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 16: Decisions, Decisions.

Yuya couldn't believe what happened while he was in prison. The first thing was that decks are currencies for special privileges such as more food, better beds, etc. Then, he was confronted by Chojiro Tokumatsu. At first, Chojiro seems like a menace; he wants their decks and to be done with them. But his duel had changed him for the better.

Yuya and Sylvio sat at Chojiro's table while he munched his food. For someone who is an old man like Chojiro, he has a huge appetite despite his age. His jaw is large and unshaven, and his dark hair is shorter than his facial hair. It's odd because he wears an olive-green threadbare robe and brown sandals.

"Looks like someone's got a huge appetite," said Yuya. "Especially this early in the morning."

"Yep," Chojiro beamed. "You bet I do! Food tastes better after a great duel."

Even though Chojiro gets to eat fantastic food that isn't from prison, Yuya and Sylvio still eat small portions because they refuse to give up some of their cards.

"Now, eat up!" The two men who shared a cell with Gongenzaka and Dennis removed their trays and replaced them with a large bowl of fruit and meat.

When their food was served, Yuya and Sylvio were very savory with the meal. "Let's eat!" They beamed.

Before they could scarf the whole thing, they heard a yell. Yuya turns to see one of the prisoners being taken away by the guards. "This is bullshit!" The prisoner exclaimed. "I wasn't involved!"

"Come on, 328!" The guard shouted, pulling his cuffs. "Solitary confinement for attempted escape!" The guard pulls him over, and the second guard pushes the prisoner from behind.

Yuya could only watch as they took the prisoner away. He can't help but be saddened by the outcome.

"He was caught trying to break out some of his friends," the inmate whispered to Chojiro.

Yuya caught on to what he said. "He tried to break out?" he inquired.

"What a stupid thing to do," Chojiro admonishes. "They should've considered the fate of friends left behind."

"What do you mean?" Yuya asked.

"When something like this happens, all the people left behind share the same responsibility and punishment," Chojiro explained.

"What kind of punishment?" Sylvio questioned.

"The kind where they take you," said Chojiro. "And no one ever comes back."

Yuya feels dread crawling in his skin. He's never expected a punishment like that just for escaping the Facility. He was sure others would be punished as well if they got caught. As he was thinking about it, a guard shouted to the crowd.

"456!" The crow in the mess hall stopped eating to listen to the unlucky prisoner who was being called. "Prison number 456! Where the hell are you?" the guard yelled.

Yuya realized that his prison clothes had the number "456", meaning the guard was calling him.

"Over here!" Sylvio pointed at Yuya next to him. He was aware of his prison number, too.

The guard comes over to the table where Chojiro is sitting. He stops and eyes down at the boy. "You have visitors," the guard informed.

Yuya was surprised he had one. Nobody else knows about him in this dimension or the city. "I do?" he asked. "Who?"

"Just shut up, and let's go," the guard retorted. He points his baton to the exit.

Yuya did what the guard said and got up. As he walks, Yuya can hear Sylvio complaining about him getting a visitor from someone.

"What the hell?" Sylvio cursed. "Yuya gets a visitor while I don't? Who would come to visit him?"

Chojiro was interested. "Actually, it's a rare occurrence," he said.

"What?"

"Normally, inmates don't get out so easily here, and they rarely got anyone visiting them," said Chojiro. "But if someone is visiting this boy, it's very important." He looked at Yuya with a smirk. "Looks like he's got friends who want him out."

Yuya followed the guard, who led him to where he could meet his visitor. Still, he wonders who could visit him despite being imprisoned. He knows that the Lancers, including him and Serena, are all sentenced to life imprisonment. "Hey, uh, who are my visitors?" Yuya asked the guard.

He didn't respond, but the guard did glance over and scoffed at him. "Looks like you got people from very high places, huh?"

Yuya was still barely processing what he said. He still wants to know who. "From high places?" he repeated.

The guard scans his badge to the scanner at the door. "You have thirty minutes," the guard said. "But the binds stay on. Now, go."

Yuya isn't sure what to make out. The guard doesn't respond to his questions and will meet his visitors. He enters through the door to come inside of a phone room. A window about five feet tall has a phone at the side and a chair by the counter. He could ignore the details because one of his visitors was Akiza Izinski.

"Akiza!" Yuya exclaimed. He hurriedly takes a seat and picks up the phone to call her. "Akiza! Hi!"

