Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Gx, or Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds or any characters from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Franchise. I do own any OCs I make, but most will be likely be minor characters (even more so than the minor characters in the show - save for Nozomi and Hiroshi. My fingers ran away with them, and I like the dynamic they made too much to change it. I find them amusing). I make no money from this fanfiction as it is a tribute to a fandom I really like and want to play around in. If you see this on a paid site, please note that someone has plagiarized me and let me know so I may take steps to prevent fines or whatever. Also, I will be using the Japanese names, so if you're only familiar with the English, 4kids swapped two names: Blitz is Nerve and Nervin is Blitz.
So, last chapter… That happened. Yusei can be scary when he's pushed too far. Brrrr. That's gonna leave a mark on his psyche for awhile. But I did say how warriors, no matter how kind they are, have a darker side to them. And Yusei is definitely a Warrior type. *smirks and wonders how many will get the hint* (Shenluen, you don't count. :P)
Anywho, now to check in on the Satellite gang. I've been looking forward to writing this scene. *maniacal laughter* This is gonna be fun!
WARNING! DO NOT EAT OR DRINK WHILE READING THIS CHAPTER. I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE IF YOU CHOKE. *grabs Judai and thrusts him in front as a shield* HE IS!
Judai: Wait, what did I do this time? ...I mean, it wasn't me!
Taka's head was spinning. It had been three days since "Auntie Rei's Totally True, and this Will Blow Your Mind and Shake Your Worldview Storytime" ("Trademark pending," the crazy woman added as an afterthought with a wink) and Taka's brain was still trying to wrap itself around all the insanity. He didn't want to believe it was true but… Nozomi vouched for her aunt, and Nozomi was no liar. She may omit things from time to time, but she didn't lie. No one in their family really did.
"Yeaayyhh! Hiya!"
And that was another thing about Tirano Rei. Apparently she was a 9th degree black belt. She was taking an immense joy in beating the crap out of the local thugs. Now they had two monsters under the bed to keep them up at night. Yusei, and this crazy chick. Johan had gone back to I2 after the first day, but Rei stuck around, her husband joining her yesterday. And he was crazy in his own way. Would they all wind up just as crazy? Though considering all of what had apparently been dubbed "The Gx Crew" was pretty cool as a result of the insanity… Taka wouldn't complain.
Kenzan watched as his wife turned the thugs that tried to kidnap Nozomi's new family members into pretzels. Every time he watched her work, his Dino DNA remembered how satisfying it was to have a powerful mate. And she was powerful through dedication and skill, not anything "special". She was 100% baseline human, and could make men three times her size and weight wet their pants in fear. That was hot.
"Well, that's that," Rei said, dusting off her hands after tossing the last black suited thug in the pile. "Now what toys did they leave for me?" She eagerly dived at the pile of guns and other weapons she had taken off them as she took the would-be attackers apart.
"Crazy. She's absolutely insane," Nerve whispered. Suddenly a bowl was shoved in his face.
"Popcorn?" Nozomi asked innocently.
"Uh, thanks. Where'd you get it?"
Nozomi jerked her thumb over her shoulder, pointing to a teen with two-toned brown hair, who was laughing hysterically at the flabbergasted Satellite crew. Rei glanced over, did a double take, and then leapt at the guy with a joyful cry of "Judai!"
"THAT'S JUDAI!?" several stunned voices echo.
"Yup, that's my name. Hiya Rei, having fun?" Judai asked the human-shaped limpet clinging to him as he patted her back.
"So much fun. I told them all about our school days, broke their brains a bit, and I just got to beat up a bunch of jerks. Hey, Kenzan, can we move here? It's so much fun, I take back what I said about this place being a literal dump."
"And leave Jim and Karen all on their lonesome?" Kenzan teased. Rei flapped a hand dismissively.
"They have Austin. Actually, I think Jim would really appreciate being all alone with Austin, if you catch my drift," Rei smirked.
"They're still dancing around each other? 20 years! 20 years, and they haven't hooked up? What are they waiting for?" Judai demanded.
Kenzan shrugs. "Actually they may have hooked up and are keeping it on the down-low. Austin's a soldier after all. Don't Ask, Don't Tell isn't just an American thing."
"Um… Judai-san?" Rally began before being interrupted by a "It's just Judai. Or Yuki if you have to be somewhat formal."
