Chapter 37

After Cassandra finished her sundae, Goodwin paid the tab and took Cassandra by the arm as they walked out of the diner and down the street towards Sector Security.

They arrived at the tall building and went up the elevator to Goodwin's office.

"I'm going to call Lazar," he told her as he headed through the automatic doors. Cassandra stopped outside the hall to wait. Goodwin stood in the doorway and motioned for her to come in.

He sat at his desk and dialed Lazar's number on his cell phone as Cassandra pulled herself up on his desk and sat on the edge. She wondered if he was okay as Goodwin had assured her.

"Has the mission been successful?" Goodwin asked on the phone. Cassandra couldn't hear what was said on the other line but she made out distinct words like "injured", "Star Princess", and "Satellite". "Good, I was concerned when I found her missing last night. But, I figured she had gone off to the Satellite with you and Jack. I was relieved when you had confirmed my suspicions," Goodwin said.

"Is Lazar okay?" Cassandra whispered. Goodwin nodded silently.

"Is she doing alright?" Cassandra heard on the phone. She recognized the voice as Lazar's.

"She's fine," Goodwin replied to Lazar on the phone. "Anyways, I want you to put me up on video screen; I want to address everyone," Goodwin requested as he plugged a USB cable into his computer on his desk and attached the other end of the cable to his cell phone.

Soon enough, an image appeared on the computer to reveal several people seated in some sort of transportation vehicle; Cassandra couldn't really tell. She saw Lazar, Mina, Jack, Yusei, the girl from the Honors dinner, and a couple other people that she did not recognize. She was glad to see that everyone was alright.

"I am glad all of you have returned, and I wish to bid a warm welcome to our newest member, the Oracle of Twilight," Goodwin said. Cassandra leaned in over Goodwin's shoulder as she saw a young girl stand up and gaze at the screen directly at her.

"I guess many of us here have our share of heavy memories," the young girl said and Cassandra felt that she was talking to her as she stared right into her eyes.

"Who are you?" Cassandra asked curiously. She was surprised that Goodwin allowed her to interrupt business.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Midori. You must be the singer I saw on TV not too long ago… you have a lovely voice."

"Thank you," Cassandra smiled, touched by the compliment. She took one last hard gaze at the girl and noticed all her bandages. "Is she ok, Mr. Goodwin?" Cassandra asked him.

"I suppose there was more damage than just Yusei's injuries," Goodwin said as he closed his eyes.

"No, these are… from something else," Midori sat back down. Cassandra looked at her sympathetically, wondering if she had come in contact with those wretched Dark Signers.

Yusei gazed defiantly at Goodwin. "Is something wrong, Yusei?" Goodwin asked him and Cassandra retreated behind him to get out of his way.

"We need to talk, Goodwin!" he replied angrily.

"I see. Why don't you come by my office after the carrier lands and we can talk then. As for now, I wish not to cause a disturbance," Goodwin said, unaffected by Yusei's anger.

"If this is about Sidney, why don't we settle this right here and now? Or… are you afraid?" Jack asked Yusei as he stood up from his seat. Cassandra's heart raced. So Jack and Yusei were fighting over the girl, Sidney. How romantic, Cassandra thought. She began to fantasize about her prince fighting over her.

"That's enough Jack," Goodwin snapped, "This will be just between me and Yusei, and ONLY me and Yusei. This is regardless of the subject matter."

Jack fell back into his seat.

"You know, I'm still here. Why can't I say anything about this?" Sidney asked. Cassandra leaned in to get a better look at her. Sidney looked about the same age as Cassandra, with shoulder-length brown hair and hazel eyes. Cassandra got the impression that she was meek, like Mina but she seemed to have enough courage to speak against Goodwin. She definitely wasn't the kind of girl to be marrying the arrogant Jack, though.

"Of course. I had a feeling you would wish to speak with me. Why don't you wait until you get home and change into some different clothes? Your dress is in need of some repairs," Goodwin told her. Cassandra gazed at him, hoping he would feel her tension. He still hadn't explained anything about Sidney to her. She was surprised he hadn't ushered her out of the office yet. Maybe he was opening up to her about the whole situation?

Sidney crossed her arms across her chest rebelliously and Cassandra tried not to smile. "No, I want to say something now. I want you to call this whole thing off," she said to Goodwin.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. This is for your own good, Sidney. This is for your protection. We can't afford to have the Dark Signers capture you, kill you, or defeat you in a Shadow Duel," Goodwin bluntly told her.

"How is this protecting me? It's only been a day and it's making my life…"

They lost connection for a few seconds due to what seemed like wind or an interruption in the radio waves as the static roared across the screen. They quickly regained connection to reveal Lazar staring fearfully out the window. Darkness surrounded the carrier and Cassandra remembered the darkness that had surrounded her room when Ken had appeared.

"Dark Signs? In Neo Domino City? But I thought the Dark Signers were only in the Satellite!" Lazar exclaimed. A second screen appeared in the office, showing two glowing purple line drawings in the city. One was like a hummingbird, and the other was a lizard. Goodwin sighed as he saw this.

"The army of shadows must be recruiting new members. And by the looks of it, they have found two," he told them. Cassandra watched as the lines disappeared in a flash of purple light and she turned her attention to the passengers of the carrier. Jack and Yusei's arms were glowing, along with Sidney's marks. They soon went out like a dying light.

"Yusei… I will see you shortly," Goodwin told him. Cassandra gazed at Sidney, trying to catch her. The girl raised her hand to wave, but another girl with dark skin, long black hair and red bangs leaped up at the screen.

"You are so awesome! My name is Laura… umm… would you be bothered now if I asked you for your autograph, Cassandra?"

Cassandra giggled at Laura's enthusiasm. She was about to answer when Goodwin wished them all farewell and hung up.

"Rex!" Cassandra whined and he looked up at her sternly.

"We only have a little while before they arrive and I shall send you home. Is there anything you would like to discuss? I may not be home until late tonight, depending upon the situation," he said to quickly get her mind off of it.

"The girl… Sidney, who is she?" Cassandra asked. Now was her chance.

"She's being chased down by the Dark Signers, as she is the Star Princess. I wish to get her married to a Signer for protection and Jack fit the bill," Goodwin explained, hoping that would satisfy her curiosity.

Cassandra glared at him. "That girl shouldn't be with Jack. He'll hurt her," she warned him.

"You and I both know Jack well," he smiled slightly but his smile disappeared. "Believe me, Cassandra; the Dark Signers can do much worse if they get a hold of her. You remember the story don't you?"

"Yes, she's sort of the last hope in a way. If they get a hold of her, they could bring down the Signers easily," Cassandra muttered into her fists as she stood beside Goodwin. He nodded, glad that she understood.

"Don't worry too much about these things when they're out of your hands. I'll handle this," he said as he took her hand in his and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. Cassandra wanted to snatch her hand away but his grip was strong.

"Okay," she whispered and he let go of her hand.