Notes: I'm not sure what this fic is going to do now. None of these segments were part of my original draft! I really love them, though.

Radley didn't bring up the boy again and Kalin didn't ask. For the next several days, Radley's usual spark was gone. He still invited Kalin to join in with the nightly parties, but his tone was much cooler and more reserved than before. Kalin only stuck around briefly and then departed, as always, but he also felt colder than even before. The only difference was in how Radley had changed towards him. Was it possible, really conceivable, that Kalin . . . missed Radley's friendliness?

It was better this way, really. Radley shouldn't be trying to befriend someone as worthless as Kalin. He was safer staying away. Someday he would be grateful that Kalin had always soundly rejected him.

Someday. . . .

The Bunch, too, were furious with Kalin now. They all shot Kalin frosty looks and were only as congenial as Radley himself currently was with him. Even Scotch, usually the cheeriest of the group, was cold. He idolized Radley; anyone hurting him was dirt in Scotch's eyes.

Kalin was certainly no stranger to the isolation. He had asked for it, really. In every way, he deserved it, or so he felt. Radley had been right to stop trying to be so overly nice. The Bunch knew it too.

But . . .

Every night he lay awake staring up at the ceiling, lost in the past. He saw how close the Enforcers had been: all the laughter and jokes and protecting the Satellite from every possible threat. . . . They had been so tight that they had shared beds. Oh, sure it had been largely out of necessity, since they hadn't been able to afford one for each of them, but people didn't share sleeping spaces with just anyone. They had all trusted each other implicitly.

And then Kalin had wrecked it all. When he had wanted more and more power and the others hadn't been able to take his increasing manias and cruelty, one by one they had all left. He had longed more than anything to have them back. That had been what had driven him to accept the darkness. But then he had only grown more insane and more sadistic. He had tried to destroy Yusei, and the whole world. And now he had been restored to life and sanity and knew all that he had done.

He never cried, at least not on the outside. Any emotions were fully locked inside his heart. If he felt any regret, any sorrow, for what he had done to Radley, that was locked inside too.

And yet . . .

He wished he didn't feel so cold.

xxxx

It was a day much like any other. But as Kalin came out of his room at the boarding house, he heard Mrs. Rickshaw in a sobbing panic downstairs.

"Quilla is on the roof! I don't know how she got up there! You know how Malcolm's men are; if they see her up there, they might try to shoot her! Please, someone, get her down!"

The other boarders, more Duelists, had no interest in chasing after Mrs. Rickshaw's beloved Calico cat. Kalin frowned, pausing as he weighed the problem. He certainly could get on the roof. He had climbed all over the place in the Satellite. It would be no trouble for him to get the cat and come down. The cat wasn't even opposed to him, for some odd reason. She wouldn't shy away from him in fear.

"How did she get up there in the first place?" he grunted.

"Someone must have left a window open and she crawled out!" Mrs. Rickshaw exclaimed. "I've said over and over that the windows are to be kept shut! But most of these ruffians do whatever they want anyway! You, you're different, Kalin. You obey the rules and don't bother anybody. If I could afford to, I would only have boarders like you."

Kalin scoffed at that. How ironic, when he was the worst of any of them.

"I'll get her down," he said.

Mrs. Rickshaw noticeably relaxed. "Oh, thank you, Kalin! Thank you!"

He left his coat inside before climbing out on the second-story ledge. The morning was still early, but Malcolm's Crew were already gathering below for a rich, full day of tormenting anyone they could find. Mrs. Rickshaw was right to be worried. They wouldn't spare an innocent animal.

A soft meow brought Kalin's attention up to the gable, where Quilla was crouched in terror of her surroundings. Her fluffy tail swished with her distress.

"Alright, cat," Kalin said flatly. "I'm taking you back inside." He reached for her, but Quilla flattened herself against the gable. She was too frightened to move, even though she liked Kalin. Scowling in frustration, Kalin tried to pry her up. Her claws dug hopelessly into the shingles in response.

"That is never gonna work."

He started at the familiar voice with the soft Spanish accent. Radley was leaning out the window with an expression that was both surprised and amused.

"Where did you come from?" Kalin grunted.

"I saw what was going on and came in," Radley said. "Mrs. Rickshaw said you actually came out voluntarily to get Quilla. I didn't think you had it in you."

Kalin didn't acknowledge that. "If you can do better, go right ahead," he said. "I can't get anywhere with her."

