Yay! One episode away from episode 50! And…the next duel between Signers and Dark Signers is about to begin! Drum roll please… *Drum roll* Here it is!

Rudger opened the cell and the prisoner slowly walked, revealing his dark, solemn face. His long black hair hung down to his waist and was pulled back by a few small bands. His bulky, armor-like garments seemed dull and worn and his chiseled, muscular body was noticeably withered. But the young man bright eyes had no lack of luster.

He was quite tall, even more so than Rudger. But he had no fear of him. The young man had been retrieved by Rudger himself from Sector Security. Though he had escaped execution by their hands for attempted murder, it seemed that his fate to sit in a cell her and wait for his end was not much different.

"What do you want?" He grumbled; his voice was low and stern. Rudger smiled and looked around to make sure he was not followed. He worried Cassandra might be too curious and try to find out what he was up to. Feeling certain that nobody was around, he turned his attention back to the prisoner.

"I would like you to follow me, Bommer." He turned his back to him and started walking down the dank corridor. It had been what seemed an eternity since Rudger had addressed the prisoner by his name. Nobody besides Cassandra and himself had spoken to him, and only Cassandra routinely came to see him.

Rudger was aware that the two of them had a cordial association with one another back in New Domino City, making it all the more necessary to keep his activity concealed until his task was complete. His footsteps echoed in the halls as Bommer rigidly followed behind him.

They came upon an open entryway that lead to a ramp high above the ground. A swirl of brilliant light filled the room. Rudger went out onto the ramp and beckoned Bommer to follow him. He did not yet see that Cassandra had caught a glimpse and indeed followed them. She hid nearby, trying her best not to be seen.

"I know of your participation in the Fortune Cup…and of your terrible discovery…" Rudger mused. Bommer looked away with a scowl.

"It's a shame what happened by your village. All those innocent people…and your family…killed. And for what? Goodwin summoning his precious Crimson Dragon so he can harness its power for himself!" What Rudger said was nowhere far from the truth, but he felt its only purpose here was to rouse the see in Bommer that he needed to transform him.

"What does that matter to you? This is my battle!"

"Indeed, and I have no part," Rudger walked to the center of the room where the ramp converged with several others. Right beneath his feet was Momentum, the old reactor. Bommer stood across from him.

"But, I want you to think about something for me," Said Rudger, "When you lost your duel with Yusei Fudo in the tournament, you took out your rage. Your blared out to the whole world that Goodwin had lied to you about your village. He had to pay for taking the lives of the ones you loved, did he not? You took matters into your own hands and attempted to smash through the window of the observatory tower and kill him."

Bommer, in his remembering, was trying to soothe his drive to seethe and become filled with rage. Cassandra bit her lip, remembering that day all to well, having been right there when it happened. Rudger then looked him right in the eye.

"But then, you were stopped, by none other than Yusei Fudo. He was someone you had thought to be your friend. But, he betrayed you."

Bommer shook his head.

"He wasn't exactly my friend…but I had no complaint against the guy. But, you're right, he stopped me. He of all people should have understood me. He was fighting for the freedom of his friends!"

Rudger smirked.

"…And then Sector Security had you arrested for attempted murder. You were sentenced to death, and sent in a transfer vehicle to the Facility…where you would have been executed!"

Bommer took a few steps, and Rudger had to turn away. He had him right where he wanted him.

"But then you and your group found me and took me as your own prisoner. You've kidnapped an innocent person…and God knows what else you and your people have done. What's your point?"

Cassandra looked away, remembering that while she might have come here without a fight, others had been hurt and one even died to prevent her abduction. It had been in her mind that Bommer had a possible hope of escaping and returning Cassandra to Goodwin as a possible means to gain favor and possibly a pardon, so his life could at least be spared. But, it would not mend his anger against Goodwin, nor would it bring his village back.

"While it is true that revenge against Goodwin must be sought, there is another you must seek and deliver justice to…The one who prevented Goodwin from receiving justice by your hand!"

Rudger whipped out a remote from under his cloak, pushing a button on top of it. A trap door opened up under Bommer's feet, and he plummeted down into the core of momentum. Cassandra could hear Bommer's screams and fled in horror. She heard Rudger's words echoed down the hall.

"You must punish Yusei Fudo! Make him pay for allowing corruption and cruelty to exist by protecting it from the hand of justice. Avenge your village!

…As you die, allow your spirit to be filled to the brim with your anger and agony, and leave it open to the embrace of the Earthbound Immortals! Let the darkness infuse you with its power so you may carry out this task!"

