Scar

Mistake

(based on no episode in particular. Happened in between episode 26-33)

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own YGO Zexal, otherwise, IV would be an anti-hero protagonist along with Rio as the heroine, and the anime would be full of dramas instead of card games!

***

IV stood before the door numbered 103, fist balled on each side. He stared at the numbers, blinking several times as if checking if he saw things right. It was still there, unchanged, and as solid as he could perceive. He was in front of the right door.

How long had he been standing there? Five minutes? Ten minutes? An hour? He felt like he'd stood there forever, still trying to decide whether he would proceed with his initial objective or not. How he ever thought he wanted to do it was still beyond him. He certainly hadn't been thinking straight then.

"Let me visit her!" he had said when his brother had told him that Kamishiro Rio was still alive and currently hospitalized in Heartland Central Hospital. He sat up, his good arm propped his body.

"I'm not the one deciding whether you can visit her or not," replied V, slightly surprised at his brother's sudden vigor, after showing no sign of life in the last few days but occasional incoherent murmurs.

"She's in intensive care, so, I don't think they'll let anyone visit except family members," V explained.

"Well, when will I be able to visit, then?" demanded IV.

"That, too, isn't up to me," V answered, looking a little flustered at the drastic change of attitude.

IV was just about to ask more when he felt pain creeping up his body. He almost forgot that his injuries were still far from healed. It had been a while since he felt this alive, he didn't even remember what had he been doing in the last few days. He was constantly attacked by nightmares that he was unable to tell which was real and which wasn't. But that wasn't his biggest problem now.

"You should rest. You need to get better first."

"I'm fine," IV said firmly through his gritted teeth. Anyone could see that he was fighting the pain; far from being fine. Before his brother could protest, however, he preceded, "What's my next assignment?"

The silver haired man was still too surprised to answer immediately. Indeed, he was trying to help his brother had some peace of mind by giving him information regarding the girl, but he hadn't expected such reaction.

Up until a few minutes ago, IV was still lying half-awake on the bed, but now, it seemed like nothing ever happened to him. If it wasn't for his brief but apparent pained expression, he would have thought his brother had fully recovered.

"We still have times before our next step—"

"I'm asking you about my next assignment!" IV snapped impatiently, his lips formed a straight line, a sign that he wouldn't hear whatever his brother had to say but the answer for his question.

Realizing that, V decided not to start some pointless arguments and fished out a duel pad from his pocket. He handed it to his brother and said, "There're copies of information about Numbers that we have to collect. Some of them already belonged to someone. Learn it and start making a strategy to counter that."

"Just collecting Numbers?" asked IV, fingers busy tapping the pad's screen.

"There're also a few instructions regarding our plan. Well, your part, at least," V added,

The red-and-blond haired teen studied the instruction intently. If he wasn't allowed to do something, then he would read something about what he would soon be doing. It made a good distraction for a while.