"Uh, right, well, Judai, if you went to school with Auntie Rei, how are you so young? You don't look much older than Yusei," Nozomi's adopted brother wondered. The Gx Crew suddenly all started laughing.
"Whoa, sorry 'bout that," Judai said with a grin when he saw Rally's pout. "Wasn't laughing at you, I just get that a lot. I'm actually a year older than Dino Breath over there. I look good for my age, don't I?"
"You're 39? That's impossible!" Blitz declared.
"Impossible for humans maybe. I'm half Duel Spirit," Judai told him seriously. Oh. That made sense. In a horrible sort of way.
"So, you don't age, but everyone else does?" Taka asked, saddened by the thought.
"Well, kinda? I think I might have discovered something that could change that, for some at least, but I need to wait before seeing if it's true. Don't want the wrong sort to know and all," Judai answered. He had been a Duel Spirit in his first life, but was born human in this one. Yet, his soul had still been that of a Duel Spirit, making the Super Fusion not as permanent as it would have been otherwise. Hence why he and Yubel could defuse, permanently - once her mental state was fully stabilized that is. His body never quite matched until his fusion with Yubel when it wound up altered to its current half Spirit state. Though his soul had managed to influence it enough that he was tougher than most humans. And he had been a Psychic Duelist before the fusion - not that that term had existed back then. Made one wonder… "So, anyway, who're these guys. They're too nicely dressed to be natives."
"Not sure. They demanded we go with them, and Rei told them everyone else would go quietly if they beat her in a fight. That's when they pulled out the guns, and the Devil Herself was unleashed," Nerve answered. Rei came up and patted him on the cheek.
"You say the sweetest things, but sorry, I'm happily married," she teased before heading over to Kenzan, absently kicking a goon in the head as she passed, knocking him back out.
"Uh, okay…?" Were things ever going to make sense again? Or was this their reality now?
Judai snorted. "Well, I take it Johan's back at I2?"
"He'll be back tomorrow," Nozomi assured her "uncle". Judai nodded.
"Well, I got business to take care of, I'll swing by again. Next time you kids need to disappear, call me, got it?"
Nozomi winced. Yeah, that would've been the easiest (and smartest) solution, but… Judai gave a jaunty little wave and stepped into a shadow, vanishing. Everyone not used to Judai's little disappearing acts jumped.
"We call that Hurricane Judai. You get used to it," Hiroshi said, patting Taka on the forearm.
"That's kinda what I'm afraid of."
The response he was given was laughter.
"Sure am glad you're about to get out," Himura said to Yusei. "No offence, but you really don't handle being cooped up well."
Yusei chuckled, the sound still a bit empty. He had been absolutely horrified by the result of his rage breaking free, and he wouldn't have protested being charged with murder. Thankfully, most of the guards actually liked him, and told Godwin on no uncertain terms that if he tried to press charges against Yusei when Takasu was trying to kill him first, they would testify on Yusei's behalf that it was self-defense. Upon seeing that not just prisoners, but most of the guards were willing to go to war for the Signer, Godwin dropped any and all thoughts of prosecuting him for Takasu's death. Not that Yusei could appreciate it right now. His power - it was dangerous. Maybe more so than a Psychic Duelist's. Yusei was terrified of it right now. Terrified of himself. Something just wasn't right.
(It was right, and that was the scariest thing. This power was right, was natural for him, no matter how unnatural it seemed.)
"Seems we're about to get out soon as well," Yanagi said with a grin. Good thing too, Sonny needed people looking out for him. Yanagi knew Himura would be right there at Yusei's side with him. Yanagi then pulled out Totem Pole from an inner pocket on his haori, holding it out to his grandson, "Sonny, this is my parting gift."
Yusei looked at the gift, surprised. "But, this is…" Why would Yanagi give him one of his "treasures"? Yusei… he killed someone out of anger, not in an attempt to protect, he didn't deserve something precious.
Yanagi took the boy's hand, smiling, and placed the card in it. He knew Yusei was still wracked with guilt, still hurting, and the grandfatherly man was going to do his best to pull his sonny out of his funk. "It's fine. You'll make worthwhile use of this if you have it, sonny." Of that Yanagi had no doubts.
