It's been now six years since I started uploading "Crimson Star Priestess"! Thank you for being such an amazing support and reading my fanfic! You guys are the best!

The Crash Town arc is here! I've been looking forward to work with it. There will be some elements from the DS game "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's World Championship 2011: Over the Nexus".

This part begins by the end of Chapter 56: Sins of Arcadia – Part 6.

Once again, thank you to everyone who helped me out to write this arc.

The chapter is in Kalin's point of view.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 67: Crash Town – Prologue

The air was still a bit chilly in late February, but the sunny weather was perfect for patrolling by the outskirts of New Domino City. It still felt a bit surreal that I had become a Sector Security officer. I had a hard time believing myself at first until reality hit me on the graduation day.

Things were a bit rough at the beginning in the police academy, especially for the cadets who had markers like me. We got discriminated by other unmarked cadets and some of the drill sergeants, but that stopped when Director Goodwin visited the academy after getting reports about the misbehavior. The bullies got a strict warning that sergeants would get fired from their job and cadets would lose their chance of becoming an officer.

It was time for changes and equality now that New Domino City and Satellite had been connected.

I had been an officer for only a few weeks now. It was tough at the beginning, but thanks to Estelle, Trudge, Mina, and Kazuma I got used to Sector Security and quickly adjusted to the new circumstances.

The sense of justice and protection I had in my childhood, especially in the Enforcers, had slowly returned through my personal rehabilitation. I had learned to accept my dark past and move on. I didn't try punishing myself anymore for all the bad things I had almost done to both my friends and the whole world. What helped me the most to comprehend the former situation were the conversations I had with Misty and Carly. The three of us had memories from the time as Dark Signers, so we had been great support for each other. It almost felt like we were a group similar to Yusei and the Signers. We secretly agreed that we would try assisting them whenever we could. We owed them that much after they helped us in the past.

I drove toward a diner that was located on the mountains by the ocean to hear from the employees if they had noticed any unusual activities. This area was a bit deserted during daytime, but I heard there were often illegal activities going on at nights like street racings and deals.

I parked my Security patrol Runner in the small parking lot before I noticed a group of three people standing around a Duel Runner. They seemed concerned about something, so I decided to check it out. I removed my helmet and got off the patrol Runner before approaching them.

"Excuse me, is there a problem?" I asked.

The trio looked up and I felt myself stop in my tracks as I made eye contact with one of the people. There were two girls and one man who appeared to be around my age. The tall man had dirty blonde yazuka-like hairstyle while one of the girls had shoulder-length light blue hair and the other girl had long blue hair.

My eyes were glued at the girl with light blue hair. Her hair and facial features looked awfully similar to mine, except she had dark green eyes. Her long bangs were pulled to the left side with two blue hair clips.

"Whoa… Cassy, I think we just found your look-alike", the man said sarcastically.

"A clone…?" the other girl mumbled as the right corner of her lips slightly twitched upward.

The girl named Cassy stared at me with big eyes before they got glassy by unshed tears. "It… It can't be…", she mumbled before tears ran down her cheeks.

"A-Are you okay, miss?" I asked carefully while feeling confused at the same time.

Cassy sobbed softly as she tried wiping the running tears. "K-K… Kalin…"

I flinched in surprise. "How do you know my name?"

"Kalin…", the man repeated before his eyes widened in realization and turned to Cassy. "Cassy, could he be your long-lost brother?!"

"Yes…", Cassy's voice shook as her shoulders moved for each sob.

Now I was really confused. As far as I knew, I had no relatives. My parents died when Zero Reverse occurred and I was one of the lucky few who survived the catastrophe.

A sharp pain suddenly struck my head that forced me down on my knees. I hissed through my teeth as I clutched my head to somehow reduce the pain. Hazy images appeared in my mind of a warm and happy family. I saw my young self being carried by a man while a woman held a toddler girl with the same eyes as Cassy. I could hear voices around me, but it was too overwhelming.

Before I knew it, everything became black.

XXXXXXXXXX

I slowly opened my eyes and was met by the sight of a white ceiling. I caught the smell of disinfectant in the air, so I assumed I was in a hospital. I sat up on the bed just as there was a knock on the door. I watched as Estelle stepped inside the room and smiled in relief when she saw I was awake.

"Kalin", Estelle greeted as she walked to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I think", I said as I rubbed my head, still feeling a little groggy.

"Do you remember what happened?" Estelle asked.

The gears moved in my head as I remembered what happened before I blacked out. "I was in the middle of patrolling when I saw three Turbo Duelists and one of them…looked like me, but a female version."

