Grey: Merry Christmas everyone! Glad you could all join the party!

Free: What party? (Looks around at the empty room except for several of the two authors' OCs playing a quiet game of poker in one corner)

Grey: Come on, it's Christmas! Aren't you at least happy you finally updated some of your stuff and helped me finish this chapter?!

Free: I was until I came here to give you the stuff I wrote for this chapter.

Grey: Details, details. (shoves a bottle of alcohol into Free's hand and forces him to drink it) We don't own 5D's or anything else corporately owned, folks. Kick back and read away! (fails to notice she's practically drowning Free)

Will had seen and been through a lot this month alone. Finding out she had been rubbing shoulders with the offspring of a person who had been pals with Yusei's father was just the latest addition to an ever growing list and was surprisingly not very surprised to find this out about Mido unlike Yusei and Akiza who had not expected the taciturn teen to have such a secret.

Jack was the only one in the room to be confused about things right now given that this was his first time meeting Mido. However, his impatience to get out of Goodwin's office was greater than his curiosity over this stranger Will and Yusei had befriended.

"So, basically, you're saying all we have to do is bring our cards to these reactors and everything will be all hunky-dory? Sounds too easy if you ask me." He scoffed putting away his Red Dragon Archfiend.

"Sometimes, the most easiest solutions are often the best. Besides, I have no doubt that the Dark Signers will do everything in their power to prevent you from reaching each of your dragons' respective reactors." Goodwin warned Jack and the others.

"How will we know which dragon shuts down which reactor?" Yusei inquired. From the looks of things, they might have to split up but, if they did not know which card shut off which reactor, they may as well go from one reactor to another as a group.

"Because the Dark Signers each guard a different reactor. And each one of them will have chosen a host who has a grudge, for lack of a better word, against a certain Signer." Goodwin explained.

Instantly, Akiza paled. This meant that she would definitely be facing off against Misty Tredwell again.

"Just what do you mean by 'host'?" Yusei asked wondering if the Dark Signers were merely just possessed people similar to those lackeys he and Mido had fought.

"Even if I told you, I doubt you would believe me until you saw for yourself." Goodwin replied cryptically. "If there are no more questions, I suggest you regroup and decide whether or not to confront the Dark Signers before they succeed in reviving the King of the Underworld. Any attempt to confront them afterwards will no doubt fail and the fate of the world, not just that of your friends in Satellite, will be lost to darkness."

"So basically, we either do this and save the world or die in the process or just run away only to die when these Dark Signers succeed in this task of theirs. I've heard of the saying 'not much of a choice' but you take it to the next level." Will grunted in disgust wanting no more than to tell this guy just to shove his Fate and Destiny baloney where the sun didn't shine.

Unfortunately, because Satellite was the only home she, Yusei and Jack knew, none of them were going to turn their back on the crisis even if it meant working hand in hand with Goodwin. Asides the mysterious fifth Signer, the only one who possibly did not have anything at stake would have been Akiza had she still been under Sayer's thumb but her desire to not only right the wrongs she had made but also to help out those who called her friend meant she would be joining them. And although Luna was just a child, she had promised to save the Spirit World which meant going to Satellite also.

"Yes. Whatever your reasons, you must restore peace to this world." Goodwin replied evenly. Putting his hands behind his back and gazing at the group before him. "Even those who are not signers still have a role to play in the destiny the Crimson Dragon has placed before you."

"So, we're really going to return to Satellite, ey?" Jack asked as they left Goodwin's mansion.

"We don't have a choice. If we don't go, all of our friends in Satellite will be used by the Dark Signers to summon the King of Darkness, no doubt." Yusei replied grimly.

"But if we do go, they might be taken anyways for summoning their Earthbound Immortals instead." Akiza said sadly recalling the disappearances of all the members of Arcadia Movement.

"And he wants to send a kid to tackle one of these jerks? Seriously, who could have even a grudge on Luna?!" Will added her two cents to the mix recalling what Goodwin had said about the Dark Signers.