"Hey, Yuya," Akiza greeted with a smile. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Aside from the smell, it's not that bad," said Yuya. He notices two other people right next to Akiza. He did not know who they were; the tall woman had blue hair, and the other was about his age, with a fedora hat and sunglasses. She is wearing a blue shirt with buttons and a black skirt. He does not know her, but the girl is trustworthy.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Yuya Sakaki."

The short one seemed pissed and grabbed the phone from Akiza. "It's me, you dumbass!" she retorted.

It was right there that Yuya recognized that voice. He gasped in shock that the short one was Yasuko Yukihana, and she was wearing a disguise. He could hardly tell because her hair was in a single braid instead of her usual pigtails.

"Ya…Yuzu!" Yuya exclaimed, nearly naming her when he was in the Facility.

"Yuzu?" Akiza inquired, looking at Yasuko.

"That's what everyone calls me," said Yasuko, pretending to play along with her name. Turning back to Yuya at the window, she said, "Looks like they're treating you well despite the circumstances."

Yuya scratches the back of his head. "Well, when you know the inmates, you can get along with them very well," he replied. "But other than that… I'm glad you're okay, Ya-Yuzu."

"Thanks to Akiza and Mina," Yasuko responded. "With them, my attorney has made it vividly clear I am not to be touched." She glanced over to Akiza. "And adding her gives me five layers of protection for now." She adjusts her sunglasses to look Yuya directly in the eye. "Also, my little brother is doing fine. He's staying over at a friend's place until I return."

Yuya seemed confused about what Yasuko meant by her "little brother." He knew Yasuko was Chloe's only child until he realized that the "little brother" she mentioned was Riley. "That's good," he said. He smiled, satisfied that Yasuko and Riley were unharmed. Yuya returned to asking why they were visiting him in the facility. "I'm glad he's okay." Now that he knows Yasuko and Riley are safe, he gets right on to their presence.

"So, what are you doing here?" Yuya asked.

"You're getting out, Yuya," Yasuko revealed. "We're here to post your release."

Yuya was thrilled. He was sure Yasuko and Riley had found somebody to bail them out of the Facility. "That's great!" he beamed. "Now you can get us all out."

"Us?" Yasuko inquired.

Yuya became confused. "Uh…yeah. Isn't that why you're here? To get us out? Me, Crow, Gongenzaka, Sawatari, and the others?"

Yasuko seemed to understand what Yuya was referring to. "Uh, no," she stated. "Not "us." You," she clarified.

The boy reacted in surprise. He doesn't understand why Yasuko and Akiza want him out instead. "Me?" he questioned.

"Yes, you," Yasuko confirmed. "You're the only one getting released, not the others."

"But why?" Yuya questioned. "Why do I have to be released, but the others can't."

"Because I need someone to cover my back; you're the only one I want to count on," Yasuko answered.

"But Yasuko, why can't you get us all out?" Yuya questioned.

"It's not that simple, Yuya," Yasuko replied. "We can't get all of you guys out because we don't want to, but because we can't."

Yasuko hands the phone over to Mina. "The arrangement is not for them," Mina pointed out. "Only you will be released." She gives the phone back to Yasuko.

"But, Yuzu, I can't leave the others behind," Yuya refused.

Yasuko sighed. She gestures to Yuya while looking at Akiza. "You see, this is what I'm talking about," she said. "I told you Yuya won't go for it."

"Yuzu, I can't leave Gongenzaka and the others behind," said Yuya. "I want to get out of here too, but not without my friends."

"Denied," Yasuko declined. "I'm not going to lie to you, but I'm in a tough situation."

Yuya is baffled by her statement. "Akiza?" he called to the redhead.

Yasuko gives the phone to Akiza. "Yuya," said Akiza. "Yuzu is risking her own life to get you back." She turned to Yasuko, "For the record, she wanted to come and see the Facility firsthand."

Akiza hands it over to Mina. "And I am also against this, but given the circumstances of your case, we have no choice but to petition for your release," Mina explained.

Yuya couldn't believe his ears. "Are you saying you can't get the others but me?" he verified.

"That's correct," Mina confirmed.

Yuya was complimenting his place. Even if he gets released, the others won't be. "But…Crow and the others."

Mina hands back the phone to Yasuko. "We can't release Crow and the others, Yuya," Yasuko pointed out. "My lawyer told me I have only certain immunities. But that doesn't mean I'm safe from getting caught. We can only get you to be released. No one else."

The boy was conflicted. This was his one and only chance of getting out of the Facility, but if that meant leaving his friends and comrades behind, then what was the point of leaving?

"I…I have to think about this through," said Yuya.

"There is no thinking about this," Yasuko interjected. "You're getting released."

"But Yuzu, I won't abandon the others here," Yuya protested.

