After All The Pain I've Been Through
Scotch looked utterly delighted when Radley joined the other Duel Runner users outside. "You're coming, Radley?!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah," Radley smiled. "I wanted to give it a go."
"Epic! It'll be even more fun with you here!" Scotch said.
"That's how I feel too," Kalin said. "Of course, we'll have to make sure we don't overtax him; he's still recovering."
"It'll be a short race!" Scotch promised.
"I'll lead off," Yusei said. That was logical when he knew the City best. He sped off towards the highway. The others swiftly followed. The rest of the Bunch observed and cheered them on.
Kalin's hair blew around freely in the wind as he rode. Here, riding with his friends, he felt much more at ease and more free than trying to ride alone. Somehow too, it seemed easier to put the past in the past. They were all riding together and happy. It wasn't like it had been before. He was no longer a Dark Signer; he was embracing a new future.
Radley caught sight of him as they rode and he smiled big. Apparently the change in him was obvious.
They all rode along the highway for a while. Then Yusei exited and the others followed, traveling up and down several big streets before going back to the dealership to finish. Yusei pulled in first, but the other three weren't far behind.
The observing Bunch whooped and hollered to see them all come in. Scotch was elated as he took off his helmet. "That was amazing!" he gushed.
"I think it was just what we all needed," Radley smiled, looking to Kalin.
Kalin nodded. No high stakes, no duels, just a fun trip with friends.
"I'm glad," Yusei said. "Come around any time. Crow and Jack would like to see you too, and I need to introduce you to Bruno."
"Cool," Radley smiled.
"I want to see them," Kalin said. "For now, I think we'd better head back. Thank you, Yusei."
"I'm glad I could come," Yusei said.
They were all in high spirits as they left. Klaus noticed. "You must've had a good time," he said.
"We did," Radley smiled.
Kalin nodded. "I think you were right that having Yusei around would be a good idea," he said to Radley. "Although I don't know if I'd feel as at ease if we'd dueled. I liked just riding without worrying about that."
Radley nodded. "Do you feel any better about taking on the WRGP?" he wondered.
"I'm not sure. Maybe tomorrow or the next day we can try a Turbo Duel," Kalin said. "I think the thought of Turbo Dueling is really what's been tripping me up."
"That makes sense," Radley said.
"This WRGP is coming up real fast," Klaus remarked. "There's banners and flags and other signs all over the City. Do you really think you can still make it?"
"We're still not sure," Kalin said.
"It's just that we're not giving up yet," Radley added.
"You're sure tryin' hard, at least," Klaus remarked. "I'll give you that."
"And then there's the town," Radley said with a bit of a sigh. "Do you think we'll go back to an all-out war between the different factions?"
"Like I said, things were heating up," Klaus said. "Your supporters are pretty darn stubborn, but so's Bettina's crowd. And then Malcolm's supporters are a whole other ballgame. Do you really think any of them should have been allowed to stay on?"
Radley looked tired. "How could we kick them out just for believing Malcolm was right?" he said. "Some of them just thought he was more experienced and that he was the better choice because of that. They didn't know about the torture."
Kalin nodded. "And as long as they didn't, and didn't torture anyone themselves, it would only make the town a dictatorship to throw them out for their ideals." He shook his head. "That was what I tried to do before. Never again."
"I guess I see where you're comin' from, but it worries me to have anyone around who supported Malcolm," Klaus said. "If they were strongarmed into it, that's one thing, but if they outright believed Malcolm's way was right, I can't think they're right in the head even if they didn't do anything themselves. Who knows what they might be capable of in the future!"
"We'll keep an eye on them," Radley promised.
"That might not be enough," Klaus said. "They're slimy little rodents, they are."
"Well, I can't deny they're not my favorite people in town," Radley chuckled.
"Then there's also the villa," Klaus said. "It's yours now, but you haven't ventured in it yet, have you?"
"I haven't," Radley said. "I did, however, send the Bunch in right at the first to make sure any and all trash cans were emptied. The fridge too. The last thing we wanted to end up with was a stinky building."
"Good for you, Radley," Klaus said. "But what about the Crewmembers who're staying on? Don't they want the place still?"
"They didn't have any say in whether it went to me," Radley said. "It was owned solely by Malcolm. I did offer them the option of staying on, but they decided they'd rather move out into actual houses. I let them take the fridge food with them."
"The villa'd better not be too bad off," Klaus growled. "If it is, that Malcolm should be strung up for letting his men wreck a valuable old building like that!"
Radley just shook his head. "Sadly, if that was his worst crime, we'd be in good shape."
