The chapter begins in Yusei's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 64: Entering the Super Genius
I was working on the new engine again in the test Runner after Crow and Jack helped me work a little bit on a Duel Runner for Aki so she could pass the Turbo Duel exams next month. My two foster brothers left a little while ago after we finished building the frame, so I returned to the engine project.
I had tested it last night, but it still wasn't good enough. I started to doubt whether I could surpass my own limits or not. It was essential if I wanted to stop Iliaster and their Meklord Emperor Monsters from terrorizing the city, and achieve the Accel Synchro summoning.
I was so deep into my thoughts I never heard the door open or the sounds of footsteps until someone gently knocked the top of my head.
"Knock-knock. Anybody home?" a familiar voice said sarcastically.
I chuckled softly before I looked over my shoulder. "Sorry, Estelle. I didn't hear you coming in."
"It's okay. I could tell you were lost in your thoughts", Estelle smiled softly before she got a bit concerned. "Is it the new engine that's troubling you?"
"Yeah", I nodded before I straightened up and turned away from the test Runner. "I feel like I'm about to hit a wall and I can't break it down. At this point, I'm not sure if we'll have a new engine before the World Racing Grand Prix."
"Hmm…", Estelle hummed softly before her eyes widened softly in realization and she put her hands together. "How about a change of pace?"
"Change of pace?" I questioned.
"Yeah", Estelle nodded with a big smile. "Goodwin sent me here because he wants to invite you, Jack, and Crow to dinner tonight. There is someone we'd like you guys to meet."
"Really?" I asked. "Is it Kaiba?"
"No", Estelle shook her head. "Kaiba's been extremely busy now with KaibaCorp and the World Racing Grand Prix that he barely gets a break."
From what I knew, after the Duel she had with Kaiba, they quickly became acquainted and Estelle even gave him some copies of the Eyes of Blue Monsters she had, including copies of the Synchro Monsters. They made a promise to Duel again someday with their Blue-Eyes Decks once the Grand Prix was over.
But now I was wondering who Estelle and Goodwin wanted to introduce us to.
"What time is the dinner?" I asked.
"Six p.m., and you don't have to be fancy dressed", Estelle replied. "Mina and Trudge will be there too, since they are also involved."
"Involved with what?" I wondered.
"You'll know when you come over tonight", Estelle replied before she checked her smartphone. "I've gotta go now. I have an appointment in ten minutes. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Sure", I nodded.
Estelle smiled with a soft giggle before she turned around and went to the stairs. For some reason, my heart ached for her as if it wanted her to stay here a little longer.
"Estelle!" I called.
She stopped in her tracks midway up the stairs and looked at me. "Yes?"
I blinked confusedly myself. Why did I stop her from leaving? She had to go to an appointment. Now I had to come up with an excuse.
"Um… What is your…favorite color?" I asked.
"Favorite color?" Estelle blinked before smiling. "Easy; yellow. It's my favorite color since childhood when I found out my name means 'star' in Latin. Why do you ask?"
"No special reason…", I mumbled as I looked away while rubbing the back of my head.
Estelle slightly tilted her head a bit before shaking it with an amused smile. "You seriously need to relax, Yusei. Take a break from the engine for the rest of the day until dinnertime, okay? It's not good to overwork yourself."
"I'll do that", I nodded.
Estelle gave me a small wave with her hand before she left the garage. As soon as she walked out the twin doors I let out a sigh I didn't realize I had been holding in. Why did I ask for her favorite color?
That made me realize something. Even though I've known Estelle for almost a whole year now, I knew very little about her. Was that why I asked for her favorite color? A voice in the deepest part of my heart told me it wanted to know many little details about her as possible.
The desire to get close to Estelle had grown since we met Yugi and Judai and how Estelle got sent to the future. At that time, I got so scared by the thoughts of never seeing her again. Now, I wanted to hold her close and never let her out of my sight.
I had never felt like this for a girl before. Why was it just for Estelle? Was it because she was one of the very few who knew the real me? Was it her kindness? Was it because how much efforts she put into comforting me when I'm on my lowest level and encouraging me to keep trying?
