My life was decided over one card. My father and mother lost their lives because of this card, and I nearly did as well. Sherry reminisced to herself.

She and her faithful Mizoguchi were walking through the dark hallways of a rather luxurious hotel under the cover of night. Laying in her pocket, as always, rested the card in question. After everything she'd been through, Sherry never let the card leave her person.

Sherry lifted her head with new resolve. But I'm different now. I'm no longer afraid of death.

Goons when flying. Sherry and Mizoguchi had found the room they were looking for. Of course, such bigwigs always had to have people there meant to protect them. People that were never a match for Sherry.

She approached her target, the seedy executive who had been following her every move for as long as she could remember. Oh, how the tables had turned. Especially since she'd brought the chase to him.

"Why? Why are you here?" The man tried to back away.

Sherry grabbed him roughly by his shirt collar. A slimy, corrupted man, Sherry would have preferred not to touch him, but her curiosity was stronger. She wanted answers. Her eyes were icy, merciless, and she held up the card to the man's sweaty face. "You're going to tell me something. What exactly is zhis card?"

"I don't know!"

Sherry tossed the man through his glass door onto the balcony. Shattered glass scattered everywhere. It crunched underneath Sherry's boots exactly the way she intended to crush this man before her.

"Don't know? You people were chasing me around for zhis card!"

The man cowered against the balcony railing, allowing Sherry to take hold of his collar again. "Wait! I'll tell you! I'll answer you!"

Her eyes narrowed, but Sherry did not release her grip.

"I-It's true I was ordered to obtain that card. But, I swear, I don't know who gave the order! Probably someone important! With a lot of money!"

"Is zhat all?" Sherry lifted the man off his feet.

Feet dangling, and having trouble breathing, he whimpered pitifully. "Y-Yes! If you care for your life, you should stop putting yourself into pointless-"

Grip tightening, Sherry cut him off. "I'm not afraid for my life. I can't be if I want revenge."

"S-Stop!" the man protested, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

Sherry tossed him unceremoniously from his balcony. Screaming like a child, the man fell to his death.

Several floors down, Mizoguchi reached out and snatched the man up by his wrist. Sweat, snot, and tours poured from the man's many orifices, but he was otherwise unhurt.

"You shouldn't scare a person like this, Lady Sherry," Mizoguchi sighed.

He lugged the man behind him like he weighed nothing, scaling back up to Sherry's balcony without even breaking a sweat. There was a reason Sherry's parents had chosen this man to protect their daughter. He wasn't even showing off. He didn't need to.

Mizoguchi dumped the man beside his fallen bodyguards.

"As I zhought, zhese people don't know anyzhing," Sherry said. She crossed her arms, lower lip pushed out. "Looks like we'll have to analyze zhe card ourselves."

"Ourselves? But we don't have anything that can do that."

"No, but zhere is just one place in town zhat has zhe kind of tech we need. A super computer zhat can analyze anyzhing." She looked out the window at the building she was referring to, its lights blinking on and off in the dark.

"The Public Maintenance Bureau. Are you serious?"

/

Trudge frowned at his lunch guests, arms crossed over his large form. "I see, so your memory still hasn't returned?" He, Meena, Yusei, Lise, and Bruno had agreed to meet for lunch that morning in the small cafeteria and café in the Public Security Bureau.

"Yeah," Bruno nodded. "I can't remember anything." He stared down at his mostly untouched food.

"Security wasn't able to find any clues?" Yusei asked.

Meena reached into her bag. She laid a spreadsheet onto the table, in between all the dishes. "We inputted his fingerprints and photograph into the database, but… there weren't any files."

"Oh…" Bruno said. Each category on the info sheet read unknown. He didn't have anyone. Just photos and basic information on his height and weight.

"We'll keep looking," Trudge said. He turned to Lise and Yusei. "Sorry, but can he stay at your place a little longer?"

"Sure, it's no problem," Lise smiled at them.

"Thanks," Bruno returned the smile for both Lise and Yusei. "I appreciate it."

"While we're on the subject of Security," Meena said. "We arrested that boy, Mako, from the tournament. He was briefly in custody."

"Briefly?" Yusei raised an eyebrow. "Why?" His smile turned into a deep scowl.

Meena winced slightly. "His sister paid his bail. We released him into her custody, under the conditions he stay in her residence with an ankle tracker."

