Disclaimer: I do not own YGO 5ds.
The next morning saw us standing around a workbench discussing the new Murray WG (yes, Nervin named it after himself. He did offer to name it after me, but I can't exactly use my real name, so there was no point).
"Where's Chaos?" Galen asked curiously.
"He had some personal stuff to take care of," I evaded the question best I could, "we'll do this one without him."
"Right," Vincent agreed, and turned to Galen "I'll take the northern districts and you take the south. Shouldn't take more than a day to get the information out there."
"I'll go with Galen," I offered, I didn't know the Satellite at all so I thought I'd take the chance to familiarize myself with my surroundings.
"Should we divert productions from the radios now?" Galen asked, gesturing towards the production area (which had been moved to the back of the house on the grounds that it hurts me to look at it) where Cyril and Nervin was barely keeping everything on track.
"Not yet," I replied, "after we recruit a couple more people. Oh, and don't forget today to recruit more people."
Vincent nodded, "That shouldn't be a problem. Where's Teddy? I'll take him with me, he'd love this."
Galen tried to snigger quietly and failed, finally burst out laughing.
"They had a bet, Teddy lost, so now he has to babysit all the kids," I explained.
Vincent winced. 'All the kids' includes 6 kids ranging from 3-12, I felt almost guilty leaving it to Teddy but I was really glad I wasn't stuck with it.
…
The loud banging of the door distracted us from our conversation. The poorly fitted plastic door (large pieces of plastic was easier to get than wood or metal) was knocked down with one swift kick.
"Vincent Ulrich, you're under arrest for solicitations on Sector property. Come with us immediately, any resistance on your part may be recorded and used against you in a court of law," The sector security officer was interrupted by my loud ill-timed laughter. I know what they meant, I had considered the risks of selling Satellite goods to Sector officers but…
Unlike most people in this city, I have a much more colorful imagination, which is now imagining Vincent in some very well-fitted shorts and exaggerated make-up talking up several officers in uniform.
Exaggerated make-up like- I looked at the clown who just walked in, -like that! The Magicians had dressed like circus folk before I met them, but this, this is the clown.
"Sorry Yuki," Vincent paled when he recognized Lazar walking in, "you know, I had assumed that you'd be the one to get all of us locked up one day, didn't think it'd be me."
"What do you mean?"
"We had some run-ins with this little piece of trash back in the day," Vincent admitted.
"But Vincent, I'm an official member of the Domino City government, I do not play favorites," Lazar protested mockingly in a tone unnaturally high even for him. "I'm here today because we have clear evidence of you loitering on Sector property and soliciting Neo Domino City residents. We can't have that. It's just my good luck that I get to send you away for quite some time."
"That's bullshit and you know it!" Vincent exploded, "if the satellite can't sell to Neo Domino, half the people in this town would have starved to death.
"Well, half the people in this town didn't get caught, but I'm afraid you did," Lazar walked up and tapped Vincent on the chest. The incensed redhead gripped Lazar's hand and pushed him aside. The surrounding security immediately lifted their guns (?) in alarm.
"Selling to Neo Domino a grey area," Galen whispers in my ear, "technically it's not illegal, but approaching somebody from Neo Domino first is considered as harassment or solicitation by the Sector. So if they want to throw you into the Facilities but can't pin anything on you, this is usually it."
Vincent clenched his teeth but didn't resist as, still with guns trained on him, two Sector guards grabbed his arms.
"Forgive my colleague, Director Lazar," I put an arm around Lazar's shoulder (which I can do because we're almost the same height) omitting the 'vice' from his title, "May I have a word. Vincent's just not familiar with dealing with famous men like yourself."
I was in the mood for a direct approach today but I would need to speak with him privately for it to work.
Lazar drew himself up, "of course, punks like him wouldn't know what to do with greatness if they saw it. But that doesn't mean I can acquit him of these charges. He is, after all, under arrest for solicitation on Sector property. We have more than adequate proof to arrest this satellite, flattery will get you nowhere."
"Oh I assure you, this isn't flattery at all," I replied genuinely, smiling a mirthless smile as I led him away from the crowd and lowered my voice, "you are a very famous man Vice Director Lazar, so famous, for example, that I know your wife has the prettiest pink hair styled exactly like yours."
Why, I can't imagine. It's not even a good look for him and simply disastrous for a member of the fairer sex.
"What are you trying to say?" Lazar asked, beginning to catch on.
"And because of your fame, I also know," I continued, closing my eyes trying to recall the anime, "that your son looks simply adorable in that blue jacket and red bowtie. He's about, this tall?" I placed my right hand chest high, "though I have wondered, why does he had brown hair?"
