A/N: Wow. I sure took an unexplained leave of absence from writing. And right in the middle of an arc, too! If this story wasn't complete and total trash, you'd probably be pissed.

Please forgive me for being a little rusty. It takes a while to get back into the mode, you know?

Fun Fact: Yuri and Ruri want a skunk ape as a pet.

Chapter Summary: Jean-Michel and the Doktor put their plan into action, and the Lancers prepare to fight against them.

Jean-Michel Roget had fallen in the space between dimensions, along with Jack, Reiji, and many of the Lancers. The rest fell through a portal to God knows where. Jean went down with his ship, but he had taken down his enemies.

At least, until Reiji was able to save them. The Lancers used their Disks to teleport themselves and their comrades to another Dimension, leaving Jean at the mercy of his own scheme.

The funny this, Jean-Michel's plan had failed. Instead of falling into nothingness, he and his building were teleported to another dimension. It was the one time where a plan backfiring was a blessing for him.

Jean-Michel stayed in that dimension for a while. Although people were generally not receptive to a stranger and his strange building, he was able to find people who opened their arms to him. And in exchange for his knowledge on dimensional travel technology, they awarded him with quite a bit of money. The money, of course, would be used to finance his next adventure.

He returned to the Fusion Dimension shortly after Academia's fall. He was able to get into contact with one of his old associates. And from there, they were able to formulate a plan and set their plans into motion.

For a long time, he and the Doktor had been manipulating the medical staff to help implant Fusion Parasites into students. Freshmen, and anyone who came to the infirmary, were infected. Though they were usually inactive, they could have their Fusion Parasites activated at any time. Within a moment, these sleeper agents could wake up and serve them.

Security was infected, one by one, until they were all obedient slaves. They allowed Jean to take over the security room, giving him access to the cameras and security system. And with him in the school's brain, he was able to observe everything within his domain.

Of course, the Lancers just had to show up and ruin their take-over. Once more, four of them were planning to stay the entire summer - including the one child who was immune to the Fusion Parasite. He wanted to take them over, but he needed to be patient, and bide his time.

But maybe it was a blessing in disguise. He could take over some of the people who posed the biggest threat to him. Including Reiji, his arch-nemesis. Just have them all go in for an examination and

But Reiji leaving put a wrench in his plan. The fact that he was leaving so suddenly made Jean worry that the boy suspected something. And if he suspected something, it was too dangerous to let him slip through his fingers. Which is why he and the Doktor initiated the King's Pawn Game.

Now was not the time to worry about Reiji. Now, Jean-Michel was in the security room, watching Serena as she ran from hall to hall, passing camera to camera. She could run but, try as she might, she couldn't hide from his watchful eyes.

He heard a small ping on his Duel Disk. A sign that the sleeper agents were now ready for commands. Sector Q, students with free periods at this time, would be reached. He would tell them to roam the halls and begin searching for Serena or the Lancers.

Jean-Michel smiled as he texted the students his commands. His little pawns would be going after his queen. He had eyes and ears all over the school, granting him total omniscience. His enemies had no way of escaping him, and they would soon fall under his lead. Victory was finally in sight, and it was delicious.

Serena didn't know where she was anymore. Even here, at the school she grew up in, she was lost. She had been running so much, without any destination in mind. The only thing on her mind was escaping to warn the others.

She could hear the sound of footsteps. People were chasing after her. She didn't try to look back and see them, because she was too focused on going forward. Or was it because she was afraid to look back?

She was running, always running. How long had it been now? As she went down a hall, she could hear people coming around the corner, ahead of her. They were going to box her in.

Luckily, she was able to jump out of a window, land in a tree, and jump through a window to the next floor down.

And even then, when she tumbled back into the school, she knew the didn't have time to stop. A few kids immediately walked towards her. Not taking any risks, she took off yet again.

But after running for so long, Serena couldn't help but stop for a moment. When she was sure that she lost her pursuers, she ran into a room and locked the door. She made her way towards the windows to the outside world and closed them, making sure to completely seal herself in.

Now that she had her peace, she was able to take in her surroundings. She was in a classroom, though it seemed to be empty. The class was either having their lessons somewhere else that day, or they were the ones who were chasing her. Either way, she hoped that they weren't captured by the Doktor.

