With reporters and photographers following his every move, it had been the combined effort of the cerebral inhibitor and a secure building for Yusei to get a full night's rest in his office. Members of the public might suspect that he was hiding from the clutches of the media. They would be exactly half right.
Growing up in rough conditions could teach a person resilience. There was little enough in the world that could frighten Yusei. Being cautious of Shadow Duels and Yliaster was just common sense. Death and painful death. Nobody in their right mind would charge straight towards any sort of death. Once he had faced down certain death a few times, the media no longer scared him as much as it once had. Being hounded by people he didn't know just wasn't a comfortable time for him.
No, Yusei was actually hiding from something far closer to home. Literally in his home. Whatever had happened with Akiza that one night had the potential to be dangerous to his friend and this was not a risk Yusei willing to take again. Just like those members of the general public who thought he was hiding from the media, Yusei was also exactly half right. He just hadn't admitted it to himself yet.
Regardless of what he was hiding from, Yusei had spent the night in his office in a futile attempt to regain a semblance of normalcy. It seemed that everything in every area of his life was starting to slide wildly out of control. Ogino hiring a doctor he couldn't order around, Nanashi's control of Yliaster slipping drastically and letting danger get too close to the Signers, even his damn sleep condition was no longer following the normal rules.
Sleeping – or whatever approximation came close under the neural inhibitor – was not a habit that Yusei tried to indulge in. Three, four days of staying awake at a time. That was how Yusei had operated since realising what would happen when he stopped. Since that night that he had woken up from the first nights rest in nearly a decade, he had put an effort into trying to get to sleep. Willpower could delay biology, keep effects at bay for long enough to get work done yet the urge was always there. Sleep was inevitable. All that he had to do was accept it.
Since sleeping restfully for the first time in a decade, Yusei had tried three more times to reach that same state. Twice through the normal way – simply laying back, relaxing into the darkness – which had ended in painful seizures as regular as clockwork. Once with the neural inhibitor that he was just waking up from as the day was dawning.
Sleeping in an office chair was traditionally awful for back muscles. Realising early on just how many hours he could end up spending in his office, Yusei had spent a ludicrous amount on a padded piece of furniture that only resembled the standard SRC variant by as a Duel Runner resembled a pedal bike. If Yusei ever put serious thought towards being buried in a style befitting a pharaoh, it would be one of the worldly possessions going into his tomb. But that was a different matter.
Stretching tired muscles, he positioned the magnificent throne upright again and removed the slim oval from his forehead. As with every time that he used it, he awoke feeling like he had just endured a boring lecture on the philosophy of insect mating rituals. Not exactly asleep yet very close to it.
He had needed some space to think about circumstances alone. So he had turned his phone off, locked himself in the office and tried thinking. Staring down at the device in his hand, Yusei couldn't help thinking that he was cheating somehow.
"Dr Pessimal would like to request a meeting." Groaning as the words sounded around the room, Yusei let his head fall against the desk. Only two minutes removed from an unsatisfying bout with sleep yet already in high demand.
"Abi, we really have to discuss your timing." Rolling his head to where a squatting blow figure was standing beside his desk, he had to smile at her pout. "Did he mention what he wanted to discuss?"
"Do I look like your secretary?" Huffing at his slight reprimand, she turned a cold digital shoulder before dissolving away.
"Don't be like that." No response came. "Abi?" Still nothing. Letting out a weary sigh, he fell back against his chair. "Just tell him he's welcome to come up whenever he feels like it." For a supposedly clinical computer program, the young sentience was unusually sensitive at times.
Tucking away the neural inhibitor in a box in the bottom drawer, Yusei opened a window to let the fresh air clear through his office. Security specifications advised against opening any exterior surfaces but he enjoyed a slight breeze while working. It also helped clear out at least one indication that he was living rough in his office.
Unlocking the cupboard at the far end of the cabinet beneath his windows, he pulled out one of the many spare shirts he kept for the frequent nights when he didn't go home. A pair of antibacterial wipes were nowhere near as close to a shower as he liked yet served just well enough to navigate impromptu meetings. One quick spray of deodorant late and he was as presentable as could be done in a few minutes. Just in time for the knock at his door.
