Disclaimer: I do not own the properties of the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise or the work of the cards; I only own the OCs that could or may be involved in this series. I own nothing of the real OCG cards, just the formal OC character.
Chapter 8: The Orphan and the Soulless
The streets of the slums were barren, with no signs of life or people. The sound of a duel runner revs a vibrating noise, and in the street, a single duel runner, Bloody Kiss, streaks past a crossroad. Akiza swivels and turns to the right. Yasuko holds on to the girl as they approach their designated area. They come to a brunt stop, Akiza halting the duel runner in the middle of an empty road. "Is this where they are?" Akiza inquired. She looked around for any sign of Yasuko's people in the street. "Looks to me nobody here."
Yasuko adjusted the duel disk to get a better signal, but the device didn't hone the Lancers every time she tried to get the DPS working.
"Damn," Yasuko cursed, "they were here just a minute ago." With the useless DPS, Yasuko looked around where her device tracked other Lancers. She had to know which ones were left behind and which ones were not. Frankly, the whole area was void of any people. She removes the helmet and hops off the Bloody Kiss. Setting the helmet at her side, Yasuko surveyed the scene. She had to be sure the Lancers were here.
"I can tell there's a confrontation," Yasuko assumed.
"How would you know that?" Akiza asked.
"Because these Gate Blockers you mentioned are used by Sector Security to capture criminals, right?" Yasuko questioned, which Akiza nodded to confirm.
"Of course," Akiza answered.
Yasuko looked up, pondering who got ambushed first. She steps forward and comes to the spot where the Lancers had supposedly been. "Four dots, and it was right here," she thought. Out of the corner, Yasuko had spotted something. She bends over to the ground and sees what she can assume it is. On the ground, there were track marks, four in position. It has to be a car.
"There was a fight here," Yasuko speculated. "My people were surrounded by all sides, no way out. I assume it's about dozens of Sector Security officers here." She stands up to survey the area more. Yasuko's eyes caught a glimpse of more tracks, but not in a way a car would be positioned. "Wait," she said. "Over there."
Yasuko heads to the sporadic track marks, and Akiza follows her. They examined the remains of track marks, all facing in one direction.
"Looks like somebody got them out of here before they could be taken," said Yasuko.
"What makes you so sure?" Akiza asked.
"Because these tire tracks are still fresh," Yasuko answered. She stands up, assuming what has happened. "Obviously, security guards have to chase after them when they were taken over…there," Yasuko hypothesized, pointing in the same direction as to where the tracks were going.
"So, if we head that way, I'm sure my DPS will pinpoint the Lancers again," Yasuko stated.
Akiza stands and looks at the one direction Yasuko is pointing. She can't be sure if Yasuko is correct since this city is enormous, and the slums for the Commons are bigger than the Tops.
"Are you sure they head this way?" Akiza questioned.
"I don't know," Yasuko replied. "But I hope they're over there when I get to them."
Akiza nodded. "Then let's go," she said, returning to Bloody Kiss. Yasuko hops on, and Akiza turns on the engine.
They hear a loud shout calling after them just before they can go. "Hey, you two!" They halted, and both girls turned around to be confronted by two Sector Security officers.
"What are you girls doing here?" the officer interrogated.
Akiza and Yasuko didn't think they'd be caught by the police. They stare at the officers approaching them. They had a suspicious look on their faces, showing them how serious they are. "This area is off limits," said one of the officers.
Yasuko slowly places her duel disk back into her holster and pretends to do something to cover her real motive. "I'm sorry, officers," she said, sounding innocent. "My senior, Akiza Izinski, was just helping me do some duel running practices, but we got caught in a wrong turn, and we're lost."
The female Sector Security officer glances at Akiza. "Akiza Izinski? The senator's daughter?" The female officer seemingly recognizes the red girl.
"Oh, yeah," Akiza replied, acting as innocent as possible. "I'm just helping some of my classmates from the lower grade learn how to ride a duel runner." She gestures to Yasuko. "She's a student-in-training, and I'm trying to get her ready for the school duel grand prix."
The officers glance at each other, curious about what tournament they should practice for. Besides that, they seem to have other issues to press into. The male officer takes out a tablet and shows the girls something.
"We have some questions, and we would like to ask you, ladies, something," the female officer requested. "You two wouldn't happen to see these fugitives, have you?" The female officer turns the tablet to the girls, showing them the wanted images of Zuzu and Yugo.
Yasuko felt she could bite her tongue to keep herself from exposing her connection to Zuzu. Since Serena and Yuya look exactly like Yugo and Zuzu, there's a chance they'll get caught. She has to ensure the heat doesn't come to them or her.
Yasuko shakes her head. "Nope, officer," she replied conspicuously. "I haven't seen them."
"Sorry, officer, but neither have I," Akiza added. "We were at the workshop all day."
The officers made another glance at each other and shrugged. "Well, okay then, you ladies, be careful," said the male officer. As the male officer leaves, the female officer comes to the ladies and gives them what appears to be a calling card. She hands it over to Yasuko.
"This is the Sector Security phone number; if you have any questions about the fugitives, then be sure to call this number, and we'll have one of the officers come over," said the female officer. She takes one look at Yasuko and notices something about her. Her eyes were drawn to the holster carrying her duel disk. "Are you a duelist?"
Yasuko makes a gesture that it's a maybe. "I'm just trying to get my mojo working right now," she responded.
The female officer snorted with amusement. "Good luck trying to get into the big leagues, girl," she smirked. "If you can win your tournament, I hope for the best in you." The female officer left the girls alone and returned to the patrol car.
Yasuko and Akiza kept their eyes on Sector Security driving away from the scene. With the officers gone, Yasuko looked at the number in her hand. She had to assume the officers gave her the card in case she ever came across Yuya or Serena. She puts the card into the pocket of her back jeans and picks up the helmet.
"We have to go," said Yasuko.
Akiza starts following beside her. She looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching them and came close to her ears so Yasuko could hear. "Listen, Yasuko," she whispered. "If you're going to be looking for your people, you have to be extremely careful."
Yasuko momentarily looks at Akiza with a raised eyebrow. "Am I supposed to be afraid of Sector Security? I've had my run-ins with authority before in my dimension, and they're not as competent as them." She puts on the helmet and adjusts the strap, and so does Akiza.
The girls get on Bloody Kiss and ride off into the distance. The wind blows fast to their face, and Yasuko holds on tight as they come to the other side of the neighborhood.
Akiza kicks the Bloody Kiss into throttle, hoping to avoid any more Sector Security officers in their area.
"Yasuko, I am slightly concerned about this," Akiza called.
"Concern about what?" Yasuko inquired.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing," Akiza questioned. "Sector Security doesn't treat people like you very well." As her eyes are focused on the road, Akiza continues, "You don't want them getting into your skin."
"And that's why I have to find Yuya," Yasuko responded. "Because I need to be sure he doesn't do anything stupid or crazy that will get him arrested."
