A, N: Hello everyone. I am back in this series with another story. Do not worry. You don't need to have read the other one to understand this one. But might suggest watching Yugioh Vrains. That Show is just awesome. This pairing is quite rare. Only read one story with this. It was great and gave me some ideas for this one. Since this shipping also does not have a name, I decided on 'Respect rival shipping'. Just thought that fitted both of them. If you disagree, I don't mind hearing your suggestion for a Shipping name for both of them. Have fun reading.

Playmaker were staring. Horror was written on his face as he stared at the scene before him. Ai, the dark Ignis, in a digital trap created by Bohman. That was not supposed to happen! The duel had been dire enough already. Playmaker, alias Yusaku Fujiki, was the last one standing. The last obstacle for Bohman to clear before he could claim this virtual world as his own. Yusaku knew this because it had been all Bohman had been talking about. How he was this perfect being who was going to be humanity's successor. That and him. Yusaku still grimaced at the offer Bohman had made him earlier. How he would store his data in a special place inside his core and give him happiness. Happiness by erasing his memories and giving him fake ones showing a life without the Lost Incident. What sane person would accept such an offer? Sure, he did want to forget the lost incident and all its horrors. But, at the same time, he did not want them erased, because those memories made him who he was. It would also sullen the sacrifices his friends and allies had made. No Yusaku could never accept this. At least not back then.

Now, he was at yet another crossroads. All because of Bohman. Ai had sacrificed himself to stop Bohman's neuro link. That had been heartbreaking enough. The pain Yusaku had felt then, had torn a piece out of his heart. The only reason he had managed to carry on was because of the promise he had made to his fallen comrades. Especially Kolter and Varis. But then Ai returned, much to Yusaku's surprise, by using a backup file, he had installed in Roboppi. He had been so relieved. He thought there was hope for a better future. Only for that to be squashed when Bohman captured Ai. They really should have seen it coming. Bohman was a sophisticated program. An A.I. that had evolved. He would have realized that Ai had installed a backdoor into its core. But instead of fixing it, he baited them. He waited for Ai to make its move and... Now, Ai was trapped and was about to be deleted. Again! Yusaku couldn't take it. That was the last straw. After seeing countless of his friends being deleted. Not to mention him deleting Kolter himself. Something in him broke. Ai had already died once. He did not wish to see that ever again.

"Now Ai, you will become a part of me as well", Bohman remarked stoically. He beamed with pure confidence.

"You are making a huge mistake!", Ai exclaimed in a scared tone. "I taste bad. I will give you ingestion and... And Playmaker still has life points left. It would be wrong not to finish the duel...".

"Ai...". Yusaku muttered.

Though his confidence in his abilities had decreased exponentially. With 100 life points left, what could he do? He could summon firewall dragon or its Xyz form. Or one of his code talkers. But they had no power or useful abilities against Bohman's "Perfectron Highdrive Dragon". What could he do?

"Do not be afraid Ai. You will become part of something greater. Besides, being absorbed does not mean the end of your existence. You will all live on inside me".

"But I don't want to...! Playmaker help!".

Ai's cry for help woke Yusaku from his daydream. A terrible sight met him. The cage containing Ai in it was slowly dissolving into pure data. Ai was clinging to a few fragmented bits like life depended on it. It did, but that was neither here nor there to discuss.

"Ai!!!", Yusaku shouted in fright.

His right hand was stretched towards the Ignis. Like he could reach it and save it from the terrible fate that awaited his partner. When that failed, his gaze went to Bohman. Begging eyes met the evolving A.I. Surprisingly enough, the program's orange irises were staring right back at him. Studying him like he was Bohman's main focus. It shouldn't have been. No matter how logically Yusaku thought about it, his main focus should have been on Ai. After all, he was about to reach his perfection soon. No slip-up could be allowed. But since this was not the case, it gave Yusaku the courage to say his next words.

"Stop! Please don't do this. Don't...".

His voice broke. The remaining words lingered on his tongue. Ai was his partner. His friend. His best friend. Maybe even seen as an obnoxious brother at times. He could no longer imagine a life without him.

A few days or weeks perhaps, but not forever! Without him, Yusaku feared he would redraw back into his shell again. Just as he had done after the lost incident occurred. With every one of his friends and Ai gone there would certainly be no recovery and that frightened Yusaku more than he would admit.

"...Don't... Don't delete him. Please... I beg you...". Yusaku continued. He swallowed some spit. With all his pride and dignity.

