A/N: In this chapter: what happened to Kiryu. Kind of what happened to Aki. And a gaint flash back from the boys looking into their very early days and so on. Yays.

Aki sat in the helicopter, staring down at her feet. Yusei had helped her to understand she couldn't change anything, but she still felt guilty. Whatever had happened to Kiryu, she knew she could have stopped it. He'd needed her help and she'd let him talk her into leaving. How could she do that? It was her fault. Even if she accepted she couldn't change it, how was she supposed to forgive herself for that?

"It's ok," Yusei said quietly. "I'm sure he's fine really."

"But they dug up the rubble," she whispered.

"And Kiryu wasn't there," he replied.

"None of the bodies were identifiable," she snapped, tears springing to her eyes. "Divine, Kiryu... they're dead, and... to die like that."

"There's still a chance," Ruka said gently. "They'll find out who they are soon, and there's still a chance that Kiryu got out."

Aki nodded. She didn't know why. She didn't know what to think. If Kiryu was alive, she hoped he wasn't in pain. No matter what Yusei said, she knew he was in trouble. Jack and Crow were waiting. Of course, unlike her, Yusei had friends who'd friends who'd wait forever for him. She sighed, it was hard to believe that they not accepted Kiryu's powers. She began to wonder if maybe he'd just said that. Shaking her head quickly she dismissed that idea. Kiryu wouldn't have lied to her.

The second they landed, Crow pulled Yusei inside. Jack sighed and shook his head, explaining quietly that Crow had become very protective of him. Aki nodded as the twins were dragged off by the other kids of the house. Aki wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do really. It had been a long time since she'd been in any sort of family situation.

"We don't bite," Jack muttered, heading in. "Apparently you're pretty much one of the family, so you'll have to come in sometime. Unless you feel like braving the Satellite alone?"

Kiryu groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He didn't know how he'd been out, but if he knew he wasn't dead. If he was dead, he wouldn't be so hot, or in pitch darkness.

"You're awake then."

"Divine?" he groaned.

Divine leant over him and smirked. His head was pounding and his side burning. He grounded and went to sit up but found he couldn't move. Divine smiled, almost fondly and brushed a strand of hair from Kiryu's face.

"How are you feeling?" Divine asked.

"What happened?" Kiryu whispered.

"I had a passage built under that Arcadia Movement's headquarters, just in case I needed to make a quick escape," he explained. "I didn't go through the trouble of buying you and turning you into the most powerful living weapon this world has ever seen just to see you die when I could stop it."

"You sound almost like you care."

"Just protecting my investment."

"Figures." He tried to get up once more and still couldn't move. "Why can't I move?"

"Because I don't want you hurting yourself," Divine said quietly. "You're still in a very delicate condition. You didn't honestly think I was going to leave you to die?"

"How did you survive?" Kiryu breathed. "I saw you fall. There was no way..."

"I'm still psychic, Kiryu," he laughed. "I always have something, but it's not without a cost this time I'm afraid." He lifted his fringe to reveal burns and smirked as Kiryu winced and struggled. "Now, you just lie there until you're well enough to not hurt yourself and I won't have to put you under again."

"And Aki?"

"She was saved by those two kids," he replied. "And then Yusei came alone and woke her up from her coma."

"Good."

"Why?"

"Because if Yusei woke her up he'll have taken her to Martha's," Kiryu said quietly. "She's safe there."

"You think I'm the enemy?" he laughed. "I saved your life. I could have left you there."

"Where are we anyway?" he asked.

"My home away from the Arcadia Movement," he replied. "It's a good way from there sometimes, and it's well out of the area affected by whatever happened there. You seem to know a lot about it."

"Only what Crow told me from Godwin's files."

"And?"

"The Dark Signers were released when the Old Momentum Reactor went into meltdown, causing Zero Reverse," he explained. "They are the negative versions of the Signers and their job is to destroy the Signers- so far Jack, Aki, Ruka and I- and unlock the gates to Hell by sacrificing our souls when the time is right. It's supposed to be an anceint battle that repeats itself over and over always causing pain to those around them, usually using people who are already no stranger to pain and suffering."

