The Signers and their allies learn of the Arcadia Movement's plan! How will they react and proceed?
It's now their turn to move out!
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 50: Arcadia Arc – Part 5
"Man, just when I thought I heard everything." Ushio muttered after Yusei finished explaining.
"To think that there are others like Windy out there. It's just mind boggling." Mikage said.
"Yes it is." Yusei said. "Windy's secret is a top priority for us. The only people that know about him are in this room."
"Mizoguchi also knew about Windy before he…" Sherry said before stopping herself. Kiryu held her to comfort her.
"I'm sorry for not telling you both before now." Yusei apologized. The two detectives shook their heads.
"It's alright Yusei. I understand the importance of covering up certain facts from the public. I promise you, all of you, that Tetsu and I won't breathe a word about Windy to anyone." Mikage said firmly.
"Damn right we won't, especially if Windy succeeds in taking down that hacker." Ushio added.
"Thanks." Crow told them.
"You guys think Windy is okay?" Ruka asked, concerned. It had been nearly an hour since the Wind Ignis left to find Jordan's partner. They had had no response from him. Not yet.
"I'm sure he's fine. Don't worry Ruka." Aki said to her.
"He will be back." Yusei said, agreeing with his girlfriend.
"If you say so." The little girl replied.
"Windy's a super smart A.I., isn't he? He's got this." Yugo added.
"They're right, Ruka. We just gotta believe he'll pull through." Rua said, trying to encourage his twin sister. Ruka nodded back with a smile.
"Okay." She said.
A couple of minutes later the same officer that came in before returned. This time, his news was much less dire. "Detectives, everyone! We just got confirmation that all vehicles throughout Neo Domino City are fully operational again!"
"Their power has been restored?" Mikage asked. The younger officer nodded.
"Yes ma'am! It literally just now happened!"
'Windy did it.' Yusei thought, knowing that it had to have been him.
"Thanks for the update." Ushio said. The official nodded once more before leaving the room again.
"The little guy pulled it off." Sherry said to Kiryu, happy to finally have some good news. Her boyfriend smiled at her as he nodded.
Just then, a loud "Beep, Beep" could be heard from the computer Windy used to enter the city network.
"Could it be?" Crow asked before the computer monitor showed an image of the digital being on it.
"Hey everyone. Told you all I'd be back." Windy said in a triumphant voice.
"Windy!" Rin cheered happily.
"You okay, buddy?" Yugo asked. Windy nodded.
"All good on my end, Yugo."
"We just got word of the vehicles getting their power back. You actually did it, didn't you?" Mikage asked him.
"I most certainly did, Detective Sagiri." Windy confirmed. "What's more, we no longer have to worry about any future hacking incidents."
"You found Jordan's partner?" Jack asked.
"I did, and put an end to his madness. He won't be causing any more trouble." Windy said.
"That's fantastic news." Aki said, relieved to hear that.
"Great work Windy. Thank you." Yusei said with gratitude.
"Yeah, thanks." Ushio said, truly grateful for the digital being's assistance. Windy nodded once more, glad to have made a difference on the right side. "So who was the scumbag?"
"The hacker, and Jordan's partner, was actually an A.I. called Racer." Windy said, surprising the group.
"Another A.I.? Like yourself?" Mikage asked, hardly believing it. Windy shook his head.
"Not quite as advanced as me, but yes. Racer was made to cause chaos and panic with the city's internal systems. He was quite dangerous, having no love for humanity himself. He tried to delete me, but that didn't work out for him."
"What happened to him?" Kiryu asked. Windy sighed.
"Racer got himself deleted… by his own deleting program." He went on to explain the whole encounter with Racer, including the Duel and the attempt on Windy's life. Needless to say, no one felt sorry for the opposing A.I.
"Hmph. Good riddance." Crow said without a hint of remorse.
"Served that bastard right for what he did." Yugo agreed.
"Indeed." Aki said. "So you are in this "work station" Racer hid himself?"
"Yes. This is a good strategic place to be. I can monitor all activities here and give you updates as needed, especially in regards to Divine's activities. Yusei can share the Cyberse communication program with the others so that I can talk to each of you if need be." Windy told her.