I had seen Estelle change since the day we met each other for the first time. She had changed in not just her appearance but also as an individual. She had grown strong to face the difficult road that once was a struggle to her because of her autism. She worked so hard to fit into society, find a place to call her own, and people who accepted her.
She was precious to me. And the thoughts of her one day leaving this world frightened me. I wanted a future with her. I wanted to be close friends with her for as long as possible, but my heart craved to be much closer to her.
Was this feeling…love?
I sighed as I rubbed my forehead to get rid of a small headache. I was going to take her advice and rest a bit. Hopefully, after the dinner, I could regain some energy and continue working on the engine. My head was full of so many thoughts I needed a break and sort them out.
I walked up to the kitchen to head up to the bedroom when I spotted a bouquet of fresh dark pink roses in a vase that Aki came over with the other day. She had been growing roses as a hobby and she said dark pink roses usually meant thank you, and she gave me, Jack, and Crow this bouquet to show her appreciation.
Estelle said her favorite color was yellow, so… Did she like yellow roses?
XXXXXXXXXX – Estelle's POV
It was soon time for dinner, so I prepared myself for it. I had picked out a simple brown/almost black sleeveless shirt dress with a white collar, a black short-sleeved bolero, and a pair of black heels. While I still wasn't much into fashion, I liked to dress up for such occasions. I was still a woman who wanted to pretty herself up a little bit, especially when guests were coming over. I added some accessories, consisting of a silver double chain necklace and a silver bracelet with a single black pearl, when there was a knock on the door.
"Excuse me, Ms. Estelle", Katsumi called from the door. "The guests have arrived."
"Thank you, Katsumi. I'll be there soon", I told her.
After one last check in the mirror, I felt satisfied with my appearance, so I left the bedroom and hurried to the front door. I held onto the railing while I walked down the stairs before I saw Goodwin had come to greet the Satellite Trio in the hallway. I noticed Yusei was holding a bouquet of yellow and white roses while the men were having a brief conversation.
"Good evening, everyone", I greeted the guests once I reached the ground floor.
"Hi, Estelle…", Yusei said before he trailed off and just stared at me.
"Hi", I smiled softly. "You look better compared to earlier today. Did you get some rest?"
"I did", Yusei nodded before he held up the bouquet. "Here. This is for you."
"Me?" I asked, taken by surprise, as I pointed at myself.
This was the first time a male friend of mine was giving me flowers. The only ones who used to give me flowers were my parents and all those bachelors in this dimension who came knocking on the door to woo me, but I rejected them and refused to accept their large bouquets with over fifty roses. Yusei's bundle was much smaller than the ones I've seen, but it was the perfect amount I was happy with.
Yusei chuckled softly at my reaction. "Who else?"
I blushed softly as I accepted the bouquet. I checked the petals before inhaling the roses' scent. They smelled fresh and lovely. If I recalled correctly, yellow and white roses in a bouquet expressed appreciation of happy innocence or harmony and unity.
Was that why he asked for my favorite color? To buy flowers for me? That was so sweet of him.
"Thank you", I smiled at Yusei before turning to Hilda who was standing next to head butler Stewart. "Hilda, can you find a vase and put the roses in my room, please?"
"Certainly", Hilda nodded before she grabbed the bouquet and walked away with them.
At the same time, Mina and Trudge stepped inside the mansion. "Good evening, Director", Mina greeted.
"Welcome, Mina, Trudge", Goodwin nodded.
"Hello, boys", Trudge greeted the Satellite Trio.
"Hi, Trudge!" Crow nodded. "It's been a while."
"Yeah, Sector Security's been busy lately", Trudge explained.
"Let us go to the dining room before the food gets cold", Goodwin suggested. "We have some things we need to discuss."
We went to the dining room and sat down around the main table. The food wasn't served yet because we were waiting for one more individual who appeared to have forgotten the dinner.
"So what's the deal with this sudden invitation, Goodwin?" Jack asked as he crossed his arms. "Knowing you, you might have something up your sleeve."
