Sheer exhaustion kept the pair fairly occupied for the majority of the next day. Of the next twenty-four hours, Yusei slept eighteen of them and Akiza twelve. It was not exactly the most productive day the pair had ever spent but, considering the lack of overall rest they had been operating under, it was a wonder they hadn't spent more time dead to the world. By the time they had both managed to return to a passable level of conscious thought at the same time, it was early afternoon and any slim chance of having a meal that could be called lunch was rapidly disappearing. In a stroke of genius that only somebody of his vast intellect could come up with, he combined a desire to relax with his family with the natural need to have dinner and called his brothers to bring the twins over to have supper as a group.
Jack and Crow had questioned his wisdom for arranging a dinner party when he was still awaiting the results of the ICC trial. Yusei had simply told the pair that if he was going to jail for a crime, he was at least going to have one last good time before he went. And he wasn't going to cook if he wanted to have a nice time.
Of course, there were certain logistical issues that came with trying to get catering. On a Venn diagram of possible caterers, they fell into the categories of 'cannot be trusted' and 'would not serve him' with substantial overlap in the middle. Takeout was also a bit tricky as Yusei was technically under house arrest unless clearing everything with Trudge. Which went well.
"It's a bit short notice." Examining a bulging stomach, he carefully ran a gentle hand across the stretching skin. Giving a low sigh he looked up with mournful eyes. "Mina and I can be there in about an hour. If I place an order, your brothers can go and pick it up. I'll give Crow a call and tell him the details."
"No, Trudge, that's not..." But his probationary agent was already gone before the rest of the sentence could be agreed. "What I meant." Looking over at Akiza, he tried to look on the bright side. "At least we've got food organised. It just happens to include Trudge and Mina." Mentioning the two more grown-up adults brought the sort of look that he would learn to fear. Akiza had just made plans for him where his agreement was only an optional extra.
"Let me give my parents a call. They're dying to know how you're doing." While Setsuko had been concerned for the effect Yusei's imprisonment had been having on her daughter, Hideo had been trying to keep ahead of the trial developments but both had been checking in every evening of the week.
"So it started off as you and me, then Trudge decided to bring Mina, now my brothers have to come." Ticking off the various people on his fingers, Yusei felt that he would need more hands soon. "Your parents, the twins. I want to invite Martha but it's late and she likes to be up early." Zora was also out of the question with the shop taking record customers during Yusei's sudden return to his home exhausting both her stock and energy. Something about a swarm of tourists all looking for that perfect gift for their friends and wanting to catch up on the gossip. Although many clocks had been sold, the only information that she had shared was that Yusei was taking a well-earned rest. "What about Musume? Has anyone seen her yet?"
"No, and I'm getting a bit worried." Noting the cautious look on Yusei's face, she scowled. "About her." There was enough ambiguity in her phrasing that Akiza could have meant she was more worried about the rest of the world with Musume running loose. "She was just getting over a serious fever last time I saw her."
"Considering Musume could probably tear apart the city with her bare hands," Certain details were still not in Yusei's possession but the broad strokes had been filled in between various naps. He wasn't exactly thrilled about the actions of his brother but could only blame himself for being imprisoned and unable to beat sense into somebody halfway around the world. "I think that she's probably okay."
"Still," Akiza was mostly adjusted to the strange reality of Musume being a daughter she never had. "We should probably get her a phone to keep in contact." By 'mostly adjusted' she was struggling with how to approach Musume's place in their group. They worked well as just people but Akiza had no idea if there was any particular motherly approach she was meant to take. Asking her own mother was out of the picture and Martha would probably ask some fairly direct questions about her relation to Musume's father.
"Good idea. You can talk to Crow about putting her on a family plan when he gets here with the food." A scathing look met his teasing smile. Whatever complicated relationships existed between Musume, Crow and Akiza, Yusei had no problems getting a laugh or two at his brother and the woman he had apparently once had a child with.
"Keep that up and you won't have to worry about the ICC." Muttering dark threats under her breath as she went to get dressed into more social clothes, Yusei was left alone to somehow make the open floor not appear as if two people had done little other than sleep and make mess for the last two days. By the time Jack, Crow and the twins showed up with food, he had managed to hide a lot of the mess in his brother's bedrooms and helped to unload the piles of food that Trudge had promised to reimburse them both for.
