A/N: A littler chapter than the last one. So here you go, Dark Signers for you. Yays! Have fun guys.

"Yusei came home," Rudger said casually while working on the reactor still. "Crow was with him."

"Oh?" Demak said, looking up from a book. "How is he fairing?"

"Yusei is going through a mix of the 'I know I can do good deeds with it' and the 'why didn't I just die, I hate it' stages," he replied.

"And Crow? Still loyal as ever I assume?" he said quietly.

"Oh yes," he laughed. "Crow wants to help Yusei and doesn't want to accept that he can't change what's happened."

"Why are we just sitting around and waiting?" Misty asked. "Let's just go and get Yusei and destroy the Signer?"

"Because one of them is still missing," Rudger replied.

"The boy from Arcadia," Carly said quietly. "Kiryu, the ghost boy."

"Kiryu," Demak laughed. "Of course it is."

"Shame, I liked that boy," Rudger said quietly. "He can be so heartless sometimes."

"He has plenty to be angry about, it's hardly surprising he turned out the way he did," he said quietly. "Yusei was right, he needed help."

"Couldn't you have brought him back here?" he asked.

"No, there wasn't time," he replied. "He'd managed to slip away while Carly was duelling Divine and by the time we could find where he was, the building was too far gone. We don't know whether he survived or not."

"He survived," Rudger said quietly. "I can still feel him. Demak, can I send you out to the city to find him?"

"Of course."

"Take Misty with you, find him and bring him back," he said. "Carly and I will remain here and work on Yusei, maybe Crow too. Although, if you can bring him back in time, we might have some live bait, maybe even a new Dark Signer depending on his condition."

"I thought there was only allowed to be five of us at one time," Misty said.

"Usually, yes," Rudger replied. "But if you haven't noticed, Yusei's immortal doesn't often follow the rules. I'm not sure he really counts."

"Do you think Yusei will join us?" Carly asked quietly.

"What do your cards say?" Misty said.

"The future isn't certain at the moment," she replied. "There are no certainties yet."

"Then we must collect Yusei and Kiryu as quickly as possible," Rudger said.

Demak and Misty went out to head back to the city. Rudger returned his attention to the reactor. He needed to find a way to get Yusei away from Jack and Crow. He had two options when it came to converting him to true darkness. He knew that Crow and Yusei had come to rely on each other in recent years, so if one came over, so would the other.

"What should we do then, Rudger?" Carly asked quietly.

"Go down to the manor at the edge of the woods- if it can be called that," he said. "Keep an eye on them, but don't get seen."

"Yes, of course," she whispered.

Rudger sighed as she left and looked over the workings of the reactor. Yusei used to stand behind him and watch over his shoulder. Rudger had taught him about the reactor since he was a child. In theory, his father's machine was in working order, just not quite balanced. Demak often asked what the point in tampering with it was since it exploded but Rudger had spent years carefully restoring it. Rudger had always been glad Yusei seemed to have inherited his father's intelligence. Even as a child, he'd been smarter than most. He'd sit in Rudger's lap on the floor, helping him in any way he could, even though at that age he was slightly more of a hindrance than help, but it was vital that he made mistakes or he wouldn't learn.

He sighed and stood up. He was working and worrying far too much, he needed a break. So he wandered down to the cell where they were keeping Bommer. Demak had saved him from being sacrificed at Rudger's request. Boomer was so filled with the need for vengeance that he was a perfect back up plan.

"I was impressed by how you survived my son's onslaught during the Fortune Cup."

Bommer looked up and frowned. Rudger frowned. He was actually impressed. Yusei was a powerful duellist, always had been, even when he was younger and Bommer had got him into a situation that would cause most duellists to panic. That alone was impressive.

"You're Yusei's father?" Bommer growled.

"Rudger Godwin, at your service."

"Yusei goes by Fudo, supposedly his mother's name, and yet he obviously lives with you and loves you. So, who's lying? And where is your dear son? I owe him a beating."

Rudger laughed softly. "He is finding things more difficult than we thought he would. He needs time to adjust."

Carly meant to go straight to do as Rudger told her but on her way out, she passed Yusei room. The door was open and she found herself in his room, looking at his things. She'd noticed that you could tell a lot about someone from their room. Yusei's was clean and tidy, except from one corner that was piled with pieces of scrap metal and parts. She smiled. Yusei's room was just as she'd expected. It was very plain, but there were three pictures on the side; one of two people and a body- she assumed that was Yusei and his parents- another was of Yusei with Rudger and Demak years ago and the final one was Yusei, Jack, Kiryu and Crow a few years back in school uniforms. They were the only real signs the room had ever been lived in.

"It's rude to sneak around in other people's room."