Akiza glanced back to Yasuko. "All I'm saying is…don't get me invoked in whatever you do with your people," she said. "This whole Dimensions War thing…I'm unsure if getting into's a good idea."
Yasuko found Akiza hesitant about what was at stake. "Do you think this world will be safe when they come to the city and turn people into cards?"
Akiza gaped, startled by what Yasuko meant. "What?"
"They turn people into cards!" Yasuko yelled. "Do you want to see this world burn like they're doing in the Xyz Dimension?"
"I don't want to even know about that," said Akiza. "And I surely didn't want this to happen."
Yasuko rolled her eyes. Typical rich people mentality. They always have to prioritize their own money over morals. "It's always the same thing with you rich people," she said.
Akiza heard her saying that, offended by her reaction. "What?"
Yasuko had no problem giving Akiza an attitude. She understood what it meant to live with nothing while someone like Akiza lived a life of luxury.
"Personally, I don't care if you have money," said Yasuko. "What I care about is if you care enough to know this world is going to be a battlefield when Academia is going to invade it."
Akiza thought she'd get a rise out of Yasuko, but she wanted her to understand what kind of a world the Synchro Dimension is. "Academia?" she inquired.
As she faces forward, Yasuko continues, "That's who I'm up against. Academia is my enemy. They're supposed to be a military school for youngsters trained for combat against those who oppose them," Yasuko explained. "And let me tell you, I've seen them do many things you wished you hadn't." There are lingering images of people from the Arc League Championship being into cards. It's no doubt what kind of people they are.
"You can't imagine war when you see one," said Yasuko. "And it's important that I find my people or this dimension will be on fire." Yasuko may have noticed, but Akiza gave a slight glance of concern, understanding what would happen if this whole Dimensions War came to Neo Domino City.
On the other side of town, Yuya was exceptionally grateful for the riders who saved them from the Sector Security team. He and the others watch the stranger give the riders a wave to them before they all drive off.
The stranger takes his helmet off to reveal the face of a young adult who looks like he's already past his adolescence and entering adulthood. He has dark grey eyes and orange hair restrained by a headband with twin rings piercing it. For some reason, the stranger had distinguishable markings all over his face, two yellow-gold straight lines from the eyes down to his cheek with triangles on each side of his face and an "M" with a dot on his forehead. He also wore ear piercings with bolts hanging from them.
The stranger greets them with a warm smile. "That was pretty ballsy over there, protecting that kid, even when facing all of that security," he said. "No one who'd protected a child can't be that bad. I can tell you are a good guy."
Though grateful, Yuya and the others had no idea who the stranger was, considering they'd just met him a few moments ago. "Um…who are you?" Yuya asked.
Before the stranger could answer the question, a door opened from the house next to them, and a little girl with blue eyes and puffy burgundy hair arranged in two bunches on each side of her head came right out to greet them.
"Crow, welcome back!" the girl greeted.
The stranger, Crow, notices the girl and turns to her. "Hey, Amanda," he said. "Where are Frank and Tarren?" He heads to his duel runner to place his helmet on the seat.
"They went into town," said Amanda. "They say they wanted to help you for once, Crow." As she explains this to her guardian, Crow picks up a grocery bag from the duel runner and walks to the house.
"What the heck?" Crow wondered, entering the house.
Amanda was about to enter the house when she noticed Yuya and the others outside. She turns around and bows slightly as a form of greeting. "Hello," she said. "Are you friends of Crow?"
"Uh…" Yuya doesn't know how to reply to something like that since this stranger, Crow, saved them from getting arrested by the officers. Nonetheless, Yuya and the others glance at each other, wondering if they should just enter the house. Without any words, the rest enters the home.
Yuya has seen many messes and very poor home conditions, but this was even worse. The home looked like it'd been in the city for decades and hadn't been renovated for a long time. The stone walls are decaying and breaking down like rocks. The floor is covered with dust and dirt, with the wooden platform being old and creaky. In the back of Yuya's mind, he wondered how anyone could live in a horrible place like this.
"I got something good today," said Crow, pulling a tuna can on the table. Upon seeing the food, Amanda was excited.
"Tuna! I'll make some tuna sandwiches!" Amanda beamed, very ecstatic about a meal she wanted to make. Then, Crow turns to the group by the door.
"You guys hungry?" Crow asked.
"Let's eat together!" Amanda added.
Yuya hadn't been sure how long he'd eaten since he had lunch with Yasuko, but it seemed like it'd been forever ago or whenever they had lunch together. He glances down at Riley and gives him a pat on his back. The boy looked up to him curiously, wondering what they would do next.
Amanda and Crow prepare the bread on the shelves while Yuya does the tuna. It's not his kind of food, but at least they get to eat something. As Crow and Amanda eat the tuna sandwiches, he stares at them curiously.
"I've never seen you guys around here before," said Crow. "Where did you come from?"
Yuya gets straight to the point and says, "The truth is—"
"You really saved us before!" Sylvio interrupted, offering a handshake for Crow to take. "That was some welcome they gave us. After we came all this way from another dimension!"
"Another dimension?" Crow inquired.
"Yeah, I'm Sylvio Sawatari?" he introduced. "In Maiami City, I'm known as the undefeated duelist." He gestures to Yuya. "And lad over there is my apprentice, Yuya Sakaki."
"Hey!" Yuya exclaimed, offended by Sylvio and his hypocrisy.
Sylvio ignores Yuya's reaction and jabs a thumb at Serena, sitting beside him. "And this strong-willed woman is Serena. She came from a different dimension than ours."
Crow was confused and unsure of what Sylvio meant by different dimensions. "Hey, now. Did I bit off more than I could chew with you guys?" he queried.
As much as how Yuya is annoyed with Sylvio, he wants to let Crow know the whole truth. "No, it's true," he said. "We're searching for our teammates in this dimension."
"Whatever, I don't really get it," Crow responded, as he turned back to the sink for a glass of water, "but if you just got here, you must not have a place to stay, right?" Turning back to the group, he said, "You can stay here until the heat dies. Make yourselves at home."
Just as the group was getting to relax after their encounter with the officers, a loud knock went off from the front door, and everyone was alarmed. Serena was already facing forward with her duel disk ready in case it was the officers again. Even Yuya and Sylvio are on edge, wondering how the officers could quickly find them. Riley was frightened, holding his teddy bear close to him.
"They found us?" Sylvio accused. "How'd they find us so quickly?"
"I don't know," Yuya stated.
Crow puts a finger on his mouth to keep everyone in the house quiet. "Shhhh!" he hissed. "Quiet, I'll go check it out. You guys just wait inside here." Crow was very cautious and walked to the front door.
Everyone was waiting impatiently, wondering if the officers were there to find the fugitives who had mistaken Serena and Yuya. As they waited, they heard the door open and Crow sounding off from the other side. "Hello? Can I help—" However, there was a pause before Crow made a gasp. "What the—? Who are you?"
