R:Ultra Evolution

by Primal WolfBlood

Follow the Renegades as they continue their quest for fixing the world, taking on all comers, including fellow revolutionaries Junction 7 led by their unhinged leader Rhydian, and the sinister Style Council, led by the devilish Caprice. To survive in this cut-throat world, they will have to evolve their power even further beyond. It's a battle for success and survival.

32. Future Shocks

R: Ultra Evolution

Book 32: Future Shocks

Outside the arena, the club managed to catch up with Sean, who was stamping out a cigarette on the ground. Immediately, Phil gruffly stated 'So much for "wanting to talk" eh? Looks like you had other reasons for wanting to know where we were after all.' Sean then turned around, and after a tense moment of staring, they both smiled and slapped hands, old friends reunited, and despite the fact it had been some time, they hit conversation up again immediately.

'So what exactly does bring you here?' 'What else - wanted revenge for a friend. And that's a good start at least.' 'I'd say you've done more than make a start man.' 'No, only a start, my work's not going to be done until Rhydian's throat is stuffed down his throat' he gritted aggressively through his stained teeth, marred by a new-found habit of chain smoking. Scratching his head, Phil mused 'I don't see how that would work anatomically, but… sure, whatever floats your boat pal, I'm not going to argue with you.'

Before they could continue chatting though, Rio butted in. 'Thanks for helping us there.' 'Yeah, not a problem, it's not like I had much on anyway.' 'Feel like I've not seen you in ages, where've you even been?' Coming clean, Sean admitted 'Probably haven't seen me 'cause I was back in prison, beat up those little bitches Marshall and Brooks after she went missing, they went ratting to the cops, and I got three months in the slammer. Probably would have been longer and all if I wasn't self-employed. Don't regret a moment of it though.'

'I wouldn't regret it to be fair, I'd do it but obviously' 'You gotta be careful of your head.' 'Yep, and it sucks. But it sounds like they got what was coming to them twice in that case, because they also got attacked by Maddy.' 'What, when she was under their power?' 'Yeah.' 'So they've even been turning on their own.' 'Trust me, you don't know the half of what's happened' Rio assured him, with the sheer gravity of her voice telling Sean that they were talking about more than mere slight incidents or altercations. 'Should have seen the way he turned on Akiza when she let him down.'

'So do you know what's happened with her?' 'Maddy?' 'Yeah, well bits at least. Actually kind of not.' Thinking for a moment, he informed the Co-Interim-President that 'All I know is when I went to the base, Jodi told me she's gone to some retreat.' 'Yeah, it's a mental health retreat, I'll text you the information, but most of us haven't seen her in weeks. If you pop by the base in the next couple of days, we'll tell you everything that happened.' 'Thanks kid. Sorry, I shouldn't be calling you kid… Pres?' 'Co-Interim-President, but I'll let you off with it, it's a… weird situation.'

As the club left him be though, one person stayed behind - Hannah. After an awkward moment, she straight up asked him 'You've still got feelings for Maddy, haven't you?' Sean went to light up another cigarette, but looked at Hannah and Skylar, and just put it back in his pocket. 'Yep, they never went away.' He then patted Sky on the head and told him 'Little tip for you kiddo, when you grow up, never start smoking. Or fall in love', before he and Hannah went their separate ways.

After this though, Sean got on his phone again. 'Yo Donna, I know you said you were still recovering from everything, but you said that you had a DVD of what Maddy did while under control for her didn't you?' 'Yeah' the Pole replied 'But I don't see why it matters, last I heard she was in some mental retreat for the foreseeable, and it wasn't looking good for her to be out this side of Autumn. You know they've all been really concerned about her.'

'I know, I've just been with them' 'Is there any update on her?' 'I might be getting one in a couple of days, but I don't think they wanted to say anything out in public just because you never know who could be listening in.' Conscious of who might be listening in, Donna carefully provided some details for him. 'Well… you didn't hear this from me, and you can't tell anybody you know, but she jumped off a bridge a few weeks back, that's why she's not with them right now; she tried to drown herself and had to go to some mental retreat.'

