Chapter Three
Lector was in his room, slowly undoing his tie and setting his suitcoat aside, when a knock came at his door. He walked over, half-expecting what he would find. "Hello, Nesbitt," he greeted his friend.
Nesbitt grunted and walked in without waiting for an invitation. "I don't know what to make of this Kalin kid," he said. "I know you had to notice that he's been saying and doing some absolutely bizarre things."
Lector sighed. "Yes, I've noticed. I wonder what the explanation is myself."
"And yet you don't find it suspicious enough to pursue it," Nesbitt scowled.
"Did you have any luck when you did?" Lector countered.
Nesbitt's eyes flickered in his surprise. "You knew?"
Lector smiled. "Let's just say I knew it wouldn't be like you not to try to get him to talk after the things he said and did."
Nesbitt still looked frustrated. "Well, you're right that I didn't have any luck. He knows he's being frustrating, but he won't explain himself!"
"I really didn't think he would," Lector said.
"And that's why you didn't question him?" Nesbitt frowned. As Gozaburo Kaiba's right-hand man, Lector had learned to study people a great deal—completely the opposite of the unsociable, reserved Nesbitt. Lector was good at knowing what people would do or why they were doing it.
"Most of the reason," Lector said. "I'm hoping that maybe if I give him some space, he'll decide on his own to talk."
"I didn't think of that," Nesbitt admitted. "But honestly, I don't think he will."
Lector sighed and nodded. "Actually, I'm afraid you're right. Whatever horrors he's seen, he's not ready to talk about them. I highly doubt he will decide to open up to a near-stranger."
"I wonder just how much of a near-stranger you or any of us are to him," Nesbitt growled. "He definitely knows a lot more than he's saying. But how is that possible?! Where is he getting his information, and why is he so bent on not letting us in on the secret?!"
"I most certainly wish I knew," Lector sighed.
"Apparently he thinks it's better for us if we don't know," Nesbitt said. "But why? Why would it hurt us to know?!" He dug his hands into his hair.
"Maybe someone else might try to hurt us if we knew?" Lector suggested. "Maybe whoever he gets his information from would think we also know something shady about them and try to silence us?"
Nesbitt started to pace. "That doesn't make sense, though!"
Lector shook his head. "Nesbitt, you are going to make me dizzy." He sighed. "Maybe I should ask Mr. Kessler if he's running from someone."
"I should have pointed out that I didn't find his name in any database I tried," Nesbitt realized.
"That would be a good thing to let him know," Lector acknowledged. "He must be using an assumed name. Maybe it's just to stay hidden from the people he hurt, but we should find out for certain."
Nesbitt stopped pacing. "At least I convinced you that we shouldn't just stand by and wait for him to make the next move."
"I don't really get the feeling he's running from anyone," Lector said. "I don't sense fear from him. But yes, you're right that we need to make sure."
Nesbitt perked up. "Should we go now?"
Lector sighed. "I think we should let him rest a while first, at least."
That brought another scowl. "Why are you so protective of this kid? It's not usual for you to latch on to someone we hardly know!"
"Yes, but in this case he reminds me of you," Lector said.
Nesbitt flushed a bit and looked away. ". . . Okay then. We'll give him some time to rest. But he'd better not end up slipping away before we get the chance to talk to him."
"Hopefully not," Lector agreed.
xxxx
They were Turbo Dueling through the mark of the Giant that was sealing them in. He was winning; it wouldn't take much more and Yusei would be lost to the Shadows. It thrilled him, filled him with horrific glee to see Yusei winding down. There was nothing more Yusei could do and he knew it.
Insane laughter echoed throughout the enclosed space. "Let's have fun tearing each other to shreds!"
He moved to deliver the final blow.
Kalin screamed, falling out of bed with a loud crash. For a long moment he just knelt where he was, breathing heavily, trying to take in reality and leave the horror behind.
If only it really was just a nightmare, a figment that had never happened. But it had happened, and that was the worst thing about it.
"I did that," he whispered. "I did that. . . ."
And there was no forgiveness, no redemption, for crimes such as that. He could never forget it.
He grabbed the edge of the bed and shakily pulled himself up. Had he awakened anyone? Everything sounded so quiet in the hall, but how could he have not been heard? Were the walls really that thick? He definitely would have woke up everyone in Satellite for blocks.
