Chapter One

The Fugitive

Rhythmic drips sounded from the sink in the corner. My sandpaper throat ached at the thought of gulping down tap water. The daydream occupied me as electricity thrummed through the metal contraption strapped onto my cranium like a helmet.

The machine zapped my synapses. I grit my teeth as the usual migraine built. The desire for water beat out the pain, and my hand moved on its own to touch my throat. My wrist stuck. Metallic cuffs trapped my forearms to velvety armrests.

I shut my eyes and clenched my fists. The drip-dripping worsened the pain in my head. I envisioned the somber waves of the nighttime sea, the roar of a waterfall, and the pitter patter of rain on pavement.

The whirring ended, and the migraine waned to a pounding headache. A rough grip unclasped the chin strap and dropped the contraption on the side table. My head lolled once the support of the man's hand retracted.

"Repeat what you saw," the man stated.

Plastic wheels rolled over tile. A woman's voice said, "I saw her talking to this… dragon. It was red and impossibly large. She- her anger reminded me of a feral animal, sir. I'm not sure if it's safe to have her as a field agent."

The man laughed. The grating sound raised goosebumps. Those rough fingers pressed into my neck to lift my head. I grimaced. He asked, "What do you want, girl? To go free? To attack me?"

My lips cracked when I opened my mouth. My voice bounced from pitch to pitch. "Water. A drop."

He let go. "The dehydration drove her to delirium. This subject is as dangerous, clever, and defiant as cattle. Her simplemindedness makes her the ideal candidate for field agent. Alas, we need her here until we find what we're looking for."

He jerked my head up. His sharp green eyes burned holes through mine. "Understand, darling? You can have your water and walk free. Show us the memory we're searching for. Show us the Spirit World."

My words squeaked. "Y-you mean it?"

"I promise," he purred.

"The p-place with the rock and the skeleton," I said. "I'll show you."

He pulled his hand back and clapped once. I saw his victorious smile before my neck slacked. "You're a model subject. Load up the program again. I have a hunch we'll find what we're looking for this time."

The helmet hummed. The woman's voice said, "Of course, Sayer."

I rubbed at my face and groaned as I sat up. Felt like I'd slept for centuries. Had my own snore woken me up? Gross. I glanced around for a clock or a window to figure out what time it was.

The room's red wallpaper wasn't separated by any windows. I followed the sound of ticks to an analog clock beside the door. The time read 1:27PM. Bunkbeds were pushed into the corner. My head tilted. Was this where I fell asleep? When had I fallen asleep?

Frantic knocking on the door distracted me. A voice beyond called, "Hello? Hell-ooooo! Is anyone in there? If my roomy is, please open the door! I lost my key, and I'm too afraid to ask for another!"

My head ached, but my empathy for the poor guy won out. Nausea threw me off-balance. I steered myself to the door and pushed down the handle. A blurry force slammed into me. I caught focus on a boy with curly brunet hair and brown eyes.

The two of us went sprawling to the ground. Landing on the carpet burned the heels of my hands. The guy hopped to his feet and said, "Sorry, I didn't think you were in here! I was trying to bust the door down."

My head swam. I could only prop up on my elbows. At least he appeared to be genuinely apologetic. He wore a strange outfit: a dark purple robe with a tall collar and puffy white pants. I looked down only to realize I was wearing the same thing. Didn't remember pulling the itchy thing on.

"It's fine." My voice cracked. I touched my aching throat, and my brows pushed in. A couple of water bottles sat on the nightstand. I twisted one open and gulped it down. My roommate gaped at me. I glanced between him and the second bottle. I really wanted it, but- "Want this?"

"Hey, thanks!" He took a couple sips and closed it. I found myself staring at the bottle. He asked, "It's your first day at the Movement, too, right?"

"Right."

A smack sounded as he slammed his fist into his open palm. "I'm sooo excited! Finally, a place to practice my psychic powers!"

Movement. Psychic powers. Nothing clicked, so I asked, "What is this 'place' called again?"

"The Arcadia Movement, of course! We're a part of the rising power of the decade, a safe haven for psychic duelists like us. How could you forget? Like, practically everyone knows who Akiza is now! Oh my God, she is so cool, and hot, too!"