There was a loud bursting noise inside Momentum as the screams faded into a hellish roar. Rudger stepped back, content with his success.

"You shall be reborn as a Dark Signer, Bommer… Find Yusei and bring him to his knees!"

…

Yusei and Midori rode ahead of Trudge and the twins. The faint outline of the giant's mark could be seen in the sky, but it seemed less visible than either of them remembered.

"Perhaps it's just a sign that Kiryu is waiting for us…and he's more than ready for a rematch." Midori shuttered. Yusei made a left turn in the direction of Kiryu's tower. His thoughts were focused on the next duel; there was no turning back. This was the only chance he get to defeat Kiryu and make things right.

But then, his right arm started to throb with pain and his mark glared with its crimson glow. Midori felt a sharp sting in her head and yelped.

"Hey! Is everything ok?" Trudge called to them. He stopped the car for a moment and looked over to see that Luna's arm was glowing with her Signer mark.

"Ah, man, more freaky business?" Trudge muttered. Leo turned to his sister.

"What's going on, Luna? Is another duel starting soon?"

Luna shook her head.

"It might be, but what I feel is the presence of a Dark Signer…"

Midori saw a sudden vision flash past her eyes. She wondered if her powers were starting to respond to her own thoughts or curiosity rather than their usual random outbursts. She blinked and adjusted her helmet.

"It's not someone I've seen before. They weren't there when Sidney and Yusei took on Rudger. I think he was made a Dark Signer recently…meant to take the place of the one who was just defeated."

Yusei shifted his gaze.

"But you were able to see them with your powers?"

Midori nodded.

"It might have happened within the last few hours or so, but even a couple of hours in the past are still the past." Midori huffed.

"Ok," Yusei took a deep breath, "Do you know where they were heading? Who might they be looking for?"

Midori's expression turned serious and somewhat vacant.

"I cannot read people's thoughts; he said nothing, not even out loud to himself. But, I saw him leave Momentum. But I'm not so sure…"

Yusei paused. He thought for a moment with care. Yusei placed his foot over the accelerator of his Runner.

"I can feel my arm hurting like crazy…whoever they are, they're not too far off. We're still heading for Kiryu's tower, but there's chance we might have to fight this other Dark Signer before that. We need to be careful."

Yusei took a deep breath and pushed on the accelerator, taking off with deliberate speed. The others trailed behind him. He looked to the sky at the faint glow of the giant geoglyph. Kiryu would have to wait.

…

Crow drove along an empty road along the edge of Satellite with Sidney in tow. He peered up at the sky briefly to see that the mark of the monkey had vanished. It could only mean that Luna's duel had ended. He kept his eyes on the road, not looking back at Sidney, whose marks were dimming away.

"Luna won!" Sidney cheered, "Her mark didn't vanish from my arm!"

"That's good news," Crow replied,

"Now let's get you up to the old reactor, shall we?"

They came to a bridge that crossed over into the inner circle of Satellite.

As they crossed, Crow could see a dust cloud approaching them from far away. He at first thought it might be related to the black could that engulfed the Satellite, but the faint sound of an engine suggested something different.

"I think someone on a Duel Runner's coming our way," He told Sidney, "Maybe it's your friend and Midori's Grandpa?"

He also thought of the possibility of Yusei and Midori. But, something seemed wrong. The approaching object revealed its silhouette; it was indeed a Duel Runner. But, only one person was riding on it, and it certainly couldn't be Jack. He would be going the wrong way if that were so. Lastly, Kiryu was probably staying put at his tower to wait for his duel with Yusei. He came to one conclusion as he slammed on his breaks.

"I hate to say this, but I think we have trouble."

The oncoming Duel Runner grinded to a halt, stirring up a cloud of soot. Sidney quickly covered her face but couldn't help but abruptly cough. Her body ached from the power of the Signer marks glowing hot over her skin.

"What's the rush, buddy? You looking for somebody?" Crow waved the soot away from his face. The particles finally began to settle, and Crow looked up into the blackened neon eyes of the Dark Signer before them. He fist clutched the handle of his dark-shaded Runner, which was higher off the ground than Crow's. It bore a monstrous look with the skull of a bull mounted on the front. Even his helmet had horns protruding on each side.

"Stay out of my way, half-pint. I'm looking for Yusei." He narrowed his eyes. Crow twitched, his face twisted into one of disgust. Sidney looked over to see his Dark Signer mark, which seemed to resemble a whale. She tried not to assume anything. But, why wasn't he with the others before? Was he elsewhere? Or…had he just become a Dark Signer?