He slowly moved to the door and quietly eased it open. No one was stirring, incredibly. He stepped into the hallway for a better look. Maybe he should just get his coat and leave now, before anyone could notice. . . .
He jumped at the sight of a couch positioned in front of the upstairs railing. A large plant had hidden it from his view at his room. Both Lector and Nesbitt were on it, sleeping against each other. Lector had an arm around Nesbitt, holding him close.
What were they doing out here? Had they been waiting for him, to see if he would try to get away? Nesbitt had no doubt gone to Lector with his concerns and suspicions. Either that or Lector had figured it out and talked to Nesbitt about it.
Kalin sighed and slumped back. Maybe he could still slip out past them. Or maybe he should just go on back to bed. They looked peaceful and deeply asleep, but maybe they would wake up if he tried to go past.
A certain wistfulness flickered in his eyes as he half-turned to go back up the hall. Those two. . . . They had started out not getting along at all, and had become so close. In his time, they were still like that. Maybe even moreso by then; they were pretty much inseparable.
He and Yusei's friendship had ended up the exact opposite. They had started out close and then everything had fallen apart. What he wouldn't give to have what Lector and Nesbitt had! But he never could now, and he could never forget that. He had ruined everything and he wasn't worthy of ever having such a gift back after throwing it away.
"Mr. Kessler?"
He started. Lector was rousing up and looking to him, sleepily blinking as he adjusted his position. At his side, Nesbitt stirred as well.
". . . I'm sorry," Kalin said. "I didn't mean to wake either of you. I was just going back to bed."
"What were you doing in the hall anyway?" Nesbitt grunted. "It's early to be leaving."
Kalin looked away. "It's probably still snowing right now." He wasn't about to admit that he had come out to try to make sure he hadn't awakened anyone with his nightmare.
Nesbitt sat up straight, running a hand into his hair. ". . . You know, I couldn't find any information about you anywhere, even in the government databases," he blurted. "Why?"
"You think I would know?" Kalin replied, mostly addressing the wall.
"Yeah, I do," Nesbitt said, "just like you know about all these other things you really shouldn't be able to know."
Lector sighed. "Mr. Kessler . . . are you trying to hide from someone?"
Kalin spun around. "What?!"
"You must have given us a false name," Lector explained. "Is it because someone is after you?"
A faint smirk played on the edges of Kalin's mouth. He leaned against the wall with a resigned sigh. "I didn't give you a fake name," he insisted. "And no, no one is after me." No one other than the ghost of my former self.
"Then what's going on?!" Nesbitt burst out in frustration.
"You didn't have to take me in, you know," Kalin pointed out. "I would have stayed out in the storm. I promised no danger will come to any of you because of me, and I meant it. You're safe. Can't that be good enough?"
"No," Nesbitt flatly replied. "When you say such outlandish things and won't explain yourself, how can we trust anything else you say?"
Kalin hesitated. "If you really want to know, think about it," he said. "How could I know these things?"
"We've been trying to think about it, Mr. Kessler," Lector said. "We've presented you with what we've come up with."
Kalin sighed. "When the storm is over, I'll leave," he said. "Then you won't have to worry anymore."
Lector got up from the couch. "But where will you go?"
"I don't know," Kalin admitted. "Far from here, probably. I need to get away from the memories."
"And from your friend?" Nesbitt pointedly asked.
"Him too," Kalin agreed. "Especially him. I want him to be happy. He won't be if I'm around."
"I used to think things like that," Nesbitt said as he got up too. "It wasn't true. It was hard to comprehend . . . in fact, it's still hard to comprehend . . . but my friends didn't and don't see me the way I've seen me. When I could only see the bad, they saw the good. They saw something worth fighting for . . . so I've been trying hard to not hate myself and to see myself at least somewhat the way they see me."
Kalin looked to him, and his eyes appeared so dead that Nesbitt actually took a step back, shaken by the sight. "The thing is, with me there is no good," he said. "I guess that's somewhat what I'm hoping to prove wrong, that there is something worth saving about myself. But right now, I've seen no such indication of that."
Lector's heart twisted. This was indeed like trying to talk to Nesbitt during some of his worst moments. "For you to feel so badly about what you did, that right there shows goodness," he insisted. "To feel true sorrow is the first step on the road to repentance."
