The helicopter flew steadily towards the Satellite. The closer it got, the more treacherous it became. The sky darkened and lightning flashed in all directions. Trudge did his best to avoid getting zapped.
"You seem to be in the know." Aki turned to Mikage. Anything for a distraction from the dangerous outdoors. That and her hand on Fish's back was vibrating just as badly as her friend. "What's the story behind this Old Reactor thing?"
Mikage's expression turned dark. Brown eyes darting between Aki and Yusei. "They call it Zero Reverse. A massive energy reactor being built by a group called the RRD malfunctioned and released a powerful charge of negative energy. That's what separated Satellite from the mainland of Domino City. The head of the reactor research division was Yusei's father…"
"Go back a few," Trudge interrupted. "Why was some nobody from Satellite in charge of such an important project?"
Yusei swallowed. It was like Goodwin was always trying to give them just enough information to go into trouble off balance. His friends talking about him like he wasn't even there wasn't helping either. He frowned out the window, trying to keep a lid on the mess swirling around inside him.
A hand rested on his shoulder. Warm and steadying him in the moment. We'll get through this.
Lise.
Her touch didn't fix anything, but she understood. Probably better than anyone how mixed-up Yusei was feeling. Both their families had a hand in this story. It was like their two storms quieted each other.
Thanks.
"Yusei and his dad were born in Domino City," Jack explained grumpily.
"So are you saying this Satellite reject isn't actually a Satellite reject?"
Jack's eyes narrowed and his voice went cold. "I was born in the Satellite, Trudge. Got a problem with that?"
Trudge's eyes widened. "Uh, no, of course not…" He focused his attention on piloting.
"That's right, turn around."
"Lise?"
"Hmm?"
"You can fly, right? So why did you ride with us?" Ruka asked. Her hazel eyes on the lightning flashing outside.
She shrugged. "If this bird goes down, flying everyone to safety is gonna take a lot out of me. Besides, Fish is afraid of lightning."
"No I'm not!" Fish snapped. But her shaking, shivering, and chattering teeth gave her away. She clung to Aki's hand and arm like it was a life preserver. It wasn't even cold in the helicopter.
"Um, is this lightning bothering anyone else?" Trudge asked.
"Yes!" Fish shrieked when the latest bolt of lightning came scarily close. Illuminating the helicopter's interior with white light.
"Okay… I'm thinking we should turn this bird around."
"Our primary directive is to reach Satellite," Mikage replied firmly.
Yusei got up and put a hand on Trudge's shoulder. With the other hand he pointed down to the island of Satellite. "Set us down near that building in the park."
Trudge scowled and grudgingly steered the helicopter. Yusei took his seat again.
"Almost there!" Lise smiled when she caught sight of Martha's home. Her blue eyes lit up with expectation.
"Uh huh," Fish nodded warily. Her dark brown eyes combed the area crazily for more lightning blasts.
Gently, Trudge landed in front of Martha's orphanage. Blister and Martha stood at the front door. Many of the children watched, huddled behind the adults, to see what was going on.
The helicopter's doors opened. The majority of its passengers waving in greeting.
"Yes!" Fish cried, dashing out first. "Land sweet land!" She threw herself onto the ground, sighing at the fresh dirt smell.
"Oh for fuck's sake, Fish," Lise rolled her eyes, smiling at the twins and Aki laughing.
"It's Jack!" Martha gushed. She rushed forward. "Oh, look at you, Jackie!"
"Hi Martha," Jack said, shuffling his boots.
"I can't believe how big you've gotten!"
"Well, it has been a while since I left, ya know…"
"Do that thing you used to do, that adorable little prince routine!" Martha's grin grew even bigger. She held out her right hand expectantly.
Jack recoiled, cheeks flushing light pink.
Yusei smirked, remembering, and sharing a knowing look with Lise. Fish's eyes grew wide, and she flipped over onto her stomach to get a better look.
She rubbed her hands together with relish. "This has possibilities written all over it."
Jack knelt on one knee. "Greetings, fairest of maidens. May this prince kiss your hand?" Without batting an eye, Jack quickly pecked Martha's hand and stood up.
Mikage, Aki, and the twins had wide-eyes and open mouths. Fish exploded with condescending laughter, literally rolling on the grass. Lise just grinned and held her giggles behind her hand.