The name struck familiarity. Akiza. A low-pitched voice rumbled among my thoughts: She is one of our Signers.

"Um. Did you say something?"

"No. Did you hear something?"

"It was probably nothing," I said. "By the way, what's your name?"

"My name? It's Zerudachen, but you can call me Zeru." He stretched out his hand. "What's yours?"

Name? Oh, easy. It's…

Not so easy. I couldn't remember my own name. Sweat formed at my temple, and my smile was nervous. I kept shaking his hand like an idiot.

Your name is Rain.

"Rain," I said, praying that was some sort of memory burst and not an ominous voice in my head. I wasn't crazy. Not in the clinical way. I hoped.

Zeru said, "Took you an awful long time to come up with that."

"It's been a really weird day," I apologized. "I may be a little slow."

"Ah, that sucks! Hey, I know. How about a duel? That'll get you back into the swing of things!"

Duel. That, at the very least, sounded familiar. The seemingly simple task could clear my head. "Yeah, sure."

"Alright! Ready your deck!"

I instinctively looked at my left arm. A contraption was strapped to it with a pack of cards inside. When I raised it to position, a lever stretched out and shot out five areas where cards could be placed. The card zones formed a sickle shape.

My duel disk. I had done this before. Maybe. Hopefully. I said, "I'm ready."

"DUEL START!"

After our shout in unison, I said, "You can take the first move."

"Mmmkay, time to put this trial deck to good use! I summon Krebons in defense position, set one card face-down, and end my turn!"

A jester-like monster danced opposite me and tinged blue. I added a sixth card to my hand and considered my options. I hoped I'd get a memory burst from the cards. No dice. I could sort of comprehend the idea, though. "I summon Alien Shocktrooper and attack Krebons!"

"My monster's effect activates!" Zeru set his hands on his hips with gusto. I wondered how he kept his cards from sliding off his disk. "By paying 800 life points, your attack is negated!"

His life counter dropped to 3200. I said, "Uh, why are you so happy about that?"

"You'll see!"

"Um, I don't think you're supposed to tell your opponent stuff like that." He responded with a grin. My lower lip stuck out. Did he have to be so disrespectful about it? I said, "I activate the Continuous Spell 'A' Cell Breeding Device and end my turn."

"Fiiinally. Watch closely, 'cause this is gonna be super cool! I summon Mind Protector in defense position and tune it with Krebons! 2 stars plus 3 equals 5, aligning to Synchro Summon Magical Android!"

His two monsters sparkled and twisted together to become a teal-robed woman bearing a staff. Her long, pink locks fluttered as though a breeze disturbed our room. Zeru commanded, "Attack Alien Shocktrooper! Mindfrared Blast!"

His Synchro Monster's 2200 attack overcame Shocktrooper's 1900, so the beam of emerald light from Android's staff blasted through my monster. The attack hit my shoulder, singing the skin beneath my robe. I grimaced and clutched at the afflicted area. Zeru yelped. "Ah, I'm sorry! I thought I had it under control! We can end the duel if-"

"Is your turn over?"

Zeru's mouth hung open for a few moments. "Uh, yeah. My life points increase by 600 for every Psychic-type on my field thanks to Android's effect. You sure you're okay with this?"

His life boosted to 3800, giving him a 100-point lead. Brushing off my shoulder, I said, "One A-Counter is added to your monster thanks to my spell card. I summon the level 1 tuner Alien Ammonite and, by her effect, special summon Alien Shocktrooper from the graveyard. These monsters fall in sync to bring Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar to the field!"

A disgusting green monstrosity tore through a dark, starlit portal. Red and green tentacles lashed in all directions, and solid white eyes glared at my opponent. Zeru's face twisted. "That thing's gross."

I matched his expression. "Sure is. But! It has some nice abilities. For example, I can return my spell to my hand to add another A-Counter to your Magical Android. Gol'gar's second effect lets me remove two A-Counters from anywhere to destroy a card on your field, like… Magical Android!"