"Maybe so, but there's nothing I can do to go on from there," Kalin said. "I can't take away what I did. I can't make restitution. The only thing I know to do for them at all is to stay away from them."
"That was exactly how I felt and what I did," Nesbitt gruffly admitted. "I thought I was doing them a kindness. But some of them thought I just wasn't sorry at all and the others felt badly that I felt that way. They were happier when I reached out to them."
Kalin paused. Yusei would probably be like that. He had never stopped reaching out to Kalin, and when Kalin had died in his arms, he had screamed. Yusei knew Kalin had been revived, but that he hadn't stuck around to say anything to him. Yusei probably understood why Kalin had left, and maybe he wasn't happy about it at all. But . . . how could Kalin go back to him?
"Thanks for trying to help," he said at last. "For now I'm going to go back to bed."
Lector sighed. "Then we'll see you in the morning, Mr. Kessler."
Maybe, Kalin thought to himself.
xxxx
Kalin never did manage to get back to sleep. For a long time he sat in the windowseat and watched the snowfall while his thoughts wandered. Life in the Satellite had been hard and cruel, but occasionally there had been nice times. Christmas had always been a big event, with Satellites celebrating as best as they knew how. Some remembered how life had been before Zero Reverse, when Domino City had been as it was now. They had tried to bring that to the kids.
Even though travel between New Domino City and Satellite had been forbidden until recently, some people had still defied the law and found ways to cross between the areas anyway. Many in New Domino City enjoyed the Satellite marketplace, where they could find good items for cheap prices. Others had come to try to make life in Satellite a little more bearable for those who lived there, donating to or running charity drives or trying to help people they already knew who were stranded there. Some had even smuggled Satellites into New Domino City when they could.
Joey Wheeler and his sister Serenity had been among the Good Samaritans. Some of the Big Five had tried to help as well. Maybe all of them had; Gansley had never made the trip that Kalin knew of, but Lector and Nesbitt had been around. Sometimes they had brought Joey and Serenity and Serenity's husband Duke Devlin. It had always been a risk, even for those with good money, but the kind-hearted citizens had felt it worth the danger. Yusei had appreciated all that they did, but Kalin had felt it wasn't enough. Now he could see that they had done all that they possibly could. They had also lobbied for change in New Domino City, even though the politicians had been unmoved. All of them had risked their lives and their freedoms in so many ways, just to try to make things better for Satellite. They hadn't needed to do any of that, and most in New Domino City didn't. People connected with Yugi Muto had always been different.
How strange to think that now the two halves of the city were united once again. Kalin would really like to see that, to be there to watch Satellite prosper once more. It had been his dream long ago. But now he was the Prodigal Son, and unlike that Biblical character, he could not go home.
He started back to the present at the realization that the snow had stopped. It was still late, or early, depending on one's definition, but he should really get going. He had wreaked enough chaos in these people's lives. They would probably be questioning who he was and how he knew things for ages to come. And they would never find him, as he would quietly slip through the portal back to his time and not be heard of for decades. Maybe when they caught up with his time, they would remember him and realize the truth.
He walked across the room and gathered his coat, quietly slipping into it before opening the door and again stepping into the hallway. No one was there now, including on the couch. Hopefully they were all asleep.
He managed to get downstairs without incident. It didn't take long to undo the locks on the door and step onto the porch. He locked the door behind him before heading down the stairs and the long driveway.
He frowned a bit at his footsteps in the snow. Maybe they would be able to track him for a while through those. On the other hand, that would only last until he walked where other people had been walking. Then they wouldn't be able to pick out his footprints from others'. He didn't have anything to sweep them away with, so that logic would have to do.
He cast a last look back at the mansion when he reached the end of the driveway and was about to climb over the wall. It had been quite a change of pace to see how the rich lived, even if only for a few hours. He wasn't likely to ever get another such chance. But he had to think about others for once, instead of only thinking of himself. It was better for everyone if he left.
Wasn't it?
He frowned, his hands still on the wall as he paused. Actually, if he was honest with himself, he still didn't know what the right thing was. No one really wanted to know their future, did they? Especially such a grim future.
But if they knew, maybe they could change it.
Was it right to change it?
It was a hopeless cycle. He could not figure out the answer. He could not arrogantly proclaim that he knew and that he was doing a good and noble thing for mankind, or even for his friends.
"You're leaving already?"
