Acceleration (Yusei Fudo x Clarice Ng)

Chapter 6: The Facility: Part 1

Doctors monitoring the sleeping girl consulted their clip boards as Clarice's heart rate accelerated. She was strapped to the bed, but she struggled heavily against the shackles.

Slowly, she drifted into a more peaceful dream. Her fingers relaxed on the white hospital slash research bed sheets.

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A disciplinary building loomed over the street as the skyscraper came closer. Hearings and background checks were mandatory for those caught doing things they shouldn't. Yusei's trial had begun.

"Who's next?" the judge said in a bored tone. Yusei sat in a chair with a bright spotlight over him. His gloved hands clenched the arms of his seat tightly.

"Yusei Fudo? Look at him, he's a boy, what's so bad about this kid?" the judge sounded exasperated. "Let's check out the complaint. Mr. Yusei Fudo, turbo dueling without a license, blah, blah, malicious mischief, blahdy blah, blah...entering New Domino City without a permit! Well now, we can't have that can we? Satellite degenerates like you aren't supposed to be entering our fair city, are you?"

Yusei jaw clenched, his knuckles white on the arm rests of his seat. He wanted, more than anything, to make this judge eat his words, but... He was already in a bad situation.

A machine that looked like a large white and gray gun descended from the ceiling. Another helmet-like machine descended onto Yusei's head, locking him in place. Wrist cuffs securing him to the chair weren't exactly comforting either.

Instead of firing bullets, the gun-like machine squirted out a yellow liquid. The die traced a line from Yusei's eye down to the bottom of his jaw with a small triangle on the left to finish it off. A yellow, criminal marker. Burned into his skin. Permanently.

Yusei hadn't realized he'd been screaming from the pain until the machines retreated back into the ceiling and the wrist clamps retracted. His body slumped down to the ground.

"Now this dye is special. It's supposed to make sure that we can keep an eye on you, even after yuo leave our lovely prison accommodations. A few months in the Facility should sort you out. Not to worry young man, think of it as a sort of summer camp. Lots of time to yourself, arts and crafts, colorful characters. After your sentence, I mean, vacation, is over, you're free to go back to the Satellite. As long as you never duel or set foot in New Domino City again!" the judge decreed.

Before Yusei could protest, he was left alone in the trial room. His cheek still stung, but not as much as before.

Footsteps echoed in the trail chambers. Not as alone as he'd thought.

He was too stunned by the officer's first punch to defend himself. Then resigned to waiting until the two of them were finished. Police brutality was nothing new to Yusei or any of his friends.

Next thing he knew, Yusei was walking onto a truck headed straight for the Facility. The city rushed by as the mostly quiet facility goers sat and awaited their arrival.

"Hey kid!" an old man exclaimed, talking to Yusei. His disheveled gray hair flopped to the side. His gray kimono with a sash and yellow vest were slightly askew. The wooden flip flops he wore clanked annoyingly on the truck floor.

Yusei turned away from the old timer. That didn't stop the elderly man. "How ya doin'?" He pushed himself up to be in-between the truck wall and Yusei's back. He smiled quirkily at Yusei.

Yusei turned away again, but the man followed.

"I'm sure ya heard of me, young fella, name's Yanagi! Adventures my name, and famous relics are my game! Put her there!" Yanagi held out his hand to shake. Yusei stared at the city, ignoring Yanagi's kind gesture.