Each attempt was getting shorter than the last. Between Musume's refusal to start working until her fifth cup of coffee and constantly degrading temper, she had returned to the penthouse barely after the twins had started discussing what to have for lunch.
"Where's Phantom?" An enraged growl had Leo nearly wetting himself as he pointed towards the stairs. "Good." She had hoped to arrive in the middle of the daily torment. "Hey, Luna?" Phantom would be listening, she had to make it good. "Sorry for shouting at you."
"It must be really bad." Luna half expected the stairs to shatter as they were stomped upon. Musume would never apologise unless the situation was dire.
Booting open the door would have raised questions if the police came back but she made sure to slam it as hard as she dared. Trembling in the middle of the carpet, blue eyes looked up through the pain of a thousand screaming voices.
Musume. What... can I There was probably an offer of service on the way but she wasn't there to hear it. Grabbing the back of the outfit, she dragged it towards the en-suite bathroom every room had.
"It's not as good as the real thing." All four rooms came with large bathtubs for the pampered owners. Tossing Phantom into the curved container, she put the shower on at full blast. "But it'll have to do." After a full minute passed, one hand reached up and adjusted the tap to a steady trickle.
I never would have thought of this. Musume had had the idea when she heard Phantom say that the pain came from hearing too much at once. On their first night at the penthouse, she had tricked Musume into driving them into the oncoming storm because the rain let her tune out everything else. Being in a shower four hours a day wasn't perfect but it was a lot better than six hours of being unconscious.
"How did you do it?" There had to be some trick she was missing. Some clever tactic which had made Phantom untouchable in her pursuit of Yliaster. "How did you keep fighting against Yliaster by yourself?"
Do you mean literally or metaphorically? She couldn't figure out if Musume needed practical advice or words of encouragement.
Taking a seat on the toilet, she slouched into the distance. "Either. Both." Anything would be better than having to go back to Yusei for help.
Do you have your phone on you? Twisting around in the tub let her lean against the wall and look at Musume.
"Yeah."
Take a look at the contacts list. There were easily several dozen, nearly all screen names and aliases. Few conversations were stored on the phone. They would delete themselves soon after to prevent any information falling into the wrong hands. Every one of those people helped me in one way or another.
"Is there an entire network of people then?" Sherry and Elsworth had been anomalies for surviving. Phantom was practically impossible by choosing to fight. It made far more sense that other victims had joined forces over time and she was simply one of many.
No. At least, not that I know off. Looking up at the water cascading across her helmet, Phantom gave the only advice she knew to give. People use each other. Interests align and they work together. As long as they have similar intentions, even complete opposites can work together.
"Aren't you a bundle of joy? Sarcasm." She could feel a reply on the way. Phantom certainly seemed happier in the shower yet it hadn't helped her struggle to identify sarcasm. "What about... the other thing?"
Coping with it? They had covered practical application. Only the issue of fighting an endless war remained. I... I think about my brother. My mother. They are my reason to keep going.
"What are they like?" Phantom shared her past as readily as Musume did. It was one of the characteristics she hated the most about her shadowy companion. Hypocrisy wasn't a word Musume knew well.
My mother was... is... very kind. Insufferably benevolent. Gullible. Eyes flickered for a moment as she thought back. Foolhardy. Unstoppable. You would probably like her. Or not. She sounded like a sap. My brother is an arrogant, condescending, smug, insufferable, hairy... Well, you get the idea. But he is also one of the most well-intentioned people I know. I saw him recently. He looks well.
"You don't talk about them." Until the other night, she didn't even know that Phantom had a family.
You did not ask. Water pooled in her hands until she let it flow away again. My brother has a small public reputation. I keep tabs on him. My mother is a private individual. I cannot safely check on her. Musume wasn't sure how to respond. People tended to be either happy to see her or extremely angry. Nobody had ever been depressing before. I do not think she is dead but I cannot... I hope she is well. I would like to see her again someday.
"Damn you." Another wave of water flowed away as Phantom looked up. "Just... argh!" Leaving the shower to chase after her would have been painful but possible yet a nudge of instinct told her that Musume wasn't in the mood to talk with her.
"Listen up." Phantom shouldn't have taken it personally. Musume wasn't in the mood to speak with anyone. "I don't like you. I don't like even being in the same room as you. Knowing you're still alive fills me with... well, hate is starting to look a little thin right now."
"Musume, put him down!" Crow was waved off with a single finger. "He can't even answer you like that!"
"This isn't a debate." One hand was dismissing the complaints of his brothers with the other held Yusei against the wall by his throat. She hadn't squeezed hard enough to be dangerous yet, just choke him a bit. It was a struggle not to tighten her fingers. "See, I had an interesting chat with Phantom. She has this crazy idea that anyone can work together if they've got something worth fighting for."
"Agreed, agreed." There was enough room to bob his head slightly.
"What did I say about talking?" Moving her fingers was risky but she pressed him against the wall slightly harder. "Every single thing that you are can be done by someone else. You're not the smartest man in the world, you've just had to stay awake longer. Crow's a better person than you are. Fucking Leo might be on the top one day."
"Don't get ahead of yourself." Jack had spotted that look in her eyes the instant she walked up the stairs. She was only here to make a point. That was why he had continued to enjoy his coffee when she slammed Yusei against the wall.
"But one thing that you're useful for is an Accel Synchro. So, that makes exactly two reasons you're useful to me. The Accel Slipstream." She held one glowing purple finger in front of his eye. "And because Akiza would never forgive me if I intentionally let you die." The terrified orbs noticed that she was getting far too specific for comfort.
"Wings away." Having Jack be the voice of reason was surreal enough that she focused enough to stop glowing. "And mind the picture, I don't want to hear Crow whining because he has to clean up broken glass."
"Why can't you just clean it up yourself?" Banging against the wall alerted Yusei's brothers that he would appreciate their help in getting him free. His face wasn't usually this red without Akiza provoking him.
