Angela checked her watch, her leg bouncing nervously at the thought of the somewhat formal meeting. Her hands were neatly placed in front of her, with a small, white coffee cup staring back at her. She rapped her fingernails impatiently against the table, as she leaned back in her seat, her nerves already beginning to get to her. Okay, calm down; there's no reason for them not to come. This was an internship they were talking about, and if Yuki didn't show, she could just fire him. There's plenty of people willing to come to her for the case.

And yet, in the back of her mind, she knew that wasn't the case. In the end, no matter how she worded it, she needed them; it wasn't the other way around. Unlike her, they knew where to get their information, what to do with it, what lengths they had to go in order to obtain it. Unlike her, they were so…diligent, in what they did, that it was a bit frightening.

Compared to them, she was nothing.

It's the reason why she called them this morning, either Yuki or Alexis. She left a message on their phones, telling them to meet her at the Cafe la Green at two today. Either one was fine, and she was more than willing to pay for them for whatever meal they wanted. Though of course, they might just take advantage of it, and decide to buy out the entire restaurant; they seemed manipulative enough to do something as heinous as that. Still, it wasn't like Angela had much of a choice; though they didn't know it, they've got the upper hand here.

She breathed a deep sigh, her mind returning to the medical files. How should she approach this? She didn't want to make a fool of herself again, as she had done so many times before. Then again, she didn't want to let them off too easily; they weren't celebrities after all, so she had no reason to tear them down. A part of her was genuinely concerned for them, but despite that, she couldn't shake off her own, morbid curiosities. The fact that they know Izinski was already a plus for her, and if it turns out they know Yusei too, that's just another reason for her to start investigating.

Ever since Yusei Fudo won the Fortune Cup, people questioned the legitimacy of his victory. Even now, months after the tournament, as did the prejudice against Satellite residents, there are people who are trying to get a hold of his background, trying to pinpoint any crimes he's committed in the past, if only to tear him down bit by bit. What's more, the rose on his throat seemed so familiar to the hijackers from the mall. She could practically see the headlines now, the rumors circulating about. Was there a conspiracy? Did Yusei Fudo really beat Jack Atlas? Did the reigning champ have something to do with the murders?

Once again, her eyes flicked over uncertainly to her watch. Ten before two, and still no sign of them.

"Ms. Raines?"

She looked up, and saw Alexis standing there, her arms behind her back. She was wearing a white sundress, and though her long, blond hair was down, a tiny, skull headband nestled against the left side of her head. Those large, brown eyes stared down at her, regarding Angela warily as she came forward, unsure of whether she should sit down. "Sorry," she said softly. "Jaden had something he needed to take care of."

"It's fine," she said, as she gestured Alexis to sit down. Fortunately, the girl did. "To be perfectly honest, I don't think I want to talk about the case for a while. You're welcome to share what you know though."

Alexis shook her head. "Nothing new."

She fought down an annoyed grimace, as she pulled on a half-assed smile. "That's alright. Can I buy you anything? Some coffee? A muffin maybe?"

"I'm fine Ms. Raines," Alexis answered calmly. She sat up in her seat, those same, unwavering eyes eerily staring back at Angela. The reporter gazed at them for a while, her own reflection regarding her with an even stare, before she turned away. "So what is it? Anything in particular you'd want to know?"

Angela raised a curious eyebrow. "Alexis, what's wrong with me buying something for the two of you? You both worked hard, after all-"

The girl scrunched up her nose. "That very scenario. Ms. Raines, this isn't normal, even for you."

"I-"

"If you have something you need to ask, then ask," Alexis stated. "There's no need for you to buy anything for Jaden and me. We have enough."

"So you live together?"

"In a way."

She regarded the girl for some time, before nodding, and settling back in her seat. This was…a bit unexpected; to think Alexis would actually comply with a strange request as this. What was her game? Was she just trying to mess with Angela, or was this just another chore for her? Still, Angela wasn't really in a position to ask much of anything, so she kept on with the conversation. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure ma'am."

"Is ah, is Jaden okay with this too?"

She simply shrugged. "We both knew this was going to happen. I just wanted to see what you needed to ask us; that's all."

Angela narrowed her eyes, as heat flashed her face. Then, without fail, she turned back to her purse, and pulled out a single notepad and pen. All the while, Alexis was just sitting there, as if nothing was wrong with the world.