"I'm sorry if this is a bust, but I'm looking for someone. His name's Yuya Sakaki and he's been missing for a few days. I was wondering if you've seen him?"
Upon hearing the girl's voice, Yuya instantly recognizes the girl. He rushes to the front door, hoping it's who he thinks she is. He gets to view the door and sees it is the one he hopes to see.
"Yasuko!" Yuya called. He saw Yasuko standing by the door, and there was a young lady with burgundy hair. She has to be around the same age as Crow standing by the door.
Crow glances over his shoulder, realizing that Yuya knows the girl. "You know her?" he asked.
Yuya nodded, pointing at Yasuko. "Her, I know, but not the other one," he answered. He saw Crow raising an eyebrow with surprise.
"Really?" Crow turns back to the girls. "You're his teammate?" he asked.
"No, he's my teammate," Yasuko clarified, giving Crow a look. She turns back to Yuya. "And you…"
Yuya waited for what he thought Yasuko was a greeting, but her kind of greeting was not what he expected. In the blink of an eye, the girl comes inside, and then—
POW!
Yuya felt something smack his stomach like a rock. Yasuko punched him hard, and she was angry. She didn't think of doing it, but it was only fair for her since the others had been gone so long that she didn't know if they ever had come with her simultaneously.
When she retracted her fist, Yasuko started to give an outburst. "Where the hell have you been?!" she shouted.
Yuya grunts, holding his gut as the pain spreads to his stomach. "Uh…Yasuko…what did you do that for?" he groaned.
"That's for leaving me alone in this dystopian hellhole for days!" Yasuko exclaimed, marching past Yuya to confront whoever was also with them. Upon entering the living space, she spots Serena sitting at the table with Sylvio standing.
He gives a smug gaze to the girl. "Well, if it isn't—YAK!" Before Sylvio could finish his sentence, Yasuko gave him a right hook that smacked his cheek. Sylvio screamed and fell with a reddened cheek on his left side. The boy looked up, completely shocked Yasuko would assault him after coming all this way from their home.
"You…you hit me!" Sylvio exclaimed angrily. "My father will hear about this! What was that for?"
"For making me wait for your sorry asses while I was stuck here for a week and a half," Yasuko accused.
Yuya gets right beside Yasuko, rubbing his chest. He was confused about what Yasuko meant about waiting in the Synchro Dimension for days. "What are you talking about?" he inquired. "We just got here." He flinched as soon as Yasuko turned to him.
"What do you mean, "We just got here?"" Yasuko repeated. "I was here for twelve days!" She throws her gym bag over the table just as Crow enters the living space, faces contorted with discontent.
"Hey, whoa, hold on there a minute, there," said Crow. "Take it easy."
It was the first time Yasuko met Crow, and she was confused just by meeting him. "Are you a guest? Or do you live here?" she asked Crow.
Crow nodded. "I live here, and who are you?"
"Yasuko Yukihana," she introduced. "And this gal with me is someone vital, or maybe you may recognize her, Akiza Izinski." She gestures to the girl entering the home after Crow. Upon hearing this, Crow was surprised, turning to Akiza with widened eyes.
"Wait, Izinski? As in Senator Izinski's daughter?" Crow questioned.
Akiza turns to him. "Yeah," she confirmed.
"Wow, I had no idea you were in with them," said Crow. "Crow Hogan. A pleasure to meet you."
"And the pleasure is all mine," Akiza smiled.
Amanda was excited about her appearing in their home. "Wow! Really?! That's so cool!" she beamed.
"Don't act like she's a princess," Yasuko retorted. "That's the last thing I want from anyone in this house."
Crow isn't sure what to make of Yasuko. Rude? Maybe. Tempered? Definitely. Yet, she brings in the senator's daughter, and there is no doubt about her connection to the Tops. "How'd you know her?" he asked Akiza.
"Let's just say… a couple of classmates of mine introduced me to her," Akiza replied. Turning back to Yasuko, she said, "Are these the people you've been waiting for?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Yasuko confirmed. "And as you can see, this idiot here is Sylvio Sawatari. Don't believe anything he said. He's actually an idiot." She gestures to the boy who has come to the ground.
"Hey!" Sylvio exclaimed, offended.
Yasuko moves on and starts with the boy with the teddy bear. "That boy is a little too young, but his name's Riley," she stated. "And these two are not who you thought they were from the TV or posters."
Akiza comes face-to-face with Serena and Yuya. She gasped, taken back from their appearance. "Hold on, aren't you those fugitives who were wanted by Sector Security?" she asked, earning more confusion from Yuya and Serena.
"I'd repeat it, these are not the ones from the TV," Yasuko emphasized.
"But they are," Akiza accused. "Look at 'em. I know I've seen them on TV."
"But they're not," Yasuko countered. "This is the guy's twin brother, Yuya Sakaki, and that's the girl from an alternate universe, Serena, who happens to look like that girl from the TV."
"Oh, come on!" Yuya snapped, annoyed by Yasuko assuming he had a twin brother from his doppelgängers who looked like him. "What the hell are you talking about? Fugitives? We just got here like ten minutes ago. What the hell is going on here?" The more Yasuko and Akiza talk about him and Serena on TV, the more confusing it becomes. They seem to know what happened in the Synchro Dimension, and he needs to understand what happened.
Seeing Yuya being frustrated, Yasuko gets to the point of what is happening in the city.
"Okay, fine. Here's what's going on," said Yasuko. "Your twin brother, Yugo, and Zuzu are fugitives wanted by Sector Security."
Yuya was in disbelief. "What?!" he gasped, horrified by his status as a fugitive. "What do you mean wanted?"
Serena was also confused, wondering if Yasuko was actually telling the truth. "What makes you say that?" she asked.
"You have wanted posters all over the city," Yasuko responded. "And they're looking for you." She opens her gym bag to dig for something to shed some light on their situation. She pulls out a couple of papers she picked up from a Sector Security officer a few moments ago before she and Akiza got to them. Yasuko throws the stack over to show them what she meant.
Everyone leans in to get a closer look, and Yuya gasps when he sees the same guy who took out Yuto in the picture, Yugo and Zuzu, stamped with a red flag and a large "Wanted" sign on their faces.
"Wait, you can't be serious," Yuya denied.
"No, it's true," Aliza clarified. "You're all wanted by Sector Security."
"Sector Security?" Sylvio inquired.
"That will be the guys you've encountered," Crow indulged, making everyone turn to him. They can tell Crow doesn't like these guys just by the look of his frown and the seeping anger in his voice. "Sector Security is a law enforcement agency whose mission was to apprehend criminals through dueling."
"Apprehend through dueling?" Yuya questioned.
"Yeah," Crow confirmed. "But the truth is these guys are just as bad as the crooks they caught themselves. They abuse their authority and take advantage of us, Commons." Crow seems to eye at Akiza. "Clearly, you never know about this, right?"