"My only reason for being in this fight is protecting Akiza. If you do anything," Everything went dark for a second as she pushed harder. "To put her in danger, I will hunt you down and make sure you suffer. Until then," She switched choking hands to hold out her right. Yusei wouldn't have minded the more awkward handshake. It wouldn't have incurred an extra smack on the back of his head. "We're going to stop fighting and... work together." The last two words nearly made her puke in outrage but she needed to put aside her hatred for him. Beneath her pride, she knew it was stopping her performing an Accel Synchro and keeping them both trapped in the present.
"Hang on." Crow pinned Yusei's hand to the wall before it could shake. Bulging eyes questioned his sanity as they continued to pound with pressure. "Is this only for Yusei or can I get in on it?"
"And me?" Jack realised that he mind need to sweeten the deal to get higher on the list of priorities. "I'll give you... two cups of coffee." By his standards, that was practically enough bribery to kill a man.
"Grahgaha!" Yusei's choking would have drawn more pity from actual humans. Not demonically/deistically-infused people from the future or his brothers. All it did was distract them from the sound of the door.
"What's going on?" Akiza would have been more concerned to see Musume pinning Yusei to the wall had his brothers not been in on it.
"We were just coming to an agreement." Yusei tore his hand free and shook Musume's before she could retract the offer. She even let him back down to the floor as a sign of good faith.
"What're you up to?" All three had similar looks of guilt. Only Jack had the decency to display genuine emotion in disappointment. Having Musume agree to fight people to the death on his behalf would have finally settled things between him and Crow.
"We agreed to get along." Smiling through his tears, Yusei tried to reinforce the idea that they were friends now. It was a miracle he had survived the first round of throttling. Another might remove his head.
"How many times did you stab him?"
"Are you still hung up on that?" She turned in such a way that the sword conveniently tucked out of sight. Akiza had an insurmountable problem with casual stabbings, even if they did no harm. "If I'd stabbed him, he'd definitely be dead."
"Hrmm." That much was true. If the Tender Hands didn't hurt Yusei, the fist holding it could punch through his chest without stopping. "Any luck today?"
"We decided to take a step back and focus on the problem." He had been open in admitting the struggle they were having. Akiza had suggested letting Crow take his place but they had no way of guessing what might happen to him if they did.
"Actually," Grabbing Akiza by one wrist, Musume began dragging her across the room. "I've had an idea about that." For one terrifying instant, she thought they were going to have an explosive argument in the bedroom she shared with Yusei. It was nearly a relief to be locked in the bathroom.
"Okay, what did you really do to him?" Prior conversations between the pair had been open and honest. She wasn't above applying a bit of pressure.
"A little strangling. A little lifting." Giving a slight cough, she averted her gaze. "But no stabbing!" That was the closest to a redeeming argument she could manage.
"Musume, you can't just..." Rubbing her eyes, Akiza couldn't imagine how anyone thought murdering Yusei was a solution to anything. At least she had stopped short of anything serious. "What did you want to talk about?"
"You're a good judge of character. Usually." Came the sullen mutter. There was no accounting for the choice of Yusei as a partner. "Do you think I can trust Himeru?"
"Himeru... from the bar?" She only knew what Musume had told her. One bout of intense drunkenness which had embarrassed Akiza in front of her parents, one time providing shelter from an angry god. There was no obvious answer. "Why are you asking?" But she already knew by that way Musume ground her teeth.
"Because I think that we could use her..." Akiza had raised an eyebrow as she petered off. "Don't make me say it." The other raised as she waited expectantly.
"Yes, I think we can trust her help." There was a definite wince at the word. "What are you going to ask her?"
"Nothing." She was starting to realise how valuable the opportunities to visit Convergence were. Hiding out from a god in perfect comfort had really underlined it for her. "She promised to make sure that we arrived at the right time. I think that she meant to save Yugi and Jaden."
"What? Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Fingertips started toying with the bracelet tied to one wrist.
"Look, I'm not great at relying on other people." That was the understatement of the century. "The only reason I'm not pounding Yusei into the dirt right now is that we agreed to work together."
"And how did you manage to agree on that?" Folding her arms and giving the best 'stern mother' look she could muster, Akiza was torn between expecting more supernatural threats or because Crow had finally put his foot down.
"Can't you just accept we're getting along and leave it alone?" She tried to edge out of the bathroom but a slap on the door kept it her from leaving.
"Not until you tell me what's behind your sudden change of heart." Ever since she had returned to their lives, Musume had been more aggressive towards Yusei than Jack had ever been – and he had once held a child hostage while stealing the first chance Yusei had to escape the Satellite.
"Grumblemumblemumble." Tearing down the wall wouldn't be much of an issue. It was mostly bricks anyway. Five seconds work, easy. As long as she didn't look into those... damn. Akiza's stare could cut through steel. "We both... care... about you." Her teeth were going to end up as stubs if she kept grinding them this much.
"Come here." Wrapping her up in another hug, she hoped this was the start of a path to normalcy. Between compassion for Phantom and agreeing not to murder Yusei for the foreseeable future, there were strong indications that she was making an effort to improve herself. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe they could still
BANG BANG BANG!
"Can you hurry up in there?" Crow sounded strained on the other side of the door. "I really need to pee."
"Musume?" Still maintaining the embrace, Akiza twisted her head to glare at the door. "Can I borrow your sword?"
As had been erratically laid out in one of the reports secured in Musume's Duel Runner, time did not always operate at a uniform pace. Perhaps the best example of this is the balance between waiting for coffee and then it being the perfect temperature to drink. It should have been about equal lengths yet coffee always seemed to go cold a lot faster than it should.
"I'll get you another cup." Of course, trying to explain that coffee likes to trick its owner makes them sound mad.
'You're doing it again.' Trying to limit his good-natured attitude was like trying to hold back the ocean. Even two apocalypses had failed to curb it. The only hope was time and a third world-ending disaster. 'Stop telling people that coffee's trying to trick you.'
"Hey, you've said it yourself." A fuzzy cat plonked itself on the table and blinked up at him. Giving a mysterious smile, he blinked back with mismatched eyes appearing as he opened them again. Most people would have fled at the sudden change yet the feline decided to snuggle against one arm.
"Here we go." Setting down fresh cups of coffee, Yugi moved a cat from off his seat and perched on the corner.