"Leo did say Luna was a good duelist when she was young… well younger than she is now, I mean." Yusei corrected. "She could have beaten someone in a duel and they couldn't have handled being beaten by a five year old."

"Pathetic." Jack spat the thought of a grown man losing to a child and being a sore loser over it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Could have fooled me." Mido muttered recalling Pinky's performance in their tag duel. Still, he could agree with Tangerine about having Pinky tackle one of these Dark Signer people and reckoned she would not last two turns unless she pulled her head out of the sand and dueled like she did when she was a half-pint- assuming she was good back then.

Sadly, his words had Will focusing on him now and what Goodwin had mentioned about Mido's family.

"You know, now's a good time to talk about yourself mister small, dark and broody. I don't doubt Leo will find Gozaburo funny and tease you about it for days to come." Will pointed out.

Mido stopped in his tracks staring straight ahead instead of turning to face her. The others held back curious themselves about how Mido fit into all of this mess.

"There's nothing to talk about. My father died before I was born; my mother died giving birth to me; my grandfather raised me until he died couple years ago and I've been living by myself until a month ago when Sayer kidnapped me." Mido replied bluntly.

He did not turn to face them when he told them his life story. Whether it was to hide any emotion showing on his face or in his eyes, they could not tell but it still kicked Will in the gut at least. She had yelled at Mido when she had found out about Kari believing he did not care but maybe, just maybe, her words had stung him greatly and it had taken all he had not to snap back at her back then that he too had lost everything.

"Mido, I…" Will began trying to find the words to at least apologise to the taciturn teen.

"Let's get back to Bramble's place. The longer we stay here, the more annoying and impatient Loudmouth's going to be." Mido interrupted.

True to form, Leo was the first one to begin interrogating them the moment they had returned to the Izayoi mansion. He soon went quiet as Yusei began explaining to Blister, the twins and Seria the true extent of the dilemma they were facing and the burden that had been placed on the shoulders of some of them. Fortunately for Akiza, her parents had to attend to matters of their own elsewhere. Had they been here as Yusei was explaining things, there would have been a good chance they would have tried to get their daughter away from New Domino and out of the country altogether.

"And that's pretty much where we stand." Yusei finished hoping that he had not scared the twins, especially Luna, into not wanting to go even though he and everyone else would understand her not wanting to.

"Couldn't Mr Midorikawa, or even one of you, go there in Luna's place with her Signer card?" Seria asked in concern having seen enough of kids being tortured under Sayer's thumb without wanting to witness one willingly get themselves hurt. She could still remember treating Mido's burns after his battle against one of those Dark Signer underling duelists and could not dare to imagine what kinds of injuries anyone would receive against an actual Dark Signer.

"If only it were that simple." Jack scoffed bringing out his signature card. "This card is considered to being the embodiment of my soul much like Yusei's Stardust Dragon and Akiza's Black Rose Dragon. I may not know much about this Signer stuff or why these cards in particular are required to turn off these reactors, but I do know that it's our bonds with these cards, to quote Yusei here, that what makes them important. It won't work in the hands of a complete stranger no matter how good a duelist he is."

Will and even Yusei could not help but stare at Jack as if he had grown an extra head. That had to have been the most intelligent thing they had heard him say in… probably forever. Sure, he gave good advice at times and was someone you could trust to watch your back, but this was something completely new to them.

As if sensing their stares, Jack turned away sharply.

"Don't stare at me like that. Any duelist worth his salt should already know this. I'm merely explaining it for those who aren't at our level." He snapped trying to hide his embarrassment behind an angry facade.

"Well, as much as I hate to say it, Jack's right." Will agreed earning a glare from the towering duelist. "Every duelist sooner or later bonds with a card or card type no matter who they are. It's probably why Ancient Fairy Dragon asked Luna for help instead of someone else."

"But… I don't have Ancient Fairy Dragon." Luna spoke up nervously getting everyone's attention and making her suddenly wish she had just kept her mouth shut.

