Ah, a new chapter! The last one before I officially start school T_T Nah, I'm kidding. I'm actually excited. Anyway, here we go!

We got quite a few guesses on who our next governor could be. So far, noted guesses are Roman, Lazar, Primo, Lester, Jakob, Vizor, and Z-one. Is it just me, or are you guys all thinking the governor's a villain? I mean, all of those characters are an enemy at some point on the show. Well, Vizor is Antinomy when he's an opponent, but he does fight against the protagonists at some point. I never did say the governor was our next villain ;) Just something to think about.

Many thanks to Mixer18, FiringShootingStar, Rapis-Razuri, AnimeKiwi369, RobotFish, theforgottenpeople96, Seeker Heart, LittleKrus, ProChampionDuelistAKAPyro, RunoandAkizafan, and Rose-Aki for their awesome reviews!

And anons are Mariah, LDC, PDS, name, and ChibiX! Mariah: To be honest, Act II is our cutesy act. There'll be quite a bit of fluff in this one, but I hope I have enough action and mystery to balance it out :) LDC: Yeah, Akiza trusts Yusei a lot, doesn't she? By now, she knows he won't betray her and, well, Luna and Martha wanted to meet him ;) PDS: Thanks! name: Thank you! I hope you'll like this chapter, too! ChibiX: Aw, I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you! I'll do my best!

I want to throw a shout-out here to LittleKrus! Our newcomer took the time to write a review for every chapter so far and made me so happy this weekend! Thank you!

And, as always, many thanks to my awesome beta, RobotFish!

Sunset Horizon
Chapter 19 – Seeking Answers

Akiza stood in the backroom of her bar, touching one hand to the opposite elbow while watching Yusei fasten his gun belt. Sighing, she hated herself for asking, but wondered aloud, "Do you have to go?"

He flashed a quick smile and masterfully finished with the buckle before reaching up to caress her cheek. "Relax, Akiza. There won't be anything dangerous. We're just going to break in, find a name, and get out."

She crossed her arms with a frown and muttered, "Do you remember the last time you had an 'easy in, easy out' mission like this?" He smirked and opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off with a sharp jab of her finger in his chest. "Don't even think of turning that into a sex joke."

He raised his hands in a form of surrender before sighing and averting his gaze. He sat in silence for a moment, prompting her to answer her own question. "That's right, you wound up with that," she said, pointing harshly at his scar. "Don't underestimate your opponents, Yusei."

He nodded and reached out, cupping his hands on her elbows and pulling her against him. "I know. I won't. We don't even know if this new governor is even a threat at all. He could be one of the few good politicians out there and might actually help with exposing the Underground." After a slight pause, he sheepishly added, "But, ah, do you sense anything psychic?"

She had been practicing with her powers, using the techniques she'd learned from Sayer before his death to sharpen her senses. It took a surprisingly large toll on her energy to hone her sixth sense. It always astonished her when she wound up exhausted after a meditation session. She sighed in defeat and shook her head, saying, "No… But my powers still aren't all that strong. I've been practicing, but there's still a limit. I could sense Sayer easily because his powers were so intense. Still, psychic or not, don't get too cocky, okay? Promise me, Yusei."

He leaned closer and kissed her briefly before saying, "I promise. We'll be fine."

Her heart pounded at the thought of something happening to him after all the heartbreak they'd shoved at each other. "You're coming back here when you're done?"

He frowned slightly. "I was going to crash at my old place so I didn't wake you."

She raised her hands to cup his chin and forced a smile forward. "I'd rather you woke me so I knew you were safe."

He tugged her a little closer and kissed her again. "All right. If that's what you want, then I'll come back here in a few hours. Go ahead and lock up. I'll come in over the balcony."

She nodded. "All right. I'll leave those doors unlocked for you."

"Take care," he murmured, slowly stepping out of her hold. "I gotta go. The guys'll kill me if I don't hurry."

She crossed her arms and shot him a glare. "Be careful, Yusei, or I'll kill you."

