When Ankh returned to his Duel Runner, he looked to Philip with a dead gaze, a brow raised as he looked to the sole member of the group that seemed to have it out for him and Hades. "You okay?" he asked, and the boy frowned, but still nodded regardless.

"How'd you find me?" he asked, and Ankh shrugged. "Magick. You idiots might not believe me and Hades, but we are half Duel Spirit. Unless you wanna believe that I smelled the bitch on you?" he teased, a smirk on his face as Philip frowned in his direction.

However, the boy hesitated, realizing that regardless of how he felt about Ankh and Hades, and what him and Okami believed pertaining them, that the self proclaimed Spellcaster did save his life. He'd went out on his own, thinking that he would be fine. This place wasn't as dangerous as they made it out to be. He could do anything.

When he was blindsided, dragged into an alley and beaten down, he realized that he was wrong. And for Ankh to save him despite everything said a lot about his character. "Why help me? All I've done is hate on you?" he asked, and Ankh hummed, as if seriously pondering it.

"It's not yo fault you a hater. I can tell you be insecure about not being a Signer's kid like everyone else." he mused, seeing a frown on Philip's face. He could tell what that look was, a defiant gaze that felt like it had something to prove. Ankh had held that same gaze before, despite the fact that the two were the same age. Hades used to have that look on his face as well, and sometimes still does, believing himself unfairly indebted to Ankh because of his mother's hospitality and kindness.

"Regardless, get on. We finna get you back to that hotel. You obviously can't be trusted by yourself." he mused, something that Philip couldn't argue with, regardless of the fact that his didn't want to hear it.

When Shurit awoke on this day, he realized that he felt a lot better. With each passing day, his physical wellbeing was improving, his figure filling out as he replenished his lost weight. The quality of his skin and hair even improved, something that he was grateful for as well. If he saw his face reflected in a surface, he no longer felt that self-loathing at his thin, filthy form. He almost looked the same he did before, save for a few pounds.

However, his mental state was different. He was in an odd place mentally, because as his physical well being improved slowly but surely, his mind struggled to keep up. He thought off and on about what he would do once he felt completely replenished, his wobbly posture and lost physical strength the only issues ailing him. Would he stay or leave? He always weighed these options, even when he slept.

If he left, he'd be alone, in the Spirit World or wandering the human world as a spirit, unable to interact with anyone who was human. This didn't sit well with him, because he wasn't sure that he could even make many friends back in the Spirit World. With the arrival of the unusual 'XYZ' monsters, the entire world was a bit off, much like when Synchros first started to appear. It was rather odd as well, the influx of new Duel Spirits always matched up with the beginning of a new era in the human world, their society's leaders creating new summoning methods in a card game.

He always wondered why the two were connected, but he assumed that it was whatever divine forces existed at work. His parents never really paid much attention, as their tribe, the Nekroz, was infact based in the summoning method humans called 'Ritual'. He frowned slightly from where he sat.

That was always the biggest thing to him. His parents. Without them, he was orphaned, and he didn't really have friends, and neither did his parents really. They always kept to themselves, in their own little corner or on their own unique paths that no one ever traversed at the same time as them. It was a lonely existence, yes, but Shurit was happy because he had his family. Now that he lost them all, even Exa, he began to wonder what he'd be able to do.

Because in all of his years, few as they might seem to someone as old as his parents were, he'd never been alone. Even when his parents weren't around, he always had Exa or Ankh around to keep him company. He blinked. There it was again. The primary issue he was having. Ankh.

Ankh was his only friend growing up, the only person who was on his level that wanted to hang out with him. Other children or young Duel Spirits around his age weren't very friendly, regardless of who or what they were. But Ankh was different, which made the fact that Ankh was the one who killed his parents one of the things that shattered his psyche. He did it so simply, so casually. And yet, here he was in Ankh's house.

Around his family, who offered him hospitality at his request. It was almost like Ankh had a lapse of judgment, and was trying to repent for the sins of his split personality. At least, that's how Ankh's father looked at it. He didn't want to forgive Ankh, because of what he did, but at the same time, that same evil that cast him into this darkness was the only thing offering him hope or salvation.

"You at it again?" he heard, turning to see Dharc the Dark Charmer looking at him with his brow raised and his arms folded. Shurit wasn't very comfortable around him, as he'd heard about all the things he'd done in the Spirit World, but he seemed to be another person who was calmer, nicer, and more reformed than in their checkered past.