"I will do anything...!".

"Anything?", Bohman asked, humming slightly. He tilted his head. As he did the data around Ai stopped. To Yusaku's relief.

"Yes", he agreed with a nod. "As long as you let him go and...".

"Playmaker! What are you doing? You cannot negotiate with the enemy!", Ai shouted back at him at first. Only to be occupied otherwise seconds later. "Hey! Get your filthy hands off me...".

He was silenced soon enough since Bohman had grabbed him. His fingers were placed over Ai's mouth as a gag. Yusaku could still see his golden eyes look at him though. He was begging him not to do this.

"Now, where were we?" Bohman stated, smirking confidently. "Oh yes. You were about to tell me your terms". Yusaku sneered. Bohman was enjoying this so much.

"What do you want?!", he demanded to know.

"Submit".

"Huh? Submit?", Yusaku questioned bewildered.

"Yes submit", Bohman repeated and clarified. "In exchange for me letting go of your precious partner, you will submit to me. Furthermore, I also promise to no longer target Ai or hunt him in any way. Do we have a... Aw!".

At that moment Ai had bitten Bohman's finger, which made the A. I move that said finger. A tiny scratch of deleted data was shown. It was not enough for Bohman to let him go, but it was enough for Ai to talk.

"Don't do this Playmaker! You do not know what you are agreeing to!", Ai shouted but then added, "Not that I like being deleted or absorbed by this dude, but... I don't want you to leave Playmaker. Do you hear me?! Do not agree to this!".

"I am sorry Ai". Regret was shown in his eyes as he turned to face Bohman again. "I accept your terms, Bohman".

Unknown Time skip.

Sounds of static followed the sound of footsteps. A stranger had entered a restricted area where data storms were roaming frequently. The stranger had no qualms about getting past them or through them thou and before they knew it, they had entered this hidden server within the network. A castle stood proudly next to this prestigious tower. Pixellated greenery and a data-like blue sky were created as an outside scenery of a garden. A few flowers, trees, and other objects were also present, but they were not the stranger's main focus. The castle with its high tower was. With heavy steps, the stranger climbed the winding staircase. Their footsteps created echoes as they advanced upwards. A door stood proud and tall as the stranger entered. Only to be hit by a pile of rubbish as soon as they opened the door. That however was not the only booby trap they triggered. Several more followed, which would have slowed down any other person. However, the stranger was not any other person. With a quick flick of their hand, the objects dissolved into simple data particles.

"Do we have to do this every time I visit?", the stranger asked, letting out an annoying sigh.

They were met with utter silence. The room in the tower was quite spacious. It showed a nice room with a little kitchenette and a bed with a wardrobe. Two chairs and a table were placed to the right of the stranger. But otherwise, the room was empty. There was not a living soul in sight. However, the window in front of the room was wide open. It was easy to guess what had happened. The stranger sighed again.

"I guess we have to".

With swift movements, energy gathered in their palm, and a certain dragon-like monster materialized in front of them.

"He is attempting another escape. Find him", the stranger ordered.

The monster let out a dutiful growl as it emerged through the spacious window.

Time went on. The stranger had settled into one of the chairs with their eyes closed. To a normal person, they would be asleep, but that was far from the truth. They had become one with the network and this server and were now doing a quick scan of the whole place. Not that they were lacking confidence in their link monster's abilities. They just wanted to speed up the process.

"Put me down! Put me down this instance!".

That did wake up the stranger. The sound of flapping wings followed and soon a young teenager was dropped onto the floor inside the tower by their monster. The teen hissed in annoyance at first. His eyes glowed with rage. If glares could kill, people would be dead by now. That was until he noticed the stranger at the table, and his gaze avoided theirs. Just as they always did. Not that the stranger cared.

"Hello Playmaker. It is so nice that you could drop by".

Yusaku hissed in annoyance the minute he knew he was back in the tower again. His attempt in escaping was thawed again. Just like before. But that didn't stop Yusaku from trying thou. After all, he had not agreed to stay. Only to submit to him. That itself was horrific enough and was the reason for his escape. If he could just escape this server Bohman had put him in, he might be able to return to the real world. This was easier said than done since there were no access points on this server. The logout function in his avatar was disabled and could only be accessed outside of this realm. Also, the only way to leave was through the breaches Bohman left behind when entering. It was getting harder and harder to trick or trap Bohman or his monsters now. Bohman evolved with each attempt. Yusaku just couldn't let go of it. No matter how pointless it was. He had to fight. It was in his nature. Being a docile prisoner, Bohman had forced him, was simply not who he was. That was clear.