In a touching display of loyalty, Crow honestly thought that his old boss would actually come through on the promise.
Mina and Trudge were the first to show up. Dressed in a thick cotton shirt and casual trousers, Trudge seemed to treat his clothing for out of work as just another type of uniform. Mina had changed from her regular suit into a creamy cardigan and flowing blue dress. In Trudge's hands was a small potted plant that looked surprisingly healthy. Yusei could only assume that it had grown under Mina's careful nurturing.
"Don't tell me." Noting the squirmy look on his old friend's face, Yusei broke the ice early. "It's about those parking tickets." Unable to help himself, a slight twitch happened at the corner of Trudge's mouth. "Don't worry, I've asked my scientists to stand down. Nothing more deadly than nerds with lab equipment." Trudge had once referred to the staff at the SRC as 'a bunch of geeks and nerds' and Yusei would never let him forget it. "Mina, it's good to see you again." Inclining his head respectfully, Mina smiled in return. "You look as wonderful as ever."
"You should teach Trudge some of your compliments." Placing a hand on either arm, she gently pressed against him in a brief embrace. "His manners are growing rusty lately." Winking at the
"I know." Offering Mina his arm, the pair turned their backs on Trudge's spluttered excuses and walked off inside the house. "He doesn't even hold the door open these days. You know, I have a fine selection of scientists at the SRC who would simply love to make your acquaintance." As Trudge saw his partner carefully steered around the ranks of Duel Runners and lead up the stairs, he shuddered at the thought of some of Yusei's geek getting the chance to even take Mina to dinner. It wasn't prejudice so much as having met a few select members of staff.
"Can you introduce me to that man who gave testimony?" As the group mounted the stairs to the top floor, Trudge had an uncanny flash of insight. "What was his name... Din? I liked his sense of humour." Few people could ever call Din anything more polite than 'an acquired taste' yet Mina knew loyalty when she saw it. Plus, she could feel the waves of palpable outrage rolling from her partner.
"Of course." Waves of greetings sounded as they entered the room properly. "It would be my pleasure."
"Mina." Having been nibbling in the kitchen area, Jack was caught unprepared when his former assistant suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs. "You're looking well." If there was one person that Trudge wanted Mina to meet less than Din, it was the reformed Jack. He had been impressive as an impetuous Duellist but was positively alluring as a polite, charismatic young man going the distance to better himself.
"Jack." Letting go of Yusei's arm, she looked him up and down. "It's been too long." And then – as Trudge genuinely thought that he might suffer a heart attack, aneurysm and stroke all at once – she carefully leaned up and gently kissed him on one cheek. "How have you been doing?"
"Not bad. Better now that my brother is back." Seeing Trudge carrying a heavy plant in his hands, Jack wisely took a step back before events could deteriorate further. "Trudge." Carefully lowering the leafy green plant to the floor beside the television, the police officer dusted off his hands.
"Jack." As tensions threatened to escalate, Luna and Akiza seemingly sprang from nowhere and swarmed around Mina with various cooing cries before sweeping her away across the room. "Haven't seen you since the trial."
"That's what, three days?" Coolly keeping a distance wrought by Trudge's cautious jealousy, Jack did nothing that could cause a reaction. "I've been busy trying to avoid the reporters that Yusei sent after me and Crow." At his name, the ginger Duellist seemingly sprang out of nowhere.
"I had nothing to do with that." Brushing off the complaint like so many flies, Yusei leaned into the conversation to provide a much-needed addition. "All that I did was tell a lot of tourists that you helped me see how mature Abi was in comparison. Whoever said I told reporters was lying."
"Lying my arse." Giving a disbelieving snort, Trudge found himself suddenly allied with the man he had previously been feeling slightly threatened by. "You knew at least a dozen of the police that I had watching you. I know that you know Captain Chul. Especially after what happened at the SRC." Chul was still walking around with one arm in a sling to sate an overly protective doctor. Exactly what had stabbed him – pen, scalpel, Vella's sharpened talons – was unclear but he had shrugged off the profuse bleeding as if it was nothing to worry about. It only reinforced his already legendary reputation.
