Happy Halloween! Here's a treat for all of you: a new chapter! Technically, this was supposed to be published first, but this part was still in the works when I had finished Chapter 1. But now its here! This is by far the best chapter I've written. For real! And not to mention the longest chapter I've typed, over 6,000 words.
I hope you enjoy this chapter. I look forward to every reader's comments and feedback. =]
~AC2
The Path of a True King
Prologue- Seeing Her Again
The laughter of men echoed throughout the vast open space of the garage. Four young men were gathered around a three person sofa as they talked and laughed with one another. Of these four men was Yusei Fudo, the lead Signer and hero of Neo Domino City. He was once an outcast rejected by the people of Neo Domino and thought to have no future ahead of him, other than one of despair and misery. After the battle with the Dark Signers, he was embraced warmly as the town hero and friend. His bravery, courage, and determination eventually helped in connecting the people of the city to the people of Satellite. And then there was the red haired young man, Crow Hogan, the fifth Signer who had inherited Yusei's mark after the final battle with the Dark Signers. He too was an outcast like Yusei; it was as evident as the many yellow markings on his face. If it hadn't been for his fighting spirit and dedication during the Dark Signers' reign on the city, things wouldn't be the way they stand. And then there was the tall, blonde duelist and former King, Jack Atlas, the second Signer who bore the mark of the Crimson Dragon's wings. Like his friends, he too grew up in Satellite, only he was lucky enough to have escaped without Security catching and marking him. He had played a major role in the fight between good and evil and was embraced as a hero. And then there was the white haired young man, Kiryu Kyosuke, the once leader of Team Satisfaction. He had grown up apart from his friends, on the opposite side of Satellite. Unlike his friends who bore the marks of the Crimson Dragon, he had been born into the shadow of darkness. Having been betrayed by his closest and trusted friend, Yusei, and captured by Security, he had been thrown into jail where he would stay for the rest of his meaningless existence. While rotting in prison, with nothing to look forward to except the day of his death, Kiryu had given his soul to the shadows of darkness and was reincarnated as a Dark Signer. He swore that he would make Yusei pay for betraying him. When their time came, Yusei had won the match and made Kiryu see that he did not betray him. In the end, Kiryu made a small patch on their friendship by asking Yusei for forgiveness. Overlooking the series of events that lead to their split from Team Satisfaction, they were all good friends, talking like they used to and laughing like they used to…
"So…you guys aren't mad at me still, right?" asked Kiryu who sat between Yusei and Crow on the sofa.
"Of course not," Yusei said with a reassuring smile.
"Good friends don't stay mad at each other for long," said Crow patting Kiryu on the back.
Kiryu smiled thankfully for he knew he could always count on his friends for their forgiveness. "Say, do you have any more of these? They're really good!" He said before flattening the bag of caramel covered popcorn.
"Well, Yusei has to go to the store anyway to get some stuff, I'm sure he wouldn't mind getting you a supersized bag," said Crow.
"Why do I have to do all the shopping?" Yusei questioned, he was the one always getting stuck with having to pick up groceries.
"Because you're considered the 'woman' of the house, therefore you have to clean up and cook for Jack and me," Crow replied.
"And just who decided this?" Yusei asked.
"He did," Crow said quickly, pointing an accusing finger at Jack who in return gave him a death glare.
"I can see that, Yusei being the woman of the house wearing a maid's uniform and talking to Jack in a polite manner," Kiryu voiced his thoughts. "I'd bet Jack would be really turned on by Yusei wearing a short dress while serving him tea!" He snorted before bursting out in laughter at the thought.
"Especially the grapefruit chest," Crow whispered to Kiryu adding more fuel to the hilarity of the thought.
"Very funny guys…" Yusei said sarcastically, he crossing his arms over his chest to state that he didn't find the joke all that funny.
"You're right," said Crow still grinning, "Jack already has interest in another woman."
"Do you have a problem with that?" Jack asked the younger boy in a threatening tone.
"No, no," Crow said waving his hand.
"Who?" whispered a curious Kiryu.
"You know the chick with the big glasses that seem to eat her face?" Crow said describing the woman the best he could.
As he continued to play charades trying to describe the person to Kiryu, Yusei turned to Jack with a thoughtful expression.
"That's right," he spoke, receiving Jack's attention, "we still haven't found Carly."
"Why do you think I haven't been able to sleep lately?" Jack retorted.