"She's too scared," Radley said. "You have to soothe her fears before she'll let you pick her up."

"I'm useless at that," Kalin said. "I always was. It was Yusei and Crow who were the comforting ones."

Radley sighed. "Why doesn't that surprise me." He climbed out onto the ledge with Kalin and reached over to pet Quilla. "It's alright, honey," he said softly. "We're just here to help you. You can let go of the roof and we'll be right here to take you inside."

Quilla made a low, worried meow.

"It's okay," Radley insisted. "You're going to be just fine." To Kalin's shock, Radley started singing the old song You've Got a Friend to the cat. Quilla perked up, looking at him as he sang. Slowly her claws came out of the shingles. Kalin took that opportunity to carefully lift her up. Radley kept singing as he led them back towards the window and inside. Kalin held out Quilla and he took her, petting her as Kalin climbed through the window.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Mrs. Rickshaw exclaimed. "You have her!"

Radley let her take her precious cat. "Just make sure all the windows get locked every night, okay? And that if anyone leaves one open, they keep their door shut."

"I most certainly will!" Mrs. Rickshaw declared. "Kalin can help me enforce the closing of the windows!"

Kalin's expression of shock made Radley laugh. "Well, it sounds like Mrs. Rickshaw will have you earning your keep," he said.

Kalin grunted. "If that's what she wants."

Radley waited to speak again until they were alone in Kalin's room. When he did, he was completely serious. "Hey, Kalin . . . I'm sorry I've been cold lately. What you went through . . . the guilt you must have . . . it must be incredible. I can only imagine how I'd feel in your position. If I've been pushing too hard, I haven't meant to."

Kalin was incredulous. "I'm the one who's hurting you, and you're sorry?!" he snorted.

"Yeah. I am." Radley looked sad. "I try to give people space. A lot of the Bunch needed that when I first met them. If you need that too . . ."

"It's not that," Kalin interrupted. "I don't need space just until I figure out whether to trust you or not or whatever the Bunch's reasons were. I need space to figure out my goals and bring them to fruition. Anyone who gets in my way will just be dragged down with me."

I need space because I'm slime and not the kind of person you should know.

"What kind of goals do you have?" Radley frowned.

"Private, personal ones," Kalin said.

Radley sighed. "As long as they don't interfere with my goals. . . ."

"They won't," Kalin interrupted.

"Maybe, but warning that people can be dragged down with you doesn't sound very promising," Radley frowned. "Kalin, what's going on here is bigger than any one person's goals. It's bigger than my or Malcolm's greed for the dyne. You saw a small part of that today. Mrs. Rickshaw was afraid her cat would be shot by Malcolm's men. Apparently you're aware that they would do it. Do you really want people like that ruling this town, or anywhere? The Bunch and I are trying to stop them."

"It's just like the Enforcers all over again," Kalin insisted. "We wanted to get rid of all the other Duel Gangs since they were cruel and unfeeling and oppressed the people. And as soon as we did, I ruined everything by deciding innocent kids were a threat too."

"You really think I would do that?" Radley frowned.

"People are all the same," Kalin said.

"Oh, I guess that means you think the other Enforcer guys would do it too, huh? Then why didn't they? Why did they leave when you started acting out?"

Kalin turned away. That was indeed a flaw in his argument. Radley was right; not everyone was like that. Yusei was the polar opposite of him. So were Jack and Crow.

. . . Actually, maybe Jack was closer in personality to him than the others were. Jack had craved power so much he had betrayed his friends and endangered a young kid to get it. And yet he had still left when Kalin had started to lose his grip on reality. So he had also been good and then had fallen to the darkness later.

". . . You're still like me," he said at last. "You're a leader, like I was."

"Oh, so it's leaders you don't trust," Radley said. "Does that mean you'd like me better if I was a follower?"

Kalin just shrugged. "You'd still have the same personality."

Radley finally just sighed in resignation. This was getting them nowhere and it was just leaving him more and more discouraged and hurt.

"Alright, then. If that's the way you want it. I need to get to the diner. You don't have to come." He started to turn to walk to the door.

Kalin felt the prick come back. Things had been so bleak and dark the last several days. It was all he deserved, but . . . it felt so empty without Radley's cheery and welcoming nature. It had to be that way, though. Radley had to stay away from him. He had to lose so he could be dragged off to Malcolm's part of the mine and suffer for all he had done.