"That can be useful." Ushio admitted. "The more intel we have, the better."
"Windy, did you find out who created Racer?" Mikage asked.
"And why he was involved with the Arcadia Movement?" Ushio added.
"Yes… among other important things. I learned of his creation when I searched through his secure files. I'll start with him." Windy paused a moment before he began, with everyone listening intently. "Racer was created by a young man named Peter Towers. He was a brilliant programmer who used to work for a computer company here in the city. He was also a fan of racing and would spend nearly all his free time watching car races."
"I can see how Racer got be a racing fanatic himself." Rin said. Windy went on.
"Towers was gifted, but he was not the type to socialize. He pretty much kept to himself most of the time and almost never went out aside from work and grocery shopping. There was one thing nobody ever knew about him though… something that made him not such a good guy."
"What was it?" Aki asked.
"Towers was part of a secret underground gang of hackers who stole money from big companies for their own personal gain. This included the company Towers worked for."
"That's awful!" Ruka said angrily.
"I'm not liking this guy one bit." Rua stated firmly.
"His true self wasn't very likable." Windy replied. "Towers was once seen as a quiet but polite computer programmer with no sign of any evil intent. No one ever saw his other side… until he made a small but critical mistake that cost him everything."
"What mistake?" Mikage asked.
"He made a large bet with some of the money he stole from his company on a specific Duel that took place months ago. He wanted to see Aki Izayoi defeat Yusei Fudo during the Fortune Cup." The two Signers Windy mentioned gasped in surprise along with everyone else.
"He did?" Aki asked, shocked by that fact.
"Yes. Apparently, Towers was fascinated with you and your involvement with the Arcadia Movement. He wanted to support their cause, feeling like an outcast himself. He intended to do that by betting on your victory in that tournament. That plan did not go as he expected. When Yusei won that Duel instead, Towers was very angry. He lost a great deal of money due to Yusei's victory. He was going to get retribution on Yusei by using his hacking skills to make everyone believe he cheated and get him disqualified… as well as arrested."
"That low life!" Yugo shouted, pissed.
"That never happened to me." Yusei said.
"That's because Towers never got the chance." Windy explained. "Before he could get his revenge on you, the money he lost betting on Aki got traced back to him by a spy planted within his hacker gang. Before long, the Public Security Maintenance Bureau was on him like white on rice. Towers didn't get far before he was arrested, alone with the rest of his kind. He ended up going to prison for his crimes. Not long after… he was killed in a brawl between inmates."
"He deserved that punishment." Jack said firmly.
"What about Racer?" Sherry asked.
"He was Towers' last resort, made from his early days in that gang. Racer was created in the event his maker's life would be compromised. During all that time, Racer's program lay inactive. The moment he found out his secret was exposed, Towers had activated him with a set of instructions to carry out his will. After Towers' death was made public, Racer was to seek out Aki and aid her, along with the Arcadia Movement, in their own mission to overthrow humanity."
"But Racer never found me." Aki pointed out.
"Yet another thing that went wrong for Towers. Racer's search for you got delayed because of an unusual energy that struck the Arcadia Movement's HQ at the time."
"What energy?" Ushio asked. Ruka answered before Windy did.
"The Dark Signers! Racer must have tried to find Aki during their attack but couldn't!"
"The night the Arcadia Movement was torn apart." Jack said, remembering that night all too well. As did Aki.
"Let me guess what happened next. Racer resumed his search after the attack was over, but instead of finding Aki, he connected with Jordan." Crow said.
"Exactly." Windy confirmed. "He went to the closest active Arcadia Movement registered Duel Disk he could find, which was Jordan's. Although he was very unhappy that he failed to find the right person, Racer quickly took a liking to Jordan and decided they would become "partners". They had remained together ever since, even after Divine escaped and reestablished the Arcadia Movement."
"But now both Jordan and Racer are gone." Mikage surmised. "Does Divine know?"
"No, at least for now." Windy said to her.
"Let's pray he doesn't find out for a while." Rin said.
"Same here." Kiryu said before turning to the Wind Ignis. "Windy. You said you found something else other than Racer's hidden hideout. Like what?"
