By the time I stumbled back to the hideout, it was nearly 2 AM. I locked the door behind me, and nearly had a heart attack as I turned around to be met by a very worried Aki standing in my way, "Yusei, where have you been? And why are your clothes so torn up?"

I rubbed my face with one hand, "What are you doing up?"

She pulled off my gloves and coat as I blinked at her, "My mark woke me up. Now, where were you?"

"Someone with the purple spider on their arm was lurking outside of the hideout. I made the decision to follow them, and the damage was real. Even my attacks dealt real damage. I need sleep."

Her arms wrapped around me, and she guided me up to our room. I flopped down on the bed with her help.


Next thing I knew, Leo's voice drifted in, and the room was brightly lit by the sun. More voices came in as Aki slipped in with food, "You awake, Yusei?"

"Hard to sleep through Leo. What time is it?"

She put the plate next to the bed as I attempted to sit up, "It's about noon. I told the others that you were up late fixing Justice, so you wouldn't wake up for a while. Luna knew that it wasn't the truth because of the mark, so I pulled her aside and told her what you told me."

Leaning against the wall, I started eating, "Hey, Aki? Have you ever heard of something called a Shadow Duel?"

Plopping down besides me, she shook her head, "No. Why do you ask?"

I absentmindedly rubbed my arms, "Apparently the duel I was in last night was something called a Shadow Duel. It was so much worse than when I dueled you. The opposing deck was ice-themed, and I'm still cold. There was one point where I was pinned between an attack and a wall, and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to breathe. When the duel started, a circle of fire surrounded us, and it was the wall that I mentioned."

Aki got up, and readjusted the blanket so it would cover me, "Are you okay, Yusei? And I don't want a vague answer, I really want to know."

Shrugging caused me to wince, and I hissed in pain, "My body isn't exactly happy right now, but it might just be due to all of the injuries I've gotten since I came to the city."

"Right, because you dueled me, and then you dueled Jack in that strange place where damage to your life points hurt you. Then, last night, you dueled in a shadow duel. Now that I think about it, I'm honestly surprised that you are awake."

Chuckling, I finished off breakfast, "I've dealt with enough stuff since I arrived in the city because of being a Signer. It's become very obvious to me that us ladies don't have nearly enough information about what being a Signer means. And what information Jack had came from Director Goodwin. So, if we want any information about what a shadow duel is, or what the purple spider means, we're going to have to deal with Goodwin."

"Yusei! You can't go anywhere! What if you get attacked again?"

Both of us looked over to see the twins in the doorway. Aki walked over to them, "I think Yusei learned her lesson about going places by herself, right Yusei?"

Shifting slightly, I joined the conversation, "Yeah. However, I'm going to be honest, I think that Jack and I are the ones in the most danger. Satellite is the place that is threatened, and we are more likely to fight to protect it. If I go back there, chances are that nothing will happen you either of you. In fact, you should all go back to Luna and Leo's place since no one really knows where they live."

Aki protested, "You are hardly in the condition to go anywhere right now."

I opened my mouth, and sirens approached the hideout, stopping somewhere on the block. I rubbed my head, and Tanner walked in, "You said your stalker cop had an ugly scar on his cheek, right?"

"Is he outside?"

Tanner nodded, and I let out a groan, "Tanner, go out and see what he wants."

"On it."

He wasn't gone for long before he came back, "Says he's here to take you to Goodwin. Think he's right?"

I got to my feet, "Tell him that Aki is coming with me. And could everyone give me space so I can change?"

Everyone nodded and I got changed as fast as my sore body would allow. Once that was done, I headed out to find my spare gloves and duel disk. Aki was standing ready next to the stairs, holding both with a smirk, "Looking for these?"

She handed them over, and I turned to look at Tanner as I put on my gloves, "Tanner, once we are gone, get Luna and Leo back to their place."

"Got it, be careful."

We nodded and went down the stairs, Aki letting me walk the last few steps without help. Trudge was standing in front of a trooper car, lights blazing. I nodded at him, "How can I help you Officer Trudge?"

Never had I thought that Trudge would be somewhat respectful to me, but it was happening, "Director Goodwin wants to talk to you soon as possible."

"So I have been told. However, I'm not exactly feeling trust toward the Security department right now. That's why I am bringing Miss Izayoi with me."

He waved his hand, "Yeah, yeah. Your thug friend told me. The Director said I had to agree to anything to get you to come along."


We pulled up outside of Sector Security Headquarters, and Trudge opened the door for us, "Come on."

It took so much concentration to walk without limping, but I was not about to give Trudge a reason to mock me. He led us to a private room, where a TV was playing something. I flopped down on a chair, yawning and blinking away the sleep from my eyes.

Aki sat down near me, "You okay?"

"Really tired."

I didn't have to open my eyes to know that her face was filled with concern, "At least I didn't lose the duel. The other guy stopped breathing for a second or two."

