Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds

Broken Pieces Shine

By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters are not mine and the story is my take on several RP versions of my first 5Ds story The Night After, so I can't take full credit for it. It takes place towards the end of the Crash Town arc. I did wonderful RP versions with Time Thief, Autumn Hazel Scarlet13, and XenoEmblemFTW. Mostly I only used concepts I came up with myself for the RP versions, but I borrowed XenoEmblemFTW's concept of Kalin carrying Radley through the mines and Time Thief's concepts of Radley needing to lead Kalin to Jordan and Kalin talking to a dead body, but how the former plays out and what Kalin says later are completely different between her version and this version. I know I've already done several alternate versions of The Night After, but I was especially touched by the storyline in the RP versions and I just really wanted to write my take on these reworkings. I hope I credited everything properly. Story title is a song from Evanescence's new album. I'm also using the prompt #9 - Shock from the abandoned 5Ds_100 community on Livejournal.

Kalin's heart was heavy as he went up the pathway to Crash Town's treacherous dyne mine and stood looking at the nearest entrance from the sloping ground outside it. Lawton was finally defeated and arrested, as were Barbara and Malcolm. Kalin had wanted to make sure the prisoners were being released as they were supposed to be, so he had come over here to check.

Sector Security was here now; Kalin had passed several officers arresting guards or helping freed miners. It was good to see things finally being set right, but a part of his heart still felt hollow when he watched.

It was impossible not to think about West and Nico's father Jordan, who had sacrificed himself to save all of them. They had just found him; he should have been able to live and be with them, as they had longed for so much. Kalin clenched a fist at his side. If only things had turned out differently. . . . Jordan had given him a new perspective when he had told Kalin of his own despair and forgetting what was important. It had helped Kalin to start to heal, but he was still horrified by what had happened next. The kids were trying to be strong, but they wouldn't be able to heal easily from this after carrying hope for so long of being able to reunite with their father and now having that taken away forever.

It was also upsetting that getting rid of Lawton had come with the price of Lawton blowing up many of the buildings in the town center as a distraction so he could get away. Many people were no doubt injured from that. Some might even be dead. Kalin had come right here after defeating Lawton and turning him over to Trudge, so he wasn't sure of the current status of things in the town. He hoped it wasn't as bad as it had looked. These poor people needed something to finally go right for them.

He jumped at the sound of movement in this more deserted area of the mine. Someone was coming out of the nearby entrance. In the final rays of twilight he saw a tall man, bent over from illness or pain. In the dim light, Kalin wasn't sure of his identity, if he would know it at all. Then the miner's shock collar lit up the night and Kalin saw those green eyes, once sparkling with life and now dull and dead.

Something twisted in him. Radley. . . . He hadn't left his former boss behind on purpose, but he hadn't given the man much thought after Yusei had forcefully removed him from the mines. He had assumed Malcolm would delight in forcing his archenemy to work the mines, but suddenly words came back to him that Radley had told him before, words that Kalin had been too wrapped up in self-hatred to pay much attention to before.

"Malcolm wants me dead. He's already tried several times."

Horror stabbed into his heart. Radley looked more than half-dead right now. Malcolm hadn't wanted him to work the mines. He had wanted to slowly kill his nemesis in as cruel a way as he knew how. Radley had never mistreated his workers, but Malcolm didn't seem to know how to operate without hurting people.

Radley looked at him with those dead eyes and stumbled, nearly losing his balance. "Kalin," he rasped. "I know you hate me. I'll be out of your life soon, so don't worry. Just . . . I need to tell you something. . . . The kids' dad . . . he's alive back there. . . ." He pointed behind him with a shaking finger. "He's badly hurt, but he still has a chance . . . if he can just . . . get help. . . ." He fell to his knees with a moan as the pain intensified. He clenched his teeth against it until the power shut off at last and he sank to the ground, breathing heavily.

Kalin might have processed Radley's other words more if not for the revelation he had just dropped. "Jordan is alive?!" He ran over and knelt down, laying a hand on Radley's back. "Where?!"

Radley shuddered. "It's . . . hard to explain. . . . I'll . . . have to show you. . . ."

Kalin stared at him in disbelief. "You're in no condition to move!"

Radley shook his head. "You might not find him in time if I don't." He grabbed for a nearby rock and forced himself to his knees, then slowly staggered to his feet.