Lise crossed her arms. "Why am I not reassured?"

Trudge raised his hands. "It was the best we could do. The kid is messed up, so he needs his family more than something that reminds him of why he's so messed up."

"Besides, you're recovering well," Meena spoke quickly.

"She should be moving around less," Bruno pointed out, avoiding Lise's glare. "That's what the doctor said."

"It's not my fault Akiza had me go shopping with her!"

Yusei scratched at his cheek. "She did have a point though. Most of your clothes were trashed."

"It looks good," Meena said, smiling. Her brown eyes were warm. "The red suits you."

Lise's new clothes, curtesy of Akiza, were chosen specifically for Lise's style. Akiza was good.

The top was black, long sleeved, and shoulder-less. Two orange straps had been added over each shoulder in Lise's preferred shade. Her new fingerless gloves were red and grey, with silver buttons adorning the top in a line stretching from the pinky to the wrist. The jeans were a dark blue, artfully ripped too. Lise had insisted on keeping her usual orange sneakers, so those weren't new, but her orange headband was. The real eye-catcher was the new jacket; a collared, bright red, zip up with long sleeves, and plenty of pockets for Lise's things and her cards.

Yusei grinned and put his arm around Lise's shoulders. "Akiza sent me a photo when they were finished. New screensaver."

"Oh my god," Lise hid her blushing face in her hands. "You're such a dork."

"And you're cute," Yusei said, kissing Lise's temple.

"Third wheel over here, guys," Bruno said, loudly.

"Sorry." Lise and Yusei separated to Trudge and Meena's laughter.

/

Trudge and Meena had to leave to get back to work. They had insisted rather vehemently on paying for the bill. The teenagers parted with waves and smiles.

Bruno stared out at the city through the elevator's glass walls. He wasn't really seeing it though.

Yusei noticed first. "What's wrong?"

"When I see the city like this, I wonder… 'is there someone out there waiting for me?'"

"Don't rush yourself."

"Yeah, it's not your fault you can't remember," Lise added.

"The truth will come," Yusei nodded.

Bruno blinked. "The truth, huh?"

/

Trudge was hard at work in the Bureau. He and several other staff members were answering calls, directing traffic, and reviewing police data for the entire city.

"Hello, Special Investigation," Trudge responded to his next call. "What is it?"

"A disaster! Someone's saying they've planted a bomb in the Public Security Maintenance Bureau!"

"You sure it's not a prank?"

"Yes! We're still trying to locate the source of the call, but…"

"Hey! Hello!? HELLO?!" Trudge yelled fruitlessly into the phone as the other line fizzled out.

A voice came laughing onto the loudspeaker. "It's just as you've heard."

"Who the heck are you?!" Trudge demanded, getting to his feet. Sweat already dripped down his forehead.

"I'll be detonating the bomb sometime soon."

"Don't say things like that! There's no way!"

"Then, shall I confirm the truth?"

A blast rocked the building. The lights shut off. Phone lines instantly went dead. The alarm began to sound.

"Give the order!" Meena yelled.

Trudge nodded feverishly, and turned to the other employees. "Everyone evacuate!"

/

Lise, Yusei, and Bruno's elevator had stopped, and the lights had gone out. The alarm, however, continued to sound. An order went out over the loudspeaker informing everyone of the bomb and to evacuate as well.

"A bomb?" Yusei looked at the ceiling, as if he hoped it had answers.

"Th-This is horrible!"

"And that's just great. We're stuck in here," Lise grumbled. "Well, I guess I can break the door down."

/

Meena and Trudge had already set up a relief center a block away from the Bureau. All employees flocked to the area like frightened geese.

"Chief! Everyone here has been evacuated," Trudge reported to Meena. He had swiftly checked in with all the evacuation teams responsible for their employees.

"Understood."

"What are the demands of the criminals?" A balding man with a short, bushy mustache asked.

"Nothing yet," Meena told him.

"Director Daly! The person responsible for the bomb has not-"

"Daly! What do you think of this-"

All of a sudden the man was mobbed by reporters, bloggers, and workers. The rest of Meena and Trudge's crew were running around trying to figure out what to do next, and if they could get any information.

Trudge frowned and scratched at the back of his head. "I feel bad for Director Daly too. Ever since Lazar disappeared, we don't know where the other directors are. Poor guy." He crossed his arms. "Just what is going on here?"