'Yeah, Hannah mentioned that place' Sean mused, trying not to show any sign of his blood running cold as he heard about Maddy making an attempt on her own life. So quickly, he got back to his matter at hand. 'Look, would you be able to lend me that DVD of what she did for a couple of days? I've just got out of prison and I think it would be really helpful for me to be able to see exactly what happened while I was gone. You know, see the lay of the land and everything, see what I can do for her when she comes out.'

'Sure, and if you need to talk through anything, you can come over here, I've got to talk about it at some point. I've not even been out of my office or the house since I was helped out by them.' 'I appreciate it, I'm not putting that burden on you though. You've been through enough without having my burdens on your shoulders, and it's not like I can't talk to the lads or even to Hannah about it. Hey, you should go and have a holiday or something.' Quietly, Donna responded 'I'm going back to Poland next week, I'm staying with my Great-Aunt for a month.'

'Well hopefully that's just what you need to get yourself back.' 'I hope so, I just don't feel like myself anymore. Anyway, she thinks I've just been through a messy break-up so she doesn't ask questions, she's been divorced four times so she gets it, so if you need anything from me then you'll have to ask Phil after that, he's the only one with a spare key to the lockup where I keep everything. Look after yourself though, and don't get yourself sent back down, they won't be as lenient next time, and there's only so much spin Frances can do.'

The next morning, at Ashworth

After a late night travelling, Hannah was just waking up with Phil feeding Skylar, when there was a brief knock on the door, before Astrid backed in, hair clipped up out of her way, carrying a tray full of food through. 'What's this?' 'You're providing me a home, the least I can do is cook you breakfast in bed. I also put you a little something extra on to try, it's called Lefse, it's something my Mum cooked for me when I was young, it's a type of flatbread. Enjoy.'

As she walked out again, Hannah looked at Phil with a degree of guilt in her face. 'I know you're doing this for the right reasons, but it's still really uncomfortable to watch, it really feels like we're taking advantage of her.' 'I do understand' was the honest response. 'It's not exactly a situation I like, but I don't really know what we can do about it, I feel like I'm doing the wrong thing by trying to provide something to help her cope.'

'I'm sorry if I'm making you feel like that, I don't want you to feel that way' 'It isn't you, I feel the same way, I want her to find a way to cope that isn't through the trance, I still can't imagine what torture she's been going through mentally if she just agreed immediately without Freja even saying it. I just fear that we're not going to get anywhere until this issue is resolved, and nobody knows when she's going to be resolved.'

At the base

While Phil was trying to help Astrid manage her emotions, Freja was busy trying to help Belle manage her mental state. 'So deep breathing didn't work.' 'No, it just felt like my lungs were about to explode. And the stretches didn't work, unless by "work" you mean "really make my legs hurt".' 'I did tell you I'm not trained in doing these stretches.' 'I know, I'm not blaming you at all, I just don't think any of these things are working.'

'Well if you'd tell me your hobbies.' 'I told you, I don't really have any. It's tough to have hobbies in Young Offenders, you don't really have a lot with you.' 'Walking?' 'Walking's not a hobby, it's something you have to do every day.' 'Sudoku?' 'For five minutes, yeah. Then you get stuck and get frustrated.' 'Ok… Yoga?' 'Is some stupid hippy nonsense.' The sharp reply frustrated Freja no end, as she continued to try and find some way to help.

At Ashworth

Having finished cleaning up, Astrid sat down with a pen and paper, and started writing another letter to Maddy. As she did, she spoke her words out loud to ensure it made sense. 'Hi Maddy, I know I've not written for a few days, I've been really busy and haven't had the chance. I hope that you're well and that everyone over there is giving you the help you need… not like that, I mean it's just difficult to find the words to ask how you're getting on when I don't know what you're doing.'

'I don't want to make this about me, but it's been really difficult without you. Freja and Belle are getting on again, that's a whole other story for if you come home. Sorry, I know you're going to return, it's just I don't know when or how it's going to be. I know the last time we exchanged letters it was just me getting back in contact with you, and we didn't really talk about much, so I hope that whatever you're doing, you're not busy worrying about us.'

