"It's been three years since the attack on Heartland, Academia soldier still wander and food and water are scarce at best. It's becoming increasingly more difficult to stay hidden, but we're managing. Either way... There's no telling what's in store for us."

Enjoy the chapter~

Change. It's usually not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, usually it brings something new to the plate that lets you grow as a person. But in this case, I wouldn't say change was a good thing.

What once was a beautiful and bustling city center was now piles of rubble under a polluted, soot filled sky with little sunlight able to penetrate the dark cloud of poison. It was cold often, but we've learned to adapt to that. As much as we wish we didn't have to.

The Clover and Spade branches of the duel school have banded together to create the Rebellion. People have gone missing or died. I don't want to bring up what's happened to Omegas either… Some things, after all, are better left unsaid.

My eyes just scanned over the bleak landscape; with little signs of the life Heartland had before, I tended to imagine it wasn't my home. Our home. But it was becoming increasingly more difficult.

Shun had approached; the familiar sound of heavy footsteps crushing any stray small pebbles proved that. Along with the scent of him. What used to remind me of a clear sky and the birds who flew in it just reminded me of devastation and burning as the smell of thick smoke and Ash clung to his every part.

"Yuto? Rare for you to be here by yourself…" Shun muttered and placed himself beside me on the large piece of rubble I had made my seat. I didn't say anything and that clearly aggravated him, especially since he just grabbed my arms and roughly turned me to face him. I gave a low growl of disapproval, not that it seemed to do anything.

"Shouldn't you be with the Rebellion?" I hissed, harsher than I intended to, if the way Shun flinched and almost pulled away said anything. "I'm… Sorry. I've been stressed lately."

"We're all stressed Yuto."

"I know…"

"You've been avoiding me recently… Care to explain why?" I flinched when I heard those words. I looked away quietly, the barren land a way to distract myself, if only slightly. "Yuto. Why?"

"We've both been busy, Shun… You know that." Straying from the whole truth didn't feel right to me, but I couldn't tell him it even if I wanted to. He'd get more violent than he already was.

"That's not the full picture, I can tell."

I gave a sigh and changed the subject, as much as I didn't want to. I couldn't keep talking about this. I couldn't tell him that I was avoiding him because his outbursts have been terrifying me, I couldn't tell him that his harshness to everyone and everything was unnerving to me.

"Are you aware of the Omega in the Rebellion, Shun?"

"Omega? No." His face was puzzled clearly. I nodded slightly as a way to respond.

"Well, there's one in the ranks and whoever they are they're close to their heat… I know it's not going to end well if this Omega just starts leaking pheromones everywhere and driving the whole of the Rebellion's Alphas crazy." I paused and looked at Shun, seeing if he was listening. He was, very clearly; perhaps if I strained myself, I could hear his brain working, dissecting every bit of information.

"It's good you picked up on it then… What's the scent like? It'll give me an idea on what deck they use and who it is…"

True… It seems normal for an Omega to have a deck based on their scent… I fell silent as I recalled the scent, but my mind was running rather quickly. I was amazed that Shun hadn't picked up on the Omega yet, or any of the Alphas to be specific. I shoved the thoughts in the back of my mind as I tried to recollect when I first picked up on the scent.

"You know the rose flavoured chocolates?" Shun gave me a look at that and then nodded. "It was like that."

Shun seemed to mull it over before he nodded, got up and took my wrist gently. He pulled me up from my seating position with ease, making sure I had my balance as I stood before he started to walk away, gesturing for me to follow him. I don't know how he had any ideas based on that scent, but he seemed set that he knew exactly who it was. Good to have some sliver of confidence…

When we arrived at the main base of operation for the Rebellion, I noticed Shun tense up slightly as the prominent scent of an Omega in heat hit both of us. I gently nudged him and just walked on ahead – carefully I'll admit, Alphas are very short fused when unmated Omegas are in heat – to check if anyone or anything had been damaged. Thankfully, nothing was broken. But I couldn't shake the feeling of pure dread when I saw some growling Alphas glaring at each other. I quickly darted by them to Kaito, who thankfully had some control unlike others.

"This won't end well…" I muttered softly as soon as I was in hearing range of the taller Alpha. He gave a grunt in response, clearly biting back any instincts to hunt that Omega down. I let out a sigh at this and looked away, only turning back to the blonde and blue haired male when I felt his blue eyes staring at me. I raised a brow – a silent question of 'what's up?' that Kaito was all too familiar with – when he said nothing.

"It's not going to be safe for the Omega, Yuto. You know this as well as I do that Betas are the best bet we have at finding and talking to them without startling them or… Y'know." I gave a nod at that, all too aware of what he was implying.

