Disclaimer: I do not own YGO 5Ds
Now that the room had thinned considerably, I could taste the awkwardness in the air, most of which was originating from Jack. I don't blame him, how do you face your best friend whom you abandoned and tried to throw into jail a couple of times, succeeding once, after you tried to kill one of his friends? Okay, so I do blame Jack, he almost killed a kid when he was sixteen or did everybody just forget that?
Mina leaned back into her chair, Trudge stepped back until he was pressed against the wall, Carly gulped loudly. Chaos stretched his legs out under the table, content to wait for the show. The only one completely immune to this tension is Yusei.
"It's good to have you back," Yusei told Jack casually as though the blond just came back home after a semester abroad, "We're gonna need all the help we can get if we hope to defeat the Dark Signers."
I looked at Yusei, then at Jack, then at the rest of the audience- I was filled with relief when I realized I wasn't the only one who found this conversation utterly ridiculous. I can't understand how Yusei still talks like this after 2 years as though no time has passed. Maybe it's a main character thing?
"Goodwin filled me in," Jack rubbed the back of his neck, looking every bit as uncomfortable as the rest of us measly mortals.
Nope, guess it's just a Yusei thing.
Jack shifted in his seat again. Now that there was nobody between him and Yusei, he looked acutely aware of the scar on his (ex?) best friend's face and the harsh lines that comes from being stuck in the Satellite. Jack would have to be dumber than I think he is to not realize how utterly disconnected he had become to the Satellite after all this time. After all, he was the Champion of Neo Domino, back to visit his last residence escorted by agents from the city to which he now belongs. He may not completely fit in at Neo Domino yet, but he's certainly not a satellite.
Also, speaking for the Satellite (which I can do because I now own it) the Satellite doesn't want him! What with the whole attempted murder thing and all.
Sorry I still can't get over that. I'm a little sensitive about the whole topic of death right now. Plus, it's attempted murder for god's sake! At the age of 16, he tied Rally, an 8 year-old who trusted and looked up to him, to a boat floating freely at sea, in a bid to get Yusei to jump into said boat, just so he could steal some trading cards. Some trading cards! Can you imagine what he would do for something actually worthwhile?
I mean, Lazar just asked him to steal Yusei's Stardust, that whole setup was not part of his deal to get into Satellite. He could have just taken Stardust from Yusei and left in the middle of the night, it would have been exactly the same for him to not frivolously put two people's lives in danger. What if Yusei had a cramp that day? The entire world would have been doomed.
No wonder Yliaster had to look through so many realities to find one that had a chance.
Remembering what Jack had done, I stood up and dragged Chaos' chair until it was situated between me and Jack. Chaos gave me an uncomprehending look but slid over obligingly as his chair made a loud creak on the wooden floors.
"Alright, I'm gonna say what we're all thinking," I sat down, then pushed Chaos a bit further from the table so that I could look at Jack in the eyes, "You don't deserve to stand on Satellite soil, let along in this room."
"Yuki!" Yusei cut me off sharply, then quickly turn to Jack, "Jack, don't listen to her. That's not true! You're always welcome in the Satellite with me!"
"You don't count," I rolled my eyes, "Everybody else, including Jack himself, is thinking the exact same thing."
"Yuki, I like you and I can see that you want to protect me." Yusei said seriously, "But Jack is my friend too and I know he's a good person. It's true that he's made mistakes in the past, but that's why he needs our help and support! Can you take Jack for the person he is, not the person he used to be?"
He makes sound like Jack is on trial for public urination after a New Year's party.
"I really don't understand how you can defend him," I asked, truly incredulous. "When he threw you into the Facilities, he had no idea Akiza would get you out!" Just like in the show, Jack had no idea Goodwin would let Yusei out. Chilling thought, isn't it?
"He was battling with the Darkness inside himself. Now that he's finally won, this isn't the time to turn him away!" Yusei insisted. "You don't give up on your friends after they've made mistakes, you help them improve and get better. That's what friends do for each other!"
"You mean not throw each other into jail?" I sneered sarcastically.
"Yusei." Jack said suddenly before Yusei had a chance to protest again. "You're right, Yuki. I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of, but that's why I'm here, to make things right again! I want to do everything I can for the Satellite, so they can have the opportunities I had."
I bit back a 'by throwing kids into the ocean?'
"Whether you like it or not, Jack Atlas is back and he's here to stay!" Jack proclaimed, smacking his hand against the table as he stood up. "I'm a Signer too and I will duel the Dark Signers until they're all defeated. Then I'll fix up the rest of the Satellite like we've always wanted and there's nothing you can do about it!"