Kalin's heart sank as he watched. What had he and Yusei done by leaving him behind? He was dead on his feet. And Kalin didn't even know how to remove the collars. He had watched Yusei remove his own, but he wasn't sure he could duplicate the action. Yusei was back in town, trying to see how many casualties Lawton had left in his wake when he had blown up the town center. He wasn't here to help now.

Finally Kalin went over and tried to gently steady Radley. "You're too hurt," he said. "I'll find him."

Radley gave him a sad smile. "We both know I'm done for."

"Don't talk like that!" Kalin snapped. "You're not! You're alive, so you've still got a chance!"

Radley actually looked surprised. ". . . That's more emotion than I've seen from you the whole time you've been in town," he remarked.

"I'm not who I was," Kalin said. "I'm so sorry, Radley. . . . I didn't take anything seriously except my own pain. I hurt who knows how many people because of my attitude. Somehow now, I . . . have to make it right."

Radley looked away, limping forward to the entrance again. ". . . I promised Jordan I'd bring help," he said. "To make anything right, we have to save him—for the kids' sakes as well as his."

Well, Kalin certainly agreed with that. The kids needed their father. If there was any chance of saving him, they had to take it now. It was unlikely he could last much longer. Kalin was shocked Jordan was alive at all after that horrible fall.

Radley didn't look like he could last much longer either. But he struggled to move anyway, forcing himself to walk back into the Hellish part of the mine formerly ruled by Malcolm.

Kalin trailed after him. What kind of a person was Radley, really? Kalin had rejected him every day believing he wasn't sincere, or that even if he was, he shouldn't waste his time with a repulsive soul like Kalin's. But here he was in his condition, forcing himself on even though he couldn't do it, so completely determined to save Jordan. Was it just his mind going from the repeated overloading of the collar? Was that making him reckless and foolhardy? Or . . . was he an even better person than Kalin had started to realize?

To watch him struggle was heartbreaking. He'd make it for a few yards, and later, feet, before he had to steady himself on the wall or fall to his knees again. Then the collar would switch on and he would writhe in silent pain until it stopped. He'd fight to get up and it would start all over again.

Finally Kalin couldn't stand it any longer. He ran over, lifting Radley into his arms. "Just tell me where to go," he said. "I'll be your legs. You can't walk anymore."

Radley was too badly hurt by now to protest. He sank against Kalin's shoulder. ". . . Keep going straight," he whispered. "Then turn left at the fork. . . ."

Kalin followed Radley's directions, focused on getting there as soon as possible, focused on finding Jordan still alive. He didn't try to make Radley talk beyond giving the directions. He could still feel the man breathing, so he knew Radley was alive.

When they finally reached the right chamber and he heard rasping, pained breathing coming from Jordan, he set Radley down and hurried over. "Jordan?!"

Radley managed a weak smile. Jordan would have a chance now. Kalin needed to focus his attention there. Radley limped away into the shadows, slowly sinking to the floor on his back. He couldn't go on anymore, but at least his struggle hadn't been in vain. Everyone had left him, even those he had thought loved him. How strange, that Kalin of all people had shown him a bit of kindness at the end.

He reached into his pocket and shakily took out his pendant. He had bought it upon his arrival in the area four years earlier. He had been filled with so many hopes and dreams then, things that had never fully come to fruition. He had wanted to make a fortune in the dyne mines, but not at the expense of lives. He had fought against Malcolm for four years, trying to protect the town and the people from Malcolm's takeover, and had finally lost. He couldn't say his life had been meaningless; he had rescued the Bunch from their horrible situations and brought them together where they had had stability and food and love. Now he had managed to get help for Jordan. Hopefully it had been in time.

At least it was a chance. That was more than he had right now.

He wished he didn't have to die alone. He wished he didn't have to die at all; he had wanted to live. But was there really anything for him anymore, even if his body wasn't giving out on him? Everyone was gone. Kalin was only kind now because with his mind clear, he was a kinder person in general. He didn't really care about Radley personally. He had all but admitted he didn't like Radley. Radley had never forgotten how that had hurt. He had only ever tried to be nice, even in the face of the repeated rejections, but it had worn on him over time. A person could only take so much before they broke.

A lone tear slipped from his eye as the pendant dropped from his hand. He didn't even have the strength to hold that any longer.

He heard Kalin calling to some approaching police officers for help with Jordan as everything faded to black.

xxxx

It didn't take long for the police officers to take over with Jordan, radioing for an ambulance and working on treating his serious injuries. Kalin stepped back to allow them to do what had to be done.