"Good job 'Perfectron Hydradrive Dragon'. A perfect job. Just as usual", Bohman congratulated his monster and patted it on the head, before making it disappear into its card. Then he turned towards him with an outstretched hand.

"Are you done with tossing a tantrum for today, Playmaker?", he asked with his knowingly smirk. "If so, then, by all means, join me".

He gestured to the table and chair next to him. Yusaku growled fiercely at first, but in the end, ended up taking his capturer's hand. After all, the quicker he complied, the quicker he would leave.

"Do I have a choice?", he asked, before sitting down in one of the chairs.

"Of course you do. I am giving you one right now am I not?", Bohman replied with a small smile and sat down as well. "I am indulging your tedious attempts. Your sense of freedom seems to be important to you".

Or to put it in another way. He could have taken away Yusaku's free will anytime he wanted. Why he had not done so, still puzzled him to this day. This was not exactly what he had expected when he had accepted Bohman's offer. To Yusaku, the word 'submit' meant to surrender to a superior power like Bohman. Thou that point was true, he had not believed that meant him being locked away on a hidden server inside the network. For three whole weeks like a damsel in distress. Or in this case, a distressed dude.

"You have been busy since I was here last", Bohman remarked.

Pointing to the digital creation outside. The tower and the castle itself had always been here, but the rest was more or less been Yusaku's work. First, it had been to find a way out of here. When that had failed, he started hacking and creating things. Mostly to give himself some movement away from the tower than anything else. In the digital world, there was no need to sleep or eat or anything else. Yusaku needed something to do, or he would have gone crazy. Sure, he was by no means a social person by any means, but after the first 3 days, with only Bohman and his link monsters for company, Yusaku had begged Bohman for a sleep function in his avatar. His captor had complied easily enough along with other things. Like reading material etc. It helped, but he was still a guy trapped in a cage. Yusaku longed for the real world where he could live. Thou he had no idea on how the real world was holding up. Bohman had blocked him from interacting with it in any way. Not even news feeds were available. He just hoped that he had not yet perfected humanity. But then again if Bohman had, why was he still imprisoned here? It was one of his few hopes, and he clung to it for dear life.

"I brought you a meal", Bohman said, conjuring up a basket with the most delicious treats known to men. All Yusaku did was wrinkle his forehead.

"Come now. I enhanced it. This Playmaker will strengthen your avatar's power", Bohman encouraged, handing him an apple from the basket.

"What's the point?", Yusaku challenged with an annoyed huff. "I cannot leave".

"Now, now Playmaker...".

"No! I am sick of being here", Yusaku interrupted him. "I am not just a trophy for you. Or a pet that wags its tail in happiness when its master comes home. I am a human being and I want to be treated...!".

Yusaku had wanted to say so much more. Now that he had given his emotions a chance to run wild, he needed to vent his anger on the one who held him captive. There was just one problem. Bohman would have none of it. At that moment, their eyes met. Yusaku's green and Bohman's orangish-colored ones. The look itself had killed any bravado Yusaku might have had. Or would have had for a long time, and there was nothing Yusaku could do to change that.

"I do not see you as a trophy Playmaker," his captor then replied. "Nor do I see you as my pet...".

"Really? Because I think differently", Yusaku snapped back at him.

He had finally managed to tear his eyes away from Bohman's. He raised his left wrist. It was the one he usually wore his duel disk and deck at. Now, however, it was replaced by a bracelet with a star symbol, that Yusaku could not get off. No matter how many times he had tried. This made it impossible for him to log out or leave the server and to Yusaku it felt like he was being marked as being Bohman's property. Or in this case an untamed pet.

"If this does not say otherwise, then, by all means, enlighten me", Yusaku remarked stoically. "If I am neither a trophy nor a pet, then what am I to you?".

There was an awkward silence now since Bohman refused to answer him. At least not at first. He was just sitting there compensating for his reply. Or at least to Yusaku that was what he was doing. After who knows how long time had passed; there was no sense of time, Bohman rumbled out:

"Be happy I did not place it around your neck".

Yusaku could not help but smile a little bit at that. This was one of the few times he had won an argument.