Yusei looked to the card, understanding what Yanagi was trying to say before offering the elder a real, if small, smile. "I'll use it with care," he promised. I won't make the same mistake twice, went unsaid. Himura, Aoyama, and Yanagi all felt relief that Yusei was starting to crawl out of the pit of despair. A despairing Yusei was just wrong on so many levels. It hurt to see. It was almost a physical pain, like something was being torn away.
"Yusei, take this card with you, too," Himura instructed, holding out his Great Ushi Oni card. "There's a man by the name of Saiga in a bar called 'Bootleg' downtown. Show him this, and he'll give you a hand."
Yusei looked at Himura's card before giving the man a serious, but grateful look. "Thank you," he said, slightly breathless as he tried not to choke on a sob that wanted to come out. He hated himself right now, but his friends were standing beside him, pulling him up, setting him back on his feet, and giving him a little push to move him forward. His eyes were a bit glassy, but he held back the tears. He'd cry once he was alone for a bit. He was so used to having to be strong, it was difficult to let things out around others.
"Fudo-san," someone called, "time to go."
Yusei turned to the guard that called him, one of the surprising many that all but declared they'd go to war with Godwin for him, before giving his friends one last wave as he followed the man out to the gate.
"So, let me get this straight. Your boss, the Director of Security in Neo Domino City, Rex Godwin, ordered you to kidnap Yusei's friends so they could be used as leverage to force Yusei into a tournament, one that, if he wins, he'll be allowed to duel Jack Atlas, and if he wins that, he'll be crowned the new King of Turbo Duels despite being a so-called Satellite," Johan asked the tied-up goon. He came back after doing "business" with Judai to interrogate the thugs Rei took down. I2's Head of Security was currently teaching Nerve, Blitz, and Taka the ins and outs of Krav Maga. (She pouted when Johan reminded her to take it easy on them since they were complete newbies.)
"Yes, yes, sir. I've told you everything I know!" the goon - let's call him Goon A - insisted.
"Have you truly?" purred a purple panther-like Duel Spirit. Amethyst Cat looked at her claws, inspecting their sharpness. "If we find you've hidden anything…"
"I wet the bed until I was 19! I still sleep with my stuffed Kuriboh doll I've had since I was two! I-"
"That's enough, thank you. You will return to the City, tell Godwin 'mission accomplished', and not reveal anything you learned here," Kenzan ordered, taking on his "drill sergeant" persona. (He was in charge of training new I2 security. Reason he wasn't training Yusei's friends was that they'd learn a lot faster under his wife's tutelage - if they wanted to keep their time in the hospital to a minimum that is.)
"Sir, yes, sir!" Goon A automatically responded to the voice of a superior military officer.
"And if you don't obey those orders…" Amethyst Cat growled before swiftly turning and slicing some nearby sheet metal to ribbons.
"We'll be watching to make sure you comply," Topaz Tiger added in a deeper growl.
Goon A began to sweat heavily at the implied threat.
"Oooo! What does this button -?" The Herald was near the TV, about to press the "on" button.
"Judai, no Dexter's Lab references, seriously, how are you 39?" Johan facepalmed as his boyfriend effectively broke up the tension.
The eternal teenager stuck his tongue out. "39 chronologically, 19 biologically. I don't have to grow up if I don't wanna." He then turned to Goon A, eyes glittering dangerously, "But I agree with Amethyst Cat and Topaz Tiger."
Goon A was even more freaked out now.
So, I planned to end the chapter without that last bit at the end, but Judai decided he wanted to have fun messing with someone's head. Again. *glares at Judai* This is payback for the beginning of the chapter, isn't it.
Judai: Maaayyybeee~~~
Well, at least it works. After all, I'm setting you up as someone people would underestimate at first glance. After all, someone so goofy and childish surely can't be that dangerous, right? *thinks about the plans she has and cackles evilly*
Judai *hopefully*: Do I get to take care of Divine?
Shush you, spoilers. I will neither confirm nor deny that. Though I will confirm that he. Will. Suffer. You hurt my baby Psychic, Aki, with malicious intent, you don't get a happy ending. Just like if you hurt my fledgling, Yusei, of your own twisted free will, you. Will. Die. (Looking at you Godwin. Takasu's been dealt with already. Not like anyone won't see that coming a mile away, so this isn't a spoiler.) *bloodthirsty grin*
Judai *whispering*: She's terrifying sometimes.
Edo *whispering back*: I pray I'm not brought into this insanity.
I heard that! You're my next hostage Edo!
Edo: *gulps*