Despite the fact that she was completely serious, he gave a short laugh and pressed one more kiss to her lips before bowing out of the room. Sighing, she turned to walk back into the bar. No point in leaving Bruno out there alone when the alternative left her doing nothing but worrying about Yusei. He had a way of making her want to wring his neck while she kissed him senseless.

Her feelings didn't make any sense, but love never did, right?

…

"Seriously?" Yusei hissed, glancing over his shoulder at Kalin. "Nothing?"

His friend shook his head, shifting through stacks of documents. "Nothing. Everything is either from Sayer's or Goodwin's time in charge, or simply notarized with the governor's seal."

Damn, this guy was good. He knew the Enforcers would look into his affairs, apparently. There wasn't a trace of a name, even. They had found a pair of boots that, when matched up to their own, indicated he had larger feet and was, therefore, probably taller, but that was it. Not a stray hair on the floor, a portrait of a loved one, a handwritten note, a jacket to give them a better estimate of his size, nothing.

The only other place they could look would be his bedroom, but they didn't have the need to go to such extreme measures and risk getting caught at this point. They hadn't found any trace of alignment with the Underground yet, either, so he wasn't an enemy.

That judgment would wait until they had proof.

Sighing, Yusei glanced out the window and guessed it had to be about an hour or two until daybreak. "We're not going to find anything, are we?" he asked, using a hushed whisper to keep his voice down.

Kalin shook his head. "I highly doubt it."

"All right. Let's go find the other two and scram," he said, smirking in spite of himself.

Kalin shook his head as he drew Hundred Eyes Dragon and moved for the hall, knowing what was on his mind. "Did you tell her what you were doing?"

He drew Stardust and followed suit, scoffing. "'Course. I had to tell her something, and I'm not planning on lying to her."

"You 'had' to tell her?"

"If I wasn't out doing this, I'd be back home having sex and going to sleep in her bed."

"You're spoiled rotten by sex, Yusei. Here I thought you were the cleanest one out of us," he muttered, shaking his head.

He shrugged. "I'm pretty sure that's you."

…

Yusei climbed up over the balcony, easily pulling his way inside his home and let his feet touch the wood silently. He would avoid waking her if he could. He pushed the door open as quietly as he could and crept inside before closing the stained glass behind him with a light 'snick.'

She woke at the slightest sound, jerking up to a sitting position and wiping the back of her hand across her eyes before sleepily mumbling, "Yusei? Is that you?"

He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he approached her and whispered, "No, I'm Red Nova, here to claim your soul."

She rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder as he approached, muttering, "Find anything?"

He shifted to place one knee on the bed and leaned over her, kissing her deeply in greeting. He loved the way she melted into him when he kissed her like that. His hand moved from her shoulder to slide down her back and pull her closer to him as he shifted his weight, angling to lay her down and settle above her. She gave a small moan against his lips, arching into him as her hands fisted in his hair.

By Crimson, he loved her.

Slowly, he drew back and sat still, staring into her eyes as if the world was going to crash down around them. He brushed the back of his hand along her cheek before he shifted to stand, pausing when she murmured, "Where are you going?"

He leaned back over her and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before whispering, "Just going to change. I'll be next to you in a sec."

"Mm…" she hummed, still half-asleep and dazed from their brief interactions.

He watched with a fond smile as she laid back in her pillow, settling into the fluffy cushion while waiting for him to join her. Deciding not to waste time, he quickly removed his belt with Stardust and hung it on the nail added for the sole purpose of holding his weapon before peeling off his jacket and shirt. Kicking off his boots, he stripped down to his trousers and moved over to the bed.

Flipping the sheets down, he climbed in and laid back against his pillow, raising his arm as Akiza automatically moved to settle on his chest. He loved how she did that. She made him feel so comfortable and at peace. She made him feel like he could be a good man, like he'd made the right choice in running from his responsibilities, because no matter what he could've done as a senator, the smiles she gave him were so much more rewarding.