"Dr Fudo." Standing on the other side of the doorway was the sort of figure that personified the word 'accountant'. Tie so straight that it was painted on, suit so grey it could be listed as 'government morality' and an array of pens so organised they could have been plucked from the pages of a catalogue tucked into his breast pocket. "Might I come in?" Being invited up was as clear an invitation as anyone needed yet Pessimal was the picture of politeness.
"Of course." Smiling warmly as he stepped aside for the other man, Yusei gestured towards one of the seats on the public side of his desk. "What can I do for you?" As always, he tried to put the needs of his staff before himself.
"Kindly accept my congratulations on your recent victory." The closest that Pessimal came to a Duel Field was the act of performing advanced calculus but the complexities were not lost on him. Yusei's win was well deserved.
"It was thanks to my team that I got far enough to try the finals." Hinting that he would rather discuss work matters, Yusei slid down into his own seat. "The secret is just helping each other along as far as they need."
"Hm. A worthy sentiment." Tucked under one arm was a thick leather ledger. "I wish that I had better news to bring but thought that the matter deserved your immediate attention." Everyone in the SRC would try to find a way to lessen shocking blows before delivering them. If Pessimal was dropping bombs this early, it was dire indeed.
"Exactly how bad is it?" Pessimal was the nightmare of every accountant and the first person the police called when they needed to check some books. If a penny was misplaced sixty years ago, he could track it down and find the interest that had been lost. Any extra people who existed solely on payroll would be linked to the real people stealing extra money and they would immediately regret the subterfuge. Yusei had actually applied to work an accounting study with him just to see how the man operated. It had been three days without sleep tracking down a mortgage rate that had been misapplied almost sixteen years ago between business partners. They had managed to levy a fine large enough to put a small company out of business. Pessimal had been the first person to actually turn down a job at the SRC until Yusei gave him a list of the various financial loopholes the SRC had to jump through to keep their finances in the black. It had been four years since that day and Pessimal was still only part-time. He had turned down a full-time posting to prevent putting the entire department out of business.
"It's difficult to say." Preferring a large notebook and antique abacus, Pessimal worked at a steady pace without any mistakes. For him to have any trouble was practically unheard of. "It appears that the books are in order."
"But?" That was the point where Pessimal's domain ended but he could still see a bit of what lay on the other side of the fence.
"But." Pulling out a thick green tome, Pessimal opened to the last few pages. Green was the colour he used for projects that personally interested him. It was not good that he was using one for the SRC. "I recently received two separate invoices arrived regarding the shipment of your Duel Runner." Two pieces of paper had been tucked into his pad like an oversized bookmark. It was easy enough to hide a few small transgressions from the average accountant. An extra digit here instead of there, putting the delivery date before the order date to hide a shady item. Pessimal knew all the tricks and more besides. Nothing got past him.
"One to America and another back?" It was an unsavoury practice at best. The freight companies would 'lose' or mislabel his paperwork and offer to 'upgrade' Yusei back to service he had originally booked for a small extra fee.
"Not quite. Two separate return shipping orders with a reminder that failure to have your item collected did not counteract the order." Spreading the documents side-by-side, Yusei could instantly see the mistake. Both orders were exactly identical – one Duel Runner, his name, same point of collection and delivery for both journeys – yet one had a different order number than the other. "It is not an uncommon mistake to discover but I phoned the shipping company to check that we wouldn't be charged twice." That was Pessimal through and through. Nothing went past that could mess up his books later on. "They confirmed that both parcels were received and provided two very different times. One was a few hours before yours." It had been difficult but Pessimal had managed to find a contact number for the facility in America where Yusei had retrieved his Runner. "The staff remember you very distinctly but do not recall the other customer in any great detail. Reports vary from a young woman to a tired man with a limp."
