After a couple hours, Trudge's car finally pulled up at Martha's house. Kiryu climbed out, picking up a mostly asleep Nico, "This is our stop. Do you want to come inside for a bit, Yusei?"

"Can't. I need to get home before Captain Worrywart does."

He nodded as he helped West climb out, "Alright. We'll come to visit in a few days."

West waved at me, "Bye Yusei! We'll see you soon!"

I smiled as I waved back, "I'll come visit when I can!"

Trudge drove back to my house, and helped me unload a badly damaged Justice, "Thanks. Though it seems that I never get to have a vacation."

He laughed, "Remember that tomorrow Bruno needs to check in with us about his amnesia."

I nodded, "Sure thing. I'll make sure that he gets there on time."

Wheeling Justice in, I started patching her up. Crow walked over, "I'll patch up the dents, you get cleaned up. Dad said that he'd be back tonight."

"Got it. You better not hurt my baby, or I'll break Blackwing."

Nodding, he pulled out his tools, while I took my bag upstairs. Hopping into the shower, I quickly got rid of the sweat and sand. As I got out, I pulled on what clothes from my old life that I had found (city boy thought that hiding them in HIS closet would stop me), then I dumped the clothes that I took to Crash Town into the washing machine.

I headed downstairs with still-wet hair, and saw that Crow had thankfully gotten all of the dents out of Justice's coverings, "Thanks. You are a lifesaver."

He laughed, and stretched, "No problem. You've helped me get new parts for Blackwing, so let's call it even."

Flopping on the ground, I started working on the innards of my machine. The door opened, and a voice drifted over to me, "How often are you going to work on your runner? I feel like you don't focus on much else?"

A smile ghosted across my face, "Like father, like daughter."

Dad laughed as he placed his suitcase down, "What else have you been doing this weekend?"

"Not that much. Just mainly caught up with friends."

Crow looked up from checking on Blackwing, "She spent the time over at Martha's, trying to persuade Kiryu to ask her on a date."

My screwdriver crashed to the ground as I stared at my brother, "Crow! I did no such thing!"

Dad rolled his eyes, "I'll believe it when they finally go on a real date."

I smirked at Crow, and mouthed, "He promised in a couple days."

We smiled as Dad gathered up his things and went upstairs, leaving us with our runners.


The next day came around, and I pulled up in the car with Bruno in the passenger seat. Together we walked into Sector Security Headquarters, where Mina was waiting in the lobby, "Thanks for coming. Let's go upstairs to where Ushio is waiting. I'd rather not talk about our case in common spaces."

We headed into the elevator, and I leaned against the wall, "Never thought I'd be spending so much time around Securities when I was a kid."

Mina cracked a smile, "And when I was younger I would have never imagined that Satellite would be connected to the city. So much has changed in the past two years."

A ding announced our arrival to the uppermost level, and we followed her to Ushio's office. As we entered, he turned around, "We haven't found anything."

Bruno nodded, "I still can't remember anything. Doctor Fudo has tried every method that he's ever heard about, and none of it works."

For a minute, we all went quiet as Mina scrolled through something on her datapad, "We've run your fingerprints, DNA, and description through every database that we could, and there are no matches. I'm sorry."

Looking around the room, I almost didn't notice when Bruno nodded, before looking out the window, "Thank you for trying."

Ushio rubbed the back of his neck, "We'll keep trying. But with other countries, we'll have to stick with the missing people's reports."

I stretched, my muscles screaming in agony after the previous day's excursion, "Don't worry. He helps Dad out on some of his projects, and the runners are working better than ever."

With that, Trudge shrugged, "We just wanted to make sure that all of us were on the same page. Do you guys need us to help you get out, or do you remember how to get out, Yusei?"

"I remember. You guys don't need to worry about helping us."

Bruno and I headed out to the elevator, and I spoke up, "Bruno, I'm sure that if you need your memory, it will come back to you."

The words had barely left my mouth, when all of the lights flickered off, and the elevator shuddered to a stop. I reached out, "There's no electricity in the whole building."

A massive explosion shook the building, and I grabbed a railing inside of the elevator, "Why can't I go anywhere without something happening?"

He looked around, "Please don't tell me that that was an explosion."

"Wish I could. Step back."