"Has Ushio said anything about a missing persons report?" Yusei inquired.
"No…" Jack said ruefully. He placed his face in his hands. "This whole situation is both stressful and relieving…stressful because I don't know where she is and relieving because I know she's back on earth…somewhere."
"I think you better stop now, you look stupid," Kiryu said to Crow not getting the slightest hint of who the redhead was trying to describe. He decided that he'd rather find out instead.
"Well don't say I didn't try," Crow shrugged.
"I guess I'll be going to the store then," said Yusei as he stood up from the couch. "Anything else I should pick up?"
"Check the fridge, I think Kiryu might have finished off the milk as well," said Crow looking over at the boy.
"What?" Kiryu asked.
"Doesn't anyone feed you?" questioned Crow.
"Yes, but I just happened to be hungry when I arrived," said Kiryu.
"So you drank all of our milk, had a couple sandwiches with the last of our bread, ate the last poptart, and depleted a bag of caramel popcorn in one sitting!" Crow exclaimed.
"Relax Crow," said Yusei slipping his right hand into his brown glove. "You eat just as much as he does when you're bored."
"I think I'm going to step out for awhile," Jack chimed in as he stood up from the chair next to the couch.
"All right," said Yusei. "We'll try to save you some dinner, but I can't guarantee it'll be much. You know how much Crow eats when it comes to pizza and watching a duel tournament on TV."
"But you'll miss the start of the tournament if you're gone too long," said Crow.
"Go on without me then…" said Jack making his way to the door that led to the streets outside.
He opened the door and proceeded to leave, closing the door behind himself. His friends stared after him.
"What's his deal?" asked Crow looking over at Yusei.
"He just needs to be alone," Yusei said before venturing to the door the older boy just left. "I'll be back." He said.
He closed the door to the garage and made his way to his red duel runner noticing that Jack's was already gone. He worried about his older friend. He wasn't exactly sure how Jack was feeling, but he knew that if involved Carly's whereabouts then he must be in turmoil…
The white wheel-like duel runner steadily cruised down the newly constructed four-lane bridge that now connected the city with Satellite. The traffic on the bridge was worse than Friday's before, knowing that Neo Domino was a dueling community and everyone was attending the tournament at the Stadium. It was only six-thirty according to the digital clock on the monitor, only a half-hour before the tournament would start. Traffic came to a halt on the bridge, something must have happened farther up the line causing this jam. Like any other motorcycle, Jack placed the sole of his boot against the fresh, black tar, preventing the runner from falling over the opposite direction. It was going to be forever until the traffic was moving again, but he was in no rush. The thought of traffic and a duel tournament reminded him of Carly telling the story of how she was late to the last Fortune Cup tournament. She told him how she had wrecked the upholstery of the passenger seat of her car by spilling hot coffee over it in the morning, how she was finishing her last article before she realized she was late for the tournament, and how slow the traffic moved. She told him how sorry she was that he had lost the tournament, she even blamed herself for his loss. "If I hadn't been late," she said, "you wouldn't have lost…"
His thoughts seemed to end as soon as the traffic started to move again. He placed the sole of his boot on the metallic surface of the platform and returned to the steady cruising speed across the bridge. Once the bridge let off, the cars moved smoothly down the highway to the stadium. Jack decided to take the first right once the bridge ended to avoid further congestion with traffic, taking a little more scenic road. The road went along the steep shoreline near the ocean waters; the sun was on its setting point as he rode along. Passed the docks where the upper class kept their boats for leisurely outings on the ocean waters on the weekends, passed the Plaza that stuck out against the skyline and towered over all other corporation buildings, the tallest apartment complex on the island, the place he had once had the money for. Eventually the road ended, it curved and headed straight into the heart of the city, the Kaiba Corp. building. Taking a left a few blocks down from where the road curved and then taking a right, he had arrived at the parking lot of the middle class apartment complex, the same place Carly called home.
He pulled his runner into an empty parking space closest to the building and parked the machine. The visor of his helmet slid up before he slid the helmet off of his head and placed it on the seat of the runner. He then ventured to the front of the building and entered. There was no receptionist at the front desk; she and a few others were watching the tournament on the TV in the back. He proceeded to the elevator located at the other end of the room, pressing the "up" button and waiting for the elevator to come. He vaguely remembered Carly brining him here the night they had their duel with Ushio. He remembered opening his eyes to the sight of Carly pressing the button of the elevator. His good arm was around her shoulders using her as a stabilizer for he felt really weak having taken damage from both the Fortune Cup tournament the duel against Ushio. Carly looked up at him, her face filled with worry. "Don't worry Jack," she said, "we'll be there in no time. Hang in there!" That was the last thing he remembered hearing before he blacked out again.