Completely blank, just like in the photograph.

"This won't take long," Angela reassured.

"Right."

She took a deep breath. "I take it you're close friends with Ms. Akiza Izinski?"

She nodded. "We go to the same school together. She always helps me with my homework."

"Jaden too?"

"Yes."

Angela bit her lip. "So you both have gone to see her in the hospital then, right? Right after the hijacking incident."

"Jaden did. I had to do other stuff, but I did call to make sure she was okay."

"That's all?"

"Yes."

"So, going off of that, at any point in time, were you or Jaden hospitalized?"

"No."

Angela stopped, then looked up. "No?"

Alexis blinked. "At least, I don't think so. I mean, it's been a while since I had my last shot. And that was in a clinic. But the clinic was in the hospital, so I guess…"

"And when was that?"

"When was what?"

"The date of your shot?"

Alexis stared down at her hands, as she thought back to the years she had the stupid thing. Finally, she looked up. "Two, maybe three years ago?"

Angela wrote it down, all the while thinking back on the files. Just yesterday she was hospitalized, along with Yuki. As for Yusei, she'd no idea what to make of him being there. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Alexis peeking over at her notes, and before long, the reporter gazed up at her. "You're sure about that?"

"I'm sure."

This didn't make any sense. The photographs were recent, and unless someone put down the wrong date, there was nothing else Angela could pull from this, especially if Alexis was just going to the same thing over. "Now, getting back to the subject with Akiza-"

"You want to know if we know Yusei Fudo, right?"

Her lips parted slightly. Alexis sat back in her seat then, with a playful smirk on her face. "It's fine; people ask us that a lot. Yeah, we do. He's a good friend of ours too."

It was the first time Angela saw Alexis act this way. Automatically, her eyes softened then. "When did you meet him?"

"When Jaden and I transferred in."

"When"

"That was," she began, the words easily flowing out from her mouth. And yet, as soon as she opened it, she stopped.

Confusion came across her face, and she stared back down at her hands. As the silence dragged on, with a bit of emotion from her wide eyes, Angela stared back down. "Alexis-"

"Sometime last year."

"Excuse me?"

"I can't remember when," the girl said quietly. "But it was sometime last year."

Quickly, Angela switched to another topic, though she kept Alexis's hesitation in mind. "Let's move on. So, can you tell me why you transferred here? Where'd you and Jaden live before that?"

Again, Alexis was at a loss for words. But still, she managed to dredge something out from her brain. "I…Jaden and I heard about the curriculum here. And some relatives of ours used to live here too, before they died…As for where we lived, I think it was…somewhere in Poland…?"

Angela gripped her pen tightly. Normally, Alexis was more focused than this. She answered questions directly, and she didn't like playing around. She was never fond of niceties, and if someone tried being the slightest bit polite to her, she would simply give them the same, blank stare she gave Angela. She knew full well the world was filled with manipulative people, and it was probably through Jaden she learned about the cold reality of things. The fact that she was sitting here, struggling to answer even the simplest of questions, was odd. "Poland?"

She nodded. "We were doing something there, something really important, but I don't remember what."

"…Does Jaden know?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Why? Ms. Raines, is there something wrong?"

She stared at Alexis for the longest time. A certain innocence radiated from the girl, an ignorance Angela didn't think she'd see in anyone else. She recognized that same aura from Yuki, though his was more corrupted, more tainted. And when she thought back on it, she could see that kind of atmosphere around them, guarding them so very carefully, like they were fragile. Whenever she saw their faces, it seemed like tragedy loomed over them, ready to devour them the moment they realized they were heading to the adult world. They were always together, those two, and perhaps the only time Angela had ever seen them separated was today.

She realized she waited too long, and hastily, Angela shook her head. "Nothing. Let's move on."

Alexis nodded. "Okay."

The reporter fumbled with the notes she took down yesterday, as scanning her messy handwriting for the names. Finally, she found them, and looked back up at Alexis. "So then, by any chance, would you know someone by the name of Christoph Izinski?"

She smiled. "I do."

"How about Arise? Have you ever heard of that name?"

She nodded.

"From where?"

"I don't know," she answered simply. "I figured it's just the name of some famous celebrity or something."

Angela narrowed her eyes, though she kept up with her bright facade. "What about Nikolai?"