'So what's new with me? Well as I say, I've been struggling a lot, I just feel completely lost without you being here, nothing that we used to do together feels right anymore. I tried going to the park the other day, but I couldn't draw anything, I just can't do it. Freja's managed to come up with a solution for it, and I know you'd be disappointed in me for what I'm now doing, but it's the only thing that's keeping all the emotions away, and I can't deal with them, I suppose I just don't understand them.'

As she was writing, Phil walked in to the room, and Astrid went to put her letter away, only for Phil to tell her 'Don't worry about that.' Sitting himself down, he told her straight 'We need to talk about this trance you're under' 'No no, I wasn't complaining about it just then, I wanted to thank you for it, because it's what I need, it's helping me like nothing else could. I'm so thankful that you were willing to do that for me.'

'I know you think it's helping, but I really don't think it is. I'm concerned that you're not doing this for the right reasons, and are only doing this because, and don't take this the wrong way because there's no nice way to put this, you're avoiding having to learn how to deal with your emotions. I feel like you would benefit from the trance at least being reduced, if not removed entirely.'

This was vehemently denied by her though, as she stared at him in almost a panicked state. 'No, absolutely not, if anything I need to be further under, I feel like this has done so much good for me, I need that hold strengthening. You've been so helpful to me, I don't want all of this to go away purely because you don't trust me or because… I don't even know, I'm just not ready for you to pull the plug.'

After taking some time to reflect, Phil tried to reason with her. 'I want to help you cope, and if that means being under this trance, then that's fine. But, I need you to help yourself, I am not continuing with this if you won't try and do this on your own.' 'I want to do it on my own, please, trust me I do, but I just don't feel like I can. I'm trying to write a letter and I still feel like I'm on the verge of bursting into tears, and I just don't understand all of… all of this, this isn't me.' Starting to understand, Phil told her 'Give me a bit of time', before walking away.

In the arena

Blair was training hard in the arena, ensuring that she was as sharp as could be with two huge duels upcoming. But Rio had concerns as she watched the way her best friend was attacking her training. 'Just cool it a bit B, it's just drones in here at the moment, and you're not even cleared, and I just don't want you making any issues worse. The last thing any of us need is for you to make yourself ill.'

Turning around in surprise, she insisted 'I'm absolutely fine, I don't know what all the fuss is about.' 'I know you keep saying you feel fine' 'So believe me, I'm not lying about it. There is honestly nothing wrong with me. Come train with me if you like, you've got your duel with Claude to focus on, and you know he'll be plotting against you.' 'I know, but I'm more concerned making sure you don't do something stupid.' 'Fine, but there's nothing wrong with me' she shrugged. As Blair turned away again, Rio got her phone out and started texting.

In Hulme, Manchester

In his single-bed apartment, Sean sat in a dirty vest, with empty beer cans scattered around him. He flicked on the television, and inserted a shiny blank disc into his DVD player, but the disc was far from blank, as this thin piece of polycarbonate and plastic was hiding the many crimes of Maddy inside, each millimeter telling its own story of what happened while Rhydian and Akiza were pulling her strings and ripping apart her mind.

With the DVD playing, Sean just sat back in his sofa, and cracked open a can of beer, slowly guzzling it and consuming a pot of instant noodles. Seeing the initial reveal, he shouted 'And nobody thinks to help? Thanks a bunch everyone, you fucking fags!' But despite the reaction, despite every single moment that he watched hurting him more and more, he forced himself into the torture of continuing to watch the entire dvd, throwing each discarded can onto the increasingly congested carpet which at this point was more aluminium than carpet; the flat smelling more like a brewery than a liveable abode.

Getting gradually more and more drunk, Sean started to imagine what he could do to Rhydian in order to continue garnering revenge. But as he did, he luckily heard his phone buzz, luckily as it was Hannah messaging him, reminding him to "Not do anything stupid", as it "Would only hurt Maddy more and that's the last thing he wants". Seeing the message, he continued watching, but his thoughts started to turn to helping Maddy on her eventual return.

