Yusei watched the screen aimlessly, one hand against his cheek, the other on his lap, as he tried paying attention to whatever program was on. But then, it was hard to do that, considering the fact Leo kept changing the channel every ten seconds.
The boy was incredibly hyper today, despite the fact he failed most his tests, and somehow lost all his duels. Then again, the setbacks weren't really on his mind, as he went on and on about the latest super heroes he heard about, or the newest additions to the pro-leagues. His bluish green ponytail kept bouncing everywhere as he relayed his excitement, his bright, golden eyes searching through the commercials to see if his idols were getting the respect they deserve. Meanwhile, his twin, Luna, simply chided him pathetically, endeavoring to calm him down, all the while listening intently to whichever program was on.
Tonight, he was at their manor, with Jack and Crow. Since their parents were still out, and they could invite whomever they wanted to as long as they weren't marked (which was a bit of a moot point), they decidedly asked the guys to come; Akiza couldn't make it because she had to help someone in class with fusions. Naturally, Jack remained unimpressed by their large penthouse, while Crow gawked over their wealth, though he somehow managed to keep to himself. As of now, Yusei had no idea where the two were; if he had to guess, Crow was in the kitchen, looking over the refrigerator, his motherly instincts taking over, while Jack was in the bathroom, trying to, once again, impress Leo with whatever fabulous stunt he was going to pull.
He closed his eyes then, the fatigue wearing him down. Maybe Crow did have a point; he hadn't had any sleep for the past few days. If he didn't rest soon, the deprivation will start affecting his dueling, or driving, whichever came first. What good was the new engine if he couldn't even use it?
The bodies appeared before him.
And at an instant, he was awake.
It's strange; he'd been like this for a while now. Whenever he tried sleeping, or resting, for that matter, the corpses would simply reappear again, right in front of him. At first, he couldn't bear to face them. He just kept telling himself that it was just some nightmare that'd go away, some delusion that'd soon disappear on its own. No, he wasn't psychotic, and he certainly wasn't mentally ill, or at least, he didn't think so. He couldn't really afford a doctor to examine him either.
But after a while, he started getting used to seeing their faces. Initially, he couldn't handle all the blood and gore and glassy eyes, so he contented himself with seeing their silhouettes. He could manage making out their hazy shadows in the midst of that darkness, the dried crimson splattered all over the floor. Then, when a few more days passed, he started peering down at their faces. That disgusted, revolting pain in the pit of his stomach ceased to bother him, and it was then did he see the corpses.
Children.
"Yusei!" Leo screamed.
He jolted up. He scanned the room automatically, then shot a tired smile at the boy. Before he could say anything, Leo rushed over, the remote in hand, and pointed to the TV. "Look! Look look look! It's Rob Cole!"
Luna stared at her brother, an annoyed frown plastered on her face. "Leo, he doesn't even know who that is."
"Sure he does! Everyone at school does!"
"Yusei doesn't go to our school, remember?"
Yusei stared at them, then looked up at the TV screen. That's right; Jack was just talking about this the other day. Apparently, it was this really big premiere, and everyone who was anyone had to go to in order to be respected, whether that be by duelists, or actresses, or even just a kid, who admired the grandiose world around them. As far as Yusei knew, no one in Neo Domino missed an event like this.
Huh, it looks like people were actually expecting him to attend.
"Hey Yusei," Leo suddenly piped. "Why aren't you there with everyone else?"
"I'm a little tired," he said easily. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Crow coming from the kitchen, the smell of ramen diffusing through the air. "Besides, it's not my kind of thing."
"Are you kidding?!" he burst. "Rob Cole's there! With everyone else! And you're, like, the King of Turbo Dueling. You know what? Luna and I will help you get there. It's fine; you can just go like that."
"Leo, it's already started," Luna murmured embarrassingly. "Besides, we invited him here, remember?"
Yusei closed his eyes once again, the children slowly coming back to him as they always do. This time, he wasn't going to look away; he just had to sit here for a while, and wait until he fell asleep. They'll be gone by the time he woke up; they always did.