He jumped a mile. Nesbitt stepped out of the shadows, silent despite the snow on the ground. A worried Lector opened the door and stepped onto the porch.
"How did you get here without me noticing?" Kalin exclaimed.
"I'm a fifth Dan rank in kendo," Nesbitt replied. "I know how to be a shadow."
That seemed strange coming from the most impulsive and reckless member of the Big Five. But this was definitely the proof of Nesbitt's words. Maybe Nesbitt was the reason why he and his friends had gone undetected by Sector Security during all of their trips to the Satellite.
"I think we figured it out, Mr. Kessler," Lector said. He came down the stairs, pulling his robe close around him. "You're from the future. It's the only explanation that makes perfect sense."
Kalin pushed away from the wall. "It sounds like science-fiction."
"We might have thought that once," Lector admitted. "But every now and then, portals from other places open up around town."
Nesbitt nodded and folded his arms. "And I'll bet that if we look hard enough, we'll find an open portal right now. Won't we?"
Finally Kalin sighed and turned to face them. What was the use in continuing to deny it? "Yes," he conceded. "You're right; there is a portal and I came through it from the future. I didn't know what was happening until I'd passed through. I should have immediately gone back, but my curiosity got the best of me. I also should have been more careful about what I said and did. I wasn't prepared to come here and I didn't know how to react."
"And everything strange you said and did is because of this future you're from?" Nesbitt frowned.
"Including your reaction to Mokuba?" Lector's expression turned pleading. "Mr. Kessler, why? What's happened in your future? Are all of us . . . not alright?"
Kalin clenched a fist. "I don't know what the right thing is to do," he said. "I just came from hurting everyone I used to care about. I don't want to do anything more to them! And I don't know whether or not you should know your future. You might be able to change it, but . . . is that truly the right thing to do? In my time, my friends are some of the protectors of the world. They were shaped by the lives they led up to that point. To change the future, they might not even come out the same. They might not even be the people I know! They might not be worthy protectors any longer."
Lector and Nesbitt exchanged a look.
"I must confess that I'm not sure what the right thing to do is either," Lector said, "and yet I feel I have to know! If the situation were reversed, Mr. Kessler, would you be able to resist knowing the fate of your loved ones?"
Kalin exhaled, loudly. "No, I don't think I could." Finally he walked towards them. "But let's not talk out here."
"No, let's not," Lector agreed. "The others should hear this as well."
"And Yugi and the rest will be interested too," Nesbitt pointed out.
"I guess you'll tell them later even if I don't talk to them now," Kalin said.
"I believe that since this concerns all of us, and everyone you know, Sir, we should all be there," Lector said. "I don't want to wait until you go back to tell them. We need to decide together what to do."
Kalin's eyes flickered. Lector was trying to be very fair. That surprised him somewhat, and yet perhaps it shouldn't. Lector had always been the most justice-driven of the Big Five.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
"I will start calling everyone," Lector said. "It's early, but they will want to know anyway, and I doubt any of us will be getting any more sleep tonight."
"I know I won't," Nesbitt grunted.
The three of them walked back to the house and inside. Kalin watched as Lector shut and locked the door. ". . . I will say that all five of you are still alive," he said.
"That's good to know," Nesbitt said.
Lector paused in mid-dial. "You acted like you'd only heard of us and never met us," he said in surprise.
"That's true," Kalin said. "But you're still in the news. You're all pretty much the same as you are now, very close-knit and protective of each other and your other loved ones."
"Like Serenity," Nesbitt prompted.
"Yes," Kalin said. "But I'll wait to say more until everyone's here."
"You'd better not try to run again," Nesbitt growled.
"I won't," Kalin promised.
A door at the top of the stairs opened and Crump emerged, yawning and rubbing at his eyes. "What's goin' on?" he mumbled. "It's too early to be up."
"Yeah, well, our guest was trying to leave," Nesbitt informed him, "and we finally found out why. He's from the future and wasn't sure he should tell us."
"WHAAAT?!" Crump yelled.
That brought Gansley's and Johnson's doors open as well.
"What on Earth, Crump," Gansley grumped.
"He has legitimate concerns," Lector said. "But he's agreed to tell us everything when we bring everyone together."
Johnson quirked an eyebrow. "Well, I will most certainly be on pins and needles until then," he intoned.
"Won't we all," Nesbitt muttered.