Hello, all! Here is the next chapter in the story.

I wanted to get this posted before I got too sick, or distracted. At the time of this posting, I am a bit under the weather, which has slowed me down on writing. Also, the scenes here took me ages to figure out, and even now I think I could have done better. But, I don't want to keep you all hanging on the next chapter forever.

Here are the Japanese - English names for the chapter:
Misty Lola = Misty Treadwell
Godwin = Goodwin
Aki = Akiza
Mikage Sagiri = Mina Singleton
Saiga = Blister

DISCLAIMER: Same as the other chapters before. Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Android: Netrunner, do own custom characters/deck/designs.

Onward to the Chapter.

'Damn it… damn it! Why did they have to die!?'

I feel my eyes tear up as I see the cloud of dust that used to be a human-like shade float away. Their final cries echo in my ears. Their pained expression lingers in the back of my mind. It was very human, but it came from something very inhuman.

That doesn't make me feel much better. The people I've met are different on the inside than what they show others. Deep inside that shade's fiery exterior were two agents of the Collective were there. They had a chance to become alive again, even if it was given by the Dark Signers. I took that chance away.

Was it the right thing to do? Is any of this the right thing to do?

The Collective are related to the Dark Signers, I'm sure of it. Are they equally evil, though? They both want to remake the world in a new image, that is certain. Would the Collective's "synthesis" be better than the Dark Signers "Earthbound Gods"?

The recent conversation I had with my subconscious comes back to me. I need to make a choice, and none of the options are good ones. I feel my body mechanically go through the motion of putting my cards away, and deactivating my Duel Disk, as I try to figure things out.

My body finishes before my mind gets any answers. I stand up with a glance to the sun. Something about its position gives me pause. It looks higher than before. But, wasn't it setting earlier?

[Earlier assumptions have been proven incorrect. It is morning, not evening, as we had first assumed.]

'How do you know that?' I ask my implant. 'There aren't any clocks around here that work.'

[That is the only logical explanation we can dictate. Unless the rotation of the Earth has been reversed during our time unconscious, which has a probability of 0.00000-]

'Skip it. I don't need to know the numbers.'

I turn my eyes to the path before me. It leads back to the interior of "MONSTER WORLD", not that I want to go back there now. I don't want to see Misty Lola again – her appearance, and actions, don't look natural.

I nearly stop breathing at the thought of the Dark Signer. She summoned that shade against me. Does she know that it is dead? Does she care that it is dead? Just to be safe, I should probably get out of here.

I break into a sprint, and race out through the back entrance I came in. I picture Misty waiting behind every corner, every space of darkness, ready to leap at me and suck out my soul. But, she doesn't appear. I count that as a blessing as I catch my breath outside of the amusement park.

A new question comes to me. Where do I go next?

My false Signer mark emits familiar throbs, in that same pulsing pattern from earlier. I instantly slip into the rhythm, and walk near the park's fenced edge. I keep my eyes out for Misty, or anyone else threatening, and let my feet step where they may. The minutes tick by, as the sun slowly climbs above the horizon. The dark clouds from earlier scatter from its beams, the light forcing the darkness away.

That's a good sign, right?

My mark's pulses change into piercing throbs. I stop and look around for the source of this change. I stand at a worn-down, rusted entrance to "MONSTER WORLD", this one shaped like the gateway to a castle. So, this must be the front entrance for guests and customers.

The pulses pull me away from here, further down the road. Again, I follow them. I keep my eyes on the shadows as I try to take calm breaths. The pulses stop after some time fast walking, at a crossing-point for cars and people. Four different roads lead in different directions from here, none of them going along the larger walkway I came from. Two of the roads are so broken up that going through them is impossible. The other two look dangerous to walk on, at best.

I glance at my false mark, waiting for the next direction. It doesn't do anything. Did it lead me the wrong way? Do I need to wait for something to happen?

A spark goes off in my brain. I look to the leftmost road from my position. My metal eye zooms in, and enhances. Dust comes up from farther down the debris-covered path. Something is coming, probably something big.