"I'm sorry, did any of them identify themselves as members of your fine institution?" Another knock at the door sounded and Akiza practically leapt down the stairs in response as Yusei continued to defend himself. "Because all that I saw were crowds of tourists enjoying themselves. If I happened to mention anything confidential in front of any police officers, I'm sure that one of them would have been sure to tell me." There was just enough innocence in Yusei's voice to make it clear that he knew exactly what he had done. This only served to aggravate the pair of Duellists and their cop buddy to further berate him.
"If you're not careful," Looming over the group with an infuriated glare, Trudge was hulked over and heavily breathing in an intimidation fashion. "I'll have you drafted into the upcoming police training exercises. Those guys from America are going to love you." Enjoying the first signs of Yusei's unnerving, he pressed his advantage. "And we're hosting this year. So every cop from a dozen countries is going to get a crack at you." It was only the second time that Japan had hosted the international police exercises and Trudge had been assisting in preparations all year long. With his nearly unparalleled access to the proceedings, it would be a simple matter to add Yusei as the target for rounds of 'capture the criminal'. Between Yusei's new position as the King of Games and recent legal troubles, he was the most alluring target on the planet to any cop.
Luckily, a convenient distraction was about to save him.
Leading her parents up the stairs with an animated discussion, Akiza preceded Senator and Setsuko Izinski into the room. "Yusei!" Calling their host over, she had no idea of the gap that had sprung up between Yusei and Hideo following the end of their time in America. "My parents brought a bottle of sake with them." The last time someone had dropped off a bottle for them, it had been the expensive Heidsieck in America. While not as costly, the sake was of high quality.
"Well, they're always welcome." Balancing the bottle against his chest with one hand, he reached out with the other. "Sake or no."
"Sake never hurts though." Taking the hand, Hideo shook it firmly. Circumstances had instantly become tense after Yusei had called him a bastard and any chance of reconciliation had been put on hold by the sudden trial. "Hiraguchi called me this morning and said to get you ready to help with his investigation." One eyebrow was carefully raised as the handshake paused mid-shake. "I told him that you were still recovering and would contact him in due course."
"How about a drink to celebrate the bad news?" Coughing for effect, he smiled at the good senator. "Although, I find that drinking tends to exasperate my condition. It may take me an extra day to recover." Indicating the table filled with food and empty cups, he led the group over to pour them each a small cup of the sake.
"How tragic." Smirking as he accepted the measure of alcohol, he matched Yusei in swigging it back. "Still," And the tone turned serious. "You might want to consider helping him out. That computer of yours... 'Abi' has been misbehaving." More comfortable with people than technology, Hideo was struggling with the idea that this person was technology.
"Well, how did you expect her to react?" Shrugging off the massive implications with a single gesture, Yusei held no qualms about how his creation was dealing with the investigation. "I was imprisoned under false pretences and accused of lying because people didn't understand what I was telling them. How do you think your daughter would react in those circumstances?" When it was put that way, Hideo understood just what Abi was doing. "I'll make sure to talk with her about it in the when I see her." Until then, Hiraguchi and his team from the ICC would have to endure the childish antics of someone with the maturity of a teenager and access to the sum total of human knowledge. Even if they were able to collectively keep questioning her for every minute on the clock, she could continue to aggravate them for every single second. If Yusei hadn't known better, he would have been sure that Abi was picking up bad habits from her uncles but he had been careful to avoid introducing them for just that reason.
Leo and Luna were the only ones free to drift between both groups as the hours ticked by. With Jack and Crow keeping a distance from Mina, Yusei careful not to stick too close to Akiza for fear of their humour and both Hideo and Trudge under orders not to discuss work, it was remarkably similar to a political minefield. Every step had to be placed with the utmost care and – despite the limitations spread through the group – everyone was having a nice time. Right up until Yusei and Akiza were refilling their bowls and her parents approached with calculating looks in their eyes. In retrospect, that should have been their first warning.