Radley started to turn back. "But just because you don't like me doesn't mean I'll stop being friendly," he said. "Whether you wanna believe it or not, we're in this together, Kalin. That binds us. And even if you want to be miserable, I don't. So . . . I'll see you for the duel tonight and I'll invite you to join us for the celebration afterwards, like always."

Kalin stared at him. After all the hurt and pain, he was still going to try? He really was a fool.

"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to say anything. I'll see you tonight." Radley walked backwards for several steps and then waved and turned, heading out into the hall.

Kalin turned away too. If Radley wanted that so badly, Kalin would let him have it. They really were bound, he supposed, until he lost. That would change everything.

For now, though . . . he would try to deny the spark of relief in his heart. He didn't feel so cold now.

xxxx

With Radley back to being his normally friendly self, the Bunch, too, began to thaw towards Kalin again. Soon it was just as it had been, with their boisterous antics and Radley's cheer. Kalin relaxed as he watched them and slowly drank from the glass of root beer. They were like the Enforcers and yet not. He couldn't remember the Enforcers ever being so wild or so silly in their celebrations. But maybe he would change his mind on that if he really looked back at some of their parties. He wasn't sure how faulty his memory was these days. Mostly he fixated on the bad and didn't want to think about the good. It was too painful, remembering what had been and what could never be again.

He started slightly when Scotch plopped down next to him. "Radley is the greatest, isn't he?!" Scotch gushed.

Kalin grunted. "You think so, apparently."

Scotch frowned. "You should too! Radley's been good to you, probably better than you deserve!"

That brought a shrug. "I can't argue with that. I don't deserve any goodness at all. But is Radley's reason for offering it out of kindness or out of business sense?"

"Out of being Radley!" Scotch retorted.

"That's not a very helpful explanation," Kalin flatly pointed out.

"Well . . . it's both!" Scotch finally said. "You should know that! Radley knows being nice is a good business strategy! But he wouldn't be able to throw his heart in it like he does if he didn't genuinely care about people!"

". . . How long have you been with him?" Kalin asked.

"Five years," Scotch said. "Almost all of us have been with him a long time! Clint was the only one who joined us after we got here."

"He was one of the Duelists in town?" Kalin said without really caring about the answer.

"Just a townsperson passing through," Scotch said. "Then he saw how great Radley is and how fun we all are and decided to stay!"

"Are you telling everyone I'm amazing again?" Radley chuckled, glancing over at the scene.

"Well, it's true!" Scotch said.

Kalin looked far away again. The Enforcers had had idolizing fans too, but from without, not within. The kids Crow had looked after had thought they were the most incredible guys ever. They reminded Kalin of Nico and West. Crow had been their favorite, but they had loved all the gang.

"Hey, Earth to Kalin. Are you still with us?"

Kalin started. "Yes."

"Oh good." Radley smirked, but there was a definite hint of sadness in his eyes. "I thought maybe Scotch was boring you out of your mind with all his praise of me."

"I find it interesting that you're so well-loved," Kalin said.

"Because you don't think I'm worthy of it?" Radley retorted.

Kalin grunted. Maybe that was part of the reason. But everyone was happy; he didn't want to get into that.

"It just reminds me of the past," he said.

Radley seemed to accept that. "Yeah," he said softly. "Duel Gangs like us have a responsibility to the people we protect. We look out for them, sure, but we also give them something intangible and invaluable. We give them hope. They see us fighting tooth and nail against everything that's wrong in this world or even just against everything that's wrong in the area they call home and it cheers them up, makes them wanna shoot for the stars too. Most kids have larger than life heroes unless there's someone in reality that they can look up to. If there's a Duel Gang around, we're it."

"Kids often idolize people they shouldn't," Kalin said.

"That's why it's our responsibility to give them good role models to look up to and emulate," Radley said. "Suppose kids saw our gang and Malcolm's. How many do you really think would wanna imitate Malcolm's? Bullies, sure, but the nice kids, the ones who are always getting pushed around, it'd inspire them to see what looked like the less powerful gang holding off the more powerful one."

Kalin grunted. "So does that mean you think you're winning even when you can't really beat Malcolm back or overthrow him?"

"I'm always hoping we're getting there," Radley said. "With your help, I know we can do it."

"You put too much hope and trust in me," Kalin said.

"I put what I feel you deserve," Radley said. Lowering his voice, he added, "Don't prove me wrong."

