Welcome to angst-ville.

Here we go with chapter six. As promised, this one branches off to Crow and Jack meeting. As I think you can all imagine, Crow's pissed and hurt about Yusei's death and well, Jack is kind of Jack about it. I do actually ship Jack and Yusei, so of course in my story Jack actually did love Yusei at one point. Except he's also Jack and kind of blind to everything but his own ambition. So now he's blaming himself for a lot of shit.

Basically, Crow kind of took over Yusei's place in the story, including dealing with Aki. That'll be fun. Most of the story will be centered around the Dark Signers because that's where the story's actually taking place, but there will be skips to where we see the Signers and the things they're getting themselves involved with. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy and feel free to leave me a review down below.

Also, curse word warning. Crow is very angry.

Chapter Six: Midnight

Crow was pissed. Which was usually pretty unusual. He could deal with a lot of shit and he had dealt with a lot in his entire life. He'd been raised in the Satellite and was a thief for pete's sake. But somehow seeing Jack standing there in his fancy clothes, looking like he didn't give a damn that their best friend in the whole world was now gone and it was his fault had just finally snapped something inside of him. It hurt, thinking that Yusei was gone and he couldn't ever get to see him again. That he and Kiryu were both gone and it was just him and Jack. It especially hurt that it was Jack. Kiryu had gone insane and Jack was just a jerk. Yusei should have lived a lot longer.

So instead of focusing on the hurt, he was just furious. He couldn't wait until he got his chance to knock Jack's teeth in, whether it was in a duel or just passing him. He'd entered this stupid tournament to fight Jack after all, to get Yusei's card back. He couldn't believe that Jack had stolen Yusei's most precious card, framed Yusei for what he'd done, and then just left. Did he even know that Yusei was dead? Did he even care? Crow didn't know, but he was sure as hell going to find out. There was only so much more of this he could take. Jack had told him, insisted, that he had been in love with Yusei. If that was his idea of love, Crow wanted nothing else to do with him.

Crow didn't even know when his knuckles had turned white because he had been gripping the railing so hard, but he was aware when Luna reached up and tugged the end of his jacket. He paused a moment, turning to look at them. There were five others there, three of them being kids and two being adults much older than he was. Two of the children, Luna and Leo, were both twins, both with cyan hair and grey-gold eyes. Luna's was in two pig tails while her brother's was in a pony tail behind his head. Both of them looked concerned at him. Leo's friend, Dexter, who had also come along with them, looked nervous.

The kid had been scared of him when they'd first met for all of the prison marks he had on his face. While it was true that Crow had quickly learned how to grow up in the prison, he wasn't really that bad of a person. The kid had chin length brown hair and red eyes, which were flicking occasionally in the direction he had been looking in. Tanner was a large and well muscled man with spiked blue hair and gold eyes, a large scar across his nose making him look more intimidating than he really was. Yanagi on the other hand was an eccentric old man with spiked white hair, gray eyes and a golden tooth. His back was bent but he was always leaping all over the place. They both looked a little unnerved to see the usually so laid back teen so furious.

Crow tried to make himself look less angry, at least to stop worrying them, but he failed. Crow was small, shorter than even Yusei had been, and he definitely wasn't as tanned as the boy had been. His hair was a fiery orange color, stuffed up under a green bandana, and his eyes were a steel gray color. Like most people from the Satellite he wore somber colors to blend in, to not make himself stand out. Even so, he knew that Jack had seen that he was here, and he wasn't happy. They'd already progressed through several rounds of the tournament, and it was beginning to conclude for the day. Jack had already seen plenty of his Blackwing deck to be scared of. Jack might have beat him many times in the past, but he wasn't going to lose to him now.

"Crow?" Luna asked quietly, finally making him completely look away. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied, too quickly. He could clearly see the looks they were all giving him that said they didn't believe him for a second. He sighed. "Look, Jack and I have got a long history, but that's not why I'm angry. A friend of mine that Jack used to date...he's dead now and I've got to find out why Jack did what he did. I just can't let this go...all right?" They suddenly all looked so crestfallen at the thought of his friend having died.

"I'm sorry Crow," Dexter managed, actually looking rather mournful instead of scared for once.

"What are you planning on doing?" Tanner asked, sounding rather confused. Crow could understand. The man had practically been thrown in jail for the worst behavior possible.