"Any security footage?" There wouldn't be. Whatever else that dark figure was, it was careful. No trace beyond the unavoidable second tracking number. Nobody else jumped to mind except Yliaster and they wouldn't be so careless as to leave a trail for him to find. Especially for one person they were trying to keep out of their business.
"Unfortunately not. And the only description I could get describes the person who collected it as," Pessimal checked his notes for the vaguest description possible. "Either a young woman or man, who might have had either long dark hair or been wearing a hat. They collected either a Duel Runner or maybe a large truck."
"So we have nothing." It was too early to be optimistic. There was a reason he had tried to lure Pessimal away from the police department.
"Unfortunately not." Far more than the two invoices were tucked into that ledger. Thick wedges of paper. "As you are aware, the SRC deals with a lot of companies to provide various equipment and resources. For some time now, we have been receiving complaints and accusations of theft. All have been fully investigated and nothing has ever come from them." There was another 'but' coming. "But I went back over the files and noticed that each of the accusations claimed that we had been erroneously delivered additional resources once the original claims had been settled. So I began an investigation through our own inventory. This is just the first draft list." Pessimal had taken the added time to print off the list and index it against the wedges of paperwork which he was passing over the desk. "It may be less extensive than it first appears."
"Dr Pessimal, I have every faith in your abilities." It was one of the few times that Yusei wished his staff were less than they were. Unlike almost all the other members of staff at the SRC, Pessimal only had an honorary degree despite being on par with many of the advanced mathematical holders. If there was an equation that could be related to finance, he could solve it in record time. "How likely is it that we've misplaced," Each item on the list seemed either excessive or expensive. "Two thousand blankets?" He flipped through several pages. "Eight hundred reusable plastic cups?" Hefting an actual wedge, Yusei stumbled across a more troublesome item. "A plasma drill?!" That instantly forced the issue from somebody pilfering extra resources and forging a few signatures to a serious breach of security. Plasma drills could be carried in the back of a small truck and deployed just about anywhere. Used by the wrong hands, they could bring down entire buildings in just minutes.
"Fortunately not." A growing aneurysm in Yusei's brain dissipated at Pessimal's calming news. "That is simply marked down for accuracy. It appears that a plasma drill may have been absent for several days but was located in one of the geology labs later on."
"How long will it take to verify these numbers?" Folding the paper onto the desk like a bad hand, Yusei buried his head in both hands up to the shaggy hairline.
"In their entirety?" Pessimal could sense the disappointment and sorrow in his boss. "Somewhere between three weeks and a year. It depends on how many people are willing to delay their work. The fewer who stop using resources to take inventory, the longer it will take. We will have to account for every item in every department and compare them all to individual predictions." Numbers of that magnitude tended to make Pessimal's gaze turn distant and slightly ecstatic.
"Are you willing to stand by what is in your report?" It had been a harrowing blow that Yusei would have preferred to wait a few more months to uncover. Anybody who could evade Pessimal's gleeful calculations for any length of time could have certainly kept the charade up until after he was dead and gone. It would have been preferable to the alternative.
"Of course. It may only be a draft but the numbers are solid." Pessimal probably didn't mean to come off as brusque but he had a reputation for being infallible.
"Then I will present it to the heads of department tomorrow morning and send an official message to Senator Izinski." Professional relationships with the ageing politician had never been better with the SRC suddenly the golden project headed by the King of Game. Their personal friendship was probably going to take a severe dive when Yusei admitted he was actively sleeping with Akiza, had probably been robbed of more than half the city was worth and likely to advantage of the 'cannot get any worse' situation to admit to his terminal condition. Maybe a solid seven on the doomsday scale of things not to do.
"For what it's worth," And there was no doubt that Pessimal was already calculating exactly what it would be worth. "It would be my honour to take some time off to attend to the inventory myself."
"Thank you." Adding the papers to a thick manilla folder, Yusei solemnly placed it in his top drawer. "Let me know what you need to get it done. No shortcuts, no streamlining. Track down every piece of paper if you have to." What little joy had entered Yusei's life was suddenly sharing a place with the crushing burden of responsibility.