"Woah, woah, hold on!" Zeru shouted. "I activate Psychic Soul! By tributing Magical Android, I regain life points equal to its level times three hundred!"

His counter increased to 5300. I said, "That doesn't stop my Fortress's direct attack! Starfall Demolition!"

The Synchro's white eyes shone neon green, and twin lasers fired at Zeru's chest. The attack threw him off his feet. His life fell to 2700. "H-hey! No powers!"

What was he babbling about? The pain was as normal as playing the card game to me. "Uh, right. I'll activate 'A' Cell Breeding Device again and end my turn."

He hopped to his feet. "Welp! I guess neither of us can control our powers. No problem, Rain! That's why we're here! Back to the duel. I'll summon another Krebons in defense position and give it the Equip Spell, Telekinetic Charging Cell! I no longer have to pay life points to use his ability. That keeps me untouchable!"

"Did you forget about my A-Counter combo?"

"Nope! I set one face-down and end my turn! This next turn, you'll be done for!"

I was halfway between irked at the disrespect and jealous of his confidence. I said, "My draw. One A-Counter is added to Krebons. Next, I'll activate-"

"Not so fast! I use my trap, Fiendish Chain! This prevents your creepy alien thingy from using its ability, attacking, or being tributed! Take that!"

"So that's what the face-down was for, huh," I muttered. "That's no problem at all."

He blinked several times. "Huh?"

"I summon Alien Hypno in attack position and use Double Summon! I'll use the extra summon it allows to Gemini Summon Alien Hypno, letting me use his effect. Since Krebons has an A-Counter, I can take control of him!"

"What?"

Hypno's glowing red eyes and spindly fingers beckoned Zeru's monster, and control swapped to my side of the field. "I'll change Krebons to attack position and attack directly with both of my monsters."

Hypno and Krebons whacked him in unison, but their strikes phased through his body. His life dropped to zero, and he punched the air. "Dangit! That was a solid move. Never saw it coming! What made you choose that sort of deck?"

I glanced at the stack of cards and returned the ones I'd used to the deck. "Not sure. To be honest, the cards are kind of 'alien' to me. Ha ha. Haaa?"

One of his brown eyes squinted. "You're weird, you know that?"

"Actually, I don't know much about me."

A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. He said, "That must be our daily assignment!"

Zeru opened the door, and a woman entered. Her robes matched ours in design. The blue coloring as opposed to our purple made me wonder if it indicated some sort of hierarchy. Her flat tone said she'd rather be anywhere else. She read off a glass tablet.

"Greetings, new recruits. Sayer has a special job for you two today. You will be attending the Fortune Cup with Miss Akiza Izinski to both view professional duels and be guardians of our dear spokesperson. Prepare your decks and follow me."

The flipping of my wrist had my duel disk compacting itself. The woman had already left. Yeesh. Were we important or not? Her attitude didn't dampen Zeru. He exited our room with a spring in his step.

Nausea washed over me. I cradled my skull. Concerned tones drifted through my groggy mind. The woman's amber eyes tilted down. I said, "Fine. I'm fine, I mean. Sorry for the trouble."

"Are you certain you're able?" the woman said. Queasiness threatened me again. Something about her voice triggered it. I muttered an assurance. She touched my shoulder to help me outside.

The inside of the Arcadia building had more stories than I could count. My mouth fell open as I observed the skylights high above us. I peered over our floor's balcony. The people in the lobby were small as ants.

"Geez, Rain, you never been in a hotel or anything before?" Zeru joked. "You're like a little kid!"

"What's a hotel?" I asked.

His dumbfounded look made me feel dumb. The woman filled the space between us and led me by the shoulder in a hurry this time. I wondered what changed her uncaring personality so swiftly.

Several others in the same odd robes passed us. I noted the path to the elevators. A sign down the hall read, "Director's Office." No wonder our floor was busy. We walked to the elevators and rode down. On the main floor, there was even more buzz.

"You two should be fine from here. Good luck," she wished us with a relieved sigh. Happy to be rid of us, I guessed. Zeru all but sprinted for the sliding glass doors towards the front.