I dart my eyes around the area. A slab of concrete juts up from the ground, pressing against another risen slab to form a makeshift arch. Beneath that point is a small hole – a hole I can probably fit in.

I discard any other options as the dust cloud gets closer. It's moving faster than I first thought. I only have seconds to act, so I duck down behind the slab and squeeze into the hole. It's a tight fit, but I can shift back out if needed.

I take small breaths in the dust-filled space, and wait for whatever's coming to move on. The last thing I need today is another challenge.

[3rd Person POV]

A heavily-built gray car rumbles over a large pothole, while avoiding a few others, along Satellite's roads . Akiza Izinski and Mikage Sagiri both grimace as they bounce about in their seats. The seatbelts keep them from flying into the ceiling, dashboard, or door, and getting seriously hurt. But, it doesn't reduce the jarring sensations caused by this broken terrain.

Even though both women don't want to drive through here, they both know this is the best way to get to the Lizard control tower. Going around the most dangerous spots would only increase their travel time, and prolong the journey. They both know time is not on their side, so why waste their time with useless dodging?

Mikage stays silent as she looks through the car's polished windshield. Aki stays just as silent as she looks at the desolate landscape through a polished front window. Both women have their minds elsewhere, Aki more than Mikage because Aki isn't the one driving.

As the vehicle enters what used to be a crossroads for vehicles, Aki stiffens in her seat. Her psychic senses flare up, for a reason she doesn't understand. But, it is too strong a flare to ignore.

"Mikage," she quickly orders, "stop the car."

"What's wrong?" the businesswoman asks even as she brakes. "Do you see something?"

"I feel something," she corrects. "Or, someone. Hang on a moment."

Aki opens the door on her side, and steps onto the dust-choked gravel. Mikage catches the glow of the Signer's claw-shaped mark, and stops herself from asking any questions. She probably wouldn't understand whatever explanation Aki would say. So, she keeps Aki in sight as she turns the car's engine off.

The Psychic Duelist takes a breath as she stops in the crossroad's nexus point. She carefully looks at the ruined surroundings. Nothing immediately pops out as good or bad, so she closes her eyes. She focuses on her mark's energies, taps into the sensations it broadcasts to her. She breathes in, and out, at a slow pace. Her psychic energies move at her command, and she sends them outward.

A pulse of mental energy spreads from her position in every direction. She senses no reaction from Mikage as it passes over her, which she expected. Seconds later, a smaller pulse comes back to her. She turns her body to the source of that second pulse, and opens her eyes.

She looks at a risen slab of earth, braced against a wrecked car. There's a small space between the car and the stone, small enough for someone to slip inside. Someone with mental powers like herself. Is it her "fated enemy", Misty Lola? A disheveled survivor of the Arcadia Movement's collapse? Perhaps another Signer in hiding; maybe, even, the fifth Signer she and the others have wondered about?

"I know you're there," she shouts to whoever is in there. "You can't hide from me. Come out here, or I will force you out!"

A moment passes, and Aki starts to regret her word choice. Then, both ladies hear something shuffle from beneath the slab. Both their eyes widen as Epsilon stumbles out from beneath the slab with hands raised.

"Don't hurt me," he pleads. "Please, don't hurt me."

"How…!?" Aki's anger vanishes like a puff of smoke.

"Epsilon?" Mikage asks after she steps out from the vehicle. "How are you alive? The Earthbound God ate you whole!"

"Don't remind me," Epsilon quietly answers. "I don't know what happened, and I don't want to know. Okay?"

Mikage stays quiet as Aki steps towards Epsilon. The two lock eyes, and a pressure mounts in both of their minds.

"H-hello, Aki," Epsilon finally stutters. "I-it's nice to see you."

"Nice to see you, too," Aki responds. She blushes slightly before she quickly adds, "I'm glad you're still alive."

"Yeah, same here." Epsilon awkwardly pauses after that, not sure what to say next. Aki looks away from him, and they both blush. The pressure on both their minds grows stronger, until Epsilon chooses to take action.