Goodwin took a few sips of his wine before placing the crystal glass on the table. "I have no ill intentions, Jack. But there is something you three should know about."
"Which is?" Yusei asked.
"A couple of days ago, Sector Security found an unconscious man on the beach", Mina began. "We brought him to the hospital where he woke up and realized he had amnesia. He couldn't even remember his own name and we haven't been able to identify him yet, so we've give him a temporary name; Bruno Borrelli."
"Yikes, that's not good", Crow commented.
"Because Sector Security is now extra busy with the tourists and WRGP, we can't really put him as a priority case, so I have taken him in to live here until he recovers his memories and figure out a plan what to do next", Goodwin added.
"And what's he got to do with us?" Yusei questioned.
"We brought him in to Sector Security for a day to see if he could be helpful with something", Trudge replied. "We thought that if he could work at Sector Security, he could find something that might trigger his memories. It didn't work, but we got to witness something unusual."
"And that was?" Jack asked.
"Bruno got lost in his thoughts when he saw the Duel Runners on Headquarters and asked if he could take a look at them", Trudge continued. "I allowed him to check mine, and in less than ten minutes he was actually able to fix an issue my Runner's had for a while now."
"Seriously?" Yusei said in surprise.
"And then he fixed the other Duel Runners in a flash", Mina added. "So we believe he used to be a mechanic or he worked with Duel Runners before he lost his memories. Bruno said himself he feels something familiar when he's working with Runners and different programs."
"So we thought, because you're still struggling with the engine prototype, that you should see him and work together", I spoke up. "After all, time is running out for you guys."
The door to the dining room opened as Hilda stepped aside. "Mr. Bruno has arrived, Master Goodwin."
Bruno stepped into the dining room with a sheepish smile. "Sorry I made you all wait for me."
"Where have you been, Bruno?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.
"In the garage, as always", Bruno replied with a warm smile. "I saw those three new Duel Runners and couldn't resist taking a closer look, especially at the white one."
"What?!" Jack exclaimed before he got up from his seat. "What did you do to my Phoenix Whirlwind?!"
Bruno flinched by the sudden loud voice. "A-All I did was adjusting the computer in the Duel Runner a bit to increase its power. I promise that's all I did!"
"No way!" Crow exclaimed in disbelief. "Yusei tried to increase the power of our Duel Runners for a long time… And you did all that in that short amount of time we've been here?"
"If you dared to sabotage it, you're gonna pay for it!" Jack threatened.
"Jack, calm down", I sighed. "I've let Bruno check my Runner and he improved it a lot. I can vouch for him, since his work is sincere."
Jack growled irritably with his cheeks red before he sat down and crossed his arms. Yusei got up from his seat and walked over to Bruno. "I'm Yusei. Glad to meet you, Bruno", he said before holding out his hand.
"Same here", Bruno nodded before shaking the Signer's hand. "I've heard from Goodwin and Estelle that you're a mechanic too, is that right?"
"Yes", Yusei nodded. "Will you tell me what you did to increase the power of Jack's Duel Runner after dinner?"
"Sure!" Bruno smiled.
Once everyone sat by the table, the dinner finally got served. It was steak with a rich wine sauce, delicious mashed potatoes, and vegetables on the side.
Crow took a big bite of his steak and hummed joyfully. "It's so delicious! Back as a kid, I never thought I'd get to eat such fancy dinner!"
Jack took a smaller bite of his steak and chewed it before swallowing with a poker face. "It tastes just as good as it did before while I was living in my old penthouse."
"Do you miss your old life when you lived as the King, Jack?" Crow asked sarcastically.
"What a stupid question! Of course I do!" Jack snarled. "That's why I'll work hard by honest work to reclaim my title in the near future! And that will start in the World Racing Grand Prix!"
"You do remember the Grand Prix is about teamwork, right…?" I asked softly.
"Yes, but the more opportunities I have to spread my name, the bigger the chances will be for me to find challengers and sponsors!" Jack retorted.
Goodwin chuckled as he held his glass of wine. "I wish you the very best, Jack."
"I don't need your empathy, Goodwin", Jack frowned.