The moment Trudge finished speaking the metal shutters the Bureau was equipped with for emergency situations went down. The whole building was effectively on lockdown.

"Hey! Why are the shutters down?!"

"I don't know. That isn't protocol. This keeps getting stranger and stranger!" Meena burrowed through her data, looking for anything with answers.

/

Sherry and Mizoguchi, having successfully infiltrated the Bureau in their disguises, ditched their hats and sunglasses. In Sherry's case, she unfurled her hair from its tight knot.

/

"And…got it!" With one last wiggle of the screwdriver, Bruno and Yusei finally managed to get the elevator doors open.

"I wanted to break the door down," Lise pouted as the boys shoved the doors open further.

"You can break the next one down," Yusei promised her.

"Now we have to get out of here!" Bruno cried.

He, Lise, and Yusei began the race to find the stairs, but stopped. Even in the darkness, they'd been able to see Sherry and Mizoguchi running deeper into the Bureau.

"Isn't that…?"

"You know them?" Bruno asked, eyes wide. Surprise after surprise today.

"Yeah, come on," Lise put one hand on the railing and vaulted onto the floor below. She took off after Sherry and Mizoguchi.

"Damnit, I hate when she does that," Yusei muttered under his breath. "Come on, Bruno." He ran for the stairs.

"But wait! The bomb!" Bruno groaned and ran after his dangerous friends.

/

Sherry finished typing into one of the few computers still operational beside the super computer's room. "Okay, now all zhe locks have been set. Let's go."

She and Mizoguchi stepped into the doorway to reach the super computer. They didn't make it any further.

"Sherry!" Lise called when she came sliding into the room.

Yusei and Bruno came in just behind her, a bit more out of breath though.

"Ah, Elise Kururugi, it's been a while. Have you decided to join my team?"

"This isn't the time for that!"

"We have to leave quickly!" Bruno urged, panic sliding into his voice. "A bomb's been planted here!"

Sherry didn't seem concerned in the slightest. "Zhat blast was rigged for effect. Zhere's no bomb anywhere."

"So it was you?" Yusei gasped.

All three teenager's mouths dropped open.

"Why?"

"Desolee, but only my teammates are privy to zhat information. I don't 'ave zhe time to explain myself to you." Sherry turned for the super computer's door.

"Wait!" Lise, Yusei, and Bruno rushed for the door. Mizoguchi blocked their approach with his body. "You can't just leave after all that!"

"Watch me," Sherry smirked. Another metal shutter began to lower behind her.

"Sherry!"

Yusei and Lise split up, taking opposite directions around Mizoguchi. Bruno ducked and ran for the door as fast as he could. Mizoguchi tripped Yusei with his leg, and used the majority of his body to block Lise, but her new instincts kicked in. Lise jumped into a roll, that took her over Mizoguchi, and she kicked off his back to roll under the shutters. Frustrated, Mizoguchi threw a screwdriver at Bruno to trip him up too, but Bruno's trip took him sliding right under the shutters a second before they closed with a snap.

"Forgive me," Mizoguchi said quietly. "I could only stop one."

"Bruno! Lise! Stop Sherry!" Yusei yelled through the shutters.

"On it!"

"Leave it to me!"

"Guess it can't be helped," Mizoguchi said. "Sherry is on her own now." He went to the door's control panel, and smashed the glass. He took out the two green wires hanging there, and inserted them into his duel disk. "But you, Yusei Fudo, I cannot allow to get through."

Mizoguchi activated his duel disk. The display lit up with his lifepoints: four thousand. The lock inside the door's control panel lit up with the same thing.

Yusei's eyes narrowed. "I take it the door won't open unless your lifepoints reach zero?"

"Yes."

"Well then, I need to get through," Yusei walked out far enough that there was enough space to duel. "My friends are on the other side."

"Duel!"

Yusei: 4000

Mizoguchi: 4000

"I will begin," Mizoguchi said. "Draw! From my hand, I summon Spirit Summit Warrior!"

(Spirit Summit Warrior: Atk: 1200 Def: 1500)

The monster resembled a wise, old samurai. He had the gear and everything.

"Next, I activate Spirit Summit Warrior's effect! I can special summon a level three or below warrior type monster from my hand. I summon Liberated Rear Warrior!"

