[August 18th] [Yu-Gi-Oh!] An Alternate Tale of the Purple Avenger

[insaneladybug]

Title: An Alternate Tale of the Purple Avenger
Day/Prompt: August 18th - Standing in the shadows
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Character/Pairing: The Big Five
Rating/Warning(s): K+/PG, doesn't take place in my main timeline
Word Count: 5,467
Summary: What if the Big Five were restored to their bodies when they were kicked out of Noa's world? And what if Dartz decided to interfere in their lives?


Yu-Gi-Oh!
An Alternate Tale of the Purple Avenger
By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters are not mine and the story is! This does not take place in my main timeline. This is the original concept of my Purple Avenger origin, which I hadn't wanted to write because I felt it would be too sad. But the plunnie kept bothering me, and it's been a year or more, so I decided it had to be written. When I had the idea to set it in season 4, everything fell into place and it ended up very squeeful. I used the prompt Standing in the shadows from 31 Days.


It was a different world these days.

Lector crouched atop a Domino City roof, pulling his coat closer around himself as it started to blow in the chill night air. Several green pillars of light had shot up around town tonight, more than last night or the night before. This Orichalcos madness was threatening to destroy the entire world.

In disguise as the city's latest protector, The Purple Avenger, Lector had gone to see Yugi only to learn from his grandfather that the boy and his friends had traveled to San Francisco at Pegasus's request and were very likely trying to combat this madness now. That made him feel somewhat better; Yugi and company always seemed able to triumph over whatever obstacles appeared in their way. But Domino City still needed someone to look after it while they were gone, and The Purple Avenger had accepted that challenge. He had been fighting off regular criminals such as robbers and muggers as well as interfering in Orichalcos duels whenever he could, risking his own soul to take on the corrupted thugs who were trying their hardest to destroy the world.

It was all he could do to make restitution for the wrongs he and his associates had committed against Yugi and his friends. Nothing could ever take away what they had done and tried to do, but at least he could try to make the world better working from the shadows. And if someday he fell to one of the Orichalcos soldiers, or even to an old-fashioned bullet or knife, well . . . it wasn't as though anyone would miss him. He was a shadow, forgotten and hated by everyone. His family had rejected him sometime back. And the men he had thought were his friends . . . his new family. . . .

His heart clenched. He didn't want to think about them. But he always did anyway.

Gansley, the gruff and logical leader. . . . He and Lector had always respected each other and enjoyed strategizing together. Gansley had even made Lector his second-in-command. That had been stripped away.

Crump, the friendly and quirky accountant. . . . He had long ago wanted a friend and had worked hard to convince Lector of that. They had grown so close and shared so many conversations. Sometimes they argued, but it didn't last. Nothing else did either, though. Crump didn't want that friendship anymore.

Johnson, the smooth and obnoxious lawyer. . . . It was always so hard to know what he was thinking or feeling, as he put on so many facades to keep people from seeing the real him. Lector had thought he had finally been let in, but apparently he hadn't. Or he had but Johnson's feelings had changed later, which was worse.

And Nesbitt, the antisocial and very unfriendly engineer. . . . They had always had the most difficult time getting along. They were both stubborn and strong, but with opposite views on almost everything. He had never wanted to be part of a team. He had tried to leave in Noa's world. But now Lector was the one who had been forced out.

Lector hadn't originally planned on being a vigilante, but when he had been thrust away from the only people he had thought he could still trust, his grief and hurt and anger had fueled him into doing something outrageous and strange and untypical. It was better this way. He could do all that he was capable of to protect others while keeping his own identity secret. He didn't need to announce who he was, nor did he really want to. The only ones who might recognize his coat and hat didn't care anymore anyway. What would it be to them if they caught sight of him swinging from one building to the next on his grappling hook or dropping down to interrupt an Orichalcos duel?