"You're such a good little boy!" Martha ignored the others and squeezed Jack tightly.
"Martha, I can't breathe!"
"Wow, that's Jack Atlas!" One of the orphans wore an awed expression.
"I thought people in the Satellite Sector would be all creepy and sad," Rua said, lower lip jutting out.
Ruka nodded in agreement. These kids were just like her and her brother. "Yeah, I know. They're so friendly."
"That's how they trick you kids," Trudge butted in again. "But they're all just liars and thieves."
"Ya got that right," Blister said sarcastically. "We're the worst kinda people imaginable."
"Hey, you're- I remember you!"
"How nice of you to visit our happy wasteland, officer," Blister taunted with a smirk.
"Look, Director Goodwin is making me babysit. No way I would willingly come to this garbage dump of a-" Trudge noticed two little orphan girls staring, frightened, at him. "Go away!"
The girls took off running as fast as they could.
"I can't believe I had to come back here," Trudge groaned when Blister had walked away.
A different kid stepped up to Trudge, with none of the fear or apprehension the other orphans exhibited. "What do you want?" Trudge growled.
"You're Sector Security, right?"
"So what if I am?"
"That's so cool!" The boy grinned, his brown eyes full of light. "I'm Taka and I wanna be Security one day."
"Do ya now? Well, play your cards right, and you might look as good as me in this uniform!"
So Martha," Yusei said. "Things sure seem quiet around here."
Her face fell. "That's because the fog has taken everyone."
"What?" Fish shoved herself into the conversation, literally. Yusei was pushed out of the way as Fish made room for herself. "Everyone is gone?"
Martha nodded. "Everyone. Rally, Tank, Crow-"
"Even Crow?" Fish gasped. Her brown eyes trembling as she combed over the recesses of the Satellite. "I'm gonna go look for him."
"Wait, Fish! You can't just leave!" Lise called after her.
"That's what I'm doing! See you later!" Fish waved as she stomped away. Within seconds she'd vanished into the night.
"Will she be okay?" Martha asked. She knew Fish was powerful, but she was still a person.
Lise bit her lip. "I'm more worried about if she doesn't find Crow, and she is still afraid of lightning."
"Lightning?"
"Electricity and water don't mix."
Martha glanced up at the sky. She had a feeling Fish was right to be afraid. The lightning was an omen for something dark yet to come to pass.
"You should all come indoors so we can compare notes."
/
"Yesterday," Martha continued when everyone was seated at or around her dining room table. "A strange black fog appeared out of nowhere and descended on the downtown area of Satellite. When it cleared almost everyone that had been caught in the fog was gone… They had vanished. They just weren't there anymore. I have no idea how. Fortunately, the fog didn't come here, so we were safe, but for everyone else…"
"We haven't seen or heard from Rally, Tank, Nervin, Blitz or Crow since," Blister finished.
"I'm worried that something terrible has happened to them."
"Are those people your friends?" Rua asked. He'd noticed Lise and Yusei's expressions.
Yusei nodded.
"Yeah, but it'll be okay," Lise tried to reassure the boy, but it felt more like she was trying to reassure herself.
"You're that Senator's daughter, aren't you?" Martha asked Aki, trying to change the subject to something more lighthearted.
Aki cracked a smile. "Yep, guilty as charged."
She liked Martha. She had a warm, nurturing vibe to her. A stern side too based on how firm she was with the younger kids when fights broke out. She wasn't Cerise, but Aki felt better knowing Lise had been in good hands.
Martha smiled warmly. "And what about you?" She turned to Yusei. "How are we feeling about Kiryu?"
"His Earthbound Immortal and his Dark Signer power still terrifies me. But I know I can do my part. We've got a good team of friends here."
"Whoa, I'm not your friend. I just came here to stop the Dark Signers," Jack cut in.
Lise rolled her eyes, smirking at her stubborn friend. "And Jack volunteers to be sacrificed first if we lose."
"Hey!"
"Well, before any of you head off, you have to eat," Martha announced. "You can't save the world on an empty stomach!"
It took less than half an hour for Martha and Trudge to cover the table with food. Trudge had been recruited or kitchen duty semi against his will.
"This looks great!"
The kids all dug in.
"Yuck…" Rua muttered, putting the spoon to his mouth anyway.
"This is delicious!"