"Listen, Aki," he says with a sudden burst of determination, "we both have questions, and we both want answers. That's obvious. So, let's take turns asking what we need to, and getting what we want. Does that sound good?"

"Fine," Aki crisply answers as her blush fades from her cheeks. "I'll go first."

"Make it quick, Aki," Mikage warns before she can begin. "We are on a time limit here."

"There's enough time for this," Aki replies with a glance at Godwin's secretary. The tone of her voice makes Mina quell her own worries, at least for a moment.

Aki takes a breath, and then asks the first question: "How are you still alive after the Earthbound God, Uru, devoured you?"

"I don't know," the cyborg answers with a sigh and a shake of his head, "honestly. It could be the Crimson Dragon, it could be some failsafe of the Collective, I just don't know. And, I'm getting tired of thinking about it."

"You aren't the only one who has to think about it," Aki states with a glare. "When Uru consumed you, the rest of us felt you fade away through our Signer marks. You had died, or so we thought."

Her glare deepens as she adds, "You are either very, very lucky to have been given so many second chances, or you are lying to us about your true powers. I do not like to be lied to."

"If anyone is lying to you, it is probably the Crimson Dragon. This is all happening beyond my control!"

"You are powerless to change it, then?"

"No, it's – gaah!" Epsilon breaks off with a short groan. "I can't figure it out! That's what I want to change!"

"Fine," the Psychic Duelist finishes, "let's not talk about it. What is your first question? Remember, we need to make this quick."

"Sure, sure," Epsilon mutters as he thinks. After a few seconds, he looks Aki in the eyes and asks, "How are things back at Martha's cottage?"

"Saiga and the Palus siblings are acting as caretakers for the children. Michael was incredibly stubborn about this, saying he was not going to stand by while injustice was being done. It took both Saiga and Elizabeth to calm him down and accept the task."

"Yeah," Epsilon says with a quick smirk, "that sounds like Michael. So, they're all safe?"

"Safe as we can have them be. With the Dark Signers still a threat, they can't afford to be left unprotected."

"We're working to take care of the Dark Signers," Mikage chimes in. She rests her back against the car's side as Epsilon and Aki turn to look at her.

Epsilon simply asks, "How, exactly?"

"Each Signer is heading to one of the five control towers that helped regulate the old "Momentum" Reactor's energies," Mikage explains. "The towers are marked on a map I showed to every Signer before we split up. Each tower is in a different area of Satellite, and there isn't enough time for us to stay together and reach them all. Each of the Dark Signers will be at a separate tower, and each tower connects to one of the Earthbound Gods."

Epsilon's eyebrows jump up. "How is that possible?"

"The towers have the markings of four different Nazca Line geoglyphs: the giant, lizard, hummingbird, monkey, and spider. Also, each tower's energies are connected to one of the five Signer dragons: Yusei Fudo's "Stardust Dragon", Jack Atlas's "Red Demon's Dragon", Aki's "Black Rose Dragon", and Ruka's "Ancient Fairy Dragon"."

"That's only four Signers. Aren't there supposed to be five?"

"We still don't know where, or who, the fifth Signers is." Mikage turns her gaze to the ground as she admits this. "But," she emphasizes as she regains her ground, "we are confident that they will reveal themselves when the time is right."

"You don't have much time, though. You said that yourself."

"No, we don't. We have to defeat all the Dark Signers, and seal their corresponding control towers before the sun sets."

Epsilon then looks to the sky. The sun is still on the horizon, but higher than before. He doesn't interpret this for a moment, and then grunts as he looks back to Mina.

"Well, then," he reasons, "I'll finish up these questions as quickly as possible."

"No, Epsilon," Aki interrupts. "There is enough time to get the answers we want. Are you finished with your question?"

"Yeah." The cyborg swallows after he says this, and he rapidly blinks with his human and metal eye for a moment. Mina flinches slightly at this, while Aki is unfazed.

"What is it with you, Epsilon?" she asks for her next question, seemingly out of the blue. "Why do you still care about me so much?"