One minute passed.
Then two.
Then three.
And finally, a scream.
His eyes shot open.
He saw Crow standing beside him his eyes wide with shock, his mouth slightly agape. He saw the twins standing there, the humorous atmosphere around them vanishing in a split second. All three were frozen in place, trying to make sense of whatever was going on in front of them. And soon, Yusei followed their gazes.
There was a body on the red carpet.
Aileen Lincoln, age 35.
The night air calmly came around her, the very essence of sophistication embedded within the crowds gathered outside the glass buildings. The clear glass reflected the harvest moonlight, giving the party a more enchanting appearance, as one by one, the reporters arrived, ready for their stories. The bright, white-hot spotlights filled the darkness with artificial light, the loud raucous of voices replacing the normally empty void night brings. White poster boards detailed the celebrities showing up at the shoot, as well as upcoming movies all ready for their debut.
Fawn Misserson, age 42.
Glamorous celebrities gathered around the red carpets, some smiling amiably at one another, others with tension flying between each other, and even still, old acquaintances no one had seen for the longest time. Velvet dresses and tuxedos contrasted lovingly with each other, creating a shimmering paradise street urchins wouldn't dare come to. Friendships and rivalries were laid out for the reporters to see, the drama already enveloping around the crowds.
Shamsul Thomas, age 66.
Angela stared at her targets, all of whom were sashaying towards their adoring fans, adoringly stepping on the red carpet as they did so. Recent idols started posing for the cameras, while the others silently moved along, answering certain questions as they did, all the while avoiding interrogations from other more unsavory fans. Reporters clung to the railing, trying to shove their microphones into their faces, risking everything from ruining their own, stunning outfits, to getting sued. Though they appeared to be little more than rabid animals, in actuality, Angela was about to join them. She gripped her own microphone tightly, took a deep breath, and proceeded to pry her colleagues out of her way, when she tripped over her own dress.
Samuel Adams, age 33.
She barely managed to catch herself. She paused for a moment, then kept on with her task, the all so clearly in view. She smoothed out her red dress, and looked out at the fans again, spotting so many familiar faces nearby. She squinted her eyes, trying to catch yet another glimpse of the celebrities, the enthusiastic atmosphere seemingly draped around her in all its finery.
Vlad Dalca, age 28.
She held herself then, as she started waving her hand around. Bright flashes encircled around her, her own cameraman endeavoring to get a few pictures for tomorrow's issue. "Over here!" she shouted fanatically.
Yuqi Jin, age 53.
There was one young model who looked at Angela's way, and smiled. She was wearing a light blue dress, one with white ruffles all over the hems. Two pink ribbons decorated the sides of her head, with a single, white rose toward the back to complete the look. She also had such a cute, cherubic face; blond-haired, blue-eyed, with full pink lips, something that made Angela wonder if the girl really was innocent as she seemed. So the woman straightened herself, and started walking toward her, determined to squeeze a story out of the young girl.
Laurel Blackwell, age 41.
She froze.
"Ma'am?"
Angela snapped awake, as she stared down at the girl.
Fatima Islam, age 36.
The youngest model in the season; a child prodigy who would be debuting in an upcoming film; a famous star who could easily claim to be on of the most powerful people in the world. She could influence practically anyone, and though no one dared cover her personal life, Angela made sure she would've.
Thuy Vo, age 72.
But she couldn't say anything.
Tin Ngo, age 58.
Her lips were starting to get dry.
The young girl tugged at her wrist. "Ma'am?" she called out again. "Are you okay? Hey, you wanna come with me for a sec?"
Angela looked up.
Cynthia Johnson, age 47.
There was another model standing in front of her. A dark skinned, raven-haired beauty, whose elegant, emerald dress tightly fitted around her delicate body. It seemed she was inviting the reporter too, to come with the rest of the models for a bit.
Jerald Smith, age 55.
For some reason, Angela started shaking her head.
Reginald Feng, age 49.
And yet still, the model kept calling out to her.
Stephan Nickelson, age 56.