"Thanks." Taking a sip from his drink, Jaden could swear it was already plotting to freeze when he wasn't looking. "Why did you bring us to a cat cafe? I didn't think it'd be your kind of thing." The King of Games, degree-holding, stern-faced hero to the masses seemed out of place surrounded by mewling cats.
"They do good coffee." Like his successor's successor, all that Yugi needed to get free samples was to show up with a smile. And, like Yusei, he would always pay full price with a generous tip. "And it's somewhere that we could bring Pharaoh without attracting attention." The lumpy cat was asleep on their table by the window. Evening was drawing in and the dimming rays of sunlight provided the perfect place to snooze.
"Is this about the thing with Yusei?" Yugi had been impossibly tight-lipped about what was going on. Other than betraying Jaden to Alexis, he had barely involved himself beyond a few polite meetings.
"Indeed." Hardly a dramatic revelation. He had told Jaden to pack his bag and bring it with them. Even he could draw a straight line between the two events. "I wanted to talk to you before he arrived."
"Are you going to tell me all sorts of secret stuff? Give me some awesome news cards?" As always, his eager mind leapt to more exciting events than reality currently held.
"No." Peeling back his sleeve, he checked a gently ticking watch. "What time do you have?" The question seemed a bit redundant but his look told Jaden he should probably check for himself.
"Just after five." A normal answer which produced an oddly satisfied look as Yugi ticked off a mental checkbox.
"Jaden, what I'm going to ask you is probably the most difficult task I've ever asked of you. It's going to require every iota of strength you have." Jaden's chest swelled with pride. Yugi had trusted him with taking down the Rare Hunters. He was ready for whatever came next. "In everything that lies ahead of you, I want you to pay attention." That pent-up pride abruptly deflated. "Nothing will be inconsequential. Focus on every detail, ingrain it into your memory. Pay attention to your instincts, make sure to keep a strong connection with your Deck and trust your friends."
"You can count on me!" Raising his coffee, he was unsurprised to discover it had turned cold on him. "I'll make you proud." Yugi remembered the first time he had heard Jaden say those words. It had been three global disasters ago, all averted by the young man across from him.
"It's been nice seeing you again. You've come a long way." Traffic on the street outside was strangely lacking. It appeared that all the lights for a few blocks had turned red. Maybe a glitch in the system. "Don't forget, I want to work with you once you're back. As equals." Stretching out a hand, he had that serious little smile which terrified opponents and soothed his friends.
"I'd like that." There was a burst of light outside the window and a familiar vehicle skidded to a halt down the street.
"Be careful not to mention you've been working for me. At least, not for a few days." Letting go of Jaden's hand, the original King of Games smiled out the window. They would be invisible with the light reflecting off. "Run along now. Better get out of here before he causes a spectacle." Pouring a yawning Pharaoh into his bag, Jaden was hurried out of the cafe. Pedestrians were already flocking about the new visitor. They probably thought a movie was being filmed. Special effects would account for the way he had appeared from nowhere.
In the privacy of his mind, Yusei had begun to doubt that Musume was capable of putting aside her feelings long enough to perform an Accel Synchro. The effect had been magnified by his surprise choking but she had finally managed to find an emotional centre to pull it off. That left him with his own problems. "No, I'm not an actor... there aren't any cameras... can you please get out of my way?" Of all the many barriers he had been anticipating, crowds hadn't been on the list. Finding Jaden could take hours, days. He kept a historically low profile. Tracking him down in this backwards era would be extremely difficult. He didn't even know where to begin looking. He wasn't even sure what year it was. It would take a real miracle,
"Yusei!" An arm waving above the crowd instantly drew his attention. Few people besides Leo could be as cheerful as that, nor should anyone else know his name. It had to be Jaden on the other end of the hand. Miracle achieved.
"Jaden?" Whatever benevolent being had directed him to this time had probably been kind enough to make sure he arrived in the right spot as well. Handy. But the crowd was continuing to grow. Herd mentality meant that anyone who wasn't already curious about Yusei was curious about what everyone else was curious about. "Jaden!"
An answering shout from back in the crowd was overshadowed by screams as the something began forcefully parting the crowd. A couple of explosions exceedingly sped up the progress. "I said no explosions." The only person heading towards Yusei also happened to be shouting into thin air.
"Get on!" Cramming himself forward on the seat, there was just enough room for Jaden to squeeze himself beneath the curved arch at the back. "What made you think blowing stuff up would be a good idea?" Sirens were already sounding in the distance and getting closer by the second. This was not what he had expected. In fact, this was the sort of idiocy he expected Musume to be responsible for.
"It's not my fault!" Clinging tightly to Yusei's shoulders, he was intensely aware that he didn't have a helmet. "Yubel's angry with me and she likes to make a scene!" A police car skidded around a corner up ahead and Yusei was forced to turn back the way they had come. "Isn't this the part where you get us out of here?"
"I'm waiting for my lift!" It hadn't been this difficult last time. At least the Crimson Dragon had been accommodating enough to take them away when Venice had started dissolving. Musume would probably wait until he had completed a lengthy stint in jail to come and get them.
As they sped past the coffee shop, Jaden had a clear view through the window. Clouds on the horizon had obscured the sun long enough that he could see Yugi raising a cup in silent farewell before a gleaming white vehicle erupted out between them and blocked the view.
"I knew you were going to fuck it up!" Screaming across the distance, the other driver seemed uncomfortably at ease with being chased by sirens.
"Jaden?!" Clinging parallel to him was the impossible figure of one Yugi Mutou. "Good to see you again!" Pulling ahead, Musume began dragging the pair on the red vehicle into her slipstream as colours began to weave through the air.
"What?" Risking a look back down the street, he could see the cars starting to fall away. Normally, that would have been a good thing but others at the end of the street had started to form a blockade. "But we just," Before he could point out they had been in a cafe together only a few minutes ago, light swallowed up all four until no trace was left.
A phenomenon of time travel that is rarely covered is culture shock. Between a journey to the past, coma and now travel to a distant era of history, any sane person would need a few minutes to adjust to the strange reality of bygone times. "Fucking savages." Musume, however, simply let her anger do the talking as she spat in a gutter.