"Within the databanks here, I have uncovered Divine's plan for conquering Neo Domino City." This really got everyone's attention.
"Sweet!" Yugo said excitedly. "Now we'll be a step ahead of him!"
"Any advantage we can get will be helpful." Sherry said. Everyone nodded.
"Let's find out what he's up to so we can get moving!" Crow insisted.
"Agreed. Windy… please tell us Divine's plan." Yusei instructed. Windy nodded.
"It is a two step operation. The first phase of the plan is to attack certain locations within Neo Domino at a designated time. To be exact, it will be midnight."
"Talk about a cliché. A lot of important stuff always happens at midnight." Crow said with a grunt. Windy went on.
"Most of the locations are either for the city's citizens needs or great cultural importance. A couple of others are more… personal choices."
"How are these attacks going to be carried out?" Jack asked.
"Divine will send one of his Elites to each location… and obliterate them. Unfortunately, the data does not tell which Elite will attack where."
"He must have kept some bits of information to himself and his Elites in case his plan somehow got leaked." Mikage guessed.
"What are those targeted locations?" Ushio a questioned.
"I will display them before you." Windy said before he displayed a detailed map of Neo Domino City on the big screen in front of the group. The map then revealed seven red dots and one grey dot throughout the area. Next to each dot was the name, address, and picture of each target.
"The grey one… that's the dueling stadium Jordan blew up last night!" Kiryu exclaimed.
"The very same one. I highlighted it in a different color because that target was already hit." Windy said.
"Jordan wasn't supposed to destroy the stadium until later on. Kiryu, Sherry, and Mizoguchi's interfering forced him to change his part of the plan." Mikage deduced.
"So it was part of a grand scheme." Ushio added. "But how did he get all those explosives in place without being noticed?"
"He must've somehow blended in with the maintenance staff or something to pull it off." Sherry guessed.
"But why target that place to begin with?" Kiryu asked, not understanding the logic behind it.
"A lot of Neo Domino's famous riding Duel tournaments took place there, including the Fortune Cup. Divine most likely chose it to cause a large amount of distress to Duelists in general." Windy said.
Aki then gasped in horror at one of the red dotted targets.
"Aki?" Rin asked, startled by her friend's reaction.
"No! Yusei, look! My family's mansion is one of Divine's targets!"
"I see it." Her boyfriend replied, not happy with what he was seeing. "He must be planning to eliminate your parents." Aki gritted her teeth and tightened her fists, clearly angered.
'Divine… you would go this far to get me back?! You psychopath!' At least she knew her mom and dad won't be defenseless thanks to the armed officers at her place.
"No way! Our home is listed too Ruka!" Rua shouted in alarm, pointing at the image and address of his and Ruka's penthouse. Ruka started to tremble with fear.
"But… but why? What would Divine gain by going there? Is he after our mom and dad too?!" She shouted in anguish.
"The data does not reveal that either, I'm afraid." Windy informed her sadly.
"Regardless of his reasons, we need to inform them all about being potential targets." Ushio said seriously.
"I couldn't agree more." Mikage said. "Once we finish discussing things here, you and I will call Aki's and the twins' parents to put them on the alert." Her partner nodded in agreement.
"We already have Aki's place under police protection." Ushio turned to the twins. "I'll see to it that we have a squad at your home too. Your parents will be fine, I promise you that."
"Thank you." Rua and Ruka both said.
"What's that place?" Yugo asked, pointing to what looked like a factory of some kind. Yusei stiffened.
"That's a recycling plant where some friends of mine are currently working, in what was known as Satellite." 'Could Rally and the others be in danger as well?' He thought with worry.
"They should be given a heads up too." Yugo told him. Yusei nodded.
"Is that target there… a statue?" Rin asked, pointing at another target. It appeared to be a stone carving of a woman carrying a bowl for an offering.
"That's the Duel Shrine. Duelists go there to ask the "Duel Goddess" to make their wishes come true." Jack informed her. He recalled how he helped a young boy who prayed at the shrine by offering his cards to make his wish happen. Jack made a noticeable growl. 'To think that Divine would attack something so pure and sacred! Unforgivable!'
