Wednesday, eh? The good news is that I have a location for my phlebotomy clinicals. The bad news is that I seem to have caught a case of the flu. Joy. I think I'm getting better now, but that's the reason I'm falling behind on Thirty-One Days of Halloween.

Anyway, my infinite thanks to Rose-Aki, Shinn Tsukishiro, Rapis-Razuri, theforgottenpeople96, melan anime, FiringShootingStar, AnimeKiwi369, Seeker Heart, RobotFish, RunoandAkizafan, and ProChampionDuelistAKAPyro for their awesome reviews!

And anons this week are LDC, Mariah, anon, ChibiX, name, PDS and one guest! LDC: Yeah, I had to experiment with Yeah, I had to experiment with Yusei being scared. It seems out of character for him, but if you think about it, he's actually pretty scared quite a bit in canon. He just hides it from the others, so he doesn't seem like he's panicking as much. Mariah: Well, I kind of made up the concept of psychic birth control, so… Probably no one knew about it XD anon: Thanks! ChibiX: No, spacing out isn't Jack's style, but either has falling in love ;) As for Sherry, well… name: Thanks! Here you go! PDS: Well, it was worth a shot. I'm not sure where it was going, either, but it made me laugh, if that's worth anything XD

All right, here you go! One of my favorite chapters and you'll know why when you read it :)

As always, many thanks to my awesome beta, RobotFish!

Sunset Horizon
Chapter 26 – Danger Zone

"What are you talking about?" Yusei asked, crossing his arms as he stared down at the kid.

Lester leaned back again and threw his hands in the air. "The Underground is pretty easy to upset. Not many people outside of their ring even know of their existence. It's really only the Underground itself, the politicians who endorse them, and Infinity who know about them."

Kalin raised a finger to draw attention to himself and asked, "Forgive me for a stupid question, but who exactly is Infinity?"

"Infinity," he stated, "is where I come from."

All four of the Enforcers and Akiza watched as he shifted to stand, then brushed his hair away from his neck to reveal a small, sideways number eight tattoo just above his collar. "Infinity is a group of activists who oppose the Underground. Much like yourselves, only more elite. We do what we do better than anyone."

"So…" Crow asked, leaning forward on the table, "What exactly do you do?"

"We fight the Underground, obviously."

"I think what he means to ask," Yusei interjected, "is why are you here?"

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Because my boss apparently owes a favor to this 'Zero.' This is my mission. To come out to this wasteland and assist the Enforcers in their anti-Underground activities."

"Wonderful. Just what we needed. A snot-nosed kid telling us what we should do."

Kalin chuckled lightly and said, "The good news is that we now know there are others fighting the same fight."

"Um…" All eyes looked to Akiza as she spoke, "That tattoo you have… I've seen a similar one on Bruno's shoulder…"

Everyone turned to look at the blue-haired bartender, cheerfully going about his tasks, then moved back to stare at Lester. He smiled innocently and added, "I did say he worked with my brother."

"So…" she muttered, frowning as she absently moved to sit on Yusei's lap. "You're saying that Bruno opposes the Underground, too?"

"Sure." He leaned back in his chair and yawned once. "Just about everyone who knows of them hates them, except for those who are lining their pockets, of course," he added, rubbing the tips of his fingers together in a reference to money.

Yusei sighed and muttered, "You mean the council."

"Exactly. And the higher ranking members of the Underground. They have a pretty good trade system set up. A friend of my brother's was infiltrating and pretending to be one of them. The reports he sends show of a clear form of organization in their group, but a lot of discontent in the lower ranks. Most of the boot-lickers are slaves, kids raised to do what they're told. Suffice to say, there's a spring of potential allies already on the inside."

…

Yusei walked down the stairs of the Dragon's Claw, stretching his arms over his head after a good night's sleep. After Lester arrived in town and warned them of the Underground arriving, he'd decided to put it to the back of his mind until he felt brave enough to think about it. The thought scared him more than he liked to admit and he really wasn't sure what to do about it.