Her job was much easier than Yusei's would be. Yugi's later days were directly tied into those of Industrial Illusions. Even in the backwater ear, two buildings dominated the skyline. Part of the exceptional service to guide her to the right time had delivered her just down the road from one.
"Hey, you can't park here!" Dumping her Runner on the curb, she glared at a nearby parking warden.
"Try and clamp me. I dare you." People running away screaming wasn't the goal of being in the past but she'd be lying if it didn't make her feel good. "Idiots." Supernatural events wouldn't be widely known for a few years now. Glowing eyes was enough to deter opposition. "Maybe... no." While tempting to go full 'dragon-lady', she wasn't here to make waves. It'd have to be a normal approach for now.
As the first line of defence – behind the security glass that could stop a small militia and flanked by enough security guards to take on the militia – the receptionist had previously thought himself a cool customer. Until a young woman walked up to his desk with terrifying yellow eyes, a chilling smile and tattoos across both halves her face.
"Hello." Were those incisors growing bigger? No, it was his imagination. "Can you tell me where to find Yugi Mutou?"
"I'm afraid that information is privileged. What business do you wish to discuss?" One hand was already reaching for the computer. "I can direct you to the appropriate office."
"It's not that simple." This was a barely civilised primitive. She didn't have any reason to tear him apart. Keep being patient. Dragon-lady was always possible later. "See, this is more important than your feeble mind can comprehend so I'll make you a deal; you give him a call right now, tell him one sentence and I'll leave you alone."
"Ma'am," Raising his voice slightly, Greg – because genetically engineered receptionists are always either called Greg or Cynthia – drew the attention of the nearby guards. "I am telling you for the last time, I am not permitted to pass messages from every member of the public who walks in." Any number of crazed fans walked in every week to try and meet their hero. Security had learned to react accordingly.
"Now, I'm not an expert on how these things work." Passing messages wasn't something she typically dealt with. Musume preferred delivering them in person to impose exactly how important her wishes were. "But if you don't pass on a message this important, what do you think would happen to your job?" A slight glimmer in her eyes drove home the idea that disobeying her suggestion was the wrong move. "You pick up the phone and tell him," Cracking her neck that badly drew impressed looks from several of the guards as she reigned in her anger. "Tell him that Yusei Fudo needs his help. I'll even go and wait outside while you do it. I guarantee that he'll show up."
Even from the other side of the reinforced glass, those eyes continued to drill a hole in his attention. Maybe it was a trick of refraction but Greg could have sworn that they were starting to glow. People certainly seemed eager to avoid walking in front of her. Maybe there wasn't any harm in passing along the message. It seemed innocent enough. Picking up the phone, he dialled the connecting number.
"Penthouse asylum. Don't feed the inmates." Recognising the internal number, a military voice sounded on the other end.
"A message was just left at the desk for Dr Muto." Lifting his head slightly, Greg saw the eyes outside dim slightly as he complied. Trick of the light. Had to be. "It appears a 'Yusei Fudo' is requesting his help? The message sounded quite urgent." A law-abiding citizen seemed to be telling the lady outside her bike was illegally parked. Or maybe he was training for the Olympics because he certainly seemed a strong contender for sprinting.
"Name doesn't ring a bell. Hang on, let me check." Whoever had answered the phone clearly hadn't heard it had replaced shouting. "Hey, Yugi!? Know anyone called Fudo?" From the volume of shouting that followed, it was probably heard on the street outside. "Garry? Grab whoever left that message or you're toast." Although the residents of the penthouse couldn't directly have him fired, they held enough sway with the head of the company to carry out the threat. It was why he let them get his name wrong from time to time. Raising his head, 'Garry' waved Musume back into the building. He didn't feel safe leaving the relative security of his desk.
"About time." The guards closed in slightly as they realised a VIP was on the way. Musume was picking out which limb to break first as one of the dozen elevators across the atrium opened and spat out the hurried figure of Yugi Muto. Even in the dire circumstances and barbaric surroundings, there was a moment when she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Thanks, Greg." Unfailingly polite, Yugi always remembered to greet the receptionist by name and ask about his life. Taking note of the growling woman, Yugi took control of the situation. "We'll head on up if that's okay?" Smoothly adjusting to one side, he gestured back the way they had come. Watching Greg retreat back to his desk to call back to alert the penthouse of the owner's return, Yugi waited until they had entered the lift before breaking the silence. "Who are you? And what's happened to Yusei?"
"You live here?" She had heard stories of companies hiding apartments on their top floors but visiting one was a new experience.
"You didn't answer my question." Knowing Yusei's name would get her in the door. It didn't earn instant trust.
"Long story. Short version, I saved his life a couple of times, we don't really like each other but have to get along." That was about as short as she could humanly get it. "We can talk about it with your friends. How easily do they scare?" Treating him to her best smile, she unwound her strict self-control just the tiniest fraction.
"So what happened?" Pulling his own shirt on, a dirty blonde was trying not to give the impression he had been disturbed by his best friend sprinting from the apartment with shouts of panic.
"I dunno." Standing to one side beneath a short haircut, his oldest friend was also on high alert. "Receptionist called about somebody named Fudo. Next thing," Hearing the gears on the other side of the doors grind to a halt, they waited for the doors to open. "He goes running off like the building's on fire." Steel doors peeled back to reveal a horrific sight. Yugi pressed against the side of the elevator, a visage of blood-red lines and glowing yellow eyes towering over him.
Army life could only prepare for so much before more grisly battles had to provide experience and instinct. "What the," Stuck for a finisher, the soldier rushed forwards only to be grabbed in one hand and lifted into the air.
"Jonouchi Katsuya." Smiling with joy at being in their presence, the creature spoke with the growl of a demon. "Don't do anything stupid." Higher thinking outside of Duels had never been his strong suit and the Japanese National Champion was ready to throw down against the impossible odds.
"Guys, wait." Overcoming the shock of Musume's change, Yugi tried to calm the situation. "It's okay. She just surprised me." It was easy to understand why. Even after all their adventures, somebody with glowing yellow eyes suddenly appearing in the lift was enough to take a step back and plain bad luck meant he tripped over his other foot.