The high-pitched bell sounded as the elevator door opened to reveal an empty, cream colored elevator. He stepped inside and pressed button number "4" on the panel consisting of four buttons, each one assigned to its level. The door to the elevator closed and the elevator proceeded to take him up to the top most floor of the building. A moment later the door opened to reveal a dimly lit hall that went as far as the eye could see. He stepped out before the door slid shut behind him. The rancid smell of cigarettes lingered throughout the whole hallway. He assumed that this part of the building was once the smoking level before a change years ago, the smell still lingering in the walls. He glanced at every number on the doors he passed making sure he was in the right area. After several minutes, he finally approached the hollow wooden door of room 425…Carly's apartment. He reached out to take a firm hold of the doorknob. His fingers just barely touched the knob; the door swung open letting the light from inside the room pour into the hallway from a slight crack.
"Baka…" was his first though for Carly had left the door unlocked and barely closed, but the initial thought hit him. "Is she here?"
He pushed open the door, inviting himself into the familiar comforts of the cozy little apartment. The many, but so few, memories came flowing into his mind as he walked the familiar floors and reacquainted himself with the fragrance he had grown accustomed to while he stayed. It was only days ago he had felt the lively vibes of the homestead and the young woman who called it home. He couldn't help but to recall the events that ensued during his stay. The table where she would serve him a hot meal every time, the couch where he had slept for one night after returning her bed to her, the clock that sat upon the refrigerator, the second hand that released a soft but audible "tick" with each second, the very sound his ears cared to listen to while he attempted to sleep.
Everything seemed to be exactly the way it was before he left the following morning. Her favorite mug sat atop the coffee table where she'd sit on the couch and watch the morning news. The basket full of mismatch clothing still sat beside the door to her room, the one he'd stumble over every time he crossed the hall to the bathroom, always cursing it and her for not putting it away. Newspapers lay scattered over the counter in the kitchen, one that dated back to last Thursday, the last time he saw her smiling face. The stovetop was still a mess like it was, grease, grime, and a questionable noodle layered the bottom between the burners. The floor tiles needed a good sweeping and mopping and possibly restoring accounting for the numerous spills of coffee and various foods and not to mention the dropping of dishes.
The refrigerator kicked in creating a white noise to cover up the empty silence of the apartment, another sound which had lulled him to sleep. He eyed the old fashioned refrigerator and the many magnets that adorned its metallic surface, all of them were memorable shapes and sizes. However, the square magnet with the phrase, "Live, Laugh, Love," held a white envelope tightly to the chest of the door. It was an unaddressed letter, except for one clear word…
"…Jack…" he read, her cheerful voice echoing throughout his mind.
Curiosity of the letter begun to build as he debated if he should put his nose somewhere it didn't belong. He eventually convinced himself that if he were to stay too much longer, he might not leave. And so ended his visit with a silent farewell, he flipped the switch which shut off the light in the kitchen and over the table not knowing when, or if, she would return…
The door clicked closed behind him, standing back against it, a sigh escaped his lips. The "what if's" where starting to cloud his mind, questions he'll never know the answer to. He had to use every ounce to get himself away from the door for fear he might not leave. He wasn't trying to forget her, nor was he trying to abandon hope of her return, he just didn't want to stand there with questions burning in his mind. He had to go somewhere to clear his head, to rid some of the ache.
He eventually found himself wondering the sands of the beach he saw from atop the Plaza, the tide washing up onto the shore, slowly erasing the footprints his boots left behind as he trekked across the fragile earth. He stopped to stare out amongst the shimmering water that had been tinted a shade of pink by the setting sun. There was something about the ocean that reminded him of Carly. Was it the color pink? Or maybe the tranquility of the waters that, in some way, symbolized the time she put in to nursing his wounds? Maybe it was the time he went on that date to repay her his "debt" he owed her for her hospitality. Looking back on that day, he found that the whole "dating" part of it was really unsatisfying. If she wants a true date, he'd be more than willing to give her a true date.