Outside, we ran into two people. Judging by Zeru's loss of composure, I assumed the woman was Akiza. The fabric of her dress blended ruby red and mahogany with cream sleeves and skirt. A plain, white mask covered her features.

The man she was with – Sayer, was it? – didn't stand out. A bulky trenchcoat disguised his figure. All I could see were his fancy brown shoes and burgundy hair curled above his right eye. Their conversation halted at the sight of us. When his gaze fell on me, his jaw jumped.

"Welcome to your first job," he said. His voice, too, spiked pain in my head. I twirled a strand of hair around my finger to distract myself.

Hearing Zeru try to talk was kind of sad. He started with several stammers until managing to form a "hello". He introduced himself and told Akiza how she had always been his idol and how she looked very pretty today.

She deflected him with short responses. He stuck his hand out. Akiza turned the other direction. Zeru all but deflated. No point in trying to make smalltalk with her, then.

Sayer spoke up. "We must make our way towards the Memorial Circuit. It's almost time to make our grand entrance."

"Yes, master!" Zeru said. "Er, boss! Mister Sayer? Director Sayer?"

"Don't call me anything. Follow your duties and be scarce."

Zeru straightened and saluted. I nodded. Sayer motioned me closer. He handed me an extra water bottle and said, "I have a feeling this will be useful to you."

Sayer didn't wait for my reply. In our path behind Sayer and Akiza's trail, Zeru whispered, "He likes you and not me!"

The bottle was cool on my sweaty palms. I couldn't begin to express gratitude, so I was thankful for Sayer immediately pulling away. Before downing the bottle, I murmured, "Sorry."

The noonday sun sparkled on the glass skyscrapers of the city. A massive crowd filtered towards the stadium. A couple of tall Arcadia members shoved through and escorted us to the entrance. I thought I might suffocate between the hot, stinky bodies gathered. I swallowed breaths the instant we passed the glass entry doors.

Windows to my right caught my attention. The view showed a huge duel field encircled by an oval-shaped track. Men and woman in blue uniforms stood guard beside stairways. A giant screen above the field read, "Welcome to the Fortune Cup!"

Must've been a huge event for this city. Er, what city was that again?

"Rain, get your head out of the clouds!" Zeru tapped my nose. "No pun intended. We have to catch back up."

Sayer pushed through reporters and duelists, and Akiza tailed him. They caught interesting looks: some horrified, some amazed, and some excited. We ran after them. Sayer opened a door for Akiza, shut it behind her, and started into an argument with a fellow at the end of the hall.

Zeru posted up like a statue in front of the room Akiza had slipped into. He gave my blank stare a double-take. "What are you doing? We're supposed to be guards! Look menacing!"

I thinned my eyes and held up my hands like a kitty's claws. Zeru's jaw dropped more in exasperation than shock. "Get over here and give anyone who walks by the stink eye! Nothing else! Definitely not that ever again!"

Copying his stick-straight stance, I nodded in the brief way a soldier would. That at least pleased Zeru. Sayer thanked us for our work and entered the room. Zeru loosed a sigh of relief. "That guy spooks me!"

"He gives me a headache, to be honest."

The laugh Zeru gave was loud and high-pitched enough to make me jump. "Yeah, he's not the prettiest guy around!"

"I meant he literally gives me-"

"Out of the way, you two!" A woman with long, black hair and swirly-eyed glasses tapped her white sneakers on the floor. "I'm on specific orders from Sayer to deliver an important document to this room."

I moved to the side and pushed down on the handle. Zeru hissed, "Stop, Rain! This chick's obviously a reporter!"

The woman gasped and placed her hand on the chest of her orange vest. "Well, I never! You'd better have evidence of such an accusation, or I'll be contacting the lawyer I definitely have!"

"You have a giant camera hanging around your neck!" Zeru said.

"Oh, heh. Probably shoulda put it in the camera bag, huh?"

My roommate crossed his arms and attempted a glare. I could expect harsher from a puppy. "You're never getting past us."

The way the reporter slumped like a hunchback got to me. I patted her back and said, "I mean, I bought it."

"Rain!" Zeru scolded.