If an attempted murderer spends the rest of his life doing good (which Jack probably won't do), is he then absolved of his crime? What if the murder had failed purely by chance? What if the murder had succeeded purely by chance?
I was busy grappling with these philosophical question instead of pointing out that I have every right to kick him off my property when Kalin burst in.
"Good and bad news," Kalin said with a grimace. He nodded to Yusei, then acknowledge Jack's existence with a nonchalant glance, "The souls Misty's Immortal captured is now back in the Satellite."
"We knew that would happen." I answered, "So what's the bad news?"
"That is the bad news, and the good news." Kalin said like that wasn't confusing at all. "Misty had been a Dark Signer for much longer than me, so a lot more people have been freed in the Satellite."
"So what?" Trudge interrupted, "So there's a few more satellites hanging around, what is it to the rest of you?"
Kalin gave Trudge a cold look, probably because of his uniform, and continued as though uninterrupted. "These people had disappeared years ago, we all thought they were dead. Now thousands of people are showing up out of nowhere, most of their support system is gone. They still need food, clothing, shelter, not to mention a long-term plan."
"So just handle it yourself," Chaos said skeptically, "The Dark Signer battles are imminent, we really don't have anyone free at the moment."
"I would, but we don't have enough money." Kalin replied with a roll of his eyes, resisting the growing urge to bang his head against his desk. All these people running around playing their card games saving the world, feeling self-important. Nobody seems to remember how expensive it can be. "Forget the collateral damage for now, where do they live? What do they eat? We don't even have enough people to locate everyone who just appeared. If they starved to death in the sewers, we wouldn't find out until they smell."
"What? We don't- But," I sputtered a little, remembering I had spent most of our money on land purchases. It doesn't help that Goodwin just publicly announced his recent shipping restrictions in the Satellite, food prices doubled in a mater of hours. Our town currency tanked as a (completely foreseeable) result.
"Maybe that's something Atlas-sama can help with," Mina suggested, still fidgeting with her Red Dragon Archfiend necklace, "He made a lot of friends in Neo Domino."
"Good idea, Mina," Jack nodded, "Then my journey in the Satellite shall start here. It's time to remind the Satellite what Jack Atlas can do!"
"Come with me then," Kalin acted like he only met the blond, "Let's get to work."
"Hey, I'm coming too!" Carly jumped up, "This will be a great start for your comeback story, your fans would just eat it up!"
Mina followed Carly's example and left the room.
I stared after them, perplexed. Now I look like the one obsessed with the past. But Jack threw Yusei in jail like a month ago, this really isn't ancient history we're talking about. Frankly, I don't believe people changed this quickly.
"Get over yourself, they don't need your help." Trudge jeered, "You don't think like these people, you never will- you're not a satellite. These punks, they know their lives aren't worth much, so they're living out every pathetic second they have left. They don't hold a grudge for the past because all they can think about is the next second of instant gratification!"
I put a hand on Chaos' arm, guiding him to sit down before he punched Trudge. Trudge held his head up victoriously as he followed Mina out.
"Yusei, would you let, um," I racked my head for who's still left. Galen had asked for the Magicians to be present while he dueled Vincent, so my choices were becoming quite limited, "Let Blizzard know. He can work with the gang leaders of the Satellite to inform with public and set up a system to send these people to us if they needed help?"
"Of course." Yusei replied, "I'm happy to help out anyway I can."
Neither he nor Crow would be great for Satellite outreach, being ex-Enforcers and all.
"What do you need?" Chaos asked after Yusei left, "That's something I'd obviously take care of, so why did you send Fudo away?"
"Can you keep an eye on Trudge for me?" I asked Chaos seriously.
"Sure!" Chaos replied immediately. "You think there's something wrong with him?"
"He's talking funny," I explained, "He's being intentionally provocative, and I don't know why. Galen's not here, so either you or Crow would need to put a tail on him or something." Maybe I'm just thinking too much, but I do plan on being more cautious around people with guns and motives to use said guns against me. Call it a resolution.
"Consider it done." Chaos nodded.
"Thanks," I set my head back down on the table, wondering how long I can afford to stay in here before I had to face the real world again. It's exactly like when I used try and (often fail to) get away with taking another nap after my morning, except with the much more at stake... That's really adulthood in a nutshell, I mused while trying not to sleep.
"Hey," He paused at the doorway without turning around, "You're right you know."