Okay, so she was alone, and she was (moderately) safe. Now that she had time to think, she was able to formulate an idea on what to to.

Serena sat underneath the window and looked to her Duel Disk. She looked up her phone contacts and pressed the name of the person she wanted to call.

Yuya's Duel Disk let out a ring. He lifted his arm and brought the screen closer to his face. He swiped he accept button, which revealed Serena.

Serena was sweating and panting. She looked extremely ragged, and she was having a bit of trouble keeping her screen from shaking. Yuya could tell that she wasn't in a very happy position right now.

"Serena?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"Y-Yuya," she responded. "Asuka lead me to the Doktor. He's trying to control the school."

Yuya nodded solemnly. "Where are you? I'll go get you right now."

"EEY!" came Sawatari's voice. "How do we know she's not brainwashed?"

Yuya pushed his screen back, revealing that Sawatari and Gongenzaka were behind him. Both of them had Ra Yellow blazers. They seemed to be in a room that was oddly familiar to Serena; it had a large machine in the back, which was glowing green.

"Where are you guys?" Serena responded. "Wherever you are, stay there; don't let yourselves get caught."

Yuya brought the sreen closer to his face again. "I'm not going to leave you. I'll come and-"

"No, we can't," said Reiji.

Yuya shifted the screen to show Serena everyone in the room. Leo and Reiji were hunched over the machine, staring at small computer screens in front of them. Sawatari, Gongenzaka were looking back at Serena with a bit of unease.

"Sawatari's right," Reiji continued. "We can't risk a trap right now. We can save her when we deactivate the Solid Vision."

"What are you guys up to?" Serena asked.

Yuya brought the screen back to himself. "After you left with Asuka, Yuri made me take over and go back to class. But by the time I got there, most of the class had left."

"They were activated by the Doktor," Gongenzaka called out. "Sawatari and I were left in the classroom, and Reiji got us shortly after."

"Leo was able to recognize the signs of possession on some of the students, so we gathered the Lancers we could find. But you and Sora are still out there..."

"Don't worry about me," Serena responded. "I'm... I'm immune to the mind control now."

"Sounds like something a brainwashed kid would say!" shouted Sawatari.

"Shut up! ... But yeah, I'll be fine, so long as I hide out. Just work on finding a way out."

Yuya egao'd, then tapped his right ear. "We're already on it!"

Yuya turned his head to the left, showing his right ear. A small, metal earplug was inserted in the canal, and it was emitting a small, flashing yellow light.

"The Professor had some earplugs to block out the Parasites," Yuya explained. "The Fusion Parasites can't breath through them, and it emits a small signal that disrupts them if they try and touch it."

"I couldn't work with the Doktor without having my own form of protection," said the Professor. "My headpiece is similar to it. Unfortunately, they're of a limited supply."

"But we have a pair left over, so we can give them to Serena!" Yuya offered.

"Yuya, we don't have time for this," Reiji said coldly. "We're all going to take part in a plan, and we won't have time to spend searching for Serena. And if she's luring us into a trap, then we'll be at a bigger disadvantage."

A silence fell over the room. Serena let out a small, frustrated sigh in response. Admittedly, the fact that she was suspect to them stung a little. She completely understood why, of course. And she agreed that it was for the best.

But it felt like she was more alone than ever now. No side trusted her. And being able to hide in this room was the best thing she had going for her now.

Amidst her sulking, she hard Yuya say something.

"Hey. I trust you, Serena."

Serena blinked and looked back at the screen. Yuya was giving her a soft, comforting egao.

"I can just tell it's you," he told her.

Serena egao'd. "Yuya."

"We're going to go over our plans and move out. Just sit tight and keep yourself safe. If I run into you, I'll save you."

"Thank you."

The two exchanged nods, and Serena tapped a red button at the bottom of the screen, ending the call. She still sat underneath a window of the room. She was sitting in darkness, listening to the sound of hurried footsteps just outside. Her hand hovered over her Duel Disk, keeping it at the ready should she need to fight.

The three Lancers stood before the Akaba men, dutifully waiting for their next orders. Leo kept a hand on the machine, eyeing the screen, while Reiji faced his team with a determined look on his face.

"Men, we are at a disadvantage," Reiji explained to them. "We were only able to save ourselves and gather here. We barely know what the situation is like out there, and how much of the Doktor's touch has permeated the school, and who is a friend or an enemy."