He was also curious as to how Roman fit into all of this. He was a politician now, but did that mean he was with the Underground, or was he here to help the Enforcers?

Akiza was already up and working in the bar, her graceful movements causing him to pause and just stare at her for a long moment. He loved her more than anything, and though she wore a smile and cheerfully chatted with patrons over the past month, he knew she was still hurting over of the discovery of being infertile.

The thought of having kids at that moment terrified him, but he wanted to do something for her to make her smile genuinely once again. He frowned, his mind going off to the soiree the governor—Roman—was supposedly hosting in a week. She always did talk about how she liked festive events.

While he was considering what he could do for her, a motion caught his eye and he glanced up to see Jack standing from their regular table. He was there awfully early. He turned to peer in the direction his friend was staring, wondering what was going on. Of course.

On the other side of the bar, Carly stood with a broom, sweeping the floors to help Akiza with her business. The girl had adjusted to her new powers surprisingly quick, but he suspected she was still not fully used to them. She had gotten good about controlling her strength and speed and rarely had an accident involving either one anymore. Having Misty around helped her, he was sure. The other woman had taken her under her wing, helped her overcome her doubts and assisted her with her control.

And, in the middle of all that, Yusei knew his friend had fallen for her. At first, he'd laughed at him, knowing he was being torn apart on the inside. It served him right, really. After all the selfish encounters he'd had with women in the past, not to mention all the grief he'd given him over his love for Akiza, it was about time he realized he was wrong.

Jack turned and walked for the door in silence, ignoring everyone around him as he left. Sighing, Yusei realized Jack was too stubborn and Carly was too shy to initiate anything. As much as he hated to, he decided he'd have to push in the middle if his friends were ever going to be happy. After the door shut behind his friend, he wandered down the stairs and moved behind the counter to kiss Akiza in greeting before flashing a smile and walking off towards Carly.

"Hey, Carly," he greeted, pulling out a chair out of her sweeping range and straddling the back.

She looked up in surprise, then realized it was him and smiled. "Oh, hey, Yusei. What can I do for you?"

He took a moment to observe her features and realized she was rather pretty. Ever since he'd laid eyes on Akiza, he hadn't paid attention to any other girl on a physical level. He could understand why Jack was attracted to her. He rested his arms on the back of the chair and replied, "Nothing. I just wanted to say…" He reached back to scratch the back of his head, not really sure what to say now. "Well, I mean, I know Jack doesn't have the best record, but…"

Her face paled slightly at the mention of the blond. "I-I…"

He flashed a smile and shifted to stand, saying, "Take it from the guy who knows Jack better than anyone. He really is smitten with you. I haven't ever seen him so attracted to one woman before."

He moved to leave, catching sight of her blush on the way, and started to head back to Akiza. Hopefully, that would instigate something between them.

…

Yusei grit his teeth together as he slid down the ladder to the underground passage, hoping his intentions weren't completely foolish. He had debated between asking Carly, Misty, and Luna, and finally decided Luna would be his best bet. After all, she had lived in the Capital for seven years. It wouldn't make his request any less embarrassing, though.

Sighing, he jogged down the tunnels towards the room where the priestess lived with Martha and the kids. Akiza was still working in the bar with Bruno, then she was going down to visit her mother and pick out their dresses for the soiree. She would be busy for quite awhile. He had plenty of time to do what he wanted.

With any luck, he could pull Luna away from the kids for a minute. Or more than a minute. It had been awhile, after all. He reached the room and peered inside, unable to hold back a smile when he realized it was the kids' reading time. Akiza had brought several books from her own childhood down to the caves, and Martha had made a habit of making them read for at least two one-hour intervals every day. It was a way of making sure they at least had language skills.

He shifted to knock on the wood frame so he wouldn't scare anyone and, when Martha and Luna both looked up, he made eye contact with the latter and nodded towards the passage in a silent way of asking her to come out.