"That's…" Epsilon stops short. He tries again with, "You…", and then, "It's because…" Finally, he places a hand over his human eye.

"I don't know that, either," he admits. "I should know these sorts of things, but I don't. Like I just said, that is why I'm so upset."

"Then," Aki quickly reasons after a hard swallow of her own, "tell it without words. Your Signer mark connects to ours, even if it is not a real Signer mark."

Epsilon's eyes widen. "Are you saying we…?"

"Yes." Aki raises a hand towards Epsilon, her own fears locked behind a determined expression. "We should link our psychic powers, and learn the truth together."

Epsilon glances over to Mikage, but she has her eyes elsewhere. Her mind doesn't seem to be in the current moment. She may not have heard what they just said. He looks back to Aki, her hand extended towards him. He hesitates, and then grips it with his own.

Both gasp as the outside world warps into an endless expanse of red. Pain lances through their skulls as countless voices whisper over each other. None of them make any sense. Epsilon grits his teeth as Aki shudders under the mental pressure.

Then, everything turns calm. Aki opens her eyes a moment before Epsilon does.

They both stand in a curved hallway large enough for several people to stand side-by-side. A younger version of Aki, with her hair down, stands beside an automatic door. She sports a dark-red school uniform, her eyes cast down to the floor. Other students in the same red uniform, or in bright yellow or bright blue, walk around her without noticing her.

"What is this?" Epsilon mutters as he looks around. "Where are we?"

"This is… Duel Academia." Aki realizes out loud. "These uniforms are Osiris Red, Ra Yellow, and Obelisk Blue ranks. That must mean she," she adds while pointing at the younger Aki, "is me from back then."

At that moment, a male student with brown hair, pale skin, and two organic green eyes approaches Aki. Their mouths move as they talk, but nothing they say is heard. Young Aki turns away from the man after a few moments, and the man walks away with a shake of his head. He looks upset as he passes by Epsilon, who looks at him with wide eyes.

'I remember you,' he thinks to himself as he watches the man. 'Why? Are you… me?'

The scene shifts around them, folding from one environment to another.

Epsilon and Aki now look at the younger Aki as she sits in a class filled with other students. The same man from before is a few seats in front of her, and they both pay attention to a dark-haired professor as he gives a lecture in front of the rows of desks. Again, the people's mouths move, but no words are spoken.

The lecture ends after a few moments of silent waiting. The students get up and leave, either alone or in their own little groups. Young Aki gets up on her own, and the man from before approaches her as she walks away. They speak for a bit, but Young Aki dismisses him with a forceful push. The man stumbles back and almost drops his books from within his arms. He shakes his head again, and Young Aki leaves the room.

Another shift.

Epsilon and Aki look at the outcome of a Duel between Young Aki and an Obelisk Blue girl, on a patch of grass away from any buildings. The Obelisk girl has her face in the dirt, her body shuddering and her uniform heavily torn up. Other Obelisk Blue students surround her as observing students shout at the isolated Young Aki without a sound.

The man from before is there, too. Instead of shouting at Young Aki, he just looks at her in horror. He then gives a hard swallow, turns away, and nods to himself as he walks off. Epsilon tries to figure out what this means, and comes up with nothing.

'If that is supposed to be me, then why am I acting this way? It would help if I could hear what people were saying!'

Another shift.

Night falls on the island, but the lights inside a large two-story dormitory with a red-tiled roof shine brightly. Epsilon and Aki stand outside the building, drenched in shadows from nearby trees. Like before, there's no sound from inside the building.

Epsilon turns to look at Aki, who stands a bit farther into the trees than him. Her eyes are locked on the building ahead as one of its doors open. Young Aki walks out from the light and sound into darkness and silence. The door swings shut behind her. Young Aki's expression isn't clear, but her jerky movements clearly indicate anger.

The door opens again. The familiar man steps out, and follows Young Aki. She walks away faster, and he pursues. He eventually grabs her arm to make her stop, only for her to spin around and punch him in the chest. Her hair rises with a red aura for just a second as he slides back a few feet. He clutches his chest as he stares with wide eyes at Young Aki.