(Liberated Rear Warrior: Atk: 0 Def: 1000)

"But they won't be sticking around for long. These warriors will tune together to synchro summon… Driven Daredevil!"

(Driven Daredevil: Atk: 2400 Def: 2100)

Mizoguchi's new synchro beast was a large samurai warrior. A younger man who brandished two blades. "I end my turn with two facedowns."

"My turn!" Yusei declared. "I send Quillbolt Hedgehog to the graveyard to special summon Quickdraw Synchron! Next, when there's a tuner monster on my field, I can special summon Quillbolt Hedgehog from my graveyard! I tune level two Quillbolt Hedgehog with level five Quickdraw Synchron to synchro summon… Nitro Warrior! Nitro Warrior attack Driven Daredevil!"

Yusei: 4000

Mizoguchi: 3600

Mizoguchi braced himself against the attack. His monster held off Nitro Warrior's giant, green fists with his swords. "I cannot allow you to pass! I activated Driven Daredevil's ability!"

"What?"

"When Driven Daredevil is attacked with a monster that has higher attack points, it survives and destroys the opponent's attacking monster!"

Yusei watched, powerlessly, as Daredevil sliced clean through Nitro Warrior.

"Next I activate the continuous trap Master and Servant Resolve. When a monster is destroyed through another monster's effect in battle, the controller of the destroyed monster takes damage equal to its attack!"

From Mizoguchi's card, a saber emerged. It flew across the room where it stabbed Yusei in the stomach. He grunted from the residual pain, but was otherwise unhurt. Luckily this wasn't a psychic duel.

Yusei: 1200

Mizoguchi: 3600

"And in order to keep this card in play, I take one thousand points of damage at the beginning of my turn," Mizoguchi said.

"But you'll only last four turns."

"'By giving your flesh, cut into the enemy's bone.' That is the Samurai deck's philosophy!"

"Such strong resolve," Yusei muttered to himself. He was already in trouble, and his first turn had only begun.

/

Outside, Trudge, Meena, and several workers were already attempting to get inside. They were using high powered blowtorches to cut a hole in the shutters.

Trudge thought to himself as he watched the team work, tapping impatiently on his arm. After the bomb exploded, there's been nothing. This has to be part of the criminal's plan. There's something seriously weird going on here…

"Trudge," Meena got up from her work to show Trudge her holo-screen. "Someone's accessed the Super Computer from inside."

"What?! But no one should be inside!" Trudge gasped. Then he gasped even more when he realized the same thing Meena had.

She nodded. "The bomb threat was a lie!" She addressed the two cutting through the shutters. "The criminals are inside!"

"Hurry up!" Trudge added.

/

"Sherry, please!" Lise held up her hands, doing her best to project calm with her voice. "We don't have to fight!"

"If you are going to try to stop me, zhen I see no ozher choice!" Sherry rushed Lise again. She'd been attacking her nonstop since the shutter had closed.

Lise had quickly pushed Bruno out of the way, and engaged Sherry. Up till then Lise was just dodging, weaving away from Sherry's attacks. Her patience was wearing thin. Sherry clearly did not want to talk.

"Please Sherry, we want to help you, but there has to be another way!"

"I'm tired of waiting. I want results now!"

Bruno stood by the Super Computer, staring between the two girls. He was sweating like a cornered antelope on hunting grounds. He could shut off the computer? Or try to open the shutter? Should he try to help Lise? He wasn't much of a fighter, but… what could he do?

/

"I summon Triculer in defense mode," Yusei said.

His new beast resembled a three-wheeled little machine monster. It's markings flashing blue and silver in the darkness.

(Tricular: Atk: 300 Def: 300)

"I'll also set one card and end my turn."

"My turn." Mizoguchi drew his next card. "Master and Student's Resolve effect activates, and I take a thousand points of damage!"

Yusei: 1200

Mizoguchi: 2600

"Driven Daredevil attack Tricular!"

Daredevil's blades sliced through another one of Yusei's monsters, but he was ready. "However, when Tricular is destroyed in battle, I can summon Bicular from my deck!"

Bicular was similar to Tricular, but with two wheels. Its paint job was yellow and blue.

