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 15: Loopholes

The morning sun rose from the ocean horizon and shone down through the windows into the bedroom, where three people were sleeping.

As the light shone down on Yasuko, she was stirred awake. She felt grumpy and irritated. "Aren't I the lucky one," she murmured.

Yasuko lifts herself from the king-size bed. It was the twins' parents' bed. She would have the bed for herself but due to the lack of extra space, there was no room for anyone else other than the three people sleeping with her. Turning to her left, Yasuko sees Riley and Rin sleeping soundlessly. Riley still wears his cap and hoodie despite being in bed. She can't even understand why he's not wearing pajamas.

She throws the blanket and heads for the bathroom. Yasuko felt like it's been forever since she had a decent sleep. Being on the run. It's exhausting to the bone. Yasuko cleans herself and comes out to the kitchen. She opens the fridge to see what kind of breakfast she wants to have. Pancakes? An option. Eggs? Maybe with the pancakes.

"You're awake?"

Yasuko looks over and sees Rin entering the kitchen area.

"Oh, good morning," she said. "Thought I was the only one awake."

"I just woke up about now." Rin rubs her eyes. "What'd you making?"

"Something," said Yasuko. "But I can't seem to choose between pancakes or waffles."

"Pancakes," Rin suggested.

"What?"

Rin smiled at her. "If there's anything I would like, it's pancakes," she said. "Yugo always loved to have pancakes if we ever had flour."

Yasuko was taken back by surprise. It's a strange ironic twist that she likes pancakes just as much as Yuya, and now Rin mentioned Yugo likes pancakes. "Same here," she said.

"Then it's settled, let's make pancakes!" Rin beamed.

The rest of the morning was more chaotic than it was for Yasuko when she needed help making pancakes. Despite her kind nature, Rin is… tenacious. It was hard to make something as simple as a pancake with Rin next to you reciting every single step of a perfect pancake. Every now and then, Yasuko and Rin snapped at each other too many times over how to properly make a pancake.

The twins and Riley wake up momentarily after Yasuko and Rin start making pancakes. They were shocked. The whole kitchen was a mess. Flour was everywhere, and the girls had aprons on, but they're still covered with spots.

"Alright, kids! Breakfast is ready!" Rin beamed, pretending to not care of the mess behind her.

The twins and Riley take their seat together. They saw the plate of two normal pancakes.

"Uh…Rin," Lua called. "You do know we have a waffle maker, right?"

Rin blinked in confusion. She turned to Yasuko, and the girl was also as confused as her.

"So?" Yasuko inquired. "I like pancakes." She comes to get a pancake of her own.

"So, that was a waste of food," Luna pointed out.

Yasuko gives Luna a look. "Don't blame me; blame her," she said, jabbing a thumb at Rin, responsible for being so naggy when she tried to make the pancake her way.

Rin puts her hands on her hips. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "How's it my fault?! You're the one who put too much flour into the frying pan. You know you're not supposed to put that much unless you're as hungry as a dog!"

"It's for the other pancakes!" Yasuko argued. "And I wasn't going to eat it all! I just wanted the kids to have pancakes too!"

The argument was a blur to the twins and Riley. They are more focused on their breakfast.

"Sheesh," said Lua. "Talk about sisters spat." He pours lots of syrup onto his pancakes. "Bet you don't like it when I do that, huh?" he teased Luna.

"Shut up, Lua," Luna snapped. "At least you can't get a clue."

Lua scowled at her. "What does that mean?"

"You do happen to be like them sometimes," said Luna. "Always jumping in without thinking. That's why mom and dad had to replace three fire alarms."

"Hey! That wasn't my fault! I didn't know I wasn't suppose to mix with the sauce," Lua pointed out.

"You weren't supposed to!" Luna exclaimed.

Riley doesn't seem bothered by the noise as he keeps eating the pancakes. He was oblivious to the arguments between the twins and the girls.

After breakfast, the group is ready to head out again. That means new disguises for Yasuko and Rin. The group is out walking with the disguised Yasuko and Rin. They're going to head for Akiza's house since she will have her lawyer be there and secure Yuya's release. Yasuko can only hope the lawyer, Mina, would be useful.

"So, why can't we use your duel runner?" Lua inquired. "Won't be faster if you take it?"

"The duel runner is too high profile," Yasuko divulged. "If I use it right here, it'll look suspicious, and they'll probably have security check for clearance."

"She's right," Rin agreed. "It's best we stay on the ground." She looked at the passing couple. "We're in a very difficult territory right now."

"I'll say," said Luna. "The Tops is a very strict community." She pressed a stop light signal to get across. "That's why we can't let anyone know who you are."