Her eyes are wide, too, with the same kind of shock. She looks at her hands, which are glowing a purplish-red, like they aren't her own. Her fingers clench into fists, and then she turns and runs into the forest. The man extends a hand to her with a silent shout, but does not follow.

Another shift.

Epsilon quickly recognizes this scene; Young Aki defeating the Obelisk Blue, Investigator Koda inside the Obelisk Blue Dueling arena. Young Aki's body glows with that dark aura from before, her hair covering her eyes. Her hair does not cover her sinister smile as she unleashes a final attack with a "Gigaplant". Koda flies off the arena floor as the giant plant's vines slam into his body. He crashes into several students in the front row, who clearly did not expect the impact.

The same man – Samuel Tagami, apparently – grits his teeth as he glares at Young Aki's action. His face shows anger, but his eyes tell older Epsilon and older Aki that he is also sad. The two emotions clash as he stays in his seat. Several other students around him are standing up as they jeer, boo, and point at Aki with silent rage.

Another shift.

Samuel and Young Aki cross paths on a marble path leading to a large, white, building. He quickly drags Young Aki behind one of several white statues, despite her attempts to break free. But, she does stay for what Samuel says. Again, no words come to the older Duelists.

After several moments of talking, Samuel grabs Young Aki's hands in his own. She immediately turns shocked, then angry, and finally confused at what he quickly tells her. His eyes glimmer with tears as he places her hands on his chest. She silently stutters out a response, both of their faces bright red in embarrassment.

Then, she embraces him. Tears stream down their cheeks as they rest there, away from any prying eyes.

Epsilon asks, "What the hell?" as he turns from this scene to the Aki he recognizes. "Why are we seeing this?"

Aki keeps her eyes locked on the student's embrace, and gives no answer. Her lips quiver with emotion that she keeps contained inside herself.

Another shift.

Epsilon's gut twists as he sees Young Aki stand at the edge of a cliff. She starts to lean over the edge towards the crashing waves below, but stops suddenly. She looks behind her as Samuel races up to her. The two converse, and Epsilon remembers the words from his archived memories. Because of this, he wants to look away, but something forces him to watch.

Young Aki's dark smile looks even worse this time around as she lifts Samuel up through thought alone. Epsilon manages to shut his eyes before he sees Samuel torn apart by psychic energies, but he remembers the pain all the same.

"Why?" he shouts to anyone who can hear him. "Why are we seeing this? Why do I need to know this?!"

The scene shifts, and then pulls apart, before Epsilon gets any answers.

Epsilon and Aki both step back from each other, their mental link as separate as their hands. Their surroundings are now the ruined streets of Satellite, once again. Of the two, Aki is the calmer in appearance. Mentally, they both fluctuate between anger, confusion, and differing levels of fear.

"You see?" Aki asks with brief glances at Epsilon's blushing face. "That's who Samuel was to me. You needed to know that."

Epsilon takes a slow breath as his fingers stop shaking. He closes his eyes, basks in the lingering sensations. Then, his eyes snap open as he quickly asks a new question: "What do I have to do to be like Samuel Tagami, in your eyes?"

Aki's response is just as quick: "You can't."

"That's impossible. I am a clone from his DNA." Epsilon places a hand over his chest with dramatic force. "I am literally Samuel Tagami in a new body. How can I never be like him?"

"You aren't like him." Aki repeats. "You shouldn't be like him."

"Shouldn't?" Epsilon spits. His fists clench, and then relax again, as he tries to contain his anger.

"You should be yourself," Aki insists. "Let go of the past, of who you used to be." She looks down, and away. "I'm trying to do that, myself."

Epsilon's anger cools as he realizes what that means. To Aki, the past is full of pain, grief, and suffering. Samuel Tagami knew a part of that grief, but not all of it. To let go of that pain, to move on with a new sense of purpose, is a tremendous undertaking.