"I have."

"From where?"

"I don't remember."

Just then, Angela's phone vibrated. Annoyed, she stole a look down, before returning to Alexis with an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry, this'll only take a sec." And with that, she examined the phone frustratedly, before pressing that same button and placing it on her phone. "I'm in the middle of something-"

"Angela! You have got to see this!"

The reporter blinked; she knew that voice.

That squeamish intern, the one from before.

Who the fuck gave him her number?

"What is it?" she asked exasperatedly, as she looked back up to Alexis.

"Practically everyone in the residential districts are being evacuated! Sector Security's getting all the heat right now!"

"But I-!"

"And the boss wants you over here, like, now."

Akiza plopped down on that red, lush couch, as her golden eyes gazed up at the warm, brown ceiling. The crystal chandelier dangling above reflected her even gaze back at her, all the while taking comfort in the quiet of the evening light. Just then, the clutches seemingly slipped from her grip, and without another thought, she removed the energy stabilizer from her hair, and set it beside her. She sighed, her hands coming around her waist to undo the red corset, before she stopped herself. Slowly, her hand came back to her lap, as she stared off at the empty space in front of her. She was so tired.

But then again, ever since she got back from the hospital, she's always been tired. Every day, she found it harder and harder to get out of bed, whether to go to school, or to Yusei's, or even to her own desk, if only to do some homework. A deep, dark, nagging feeling always pressed the back of her mind, and whenever she turned back, she saw a shadow, beckoning her, though of course, when she blinked, it was gone. Whenever someone called, she was more liable to leave the phone unanswered, even if it was Jaden, or Alexis, or even Yusei. She was suffering from earsplitting headaches, and her chest had been hurting too, so much so it's been hard to breathe. She kept telling herself that the medications would wear off soon enough, though even that was hard to believe.

Then of course, it wasn't all bad. As it turns out, she was a fast healer; the moment she came home, she realized she didn't need those casts. In fact, the next morning, somehow, her arm and leg had both healed. Though she kept the crutches because of her headaches, in the end she got a good deal out of it. Maybe it's because she spent all that time in the hospital, or perhaps this was just another benefit to being a Signer.

She took a deep breath, as her gaze fell to the floor. Before long, her thoughts wandered back to Yusei's worried face. The intensity of his normally stoic expression, the confusion marring his voice, the fact that he just went along with whatever she had to tell him, right after he said something about the mall hijacking… He was nervous, throughout the entire time he was with her. He carefully guarded his words, afraid that something would slip up. And whenever she asked him something, he'd simply answer in a way that kept the conversation going.

That was probably the first time he'd ever lied to her.

And what about Jaden and Alexis? When she was discharged, it's like those two disappeared from the face of the earth. She didn't see them around anymore, didn't see them trailing after her like they usually did. And even when she did see them, it wasn't at school; rather, they'd be just sitting somewhere, whether it be in a park, or in a cafe, not speaking, their eyes turned away from one another. Akiza thought about going up to them so many times and asking them if something was wrong, but for some reason, she stopped herself. It looked serious, and she was afraid that if she got involved, she'd make things even more dramatic than they might already be. And judging from the looks on their face, that was probably the case.

You were taken hostage, along with some other people?

Carefully, she moved her good arm toward her eyes, and examined a mark just beneath her black gloves. If something dangerous was happening, her mark would pick it up right away. After all, it'd been almost a year since their fight with the Dark signers; who knows what'd happened after that? And if the time comes for her to fight back, she'll be ready.

Just then, her cellphone rang. She jumped at the sound, before looking down at the couch. Slowly, she reached for it, flipped it open, and brought it to her ear. "Hello?" she asked.

Nothing.

"Hello?" she asked again.

"…Aki?"

"Jaden!" she exclaimed, the surprise pleasantly entwined in her tone. "I haven't heard from you in a while. How have you been?"

"Fine," he answered curtly, causing Akiza to freeze for a brief second. Did something happen between him and Alexis? "Hey, you mind if I ask you something?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Shoot."

"Where are you, right now?"

"I'm ah, in my house," she replied awkwardly. "So, how's Alexis? Is she doing okay?"

"Alright. Listen; sorry we haven't been around. We had to take care of a little problem, but we're fine now."

She blinked. "Are you guys okay?"