Kalin really didn't know how to respond to that. He just drank the rest of his root beer in silence.

xxxx

The diner had a large porch that was nice for sitting and thinking on good days. That night, Kalin stepped out of the building and found Radley sitting on one of the chairs, staring off into the distance. Noticing Kalin, he smiled.

"Hi. Join me?" he greeted.

Kalin shrugged and went over, claiming the other chair.

"You're welcome to come here any time you'd like," Radley said. "I know you like hanging out on the plateau, but it's pretty peaceful here too. Well, once Malcolm's men are settled in the Red Scarf Saloon or in the villa, anyway."

". . . Why do they have the villa?" Kalin suddenly asked.

Radley blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"It's Spanish, isn't it?" Kalin elaborated. "It should be yours."

Radley smiled a bit, looking pleased that Kalin had thought that out. "Yeah, it should be mine." He sighed. "They just got to it first, that's all. It was already claimed when we got here. And I hate to think what they've done to it. They've got no respect for historical buildings. Or anything else. Malcolm is always all 'Take, take, take.' You know the cacti around town?"

Kalin nodded.

"They're called saguaro. They're a stereotypical image of the Old West, but they actually only grow naturally in Arizona. Malcolm poached them and brought them here just because he felt like it!" Radley's eyes flashed in indignation.

". . . That sounds like him," Kalin remarked.

Radley nodded. "When we throw him out, I'm claiming the villa and doing whatever I need to in order to renovate it. The saguaro, though . . . I'm not sure what to do about them. They seem to be growing well, so I kinda hate to uproot them again, even to take them back to Arizona."

"Just leave them," Kalin said.

"That's what I'd rather do," Radley admitted. "They're kind of a key image of the town now."

". . . If you get the villa renovated, what are you going to do with it from there?" Kalin asked. "Will the Bunch move into it?"

"Oh, hmm. I don't know." Radley leaned back, pondering. "I know it looks huge, but if that many people were living in it, I think we'd all have less space than we do in our homes. Besides, it's easier to protect the town if we're not all grouped in one place. I think being spread out all up and down the street is safer for the town. We're more on the ball if things go wrong. Anyway . . . I love those guys, but I'm concerned just an itty-bit that they might get too rambunctious for such a beautiful old building. It could be as old as the 18th century!"

"Then maybe you should restore it as a hotel or a museum," Kalin suggested.

"I lean more towards that," Radley agreed. "It would make an amazing hotel. But who knows, maybe when I actually get to see inside it, I'll fall in love with it so much I'll decide I wanna move in anyway."

"If you ever see inside it," Kalin flatly remarked.

"I will," Radley said. "We will, I hope."

Kalin frowned as something else occurred to him. If Radley got his wish of overthrowing Malcolm, it would come at the expense of Kalin being able to pay for his crimes. Either Kalin would lead him to victory and never experience Malcolm's mine at all, or another Duelist would help him after Kalin's fall and then all the prisoners would be set free, including Kalin.

If he was still alive at that point, of course.

"You're going quiet again," Radley sighed. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," Kalin said. "Just don't get your hopes up that I'll be with you."

Radley frowned. "You're really anxious to move on and leave me behind, huh? What are you planning to do with all the money I've been paying you? You're really accumulating a nice little nest egg."

Kalin paused. He hadn't even considered that. Maybe he would send the money on to Yusei. Then it wouldn't go to waste.

"Okay, nevermind. I'm prying again. I get it." Radley leaned back against the chair and stared up at the starry sky. "You know, I wonder . . . if we'd met under different circumstances, do you think we'd be friends?"

Kalin grunted. ". . . I don't know."

Radley wilted a bit. "You really don't like me, do you?"

It was much more complicated than that, but Kalin didn't feel like pondering it or talking about it. The silence, however, was deafening.

". . . I know, I'll never be what you want from someone. I shouldn't care and I should stop trying. And I don't wanna change myself for anyone again, but . . . won't you at least tell me where I'm going wrong?" Radley sighed again. "The way I am towards you . . . it's the way I'd want to be treated if I was in your position. But I guess that approach is wrong for you and then some. If I knew what you wanted, I could try . . ."

"I don't know what I want," Kalin interrupted. "And it doesn't matter. I'm not planning to ever be with anyone ever again, no matter who they are or what they're like."

