"Then tell us what's wrong, please." Max replied.

"It's just, I don't want to loose you guys, that's all" Ashleigh replied.

"We don't want to loose you either, Ashleigh." Melhana said. "Believe me when I say that."

"But for me it's different. I have to choose between my destiny and you guys at the end, and I'm scared I might choose the wrong option" Ashleigh replied.
"Here comes the waterworks" Ruby sighed.

Melhana put an arm around Ashleigh's shoulders in case she needed a shoulder.

"This might hurt a bit." Max said.

"What?" Kaiba asked.

"And now." Max said, clicking the arm into place.

"AGH!!!" Kaiba yelled, grabbing the side of the bed.

Ashleigh placed her head on Melhana's shoulder.
"You two have quite close as of late" Ruby commented.

"I guess so," Melhana said. She looked up to Kaiba when she heard him yell. "You all right?"

"Just brilliant." Kaiba replied thrugh gritted teeth.

"If you think that was bad, just wait until I connect the nerves." Max said.

"Just calm down Kaiba, it will be over soon" Ruby said, which was resulting in a glare from Kaiba.

"You didn' thave your arm blown off." Kaiba grumbled.

"All right, I'm connecting the nerves. Brace yourself." Max said

Kaiba stuff his head into pillow and grunted in reply.

"Right. And in 3...2..1..." And she turned the screwdriver till the click, connecting the nerves. Kaiba shrieked in pain. "There, try moving your arm now.

"OW..." Kaiba grumbled, lifting his face up from the pillow. He flexed the fingers of the arm, and they obeyed.

"Well, what does it feel like?" Ruby asked.

"A stinging pain," Kaiba replied. He sat up and flexed his new arm. "It feels normal...a little stiff though."

"Here, I can fix that." Max said. "Lay your arm out on the table so I can adjust the joints."

"While she's doing that, we need to discuss battle plans when we fight in Oblivian" Ruby said.

"Right." Melhana said with a nod. "Any input you guys?"

"Ashleigh is our secret weapon of course" Ruby said, "but I think Yusei can face Jack on his own."

"Same here," Melhana said. "I've seen that guy duel. Plus, I've seen him train with Atem and I think he's coming along rather well." She added, peering at the man in question over her glasses.

"Don't look at me, Yusei is a quick learner" Atem resorted.
"Now, what about the armies?" Ruby asked.

"That's going to be the hard part." Max replied. "Omega is equipped to fight from the background, not overtly. We don't have even a quarter of the people Kaimiri has at his disposal. Not to mention the shadow creatures."

"In other words, we're outnumbered at least four to one." Kaiba said. Max nodded.

"This is going to be hard." Melhana said.

"We will figure that out closer to the time" Ruby replied.

"Hm..." Melhana mused. "I think I know a rather simple and effective strategy. Selena, Jonouchi, Honda and I pulled it off one time in Halo Reach."

"Halo Reach? People still play that?" Ruby asked.

"Hell yes," Melhana said. "I've even seen Kaiba on there several times."

"Yeah right." Kaiba scoffed, looking away.

"I have the recording of you swearing a blue streak when Honda blew your head off a couple weeks ago." Melhana said. "So don't go saying you don't play it."

"You can tell us all that plan of yours at the brainstorming session." Max said. She closed up the arm and put her tools down. "There, that should be better."

"Come on Ashleigh, you can stay in my quarters tonight is you wish" Atem said.
"Thanks, but no thanks. Max has already offered and I took it. She said it's more of a security risk" Ashleigh said.

"I think we'd all better stay in pairs until D-Day." Max said. "Melhana, would you be willing ot have the twins crash with you?"

"Sure, no problem." Melhana replied. "I guess that means Kaiba's the only one at risk, considering how he's not exactly a people person."

"Keep talking, Ankh." Kaiba replied. "And I'll show you how far I've come as a mage."

Ruby nodded.
"It's the only way" she said.

"Right," Melhana said. She was idly playing with her engagement ring. "Now all we need to do is figure out who's bunking with who for the rest of us."