"Seriously?! You don't have that card?!" Will exclaimed loudly causing Luna to back away from her.

They were about to go on what was no doubt a perilous quest and only now were they learning that they were missing a crucial piece of equipment. Just knowing that it was all her fault was making Luna feel terrible even without the glare Will was now sending her way. Therefore, she was shocked when Mido of all people stepped in between them so that the orangette's glare was now on him.

"Cool your jets, Tangerine. It's probably in her dark counterpart's hands." Mido said gesturing to Luna behind him. "You asked yourself why someone would want to hate Pinky. Maybe it's for ownership of that Dragon."

Everyone in the room held their breath as they waited to see how Will would respond. Thankfully, the orangette's hard glare evaporated into one of shame and embarrassment as she realised Mido had raised a good point. She, and probably everyone else who had been present in the meet with Goodwin, had assumed all the Dark Signers were people with grudges against their Signer counterparts. None of them had thought of pondering of exactly what those grudges were.

It would not be concrete until they confronted Luna's opponent but it was better than believing that her signature card was lost in the winds.

"...Sorry about that, Luna." Will apologised to the greenette scratching the back of her head in shame. "Guess I'm a little too wound up these days…"

She had lost two years of her life and her sister already. With the fear of now losing the place she called home, and the friends she still had there, she was beginning to get snappy with even her friends.

"It's okay." Luna waved off. "It's really my fault for not- Ow!"

Luna winced as Mido flicked her square in the forehead.

"It's not your fault Tangerine's trigger happy. You really need to stop trying to take the blame for everything." Mido scolded her.

"Yeah, but…" Luna bit her lip in worry. "If they do have Ancient Fairy Dragon, that means…"

In order for her to shut down her specified reactor, Luna, or rather Mido acting as her proxy, would have to first win back Ancient Fairy Dragon from a Dark Signer. The thought of someone getting hurt because of her own inadequacy was really chewing her up inside to the point that she was starting to tear up.

"He can do it, Luna. He took out one of them already and can easily do it again." Leo stated confidently shocking his sister.

"When did you change sides?" Blister asked recalling all the times the blue clad greenette challenged and badmouthed the taciturn teen.

"Hey! I haven't changed sides. It's just…" Leo clenched his fists tightly as he spoke up. "Ever since we've gotten away from that Arcadia place, Luna's been more happy about things- and it's all because of Mido. He was there when she needed help and he hasn't once let her down yet...unlike me…"

"Leo…" Luna whispered shocked and amazed that her brother was actually praising Mido instead of the usual.

"Besides, he won't lose until I beat him!" Leo bragged as he crossed his arms confidently.

"And there it is." Luna snorted as a smile came into her expression. She was just waiting for thatShe was just waiting for that.

Wil just snickered. She could tell Leo was just putting up a brave front. Typical boy behaviour that reminded her of Crow.

"Alrighty then! Looks like we have a plan! Who else is coming with? We have me, Jack, Yusei, Aki, Mido and Luna- And Leo, geeze." Will added when Leo made a sound of protest which made the orangette roll her eyes. "

"I'll come along also. If these battles in Satellite are anything like the ones I've already witnessed, you'll be needing someone with medical experience." Seria spoke up. She could not duel to save her life, especially in these circumstances but her medical skills would be crucial in their aftermaths.

"Actually… That might not be the only thing you'll be able to help us with." Akiza said as a thought came to mind turning to Yusei and Will. "Would it be alright if she comes along with me?"

Neither Will or Yusei could find any reason not to. Both were curious as to why Akiza wanted Seria along with her. Was it because Seria was the only one she knew and trusted the longest or some other reason? Whatever the case, allowing Akiza to do this her way would be good not only to build her confidence but show that they trust her.

"How about you, Blister?" Yusei asked the man. He had been a big help to him when he first got to New Domino City.

