar's gruff voice. "What the hell do you want, Jafar?"

"Piss off." Jafar drove his fist right into the man's face, sending him into a state of unconsciousness. He now lied on the floor, his mask soaked with fresh blood.

Jafar walked past the downed man and glared down at Yukio with an uninterested expression. "Yukio, you've taken your punishment. We won't do anything else to you, so return home and reflect on your actions." The muscular man then turned toward Fynn, who was panting heavily on the floor. "Fynn, please calm down and act like a proper leader. You know as well as I do that these tantrums of yours are both childish and unsightly. "

Fynn pulled his sore body up and headed for the door. "Hmph. I'm going for a walk. You bastards can find something to eat on your own tonight." Fynn uses the back of his hand to smash down the door. He nearly collided with a startled Mr. Fred, who dropped grocery bags onto the pavement below.

Mr. Fred analyzed the situation and shook his head. "Oh my, what in the world is going on in here? You people turned the place into quite the circus, it seems."

Fynn gave him the middle finger before stomping into the dark of night.

"No manners," Fred mumbled wryly.

Etzel finally gained consciousness as he slowly pulled himself out of the broken floor. He had several pieces of wood impaled into his arms. Etzel looked toward Yukio with a much different expression. He was no longer murderous, but appeared quite frightened. Yukio watched him rise to his feet and walk out of the building without saying a word.

"E-Etzel, please wait up!" Anselm chased after his best friend, eager to escape the scary room.

"Shut up."

Mr. Fred watched the remaining men leave the room. The well-dressed gentleman shrugged and recollected his fallen grocery bags. He nonchalantly skipped over the holes in the floor while whistling a tune as he headed to the kitchen to make dinner.

Only Yukio, Anton, and Leah remained in the ruined room. Leah stared down at her half-conscious boyfriend with a patronizing look in her eyes. "You truly are a fool."

Yukio's vision went black as he watched Leah leave the building. He only saw it for a second, but he made out a devilish grin on her face as she walked away.

BREAK

Around 20 minutes later, Yukio slowly came to. When he opened his eyes, he saw Anton sitting against the wall with a lit cigarette in his mouth. The younger man didn't turn to look at him. His eyes were fixated on the ceiling above. "You awake yet, Kyoji?"

Yukio struggled to get back to his feet. He pushed away the pain in his legs and tried to act like there was no pain at all. "Why did you try to help me? You had no obligation to do so."

Anton blew smoke from his mouth before he replied. "Who knows? You and I are pretty similar. We're both only in this hellhole for our own benefit. You have a hell lot of potential, so I'd hate to see your life end by a scumbag like Fynn Hartmann."

"Just mind your own business. You're all cowards who don't even try to oppose that man."

Anton chuckled, fresh blood dripping out of his split lip. "Cowards, huh? You could be right about that. I just… don't want to die just yet, you know? Not until I accomplish what I want to do."

"I can agree with you on that much." Yukio quietly brushed the blood off his shirt and began walking toward the broken doorway. "I'll use these people until I accomplish my own goals, just like you. If it means swallowing my pride for the moment, I'll do so. But the moment the time comes, I will do whatever is necessary to accomplish it. Don't you forget that either."

Anton blew a stream of smoke into the air as he listened to the sound of Yukio's footsteps fading away into the outside street. "I won't, Yukio."

Anton suddenly sensed something and his eyes went wide. He dropped his cigarette and ran to the open doorway. He frantically looked around before running out onto the street.

BREAK

Fynn Hartman angrily stormed through the streets of Neo Domino City, randomly smashing up buildings and street signs as he walked along. "One of these days, Alf Kappler…"

Feeling a familiar sensation overcome his body, Fynn once again found himself frozen in his tracks. He slowly turned his head enough to lay eyes on a glowing Leah Kruger, who approached him from behind. Unlike before, her hair was standing straight up and her eyes were black-red in color. A black aura poured out of her body, something even Fynn had never seen before.

"You again, Leah Kruger? I thought Heilandes said to drop this matter."

Leah cocked her neck in a bizarre manner and flashed the man a toothy grin. "I don't see Heilandes in our presence."

"Hmph, you women just can't let shit go." Just like before, Fynn's eyes went white and he screamed at the top of his lungs. "I told you you're no match for me!" Fynn gasped when he realized he couldn't break free. "What in the world…?"

Leah took a step forward. The black aura emitted off of her foot killed a bush nearby, leaving it bare as if it were winter. It was, in fact, the spring.

"I'm glad Anton isn't here to see this. I don't like showing him this side of me."