"We are. Actually, we were just tidying some things up before I called. So, you're really in your house, right?"

"Y-yeah."

"Living room?"

Akiza laughed playfully. She turned toward the door, trying to catch a glimpse of a familiar silhouette hiding around the corner. She'd almost forgotten they knew where the spare key was. "How'd you know that? Are some kind of psychic too?"

"No. Turn around."

She smirked, and turned, only to find Jaden standing there, with a gun pointed to her head.

Yusei stared down at the engine. His hands gripped the duel runner tightly, as he replayed Akiza's words in his mind.

A car accident.

She thinks it's a freaking car accident.

He bit his lip, his gaze falling to the duel disk in front of him. She wouldn't joke around, not with stuff like this, and from the way she was acting, seems she believes that's what really happened. She just kept moving on, never thinking about her injuries, or her own safety, for that matter. It was the reason why he never told her the hijacking, or the cyanide, or the fact Jaden and his little girlfriend were off doing something stupid. No, instead all he could give her was the engine's progress, as well as the old man who wanted Yusei to do something to his air conditioner.

And that's all that happened; there was no Jean Beaumont, no Black Rose coven, nothing but normal things, things Aki and he would talk about. Even now, when she's out of the hospital, he wouldn't allow himself to touch on the subject, for the vaguest assumption that she might be repressing those memories, however unlikely that is. Traumatized for life, emotionally scarred, PTSD; she was just too resilient for that, especially with how she handled the hostage crisis.

He closed his eyes then. As the days kept passing by, time slipping from his fingers, his nightmares became more and more vivid. The dead children before him, the memories from that time, along with dreams he couldn't even begin to make out; they were all there, taunting him. No, rather, they were toying with him, giving him riddles upon riddles to solve, without the possibility of any one answer. Sometimes, they involved Jaden and Alexis, both standing there, smiling, waving, calling out his name. Other times, they were of Akiza, who held a warm, genuine smile came upon her face, her own loveliness elegantly diffusing throughout her movements. She commanded his respect and admiration, and when he woke up, that same, quiet nostalgia pressed against his chest. Familiar faces, some from the hijacking, others from distant nightmares; all of it was there, laid out for him to see.

He couldn't muster up the courage to tell Jack and Crow about any of this. To them, this was all just some horrible mistake that'd blow over in a couple of days. And since Akiza was out of the hospital, there was a good chance they'll forget this completely. Nor could he tell Jaden or Alexis for the matter; he didn't want them getting mixed up in whatever psychological stresses he was dealing with. Blister, Martha, and everyone else probably wanted to move on from the crisis, ready to embrace the new era of peace they dread about for the longest time. Akiza was out of the question, probably because of his own protectiveness, possibly even an instinct. Perhaps even because of Yusei's own pride, which won't let him say anything; he wasn't one to burden anyone.

He turned his gaze to the cyanide box neatly sitting on the floor, which has, since then, been buried beneath diagrams and schematics for yet another new engine design. All the pills were still in there, along with the gun placed on top. Neither Trudge nor Mina never asked for it, so they both just sat there, waiting for a time when they could be of use again. Yusei should've thrown them out by now, but he ended up putting the chore off for some time. Finally, after a while, he simply just let them sit there, at least until Crow or Jack notices them again.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead. Well, just standing around isn't going to do much of anything. And he did promise Crow and Jack he'd fix the mainframe by the end of the week; might as well do something useful.

Yusei was just about to start working again, when he heard a loud bang against the garage door. He stared at the door for a while, contemplating on if he should just wait for the person to go away, or answer it now. He then shrugged his shoulders, and went back to working. The power surge still needed work, and if the engine was going to recycle energy back into its compartments, probably the only thing he needed to mess around with was-

Another bang.

-was the rotator cuffs. Jack wants to drive faster, something Yusei wasn't sure of at this point. After all, the brakes still needed to be fixed.

"Hello?" a voice called.

Annoyed, Yusei stood up.

"It's open!" he called, before continuing on with his work. He could hear footsteps from outside walking toward the front door then. Slowly, he got up, and went toward his toolbox. If it was that old guy again, Yusei might just have to refuse him again; no amount of money is worth dealing with him.

He heard the door burst open. Immediately, Yusei looked up.

He found Thought Ruler Archfiend baring down at him.