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(3rd Person PoV)

There was this fancy limo that was driving all the way to this fancy mansion.

Yusei, Aki, Jack, Rua, Ruka and Mikage all stepped out.

"Wh-whoa! That's a big house!" Rua exclaimed. It was bigger than his and Ruka's house. And that's saying something because they have a pretty big house.

Then the doors of the mansion opened and a man walked out.

He stopped in front of them and looked at them like he was studying them.

He then bowed his head.

"Signers. It's a honor to see you all together," he said.

Jack wasn't impressed by this and thought of him as shady.

Aki then lean over to Yusei and whispered, "Are you sure that this is a good idea? He used your friends as hostages in order for you to compete in the Fortune Cup."

"True, I don't trust him but at the moment, he's the only one who can explain to us more of the Dark Signers," Yusei whispered to her.

Aki sighed at this. As much as she hate to admit it, Yusei was right. Goodwin was the only one who can explain to them more about the Signers and Dark Signers.

"So...what do you want with us?" Rua asked.

Goodwin then looked at him.

"I do not recall needing you," he told him.

Oh right. I'm not a Signer like them, Rua thought.

Then the back of the limo opened up and out tumbled the Double Lifers.

"Ack! My back! This was a terrible idea!" Grian shouted.

"You had the most room and you know it! You are small!" Joel snapped.

"Guys, we're embarrassing ourselves," Etho said.

They all stood up.

"What are you doing here?" Jack demanded.

The Double Lifers looked at each other.

And then Joel spoke up, "We also want to know about what's going to happen in Satellite and the Dark Signers. We saw those Earthbound Immortals, we saw what happened. We want answers as much as the Signers do."

Goodwin first looked at Rua and then the Double Lifers.

"There's no need for either of you," he told them.

Joel made a fist.

"That's unfair," he said and made a movement towards Goodwin before his cards from his pocket spilled out.

Crap! He thought and hurriedly bend down to pick up his cards.

Yusei and Etho helped him out.

But then, Goodwin bend down and picked up one specific card.

This is...impossible. I thought those specific cards were lost years ago. I personally made sure of it, he thought before looking at Joel and then the rest of the Double Lifers.

Interesting, Goodwin then tossed the card over to Joel.

He held it protectively over his chest.

"Fine, you four can come but as for you," Goodwin glanced over at Rua who gulped.

But then Ruka grabbed onto her twin's arm.

"I'm not going anywhere without Rua," she told Goodwin, strictly.

Goodwin stared down at the twins before sighing, "Fine."

Ruka squeezed Rua's arm, happily.

They all followed Goodwin through the mansion and into a long hallway.

"I shown you this before, King," he started.

Huh? Who is he calling King? Scar thought but he got his answer immediately.

"I don't know who this 'King' is. I am no longer him but Jack Atlas," Jack told him, rather coldly.

"Alright. Then I'll treat you like anyone else would, Jack Atlas," Goodwin said with a small smile that held no emotion.

Due to that, Scar felt very suspicious of Goodwin. If what Yusei said was correct, then not only did he force Yusei to enter a tournament at the expense of his friend's' safety but also that he is the only one who can explain to them who the Dark Signers are.

Scar didn't like that combination.

As he was thinking this, they all arrived at a large room and the door closed behind them.

Then a glowing crimson light appeared and they could see a temple in front of them.

"Is that?" Joel squinted to see.

"Crimson Dragon?" Yusei asked.

The Crimson Dragon wrapped itself around the temple and stared at all of them.

Suddenly, Yusei's, Jack's, Aki's and Ruka's arms began to glow.

It was their Signer Marks.

There it is. The Crimson Dragon itself, Grian thought as he ignored the glows of the mark.

Goodwin began, "Five thousand years ago, the Crimson Dragon awoken and chose five people to bear the marks of the Dragon. They were known as the Signers. Their legend has been passed down through generations to the People of the Stars. The Crimson Dragon shows the way to their destiny."

Destiny? Yusei thought and remembered his duel against Jack when he first came to the City.

It was a close duel with just his dragon and Jack's dragon battling it out.

And then the Crimson Dragon appeared during their duel which made their eyes and arms glow red.

