This Takes place 20 years after the original Yugioh

Sign One: The Girl in the Snow

NEW DOMINOCITY12-15-20323:15 pm

You (the bird) coast down from the skies, unable to contain a safe viewing distance any longer, eager to see the red and white Duel-Runner up close. You're gliding right by the rim (front) of the bike, watching the wheels spin. You fly in reverse as the Runner speeds up, weaving through the traffic of the streets, trailed by a light blue moped and an army green runner. The red Runner's rider has a thoughtful expression in his midnight blue Egyptian pentagon eyes, two saddlebags secured on either side of the arch above. You fly overhead, seeing the moped and green Duel-Runner pull up beside him.

"Hey, Yusei," the other rider called." Do you think we have everything?"

Yusei Fudo, the Duel Champion of NDC for nearly seven months, nodded. "Yeah, we have all of the decorations and some of the canned foods we need. Right, Leo?" He looked sideways at Leonard Sawatori, an aspiring young duelist who had idolized him ever since they'd first met.

The turquoise-haired boy nodded, glancing down at the box strapped at his feet to the moped. "Yup, I'm pretty sure we have everything..." He pulled out the list Akiza had written up and scanned it. His hands were covered by blue gloves and he also wore a white winter jacket with thick blue pants.

"Keep your eyes on the road, Leo," Yusei cautioned as they stopped for a traffic light.

"I will," Leo promised, keeping an eye on the other vehicles as he went down the list of crossed off items. "Yeah...we got everything....Ack! We fergot the wreaths! She specifically asked for the wreaths! Big ones!"

The light turned green."Damn!" Saiga muttered as they revved their bikes (or scooters). "I knew we forgot something!"

"I thought Tanner and the others were getting that," Yusei argued, huddling in his own blue winter coat as the wind blew the snow drifts into little whirlwinds.

"They're in charge of house decorating," Saiga explained.

"I know a good place!"Leo piped up from Yusei's right. "Follow me!"He zoomed ahead, trailing snow in his wake.

"Suddenly," Yusei muttered as he followed him around a corner, "I have a bad feeling about this." Saiga hummed in agreement.

3:20 pm

Suzume, the nomadic duelist, found herself being thrown into the snow by warehouse invaders. They'd snuck up on her when she was asleep. Her broken right arm in its makeshift splint, burned, shooting pain through the shattered bones.

"This is a nice Duel-Runner," A tall man in a long dark cloak pushed the Runner out of the warehouse followed by six others, grinning at her, but with not very friendly grins." I think I'll keep it,"

"Give it back!" she protested, lurching to her feet, shivering even worse now with cold snow on her skin.

"It's not like you can duel for it," the leader chuckled. "Not with your broken arm and all."

"Leave her alone!" Elva shouted, projecting herself as she reached out and touched one of the gangbangers. Electricity flashed and he crumpled to the snowy ground, unconscious. The others yelped.

"Even better!" the Runner jacker enthused.

"I'm warning you!" Elva snapped, clouds of blonde hair rippling around her face as if she was an ancient spirit. "Release me or suffer! Go away!"

The leader laughed and was caught by surprise when a long metal pipe crashed into his skull. He was forced to release the bike, staggering backwards. "She warned you!" Suzume snapped, wielding the makeshift staff with skill.

"You won't get away with this!" one of the blue haired gangbangers declared, as they all drew lead weighted batons from under their coats. "Get 'er!"

In a back alleyway... 3:25

"Leo, we've been wandering back here for a while," Yusei called. "Are you sure about this?"

Leo stopped the moped, glanced around and then winced, looking back at his older companions. "I think we're lost," he admitted sheepishly.

"Of... course," said Saiga, sounding resigned as he and Yusei sweat-dropped.

"We could retrace our route," Yusei suggested from behind him.

"Good idea," the ex-pro duelist agreed as they both turned to leave followed by an embarrassed Leo.