Her love was so much greater than any number of faceless citizens'. He wanted to lie beside her and hold her until the day he died.

…

She smiled and leaned on the counter, asking, "Heading out?"

Yusei set his hand on Leo's shoulder with a smile—Damn, he was going to pass him in height soon—and replied, "Yeah. Got everything under control here?"

She gave a laugh and rolled her eyes. "I've been managing this place since long before you lived here. Besides, I've got Bruno, Annie, and Max to help. We'll be all right."

He grinned and glanced down at the teen, saying, "You ready to smelt some crap?"

Leo pumped his fist in the air, cheering before shouting, "Yeah!"

The kid had wanted this for a long time, he knew. He also knew Akiza was hesitant to let Yusei bring him near fire, but Luna finally told her it would be fine. It was something he really wanted to do, so he would do it right and do what he was told. Besides, the priestess had reasoned, her brother looked up to Yusei like he was some kind of hero. He would do what was told of him.

In the end, Akiza finally gave her consent as well, letting Yusei take her foster brother down to his secret forge to teach him his art. He wasn't all that sure about sharing his craft with anyone, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized his teacher would want him to pass on what he knew to another. He knew it would make him proud.

"All right," he called, waving to her one more time before turning for the door. "We're heading out, then!"

She sighed and barked a short reminder, "Be back by sunset!"

He nodded, but said, "We'll try. Smithing takes all my attention. I told Crow to come get us at sundown, so he should get us going."

She shook her head in exasperation. "Ever hear of looking out a window?"

A grin flashed over his features as he replied, "You're assuming my forge has windows."

He didn't wait for a response, but instead called out, "Ya tebya lyublyu, moĭ dorogoĭ!" before ducking out the door and glancing back to make sure Leo was following him. It had been awhile since he'd been down to his forge. He had a project in mind, but hadn't been able to get down to work on it since his life with Akiza had started. He started down the street, looking down at the kid with a bemused smile as he bounced along, excited to finally be given the chance to follow his dream.

He didn't know what it was like to be a normal thirteen-year-old. His entire thirteenth year had been spent on the road, searching for food to eat and shelter from storms. He'd left his plush home at the age of twelve and arrived in New Domino after his fourteenth birthday, leaving him feeling somewhat cold and detached from his fifteen-month journey.

He had met and become friends with Jack before he'd made it there, and he had helped to quell the cynicism in his heart. Then reuniting with Kalin and befriending Crow had moved him further from being a lone wolf. When he'd first laid eyes on Akiza, sometime after coming to town, he had made the decision to hide his true self and reasons for fighting. It was her beautiful features that had sparked him to realize what harm might come to the town from their actions.

The others among his group hadn't cared. Jack was already an ass with no care for individual people, Crow was a rebel of sorts in the town, and Kalin just followed along as the silent friend in the background. He understood the reasoning behind the fakery and agreed that the safety of the town was more important than honesty, making him follow suit without a question.

"Shooting Star?"

Yusei chuckled and glanced down at Leo, saying, "I've been living with you for almost a half-year. Call me 'Yusei.'"

He shrugged, swinging a fallen tree branch absent-mindedly as he walked. "I like 'Shooting Star' better."

He felt a slight swell of pride and flashed a smile. The sentiment meant that someone actually liked him for what he did. Or maybe Leo liked his fake personality and didn't care for his real one. "Still, I'd prefer 'Yusei,' if you don't mind. It's kind of awkward when my lover's foster brother calls me by a title."

He wrinkled his nose at the use of the term 'lover.' "Fine, whatever. Just don't talk about her, please?"

He paused, frowning thoughtfully. "Why? Don't you like her?"

"I like her plenty. It's just weird when you talk about her because you get all lovey-dovey, even if she's not around."

Did he really? Was he that lost on her that he couldn't talk about her without drifting away? Shaking his head, he consented, "All right, fine. We won't talk about her, then. What do you want to talk about?"