His ears pricked up at the sound of rocks being shifted out of place behind him. He turned to see if his mind was playing games with him. His heart practically stopped beating as his eyes grew wide with an overwhelming surprise. His eyes weren't deceiving him like he would believe they would. She was actually standing there, in the flesh, with her green camera bag slung across her shoulders; her long, dark hair was gently swept aside by the warm gale from the land. They stared at each other the same way they did that one morning. Only this time the atmosphere held a subtle surprised feeling with a hint of longing and desperation.
"Carly…" he breathed her name softly as he stared into the face of the reporter.
A radiant smile crossed her lips after hearing him say her name. It had to be the most beautiful, captivating smile he's ever seen come from her pink lips, it filled his heart to see her happy, but his heart ached, sick with anguish. She approached him in the same manner she usually would, perky, cheerful, and with stories to tell, just like her old self. It seemed as though nothing had happened as of months ago with the Dark Signers, he was still in need of Carly's care and she was more than happy to provide it. She stood before him and looked up at him through her round spectacles the same way she did when she first met him, marveling at the fact that she was in the presence of the King.
"I've finally found you," she smiling.
"Found me? I was looking for you," he said. "I stopped by your apartment thinking you might have been there, but you weren't."
"I stopped by the shop, your friends told me that you went out for a while and that you seemed upset," she said with a caring tone in her voice.
"I'm not upset any more now that I found you," he said smiling softly at her.
Carly opened her arms to the older boy and hugged him for the first time in what seemed to be years since their last encounter. This was a rare occasion for Carly to be seeing Jack truly happy.
"However, there is one thing that's been a bother to me," said Jack as they parted.
"What?" Carly asked, naturally curios as to what it might be.
"My debt," he said, "I want to repay my dept to you, the one I accumulated during my stay at your apartment. I want to repay you for everything, the tea, the food, the laundry, the orders I barked, and your care."
"Jack, there's no need for you to do that," she said shaking her head. "You've already repaid your debt to me. Now…I'm back to being inferior to you." She finished softly.
He was taken aback by her words. He was stricken by that nasty four syllable word…inferior.
His hands found her shoulders again looking deep into her eyes. "I am the one who should be less than deserving of your kindness-"
"There's no need for you to apologize," she spoke up, "I didn't understand well at first, but I knew enough that you needed someone to turn to- someone to help you. And so I did my best to provide you with everything you would need, three square meals, coffee, a warm place to sleep-"
"-With nothing in return," he pointed out.
"Your presence was the best thank-you, Jack," she told him, her hands close to his collar. Part of what she said was true, but she knew that if she lied, he'd stop beating himself up for it.
He stared at her for a moment. "That's not the point…" He breathed softly, lowering his eyes to the space between them.
Her brow knit in a questioning manner as her hands fell from his chest, "What do you mean?"
He blinked his violet colored eyes before looking up at the young woman who stood before him waiting for her answer. She knit her brow in a way that told him that she was empathizing with him as he fought his inner battle. But now the time has come, it was now or never…
He reached out his right hand to place on her side. His fingers parted, but his muscles retracted, withdrawing from the motion; he was hesitating. A moment later, his hand found the curvature of her side. He found his words following the same route, he wanted to speak, but his tongue was tied. He hesitated to speak. This was unlike him to be shy speaking his mind, he was a man of pride not a man of cowardice.
"I've fallen-been- in love with you, Carly…" he told her at last.
He could see her eyes grow wide with surprise at the end of his sentence. A surprised gasp escaped her lips before she cupped a hand over her mouth. She stared up at him her body motionless, and yet she could feel her heart beating out of her chest with an unexplainable happiness. A moment later she blinked, replenishing the moisture for her eyes, her mind now facing reality.
"There are so many things you've done for me with nothing in return. I thought that now that things are changing all around us, I might as well try it myself," he said. "So far this is just the beginning."
She was finding it hard to come up with words to say, even a stutter. She parted her lips to speak, but nothing was spoken. He smiled at her for he knew he had taken her breath away making it a difficult task to come up with words to say. She stared down at the loose earth beneath their shoes, words finally coming to her mind.