"Thinking? Yes." he said, realizing that with his improving body, he could afford to be more confident and bold, argumentative even. Dharc nodded, scratching his head as he passed through the living room and heading towards the Dining Room and Kitchen. "Well, if you got time to think, you could always work through it. Ms. Yuuki is gonna open the Card Shoppe in a little bit. Maybe you should give it a try. Help a few humans and see how you feel." he mused, and Shurit glanced to the floor. Should he?

Sitting on the couch at their hideout, Lars groaned at the pain he was in. He had finished his tattoo the night before, late, and Cal did a few touch ups earlier to make sure that it was all correct, something that he was very thorough about, checking each line and curve as if his own life depended on how they looked on Lars' lean back. "Now what?" he asked, looking to Hades, who shrugged. "We're gonna chill. Selena is gonna pull up after she's done at work, so we can decide what to do after that." he mused, looking to the newest member of his group.

"You sure you made the right decision? Anybody that don't like us sees your back and it might be a fight." he said, and Lars sighed, shifting to lay on his stomach, his eyes half lidded as his cheek hit the cushion of the couch. "Yeah. I wanted to be my own man, not some snobby prodigy in the shadow of my super cool parents." he said, sarcasm dripping off his tone as Hades laughed. "At least you got the right idea. I gots to respect you for that. Hopefully Pierre and Axel are sitting somewhere and realizing that they fucked up and got cocky." he said, and Lars hummed.

"Have you made any progress on finding them?" he asked, and Hades shrugged, frowning when he realized that this wasn't going as smoothly as he wanted it to. "Not much. We've been taking out smaller gangs here and there and interrogating them. I'm glad I got the help of some of my old homies, but we haven't found anything past most of the lil' gangs being branches from bigger ones." he mused, almost to himself as well. Lars hummed, his teal colored hair falling over his face. "What about those big gangs? Have you done any recon on them?'" he asked.

"A lil bit. Prollem is that taking em out is a last resort. If you take out the big bad without a plan, all the lil bads are gonna indirectly cause even bigger prollems than the first guy." he said, and Lars hummed. That did make sense. If you killed a King without there being an heir or someone conquering the land and declaring themselves leader by way of regicide, all of the Lords, Barons, Dukes and such would immediately plunge the land into war, something that wouldn't be good for anyone.

"So… what are you gonna do about this place? Ankh told me you guys were trying to clean it up." he mused, and Hades nodded. "He's thought it through more than me, but the idea is for there to be a new 'Triumvirate', or Big Three. It's the top three scariest dudes in any given gang, and the thought of all three comin at you is sposed to shut you up and sit you down." he said, and Lars blinked. That sounded like it made sense. They needed a force, numbering however many, that would intimidate criminals into stagnation, dropping the crime rate and everything.

"So… who did you have in mind?" he asked, and Hades hummed. "Well, Selena is definitely one. I was thinking about you, but normally the whole trio in one place, ya feel? Maybe Selena could become so bad ya wouldn't hafta, but iono bout dat." he mused, almost to himself. "As for the last motherfucker, I got no damn clue. Hafta ask Ankh bout that." he said, wondering if his cousin even had anyone in mind.

With Philip dropped off, the half breed leaving before anyone could question him or berate him, Ankh headed off to a specific location. One of his primary reasons for coming here was to talk to an old friend. He was a boy that Ankh befriended in his youth, a meek child named Remington, who he called Remmy. Ankh himself hoped his friend was fine, because the last thing he'd want is to find him dead or defeated.

And for some reason, this made Ankh's mind flash to Shurit. He wondered exactly how the boy was doing, because the last he'd seen him, he was crying at his mother's grave. Had he even moved since then? And was he even still alive? Ankh cursed himself, wondering what came over him to make him react so unusually. He was normally in control of himself, his ability to switch between multiple personalities and personas as flawless and easy as his ability to switch a monster to Defense position.

And yet, with the Nekroz, he lost all semblance of control. It was like the darkest, most vile parts of his heart and mind lashed out, like the monster who chained that man in the basement all that time ago was in control. He wondered why that was, realizing that this trip was far different from what he thought it'd be.

As he turned a corner, following the speed limit because he was trying to think, he realized that all of the personas and facades he had were starting to blend together. He tried to act certain ways around certain people, and he wondered if that inability to be himself was the core issue. If his repressed emotions and feelings overwhelmed him at certain points, his negativity from his 'Pale Rider' persona lashing out at Avance while 'Ankoku Kodomo' showed Shurit the same compassion and positive teasing that Milla and Dharc were used to. He'd have to do some soul searching, figure out what this imbalance in his heart and mind were.