"Aw, thanks! You're actually nice! You- oh. Oh, my God!" Her camera clinked against the lens of her glasses. The flash blinded me. I scrubbed at my eyes as she exclaimed, "That criminal mark! You're the shadow!"

Impossibly loud booing drowned out my questions. A small screen in the corner of the hallway ceiling showed victory for someone named Yusei Fudo. The boos shifted to gasps. Yusei's opponent, Greiger, jerked his motorbike's handles to the side and vaulted upward. While in the sky, a spike shot out of his bike and shattered the glass enclosing the upper viewing deck.

The reporter lady shrieked and hopped from foot to foot. "I gotta be there! I'll find you again for an interview, shadow! Remember the name: Carly Carmine!"

She sprinted away like her feet had caught fire. Seconds later, Sayer and Akiza exited the room we guarded. Zeru dipped in a bow when she walked by. My attention returned to the screen, where uniformed men detained Greiger. "I hope whoever he attacked is alright."

"That's what you're thinking about?" Zeru said. "That chick recognized you! Are you famous? Oh! Are you infamous? I didn't want to say anything about your criminal mark. Not be rude or anything, buuut is it true they never let psychics out? Scratch that. Dumb question. You're here!"

"What do you mean," I said, "criminal mark?"

"Are you alright in the head? The yellow mark on your face, dummy!" he hollered.

My brows scrunched and lips pursed. I couldn't recall what my face looked like. I ducked my head and peered around the room. Zeru was glued to the television. The rough, gray carpet on the floor stretched on for several feet towards a pair of closed, double doors. The opposite end, which held the TV in the top corner, opened to a stairwell. The doorway we guarded was equidistant between the two exits.

A lone, potted dracaena sat in the corner beneath the television, which was beside the stairs. I scanned the rest of the hall and sighed. The drooping dracaena was the only decoration.

No reflective surfaces for me to peer into, then. Instead, I daydreamed about stealing the dracaena away from this place. With no sunlight pouring into the hall and looking like it hadn't been watered in days, the plant needed rescuing.

I stared at the empty water bottle in my hands. The thought had made me thirty again. Zeru's excited whooping dragged up my vision. "Oh, oh! Look! There's Akiza's ace monster: Black Rose Dragon!"

Razor rose petals ripped through the stadium. Her opponent, Commander Koda, screamed when Black Rose Dragon attacked. I asked, "Is she hurting him? I thought you said we weren't supposed to do that."

"Not to other psychics," Zeru said. "Screw the normies. They bully us and throw us out and treat us like monsters. Only fair we defend ourselves."

Koda begged for his life. Akiza called her final attack without hesitation. Paramedics had to wheel the loser away. I played with the split ends of my hair. "Looks like more than defending herself."

"Shush! The semifinals are here. Akiza's gonna blow that Satellite trash out of the water!"

"Satellite trash?" I repeated. The malice in the phrase piqued a memory. Vague flashes of pain and images of those people in blue uniforms and helmets popped up.

Zeru explained, "Fudo's from the Satellite. No idea why they'd allow someone diseased and corrupt to walk our streets! Why haven't they shipped him back already?"

Much to Zeru's dismay, the audience chose Yusei to be the lesser of two evils upon Akiza's brutal attacks. The crowd booed her Black Rose Dragon and cheered on Yusei's Synchro Summoning instead. Instead of attacking, Yusei took the time to talk to Akiza.

Agitation leaked through Zeru's tone. "What's he doing? Some normie could never understand a psychic, especially not a trash Satellite! He's not even in a position to win!"

Yusei pulled an insane combo to turn the tables. The sight brought a smile to my face. "That's when Yusei's at his best."

"What did you-" Zeru's anger dropped. "Huh. I hadn't seen you smile yet. Hey! You're not supposed to smile at Akiza losing! What did you say about Yusei?"

Confusion erased my glee. "I said something about Yusei?"

On the screen, Akiza's mask cracked. Her life counter fell to zero. The crowd cheered, and the MC called Yusei "Satellite's Shooting Star." Zeru hustled out. "I'll talk sense into her myself. She doesn't need some stupid Satellite. I'll show her!"