"Restricted projects will be difficult to inventory." Pessimal might be a cold calculator but he still had a smidgen of human empathy. "It would probably be easiest if I verified all other areas first and submitted a list of missing materials to be compared against. There would be no breach of security that way." Standing up, Pessimal tucked the ledger under an arm and straightened his already perfectly aligned suit. "Though the work itself will be a great pleasure, it is not a job that I would have preferred existed to begin with." That was like a three-volume report on Pessimal's emotional turmoil compared to all the empathy he usually displayed.
"Let me know if you need anything." Standing up, Yusei shook Pessimal's hand. "I will do whatever I can to help this matter along."
When Pessimal left, Yusei finally turned his mobile back on. Once it had finished booting, a list of numerous calls from Crow spooled across the screen. It appeared that his brother was trying to call him up. Before he could return, a different number cropped up. Crow would have to wait for a minute.
"Yo, Yusei." Taking a deep breath in through his nose, Yusei tried not to let the Pessimal's bad news set the tone for the rest of his day.
"Aren't you forgetting my new title? Shouldn't you call me 'liege' or something?" Being a police officer was as much a calling as being a Duellist. Trudge just happened to be both.
"Nah, I'm the guy who's gonna stop your head from getting too big to fit through doors." Tucking the handset against his shoulder, Yusei flicked on the button for his hidden kettle and set the pot brewing. "I thought I'd drop by after the fuss had died down a bit an offer you a drink to celebrate. I'm outside." Peeking through his window at the ground far below, Yusei had a stunning view of half the SRC grounds, including a tiny dot waving in his rough direction from just outside Building Eight. That wasn't all that could be seen.
Carefully reaching down, he slowly flicked the switch back off again.
"... Give me a few minutes and I'll be right down." From his one previous excursion with Trudge, Yusei knew that it was entirely possible to wake up on the wrong side of the country with a fresh tattoo and empty pockets. Luckily, he had chosen to duck out before that could happen to him. Trudge himself had eventually been located in a rural village thirty miles from the borders of Niigata. Yusei had the sad knowledge that this would be an entirely different sort of meeting.
"Abi." At his word, the tiny holographic girl appeared in his chair, giving off an official air in her sharp business suit. "I'll be going with Trudge. Keep an eye on my office, don't let some idiots in and mess everything up." Rifling through his pockets, Yusei carefully placed his keys, phone and wallet on the table. "Let Akiza in if she needs it but nobody else."
"I will put the entire building on lockdown when you leave." Peeling off his watch, Yusei added it to the pile. The only items he had left that were not clothing was the lanyard around his neck and the earpiece he was talking to Abi through.
"Don't let Dr Din get loose." Walking to the lift, Yusei felt it bouncing against his chest. Normally, he would put it in a pocket and only take it out when necessary but he wanted a reminder of exactly who he was.
"You realise just how stupid this is." Already slouching against the lift wall in her holographic casual wear, Abi seemed bored by the proceedings she had already calculated to several degrees of probability.
"It's Trudge." Pushing the button more out of habit than was necessary, Yusei enjoyed the simple music as the lift descended. "Nothing gets past him." Gleaming silver doors parted his reflection and opened out onto the echoing, dusty lobby. Standing outside the two sets of double doors outside, Trudge was waiting with both hands deep in his pockets.
"Tell him there are photos from one of his last night out." Throwing a sharp look at his daughter, Yusei didn't need to voice his disapproval. "What? There might be photos. I could look."
"You've been spending too much time online again." Walking out across the floor, he tried not to laugh at the prank. It was exactly the sort of idea Crow would come up with. Maybe he should introduce them one day. A quick mental outline of the results chilled him to the bone and he discarded the thought. "Take care of everything while I'm gone."
Exiting through the first set of doors, Yusei stood just inside the building as the second set opened ahead of him. Standing on the other side of the thin grey divide was the ever surly face of Trudge. For what he was ordered to do that day, an extra set of frown lines had been carved into his skin.
"Just promise me there are no 'exotic dancers'." Getting in the quip just as Trudge's mouth opened, it was forced into a reluctant smile.