". . . If that's what you want." Radley wearily shook his head. "Sometimes I really wish I knew why I like you, Kalin. You're cold and hard. That's not like me. And honestly, I think 'opposites attract' is nonsense. I don't like cold and hard. So . . . what am I sensing that's different about you?"

"I have no idea." Kalin wouldn't face him now. He just stared out at the night and the dyne mountain silhouetted against the sky.

"Then I'm not going to think about it any more tonight." Radley tiredly closed his eyes.

When he started to doze, Kalin moved to get up. But he paused, frowning as he looked at his boss. He couldn't leave Radley out here alone. He would be completely vulnerable to Malcolm's men if they happened to be taking a late-night stroll.

Kalin sat back down in the other chair. He could either wake Radley up, look for the Bunch, sit here on the porch with him, or carry him inside. For the moment he didn't mind staying so much, so he just sat and gazed out at the sky as Radley had done.

He had found Yusei doing that a lot at the Enforcers' hideout. Kalin had been too impatient and too interested in what was happening on Earth to care much about celestial bodies, but Yusei had always been fascinated. Crow had sometimes humored him a little, but Kalin and Jack had absolutely not been interested.

Strange that now he was living where there was a fantastic view of the stars and he often engaged in star-gazing himself.

He glanced over at the other man. Still asleep. He looked exhausted, the tired lines under his eyes more apparent.

Radley was a strange sort of gang leader. Unlike Kalin, and pretty much any other gang leader from the Satellite, he liked to read and sing and look at the stars. In some ways, maybe, he was more like Yusei than Kalin. But he was also his own person. Yusei didn't care about singing, and Radley was more concerned about cleanliness than most people Kalin had met. That made sense when he ran a restaurant, Kalin supposed. And like Yusei, Radley really cared about people.

If he was all he claimed to be.

Was it all an act to try to win Kalin's loyalty? Was he just that greedy and grasping?

Kalin had thought so at first. Now, he really wasn't sure. Radley seemed so sincere, it was seeping through Kalin's icy veins and cold heart.

He wanted to believe. But he couldn't indulge himself in anything he wanted, except suffering. That was the only thing that was right.

Radley stirred, sleepily blinking at Kalin. ". . . Oh wow, did I fall asleep?"

"Yes," Kalin grunted. "For a few minutes."

Radley yawned and sat up straight. "I guess that's a good indication it's time to go to bed. It's been a long day for me. How about you, Kalin? Are you ready to crash?"

Kalin just shrugged.

". . . Yeah, you'd probably never eat if I didn't make sure of it," Radley sighed. "And maybe you won't sleep unless I tuck you into beddy-bye?"

"I sleep," Kalin said vaguely. Although the truth was that he pretty much only slept when his body gave out on him and insisted against his will. Sleep wasn't a relief; it was generally peppered with nightmares of the past and new visits from his Dark Signer self. Kalin preferred being awake with his pain to any of that.

Radley stood up and stretched his arms above his head. "I know that tone of voice by now," he said. "You never take care of yourself for your own sake, but Kalin, I need you in good condition for the duel tomorrow night. You've gotta rest."

"I'll rest," Kalin said. "And you don't have to tuck me in."

Radley quirked an eyebrow. "I'll hold you to that," he said, only half-joking.

Kalin grunted. "Do you want me to follow you home in case any of Malcolm's men are around?"

"Hmm. It's not a bad idea," Radley said. "It's late and the Bunch have all gone home. But I don't know if I want you roaming the streets this late by yourself, either. If you come back with me, maybe you should just sleep over."

"Kids have sleepovers," Kalin deadpanned.

"I didn't say 'sleepover,' I said sleep over," Radley retorted, emphasizing each word.

Kalin just smirked and turned away.

Radley paused, blinking in shock. "Hey, did you just make a joke?! Kalin?!" He chased after his Duelist, but Kalin wasn't offering any further information.

Had he deliberately made a joke? The old him would have done it without batting an eye. But this him, this hollow shell of a man . . . it wasn't like him at all. And yet, for some reason he had felt like doing it. For a brief moment he had allowed himself to feel comfortable around Radley . . . and it had felt good.

He couldn't give in, though. He didn't deserve nice things . . . if Radley's companionship was a nice thing. He was still skeptical, he still wondered . . . but another part of him wanted to accept it, embrace it.

He couldn't, though.

But he did accompany Radley back home, and he did agree to stay over that night, in Radley's guest room.

That was the first time since his revival that he actually had a peaceful sleep.