Their departure was interrupted by a loud clang echoing through the alleys, the sound of metal ringing against metal quickly followed by grunts of pain and indignant shouts and yells. The sounds of conflict further drew their attention as a feminine cry of dismay and agony rang out next, carrying forth on the air, the voice's owner mocked by dark chuckles.

Yusei revved his Runner, his midnight blue eyes darkening in anger as he whirled the cycle around with the expertise and liquid grace that accompanied all his movements. Tearing through the snow pass Leo and Saiga, he heard the ex-pro-duelist follow, warning Leo to sit tight and stay out of trouble as the younger duelist protested.

He ignored their argument as he roared down long alleys, turning once at a right corner and twice at two lefts before nearly passing a wider alleyway behind an old warehouse. He stopped the bike just around the corner, peering into the backway to assess the situation.

He took in all in a glance: a large man passed out in the snow face down being ignored by his comrades, two of whom appeared to be guarding a sleek chestnut coloured Duel-Runner as three others mercilessly piled snow on top of a helpless girl lying in the snow, very much awake. All the thugs were wearing the same basic uniform of long dark winter coats complete with hoods or hats.

The girl with chestnut streaked bubble-gum pink hair rose from the snow, shivering but shouting furiously as she swung a long metal pipe in her ungloved left hand, catching one in the jaw with a heavy whack. Yusei noted her right eye, sealed shut with some sort of red goop.

The attacked thug cried out in pain, tumbling into the snow, the girl's opened eye flashing with battlefire despite the cold and the broken right arm she tucked into her side, the arm that was rippling with the colours of blue, green and black. No doubt her left hand was freezing from the cold of the pipe. She kept her attackers in the sight of her one eye, circling them.

Yusei's eyes narrowed as he revved the bike and roared into the alley, skidding to a stop again as he turned sharply, sending snow flying at the thugs. The girl swerved around her attackers, dodging the snow and moving towards the Runner that most likely belonged to her.

She swung the pipe into one thug's skull, letting him crumple to the ground at her feet. At that moment another, much younger, girl leapt from behind a row of trash cans as attacked, her fists flashing as she hit with deadly rapid-fire accuracy.

He too crumpled and hit the snow, unable to move. "Hey! What gives!? Why can't I move!?" he shouted, his voice muffled. He was ignored.

The three remaining thugs were distracted from the torment of their victim, turning towards the newcomer as he stepped off his bike, taking off his helmet and tucking it under his arm. "Leave her alone," he ordered quietly, his normally calm eyes dangerous with the promise of retribution.

Leo and Saiga arrived behind him. Saiga stayed the young boy with a hand as he too dismounted and went to stand by Yusei as backup.

"Leave her alone?" the thug who was obviously the leader sneered, folding his arms. He was bigger and taller than Yusei, with thick brown hair, sticking from under his gray skullcap, his eyes an uncomforting tunnel black, his face rugged and harsh, a thick black leather coat hanging from his frame.

Suzume was freezing cold and hungry, her strength dwindling rapidly. She shivered next to her Synchro-Cycle, holding the pipe like a sword as Elva muttered to herself, peering from behind their makeshift barrier, keeping an eye on the thugs who had seemed to have forgotten about them. "You're using the chameleon program," Suzume said to the AI.

Elva nodded. "Can you get a read on the new guy? He seems nice enough though,"

Suzume studied the new arrivals, assessing him as he spoke. The raven-haired teen had midnight blue eyes that narrowed with dangerous promise. "Leave her alone," he ordered with authority, in a voice laced with danger and warning. Her breath hitched as the tingling on her arm activated the spell mark and his aura became visible to her. Coupled with his face, he looked dangerous, blue and gold fire with flecks of crimson flaring around him, revealing his anger at her treatment, a fire that only she could see.

She barely noticed the other two arriving just behind him, an older man in his mid-twenties riding an army green Duel-Runner and younger boy riding a light blue moped. The older man restrained the boy with a hand, going to stand by his friend's side. She only spared the two of them a glance before she deemed them allies and returned her attention to the original rescuer. Somehow, he seemed to be familiar to her…to remind her of someone she knew…but who?