Akiza is surprised that Crow mentions this when she doesn't herself. "Uh…no, I'm sorry, but I had no idea."
Crow waves it off as if it's not a big deal. "Yeah, whatever. But if this is serious, you better stay here for a while." Crow picks up a post to examine it. "No doubt this is going to get messy."
"Then we have to go find them!" Yuya stated.
"Uh, not "we", Yuya," Yasuko protested. "You're staying with me for a long time." She faces Serena with a disapproving stare. "And that goes for you too, Serena," she snapped.
"I don't take orders from you, Yasuko," Serena spat back, frowning at the girl.
Yasuko felt like she wanted to punch Serena in the face like Sylvio, but she kept her head in check. "So stubborn," Yasuko pondered as she looked around the room, noticing the lack of numbers from before being teleported across dimensions. "Where are the others?" she asked.
While she waits for answers, Yasuko notices a smaller person beside her, and Yuya speaks up. "We don't know," he said.
Looking down, Yasuko faces Riley, as Serena said, "We were already here by the time we teleported across the dimension."
The girl was confused about why Riley was here and now with his big brother, who was supposed to care for him. Riley's the youngest member in their group, but Declan's not here or anywhere else in the city. "Aren't you the lucky one," she said sarcastically.
Riley seems to hear her and moves his head to stare at her directly in the eyes. He didn't make a response to her. He just stared at her. In return, Yasuko was also staring back at him. She thought of what Henrietta told her about Riley during the Arc League Championship.
"We found Riley in a rumble of a house in a war-torn country after the conflict ended. And because of that, we adopted the child, and Riley is now a part of the family."
Her words echoed back to her head like a recorder, reminding Yasuko of what kind of childhood Riley must've had before being taken in by the Akabas. At that moment, Yasuko takes something from her gym bag. She brought out a small bag of candy for herself but decided to give it to Riley instead. She offers the candy bag to Riley.
The little one looks at the bag in Yasuko's hand and stares at the girl. He seemed so timid. Riley doesn't know what to do with the candy bag before him. "Go on," said Yasuko. "Take it." She held the bag closer to Riley, but all the boy did was stare at the bag like it was new to him.
"What? Not hungry?" Yasuko asked Riley, but he didn't respond. Riley just stared at her back.
"Come on, kid, you have to eat something," said Yasuko, but Riley didn't reply.
"I think he's just a bit shy," said Akiza, noticing Yasuko's attempt to get Riley to eat. "Don't force him into it; just let him choose."
Yasuko considers it. After all, Riley is Declan's younger sibling, so she thinking of something else. "Fine, I'll leave this here for you," said Yasuko. She places the bag of candy on the table for Riley if he ever wants to eat it. The little one still didn't get the bag, but Riley stared at it momentarily. He looked up at the girl, and Yasuko stared back at him.
The one thing that caught Yasuko was Riley's gaze. She'd seen the look before.
Riley has no soul.
Yasuko sees what Riley is and notices he does not attempt to strike up a conversation. She is sure Riley won't be okay without his brother. Yasuko sighed and took her gym bag away from the table. She turns to Crow and asks, "Hey, Crow. Do you have a spare bed?"
Crow raised an eyebrow, confused about what Yasuko asked. "What?"
Yasuko didn't heed Crow's comment, and she faced Akiza. "Akiza, I'm gonna be staying here for the night," she said. "You better tell Luna and Lua that I won't be returning to their place."
"You sure, but why?" Akiza asked.
"To keep these two—" Yasuko jabs her thumb at Yuya and Serena behind her "from leaving my sight." She throws her gym bag to the sofa at her window.
"I don't need you to babysit me," Serena snapped. "I'm a warrior. I can take care of myself."
Yasuko doesn't seem pleased with Serena's response and takes her seriously regarding the matter, with her face being posted on every wanted picture and internet. "Not when you're a fugitive, you are not," she retorted.
Even though Yuya wants to go and find the others, Yasuko does have a point. Seeing Yugo's picture in the wanted posters makes him think otherwise. People look out for him and Serena, who look like Zuzu and Yugo.
"Maybe, but we can't just stay here and hide all the time," said Yuya, but Yasuko doesn't want his opinion.
"You are staying here, Yuya," Yasuko emphasized, pointing at the ground. "Right here. No questions asked. Not one thing out of you. None of that. Period."
Yuya felt annoyed by Yasuko's strict attitude. Even he could tell Serena was irritated.
"Maybe you listen to Yasuko," Akiza suggested. "I'm from the Tops, and trust me, you don't want to go out there right now. I'm supposed to report you over to Sector Security."
"Then why didn't you?" Sylvio inquired, leaning back against his chair. "And what is the Tops?"
"Oh, for the love of god," Yasuko grumbled. "Did it occur to you that the Synchro Dimension is a friggin' dystopia?" The others turn to Yasuko for more answers. "Haven't you heard of the survival of the fittest? This is the world we live in now. The Tops are these stupidly rich people who have everything—no offense, Akiza."
"None taken," Akiza assured.
Crow was more confused about Akiza being in the house. "So, why are you here?" he asked curiously.
"I came here to help Yasuko find her people," Akiza replied. "She came to me for help, and I had to do it. She told me about you guys, and I guess she was right."
"Greatly appreciated, Miss. Izinski," Crow replied.
Akiza makes a small smile. "Don't be so formal. Call me Akiza," she said. "And Yasuko's right. I must get going. If anyone sees me here, it'll be suspicious."
Crow nodded to keep that in thought. "Sure, thank you," he said.
Akiza bowed once to Crow. "I'll check in tomorrow morning," she informed. "I'll see you then?"
"Sure," Yasuko responded. "Just take care."
"You, too." And with that, Akiza grabs her helmet and walks out the door.
With Akiza gone, the others have to converse about their fates.
"How can you be sure we can trust her?" Sylvio questioned. "For all we know, she could be working for those officers who attacked us."
Yasuko gets ticked off really hard and throws a punch over his head, knocking him down again. "Ow! What?! I'm just saying… we have to find people we can trust!" he exclaimed, holding his red bump on his head.
"If Akiza would've backstabbed me, she should turn me over days ago," Yasuko snapped, turning to Yuya and Serena, "and I could turn you guys over for being a pain in my ass. I've been to the Tops. They're dead serious about this stuff."
Yuya is sure Yasuko was kidding; at least, she was.
The rest hid in the house when night fell and waited until the next morning. If what Crow and Yasuko say is true about the authorities looking out for them, it's only logical to stay put until the heat goes down. They can move on to find more of their people.
Yasuko had nothing more to do but found herself at the sink cooking up something with whatever she had left in her gym bag. Amanda and Crow don't have much food on their shelves since it's barren. She can't help but wonder if this is what Lua and Luna mentioned about the Commons. It's sickening. She can't even find anything useful to cook for dinner since it's all nothing but bread and crackers.