"No, no dancers." Watching Yusei peel off his lanyard, Trudge fought down feelings of betrayal.
"Well, my hopes are gone." Plucking the earpiece from his head, Yusei wrapped the lanyard about the item and held the bundle tight in one fist. "Police teams could really do with a bit more training. I had the opportunity to witness a supposedly covert operation recently and it was full of holes."
"Yeah?" Giving a dry swallow, Trudge decided that he could really have just done with a quiet drink that day. "How recently?" Raising his earpiece to his mouth, Yusei gave a sad smile.
"About two minutes ago. Abi, seal Building Eight." Tossing the bundle over his shoulder, Yusei had just enough time to step outside before the doors became hermetically sealed. "Make sure to do it right." Facing back into the lobby, Yusei slowly lowered himself to both knees and interlinked his fingers atop his head. Behind him, the yard was suddenly bristling with police officers. Dropping from every tree, appearing from behind every low bush. One even seemed to erupt from a pile of compost fertilising beside Building Six.
Drawing a pair of cuffs from his belt, Trudge gently wrapped one hand about his friend's left wrist. "Professor Yusei Fudo, Director of the New Domino Scientific Research Centre, World Duel Monster's Champion, third King of Games, holder of more degrees and winner of more prizes than can be conveniently mentioned and my friend," Pulling down the hand, Trudge moved the other until he could secure the cuffs in place. "You are hereby under arrest. For reasons of national and international security and law, your charges will not be mentioned at this time." Lifting gently under one arm, he helped the prisoner back to his feet as scientists began streaming out of every building and the main hub to interfere with the police presence on their lawn.
"Were all the extra titles really necessary?" Watching a dozen fights break out, Yusei was amazed as lab-coats tackled riot-officers with levels of skill he hadn't known existed. "I didn't think there was much chance of mistaking my charm."
"I thought it might help." Even as Yusei admired his followers from a personal point of view, Trudge was impressed from a more practical one. Never in all his years of service had he seen somebody dive in a flying tackle, hit the target and then bounce off so ineffectively. Even the police under attack were trying not to laugh at the levels of incompetence being shown.
"Your men should probably start falling back while they still can." What Trudge had initially failed to remember during the useless first wave was that he was not facing gangs of hardened criminals but researchers with social anxiety. Researchers who had access to the sorts of technology and designs that would make it to people at his levels of society in maybe the next ten years.
"You might have a point there." In a sudden flash of insight, huddles of disorganised rabble were actually both outnumbering the police and dispersed through them. Even the core group around Trudge and his prisoner suddenly seemed outmatched. Nobody had felt they were worth noticing with their futile attacks. Before they could really understand what was happening, the police were surrounded.
"Excuse me. I said, excuse me!" Taking off the thick helmet, a police officer even taller than Jack was carefully addressing the thronging crowd. "We are here to take Yusei Fudo into custody. He is complying and there is no need for this unrest." People in the crowd recognised the face. Even the shackled prisoner recognised him. Slightly over six feet tall, shockingly orange hair and the most polite figure in the police service, Captain Chul was well-liked by more than just his colleagues. "There is no cause for concern. Thank you." Unfortunately, even Chul's legendary charisma could only quiet the angry atmosphere. It couldn't stop prevent the intellects arranged across the lawn from applying themselves to the problem.
"Where's your warrant!" One of many seemingly identical scientists shouted the quite reasonable question as Yusei was kept in plain sight. 'See?' the tactic was meant to say 'nobody is being taken against their will'. Chul had probably advised it during the planning session. Most officers would have recommended a stealthy departure but there was an unyielding streak of honesty in the large man.
"We don't have one with us. This operation is being conducted under classified international law." Because of the complicated legal structure of the SRC, anyone who set foot there could potentially be charged under international accords instead of just the local ones.
"Then how do we know that this isn't illegal?" Such a question would stump the usual police captain. Chul was known for spending his time reading legal books to solidify his understanding of the system. That didn't mean that he could provide an answer without revealing more than he was cleared to. And the crowd of scientists was quick to realise that they had no way of determining if this was legal or not.
