The suddenly massive shutdown of Link VRAINS out of nowhere was certainly an event. It meant a lot to the mass public. Whatever happened, Rass and Rosey seemed to have an idea. At least somewhat, anyway. Masked away as a 'server' upgrade, Cross kept checking on the messages from Compendium. Something was going on to keep them online. He decided to check again when his bus reached a stop.

[So let me get this straight.

After you somehow managed to "capture"

A new Link Monster, your Deck changed!? - Pastrybee]

[Yep. I'd send you pictures, but I don't want

To risk anything. But I got these new "Rose Dragon" monsters

In my Deck now. - Rosey.]

[Weird. I've never heard of "Rose Dragon" monsters. - Pastrybee]

[They came with the "Ghost Garden Rose Dragon."

I swear this is getting weird. - Rosey]

Cross had been aware of his ghosting for some time. Though now it seemed like a good time to drop in.

[Do you think those monsters came from the

Tear-thing Solarflare talked about? - Cross Nine]

[I… uh, I don't know! I don't know anything about

Dimensional Tears, Cyberse Monsters: I just

Don't Know! - Rosey]

[Rosey… - Cross Nine]

[...Sorry, I haven't been able to sleep well.

Not with what's going on. - Rosey]

[Really? Is that why Rass is handling all the

Data for us? - Pastrybee]

[Yeah… G2G. Time with family. I think I

Need a proper break. - Pastrybee]

[Okay then. Go and get some rest.

Bye Rosey! - Pastrybee]

Cross noticed the icon change on Rosey's profile, signaling her going off the grid. It left him and Pastrybee online. He glanced up and noticed he had two more stops left. Then he could get off and get back to business.

[Rosey seemed stressed out; whatever did they

Find inside the data from SOL? - Pastrybee]

[Not sure. I can try and see if Siren knows.

She's usually in the loop. - Cross Nine]

[IDK. Didn't you nearly get killed the last

Time you waltzed into the Nest? - Pastrybee]

[-_-

It was an accident. - Cross Nine]

[Either way, if you ever step a foot in the Nest, she will rip you to shred.

Just be careful, okay?

I don't think any of us want you arrested again. - Pastrybee]

Cross grinned underneath his grey hood, covering himself from being easily recognizable. He noticed that he was at the stop. Shooting one quick text to Bee, he paid the driver as he stepped off.

The streets of Vindi City were as busy as ever in this district. It wasn't too far from the city's famous tourist attraction: The Kastle Estuary. A sight to behold, though sadly he was not stopping by there for this afternoon. Instead, he was heading to one of his favorite hangouts. It was about time for the games to begin. Being late wasn't Cross' style.

His destination soon came over the horizon. The flashy interior and neon lights would catch anyone's attention on the road. The lights drew in customers to the business after all. Luckily tonight, it looked like things were slow enough to not draw in attention. He used the chance to enter before anyone could notice.

"Welcome to River's Dealers!" The cashier greeted Cross as he entered the establishment. The same cashier recognizing him immediately. "Ah! Are you here for today's special shipment?"

Cross flashed a member's card as he swiped a card pack from a stand to pay for it. The cashier nodded and while seemingly counting the money in the register, slide something with the receipt once the transaction went through. Cross quickly moved to the back and out of the camera sight. There, he ripped the card over and scanned it to a hidden door. It quickly opened and allowed him inside.

He took a quick look at the card. "Never thought they'd get to use Time Wizard."

"Cross~! You finally arrived!" A woman shouted from the hidden room, where a round table of people was gathered.

The woman was clearly older than him, having her purple hair tied into a flowing high ponytail with amber eyes and highlights on her bangs. She was dressed in an empire gown, golden and brightly glistering like the emerald necklace around her neck. Left to rest on her chair was a long black jacket.

"Karissa… what a surprise!" He exclaimed. "I thought you weren't gambling anymore?"

"Oh, Cross. You know how lucrative it is; besides, you're forever my rival when it comes to the game." She chuckled as he sat down at the table. "You're the best guy at the table."

