Chapter Six

The next day was largely filled with working on the town's restoration efforts, as they had previously planned. That was the most important thing to accomplish. For a while Kalin helped with lifting heavy beams and nailing them in place. Radley sat and painted and sometimes did some light hammering of boards.

Kalin also contacted Trudge, who said he'd send over the materials for them to look through. Those would likely arrive by evening or by the next day at the latest. Everyone interested in being law enforcement for the town could go over them.

In between lunch and dinner they went home and Radley led Kalin into a second room in the garage. "Here it is," he said, taking the tarp off a beautiful, sleek Duel Runner. "She's a sweet ride, but since I don't do Turbo Duels and didn't wanna encourage Turbo Duelists to come after me, I haven't ridden her a whole lot. Mostly I thought I should have one to test out the kind of merch our dyne is making."

"That makes sense," Kalin admitted. He studied the machine, deep in thought. It didn't look like Giganto L, so that was a plus. He wouldn't be reminded as much of that while riding . . . he hoped.

"You're welcome to practice on her as much as you'd like," Radley said. "But there's not a lot of Turbo Duelists in town to help you with the duels themselves."

"I'm more concerned with whether I can ride at all," Kalin said. He wheeled the Duel Runner into the main room and climbed on. He was still wearing his helmet from the ride home. "If I can do this, we'll talk to Scotch tonight about the possibility of entering the WRGP after all."

"Right," Radley agreed. "But we'll have to emphasize that it still might not work. We might not have enough time and we need to focus on the town first and foremost."

Kalin nodded. "Of course." Taking a deep breath, he turned the key. As the engine roared to life, he sped out of the garage and down the driveway. Radley came to the open door to watch him ride.

For the first few yards everything was alright. The feel of the motorcycle, the vibration of the engine, the rush of the wind . . . all of that felt amazing. Duel Runners could go faster than regular motorcycles and Kalin enjoyed cranking up the speed faster and faster. By the time he zoomed under the welcome sign and was going into the surrounding desert, he was at top speed.

That was when the memories really came back to torment him. He was out in the Satellite, taunting Yusei, verbally torturing him, as the purple light of the Earthbound Immortal flared up around them. They traveled through the maze, Kalin never missing a moment to mock or jeer his old friend. He continued to snarl at Yusei, blaming him for everything, insisting Yusei betrayed him . . . trying to send the Earthbound Immortal after him. . . . Yusei fell, badly injured. All Kalin did was laugh in sadistic glee before driving away. . . .

The Duel Runner ground to a halt. Kalin slumped over the handlebars, breathing heavily, his eyes haunted. He had known this would happen. He had known and he had tempted fate anyway.

"Yusei," he rasped. "Yusei, I'm so sorry. . . ."

Yusei would never want him to suffer like this, unable to even bring himself to ride the Duel Runner when he wanted to. Perhaps that was also why Yusei had invited him, hoping he could make new memories with a Duel Runner and be able to enjoy it without guilt or sorrow.

Maybe he could. But it wouldn't be this day.

He drew another shaky breath and started the engine. He needed to get back; Radley would be worried.

Radley was still waiting for him when he pulled back into the driveway and up into the garage. Radley got up from the porch swing, starting over in concern. "Kalin?"

Kalin took off his helmet, not facing Radley at first. "It's a great machine," he said honestly. "You never skimp on quality."

"I know," Radley said. ". . . But it was rough on you, wasn't it?" He came up next to Kalin.

Kalin sighed. "Yes." He turned around. "We both knew it would be."

Radley laid a hand on Kalin's shoulder. "I'm sorry. Do you think it would be easier if I was out there with you? . . . Or would that only make you think about you and Yusei all the more?"

"I'm not sure," Kalin admitted. He started to wheel the Duel Runner into the second room of the garage.

"We could just leave it here," Radley said. ". . . Unless you're so shook you don't wanna do this anymore?"

Kalin paused. Part of him was. The other part didn't want to give up so easily.

"I'll leave it here," he said at last.

Radley smiled. "Okay. What do you want to do about telling Scotch?"

"I don't know," Kalin said. "Maybe we should wait until we've both worked on our fears more."

"That's fine," Radley soothed. "Just remember he'll need time to learn how to use a Duel Runner. He doesn't have a license."

Kalin grimaced. "This really is foolish to try to get into this tournament, isn't it? You and I are both emotionally shot on different critical matters and Scotch needs a license."

"It does seem impossible, doesn't it?" Radley mused. "But so did saving Crash Town, and you did that." He laid a hand on Kalin's shoulder. "It's alright if we're not ready. We're trying our best. I believe we'll be ready someday, if not now."

Kalin finally nodded. "I hope so. I was really starting to like the idea of us and Scotch as a team in a tournament."

Radley smiled. "I like it too." He rested a hand on Kalin's shoulder. "Shall we go inside?"