Carly gasped and spun to see Crow watching her. She was glad her hood was up. Crow watched her carefully and stepped in, shutting the door behind him. Carly licked her lips nervously. Rudger had mentioned Crow was a close friend of Yusei's and of the household. In her mind, she wanted to call them a family, but Rudger told her and Misty firmly that they cared for Yusei merely for convenient and the knowledge that there was something special about him. Carly didn't believe a word of it. Crow, on the other hand, made no secret of how much he cared for Yusei or how he'd do anything to protect him. She'd learnt that spending time with them.

"Crow, why are you-"

"Carly?" he laughed. "I thought you were too naive to do this. As for why I'm here, it's because I came to get some of Yusei's stuff. He's not coming back here until everything's done."

"Do you honestly believe that, Crow?" Rudger asked as the door opened.

"How did I know you'd be spying on me?" Crow sighed. "And yes, I do. Yusei doesn't want to be some sort of evil destructive god, I know that. Just like I know he'd never turn against his friends."

"Which is exactly why you're here," he laughed. He held Crow's shoulders and pulled him out the room even as Crow kicked and struggled. "I'm sorry to have to do this to you, Crow, but we all know that Yusei will come rushing after you to save you, right?"

"You're as big an ass as your brother sometimes, Rudger!" Crow cried.

He pushed Crow into a cell across from Bommer. Crow and Rudger both knew that it wouldn't take Crow half an hour to get out but Crow wondered if that was just long enough. Rudger barely ever did anything without a reason.

"You're the latest pet then," Bommer said quietly.

"Sure," Crow muttered. He walked over to door and reached around to get at the lock it was awkward and uncomfortable, but he managed. "Come on..."

"You can't get out, I've tried," he warned.

"Don't worry," he grumbled. "Rudger knows damn well this won't hold me. I've practised on these loads of times. This won't take too long. I just wonder what the point was when he knows it won't hold me."

"Rudger," Carly said softly.

"What?" he asked absently.

"You know Crow will get out of there quicker that we can get anything done," she said. "He's a thief and an escape artist. I don't understand."

"Fate is fate, right?" he replied. "Don't worry, I know it'll work out for the better."

"I really don't understand though."

"You will soon enough. As I said, what better way to have Yusei and possibly the Signers come running than live bait?"

"Won't he escape first though?"

"Oh I hope he does. I'm counting on it. He's a valuable asset, you'll see. He's more important than most people as far as this plan goes."

Carly frowned but nodded. Rudger didn't seem to make sense but he was smart and she knew she needed to trust him. He returned his attention to the reactor and she smiled. He loved that machine.

"Why did you really take him in?" she asked.

"Yusei?" he laughed. "I told you guys, he's really special. You've seen his skill level and his power. Whatever happens, he's always going to be strong."

"How could you have known that when he was so young?" she whispered. "Or did you already know him?"

"That's enough Carly."

"Have you seen Crow?" Yusei asked quietly. Jack frowned and shook his head. "He should be back by now, Jack, I'm worried."

"I'm sure he's fine," Jack said gently. "He's a big boy, he's taking a bit longer than he should. Don't worry, Rudger would never hurt him."

"Are you sure?" he sighed. "Maybe I should go and find him."

"You're going nowhere, just sit down and stop pacing," he snapped.

"But what if he's hurt?"

"Rudger won't hurt him."

"Yusei," Aki sighed, pulling him down onto the couch. Yusei frowned and went to get up but she pulled him back down. "Just relax."

"But I need to go and find him."

"Yusei," she snapped.

She pulled him in and kissed him. Yusei accepted it for a moment, then moved away. She sighed and lowered her gaze.

"Sorry, Aki," he sighed. "Nova wanted to use you, he twisted us both for his own plans."

"So... there was nothing really there?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he sighed. "I'm kind of confused right now, just give it time and let me figure out what I want."

"Alright," she said softly, nodding. "Whatever you need."

Rua tugged on Jack's coat and he looked down. "Can we have a practise duel, so I'm ready for the Dark Signers, right?"

"You're not a Signer," Jack said.

"But there's only four Signers right now and you don't even know if Kiryu's alive," he argued. "And Jack's the only person who's ever beaten Yusei, right? What if he turns and what if Crow's stuck? You need all the backup you can get."

"Kiryu's not dead," Ruka said quietly. "We have to believe that he's alive. And I'm sure Crow is ok and Yusei won't betray us."

"Of course not," Yusei laughed.

He smiled gently. Throughout everything Rua and Ruka had never failed to get his better side. Nova grumbled in the back of his mind. Jack sighed and Yusei frowned. Maybe he was starting to realise Crow had been gone too long. He was getting more and more worried.

"Crow will be ok, Yusei," Ruka said gently, patting his arm. "He'll be back soon. Like you said, Rudger would never hurt him."