"Nice moves." Careful not to shatter any bones, Musume lowered her prey back to his feet and tugged his shirt straight. If it had been an even playing field, he would have been a difficult opponent to beat.
"Tristan, this is Musume. Musume, you've met Tristan Taylor." Shivering at the adrenaline rush, Musume smiled and extended one hand.
"It's alright." Noticing the look her glowing eyes were getting, she slipped her vocal cords into a demonic growl. "I promise not to bite." Receiving an 'all-clear' nod from Yugi, Tristan shook and dropped the hand quicker than a rattlesnake. "They in the loop?"
"You can tell all my friends everything." It was an awkward moment. Musume had assumed that this group kept secrets as close as her own family did. Mutely following Yugi into the apartment, she noted how the two other men took up flanking positions behind her. Not aggressive but not accepting either. Definitely smarter than she had given them credit for.
It was a slow day and the apartment was filled with most of the close group. Founding friendship member Téa Gardner, a quietly gracious Serenity Wheeler and the covertly controlling Mai Valentine were cooking up various theories about Yugi's mad rush out of the building by the sofa and keeping one eye turned to the hallway as the answer to the mystery lurked just outside. The rugged rouge, Duke Devlin was rattling his dice and waiting beside the door in case the situation turned sour and he was needed. In some ways, it was just like Musume's family in the far future. There was a distinct difference in the room. She could tell they were all just about normal. No supernatural powers, no extra souls. Just a handful of tight friends who had fought the darkness back with sheer will and raw skill. Musume was not easily impressed but these people were amazing in her eyes.
"Guys, this is Musume." Winking a glowing eye at Duke, the single flirtation was enough to stun the backup force. She liked to think her good looks had something to do with it but was honest enough to realise the truth. "Try and keep an open mind." Wrapping a cocky arm around the King of Games' shoulder, Musume watched a few minds close off in anger.
"As your generation says: 'sup?" Sensing the increasingly hostile atmosphere in the room, she deliberately tightened her grip before letting go.
"How do you know Yugi?" Smiling daggers at the harlot who had just grabbed her partner – glowing eyes or no – Téa was being as polite as she could manage.
"Didn't I mention?" Seeing the fight starting to brew, Tristan and Joey edged closer to restrain Musume as Serenity and Mai moved to provide backup for their friend. In a staggering display of gender barriers, both groups wrongly assumed the other was working a similar angle to their own. "My name's Musume and I'm from the future." That didn't just take the wind from the conversational sails but rammed them from the side as well. "Or didn't Yugi tell you about that one?"
All eyes turned to the leader. Truthfully, he had tried telling about his previous encounter with Yusei and Jaden. Even with everything they had been through, the notion had seemed ridiculous and Joey and Tristan believed it was a poor attempt to trick them. Without even as much as a photo to prove his story, Yugi had given up trying to convince them.
"What's wrong with Yusei?" Trying to draw attention to the way he was helping a friend – and away from the fact they hadn't believed him until now – Yugi tried to move past the awkward moment.
"Where do I start?" An image of Akiza flashed across her mind. Calm. Remain calm. Approach the situation diplomatically. "The same group Paradox worked for is trying to change history again. They're going to try and eliminate you, Jaden and Yusei. We're going to take you both to our time to figure out a plan."
"Back up." Duke was twisting dice through his fingers. "Who's Paradox? And who did he work for?" Questions about time travel and Yugi's friends could wait until they knew more about the threat facing them.
"Paradox tried to kill Pegasus. Two Duellists from the future helped me stop him." Arguably, he had helped Yusei stop him but Musume preferred this version of events. "Do you have any way to prove what you're saying?" The conversation had gone better than expected. She had been prepared for a lot more resistance. As far as proof went, she couldn't easily convince them she was from the future. Their worlds were similar enough on the surface that everything with her was...
"How about this?" Pulling out her Deck, she revealed a distinctive silver card. The King of Games would recognise all important cards but this one didn't exist in Yugi Mutou's time. He had only seen a Synchro monster once before.
"What's that?" Despite the feeble attempts to explain his Duel against Paradox, Yugi hadn't been able to explain the mechanics behind a Synchro Summon before Joey had lost interest.
"A new type of monster. Yusei had one." He had seen it strapped to the Duel Disk but Yusei had kept it concealed to prevent further pollution to history. All that Yugi knew was that they would be extremely popular one day and came with a silver frame. "She's legit."
"How does this work? You take him to the future and bring him back in a few seconds?" Even though it was Yugi who was taking a trip to the future, it was Téa who was most concerned. In a rare moment of true empathy, Musume could understand why. Certain people had a way of meaning more to another than they did themselves.
"Time travel doesn't always work like that." Nobody in her family was entirely sure how it worked at all. She knew better than most but only barely. "I'll take Yugi to Yusei but he might be gone here for as long as he is there."
"I'm still going." Yugi had been thinking it over but the answer had been obvious even before he stepped into the lift. If any of his friends ever needed him, he'd do whatever it took.
"Yugi, you don't have to" All his friends were clamouring arguments but he had already made up his mind.
"Yusei'd do the same for me." But he felt the need to address the obvious flaw standing right in front of the group. It was easy to say that Yusei would do the same but he wasn't the one trying to save him. "Where is he, getting Jaden?"
"You're smarter than you look." They hadn't even met in this time. He had gained a full understanding of Jaden's potential from just their one meeting. Incredible. "We decided that I'd come for you and pick him up on the way back. You'll only need your Deck, we can get you everything else."
"Wait a second." Placing a hand atop Yugi's, Musume noticed a ring on Téa's finger matching one on his other hand. "Why should we believe you? Just because you've got a card doesn't mean," Pain erupted outwards in flaring wings and a coiling tail. Yep, teeth were definitely starting to join the mess. And then she noticed the reactions. Fear, panic, doubt, distrust. A bit of awe in Joey because he was really a big child then more fear as he came back to his senses.