Leah's eyes widened, and as she did this, the buildings around them vaporized into dust.

Fynn's eyes widened with sudden fear. "What?! There's no way you're this powerful!"

"You said we bow before you, right? You're just one tiny little man with no sense of reality. If you ever touch Anton again…" Leah cut off her sentence and snapped her fingers.

Fynn's entire arm suddenly vaporized, leaving his bones lying on the pavement below. Unable to process what happened at first, a sudden agonizing scream escaped the back of his throat.

"You whore! What the hell did Murdock Willard do to your body?!"

Leah was now smirking ear-to-ear. "That old geezer gave me the strength to protect what I hold dear."

Snapping her fingers again, Fynn's leg met a similar fate. His scream startled a group of teenagers walking by. When they saw what was happening, they ran away in terror and dialed the police.

Fynn finally stopped screaming when he tore up his throat and couldn't anymore. Leah laughed seductively, enjoying the sound as if it were the most beautiful music. "Don't worry. You can grow your body parts back, so it shouldn't be a problem if I shatter a few more, right?"

Fynn gritted his teeth so hard that his gums began to bleed.

Just as Leah was about to repeat her action, Anton's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Stop, Leah!"

As if it were some kind of repressing trigger, Leah's body instantly returned to normal at the sound of his voice. Seeing a chance, Fynn managed to pull himself up on one foot and land a weakened punch across her face. Though it was weak, it dealt enough damage to knock her onto the ground.

Through clenched teeth, Fynn turned and met Anton's pleading eyes. "Just let it go. You had it coming. We have to work together to accomplish our goals in the coming tournament, so there's no sense in fighting each other now."

Fynn glared at him for a long time before giving in. "Tch, I know. I'm trying to blow off some steam so I can focus on the mission, you asshole. Your little girlfriend just had to go and blast me apart."

Fynn whipped out a needle from his pants pocket. He squeezed the needle, releasing a yellow liquid that burned a hole in the pavement below. Without hesitation, he stabbed what remained of his arm and leg. In a matter of seconds, his body twisted horrifically back into a fresh arm and leg. He screamed bloody murder as a fiery pain consumed his spirit. "It hurts like shit every single damn time!"

"Serves you right, scum," Leah muttered as Anton helped her to her feet.

"Leah! Stop!"

Unable to meet her boyfriend's eyes, Leah turned her gaze to the police cards headed in their direction.

"Shit," Fynn muttered. "Beat your feet, assholes. Heilandes will have our hides if we expose ourselves."

"Like you're one to talk," Anton shot back as they ran away. He then turned to face Leah. "Leah, what you just did back there…"

"I didn't want you to see me like that…" Leah ran away from the man, who immediately chased after her. "Wait! Hold up!"

BREAK

South Germany – Urteil Hideout

In the old commended building where Urteil kept themselves hidden, a separate Mr. Fred body spoke with Kappler in private.

"Heilandes, do you think Mr. Hartmann will be stable enough to lead this team in the coming war?"

Kappler did not even look up to face the man, merely fondling one of his inventions in his chair. "Of course. Despite his shortcomings, Fynn will prove to be the most valuable pawn in my plan."

Mr. Fred chuckled a bit. "I have no doubt about that. Speaking of the plan, Mr. Mizuki has just called in. It seems the Germany Team is ready to move in."

Kappler raised his eyes at that comment, his lips curling into a devious smile. "Excellent. Tell Sly to commence the operation immediately. This is the last phase of data collecting. We've already gathered information on the six Signers, Team Advanced Duelists, and Yusei's invention. Once I have data on the Black Ops and Ingrid Goldstein's research, there will be no hole in my plan."

oooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooo oooOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The main cast has been assembled! Urteil springs into motion in the next chapter!

At the same time, Team A.D.'s prepares for the coming tournament.

To be continued in Chapter 11, "Team Advanced Duelists and the Black Ops"

CREDITS

Writing: GoldenUmi

Characters Appearing From Anime: Ruka Heartlily, Rua Heartlily, Yusei Fudo, Yeager

Original Characters (OC): Ingrid Goldstein (Yami no Yami), Jack Wilstone (GoldenUmi), Yukio Kyoji (ZeroSaber), Fynn Hartmann (GoldenUmi), Anton Bartholomew (GoldenUmi), Leah Kruger (GoldenUmi), Jafar (GoldenUmi), Jonas (GoldenUmi), Riley (GoldenUmi), Absalom (GoldenUmi), Alf Kappler (GoldenUmi)