That sobered Klaus. "You're right, Radley. I didn't mean to treat things so flippantly."
Radley managed a wan smile. "I know."
". . . Most of the rest of the town is put together by now," Kalin said. "We'll probably need to look at the villa before inviting people to come see our town."
"Yeah. I've been thinking about that." Radley stared out the window at the desert brush and rocks. "I think I'm well enough now to deal with it." He looked to Kalin with a smile. "Maybe we can tackle it tonight or tomorrow."
"You've already done a lot for today," Kalin said.
"Well, we'll see how I feel after we get home and eat," Radley mused.
xxxx
As it turned out, Radley was in quite high spirits after a good meal. He definitely wasn't ready to rest. Tackling the villa problem was still high on his list of what to do with the rest of the day, especially since the town overall seemed quiet despite the new banners and signs in his favor. If Bettina's group planned a rebuttal, they hadn't done it yet.
"I think Scotch will be riding his Duel Runner for ages," Radley chuckled to Kalin. "Why don't we go over to the villa and see what needs to be done?"
"If you're sure," Kalin said.
Radley nodded. "I'm sure. I've put it off long enough. The villa is a beautiful attraction, and if at all possible, it should definitely be open to the public if we promote the town at the WRGP." He sighed. "And completely aside from that, I really do want to see it and fix it in general."
Kalin reached for his keys. "Alright then."
They took his regular motorcycle instead of his Duel Runner. Radley looked around, studying the signage in some amazement.
"The local printer must be rolling in dough today," he remarked. "Who'd think promoting me would suddenly be so lucrative?" He smirked. "It's nice, though."
"It is," Kalin mused. "But I'm sure the naysayers won't stand for this for long."
"Yeah," Radley sighed. "Well, it's fun for now anyway."
Within five minutes they were pulling up in front of the majestic Spanish villa and parking in the shade of the building's shadow. The shade felt cool and pleasant in the late afternoon temperature, but they didn't plan to linger.
Radley drew a deep breath. "Okay. I'd say let's hope for the best, but that won't change how it looks inside right now."
"No, it won't," Kalin grunted.
Radley let go of Kalin and climbed down from his motorcycle. "At least the Bunch said it didn't look too bad when they went in," he mused. "They didn't look everywhere, though."
"It's huge, so I doubt the whole thing could be seen very fast," Kalin said.
Radley unlocked and opened one of the heavy doors. It creaked eerily, shining a beam of light into the entryway. As he stepped inside, his shoes echoed on the floor.
Kalin followed him in. ". . . It's like stepping back in time," he said in surprise as he stared at the wide, rounded doorways and 18th century furniture.
"It's beautiful," Radley said, his voice hushed. He reached for the light switch.
The electricity bathed the villa in a modern glow while clearly displaying the construction of over two centuries past. Kalin was right that it felt like going into the past. There were even sconces on the walls holding realistic electric candles, whose fake flames danced and cast large shadows across the rooms.
Radley ran his hand along the brick wall almost reverently. "It should have been mine from the start," he said, "but I'm glad it's mine now. Oh wow, this is just amazing!"
"Is it anything like your family's villa?" Kalin curiously asked.
"Some things are the same, like the rounded doorways," Radley said, "but their villa is overall more modern in style. This is . . . I never thought I'd get to see anything like this in the States. I just love it!"
"Would you want to move in after all?" Kalin wondered.
Radley hesitated. "Part of me would, I can't deny that. But it would probably be better to use it as a hotel, an event center, or even just a building for people to tour as is. I want it to be celebrated and appreciated, but too much modern living going on in it might ruin it. That, and . . . I'd really kinda miss living on the same street with the Bunch. I don't think it'd be wise for all of us to move in."
"It probably wouldn't be," Kalin said. "Maybe it could be a place to tour and also a place to just come and have fun sometimes? You could put some game rooms in it."
"That's a thought," Radley mused. "I like it. It could be a privategaming hang-out for all of us."
Kalin smiled.
"For now, let's see what we have to work with," Radley said.
Kalin followed him from room to room. For the most part, everything was surprisingly intact. The Crewmembers had taken their belongings as well as the food, leaving behind the furnishings and artwork that Malcolm had either bought or that had been here when they moved in.
"I wonder how much these are worth," Radley mused as he studied a painting of a girl kneeling by a well and staring off into the distance in surprise. "I think I'll have everything appraised."
"That's a good idea," Kalin said. "Will you keep the art to decorate or sell it?"
"Hmm. Maybe that depends on the appraisal," Radley smirked. "I want it to look really nice here, though. I'm sure I'd keep at least the majority."