"We'll, you gonna have to," Yasuko retorted. "You'll be free by tomorrow morning once we've finished the paperwork for the wardens to sign. So, if you're going to tell the others, I suggest you hope they take this lightly."

Mina checks her watch to see how much time they have left. "We've got about five minutes," she informed.

Yasuko nodded. "Listen, I will get the others out of here, but I can only get one person out, and that's you, Yuya," said Yasuko. "Let's not forget why we're here first."

No matter how much Yuya hates this, there is no other choice. He leaves behind Crow, Gongenzaka, and others to save his own.

The females are getting ready to leave as their visiting time is up. Before they leave, Yasuko must tell Yuya one more thing.

"Oh, and by the way, I'm not doing this just for your sake; I'm doing this for my sake, too," Yasuko pointed out. "I can't have you locked up forever, and I will never stop until you are back with me, with my brother."

Yuya looked up, surprised. He doesn't have any response as they leave. Right then, the guard who came to get him opened the door.

"Alright, visiting time is up," the guard said. Come on, 456. It's time to go back to your cell," he added.

Yuya isn't sure what to make of all of this, but now that he is getting released tomorrow, his return to the cells will be unwelcome news for the others.

The girls return to the white car parked outside the Facility, designated for the Tops only. Surprisingly, there is a spot for the Tops whenever they come to the Facility.

Yasuko didn't feel angered by Yuya's reaction. He was upset, but Yuya didn't leave his comrades behind. She was just okay with his decision.

"Are you okay with this?" Akiza inquired. "You don't seem upset at all."

Yasuko is sure Akiza is right. "We'll. I'd expected Yuya to refuse, but that doesn't mean we can't get him out," she replied. "Let's hope Yuya doesn't cause me any more trouble right now."

"Normally, I'm not supposed to be doing this, but I am doing it as a favor to my client and friend," Mina stated.

"That's fine; I'll take responsibility for you if things go south," Yasuko affirmed. "I just need to be sure Yuya gets released."

"And the others?" Akiza inquired.

"They will come around. My only concern is Yuya's," said Yasuko.

They entered the white car and drove off, leaving the Facility. Yasuko looked at the Facility from the window. She has doubts that the prison will hold back against the Lancers. Two of their players are fighters, and she's sure they'll break out themselves.

When Yuya returned to his cell, the others wanted to know who was visiting them. He told them everything about his visit from Yasuko and Akiza. Just as Yasuko warned him, they didn't take the news lightly.

"What the hell?!" Sylvio gasped, outraged. "You're getting released while I'm stuck here?!" He clenched his fists in anger. "Yasuko! You sniveling little bitch! Who does she think she is? For god's sake, I'm the mayor's son!"

"So you're getting out of here tomorrow?" Gongenzaka asked.

Yuya nodded in confirmation. "Yasuko said that I'm going to be released by tomorrow morning," he stated.

"Then that's good!" Dennis beamed. "With you leaving, we'll be out of here soon."

"Does that mean she's working on getting us out too?" Gongenzaka questioned.

"I don't know," Yuya replied. "But I think she's going to try." Yuya looked at Gongenzaka. "Still, it's not fair. Why am I going out while you guys are in here?"

Gongenzaka was very adamant about his decision and spoke up to protest his idea. "Yuya, don't waste your energy worrying about us," he said. "This is a one-in-a-millionth chance to be free and find Zuzu."

"But Gongenzaka, what about you and the others? What about Serena?" Yuya questioned. "Crow? Shun? Shinji? I can't leave you guys here while I'm free."

Gongenzaka makes a gruff noise. He narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Don't worry. We'll be fine," he assured. "All that matters is the mission: find people we can trust and ally with."

"Easy for you to say," Sylvio retorted. "We're in prison. If you haven't forgotten, Yuya will be free tomorrow. It still doesn't make me feel any better than it is."

Sylvio does have a point for Yuya. Even if he gets released, the rest of the Lancers are still incarcerated, and they won't be getting out sooner. Three guards came by and opened the cell door.

"All right, time for your duty," said one of the guards. He points at Sylvio. "532, you're coming with me. We're going to the kitchen."

"Whatever," Sylvio scoffed. He heads out to follow his guard. "I'll see you later." Sylvio leaves the cell.

"861," the second called to Gongenzaka. "You're on laundry duty. Let's get moving."

"All right," Gongenzaka complied. He follows the second guard out of his cell, leaving Yuya with the third guard.

"456, you're cleaning the house," the third guard announced. He takes out a mop and a bucket of water. "Start with your cell, then work up to level 3."