"The Crimson Dragon came to Yusei and I while we were dueling. Are you saying that it was our 'destiny?'" Jack asked.

"Yes. The two of you have been guided to the City by the Crimson Dragon," Goodwin replied.

"You're wrong! You set us up," Yusei told him.

"Yeah, we dueled to settle our scores. The Crimson Dragom had nothing to do with that!" Jack shouted.

"But it is in that, that the fate was derived by the Crimson Dragon's power and I did nothing more than conduct my actions in accordance to the dragon's guidance," Goodwin explained.

"How can you expect us to believe that?" Yusei asked.

"Agreed, how can we? You have done nothing but wrongdoings to the Signers specifically the ones who came from Satellite," Scar added on, folding his arms.

"Hmmph. It is up to you whether you believe me or not. Just as long as you are Signers, you cannot escape your fate," Goodwin replied.

He seemed to avoid what I said, Scar thought.

"Fate?" Aki tilted her head.

"My powers have caused me pain in the past. How is that my fate?" She asked.

"But if it wasn't for that, you might have not met the other Signers. Those marks are bestowed to those chosen by the Crimson Dragon," Goodwin explained.

He then continued, "The fate of the Signers is joined and it guides you all of their fates. Including you, Ruka." He turned to the little girl.

Even me? She thought and remembered about her forgotten childhood.

She had visited the spirit world of Duel Monsters when she was three. Back then, she would have never wondered what was the reason why she was even there but now...she knows her reason.

"I understand. My fate is to save Ancient Fairy Dragon and it's not just my fate but my desire," Ruka explained.

Ancient Fairy Dragon? Joel thought.

"It's the name of the guardian of the Duel Monster Spirit World. Remember that dragon imprint that I showed you before? That's her," a voice in Joel's head explained.

What the-? Wait, Giant Wall Life Dragon? What are you doing in my head? Joel asked.

"Listening to this conversation. You and I are one in same now. What you think, I hear. Whatever I think, you hear. I'll stay quiet most of the time though so my thoughts won't bother you," Giant Wall explained.

Well that's just great. How come I'm just learning about this now? Joel thought.

Giant Wall didn't respond because Goodwin began to speak again.

"You cannot deny that because you share the Mark, that you have been reincarnated as the Legendary Signers. Whether you like it or not, it has been promised thousands of years, that you will all encounter it as so while being at the mercy of destiny," he explained.

Then the Crimson Dragon let out a piercing roar and vanished which caused the marks to stop glowing.

They stayed in silence for a bit before Rua broke it.

"Hey hey, the Crimson Dragon can only appear if there are five signers but there's only four," he pointed out.

"Yeah where's the fifth Signer?" His twin asked.

Goodwin looked at every single one of them without revealing anything in his eyes as he said, "The fifth one has already awake."

Everyone looked at him in surprise as he said this.

"The fifth Signer alongside the Crimson Dragon will appear when the four of you are in danger," Goodwin added on.

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked but Goodwin merely replied with, "Before long, you will know."

He then raised his hand and then suddenly, the scene shifted to a place where the Nazca Lines would have been prior to their disappearance.

Also it gave out the illusion that they were standing, mid air.

"Just as the Signers were reincarnated, the Dark Signers also emerged after five thousand years. The Crimson Dragon has sealed away evil incarnates within the Earth and those seals have become the Nazca Lines. Now we have been forbidden to tell this truth to outsiders and it's only been passed down to guardians like me," Goodwin explained.

Then the Nazca Line that resembled a spider began to glow.

"Recently, those lines have disappeared," Goodwin added on.

And just like that, the Line disappeared.

"This is the doing of the Dark Signers," Goodwin said before adding on, "They bare the marks of the Nazca Lines just like how you bare the mark of the Crimson Dragon."

Yusei then recalled his first duel against a Dark Signer. It was...terrifying to say the least.

"Their duels defy logic with their negative levels. The duel came to life and not in a good way," Yusei explained.

"Since our duels are based on life, it makes sense that their duels are based on death," Goodwin explained.

Brings a new perspective of life or death situation, Etho thought.

"When a Dark Signer appears, a geogylph will surely come after. And their arrival has put all of Neo Domino City in danger," Goodwin states.