"Leave her alone?" the gang leader, repeated. She could tell from his voice and tone that he was sneering at her rescuers. He was much bigger than the blue-eyed teen and taller than his companion and the boy sitting on the moped behind the red S-cycle certainly wouldn't be much help. It was going to be three against two...unless you counted her, the freezing girl and her holographic human disguised companion.

She took a second look at the cycle in confusion. But was it a Synchro-Cycle? She looked at curiously for a second before feeling her gaze snap back to the raven-haired boy. "Whose gonna make us?" the gang leader continued.

The other boy's eyes flashed dangerously as his hand moved towards his bike as if to activate something. His gaze flicked to her, shivering behind the thugs and her cycle and as their eyes met, making the last of her breath escape from her lungs: she tilted her good eye to see better. Wait…was it him? The lost child? The one called the fire of the clan?

Seeing her and recognizing her presence seemed to change his course of action: his brown gloved hand fell to his side. "Beat it or we'll do this the hard way," he growled. His companion appeared confused, casting an eye in her direction, but she paid no attention to him even as his other eye showed a silent question to his friend. He was ignored the same as the paralyzed thug was, who was still trying to rise.

"Stay down you!" Elva hissed, a spark leaping from the cycle to him. He jerked sharply and lay still, whispering curses.

"What's the hard way?" the leader was asking now. Elva made her move as she decided to even the odds. She darted from behind the cycle, shocking the leader into paralysis before the downed man could shout a warning.

Suzume dodged around the cycle and threw her pipe at one of the thugs but the cold was getting to her. It missed, clattering off the wall, seeming to take several layers of skin with it. She hissed sharply to prevent a shriek of pain, drawing in air through her teeth. Blood rose into her palm, uncomfortable sticky.

The pipe's noise distracted the remaining thugs for only seconds but it was enough. She saw the raven-haired teen's grim smile flicker on his Egyptian-like features as he and his companion took advantage of the thugs' slip, lunging forward. "Leo, the girls!" he shouted back to the turquoise-haired child, his face lighting up at the order, thrilled to be doing something.

The fist of the blue-eyed boy connected with the face of one as he swerved around, ducking the other's lead baton, his coat flaring. The brown-haired older man disabled him within seconds, punching him in the gut. He crumpled.

She smiled, relieved that it was over as darkness swum at the corners of her vision. She lurched forward, feeling small hands close around her cold skin, steadying her. She thought she heard a child's voice, and then Elva's but she couldn't focus anymore. She fell forward into shadows, the small hand's grip loosening even as she fell into muscled arms, her functioning eye closing. Then she felt no more, swallowed by blackness.

"Leo, the girls!" Yusei shouted as he allowed the grim flickering smile to flash across his face, lunging forward as the thugs were distracted by their fallen leader and the metal pipe clattering against the brick wall.

He saw the girl hiss in pain as his outstretched fist connected with the thugs face. He swerved to avoid a swing of the other thug's baton as Saiga punched him in the gut.

He hit the ground as Leo skirted the edges of the fight with swift movements. The girl teetered forward as he moved to steady her. "It's okay, Yusei took care of them," he said proudly, but she didn't seem comprehend his words.

"Thank you for your help," the blonde haired, pale-skinned girl said, bowing respectfully to Saiga and Yusei. "I am Elva, eleven years old."

"No problem," Saiga assured her. "Name's Saiga," He extended his hand for her to shake but she stared at it blankly, appearing to cringe away.

"Oh," said Saiga, dropping his hand."Not from around here, I guess." She shook her head.

Leo called out in dismay. "Yusei!" Yusei's gazed had shifted, more concerned about the injured girl and was there before the name left the young boy's lips, Leo's grip slipping as she fell forward in a faint.

Yusei moved forward, catching her gently, careful not to jar her injured arm. Much to his horror, she was beginning to turn blue, the red goop covering her left eye dried blood, her left palm bleeding from missing flesh. On her left wrist, a silver band shone blue, looking as if it had frozen to her skin.

