Yet another update…

Chapter 10: Supersensory Shakedown

Everyone sat around in the foyer waiting anxiously. Keisa had passed Yusei's helmet off to comfort Rally, who now clutched it at the foot of the stairs. Keisa had moved to the floor next to crow. She could feel her body craving sleep, but her mind refused to let it rest. She prayed internally, nonstop.

The catch on the door clicked and swung open. Everyone jumped.

"Quiet a crowd you've gathered, Crow," Martha muttered as she looked over the people in her house.

"Martha," Keisa exclaimed. She scrambled over to the woman, who immediately took the familiar girl into her arms. "Martha, how is Yusei?"

A smile appeared on Martha's face and something in Keisa released a little. "He'll be fine," she sighed.

A few more tears trailed down Keisa's cheeks and she felt the knot in her stomach loosen even more. "Thank God," she sighed, releasing the woman.

"He'll need a few more days of rest in bed," the doctor confirmed. "There was a bit of internal bleeding, but he'll be just fine. Just keep him from underground duels for a while."

Rally looked down at the helmet in his hands and then held it out for Keisa to take.

"You bet I'll make sure of that," she muttered, still happy her brother would be okay.

"So what now?" Nervin asked.

"Now," Crow jumped up," we find that dark signer and make him pay!"

Martha shook her head and headed into the kitchen with the doctor, leaving the group alone in the front of the house. "I'll make something to eat," she called over her shoulder. "You kids don't go anywhere."

—

Yusei awoke with a start and a scream, shooting upright in his bed and effectively scaring the crap out of Keisa, who yelped in response. Yusei doubled over in pain.

"Hey." Keisa got out of her chair in the corner where she was helping Martha by folding clothes and rushed over to him. "You okay?"

"Well, look who's awake." Martha pushed a white curtain aside and stepped into the corner of the living room that she had turned into a medical wing for Yusei.

Yusei seemed taken aback. "Martha? What happened?"

"You took a nasty fall off your runner then Crow brought you here," she explained, her hands on her hips and a smile on her face.

"Nasty fall?" Keisa could see the memory come back to him just by the look on his face. Even through his usual poker face, she could sense the confusion turn to shock. "Oh yeah," he whispered, the epiphany showing on his face now as he stared into his lap. "I was dueling Kalin…"

"When you were little I told you dueling was dangerous. Now you're a wreck," Martha scolded.

"Check out your runner," Keisa told him softly, gesturing to the window over her shoulder with a jerk of her thumb. Yusei looked up and past her, through the window. His eyes widened, mouth dropping at the sight of Rally and the kids Martha took care of surrounding his once-destroyed runner.

"Surprised?" Martha smirked. "Keisa, Rally, and the others pushed it the whole way here."

"What?" Yusei looked at Keisa now. "Through the satellite?"

"We made it back alive," Keisa smiled. Her face turned deadly serious. "I know what that runner means to you. I wasn't going to just leave it there where someone could take it. We got it back here in one—well, actually, we got it back here in multiple pieces, but Rally's been a big help while Crow and I fixed it up."

"Hope is all anyone here in the satellite has. Sector Security has taken everything from us. The people here looked up to you, Yusei. We always thought you'd get out of here and start a real life." She turned away. "Which is why it breaks my heart to know you're back here again—dueling." She glanced back at him. "I hope, at least, you won your little game."

"It's not what you think," Yusei defended. His hand rested over his midsection protectively as he leaned towards Martha in an attempt to get her to understand. "There are people out there who want to destroy our home! All of us here are in danger. It's complicated but there's these dark signers and—"

The growing look of pain Yusei was trying to push back became too much for Keisa to let slide by. "You need to calm down, Yusei," Keisa commanded, resting a hand on his arm. "She believes you. Crow and I already explained. The signers, the dark signers, the real battle damage—all of it."

"How do you—"

"I was there, Yuse," Keisa said softly, but her voice and her face spoke volumes. She was, quite frankly, pissed.

"Kei, I—"

"If we're all in great danger, Yusei," Martha interrupted, turning away to peel an apple, "then why are you trying to save us all on your own?"

"It's my job."

"You'll just never change," Keisa snapped suddenly. "Trying to do everything by yourself and ending up in a hospital bed." Yusei didn't look at her, but she could see his shoulders curve into himself a little.

"You've got friends out there, and they're willing to help," the woman spoke softly. "Just look what they did for your duel runner. Keisa lost her favorite card just to keep it safe."

Yusei whirled around. "You what?"

Keisa's eyes flicked to the ceiling. Somewhere, Blitz was laughing at her.

"Then there's Jack—you two were like brothers," the older woman continued, cutting the seeds out of the apple slices meticulously. "You need each other. Whatever happened, it's time you all forgave and forgot." Yusei and Keisa remained silent. "And if it's true—if these Dark Signers want to turn our home into a parking lot, then you're going to need all the friends you can get. Because mark my words—I'm done patching you up just so you can go out and wreck yourself all over again. Your life is just too important to ride solo."

Yusei looked up as Martha handed him a place of apple pieces.

"Thank you, for all your help," he murmured.

She turned away and headed for the kitchen. "If you leave before I say you're ready to go then those scars are just the beginning," she called forcefully over her shoulder.

Yusei let out a soft chuckle and glanced down at the mark on his arm.

"We might not be signers, but we're your friends." Keisa flopped down into her chair and pulled her knees up to her chest. She watched the kids outside silently. "I'm your sister. I'll always have your back."

"We'll get your card back," he promised her softly, lying back down to alleviate the stress on his stomach.

"I will get it back," she whispered. She pushed her feet onto the floor and turned towards him with a smile. "Anyways, I fixed the runner and ran a diagnostic. Your front axle was bent, like it had taken a lot of pressure. It was making the front rim grind and loosened the whole from axle all together."

"The axle must have bent when they dropped me from the helicopter after I left Neo Domino," Yusei hypothesized.

"Yeah, dropping the runner from a helicopter could bend things," Keisa agreed flatly. "But besides that, I tuned some things and you're good to go for a while."

"Thanks, Keisa." Yusei sat up on one elbow, the other arm draped across his stomach beneath the blankets. "I mean it. I owe you a lot."

She stood up and walked over to him, a strange, confused look on her face. "You don't owe me anything, Yuse," she declared, exasperated. "You've taken care of me since forever! If anything, I still owe you big time."

"It's my job—as your brother."

"Well then, I was only doing my job as your sister."

"Keisa."

"Yusei."

He lay back down with a sigh. "I can't believe you lost your card."

"I'll get it back," she said easily.

"Wait until I can go with you."

"Maybe."

"Keisa."

"Fine." She stood up and stretched. "Get some rest. I'm gonna finish the laundry and then probably take a nap myself." She flicked his blanket-covered foot. "You're stuck here for a few days. Try not to tug on your stitches too much."

"Right." He rolled onto his side, away from Keisa.

She was just glad he was physically going to be alright.