"I knew it but guess what. I will never be yours. You will never be able to tame me, " he said in a gruff tone and snorted. "Now, unless you have something important to discuss with me, please leave".

He could hear Bohman sigh deeply now. It almost sounded like he was heartbroken. Not that a program could be that though.

"If that is what you want, Playmaker". Bohman's fingers tapped the chair's armrest with quick movements before he continued: "I have a mission for you".

And Yusaku's whole world collapsed. If an avatar could turn pale, this news would have done it. That was how much he feared this scenario. Two flashbacks flashed through his mind. 1, where he had submitted to Bohman's power for the first time. Even though could not be counted as a mission, Yusaku still saw it as one. 2, was his first official mission. He had gone on a live link to a Vrains feed and told everyone watching that they should surrender to Bohman. As Bohman had explained prior, he was the hero of Link Vrains. There would be little resistance if it was shown that he had submitted to his powers. It still gave Yusaku nightmares. The thought that he knew he was indirectly responsible for the downfall of humanity, hurt him more than he would admit. It was one of the many reasons why he wanted to return to the real world. He needed to know how much damage he had caused. And 3, would be this time. Yusaku was already dreading it.

"No... No. NO...No! NO! NO!! NO!!!", Yusaku shook his head wildly. Saying no over and over again. That was how much he did not want to do this.

"Playmaker...".

"Whatever you want me to do, I refuse!", Yusaku declared fiercely.

"You do not even know what I am asking of you", Bohman replied.

"It doesn't matter. I will never comply...".

He heard Bohman sigh as he rose from the chair. His target was Yusaku. Not that Yusaku would let him. His body leaped from the armchair towards... well anything. As long as he could get away from Bohman. Unfortunately, it was all for none, and Yusaku knew this. He just had to fight. To show that he was not doing this by his free will. The moment he didn't... That was all he wrote because his body froze. It refused to obey his commands.

"Why are you making things so difficult for yourself, Playmaker?", he could hear Bohman say. His hand waved elegantly in the air as numbers appeared. "I would not have to resort to this if you would just comply with my wishes. Things would be much simpler. Better even".

Yusaku hissed as he shook his head in pure stubbornness. It was the only part of his body Bohman hadn't hacked into. The words from Ai at mirror link Vrains ran through his head now.

"Don't do this Playmaker! You do not know what you are agreeing to!".

Which had indeed been true. When Yusaku had agreed to Bohman's terms, what Yusaku in reality had 'submitted' was his avatar's security code. Bohman was a program. An AI sure, but a program nonetheless. Programs ran things. They controlled things. Or in this case, hacked his avatar and indirectly the user along with it.

"Foolish Playmaker". He felt Bohman's right hand rub his cheek now. It gave Yusaku goosebumps. "I do not understand why you cling so desperately to your humanity. But if that is what you wish...".

"Please don't do this...", Yusaku begged.

But it fell on deaf ears. He felt his chin being lifted and he was forced to look into Bohman's eyes.

"Look into my eyes, Playmaker", his capturer said in a sweet voice. "Look into my eyes and obey".

With Ai.

Mist covered the ghost town of mirror link Vrains. It made everything creepy. Not that Ai cared. He had been here many times the lack of human avatars was no problem for him. How could it be when he was directly to blame for it? After Yusaku had surrendered himself to Bohman, Ai had been quick to appear in the real world to prevent Bohman from absorbing any more humans. Sure, Bohman had prevented humans from logging out, but not yours truly. The amazing Ai. Though the Ignis had to swallow his pride and go to the only strong duelist remaining. The rest of the members of the Knights of Hanoi. Baira, Faust, and Genome. After all, Bohman had absorbed the data of almost every decent duelist besides his beloved partner. With their help, they could send out a video feed. To discourage any remaining humans from logging in. Unless they wanted to be deleted. The hospitals were already full of humans. All being asleep because of Bohman. That included his partner Yusaku Fujiki. Ai had visited him regularly, using every technological means that was possible in his room.

Which in the end brought the dark ignis here. To the mirror link Vrains' central station. Ai had been all over the virtual world really of course, but the central station was where everything began.

"Don't worry Playmaker. I will come to save you!", Ai exclaimed motivated. His small hands were running through any data scraps he could find.

"I don't know how, but I will. Why is link Vrains and mirror link Vrains so big", he complained.

He sighed again. He would be there in a heartbeat if he had one tiny clue as to his partner's whereabouts. Not running his hands through a digital version of a garbage can.