Her brow furrowed, "Yusei, you should really see a doctor."

"With what money? I'm broke, Aki, living off the generosity of kind people who decided to call me their friend. And I can't do anything to pay them back unless they need someone who can hack or build machines."

Our discussion was broken by a reporter on screen, "Director, one of my sources tells me that Jack Atlas was born in the Satellite, not the Tops."

A weak chuckle escaped my mouth, "Jack's going to be pissed when he finds out that that news leaked."

I watched in morbid humor as the Director tried to blow off the rumor but the reporters refused to take any of it.

"That would mean that the Security Departments broke the law."

"Did Jack and Yusei know each other before they came to the city?"

His face darkened, "I don't have time to address wild speculations or ridiculous rumors. Please enjoy the movie."

Aki turned off the television, and mere moments later the door slid open and Trudge came in, "If you're bored we can duel to pass the time."

"Yeah, no. I honestly do not give a crap about your ego, and right now, I do not have the energy to deal with you right now."

Just then I heard a creepy laugh, "I'm afraid that the new champion doesn't have the time to duel you. Director Goodwin is ready to speak with Yusei now. But he needs to talk to Jack as well, so he'd like you to collect him from his hospital."

Trudge grumbled, but I knew that he wouldn't fight back. When the clown entered the doorway his eyes locked on Aki, "You can come along as well Miss Izayoi."

"How gracious."

She stood up, folding her arms as I got to my feet, "Well, it's not like I'm going to let Yusei go anywhere alone, people have already attacked her and that was before winning the Fortune Cup."

We followed the guy to another car, and rode to the edge of town, where there was a moderate view of the Satellite. To my surprise, Director Goodwin was standing on the beginnings of a bridge pointing to Satellite.

As we got out, he turned around, "Thank you for coming on such short notice Miss Fudo. And I'm pleasantly surprised to see Miss Izayoi with you."

So he remembers that I'm a girl. Good memory.

I shrugged, crossing my arms as another yawn escaped, "What can I say, we both had people we trusted betray us. That kind of forms a bond between people."

He nodded, and held up a camera, "Did you know that last night a reporter filmed your entire duel? She was caught along with the person you were dueling."

"Great, now can you tell me what the heck is a Shadow Drone? Or a Shadow Duel? I highly doubt that I would be able to find information online about all of this."

"Shadow Drones work for the Dark Signers, who are the Signer's mortal enemy."

My head was starting to pound, "Let me guess, since they're 'evil', they want to take over the world."

There was something in the back of my mind that was bothering me about Goodwin, and it only grew as he kept talking, "Yes, starting with Satellite."

Forcing my eyes to open more, I locked eyes with him, "Why Satellite?"

"Years ago, an organization called the RRD created a machine called the Ener-D Reactor deep inside of the Satellite."

My heart skipped a beat as the Director continued, "Despite some unstable tests during trial runs, it was decided to run the Reactor at full power. It was this choice that caused a massive earthquake and tsunami, destroying a large portion of the city, and creating the island known as Satellite. The remnants of the Reactor remain in the B.A.D. Zone on the island.

"Along with the destruction caused here, in the city, there was also an unknown side effect that occurred on the other side of the world, in Peru. There, the ancient Nazca Lines were awoken, releasing the enemies of the Crimson Dragon, along with their destruction upon the world. For now, these spirits only have power in Satellite."

I was fully awake by this point, and I took a step towards him, pointing to my home, "Then get the people out of Satellite if there are really people like that there!"

His calm demeanor was really pissing me off, "The Army of Shadows has to feed off of negative energy, which is plentiful in Satellite. If we were to move the people of that place here, the end of the world would happen in an instant. As it is, they are struggling to gather, which tells me that some of them are here in the city. However, they can't start the battle until they are all together."

"So I'm just supposed to let my friends, those I consider my family, die?"

"Not at all Miss Fudo, if you defeat a Dark Signer in a duel, you will lock them away until the next battle, many thousands of years from now."

Aki spoke up from behind me, "But what if we lose?"

"Then another Signer will have to take down the Dark Signer, or at least try."

We exchanged glances, but before we could say anything, we were deafened by a helicopter descended from above us, opening to reveal my runner. Goodwin had to yell at this point to be heard, "I fear that they are already trying to take you out, knowing that you can die before the war has officially begun. You need to take the battle back to Satellite so they stop attacking the Signers that remain here."

It's not like I have much of a choice. If I don't take his offer, we have to walk to Luna and Leo's place, and wait two more weeks before the chute opens again.

I looked at Aki, "Ready?"

She nodded, and we both jumped into the helicopter. Right after we boarded, the hatch closed and we got our things ready, "At least this time I don't have to travel through a garbage tunnel."

"What?"


A/N: Thanks to Let's-Go-To-Vermont for reviewing on the original version of this chapter!