To the anonymous reviewer Guest III: I never actually said that Demak doesn't remember when he was a Dark Signer. I only had Rua assume that he doesn't. Also, even if he does remember, it's been over ten years since he last saw the twins, and it's not easy to recognize someone that you only met once that was eleven years old that is now in their early twenties.
To the anonymous reviewer Guy 12: No.
To the anonymous reviewer 111: The omen that Ruka felt back in chapter 4 is kind of related to what's going on now, because everything that has happened since that day has led up to this moment. Patty and some of their other old school friends might make some cameo appearances, but they aren't really going to be important to the story (I know, an adventure story that revolves around the twins without their school friends being an important part of it, ha!). Rua's abilities will be related to his past, but not in the same realm that you're thinking of.
Aporia only brought one stun gun with him (would you bring a bunch of them from the future with you if you thought you were going to do everything solo?), and he's not about to give it to just anyone (especially to a convict like Demak). Also, I never said that Demak was a stealth master. In fact, I even had Aporia admit that the guy was not the best. Being unquestionable at something doesn't mean you're the best; it just means you're very good at it.
Unfortunately, we have no idea what you mean by a private watcher, so we cannot answer that question.
Father 21: Kuribon may talk with Ruka once in awhile in the story, but there won't be much of that due to the fact that Ruka is now a full grown woman that can deal with this kind of stuff without needing someone to console her about it.
IDK: It was never made clear if Rua did drop school in favor of his Dueling career sometime during the eight year time-skip, but I like to think that he at least finished the high school version of Duel Academy before he stopped going to school all together.
Disclaimer: It's obvious I don't own the show, or else I would actually try to make real episodes of it myself.
Chapter 11: Aftermath
Rua had awoken early in the morning, last night's event still plaguing him with anger and fear. He was in too much disbelief to tell anyone what happened to his opponent when they asked what happened as soon as he returned to their currently unknown living quarters. He thought about waking his sister and discussing it with her, but decided against waking her up so early; especially given the feedback of what happened during Demak's part of the mission. Ruka didn't say anything, but Rua knew they were both thinking about the same Psychic Duelist when Demak gave his description of the man. If the Dark Signers hadn't attacked at that moment all those years ago, then there's a chance that the twins would have been stuck there and who knows what may have happened next.
"Could Divine be working with Malik and whoever he's working for?" whispered Rua to himself, just before he immediately shook his head of the thought. "No, he was pretty clear the last time we met that he had no interest in other people fights. Hopefully, he'll be apprehended again real soon."
The young man's thoughts soon transferred to his Duel from last night. The death match was different like all of the other ones he's faced in his life, and yet there was a familiar sensation to it as well. He's been in a number of life threatening Duels when he was a little boy, each one painful, but the Riding-Duel from last night reminded him of the time he faced against Demak and his Earthbound God. The power that was coursing through last night's Duel almost rivaled the one that Rua felt when he went up against a Dark Signer, but it wasn't anywhere near as painful as back then. In fact, it was painless once Life Stream Dragon entered the field. Perhaps he's just remembering it wrong.
One thing was for certain: that man, Luke, was waiting for him last night. Somehow Malik, or the people he's working with, knew Rua would be driving around that area. How though? He and the others hadn't left their mysterious headquarters for over a week until last night, and Aporia said it's impossible for anyone outside to bug the place. He wouldn't elaborate how that was, but the former Signers and Dark Signer could tell that he truly believed what he said. Perhaps Aporia will shed some light onto the situation?
"Are you okay?" spoke a now awake Ruka from her seat on her bed in their temporary room. Guess he was too deep in thought to pay attention to her waking up. "You looked liked you were going to throw up last night."
"I'm just worried, that's all," said Rua, avoiding eye contact with his twin. Worried was just an understatement though; he was downright scared! They've dealt with dangerous people before when they were kids, but these guys seemed to take things to a whole new level. Ruka had only woken up moments ago; he wasn't going to scare her with this fact just yet. "And I wasn't feeling too good when I got back."
"Rua," began Ruka with a slight frown that showed her disappointment and sadness. "Please don't pretend it's nothing again. You had me worried on the day Aporia talked to you and you couldn't answer my calls. I was even more worried the next day when you wouldn't just tell me what was wrong. Please, this time just tell me what it is. We're both in this together, so there's no point in you keeping anything a secret from me anyways."