"Am not!" Cross nervously shifted gazes with some of the other men.

Cross finally lowered the hood of his jacket, revealing his bright orange hair, bangs sweeping and covering his left eye from view, keeping his bright yellow intact. His skin was a bit tan and he looked around the table.

"Shall we get to the main event?" He inquired, pulling out his starting bet and putting it into the pot in the center. "Deal me in."

To say the events of the gambling tonight were fruitless was not entirely false. He managed to break even while Karissa got to getting double of her initializing betting by the end of the night. It was a nice stress reliever for the group. These sorts of events rarely happened anymore. Not since the police began to crack down on the activity. Which was why the places to meet up were becoming more and more secretive.

"I must say, your skills have been improving." Karissa nudged the male, the duo was the last to leave the shop and began walking down the road together. "You're not as bad as you used to be."

"Really? Because I thought I noticed you starting to count the Decks. Otherwise, I would have won the last one." Cross grinned, poking her mind mentally at that statement.

"Knock it off! You're such a card!"

They laughed at the last part.

"Though I must say, I really must thank you for what you've done. You've made these nights all the more enjoyable." Karissa brushed some bangs aside. "You're even going to drive me home tonight when you live across town."

"What can I say? I can't allow a lady like yourself to be alone at this time of night." He stopped at her card, getting to the keys and opening the passenger's side. "After you."

"Such a gentleman. You never stop amazing me." She smiled once they were both inside, him in the driver's seat.

"Same place as usual, right?" Cross asked.

"Of course. Where else would I be?" Karissa giggled as Cross started the drive.

The drive started off normally, Cross and Karissa starting off silently as they began to head to their destination. Soon enough, he was aware of Karissa's gaze over at him from the side.

"...Something happen at your place?" He decided to play it safe; usually, Karissa never had that sort of gloomy look on her way home.

"I…" She sighed, hand on her chin as she returned to looking at the passing landscape outside. "My brother came home."

"Your brother…" It took a few moments for Cross to recall her brother. He soon remembered the young man who used to be glaring daggers whenever Cross came by the house. "Oh! You mean… Carnus, right?"

She nodded, the sad look on her face distorting the purple and green makeup on her face. "Yeah, I never thought I'd see him again after the accident. That car wreck and subsequent surgery damaged his eyes; it is a relief that nothing else was damaged but since then… he's been unable to see me anymore."

"I know this is going to sound rude, but figuratively or literally?" Cross asked before noticing the sudden glare from the woman. "Okay, going to assume literally. So the crash took his sight."

"Carnus… ever since that event five years ago, he hasn't been completely the same. I mean, I knew once his eyes were gone, he'd have to adjust. I mean he has, over at my grandparent's house. But he transferred to live with me for some reason and I… I've never prepared for that."

"Really, but didn't he come home with you after the crash?" Cross was confused, and even more so when Karissa shook her head.

"My parents wanted nothing to do with him. They saw his blindness as a weakness and they were grieving over my youngest sister's death. They were struck by despair that I found them willing to rid of their own son. Thankfully my grandparents stepped in and took him in. And once my parents went overseas and left the house to me, he came back and…" She was conflicted.

Cross could tell how she was struggling to go on. He took a risk to say something, hoping to help ease the burden. "I can't imagine how it must feel. He still loves you though, right? Like, you're still siblings after all. If he was willing to move back with you, then he still holds some sort of feelings for you."

"I...Guess you're right." She straightened herself up in the seat. "I could never stop loving Carnus, no matter what happens. Though after all these years, something always bugged me."

"What would that be?" By then, Cross had pulled into the driveway. They were just in the car talking now.

"Something about the crash… didn't seem right. The fact my youngest sister died despite the rest of my family surviving, Carnus looking his sight despite not even facing the window once its crashed: something never sat right with that accident. But whom am I kidding? It was an accident and I still haven't gotten over it." Karissa unlocked the door and stepped out, Cross doing so as well. "Thanks for driving me home."

"Not a problem. Happy to help out after what you've done for me. Just let me know if you or Carnus need any help." He winked and handed her the keys. "Let Carnus know I said hi."

