Disclaimer: School is out! I am freeeeeeee!

With that said, I'm hoping to start updating every two weeks now. I have really big things planned out so it's just the journey of getting to them that takes time. If I can't update at two weeks, then I'll try three weeks.

Now on with the show ^.^

I gaze out the window. The sun is shining and the sky is cloudless, but things aren't right. Feeling eyes on me, I look at the twins sitting across from each other.

"You don't have worry, you know," Rua smiles. "They're going to find him."

According to the rest of the gang, Yusei had gone missing. He went out to do a job—a small fix up, nothing major—and he hasn't returned. Everyone's tried calling him, but he hasn't answered once.

I volunteered to stick with the twins while Jack, Crow and Akiza went to search. I've had enough commotion in the past two days to last me a lifetime.

"They're going to find Yusei and they're going to bring him back," Rua adds firmly, both to me and his sister.

"I'm sure they will," I nod, shaking the bad thoughts from my mind.

"But it's weird, isn't it?" Ruka lays a facedown on the her duel mat. "First you, now Yusei's missing. Isn't this too much of a coincidence?"

It doesn't seem like coincidence at all.

My fingers graze over my shoulder. Even the thick cotton of my sweater can't hide the bandages covering my skin.

The door swings open so hard it breaks off two of its hinges. The twins and I jump out of our seats.

"What the hell, Jack! Do you know how pissed Zora's gonna be when she sees this?" yells Crow.

"We're back," Jack says, completely ignoring the steam fuming from Crow's ears.

Yusei, Akiza, Ushio and a pretty woman with hair the color of sapphires walk through the door after them.

"Yusei!" Rua and Ruka race over and hug him around the waist. "We were so worried! What happened?"

"To be honest," he answers, sighing, "I can't say myself."

"Some wacko decided to kidnap Yusei and tried to force him to be on his team for the WRGP," Ushio says to them. The woman gives him an annoyed look, to which he replies, "It's the truth, Mikage. They can handle it."

"Our officers are taking them to headquarters as we speak, where they'll be questioned and detained until further notice," Mikage says, ignoring him and smiling it off.

"About that," Yusei says to the two officers. "While I was dueling, the other duelist mentioned something about him and an organization called Yliaster."

Mikage and Ushio share a look, the name obviously ringing bells. "Sounds familiar. We'll look into it and get back to you."

"What about this mysterious duelist, Yus?" Crow asks. "Was it another Ghost?"

"Far from it!" Akiza stomps a heel. "This Sherry woman came out of nowhere and tried to steal Yusei away, too!"

"Steal from who—the team or you?" Jack snickers.

"Stuff it, Jack!" Akiza retorts, her cheeks burning red.

I glance at Yusei, wondering what his reaction will be, but all I see is the same pensive look he always has.

"Sherry LeBlanc," the woman reads from a holographic screen. "Daughter of top duel card developer Dr. LeBlanc." She inhales briskly and turns to both Akiza and Yusei. "Are you positive that this woman was Sherry LeBlanc?"

"Why do you ask?" Yusei's eyebrows narrow.

The woman shows everyone the screen: "Sherry LeBlanc has been missing ever since her parents died years ago."

Rounded by innocence and young age, the emerald eyes of the strange woman at the café stare back at me. A red band streaks across the bottom of the picture, the word 'missing' in bold white letters.

"I know her."

All at once the group shouts: "You do?"

"K-kinda." I don't think they realize how terrifying they are when they speak in unison like that. "I've only met her once. She was in the café the other day."

"Did she say anything?" asks Mikage.

"Not much. Just asked me if I dueled. I said no. End of conversation." My chin lifts up as I try to remember. "I think she stole a poster off the bulletin board. One about the tournament."

"Looks like you're quite the bigshot." Crow pats Yusei on the back. "I think we're gonna have to step up our game, huh Jack?"

Jack rolls his eyes, "Speak for yourself."

The atmosphere in here is so different from when it was me in Yusei's shoes. Was it the time and place? That I was injured? Or was it just the difference in people?