I have honestly wondered that. Lazar had purple hair and his wife has pink hair, both of which are recessive traits whereas brown hair is a dominant trait... The genetics doesn't add up. But since this is a children's anime, I'll chalk it up as a mutation.
"What, what are you implying?" Lazar demanded vehemently.
"I'm merely suggesting," I flashed him a toothy grin, "that bad things may happen to good people, and I'm sure neither of us would want that to happen."
"You think you can get to my family?" Lazar's eyes flashed red, he shook off the arm I had on his shoulder and glared at me viciously.
"I think the longest a satellite had been able to stay in Domino without getting caught is, oh three days?" I said flightily, "You can do a lot of things in three days, Vice Director."
"You won't even make it out of Satellite!" Lazar was obviously threatened by my previous comments.
"Sure, chances are we won't ever make it to the Satellite, but are you willing to risk their lives on those chances? Think hard, Vice Director, how long do you think you can keep us in here, or inside the Facilities for that matter?"
Lazar evaded my piercing gaze, now looking angry and fearful.
"I can be as good a friend as I am vengeful an enemy" I continued, "I'm sure that you'd find out friendship to be very, rewarding. Why not give it a try, we're not going anywhere."
I can almost feel the pressure of my gaze pushing his head down into a nod, Lazar turned towards the door and barked an order, the two guards who apprehended Vincent quickly released him.
...
Before Lazar made it to the front door, it was banged open again, startling us both.
"Vice Director Lazar, we found the culprit!" Said the security officer who just barged in, "We found the man in association with Kalin Kessler!"
He might have said more but I wasn't listening. I was staring at Chaos, dragged in stiffly by two officers on either side of him. The man who had carried Kalin like a twig last night could barely stand, his features were so badly disfigured that if it weren't for the short purple hair, I might not have recognized him. Blood trickled down his cheeks washing away the dirt and more dried blood. I could hear his weak gasps for breath, its cause was obvious when I looked at his chest, where the outlines of several ribs were either distorted or missing.
I swiped at my eyes, surprised to find them dry.
Lazar's eyes lit up. No doubt at the prospects of a promotion for a job well-done, I thought with disgust. He brightened even further when he turned around and saw the expression on my face, "you know him?" He asked victoriously, oil could have dripped out of his voice.
"He's a friend," I replied tensely, trying not to reveal too much emotion.
"Well, you really must be careful who you make friends with," Lazar said with a pointed look in Vincent's direction. "This is a very dangerous man. He was found with the escaped convict Kalin Kessler! He tried to deny it of course, but he had Kessler's DNA all over him."
"We caught him while he was disposing of dirt and a shovel contaminated with Kessler's DNA sir." The Sector Security guard supplemented.
I almost laughed at the irony. In the most literal sense, Chaos must have Kalin's blood on his hands, I saw Kalin bleeding on him when they left. Of course, I can understand how it might sound to Sector Security.
"Perhaps you could enlighten us as to what happened?" Lazar trained his eyes on me again.
"We don't know him very well either," Vincent explained for me. Was he voice always this grating? "Barely an acquaintance really."
"But this young man just called him a friend," Lazar pointed to me triumphantly, then cringed at the look on my face.
But I had no cards left to play. Threatening Lazar might get him to drop a personal vendetta, but Chaos' arrest was obviously official Domino business, and his capture was witnessed by a number of Sector agents. Rex Goodwin might be able to release him, but Lazar doesn't have that kind of power yet, and I don't have any hold over Goodwin.
"Out," I said simply, not trusting myself to say anything more. Lazar flinched but didn't move. "Out, before something happens that we both regret." I repeated through gritted teeth.
"Well, I guess there's nothing more to be done here," Lazar winced but still had the guts to look happy, "let's call it a day, shall we?" He led the way out of the house, Sector Security following closely behind into the sunlight.
'He's fine.' Chaos lifted his head up with some effort and mouthed just before he was dragged out. I knew he was talking about Kalin and felt my vision blur with tears.
,,,
"So…" Galen studied me carefully in a way that made me feel like he knew something, "do you think he actually did it? Killed Kessler I mean?"
"Would've done the world a favor," Vincent muttered, "they should be giving him a medal."
Cyril shifted uncomfortably, having been drawn by the commotion to the front of the house. He realized Kalin's absence this morning but didn't have time to discuss it yet.
"What do we do now?" The white-haired teen asked uncomfortably.
