Chapter 2

An Early Game

5 O' Clock in the morning, where you gonna be? Outside on the corner!

This was the only lyric Ketchums ever knew from the song. It was indeed 5am and it had been snowing since last night.

Last night. What a ride. Maybe it was the 2 hours he slept. Maybe it was the conversation he had. Maybe it was the fact that he saw Asuka after a year. He was surprised Asuka hadn't handed his ass to him. There was a promise between all of them to stay in touch no matter what. (Ash was never one to break promises, but this had to be his only exception.) Even back then Asuka had offered to have extra houses built on her lot so everybody could live together.

Misato refused, saying that at least one of them had to live in Japan while turning NERV legit. She made the plan to tackle the heavy workload and any decision needed would be passed along to Shinji for him to pass or veto. This would allow Shinji to live with Asuka in Germany while still helping to clean his name. When Shinji tried to protest, wanting to do more to clean his name than merely signing a document here and there, Misato out right refused him. She knew she was doing him and Asuka a huge favor. Besides, what Misato needed after the war was to occupy as much of her time as she can. Lord knows when Kanji will return from shadow work.

Ikari, a name in infamy due to his father's actions. Gendu refused to bend to the Elders and instead set out to create a world of his own. Almost sacrificing the human race for his needs.

"It would take years to clean your name." Misato would warn Shinji, but Shinji knew the chaos that erupted was by his father's hands. It would only be befitting to inherit the sins of his father.

Ketchums adjusts his beanie. He needs it to keep his ears from freezing off but the damn thing keeps agitating his scalp. Doesn't help his blood is barely above freezing temperature, he really needs a thicker jacket.

Headlights catch his attention. The only car out here in this weather would be Brock as he pulls in. Ketchums practically slams the door shut as he huffs into his hands. When feeling returned to his fingers he greets Brock with the usual signature handshake. Brock pulls back into the empty road and they cruise slowly through the snow.

The inside of the car is well taken care of, as per usual. If there's anything in this world Brock loves as much as his girl, it was this car. Oddly enough there was no music playing.

"Yeah some motherfucker jacked my radio last night." Brock started as he kept a close eye on the road.

"Insurance will cover it?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, yeah they will."

The two are silent for a mile or so before Brock noticed a rather silent Ketchums musing in the passenger seat.

"What's up?" Brock trying to fish for some answers. Ketchums barely snapped back to understand that his friend had spoken. Brock repeats the phrase.

"Oh uh…just, shit you know?" Ketchums muttered.

"What kind of shit?" Ketchums had to find the right words to answer Brock's question.

"You remember the redhead I used to hang with a while back?"

Brock had to take notice to a car slightly closer to the middle of the road than normal. When the car passed safely he answered. "Yeah I remember."

Brock continued. "She was fine right?"

"Yeah she was pretty hot."

"What about her?"

"I ran into her last night at Ray's diner."

"No shit. What she say?"

"To meet her later today, she might have something on my ex."

Brock remembered Rei. It was only brief, and they were all in military wear, but he noticed something about Rei. Fragile almost, but unbreakable for sure. A quiet girl with a lot to say, if only someone would listen; and Ketchums would always be the one to listen, or at the very least wait with her to listen. She was a happy time for Ketchums, and when they broke up Ketchums barely wanted to leave his apartment. Misty would have to break in from time to time just to drag him from bed. After 2 months or so he improved. Coming back to the subject of his ex, Brock knew this could get touchy.

"What time?" Brock asked.

"I don't know. She just told me to stop by in the morning."

"You want to skip today?"

"No I can't. We finally found Gary we can't let him slide again."

"Man Misty and I can always find Gary again. Rei is more important than this."

Ketchums agreed, but the last thing left from the Divide is the fact that Gary is still breathing. He needed to finish this; Gary gave them too many close shaves during that seemingly endless war. He never believed in revenge being fulfilling but some things must transpire. On the other hand...Rei.

Ketchums dragged on a heavy sigh. "Can you really find him again Brock?"