"Got it," Yuya replied. After the guard gave him the tools, he spent the entire day scribbling the floor with the mop as his duty for the day. He didn't mind the cleaning duty; he was preoccupied with getting released tomorrow. Yasuko and Akiza are going to get him out of the Facility. He thought it was relieving for him: getting out of prison, reuniting with Yasuko and Riley, and returning to find Zuzu.

Still, he can't help but feel upset that it's only him. Not Crow or the Lancers. Why does she want only him? Aren't the Lancers supposed to be comrades in the Dimensions War, fighting against Academia? Doesn't Yasuko trust any of them? He has a feeling Yasuko only cares about him, no one else.

When Yuya gets to the twentieth cell, he is scrubbing the floor when he notices something underneath a bed. His eyes spot a card on the floor.

"A card?" Yuya wondered. He bends over and picks it up, revealing a picture. Yuya was surprised to recognize the image of Crow with a smile and the three kids from the house: Amanda, Frank, and Tarren.

"Those three," said Yuya. He wonders if the kids are okay. "This is…Crow's…"

"Hey, Yuya!" Someone was calling his name. Yuya looked over and saw Shinji approaching him. "I just came to say good luck tomorrow," he said. "I'm gonna miss you when you get out of here."

Yuya pockets the card in his jacket. "I'm sorry if I must leave you guys here," he apologized.

"Nah, it's fine, we'll be okay," Shinji assured.

Chojiro comes into the cell to see him as well. "Yuya," he said. "I've spoken with the warden, and he's agreed to let you make one final duel with the other prisoners here. As a sign of your good faith once you're released."

"How'd you guys know I'm leaving tomorrow?" Yuya inquired.

"Word travels fast here in the Facility," said Chojiro. "Tomorrow, in the dining hall, we'll have a farewell entertainment duel for you."

"In which case, it's barbaric."

The three turn to see that Sylvio has returned from his kitchen duties. "But I think it's a good opportunity," he smirked.

"You sound confident, little man," Chojiro commented.

"Damn right, I am," Sylvio agreed.

"Well, I'll let you stay that way until I pulverize you tomorrow," Chojiro leered.

As they are talking, Crow comes back and notices them having a conversation. He only stopped to hear what they were saying before he walked away.

Yuya saw him and ran out of the cell to catch up. "Crow," he called. Crow stops and glances at the boy. Yuya has to figure out that the card with the picture must be Crow's. He takes it out and offers it to him. "This is yours, isn't it?" he asked.

Crow swipes the card and pockets it. "Did Shinji tell you?" he questioned.

"About the duel?" Yuya wondered.

"Enjoy your last duel here before you leave," Crow replied. He narrows his eyes at the boy. "And starting today, we're not allies." With that, he walks away.

Yuya is confused by what Crow said to him. He then recalls one of the prisoners being caught and punished for attempted escape, which is when Yuya realizes what Crow is plotting.

"Wait! You aren't considering anything crazy, are you?" Yuya asked.

Crow stops but doesn't look back. "I owe Shinji a favor," he revealed. "I'll be working with him."

"Crow…" said Yuya.

"Besides, you're getting released tomorrow," Crow reminded. "I won't cause any more trouble for you."

"Hey, Crow!"

Then, just like that, Crow was about to leave when a stranger approached him. He was a tall, skinny, dark man with hazel eyes and magenta hair styled in a gecko that reached down the nape of his neck. Large aquamarine jewels stretch his earlobes.

Crow recognized him and smiled at the sight of another friend. "Damon! Hey, what's up?"

"Doing fine, thanks," said Damon. "By the way, I came to your house to hang out."

"Oh, come on…" Crow replied.

Damon glances over to Yuya and becomes shocked to see him. He gasped at the sight of him. "Whoa! Hey, you got caught?" he asked.

Yuya tilted his head in confusion. "What?"

"Weren't you posting the weird fliers with that girl?" Damon asked. "About some kind of invasion from another dimension?"

Yuya realizes who the girl he was talking about. "You mean…Zuzu was doing that?" he questioned.

"What about that girl? Was she caught, too?" Damon questioned. He snorted with exasperation. "Well, I guess Security had it out for both of you…"

Yuya was distraught. Zuzu is still trying to warn Neo Domino City about Academia. "Well, Crow, see you later."

"Yeah."

Damon turns around and walks away from Crow and Yuya. Crow glances at the boy before walking away.

Later that night, Yuya was already in bed while the others were sleeping for tomorrow's big day. He's finally going to be free, which means he's no longer a fugitive by security. He should be excited that he doesn't have to stay in the Facility any longer, but he isn't pleased about leaving the others behind.