The Lancers looked at him without faltering. By now, they had all come to accept that the odds were once again against them. They were just focused on finding out what they can do to fix it.

"And with the little time we've had, I was only able to come up with a makeshift plan. We're taking huge risks in implementing it, but it might be the only way to fight against the Doktor."

The Lancers still gave nods of approval. They knew the risks, and they were completely willing to do this anyway. And when he saw this reaction, Reiji couldn't help but let a proud egao slip through.

"To be effective, we need to spread out and systematically do what we can to counter our enemies. So each of us will have our own assignment, which me must all execute flawlessly. Any mistakes can endanger yourself, put the plan at risk, and hurt all of us."

"My son and I will be working on the machine here," Leo explained. "We can replicate the Solid Vision disruption technology the ear pieces have, but on a much larger scale."

"We'll be able to destroy all the Fusion Parasites, and keep the Doktor from creating any more. It will also prevent us from using Solid Vision in duels, but this means that they can't use it, either."

"But what if people find you?" Yuya asked. "If duelists break in, you'll have to fight them off."

"That's where Sawatari comes in," Reiji explained. "He will act as our bodyguard, and hold off anyone who manages to break in."

"You can count on me, chief!" Sawatari said proudly.

"He doesn't need to win; he just needs to stall."

"You can... count on me, chief..."

Sawatari slouched and groaned. Yuya gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"The man, Gongenzaka," Reiji stated. "You will be taking control of the security room."

"The security room is the brain of the school," Leo stated. "If we can access to all the cameras, we can see the extent of the Doktor's reach."

"As well as predict his movements. I wouldn't be surprised if the enemy had the same idea, so you'll likely have to fight them for control of the room. But gain control, and you've severely crippled our enemies."

Gongenzaka nodded. "The man, Gongenzaka accepts this mission. I'll do whatever I can to get into the room."

"It would be a huge boon to us," Reiji agreed. "Yuya, your mission is designed especially for you."

"Eh?" Yuya wondered. "What do you need?"

"Since you're athletic, fast, great on your skates, and with strong legs that can run circles around anyone, you'd be perfect Lancer for getting through the school. You must leave the school and teleport to Pendulum. Alert my mother, and we'll have LDS."

"Understood."

"Why does he need to leave the school to teleport?" Sawatari asked.

"That would just put an unnecessary risk on him," Gongenzaka added. "Couldn't he just teleport away now? Or Sawatari can leave, and Yuya will guard?"

"GEE, THANKS!" Sawatari snapped.

"Yuya is the best fighter; he would be best suited for the job."

"Oh. Yeah. Well-"

This time, it was Leo's turn to speak, "For the students' safety, technology has been added to block people from teleporting in and out of the school grounds. This prevents bad people from breaking in and causing damage, or spies from making off with anything when they actually make it inside."

"And luckily, it keeps the Doktor's minions trapped in the school," Reiji added. "So the rest of the world is safe from the Parasites, for the time being."

"Yuya, can't you just use Clear Wing to take you home?" Gongenzaka asked. "It was able to bring us here in the first place."

Yuya shook his head. "Clear Wing is completely against us leaving without Yuzu and the others. Frankly, I agree with it."

"But you're still going to try and escape, because it's for the greater good," Reiji said. "Because you're a caring person like that."

"...Yes," Yuya said bitterly. "I'll do it."

"If you happen to find Serena, and you are absolutely sure she's not possessed, then you can take her with you. But you must not let her out of your sight once she leaves the school."

Yuya egao'd. "Right! Thank you, Reji."

"No, Yuya. Thank you."

And it was right then that the doors to the room slid open. A panicky Chronos scuttled in and made a beeline towards the Professor.

"Professor!" he cried. "Mama mia, I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Everyone looked on at Chronos in horror. Even Reiji lost his cold indifference, lookin very perturbed. Leo even let out a small grunt of annoyance.

"... What?"

"Sawatari," Reiji said. "You were supposed to lock the door."

"What?" Sawatari said defensively. "So I forgot. Big deal."

"It is a big deal."

Gongenzaka ran towards the door. He tapped at a few buttons on a nearby touchpad, and the doors were coming to a close.