Yasuko has other ideas to make. "The first thing we do is get to Akiza's place and then we find out if we can get Yuya released."

Luna turned to the girl. "But what about the others?" she inquired.

"The others can wait," said Yasuko. "They're not going anywhere until then."

"That's a bit dark," Lua commented.

"A more than a reason why I don't want to let all of them out at the same time," Yasuko replied.

The light turns green to indicate that the lane is ready to walk. They cross the road to the other side.

"Still, don't you think it's a big risk getting Yuya out of prison?" Luna questioned. "He-I mean-Yugo was wanted by security days ago, and Yuya looked just like him."

"And that means they're done searching for them," Yasuko responded. "If I can guess, the Tops have unlimited advantages we could exploit."

"Exploit? You mean like…" Lua began. "You're going to use the system to your advantage?"

"I assume the Tops don't get prosecuted as much as the Commons do, right? With that much power and influence, you guys get lighter sentences and probably have only a house arrest, if that's true," Yasuko assumed the case for Tops in the justice system.

"You hit the bullseye," said Lua.

"Then I can use that to secure Yuya's release."

"And what about that girl who looked like me? This Serena girl you mentioned," Rin pointed out. "Can we get her a bail, too?"

"Nah," Yasuko declined. "Serena doesn't have to wait. She'll get out of there eventually." She turns to look at the other side of the street. "It's not like they'll hold her for long."

"What do you mean?" Rin inquired.

"Serena's a warrior, she's trained for stuff like this," said Yasuko. "Shun is a resistance fighter. He could get out of there easily. As for the rest, we'll, they're not getting out of there without someone covering them."

"And do you think Akiza's lawyer will secure their release?"

"I doubt it." Yasuko paused. "Which is why Yuya is getting out first."

"But why Yuya?" Luna inquired. "Does he really mean a lot to you?"

"I need someone who can cover my back," Yasuko answered. "I doubt that pompadour muscle guy or that idiot will watch over me is case something happens."

As they come turn to a corner, a car nearly runs over them, halting immediately.

"Hey! Watch it, asshole!" Yasuko yelled, stomping her shoe at the hood. "You nearly run over me!"

The first thing the driver did was get out of the car with anger. "You watch where you're going, you little bitch!" the driver yelled. "Do you have any idea how much it costs me for that custom paint job!"

"Oh, shut up, dickhead!" Yasuko retorted.

Rin, however, was shocked who the driver is. "Oh crap!" she screamed in her head. "Is that Trudge?!"

"That's it!" Trudge slams the car to give the girl a piece of his mind. "You're gonna pay me for that!"

Rin immediately grabbed the girl's arm, giving a big smile. "I'm sorry mister!" Rin boosted. "My friend was just being cranky. She had a very bad morning, and is a little bit groggy." Rin sounds like she's having a good day. "I apologize if my friend is being rudely irresponsible." She holds Yasuko's arm right to her chest. "Now, if you would excuse us, we're late for school."

Rin drags Yasuko hard, hoping to avoid any more confrontation with Trudge. As the girls and the twins started to leave, Trudge has a suspicious look on his face when he saw Riley.

"Hey, hold it right there, you kids," Trudge called.

The group halted, frozen in their place. They're sure to be busted if they are discovered by him.

"Have I seen you before?" Trudge inquired, looking closer at the kids with a keen eye.

Rin gulped, her nerve wrecking in. "Uh…no sir, I don't think so," she lied.

"I know I've seen you somewhere before," said Trudge. He comes a little bit closer. "Are you from the Commons? Or are you from out of town?"

"Uh…." Rin isn't sure how to respond. She can think of many things that won't get them caught. "We just loved here, sir," she stated. "Yeah, we've moved here and we're going to school, so we best be on our way." She grips Yasuko's arm tighter and starts dragging her away. "Sorry about your car!"

The twins follow them right behind with them pushing Riley between them. "Yeah, sorry!" Lua called.

"Apologies! Won't happen again!" Luna waved back at Trudge from an earshot.

Trudge still looked begrudgingly infuriated at the kids. As he checked on the car, Trudge made a noise. "Stupid little girl," he said. As he examines the damage, Trudge has a sudden flashback. "Wait a minute…" He recalled seeing a child when he arrested Yugo. A child was in the crime scene with the Commons: Crow and Shinji. There was a girl holding a child who looked exactly like the one the twins pushed away.

He looked in the direction of where the kids went off. "Have I seen those twerps?" he wondered, thinking if he's encountered the children before.

As soon as they are out of sight, Rin punches Yasuko hard, clearly angry with her attitude.