"Who are you…and what do you want with Yusei?" She asked, trying to conceal her hesitancy. His expression became quiet and he closed his eyes.

"I don't have to waste my time with you." He revved his engine, hoping to get away. If another defeated him now, he would not get a chance at Yusei. Sidney jumped off Crow's Runner and readied her Duel Disk. He found her gustiness annoying, but worth his respect.

"You act like you're itching for a fight when the reality is that you're shivering inside from your fear."

Crow engaged the Duel Disk on his Runner, and detached it. Sidney motioned that he showed stay where he was. Crow gave her a confused look.

"It's ok, Crow. You'll get your chance." She told him. He sighed and said "ok".

Just then, a thought occurred to Crow. A sudden memory flashed before him. It entailed a brief news bulletin he had seen on his TV about the Fortune Cup. He had mostly been captured by his surprise when he learned that Yusei had defeated Jack…that both of them had actually been able to escape from the Satellite. Yet, he remembered a brief run-through about the other contestants.

"You were in the Fortune Cup with Yusei when Jack was still the King of Turbo Duels, weren't you?" He asked solemnly. The Dark Signer didn't look at him.

"That's right. My name is Bommer. I dueled the brother of that little girl Luna in the first round, and then…there was my match with Yusei in the semi-finals. That's when everything went to hell in a hand-basket…"

Bommer saw her marks ablaze his eyes grew slight in width.

"I see you are also a Signer…But…you have more than one mark." He recalled Rudger talking to him as he had walked out from Momentum.

"You must be the one the Dark Signers refer to as the Star Princess."

Sidney nodded. He revved his engine again.

"It is said that you must not be allowed to become fully realized and gain the power of all five marks of the dragon. But, for a reason that wasn't shared, we must avoid sending you to the Netherworld…"

Sidney perked up.

"That is why the Dark Signers believe you must die."

Crow jumped off his Runner to and shielded Sidney.

"Don't even think about it! If you hurt a friend of mine …Sidney, Yusei…or anyone else for that matter… I'll kick you from here straight to hell!" He growled. Sidney blinked, but then smiled slightly.

But, there was a brief moment of silence. The Dark Signer shook his head.

"I have no intention of killing you. I…can't do it."

Sidney's smile faded.

"I might have wanted to kill Goodwin…and I still do. But, I can't kill an innocent person. As far as I know, you haven't done anything. I don't judge someone in the wrong unless they give me a reason why I should."

Sidney seemed to understand. She could help but admire what he had just said. Not the part about killing Goodwin, but everything else. It reminded her how it was probably true that most of that Dark Signers were not bad people all by themselves. Maybe even all of them were like that. But, she wanted to know what really happened, and if there was some other way to make it right. What did Goodwin do? Why was he angry with Yusei?

"Bommer…I know what you must be feeling is horrible," She tried to muster up what ability of empathy she possessed, "But if it's Yusei you're after, then you'll have to go through me first."

Bommer knew he could leave at any second. They could pursue him, but that would be pointless. What he didn't know was that Crow had a way of convincing him to stick around. He put his hand into his back pocket just in case.

But it wouldn't matter. Bommer stepped down from his Runner and set his helmet on the seat. He disengaged his Duel Disk and it latched onto his arm. Sidney noticed the space was pretty open except for an occasional pile of trash where they were.

"Crow, I think you'd better move out of the way. If you're caught in the geoglyph…" She remembered what happened to Martha. It couldn't happen again if she could help it. Crow understood and restarted his Runner, moving up to higher ground where he would be safe from being Earthbound Immortal fodder.

"If you insist on standing in my way, then I guess I have to choice but to knock you down. Are you sure about this?" He asked.

Sidney paused. In all honesty, she had never been ready for any of it. How could she have been? There was no way she could have known that the only family who seemed to care about her was gone and the other was missing. She couldn't have imagined being taken away from the others who had become almost like family to her, or being originally forced into a betrothal she didn't want or was ready for. Most of all, there was no way of knowing that the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. But, she had the help of her knew friends that she never felt she'd have, and the friends she'd always had her back to. The craziest thing of all was that she fell in love, and he loved her back enough to bind himself to her in order to free her from the trap Goodwin had ensnared her in.

"I'm ready." She said.

"Good," said Bommer, "Then the first move is yours. Let the shadow duel begin!"

To be continued in the next episode. Remember to leave your reviews and tune in next time for the match between Bommer and Sidney! Be there or be square!