"I found something interesting in the paper that I've been meaning to ask you about." Reaching into the pocket of his jacket, Hideo carefully extracted a crumpled sheet of actual newspaper from within. Print may have suffered in the modern age but there was usually enough to go around for those who preferred to actually hold the information in their hands instead of simply reading it from a screen. "I would have asked you sooner but I hear that you've been busy lately." Spreading out the image onto the table, both former Signers felt their mouths run dry. It was a photograph from the small press conference they had been forced to endure to announce Yusei as the new King of Games. "Who's that?" Set between Akiza and Crow, Musume was glowering her best for the cameras. Sensing imminent drama, Trudge sidled across the room with Mina attached to his hip.
Yusei was well trained – both from Duelling and politics – at keeping any outward display of emotions under check. Only the faintest twitch of his eyes tightening displayed his shock at the question as he overcompensated against them widening. "A friend of Crow's." Which would have been a reasonably acceptable answer had it not been said at exactly the same time that Akiza chimed in with 'distant relative'.
Twisting away from the table, he huddled beside Akiza as they tried to think how to properly answer the question. "What was that?" Trying to glare out of the corner of one eye, he was aware of the growing tension behind them. "Why would you tell them Musume's a relative?"
"Because my parents aren't idiots and Trudge is a police officer." Despite being the smartest man alive, Yusei couldn't fault her logic. "And how is your plan any better? Telling them that Crow happens to have a friend who looks just like me. What are the odds on that?" Being a doctor, she knew just how long the numbers ran.
"Well, we've already committed to our answers." As she had pointed out, Trudge was a cop who would sniff out any lies. Their best bet was the most reckless move available. Checking over his shoulder, Yusei gave a bright smile before huddling back into the planning session. "Let's try and keep as close to the truth as we can without telling them everything."
"That's the best you've got?" Unimpressed by the plan a child could come up with, Akiza was forced to concede that it was their only real move forwards now. "Just try not to mess it up any more than you already have." Opening his mouth to voice an objection, Yusei found himself alone as she swiftly returned to the main conversation.
"Finally got your stories in order?" Slurping noodles without worry, Trudge looked fairly laid back for a man about to be knowingly lied to.
"She's a Duellist who was also taking part in the Pegasus Trinidad." Five pairs of eyes stared at Akiza with looks of bemusement. That was exactly what her father had asked about already. "It turns out that we're sort of relatives and she happens to be a friend of Crow's as well." Neither was exactly a lie but nobody was convinced.
"Uh-huh." Hideo was never rude but his tone could have been more polite. "And why was this 'distant relative' on the stage with you?" Sensing that his daughter was keeping a secret from him – and wisely deciding not to press the issue – he moved on with other questions.
"She was a quarter-finalist in the competition." Yusei's response certainly raised a few eyebrows. Only the top three teams were typically announced in news reports and with Team Turtle and Team Fury taking the second and third spots, Musume hovered just out of sight of the public. "Originally, she was meant to go up against us but decided that she couldn't win against us and resigned at the last minute. Crow invited her to join us on the stage to thank her." If word of the reward slipped out, people would be asking if she had been coerced into quitting instead of volunteering.
"Hmm." Tucking the newspaper away into his pocket again, Hideo was clearly unconvinced. "Say, when did you meet Musume in the tournament? Was it during the challenge round?" Even though she hadn't been officially participating, Hideo had taken particular effort to understand the elaborate preparations formulated to pick out a new King of Games.
"No, she was in a different bracket at the start." Akiza couldn't remember just then what challenge Musume had been through. "We met her just before the start of the Legend of Duellist Kingdom and bumped into each other a few days later as well. After that, we travelled together for the rest of the way." It was a perfectly innocent – and utterly truthful – explanation. Only when she saw the slight twinkle in her father's eyes did Akiza recognise that she had fallen into a trap. Beside her, Yusei was starting to realise that no amount of bluffing in Duels could outwit a practised politician. Maybe he could try to escape and have Trudge take him into custody before Hideo could pry any further. It was certainly a tempting thought.
"That's funny." Carefully sipping her broth, that twinkle was starting to grow in each of Setsuko's eyes as well. Staring down both parents with eyes starting to glow brighter than even Musume's, Akiza suddenly wished that she could swap abilities with Luna and simply vanish into another world. "I didn't know that it was Musume on the stage. She really does have a strong resemblance, doesn't she?" Whatever complicated relationship existed between Yusei and Akiza was twisted and complex enough that he was torn between staying by her side to loyally endure the brutal parental punishment and silently abandoning her to the fate.