An hour later, in the base library

Having been requested to talk to Blair, Hannah arrived at the base, but looking for her, she instead found Belle and Freja in the library, with Belle using her finger to break down words in a small book. 'So the purpose of these cards is to allow people to pre-dict their futures, and have… people have won-der-ed if they actually have psychic powers to open doors into a future dimen… dimension and accurately read the future.'

As she finished, Belle offered her a well-earned hi-five, as Hannah inquired 'What's going on down here?' 'Freja's just read a full proper book for the first time. Not a cardboard one, a real 30 page book on Tarot cards. She's doing so well.' 'It just took someone to be patient. Now all we need to do is find you a hobby. A real hobby that is, not just teaching me how to read.' 'Good luck with that' she quipped, as Hannah smiled and walked away, while mumbling 'You girls are just too cute together.'

A few minutes later, Hannah found Blair still duelling in the arena, looking as strong as ever but starting to breathe slightly heavily. Seeing her, Blair paused her duel, and went to hug her mother figure. 'How are you?' 'I'm fine, it's actually you I've come to check on. I know that a few people have been concerned about you both physically and mentally since you helped Maddy out of the water, I mean I can only imagine the toll it must have taken.'

Rather calmly, Blair replied 'I don't get it, I'm totally fine, I just want people to treat me normally instead of pussy-footing around me like I'm made of glass. I don't want treating like I'm fragile, and I certainly don't want treating like I'm some kind of hero, because anybody in my situation would have done the same for Maddy, I just happened to be the person who worked out what she was up to.'

'I think people are just concerned because it feels like they've lost her for however long, and they don't want to lose you as well.' Still not understanding this train of thought, she stated 'I want Maddy back as much as anyone else, you know it's not like I don't miss her at all. Most of all though, I want her back so people will stop treating me so strangely, I feel like I've got eyes burning into me at all times.'

'And this whole situation with Sakura? Apparently you're refusing to talk to her.' 'Because she won't clear me to duel, I missed out on a huge duel because of that' 'Well you've not exactly missed out, you know that Declan's in the process of rearranging it, Phil triple checked that contract and it is watertight as anything, he has to give you the duel in a reasonable timeframe after you're cleared. And speaking to him, he wants the duel as much as you do, I don't think Declan's really been challenged much like this. How long was it that Sakura wanted you sitting out for?'

Rolling her eyes, Blair repeated what she was told by Sakura. '2-3 weeks, no duelling, no football, no caving, nothing vigorous out of safety, just veg out and watch the Hallmark channel or something. Thing is, I feel absolutely fine, I wouldn't be going to the mosque later if I wasn't.' In a vain attempt to calm her down, Hannah asked 'You're finally getting to go?' 'The mosque? Yeah, Jade's finally persuaded me to do that, Rio's going to have Ally for the afternoon.'

'Well hopefully that will just give you some kind of distraction.' 'I don't need a distraction though, I appreciate what you're saying, but what I need is to be allowed to do what I do best, and that is go and duel. But Sakura wouldn't understand that, she doesn't live for duelling, she's good at it but she doesn't want to do it, so she doesn't understand how it feels to not be allowed to do the thing that you love the most.'

Trying to find some common ground, Hannah posed 'Do you not think she's ever been in that situation? Just because that thing isn't duelling, doesn't mean she doesn't know how you feel. Sakura cares about everyone here, and I can tell you from first hand experience that she'll want to get you duelling again ASAP.' Still struggling to win her around though, Hannah then suggested 'Why don't you just go and talk things out with Sakura, she's only trying to do her job and you're probably making her feel pretty awful.' 'Yeah, I could go and do that, at least make her see how I feel.'

In Toronto

Shannon and Kieran were arriving at Rhydian's condo, having not heard from him for several days. 'Do you think he's ok?' Shannon asked, but Kieran was confident. 'He'll be fine, he's been off since we lost the chick, remember. He'll be at the next event no problem, but he'll never complain to us coming round, think up some more plans for where we go next now we've cut all the deadwood.'

Curious about something, Kieran then asked Shannon 'You think he's going to get her back?' 'Who - Maddy?' 'Yeah.' 'Absolutely, one way or the other, we will. We've done it once, and that was with Rhydian in jail and some useless witch in charge. Now that we've got the experience, we can do it again. Besides, we almost destroyed them the first time, and they've not had nearly the amount of time to recover.'