"You need to know something," Aki states, which brings Epsilon away from his thoughts. "Something I should have told you when we were both at the Movement."

"That is?"

"What happened after our Duel concluded at the Fortune Cup."

Epsilon's metal eye flicks shut as an instant reaction. Mikage also turns to look at the two when she hears those words. Epsilon forces his metal eye open again as he tries to figure out the correct reply. "Correct" here, he quickly surmises, would be something that makes sense with what the Neo Domino Media would have believed.

"I've heard about what happened," he tries to say as clearly as possible. "Something, or someone, hacked the Solid Vision system at the stadium. They used it to attack everyone there after our Duel ended. I don't know why they would do that, but no one was harmed. After all, they just used holograms."

"Wrong."

Mikage takes a step towards Aki at that word. At the same time, Epsilon quietly asks, "…What?" as he feels a chill in his stomach.

"That hologram wasn't a hologram." Aki coldly explains. "It was the "Hivemind" – a psychic manifestation of a virus infecting Neo Domino's electronics. It was present in our Psychic Riding Duel, tapping into your powers like a parasite. I felt its presence in your mind, Epsilon. The two of you spoke to each other, but it was not able to manipulate you like I first suspected.

"The Hivemind took the brunt of my final attack on you, an attack that should have turned you to dust. It then used your power as an energy boost to take control of the stadium's projection system. It showed its death throes to everyone at the arena. It wanted to demonstrate its power before it died.

"During its demonstration, the Hivemind infected me with a psychic implant. It copied itself and stuck that copy into my brain, against my will. When I tried to mentally dispel that copy, I instead revealed all the information it had stored. The Collective, the Superiors, Project 5D's – I learned everything about them."

"Damn…" Epsilon's hand covers his mouth as his jaw drops in shock. "How did you deal with that?!"

"My mental training was important, as was my emotional discipline. The Arcadia Movement allowed me to control my emotions, especially under stress. The Hivemind's influence on me was just another period of stress I had to control."

Aki shows little emotion as she talks, even though her insides are twisted with the worry of saying this the right way. Epsilon and Mikage just stare at her, enthralled by her words.

"The Hivemind's data came to me through bizarre visions and voices. I unconsciously split it into pieces, so that I wasn't overwhelmed at the first exposure. Each piece revealed a little more, and left me with something else I had to figure out. I hated it, when it happened, but I wanted to learn more after it happened."

"So," Epsilon interrupts, "where do I come in all this?"

Aki glares at him, her face clearly saying, "I was going to get there eventually." Epsilon takes the hint to shut up. Aki continues.

"Immediately after I lost in the Fortune Cup's semifinals, I was put into an isolation pod to clear my mind. It was there that the Crimson Dragon showed me, and the other Signers, a vision of what was to come. I didn't understand it at the time, but I knew it was important. At nearly the same time, however, I sensed your mental presence in the Arcadia Movement headquarters. You then stayed around, which I did not want."

"That's right," Epsilon mutters, "I remember sensing something like you in the headquarters. It was after I Dueled one of the Movement's associates – Seria, I think it was. I didn't recognize you, but I felt you were there."

"Mmm," Aki hums in agreement, "I remember that, too. That was when I learned about the Collective's mission to free you from Godwin. Unfortunately, I also had to keep it a secret from Divine when he came to investigate. if he knew what was happening to me, he would have wiped my mind clean."

"Did he figure it out?"

"I don't need to answer that for you," Aki curtly responds as she looks away from him. Epsilon doesn't mind being dismissed this time around.

"So, if you kept these memories from Divine all this time," he clarifies, "did you actually want them removed?"

"At first, yes," the Black Rose Duelist answers with her eyes on the dark sky above. "Undoubtedly, yes. But, when I figured it all out, and how it connected to my life, my feeling towards the visions changed. I didn't want to forget what I learned, the images and ideas I saw. This "Collective" you work for is strange; a curious kind of strange. They want to change the world, like Divine and the Dark Signers do. But, their vision is one people embrace on their own.