When he reached the house he last knew Remmy lived at, he noticed something. There were Duel Runners outside, numbering four, and the front door of the small two story house was cracked open. Ankh immediately pulled his helmet off, walking at a brisk pace and pulling his gun, frowning at the possibility of his friend being under siege.

He didn't even bother using his inhuman powers, the frown on his face carrying him all the way to the cracked door. He lifted his boot, kicking the door open wide as he stormed in, his arm out and gun brandished as he looked through the empty living room. He walked through, his eyes and ears paying close attention to everything as he made his way towards the first bedroom, which was off the far corner of the living room.

He inhaled, hearing a voice that he didn't recognize on the other side, his boot connecting with the door mere seconds before he pulled the trigger, a loud bang ringing out as a man was struck in the throat, dropping the crowbar in his hand and hitting the wall as he fell to the ground holding his neck. Ankh turned away, heading through the house with the knowledge that there were still three men left, the Dining Room and Kitchen empty.

His ears picked up noise from the bathroom, which was but a wall away from the kitchen. He approached, slowly opening the door to the small half bath, seeing a middle aged woman gasp at him as she held her hands over her mouth. It was his friend's mother, and she looked terrified, tears staining her cheeks. "Koko, is that you?" she whispered, and he nodded, placing a finger over his lips and pointing upstairs. She nodded, confirming Ankh's suspicions as he smiled to her, a silent sign that everything would be alright.

As he walked up the steps, he looked to the doors of each room. The upstairs bathroom door was open, the room empty, steam fading from the mirrors. Ankh noticed this and realized that whoever broke in must have caught Remmy while he was in the shower, something that he wasn't a big fan of. He noticed the upstairs hallway closet was open, nothing mussed within. The door to Remmy's mother's room was open, empty along with the door to her office.

The only closed door was Remmy's, and Ankh knew that he'd be unable to get his friend away from three men without using some kind of magick. He first used sensory magick to tell that Remmy was tied to a chair, weakened and surrounded. Two of the men were brandishing weapons, and the third man was wielding something small, likely a gun and sitting in a second chair, his back to the door. Ankh hesitated as he approached the door, wondering how the men would react.

He could easily break the door down and shoot the man in the chair, but would the other two men flinch, attack him or strike Remmy? He waited for a moment, listen through the door in an attempt to learn more.

"Why don't you tell me where the rest of yo damn bitch ass homies are." he heard, a light laugh coming from Remmy. "Fuck you." he said, Ankh surprised at his friend's vulgarity. "We got a guy downstairs waitin' on a word, kid. One shout from me and ya mama dies." he said, hearing a growl from his friend, who had slightly labored breathing. "Yo damn goon couldn't even beat my dick much less my mom!" he shouted, and Ankh had to bite his tongue.

His friend had a vastly different attitude, and he had to hold back laughter. He inhaled, realizing that if he used his magick fast enough, he could launch three bullets and redirect them at the men, the only issue being the disposal of the bodies. He heard a noise, as if someone was struck with something, and then a loud sputter from Remmy. "Hows about I kill you and then the four of us take care of ya mama? You think she could stop all of us, brat?" he asked, and Ankh realized that this was his time.

He moved as fast as he could, kicking the door in with as much force as he could, pulling the trigger of his gun three times, his magick redirecting the bullets to strike the two men surrounding Remmy in the arms, making them drop their weapons as their leader was struck in the back of the skull.

Ankh moved silently, another series of loud gunshots ringing out as he littered the two injured men with bullets, their bleeding frames falling to the ground, Remmy clad in only a blood stained towel staring at Ankh in shock. Ankh looked to his friend, flashing him a smile that made the restrained male's green eyes light up with happiness. "Koko! Where'd you come from!?" he asked, Ankh smiling as he released his friend from his bonds.

When he did, he noticed the large tattoo on his back, one that was very familiar to him, as it was a piece done by Cal's predecessor, Ankh realizing now that the man asking Remmy for the location of his allies was referring to the Black Magicians. Ankh decided to cast this thought to the back of his mind, and instead smiled at his friend.

Bar a few bruises and a split lip, his friend was still the same. He had chipper, youthful features, emerald green eyes and sandy gray hair that matches his browned skin. He laughed, shaking his head at his friend's situation. "I stopped by to say hi and do some business and Selena tell me that nobody taught you how to make the choppa spray. Could have that, could we Peten?"