They unanimously decided it was best to presume not and act accordingly. Trudge was first to realise the sudden shift in mood as a glittering silver disk was sent flying through the air.
"Back to the trucks," A soggy explosion sounded from somewhere in the crowd and a mass of orange gunk enveloped several struggling police officers. "Back to the trucks, BACK TO THE TRUCKS!" Valiantly leading the charge, Trudge tried to cover Yusei's head as best he could as the small group of police around them attempted to keep pace back to the transports hidden a short distance from the outside buildings of the facility.
"Sir," Keeping pace with the leader of the operation and his prisoner, a cracked helmet seemed to have realised the safest place was right beside the most valuable target. "We may need to call in reinforcements. They're overrunning us!"
"Don't be stupid." Having managed to turn a corner, the tiny group around Yusei were unable to see the carnage that was unfolding around the rest of their forces and Trudge only knew of the rather unimpressive first strike. "They're a bunch of nerds with bits of paper and our officers are kitted out in riot gear." A wry look from Yusei spoke volumes. At least Trudge had thought of the possibility that Yusei might put up a fight to being arrested. Riot gear was certainly a nice touch.
"But sir," There are certain points in life that stand out amidst the rest of the year. Realising that he had become the King of Games had been almost completely overshadowed by the moment he had shared with Akiza in the tunnels. Being arrested that day was certainly a low point but there was something about seeing the previously staunch man running alongside him topple in a shrill scream as a purple-edged blur dropped from the sky and tore out his Achilles tendon with razor-sharp hunting claws. Toppling to the ground, a deadly hawk returned to the intense observation for any more weak points in the group. Not eager to be taken down, one of the remaining police officers surrounding Yusei threw their Shock Baton into the air and managed to clip a wing, leaving the bird to pinwheel away in desperate pain.
"!" Yusei said a word that would have probably earned him disownership from Martha as he recognised the bird. "We should be moving a lot faster." Leading by example, he set off at a flat sprint with Trudge at his side. If Yusei was worried about what the bird represented, it was in everybody's best interests to face the other direction and run.
"Vella!" Something like an explosion happened back in the crowded chokepoint between Building Eight and Building Seven. A hidden force was bodily lifting and throwing screaming police officers, clearing a path for the scientists. Din had a history of being less than pleasant to people yet always treated that bird with special reverence. Probably out of respect for Yusei, he had always restrained himself from permanent damage to staff. With Yusei being escorted away in chains – albeit leading the escort at a frantic pace – a few of those gentle restrictions stopped working and bones started breaking as the police escort arrived at the armoured prisoner transport designed to carry Yusei to an uncertain fate. Seeing the danger to his fellow police officers, Captain Chul charged headlong into the fray.
"Here, you drive." Thrusting the keys to the truck into the nearest set of hands that weren't his own, Trudge clambered into the secure holding area as Yusei bodily threw himself inside. Six other officers tried to fit into the space designed to hold a maximum of four and already seating two. "Officers." Nodding slightly to the terrified faces, Trudge made sure to pull the doors shut before the next flying body could smash into the cabin.
"Can you promise me something?" As the truck rumbled away from the growing riot, Yusei looked up at his friend. Alone in the cabin, there was every chance that the conversation was recorded. But he needed to ask the question. "Promise me that you'll take care of them – whatever happens."
Whoever had put this all together knew to send Trudge. They knew that Yusei wouldn't step into a trap for anyone else. They knew that he would only submit to the legal system if it was his friend taking him in. And Yusei knew that they could have manipulated all the events to come.
"You have my word." As the words hung in the air between them, the pair could only sit in grim silence as they pictured the various bleak futures awaiting him at the end of the drive.
Honestly, there were two ways Yusei was going to end up in handcuffs but this one leads to more plot development. (Which isn't to say that other situations couldn't arise with him in handcuffs.)
Unless you also happen to be occupied with the legal system, how about using your freedom to leave a free review?