She moved to stand and smiled at him before walking into the cavern. "What can I do for you, Yusei? Have you made a decision about going back with me?"

He shook his head slowly. "Ah, no. I haven't made a choice yet. I can't bring myself to leave Akiza for that long." Flashing a boyish smile, he added, "I'm a whipped puppy, remember?"

She chuckled and nodded. "Right. I forgot about that," she muttered sarcastically. "Then what brings you down here?"

"Eh…" He reached up to scratch the back of his awkwardly, then sucked in a breath and muttered, "I need help."

Her eyebrow rose. "With what?"

"I… Akiza's been really down lately and I want to do something to cheer her up. She's always loved festive events, and with the soiree coming up, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity." He paused and inhaled a deep breath, averting his gaze before muttering, "The only catch is, it's been years since I danced."

She stared at him for a long moment, watching as if to make sure she'd heard him right. Finally, she doubled over in laughter, raising a hand to cover her mouth in a poor attempt at concealing her elation. "That's what you wanted?"

He crossed his arms, knowing he deserved her laughter. "Look, it's not that funny, is it? I took formal dance classes at the Academy when I was a kid, but I don't trust my ability now. I want to surprise Akiza with a dance at the party."

She nodded slowly, trying to fight back her laughter fit. "Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… It's a valid point. What kind of dancing are you talking about?"

He reached up to scratch the back of his head. "Uh… The normal kind?"

She giggled. "Normal for the Capital or normal for New Domino?"

He blinked, then thought back to the spring festival hosted in town every year. He had only gone to one, the first one after he'd arrived in town. It was where he'd first laid eyes on Akiza as she danced happily with a friend of hers from school. That night, he'd fallen in love with her and had decided to distance himself from the people of town in order to protect the citizens. His behavior in the time since had shifted to become the cold and uncaring bastard he had been, thus keeping him from being invited to the festival again.

He had sat on a rooftop and watched her dance, though, but only on his second year in town. After that, she'd opened her bar and he was able to see her there. He didn't want to risk being caught at the festival and possibly get her into trouble. The sheriff and his men were actively looking for a reason to arrest the Enforcers at that time, before they had uncovered enough dirt on Goodwin to protect them.

Thinking back, he realized the dancing at that festival was much livelier than the type of dancing he'd learned. Given that Roman was the host of the party, he figured it would be safe to say it would be more of the Capital style of formal dancing. Shrugging slightly, he muttered, "Normal for the Capital. I'll ask Akiza to teach me the local dance."

She nodded. "Okay, then. Come on, there's an empty room with more space down this way."

He gestured for her to lead the way and walked after her, mentally retracing the dance steps drilled into his mind from the age of six. With any luck, he still had the proper reflexes ingrained in his muscles to pull it off.

…

Akiza stood behind her bar, running a towel over wet glasses to dry them. She loved all the little tasks behind keeping the place going. From washing dishes to sweeping the floors, she loved it. Admittedly, the job was easier with all the help she'd enlisted recently.

When she opened the doors, it was just her and Bruno, with Leo around to run errands for her. In the past few months, she had recruited Annie and Max to help with dishes and wiping tables, and Carly for sweeping and carrying heavy crates of liquor. With her supernatural strength, carrying the largest of them wasn't a problem for her. As a back-up, she had Yusei she could force to help, threatening to cut him off from sex for a given amount of time.

Bruno had come to town about a year after Yusei and had been hired a few months later by her father to assist her in her bar while also acting as a guardian for her. The second part of his job was somewhat unnecessary once Yusei had shown up, but he was there if something happened. He had apparently been a bounty hunter prior to coming to town, but he was a friendly enough man and had proven to be a valuable asset in her bar.