"Ow!" Yasuko grunted. "What the hell's that for?!"

"Are you stupid?!" Rin exclaimed. "That was an officer right there. Officer Tetsu Trudge."

Yasuko raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Wait, you know him?"

Rin rolled her eyes and said, "Unfortunately, yes."

"How?" Luna inquired, also wanting to know.

"He used to be my truant officer when Yugo and I were kids," Rin revealed. "Back then, we would skip school, and then Officer Trudge would chase after us every single time."

Yasuko snorted in amusement. "Wow, talk 'bout a feud right there," she said.

Rin makes a hollow laugh. "Yeah, well, it's not very fun having an officer you used to know always chasing after you." She would check the street to see if the coast is clear for them to proceed before facing Yasuko again. "You need to be very careful in the Tops, especially for you," she advised. "Since you're a fugitive, you can't be causing trouble."

"I don't cause trouble; trouble finds me," Yasuko rebuked.

Luna rolls her eyes. "Whatever, just stay close," she said.

The twins lead the group to the direction of Akiza's home address. They avoid anyone so that the trip can go as smoothly as they want. The group comes to the home address where Akiza lives.

The home is very grand, almost like a palace. Two sets of marble towers align together to form one straight path to the house. The gate at the front of the driveway is heavily sealed. It was clear to the group that Akiza's home was bigger than the twins apartment.

Luna comes to the buzzer and pressed it.

"Hello?" A woman's voice called through the intercom.

"Um, hi," Luna responded. "We're here to see Akiza Izinski. We're friends of hers in school."

They waited for a response, but there wasn't until a minute later when the gates started to grind open.

The group enters through the gate and view the neatly kept garden and front yard. The flowers bloomed under the sun. For a senator's daughter, Yasuko was impressed Akiza gets to live in a manor like this one.

The group stop in front of the door. Lua knocks twice to the frame. Upon knocking, the door opens, revealing a housekeeper responding to them. She has tall and has black hair cut in a bobby weave. She wears glasses over her hazel eyes and an angular chin.

"Hi, we're here to see Akiza," Luna stated.

The housekeeper bowed her head and opens the door wider for the group to enter. "Right this way, they're expecting you," she said.

Yasuko takes in the sight of Akiza's interior. Even from the outside, the house looked like it's a castle. The red carpet rolls up to the two set of stairs. The window covers are decorated with gold outlines and blue. Luxurious items and furniture are everywhere.

"Wow," said Rin, looking around with awe. "This place is amazing."

"Yeah, what'd you expect? She's the senator's daughter," Yasuko responded sarcastically.

"Hi everyone."

The group turns up to find Akiza coming down the stairs to greet them.

"Hi, Akiza," the twins replied.

Akiza stops shortly and looks at Riley. "Hi, Riley, I'm glad you're doing fine," she said. Akiza pats on his head, making Riley startled by her touch.

Akiza loos at the girls. "Mina is in the dining room right now," she said. "Come on, I'll show you the way."

The group follows Akiza and her housekeeper through the hallway, which is decorated with pictures and superbly detailed paintings of the family. Yasuko can assume Akiza comes from a lengthy line of politicians.

"Oh, by the way, what happened to kids, Akiza?" Yasuko asked. She did it forget the kids: Amanda, Frank, and Tarren.

"The kids?" Akiza wondered. She then realized whom Yasuko's referring to. "Oh, you mean Amanda, Frank, and Tarren. They're safe. I took them to customs where they'll be staying at the Izinski Foundation for a while."

"The Izinski Foundation?" Rin inquired.

"When my father tour around Neo Domino City, he created the Izinski Foundation for orphans to ensure they can get a better life," Akiza explained.

"That's nice," said Rin.

"Can't imagine the legal challenges it took to face the Tops," said Yasuko. "I'm surprised the Tops allows that to happen."

"My father works for the state," Akiza pointed out. "They can't deny his request."

They entered the dining room to see a woman sitting at the large dining table. She has short, blue hair and gold eyes. She wears a white blouse under a gray-blue jacket that ends in the front abdomen above a brown belt but falls past her white skirt in the back. The woman recognizes the group and stands up to meet them.

"Greetings, my name is Mina Simington, and I represent Akiza Izinski as her attorney," Mina introduced herself to them.

"Hi, Yasuko Yukihana," Yasuko responded.

"I'm Rin," Rin replied. "It's a pleasure to be meeting you, Miss Simington."

Rin offers her hand and Mina shakes it in return. "A pleasure to meet all of you."

Mina had one eyebrow raised in surprise. "Say, are you the girl who was supposed to be wanted by security or are you someone different?" she inquired.