"Yeah." Kalin looked towards the door. "If you want, we can duel again."

"Let's do that," Radley agreed.

This time the duel ended with Kalin's victory. Radley shuddered, cringing as if actually expecting something to happen to him for losing even though he knew it wouldn't. The moment passed and Radley gave a weak but sincere smile as he collected his cards.

"You're in top form," he congratulated.

"Thanks," Kalin said. "You still are too. Do you . . . think you could handle losing in a tournament?" He asked awkwardly, not wanting to overstep his bounds.

Radley sighed. "I'll be honest, I'm not sure. But if we keep dueling every day, I'll no doubt lose more and hopefully my mind will fully accept that nothing bad will happen when I do."

"I'm so sorry you're struggling with that," Kalin said. "I wonder if it was my fault, in a way. What if I didn't play my best against Yusei? I didn't think I lost on purpose, but what if subconsciously I did?"

"You didn't," Radley insisted. "You were definitely different in that duel, but you did all you could. I knew that and I never should have tried to threaten you in my desperation not to lose you."

"I never should have made you worry you were going to lose me," Kalin said. "I wasn't thinking about anything except punishing myself for my sins. No one else's feelings were on my mind at all."

Radley sighed in resignation. "I do understand, Kalin. I only wish I had back then."

"You understand now, and it's more than I deserve," Kalin said. "But you needed that understanding for your own peace of mind, so I'm grateful you have it."

Radley smiled a bit. "Yeah. You're right." He leaned back, pondering. "Do you think it's fair to Scotch to not tell him what we've been pondering over since last night? Especially after your ride? No doubt you were seen and the town has been gossiping."

Kalin sighed. "He'd be disappointed to be told we were thinking of entering the WRGP after all but weren't sure we could do it."

"Maybe," Radley said. "Or maybe he'd be more disappointed that we didn't trust him with that information."

"You know him better than I do," Kalin conceded. "It should be your call."

"I think I should have him come over and we'll lay it all out for him," Radley said. He reached for his phone.

Scotch definitely wanted to come over and he soon arrived on his motorcycle, engine roaring. He parked next to the others and practically hopped up the steps to inside. "Hey!" he greeted. "What's up?! People are saying Kalin was going through town on a black Duel Runner!"

"I was," Kalin said. "I was trying out Radley's and trying to see if I was comfortable riding one."

"Were you?!" Scotch eagerly asked.

Kalin sighed. "No," he admitted. "I'm going to keep trying, but at this point it doesn't look hopeful that I'll be comfortable very soon."

"We were hoping we might somehow be able to make it for the WRGP after all," Radley said, "but we're just not sure it'll work. I might not be healed enough by then either." He left it at that rather than mentioning his new phobia of losing. He did not want to share that with the Bunch if at all possible, knowing they would worry or even possibly blame themselves for his feelings.

Scotch sobered, listening to their explanations. "It would be really cool if you guys were ready," he said. "I'm ready any time! But I don't want you to push yourselves. This is something we should do when it can be fun for all of us."

Radley smiled. "We were sure you'd understand. Meanwhile, you're welcome to try out my Duel Runner if you want to go ahead and work towards your license now. Then you'd be fully ready in case we can make it, and regardless, it might be fun for you just to get your license in general."

"It would!" Scotch exclaimed. "Thank you, Radley! I'll take good care of your Duel Runner! I know you like it a lot even though your Harley is your favorite!"

Radley chuckled. "You're right. And I know you'll be careful."

Kalin handed Scotch the key. "Here you go."

"Epic!" Scotch clutched it with starry eyes. "I'll go try it out right now!"

"It's in the garage," Kalin said.

Scotch bounced out the side door into the garage, onto the Duel Runner, and vroomed down the driveway in the next moment.

Radley laughed. "Somehow I've got the feeling that he's the only one of us who won't run into problems getting ready."

"Probably," Kalin grunted.

Radley tilted his head. "Are you still going to ask Yusei and the others if they're okay with the team name? It's different than your old team, it's true, but it's still fairly similar."

"I should ask," Kalin agreed. "I need to tell Yusei about my desire to change the town's name in general." He hesitated. "I don't know if I should bring up the team name yet, though. Not when we're not sure we can even make it for the WRGP. I don't like to announce it around when it might not happen."

"It's your call," Radley said.

"Yusei invited me thinking I could do it," Kalin said. "I don't like to let him down."

"Yusei would understand," Radley said.

Kalin paused. ". . . You don't think he was thinking of inviting me to his team, do you? I didn't even think about that because I assumed he, Jack, and Crow already had it arranged for them to be the team."

"I think if he was inviting you to his team, he would have made that clear," Radley said.

"I'd think so too," Kalin said. He sighed. "They were close for years before I ever came on the scene, and they're close still without me there again."

"I'm sorry," Radley said kindly. "I know that must hurt."