"Yusei had a connection to a creature called the Crimson Dragon." At least Yusei had been able to share that much. Telling Yugi how he had come from the future was one of the ways he had earned his trust. "I've got a stronger one." An unexpected resistance came as she tried to sheathe the wings again. Getting them back inside seemed more difficult in the past. That was weird.
"Whoa." At least Joey seemed to be onboard as her wings slowly receded away. "Is everyone in the future like you?" Ah. Maybe because he was more interested in the stranger side of her instead of actually trusting her. She could work with that.
"No." Eyes were still staring at her rear. While she had inherited perfect curves, it was more likely the tail resisting submission. "Nobody else like me." What would Akiza do in this situation? Probably win them over with her perfect mix of temper and reason. Using her temper was too risky. Reason it was. "I'll go wait in the hall while you talk it over. Take all the time you need." No sooner had she closed the door behind her than the arguments broke out.
"She's playing you. It had to be a trick." Was Tristan's input. Even with everything they had seen, time travel was impossible.
"Dude, she has wings. Try explaining that." Joey knew all about the limits of Solid Vision technology. Making such realistic wings with a concealed projector was impossible. He believed her.
"Physics says it's possible but the many-worlds theory is more plausible." Group genius and child prodigy, Rebecca was the indisputable voice of reason. When it came to applicable science, she was the first and last word. "Either way, it might be true."
"If Yugi's meet people from the future before, it's possible she also is." Duke rolled the die of probability and received an unclear result in return. "But you're the brainiac."
"There's a lot of Shadows about her but something else seems to be keeping them in check." As the mystical medic of the team, Serenity's word carried the most weight in supernatural areas. Musume's display reeked of darker forces but she couldn't tell what the other one was. It was new to her and felt contrary to the other force. "I don't know about being from the future but she's got some sort of power. A lot of power."
"I like her attitude." Mai was a strong advocate of women's empowerment and admired the raw power Musume had. She had also noticed the sword strapped to a hip. Even with all the guards on the ground floor, it appeared to have eluded everyone else.
"Guys," They all had different areas of expertise. Duke had connections, Tristan had training, Joey was one of the best Duellists in the world, Serenity had learned to sense beyond the ordinary, Mai could read a person's strength from one glance and Yugi had studied the history of everything which had come from Duel Monsters, including the Shadow Realm. But it was Téa who knew the group the best. She was the one who kept them centred. "Don't bother." She could tell when the discussion wasn't going to work. Short of taking Yugi hostage, nothing would be able to stop him from helping his friends.
"I have to go." Squeezing her hand, he had that serious expression on his face. The shadows of his time coexisting with his other-self. "Yusei's my friend. Even if he wasn't, he saved my grandpa when Paradox attacked. I have to help him." He was so focused on helping his friends that the fact he was also a target came second. "I'm going to pack a few things." Standing up, he was already planning for a long stay in the future. Taking a few things from home would keep him grounded.
Musume was leaning against the wall when she heard the door open. Silence generally meant that it was somebody displeased to see her. "I don't trust you." Téa. Yep, definitely someone who didn't like her.
"That's not surprising." She didn't bother opening her eyes. The glowing orbs would only make her more uncomfortable anyway. "I mean, you didn't even know I existed until an hour ago and now I'm taking your partner away. I probably wouldn't trust me either."
"You've obviously got a lot of power." And she wasn't talking about strength of will. Real, raw, building crunching power. "I want you to promise me that you'll look after him." Oh? Musume opened her eyes at the unexpected demand.
"I'll do everything in my power to make he comes back unharmed." Barely any humanity remained in those eyes yet in them was proof that she knew the pain of losing someone loved more than her own life. Téa didn't know the woman in front of her very well but knew she wouldn't let that pain happen to another. "You have my word." Stepping away from the wall, she held out her hand.
"Make sure that you save the others as well." Gripping the hand as tightly as she dared, there was a brief shine beneath her palm. "Tell me honestly, how long do you think he'll be gone?" Musume suddenly worried about her hand. Téa was still holding it and there was the impression than deception would cost the entire limb.
"I don't know. Moving through time takes a lot of power. If we can find out how the other side is doing it, we can stop them and I'll bring him back as fast as I can."
"If it takes so much power then how come you seem able to do it so easily?" History had clearly been lax on Téa's intelligence. She had instantly picked out the one problem.
"I have a god on my side." And a demon. And whatever Himeru was. "It has its perks." The door opened behind Téa to reveal the entire group with Yugi at the head. "You ready?" A bulging pack was hung on his back despite the promise of everything being provided.
"Can we see your time machine?" Rebecca punched Joey as he ruined the serious moment.
"Sure, why not?" Cramming into the lift with the group, she felt distinctly uncomfortable with all the stares she was getting. They all looked like she was here to steal their friend. She wasn't sure that she liked it. "Bye, Greg." Greg was suddenly far more accepting of people getting his name wrong. Having this woman get it right was terrifying him.
"That's it?" Joey seemed disappointed by the machine. If he only knew what it was capable of, he'd be drooling with desire.
"Bag under here." Lifting the seat, she drew out Akiza's helmet. Yusei had taken Crow's with him for Jaden but wouldn't have the opportunity to use it.
"Bring us back something awesome." Sliding into the driver's position, Musume watched the group exchange farewells as if this was a routine journey. "Hey, remember Back to the Future 2?" Joey seemed the most at ease. Musume would have shuddered had she known it was because of his extensive movie collection.
"I'm not doing that." Yugi's tone gave no room for argument. He had already fought to protect history once, he wouldn't be a party to damaging it himself. "Téa, I," She caught him in a tight embrace.
"Go and help your friends." Musume had the decency to pretend to fiddle with her controls while the friends looked over her machine and gave the pair some space. "Just come back safe."
"Don't worry." Of course, they would privately worry. It's what couples did. "Yusei and Jaden are two of the best Duellists I've ever met. We'll sort everything out and I'll be back here in no time." If only it worked like that, he could be returning even before he left.
"How does this work?" Pulling himself onto the rear half the strange machine, he felt unprepared for actually going to the future. His last trip through history had been... undignified at best.