"Of course… Oh, wait! I got something for a gentleman like yourself." She dug into her jacket before pulling out three cards. "These are for you."

"These are for me?" He took them and took a look at them. They didn't seem like regular cards; at least due to the lighting of being outside late at night.

"Please take them. I got them from a close friend. I'll see you next time Cross. Think you can make it to dinner sometime soon?" She kissed his cheek before leaving him outside.

Cross was blushing when she went up to the stairs. Leaving him a bit out of it. That was until he felt the cold pattering of rain to start coming down. Grumbling, he shoved the cards away and rushed to the nearest bus stop.

[Are you still in love with that woman? - Pastrybee]

[Karissa is NOT just some woman!

She is a close friend of mine.

Nothing more. - Cross Nine]

[Right. ;) - Pastrybee]

[Bee I swear if you start spamming this chat

I'm leaving for good this time. - Cross Nine]

[Like you could ever hate me?

We're partners in crime!

:D - Pastrybee]

[Hey, mind me asking you a quick question.

I'd ask Rass or Rosey, but they aren't here. - Cross Nine]

[Sure. Hit me up with that sweet syrup. - Pastrybee]

[Bee, please can you stop that talk?

I'm starting to feel sick. - Cross Nine]

[Fine, what did you get from your girl? - Pastrybee]

[I got three cards and I'm not sure what to make of them.

But you're a card expect of sorts.

They go as follows:

Swing of Memories

Call of the Haunted

Return from a Different Dimension.

These sound like Siren's messaging style, right? - Cross Nine]

[...

They do. But I don't know what to make of them.

You got these from your girl, right?

I don't know if you're dating a girl from the Nest

Or this is from a third party. - Pastrybee]

[I'm going to stay a bit cautious.

See if I can get Karissa to tell me what they mean.

Because something wasn't right. - Cross Nine]

[Seriously, it seems like ever since this whole

Hanoi shit went down, our lives have changed.

I'm not exactly happy about this change.

Hopefully, Rass and Rosey can find out what's going on. - Pastrybee]

[Yeah, but I do worry…

About Rosey I mean. - Cross Nine]

[Huh? What makes you say that? - Pastrybee]

[I know she means well.

Hell, she's changed my life after she kicked my ass.

But, I do fear that things are starting to get to her.

She's starting to get sleep deprived. - Cross Nine]

[Is she? She never seems that way when we chat.

Like - at all. How could you tell? - Pastrybee]

[I used to work in the medical industry as a nurse.

Usually, I could diagnose somebody over the phone by their voice.

If the ailment or injury wasn't physical.

But that's in the past now.

What I'm saying is that Rosey hasn't been taking proper care of herself.

And I'm starting to get concerned. - Cross Nine.]

[Wow. 0.0 Never thought you'd be a man of the medical field.

Do you believe that? - Pastrybee]

[I'm certain. But I don't know how to bring it up.

I'd feel like I'd pry too much into her IRL though. - Cross Nine]

[I think you should try and talk to her about that.

We are all a team after all. Having our leader be…

Compromised wouldn't be good. - Pastrybee]

[I'll try, but don't count on her accepting it well - Cross Nine]

One thing Cross hated was getting soaking wet. Especially at night. Water on the body plus chilly weathered spelled disaster. He was quick to just get out of his clothing and shower without a second thought. His apartment was a moderate size for a male his age. That and he was the only one residing in the space. It was pretty much a basic apartment. Nothing too major was done to change it.

Stepping out from the shower, Cross was humming to himself before pausing. Something in the mirror caught his attention. He was quick to dry off his hair and face before taking a closer look. Everything was normal, even with his bangs sweeping over one eye, leaving the other in view. It wasn't until he looked closer did he see it. Something crawling on the wall behind him.

"Spider!" He screamed, wiping up the remainings after smashing it against the wall. "Damn it, why do they always have to come and scare me like that!?"