"I've had some time to think about Divine's goals," Aki adds as she looks back at Epsilon. "Mina has told me things about the Arcadia Movement that I never learned, or never saw for myself. The Hivemind's visions, combined with these facts, shattered how I saw the world. I had to remake my beliefs from scratch, and rebuild who I am. Because of this, I am no longer mad at you, Epsilon."

"Really?" Epsilon takes a shuddering breath before asking, "How do you feel about me now?"

"I pity you."

Epsilon looks at Aki with confusion, surprise, and anger all blended together. He doesn't know what to say.

"I know how you were created, Epsilon," Aki continues to the silent cyborg. "You are a copy, a clone, a forgery of someone I admired. No matter how hard you have tried to convince me, you will never be like that person. You shouldn't be like them. You have to be yourself."

Epsilon frowns. "I've tried that before, and I have always failed. Everyone who said they could help me be myself just wanted me to be something they wanted. They didn't care what I wanted."

"Not even the Collective? Their goals are focused on humanity, not just themselves."

Epsilon can't answer that honestly. He doesn't completely know, himself. He looks away from Aki. Mina turns back to look at them as a long silence falls over the area.

"I know this is hard to accept," Aki quietly continues. "The Hivemind knew about the Collective's agents, and all their problems. So, I know them, too. The diversity among the agents is amazing, and I did not expect it when I first heard of them. The Superior's actions during the Fortune Cup led me to believe the Collective was like the Movement in many ways. Now, I know they are very different.

"Because of this, I do not feel angry against the Collective for what they did. I would not have gone along with some of their riskier plans, but that is my opinion. Your opinion matters just as much, Epsilon. Maybe even more, because of what the Collective did to you without your consent."

Epsilon flinches as he pleads, "Please don't mention that again."

"I won't. Instead, I'll give you some advice."

Epsilon's eyebrows go up. His blush fades a bit, and he stands straighter. Aki closes her eyes, takes a breath, and then bores her eyes and words into Epsilon's subconscious.

"Be yourself, Epsilon. I know you have heard that before, but I mean it. If you think someone is trying to use you, challenge them. If they are forcing you to a cause you don't want, reject them. If you want to do something, and you know it will make this world better for everyone, do it. Don't let anything, anything, stop you from achieving your goals."

"A-Aki…"

Epsilon chokes up at Aki's words, phrased like he had said to her at the Fortune Cup. The situation has been reversed, and both Psychic Duelists know it.

"Aki-san!" Mikage calls out from the car. "Please finish your conversation soon. We don't have much time left."

"She's right," Epsilon says after he and Aki look back at Mikage. "You need to face your Dark Signer. I don't need to be there for that. I'd certainly like to be there, but I'd probably just get in the way."

"Probably," Aki simply says. A flicker of a smile appears on her face as she adds, "But, I'd like you there, too."

Epsilon catches the smile, and smiles back. The psychic weight on their minds turns into a warm pressure, like dipping into a hot bath. Epsilon bathes in the sensation for a moment, and then calls out, "Ms. Sagiri!"

"Yes, Epsilon?" the blue-haired secretary responds.

"We're done here. You two can go on ahead."

Mikage blinks. "What about you?"

"This isn't my battle," Epsilon states over his shoulder as he starts to walk down the road the women drove down. "The Dark Signers don't care about me as much as Aki. My challenges are elsewhere."

Epsilon takes a few more steps forward, and then stops. He turns back to face them, and the rising sun gives his metal eye an odd glint.

"Until we meet again, which I am sure we will," he states with a determined grin, "may you both run the Net freely."

With that, Epsilon walks away, alone, into another part of Satellite. Aki and Mikage watch him go for a moment before they return to their task. Mikage quickly notes a brighter color in Aki's cheeks, and smiles to herself as she starts the car up again.

[Epsilon's POV]

Aki. Aki, Aki, Aki. You are much more amazing than I expected. I can see why Samuel Tagami loved you. It pains me that I can't be like him to you.

So, I'll make my own path. I'll make my own destiny, in Satellite and in Neo Domino. Whether it's with the Collective, the Signers, or just the common man or woman in this world, I will do my best to make it better for everyone.