"It's amazing!"
"The cool guy from Security whipped it up," Taka told everyone.
Everyone stopped eating to stare at Trudge. He turned bright red. "Well, uh…"
"Thanks mister! It's so good."
"Yeah, thanks!"
Trudge took a bite of soup and nearly choked. He grabbed his glass of water and chugged it. "It's too hot!" he yelled.
The kids laughed and continued eating. Jack and Rua were again arguing over whether Jack was the best. Ruka looking embarrassed on her brother's behalf. Aki couldn't stop giggling at Jack trying to be threatening brandishing a spoon. Lise spun her spoon in between her fingers, stimming, and pretending to encourage both boys' arguments.
Only Yusei seemed to be down.
"Hey," Yusei spoke up, waiting for the others to fall silent. "Goodwin told me if we win this fight he'll finish the bridge to connect Satellite and New Domino City. After that you kids can grow up to be anything you want."
The little kids stared, open-mouthed for a minute or two, soup forgotten. The Signers exchanged looks. That was quite a lofty promise, and it was only if they succeeded. Also if Goodwin kept his word.
"I sure hope you're right!" Taka smiled, eyes alight.
Lightning bolts struck outside. The window at the head of the table directly behind Martha shattered. As did all the lights. Glass shards fell everywhere. The younger kids screamed and ran for cover.
The Signers all stood up. This couldn't be a coincidence.
"Is everyone okay?" Martha shouted into the darkness.
Sinister laughter rang from a short distance outside. Another flash of lightning and the dark shape of a man was standing where no one had been just a second ago.
"Who are you?" Yusei demanded, throwing the broken windows open.
The man smiled, lowering his hood. "My name is Roman."
He was tall and imposing even without the dark cloak and hood. He had a large, thick chin and neck. White hair pulled back in a ponytail. Gold earrings glinting in the moonlight. Even from a distance his Dark Signer facial markings were visible.
"And I'm here..." Roman continued, vanishing for a split second.
"What the-?"
Roman appeared inches from Lise. She was tall for a woman, but he towered over her. "On family business!"
He grabbed her by the face and hurled her out the window. Her back slammed into the big tree in the backyard.
"Lise!" Yusei had barely moved before Roman had shoved him with a crunch into the wall.
"Don't get up," Roman snickered at all the petrified faces following him. "I can see myself out."
The door clicked closed behind him.
Martha was the first to move, gathering the kids. "Everybody get moving."
"But what about-"
"They can handle this," Martha shushed Taka. "The rest of us need to get to the basement."
/
Lise slid down the tree, up-side-down, her head bleeding. She tried to make out the blurry figure of the Dark Signer approaching her through the blood and haze. Maybe it was her fuzzy vision, but he looked familiar…
Roman yanked Lise up by her hair. He smirked at her yelp of pain. Shaking her so hard her eyes watered. "So this is how you turned out?"
"What?" Lise wasn't sure she'd heard him right.
"You look almost exactly like Cerise," Roman sighed. Pinching her chin in his thumb and forefinger, he turned her head from side to side. "Even your hair is the same."
Lise bit down hard on Roman's hand. He cried out and recoiled just enough for Lise to flip up out of his grasp. She spun into a sidekick that connected with Roman's face.
Now she had some space to breathe. Take stock of things. Half her vision was red from blood, but she didn't have the time to determine how bad she was hurt. Roman was already recovering.
"Just who are you? And how do you know my mom?"
Roman burst into laughter. Clutching his belly and everything. "You're kidding, right? Don't you see the family resemblance?" He gestured to his face and ponytail.
Lise's frown turned into pure horror. Her hands shook. "You're my…"
"I told you," Roman vanished and reappeared inches from her. "This is a family reunion!"
He used his height and weight advantage to slam Lise headfirst into the ground. She spat blood in his face, and rolled sideways out from under him.
She knew if he pinned her, she'd be trapped. But then again, she didn't have to stay on the ground.
Lise kicked off into the air. Well out of his arms' length.
Except something tugged on her ankle.
A line of purple energy. Grasped in Roman's hands like a dark fishing line.
"You can use energy too?!"
"Of course!" Roman sneered up at her. He whirled, snapping the line. "It runs in the family!"
Lise crashed back to Earth by Martha's house. The dirt was not soft in the slightest, and Lise had to use the house to stagger back to her feet.