"I don't know," Crow admitted. "I won't get into any more trouble if I can help it...but I have to confront him about it. I have to know."

"Would your friend have wanted this?" Yanagi asked, sounding conflicted. Crow shrugged.

"I never knew what Yusei wanted," he replied. "He was hard to read. After a while he just kind of stopped, like a whole bunch of people in the satellite. He was never completely gone but it wasn't like he ever showed a lot of emotion."

"What?" Leo gasped.

Now Crow wanted to smack himself in the face for that one. It was pretty much common knowledge there in the Satellite, and everyone accepted it like it wasn't a problem. But here in the city it was a lot different and sometimes he just kind of forgot about that. He didn't know how, but he did. They all looked kind of horrified to hear something like that, like it wasn't something they could ever imagine anyone ever doing.

Not that he could blame them. He'd lived with people who always kind of just lived like clockwork there in the Satellite, and Yusei was one of them (though he certainly wasn't the farthest gone he'd ever seen someone). He had often wondered if the city would be happy knowing the machine they had accidentally created, and he guessed he'd found out. Crow waved a hand, as if to try and make it not seem like a big deal.

"Happens all the time in the Satellite," he replied. "People just kind of stop doing anything but existing from day to day. It's not like its a big deal."

"That sounds like a big deal to me," Tanner growled, sounding both upset and angry at the thought of that happening to anyone. Well, you couldn't say that Crow tried. "How the hell can you just say there's nothing wrong with something like that?" Crow gave him a sideways glance.

"Well obviously we both grew up in two completely different worlds," he replied. Then, seeing the twins looked like they might be sick, he continued so they would calm down. "Besides, it's not like Yusei was completely gone. He was part of Team Satisfaction too. Something in him held onto that. Yeah, he wore a mask and didn't seem to respond to much, but he was really kind and was always helping other people if he could. It's just...he's been gone a year. And I miss him, I really do."

Now they just looked sad again when they glanced at him, but he was glad that they didn't look like they were going to lose their lunches again. With his mood now worsened, he turned his eyes instead through the crowd, immediately noticing Aki again in the crowd. As always, her red hair was pulled back with the metal in her bangs, and her blue eyes were glaring daggers into him. He was kind of surprised with how intense her gaze was that he hadn't felt it.

There were just a few more rounds to go before he could fight Jack, and Aki was one of the people standing between them. He wasn't really looking forward to battling the psychic duelist, but he knew that he needed the closure, if nothing else happened. He met her gaze and didn't look away. She finally seemed to scoff and turned away, so he turned to looking at Jack instead, finding that the teen's eyes were trained on him so their gazes met.

Crow bristled and his eyes grew harsh, and he could see a bit of confusion flicker across Jack's face for a moment before it hardened again into a familiar scowl. For a while the blonde and redhead just stared at each other, before Jack motioned over his shoulder slightly with his chin and turned to walk towards the inner areas of the stadium, where fans were already pouring out with an excited babble following them. Before Crow could wonder what Jack was even trying to get at however, he heard someone approaching them.

"Crow Hogan," a man with a gruff and commanding tone said, making the teen bristle. "Jack Atlas would like to have a word with you. Come with me."

Tanner had already leaped up to the boy's defense before Crow had even finished turning around. He jumped in front of Crow, holding up a fist like he was contemplating punching the man but also remembering where he currently was. Crow honestly wasn't sure what to do in the situation. He understood why Tanner had reacted that way considering the way that Goodwin had treated Crow in the past just to try and see his Signer mark. On the other hand, he didn't want to see Tanner get locked away again for being stupid, and he wanted to talk to Jack anyway. The man in all black glared at Tanner over his sunglasses with barely suppressed rage.

"Good," Crow said, making Tanner whirl around in surprise. "I've been meaning to pay my old friend a visit."

"Crow-" Tanner began, but the boy from the Satellite just shook his head, his eyes already flaming.

"I need to know," was the boy's quiet reply.

Reluctantly, Tanner lowered his fist and stepped back, though the mix of worry and anger on his face was almost enough for Crow to agree to stay there. He knew ignoring Goodwin's henchmen however wasn't a good idea, so they'd have to put up with worrying about him for a while. He wouldn't put the rest of them in danger because he couldn't put up with a but if rough treatment. He stepped past Tanner, letting the man and the other few men in suits surround him like they were escorting him to an execution. Though whether that was his or Jack's had yet to be seen.