'Why, how long do they need? I don't like them but they're not exactly stupid.' 'I'd say at least six months to sort out the admin, between people leaving, people returning, they've still got the issue of Maddy because if they've got her in hiding then I'm willing to bet she's not leading them.' Shannon confidently declared, before continuing 'Little Miss terminally ill can't lead to save her life, he's just a power hungry maniac, Blair would have a panic attack if she had to give instructions to anybody, nobody likes Blondie from what Maddy told us; even if they had Maddy leading it would be a good six months, without her then we've got all the time in the world.'

Thinking about that, Kieran bemoaned 'I never thought I'd say this, but we could really do with someone like James right now.' 'Why, we don't need to kill them.' 'No, I mean someone who will just bust straight in there and get shit done. For how much of a psychopath and liability he became, he used to actually be pretty effective, because he knew what he wanted, and he didn't bother planning it out.'

'Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's how he ended up in court on Attempted Murder charges, and is now facing the rest of his life in prison.' 'Well it's not like that's going to be long anyway.' 'Why, you been in prison?' 'No, but all the guys I know have been. And from what they've told me, there's two things that even hardened criminals hate: rapists and child killers. Trust me, between his charges and his gob, he's going to be in the morgue within two years. I would have done it myself if I'd had to put up with him for much longer.'

As they arrived at the condo, Shannon knocked, but it wasn't Rhydian who answered, but Celina, with a familiar thousand-yard stare. 'Where's Rhydian?' Slowly and almost half-asleep, she responded 'He's upstairs, he isn't taking visitors right now. Is there a message you would like passing on to him?' 'Tell him that we wouldn't mind hearing from him occasionally considering we're supposed to be mates' Kieran told her directly, and she nodded, telling him 'I'll let my beautiful lord know what you said.'

As she closed the door, Shannon looked at Kieran, and stated 'Stage 1, she's clearly had the same stuff Maddy has. It'll work way faster with her though, she's already passing through the first stage, because the highlights haven't kicked in fully yet.' 'You think he's using her as a replacement?' 'Until we get Maddy, yeah. We're still trying to find out where she's gone, because there's been no sign of her for weeks. Either she's being very well hidden or she's moved somewhere secretly.'

Kieran then checked his phone as it buzzed, and looked surprised. 'What is it?' 'It's that muppet Kincade, apparently he's been found by the cops walking around the Scottish Borders, he's been turned into a total amnesiac.' 'As long as he doesn't grass on anything we've done' 'Even if he does, who are they going to believe, us or some rando who was found roaming the wilds claiming not to remember his own name even. Let's go, we've got much better things to be doing than waiting around here.'

In the base's medical bay

Sakura was reading a frivolous gossip magazine when Blair walked in, making her hide the literature quickly. 'Look, if you want to read "OMG Celebrity Weekly", I couldn't care less. I just came because I figured I've given you the silent treatment for long enough.' 'Well in that case it's nice to have you back. I'm sorry that I've upset you, but I'd like to know how I upset you by looking after your health. Well apart from stopping you from duelling, but if it was just that, you'd have told me and we would have had it out by now.'

'I'm just sick of people creeping around me, whispering misgivings about my health, because I feel absolutely 100% fine, physically there's nothing wrong, mentally there's not much wrong, no more than normal anyway, I just want to be left to get on with what I need to get on with. Because I spend so much time just wasting time, I don't want to waste another second, I promised that when Rio got ill, I promised that when Gramma died, I promised that when Maddy nearly died, that I was going to make the most out of every moment.'

Trying to put the situation into perspective, Sakura explained 'People aren't trying to inconvenience you, they aren't trying to annoy you. People care about you Blair, and they're concerned for you, because quite honestly, you're not just co-interim-temporary-president, you're also everybody's surrogate big sister, whenever anyone's got an issue or times are tough, people look up to one person, and that person's you. Everyone loves you here, and everyone needs you. So if there's anything wrong, we are going to worry. Now you just focus on making sure you remain "absolutely 100% fine", and there won't be any issues, and you'll be cleared in just over a week.'