"You friend Yusei is one, yet he doesn't seem to want to hurt you, well, most of the time."

"He died, Cook killed him, and so, because he died like that with so much hatred and pain and something unfinished, he was brought back, but he's so strong he fights it all the time. Friends and family are the most important thing in the world to Yusei."

"Of course," he whispered.

"Can I get up yet?"

"No, I told you, I want to be sure you're not going to hurt yourself first."

Jack smiled, watching Crow baby Yusei for no real reason. He didn't know why but Crow suddenly seemed very overprotective of Yusei. He had started it that morning, he kept Yusei close, refusing to let his out the same room. They were up to something, he knew that. He'd known them love enough to know when there was something wrong. So the second they were alone, he confronted them.

"What's going on guys?" he snapped.

"Nothing," Crow said, glaring at Yusei. "Right?"

"Yeah," Yusei said blankly.

"Don't either of your lie to me," Jack growled. "The pair of you are up to something, or there's something you're not telling me or... I don't know what, but if you don't tell me right now-"

"Alright, alright," Crow sighed. "Don't blow a fuse. Yusei and I went to see Rudger last night."

"You what?"

"Relax, nothing happened," he said. "Rudger went and said that he could help Yusei and teach him control and wanted to keep him there. I politely told him to get stuffed."

"So Nova is definitely-"

"There still," Yusei whispered. "Yes."

"Great..."

"No, it's ok," he argued. "I can control him now. I can use him to do what I want. I can help."

"That's why you're keeping an eye on him," Jack muttered and Crow nodded. "I don't know why you didn't tell me."

"I didn't think you'd approve," Crow sighed. "You're kind of... it's just that you're really grumpy at night."

"Sure," he sighed. "So, what are we going to do?"

"Nothing," Yusei said quietly. "We wait for the Dark Signers to attack and then I can help them too."

"Yusei," he sighed. "You can't control that thing, and they're beyond help."

"I don't believe that," Yusei snapped. "I know I can control him and sometimes he's a good influence."

"Yusei..." Crow whispered.

"I have to believe it, guys!" he said. "I have to. If I don't... I can't live with something I can't control inside of me."

Jack sighed and nodded. None of them noticed Martha watching from the kitchen. Her sons were as loyal to Yusei as ever, despite whatever he was going through. She had been so proud of them they day they'd brought Yusei home and when she'd heard of what they put up with for him.

"Hey, come on guys," Crow called, stepping in front of Yusei. "That's enough."

Jack sighed and shook his head. Of course it would be Crow who broke first. They were becoming more and more attached to Yusei as time went by Kiryu was in hospital- or what passed for a hospital in the Satellite- after taking another beating from his father. Martha had offered him a home with them, and Yusei had offered to talk to Rudger if he ever wanted to get away, but he always said he wanted to be there when his dad finally figured out he was past the point of no return. But while they knew Kiryu protected Yuseif rom Cook in private, none of them had put themselves in the line of fire from the other kids, until now.

"So back off," he growled.

"Get lost, kid," one of the older boys snapped. "We don't want to hurt you, just him."

"Then you have to go through me."

"Alright, fine. Dont' say we didn't warn you. Maybe next time you'll know better."

Crow was shoved back against the lockers next to Yusei. Jack sighed and decided it was time he stepped in. He stepped between the kids and Crow and Yusei. They backed off slightly. Jack matched the height of the boys years older than them, even at fourteen.

"That's enough," he said calmly.

"Aw, come on, Jack," a boy name Damian cried. People knew Jack's name, unlike Crow, and for the right reasons unlike Yusei. "They're a pair of brats. He deserves it and this one's trying to be a hero. What's wrong with a bit of messing because class? You know Cook will just mess him up anyway, and anyone who tries to help him."

"Yeah, we'll that one's my little brother," he snapped. "And anyone who touches him deals with me."

"Jack," Kimberly pleaded, tugging his arm. "As long as he stays out our way, we don't want anything to do with your brother, just Fudo. Come on, let's go get a drink before class, and you can introduce me to your brother."

"I'm not backing down here," Crow hissed.

"Crow," Jack snapped.