Sometimes it still seemed unreal that he was physically able to perform such feats. He wouldn't have expected it of himself; even though he was in good physical condition, it was Nesbitt who actually enjoyed exercising and physical activities. But he had found himself quite adept at what he did, and perhaps in some odd way, he even liked it. It felt liberating and free after he had spent most of his life being closed-off and polite and reserved as he had been taught he had to be.

He sighed to himself. Once Yugi and the others returned, he would go to them as himself and offer his most sincere apologies and sorrow for what he and the others had done in their warped desperation to escape virtual reality. He wouldn't ask for forgiveness, even though at least some of those pure hearts would probably be willing to offer it. He didn't deserve forgiveness. He had been an honorable man once, but he had allowed himself to sink into the darkness. He was trying to work his way back into the light now, but the scars of what he had done would always remain.

And Seto Kaiba . . . how did he feel now about Seto Kaiba? He wasn't sure. He was still angry about how Seto had betrayed them and even his brother Mokuba, whom Lector had always loved and had tried to keep safe even in the midst of the Big Five's scheming. But Seto had preserved all of their bodies, as they had discovered upon awakening in the KaibaCorp Medical Center. He hadn't left them to die, as they had thought when he had disconnected them from the virtual reality pods. Now Lector felt he really owed his life to Seto, although he wasn't sure how to ever begin to repay him. Maybe by staying out of his life, as he was sure Seto wanted. And maybe by continuing to look out for Mokuba, as Lector himself still wanted—even if only from the shadows.

Movement on the street below jerked him to attention. A familiar figure was walking down the darkened alley, his bokken slung over his shoulder. Even from this distance, Lector recognized the stance and the walk after over twenty years of seeing it.

"Nesbitt," he whispered under his breath.

Well, that was typical. He didn't want to have anything to do with any of them after they had all made their feelings towards him perfectly clear. But now Nesbitt had been thrust into his path. And, he realized with twisting alarm, an Orichalcos soldier was waiting. The glint of the green stone alerted him and he looked to the left just in time to see the misguided fool step out of the shadows with a Chaos Duel Disk on his arm.

"Give your soul to the Orichalcos and feed the Great Beast!" the character intoned.

Of course, as was typical of Nesbitt, he scoffed. "No thanks." He whipped his bokken out in front of him. "Let me pass or you'll find out why you should have never challenged someone who's a fifth Dan rank in kendo."

"That means nothing to me!" the thug replied. The evil symbol glowed brightly on his forehead. "I hold the sacred Seal in my hand right now, and we're going to duel!"

On the roof, Lector clenched both fists tightly. Normally this was where he would interfere, dropping down between the Duelists and forcing his way in as a more skilled opponent to protect the challengee. But Nesbitt . . . he was a good Duelist in his own right. He would be insulted for Lector to interfere here. Not to mention . . . Lector was still desperately hurting from what Nesbitt and the others had done. Part of him wanted to just leave Nesbitt to his fate. He owed Nesbitt nothing.

. . . But what if he lost? If Lector just stood by and watched the duel through to its conclusion and Nesbitt's reckless, impulsive side got the better of him again, as it often did, could Lector deal with the horror and guilt of seeing his soulless body collapse to the ground? Especially knowing that perhaps he could have stopped that from happening?

As it was, Nesbitt growled and stepped back. "I said No."

Lector frowned a bit. It wasn't like Nesbitt to refuse a challenger. What if he didn't even have the means to duel? It didn't look like he was carrying a Duel Disk.

"You don't have a choice!" his opponent insisted. "If you won't duel, I will claim your soul here and now without one!"

And something pushed Lector off of that roof, swinging down on his rope to come between them even as a loud "NO!" echoed all around them. Only belatedly did he realize it was coming from him.

Nesbitt stumbled, turning sheet-white at the interruption. "Lector," he whispered. The coat and hat didn't hide him from Nesbitt's knowledge. Even without hearing his voice, Nesbitt would have recognized him.