"Hell yeah we can. He keeps slipping up, keeps getting sloppy. Makes it easier on us."

The two were silent, as if each had just heard what Brock said and were processing the words carefully; Looking for any contradictions between his words and their history and knowledge with Gary.

Ketchums scoffs "Maybe he wants to be caught…"

Brock takes a second to let it sink in. "Yeah maybe."

Ketchums reaches for his lower back to touch the butt of the handgun Rei gave him during the war. Ketchums originally lost his while taking shelter with Rei during a mech battle. Factory made Evangelions being put down one by one by Gundams. A.I. controlled Evas could never contest human ingenuity partnered with military grade mechs. After the bout Rei and Ash was trapped within a collapsed building. It didn't take long for help to dig them out. Still, they enjoyed their time separated from the world. For a moment the war didn't matter, the guns slung over their shoulders weren't real, and it was just those two conversing. One of the rare moments during the Divide.

When the two were rescued Ash noticed that he had lost his secondary weapon. Rei offered hers. She figured since she was behind a high powered rifle, there was hardly a chance for her to resort to her secondary. Misato, of course, opposed this and had Rei outfitted with another secondary. Ash, on the other hand, kept Rei's original.

It hasn't been fired once outside of warfare, but Ash still cleans it weekly.

He sighs before blurting out "Fuck it! Fuck it we're not doing it tonight."

"My man, so what do you want to do?"

"Go to Joey's. He and Yugi are probably awake by now getting ready for the tournament."

Brock parallel parks in front of Joey's apartment unit. Yugi's grandfather needs all the sleep he can get so Yugi generally crashes at Joey's place the night before a tournament. The two would stay up discussing tactics and battle endlessly to keep each other in shape. Regardless of final rankings, after each tournament the after party would once again be held at Joey's crib.

Ketchums rapped on the door. The snow seemed to pick up as Ketchums watched Brock inspect his car real quick before joining him on the stoop. When would this snow end? Ketchums would ponder to himself as he watched his breath freeze right in front of his nose. A heavy front had blanket the States for quite some time now. Ketchums enjoyed the snow; he just didn't care for the cold.

He knocks on the door again. A minute later Joey opens the door; Fast greetings were traded and everyone hurried into the warm insulated building. Ketchums snatched off his beanie as he followed Brock and Joey into the living room.

"So what the hell are you two schmucks doing at my place?" Joey quipped.

Ketchums finds Yugi staring at the Duel Monsters board with a few cards in one hand and the other massaging the side of his temple. When Yugi heard Joey he looks up and greets both Brock and Ash. Brock crashes on to the couch and tears off a layer of sweaters.

"Well. We finally found Gary right? But home boy here ran into an old friend last night. Long story short, we called it off and decided to crash here instead. Oh! Speaking of calling things, Joey you got a phone I could use?"

Joey reveals that the phone is mounted in the kitchen. Brock pops off the couch and walks briskly to the phone. Yugi takes a quick swig of beer before turning the conversation to Ash.

"I'm glad you didn't do it. Gary isn't worth getting arrested, let alone the effort to keep hunting him." Just like Yugi to praise -thinking before acting-. Ketchums never really thought about running from the law after the dirty deed had been done. Ketchums really never thought about much beyond Gary's death. The idea of "wing it" wouldn't hold strong after he would pull the trigger. Given his state, an unnerving idea came to Ketchums; He would still have to fight Gary if they had decided to continue, gun fight fist fight didn't matter, and he could have very well lost. Today could have been his last day.

"Yugi my man I think you're right." Ash said as he pulls out a dining chair and positions it to face the crowd. "A sort of revelation happened to me last night, had me thinking about a lot of things in my life lately."

"Your friend?" Ketchums nodded at Yugi.

Brock returned from the kitchen and alerted Ash that Misty had been notified that the hit had been called off.

"You could have used my phone you know?" Ketchums noted. Brock showed the bottle of beer, the other reason why he choose to use the house phone instead.

Everybody eases up and idle chit chat fills the room as Joey cleans up the Duel Monsters set.