To make you happy, I will make that my goal. And, I will do my best not to fail.

Satellite moves around me in a blur. I don't focus on anything specific, because nothing here can break the warm glow I feel all over. Despite these feelings, I keep my eyes peeled for any threats. The shadows are no longer dangerous spaces, but that doesn't mean I can just ignore them.

Thankfully, nothing comes to block my way or challenge me. I eventually hear crashing waves beyond a row of buildings, and move towards that. I climb over several wrecked cars rammed against each other by a careless hand, taking my time so I don't get injured. When I get over, I see another section of Satellite's shoreline.

This area has no border fence to the town. There are no signs of people here; no tents, fires, or discarded items. Just lots of rocks, soaked by the pounding sea over time. The waves roar in my ears, which blocks out any sound from the two people on the shoreline.

I duck down as best I can as soon as I see them. They stand in front of a small motorboat which keeps bumping against the rocks. One man has a grizzled face and wears a thick brown coat over a dirty shirt and pants. The other wears a dark-gray suitcoat and hat, darker gray gloves, and thick black glasses that block out his eyes.

The two talk quickly, and then separate. The grizzled man goes back to the boat as the suited man walks up into Satellite. I watch him go. Something about him sets me off. He looks oddly familiar.

I follow him back into Satellite. He quickly gets on a road, and follows it. It's the same road I walked down when I left Aki and Mina. Is he following them?

He suddenly stops, and I shift behind the closest piece of debris. I peek out after a few seconds to catch him walking off faster than before. I pursue him. The weird sense I get from him becomes stronger the closer I get. It worries me, and I want to know the truth so I will stop worrying about it.

He stops to look around two more times. Each time, I get behind cover long enough for him to keep going. The bad sense continues to grow, multiplying in intensity until it makes my head hurt. I once get close enough to notice his dark-red hair, like Aki's.

The next time the man stops is at the crossroads I spoke to Aki and Ms. Sagiri at. He looks down every possible path, like he's searching for something. But, what is he looking for?

I start to doubt my decision on following this man. And, my head still hurts from that odd sense. What is so strange about this man as to cause—?

"Gah!"

My cover suddenly explodes in a burst of fire. Shrapnel digs into my body, and I cry out as I fall onto the road. It takes me a moment to regain my senses and spring to my feet. Tiny bursts of pain radiate from where the shrapnel dug into me, but it's not enough to disorient me.

The man stares at me with a sinister grin, a standard Duel Disk already on his arm and activated. I now see a badge on his coat pocket. Is he a part of Sector Security, or some other organization?

"Epsilon," he mutters in a very familiar voice. "The Netrunner. You are an asset I have wanted for a while, now. What luck that you've come right to me."

Alright, that sounded far too sinister to be normal. I feel I should know this man, but his name just eludes my grasp.

"What's with you?" I answer back as I wipe my mouth clean of any dust or blood. "Why did you shoot fire at me?"

"I knew you were following me, Epsilon. A good servant always returns to their master. But, you seem to have gained some… independence."

The man says "independence" like it tastes terrible in his mouth. Just who is he? Why does he consider himself my master?

"Now, I get to show you your proper place; by my side, as a soldier in my new world."

"How do you plan to do that?" I ask with sarcastic interest.

"With a Duel, of course. Once I have you seeing things my way, things will be much easier for me when I reach her."

"I am not letting anyone change how I see things," I proclaim as I activate my Duel Disk and get my Deck ready. "And, I especially hate people who abuse their power over others. You are sounding a lot like one of those people. Whoever you are going after, I won't let you get to them."

"If that's what you think," the man answers with a chuckle, "then I would love to prove you right."

"DUEL!"

Alright, that's all for now.

I'm sure all of you can figure out who the mysterious person is. Don't spoil it, if you do; I'd like to keep the suspense going for a little while longer.

In the meantime, any reviews/comments/constructive criticism/feedback is appreciated.

Draconos is taking off.