The Orichalcos soldier just sneered, not seeming surprised at all by the intrusion. "So you are The Purple Avenger, the one Master Dartz has been warning us about," he purred. "You've been causing a lot of trouble for us."

"You are not going to take his soul," Lector spat. "I'll duel you in his place, here and now." He raised his arm and his Duel Disk snapped into place.

"That's alright with me. I would love to be able to tell Master Dartz that I was the one who finally defeated this annoyance." The Orichalcos soldier grinned as he slammed the Seal of Orichalcos into the Field Spell slot on his Duel Disk. The circle swirled down from the clouds in the sky, locking them both in place.

To Lector's shock, Nesbitt ran over and swung his bokken hard at the Seal. "No!" he yelled. "Lector, what are you doing?!"

"What I do best these days," Lector coolly responded.

His heart twisted more as he spoke, and as he took out his deck and drew his first hand. He had thought they had all grown closer together from their horrible experience of being trapped in cyberspace. They had been all each other had, and because of that, they had bonded in a way few had. But when they had been released from the virtual world and had somehow, miraculously ended up back in the real world and in their bodies, that bond hadn't lasted.

Lector trembled as he placed two cards facedown and a facedown monster as well. I loved you. I loved all of you. I thought I finally had a place to belong again. But you all turned on me when I wanted to turn my life around. You said I was betraying all of you and your goals. You said I wasn't part of the group any more. You said our partnership was over.

Nesbitt's yelling cut into his thoughts. "Lector, you're risking your own soul, and for what?! Why would you do that for me?!"

"I don't know." Lector kept his voice clipped, but his heart was pierced. Nesbitt didn't sound like he had on that horrible day. Why? What had changed?

"Master Dartz said you don't take betrayal well," his opponent remarked. "You don't, do you? It makes you so angry that the righteous anger begins to boil in your soul. It wouldn't take much to turn that righteous anger into a darkness so powerful it could fuel the Great Beast into fully awakening!"

"That won't be happening," Lector spat. "I would appreciate it if you would make your move."

But even as the corrupted man attacked Lector's monster with his, Nesbitt was going stiff in shock and outrage. "You want that to happen, don't you?!" he demanded. "You want Lector to give in to his feelings!"

"If he's pushed to that point, his soul will be at its very strongest when I defeat him!" the Orichalcos soldier crowed.

Lector flipped over his Cyber Jar and watched as their monsters were destroyed. As he drew a new hand, he Summoned all the Level 4 and under monsters he had pulled from the deck. His enemy was doing the same.

"I won't be pushed," Lector snarled. "You won't cause me to give in to my feelings."

"It will happen anyway as long as you're fighting for that man and he's right here," the Orichalcos soldier said in delight.

It was Nesbitt who realized it first. "Hey, how do you even know any of what happened between us?! We didn't say anything to indicate it!"

Lector stiffened. "Were you or your Master Dartz eavesdropping on us in the past?!"

"No, not quite," the man smirked.

Lector lashed out, attacking one of his opponent's new monsters. "However you know, it doesn't matter," he said. "It's not as though you were the one who betrayed me."

The duel continued, with both men fighting to their very hardest. Nesbitt didn't budge from his spot, gripping the barrier while worriedly watching Lector battle for both of their souls. And the longer he stayed, the more Lector's heart began to clench.

He could have left. There's no need for him to stay; I've taken his place. But . . . he's here. . . . He's . . . worried about me. . . . Only . . . he can't be. . . .

Nesbitt . . . you always frustrated me so much, but . . . but I . . . I still cared about you. You were one of the group, one of the family. I vowed to look after all of you and you turned on me. You were the one who was going to leave, and nobody kicked you out because of your moment of weakness!

He gripped his cards tighter. That had been one of the key points of his argument. He had been outraged, hurt, kicked away by his only friends. And yet he had been loyal, unlike Nesbitt. Loyalty had always been one of his strongest traits.