Crow tried to keep his cool as they pushed their way past the milling crowds, many of whom were shooting him glares. They hated him just for being from the Satellite, and honestly that was what made him angrier. They were all people too! They deserved to live and be happy like everyone else but we're treated like second class citizens just because of where they lived their lives. He couldn't wait for the delicious irony of all of these people learning that their precious king of turbo duels was the worst kind of person from the Satellite. Maybe they wouldn't look at Crow like he was something as unpleasant then.

Within a few minutes they had reached a building, and he was led into an elevator and up into it. This only made Crow's anger simmer deeper. It was fancy, clean and fit for the king that Jack claimed to be. It was everything Jack had never deserved, not after practically murdering Yusei after everything that had happened. He looked like all those other assholes from the City he had hated with such a passion. And the rest of them? They had been left in the dust. They weren't even worth a backward glance, not even Yusei. The escort saw his glare and stopped outside the door, seemingly not wanting to let him near Jack when he was so clearly angry. Until the door opened and the devil himself appeared.

"What's the hold up?" Jack asked, his voice sounding bored. Until he saw Crow's darkened face again, and then surprise flashed his features before he steeled them back into a scowl. "Get inside already Crow. We need to talk."

"Mr. Atlas, is that wise?" One of the suits asked, glaring holes into the side of Crow's head.

"I won't repeat myself," Jack growled. "I want to talk to him alone."

The men bowed and backed away with mumbles that Crow didn't care to listen to. Instead he continued to glare at Jack as he stepped back with a clear order to get in. Crow growled but followed it, looking around the room. It was relatively simple, especially compared to the rest of the grand stadium. Instead, there was a couch and table in front of the huge window that would let Jack watch the tournament without showing his face to anyone. Crow just bristled more as Jack sat down on the couch, giving him a perplexed look.

"I know you want Yusei's Stardust Dragon," Jack said finally, rolling his shoulders. "But I don't get why you're so angry."

"You don't deserve it," Crow snapped. "Sitting up here and lording over it all like you didn't ruin so many lives back home!"

"So you're mad I bettered myself?" Jack asked, annoyance flashing across his gaze. "I had a chance, and I took it. I needed Yusei's Stardust Dragon to do it, so I took it. If he wants it he just needs to come get it himself. I won't hand it over to you just because-"

"Yusei's dead," Crow finally roared. Disbelief and hurt flashed across his eyes, and that only fueled Crow's rage.

"He's what…?" Jack said, his voice smaller than Crow could ever recall hearing it.

Crow stomped over to him, grabbing the taller man's collar as he snarled into his face. For once, Jack's dominating personality seemed buried under the horror in his eyes. For once, Crow had no problem snarling and snapping at Jack like a caged animal, more than willing to show him just how pissed off he was. He didn't deserve to look like that, to act like he was hurt. Didn't he realize he would have betrayed Yusei either way? That even if he hadn't have died it still would have hurt? Crow was sure, now more than ever, that Jack never thought about anything but himself.

"Dead," Crow snapped back. "he's dead. The same day you left? He was hit head on by a duel runner. The only good thing that can be said about it was they had him on pain medication so he didn't feel it. What the hell made you think that was okay? That you wouldn't be ruining lives? That you wouldn't hurt people by just leaving us all behind like trash? You said you loved him!"

"I-I did, I-"

"Then why did you do it?" Crow snapped. "Why did you frame Yusei for your mistake and then leave him out to dry? Why do you never think of anyone but yourself?"

For once, Jack didn't seem to have an answer, his eyes still swimming with the horror that Yusei was gone and had been a year. That he was never going to see him again, maybe even that any relationship he had with Crow was gone now too. Jack looked up, blue eyes searching gray, but he would find nothing but rage left in those eyes he used to know so well. Crow let out another growl before releasing his shirt collar stepping out and sending Jack a glare that sent a shiver down Jack's spine. Jack had seen those eyes before in the mirror, the kind of eyes that said the one looking at you thought of you beneath the dirt under their feet. One that told you that you were nothing. Jack felt no anger sparking up because of it.