"Divine must not care for stuff like that if he's planning to tear it down." Yugo said.
"Such a place has a right to exist. No one should do anything bad to it." Rin replied strongly. 'It has to be protected… for the people's belief that wishes can come true.'
"Hmm. Looks like Divine is also targeting the Satellite Orphanage, Neo Domino Academy, and Domino General Hospital." Ushio noted, listing the remaining locations.
"What?! The orphanage?!" Crow yelled in outrage. "Martha and all the kids she's looking after are in Divine's crosshairs?! Hell no! I'm not letting that happen!"
"And all the sick and wounded at the hospital are also at risk." Mikage said with worry.
"Not if I have anything to say anything about it." Jack declaring his intention to protect them.
"Since it's the weekend, the school will be empty of people. There won't be any victims." Aki said. "Still, we cannot let it to be destroyed. I won't allow it."
"Aki, your parents more than likely won't let you…." Mikage started.
"I will go with her." Yusei said as he took his girlfriend's hand. "They'll know she is safe with me."
"Yusei…" Aki said gratefully as she gripped his hand in return.
Ushio sighed. "Well, sounds like everyone's pretty much decided who's going where." Most of the group nodded.
"I'm going to defend the Duel Shrine." Rin declared.
"As for me, I'm heading out to the recycling factory to warn Yusei's buddies." Yugo said.
"Hold on." Mikage interrupted. "From what Aki has told us about the Elite Psychics, they are not people you should cross paths with. I really don't recommend you two should get involved." The young couple glared at the detective.
"Are you kidding? Rin and I are not wimpy little kids! She and I are tough! We ain't gonna back off just because you say so!" Yugo said defiantly.
"He's right. Yusei saved us and gave us a home away from home. He and his friends have been kind and generous to me and Yugo all month. The least we can do to repay them is help stop Divine and the Arcadia Movement from hurting people." Rin said, also wanting to fight.
"It's too dangerous." Mikage argued back.
"Newsflash, lady. Rua and Ruka are younger than all of us and you're not saying anything to them." Yugo pointed out.
"They are Signers. It is an entirely different…" Mikage started but was cut off.
"Yugo and Rin have as much right to fight as we do." Yusei said firmly. "They are strong Duelists. I know they will be fine."
"But…" Mikage tried to argue further, but the looks of everyone, especially Jack's, made her hold her tongue.
"What about you two?" Ushio asked Kiryu and Sherry. The latter looked away, appearing restless. Kiryu answered for both of them.
"Sherry and I will head back to the mansion and stay close to Aki's parents. Also, we still need to rest and recover from… what happened." He said delicately. The detectives and everyone else agreed.
"There is still one thing we don't know about. What was Racer's part in Divine's plan?" Yusei asked Windy.
"His part was the end game… the final step." He said ominously.
"Meaning what?" Rua demanded. Windy hesitated for a second before he gave the answer.
"Attacking those places is mainly a distraction for the final step, to divert public eye. When the other targets were confirmed to have been hit, Racer was to hack into the communication systems and broadcast a message claiming the Arcadia Movement was responsible. He would also say "prepare to experience the fires of hatred and retribution". That will cause quite a panic. During that time, something called the "Alpha Fire" would activate. When it does, a giant circle of fire would erupt, spreading throughout the city…"
"How big are we talking?" Crow said. Windy's answer shocked everyone.
"All of Neo Domino City… would be incinerated. Nothing, and no one, would survive."
Nearly all the group's faces paled. None of them ever imagined Divine would do something of this level.
"The whole city… all the people… will be wiped out? Just like that?" Rin asked, aghast.
"Just like that." Windy confirmed solemnly.
'How can Divine possibly do that?!' Yusei thought with dread.
"That's beyond insane! Wouldn't that include the Arcadia Movement itself?!" Jack said, outraged by this tactic.
"Divine and his whole organization will have evacuated long before the attack." Windy answered.
"That Divine really is a crazy bastard." Crow said with disgust.
"Indeed he is. Fortunately, we won't have to worry about the panic inducing broadcast with Racer now gone." Windy said.