Although . . . they had all been disloyal to Gozaburo when they had tried to take over the company with Seto. . . . But Lector, at least, had been tempted not just because of the promise of more power, but because of how poorly Gozaburo had treated them. Gansley had nearly been driven to a heart attack! As far as Lector was concerned, Gozaburo had betrayed all of them.

And yet . . . still . . . he hadn't expected the man to take things as hard as he had. Lector had blamed it all on Seto, but they had all driven Gozaburo to the edge. Lector had been responsible too. He had locked away that knowledge because he couldn't deal with it. His heart clenched in his growing horror.

"I can see from your increasingly pale appearance that the darkness is having an effect on you, even though you're not even the one who played the Seal," the Orichalcos soldier remarked.

"Shut up," Nesbitt spat. "Leave him alone!"

"Nesbitt . . ." Lector looked to the man standing just outside the barrier. This wasn't the person who had desperately tried to get out of Noa's world on his own. This was a man who was staying loyal even in the face of danger. If Lector lost, this person would still be after Nesbitt's soul. But he didn't leave.

Lector turned away and frowned at his cards. Maybe Nesbitt just didn't want him to get riled up because then his risk of losing would be greater and Nesbitt would be in greater danger. But . . . if Nesbitt was really just worried about himself, he could have left long ago. Instead he stayed.

"Why are you here?" Lector finally asked.

"I've been looking for you," Nesbitt rasped. "We've all been looking for you! When the reports of this Purple Avenger started coming out, we knew it was you as soon as we saw the video footage. And when we saw how reckless you were acting, repeatedly jumping into Orichalcos duels, we knew we had to stop you!"

"But . . . why would you care?" Lector frowned. "None of you wanted me around anymore."

Nesbitt stared at him. "We never said that!" he exclaimed. "You're the one who said you were leaving!"

Now Lector was staring. "I never said that!" he cried. "I said I wanted to make up for the damage we'd caused! I wanted to turn my life around and be a good person again! And all of you kicked me out of the Big Five!"

Nesbitt pressed himself harder against the barrier. "No! We would never do that!" he protested. "And anyway, we all wanted to change! We weren't sure what the best method would be, but we were all in agreement that we wanted to do it!"

Lector shook his head. This was too much to take in and none of it was making sense. But Nesbitt's shock was real; he wasn't a good actor. And his frantic desperation was real.

"Nesbitt . . ." Lector looked to the often arrogant engineer. He was anything but arrogant now. "You . . . honestly want me back?"

"We never wanted you to leave," Nesbitt insisted. "Stop being so reckless with your life! Just win this duel and come back to us!"

Lector swallowed hard. He still didn't understand and wasn't sure he could fully believe after being so deeply hurt, but Nesbitt's words were giving him a far stronger resolve. "Alright," he said. He started to turn back to the duel. "I'm going to win this."

Suddenly the barrier rippled. Nesbitt screamed, falling backwards to the ground as it sizzled and sparked.

Lector whirled around again. "Nesbitt?! Nesbitt?!" He pounded on the barrier. "What happened to you?! Get up!"

Nesbitt groaned and didn't move. His hands now looked red and sore. Green electricity crackled off his body into the air around them.

"He was being far too much of a nuisance," the Orichalcos soldier growled. "I punished him for it."

Lector spun back around. "You . . . !" His eyes flashed. "You are going to answer for what you did!"

"Yes!" Cruel eyes gleamed red. "Release your anger! I want to see it, feel it!"

Lector clenched a hand into a shaking fist. "I am very righteously angry at you," he said low. "But I am not going to let it consume me and become the darkness. I am just going to punish you for hurting my friend. Then you will have to suffer the consequences of your own actions by playing that evil card."