To think, it used to be so easy fibbing to her. On the other hand, they were kids at the time, and it's not like he did it that often to her. Then again, maybe he just became terrible at keeping secrets from her without her getting suspicious.
"I'll tell you later today along with the others, I promise," said Rua, softly as he leaned against the wall.
"Thank you," said Ruka as she smiled at her brother before getting up off the bed and stretching her arms out. She then proceeded to go to another wall in the room where a door started to materialize itself in front of her after she pressed her hand on it. Something Aporia had decided to share with them after their second stay at their temporary resident. "I'll be in the shower, so don't wait up for me, okay."
As soon as she entered the other room, Rua could already see Ruka taking off her shirt and exposing her back to him. Before he could witness anymore article of clothing coming off, the door had completely vanished again and the wall took its place to obstruct his view. The sight had left a deep red on his cheek, which he rid himself of abundance by furiously shaking his head left and right. He has got to stop doing that.
With no reason to stay in the room, Rua decided to explore the rest of the place some more. It was actually amazing that they've been here for over a week, and yet there still seemed to be some areas left unexplored. The place was almost like a maze; certain walls would lead him to one place, while others would take him to another one. Aporia had explained the basic mechanics of how to enter the less important rooms, but it seemed that it is a bit more complicated to enter the more private ones.
After browsing from one room to the next, he eventually came across Demak, who just happened to be entering the same area as him. 'Great…the one person out of our group that I didn't want to talk to or look at,' thought Rua. It wasn't that Rua hated the guy; how could he possibly hate someone that may not remember certain things that he did to two small children and then some? However, it just didn't feel all that comfortable to trust him. Every time Rua would look at the man, he couldn't help but relive those moments nine years ago in his mind. He wanted to show his rage, but does he really have the right in doing so?
Demak's feelings towards the young man were mutual in this regard. Every time they were in a room together, he would feel like he was being eyed on. The boy did little to mask his resentment towards him, and the anger in his eyes made it all the more obvious. Demak would be lying if he said he wasn't curious what this guy had against him, but for the most part, he just didn't care. He had better things to think about than to contemplate why some guy he's suppose to be working with looked like he wanted to sock him one. Given his past, however, it wouldn't be that surprising if he had wronged the green hair ponytail man in some way. Well the past is the past, and he will not be one of those fools that find themselves wallowing in it.
The two just stared at each other in a way that told the other that they rather not be around them. Just as the two were about to head in different directions, Aporia's voice echoed around the room, calling for everyone to come to the main room.
Moments after the two men had entered the room Aporia directed them towards; Ruka herself had come in with her hair still a little damp. It wasn't enough to created small droplets on the floor, but it was still noticeable that she didn't finish drying off before she hurried over.
"You're going to want to see this," said Aporia, stepping away from the monitor that Ruka had helped him with last night. On the screen was the news, and on the news was of last night's Riding-Duel Rua got caught in. It showed the middle of the Duel, but not the beginning or ending of it. All in all, it made it looked like there were two crazy Riding-Duelists instead of just one. The news commentators were even baffled by how one managed to get their hands on the Deformer deck that was said to have burned in the explosion over a week ago. "Rua, I am willing to let you explain, but it had better be a good one."
"I know it looks bad…and it is," said Rua, causing Aporia to look at him critically. "But it's not how they're saying it is. That guy came out of nowhere and forced me into a Riding-Duel like the police do when they're in pursuit of someone on a D-Wheel. That guy said he was working with the same people that Malik is, and was trying to kill me."
"I assume he's dead then," said Aporia, easing up a bit. "Set off like a bomb like the previous ones."
"Worse," said Rua as he looked down with a solemn look, and the images of what happened to his opponent after the match flashed before his eyes. "I saw his skin melt right off, and his skeleton break piece by piece."
While the news was a frightening one, everyone had a different reaction to it as they stared at the young man shaking in fear and disgust. Ruka's eyes had widened slightly as she swallowed what her brother was saying. How could anyone do something like that to anyone? No one deserves to go through that much pain. Aporia's eyebrows rose a little in a questioning matter. He had never heard of something like this before. Just who were these people that Malik had allied himself with? Demak's expression showed the least changed. He already knew these people were trying to kill them, so what difference does it make on what the penalty was in their Duels against them? Death is death.