"Fair enough", my adoptive father replied before taking a sip of his wine.
"No matter what happens, Mr. Atlas… I'll always be there to support you!" Mina said while still trying to act professional.
"Like always…", Trudge mumbled sadly in defeat.
It was so obvious he still had strong feelings for Mina, but the woman kept glancing at Jack every once in a while during dinner. I glanced at Yusei and Bruno as they were busy talking about programs and other terms I was unfamiliar with that they almost forgot to eat their dinner. It made me happy to see Yusei being so enthusiastic. I hoped interacting with Bruno would help him construct the new engine design and they could soon start practicing for the World Racing Grand Prix.
XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV
It felt so nice talking to someone who had equal, and even more, knowledge about Duel Runners, programs, and mechanics as me. For as long as I could remember, I had never met someone who I could have proper conversations with about mechanics. Sure, I had my friends and foster brothers who had their own Duel Runners, but they only knew a little bit over the basics and the maintenance. They didn't have the same passion for programming and mechanics like I had.
I knew I kinda neglected the others for the last few days, but Bruno and I came up with a new concept of the engine program that might work for the WRGP. He had looked through my old program and spotted multiple errors and fixed them as if it was just a child's play. I admired his knowledge and wanted to learn more from him.
I got so absorbed into the project that Bruno and I didn't sleep for two days straight. We were so into programming that we only took breaks when we needed to go to the bathroom or grab something simple and easy to eat. It was such a relief and joy when we finished the program that our bodies literally shut down when we went to sleep. Bruno crashed over for the night on the couch in the kitchen/living room since he was too tired to drive back to Goodwin's mansion.
I woke up early next morning feeling excited like a child that was visiting the candy store. We were going to try the new program in the engine and see if it was working properly and adjust some final parts. I washed myself in the bathroom before I went down to the kitchen and saw Bruno was already up making some coffee.
"Good morning, Yusei", Bruno greeted, looking fresh after a good night's sleep.
"Good morning", I greeted in return as I went to the cupboard to grab a mug. "Did you sleep well?"
"As good as I could on the short couch", Bruno chuckled as he poured some coffee in his own mug. "We've worked so hard for the last few days my brain shut down as soon as I hit the soft furniture."
"I was the same when I lied down on my bed", I nodded as I held up my mug, allowing Bruno to pour some coffee for me. "I'll make something quick before I check the program."
"I can check it while you make breakfast", Bruno said before he went down to the garage.
I grabbed a frying pan and some eggs to make scrambled eggs while I put slices of bread in the toaster. I took another sip of my coffee while stirring the eggs when I heard rapid footsteps from the stairs.
"Yusei! The program's gone!" Bruno exclaimed.
"What?!" I said in disbelief, almost spilling the coffee out of my mug.
"I started the computers and checked the folders we saved the program, but it's missing!"
"Impossible! I remember we saved the program before we went to sleep. Unless…"
"Someone broke in and stole it!"
I turned off the stove and dumped my mug in the sink before running down to the garage. I checked both computers we had installed in the garage and looked through everything to find no traces of the program.
It was really gone!
But… Who would want to steal it? The only rival team we currently had was Sherry's, but I don't think she would sabotage for us. She's got the pride of a leader and wouldn't sink so low to get advantage in the Grand Prix.
"Has anything else in the garage been stolen?" I asked Bruno over my shoulder.
"No, everything looks the same since last night", Bruno shook his head. "Even my Duel Runner, provided by Sector Security, is still outside."
Sector Security… That's it!
I fished up my cell phone from my jacket and unlocked it before scrolling down to find Estelle's number. I knew she wasn't an early bird, but I hoped she was already up. I called her and waited a couple of seconds before she answered.
"Hello…?" Estelle's tired voice spoke up.
"Estelle, it's me, Yusei", I replied. "Did I wake you up?"
I heard some shifting in the background, as if she was making the bed. "No, it's fine. I was just about get out of bed. What's wrong?"
"Someone broke into the garage last night and stole the program Bruno and I have completed."
The noise from the cell phone got silent as if Estelle comprehended my words. "A break-in? At your place?"