"Shun said he has an idea on who it is based on the scent… But then again…" What if they don't want to be found? My eyes hardened slightly at my own thoughts. That wasn't going to make things easier at all…

"Yeah… They'll reveal themselves soon if their desire gets the better of them. Once they do, you need to get them home as soon as possible so they can ride this out. Can't have the Alphas at each other's throats because of one Omega. Not right now…"

I nodded and was about to speak when a very clear whine of desperation came from the doorway. Well, there was the Omega. Shun had found them – him, a guy about 21 – and was keeping his distance and control. Miraculously. It wasn't until Alphas all growled lowly, including Kaito and Shun, that I went over to him and talked to him. He agreed to go with me and I soon had him on my back, arms around my neck as I carried him. I heard a lot of threatening grumbles from the Alphas, but ignored them in favour of getting the Omega home as quick as possible.

It wasn't until we were at the stairs near the entrance that the Omega spoke to me, voice muffled due to him pressing his face into my shoulder.

"I'm sorry… I've been taking the suppressants…"

"How long?" I found myself asking gently, my eyes looking at the male on my back just over my shoulder to show some respect to the poor guy.

"Since I found out I was an Omega…" How long ago was that? I found my unspoken question answered. "About 10 years ago…"

I grimaced. The suppressants don't always work, nor did they show many signs of working if your body was used to them. I was about to speak again when I heard an all too familiar growl. Shun. Shit.

"Yuto, you should probably hurry. We're all getting a bit antsy up there…" Desperation, just a hint of it, in Shun's voice made me falter slightly. I gave a small nod and was about to keep walking when the Omega spoke, in a rather meek and submissive voice.

"Alpha…"

As soon as that one word came out from him, something in Shun snapped and I found myself being pulled away roughly by Shun as he approached the Omega.

"Shun, no!" I grabbed his arm in hopes of getting him away, but that damn Alpha strength of his just made it difficult. I felt a hand around my throat and soon my back was slammed into a wall as Shun snarled, a display of power and a way to tell me to fuck off. I grit my teeth as the grip tightened, Shun having been spurred on by the Omega's whines.

As soon as black spots danced in my vision and my mouth was failing to drag in oxygen, there was a sharp gasp and a yell to stop that I couldn't quite hear. My eyes opened – when they'd closed, I didn't know – to see Ruri tearing at her brother's arm with pure torment on her face. She was screaming for Kaito, who rushed over at her cries.

"Fucking let go, Shun!" I just registered Kaito's voice as I gasped for air, having started clawing at Shun's hands myself.

It was then that Kaito immediately pulled Shun's wrist and tore his hand from its grip around my throat. Shun was clearly about to rip into him – verbally and physically – until the loud (even to me) sound of my weight hitting the floor as I choked and gasped for air seemed to snap him out of it. His eyes went from Kaito to me and he paled.

"Yuto!" Ruri immediately went to the Omega and pulled them away as Shun and Kaito went to their knees by my side to check if I was okay. "Goddamn it… Yuto I'm sorry it was- I couldn't- fuck, are you okay?"

Everything was hazy as I just managed to gain the strength to look at Shun in the eyes. I was mad, yes, but I couldn't blame him. His fingers had tucked themselves under my chin and soon I felt my head being lifted gently as Shun looked at the extent of the damage. A sharp gasp pull Kaito and a low almost whine like sound came from Shun just told me how bad it was.

I glanced at Kaito – who looked half tempted to punch Shun for letting his instinct get the better of him – and tried to give him a reassuring smile. It obviously didn't work as I felt myself being pulled away from Shun and lifted by Kaito, who carried me back to the main room of the hideout. I heard him muttering curses under his breath constantly as he walked, only barely managing to stay awake.

It wasn't until I slumped against him, a pained whine coming from my burning throat at the sound of Kaito's voice quietly telling me that I could sleep, he was here, that I closed my eyes as I pressed my forehead against his shoulder that I felt like just staying awake was a task of its own and let myself fall asleep to the sound of Kaito's footsteps and soft murmurs of reassurance.

Kaito's such a good friend... Poor Yuto.

Anyways! That happened! I'm trying to increase the amount of words and how long each chapter is as I progress so... *viciously flips through notebook* that's going to be fun with how many chapters I'm hoping to do...

I have no guarantee that the next chapter will be nicer, but a certain Entertainer shows up with his cohorts. Hopefully it'll result in nicer things happening, eh?

I'm aware that the hype of Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V died down a couple of years ago, but this story's just been gathering dust for a while so I thought 'fuck it' and decided to post it... But anyways! Until the next I see (?) you all, wait for the next chapter.