"We continue as planned," I breathed out heavily, feeling faint. Chaos got himself locked up for this little venture, it would make no sense to stop it on his account. "Get everybody back to work, I'll think of something."
Vincent nodded with understanding, obviously thinking I needed to cope with Chaos leaving, "we'll give you some space."
I didn't need space, I needed time. Time to think and time to act. I wasn't going to let that be the last time I see Chaos, and I certainly wasn't going to let him rot in the Facilities. Kalin died in there in less than two years, I didn't have the guts to wonder how long Chaos would last. With some help, willing or otherwise, I will get him back.
Say, Yusei and Crow's duel runners should be ready by now.
"Director Goodwin, we've caught the source of the disturbance in the Satellite," Lazar stood proud; even for him, this was a big deal- the murderer of the convict Kalin Kessler.
"Oh?" Goodwin spared Lazar a glance, he certainly didn't expect results this quickly, especially not from his clown of an assistant.
"Our officers originally discovered somebody bearing a high resemblance to the fugitive Kalin Kessler, riding with somebody else on a duel runner. We lost track of the duo for a while. When we found them again, there was no trace of Kessler, so we immediately apprehended the other rider," Lazar had wanted to hide the loss of the fugitive Kalin Kessler, but given the number of operatives involved, it would be next to impossible. "We'll get the whole story out of him soon."
Rex Goodwin nodded thoughtfully, "and why do you believe him to be the cause of the problems in the Satellite?"
"But, but he was with Kessler, sir, he still has Kessler's DNA all over him," Lazar defended his decision. His employer had been purposely vague about his mission, citing a possible cause of disorder as the reason for this sudden search of Satellite. Truth be told, Lazar had no idea what he was looking for, but the murderer of the fugitive ex-leader of the Enforcers seems to fit the bill. "I assure you, everything else in the Satellite is running smoothly."
Lazar grimaced inwardly upon remembering the threat he received. He did briefly consider labeling Yuki Tono and Vincent a 'disturbance', even though they were clearly just another business struggling to survive in the Satellite. But Yuki's words haunted him. A satellite caught for no particular reason is kept for at most 3 months in the Facilities, and Lazar shudder to think what these satellites were capable of once they were released.
Rex turned away from Lazar, slowly pacing the room. Had Kalin been the source of the Netherworld King's strength, surely Roman would have known. He himself was aware of the teen's limited abilities, which did not include any magic other than what was granted him through his Dark Signer mark.
"How's our newest recruit?" He asked. "Has he settled in yet?"
"Yes sir," Lazar answered immediately, used to Goodwin's sudden changes in topic. "We have completed all background checks and psychological evaluations on Greiger, he's training for the Fortune Cup like the others."
"Good, send him in," Goodwin said, making up his mind, "I have a new assignment for him."
He wouldn't have any use for the man for another month at least, might as well send him on a mission in the meantime.
I shuffled my new Six-Samurai deck restlessly, trying to calm myself.
Lazar had hinted at what Chaos' crime was supposed to be- murder. With Kalin's blood on his hands (quite literally) and a shovel in his car (scooter), it's not a far-fetched inference. Not that Neo Domino would spend too much time trying to prove the innocence of a satellite. I wasn't certain what the punishment for murder was, but I wasn't going to let Chaos rot in jail until the Dark Signer arc ends and Kalin is proven alive. For one thing, I'm not sure if he'd survive that long in jail. For another, even in light of the new evidence and with a fair trial, he would still be charged with aiding and abiding a known fugitive, a crime that he did commit.
If I don't do anything more, I realized, today might be the last time Chaos ever saw actual sunlight.
Saving him would be risky, the odds are far against me than for, even if I managed to get the help I needed. But if I wanted to ever sleep at night again, I can't let a friend die in jail because of me.
Vincent had told me all he knew about the legal process in Domino City, in an attempt to dissuade me from getting Chaos out or at least not get myself captured in the process. It did give me pause.
The Facilities is located 140km north of Neo Domino City, there isn't another city or indeed any other structure within hundreds of kilometers. As such, Sector Security just assumes anybody within 50km of the Facilities is either trying to escape or trying to rescue someone; in all cases so far, they have been justified in this assumption. Under such regulations, nobody had heard of successful escapes from the Facilities, not until they saw the ex-leader of the Enforcers alive.
After all, evading the modern police force relies mostly on hiding rather than speed. Even in an anime, it's highly improbably to escape a high-speed police chase for hundreds of kilometers on flat, unobstructed terrain. If we somehow managed to get in without raising any alarm, the Facilities are still heavily guarded inside, and I have no idea where Chaos would be kept, whether it's one of the thousands of standard cells, in isolation or worse. We'd be caught before we ever reached him.