Leo had lived with her ever since his parents had died in a tragic fire almost ten years ago. He and Luna were the closest people to siblings she had and she truly cherished their place in her life. The boy was always eager to help and had wanted to be able to assist in her bar, even at the age of nine. While she was getting started, she had sent him on errands to keep him out of the way and it had gradually started to stick. Before long, he'd ended up as her errand boy.

Annie and Max were both sweethearts. They had lived their youth in captivity, never knowing what it was like to be free. In the months since Crow and Jack freed them, they had adapted well and smiled regularly. Akiza was sure they missed their brother—who wouldn't?—but she had no way of knowing where he was. Yusei had told her months ago that Greiger was no longer in the tunnels where they'd found them. She hoped the siblings would be able to reunite one day. Even if she, Yusei, and Leo were something of a pseudo-family, she knew there was nothing like the bond between blood relatives. Even so, she found herself loving the two siblings as if they were her own children.

Carly was one of her dear friends. The two girls had gone to school together at the only school in town. Though Akiza was a rich girl and Carly's father owned a farm, they had always gotten along and had always kept in touch. When she moved out of her parents' house and into her bar, she always bought her milk, cheese, and vegetables from her friend.

She watched as she swept the dirt on the floor of the bar into the dustpan and cocked her head in thought. She knew Carly was going through a rough time right now, adjusting to her new abilities and the beyond strange love blossoming between her and Jack Atlas. It was the strangest pair she had ever seen, though she and Yusei were quite the match themselves.

She and Yusei had their differences in the past, but they got along well in the time since. Jack and Carly were like fire and ice. He was bold and harsh, while she was shy and quiet. It was obvious that they were attracted to each other, but he was too proud to admit it while she was too nervous. Akiza knew Yusei had tried to act as something of a matchmaker for the two and nudged them closer, but nothing had happened yet.

Last night, she had spoken to Carly and her friend had told her she wanted to tell Jack how she felt. Akiza had supported her and told her to go for it, but added that she should probably make sure he knew not to take her for granted. Before leaving, she'd added with a wink that she should have no trouble with that.

Now, she stood behind her bar with Yusei, who had decided to stop back and see her for a bit. He leaned on the bar with a smile, watching her work as he told her about his trip to his forge. He hadn't taken her there yet and had always been somewhat dodgy whenever she asked. She had since figured out that he didn't want her to know where it was and that he wanted it to stay his secret place. She shrugged it off, knowing he'd tell her if she really wanted to know. She was curious about seeing his tattoo glow, but he assured her it hadn't shimmered very brightly since he'd finished Black Rose.

It was an utter mystery, and she almost wanted him to go to the Capital and find out the full truth about it, but she was also reluctant to let him leave for so long. She'd almost had a panic attack when he'd told her his initial trip from the Capital to New Domino was a fifteen-month journey, but he quickly assured her that he didn't have a map and got turned around so many times. On top of that, very few people had heard of New Domino and had either made up directions or had told him they didn't know. With a map and proper directions, the trip could take a month.

Even knowing that, she was still reluctant to let him go. She had considered going with him, but she just couldn't bring herself to leave. She had a business to run and her parents tended to be overprotective of her. And when she really thought about it, she was terrified of leaving her home. She felt safe and secure in this town, and was scared to know what was lurking in the outside world.

Shaking her head, she turned her thoughts back to Carly and watched her friend walk over to dump the dirt into the wastebasket. She leaned back and nudged Yusei with her elbow when she saw the door open and Jack walk in. Yusei grinned secretively and leaned closer to her, eyes focusing on his friend as he watched him walk through the room. A thoughtful frown crossed his lips as he whispered in her ear, "Do you suppose this is how they felt when they were waiting for us to confess?"

She gave a light chuckle and shrugged a response, unable to avoid laughing whenever she looked back on how they'd argued and bickered relentlessly. "Maybe."

They watched as Carly leaned her broom on the wall and took a deep breath, then turned to Akiza and gave a slight smile. When she looked their way, the couple quickly looked to each other and pretended to be in the middle of sweet-talking each other, but Akiza turned away from Yusei and nodded to her friend as a means of support.