And Lector held fast to his word. With his new rigid resolve, he tore into his opponent and defeated every strategy that was thrown at him. When at long last the duel was done and the Seal of Orichalcos was closing in, Lector didn't stay to watch the show. He ran over to Nesbitt and knelt beside him. "Nesbitt!" He lifted the limp body and Nesbitt slumped hard against him.

Lector's heart was pierced. "Nesbitt . . . no," he pleaded. "I fought that duel to save you, even though I didn't know why. I was so angry and hurt I almost just left you to fend for yourself in this duel. But then I knew I couldn't do it. I've turned against others who have turned against me, but they never meant as much to me as you did! And you told me you didn't betray me, that the others didn't betray me! Please . . . don't leave me now! . . . Please . . ."

Behind them, the Orichalcos soldier gave a pain-filled laugh even as the Seal was extracting its price. "Master Dartz . . . he forced you all into an illusion," he rasped.

Lector went stiff. "What?!"

Nesbitt's eyes weakly opened.

"Master Dartz made all of you hear exactly what he wanted you to hear," was the sickening, unbelievable reply. "He was hoping to turn at least one of you to the darkness."

Nesbitt growled low. "He did what?! He failed!" he spat. "Lector became one of his most valiant enemies. Now the rest of us will be too."

Lector started. "Nesbitt!" He hesitated, then hugged the injured man close. They had never been physically affectionate before, but somehow now, he felt like it. And somehow, it felt so right. Nesbitt belonged in his arms, a cherished brother who loved Lector as Lector's biological brothers never had.

From the way Nesbitt was tensing, he didn't quite know what to make of it. Lector had at least had his siblings to be affectionate with in the past, but Nesbitt had been an only child and a loner. Still, he moved closer to Lector and a shaking arm slowly wrapped around his torso. He liked this new side to their relationship.

"If the Orichalcos wasn't taking you right now, I'd still fight you," Nesbitt snarled. "You tried to take Lector away from us!" But he trembled and fell against Lector again. He was much too pale; there was no way he could possibly duel right now in his condition.

The Orichalcos soldier didn't reply. The Seal finished its abominable task and the empty body crashed to the ground, comatose.

Lector shook harder as he held Nesbitt close. His vindictive nature had almost caused him not to interfere in that duel. If he hadn't, and Nesbitt had lost . . .

He shuddered. He had proved he couldn't abandon his friend to a horrendous fate, even when he had thought Nesbitt had turned against him. He would have to cling to that truth and try not to be haunted by his moment of wavering.

"You didn't betray me," he whispered as the Orichalcos soldier's chilling words really sank in. "You didn't!"

"We've been looking for you ever since you left," Nesbitt rasped. "Or some of us were, anyway. . . . I was too angry and hurt at first, but then I . . ." He shut his eyes tightly. "I thought you left because of me, because I was so weak I almost abandoned all of you. I thought you didn't want to be around me."

"Nesbitt," Lector gasped in disbelief.

"I started looking for you too," Nesbitt said. "I wanted to tell you not to leave because of me. I was going to say I'd go instead. . . ." What looked like an actual tear leaked out and down his face. "I was going to say . . . I'm sorry for betraying your trust, and don't take it out on the others because they let me stay. . . ."

"Oh Nesbitt. . . ." Lector pulled back, staring in shock at the man breaking down in his arms. He had never seen Nesbitt like this, so vulnerable, so . . . human. . . .

"But you never wanted to leave," Nesbitt continued. "We were all tricked!"

"And I would like to give this Dartz a piece of my mind!" Lector snarled. "But right now I have to get you home. You're hurt!"

"I'm alright," Nesbitt insisted. He tried to push himself up and fell hard against Lector again.

"You are not alright," Lector retorted, "and I am going to stay with you until you are. I'll call the others and make things right with them as well."

"We've all been staying together," Nesbitt said. "We rotate whose house we're at. Right now we're all at mine."

"Then that's where we'll go," Lector said. He got to his feet and gently drew Nesbitt up with him, then took the younger man in his arms. "And . . . I am so sorry too, for falling for Dartz's lies."