Throwing away the remains, he changed into a casual white shirt and black sweatpants, taking a moment to sit down and check out the news. It wasn't much in terms of the local news. Common things flooded the casters and it was getting boring. But then something caught his attention. One seemingly coming from the local hospital.

"...It was a strange thing. One moment she was healthy and fine, and then next she was unresponsive. It is almost like she fell into a coma on the spot!" One of the witnesses said to the reporter.

"A coma on the spot?" Cross tried to think of any condition like that from his memory; nothing came up.

"Do you believe she could be a victim of the Another Incident?" The reporter asked.

"I don't think so; the Another Incident only happens in Den City."

Now, this was interesting but concerning. Cross had a feeling that Rosey might be in Den City. Perhaps he should try and check up on her.

A dragon was stirring. It was bathing in a pool of light, content in its basking rays and warmth. Not far from it, Solarflare was sitting down on a rock. One hand scrolling through footage of Link VRAINS and the other resting in a smaller pool of light.

He was mostly covered by a shroud of sorts, only revealing a portion of his face. He was still bitter about that loss. How Rosebud somehow managed to Link Summon a Cyberse Dragon from a Dimensional Tear. Something no one except himself was supposed to possess. Only him and that blasted-!

The realization struck him, causing him to slam his submerged fist down deeper in the pool. Distantly, he could feel the sizzling anger of his dragon grow more with that realization.

"Of course it would get involved. It would have gifted her that ability, of course, it would." He was fighting back an inhumane snarl from his throat. "And if it gifted her the ability so soon, then we don't have much time."

Photon Dragon and Supernova Dragon roared in agreement. Both of them were itching to Duel again.

"I hear you two, but I need time to recover from that attack." He winced slightly. Feeling the pain still present; it would be a bit more time before he fully recovered. "We will need to find Rosebud once more; if she allows it to fully recover, all will be over."

Something of the footage caught his eye. A Knight of Hanoi. They were a group he was intimately aware of. They were hunting and destroying Ignis. One of them, in particular, caught his eye.

"Revolver…" The name rolled off his tongue; the leader and figurehead of the whole operation.

Solarflare could feel the contentment that his dragons had toward Revolver. They have shared those feelings. Yet if Revolver was truly remarkable as what the rare footage he had claimed, then perhaps…

He grinned.

"Now remember, you need to take these at least twice a week. Do that for a few weeks and if you don't get better, you can have your money back." Cross said to a patient, handing them over a prescription paper.

"Thank you so much." The elderly patient bowed and left the office, leaving Cross alone in his white doctor's coat.

Cross sighed, having taken care of another patient for the clinic. He was just relieved things were slow today. He could always take a break in his position. Which he did, stepping outside without his coat and taking a quick breather from things.

His practice was a bit illegal in some cases, considering his previous history. But it was a lot cheaper than many other places; enough to sway those who were recommended by friends or family. He tried to keep it on the down-low. For many reasons. One was to simply not go to jail. The others were more personal. Still, it just kept him afloat enough to get the bare minimum and then enough to gamble away. He was content with this kind of life.

Still, he couldn't help but know the demons that were apart of his past. He was no fool; he just acted that way to forget what happened back then. Being responsible for a kid… he had a chance to adopt his own nephew. Finding his nephew in the hospital scared him; he wasn't ready to raise a kid, nor did he feel worthy. Not with the record he had and the disdain his grandparents had toward him. He could still recall the bitter argument over who would have custody over the child.

"No! I won't let you have him! Not after what you have done!" The look of his father's face still startled him, the anger, the fury in his eyes.

"But-!" Cross tried to explain his side of the story, just so they could understand why he couldn't-!

"What would Mikasa think!? You're a disgrace our family!"

Even with his father's yelling, what broke him the most was his mother's face. The pure grief in losing her daughter and son-in-law. He couldn't bear to break her heart. Not after failing Mikasa. He glanced over to the sleeping child on the bed. His nephew was there, unaware of the bitter hatred and inferno of emotions outside. Hell, the kid hadn't even seen him yet. Cross didn't even know if the kid would even… like him.