Rosenwald Joensen, age 31.
Arnold Cross, age 43.
Cardiac arrest.
Cardiac arrest.
Cardiac arrest.
There was a loud crash from up above.
As the reporters scrambled out of the way, the models screaming out in horror, their agents shoving them back into their cars, Angela remained where she was, her mind replaying the victims' names over and over and over again. Pictures upon pictures kept showing up in her eyes, as she stared at the chaos around her, the pitiful shouts, the cries, the tears streaming for a stranger no one even knew. Angela stared down at the girl, who had been swept away from her then, no doubt by a protective fan, however perverted they might've been. She stared ahead, at the models, at the people she was supposed to interview, at her fellow peers, who were now racing away from the scene altogether.
She stared at the body, with the names of the victims racing through her brain.
Jaden sprawled out the articles onto the white carpet, his fingers lingering near the photos. Dozens of smiles gazed up at him, the innocence upon their faces so clear he couldn't help but wonder if they were still alive somewhere, supposedly held hostage by a madman. The biographies of each of the victims lay beneath the photos, along with whatever notes Ms. Raines managed to make before she stopped caring. He squinted at her delicate handwriting for a while, before shrugging and brushing it aside, making room for the plentiful ideas he was ready to write down.
Next to him was Alexis, who scanned over the articles with wide, curious eyes. She hugged her legs against her chest, as her eyes followed the tiny words from paragraph to paragraph. Sometimes, she'd have a small frown on her lips, while other times, a familiar spark erupted from her stare, a connection that might've helped them with the case. She sat there, hunched over, rereading the text, trying to find the relationship between the murders, aside from the obvious fact they were all powerful politicians.
They were both in Alexis's apartment for the time being. It was small, comfortable, with nothing but soft pink splattered all over the walls. There was an oversized, stuff bear sitting on the pale covers of her bed, a bear that always looked at her with the same, blank stare. The dolls sitting on her bookshelf were also incredibly eerie, their stitched on smiles little more than a distraction to their glassy eyes. Some of the dolls, Jaden had made himself, but for the rest, Alexis bought them on her own. A small, black dollhouse sat in the back of the room, with tiny, paper inhabitants standing there, waiting for their mistress to return.
As far as Jaden could remember, Alexis lived alone. No family, no relations, only a single, large income to keep her financially well-off. The city paid monthly installments to her, from a portion of an inheritance she wouldn't fully receive until she was 21. Though he found the explanation hard to believe, in the end, he decided that he didn't need to know; it was her business, wasn't it? And besides, it wasn't like she was horrible at managing it. She used that money to pay her tuition for Duel Academy, as well as her living expenses. Even when she was recklessly spending it for some cursed doll she saw online, or a creepy storybook she thought would be cool to have, she always had more than enough.
Perhaps that was why he was initially so attracted to her. Like Alexis, Jaden had a large income every month coming in and, like Alexis, the city managed it for him. That the money was a part of a large inheritance, and that he had to wait until he was a certain age to get the rest. No family, no relations, nothing at all to tell him where the money was from, where it'd be going. Who knows? Maybe that's why he hated the government so much.
He sighed then, as he sat back, brushing aside the confusing memory altogether. He picked up one photograph and held it up to Alexis. She stared down at it for a while, before grabbing it with both hands. "He seems familiar."
"Arnold Cross," Jaden explained. "He was one of Goodwin's supporters."
"He was the Director's representative, wasn't he?"
"That's right."
She cocked her head then, before setting the picture down. "No."
"Hmm?"
"It's more than that," she muttered. "I feel like I've seen these people before. Like, I've really seen them in real life. Not just on some TV screen."
Jaden's eye twitched, before returning to the politicians staring up at him. "They were all connected to Goodwin, weren't they?"
"Yeah."
"And it was Goodwin who gave them their positions."
"He was like their boss or something, right?"
He nodded hesitantly. "They didn't have a lot of deep connections with the government in Neo Domino, so they relied on Goodwin for protection. When the Director disappeared, you could guess what'd happened."