"I was going to tell everyone later today," said Rua, giving a brief glance at his sister, which indicated to her that this was what he was talking about earlier. "But the news came on before then."
"It obviously wasn't a coincidence," said Aporia, rubbing his chin with one hand in a thinking manner. "But how did they know exactly where you would be at? It shouldn't even be possible."
"And why not?" said Demak, causing everyone to turn their heads towards him. "You say this place can't be bugged from anyone outside, but every impenetrable fortress has at least one crack in it. Who's to say that Malik or whoever he's working with hasn't found that crack?"
"Because it's not possible," said Aporia as he tried to keep a calm composure.
"Aporia, I like to believe that we're safe here from them too," said Ruka in a soft voice as she began her plead with the silver spiked hair man. "But if they found a way to breach the place, then we should figure out how and fix it."
"There is no breach!" shouted Aporia as he whipped his head in the young woman's direction. "There cannot be a breach! It is impossible for there to be one! There is no way to breach this place!"
"You keep saying that," critiqued Demak with a raised eyebrow. "But you have given us nothing to support those words with."
"It is impossible to breach, because this place doesn't exist," said Aporia as his tempered went down some. The confusion in the room from everyone else was so thick that one could cut it with a knife, and Aporia just happens to be the handler of that very knife. "We are, at this very moment, in a place that exists outside of time. This is why no one has been able to find us, and why not just anyone can get here. Any camera or audio device planted here cannot be listened to or seen by someone on the outside, because the time here does not correspond with the time there, because this place has no distinct time frame."
"If we exist outside of time, then why can't we just go back to an earlier date and stop all this from happening?" said Rua as he tried to understand why Aporia couldn't just do that.
"It doesn't work like that," said Aporia as he began his elaboration. "I can't just go back to any time I want however many times I want. There are repercussions to anyone going back a number of times to a timeline that could affect a timeline you visited earlier. And I have no control over how the world outside is affected while we're in here. Sometimes, time will move slower, faster, or even at the same paced as here. We have so far been lucky it has only been a month in real world time."
"A month…?" said Rua in an almost robotic voice. "A month?" He must have misheard him. There's no way it has been- "A month?!" It's been barely over a week. There's just no way. "A MONTH! We've been here for a month?! Everyone thinks I've been dead for a month?! These guys have been planning to kill me for a month?!"
"Rua, calm down," commanded Aporia as the male twin looked like he was about to go spastic.
"How do you expect me to calm down when my sister and I have been gone for an entire month?!" screamed Rua with his fist clenching, and his eyes almost looking like they were glowing with rage. "Not to mention that there are crazy people that want me dead for some reason!"
"I understand your anger," said Aporia in a nearly soothing voice to try to ease the young man's tension. "And it will be taken care of, but-"
"No, no buts," said Rua, crossing his arms in an X formation before separating them on either side of himself. "I want to know exactly why these guys are trying to kill me. Me! I haven't done anything big or amazing like our friends have. You've explained why these people wouldn't attack Yusei, Jack, Crow, or Aki, but that still doesn't tell me why they would take the risk in trying to kill me. Just what is it that I'm supposed to do in my future that they want to kill me for?! I think I'm entitled to know why a bunch of people I never met before want me dead! And don't say you don't know either!"
"It's better that you don't know," said Aporia with a solemn voice. "I have thought about possible reasons for why they're trying to assassinate you, and my conclusion leads me to believe that it is for the best if you were to remain oblivious."
"How can you say that?" said Rua, voice barely lowered. "My life is on the line here, and I don't even know why!"
"Think about it," said Aporia in a firm manner, staring directly into Rua's eyes. "If you were to know what it is that you did in history, your future, then that would just give you more to worry about. And let's not forget that things may take a drastic turn for the worse when that point in time does come if you were aware of what was originally suppose to happen."
Rua couldn't help but give a slight glare. He wanted to make a rebuttal. He wanted to say he didn't care. He wanted to curse up a storm. This was his life they were talking about, and he wasn't even allowed to know why it was being threaten. Before he had a chance to say anything, however…
"He's right, Rua," said Ruka, voice barely above a whisper. All three males then turned to her, Rua being the most surprised. "These people want to kill you for something you're going to do in the future, not something you've done yet. If you know what that something is, then you might rush to get it done or just refuse to do it all together. They wouldn't want you dead if what you're going to do wouldn't affect the future that Aporia is from."