"'Bout what?" I muttered disinterested.
"About everything," Chaos replied lightly, "About Atlas, and murder and responsibility; everything. It's this place that's wrong, don't ever forget that. Don't let this is place change you like it changed us, you deserve better than that."
"'Cause the Satellite needs to be led by someone untainted by its twisted ideals, right?" I replied wryly, glancing up at him as he was turning around to leave.
Chaos chuckled, then said with some emphasis, "Because you deserve better than that."
"That's clearly ridiculous! Brute force will never match up against the eloquence of true power. Its very existence is an attestation to the futility of uncontrolled strength." Vincent insisted vehemently.
"Don't give me that BS." Galen rolled his eyes, "Power is power, no matter what label you put on it. It's still better than being completely reliant on the human race for survival. Your so-called 'knowledge' doesn't have a leg to stand on without strength to back it up!"
"What are they talking about?" Just having got the message while he was at school (teaching), Teddy was the last to arrive at the tarmac. He looked at Vincent and Galen in turn, both deeply engrossed in their argument, then at Felice at Cyril on the sidelines obviously enjoying the show.
"They're fighting over whether vampires or werewolves would win in a fight," Cyril explained.
"I'm rooting for werewolves, Cyril's rooting for vampires," Felice added, "Wanna break the tie?"
It was a pattern between Vincent and Galen to fight over something, anything every time they meet. In the Satellite, before Yuki and her personal electronics came along, that was as much entertainment as the rest of them got.
"Why?" Teddy asked darkly, "So they can finish one last argument for old times' sake?" He brushed past the group to board the plane.
"Poor kid," Cyril muttered. Being too busy with the kids Crow was supposed to have been teaching, Teddy had been kept out of the loop for a while now.
Felice shrugged and boarded the plane herself. She made a beeline for the cupboard to pick out a bottle of champagne and a glass, adding a few ice cubes from the fridge. She needed and deserved a break. Cyril followed her but refused the drink she offered. Instead, he situated himself comfortably on the white leather sofa and rested his feet on the coffee table, ready for the show.
Vincent looked suspiciously at Galen, then at Felice and Cyril. They obviously have something up their sleeves, he just had to figure out what. Teddy sat stiffly on the sofa, he was the only one as oblivious as Vincent, which wasn't a comforting thought given the kid was only 14.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Let's duel." Galen urged, motioning for him to go first.
"Fine." Vincent set his suspicions aside, "As we agreed, when I win, the plane will land in Neo Domino and the Magicians will leave with me. No questions asked."
Teddy nodded seriously, Felice hmphed, already on her second mimosa, Cyril made some noise from under his blanket.
"That's as much as you're gonna get," Galen laughed, "They've been working hard, give them a break."
"Are you sure you guys won't just come with me?" Vincent waited till the plane took off to ask, "We can knock Galen out and just leave, nobody will be able to stop us. There's no reason for any of us to defend the Crimson Dragon and every reason for all of us to want to destroy it. Think of every morning you were woken up by hunger, every night you went to sleep not knowing if you would get up again. Now multiply that by whatever you want to cover all the sufferings humanity had endured for the past millennia, how can you still defend this monster?
"You know, we weren't going too bad ourselves, by Satellite standards." Felice replied evenly, "We could have helped a lot of people if we tried harder. But we didn't, and that's still okay."
"We were barely staying alive," Vincent defended, "We could have helped more people, but nobody in their right mind would blame us if we didn't."
"For god's sake Vincent," Cyril snapped, "Look around, we're in a plane fitted with a dueling arena! We certainly didn't need one, but we wanted one, so we got it. If we had asked Industrial Illusions to save starving orphans instead of this plane, they probably would have. But we didn't, because we want a plane."
Galen and Felice laughed, Vincent only got irritated. Teddy looked a mixture between horrified and perplexed.
"Remember how we used to laugh at Akiza for demanding everybody go out of their way to help her?" Felice teased, "When did you become the same?"
"This is different!" Vincent insisted, "The Crimson Dragon has powers beyond our imagination!"
"That's not an excuse to demand for it to exert those powers for our good. We don't hold other individuals responsible for our own well-being. We never resented the residents of Neo Domino for not donating enough to the Satellite, we certainly won't hold some sort of monster responsible."
"Come on," Galen urged before Vincent actually blew up, "You owe me a real duel, not the mind games and strategic losses you were playing at. Let's do this!"