The farmgirl-turned-supernatural-oddity released a breath, slowly approaching Jack from behind and hesitantly tapping his shoulder. He turned to face her, one hand instinctively reaching for his gun before he realized who was there. His eyebrow rose inquisitively as he took in the sight of her, looking determined and confident.

Yusei and Akiza leaned on the counter, eagerly watching to see what would happen next. The odd pair across the room stood stock-still, just silently staring each other down. Finally, Carly inhaled deeply and spoke with a slight stutter, murmuring, "J-Jack, I… I care about you. A-and I know y-you feel the same, so I…"

His eyes widened slightly for so brief a second, if Akiza hadn't been watching them like a hawk, she would have missed it. Before she could blink, she stared in surprise as Jack suddenly leaned closer and kissed her full on the lips, his arms wrapping to pull her against him. It was the first public display of intimacy she'd ever seen the blond make. Yes, he was popular with women, but he wasn't ever outright with his activities. He usually handled women more like he was negotiating a lower price on his fruit.

To see him publicly kiss Carly was a positive sign, and she and Yusei both knew there was no more running from their feelings for them.

As he drew back, they stared at each other with unreadable expressions. Akiza couldn't help herself as she reached out psychically to pick up on their feelings, sensing a mixture of happiness, vulnerability, and a more than a bit discomfort in Jack. From Carly, she felt determination, absolution, possibility, happiness, and a twinge of fear. Gnashing her teeth together, she leaned on the counter and muttered under her breath, "Come on, Carly… You can do it…"

Yusei shot her a confused look as she bit her lip in anticipation. In a sudden flash, Carly disappeared from in front of Jack, reappeared behind him, and grabbed hold of his belt and the back of his shirt before throwing him face-first to the floor. She released a small, 'eep!' and zipped off again, disappearing from sight.

The former vigilante beside her burst out laughing, unable to hold himself back as he watched his friend climb off the floor. Jack shook his head as he pulled himself to his feet, glancing around the still-empty bar around him in confusion. "What the bloody hell just happened?"

Yusei chuckled again and leaned on his elbows, saying, "I think Carly just told you that she won't tolerate you cheating on her."

…

Four days before the soiree, Yusei stood in the shop belonging to Akiza's father's tailor, dressed in his usual clothes after trying on his suit while waiting for Jack to change out of his. All four of the Enforcers had gone to try on their suits while Akiza dragged Carly and Misty next door to the dress shop. He reached up to stroke his neck, still feeling the uncomfortable tug of the ascot there. He wasn't looking forward to wearing a suit in public again, but if it would cheer Akiza up, then he would do it.

Crow and Kalin had already tried theirs on, and now the three of them were just waiting for Jack to finally decide his suit was acceptable. At this rate, the girls would be done before them and, if Yusei had learned anything in the months he'd lived with Akiza, nothing took longer than a woman fussing over her clothes. He sighed and leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms with a frown. Akiza certainly could have picked worse colors. He could deal with the black, white, and blue colors she'd selected.

Crow gave a groan of annoyance as he sat back in a chair lazily, annoyed beyond all reason with Jack, and muttered, "I'm giving you five more minutes."

Yusei frowned and muttered, "Why did we have to pick tonight to meet at Akiza's for drinks?"

In the presence of the tailor, 'meet for drinks' was used as a code for 'discuss the plan for the night of the soiree.' They had decided it would be a good night to confront Roman once and for all, get some answers as to why he'd followed him after so many years, and what made him keep to the shadows like he had been.

"Because," Kalin murmured with a mischievous smirk, "and I quote, 'We'll all be meeting up, anyway. Might as well hang out afterwards.' Your words, Yusei."