"How bad off is he?" he asked.

"Pretty bad," one officer replied. "It's a miracle he's alive at all. He must sure want to live for someone. Nothing else could have kept him alive, in his state."

Kalin put his hand in his pocket, fingering Jordan's pendant. He didn't know why that held such meaning for Jordan, but very likely it had something to do with the kids. He took it out, gently pressing it into Jordan's hand. "Keep fighting," he whispered encouragingly. "Nico and West are always in your corner. You can't leave them now! Not now that . . . Radley gave you another chance. . . ."

Oh no. . . . Radley. . . .

Jordan weakly curled his fingers around the pendant. "Nico . . . West," he rasped.

Kalin was encouraged, but at the same time, he suddenly felt sick. He had forgotten Radley. He looked up with a jerk, scanning the room. Where had he gone? He wasn't where Kalin had left him. He was surely too hurt to have gone far.

"Radley?!" he called. His voice echoed eerily in the spacious chamber. "Radley!"

There was no reply. And, Kalin realized with increasing horror, that was most likely because there couldn't be a reply.

Please just be unconscious and not dead. . . .

He took the flashlight one of the officers had given him and shined it into the dark corners of the room. When he caught sight of the lifeless body by the wall, his heart leaped into his throat. "No. . . ."

He ran over, laying the flashlight on the ground near them as he bent over Radley, desperately checking for life. Unlike before, now he couldn't feel any breath. His heart was still.

"Radley, no! Don't do this!" Kalin pressed on the older man's chest, frantic to revive him. When that failed, he turned to artificial respiration. He stiffened as his hand brushed Radley's cheek and found it wet. He had cried as he had died all alone and forgotten.

That only made Kalin all the more determined to bring him back. But no matter how he struggled with both chest compressions and artificial respiration, he could do nothing. Radley's body had given out on him; he was gone. Finally Kalin was forced to accept that.

"Oh no. . . ." Horrified tears pricked Kalin's eyes, though they did not fall. He rocked back, just staring at his former boss. He had become so caught up in seeing to Jordan's injuries and thinking about saving him for the kids that he had momentarily forgotten Radley. Most likely, Radley had been too far gone to be helped. But that didn't make Kalin feel any better about it.

Why had Radley come over here? Why hadn't he stayed near Kalin and Jordan? If Kalin had seen him, maybe he wouldn't have forgotten. . . .

"We both know I'm done for."

Radley's sad words chilled Kalin now. The answer was obvious; he had selflessly gone away so Jordan would be the one focused on. He had wanted to make sure Jordan had a chance and not let anyone waste time on a dead man. He had gone away assuming Kalin would forget him.

But . . . why had he thought that?

Kalin froze when Radley's other words came back to him and finally processed. "I know you hate me. But I'll be out of your life soon, so don't worry."

Now Kalin didn't try to hold back the tears. He sobbed, gathering the motionless body into his arms and clutching him close. "You were wrong, Radley," he whispered at last. "I didn't hate you. When I finally got my mind clear, I didn't even dislike you. But you must have died thinking it still, didn't you? I'm so sorry. I didn't want you out of my life! Now it's too late. It's too late. . . ."

The police officers felt Jordan had been found in time to still have a fighting chance, that he had held on because he had loved ones to live for. And poor Radley. . . . Even as badly run ragged as his body was from the electricity and pushing himself to find help for Jordan, would he have also had the strength to keep fighting if he had known that anyone still cared what happened to him?

That broke Kalin's heart even more. If I had really processed what he said before . . . if I had made it clear I care about him . . . would he still be alive?

"What happened?" one of the officers exclaimed as he came over to where Kalin was cradling the body. "Who is this?"

Kalin drew a shaking breath as he tried to get himself under control. "His name was Radley," he said at last. "It's because of him Jordan was found in time; he gave his life to make sure of it. He was my friend. But . . . he never knew it. And neither did I, until now." He stumbled to his feet, the limp body in his arms. "Now it's too late to ever tell him."

". . . Maybe he knew," the officer helplessly said.

But Kalin shook his head. "No. He didn't."

Radley's body was a lifeless weight in his arms, his head resting against Kalin's shoulder and neck. Kalin longed more than anything to feel that gentle breath again, as he had on the journey down, but that was impossible. Radley lay silent.

Noticing something shiny on the floor, the officer bent and picked it up. "Is this yours?"