"Well, for one thing." Hiding her features behind the shining helmet, she looked to Téa for permission. Letting Yugi go to the future was one matter, letting him hold another woman would need a serious upgrade in patience. "You're gonna need to hang on tighter." She watched the dancer's form tense but no word of reply came. "It's been a pleasure. Really." Looking around at the group, she wondered if this moment made all the struggles before worth it. Almost certainly.
Edging out into the traffic, she merged with the lanes and started gently coasting down the road. "When you said tighter, I expected something more... dangerous." Ignoring the voice over her shoulder, she waited until the next junction before twisting around back the way they came. Horns blared and people shouted but she wasn't caring. Ever since she had arrived in that time, the creatures inside her had been trying to correct a balance in the universe. She only had to stop fighting them for light to start blossoming across the Duel Runner.
"Wave goodbye to your friends." Opening her throttle to the full extent, the bucking of power nearly threw them both off as they closed back in on the Industrial Illusions building at breakneck speeds. "Because they're not going to forget this." Plumes of colour erupted through the air and they were swallowed by reality.
Standing on the pavement, Yugi's family stood in silent awe. Any possibility of doubt was erased by the spectacle and they knew his story of two impossible friends to be true. "Hey," Elbowing Tristan in the side, Joey was still a bit shocked by what he had seen. "Told you it was real." It surprised nobody when Tristan punched Joey right back.
Since Musume had turned on the shower, the dark armour had sat there happily letting the water wash over her until something intruded on her senses. Even through the water pounding down on her, Phantom could feel a change in the world. If she had to describe the new way she could hear things, the closest approximation would be music. Songs. And there was a definite alteration. New notes were throbbing across the city. They were impossible to hear at this distance but she had a crude estimation of direction.
Leo, Luna. Both twins were working in the main room. Leo was still practising the moves she had taught him and Luna was sketching away in a notebook. There is... a matter which... I intend to look into. I may be gone a while. I trust you to take care of yourselves.
"Awww, I thought we were going to train." Endless darkness stared out from the helmet. Phantom wasn't letting her attention split with the event on the horizon and freezing waves radiated off her. "Later's good. I can wait." It was early evening but the light was dim enough that she could move about without being instantly spotted. Even so, a few pedestrians probably noticed the orange jumpsuit plummeting from the top of the Tops. Only one place of importance lay in the direction she was feeling the change: Poppo Time.
A relatively unimpressive detail of her outfit that she had explained to Yusei – with Jack and Crow taking in the broader strokes – was the endomuscular function. Plenty of devices existed which allowed the wearer to carry greater mass, run faster and jump higher. She had studied such designs and picked out the best parts to add to her armour. Under normal circumstances, a good design could allow the wearer to run at around thirty miles-per-hour. With a lightweight material and more compact design, she had been able to push that number as high as forty-five in good conditions. Without the weight of a body to slow her down, she was able to arrive at her destination faster than she would have guessed.
There was definitely something in the building. Something... different. It felt like a human shell. Plenty of myths spoke of such creatures and few of them had happy endings. Another oddity was there. This one was definitely human yet tainted, immersed in an aura of darkness. She didn't ascribe any meaning to that. Five others were in the house. Jack, Crow, Akiza, Yusei and Musume. There was no 'sound' of panic. None of them seemed aware of the danger in their midst.
Peeling open a rear window she knew was kept unlatched, Phantom slid through the opening and closed it behind her without a sound. The new songs were above her, in the main room of the living area. Sliding across the floor, she approached the stairs with silent footsteps. 'And what are you?' Something had appeared over one shoulder without warning. Years of training and instinct slid together in perfect synchronicity.
Rocketing into the air, she lunged a fist in a strong uppercut.
'ARGH!' An impossible shout of shock sounded as Phantom sprinted up the stairs. Stealth wouldn't work now that she had been discovered. Warning the Signers would be her first move. She could evaluate the threat and form a plan as soon as they knew the situation. Musume and Akiza were situated against the far wall while Jack and Crow decorated the couch. Yusei was seated at the table with the pair of disturbances. With...
"What's that?" With a hand pressed to his head, one of the figures at the table was still reeling from the shout of his partner ringing through his skull.
"That's a friend, right?" The other was still trying to adjust to the idea that people could have wings and all sorts of supernatural impossibilities were commonplace in the future. Judging them was beyond his skill.
"Shit." Pushing off from the wall, one such supernatural impossibility didn't need to be prophetic to know what came next. "Don't you fucking dare..." Phantom hadn't even needed a full second to recognise what was going on. The Signers hadn't been alarmed because they knew these aberrations. Everyone on the planet did.
Lowering to the floor, she knelt before the original King of Games and his successor.
I beg for forgiveness. She recognised the creature that had appeared above her now. Yubel, guardian spirit to Jaden Yuki.
"Yugi, Jaden, this is Phantom." Trembling was running through the figure. Even after everything that she had seen and read about, this was the most monumental moment of her life. "She's a friend of ours. Phantom, this is Yugi Mutou and Jaden Yuki." Waving a hand between them, Yusei tried to make the introductions as casual as possible.
It is an honour. The idea that she had died on that rooftop was gaining credence. There was no other way that someone like her could be in the presence of people like them. A close examination of Yusei showed no signs of deception, distrust, fear, pain... Actually, there was a small ache near his shoulder. Your collarbone is bruised. How did
Thankfully, she was interrupted before finishing the sentence that would force Musume to kill him. "Phantom, would you like a minute downstairs to process everything?" Akiza could see the monumental strain this was putting on her. Yusei's brothers had known the plan and they had needed Musume to threaten them before calming down. Seh also really needed Phantom not to start helping.
That would probably help. She was glibber under pressure but no more mobile. Exchanging a look with her seating partner, Akiza sent a silent message across.
"I've got this one." Sauntering across the room, Musume grabbed a bundle of cloth and lifted Phantom into the air. "Sorry about her, she's new." Waving her indifference over one shoulder, she carried her burden down the stairs and deposited it in a small bundle by her usual cupboard under the stairs. "How you hanging in there?" She had been the one to collect Yusei and could barely believe it. She couldn't imagine the shock on an unprepared mind.