(Bicular: Atk: 200 Def: 200)

"I activate the trap Retrieved Blade! During the turn I've destroyed an opponent's monster in battle, I can destroy a monster on your field with a level lower than the one destroyed!"

Another sword cut through Bicular like swiss cheese. Yusei shielded himself from the shards of his destroyed monster.

"In addition, both players take damage equal to the destroyed monster's attack points."

Yusei: 1000

Mizoguchi: 2400

"I set a card facedown and end my turn."

This guy… I can't keep a monster on the field! I just hope Lise and Bruno are doing better than I am.

A new alarm sounded, and a holo-display opened beside the duelists. Trudge and a bomb squad had cut through the shutters.

"That's not good," Mizoguchi said.

/

"Sherry, I don't want to hurt you," Lise's hands clenched into fists. "But you're not listening!"

Sherry opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by her cell phone ringing. She removed the phone from the folds of her disguise and answered. "What's wrong?"

"Lady Sherry, Security has cut through and entered the building. We should hurry if we want to escape."

"I understand," Sherry said. "But I'm having trouble getting to the computer for analysis."

"But-"

"I can't give up here."

"I understand."

/

Mizoguchi hung up his phone.

"Do you plan on continuing the duel?" Yusei asked. "Even if you defeat me, it's only a matter of time before you're caught."

"I'm already prepared for that. No matter what happens, Lady Sherry must be allowed to analyze that card."

"Card?"

/

Sherry sighed and put her phone back in her coat. "Looks like I need to speed zhis up."

"Um…what?" Lise exchanged a glance with Bruno, who shrugged.

"And judging from zhe strength you demonstrated in your tournament, I can't beat you. So I guess I'll 'ave to cheat." Sherry pressed a button on her duel disk, opening a customized section displaying two, small metal rods that sparked with electricity. She slammed the two rods right below Lise's solar plexus.

Lise screamed from the force of the blow, but the electricity didn't bother her. She ground her teeth together and put her hand on Sherry's duel disk to push it away. "That's not going to be enough to stop me."

Sherry responded with a good kick to Lise's head. She crumpled, and Sherry lowered her duel disk. "Desolee, mon amie, but I 'ave to know zhe truzh." She leveled a glare at Bruno. "You're next."

Bruno waved his hands in front of himself. "W-Wait!"

Sherry came at him with a flying kick, but Bruno managed to step out of the way.

"We don't need to fight! T-Time out!" He fell to the ground avoiding Sherry's next kick.

"Begging won't 'elp you!"

"Stop! You'll be caught if you don't run away soon!" Bruno gasped, already out of breath.

"Irrelevant. I've come too far to stop now," Sherry bent down and grasped Bruno's shirt collar.

"Why go so far?" She was still in a fighting mood, but at least she was talking too.

"My parents lost their lives over one card. If I analyze that card, I can get one step closer to Yliaster and revenge for my parents. That's why I won't let anyone else interfere!" Sherry shouted, aiming her duel disk's rods at Bruno's face.

Something happened within Bruno. His eyes took one look at the sparking electricity coming for his face, and suddenly began to glow. Next second, he was spinning backwards, forcing Sherry to back away from him.

Not intimidated, Sherry aimed another round house kick at Bruno. He caught her ankle, and tossed her away. Sherry recovered quickly, sliding backwards on her feet, but not fast enough.

Bruno caught Sherry by the throat, and aimed a punch for her face. Suddenly, Bruno's attack stopped. He'd spotted the card sticking out of Sherry's coat, and retrieved it. He still held Sherry by the throat as his strangely glowing eyes stared at the card held in his hand.

"Return it," Sherry demanded, her voice hoarse. "Zhat card is zhe truzh I've been searching for."

"Truth… you're searching for," Bruno repeated to himself. The light faded from his eyes. He released Sherry, and stood up.

Sherry coughed, able to breathe again. Her guard was still up. Who was this strange man? What had just happened?

Bruno placed the card on the computer's scanner and got to work.

"What are you doing?" Sherry stood behind him. This time, if he was going to take her by surprise, she would be ready.

"Operating this machine will be difficult. I can do it."

"You don't have to," Lise came out of nowhere, tackling Sherry to the ground. She pinned Sherry's arms down with her knees, and leveled her fists menacingly. "Bruno, you can stop now. I got her."

"He volunteered," Sherry said, her voice rising and falling with her confusion.