"Geez, even my house isn't this poor," she thought. Yasuko had never thought those who are Common would live in a dump like the one they're staying. She can't believe this is how Neo Domino City works. The masses live in poverty, while the elites live in luxury. This is how the Synchro Dimension works. It's all nothing but a greedy dystopian world.
"Alright, here," said Yasuko. "Dinner is served, everyone." She takes out the plate and brings it over to the table.
Everyone peeked at the food on the plate, and many looked disappointed. Aside from the sandwiches Yasuko brought from the Standard Dimension, there's only toasted bread and a bowl of curry stew large enough for everyone to share.
Yuya and Sylvio were upset that they were eating nothing but bread and stew, and Serena wasn't down but just annoyed at how scarce the food was on the table. Crow and Amanda, on the other hand, were impressed that they've got plenty of food from the girl.
"Wow, this is delicious!" Amanda beamed.
"It's all I can make in this house," said Yasuko.
Crow waves it off as if it's not a big deal. "Nah, it's fine," he said. "This is plenty for tonight."
Sylvio had a scowl, upset at the little food on the table, and he turned to Yasuko. "What the hell is this? I thought you had something since you were the first of us to arrive here," he criticized. "I am in the need for meat, not some soup and a loaf of bread."
Yasuko gives the blond a nasty glare that tells him to repeat those words. "Oh? If you don't like it, then I could just take your plate and shove this right up your—"
"Whoa, whoa, Yasuko!" Yuya interrupted. "Please, language." Yuya tries to keep Yasuko calm and not be very angry, especially when children are in the house. He turns to Sylvio, also with a disapproving gaze. "Sylvio, at least be grateful we have something to eat."
In return, Sylvio turns to Yuya. "Eat what? Bread and curry stew? I demand that my meals be full of meat, not some stew and a piece of grain that can barely feed me for a week," he complained.
Yasuko shakes her head, annoyed with Sylvio already, even after all the work she's done to put food on the table. She pours some curry into a smaller bowl and picks up a piece of bread. She comes over to see Riley. The boy was sitting on the couch with a cup of water in his hands. Yasuko crouches forward and offers the bowl and the bread to Riley.
"Here," said Yasuko. "It's curry. My mother used to make me some curry rice when I was your age, and I've had some people to help me learn about this." The girl had no clue what to do with Riley. The boy is out of place, and he hasn't made a single response to her all day. "It's probably not much, but it's all I could make."
Riley didn't reply to her. He was more so out of space. Yasuko then noticed something from the corner of her eye. She turns to the candy bag she tried to give to Riley, but it hasn't been opened, just sitting there.
Yasuko could feel a creeping annoyance in her head; she already had it with Riley being so tentative. She takes the candy bag and throws it back into her gym bag. "Alright, mister," she said. "We're eating now." She takes a chair from the table closer to the couch and pushes the counter table out of the way to get in front of the boy. She grabbed a spoonful of curry and held the spoon over to Riley. "Say aw," she demanded.
When Riley didn't obey, Yasuko pressed on. "I said...say aww," she persisted.
"Look, if he doesn't want to eat, then don't let him," Crow suggested, watching them while eating his bread and a sandwich. He gets a look from Yasuko.
"Quiet, I'm connecting here," said Yasuko. Refocusing back on Riley, Yasuko goes on to make Riley eat. "I said…say aww." Again, Riley did not open his mouth. Yasuko already has it with Riley and his timid shyness, so she does another trick.
"Riley Akaba, if you don't eat this right now, you'll never find your brother," Yasuko stated. When Yasuko mentions Riley's brother, the boy raises his head, looking at the girl with wide eyes. He looked fearful, like Yasuko's, making him do something that he would regret. She didn't know how to get Riley to eat other than mentioning his brother. "You'll be weak, hungry, and tired, and you'll never see him again unless you eat this curry." She brought the spoon closer. "Now, saw aw."
Riley looked at the curry in the spoon before looking up at Yasuko. When both eyes connect, it's like seeing a mirror. There was never a doubt Yasuko was sure Riley had no soul. It's like she's seeing her younger self.
"I said…say aww," Yasuko demanded with more authority.
Riley hesitates at Yasuko's command, but the look in her eyes tells him to eat it right now. Riley slowly opens his mouth, and Yasuko quickly puts the spoon in the little one's mouth. The boy flinched from the spoon as Yasuko pulled back.
"There, that's not so hard now, is it?" Yasuko picks up another spoonful of curry again. She doesn't like feeding Riley this way since the boy is barely around Amanda's age. Still, Yasuko needed Riley to start making responses and stop worrying about Declan.
The door opened as everyone was eating dinner, and a couple of young boys entered the kitchen with something in their hands.
"Crow! We're back!" one of the boys called to Crow, eating some bread.
Everyone looked at two boys as young as Riley and Amanda, but one was shorter.
"Oh, Frank, Tarren, welcome home," Crow greeted. Frank has purple-blue eyes and spiky green hair fixed in a small ponytail, and Tarren is the short, chubby boy with blue hair underneath his brown hat and a white bobble.
"Guess what we brought, Crow," said Tarren.
As they were finishing dinner, the boys presented the group with a table full of sweets that may satisfy their taste. The desserts and sweets on the table were eye-dropping for Amanda and Crow. The oldest one in the house was mostly shocked by what he saw.
"What the—Where did you get this from?" Crow demanded.
"We stole it," Frank admitted.
"And it was fun while it lasted," Tarren added.
Yasuko and the others could tell Crow was serious about this act as he got up from his chair, knocked it backward, and marched toward the boys. He hits the boys on the head hard like a rock. The boys cried and held their heads, groaning after Crow's outburst.
"You idiots!" Crow shouted angrily. "No one asked you to do this! Especially not me!"
Frank and Tarren were ashamed of making Crow angry and hitting them in the head, and Tarren looked like he was about to cry.
"But…" Tarren whimpered.
"But you do everything here," Frank stated.
"What if you get thrown to prison for this?!" Crow questioned, still outraged by the boys' actions.
"Prison?" Yuya inquired.
Crow turns to the boy and the others. "I guess you guys are new to this, but Yasuko's seen this city firsthand because she was the first to come here, right?" Crow turns to Yasuko, who comes to the table to take some sweets, and heads back to Riley by the couch.
"You guys are in for a world of trouble," said Yasuko, sitting beside Riley. "Tell me you've watched this movie where kids like us are forced to fight to the death while some rich people across a city watch them from luxury?" She places the sweets on the table to pick off one wrapper to start eating one, and Amanda does the same thing.
"I have," Yuya admitted, raising a hand.
"I missed the first one," Sylvio added.
Most people like Crow and Serena weren't sure what movie Yasuko was referring to, considering they are from different dimensions.
"There was a movie about that?" Crow inquired, scratching his head with bewilderment.
"Not from your dimension, but it's the same concept," said Yasuko. "Basically, this dimension is hell. Two people exist in this city, the Tops and the Commons. The rich and the poor alike, but at its extreme."