"This "Alpha Fire" you mentioned. What exactly is it? Where is it now?" Mikage asked. Windy looked down.
"I do not know. That information was also not among Racer's files. My guess is that Divine has it with him, but I cannot be certain of that."
"Wait. Do we know where the Arcadia Movement is hiding now?" Ushio asked. "If we can find them, we can apprehend them before they even get into position." Windy sighed.
"The Elites have already left to begin the assaults, according to the data. They are now lying in wait to make their moves. As for Divine himself, he has locked himself up tight deep underground. No doubt he has defenses set up so he would feel safe. Furthermore, if we attack their base head on, the Elites could return to give us a very tough fight should they work together. I strongly recommend a more practical and traditional approach…"
"Divide and conquer." Sherry guessed.
"Correct. We allow Divine's forces to spread throughout the city, and you guys can take them down while they are separated. The authorities can then apprehend them when they are vulnerable. After the Elites have been dealt with, Divine will have far fewer people to protect him. When you guys arrive there, I will shut down all of his defenses, and make it much easier to reach him."
"So we save the head Psychic for last, huh?" Yugo asked.
"What do we do about the "Alpha Fire"?" Aki asked.
"Without knowing exactly what it is, the best advice I can give is to find it and make sure Divine doesn't activate it, no matter the location." Windy strongly suggested.
"Then we better make sure we find Divine and stop him from using it." Yusei declared.
"Agreed. Here's the plan. You guys go to the designated targets before midnight. That way, you can be ready when those Elites show up and give them hell. Once the action is over, some officers will stand by to arrest them." Ushio said.
"This is our best course of action. Any last minute questions or concerns?" Mikage asked. No one had any. "Alright. Let us proceed with caution and be ready for anything." With that, the meeting was adjourned and the Signers left with their friends. Windy then switched off the monitor so he could focus elsewhere.
As they walked out, Mikage leaned on her desk and sighed. "We can't seem to catch a break around here when it comes to dealing with crazy people like Divine." Ushio nodded.
"That's pretty much a given. I'll go grab us some coffee." Ushio said before he too walked out.
"Thanks." Mikage said to him before he went out the door. She truly hoped everything will turn out alright in the end and stop the Arcadia Movement once and for all.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
As Yusei and the others made their way through the hall, Kiryu suddenly stopped. "Sherry, hold on a second."
Sherry turned to her boyfriend, looking confused. "What is it?" She asked.
Instead of answering her, Kiryu addressed the rest of the group. "You guys go on ahead to the parking lot. We will catch up in a bit."
"Alright. We'll wait for you two there." Yusei said before resuming their walk. Aki glanced over at Sherry, wondering if she would tell him of her "condition". She hoped so before leaving with the group.
Now alone in the hall, Sherry stared at Kiryu. "So, what is it?" She asked again. Kiryu hesitated a moment before replying.
"Sherry… how is your stomach feeling? Is it causing you problems today?" His girlfriend shrugged it off.
"No issues this time. I took my meds. Trust me, I'm okay." She tried to reassure him. Kiryu frowned.
"Last time you said to trust you, things didn't turn out "okay"." Sherry looked away.
"Don't remind me." She said in a low, sad voice. Kiryu sighed, thinking he had been insensitive.
"Look, I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you. I don't want what happened last night to happen again…"
"That's why I'm taking it easy once we get back to the mansion, you and me both. Remember, you were the one that got knocked out and I had to literally drag your ass out of harms way." Kiryu couldn't help but laugh. Sherry liked it when he did that. She went on. "According to Windy, we shouldn't be expecting unpleasant company until well after dark. I think by midnight we will both be ready to fight whatever Elite comes crashing down the front door." Sherry said.
"Maybe you're right." Kiryu then hugged his girl. "I just don't want anything else to happen to you." He said softly in her ear. Sherry hugged him back.
"Nor you." As they embraced, Kiryu couldn't see the deeply troubled face that Sherry now had. 'Nor our child.' She still wasn't ready to tell him, though she knew he had to find out at some point. Just not yet. She impulsively hugged Kiryu tighter, almost unwilling to let him go. Kiryu gasped as he felt her grip tighten.