"You what? Did I wake up in la la land? We…You're…I… We're helping her now?" Lise clutched her head. "What happened?"

"I don't know myself," Sherry said. "But could you get off, please?"

"I guess we're friends again," Lise grumbled. She stood up, and offered Sherry a hand.

She gladly took it, and smiled briefly as Lise pulled her back to her feet. "Sorry I tricked you."

Lise shrugged. "It was pretty clever, but next time let's just talk."

"Agreed. Speaking of talking, why zhe change of 'eart?"

Both girls stared at Bruno. He didn't look up from his work to respond. "I don't know myself, but… I think everyone has the right to know the truth about themselves. That includes me and you."

/

"So you came here to get closer to Yliaster for revenge?!" Yusei shook his head disbelievingly.

"Please try to understand Lady Sherry's feelings," Mizoguchi said.

"If you really cared about her, why aren't you trying to stop her? Yliaster is dangerous! She's going to get hurt!" Yusei knew from watching Yliaster twist the lives of Lise's family that going up against such a threat wasn't something people could do alone. He and Lise had barely made it out alive from just one duel with Roman. He'd hate to see what Yliaster would do to Sherry.

Mizoguchi's face was impassive. "If that's what you believe, then you can't understand."

"In that case, I won't hold back! It's my turn!" Yusei declared. "I summon Debris Dragon! Using Debris Dragon's effect, I can special summon a monster from my graveyard with five hundred or less attack points! I'm bringing back Tricular!

Next, during the turn I've successfully summoned a monster, I can special summon Turbo Booster from my hand! I tune level one Turbo Booster, level three Tricular, and level four Debris Dragon to synchro summon… Stardust Dragon!"

"Stardust, is it?" Mizoguchi looked only slightly amused.

"That's right," Yusei smiled, glad to have his friend by his side. "Stardust Dragon negates a card destroying effect, and destroys it. Now if I attack Driven Daredevil, Stardust will be destroyed, but Stardust negates a card destroying effect, and will destroy Driven Daredevil. As a result, Master and Servant's Resolve will deal you Daredevil's attack points, twenty-five hundred, and your lifepoints will become zero."

"We'll only know if you try it," Mizoguchi said. "But what if I stop Stardust Dragon's effect with my facedown card, and through Master and Servant's Resolve your lifepoints become zero?"

"So that means it all comes down to this next move."

"True."

"Stardust Dragon attack!"

"Trap activate," Mizoguchi countered. "Pause of the Certain Kill!"

Stardust's attack still went through, despite the trap card's activation.

Yusei: 1000

Mizoguchi: 2300

"I activate Driven Daredevil's ability! During battle with a monster with higher attack points, it survives, and destroys the opponent's attacking monster!"

"Not so fast!" Yusei cried. "I negate the effect by releasing Stardust Dragon! Victim Sanctuary!"

"Shame, but while Pause of the Certain Kill is activated, you can't release cards!"

A ring came out of Mizoguchi's card, binding Stardust to the field.

"Finish it in one more hit!" Mizoguchi ordered. "Master and Servant's Resolve!"

Daredevil's blades attempted to cut through Stardust again, but before they could reach Stardust vanished!

"But how?!"

"Simple! I play the trap Space Jump! With this card, I can remove Stardust Dragon from the field, and deal damage equal to its attack!"

Yusei: 1000

Mizoguchi: 0

With his lifepoints at zero, the shutters to the computer finally opened. Mizoguchi bowed respectfully. "You may pass, but please be kind to Lady Sherry."

Yusei paused before going inside. "I never said I was handing you over to Security."

"What?"

"Let's go. We'll have a better chance of stopping her together," Yusei said, smiling kindly.

/

"The results of the analysis," Bruno said, staring wide eyed at the screen. "Impossible!"

"It's a lie! Zhis analysis is wrong!" Sherry insisted.

The screen displayed the card as well as the analysis. Nothing unusual in the slightest. Normal.

"I mean, it is just a card. Right?" Lise said.

"But nozhing?" Sherry shook her head. "Zhen why was I chased all over zhe world for zhis card? That can't be!"

While the three of them were speculating, the card took matters into its own hands. Bright yellow light suddenly burst out of it.

"Whoa!"

/

What had been a beautiful, blue sky was suddenly darkened by purple clouds and flashes of lightning. The wind kicked up as well.