He jumped excitedly again, grinning as he said, "What kind of gun am I going to make? One like Stardust?"

Yusei couldn't help but chuckle and he set his hand on Leo's shoulder and replied, "Settle down, Leo! You won't be making any guns today."

His face shifted from a bright smile to a depressed frown instantly. "I'm not?"

"Soon, but not right away." Yusei reached up to scratch the back of his head. He wasn't sure how to go about being a teacher and struggled to remember his first smithing lesson at the age of eight. "You have to start with the basics, Leo."

He pouted, completely unconvinced, so Yusei tried a different approach. "You do a lot of running for Akiza, right?"

He nodded slowly, finally letting a smile spread on his lips. "Yep! I'm the fastest runner in town!"

Perfect. "Were you always the fastest? Even when you were a kid?"

He scratched the back of his head. "No… I got faster the more I ran."

Yusei shot him a 'there you go' glance and said, "Exactly. You're not just going to break into a run and go three miles on your first go. The same goes for smithing. You can't walk into a forge and create a masterpiece. It takes practice."

At Leo's blank expression, he added, "Does that make sense?"

He shrugged slightly. "I guess so. So, what can I make today?"

He smiled, glad that Leo understood his first lesson quickly. "We'll start with basic safety rules of the forge. When not to touch things, when to wear gloves, when to use what tool, et cetera. If we still have time, we'll get you started on softening some iron and shaping it a little." He stopped walking and set his hand on Leo's shoulder to make him stop with him. "You understand, right? It's going to take a while before you'll be able to make really cool things, but the practice is worth it. I've been smithing for thirteen years now, and I finished Stardust Dragon after six years of practice."

He nodded and they turned to make their way towards their destination. They continued with idle chatter about the forge for the rest of the trip as Yusei led him to his secret hideout, concealed deep in the forest by New Domino. After walking through the trees for a bit, they came to a small hill and he slid down easily before waiting at the bottom for Leo to follow.

The teen slid down after him, holding his arms out for balance and made it in one piece, striking a pose as he stopped. Yusei laughed and walked over towards a cove in the hill, tucked away behind tree branches and more dirt. Scrabbled amongst the earth were a few hefty-looking wooden beams, the kind used to support a large structure or, per se, the entrance to a mineshaft.

No, he hadn't known about the caves below the town, but he did know there were some old mines in the area.

In the corner of the wood, a small opening still sat hidden behind lush foliage and he walked over to it, hiking himself off the ground and flipping to go through feet-first. The hole was easily big enough for a smaller adult to get through, though a bigger person like Jack or Bruno might have trouble. Leo clambered on the other side, trying to climb up the hill before his face appeared in the gap and he shifted to sit on the edge, sliding so he would land on his feet.

Yusei smiled as he landed and said, "Well, this is my home away from home." He thought about his more recent living arrangements and added, "Away from home." After all, Akiza's bar was his home now, while his place with the other Enforcers was his second home, making his forge his third one. Shrugging to himself, he walked into the caverns a little ways and over to a metal door installed in the tunnel before pulling a key from his pocket and unlocking it. "Here it is. I made the door and lock, by the way."

Leo nodded as he walked inside, looking around. It wasn't anything fancy compared to professional smith shops, but he had what he needed. A decent-sized kiln stood on one side, long since cooled from its last use. Barrels of charcoal were gathered next to it, crates of different-sized pieces of iron and steel, and a table lined with different tools. In the middle, an anvil stood proudly for its obvious purpose.

Yusei walked over to the table, casually flipping his jacket off and tossing it to the side before lifting a hefty-looking apron from the table. He carried it back over to Leo, saying, "Basic tool of the trade. A lead apron is the common form of protection. I'm comfortable enough and been doing this long enough that I don't use it unless I'm actively lighting the metal. I only have the one, so you can use it until I can get another." He shifted to help him get the heavy sheet over his head before pausing. He heaved a heavy sigh and stepped back to say, "Leo, I'm going to tell you something my mentor told me when I started learning."