"Oh trust me, she's one of the same," Yasuko blurted out. "Like split personality wise."

Rin turns to Yasuko with a frown. "Shut up, I am not!" she exclaimed.

Yasuko rolled her eyes. "Right…" she said sarcastically.

"Stop mocking me!" Rin yelled.

Mina snorted in amusement. "Well, you certainly are something," she commented.

The girls and Riley take a seat across from the twins and Akiza while Mina sits at the center with her papers in order.

"Now that you're all here," said Mina. "Let's get down to business." She opens the folder to read Yasuko's documents forged by Blister. "As you can see, these documents are legal," she clarified. "But your case will not resolve."

"So, you're saying I can't get my fugitive status off their list?" Yasuko questioned.

"Yea and no," Mina answered.

"What do you mean, yes and no?" Yasuko repeated.

"Yes, you can't get away with your fugitive activities, but no that doesn't mean you can't be a fugitive forever," Mina explained.

"How?" Rin inquired.

"I can get you certain immunities that will protect you from getting prosecuted with the charges, but that won't get rid of your fugitive status," Mina stated. "However, with these immunities, you can be charged to a lesser degree, and you'll be only sentenced to a house arrest, nothing more serious than that."

"You mean we won't go to the Facility?" Rin questioned.

"Of course," Mina confirmed. "I have no problem with dismissing the charges against you, but unless they have a warrant for your arrest, then they can't legally detain you or it will be unlawful."

"I thought there weren't any warrants for anyone who is not from the Tops," Yasuko assumed.

"Mostly because the Commons are disproportionately affected by the system," Mina pointed out. "The reason why Commons are prosecuted more than the Tops."

Yasuko isn't too surprised by that statement. She knows the Tops can get everything they want because they're always the winners.

"Of course," said Yasuko. "They don't."

Rin understood what Yasuko was thinking. "The Tops get afford the best lawyers, get the best witnesses, and they can post their bails so easily."

"Which is why I am here," said Mina. "Akiza told me that you want to be protected, so I'm here to ensure that you are." Mina looks at the documents again. "And I can verify that you are a resident of the Tops, which means Sector Security must have a warrant for your arrest."

"But what about the certain immunities you spoke of?" Yasuko asked.

"The certain immunities will include no arrests or detaining you for unlawful acts unless they have a warrant, and they have exercised your rights as citizens of the Tops," Mina stated, flipping through the papers.

"But that isn't enough to stop them fr arresting me because I'm a fugitive," Yasuko assumed.

Mina nodded. "Correct."

Yasuko was disappointed to hear what Akiza's lawyer had to say about her. Since Sector Security wants her, the fugitive status will stay with her for a while. She can deal with they later. There's just one more thing in her mind.

"And Yuya?" Yasuko asked.

"Yuya?" Mina repeated.

Yasuko takes out her duel disk to show Mina the picture on Yuya, the boy Mina seemed to recognize. "This guy," she said. "This is that other guy who was on tv a few days ago."

Mina was surprised Yasuko knew the boy; at least his twin brother. "Are you sure? He's been wanted by security before."

"This isna clear mistake," said Yasuko. "That guy you saw on the tv and the girl right next to me are not whom you thought they are." The whole alternate universe or twin brother is going to be most confusing for everyone who knew Yuya.

"I don't know," Mina responded. "His charges are very grim. He was trespassing in the Tops, I can't guarantee he will be release from that crime."

"But it's a mistake," Akiza defended. "This guy is his twin brother. There's no way Yuya was in the Tops."

"Exactly," Yasuko agreed.

Mina was concerned about him. Despite Yuya being a victim, the odd of securing his bail is almost slim. "I'm afraid that with all my expertise, I can't help post bail for him," Mina stated.

Yasuko can feel the frustration returning after working so hard trying to get back to the Tops, only for to let her progress go to waste. She sighed, pinching her eyes.

"Son of a bitch…" Yasuko cursed. "This is getting more dragged by the day."

"However, there is a way for your friend to get released from prison early," Mina pointed out.

Yasuko and Rin's ears perked up, heard Mina's suggestion. "What?" they said altogether.

"If you can get Yuya to an agreement with you to a plea bargain, then maybe I can get the charges to drop and reduce his sentencing," Mina suggested.

"A plea bargain?" Rin inquired. "As in like, Yuya has to take the blame for Yugo's?"

"I don't know who this Yugo is, but it's clear your friend, Yuya, was the one who was caught by mistake, which means that he can't be unlawfully detained for any reason," Mina explained. "What I can offer is a reduced sentencing so that when the case is resolved, Yuya will be free in less time."