"What is this?!" Meena looked up in horror at the storm unfolding over the Bureau.

/

"Sherry! Bruno! Lise!" Yusei called out to them, shielding his eyes.

Mizoguchi walked into the computer's room right behind him. "Lady Sherry!"

Everything was going haywire. Wind and light spiraled in all directions, lowering the visibility significantly. A dark energy pulsed from the card in waves. It was all Sherry, Bruno, and Lise could do to hold on.

Yusei took off running for his friends. The next second, the light exploded from the card in a massive bubble that swept across the room.

"Lady Sherry!" Mizoguchi screamed. He passed out when the light hit him.

/

Sherry, Bruno, Lise, and Yusei found themselves suddenly in a new place. It resembled a three-dimensional white room that expanded in all directions. It looked like a dimension made of graph paper.

"Where are we?" Yusei asked.

"I don't know," Bruno said.

Sherry was just as confused. "We were supposed to be in zhe computer room."

Lise was the first one to turn around. "Uh guys, we're not alone."

The others turned to look at what Lise was pointing at. A metallic oblong shape, spun to face them. At least it seemed that way. It was difficult to determine what the machine's face was, or if it even had a face. Exhaust pipes and machinery spiraled out of the machine's center, like a metal snail shell into an up side down arc. The device had an eerily familiar presence to it.

Feelings of dread, fear, misplacement, and being watched washed over all four of them. It was as if this metal thing, whatever it was, was analyzing them.

Before Yusei blacked out, the last thing he remembered was thousands of ones and zeros scrolling past his eyes.

/

"WHOA!" Trudge yelled. What happened?!" The super computer looked like it had been burned into charcoal. Lightning, or something just as powerful, must have struck it.

But that was all there was to find; the damaged computer.

/

It was night when everyone finally came to. The lights of New Domino City sparkled across the water. Clouds drifted across the sky. Everything was normal.

"Everyone all right?" Mizoguchi asked. He held Sherry's unconscious body in his arms.

"More or less," Lise grumbled. She accepted Yusei's hand to pull her to her feet.

"Mizoguchi, did you save us? How did we end up here in Satellite?" Yusei wanted to know.

"No. When I woke up, we were all just lying here. Sherry has had a long day, but I am indebted to you, Yusei Fudo. We shall see you all again." Mizoguchi bowed respectfully, and left with Sherry in tow.

"This is strange. Just what was that thing we saw in the light?"

"I don't know," Bruno said. "But maybe that creature allowed us to escape."

"Creature?" Yusei put a finger to his lips, puzzling over what this meant.

"We should head back home," Bruno said. He took the lead. "Jack and Crow are probably worried about us."

They walked in silence for a while. All of them silently pondering what had just happened.

"Lise? What do you make of this?" Yusei asked quietly.

"I'm not really sure. There's still so much we don't know about Yliaster." Lise cracked her knuckles as she thought, and then tugged on her hair when that was through. "There's something else."

"Yeah?"

"That thing that we saw in there? It – he - that creature felt like…you."

Yusei's eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks. "What?! But I was right next to you! I wasn't – I would never!"

"I know, and I felt that too," Lise's expression was serious, weighted down with the pain her new senses had shown her. She clutched at her head. "I don't know what that thing was, but it felt like you, but all wrong! Like all the good parts were gone, or patched over, o-or locked away! It felt more like a machine than a person, but that's just what I felt. I'm sorry, this is so confusing." She dropped her hands and clasped Yusei's.

He returned the gesture, squeezing tightly. "The more we uncover, the more questions we have."

"I'm just glad I'm not by myself in all this mess," Lise smiled gently up at him.

Yusei returned the smile. "Me too."

"Guys, please don't make me a third wheel again," Bruno called back to them.

"Sorry." Lise and Yusei laughed a little bit.

Lise held her hand out, and Yusei slid his fingers between Lise's.

Bruno glanced back again, and decided hand holding was better.

"You want in on this?" Yusei asked, holding up his and Lise's intertwined hands.

"I'll pass," Bruno said. "But thanks."

(Oh my god, guys, I have the worst cold ever. I hate it so much! It hurts to brain, but I'm glad I got this chapter out there. Yusei looks extra pretty in it, so it's a win-win! Thank you so much for your love and support!)