He blinked and nodded once. "Okay."

"A forge is a dangerous place. It's easy to get burned or lose a finger. I want you to do exactly what I say, when I say, okay? No exceptions. Don't try to go on your own and do something you think will be impressive. I know this is exciting, but it's important to know the rules and the basics."

He nodded seriously. "Got it. I really want to do this, Shoo- Yusei. I'll do whatever you tell me!"

"Good." He brushed his hand through the kid's hair and added, "I'm sure it won't come to this, but I have to say it. If you do something I tell you not to even once, I won't bring you back here again."

"Okay. I get it. I'll pay attention."

"All right, then. Come on," he said, nodding his head towards the table. He walked over and picked up a set of gloves before tossing them to him and picking up a second set. "These are made of the toughest leather I found in this town. Always wear them before touching metal. Even if the sheets aren't near the kiln, wear them anyway. This isn't the ideal place for a forge and the heat can build up. Sometimes, it gathers in the metals not near the fire and makes them hot to the touch."

He nodded, listening as he tugged the gloves on. "Wear gloves when touching metal. Got it."

Yusei tugged the left one on and, as he moved to pull on the right, Leo paused and pointed at his arm, asking, "Hey, what's that?"

The older male looked at the direction his new apprentice pointed, taking a moment to realize he was referring to the red dragon-head tattoo on his forearm. "Oh, this?" he asked, holding his arm out so he could see. "It's a tattoo I got when I was younger. Like it?"

"Looks cool. Do think I could get one?"

He chuckled and finished pulling his glove on. "Maybe someday. But don't copy mine. No one likes a copycat."

"Does Akiza know about it?"

He bit his lip before he laughed, realizing Leo was just a kid and didn't realize what happened behind closed doors. Of course he wouldn't realize he'd been naked—let alone sleeveless—in front of her before. Finally he managed to nod with a straight face. "Yeah, I told her about it a while ago. Why?"

He shrugged. "She's got this thing where she goes berserk over tattoos. I saw her go nuts on Bruno when she saw his number 8 tattoo on his upper arm. She's not a fan of them."

"Really?" he asked, raising his eyebrow. Akiza hadn't reacted anything like that when she first asked about his tattoo. Maybe it was because they were still adjusting to the concept of being lovers, so she had just wanted to avoid adding negative feelings to the mix.

"Yeah. I still think yours looks cool. Where'd you get the design from?"

He paused, unsure of how to answer. "It, uh… It came from my mother."

His eyebrow rose. "Your mother? Did she draw it or something?"

It would be a lie, but he decided to go with it. "Yeah. It was something she made up. We had it all over our house while I was a kid. It was painted over the mantle in one room, even." That wasn't actually a lie, technically. It wasn't a mantle, but it was painted at the head of one room.

"Huh. Your mother was a little obsessed with it, wasn't she?"

He bit back a comment about disrespecting his mother, deciding it wasn't really worth it. She had been a little obsessed with it, now that he looked back on it. "A little, I guess."

He moved to peer at the tools on the table but didn't touch any without permission. "Where are you from, anyway? All I know is that you came to town a couple years ago when I was a kid."

He chuckled a light laugh, glad the subject was moving along, and replied, "I was born in the Capital."

His eyes widened to the size of saucers as his jaw dropped. "The Capital? Really? No way!"

His eyebrows rose in amusement. "You're a fan?"

"I've wanted to go there for forever!"

"Didn't your sister live there for a few years?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, but she's my sister. She won't tell me anything or bring me there."

"I haven't been there since I was your age," he said, reaching out to absently arrange his etching tools while speaking. "But what do you want to know?"

"Is it really nice and cool there like they say?"

He laughed. "I didn't get outside a lot, but from what I remember, yeah. It's cooler. I wouldn't say 'cool,' though. Try going further north to Sephylon if you want cool. From what I hear, it's got idyealʹno sbalansirovannyĭ klimat."