"It should have been you," Crow spat with such venom that the great Jack Atlas flinched.

What did he say to that? How did he respond? He couldn't, and for once that hurt. He wanted to explain what he had wanted, that he had been sure Yusei would follow him one day to a better life. That he could have freed them all. He wanted to tell Crow that he had planned this, so that they could all finally find the freedom they wanted. But Jack was looking at him the way Jack jqd glared at Yusei for bringing up Kiryu. He had betrayed them, so why even think about it? The look in Crow's eyes hurt, his words hurt. He had done the same thing after all, and it might has well have been Jack on that duel runner that night. Crow and Jack we're all that was left of Team Satisfaction, but the holes left behind couldn't simply be glossed over.

"Too good to talk to me anymore?" Crow scoffed, hatred sparking across his gaze. "Fine. Just know that when I beat you, I'm taking Yusei's Stardust Dragon back. There's no way I'm letting you keep it after everything you've done."

And just like that, Crow decides their conversation was over. Jack felt the careful control he had crafted slipping away from him by the second. A bigger hole than any fame or fortune could hope to fill was aching in his heart. It all made sense, Crow's hatred since they had first met and his insistence that he get Yusei's card back. He had loved Yusei, for a long time before even Kiryu. He had. Or at the very least, he had convinced himself he had. Now he was gone and because of that he was worse than Kiryu in Crow's eyes. No, he was worse than Kiryu in his own eyes. Not that it made a difference now.

The door slammed shut behind Crow, and Jack didn't move for a long while, just trying to process it. Crow wished it was Jack who had died, and Jack almost wondered if it wouldn't have been better. His hand clamped shut over the mark of the dragon, anger sparking over his face. All of this had started because of this mark. Because Jack wasn't strong enough to be happy with the life he had. Well now he had truly done it. There was nothing left of his old life. Who would forgive him now? If Crow couldn't, why would anyone else?

I'm sorry! He wanted to scream, but it never passed his lips. What was the point of apologizing to a dead man?

Almost against his own will, he reached into the deck box on his belt. From within he drew out a single card, though his hand shook. It was stupid, he shouldn't be so scared to look at a stupid card but as he turned it over he felt like the shining paper was judging him. A silver dragon stared back at him from the picture on the card, casting condemnation onto him. When it had been in Yusei's hands, it had inspired so many people in the Satellite and promised salvation. It promised a brighter future that Jack had thrown everything away for. He let the card fall from his fingers, but it landed face up in the table, mocking him.

Jack took a deep breath, burying his face into his hands as he fought to keep tears from slipping through his fingers. Did he deserve to cry for Yusei? He had made this crown, did he not have to wear it now? Team Satisfaction had been shattered beyond repair. Kiryu and Yusei were gone, both driving forces of their team. Kiryu had betrayed them and Yusei was gone because Jack always wanted more. Crow would never forgive him for this, not that he blamed him. There was no team left, just the fragments too big to toss away yet.

Jack felt his eyes drawn back towards the Stardust Dragon on the table, trying to swallow past the lump in his throat. Yusei's duel runner was beyond all recognition anymore. Yusei truly was a genius, and though it had been changed to only have one wheel and a sleeker design it was the same underneath. It was now fitting of the king, a striking vehicle that drew everyone's gazes as Jack had always wanted. But it didn't feel the same. It wasn't Yusei's anymore. The only thing Jack even had left to remember him by wqs this card. He didn't want to let it go, even if he didn't deserve to have it, even if it hurt to hold onto. He wouldn't be letting it go if he could help it, not even to Crow. But he wouldn't cry either. He would continue to act the part of the King, even if Crow's gaze cut deeper than any knife. He had made this throne after all. He was going to sit in it.

Especially because it would hurt.

Yusei looked up and paused, a feeling of dark glee rippling through his god. Someone must have had some dark and strong feelings about him for it to make Rasca so pleased. Someone he knew in life then? It didn't particularly surprise him. He had left this world rather violently after all. There were plenty of people who would have some sort of darkness attached to his name. He saw Kiryu's confused glance and just offered him a shrug before reaching over and picking up yet another tool.