At Ashworth

Astrid was laying down blankets gently into Skylar's cot before placing him down in there, and found herself starting to gently serenade him with a lullaby in Finnish. 'Joka ilta kun lamppu sammuu, ja saapuu oikea yö, niin Nuuku-Matti nousee, ja ovehen hiljaa lyö (Every night when the lamp's light goes out, and the real night arrives, then the Sandman will rise, and knocks quietly on the door).' Her singing though, was interrupted as Phil walked in, and immediately she turned away in embarrassment. But undeterred, he walked over to her, and put his arm around her.

'You know, if I could sing to him the way you can, I'd be very proud indeed. I can't sing to save my life sadly, Hannah can… sort of sing, but you're something else.' Pushing her long hair to one side, she admitted 'I know, but I'm not used to people hearing me, and they just stare at me, and it just weirds me out, like I don't want people staring at me… sorry, I'm ranting, you wanted to talk?'

He nodded, and brought up a chair to sit down next to them both. 'I'm prefacing this by telling you straight - I'm not going to strengthen the trance.' Disappointed, Astrid tried to salvage what she thought she needed. 'I can't do without this, I need you to continue giving it to me, in fact I need more of it.' Seeing how desperate she was, he tried to come to an agreement with her. 'I'm not cutting you off either. So with that said, I would like to do a deal with you: I want you to learn to cope, and the best way to do that' 'Is to cut off the spell' 'One day a week' he finished, surprising her into silence.

'Go without it one day a week, we will agree on a day each week. After that, if you're coping well enough, we will look at two days a week. You have to learn to do this yourself, but that doesn't mean you're alone in it. Like it or not, you're part of our family Astrid.' As he said this, she stared at him in disbelief and started to cry, as he pulled her in for a gentle cuddle. 'You'll do this, I promise. If you need time, we can give you all the time in the world. And when Maddy gets back, you're still going to be a part of the family.'

In Sunderland

As she and Jade were approaching the mosque, Blair appeared to be getting increasingly nervous. 'Are you sure this is a good idea Jade?' 'Totally, I mean you were the one who wanted this to begin with, and your nerves are the whole reason we're going today, it's the one day a week that Imam Musa is attending, and you know how good he made you feel last time.' 'Yeah, but it's different when you're actually properly going.'

As they entered the hallowed building, she turned to her girlfriend again, and asked 'Do you think they'll treat me differently because I'm… you know…' She didn't finish her sentence, but reading between the lines, Jade had a feeling. 'Nobody will care that you're white, in the eyes of Allah we are all equals.' 'Have you ever seen anyone like me there?' 'You could just say white, and not seen them, but I know there are plenty who attend prayers. Trust me, you'll be fine.'

Imam Musa then approached them, his face beaming with a warm smile. 'Blair and Jade, it's great that you were able to come.' 'Thanks.' Blair then suddenly blurted out 'As-Salamu Alaykum' to him, and he politely responded 'Wa alaikum assalam.', before remarking 'For someone who has been practicing such a short time, your manners are exemplary. You've taught her well Jade.' Jade then assured him 'Please excuse her, she's been really nervous about this all day.'

'I understand, but there really is no need.' Still tense, Blair asked 'Do you… have homosexuals here?' 'None right now apart from yourselves, but they have all passed through these walls before, males with males, females with females, females with questioning males, I've been here eleven years and seen it all. In the eyes of Allah, we are one, we all believe the same and we all worship the same. Allah will judge us on our day of days for our actions, not for which way we swing sexually' he laughed, putting her at ease somewhat, as they entered the prayer hall.

In the arena

Kris and Donny were having a fiery tune-up duel with the Vegas duellist narrowly ahead, when Dakota walked in, slamming the door behind her, and walking straight up to Kris. 'Can this wait? I'm a little busy if you couldn't tell.' 'Do you not even care what your girlfriend's doing to herself? This is why I miss Lydia, she'd tell me things that other people don't even seem to give a second thought, I mean letting Astrid put herself in that situation with Phil?'