I can take care of myself if that's the problem. Yeah yeah, the situation with my mark begs to differ but that's only because there's so little proof behind the incident to begin with. How are you supposed to fight against what you can't see? Or better yet, what isn't supposed to be real in the first place?

But Yusei saved me, so doesn't that say something? Something like: he's in shining armor, you're the damsel. Deal with it.

Like hell I will. In fact, wasn't it me who stopped the fog just before he showed up? So ha! Take that, conscience! I can save myself, and when the time comes, I'll do it again.

Whatever. At least the issue's resolved. Yusei's safe and his kidnappers are caught. Now I can leave.

"You're leaving?"

I stop halfway up the stairs. When I spot Yusei staring back at me I look away, afraid that he'll see all the things I've thought.

"I promised Martha I'd come back as soon as possible." That sounds rude, Maria! Say something else. Quick! "I'm glad we found you, though."

"I'm glad, too. Tell Martha I say hi."

—

I didn't exactly lie. Considering that I'm still grounded, Martha allows only a few hours outside the house besides work and most of them were spent waiting until Yusei was found.

With thirty-five minutes left on my parole time, I book it straight for Carly's teeny apartment.

When I knock on her door there's no answer. I look into the parking lot and see her yellow buggy resting by the curb. Maybe she's on foot or taking the train?

I walk down the flight of stairs and go to her car. I chuckle and tap on the window. Carly flies up from the seat with papers and pictures stuck to her face.

She rolls down the window, blinking to adjust to the light. "Step into my office."

I round the hood and open the passenger door. She takes a picture of the Daedelus Bridge off her cheek.

"Why are you sleeping in your car?"

"My boss made me stay overnight to finish an article about the grand opening of this theme park. I was too tired to make it up the stairs," she yawns. "Plus the rent's, like, two weeks overdue. The landlord is pretty scary. Anyway, what's up?"

I take a minute to comprehend, and just decide to ask what I came for. "Do you know a woman named Sherry LeBlanc?"

"Don't think so." The drowsiness gets kicked from her expression. "Why?"

"She came into the café the other day and was acting a bit…odd."

"Odd as in she gave you a bad feeling?" I nod. "Well, we need to speak to her pronto!"

"I could be wrong about this."

"I already told you—the gut is never wrong! If it's telling you she's shady, then we should find out what she's hiding."

"Even if it's nothing?"

Her eyes sparkle with anticipation. "It could still be good enough to write about."

"But I don't know anything about her other than that she's entering the WRGP."

Carly huffs, a frown building on her face. As the imaginary light bulb brightens in her head, she pounds the horn and scares a man so bad he drops all his groceries.

"Sorry!" she yells out the window. Then she turns to me. "The gala!"

"For the tournament?"

"If she's entering she's bound to be there! We just have to figure out how to get you in."

"The twins already invited me. Are you going?"

"Like I would ever miss a chance to see Jack in a suit!"

I have one dress out of the small bundle of things I brought with me. It's nothing special—black, shows a bit of back, and stops at the knee. I bought it on a whim and haven't worn it for anything. Pants are easier to maneuver in, I guess.

I unwrap the bandage from my arm. The figure isn't so bad, not as red as before. The dress straps are thick enough to cover most of it, so I leave it off. I'll ask Martha to rewrap it when I get back.

I invite the kids to help tame my hair; after jabbing my scalp with thirteen bobby pins, we finally assemble it in to a braided bun. I switch my weathered boots in for my only other pair of shoes—a pair of flats (that are just as weathered).

I stare my mirrored self down. Judging the night's work as satisfactory, I take a deep breath and continue downstairs.

"…this isn't right…have to tell her…"

Is Martha talking with someone? I didn't hear the door open.

I stop at the kitchen entrance, catching Martha mid-sentence. To my surprise, Nayla sits across from her.

"Don't you look adorable," Nayla gushes, hands pressed to her cheeks. Both her and Martha laugh when I blush. "Don't be shy!"

I sit at a table end. Nayla grabs my hands between hers and I want to shiver at how cold they are.