Estelle softly grabbed my hand and held it with both her hands. I looked at her as she seemed to mentally prepare herself for her next sentence.

"Kalin… I don't know how to say this, but…", she slowly began. "It seems you have a family."

The words struck my mind like lightning.

I had a family this whole time?

"Like…living relatives…?" I mumbled in disbelief.

Estelle nodded softly. "Yes. I always thought you had no relatives, so I never looked it up…until I got the word from a Duel Team that you had collapsed. One of the girls claimed to be your little sister, so while you were unconscious, she had some of her blood drawn for a DNA test. Because of the hospital policy, the nurses can't draw blood from an unconscious patient without their consent, so we decided to wait for you to wake up."

It felt like the world was spinning around me as I tried to comprehend the news. "I… I have a sister…?"

"Do you…want to find out?" Estelle asked carefully.

I leant my head back against the headboard of the bed and put my head against the pillow. "Yes. Before I blacked out, I saw…pictures of a family in my mind… Like they were memories from when I was a small boy."

"Okay. I'll call for a nurse and tell them they can draw blood from you now that you're awake. Do you feel good enough for it?"

"Yes."

XXXXXXXXXX

A nurse drew my blood and took it to the laboratory for the DNA test. While waiting for the result, the girl called Cassy walked into my room and sat silently on a chair next to my bed. She had introduced herself as Cassandra Kessler, but was called Cassy for short.

The silence in the room felt very awkward as I had no idea how to start a conversation with a little sister I had forgotten about. I kept staring at the bed sheets, finding it more interesting to find faded stains than making eye contact with the girl.

"Um…!" both of us began, but we interrupted each other.

"You can go first", I said.

"No, you can", Cassandra shook her head.

I wanted to tell her to go first, but I stopped myself from saying that. Perhaps I should speak up first and tell her my thoughts.

"I'm sorry…", I began while still not looking up at Cassandra. "If… If you're really my little sister, then I'm sorry I forgot about you. I guess…the trauma I dealt with, when Zero Reverse happened, made me forget about my family."

"That…sounds reasonable", Cassandra replied slowly. "I think it would have happened to me too if I went through a giant trauma." She gently placed a hand on top of mine as she smiled with tears running down her cheeks. "I'm just glad…you survived, Kalin. It still hurts that Mom and Dad are gone, but…you're still alive."

I was quiet for a second before I placed my other hand on top of Cassandra's. "This came as a big shock. That must've triggered very old memories to appear in my mind that I blacked out."

There was a knock on the door before Estelle, a male doctor, and an elderly man who looked like he was over sixty years old stepped into the room. Cassandra stood up and hurried to the elderly man while the doctor walked up to my bed.

"Kalin Kessler, after comparing your blood sample with Cassandra Kessler's, we were able to confirm you two are related by blood and have the same parental genetics", the doctor revealed as he checked something on the clipboard he had in his hand. "You two are siblings."

"Si… Siblings…", I apathetically repeated the word. "I… I really have a family…"

The doctor left the room before Cassandra led the elderly man over to the bed. It was then I noticed the man's clothes resembled a little bit of a cowboy.

"Grandpa… This really is Kalin", Cassandra smiled through her tears. "My big brother…"

"Kalin…", the man mumbled in disbelief before he reached out his rough hand and grabbed mine. "You look just like your father, my grandson."

"G-Grandson?" I said confusedly.

Cassandra nodded with her teary smile. "Kalin, this is our grandfather, Klaus."

"G-Grandfather…", I repeated.

It was only then everything became so clear.

I really did have a family. All this time I thought I had no one, but here I had two living relatives.

I couldn't hold back my feelings any longer and began crying. Years of confusion, loneliness, and lament overflowed my body and the only way to get it all out was by bawling like a child.

No one said anything as I cried and let the tears run down my cheeks and drop down onto the sheets. It took some time for me to calm down and when I did, Estelle spoke up.

"I'll make sure to give you a few days break so you can comprehend the situation and spend time with your family, Kalin."

I nodded slowly as I wiped the tears off my cheeks, accepting the offer.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was a bit awkward at first with Cassandra and Klaus, but I soon got used to them and got to hear the family life story. When I was a child, Mom and Dad brought me to New Domino City to visit an amusement park while Cassandra had to stay at home with Klaus because she used to be a sick child. There was four years difference between us, so we got separated when I was seven and she was three.

It turned out Klaus and my parents were originally from New Zealand, but moved to Japan and to this wild-west place called Crash Town a couple of years before I was born. That explained why I didn't have a Japanese name.