"All these years," she started out softly, "I had such a big crush on you, like any other Jack Atlas fan girl. Your impeccable dueling skills confound me, still. But, ever since you stayed with me, I realized that there was more to you than what you were choosing to let people know. You were sensitive but you never showed it openly. I fondly remember that night I had wounded myself on a sharp sliver of that broken plate. You had heard the plate hit the floor and came rushing into the kitchen to see a field of shattered glass and me holding my injured hand. I was the main focus of your worries. You had taken my hand into yours to inspect the wound. 'It isn't that bad,' you told me before turning to the sink and letting the water run. I let the water run over the palm of my hand with you gently rubbing my hand as the blood moderately flowed from the opening. You dressed the wound with a folded over paper towel and then resumed my work for me. As I stood back and watched, I felt guilty that I had only brought you to my house to get my scoop. If it had slipped up, I would have ruined my every chance for a relationship of any kind, so I feared…" She had clenched that same hand and held it to her chest.
A pair of warm hands took hold and bound themselves around her hand. She looked up at him through her spectacles. He too seemed to remember that night.
"I couldn't let anything happen to you…" he said softly, fondling her small hand before having her open her clenched fist to reveal the smooth scar the injury had left behind. A smile crossed his lips as he placed his hand over hers. "You need a hero in your life, someone you know who will always have your back."
"Like a best friend," she added with a smile.
"Like a best friend," he agreed.
"Jack, you have always been my hero," she said.
"And many others' as well," he added. "But now I'm willing to be your hero, your best friend."
"I don't want to be selfish, having Jack Atlas as my personal hero. Who knows, maybe there is some little girl out there that thinks you're her hero. I'd rather not be the center of all your worries," she said.
"But you have been. I worried about you the moment I agreed to help fight against the Dark Signers," he told her.
"I guess it didn't help that I became one of them," she spoke softly.
"After finding your glasses in the crumbling Arcadia building, I thought for sure you had been a sacrifice to the Gods,"
"I was pretty sure you had forgotten about me, forgotten all I had done for you and all I gave you…"
"I didn't forget. I couldn't. Your affection was something I remembered most, with that the rest seemed to follow. I'm just glad you're here. The same Carly I remember,"
"I knew there was more to you than what you were letting people know," she said with a smile. "You care about me." She finished softly.
"Because I love you…" he murmured before placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.
Silence ensued between the two; the stillness of the airways, minus the faint sound of waves crashing onto the shore, was very delicate… He picked his head up still holding her hand firmly within his grasp. Their eyes seemed to lock onto one another's communicating a message of their own. He slowly leaned toward her, fixating his head to the left, arching his back ever so slightly. Within two inches, his warm lips were pressed firmly against hers, flavoring the succulent taste of her lips for the very first time, indulging his senses with nothing but Carly. This was a moment he would never forget…
Their first kiss…
After what felt to be an eternity, but only a minute, Jack withdrew his lips leaving Carly with hers barely puckered. She was stunned. She had shared her very first kiss with Jack Atlas. Her senses were too numb to formulate her feelings; she was too busy marveling at the fact that she had been preserving her lips for this very moment. She blinked pulling herself back to reality the same moment Jack leaned toward her again, closing his eyes and kissing her once more. She closed her eyes and let her lips tell her everything. He kissed her affectionately, the way he had planned ever since their final encounter. Her senses were soon overwhelmed by the array of new sensations and feelings. For the first time there were butterflies in her stomach, her heart felt as light as a helium balloon, yet beat loud and uncontrolled. The combination of all these emotions and feelings were the key to unlocking the door for a new emotion…love. It wasn't like any other love she had felt toward her family or friends and it wasn't the love of her fan girl side. It came from the farthest reaches of her heart and engulfed her being. She could almost swear it felt like love of the truest form, but how could she know for certain?
She could swear her heart was beating so loud now that even Jack could hear it. Luckily he withdrew his lips allowing her to breathe once more; she had been caught up in the moment she literally forgot to breath. She stumbled forward feeling as if she were about to faint, thankfully she stumbled into Jack's arms. He bound his arms around her and hugged her warmly feeling lighthearted himself. Her soft, dark hair caressed his face while his chin rest upon her shoulder, closing his eyes and letting his senses speak to him.
Carly blinked her aquamarine-eyes and stared up at the lingering clouds colored pink due to the setting sun over the ocean. Her chin rest just below his shoulder, he was too tall for her to have her chin rest fully on his shoulder. Within the warmth of his amorous hug she noticed a familiar yet stronger feeling. In his arms, and even around him, she could always count on him to provide a sense of invulnerability against the world around her. She enjoyed his presence, and she was sure he enjoyed hers as well, but she couldn't help but to feel rushed…
Jack pulled away from her a moment later, his hands cradling hers once again. "Is this what you want?" He asked her.