Yuya wanted the others to get out, too. Crow and the other Lancers didn't deserve to be locked up in here while he was free.

Most of all, he wanted to see Riley again. He was with Yasuko. Security also liked her, and the immunities Akiza and Mina had provided would help, but only temporarily.

Yuya slept soundlessly as he felt himself suspended in the air. Yuya looked around and saw the white world with no laws of physics keeping him in place. He doesn't know if he's upside down or sideways. The white world was voided of everything. There was no one in the world besides him. Yuya doesn't know what it was. A dream. A nightmare. Something.

The boy then sensed something behind him, and then he turned around, only to see Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon in front of him. It didn't show any signs of aggression to him. It didn't even respond. It seemed vague. Why is he dreaming of his monster? In a somewhat trance, Yuya lifts his hand, holding it out in front of Odd-Eyes Pendulum.

The dragon responds by lowering its head over to where Yuya's palm is placed on the jewel on its head. The jewel started to glow bright as soon as he touched it. Yuya isn't sure what he's dreaming of.

The light expands outward, blinding him to make him close his eyes. When the light stops glowing, Yuya finds himself standing in the meadow. He was still alone. There was no one here but him. Odd-Eyes, the Pendulum is gone, too.

"Where did everyone go?" Yuya thought.

As he looked around, Yuya heard something. It was the sound of footsteps.

Yuya turns around and is surprised to see that the only other person beside him is Yasuko Yukihana.

"Yasuko?" Yuya called.

Yasuko did not respond. She was staring at him. Surprised. Even he was, too. How come he's dreaming of Yasuko and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon?

Before the girl could respond, an earthquake violently shook like crazy. They felt their bodies being thrown, and Yasuko fell. She looked up and saw dirt rising from the ground. A claw reaches the surface, and a bat dragon silhouette crawls out. It was hard to see with the lightning storm cracking above them. The bat dragon makes an animalistic roar. It was looking at Yuya's way. Just then, another roar blares off from somewhere. Before Yuya could react, he felt the earth shaking with every stomp. Something was coming from behind him. He looked up and saw a different dragon silhouette. It's not like any other dragon he knows. This one is different, but he cannot see because the storm blocked visible features. The only thing that he can see is the pair of heterochromia red and green eyes. The dragon roars back at bat one, and the latter responds independently. The roars were almost as unbearable as the first time Odd-Eyes Phantom and Pendulum confronted each other.

The bat dragon then lifts and flies over to Yuya and the dragon, and the big one stomps forward, charging at its opponent. As the two dragons collide, the beasts unleash a powerful sonic boom that sends Yuya flying back.

Landing on the ground, Yuya witnesses the two dragons fighting viciously against each other. They thrashed and rolled over each other, sending craters in every impact. The heterochromia dragon bashes against the bat one with its massive claws. The bat one temporarily retreats into the air, but the heterochromia leaps up and grabs the bat one, dragging it to the ground. As they fell, a massive explosion was coming his way.

Yuya gasped, waking up in shock. He didn't realize that he was sweating. Panting, the boy looked around to see he was back in his cell with his cellmates still asleep. The boy was surprised when he dreamed of his monster and Yasuko. This had never happened before, and his thoughts ran with more questions.

"What is that? Why did I have that dream?" he pondered.

Yasuko was awake at the twin's apartment as she looked in the mirror. She woke up in bed with Rin and Riley sleeping and headed for the bathroom.

The girl had the same kind of dream, but it was different. She dreamt of her Odd-Eyes Phantom transforming into something different. She doesn't know what because the dragon was shrouded in darkness, with only its glowing heterochromia red and green eyes. What's different is that she dreamt of Yuya.

"What the hell did I see? " she thought to herself. This was very disturbing to her. She thought she was only dreaming of something from a movie or TV show, but these dreams were getting more scary.

Somehow, Yasuko feels that something terrible could happen. Whether tomorrow, soon, or somewhere in the future, it's usually the part where trouble finds her or Yuya again. She has everything already set up for tomorrow. The papers have already been filed, meaning Yuya will be released. That's all the merrier she can get.

Sorry for the late update, but I have some family thing to take care of. you know the holidays, and then some financial squared away, so I was booked for the last two months. Anyways, here's your latest chapter. The next one is where we get into the Friendship Cup. I promise it'll be quick on the next update sooner. If you like this story, don't forget to follow on more updates, and leave down a comment on what you thought of the story, the chapters, the characters, or etc. Bye. Happy Holidays.