"She's right," Crow agreed. "Simply put, the Tops are the winners, and the Commons are the losers in this city. The winners get everything, leading a life of luxury. The losers struggle just to get enough food to survive every day." The more Crow explains the Synchro Dimension, the more the others are dreadfully disgusted. "And if you resist in any way, security will capture you and throw you in prison for breaking these rules." Crow points at one of the gold line marks on his face to demonstrate what happens to those who resist authority in the city.
"That's awful," Yuya uttered, in disbelief at how people live their lives in the world they traveled into. He turned to Yasuko and wondered something else about her. Since she's a stranger from a different dimension, he wonders how she can slide by without anyone noticing.
"At least she's lucky to have someone to cover her back," said Yuya.
Crow nodded. "Maybe, but it won't last long. Sometimes, friends who rose to new heights treat their old friends like garbage," he countered. "This is an awful world we live in. That's why we have to do whatever it takes to survive. We, Commons, have to huddle together."
As Crow explained, Yasuko caught Frank pointing at Serena and Yuya with recognition in his eyes. The boy was tapping the other boy's elbow to get him to look at them.
"Wait, aren't you two the ones from today?" Tarren inquired, pointing at Yuya and Serena.
They were perplexed by what the boys talked about, but they elaborated more about their appearance.
"Are you sure? Their clothes are different than before," Frank pointed out.
"Hey, aren't you listening to me?!" Crow called to the boys, but they ignored his calls. "I'm trying to—" Just before Crow could get their attention back, they were.
"Aren't you the ones we saw at the restaurant?" Frank inquired.
Crow raised an eyebrow in confusion, facing Yuya and Serena. It's a bizarre misunderstanding for them since Yuya and Serena were here having dinner about a moment ago. "Huh?"
Yuya and Serena realized that the boys were talking about Zuzu and Yugo, and they were the ones who were being hunted by the Sector Security officers.
"That must be Zuzu," said Serena.
Yuya nodded. "Yeah, and that other guy must be Yugo."
Yasuko had an idea of what the boys were talking about and got up from the couch where Riley was sitting. She pulls out a wanted poster of the people the boys were describing and shows them the poster. "You mean these people?" she asked.
Frank and Tarren gasped when they saw the photos on the poster. "Yeah!" Frank exclaimed. "That's the one. They look exactly like those guys but are here right now."
Crow could not process the information the boys were giving and wanted to know more about the wanted posters and the people living in his house. "So wait, who are those people?" he asked.
"They're our friends who came to this town," Yuya answered.
"And they're all wanted by Sector Security," Yasuko added. "But if you must know, the guy is Yuya's twin brother and the girl is Serena's alternate universe self."
And just like before, Yuya turns to Yasuko with irritation on his face. "Are you still going on with that whole twin brother thing?"
"But if that's true, security is after them," Crow interjected. "They'll catch them and throw them into prison. And you guys just so happen to look like them, so if you get caught, you'll be thrown into prison instead of them."
Yuya didn't retort back to the guy; he glared at him to know he wanted to find them before security did. Crow does the same thing, but he had thought of what might happen if they did. He doesn't want these people to be sent to prison just because of some misidentification. Crow sighed.
"Alright, fine," said Crow. "I'll help you guys search for your friends."
Yuya was surprised to see how generous Crow was being to them. He watched Crow get to the door. "I'll be heading out to see if I can find them; you guys stay put," he said. And with that, Crow opened the door and left them.
"Crow…" Yuya was glad that Crow was on their side, and he believed in them. He smiled a small gratitude smile for the young man who saved them today.
While they lie and wait for Crow, Yuya asks Yasuko about the Synchro Dimension, and she was getting tired of making them understand their world. Yasuko told them everything she had seen and knew about the dimension, the Tops, the Commons, the Sector Security, and the most interesting topic: Turbo Duel.
"Turbo Duel?" Yuya inquired.
"Basically, imagine riding a motorcycle, but you're dueling," Yasuko emphasized. She sat next to Riley, who stayed despondent of what Yasuko did for him.
Sylvio scoffs at the idea of dueling on a motorcycle. "As if you can ride and duel simultaneously," he taunted. His taunts made Yasuko roll her eyes with annoyance before reverting back to Riley.
"It's true," Frank affirmed. "Turbo Dueling is we, Commons, started as a game."
"A game?" Yuya wondered.
"Crow told us so," said Frank. "Street punks used to ride and duel throughout the city." He turns down to Tarren. "Right?"
Tarren nodded. "These guys started riding across the highways and driving through the city, acting like they own the place," he said. "Even the Tops that looked down on us were amazed by them."
Despite how bizarre the idea of dueling on a motorcycle is, Sylvio can't help but find it very interesting. "Dueling at high speeds? The way you kids speak of it makes it sound exhilarating," he commented.
"Turbo Duels were supposed to be a symbol of freedom, so they became a huge fad after that," said Frank.
"I mean, all the Commons are itching to show up the Tops," Tarren added.
"But the Tops didn't take that very quietly," said Frank. "They said Turbo Dueling disrupts the peace in the city, so they sent security after us and formed a specialist squad called Duel Chasers."
"Duel Chasers?" Yuya inquired.
"Basically, security officers riding D-Wheels, and if you lose the duel…" Frank began.
"You're arrested on the spot and taken straight to prison," said Tarren.
"Without a trial?" Sylvio pondered. "Those security guys are cruel."
Yasuko makes a short snort, bemused by Sylvio's lack of awareness in the city. "Oh please…" she drawled. "You haven't seen the half of it."
"The half of it?" Sylvio questioned.
Yasuko rips chocolate from the bar. "This world is filthy and corrupted. I've been at the Tops, and let me tell you, I'd rather hang out here than deal with a bunch of those poor losers up there," she said. "It's a survival of the fittest out here."
Yuya thought of the man who claimed he knew him or Yugo. He was a Security Officer, so the other officers were Duel Chasers. "If Crow hadn't come, we would have probably…."
"It isn't just that security is cruel."
Everyone turned to the voice from the doorway. It was Crow carrying grocery bags with cans of tuna and whatever he picked up. "The Tops stole Turbo Dueling from us," he stated. He came to the table to put the groceries down.
"Stole? Then none of the Commons do it anymore?" Sylvio wondered.
"We're forced to do it. As a show for the Tops," Crow revealed.
"A show?" Yuya questioned.
Yasuko knows what Crow meant. After all, she's seen it from the twin's apartment building. "When a highway chase starts, the streets become a duel-only highway, and TV cameras start filming everything," Crow explained. He picks out the contents from the bags on the table. "The Turbo Duels that were supposed to rub our noses to the Tops now exist to amuse them."