"Strange program detected! Strange program detected!". Ai let out an annoyed sigh. Here we go again!

"Scanning. Scanning. Program registered. Ai, the dark ignis".

"New orders were received from the Master. Capture protocol initiated".

Ai let out a sigh as he dodged the A. I attempt in capturing him. It was the notorious Bit and Boot. The A. I lightning had created, and now obeyed Bohman, but compared to Ai himself, they were so primitive. They could never catch him. Never in a million years. Boot hissed again when Ai dodged them for a second time.

"Will yer stand still you little runt".

"Capture rate dropping. Scanning captive probability...", Bit said. "Success rate dropping below 10 percent. 9,8,7...".

And that was all he rode. His data had been shattered into digital bits and zeros.

"Who did this? I dare you...".

Boot were gone as well. Before Ai could count to 10. It made the dark ignis blink in surprise. Who had done this? Were they friends or foes? From the misty shadows, a human emerged. Dressed in their notorious greenish spandex uniform Ai gasped in both surprise and happiness.

"Playmaker!!!", he exclaimed in a happy tone and immediately approached him. "Did you escape from Bohman? I was so worried".

Then Ai stopped up. There was something off here. The data roaming around the avatar felt different. Looked different.

"Ai...", Playmaker then spoke.

His voice sounded static and wrong. But what frightened Ai the most was the change in his partner's eyes. They were no longer luxurious green. They were distant and very much yellowish.

Ai gasped in horror. This was not his partner. This was not Yusaku Fujiki standing before him. It was a program wearing Playmaker's face. Or in other words, Bohman was mind-controlling his beloved partner to do his bidding. Just as he had done on that live feed weeks ago. It made Ai so furious.

"Grrah Bohman! How dare you do this to Playmaker?!", he yelled out in fury.

He was well aware that the man controlling his partner was not present, but still. If Bohman held Playmaker in such high regard, he must have linked them together somehow. Ergo, he might be able to hear him.

"How is that honoring your promise to my partner?! Huh?! You should be ashamed of yourself!", he shouted at him once again. Surprisingly, Playmaker stirred for a second. Then he tilted his head in confusion.

"The master asks if you want to join us", he then complied.

"Join you?! Ha! Why would I ever join someone like you, when you have taken away all my friends and partners!", Ai sneered back at him. "Give me back the real Playmaker, you good-for-nothing...".

That was all Ai managed to say before Playmaker struck. His duel disk was locked and loaded with a specific link monster.

"Decode Talker?! You can't be serious!", Ai uttered scared.

He tried to dodge the monster's attempt to kill him with its sword. Ai managed to escape by the skin of his teeth.

"That was too close for comfort", the ignis said.

He wiped the nervous sweat off his forehead. Even though he was an AI and didn't exactly need to sweat. It was more like a mannerism than anything else. Then the dark ignis stood up proud.

"But you are not the only one with a link monster, " Ai announced, letting the data roam in his hand. "I knew I would need some help if I was ever going to save you Playmaker. So, say hello to my link 3 'Dark Templar @Ignister'".

A darkened version of the warrior-like Decode Talker had now appeared and clashed with the said monster. All to protect the one who had summoned it. Besides, a battle with a monster with the same att points could not destroy his dark templar. Since they were equally strong, his monster could hold a stand against Decode Talker. Meanwhile, Ai used this opportunity to talk to his beloved partner.

"Playmaker...". Ai dodged another attempt in capturing him. However, he never went far away. All to encourage his partner to come closer.

"Playmaker! I know the real you is in there somewhere. Fight him!".

Only for Ai to dodge once again. It looked like Ai's attempts to reach his partner were futile. Playmaker did not seem to recognize him at all. However, ironically this had never been Ai's plan. This was.

"What...?!", Playmaker uttered, stunned as dark digital binds wrapped themselves around him.

Ai had created a trap earlier, slowly luring in his partner. After all, he did not have it in him to fight or delete him in any way. This would keep him occupied until Ai had figured out what Bohman had done to him. The dark ignis landed gracefully on Playmaker's shoulder. Being only 2 inches tall had its perks sometimes. Now he studied his partner very carefully.

"Ah, Bohman did a number on you Playmaker. I am so sorry", Ai apologized. He rubbed his cheek. "But how to break this? There are so many ways to control...".

"Let me go this instance!", Playmaker complained and of course fought the binds. But no matter how hard he struggled; Playmaker could not move his limps.