I introduced my friends to my family. Yusei and the others were first surprised to hear I had living relatives, but they were all happy for me. I also got to meet Cassandra's teammates, Toru and Misaki. Toru said the two of us used to play a lot back as kids that we considered ourselves brothers. Misaki was a quiet person, but she could be sarcastic and she knew a lot about mechanics.

Cassandra, Toru, and Misaki's team was called Team Icy Scrapwatt and they were going to compete in the WRGP, so I was in a small dilemma. Should I cheer for Yusei's team or Cassandra's team?

I guess I could cheer for both teams and hope they would advance to the finals.

However, while it was a happy reunion, there was a dark cloud hanging above us and I soon got to know the truth.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was the second Saturday of March, so I was off work. I visited Grandpa and Cassandra's place because they had something extremely important to tell me. Toru was also there and Grandpa had invited over his friend, Yanagi Tenzen; a treasure hunter. Yanagi had brought his roommate with him, Bolt Tanner; a former professional Duelist who got dethroned by Jack a long time ago. Yusei mentioned them before and said he became friends with them while he had been in the Facility and they had also been a great support during the war with the Earthbound Immortals.

My eyes widened in disbelief after I heard Grandpa's tale. "I… I'm sorry, but can you repeat that?"

"Sure", Grandpa nodded. "As you know, our family moved to Crash Town and lived there for many years until Cassandra, Toru, and I left the place sometime after the Daedalus Bridge was built last year. That's because of the war between the Malcolm Family and the Radley Group."

Those names sounded like they could be Duel Gangs that my former teammates and I used to take care of while we were the Enforcers.

"What are they fighting about?" I asked.

"The Dyne mines", Toru replied.

"Dyne is a mineral that's excavated in the mountain near Crash Town", Grandpa explained. "Dyne is necessary to make Duel Runners run, and excavating it is how the town makes its living. The town used to be very peaceful and the men were happy to work in the mines, knowing they could provide for not just their families but also for the Turbo Duelists with the valuable mineral."

Cassandra looked down on her lap where she rested her clenched fists. "But… That peace got shattered when two men began demanding more and they recruited Duelists to each side to fight for the mines; Malcolm and Radley."

"The town literally got split in half as some people joined the Malcolm Family and the others joined the Radley Group", Toru added. "Both groups started forcing people to work in the mines as slaves, but it got worse when they began recruiting outcast Duelists."

"What do you mean?" I asked as I started paying more attention than before.

"The groups trick Duelists with money if they can win against the other", Grandpa continued. "The Duels take place each day at sunset. The Duelists who lose…are forced to the mines and work until they're either tortured to death or…they become suicidal."

"That's…horrible", I murmured in shock.

"I can verify that 'cause when I was on my lowest level I got tricked by the Malcolm Family that I would get so much money I didn't have to worry about it for the rest of my life", Tanner spoke up. "I was able to win couple of Duels until I got defeated by a Duelist from the Radley Group. They dragged me to the mines where they forced everyone to work 24/7 without any single break. It was terrible. I witnessed multiple times as bodies collapsed and never woke up again and how some of the workers got tortured so harshly they lost their will to live. It was by pure luck that I was able to escape and hurry back to New Domino City. I tried to tell the authorities about the situation, but I was already marked and Sector Security didn't take my words seriously."

"Has this been going on for years? It's not something that recently started?" I asked.

"Yes, bro", Toru nodded. "The first two years were kinda peaceful with just the Malcolm Family and the Radley Group, but then they became desperate and the rogue Duelists began coming to Crash Town. Many of them were violent, so the villagers who weren't forced to work got frightened to even walk around in the town. Mothers started keeping their children indoors and if women had to go and buy groceries or even fetching medicine in town, they were forced to ask one of the groups for a bodyguard, depending on which side of the town they were living in."

"I remember it too when I visited Klaus a couple of times", Yanagi spoke up. "The first time I saw the fight between the groups was five years ago. Back then, they only consisted of villagers. Two years ago, the groups had grown bigger with outcast Duelists. The leaders never tried to recruit me because I'm an old man, so they still have some sort of respect toward their seniors."

"This is serious…", I mumbled. "Crash Town is literally under control by dictators."

"Kalin…", Cassandra spoke up softly. "Do you think…you can help our hometown somehow?"

"Huh?" I blinked confusedly.

"You work for Sector Security, so perhaps you can speak to your superiors and Director about this matter and…save Crash Town…?" Cassandra spoke as her voice began shaking.

I got up from my seat and hurried to my little sister and brought her into a gentle hug. She clung onto my arms as she sobbed against my chest. I caressed her head and tried to calm her down.