I watched him go and remained at my post as commanded. A minute later, Akiza sprinted into the room and slammed the door shut. I thought nothing of it until I noticed the damp drops on the floor.

The door creaked as I slipped inside. Akiza didn't hear over her sobbing. She was on her knees with her head buried in her arms, which crossed on the seat of a chair. I wound a strand of hair around my finger and tugged at my robe's collar. This Akiza was the opposite of the tough, standoffish image she kept up.

Only one thing to do. I stepped forward and patted her back. Her sharp intake of breath startled me as much as her; she flipped around, her shining eyes wide. Akiza collapsed into the chair.

Fury crossed her face. "Why do these strangers show up acting like they know my life enough to comfort me? Why the hell are you in here? Want my autograph? A picture for your Movement buddies?"

"I don't have any of those," I said. "You were crying, and… I dunno. I can't ignore it. If I'm bothering you, I'll leave."

Her red-rimmed, chocolate eyes scanned me up and down. She sniffled and wiped the corners of her eyes. Just like that, she returned to the ice queen from earlier. Akiza stood up and kicked the chair towards me. "Sit."

I did. Her pointed finger was more like a firearm aimed at me. She asked, "How do you deal with being a Satellite, a psychic, and a criminal marked? Hate to admit it, but all those people may have gotten to me. A little bit. Don't tell Sayer."

"I'll do what you say, but to be honest, I don't know what you mean with those terms."

"You don't have to play dumb with me. I recognize you from the wanted posters. They're on every corner of New Domino City. What got you thrown in the Facility?"

I couldn't make heads nor tails of the terms she threw around. "You asked how I'm able to do it. My purpose matters to me. Nothing else. Sayer told me to protect you, so that's what I'll do."

Akiza picked at her thumbnail. "Huh. You act simply. I complicate everything. I'm trying not to overthink as much as I do. Sayer helps, but even with him around I triple guess myself. You just go for it no matter what? Gotta be some burning passion to get you landed in the Facility for whatever that purpose was."

"Um. Wish I could tell you that story."

"Close-lipped, huh," she said. "We should talk again. I'm Akiza."

She held out her hand. I shook. "Could I call you 'Aki?' I have another 'Z' name close to me, and-"

"Yeah sure whatever. What's your name? It'd be weird to call you 'shadow' like the wanted posters. That's not actually your name, right? I shouldn't assume."

Shadow. I'd been preoccupied the first time I heard it. Repeating the word mentally produced a thick coating: hundreds repeating the term in fearful, hurried tones.

One stood out from the rest. The male voice uttered the words at low volume with care laced into every syllable. "I wish they'd stop calling you that. You're so much more, partner."

Aki said, "If you need to cry, floor's clear."

"What?"

"Your face," she said. "You looked sadder than a kid with coal on Christmas. I didn't mean to bring anything bad up. If you don't have a name to use-"

"My name is Rain." Sadness soaked the words. I felt buried in thousands of layers of it all of a sudden. I rolled my shoulders back. The voice wasn't one I recognized, so I had to let it go. "I'm fine."

Aki reached for me. "It's okay to-"

The instant she touched me, red light shone from her right arm. A pattern resembling a crooked claw glowed on top of her glove. She swiftly covered it with her other hand and backed away. When she did, the light dissipated. Her glove was blank like the other half of its pair. Her eyes were wide when she said, "It reacted to you."

"What was that?"

"Don't worry about it," she urged. "Forget you saw anything."

Before I could work through the many questions on my mind, Sayer burst in. Fury glinted in his green eyes. A dash of his hand adjusted his spiral of burgundy locks. "Akiza! We're leaving. You, peon! Go in front and make sure no one gets in our way."

…Peon?

Aki straightened and lifted her chin. "No. I'm watching the finals here. Take me to the stands."

Sayer made his disagreement known but followed her wish all the same. As Aki left, she whispered back, "You should keep an eye on the match, too. I have a feeling it'll be important."

"What was that?" Sayer asked.

"Nothing."

They exited together. She said I should watch the match but acted as though I shouldn't go with her. I took the stairs to the nosebleeds. The duel runners were red and white specks from my spot.