"I'll pass. Don't know how much good I'll do you guys coming along." Blister waved off. "Instead, I'll try to dig up any info I can from Goodwin's skeleton closet. That guy's always been playing his cards pretty much against his chest and it ain't doing you guys any good right now."

Yusei nodded. He too believed that Goodwin was hiding some things from them, the Fifth Signer was just one of them, and he was worried that this lack of shared information was going to hinder them despite his being forthcoming whenever they asked him a question. Hopefully, Blister would be able to uncover something crucial for them to use against the Dark Signers.

"Anyone else wish to tag along? No? Let's get going then, shall we?" Will suggested becoming both excited and nervous about returning to the pace she had once called home.

"How are we going to get there?" Leo asked wondering if Mido was going to use his mech monsters to fly them there like last time.

As if on queue, the roar of helicopter engines could be heard outside. Upon looking outside, everyone could see it was not just any old helicopter but a Sector Security Chinook that was landing in the mansion's driveway.

"I'll say this for Goodwin: he's got perfect timing when it comes to arranging transport." Jack grunted. There was enough room for all of them to ride comfortably in plus his and Yusei's duel runners, he reckoned and had even managed to get a couple of familiar faces to tag along with them even Will.

"Wasn't that guy part of Satellite Security back then?" Will asked recognising the muscular man who followed Mina out of the chinook. He had no scar on his cheek back then but it had been at least two years since she last saw him- or ran away from him more like.

"A lot's happened in two years, Will." Yusei reminded her as he picked up the duel disk he had been tinkering with for the past week and handed it to Mido. "It was supposed to have been a parting gift once we went our separate ways. Now I guess it's just a way of thanking you for helping us further."

Mido just kept quiet as he accepted the disk and strapped it to his arm. He had to admit, it felt good to have the familiar weight of a duel disk on his left arm even if it wasn't his grandfather's.

"I still think we should've let Luna give it to him…" Will muttered under her breath.

"With Leo present?" Yusei pointed out.

"...Point taken." Will sighed in defeat. The last thing they needed right now was a hot-tempered preteen in a helicopter.

"About time you lot got out here." Trudge yelled over the sound of the chinook's engines as the group came out of the mansion towards them. "Hurry up and get your runners and rears on board so we can get to Satellite already!"

"You're coming with us, Trudge?" Yusei asked the former Security patrolman.

"I used to keep Satellite safe. No way am I just gonna sit here in the city knowing there's trouble brewing on that island." Trudge responded.

"Safe?" Will growled feeling anger brewing up inside of her. Where had he or Security been two years ago when Kari had been in trouble? Had it not been for Jack placing a hand on her shoulder, she might have even interrogated Trudge further- with him pinned against the helicopter's fusillade by her arm against his throat...

"It ain't worth it." Jack reminded softly. "Besides, ain't no telling what's loose out there. Keep your cool." They didn't need her flying off the handle before the helicopter even took off. The fact of the matter is, Trudge was the only one who knew how to fly the thing.

"The world must really be ending if you're the one telling me to keep my cool." Will snorted. Knowing he was right and crossing her arms tightly over her chest so as not to give into the temptation to throttle Trudge.

"Nice to know you still have that snark." Jack snorted before approaching the helicopter. "Let's go save the world then, ey?"

In the satellite, everything was quiet. Much too quiet. People were hiding in ruined buildings like rats as cloaked people walked the streets like they owned the place. Atop the roof of a familiar building, a shorter cloaked person sat there with their legs dangling over the edge without care their hood and robe had white lines to stand out among the black. And what could be seen of their legs as blue jeans and black, ratty boots. On their arm, a purple tattoo similar to the Signer's Crimson Dragon marks pulsed brightly briefly.

"They're coming." The figure whispered smirking sinisterly as they brought their free hand to the tattoo. "I'll finally be done waiting."

Grey: Bwa! Who, what, where?! (snaps awake as the room was a mess.)

Free: We slept through new years.

Grey: Say what now!? But we started this on Christmas!

Free: Well think about that before you put everyone in alcohol induced comas. To the readers, happy new year.