"You're right; both of you," sighed Rua. He knew that Apria was right from the start for refusing to tell him about what was suppose to happen, but he didn't want to let it go. When his own sister is trying to convince him to let it go too though, he knows that it's for the best. It was still killing him to find out why there were people trying to kill him, but all the things that Ruka said he might do if he knew where true. "I'm sorry. I'm just so, so angry and scared."
"You're not the only one boy," Demak stated firmly, causing the others to look at him with blinking eyes. "Everyone here is scared and angry for different reasons. And you're life is not the only one at risk."
"But it is the only one being targeted," countered Rua, receiving a nod of agreement from the bald man.
"True, and that gives you all the more reason to try to fight for your survival," said Demak as though it was a fact. "It's okay to be fearful for your life, but don't make any rash decisions because of it. You never know what that might lead to."
After that, Demak exited the room as the others watched him leave. None of them had expected him to give any advice that could be important for them to remember. The twins were especially surprised; they had expected their former enemy to just simply tell them to deal with it.
"Rua, Ruka," said Aporia, catching the siblings' attentions. "You've both done enough last night. Why don't you relax for while? In the meantime, I'll figure out what the next move should be. I'll call you if help is needed."
"Thank you," the twins said as one with grateful smiles on their faces, and left the room together.
With himself as the only one left in the room, Aporia's eyes narrowed in concentration as he turned back towards the monitor. There was no report of a break-in to Neo Domino lab, which should be expected. The very idea would be too delicate for most people to comprehend. If the entire city found out that someone was able to break in, it could start a panic and make them worry more about how well their own homes are protected. Even in his own time, Aporia has seen people like that.
He then moved closer to the monitor, getting ready to change what was showing on it. He may have told everyone that the place couldn't be breached from the outside, but he never said they couldn't breach the outside from where they were at. Though, it can be difficult at times. As he changed the screen on the monitor to a live video fee of a security camera, he couldn't help but feel grateful that neither Rua nor Ruka stayed and looked at what he was seeing now.
In the control-center of Neo Domino lab was Yusei Fudo in his lab coat, observing the damages and delays that were caused last night alongside another figure that made Aporia's blood boil. The other figure was a man in his early thirties with tan skin, brown hair, and yellow eyes. He wore a typical black business suit that hid his real physic. To most people, the man looked like he had the same tough appearance as a bodyguard, but Aporia knew better.
"I see that your latest design to your project was stolen Mr. Fudo," said the man in the business suit, looking at Yusei with critical eyes. "Such a shame; I was really looking forward to seeing it finish."
"I knew designing something like that was a mistake," said Yusei as he looked down to the ground with his fist and teeth clenched tight. "I don't even know what possessed me to start it in the first place. I wanted to create something to help others expand their minds, but I should have figured that someone else would figure out another use for it."
"Now you mustn't be hard on yourself Mr. Fudo," said the tan skin man, placing one hand on Yusei's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "There are a number of inventions that have been used for ill purposes that they were not originally meant for at one point or another. No one except you and me even knew of this project. It was merely bad luck for us. For all we know the perpetrator doesn't even understand what it is he stole, and won't figure out how to use it for other purposes than what it's design for."
"I can only hope that you're right, Malik," sighed Yusei before continuing to speak in a soft tone. "After seeing the news today, and finding out about the design to the project being taken, the last thing I want to hear is my project being used for something terrible."
"It's been a month since the incident Mr. Fudo," said Malik in a calm and understanding voice. "You must let it go."
"It's not easy when you're the one that sent a friend to their death," said Yusei, more to himself than to the other man. "For a moment, I thought I was watching Rua on the news. But there's no possible way he could have survived and not tell anyone about it."
"I'm afraid I have other business to attend to Mr. Fudo," said Malik as he made his way towards the nearest exit. "I hope you will pull yourself together before our next meeting with one another."
Pull himself together? That wasn't going to be easy. He had inadvertently caused the death of one friend, and gained resentment from another because of it. To top it off, even more so than his design being stolen, someone was using his dead friend's deck and causing destruction with it. Pulling himself together may take a miracle at this point.