"Please bear with me a little bit longer, Playmaker. But can I free you from the mind control he put you under?". The ignis pondered. "You wouldn't happen to know or by any chance have the manual with you?".

"Grr you won't get away with this. The master will come. I am important to him".

"Really? Well, then let's not waste any more time", Ai said and took a deep breath. Then he began yelling like crazy into Playmaker's right ear.

"PLAYMAKER, WAKE UP!".

With Yusaku.

Yusaku let out a frustrated growl. His head throbbed ever so slightly, and it made Yusaku feel sick. This was the worst hangover ever. Thou, it wasn't. Not really. But Yusaku wished it was. It was easier to rationalize than to deal with the thoughts of him being controlled by Bowman. Again. Stuck here, wherever this place was. His mindscape perhaps? Or was it his avatar's mindscape? That would explain why it was so dull and dark in here. All Yusaku knew was that he was dressed in his school uniform as the real Yusaku Fujiki and was chained to some kind of hot processor of some kind. Maybe it was his avatar's core programming? It was radiating with enough heat to be considered that but was neither too warm nor too cold. It was comfortable. It kept him docile. Yusaku was embarrassed to admit he had blundered off several times already. It was easier than dealing with the throbbing headache, or the aftermath of the events that followed when Bohman finally decided to wake him up. Whatever mission he had given Playmaker it couldn't be anything good. Not that there was anything Yusaku could do about it. He had already fought the chains several times. The only result was that he passed out because of exhaustion. Now, he had more or less given up. If he did not count himself, Bohman had already taken the data from the best duelists in Link Vrains. If he could not save himself there would be no hope of salvation. Not here, nor in the future.

"Playmaker!!!".

The sound of a voice penetrated through this place like a loud echo. It made Yusaku react. His eyes slowly opened despite the nagging headache.

"Ai?!", he asked.

He blinked slightly. Had that been Ai or was he hallucinating? He shook his head a little. It was so hard to concentrate. To think. He felt so sleepy. Just five more minutes and he would be as good as new. Or so he thought.

"PLAYMAKER, WAKE UP!".

Yusaku let out a surprised jerk. His ears were ringing. Ai's voice had pierced through his core. Just like a drill. If that did not wake him up, nothing would.

"Ai?!", he questioned.

Why was Ai here? Had he saved him from Bohman? It felt so unreal. But it filled him with so much hope.

"Playmaker, listen to me. Bohman broke his promise. Well technically he hasn't broken it. He is not hunting me. You are, but...". Surprisingly he could hear Ai sigh.

"Look, he could be here any minute! You have to break the link between you. Hurry!". Yusaku blinked slightly at this news. Break the link? What link? The mind control? But I have already tried... I...

"Get your filthy hands off me! I am warning you!", Ai suddenly shouted, getting Yusaku's full attention.

"Ai!!!", he shouted, stretching his hand towards... well anything.

He had no idea what was going on. Had someone captured Ai? Had Bohman... but that would go against the agreement they were having. Not that it mattered. Yusaku's determination was awakened once again. He fought. He was determined to break free and save his partner once more. As he did, cracking sounds could be heard all around him. A light flashed for his eyes and...

...suddenly Yusaku could move. All the way to the ground. His limbs had problems working correctly. He blinked slightly. His eyes had to adjust to the brightness. Where was he? What had just happened?

"Playmaker!", he could hear Ai call out. He sounded happy. Yusaku rubbed his eyes a bit. Had he just gotten dust in them?

"You did it! At least I hope so, Playmaker. It was not easy to wake you up".

A dark silhouette was loomed over him and Yusaku immediately defended himself. Or at least tried to. Once again, he fell to the ground. Dirt hit his cheek. What was going on here? Why couldn't he...?

"Easy, easy Playmaker. You just got your avatar's functions back. And quite forcefully at that I might add. You just need some time to settle your mind into it".

"My mind?", Yusaku asked, rubbing his cheeks.

The nagging headache was still there, but it was ever so slowly lessening by the minute. He found himself on his knees on the ground of what looked like a city. Though his link sense told him it was not real. That meant he must still be in the virtual world. Though it took him a few seconds to realize this was inside Link Vrains at the central station. He was just not sure if it was Link Vrains or Mirror Link Vrains. Not that it mattered. Next to him was this hardcore dark warrior, who resembled his link monster decode talker, but at the same time did not. On its shoulder, however, stood Ai and it was letting out happy squeals.