Yugi Mutou... Jaden Yuki... She was getting control of her shock by focusing on the established facts first. Figuring out the how could wait until her mind had stabilised. I punched Yubel. The fragile repair work crumbled as she recalled the attack. That was going to be a tough one to explain away.
"I'll fix it." Yubel was powerful but she'd have to listen when Musume spoke in that way. It'd be possible to smooth over with a bit of time.
"Yubel wants to know how Phantom was able to punch her." She was being very insistent on learning how anyone but her beloved was capable of laying a finger on her. "And she's demanding an apology."
'No, I want her to beg for forgiveness a lot longer.' Jaden always seemed to mistranslate her words enough to completely change the tone.
"Well, that's the first time that she's done something like that." As far as they knew, Phantom had shown no hint of seeing Duel Spirits before that day. "But you both have my word that we'll ask her about it. Er, as soon as she's better."
"What happened to her?" Yugi could tell that the figure was going through something. He just wasn't sure what it was.
"She's autistic." Appearing at the top of the stairs again, Musume ignored the pair on the sofa. Once she had managed to silence them, they had reverted to slack-jawed amazement. They looked like a pair of grinning fool and she was ashamed to be in the same room. "Give her a few minutes and she'll get over it."
"So, how've you been? I mean," Rubbing his hair, Jaden felt embarrassed by the question. "Other than people trying to kill us."
"It's been an interesting few years." There hadn't been much time to catch up. A quick pick up and then they had returned to the present... future... Yusei's time, they had gone to Yusei's time. "I'm running a research institute most days. Really interesting stuff."
"He's the King of Games." Speaking up from the corner, Akiza couldn't figure out why he was stepping around the issue. Yes, these were legends in the flesh but they were also his friends.
"Really?" Reaching across the table, Jaden slapped him on one shoulder as Yugi shook his hand. "Congrats! How did you do it?"
"Group effort. There was this huge tournament and my brothers and I," He spotted the clock on the mantle as he turned to indicate his the pair behind him. "Y'know, it's getting late. There's a place you guys can stay. It's safe, comfortable and we've got a couple of friends there who can take care of you."
"What? Why aren't we staying here?" Yugi had touched on the issue that the rest of Yusei's friends had tried to avoid talking about in front of him.
"I'm being investigated by the police for making an AI. A computer that thinks for itself." He could see the confusion on Jaden's face even before he had finished speaking. "Staying here is too risky."
"Don't worry, you'll be in the penthouse suite." Akiza knew that Musume preferred sleeping on the couch and the rooms they would be in were luxurious to extremes. "We'll pick this up tomorrow but we're all tired and need to rest." Yusei's ears coloured very slightly. He had the feeling that Akiza was trying to push them out for her own duplicitous reasons.
"I'll call you a cab." Pulling out her phone, she had also thought of the obvious issue of transport. "Reckon you can pretend to be imitators for a few minutes?"
"I'll get the idiot." Walking downstairs as Yusei continued to feel increasingly trapped, she noticed the bundle wasn't where she had left it. "Phantom?" Maybe she was in her cupboard. Or clinging to the rafters. General unobtrusiveness but Musume didn't have the patience to search. "Where are you?" With events this strange going on, she'd undoubtedly be on alert.
On the roof. Being in the house had probably been too much. Stepping out into the alley, Musume unfurled her wings and swept herself into the air.
"Hey." Seated calmly on the mossy tiles, the glowing blue eyes were meditating on the illusion of time. "Any better yet?" Normal people weren't meant for this and Phantom was meant to be some delicate mental flower. As much as she doubted that, Musume also knew that she still needed some time to adjust to the sudden change in reality.
Musume... I know who you are. Dozens of tiny facts had dropped into place. She had been aware of the resemblance between Musume and Akiza but seeing two people from the distant past had finally resolved the mystery. Why she fought like Crow, why she had that temper, why she seemed to need to put everyone else before her. It all made sense now.
"I doubt it." Leaning back against the peak of the building, she looked up at the stars. They were the one constant in her life. Both here and in her own time, they were the same. "But let me know if you figure it out. It'd be nice to know."
Nobody told me they were coming. Craning her own neck back, she listened to the stars twinkle. They whispered such ethereal songs from far above. I understand. You do not trust me.
"Pretty much." Musume trusted her in the moment, one minute to another. Longer plans were off the table. "Can you blame us? It's not as if you're the poster child for openness."
Of course, I do not blame you. A flickering light off to one side of a celestial body was most likely a satellite. She had only studied the major constellations but it definitely appeared different from the rest. But a little warning would have been appreciated. Especially since they will be staying in the penthouse.
"We were going to move you back to Poppo Time so you didn't find out." Cosmic hot potato. Yugi and Jaden couldn't stay in a place where they were likely to be discovered every other day and Phantom hadn't been trusted enough to stay with them. It was the Towers of Hanoi but with people. "Not much point now." Swinging her legs upright, she tapped the shoulder gently with a glowing fist. A proper punch might have sent her clean across the square. "Might as well greet your new room-mates."
That might not be a good idea. Two new humans wouldn't be much of an issue. It was the aggressive Duel Spirit that she was concerned about. I think it would be better to go back separately.
"Suck it up." Planting her foot in Phantom's back she booted her right off the roof. Looking up with a smile, Phantom wondered if she could still get hurt from hitting her head. There seemed to be a ghostly image of Musume descending from the roof with a single flap of wings catching her just off the ground. "Hey, you okay?" Her vision cleared as her companion leapt from the roof. Dust swirled around her as she slowed her descent right before landing. "Hey, you okay?" Phantom hadn't moved from where she had landed. "Come on, it's getting late." Reaching down, she pulled the armour upright.
Probably just a trick of her mind. She'd been through a lot. Pushing it to the back of her mind, Phantom followed Musume back inside. She could be forgiven for a slip of concentration after everything she had been through.
Well, here we go. I'll do my best to keep things in a clear timeline but it won't always be easy. This chapter is a bit tumultuous but chapter numbers being what they are and me never missing the easy joke, the next chapter is an obvious target. (Seriously, check those numbers and drop a review.)