"You believed what you saw and heard," Nesbitt said. "Most people would."

"But I should have had more faith." Lector started walking. He had left his car a ways back, but he would carry Nesbitt until they reached it. He was strong enough.

"We all sank into the darkness," Nesbitt said. "It's hard to have faith when you know that. But we all want to change our lives now, because of you. You led us back to the light after we dragged you down with us."

"I am so glad," Lector said. His voice thickened. "And now we can all make that journey together."

Nesbitt gave a weak but sincere smile. "Yeah."
****
Nesbitt was too worn-out to talk much on the ride back, so Lector just let him recline in the seat as he drove. Part of him worried whether he needed to take Nesbitt to a hospital, and yet he doubted that was a good idea. He had been struck down by electricity, yes, but a magical electricity. It likely wouldn't behave the same as natural electricity and the doctors wouldn't know what to do.

It still felt so surreal that Nesbitt was there, that he wanted to be there, that he cared so much about Lector after all. Even before Dartz had interfered, Lector had doubted Nesbitt really wanted him around since they had so much trouble getting along. But then, maybe Nesbitt had thought the same about Lector.

"Nesbitt," Lector finally spoke.

Nesbitt grunted.

"You really . . . missed me?" Lector asked. "I used to think you hated me. . . ."

"I used to think that too," Nesbitt mumbled. "But I never did. And when you left . . . it never felt right. You have to be here for the group to be complete."

Lector had to smile. "Thank you."

"Thank you, for saving me," Nesbitt said. "Especially when you thought I'd betrayed you. . . ."

Lector hesitated. "Nesbitt . . . I won't keep making you talk, but I feel like I have to know—have you thought I hated you? I mean, even before what Dartz did to us."

Nesbitt fell silent. ". . . Yeah, I've thought that," he admitted. "Sometimes we'd start getting along okay and I'd think maybe I was wrong, and then it wouldn't be long and I'd get upset again, or you would, and I'd figure I was right in the first place and you really did hate me. Then after I fouled up and was weak and tried to leave, and you did leave, I was absolutely positive of it."

"I am so sorry," Lector said sadly. "Of course I was angry with you, but I did not hate you."

Nesbitt gruffly yet sincerely smiled. "Good to know." He hesitated. "I guess . . . we wasted a lot of time having worse opinions of each other than we deserved. . . ."

"I'm afraid so," Lector agreed. "I most certainly wish things had been done differently, on both our parts."

"Well . . . maybe now we still have a chance to do it over," Nesbitt suggested slowly, hopefully.

Lector smiled too. "That is certainly what I want."

By now they were coming up on Nesbitt's house. The other three were standing on Nesbitt's porch, talking amongst themselves and looking both worried and discouraged. Lector's heart swelled. It was so good to see them all again. . . . And now he knew that they would all be happy to see him. Or at least, he hoped they would be. Maybe they would be angry, especially since the illusion from their point-of-view had looked like Lector was abandoning them. Lector had certainly been angry and hurt all during these weeks because of what he thought he had seen.

They all looked up as the car pulled into the driveway. Matching expressions of disbelief filled their faces.

"Lector?!" Johnson exclaimed.

Lector got out of the car, facing his other friends with soberness and sorrow. "Hello," he said softly. "I . . ." He swallowed hard. "I saved Nesbitt from an Orichalcos duel, but he was hurt worrying about me. . . ."

Crump was already running down the stairs. He hauled the passenger side door open and scooped Nesbitt into his arms. "What happened, Buddy?!"

"I don't know," Nesbitt mumbled. "I was shocked by the Orichalcos. . . ."

"And we learned something terrible," Lector said. "The one who's causing all of this madness targeted us. He trapped us in an illusion and made us think we were being betrayed by each other, just to try to draw out our darkness!"

"What?!" Gansley came down the steps now, moving carefully with his cane so as not to fall. Johnson hurried alongside him.