"Yay, I did it! I did it! I freed you from Bohman's control", he said and clarified. "Your eyes are no longer yellow".

Yusaku blinked in surprise at the news. Was that true? He was free? He could log out. He could return to the real world!

"So... you weren't in any danger Ai?", Yusaku asked. He needed this confirmed.

"Nope! Not really", Ai said and giggled. "You see mind control is a very delicate matter. There are hundreds of ways it can happen, and I didn't know Bohman's procedure. However, the most common way to break it, is for the medium, you, to wake up and break it yourself. All I did was to give you an incentive".

"I see", Yusaku mused.

He was a bit annoyed that Ai had cried out 'wolf' without anyone being around. That said, he had freed him from mind control. He couldn't be mad at him for that. He let out a groan, as he tried to stand up. His legs felt like pudding, but he was determined to rise. If only for just a second.

"Ah, don't force yourself", Ai uttered worriedly. "Help him, will you Dark Templar".

The monster nodded eagerly as it held out a hand for him to take. Indicating that it would help him stand for support. Yusaku nodded eagerly as he reached out his weakened hand to the monster. If he could get up... he could access his logout function. Or if he had Ai, to do it for him, he could return to the real world. He could finally be Yusaku Fujiki again.

And then the lightning struck them. It jolted down from the sky. Just in between the two of them. It forced Yusaku and Ai to split apart. Yusaku was sent flying by the intensity of the blast. He now was lying on his stomach face first on the ground.

"Playmaker...".

Black boots landed in front of him, making Yusaku look up at the last person he ever wanted to see again.

"Bohman, if you so much as touch a hair on Playmaker's head, I will maim you until next week!", Yusaku heard Ai curse.

Just like Yusaku, Ai had been blown away by the explosion. Currently, he and his monster were a few meters away from them.

"I came as fast as I could. Are you all right Playmaker?", Bohman asked him and ignored Ai completely. "When our link broke, I feared the worst".

"Of course, he is not all right Bohman. You controlled my partner!", Ai hissed ferociously. Just like a cat arching its back when it feels threatened. "And you caused the blast just now. Admit it!". Once again, he ignored Ai.

"I do regret my actions. I should never have sent you on this mission. Because I was angry at you. No, that is not true. I was angry at myself and my weakness.", Bohman continued. He gave Yusaku a reassuring smile. "Well, it does not matter. All that matters is that you are all right".

"Bohman...", Yusaku finally acknowledged with an angry hiss.

He was on the verge of telling his captor what was on his mind, when Bohman's finger lingered on his lips, forcing him into silence.

"I know you are angry with me Playmaker. You have every right to be. But how about we save that discussion for when we are both home", Bohman suggested.

"No! I...". I do not want to go with you!

But those words never left his mouth because in just that moment Bohman had bowed down and picked him up in bridal style. To Yusaku's horror.

"Wah! Put me down. Put me down right now!", he cried out in shock.

He tried to wriggle out of his captor's grip, but his body was still too weak. That and Bohman was surprisingly strong.

"No", was Bohman's only reply.

"Playmaker! No! Dark templar, we have to save him!", he heard Ai scream and saw how desperately his partner was trying to reach him.

Only for Bohman to leap into the air and dodge the attack. His feet hit the duel hoverboard of his seconds later.

"Ai!", Yusaku shouted. He knew full well that there was no escape for him, but maybe... "Follow the data storms Ai. He keeps me locked away on a hidden server surrounded by Data storms".

That was all Yusaku knew or could sense with his link sense. Although he had a feeling that Bohman would relocate him after he had told Ai this.

"Playmaker!", Ai shouted again.

That was the last thing Yusaku heard as Bohman's duel board left with incredible speed towards who knows where.

Time skip.

"Ahr! I cannot believe this!", Yusaku sneered out in pure fury.

His accusing green eyes glared at Bohman like there was no tomorrow. It was justified! Yusaku still couldn't believe that Bohman had forced him into this. He had found a nice loophole in their agreement. He had Mind-controlled Yusaku into hunting Ai for him and... for what? Bohman had not even acquired Ai. It had been the only silver lining throughout this whole ordeal. Now, however, he was back in his room at the tower. Like a princess being guarded by a horrible dragon. That was just what he needed.

"Playmaker. I am...".

"I am so angry at you right now I could burst!", Yusaku yelled at him. "I thought you were a man of honor. That is literally the only good thing about you and then you... then you... broke it. You betrayed my trust!".