Okay, Lise, energy. You can use it too. Focus and-
Roman's punch interrupted Lise's thoughts. She gasped and ducked just in time. The house was not so lucky. Roman's fist went through the wood like a hot knife through butter.
"Oh no you don't." Roman grasped Lise's ankle before she could fly off again. Yanking her back to Earth as painfully as possible.
He flicked his wrist and a tendril of energy caught Lise in a strong uppercut that sent her flying upward. Another coil sent Lise crashing painfully back to Earth.
Lise groaned from the pain in her own personal crater. Rubble and dirt decorated her clothes. Bruises, blood, and cuts decorated her body.
She slowly got back up. "What… What do you want from me?"
"To fulfill the prophecy!" Roman's dark eyes gleamed. His markings glowing purple.
"Prophecy?"
This was good. This was Lise's fight. If he was focused on her, he wouldn't attack everyone else in the house. She could do this.
"Yes!" Roman spread his arms. An almost rapturous look on his face. "The prophecy states the curse of the spider shall poison you from the inside out. That it is my destiny to kill you and resurrect you as one of us: the Dark Dragon."
"You'd force me to fight my friends?"
"Force you? No, you'd be by my side, happy to destroy them and then the world."
Lise raised her hands to defend herself. "That's never going to happen."
Roman was too fast. Too big, too heavy. His dark energy hardened into spikes.
Spikes that savagely sliced across Lise's shoulder and collarbone. It hurt, but it was better that her neck. "Never say never."
Power welled up in every muscle and fiber in Lise's being. Her markings joined Roman's, filling the night with red, glowing light. Her eyes enveloped in red glow.
"Go fuck yourself," she growled.
A red shield blasted out of Lise's hands. Shoving not just Roman's purple spikes away, but his entire body. It was his time to go sprawling in the dirt.
He wasn't fazed. Rolling to his feet, chuckling, and cracking his knuckles. "Now this is getting interesting. I knew it'd be fun to kill you!"
Both of their hands glowed. Purple and red beams collided with a crackle. Roman solidified their twin beams, pulling the two of them closer. His daughter's bloody grimace as dark as his exuberant smile was bright. Eyes glowing red just as his glowed purple.
Bigger light beams exploded out of their chests. Lightning flashed between them. The collision loud as a booming thunderclap. It threw both Lise and Roman backwards. Skidding across the ground like common stones.
Roman stood with a flourish of his robes. "Well, Elizabeth, I will say I'm impressed! You survived longer than I thought you would!"
He reached for her prone form. Their last attack had knocked her out.
"But it's time to curse you…"
"No!"
/
Taka leaned in and whispered to his friends. "All right, men, that Dark Signer is a bad guy. He took Crow and everyone else. As soon as we get the chance, let's go help Yusei and Lise."
"Yeah!"
/
Aki put herself between Lise and Roman. Fingers poised over her duel disk and cards. She'd already summoned Wall of Ivy as a shield.
Jack stood ready for punching behind the Dark Signer.
Technically, Roman was surrounded. He peered, eyebrow cocked, at the children. Their fighting stances and trembling hands.
He was more interested in the twins and teenage boy attending to Lise. Roman's eyes narrowed. This boy… his dark hair and eyes were familiar too…
"Ah," Roman grinned. "You must be Professor Fudo's child."
/
Fish jumped and screamed as she saw a blast of lightning in the distance. She hid behind a large fridge and peered around the edge. The inky black sky was lightning free. At least for now it was. It seemed to be mocking the Oracle.
Fish took a deep breath and slid against the side of the fridge. How was she supposed to find Crow if she was freaked out about a little lightning?
She stood up and brushed herself off. Fish adjusted her aviator's fish hat for battle mode. "I can do this. Crow! Where are you? Hello? WHOA!" she exclaimed as she tripped and fell over a large metal object. "Ow! What idiot leaves a… a runner? Crow's runner! Then he… the fridge!"
Quickly, Fish flung open the fridge door and peered inside.
"I'm in yo fridge…" Crow said, sounding like he had cotton stuffed up his nose and on his brain. He tumbled face first into the dirt at Fish's feet.
"Well, that was weird." Fish chuckled a little. She rolled Crow onto his back and splashed some cold water on his face.