"Sherry?" He asked, startled. Sherry nuzzled her head on his chest.
"Hold me. For a little longer. Please." She softly begged. Kiryu smiled as he too held her tighter.
"You got it, babe." The couple stood there holding one another, with Kiryu not knowing he was holding on to two lives instead of only one.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
As the group entered the garage, Yusei noticed the very worried look on Aki's face. He couldn't blame her after what Windy had reported. "Aki?" He asked, getting her attention. She stared down at her feet, her arms wrapped around herself.
"When I first heard of Divine's escape, I feared he would come after me and those I love. All month I had been dreading it. Now I find out he really is targeting my mother and father, maybe even Rua and Ruka's parents. It's a nightmare made real. I can't believe this is happening, Yusei." Yusei came over and hugged her. She instantly hugged him back.
"Aki, you don't have to be the one to protect the school from attack. You can go home to keep your parents safe and I'll fight the Elite. With Kiryu, Sherry, and the police guarding everyone, you will have plenty of help." He suggested. Aki looked up at him and shook her head.
"Thank you Yusei, but I'm pretty sure that's what Divine expects me to do. We need to keep him off balance by being unpredictable. Plus, I strongly suspect he may pay a visit there himself. He came after me last time."
Yusei thought about it and realized she was right. To have the best chance at stopping Divine, they needed to stay ahead of him. The survival of Neo Domino City depended on it. Yusei nodded.
"Okay. We'll move out as planned and deal with Divine in the end." Aki smiled before kissing him.
"Sounds good to me."
"Geez, get a room will ya?" Crow said in annoying tone.
"Maybe you should get a girlfriend Crow. That way you won't feel that way." Rin teased.
"Yeah pal. Having a girlfriend who digs you is the best thing ever." Yugo added while glancing at Rin, who winked back at him.
Crow huffed before he turned away. "Shut up you two." The group chuckled.
Right then, Kiryu and Sherry came outside. "Hey." Kiryu said.
"Did we miss something funny?" Sherry asked. Yugo smirked.
"Nothing big. Rin was just suggesting to Crow that he should hook up with someone."
"I said shut up!" Crow shouted, his face now a little red.
As he watched the friendly banter, Jack suddenly thought of a certain clumsy, yet cute and good hearted, reporter. 'It has been a while since I last saw Carly. Knowing her, she's probably trying to find another good scoop to her career.' He mentally sighed. After all these months, Jack still had strong feelings for Carly, more than any other woman he knew. She did help him out of his slump after his loss to Yusei in the Fortune Cup. He had grown to care for her deeply. But after everything with the Dark Signers (especially the fact that Carly herself had been one and tried to corrupt him), Jack felt he should keep Carly at a distance to keep her safe. Seeing how happy Yusei, Aki, Kiryu, and Sherry were, the former Riding Duel King started to want that kind of happiness too. 'Very well. Once this whole Arcadia Movement mess is cleaned up, I'll have a word with Carly…'
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
A gentle breeze blew across the cemetery that lay just outside the city. Not a living soul was present, save for the tall, long dark haired woman with light-blue eyes standing before a certain tombstone. She wore a sleeveless black shirt and skirt underneath a light jacket. The woman also had a gem tied to her forehead. Her expression was of great sadness. Misty Lola sighed as she laid a bouquet of flowers in front of the tombstone.
"Happy birthday, Tobi." She whispered. After straightening herself up, she took out the red and gold locket around her neck, which she got from Tobi on a previous birthday. Misty opened it and gazed at the picture of her and her younger brother. They both looked very happy. "To think, it's been nearly a year since you died. So much has happened since. You lost your life, and I lost mine. Then I was revived as some kind of inhuman monster. But after all that… I truly came back." She felt her eyes starting to tear up. "Why Tobi? Why was I given a second chance at life and you weren't? It is not fair."