"Don't you dare!" Silently sending the words through an intense glare, she froze him in the spot as both figures loomed over her in a display of utmost investigation. Casting about for some vitally needed escape route, he finally settled on a variation of his earlier plan.
"Help me!" Like Akiza before him, Yusei silently sent a desperate set of eye movements in the direction of Trudge. Unlike his instinctive reaction to obey, the pair just looked back in the form of impartial observers about to watch a brutal social murder. "Traitor." Raising another sliver of chicken to his mouth, Trudge just shrugged off the accusatory glare.
"Dear, doesn't she look more like you than me?" Without breaking their gaze at the two younger people, Hideo and Setsuko continued talking as if they were perfectly alone.
"There's something about the shape of her face that reminds me of you but yes, the young lady does seem to look more like me." Despite being disproved time and again, skills couldn't be picked up simply by being around a person who had one. Still, Yusei found himself questioning if Setsuko had somehow learned innate political skills from just living with her husband for so long. "But I was an only child and my cousin never had any children." If they continued to pry at this rate, the pair would soon find a way to unlock the secrets of the universe.
"What's that?" Looking off to one side, Yusei pretended to hear something. "Sounds like the door. I'd best go and check." As he tried to step away, Akiza shot out a hand and grabbed him by one arm without looking, still hypnotised by her parent's joint gaze.
"How are they doing that?" Clustering up beside Mina and Trudge, the rest of the group was watching the entertainment with rapt attention. It was like the married couple was magnetically drawing all the nearby focus.
"Damned if I know." Enjoying his chicken, Trudge was amazed at how the couple were matching trained police detectives in their teamwork. "Do you think that we could get them to come and work for us?" Nudging her own partner – both professionally and personally – in the side, Mina continued to absorb every detail. "It was just a suggestion." A hardened brawler could barely get Trudge to grunt but one elbow from Mina could leave a bruise for days. It must be lifting all that constant paperwork, he decided, leading to powerful elbow muscles which could cripple a small truck.
"But why would a distant relative you've never heard of become such fast friends with Crow?" Sensing the possibility of being dragged into the magical glare, Crow carefully shuffled to one side where he could hide behind Jack's flowing coat. "They could be trying to use him to gain some leverage on the rest of the group." One of those days, he fully intended to set the public record straight on his criminal history. For now, he stayed carefully silent.
"I think that they're all too smart to fall for such an obvious trap." Setsuko gave a gentle smile that had clearly been passed down through Akiza to Musume, not that she knew it. It was the sort of gentle smile that had a very painful surprise lurking just behind it. "So our dear daughter would have carefully checked out the story first, wouldn't she?" There was enough breathing room to squeak a confirmation before her parents tightened their suffocating presence again.
'Maybe I could pretend to have a fit.' Yusei was running low on options and subterfuge was becoming very tempting. 'Only Akiza really knows the details of my condition. It could have evolved to become a lot more dangerous. They might believe it.' Taking a deep breath, he slowly looked for a way to dispose of his plate without causing much of a mess.
"Are you okay?" Noticing the furtive looks, Hideo had homed in on the first signs of a plot. "You're starting to look a little peaky." Forced to relax back again or start praying for an actual seizure, Yusei silently wondered just how awful a fallout that he could hope for. His last conversation with Akiza's father had been less than cordial. If events continued at their current rate, Hideo might start asking questions about the breakthrough in his condition. Yusei was not looking forward to explaining that the only three times he had slept in years was alongside the Senator's daughter.
For some strange reason, he had the uncertain feeling that he had been in a similar position before.
"Mmm-hmm." Not actually using words, he carefully gripped his plate tight enough to whiten his knuckles.
"Of course, it's really that brother of yours that we should be talking to." With the pressure on the pair lessening slightly as Hideo began to look further afield for Crow, Yusei realised that his brother didn't have a close enough connection to the more seasoned Izinski's to lie convincingly to them. The truth would come out in about five minutes, four if they didn't have anything else to eat. What he needed right then was a miracle. What he got was... well, technically a miracle but the complete opposite on the moral compass.