"Jack," she spoke his name softly, "I could never ask for more than what you can give. You've changed so much over these past several months. And I know that we've been through so much together and we've had to hold our fair share of feelings for one another, but things are just going too fast for me, Jack, too fast… The world is far beyond my reach at the moment. I just feel its best we wait a while before staring a serious relationship, however, we can always establish a friendship. I promise, when things are back to the way they used to be, we'll start a true relationship."
"Maybe a friendship would make more sense," he said, taking the thought into consideration lowering his eyes to the ground as his thoughts accumulated and quarreled with one another.
"A-are you made at me?" she asked nervously, biting her bottom lip. She felt like she was making the biggest mistake of her life by not taking the one opportunity she had to be with the duelist.
He looked up at her his gaze softening upon meeting her face; a gentle smile crossed his lips. "I'm not mad, Carly. You're right about us being friends for a while until the world is back at it's reasonable pace."
"Come here," she said upon opening her arms to the older boy inviting him in for a friendly hug.
How could he ignore her when she was offering a hug? She had to be best hugger he knew. Even though he never seemed to like it when she'd hug him on her own will, deep down he found it very comforting to know that somebody truly cared for his being. Her hugs had a certain feel to them, they were always very warm and very comforting, like a mother's. They never carried a false feeling in them, they always said something to him but he could never decipher the language in which it spoke. He took this chance to return one of the many hugs he had received during his stay at her apartment, the hug that would open the door to their friendship, once again feeling comforted by the reporter's arms. This time he could understand her embrace. In one way or another she was telling him, "Thank you…"
"I guess I should be getting home," Carly sighed after they parted from each other, fixing her glasses. "It was nice seeing you again Jack. We should get together tomorrow and do something. Like, maybe, see a movie or something."
"Sounds fair," said Jack.
He told her that he would be over in the morning; from there they would decide what they were going to do for the rest of their Sunday. The two friends bid each other good-night before the young reporter turned and ventured to the street where her car was parked. By then the sun had already sunk beneath the horizon line the sky now being engulfed by the night. The evening had seemed to pass them by like the cool evening breeze. Jack soon followed the same way Carly had taken to the street. He mounted the automotive and slid the helmet over his head, the blue tinted visor automatically slid down over his eyes as he looked down at the monitor screen in front of him. Eight-thirty the clock read. He revved the engine before taking off, going down the same scenic road he had taken earlier and back to the bridge.
The clock struck nine when he reached Poppo Time, slowly descending the incline to the garage door. He parked his runner there and turned it off, taking off his helmet and bringing it with him as he made his way to the door. He opened the door and was welcomed by the sound of his friends cheering on their favorite duelists competing in the tournament. He closed the door behind him, not seeming to capture anyone's attention.
"And now a word from our sponsor-"
"This is so intense!" exclaimed Crow, summing up the third duel of the night.
"Mm-hm!" sounded Rua as he took a bite out of a piece of pizza.
"Yusei, can I steal your blanket?" asked Aki as she took the blanket that lay idle next to her and draped it over her, feeling a little chilled.
Yusei, who was setting aside an empty pizza box, replied with an, "All right. I wasn't that cold anyway."
Kiryu was back to drinking a carton of milk with his pizza while Ruca nibbled on her piece of pizza, trying not to be as messy as her brother and Crow were being. Everyone seemed to be having a good time… Jack wondered if he should risk abandoning his friends for the night or joining them and finish watching the tournament with them.
"Well, look who decided to show up," said Yusei upon seeing the older boy lingering near the door.
Everyone turned to see Jack as he approached the group with his helmet under his right arm, they greeted him warmly.
"Have a seat," Aki offered the empty couch cushion to the left of her.
"I managed to save you some," said Yusei as he approached Jack holding a paper plate with three different slices of pizza stacked on top of each other.
"Thanks," Jack said taking the plate while Yusei took his helmet to go set it next to his. He followed the younger boy before taking a bite out of his pizza, seeming to satisfy his stomach.
"How was your ride?" Yusei asked out of general curiosity.
"Pretty good, I got stuck in traffic," said Jack.
"You seem to be in a better mood," the raven haired boy observed. "What happened while you were out?"
Jack instantly knew the answer to the boy's question, but what to tell him? There was so much that happened he had to sum it all up. He looked to the friends that sat around the TV eagerly waiting for the commercials to end, thinking of the right thing to say. He looked back at Yusei, a light smile playing with his lips.
"I saw her…"
End Prologue...