I placed my hand back on the control panel, and the door slowly cracked open, "Hold it open, I don't have enough strength to do this by myself."

While I focused on that, he grabbed the edge, and we pulled it open just long enough for each of us to slip out. Bruno glanced around, "Why is it so dark?"

"The building was probably put into lockdown because of the explosion. Let's get down stairs so we can get out of here."

He led the way down, but pulled to a stop, "Who's that?"

My eyes followed his direction, and saw blonde hair whip around a corner, followed by an older man in a suit, "Sherri and her butler."

Bruno looked over at me, "Might as well follow them."

I rushed down the stairs, leaving Bruno in my dust. As I whipped around the corner, Sherri looked up, "Ah, Yusei. Have you thought about joining my team?"

"Yes, I have. No, I don't want to. And did you set off the bomb?"

She smiled, "Of course I did. But I don't have time to tell you why."

Taking a few steps forward, I called out, "You could be put in prison for life! Why are you risking this?"

Her butler moved in my way, and Sherri tilted her head, "I already told you."

Whipping around, her hair snapping like a whip, she marched through a doorway. The grate started to move forward, and I lunged forward.

Once again, her butler jumped in my way. But behind him, I saw a flash of blue. Bruno sprinted to the doorway, and the butler whipped around and through something at him. Instead of knocking him off track, however, it hit him in the back, speeding up his slide through the door. It crashed shut behind him, "Bruno! I need you to make sure that she doesn't do something really stupid!"

"I'll do my best!"

The butler looked at the door, "Miss Sherri can handle that one on her own."

He marched over to a control panel, and broke it open with a single punch. He pulled out a couple cords, and attached them to his duel disk, "But YOU? You have to beat me in a duel before you can go through the door."

I bit my lip to prevent myself from rolling my eyes, "I hope that you understand that I typically do not lose when I am highly motivated to win. This duel is only going to delay me."

Walking a safe distance away from him, I activated my duel disk, "Alright. Give me your worst."

His deep voice would normally be soothing, but at the moment, it was irritating, "I summon Spirit Summon Warrior in attack mode."

Spirit Summon Warrior-1200

"His effect comes into play, and I can summon a level 3 or below warrior type monster from my hand. I choose Liberated Rear Warrior!"

Liberated Rear Warrior-0

"They tune together to create Driven Daredevil!"

Driven Daredevil-2400

Glancing at my hand, I started my turn, "I send a monster to my graveyard in order to summon Quick Draw Synchron in attack mode."

Quick Draw Synchron-700

"Whenever I have a tuner monster on my field, Quillbolt Hedgehog can return to the field from the graveyard!"

Quillbolt Hedgehog-800

Part of me itched to do dramatic hand movements, but I held back, "I tune them together, and this activates my Synchron's ability. He can take the place of any other Synchron that I have in my deck. This time, he copies Nitro Synchron. Together they create Nitro Warrior!"

Nitro Warrior-2800

"Now take out his Daredevil!"

Life Points Mizoguchi=3600

He smirked up at me, "My Daredevil's ability activates. Whenever a monster with more attack points attacks him, he isn't destroyed, and your monster is instead. Then I activate the continuous trap, Master and Servant's Resolve! Whenever a monster is destroyed by a monster effect, the owner of the destroyed monster takes damage equal to the points of it."

Life Points Yusei=1200

His face grew serious, "The downside of this card is that I have to give up 1000 life points each turn to keep it on the field."

Life Points Mizoguchi=2600

My eyes narrowed, "You do realize that means you lose in three more turns, right?"

"Such is the risk when running a Samurai deck."

Puffing out a breath, I drew my next card, "I summon Tricular in defense mode, and place a single facedown card."

Tricular=300

He glanced at his hand, "I sacrifice 1000 life points in order to keep my spell on the field. Then destroy your monster with my Daredevil."

Life Points Mizoguchi=1600

"Whenever Tricular is destroyed, Bicular is summoned in defense mode."

Bicular-200

Mizoguchi didn't even seem fazed, "I activate the spell Reversal Sword. This activates when a monster is destroyed in battle. It destroys another of your monsters with a lower level, and both players take its points as damage."

Life Points Yusei=1000

Life Points Mizoguchi=1400

A screen glowed into the darkness of the room, showing Trudge leading a group of Securities into the building. Mizoguchi reached into his pocket, and pulled out a phone, "Miss Sherri, Security has broken through. Are we going to pull out? Understood."