Cross lowered his arms, ending his protest. They curled up into fists as he ignored the eyes of both his parents looking at him. He could feel the pain of being disowned and forgotten, but he needed to set the record straight. If not for his own closure, but for Mikasa's sake.

"Listen... I'm sorry I couldn't save Mikasa's or her husband's life… but you can have him." He felt himself relinquishing the argument and conceding into his elder's demands. "But just promise me one thing; don't let him know about me. Please! He has… he's going to suffer enough."

He stopped his mother from saying anything. Just turning and running off, trying to subdue the tears leaking from his face.

That would be the last time he ever saw his family or even had contact with them.

"Crying out here, something must really be troubling you." Cross' eyes snapped open, looking to find Karissa at his doorstep, carrying a potted flower with a grocery bag. Her caring face knew barely anything about his own turmoil. "Is everything alright?"

He wiped the tears away, trying to put a strong face. "...Sorry. I was… reminiscing about my family… or my more like my former family."

"Oh right, I forgot… you told me once before that they disowned you… are you thinking about your nephew still?" She lightly questioned, not expecting an answerback. "I know I shouldn't pry, but…"

"No, it's fine." He was sharp with his response. "I… sometimes I… I think of what could have been. If the kid's been well, or if he even remembers me."

"Have you not been keeping in touch? I mean, I'm not the one to say that, considering how my brother and I are."

He shook his head. "I've cut off all ties from them and I know my nephew doesn't live in town. I just hope he's living a normal life. I just sometimes wonder how he'd think of me… knowing if I existed. Would he hate me? If I was the one responsible for..."

"Well, I'm not a therapist, but maybe someday you'll meet the kid. If you do, then you can get your answer." Karissa and Cross then heard the ring of his phone. "Oh! Sorry, I should go."

"Not to worry. Stay safe Karissa." Cross forced himself to smile, watching her walk off. Still, his thoughts lingered on that child, his own nephew. He was still wondering if his nephew was okay. But maybe, staying distant was the best choice.

~ Next Time on ~

~ VRAINS - COMPENDIUM ~

Celebrating Link VRAINS returning online, a Duel between Sigrún and Sparrow is held for the public to watch! The match goes as intended, but upon its completion, an eclipse suddenly overshadows the main event area. Then, an unexpected foe enters the scene…!?

Find out in Episode 13 - Dawn of the Eclipse

Just like a Pastrybee's Chapter, here comes a Cross Nine centric one almost out of nowhere. (Though we don't get to know his real-life identity just yet.) I needed there to be time to flesh him out and give us a break from the main plot. And what better way than give him his very own chapter? I know Rass still hasn't gotten his own chapter, but since Pastrybee and Cross Nine are more supporting characters, I thought they deserved to get chapters first.

Here I get to expand on the world through Cross Nine by a new city: Vindi City! I wasn't totally sold on the fact all of VRAINS has basically been confined to Den City (then again, I'm not a writer for Yugioh so I don't know if they just did it out of convenience or out of obligation). I just wanted a new location and this fan fiction does so. Including kind of foreshadowing future events while mainly taking a breather from the main plot. And that includes putting in filler! Doesn't everyone love filler?! Plus I wanted to put a bit more of IRL stuff, but I'm trying to pace the plot. Hopefully, this is a good breather chapter. Maybe if you'd like, you can tell me if things are feeling like they're going at a nice pace.

In other news, did anyone see the new Aroma support?! Konami has finally graced the game with brand new Aromage cards. One that I will definitely be using in the new future. (But I already wrote a duel with Rosebud prior to this release, so most likely in the next Duel she's in I'll be debuting the new cards. The pain of writing Chapters ahead of time.) Now all I need is an easy card to access the Aroma Spells and I'll be set.

And they just announced an upcoming structure deck for the Shaddoll Archetype. Which happens to be another one of my favorite Archetypes. I'm pretty excited to see what is to come.

That is enough of my ramblings for now. Sadly I got no real fun facts for the chapter. It was a pretty straightforward chapter. Next time we're going to take things up a notch. I'll see everyone then!