"You probably would," Kalin agreed. "This place needs a lot of art." He glanced around the walls.
"Are you into art, Kalin?" Radley mused in some surprise.
"Not really," Kalin admitted. "It's just that the walls here look pretty bare without it."
"So true," Radley said.
"If you wanted to live here, though, is this the kind of art you'd choose?" Kalin asked.
"Hmm. Some of it, sure. Not all of it," Radley said. "This, for instance . . ." He pointed to a painting of a naked woman reclining and facing a roomful of men. "Yeah, no."
"That doesn't seem like your style," Kalin agreed. "Malcolm's men probably loved it."
"Honestly, I'm surprised they didn't take it with them," Radley said wryly.
"Maybe they thought you'd make trouble since you own everything now," Kalin said.
"I wouldn't think they'd care," Radley remarked. "In any case, that painting is absolutely coming down. It looks like Renaissance art. Probably a copy. I'll have it appraised and probably sold." He sighed. "It's not the image I want to give of this place."
"I wouldn't think so," Kalin agreed.
Eventually they ended up in a very large, very modern kitchen. Radley stood looking at the appliances and counter space in amazement.
"Oh, the things I could do with a kitchen this big," he exclaimed. He ran his hand over the nearest counter. "Just hypothetically, Kalin, how would you feel about waking up every day in a place like this?"
". . . I'm not sure," Kalin admitted. "It seems too beautiful, too majestic, for someone like me. I don't deserve anything so fantastic. But that's how I feel about everything good I have." He walked farther in and started looking in the cupboards. They were indeed bare; the Crewmembers had taken everything edible.
Radley, however, instead of chiding Kalin or sighing at those self-deprecating thoughts, looked thoughtful. "It really does seem too good to be a real house," he mused. "It doesn't feel like a place you could really get that lived-in feeling. But the kitchen seems different." He opened the fridge to reassure himself it was empty as well as to check the space.
"Did you feel like that about your family's villa?" Kalin wondered.
Radley shook his head. "It was big, and yet somehow it was cozy," he said. "It had that lived-in feeling. This place feels more like a time capsule, a museum, something you can't really reach out and touch for fear of spoiling it. The kitchen is the most modern room we've seen and seems more like something we'd encounter in our day to day lives. I would love to cook here."
Kalin smiled a bit. "It does feel made for you. I don't know . . . maybe if good people were here, they'd be able to give it the lived-in feeling. It must be sturdier than you're thinking it is. I mean, think how long Malcolm and his men were here without wrecking it."
"That's true," Radley said. "Maybe I really don't have to treat it like a piece of china. But there's still that I'm not sure at all I want to leave the house I built. I still have space left over; I need to make the basement into rooms." He chuckled. "If I don't have enough stuff for my current home, what would I do with all this much space?"
"It's a cozy little house," Kalin said. "I like living there. But . . . what I like the most is living with you." He blushed a little, but it was true. "I'd be happy to live with you wherever you want."
Radley smiled. "Thank you, Kalin. That means a lot."
Kalin nodded, still blushing a bit.
"I wonder who renovated the building," Radley mused as he finally walked out of the kitchen and down the hall. "Was it contractors Malcolm hired? He was here before we got here, but not by that much. I don't think there would have been time for the electricity to be put in before we got here."
"If it wasn't, then there were other residents we don't know about," Kalin said.
Radley nodded. "I thought the only other ones came around the 1870s, while there was silver in the mine. That soon ran dry, and since no one knew what dyne was, they all packed up and left. I wonder if someone hung on to the villa and tried to revitalize it after electricity happened. Maybe they wanted to revive the town."
"Since it didn't work, I wonder what went wrong," Kalin remarked.
"Maybe nothing more than not being able to get anyone else to come back," Radley mused. "There's definitely something strange around here; some kind of supernatural force makes duel moves real from time to time. Maybe that didn't just come with us and instead has been around since the town's original founding."
Kalin grunted. "It could have chased everyone away instead of it just being the lack of silver."
"I've thought of that too," Radley agreed. "And at least we can be grateful things aren't like they are up in the canyons. Supposedly there's some old ghost town up there where it seems like people were around five minutes ago. Food's cooking on the stoves, doors slam, even the church bell rings. And yet no one's there."
"It sounds like a story kids would tell to scare each other," Kalin remarked. "I've heard the legends, but I haven't known whether to believe them. There's nothing to say it couldn't be real, though."
"I know," Radley said. "I would have scoffed before, but now I just don't know what to think." He went over to the stairs and gripped the banister as he started up.
Kalin was right behind him. "Does Biff know about the legend?"