I adjusted the disk on my arm, "Are we going to continue? Or are we just going to pretend like it didn't happen?"

"We are going to continue the duel."

My head tilted a little, "But why? You both are going to end up in jail for that."

He looked way too calm for someone who might be going to jail, "Miss Sherri told you that her parents died, correct?"

Nodding, I waited for him to continue, "They were killed over a card in their possession. It was hidden inside of a toy bear that they gave to her. Neither of us know what is so important about that card, so she had to put it in a card analyser. The only one that was moderately accessible is the one in the basement of this building. She hopes to use the card to figure out more about Iliaster."

"Alright. I kind of guessed that from how she acted during our duel. But I don't want her to get arrested, so I am going to beat you. And I am going to start that with Debris Dragon."

Debris Dragon-1000

"Whenever he is on the field, I can bring back a monster from my graveyard with 500 or less attack points. So I bring back Tricular!"

Tricular-300

"Then, if I successfully special summon a monster, I can special summon Turbo Booster from my hand!"

Turbo Booster-0

"All of them are going to tune together to bring out my soul, Stardust Dragon!"

Stardust Dragon-2500

I smiled at him, "Stardust's special ability negates card destruction or removal effects of all cards. If his attack lands, your monster's ability will try to destroy him. But by removing Stardust until the end of turn, your monster is destroyed. Then your own spell will take away the remainder of your life points."

His eyes hardened, "Go ahead. It all depends on what cards we each have facedown."

Nodding, I held out my hand, "Stardust, let's go ahead and attack Driven Daredevil."

Stardust's glittering blast shot forward, and Mizoguchi's trap card flipped up, "I activate Standoff! Then Driven Daredevil's ability activates. Any monster that attacks him with more attack points is destroyed."

Life Points Mizoguchi=1300

"Then I activate Stardust's ability."

A smile slid onto his face, "Standoff prevents you from releasing your monster."

One golden ring shot out of his card, and wrapped around Stardust as Daredevil fell down with his swords out.

"I activate the counter trap Space Jump."

Stardust disappeared, and reappeared in front of him, "Space Jump allows me to negate your trap, so Stardust is removed from play and you take all of his points as damage."

Life Points Mizoguchi=0 Defeat!

He bowed to me, "You may pass, Fudo-sama. Just please let her go."

My eyes rolled, "I need you to come with me. You are probably the only one who will get her out of here in time."

We rushed forward, and arrived in the analysis room, just as a wind exploded out, "Sherri! Bruno! What's going on?"

A light started to emerge from something in front of them, and I rushed forward. Behind me, I could hear the butler yelling something as the light surrounded us all.


Bruno's voice cut through, "Where are we?"

I looked around, and saw a 'floor' that was white squares for all eternity, and a matching 'ceiling', "I have no clue."

Sherri shifted her weight, "Aren't we supposed to be in the computer room?"

An electric pulse was coming from behind me, so I slowly turned around and saw something hanging from the ceiling, "What the f-"

Both of them turned around as pain entered my head, and my whole body turned to ice. All I could do was shake, and hope that I was breathing.


My shoulder was being shaken, and someone rolled me onto my back, "Yusei, I know that you're awake."

"Go away, Bruno."

He sighed, and spoke to someone else, "Were you the one who saved us?"

"No, I woke up here just like you three did. Miss Sherri doesn't seem like she is going to wake up, however. So I will take her back to our lodgings."

I sat up and looked at Mizoguchi. He locked eyes with me, bowing again, "I owe you, Fudo-sama, for not choosing to turn us in."

My brain was struggling to process everything. We were on a beach pretty far from where Security's headquarters was, and there was no sign of how we got there.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mizoguchi pick up a limp Sherri before he walked down the beach as I slowly climbed to my feet. I looked over at Bruno, "What did we see in there?"

"I don't know, but he must have helped us escape."

One of my eyebrows tried to join my hairline, "He? Was that thing a person?"

He shrugged, "It certainly looked like a human eye."

I stretched, "Sherri was trying to find clues about Iliaster. Do you think that this is connected?"

"That's a great question."


A/N: Thanks to PipeDream and Athina of Olympus for reviewing on the original version of this chapter!