Why the Earthbound Immortal had seemed so excited by the prospect of turbo dueling was beyond Yusei, but he had set out building a duel runner anyway, even if he didn't understand why. Well, perhaps that wasn't the correct term. He had already started this one before his death. He was finishing it now, even if he wasn't sure why he had decided that crimson was the color he was going with. It had gained the attention of the other Dark Signers, who kept popping up to see it. Bommer was the only other turbo duelist Yusei knew for sure besides him and Kiryu, but he wouldn't be turbo dueling anytime soon after that last stunt.

Kiryu had apparently decided it was his turn to watch now, and he was taking that very seriously. Yusei put the tools down again, turning his attention instead to the computer. Their little cult had come through for him again, stealing the duel runner from under his friends' noses and then giving him a chip that would let him go faster than ever. It had the downside of making it easier for the police to initiate a duel, but honestly he could grudgingly accept with that. It would only serve to make more canon fodder for his god, and that made it pleased enough to leave him alone. It wasn't like they could hide for long anyway after the condor was summoned in the middle of the Satellite.

He reached over, gunning the engine. The roar that echoed through the old reactor brought a shiver through Yusei. Just another way his god could cause yet more chaos. The sound made Kiryu shift too, who was quick to stand and make his way over to him. He grabbed Yusei, pulling him into a hug that brought an unbidden growl to his throat. Kiryu didn't growl back though, and just tightened his hold on him. Slowly, Yusei let himself relax into it, knowing that Kiryu knew why it made him upset. Those people who had seen it before would recognize it in an instant. There would be no hiding who he was anymore, what he was. How could anyone forgive him for that? Even the spirits of this place seemed to be giving up on him.

"Done then?" came another voice, which got snarls from both Kiryu and Yusei. Yusei, for being startled, and Kiryu for having someone near Yusei while he was upset. Kiryu's sounded fiercer than Yusei's.

Roman just sadly chuckled at their display, and the two teens slowly eased the tension back out of their shoulders. It would do them no good to snap at one of the few people that actually understood them. Roman seemed incapable of taking offense at them and just stepped forward, slowly circling around the bike and taking it in. The more he looked, the more surprise and admiration seemed to take up the darkness in his gaze. He turned and gave Yusei a sad smile, one that he had seen on his face far too many times. It was the same face he made every time they were free from the gods' presences for even a second, when they can be themselves, but they didn't act like children. It was the smile he gave them where all of the other Dark Signers understood their rage at the world. After all, the world they had known was only cruel.

"You really would have been great in the City," he said quietly. "The world has no idea the monsters they created in the lonely Phantoms of the Satellite."

"And they'll pay for that mistake," Kiryu snapped, pulling Yusei closer to the point where the contact was painful. Yusei made no sounds or movements to complain though. At the very least pain reminded him that he was here, that this wasn't a nightmare.

"They will," Roman tried to soothe the two. It only partially worked. But the sadness on his face did gain their attention.

He turned his eyes upwards, as if looking past the wreckage of the disaster that had created the Satellite to see a ghost no one else could see. It made sense. Roman had worked at the Ener-D Reactor when it had still been operation, and he was the one who had set it to explode. It was because of the influence of the Earthbound Immortal, the reason he had cut the mark of the dragon's head from his body. The reason he only had one arm. He was the reason Yusei's father had died and everyone had hated him because he had his name. He was what had started all of this, from the Satellite to the war itself. Slowly Roman seemed to shake his head and return to the present. His eyes met theirs again, the darkness having returned.

"There's no going back," he said, as if to remind himself. "We can change nothing. They want this war set into motion and we'll only ever be slightly convenient puppets. Best not to forget. Is it ready, Yusei?"

"Yes," he growled out. Kiryu relaxed his painful grip a little and rubbed a hand down his arm, as if to soothe the pain the words brought to him. Rasca just lapped it up.

"Then get ready," Roman said, turning to leave. "You two are going to make sure the world never forgets to bury it's skeletons deep, lest they rise again."

So there's the end of that chapter. They're not going to be killing anyone just yet, but there are going to be some upset people next chapter when the phantoms ride through the Satellite. Things are starting to move already, and eyes will be drawn to the Satellite. There's a reason for that, which I will be explaining.

Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed. I'm already working on the next chapter of Dragon Pact as well as a few others that are more difficult to actually write. Either way I hope you guys found this worth the wait. The author's note chapter announcing my broken computer will have been removed when this chapter was updated.