The group can tell the discontent and frustration coming from Crow as he speaks more about the Turbo Duels in Neo Domino City. Yasuko knew the Synchro Dimension was a dystopia, but this was even more cruel than she initially thought. She had a short recall of Yugo and Zuzu being on camera. At the same time, getting chased by a Sector Security officer and, in her anger, bites the chocolate bar so hard it makes a small crack that catches Riley's attention for a brief moment.
"And that's why Yuya and Serena are staying here," said Yasuko.
"Yasuko's right," Crow agreed. He turned to Yuya and said, "Listen to your friend. She's the first to arrive here and knows this world is cruel. If you go out there now, you'll be chased by security and filmed, too. Stay where you are if you don't want to be humiliated." Crow had another thing in mind and turned to the girl sitting on the couch. "You too," he said.
Yasuko turns to Serena. She could tell Serena hadn't been sitting in the house for a long time. She saw Serena get up from her couch.
"So, the city's full of security, and we're supposed to tuck tail and run away?" Serena dared.
"What was that?" Crow threatened, annoyed by Serena's attitude.
"Hey!" Yuya called.
"Don't we have any information about Zuzu?" Serena interrogated.
"Serena, Crow's working hard to help…" Yuya reasoned.
"Hard work is meaningless if it doesn't produce results!" Serena exclaimed.
"It's not hard work we're doing; it's called being smart," Yasuko snapped, earning Serena's glare. "You walk out at that door right now; you're on your own."
"I'd rather work alone," Serena countered.
"Then fine, be that way, you stubborn jackass," Yasuko insulted back. "But if you get caught, that's all on you." She can't get the angry feeling for Serena to go out because the young lady's just so stubborn to work with.
Serena glared at Yasuko with the same animosity since they first met. It hasn't gone away; it just simmered before things got heated with their current situation. "Fine!" Serena yelled. With that, she marches to the door.
"H-hey, where are you going?" Yuya demanded.
"Where else? I'm going to look for information myself," Serena answered.
Yasuko couldn't tell if Serena was just so stubborn, stupid, or both. She'd wished she had let Serena fall in the cliff at the Ice Arena during the Arc League Championship because of her ties to the Academia.
"If you want to get caught, then go ahead!" Crow dismissed.
When things were going so rocky for everyone, Sylvio made his decision, too. "Maybe I'll go too," he suggested. "I can't breathe, just sticking around here all the time." He starts to head for the door. "I also need to find clues to know the whereabouts of Declan Akaba and the others, too."
The moment Sylvio mentioned Declan, Riley had a reaction to him. The boy lifted his head, realizing that the others were going out again to look for his brother and the others. Yasuko was sitting against the wall beside Riley, eating a chocolate bar from her gym bag, when she noticed Riley getting up.
"My brother?" Riley spoke for the first time since they got to Crow's house.
Yasuko finishes her chocolate and gets up as well. By then, she saw Serena exiting out the door, and Sylvio followed right behind her.
"Wait! If you rush out there, we'll be separated aga—" Yuya tried to reason with everyone, but they didn't listen.
Riley moves to follow, but Yasuko finds herself moving on her own and grabs Riley by the shoulder. "Oh, no, you don't, little man," she said. "You're staying right here with me and Yuya." When Yasuko tried to pull Riley back, he resisted, moving toward the door. "Hey! Didn't you hear me? I said you're not going," she snapped, but Riley didn't listen. He kept trying to get to the door to follow everyone else.
"Hey, wait!" Yuya moves to the door, but just when he's about to exit, Yasuko calls him in a very angry shout.
"Yuya!"
Yuya flinched, halting his footsteps just barely by the door. He turns around, seeing Yasuko struggling to hold Riley back from the door. She mostly looked up, glaring at Yuya with strong enmity while holding the struggling Riley.
"I said you're not leaving, you walk out that door right now, it's over," Yasuko stated. "I'll never want to speak to you again if you follow those idiots sending themselves to their graves."
Yuya was taken aback when Yasuko made the statement. Sylvio seems to have heard her and scowled at Yasuko for insulting him, but he dismisses it and leaves the front door.
It was just Yuya, Yasuko, and Riley in the house now. Just when they started to come back together, they were already separated again. Yuya hates it. His gut was screaming at him to go out there and leave so he could find Zuzu and the others, but his heart was telling him otherwise. It's been such a hectic journey, and they have no idea where to begin.
He can't leave Yasuko alone again, and with Riley in the house, he can't let them alone to fend off for themselves. They're the only ones who are left.
With his decision set, Yuya grabs the doorknob and closes it. He sighed, mentally exhausted, that this ordeal was going as smoothly as he had thought. He turns to Yasuko, and her gaze is softer now that he's decided.
Riley was still struggling to break free. "I…I have to find…my brother…" he declared, trying to get out of Yasuko's grasp.
The girl is done with Riley being timid and unresponsive to her, so she takes both shoulders and spins him so he faces her.
"Listen! Declan is not here right now!" Yasuko exclaimed. She was making sure Riley was looking at her. "And you're just a kid. You'll never find your brother if you get out there. So, stop being so scared and think for once. What would Declan feel if you got lost out there? Do you really want to disappoint him?"
Yasuko pressed harder. "I know you had a bad childhood, but you cannot do anything right now." The more Yasuko speaks, the calmer Riley becomes with the sentence. "You are not going anywhere, compisce?"
Riley stopped struggling against Yasuko and stared at her with wide eyes. His gaze eventually softens, and he looks upset that he won't be out there. All Riley did now was hold his teddy bear tight to his chest.
Yasuko was also upset, not because she was separated from the others, but because she had to yell at a child as young as Riley. The kid has to understand what kind of position they are in. Sector Security is looking for Yuya and Serena, and if she gets caught, Yuya's the only one she has to watch for. She sighed, calming herself, and recomposed to get Riley to look at her.
"Riley, I'm sorry for yelling at you like that," Yasuko apologized. "But you have to think for yourself and see the bigger picture. The moment we go out there, everyone will be in trouble if we don't, and bad people will get them." She is doing the best she can to reason with the little boy. "Declan's a Pro; he can take care of himself. It's you who needs to learn where you are."
Riley looked at Yasuko for the longest time. He seemed to be calming down for now. Still, Yasuko was sure she saw what was in his eyes.
Amanda yawned, and so did Frank and Tarren.
"Oh man, it's getting late," Frank yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"Hey, why don't you guys sleep with us?" Tarren suggested.
"Yeah, it'll be nice to have some company," Amanda added.
"All right then, kiddies, time for bed," Crow told them. He turns to the three people who remain at the house. "Hey, I have some spare rooms and a blanket somewhere in the back for you guys."
Yuya smiled, giving the older one a nod. "Sure," he replied.
"Thank you," Yasuko responded.
Crow takes Yuya, Yasuko, and Riley to the spare room where they can sleep for the night. It's nothing luxurious like Lua and Luna's apartment, but there are two beds.
"It's not much, but it is home," said Crow. "I'll be taking the couch for the night."
"Alright, thanks," said Yuya, smiling with gratitude. As Crow leaves, Yasuko puts her gym bag down and unlaces her boots.