He sat up and coughed almost immediately. "Fish?" he croaked. "I thought I was gonna be stuck in there forever… Thanks…"
"Sure. Can you walk? I can take care of your runner. We've gotta get you to Martha's."
/
Yusei's hands froze over Lise. "You…knew my dad?"
"Knew him? Ha, he helped free the shadow army!"
"He'd never do that!"
"Your father designed the original Ener-D reactor. Without him, none of this would be possible!"
"No!" Yusei insisted. "He was just trying to help…"
"Help his bank account, you mean," Roman corrected with a laugh. "He didn't care about the safeguards or security precautions. He wanted to turn it on and see how fast it would make him a millionaire. And I should know-after all, I was there with him!"
"But how?"
"He was my boss, you stupid boy," Roman explained like Yusei was merely a dim student.
"I worked with him and with my brother, one Rex Goodwin."
Ruka swallowed and tore her eyes away from the Dark Signer. He was distracted, which meant they had a chance to wake Lise up.
Rua was surprisingly solemn beside her. Even he knew none of them were a match for Roman.
"Lise?" Ruka whispered.
"Lise, please wake up."
"It all began when you were just a baby and my Elizabeth was soon to be born," Roman was much too comfortable despite being between Jack and Aki.
"Rex and I worked with your father at the original Ener-D reactor site. There were fears that should it spin in reverse a huge blast of negative energy would be released. Which was just what we, I mean I, wanted. Your father was too obsessed with success to see it, allowing me to sabotage the whole project, and then boom. There went your father's life's work…"
"That means it was you! You started all of this!" Yusei pointed up at Roman.
Who smirked particularly cruelly. "Who else?"
"So then that explosion wasn't an accident!"
"Of course not, and neither is this."
Roman feinted for Wall of Ivy. Jack took the bait and leapt for him. Roman spun behind, and slammed Jack's face into Aki's monster. Wall of Ivy shattered from the impact, obscuring Aki's vision enough that she didn't see Roman until it was too late.
Lise stirred just as Jack and Aki slumped to the ground in defeat. The twins and Yusei were next.
"Leave them alone!" Lise roared back to her feet.
Both Roman and Lise leaned back and thrust their hands forward. From their extended digits shot beams of red and purple light. The booming thunderclap rang out once more, sending a shockwave rippling through the area. The ground collapsing around the two locked in a battle of opposing energy.
The shockwave was too much for the twins. Knocking them out and off balance.
Lise couldn't let up though. Roman was more experienced and their battle was only exciting him. Making his power stronger. While Lise could barely see in addition to being injured, and inexperienced.
Her vision blurred. Her bleeding shoulder throbbing. Lise stumbled, left side giving out.
"Lise!" Yusei caught her, supporting her side. His mark glowing as brightly as hers. "I got you, I got you. Don't stop!"
"But Yusei-" Lise gasped. She could feel a surge of energy wash over her. A feeling strengthening every hair on her head to her fingers and toes.
Roman's purple beam stuttered. He frowned at the two teenagers left to oppose him. He recognized the way the boy looked at Elizabeth. It was the same way he'd once looked at Cerise. That was going to be a problem…
But then he saw the way Elizabeth looked at Yusei.
Oh.
He could use this.
Even with one hand, the surge of power around Lise and Yusei blasted Roman off his feet.
He skidded backward like a rock skipping over water.
Even worse. They'd managed a crude empathy link. Still, Roman could work with that.
"Whoa… Did I do that?" Lise stared at her hand like she didn't recognize it anymore.
Yusei gave her other hand a squeeze. "It's not over yet."
"Right you are, boy!" Roman sent another energy beam rocketing towards them.
Lise shoved Yusei out of the way. Staggering out of the line of fire herself.
Roman smirked to himself. All too easy. Love made people so stupid. The Dark Signers would win this battle, and then the war.
He stepped over the red-head's body to get to Elizabeth. Roman kneed her in the stomach, then dragged her face into his knee by her long hair.
Elizabeth screamed. Blood from her nose and lip dripping into the dirt. Roman dropped her body like a discarded card. She didn't get up.
"Lise!"
The boy was just getting to his feet. It was remarkable how much he looked like his father. Ruyuji would be so proud his son would die the same way he did. At least if Yusei insisted on defending Elizabeth. What was left of her after Roman was finished anyway.