"But only if he's willing to plea guilty for everything his twin brother did for days," Yasuko clarified.

"Yes, that is correct," Mina affirmed.

Yasuko finds this idea to be tricky considering what she knows about Yuya's character. There's no way in hell Yuya will abandon the others for his own sake, even if means he'll be released on bail.

"That's a lot for him to take," said Yasuko.

"What do you mean?" Luna inquired.

"This is Yuya Sakaki we're talking about," Yasuko replied. "If I know him, there's no way he'll accept this kind of deal."

"If he doesn't, then he'll won't be released," Rin added.

"I know that," Yasuko sighed. "I can't believe it had to come down to this." She rubs her temple with annoyance. "Whatever way goes, it's going to end with one outcome: my own prison sentence."

Akiza turned to Mina and said, "A plea deal is the only option we've got, but if Yuya won't accept it, what happens next?"

"What else? life without parole," Yasuko assumed. "He refuses, he stays." She was sure that if the system is corrupted,she'll be forced to make her own options for Yuya. "Unless…" Yasuko had another thought.

"Unless?" Mina repeated.

"Do you still have something called a corpus delicti? Or was it something that has corpus?" Yasuko suggested, which made Mina realize something she was getting onto.

"You mean habeas corpus?" Mina inquired. She was fascinated by the girl's thinking. "That could be it," she said. "A Habeas corpus would be in his favor, and the prison warden would have no choice but to allow him to heedhis request."

The twins looked at each other in confusion.

"A habeas corpus?" Luna repeated.

"It's a right for anyone to challenge their convictions if they are wrongfully detained without any evidence of their crime," Mina explained to the twins. "But a corpus delicti would be added to Yuya's case to prove he's not the suspect."

"Which means he can get released, right?" Yasuko asked.

"If all things considered, I'd say this is your best chance," Mina affirmed.

"Then let's get right to it," said Yasuko.

"I'll be back tomorrow to finish the work," said mina, getting up from the seat. "We can discuss your plans for a reduced jail time tomorrow morning."

"Sounds fine," Yasuko responded.

The group says farewell to the woman as she leaves the residence.

"Goodbye, Akiza, I'll see you again soon."

"It's nice to have you help out," Akiza replied.

"Of course, what are friends for," Mina smiled.

"Goodbye!" The twins waved to her as Mina returned to a car outside the gates.

As the woman leaves the residence, Akiza turns to the group. "Anyone want with some enthusiasm. "Who wants dinner? My treat," she said.

"Alright! I can't wait!" Lua cheered, and his sister nodded in agreement.

"Sure," Rin replied.

"Whatever," Yasuko responded.

As Akiza and the twins head back inside, Yasuko and Rin were left alone with Riley between them.

"It's almost over, huh?" Rin asked.

"Not even close," Yasuko disagreed. "This is still the beginning."

"Do you think she'll be alright with us?" Rin inquired.

"As long as I can accomplish my goals, then there's no harm in getting her to aid us," Yasuko turns to the little one on her right. "And you just wait. Soon, we'll find your brother very soon, have patience."

Riley nodded in agreement but did it say anything.

Yasuko turned to the other side of the house. She may be looking at the orange skies. "Hang on Yuya, I'm gonna go get your ass out, whether you want it or not," she pondered.

With that in mind, the trio turns to head inside the ear dinner.

Unbeknownst to them or anyone, a lone figure was standing on the rooftop of a Topsider's manor across the street. It was Moon Shadow. His blue eyes stare at the trio as his hair, and scarf sways around with the winds.

"Looks like she made it," he said. "I better report this back."

Like a ninja, he disappears in a blink of an eye.

Somewhere in the Tops apartment, Declan Akaba watches the sunset from the horizon.

He sensed the presence of Moon Shadow appearing behind him as he kneeled down before him.

"Sir, Yasuko and Riley have been located," Moon Shadow reported.

"Good," Declan acknowledged. "Now that we have found them, it's time we put the plan together."

Declan didn't turn back to him, but he was very sure of Yasuko's intentions. "Looks like we're going to be helping her out after all."

Now that he knows where Yasuko and Riley are, he can focus on the more pressing matters: the Lancers in the Facility.

Hello, and thank you for your patience reading this chapter. It's been a stressful day, and I've been having a really bad day. This was only short, as we're getting into the Friendship Cup. Clearly, I just want this chapter to be posted and done for the day. So, if you enjoy reading this story so far, then take the time to review what are you thoughts, what you want to see more, or if you like the story, then favor it to a friend or someone you know.

So with that, enjoy the rest of the day.