"No. I'm not going to just sit back and watch them torture him anymore!" he cried.

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes. "Leave it for now, ok guys." They mumbled amongst themselves but Jack wasn't taking no for an answer. "Just leave it 'til after class and I'll have knock some sense into him by then, ok?"

"Fine, but if he gets in our way again-"

"He won't," Jack growled. "And if you threaten my family again you'll regret it. Understand?"

Everyone left quickly after that. No one wanted to be on Jack's bad side, he had already proven he could do damage when he wanted to and had a nasty, unpredictable temper. When he said something with that much force, everyone did as they were told, even some of the teachers. Once, Jack had told Cook that he'd seen enough of him torturing Yusei for one day and thought they should actually get on with lessons for once and Cook had let Yusei go and sit down. It was rare for Cook to be intimidated by Jack, but he was easily bored by Cook and the others treatment of Yusei, or the other students. No one had ever dared to hit Jack- well, one teacher had when they first and Jack had instantly stood up and hit him back, knocking him unconscious and no one had dared since then.

So when Jack pulled Yusei and Crow out of the building, no one stopped them. When they were a decent distance from the school, they sat on a wall and Crow wrap an arm around Yusei's shoulder.

"You guys didn't have to do that," Yusei said quietly.

"You're our friend, Yusei," Crow replied. "I wasn't going to let them hurt you like that again. I'm sick of it. If they hurt me too, I don't care. I won't let them do it without anyone standing up to them, right Jack?"

"I guess," Jack sighed.

"We should go and see Kiryu in hospital," he suggested. Yusei smiled and nodded. "Come on then, let's go."

It didn't take them long to find Kiryu in the hospital. There was just one problem. His dad was with him. They stood outside the door listening, just in case something happened; they all knew what Kiryu's father was like. He seemed sober enough, but that didn't mean anything half the time. He was unpredictable. But for now, he was holding Kiryu's hand tightly in both his own, looking like he was actually sorry for putting his son there.

"If your mother could see me now," he said quietly. "She was always so fond of you. She loved you so much. You're all she left me and I can't lose you. Please, get better, I've been such a terrible father, but I'll make it right soon."

Kiryu was barely conscious enough to register he was there from what they saw. They started to wonder just what he'd actually done to Kiryu for him to end up like that. The boys weren't sure what to do. After a moment just watching them, Yusei knocked on the door. Kiryu's father gazed at them and gave a weak smile, beckoning them in.

"You're Kyosuke's friends," he said quietly. They all found it strange hearing Kiryu's first name. No one ever seemed to use it. "Yusei, Jack and Crow, right?" They nodded. "I suppose he talks about you. I don't really remember much, but I know he loves the three of you dearly. I can't believe I've done this. He must hate me."

Kiryu gave a whimpering groan. They gazed down at him. He was in such a bad way. After a few years, they'd never seen Kiryu in such bad shape. They'd seen his beat Kiryu before, but never seen something like this.

"I'm sure he doesn't hate you," Yusei said gently.

"He's right," Crow agreed, more for Yusei's sake than Kiryu's father's. "I think he just wishes you'd listen to him more."

"So stop drinking and get your life in order. He's miserable and he wants you to help him," Jack snapped. The other two sighed. He could at least try being gentle. "He's being tortured and he has nowhere to turn except us, and we can't exactly do anything."

His father nodded slowly and stroked Kiryu's hair gently. "I never meant to hurt him. He just reminds me so much of his mother and he's so frustrating. I miss her so much."

"Then look after the one thing of her you've got left," he growled.

"You boys look after him when I'm gone."

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked softly.

"Yesterday I was told I barely have a few months to live," he replied. "I don't want to die knowing my son hates me."

"He doesn't hate you," he said. "Just make an effort. He always holds out hope that you'll realise you're hurting yourself and him. He needs you."

"I'll be better," the man whispered. "I'll change and I'll make sure he doesn't hate me."

Yusei smiled slightly, hoping that he'd do as he promised. Crow smiled too. Yusei always wanted to see the best in people. But Kiryu was once again in hospital barely a few weeks later and his father was dead within a two months.