Meanwhile, Reiji, Yuya and the Professor surrounded Chronos. They looked him up and down, keeping close so as not to let him escape them. Chronos just looked down at them and started to sweat nervously. They just all kept silent, though Chronos let a few, Italian-accented whimpers slip by.

Yuya's face softened when the image of Starving Venom appeared in his mind. Somehow, he could tell that the teacher wasn't a threat to them. Or at least, his dragon could.

"... He's clean," Leo said finally.

"How do you know?" Yuya asked. He kept his eyes on Chronos.

"My headpiece can detect heat signatures, physical abnormalities in people, auras. I can tell if someone is under their control, because Solid Vision their own, different signature."

"I know I'm clean!" Chronos protested. "I'm here to talk to you about my students! Half of them just walked out of class! The other half tried to attack me, but I was luckily able to escape them."

"Parasites," Yuya said. "Those students were probably taken over by Fusion Parasites, and they're making a move to take over the school. You really are lucky to be here."

"Parasites?" Chronos scoffed. "That is ridiculous. Next you'll be telling me that the rumors about the abandoned dorm are true."

"The what?"

"Let's put that aside for now," Reiji said. "Chronos, you can back up Sawatari and protect me and the Professor. We'll be working on a way to disable the Fusion Parasites."

"... Right," Chronos responded. "If it will protect the students, I'll do whatever you need of me."

There was a knock at the door, and everyone went silent. Gongenzaka slowly backed away from the door, though still kept his eyes glued on them. The others looked at each other uneasily, and Sawatari activated his Duel Disk.

The knocks turned into a series of loud poundings. Whatever was on the other side of the door, they were trying very hard to break right in. A few dents were starting to appear in the door.

"Maybe if we keep silent, they won't know we're in here," Yuya whispered.

Leo looked to Chronos. "Did anyone follow you here?"

"I don't think so," Chronos whispered. "Maybe? But I'm sure I wasn't. I think."

"They probably saw where you went through the cameras," Gongenzaka whispered. "Or heard the door open. Thanks for that, Sawatari."

"Hey, I got us the teacher guy on her side!" Sawatari whispered back. "Maybe they heard your sandals, clanging like a freaking robot's toes."

"... Oh. Well..."

"Enough talk," Leo said to them, also whispering. "I have an escape tunnel that leads to the Chancellor's office, on the other side of the room."

"What?" Chronos gasped. "Why would you have that?"

"I have secrets everywhere in this school. And it just so happens that it would be useful now."

"Yuya, Gongenzaka," Reiji said. "The Professor can lead you to the tunnel. Go through and hope that the office hasn't been invaded."

Gongenzaka and Yuya both nodded. "Right."

Leo took a step towards another end of the room. He looked back at the two boys and shook his head, motioning for them to follow him. "The office isn't too far off from the security room. There should be maps or information in the office, should you two need anything."

The door was creaking loudly, and the knocks grew louder. The tip of the sword managed to rip through the metal doors. And the sound of a woman's laughter could be heard on the other side.

Leo pressed a button on the wall. A few panels on the wall slid up, revealing a darkened passageway. While Gongenzaka and Yuya took their first steps into the tunnel, Leo ran back towards the machine.

Chronos stepped forward and stood beside Sawatari. His own Duel Disk activated, and the duo both drew their hands. Though they were both sweating bullets, they were at the ready to fight.

"They're on to us!" Sawatari yelled. "Go, guys!"

Yuya peered out from the tunnel. "Be safe, Sawatari."

The sword pulled back, then returned ripping through the door with a vengeance. The hole it was creating was slowly widening with each whack, and more and moreof the sword was exposed to them.

A voice came from beyond the door: "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

It was Grace Tyler.

A/N: There's a shit-ton of details about Jean and the Doktor's plan, but I didn't get to cover all of them; I didn't want exposition and backstory to take up so much of the story and drag it down, so I boiled it down to the most important details. This way, the most important information is brought up, and the extra stuff is up for interpretation. That being said though, there are still some things that will be explained later.

You're probably wondering, "Why can't they just call Himika and tell her about the invasion? The Lancers have cross-dimensional communication, right?" They do, but that's also partially jammed by the technology that prevents people from teleporting in and out of the school. Himika also barley answers her phone, anyway; she can only be reached in person, or through Facebook.

Next time: With the Lancers split up, they begin their counter-attacks against Jean.