Roman kicked Yusei away and made a circular gesture with his finger. Purple energy encircled Lise like a thick rope. Her body limp around the glowing mass.
Yusei groaned, but stubbornly stumbled to his feet. Bruised and filthy, he wasn't exactly intimidating, and Roman had proven more than terrifying. But still… "Let her go."
"Tell me," Roman snagged a handful of Yusei's coat. "Does that line ever work?"
"First time for everything," Yusei growled. He reached around Roman's grip, twisting the man's arm so hard and quickly Roman had to turn around. Dropping Yusei's coat in the process.
"Clever boy."
Roman's opposite elbow came around, right in Yusei's temple. He swept the boy's feet out from under him.
"But not clever enough."
His boot hit the same temple he'd just elbowed. Fresh blood dripped out of the cut. Yusei blinked up at Roman and Lise's retreating forms. Everything was going fuzzy.
"Not clever enough," Roman chuckled.
"No…" Yusei reached through the dirt and his hazy vision. He was leaving for who knows where with Lise. He was taking Lise away. "I won't let you… Lise…"
The last thing he saw was Lise and Roman's backs. Leaving.
Then everything went dark.
/
Lise groaned. Waking up felt like being run through a shredder. Her body ached through to her bones.
"Enjoy your nap?"
She startled. Roman's voice was not a comforting sound to wake up to.
They were alone. Away from Martha's house. In the no-man's-land between the greener parts and the abandoned skyscrapers.
"What did you do to me?"
"Nothing yet," Roman sneered down at her. "Hence our rather violent greeting. It's harder to curse someone if they're at full strength. Ready?"
"Ready? Wha…"
Lise's eyes went wide. A giant purple spider circle had been drawn beneath her.
She scrambled to get out of the circle. "No!"
Roman raised his hands. Face practically giddy with excitement.
"Lise!"
"Yusei?"
"Too late!" Roman spread his hands.
Purple glow exploded out of the earth. Scaling from the ground all the way into the stars.
Yusei slammed into the light at full speed. Bouncing him back like a wall. He rolled to a stop in the dust and was still.
Lise was consumed with her agony. Pain like bubbling magma seared across her arm. She let loose an ear-splitting scream. Falling to the ground, writhing around as her arm burned. Lise clawed at it like she wanted to tear it off. Anything to stop the mind-numbing pain. She couldn't even see properly through the purple light and black spots bursting in her eyesight.
And then it was over.
Like a whisper.
Panting and coated in sweat, Lise took stock of herself. She was still in one piece. Her arm hadn't come off. And the spider etching beneath her had disappeared.
But she'd been left with something else.
Her sleeve and glove had unraveled from Roman's curse circle, exposing her left arm. The purple glow had been transferred there. It pulsed a saccharine, sickly neon lavender color on her skin in a veiny, spiderweb-like pattern. Like a spider was corrupting her from the inside out. Its silk somehow infused with magma.
A duel disk disturbed the dirt around her. Dust billowing up in clouds.
"Now begins the ritual," Roman smirked. Already ready to play with a customized, dark duel disk of his own. "Once you lose to me, the prophecy will be complete, and we will have our Dark Dragon."
"No, no way," Lise was surprised to find she hadn't screamed herself hoarse yet. She'd had enough, and she was in no condition for a duel. Especially a shadow duel.
Roman raised an eyebrow. Visibly not upset. Odd.
Clutching at her arm, she got to her feet so she could kick the offered duel disk away. "I am done playing your games."
"See, that's what I thought you'd say, which is why I decided to get a little insurance."
"What?" Lise stopped trying to leave.
When she saw what Roman meant she stopped breathing. Eyes wide, hoping they were wrong even though she knew they were telling her the truth. Her heart plunged to her toes, weighing Lise down so much she sank to her knees. Freezing cold dripped down her spine. Tears cleared clean tracks on her filthy face.
"Please…" she begged. Now her voice wobbled with her emotions. Lise reached for the duel disk she'd just kicked. "I'll do anything you ask, just please don't…"
Roman snickered and activated his duel disk. "That's more like it."
Beside Roman hovered one of his thick, purple energy ropes. Ensnared in this trap, covered in dirt and bruises, his forehead bleeding, and unconscious, was Yusei…