p id="docs-internal-guid-5ab9a14a-7fff-6083-3ec2-3a645519a31f" dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"It had been an hour after the duel between that crazy professor and Luna had ended when they were called to meet with Goodwin's assistant. The creepy clown had requested Greiger and Snow to stand outside the office while he went to fetch something. Snow had been pouting beside him since./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I know," Greiger whispered to his partner. "I don't trust him anymore than you do, but we have no choice."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"They hadn't talked to the clown man since he revealed the twins' switch, confirming Geriger's and Snow's suspicions that they didn't battle the right kid. Though, they didn't mind. Snow's pout deepened and he turned away, just as Lazar came waltzing to them./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Hope it wasn't too long of a wait for you." The short man ended the sentence with a small chuckle. Like some kind of inside joke. He swung the door open and guestered to the pair. "After you."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The office was spacious, one wall lined with books. A rug covered the center of the room. A desk sat on the edge of it, clean of paper clutter and decorated in family photos./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We have the card you had requested." Lazar rounded the desk. He opened a drawer and pulled it out, then handed it to Greiger. Lazar giggled before he continued, "If you master it, you might have a chance at beating Yusei."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Greiger nodded and Snow chirped to him. The pairings for the next round were revealed after the last duel. His and Snow's profiles matched against Yusei and Ringer's. He wondered what Goodwin was thinking when he created the line up./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Goodwin is counting on you and Snow to bring out Yusei's mark."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""We understand." Greiger slipped the card into his deck box. "And what of our deal with Goodwin. KaibaCorp is to provide aid to reconstruct our village."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""How long has it been since you have been home?" Snow's feathers ruffled at the question. Greiger faltered, homesickness settled in his stomach once again. It never seemed to go away. Hovering over his gut until he was reminded of his time away./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""A year and 116 days." His response was quiet, but filled the room. "My mission needs to be carried out before I can return. I will not fail." Lazar dismissed them, claiming he had something important to attend. He never gave Greiger an answer. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Snow poked him with his beak, catching his partner's attention. The penguin offered a soft, reassuring stare. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"We will get our answers/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;", the look said. /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Don't worry. I miss them, too./spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" A weight lifted from his shoulders. As it always did when the pair shared these looks and glances of reassurance. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You're in our way."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Greiger and Snow turned to the new voice. Jack blocked the hallway, his partner a few steps behind. He looked pissed, arms crossed over his puffed out chest./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Celeste's ears stood tall and confident. Her eyes sparkled with a kind of tiredness Grieger remembered seeing in his parents' eyes after a long day of work. Although she was considered the King's most trusted- a queen or princess to some- She never looked down at others like Jack. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Pardon my manners… King," Greiger said, sarcastically. He stepped closer to the wall, Snow following suit, leaving a large enough gape for Jack to walk through. The orange fox stepped closer to Jack. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I meant you as a whole," Jack snapped. "Yusei /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"will/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" advance in the tournament, either way. Only I am capable of defeating him. Thinking you could beat him is a waste of time."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You are a pathetic king." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Anger flashed in Jack's eyes. Celeste seemed to know what he was thinking, jumping between the pair and snapping at her partner. Greiger watched as Jack looked to the side, working his jaw with a low growl./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You haven't even noticed your own mission," Greiger continued with a smirk. He and Snow pushed past the King and his Queen./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What mission?" Jack shouted after, anger still seeking in his tone./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I, too, have a mission," Greiger called back, not bothering to turn around as he gave a half-hearted wave. Snow waddled a few paces behind, stopping to offer an apology to Celeste. The large penguin didn't hear Greiger whisper under his breath, "And it's one you can not stop."/span/p