Yusei faced the reigning champion, Jack Atlas. To Jack's ace, Red Dragon Archfiend, Yusei Synchro Summoned his Stardust Dragon. A bright ruby glow spilled from the duelists' arms like Aki's earlier, and the sight made me queasy.

The time has come. Set me free.

The deep, unnerving voice spoke in confident tones. A flash of red blurred my vision. I had to steady myself and take a moment to catch my breath. A massive, red dragon soared above the stadium. It glowed red, black, and orange like an inverse sun. Its blood-colored hide was stark against the sapphire of the daytime sky.

The Crimson Dragon. If I was sure of anything, I was damned sure of the Crimson Dragon's name.

In another flash, the Dragon disappeared. Nausea hit me like an ocean wave. I grasped my forehead. I needed to get back to Aki. She hinted she knew something about this. Did she know the Crimson Dragon, too?

The instant my queasiness passed, I sprinted towards Aki's hall. I spotted her and Sayer past the double doors towards the front lobby. A short man dressed like a clown intercepted them. "Halt. The Director of Sector Security orders the Signers gather for a meeting."

"The Director's orders are mere suggestions." Sayer waved and gave the assistant a mocking smile. He guided Aki away from the scene.

The clown-assistant glared daggers around the room, presumably for someone different to order. His search stopped at the sight of me. Ghastly shock overtook him. "The fugitive is here! Guards, detain the girl with white hair!"

So I had white hair, did I?

The uniformed people surrounded me in a circle. A couple aimed weapons at me. I instinctually raised my flat palms.

A gloved hand curled over one of my lifted hands and lowered it. The touch raced chills down my spine. I couldn't take my eyes off of Sayer's sly smile. He stepped in front of me and said, "This one's mine."

The uniformed guards lowered their firearms, and their circle scattered. Lazar's eye twitched. Sayer escorted me outside the stadium with ease and instructed me to return to the Arcadia Movement. He said he would clear things up. My feet took me home while my head spun.

The clown dude called me a fugitive. Aki and Carly brought up the wanted posters. Everyone mentioned my criminal mark. All signs pointed to me doing a very bad thing.

The feeling I remembered wasn't regret, though. The small memory I recovered brought sadness.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts I walked right into someone. "Um, my bad-"

Yusei Fudo, alleged winner of the Fortune Cup, gaped at me. "Rain? You're here? But why are you- I thought you were- Wait, why are you wearing that uniform?"

The fondness in his expression dragged the memories back. My fingers quaked. The trembling spread to my arms and legs. Sayer skid between me and Yusei. "You won't ruin any more lives today, Satellite. I'll call Sector Security if you lay a hand on one of mine. Watch your back."

He gripped my arm and pulled me away. The rough touch incited panic. All of a sudden I needed to break free and run and find water. I attempted to yank my arm away. His grip was as strong as the steel clamps.

Yusei chased after us and yelled, "No, stop! Rain! What happened? Where's Kalin?"

Oh. Right…

He's the one who-

Darkness encroached upon my vision. Hearing that name brought everything rushing back. The black pooled together and thrust my consciousness into past memories.

My partner said I'd be fine without him, and he lied.

End of Chapter One

A/N: Two years ago, I posted a fic with this weirdass canon/OC pairing. thanks for taking the time to read. luv you guys. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

- Here's the cover image by Yura's arts - just add the dot: imgur com/a/L0GTi07

- Why rewrites + repost? I literally went through line-by-line and recreated about 85% of the fic and that's not even including the new chapters I wrote. Because of Clear Skies it's necessary major events occur. The way they play out is not quite the same. That and the characters are now MUCH better like I used to hate the way some were portrayed in this fic

- There are lots of duels and a spare few original cards towards the end of the story. All original cards will have full card text in the author's notes at the end of the chapter. Most duels use existing cards

- I love all kinds of feedback, whether it's criticisms or praise or any questions you have! I try to respond to all reviews and my PM inbox is always open! I owe RepentMF, UndercaringUnderpaidNarrator, Wyvernium, and TheWinterComet BUNCHES for their advice reworking this story. All constructive criticism is much appreciated!