He turned away and grumbled to himself, ignoring the sound of Crow's and Kalin's laughter. Whatever. The Dragon's Claw was his home, so he could kick them out when he wanted. It was more likely that they wouldn't listen to him, but he could ask Akiza to make them leave. She was capable of lighting one of them on fire with her mind and actually had ignited one of Jack's sleeves in the past.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, hoping and praying Jack would finish soon. A knock sounded on the door before it pushed open to reveal Akiza walking inside with a smile on her face. Carly and Misty followed soon after, but Yusei pushed off the wall and made a straight line for Akiza. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he absently thanked the Crimson Dragon for some sanity and pulled her in for a kiss.

She drew back with a melodic giggle before asking, "We're done before you? How did that happen?"

He sighed heavily, keeping his hands on her hips, and muttered, "Because we had Jack and you had a woman who could see the future when you ordered yours."

Misty overheard him and frowned. "My powers don't work like that."

He shrugged. "We still had Jack."

Akiza laughed again and moved to lean against his chest, smiling up at him as she cooed in his ear, "I think you'll like my dress."

His lips fell into a lopsided smirk as he mumbled back, "I think I'll like you better out of it."

She moved to kiss him, but paused and leaned back to peer over his shoulder as Jack muttered, "All right, I'm done."

"It's about time!" Crow muttered, shifting to stand from his chair and crossed his arms behind his head. "Can we please go now?"

Akiza nodded. "Everything's been paid for, so we should be set." Turning to address the tailor, she asked, "You'll have them delivered, right?"

The man nodded, saying, "Thank you for your business. I'll talk to my wife next door and have the suits and dresses delivered to the Claw by Saturday."

Flashing a smile, she replied, "Thank you. I'm sure you're busy with the party coming up, so I appreciate it."

After a few more farewells, the Enforcers and the three women were finally on their way. Yusei reached out to wrap his arm around Akiza's waist and pulled her against his side, tipping his chin to brush his nose through her hair. He could never get enough of her scent, plus the soft brush of her hair across his cheek was something he had come to love.

The crowd of seven made their way to the stairs of the Dragon's Claw, causing Yusei to reach in his pocket for his key. He'd insisted that he didn't need one and could climb in over the back or pick the lock, but Akiza had one cut for him, anyway. She'd said she preferred he had a way to get into his home without breaking the law. Finally, he gave in and accepted the key when she had it made.

Pushing the door open, he walked inside with his left arm still around her waist. A tingle tore through his right forearm, directly beneath his tattoo, causing him to move on instinct as he tugged Akiza to stand behind him and drew Stardust from its holster. He pointed it in the direction his mark told him to and narrowed his eyes at the faint glow of a cigarette in the dark room.

Enough moonlight spilled into the room to show that the person seated comfortably at the table was a man, wearing a hat on his head as he leaned back in his chair. In a fraction of a second, the man was standing and pointing a gun back at Yusei. He kept his cigarette in his right hand, raising it to his lips to take a drag without taking his eyes off the leader of the small pack. A smirk crossed his lips as he muttered, "Well, now. You know, you're a hard one to track down, you ungrateful brat."

His voice was a gravelly one from years and tobacco. His hair spiked into the air around his hat, the moonlight revealing wrinkles on his old, tan skin. Yusei shifted his hold to tighten his grip and waved his free hand in a silent way of telling his friends not to move. Slowly, he stepped through the room to approach the man and spat, "I never thought I'd see you here."

The stranger grinned a little wider and chuckled a short laugh. "Don't underestimate this old man."

His eyes narrowed more as he pulled his finger against Stardust's trigger. "What the hell are you doing here, Z-one?"

–fangirls– Yay, Z-one! I love him. Way more than is probably healthy. Just sayin'.

And we also got some information on Lester and where he's from, not to mention that we can laugh at Yusei dancing. I did, so feel free. What else happened in this chapter? Oh, right. Jack and Carly finally confessed. Whoop-de-do. :P Can you tell I'm excited? Anyway, Z-one. Yeah, he's probably my favorite 5D's character. I hope you guys like my take on him :)

Please review!

-Valk