He stared blankly. "Got what?"

"It's got nice temperatures."

"What was that? What'd you say?"

"It's the Sephylon language. My grandmother was from there, so I was raised on both languages."

"Whoa…" Leo stared and Yusei could feel the questions about to pour out of him. "So, say something!"

He smirked and crossed his arms. "Chto-to."

He blinked. "What was that?"

"You told me to say something, so I did."

The hero worship was practically emanating from the kid as he stared in disbelief. "I didn't know you knew a different language! Nobody in this town can speak anything but Yliast!"

This was probably going to take a lot more time than he thought. He knew the kid had a lot of energy, but he wasn't aware of how much curiosity had come with that. He laughed and brushed a hand through his hair again, saying, "Maybe I'll teach you a few phrases sometime. But for now, you've got some terminology to learn."

…

A few hours later, Yusei stood by the kiln, heating a piece of iron to its yellow-orange color. It was glowing under the intense heat at a bright orange, but he needed it to be hotter. He had finished explaining the tools and what they were used for to Leo, but the kid had asked him to show him a part of the craft. In the end, he'd given in and decided to show him a little bit.

Leo watched from a few paces away where he was told to stand, still donning the heavy lead apron as he watched the iron glow in the dark cavern. It had to be a dream come true for the kid.

Finally, his metal reached the right color and he turned, moving it from the fire to the anvil with his long-handled tongs. He set it down and lifted the hammer, getting ready to start pounding into it when Leo spoke, saying, "Uh, Yusei?"

He frowned. It would only stay the right temperature for so long. "Yeah?"

"Is it just me, or is your tattoo… um, glowing?"

He lifted his arm to glance at it, shrugging. It looked a little bright, but it was just an illusion cast by the light inside the tunnel. "Just the fire reflecting on the ink, Leo. It's not glowing."

"If you say so. Looks like it to me, though."

He flashed a quick smile towards the kid and moved to swing his hammer, inwardly frowning. It looked the same whenever he was in his forge. It shimmered a little bit, but it had never seemed so…

So bright.

The mystery surrounding his mark left him troubled. He wished he knew more about it.

…

Jack wandered down the street, one hand on Archfiend's grip and the other holding his hat over his eyes. He was much more comfortable travelling at night. The heat didn't beat down and burn his skin, so he was able to walk freely. There was even a gentle breeze drifting through the night, carrying his two longer strands of hair with it and making them drift in the dark.

He was out alone, wandering the streets well past the time most others went to bed. The Dragon's Claw was closed already, making him frown as he thought back to the ditz he'd left the bar with. The woman was a desperate thing, just like all the others, always wanting him to join them for the night. He had left with her, intending to do everything she asked for and more, but gave up and sent her home when he realized she'd invited another man. Jack Atlas wasn't one to share.

"Someone looks glum."

His attention snapped in the direction of the voice, Archfiend drawn and pointed in the direction of the woman. Perched atop a single-story roof, that thief girl sat with her black cloak falling down her shoulders. She wore the hood down this time, leaving her face in open view. He didn't recognize her except as the thief, but he didn't pay much attention to the individual women of town, either.

He raised his lip in a snarl and barked, "Who are you?"

"There he goes with that silly voice of his," she murmured, slipping forward and dropping off the roof easily. She sauntered closer, eyes narrowed with a hint of mockery while a matching smile crossed her lips. "Will he ever stop talking?"

His face twisted into a look of pure anger. Finally, he would show this bitch who was boss. "Who's asking?"

"Oh, please. We've met before. Don't you remember?"

He stood stalk-still, keeping Archfiend pointed at her heart. "Of course I do. At the governor's estate."

"Hah! You really are just a lady-chasing bastard, aren't you? Is your memory that weak?" she asked, walking past him and playfully fingering one of his longer pieces of hair against his chest. "It was a dark, seductive rainy night," she purred.