Akiza arrived in Neo Domino in the middle of the night, Neo Domino remains brightly lit, denying her the cover of darkness. Though that hardly matters, she came looking for a fight. She ran her slender fingers through the feathers of her Black Rose Dragon, relying on his fluffy coat to calm her growing irritation. As they say, she's about to meet her maker.
Sayer is never hard to find. He has an obsession with the extravagant and ostentatious. The Arcadia Tower is the second highest building in Neo Domino, second only to the Neo Domino government (/duel arena) itself, a gesture Sayer made while still pretending to be loyal to Rex Goodwin. Sayer is almost invariably on the top floor, he has no reason to run, he's one of the most powerful mortals on the planet, it would take a fleet of fighter jets to take him down. Well, Akiza nuzzled into her dragon, a fleet of fighter jets or a single Black Rose Dragon.
"Welcome, Akiza, My Rose." Sayer was waiting for her at the top of the building, impeccably dressed in a suit and tie as always, his arms extended as though expecting her to jump into his embrace. "Welcome home."
"Home?" Akiza mocked then promptly stopped herself, she didn't come all this way to bicker. "I'm looking for two kids you kidnapped, Luna and Leo. Give them to me now Sayer, and I will leave."
"Akiza, Akiza, Akiza," Sayer tutted, "Now even an 'how are you' for your oldest friend? I was worried about you, and what would become of you after your sentimentalities weakened your powers. Yet here you are, attacking me when I have done nothing but help you ever since we met!"
Akiza hesitated. She knew Sayer was lying, he wasn't worried about her at all except how her actions would affect him. On the other hand, he had helped her more than anybody else, maybe even more than Yusei. He was there when she was desperate, hopelessly alone, and just hopeless. He had given her a reason to live when she had none, even if his motives were entirely selfish.
"How are you Sayer?" She asked slowly, "Are you ready to give me the kids you took and leave Domino?" She paused, her voice growing louder, "It'll be much easier if you cooperate. Give me the kids and leave, never show up again. I can promise that if you leave Domino, I won't go looking for you. That's the most I can do."
"Trying to force my hand, My Rose?" Sayer asked, "How do you plan on defeating me, when I taught you everything you know?"
"Sector Security are on their way," Akiza said solemnly. She looked a little wistful, Sayer's voice used to give her chills, now it just gives her goosebumps. Everything's changed, and Sayer doesn't seem to realize that yet. "They'll try you in the Domino City system." Given what Sayer did to Vincent and Ara, Akiza insisted on delivering him personally to Sector Security. It's the last thing she'll do for Sayer, she told herself again.
"You're getting cocky, Akiza," Sayer sneered. He had used a number of tricks to keep Akiza insecure so she thinks she needed him, this new Satellite attitude has to go. "I know every card in your deck, you've never won a single game against me. If you want a duel, you got one. Let's see if you learned any new tricks while you're away from me!" He lifted his duel disk, locking Akiza into a duel.
"It's true that I've never beat you in a duel, but I have learned a few things in the Satellite. For example, this isn't a game." Akiza tilted her head with a playful smirk, stroking her Black Rose Dragon and completely ignoring the duel request. "There's a reason you needed me in the first place Sayer, your powers can't hold a candle next to mine. I have my dragon, where's yours?"
Akiza had to admit, despite all her anger towards her powers, she did enjoy having a personal dragon.
Sayer looked stunned as Black Rose Dragon swooped down to grab him in his teeth. Sayer was a powerful psychic duelist, but he knew he would lose miserably against Akiza in an actual fight. Instead, he let himself be lifted into the air as Black Rose Dragon took flight, descending towards where the Sector and paramedics were gathering.
A/N: As you might have guessed, I've been wanting to rant about Jack for a while. It's actually chilling to think about a sixteen year-old putting an eight year-old's life at risk just to test what kind of person his best friend was. Even more chilling than throwing said best friend in jail to get branded as a criminal.
In one of the games, I think it was Tagforce 4 or 5, Jack tells Rally, "I don't deserve to stand in front of you,' and for once, I was in complete agreement with Jack Atlas.
A/N 2: I wonder how they explained away the Dark Signer thing to the public in the anime. By the looks of things, at least thousands of people disappeared and showed up again, they had a montage of it in the show too, like Greiger's village. Do these people not wonder what happened?
A/N 3:This is the second half of Rex & Roman's Crimson Dragon discussion. I had originally wanted to post it in the same chapter, but the plot just didn't fit. I don't have a side, that's why I presented both. XD It's really for you to decide.