"Yeah."
Her tired voice suddenly got replaced by a clear and serious tone. "Listen very closely to my instructions. Do not touch anything around the computers. If you see anything unusual or out of ordinary, leave it be until I get there. I'll be at the garage in fifteen minutes."
"Got it. We'll be waiting", I ended the call and put away the phone.
"Is Estelle coming? I thought I heard her voice", Bruno said.
"Yeah, she's working for Sector Security as a special agent, so she might help us find out who stole the program", I nodded.
"What do you mean?!" Jack's voice exploded in the garage. "The program has been stolen?!"
I looked up and saw my two foster brothers had woken up and joined us in the garage. Crow looked stunned by the news, but Jack was fuming in anger.
"Yeah", I confessed. "Whoever took it must have copied it to another drive and then deleted it from our computer."
"We were so tired last night we didn't think about back it up or anything", Bruno added.
"Are you the culprit?!" Jack grabbed Bruno's collar while clenching his other hand into a fist. "I thought you were suspicious from the start!"
"Y-You're wrong! It's not me!" Bruno said in fear.
"Let him go, Jack", I told him, trying to prevent a fight breaking out.
"Don't stop me, Yusei! I'll get everything out of him!" Jack snarled.
"Stop it already!" Crow joined in.
"Are you trying to protect him as well?!" Jack questioned angrily.
"There's nothing to protect", Crow argued calmly. "If Bruno was the culprit, he would have run away after stealing the program. What kind of thief would stick around after stealing something?"
"T-That's true, but…", Jack hesitated before letting go of Bruno with a harsh push. "Can't you create the program once more?!"
"It's not that simple", Bruno replied. "Creating a program needs lots of work, and it's complicated. It's near impossible to recreate it…"
"So the only way to get the file back is to catch the thief?" Jack asked.
"Pretty much", Bruno nodded.
"Let's look for some fingerprints around the computers", Crow suggested.
"I've already called Estelle for help", I stopped my foster brother before he could touch the two desks. "She told me not to touch anything around the computers, so don't do that."
"What can she do to help us?" Jack muttered as he crossed his arms.
"She might have access to equipment that forensic technicians use to collect and secure evidence on a crime scene", I said, but my idea was more of a guess.
"That would be kinda awesome to see", Crow commented as the twin doors to the garage opened.
"What would be awesome to see, Crow?" Estelle spoke up.
"Hey, speak of the devil!" Crow grinned.
"That was fast, Estelle", I pointed out.
Estelle walked down the stairs with a dark green satchel resting on her right shoulder. "Yeah, when I heard there was a break-in at your place, I pushed the gas to get here. Have you noticed anything unusual?"
"No…", Bruno trailed off as his eyes traveled to the cart where we had some cup ramen and a warm water thermos. "Wait… There were four cup ramen on the cart before we went to sleep, but now there are just three of them."
"What?! The thief stole one of my King Noodles?!" Jack exclaimed with an expression that clearly showed he was ready to murder people.
To him, cup ramen was like his precious child and if someone took it away from him… He wouldn't hesitate to draw blood from the enemy to get the food back, especially if the cup ramen was from one of his old sponsors when he used to be the King of Games. Every now and then he would get a package full of them in different flavors from the sponsor, so we had been able to save some money on the food ever since we started living in the garage.
Estelle put down the satchel on a chair before she looked at the trash can next to the desk. "When did you throw away the trash?"
"Yesterday afternoon", Crow replied. "I know that because I took out the trash."
"Well, it's not empty now", Estelle shook her head. "There's some ripped cellophane in the trash can."
She was right. There was the same cellophane that the other cup ramen were wrapped in. "The thief must've taken the gloves off to get the wrapping off and then dumped it there", Bruno concluded. "Which means there could be fingerprints on the plastic."
Estelle nodded as she opened her satchel and picked up a middle large book-sized laptop. "Did you guys touch the computers or the desks?"
"We did", I confessed. "That was when we checked the computers to see if the program was still there."
"So the desks and computers have been contaminated by your fingerprints…", Estelle mumbled. "Can I use something else as a table?"