"I'll see what I can do", I promised her. "I won't turn a blind eye on our hometown that's crying for help."

XXXXXXXXXX

On Monday, I managed to have a meeting with Director Goodwin, Estelle, and Trudge to discuss the Crash Town situation. Cassandra and Grandpa got to be with us as they could explain the details, since they were key witnesses.

My superiors listened closely to the story as their reactions were gasps and big eyes, except Director Goodwin who listened with a poker face.

"Such brutality…", Trudge mumbled in disbelief.

"And this has been going on for years?" Estelle asked with a worried expression.

"Yes", Grandpa nodded.

"And the two groups force people to work against their will and are being treated like trash", Cassandra added.

Director Goodwin turned to Estelle who nodded to him. Perhaps it was a signal of some kind.

"Unfortunately, Sector Security cannot commence a raid and stop the conflicts without proper evidence", Goodwin spoke up. "We need someone to infiltrate and collect enough evidence of the situation, both in town and in the mines."

"But, Director, even if they're telling us the truth, we can't risk one of our men to infiltrate Crash Town and put him in harm's way!" Trudge argued.

"But we can't send a drone either", Estelle pointed out. "The drone would quickly get spotted and taken down before we could get five minutes of evidence."

I turned at my relatives, seeing their eyes were starting to lose hope. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let them down after hearing about the condition of my hometown. It was time for me to step up and be a man.

"I'll go", I declared, getting everyone's attention. "I can easily infiltrate one of the groups and say I'm an outcast Duelist who's looking for a job and a place to live. My marker could be enough proof for them and if I dress up as a lone wolf."

"Kalin, you're new in Sector Security and who knows what else they do to traitors behind closed doors! I refuse to risk your life or anyone else's!" Trudge argued.

"Trudge", I said with a serious voice. "I was the leader of the Enforcers with Yusei, Jack, and Crow when we were teens. We faced many difficult situations in the old Satellite and sometimes our lives were put at risk, but we survived. I became a Sector Security officer to help and protect the people so they can live a peaceful life. But this case…is personal because this is my hometown we're talking about."

Trudge opened his mouth to say something when Director Goodwin stopped him by raising a hand up. My superior glared at him before looking away with an irritated expression.

"I understand your reasoning, Kalin", Goodwin said. "And therefore, I choose you to infiltrate Crash Town and collect evidence."

Everyone, even me, got happy to hear the Director was going to assign me for this mission. Trudge just gaped in disbelief when he heard that. "But, Director-"

"However!" Goodwin said seriously to quiet everyone down. "This mission could put your life in danger. Are you ready to risk it to save your hometown and the innocent people who are being treated as slaves and put the two leaders behind bars?"

Was I ready to make a big sacrifice to save the people?

Yes.

Was I ready to protect my hometown and my family?

Yes.

"I am", I nodded with a determined voice.

"Then let's start planning right away", Estelle declared.

XXXXXXXXXX

After two days of planning, I was ready for my first big mission as a Sector Security officer.

I was escorted half-way through the desert by my colleague, Kazuma, in a terrain vehicle. I was now wearing a dark gray jacket, a long sleeve gray shirt underneath it, and black pants with black boots. My clothes were bugged with tiny spy cameras, like the two buttons on my shirt, so I could record lots of evidence and even capture the audio.

Before I left New Domino City, Grandpa had given me Dad's old harmonica which I was wearing around my neck like a necklace with a simple rope. I grabbed it and prayed that Mom and Dad were watching over me and were proud of me that I was going to save Crash Town.

Kazuma parked by a cliff where I got out of the vehicle and waved goodbye to him as he drove back toward New Domino City. I carried a duffle bag with me as I walked the remaining miles to Crash Town. The duffle bag contained some other clothes that were also bugged and some minor "innocent" stuff, like a diary I had a lock on which I was going to use to write down notes for further evidence.

I made it to the tiny town by the time the sun had gone down, so the sunset Duel for the day was over. There were barely any people outside, but I could see some were carefully peeking through the window to watch my steps.

I made it to the middle of a crossroad when a man with a black cape approached me from the east. "Hey you! You're a Duelist?"

"Yes", I nodded. "I've come here because I heard there's some nice job with easy earned money."

"Then today's yer lucky day!" the man chuckled. "My boss's lookin' for a new Duelist after we lost our last one today. The job is easy, but you've got to take a test before gettin' it."

"I like a good challenge", I smirked softly, getting into my act. "Take me to your boss."

XXXXXXXXXX

You can find Cassandra Kessler's full appearance and biography on my DA account.