"There was nothing!" Zigzix complained as he threw his arms in the air in frustration. "Nadda. Not even an inch of energy given off."
"Thank you. Keep me updated." Goodwin hung up with a sign. God Damnit! There hadn't been a single sign of these kids having the mark of the dragon. Only that one little blip during that first duel. When those twins switched places and the little girl was in the crowd.
Goodwin pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to get the Zigzix induced headache to go away. That man was too much. All the time.
"You know, we need someone who will break these signers, not bend them." Lazar chuckled. He had been standing beside the director for most of the tournament, only leaving to fetch information or relay information they find out.
"Yes," Goodwin agreed. "It seems Hunter was not the best candidate."
"That means up next is…" The short man trailed off, giggling creepily once again. Goodwin didn't need to ask what he was going to say. The silver-haired man already knew. But, Lazar didn't get a chance to continue.
"What are you talking about?" The demand was followed by a growling bark. It was Jack. They had been leaving him out for a reason, but now was as good of a time as any to reveal a little of their plan. "What are you planning behind my back? This isn't just a chance to duel me, is it?"
"No, this tournament is how we are confirming our suspicions of potential signers." Goodwin sat on the couch and gestured for Jack to do the same. Celeste jumped up to sit between them, pressing her side to Jack's. "We are going to be allowing a consolation game, a match to confirm one contestant of being a signer."
"And which one would that be?" Jack asked. Goodwin pulled up a floating screen, this one was another video call with Zigzix. Unfortunately, the scientist could explain the Ener-D a bit better than him. If only he would pick up.
"We suspect it is a little girl named Luna," Goodwin answered, pulling up another smaller screen of the girl and her brother. "She was supposed to duel, but it seems we had a bit of a switch-prank with her twin brother. He had dueled Grieger in her place. Ah- Dr. Zigzix!"
"My deepest apologies, Director Goodwin." The scientist spun around, having been dancing to some music earlier, rear-end waving at the camera. The brunette bowed multiple times, face almost too close to the screen. "I was checking my equipment for the next duel."
"That's good to hear. Would you mind explaining to Mr. Atlas and Ms. Celeste about Ener-D?" Zigzix seemed shocked by this but was as excited as usual to explain his findings.
"Well, we need this little needle here." Zigzix jumped to his small machine and pointed to the small black needle encased in glass. "To move. Even in the slightest way. We just need it to move into the yellow area and we will know for sure little Miss Luna is a signer."
Zigzix pulled the handheld machine from view and started spinning wildly.
"And more singers mean more energy and more energy means more Ener-D-" The doctor gasped, trying to catch a breath from his rambling. His face was practically pressed to the camera, close enough for them to see the veins of his eyes. Goodwin cut the call off before Zigzix could get another word in.
"What makes you think she's a signer?" Jack asked. He rested a hand on Celeste's back, digging his gloved hand into the thick fur around her neck.
"A few things," Goodwin replied. Pulling up another blue window with a few pictures and an article, he slid it over to Jack. "She had first started dueling at the age of three. She was beating some of the greatest duelists in the world. But one day she fell into a coma in the middle of a duel, with no explanation."
Goodwin called forth another screen, this one with a few pictures of Leo.
"Her twin brother had stayed by her side the entire time, calling her name and claiming she will wake up soon."
"What's this have to do with the signers?"
"After she woke up," Lazar interjects. "She claimed she was in the world of duel spirits. There have been theories of such a world being connected with the Nazca lines." Lazar pulled up a window of his own. This one shows the strange and ancient artworks carved into stone.
"Eight years later and neither one remembers what had happened." Goodwin snapped the windows away. "And we hope this duel will help bring her back to the event that happened."
"That's all fine and dandy," Jack seemed to snap. "What about a partner? Me, Crow, Yusei, and that Akiza girl all have one. They have the same marks we do."