He refused to let his face show his thoughts, but internally he wondered. Did he really bed her and not remember? He was sure her black eyes would strike a chord in him. "You make it sound as if I should care."

Her voice sounded teasing as she said, "Because you do." Slowly, she walked around him, twirling his hair between her fingers as she went. "You haven't forgotten about me, have you? Therefore, by logical reasoning, you do care."

He glanced over his shoulder at her, trying to keep his rage inside as he snidely retorted, "Only because I want to kill you."

"No…" she cooed, pulling herself onto her tippy toes and bringing her face up to his. "You want to fuck me. You want nothing more than to toss me on the ground and screw me until morning."

His eyes narrowed, but he refused to let her know she was bothering him. "Wrong. I have no need for a bitch in my bed."

A laugh bubbled from her throat as she tossed her head back, cackling into the night. "What better place for a bitch than in the bed of an arrogant king?"

He turned, whirling to grip her shoulders, but found she was suddenly gone from beside him. A foot slammed into his side and he turned to find her there, poised with one leg still lifted high from her roundhouse. Only now did he realize she was wearing a shorter skirt that graciously showed her creamy legs until they disappeared beneath tall boots.

If he had been a foot shorter, he probably would have been able to see everything she had under that skirt.

Before he could say a word, a body slammed into him and knocked him to his back, removing Red Dragon Archfiend from his grip. He looked up to find her sitting on top of him, straddling his hips and grinning darkly. What the hell was wrong with this woman? Her eyes were colored a freaky tone of ebony with pale blue irises in the center, and her attitude was downright insane. Not to mention, she seemed to be faster on her feet than anyone he'd ever met and had easily knocked him to the ground without any effort. Was she hopped up on some drug the Underground was selling?

She kept her hands pressed to his chest as she smirked flirtatiously. "Tell me, Jackie, what is it you've been after this whole time?"

What did he want? He rolled, throwing her to the ground and gripping her shoulders. What was he here for? What was his life about? Just an empty routine of drinking and sleeping with women? Was this that beautiful freedom Yusei had spoken of? Did he really have nothing else in his life? "That's none of your business."

She smirked below him, her dark hair spilling across the street. "You don't know, do you? Well, let me tell you. You want me. You want me bad."

He grit his teeth. Why did she keep saying that? He didn't sleep with just any girl. He picked the ones that were pretty, thin, single, and knew they were just getting one night. He also made it a policy not to bed crazy psychotic women who assaulted him in the street. "I want you to leave me alone and go drop dead."

She shifted, springing up to her knees and pressing him to his before throwing him all the way to his back. Smirking, she stroked her finger along his chin and cooed, "You're just a man who lives for sexual intercourse. You have nothing else in your life. Admit it, Jackie."

He opened his mouth to debunk her accusations, but she spoke first, saying, "Think about it, Jackie. You can find me here if you change your mind."

She sprung to her feet and jumped away from him before turning and walking off with a jovial laugh. He scrambled to his feet, searching for Archfiend to finish her once and for all as she turned to glance back, waggling her fingers at him and hopping onto a rooftop in one easy leap. Before he had even touched his weapon, she was out of sight and on her way. She was just a crazy woman, anyway.

But why did her words sting so much?

Shiny tattoos, crazy women, and governor shadiness. I'd say it's an interesting chapter ;)

So… I did mention to some of you that Jack would be getting a little more screen time. He'll be having some fun with his friend the thief. I'm fairly certain it's pretty obvious who she is now, but I won't say, just in case.

And, for the record, there won't be any more explicit MA scenes in this fic. There'll be plenty of implications, especially on the YuAki front, but no more explicit stuff. In this story. Don't freak out, Fish. I'm still writing that oneshot. I should have it done in the next couple of days :)

Oh, and please visit my Facebook! www. facebook. c-o-m /OCValkyrie (Remove spaces and hyphens) I'm kinda thinking that I'll stop posting this. I don't think I'm going to get any more followers :/

Please review!

-Valk