"I didn't just come here to speak with Martha, but also with you."

"Why?"

"I apologize that I couldn't talk to you last time. Zora told me you came by the house."

Oh. That's what this is about.

"Zora can be very blunt when she wants to. Please don't take whatever she said the wrong way. She's just looking out for me."

"So I can still visit you?"

Her and Martha share a glance, their expressions remain unreadable. Nayla tries to smile when she looks at me again.

"Come here. I want to try something," she says, scooting closer.

Her arms reach out and she holds my face in both hands. Nayla's hazel eyes have dulled; they look more glazed over than bright. Maybe she does need to rest.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm ingraining you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"In case I don't see you again…for a while. I want to remember your face."

I have the same feeling I got that time she found me in her yard. Is there something I'm not getting? Though I can't say anything about it now, not in front of Martha. I just have to hope we can speak again.

"Oh!" Nayla pulls her hands away and stares at them. "Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"The shock! I guess it worked. I've got you right in here." She taps a finger to her temple.

A horn honks in the front yard.

"That must be Carly. I have to go."

Nayla waves and Martha smiles as I leave. I jog across the lawn to Carly's buggy and lean back in the passenger seat.

Carly flashes a grin, giddy as ever. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

—

"Look!" Carly runs up to a group of people with me in tow.

This became the routine somewhere along the night. Carly would recognize a team, drag me across the room and ask them the same few questions necessary for an interview.

Not that I mind, just wish I could be of more help.

So far there is no sign of Sherry. I was beginning to doubt my suspicions about her being someone to watch out for earlier, and now I'm thinking it may have been a strike of paranoia.

My head is still reeling from all this—being marked, being unknown, knowing everything yet somehow not enough. It's too much to process so quickly, which only leaves me one option and I've got no problem pushing it to the back of my mind.

You're at a party, remember? Plenty of people around. You're right in the heart of the city. Don't worry about bad things until they happen.

I excuse myself from the sixth interview of the night. Carly is doing just fine on her own and I can watch her all the same from the snack bar. Something about the glittering lights and nauseating perfumes of the party goers pumped her engines a hundred times harder than usual and I couldn't keep up if I tried.

I linger by the punch bowl and as I reach for the ladle someone cuts in front of me. A tall man with even taller cyan hair scoops punch into a cup and holds it out to me. The crimson visor he wears blurs his eyes, leaving the intent of his smirk to be defined.

I take the glass from him, muttering my gratitude under my breath, and watch him saunter through the crowd.

Well, that was odd. Tall, Dark and Creepy may have been shooting for chivalrous, but I can't ignore the shiver slithering down my spine. Though I watched him pour my drink, I sniff it until deeming it safe enough to sip.

"You came!"

I hold my cup with both hands when I get rammed in to.

"You should really give me a warning when you're about to pounce like that."

Rua flashes his signature grin while Ruka and Akiza catch up to him.

"Where's everyone else?" I ask, looking around for a shot orange, black or blond.

Akiza laughs and juts her chin in a direction behind me. "Jack's pretty hard to miss."

Should I even be surprised by what I find when I turn around? There Jack is, in all his caped glory, shining dead-center. Looks like Carly got her wish after all.

"He really knows how to make an entrance," I comment, laughing. "What about Crow and Yusei?"

"Probably off talking to other teams," says Rua.

Ruka faces Akiza, her lips pursed in a line. "Hey, is Yusei alright? I could be wrong but it seems like he's quieter than usual."

"I was thinking it, too," Akiza sighs. "I'm sure it has something to do with the duel he had with Sherry. Speaking of which, I wonder if she's here."

I don't join them as they walk away. Been there, done that. Though Sherry could be here now. With Carly needing to be on the scene and action-ready, we got here before most of the teams and the room has gotten piled high with people since then.

I stray to the outskirts of the room, sip from my cup and stare down at the looping highways connecting lane to lane, street to street until settling into one bridge arching over the ocean.

The reflection beside mine catches my attention. What a coincidence.

"Yusei," I call lightly.