"I sure didn't tell him, but yeah, he's heard it from other sources," Radley said. "He never wants to go up there. Scotch, on the other hand, really would like to. I think it's wiser to stay away."
"As would any logical person," Kalin said flatly.
At the top, they went through another rounded doorway and into the hall. Large vases and paintings decorated either side, and the sun streaming in through the windows added to the beauty. Radley opened the door to a bedroom and stared in awe at the antique furniture and quilt.
"I can hardly believe Malcolm's men didn't ruin all of this," he said. "The rowdy ones wreak havoc wherever they go."
"Maybe Malcolm understood more about the value than we'd think?" Kalin suggested. "Or maybe no one used this room."
"Maybe." Radley went in, examining the dresser and then the closet. "So far it's even more amazing than I thought it would be. It seems almost too good to be true." He turned, heading out of the room and to the next one.
They soon found that not all the rooms were in as good condition as that one. Several doors down, the room was in an upheaval, with the bed unmade and covers thrown everywhere. Wallpaper had peeled or had been pulled off the wall in several spots.
Radley sighed when he saw it. "This is still better than I thought, honestly," he said. "I was afraid we'd find whole walls knocked out and paintings slashed through."
"That could still happen," Kalin warned.
"I know," Radley said.
Some of the other rooms were in similar disarrays. Radley paused as they reached one larger bedroom. "I wonder if this one was Malcolm's room," he mused.
"It looks like it could be," Kalin said. "No doubt he'd claim the best room for himself."
Radley looked weary. "I think I'll wanna wash all the bedding, at least in rooms that were used," he said. "Who knows what they were doing under the covers. Malcolm and his men always bragged about how they were real men because of how they performed in bed." He grimaced.
"And I doubt they were clean in other ways either," Kalin grunted.
Radley nodded. "It gives me the heebie-jeebies to think of getting up in any of these beds without the covers being freshly washed. It's gonna be a big job, though. I think I'll hire a laundry service to come get them all."
"That would be better than trying to pull everything off ourselves." Kalin looked overwhelmed at the very thought. These were heavy quilts.
At the end of the hall, Radley sighed and smiled in relief. "Thankfully, it looks like any repairs will largely be minimal, such as the wallpaper," he said.
"Will you try to put up the wallpaper yourself or hire a contractor?" Kalin asked.
"If it was just regular, modern wallpaper, I'd do it myself," Radley said. "But since I wanna recreate the original look of the place, I should probably hire a contractor who specializes in preserving old buildings. I've got no knowledge of how to put up old-style wallpaper and I want it done right."
Kalin slowly nodded. "I've heard it was a lot harder to put up wallpaper back then."
"Oh yeah," Radley chuckled.
Eventually they climbed the stairs to the bell tower and stood there overlooking the town. It was an amazing sight, to see all the homes and other buildings from up so high. Kalin stared in awe, letting the evening wind gently blow his hair about. He had forgotten how free it made him feel to be up so high, overlooking his domain. He had loved that back at the broken-down apartment complex in the Satellite. His favorite spot had been the top floor.
"I wonder who built this villa," Radley mused. "It looks like the kind of construction Spanish monks and missionaries used, but we haven't found any religious relics or symbols at all."
"That's unusual?" Kalin asked.
"Very," Radley said. "Maybe it was looted or maybe Malcolm hid or sold everything. I'm sure he wouldn't want religious symbols around, but he'd definitely recognize their value if they had gems in them."
"Maybe we can ask the Crewmembers who are staying on," Kalin suggested.
"You can bet I will," Radley said. "But they might not know. Or they might not wanna tell me regardless."
"If we do find them, what would you want to do with them?" Kalin asked.
Radley paused. "That's a good question. My family drilled it into me that God wouldn't want me the way I am. When things went so wrong, I ended up believing it. But . . . He let me come back to life and be with you, so that must be wrong. He must care. I guess I feel like if we find the pieces, they should be properly reinstated here in the villa."
"Even if they have gems?" Kalin asked.
"If they have gems, I'm sure they were sold long ago," Radley said. "But hypothetically speaking, if we found them, it'd probably be disrespectful to sell them." He winced as he said it. He couldn't deny he would be tempted himself.
Kalin grunted. "Do you think God would care about gems?"
"Honestly, no," Radley said. "But whoever brought the pieces here would have intended them to stay as a tribute to God. That should probably be respected."
Kalin shrugged. "They could serve that purpose no matter where they were or who owned them."
That brought a smile. "True. Well, we're probably unlikely to find them anyway. I'm sure they were sold if they showed any signs of monetary value at all."