"Yes," Goodwin nodded. He pulled up a final window, it was a security camera picture of a pink and white fox with bows and ribbons. On the creature's right shoulder was a claw-like pink mark printed on the fur. "His name is Shard. Before Luna went into the coma, he looked different. He was smaller with brown and tan fur."
"Kind of like Celeste when we were kids," Jack mumbled quietly. Goodwin nodded.
"During the coma," the silver-haired man continued. "He, too, passed out. There was debate from veterinarians to put the poor thing down, but Leo and his partner, Kari, had insisted on leaving him alone as well. That he would also wake up.
"When both woke up, there was a bright light and Shard had changed into what you see before you."
"You mentioned her brother having a partner as well, Kari. Is he a signer as well?"
"No," Goodwin shook his head as he closed that final window. "While he was dueling Grieger, there was no sign of him being a signer. Lazar." He turned to his assistant. "Can you go prepare Frank for his duel?"
"Yes, Director Goodwin." And the man left.
"Now," Goodwin stood from his seat. "Let's see how this duel is going to pan out. Unfortunately, I will miss the first few minutes. I have some other business to attend to. Enjoy the show, Mr. Atlas."
Goodwin stepped out of the room and passed the guards standing on either side of the door. They both greeted him, but Goodwin paid no mind. He walked down to Zigzix's temporary lab, where the scientist was staying during the duels. It was a few meters underground and Goodwin was the only one with a key to the elevator that reached the level. Other than Zigzix and Lazar, Of course.
Once the elevator stopped and he stepped off, he was greeted with a hug. It was a small one, about the height of a child, the head of the person only coming below his hip. Goodwin looked down. Two large red eyes looked back up to him, kind and forgiving.
"Sorry, I didn't get to visit sooner, Turner." The man kneeled down to the creature's level. Blue paws fell from Goodwin's leg, one still fisting a handful of the white fabric. The man placed a hand on his friend's head, ruffling the short, blue hair. "These duels have been taking up a lot of time and I can't let anyone see you."
The two-legged creature tilted his head, mouth settling in a pout. Goodwin's hand traveled to the side of Turner's head, brushing back the long, tear-drop-shaped black fur that fell from either side of his face.
"I know. You want to meet Celeste, but you can't." The pout stayed. "Tell you what? When the final duel is over, we can go for a walk or play at the park."
Turner smiled and cheered, jumping up and down like the child he was. He turned and ran for the sliding glass door, deeper into the small lab.
"Oh, Director Goodwin." Zigzix pushed his amber glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I didn't expect you here. Especially with the last duel about to commence."
"Just needed to say 'hi' to Turner and see how he was doing with you," he replied with a smile.
"He is doing just fine," Zigzix exclaimed, swinging Turner up and into the air. The creature laughed as he threw his arms up, happily. "Turner loves playing with the old parts of faulty equipment. Just one of the things he enjoys doing when with me."
Goodwin caught the marking on his friend's back. The condor. A mark of the Dark Signers. Was he really supposed to turn out like his brother? Destined to become evil? Was he going to break the promise he made to him?
"You know he misses you." Goodwin snapped out of his thoughts. Zigzix was giving him a questioning look.
"I'm sorry, Doctor." Goodwin pinched the bridge of his nose again. "Who are you referring to?"
"Turner." The scientist stepped to his side, watching the creature fiddle with the faulty parts of an old vacuum. His back was to them again, Dark Signer partly showing. "He seems to always look to the door while he's down here like he's waiting for you to come down."
"I know, but I can't let him be seen by the signers," Goodwin sighed. He called Turner away from the parts. "I have to go back upstairs, okay? The next duel has already started and I am needed to oversee it."
The creature nodded and gave him a hug. Goodwin scooped him up, wrapping him in a proper hug. Blue paws found their way around his neck and hid his face into the embrace.
After a few seconds, Goodwin placed Turner down and patted him on the head again. He walked out and started his hunt for a lint roller. Turner's blue and black fur had stuck to his clothing.
Maybe his friend needed a good brushing after the duel.