I do catch a bit of tension in his presence, but with Yusei being a master of disguise I could just be imagining it. Which is very likely since I've done a lot of that lately.

"Maria," he says, bewilderment hiding beneath his steady voice.

"Am I interrupting?"

He shakes his head. "Do you need something?"

I didn't think through what I'd say to him after he'd answer, so I say no. But why not give small talk a shot? If something is really eating at him, it's probably best to direct him away from the issue, even for just a second or two.

"Are you enjoying the party?"

"I don't consider myself a partying type of guy."

I try making my survey of his clothes as covert as possible. He's in his usual outfit and, to be honest, I'm a tad disappointed. I guess I was secretly hoping he'd be in a suit and tie, too.

I send a glance at Jack, just as fabulous from afar as he is up close. "What, did your cape get ruined in the wash?"

Yesterday's irritation disappears when he looks at me again, the tiny grin proving my mission a success. I was more upset with myself than at him, anyway.

A noise disrupts my concentration.

What was that?

"I'll, um, see you around." We nod and part ways.

I stay to the edge of the room. The buzzing in my ears starts out faint and it isn't stopping. I pass some people clinking their glasses in cheer but that's not what I'm hearing. I bump in to a woman doused head to toe in silver; I can barely hear the apology run from my lips.

I'm the only one listening. Everyone else is oblivious.

"There. Look." Jose points to the giant screen, where a live feed of the gala is being tapped from the surveillance cameras.

"You're sure it's her?" questions Lucciano, making no effort to hide his tone. He's intrigued by the image on the screen, sure. But convinced? Please.

"She's the only one responding," Jose says gruffly.

"What is it that you did exactly?" Placido crosses his arms. "Spike the punch?"

Lucciano cackles: "Aren't you a little old for high school shenanigans, Jose?"

Jose ignores his comrades; the girl on the screen is far more important. She is without a doubt Maria, the one Z-one has been searching for. He'll be glad to hear the good news, if he isn't already watching himself.

"What did you give her? It doesn't seem to be very strong," comments Placido.

"Remember that our plans have changed, Placido. We have no interest in killing her now."

Jose tilts his head back triumphantly, a gesture Lucciano replies to with a show of his tongue. Jose may be the leader of the trio, but sometimes the geezer's ego was too inflated for his liking.

"Then let's take her already," Placido demands. "Why waste any more time?"

"It is too soon. Z-one says she's barely awakened."

"Waiting is boring!" Lucciano groans. "What are we supposed to do in the meantime?"

Jose rests his chin on his clasped hands, watching the girl run straight for the bathroom.

"We look for the other one."

It sounded like buzzing at first, like a bee. But as my eyes shut and fingers clamp around the sink edges, I realize just how loud the noise has gotten.

It's more like static. My brain had flipped a random switch and caught the wrong channel. My head may not be pounding but that doesn't make this any less annoying.

Dammit. Spoke too soon.

I bite down on my lip. Did it always hurt this much?

I squint an eye open and let out a gasp.

I've seen the mark before, but never on my head. The line starts near my temple, slopes down then comes back up—the V shape just how I've seen and drawn. Even the dot is perfectly centered in the middle of my forehead.

My eyes shine gold. The rings I noticed days ago are thicker, swallowing all the brown left in my irises.

Then the pain subsides. The mark fades. The static stops.

I lean against the wall, knowing how offset my balance will be after.

What the hell just happened?

Just for clarity, what happened to Maria in the bathroom was not caused by her mark. Just by the futuristic voodoo roofie Yliaster gave her. Somehow I managed to sneak them in there and still avoid saying what Maria is.

Also that crazy guy that kidnapped Yusei was in some organization, but it was never named. I decided to use this to my advantage and made him apart of Yliaster.

NOW YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS MORE THAN JUST ONE OF WHATEVER MARIA IS! AND ON TOP OF THAT YLIASTER'S AFTER BOTH OF THEM~

Also, can we pretend like characters don't puke their entire life stories when they first meet the 5Ds gang coughSherrycough? It always annoys me when that happens. I've got stuff in mind for her anyway.

TTFN