"Did they know what they were doing?"
"…I don't think so. For Goodwin to just…leave, and for them to fall out of favor with the city, just like that…"
Alexis nodded understandably, then turned back to the photographs. "They were good politicians though, right? Aside from the drift between the Satellite and Neo Domino-"
"I'm not sure. They probably just went with majority support, I guess."
The two began combing through the files then, trying to find any other connection between the two, aside from Goodwin. So far, wild conspiracy theories kept popping up in Jaden's head, theories only the general public could come up with, theories that, as far as he was concerned, only served to frustrate him more. By now, everyone's come to the same conclusion; the victims' backstories weren't anything special, and though they had their fair share of enemies, that list vanished the moment Goodwin was declared missing. To want to kill a group of people who possessed no power, no influence, who posed no threat whatsoever, was a stupid move, to say the least.
"Lex."
"Right," the blonde answered automatically. "So far, there've been fourteen deaths, all of whom were involved with Goodwin. Since the administration tended to go with majority rules, we don't know if there was actually any corruption whatsoever. And since everyone loved Goodwin, along with the fact that he ran the city efficiently and rooted out said corruption, there isn't a lot to go off on with illegal stuff. Backstories, same. Family and friends, all crying their hearts out."
"That's it?"
"Jay-"
"I know," he whispered quietly, as he scratched the back of his head. He furrowed his eyebrows, regarding the files with the same intensity he had when he took them. He'd already tried the hospitals, but they weren't letting him near their medical records. He hadn't heard anything from Ms. Raines either, but since she was a little too eager to push the case onto him, he could safely say he no longer had a mentor, or an internship, for that matter. Most of the families were too hard to contact, and the ones he did manage to speak with told him to mind his own business.
So of course, that got him absolutely nowhere.
That left the funeral homes, where the bodies were supposedly held. But that was tricky, since everyone was going to be there. It'd be hard to steal a peek at the victims themselves, and even harder to determine how they died. The doctors all say cardiac arrest, and, as of now, Jaden was starting to believe that.
But the connections were so uncanny…
"Jaden?"
He looked up. "Hmm?"
There she was, talking in his cellphone without the slightest hesitation. She kept nodding, kept doing everything she should, if only to show the people around her that she was actually listening. Jaden was about to dismiss the call completely, and return to analyzing the files, when he felt a small tap on his wrist. When he came back to her, there was a serious frown on Alexis's face.
"Yeah, he's here," she continued, as she cast an uncertain glance toward him. "He was just working on it. You wanna talk with-? Oh. Oh, okay." With that, she snapped the phone shut, and turned to Jaden. "That was Ms. Raines."
He snorted "C'mon, let's get back to this-"
Alexis shook her head, and grabbed his hand. "She really wants you to come in tomorrow."
"I'm not getting her coffee again-"
"She says she wants to work with you on the case," Alexis murmured enthusiastically. "She's got a lot of information she wants to show you too."
"…Really."
"Really!"
"This isn't because I was a total douche." Jaden said aimlessly, as he picked up an article and held it up to its face. Police still haven't been able to find anything new…
"No," Alexis answered calmly, "even though you can be. Ms. Raines wanted you to come in as soon as possible. She thinks she might have some leads for this."
"I should believe her…why?"
"C'mon Jaden. You've wanted this case for like…forever! Now you're getting a chance to solve it with a top reporter! Stop being such a pussy."
He only stared at her.
"What?"
"Our 'top reporter' is a woman who has absolutely no idea what she's doing when it comes to real life."
"So?"
"We're doing just fine on our own."
"We need someone!" Alexis countered, as she threw both her arms around his neck, messing up the neat piles Jaden had made in for the last ten minutes. "No one's gonna listen to a couple of teenager!."
"That's their problem," he replied stubbornly, as he turned away from her.
"Even if it's Ms. Raines, we still have to take it! And besides, having her is better than having nothing, right?"
Though Jaden couldn't bring himself to admit it, he agreed.
Nor could he admit the fact that, at the very least, Ms. Raines was an adult.