Events moved very quickly. Yusei was just thinking that maybe running for his life would be worth it, Crow was about to take a step in the direction of the stairs and Akiza was certain that a parent's love could only go so far when something peculiar happened. Emerging from the middle of nowhere with the sort of curses that hardened sailors learned over the course of several years, Musume slammed into the table and sent food flying in all directions as the wind was knocked out of her. "Ow." Letting her already noodle-stained hair fall back against the table, she noticed the group looking at her from various angles.
"Okay, now what's the plan?" The pair had stalled and evaded for long enough that they were running out of excuses. Having Musume literally fall from nowhere without warning was like having a malfunctioning missile drop into the middle of the room: there was about to be two seconds of complete silence followed by either death or people fleeing. Yusei just wanted to know which Akiza was planning on.
"Musume?" Too long went past and it was Hideo who first reacted. Unfortunately, he also recognised the scarred face staring up from the table. Even with the new marks emblazoned across her face, there was no mistaking that distinctive shade of red hair that two other Izinski women in the room had.
"Hey, Gramps." Rolling from the table, she brushed herself off in splatters of wasted food. "Sorry about the mess. What day is it?" Acting as if nothing was out of the normal, she seemed to sow chaos with her every action.
"Musume!" Forcing his plate into Jack's hand, Crow lunged forward and tried to sweep her away before brains could resume normal functioning. "When I said that you should drop in, I didn't think that you would take it so literally." Trying to laugh the unorthodox entrance away, he dragged her in the direction of the stairs.
"Gramps?" Hideo slowly stroked his greying beard. "Do I really look that old?"
"No, dear." Firmly grasping his arm, Setsuko smiled up at her husband. "You're in the prime of your life. I'm sure that she was just joking." It hadn't escaped her notice just how much like her own daughter the impromptu arrival appeared. Her suddenly absent daughter who had left Yusei holding two plates and trying to avoid existing too hard. "Musume, was it?" Freezing as she was being escorted backwards by both arms, the figures on either side of the intruder felt unfortunate eyes watching their every reaction. "I don't think that we've had the pleasure."
Now, there were two options open to the pair trying to carry her out of the room. To speed out fast enough that clouds were left in their wake or slowly turn around to face their fate. Doing the first risked the wrath of Akiza's parents while doing the second risked the truth coming out. "The pleasure is all mine." What they forgot to take into account was just how strong Musume herself was and found themselves being dragged backwards as she strode across the room. "I apologise for my abrupt entry. You wouldn't believe the circumstances." Reaching out a hand, she noticed the stares being sent towards it. "Sorry," Wiping the slime of several different sauces on Crow's jacket, she hoped Setsuko wouldn't object to the red markings on the back of her palm. "Let's try this again."
"Setsuko Izinski." Grasping the hand without flinching, Setsuko smiled at the young woman. "This is my husband," Squeezing his arm, she indicated it was his turn to shake the hand. "Hideo."
"How do you do?" Shaking the hand, he showed only the faintest hints of unease. Having two mismatched eyes was unusual enough but seeing each one glow back at him was difficult to cope with. "We were just talking about you."
"Were you?" Noting how the figure hanging gently from her right arm whimpered slightly and Yusei was making chopping motions across his neck to indicate that it was best to remain silent, she tried to catch up to vibe in the room. "What are the odds?" She had a very good idea of the odds and glowered slightly at the thought.
"I have to ask, where did you come from?" Setsuko had followed the same pattern of movement as her husband and the two other government officials, looking up to check the ceiling was still intact. Unless they had seen it happen personally, they would have doubted that she could have simply dropped from the middle of the air.
"Trust me, you wouldn't believe the answer." Trying to mind her manners around the pair of unwitting grandparents, Musume struggled to refrain from her usual coarse methods of explanation. "But this was one of the best evenings I've had in a while. Excuse me." Then she turned and vomited the plant pot Trudge had placed beside the television before sagging into the grip of Akiza and Crow. Needless to say, it was not the first impression that she had wanted to make but was the best she could hope for under the circumstances.
I'm sorry for the delays between chapters. I've spent most of this week travelling to see family and haven't been able to update. If you happen to be travelling as well, remember to get plenty of rest. If you're not travelling, how about reviewing?