I quickly grabbed a collapsible desk and unfolded it for her. She placed down the laptop on it and began working, her fingers moving rapidly as if she had done this for years. While she was uploading a program, she pulled out a hand scanner, a cable, tweezers, a pair of plastic gloves, and a small spray bottle from the satchel. She removed her fingerless gloves and replaced them with the plastic pair.
"Okay", Estelle nodded before she picked up the tweezers. "Let's check the cellophane."
She used the tool in her hand to pick up the plastic wrap and sprayed it with a transparent liquid from the spray bottle. She then grabbed the scanner and moved it slowly up and down the cellophane until a small green lamp shone up with a beep on the device.
"What'd you just do?" Crow asked.
"I used a special chemical that makes the scanning to find fingerprints easier", Estelle explained as she dumped the plastic and returned to the laptop. "It's mainly used for crime scenes indoors with flat surfaces like walls, floor, or desks." She connected the scanner to the laptop by the cable and did some more clicking on the keys. "Now we have to wait until the program, based on the Main Frame, finds a match for the fingerprint."
It didn't take a minute before there was a match. Estelle uploaded the file of the one who had the fingerprint and I got stunned when I saw who had broken into our place.
"Him?!" Jack gaped in disbelief.
"Do you know him?" Bruno asked confusedly.
"He's the Vice-Director of Sector Security; Lazar Yeager", Estelle replied.
"Could this mean that he stole our program?" I questioned.
"No doubt it's him", Jack replied. "Since the fingerprint's been found, there's no mistaking it."
"But why did that guy steal the program?" Crow questioned. "He's working in Sector Security, so doesn't that make him a good guy?"
"We don't know the reason, but we have no option but to ask him directly", Jack said.
"The program…can be useful to anyone who steals it", Bruno informed us. "If he gives it to someone else, he can sell it for a high price."
"I see", I nodded, realizing Bruno was right.
The program we came up with was one-of-a-kind and very effective in any kind of engine running on Ener-D, so it would make sense that it could be sold for a high price on the black market.
"Goodwin wouldn't ask Lazar to commit crimes, especially toward you guys, so Lazar must've acted under someone else's orders", Estelle spoke up.
"Do you know who told him to steal the program, Estelle?" I asked.
"I think so", Estelle nodded slowly.
"Who?" Jack said with a demanding voice.
Estelle hesitated for a second before she said a name. "Iliaster."
"Iliaster?!" I said in disbelief.
"The bad guys you told us about and the ones who use the Meklord Emperors?" Crow asked.
"The very same", Estelle nodded. "Goodwin cut all ties with them after the 'big event', but it appears Lazar stayed in touch with them and is betraying the Director by being a double-agent."
"What are you guys talking about?" Bruno asked, obviously not knowing what we were talking about.
"Iliaster is a group of criminals who's caused trouble in New Domino City a couple of times now", I explained. "We think they might strike at WRGP, so we need to be ready for them."
"This makes it even more urgent", Jack said. "Let's march into Sector Security and shake the truth out of that clown!"
"That would be too obvious", Estelle shook her head. "We need to stalk Lazar and catch both him and his dealer off guard before arresting them and retrieve the program. I just heard from my Duel Spirits who spoke to Lazar's Duel Spirits that he has requested extra thirty minutes of his lunch break today because he has an appointment. I believe that's when he's going to make his move to meet up with the dealer."
"So all we can do now is to wait for the lunch break and then go after him?" Crow asked.
"Yes", Estelle nodded. "And since I'm working for Sector Security and am a special agent, I have the authority to arrest the dealer directly. Lazar, however, is a different case."
"It's because he's your boss besides Goodwin", I understood the problem. "Going against him could harm your career on Sector Security, but we…" I nodded at Jack, Crow, and Bruno. "…can make a citizen's arrest without you even touching him."
"Right", Estelle nodded. "I'll be counting on you four to apprehend Lazar."
I nodded in return. "That program…is a bond that we created to achieve all of our dreams. We'll definitely get our bond back."
XXXXXXXXXX
You can find Estelle's dinner dress on my DA account.