"Probably," Kalin agreed.
The sun was setting now. They stood, watching the last rays on the taller buildings, trees, and rocks before it dipped below the horizon. Radley smiled, looking far away as he stared into the twilight.
"This has always been a favorite time of day for me," he said. "This briefly light period between day and night. I'm not sure why. Something about it feels so peaceful, somehow. Happy."
Kalin pondered. "Maybe you associate it with a happy memory from your childhood? Several, even?"
"Yeah," Radley mused. "Maybe some of the old outings. We'd do fun things, sometimes. Dad would take me with him to run errands. We'd usually get to stop somewhere I wanted to go too." He smirked. "I'd usually pick Toys R Us or another toy store."
"What are toy stores like?" Kalin had to ask. "I've never been."
Radley looked sad at that. "They're amazing wonderlands for kids, and the young at heart. Scotch still drags us to toy stores when he can." He chuckled. "Figures, stuffed animals, Legos, puzzles . . . cars, video games . . . just everything you can think of that kids would want, all in one place."
". . . It sounds incredible," Kalin said. "Every kid in the Satellite would have dreamed of something like that."
"Hopefully now they'll get to experience it," Radley said, still looking sad.
"Even though the City and the Satellite are united, I'm sure most of the Satellite is still a dump," Kalin said. "Most kids wouldn't have any way to get to a toy store. There's probably one in the Satellite's mall, but it might as well be another planet."
"It doesn't seem right, does it," Radley mused. "I guess that was why Kaiba's dream was to create a theme park that would be free for all the orphans."
Kalin blinked. "That was his dream?!"
"Oh yeah. KaibaLand has that policy." Radley smiled. "I'm sure he makes a lot of kids very happy."
". . . That's strange to picture," Kalin said.
"I know he's a sourpuss, but he's really got a heart of gold in there," Radley chuckled and winked.
"I guess," Kalin remarked.
"You know, Scotch begged me to buy Toys R Us?" Radley laughed.
"What," Kalin grunted.
"When they went bankrupt and were going through all that changing of hands, trying new things to come back. Now Macy's has them and there's itty-bitty Toys R Uses in all of them. It's better than nothing, but it's not the same." Radley looked wistful. "Scotch wanted me to buy them and make big free-standing Toys R Uses like there used to be."
"And you said No?" Kalin blinked.
"I didn't say No, but I didn't think I was the right person for something like that," Radley said. "My expertise is mining and dining. It's still on the table, actually; I just don't think Macy's would be interested in my proposal. Toys R Us is revitalizing them, so it's a symbiotic relationship. Frankly, they'd be fools to give it up."
"That makes sense," Kalin said.
The last bit of twilight was fading now. Down below, the town lights were coming on and people laughed and talked as they headed to their homes or stores or the diner.
Radley watched a moment before leaning back. "We should probably be getting to the diner soon too," he said. "Come on, let's go back downstairs. We still haven't seen the basement."
"Is there electricity down there too?" Kalin wondered.
"I think so," Radley said. "But we can use the flashlights on our phones if we need to." He paused. "You know, it was funny. The Bunch said that when the Crew cleared out, they said they were just as glad to leave. They didn't wanna stay there because of the basement. The Bunch tried to question them more, but they just insisted the basement was bad mojo or some nonsense like that." He scoffed.
Kalin looked more unsettled than amused. "Could there be something in the basement? What if it's the source of that supernatural force in town?"
Radley sighed. "It's possible, I'll admit. I have been a teeny-tiny bit concerned because of how loco the Crewmembers acted. Scotch, of course, wanted to go in the basement immediately. Biff begged him not to and said they should wait until I was well enough to come. Apparently he prevailed."
"Amazing," Kalin intoned.
"So . . ." Radley smiled awkwardly. "Are you game, Kalin? Or should we wait on it? Keep in mind that if there really is something wrong down there, we need to know so we can figure out how to fix it before inviting people in to tour."
"My concern is more wondering if you're well enough to deal with a problem down there," Kalin said. "Maybe we should wait on it. You've done a lot today."
Radley sighed in resignation. "Yeah, there's that to think about too. I'll admit it's been a big day. I still feel alright, though. I really think I'm okay physically. It's just emotionally where I'm still not up to par."
"Maybe I'm too overprotective," Kalin conceded. "I just . . . don't want anything to happen to you again."
Radley smiled. "And that means the world to me. I don't want anything to happen to you either. But we will need to see what's down there sometime. Why don't we do a quick check right now since we're already here?"
At last Kalin nodded. "Alright. Let's try it."
They started down the stairs.