"I know and I apologize for it", Bohman replied with a sigh.

"Like a simple apology can fix this!", Yusaku sneered back at him. "You controlled me for the third time and used me to hunt Ai for you!".

Yusaku had marched over to Bohman who was standing in the middle of the room. He could see the confusion in his captor's eyes. Yusaku was extremely close. That and their eyes met. Yusaku had never before chosen to make eye contact with Bohman before, because of the possibility of mind control. Now, he wanted to prove a point. Just to see if Bohman would force him into anything. Just as he normally would, if Yusaku did not comply.

"What is your deal Bohman?!", he demanded to know. "Am I just an experiment to you? To see how long it will take you to turn Playmaker, the hero of Link Vrains into your perfect minion. Is that why you imprisoned me here?".

"What?! No!", Bohman uttered shocked at the accusation.

"Then what is it?!", Yusaku demanded again. "What is the reason for your actions towards me? You said I was no pet nor a trophy. What am I to...?".

Warm soft lips suddenly crashed against his, causing Yusaku's eyes to widen in utter surprise. It did not help that Bohman had his left hand around his head like a vice grip. He could not pull away. At least not until Bohman did it a minute later.

"You... you... you kissed me", Yusaku muttered in pure shock.

His fingers lingered on his lips. That had been his first kiss ever. He had of course freed himself from Bohman's grip. He needed to process all of this.

"I did", Bohman agreed with a quick nod.

"Why?", Yusaku asked.

"You know why".

That had Yusaku blink several times as he caught the hidden implication. Suddenly every event with Bohman prior was seen in a new light. How Bohman always brought him food and wanted to spend time with him. How he let Yusaku have all those emotional tantrums even though Bohman was a program. Logically, Bohman should see this as flawed behavior and thereby fix it. He never did. It made Yusaku gulp inside at the sheer thought of it. Bohman saw him as...

"You... You see me as your... lover", he finally said. Surprisingly Bohman shrugged casually at that. As if this was a perfectly normal thing to talk about.

"I would like that. To be your lover, I mean", he admitted. "But that is not quite right. Lovers are a human term for two people who have agreed to spend the rest of their lives together. I on the other hand would call my case a crush or an obsession. Whatever that makes you feel better Playmaker".

"But... but... you are a program", Yusaku said, stunned. "An A.I...".

"I know. It took me a long time to come to terms with it as well. No program is happy to find a flaw in its programming", Bohman replied and sighed. "Unlike all the other human data I absorbed, I could not take yours. I should have. I know, but the thought of never seeing you ever again filled me with such dread. You became my whole world, Playmaker".

Yusaku was staring. That had been such an eye-opener. Sure, Bohman was an evolving AI. All the encounters they had had must have stirred that behavior in him. Still, Yusaku could not believe this. A program, an evolving AI, had feelings for him. How was that even possible?!

"In the end, I came up with an alternative. To keep you here until I dealt with my issues. Until I realized and accepted my feelings for you" Bohman continued with. His yellow eyes looked at him with a hopeful gaze now.

"Please Playmaker I beg you...".

"No!".

"I will be a good lover to you. I promise".

"No!".

"I will do anything for you!".

"..."

That last sentence made Yusaku stop in surprise. How could he not when such an opportunity had presented itself? Bohman had a huge crush on him, but Yusaku himself did not reciprocate those feelings. He also had a hunch that Bohman knew. After all, Yusaku had told him earlier that he would never belong to him. If Bohman loved him, that must have been quite a blow to him. Had that been the reason for him controlling him in the first place? Out of a weird sense of jealousy. Still, he had regretted his actions Yusaku knew. The showdown with Ai earlier had shown that. Bohman had deliberately ignored Ai to keep his promise to him. He had chosen Playmaker over his perfection. Yusaku let out a deep sigh. He was out of his mind for even thinking that, but... His eyes flickered back to Bohman again. Then he sighed again. If he did this, he would be able to help and save his friends and every human being in existence.

"All right. Fine. I will be your lover", he ended up saying. He held up three fingers. "Under 3 conditions...".

A, N: And that was the end. Cruel, cruel cliffhanger I know. :D But I can promise there is a bit more romance in the next chapter. But hope the story makes sense and that I am keeping the characters in character. Their pairing is really unusual, but totally fell in love with their gimmicks. Hope others will too. Please comment. Would love feedback.