Casually, he responded 'It's nothing to do with me anymore. Me and Astrid split up weeks ago, or should I say, I ended it.' 'Why though, I thought you loved her.' 'I do, but honestly I don't think she feels the same level of affection I do, all she's interested in is looking hard and stoic, she won't get near me in public, and here all she's bothered about is her girlfriends, there's no point us even being together. I still care about her and everything, but I'm sure that stoic Ms. Viking is grown-up enough to look after her own shit at this point without having a boyfriend to get in the way.

Two hours later, in Washington

As Blair and Jade returned from the mosque, Blair remarked 'That went so much better than I thought it would' while having her legs hugged by Ally. 'I told you not to worry' her beloved responded while picking up a letter from the floor. 'It was so much friendlier than you thought it would be.' 'I know, and it really felt special being able to do that with you. It sounds stupid, but it felt so intimate and personal to us.' 'Because it was, when you're there, nobody else matters, it's just us two and what we believe in.' 'And what we believe in is unconditional love, and making the best life' Suddenly, a deafening cry of 'OH MY GOD!' came from the living room, making Blair rush over.

As she did, she found Jade crying while holding an open envelope. 'What's going on…' 'You know those new builds in Gateshead? And how much we loved them?' 'Yeah, have they come on offer or something?' 'No, we're the owner of one.' This took several seconds for it to sink in before Blair approached to see the letter. 'It says we've had an offer accepted on them. Thank you so much!' she cried, but Blair appeared confused.

'Jade, I didn't put an offer in, that money I was owed only came into my bank like two days ago.' 'Well I didn't.' 'And Rio won't have done, because I specifically asked her not to, because her money isn't infinite and she's already more than paying her way. Plus she can't get any health insurance now because of her illness, which she appealed but' 'Appeal all you like, big business doesn't care about that.' There then came a surprise, as Ally tapped Blair on the back, and quietly stood with her arms behind her back, looking guilty.

Seeing how troubled she was, Jade knelt down to her level. 'Ally, if you've done something, it's important for you to be honest.' 'Um… I paid for the house, well Auntie Astrid gave me a card and told me what to do. She also wrote a letter, but she told me not to give it to you.' 'Do you know where the letter is?' She nodded, and dashed to her and Rio's bedroom, pulling a tiny envelope out of a false bottom in her sock drawer, before bringing it back down and handing it to Blair.

Opening the envelope, they found a small thank-you note, which read 'I knew she wouldn't be able to keep it from you forever. This is a thank you for saving Maddy's life, because of you both, Maddy is still with us, you gave her a second chance when nobody else could. Blair, you've given her a second chance twice, because we would never have got her back but for you. So now I'm going to give you a chance to start your lives. Signed, A. Hofferdottir.'

Surprised, Jade asked 'You think it's legit?' '100%' Blair responded. 'Astrid always signs her stuff with Hofferdottir, something to do with naming conventions I think.' She then looked at a message on her phone from Sakura, confirming that she would be able to duel Astrid. 'I swear I'm going to use our duel to help Astrid just like we helped Maddy. Because she really deserves it.'

At Ashworth

Freja and Astrid were sat having lunch together, discussing Phil's deal with her. 'So it's one day a week that you came to.' 'It was just about the only thing I think he'd accept, I was so convinced he was just going to abandon it totally that I had to agree.' 'Well hopefully now you'll get what you're after with it.' 'Hopefully, I don't want to feel special, I want to be doing what you guys do, I mean I chose this and I don't want to be given different treatment.'

Hannah then walked in, pretending she hadn't heard this conversation. 'Hey guys, just been bringing in the post. Freja, you've got a bank statement, and Astrid, you've got a letter from a "Maddy Smith".' Excited, Astrid reached out, and got handed the letter after a small amount of teasing from Hannah. 'What does it say, what does it say?' Freja asked eagerly. 'I don't know…' Astrid responded, before excitedly telling her 'But let's find out', before opening the envelope.

Next time: Phil issues an ultimatum, and receives an unexpected challenge, while Belle takes her rage out on Rhydian and Rio looks to overcome Claude, but is her bigger challenge the one she doesn't expect? R: Ultra Evolution Book 33: Old Wars Die Hard