…
"Yuki-sama," a clear baritone rang out beside me, dragging me out of my deliberations.
I looked up, boobs.
From my position sitting on the ground, I saw a pair of legs that weren't much shorter than I was, a slim exposed mid-riff, long jet black hair, and the well-toned, well-tanned skin,
"Hello Greiger," I said flatly, "what do you want?"
"How do you know of me?" He was obviously taken aback.
'The bra gave you away' is what I would have said had I been in a more talkative mood. It's a well-known fact that your abdomen is at least as vulnerable as the chest area in any type of hostile situation, so if your armor only covers the chest, it's a friggin' bra. What happened? They couldn't get enough screen time for female characters so Konami (can't even blame 4Kids for this one) figured they'd just stuff a guy in a bra and see what happens?
"I know a lot of things," I said distractedly. My words had alarmed Greiger far more than I had expected, I was surprised to see his visibly tightened expression, and even a bit of sweat on his brow. That raised my suspicions, what was Greiger doing here in the Satellite?
"Can I help you?" I asked when it didn't looked like future Goodwin(s) lackey was going to talk.
"I heard about the water generator you produced," Greiger began hesitantly.
I tried to recall the anime, right, his village was essentially a wasteland- there was literally no vegetation anywhere on flat ground, even though the surrounding mountains had plenty of plant life. I took a second to wonder how they survived. With the levels of pollution, fishing is out of the question, and it didn't look like they were close to a water source. Farming doesn't seem realistic when weed wouldn't even grow. So hunting maybe?
Being largely uninformed of the world outside the Satellite, I thought naively.
I was later to learn that removal of pollutants, even to the level barely capable of supporting plant life, were astronomical in energy costs. The Japanese government, indeed the global governments in general, had not invested in such costly, long-term projects, hence the ridiculous quality of food. The forests surrounding his village were actually Kaiba Corp property, pollutant removed locally to create a resort for the wealthy. Naturally, hunting in these areas were strictly forbidden. Working adults in these non-agricultural villages go find jobs in the city, while the old and the young stays behind and do whatever piece-work they can find. In a place where roads were poorly maintained and most food and water must be shipped in, well, you can imagine the rest. Hence Greiger's resolve in improving the livelihood of his village.
'Hmmph?" was all I said, despite all the thoughts racing through my mind.
"The generator!" he said earnestly, "I was hoping I would be permitted to purchase one."
"Right," I nodded, "find Vincent, he should be around somewhere, I don't have any left around here."
"And what can I offer in exchange?" He asked, still sounding sincere as my suspicions escalated. Where did he hear about our generator if he didn't also hear that we're handing them out for free.
"The blueprints are free of charge," I said with a smile, deciding to test my suspicions further, "but it would be great if you could stay and help out. I'm sure there're a lot more machines like that we could provide if you need them."
"I would be glad to offer any help I can," He replied in response. Unexpected from a man who's trying to make a living for his village, he has far better potential employers.
But as the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. If he wasn't a spy, a premise which I'm becoming less and less optimistic about, we get extra muscle. If he was a spy, he'd be the best way to allay any concerns Goodwin might have about our little establishment.
"Perfect," I said with an even larger smile, "I think Nervin has the designs for a solar-powered electric generator that would work wonderfully in under-developed areas."
I saw his eyes light up. Of course, the Momentum only covers a relatively small area around Domino City, so their village would need a separate source of energy. I think I remember them using fire, actual fire in the anime, when Domino City is using a wireless transmission of energy. The disparity is terrifying.
"But I need you do to something for me first, I need you to acquire a kid in the Satellite named Crow Hogan."
Greiger didn't even flinch at my kidnapping request, "is there anything I should beware of?" He asked.
"Yes, do not, under any circumstances, duel him," I cautioned, "don't ask why, just don't do it."
Greiger nodded, "I'll have him by sundown."
I smiled at his retreating form.
Having the advantage of knowing the anime, it's highly improbably for Greiger to agree to simply kidnapping somebody if he wasn't making a deliberate attempt to get close to me. All the better, since he's Rex Goodwin's lackey now, he's practically immune from the law. I can get him to do the dirty work so nobody else needs to be as involved. One person to rescue from the clutches of Domino's justice system is quite enough.
A/N: Kalin was believed dead by the Satellite, but the Facilities would have to know that he escaped, so Lazar would know too.
A/N 2: I like Greiger but his bra was odd.
Actually, the entire story was originally very similar in style to the bit with Greiger, then plot happened. :P