"I saw all of you rejecting me," Lector said quietly, "but you all saw me leaving you. I . . . I am so sorry. . . ."

"Lector . . ." Johnson stared at him. "All this time, you've thought we betrayed you?!"

"Yes," Lector said. "Sadly I did."

They all walked up to the porch and Nesbitt weakly pulled out the keys to the house from his pocket. Gansley took them and unlocked the door.

"And we've all been wondering why you suddenly turned your back on us," Crump said. "I thought it was probably because of me, how I got on your nerves in Noa's world and all. . . ."

"I thought it was my fault," Johnson admitted.

"I didn't know whose fault it was," Gansley said, shaking his head. "But it deeply hurt."

"And Nesbitt thought it was because of him," Lector said. "So much pain and heartache, all so unnecessary . . . and all caused by that one man. . . ." He shut the door after them and locked it. "I feel horrible. . . ."

"It's not like you could have known," Johnson said. "We all believed what we were seeing and hearing was the truth."

Crump carried Nesbitt upstairs and laid him gently on his bed. "But it's all okay now, isn't it?" he said in concern. The others had all followed him.

"If Nesbitt will be alright," Lector said. "If he won't be, I . . ." He shook his head. "I'll never get over it. And Dartz won't be able to hide from my wrath."

"I'm going to be alright," Nesbitt insisted.

"I pray you will be," Gansley said. He laid a hand on Lector's shoulder. "Welcome home, Lector."

Lector gripped it. He had felt so empty inside for what seemed like ages. But now he was home and he suddenly had a family again. Nesbitt did look more alert now. If he would be alright, Lector could fully rejoice.

"Thank you for taking me back," he said softly.

"You belong with us," Johnson said.

"Always," Gansley nodded in agreement.

"All my buddies are home now," Crump grinned.

Nesbitt gave a weak but genuine smile.

And Lector had never felt more loved.
****
The night was long and filled with mixed feelings. Nesbitt remained weakened, but he definitely rallied as the hours wore on. All five men stayed in the room and talked at points. At other times, only Lector was present. There was so much to catch up on just in the several weeks they had been apart. So many feelings, and so much confusion and hurt and pain, that all needed to be sorted through and soothed. But now that they were all together and they knew the truth about their pain, it was a healing and calming experience.

As Nesbitt grew sleepy at long last, he reached for his old friend. "Please . . . don't leave me again," he rasped.

Lector took Nesbitt's shaking hand. "Never," he promised. "And now I know that you will never leave me."

Nesbitt gripped Lector's hand. "I finally want to be human, if that means being with you and the others."

Lector smiled. "I'm glad." That was no small thing. Nesbitt had come a long way from the antisocial engineer bent on proving machines were better than people. They had had so much trouble getting along all through the years, but every now and then there had started to be some understanding between them. Now, after all the heartache of the past weeks and the intensity and revelations of this night, both felt that their previous problems didn't matter any longer. Their understanding and love for each other had greatly deepened.

By morning, when the others came back into the room, they found Nesbitt asleep in the bed and Lector asleep in a chair. They were still gripping hands.

"Aww," Crump smiled.

"At last, everything is the way it should be again," Gansley said, his eyes and voice filled with emotion. "Or perhaps it's even better than it was before."

"No kidding!" Crump exclaimed. "I never thought I'd see these two actually touching! Maybe they're finally seeing the good in each other like we kept hoping for!"

"I'm quite sure you can count on that, Crump," Gansley said. "Nesbitt was broken-hearted when Lector left. Now that he and Lector both understand the truth of what happened, it's most likely unlocked truths about other matters and feelings as well."

"So now we're all gonna be closer than ever!" Crump declared.

"Yes, I believe so," Gansley mused.

Johnson smiled too. Yes, at last they were all reunited, and it was better than before. Now they were the Big Five as they were always meant to be.