"She's going hypothermic! She needs the hospital!" he barked at Saiga whose eyes widened. Immediately, he whipped out his com-screen (like the iPhone) and contacted the ER.

"No hospitals!" Elva cried; shaking her head furiously clouds of blonde hair floating around her face, light green eyes wide, her red coat becoming white with snow.

"She's going to die if we don't get her to a hospital!" Yusei retorted furiously. "No arguments!"

Elva dropped her gaze from his furious blazing look. "She doesn't like hospitals," she muttered sullenly.

"I don't like hospitals," Leo chirped as Yusei took off his thick coat, draping it around the frozen girl. "I still go."

Saiga was listing the girl's condition to the operator as he took off his own thick coat, handing it to Yusei. He accepted it with a nod of thanks, wrapping it around the girl leaning unconsciously into his arms. "I'll ride with her on my Runner," he decided aloud, a tad bit thankful for his ever present jacket and the plain long-sleeved black turtle neck Akiza had insisted he wear.

"You should ride hers instead," Elva objected. "It's bigger. I can adjust it. Hold on." She approached the strange Runner, appearing to fiddle with the controls.

Leo nudged his hero and Yusei looked at him to see the younger boy holding out his own coat. "Leo, you'll freeze!" He protested.

"She needs it more," he insisted, shivering. "If we go fast we ken get some hot cocoa from the cafeteria there,"

The older boy sighed at Leo's logic, lifting the unconscious girl in his arms and walking to her Runner, setting her in the seat as Leo followed and draped his coat around her grateful, as Yusei was, for the extra layers. Elva finished the adjustments and the arch slid backwards over the silvery tires.

"There you go," she announced. "There's her helmet and I'll ride your Runner." She turned to Leo. She was taller than him by at least fives inches. "What's your name?"

"Leonard Sawatori," he replied, feeling as if he needed to say his full name. "But call me Leo."

"Okay, Leo. Can you get..." She trailed off, waiting for someone to fill her in as she glance at Yusei.

"Yusei," he supplied as he slipped the girl's helmet over her tangled black hair as he looked at the younger girl in puzzlement. Shouldn't eleven year olds be less bossy, not to mention taller and less skinny?

"Can you get Yusei's helmet while I get to know his Runner?" Leo nodded, trotting after her pass the groaning thugs.

Interesting way to phrase it, Yusei thought. She seems much older than she is too, despite her small size... He shook his head clear of these thoughts as Leo returned, handing him his helmet. He nodded in thanks, putting it on and boarding the Runner behind the nameless girl, wanting to be able to see any external indications of her condition. Her breath escaped in streams of cold air, her helmeted head lolling against his shoulder.

"Saiga, can you take care of the thugs?" he called.

"Sure, you guys get going! They're waiting!"

Elva boarded Yusei's Runner as Leo mounted his moped and popped on his helmet. Yusei reached around his passenger to tap the holodisplay and brought up a map indicating the shortest route through the alleyways to the hospital.

"Okay, you two," he called back, revving up the strange Runner, feeling it hum to life. "Let's get goin' and stay close! Leo, call Luna and the others once we get to the hospital! Explain!" He didn't wait for Leo's answer, just whizzed out of the alley opposite to the way they'd come.

Sign One End

Thanks for reading! Don't worry I won't leave you hanging, there's more to come! Just to clarify, in this part...

The other boy's eyes (Yusei's eyes) flashed dangerously as his hand moved towards his bike as if to activate something. His gaze flicked to her, shivering behind the thugs and her cycle and as their eyes met, making the last of her breath escape from her lungs, she tilted her good eye to see better.

Seeing her and recognizing her presence seemed to change his course of action: his brown gloved hand fell to his side. .... Yusei was about to disengage his duel-disk from his Runner but changed his mind because there was no time to duel and Suzume needed medical attention for her arm.