"Yeah...because that's exactly what happened when I dueled Kiryu. All those people that he brought from Satellite were taken when he brought out his Earthbound Immortal. They were nothing but sacrifices!" Yusei snapped, clearly angered with what happened.

The twins held onto each other, frightened. If they don't stop the Dark Signers, catastrophe would happen and would happen very deadly.

"Their actions had...exceeded my calculations for the geoglyphs have also appeared in the city and has caused so many casualties," Goodwin said.

Yusei looked down, upset at what happened. He suspected it but it's still upsetting to hear.

And then the scene changed again but this time, it was the Arcadia Movement building that was attacked by the Dark Signers.

Two towering creatures were there as well.

A lizard and a hummingbird.

"These are the Earthbound Immortal. They are gods that are summoned when the Dark Signers sacrifice people," Goodwin explained.

"Hey! What happens to those people who have been sacrificed?" Jack demanded.

"I...do not know," Goodwin admitted.

Jack made a fist at this as he remembered finding Carly's glasses on the ground at the Arcadia Movement building. What happened to her? Did she...no. Jack didn't want to think about that.

He didn't want to think of her being sacrificed.

"This situation requires immediate action. If you sit idly, then all the people of Satellite and Neo Domino City will fall into the clutches of the Dark Signers and just like in your vision at the Fortune Cup, the entire city will collapse," Goodwin explained.

"The entire city?" Scar gasped.

"But wait that means that Himuro, Yanagi and Tempei will be in danger!" Rua cried.

"This battle is unavoidable. As they, the Dark Signers are the darkness, you Signers are the light. You are the only ones who can beat the Dark Signers," Goodwin stated.

...living in the city hasn't been enjoyable, Aki thought before looking at Yusei.

But thanks to Yusei, I gave my parents a second chance and I don't want them to fall to the Dark Signers. I fear for them...Mama, Papa, she continued to think.

"I don't care about fate! I can decide what I should do!" Jack stated.

Yusei glanced at him before catching Grian's eye who was staring intensely at Jack.

It was unreadable, what was he thinking? Yusei wasn't quite sure.

He just hoped that it wasn't anything malicious because he feels like they're going to need the support of their friends more than ever.

Yusei then turned his attention to Goodwin.

"I have a question for you. Back in Satellite, I saw a friend whom I believed was dead but came back as a Dark Signer. He gathered up the people of Satellite and used them for sacrifices for his Earthbound Immortal. If my Duel Runner hadn't broke down, I would have lost my life," Yusei explained.

At this, Grian now turned his attention to what Goodwin would say to this.

"How did he become a Dark Signer?" Yusei asked.

"I'd like to know too!" Jack demanded but Goodwin turned away.

"It is...best that you didn't know," he said.

"Quit the nonsense! Yusei and I have to risk our lives against someone whom we thought was our friend!" Jack snapped.

"I'm willing to risk my life to protect Satellite and the city but if there's a way to return Kiryu and the others...," Yusei started but Goodwin interrupted with, "There isn't."

Everyone's eyes widen at this and Yusei asked him what he meant by this.

"I mean that the Dark Signers are the souls of the dead who have been reawakened to their abilities. In other words, they're no longer of this world," Goodwin explained.

What? Was a thought in everyone's mind.

"That's nonsense! The dead can't come back to life!" Jack snapped.

Etho let out an awkward cough before being nudged in the ribs by Scar. Joel looked in the opposite direction and Grian just said nothing.

"They can and it has already happened. The negative levels of their Synchro Monsters is proof enough that they are messengers of the dead," Goodwin explained.

"The destiny of the Signers links and guides your individual fates for destiny is now in motion. There is no turning back now. Make a decision now whether you want to fight this battle or stay back and watch the world perish," Goodwin added on.

The setting of the room changed back to what it originally was and Goodwin left the room where the Signers and Double Lifers stood there in silence.

"..."

They didn't know what to think of. What can they do?

A/N: *slams hand on desk* LORE!

Anyways, pretty much an expedition dump but an important one for the story. I even added some hints of lore for the Double Lifers 👀

Hope you enjoyed it!

Cya in the next one -Flare

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