Misty missed her brother everyday since she lost him. She had tried to move on after her brief time as a Dark Signer, for which she had no memory about. Aki Izayoi had filled her in after the whole thing. Misty thought she could put the trauma of her past behind her. Hearing of Divine breaking out of prison a month ago proved her wrong. Misty never forgave the man that killed her kind, innocent little brother. It angered her that he was on the lose again. She wondered if Divine would come after her after being killed by her Earthbound God. It wouldn't surprise Misty if he approached her right now when she was at her most vulnerable.
After mourning Tobi for a while, Misty put away her locket, took one last look at her brother's tombstone, and walked away. It was just after passing the front gate of the cemetery that she heard it. Misty stopped at the sound coming from her jacket pocket. She reached into it and pulled out her cell phone, which was ringing. Misty was perplexed. "What? My cell's ringing? That's impossible. I turned it off when I arrived here. I hadn't switched it back on yet. How could it have turned itself on? And who's trying to call me?"
The caller I.D. on her phone said "Caller Unknown". Misty was not liking this. Cell phones never turn themselves on after being turned off, and the fact that the person calling her had no name unnerved her. It didn't help that the call came immediately after her phone was forced on. Misty refused to get involved with someone possibly shady. She decided the safest thing to do was to simply let the call go to voicemail and then have the tech people at the Neo Domino City Police Department look into it.
Before the model could put her phone back in her pocket, the ringing stopped… and an unfamiliar voice spoke through the receiver. "Misty Lola. It was not very nice of you to not answer my phone call. Were you by any chance planning to stop by the police to have your phone examined for possible tampering? I am afraid that I cannot let you do that."
Misty stood there on the sidewalk, frozen by fear. She stared down at her phone with wide, terrified eyes. 'My phone answered the call by itself?! How did this guy know I was about to go to the police?! What is going on?!' The poor woman had no idea what to do. The voice spoke again.
"My abilities are far beyond your comprehension. Hacking and reactivating your phone was mere child's play for someone like me. Now pay close attention. I need you to listen to what I have to say..."
Misty gritted her teeth and held her phone tighter. She had only one option now if she was to get out of this. "Whoever the hell you are, stay out of my life!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. Misty raised the phone above her head, preparing to smash it on the concrete beneath her feet. She was a split second away from throwing it down when she heard the following words:
"Your brother is alive."
The woman stopped, shock mixed with confusion. She had to have misheard the caller. There was no way those words could be true. Very slowly, Misty lowered the phone and spoke into it. "What did you say?" She asked in a very low voice. The voice chuckled in an unpleasant way.
"I thought that would get your attention. It is as I say: Your brother, Tobi Lola, is alive and well."
Misty couldn't believe it. Her brother, alive?! After all this time?! That wasn't anymore possible than cell phones answering themselves. "H-How can you say that? I found my brother's body…"
"What you discovered that day was not a corpse, but rather a cleverly disguised replica to fool gullible observers… such as yourself. Tobi never died at the hands of the Arcadia Movement leader, Divine."
She found herself difficult to breathe. Could it really be? If so… "But, if Tobi really is still alive, then where is he? What really happened to him?" She demanded, desperation evident in her voice.
"Tobi's life was spared at the last second by someone working on my behalf. He is at an undisclosed location, which I have not shared with anyone for his own safety."
"Why are you telling me all this? Who are you?" Misty questioned, a hint of hesitancy in her voice.
"I am Lightning. The one thing you really need to know… is that I can reunite you with your brother. Do you want that?"
Misty was gripping her phone so tight that it might break. Should she trust this stranger? She could have her brother's body removed to be examined more thoroughly, but that would take time… too much time. If her little brother truly was alive, this could be her one and only chance to get him back. She could not pass this up.
"What do I have to do?" Misty asked in her most calming voice she could muster.
"Leave it all to me." Said Lightning confidently.
The screen on the phone changed to show a dark yellow diamond with a brighter yellow background. Misty had no idea what that meant. Suddenly, a hand with the same bright yellow color had reached out of the screen and grabbed Misty's face. The woman couldn't move as she was held in place. She felt herself being pulled out and could do nothing about it. Within seconds, the model's eyes turned blank and she went limp. The moment the hand had let go and retreated into the phone, the body of Misty Lola collapsed onto the pavement… and didn't move again.
To be continued.