"Damn, what a day," said Yasuko. "I've never been so tired today."
Yuya untied his shoes and sat on the bed by the wall. "Yeah, it's a good thing we have somewhere to sleep," said Yuya.
"You can't imagine how hard this work is." She looks over to Riley, still by the door. "Come on, kid, it's time for bed." Riley did not respond again, so Yasuko took an active approach. "Don't you make me come over there and force you to bed.," Yasuko demanded, pointing at the kid.
Riley heard her raising voice, and in a way, he obeyed. Riley quickly comes to the bed where Yasuko will be sleeping. Yasuko bends over and unties his shoes before making him sit on the mattress.
"Now, go to sleep," Yasuko commanded. Again, Riley does not respond. He just sits on the bed with his feet hanging on the edge.
"I'm going to the bathroom; you boys don't come in until I return."
Yuya nodded in understanding. Yasuko turned to head for the bathroom, but as she did, Yasuko felt like her sleeve was being pulled. She glances over and finds out Riley is holding Yasuko's long sleeve.
"Please…" Riley whispered. "Please don't go."
The girl sighed, hopelessly irritated that this would be a thing with Riley. "I won't be long, I'm just going to use a bathroom, okay?" Yasuko reassured, but Riley didn't want to let go. He just doesn't want to be alone in the room with Yuya. "You'll be fine. Yuya will be here for you, okay?"
Riley didn't let go at first, but as she told him Yuya would be sleeping in the room with him, Riley slowly let go of Yasuko's sleeves. And with that, the girl heads to find the bathroom in the joint.
After Yasuko turned to the door, it was only Yuya and Riley.
Yuya doesn't know Riley's big deal with him and Declan. He knows Riley's worried about his brother, but it doesn't mean the boy can go out in the city alone. He's still just a kid.
"So Riley, is it? My name's Yuya. It's nice to meet you," Yuya introduced. But like with Yasuko, Riley doesn't respond to him. He just sits there with his teddy bear in his hands.
Yuya finds it awkward with only him. He's good with kids because Yuya knows how You Show has three kids like him being in his duel school, but Riley's a different kind, especially when his brother is Declan Akaba.
"So, you're a duelist, huh? You must be an awesome duelist if you have someone like Declan," said Yuya. "I bet you are very talented."
Riley doesn't respond to him.
Yuya can feel that this talk is a difficult one, so he tries his best to further get to know him better. "You know something," he said. "Yasuko is a very strong duelist like your brother. One time, I saw her beat him at my Duel School. It was amazing. Your brother pushed her back, and Yasuko turned it all around with Pendulum Summon. It's so cool."
Yuya noticed the boy didn't respond to him since he started talking. Riley was unresponsive, just sitting there hugging his teddy bear. Yuya doesn't know how to make Riley talk to him, but he wants to know more, so Yuya goes in to tell him more about Yasuko.
"Hey, Riley," Yuya began. "I'm not sure if Yasuko told you this, but you see…she's an orphan." The first response Yuya gets from Riley is him lifting his head with a loom of surprise. Yuya knew he'd gotten Riley to sense something and continued on. "I'm sure it's a bit of a surprise to you. Yasuko lives with her foster mother. She took her in after moving to Tokyo, then moved to Maiami City to get a clean start. When I first met her, she was hostile and cold even. She doesn't like anyone to push her around.
"I was also a bit spiteful about her because she didn't like me or any of my friends, but when I heard her story, I felt she needed someone to rely on. Someone who can help her get through her problems. Yasuko may be tough on the outside, but she's a good person and a great friend. She can be over the edge, but you can count on Yasuko to make you feel better. She's reliable enough for you and me." Yuya's description of his teammate was enough for Riley to make him understand the girl better.
By then, Yasuko has returned after washing her face. "Alright, whatever you do, do not use the showers. It's all dirty, and the waters not even cold enough," she said.
Yasuko notices Riley looking at her with a deep, solemn gaze. She was gone for about ten minutes, and Riley's face was already brimming with emotion. His first was curiosity.
"Did something happen while I was gone?" Yasuko asked Yuya.
Yuya shrugged. "I just told him about you, that's all," he said.
Yasuko nodded in understanding. She comes to the bed where Riley is sitting and sits beside him. "Alright, short stock, time for bed," she told him. Yasuko digs into her gym bag and picks out an iPod she carries for her parkour exercises. She pulls out earphones and puts Riley's head underneath his hat.
"Something to help you sleep," said Yasuko. She adjusts the volume and pressed play.
Riley froze as the song started playing in his ears. He didn't know what kind of song it was playing, but whatever Yasuko was listening to made him still like a rock.
"Don't be so stiff, just relax and listen," Yasuko noted. "Music is what makes you feel more relaxed. Even when you get scared, just listen to music."
Riley was curiously looking at the girl with astonishment. He has never felt something as soft and eased. The boy's eyes are getting tired, and Riley closes them as he leans against Yasuko. She takes him in his arms, making sure Riley sleeps.
"There, now get some sleep, kid," said Yasuko. Riley starts to fall asleep with the headphones still attached to his ear.
Yuya smiled as he watched Yasuko tuck Riley into bed with her blanket draping over him. She brings Riley's teddy bear over, and the sleeping Riley unconsciously grabs it, tugging it close to him. She sits across from Yuya on the desk and unloops her duel disk holster.
"Hey Yuya," said Yasuko.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for telling Riley about me," Yasuko stated. "I wouldn't like it when the others find out my story wasn't like theirs."
Yuya nodded. "I guess Riley knows now," he said. "He really cares for his brother, so we should go find the others first thing in the morning."
Yasuko shakes her head in disagreement with Yuya's suggestion. "No, we can't," she declined. "The whole city's looking for you because of Yugo and Zuzu." She sits back on the bed. "For what's worth, it's best we lay low and see what's up in the city."
"Wait, I thought you already had the entire city covered since you were the first to arrive," Yuya assumed.
"I've only just begun to get in touch with some very powerful people, but not the ones in charge of the city," Yasuko corrected.
"Do you think you can contact whoever is in charge?" Yuya suggested. "You just know Akiza, and she's supposed to be the senator's daughter, right?"
"She's many things, but the government…not above her," said Yasuko. "The only thing I need to do is get back with Akiza tomorrow morning. Maybe she could contact whoever is running the show here in this city."
Yuya nodded in understanding. With Sector Security going after Yugo and Zuzu, they will all work hard to ensure they can find more allies.
Here's the update for the chapter of the Synchro Saga. I was originally going to post this last week, but i was sick, so I couldn't get my bearings straight. In the meantime, I hoped you readers are still keeping in touch with this story because I am going to be working more as much as I can. Hoped you are enjoy reading this far I fyou like what you've read, then don't forget to leave down a comment on what your thoughts are about this story, favor, or recommend this to a friend if you think they're interested. Good night readers!.