Kalin looked at the arrowhead pendant. "No. His."

The officer sighed sadly and held it out for Kalin to take. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Kalin let it drop into his hand. "So am I."

xxxx

The night air was cool and fresh as Kalin walked to a plateau away from the mine and sank down, Radley's body in his arms. One of the officers had finally got the wretched shock collar off, and Radley's neck was red and sore where it had dug into him.

"We could take him down to town with us," the officer had said in concern. "There's other bodies, sadly."

But Kalin had shook his head. "I'll bring him myself. It's the only thing I can do for him now."

He gently laid Radley in the sparse grass as he bent down, snapping the pendant on around his neck. "You should have this back," he said quietly. "You always wore it; you must have loved it.

"The town is free now. You talked about how you and I would chase Malcolm out for good. I thought it was all about your greed and your desire to run the mine all yourself, but was it? Just how badly did I misjudge you? I thought I knew who you were, but more and more, I feel like I didn't let myself know you much at all.

"The Bunch still loves you. I know they all joined Lawton, but they were afraid when you fell to him. I can't imagine how they're going to grieve now that you're gone. I doubt any of them will get over it.

"It's hard to believe I'll never be able to go in the diner again and see you there, smiling, pouring drinks, wanting me to join you. . . ." He shut his eyes tightly. "I rejected you every night and now I only wish I had one more chance to say Yes and just enjoy your company."

He opened his eyes again and gently took Radley's sore hand. He wasn't cut out to be a miner. The sight of the blisters and cuts hurt Kalin's heart now. The guards had made Radley take his gloves off to start mining, but Kalin had the feeling Radley would want to wear them again now. He unzipped Radley's left jacket pocket and took out the leather gloves, gently sliding them on over Radley's raw skin. He laid Radley's hands on his chest and then rested his hand on top of them.

"What I'll miss the most is your smile," Kalin said softly. "I thought you were too friendly, too cheery. They say that's one of the most annoying things to a depressed person, and I guess they're right. But you were always the life of the party. You'd come in and everyone would light up. They all loved you so much. . . . We could have been friends, if I had only let you in." He choked. "And when I last saw you alive, the light had gone out of your eyes. You had no more hope, no happy smiles to give." He bent down, again lifting the body into his arms. "And that will always haunt me."

He slowly got up. He couldn't put this off any longer; he had to get back to town. He was dreading it, for multiple reasons. It would be up to him to tell the Bunch that Radley was dead. He knew they would all fall apart once they knew Radley could never come back. He would have to tell Yusei too, and knowing Yusei, he would immediately start blaming himself for not making sure Radley got out with them. Kalin didn't want to see that. Anyway, he was already blaming himself enough for both of them. And of course, he would have to take Radley's poor body to the morgue. Even though there was nothing more Kalin could do, he dreaded relinquishing his ex-boss and finalizing their parting. He knew Radley was dead, and yet part of him kept hoping for an impossible miracle, like he himself had received.

He was halfway down when the impossible miracle happened. The body moved. ". . . Kalin?"

He ground to a halt. He had to have imagined it, both the movement and the weak voice. Radley could never come back to him.

"Kalin, did you mean it? Do you really want me back?"

The moon was shining down on them now. Radley's eyes were open, and as he looked up earnestly at Kalin there was a bit of light coming into them again.

Kalin couldn't ignore that. He sank to his knees, overcome. "Radley . . . ?! How . . . ?!"

Radley gave him a weak but genuine smile. "That was . . . all I needed," he said softly. "To have the strength to fight to live . . . I had to know I was really still wanted, and not just out of guilt or general kindness. I had to know someone really wanted me for me."

Kalin had once never thought he would, but now he drew Radley into a firm embrace. "Radley . . ." His voice shook. It wasn't too late. He still had the chance to really get to know Radley, to be friends with him as Radley had kept trying to do.

"I'll take care of you," he said. "You're going to get better, I promise you that! I won't leave you again."

Radley hugged him in turn, his arms shaking as he rested against Kalin's shoulder. Full recovery would take some time. But now he had the strength to live, and Kalin would be there to help him. Maybe the Bunch would too, if Kalin was right.

"Thank you, for finally giving me a chance," he said softly.

"Thank you, for giving me one more after I squandered so many," Kalin said. "I don't deserve it."

"No," Radley said. "You do."

And Kalin marveled at the sweet forgiveness.