Kalin shook his head. "It's my own fault. We all still care about each other; Yusei shows that powerfully in so many ways. But . . . of course things aren't the same as they were. They couldn't be."

"No, I guess not," Radley said. "And I doubt they're the same for the others either. Even though they're still close, they're not the same people they were in the Enforcers."

"They seem a lot the same," Kalin said. "But you're probably right that they've changed. Jack especially, he grew a lot darker. He betrayed Yusei and endangered a kid, all to get out of the Satellite."

Radley stared at him. "Was the kid okay?!"

"Thankfully, yes," Kalin said. "And Jack regretted what he did. I think he's tried to make amends for that. Yusei forgave him, and I guess Crow must have too. . . . I wonder if Crow even knew, come to think of it. It was after all of us split up, so maybe he didn't know."

"Wouldn't news like that spread over the Satellite like wildfire?" Radley asked.

". . . You're right, it would," Kalin amended. "Crow must have known."

". . . I wonder if the kid forgave him," Radley remarked. "Did he realize the danger he was in?"

"It would have been hard not to realize," Kalin said. "He was tied up and left out on the water in a damaged boat. Jack knew Yusei would swim out to him and have to set his deck down to do it. Jack stole Yusei's best card and his Duel Runner and left."

"That's horrible!" Radley exclaimed.

Kalin shook his head. "A place like the Satellite drives good people to despair and desperation. They'll feel like they'd do anything to get out. Some do."

Radley sighed and looked down. "Yeah. . . . I saw a lot of that when I had to leave college and started meeting up with the Bunch. Most of them came from bad neighborhoods and sad home lives. And I guess it was despair and desperation that drove their actions when they betrayed me. Lawton terrified them. I can't come down on them too hard, really . . . even though I'm hurt and I still wonder if I'll be able to trust them again." He folded his arms. "Part of me wishes I could say I don't understand such behavior, but I do . . . to some extent. I personally know what despair and desperation can do to someone."

Kalin laid a hand on his shoulder. "I don't blame you for the threat you made. I never could."

Radley gave a sad smile. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to feel like that about it, but thank you, Kalin. It means a lot." He sighed and leaned back. "I feel so awful just having made a threat I was never going to follow through with. I don't know how Jack lives with himself for really endangering a kid's life."

"If the kid had died, maybe he wouldn't be able to," Kalin said. "You wondered if the kid had forgiven him. I'm actually not sure about that. But I know the kid is pretty nice, so I wouldn't be surprised. His name is Rally. He's a friend of Yusei's."

Radley started. "He's a friend of Yusei's and yet Yusei forgave Jack so readily?!"

"Yusei is . . . something incredible." Kalin sounded far-off. "To forgive all that I did, it doesn't surprise me he'd forgive Jack too."

"I guess not," Radley mused.

"And you forgave me too," Kalin said. "And the Bunch . . . even though you're struggling with trusting them now."

"Yeah." Radley sighed. "I wish I wasn't, but . . ." He shook his head.

"It's understandable," Kalin said. "I don't know if Jack and Crow fully trust me, honestly. How could they, after what I did?"

"You were controlled by an evil force, though," Radley said.

"For the worst of it, perhaps," Kalin said. "I betrayed them long before that." He passed a tired hand over his eyes. "I started attacking children as perceived threats. When Crow objected, I punched him in the stomach and he and Jack both left in disgust."

Radley winced. "I'll admit that's pretty bad," he said. "But surely they've seen enough to know you've changed for the better since then."

"I hope so," Kalin said sadly. "I told them how sorry I was before they went back to the City. But 'sorry' doesn't make everything right or change what went down."

"No, but it shows you're trying to be better," Radley said.

Kalin sighed and stared off into the distance. "I wonder if I've always been mentally unwell or if I'm just using that as an excuse."

"You are not using it as an excuse!" Radley insisted. "Far from it. You always say there is no excuse for anything you've done, even what you did while being controlled by the darkness."

"Influenced, maybe," Kalin said. "You didn't see how I was when I lost it. There was very little difference between that and my behavior as a Dark Signer."

"Influenced still isn't being fully under your own power," Radley said. "Yeah, you're right I didn't see you back then. I can only judge by what I've seen since you got here. But I definitely haven't seen someone who makes up excuses for what he's done wrong."

"I'm glad of that, at least," Kalin said.

"I don't even know that I can say you've always been mentally unwell," Radley said. "That's not always the explanation when people flip out. All that you went through would be more than enough to make anyone go a little nuts."

"I guess." Kalin sighed. "I can't help worrying I might lose it again sometime. What if I hurt you or the Bunch or even the kids?!"

"I really think you can control yourself better now than you did in the past," Radley said. "What I saw when you broke down after I died . . . that's somebody who can't bear to hurt again."

"I know human nature, though," Kalin said. "We forget."

"Not you. You remember and cling to things long after they've happened," Radley said. "You want so bad to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"And I find ways to cause it anyway," Kalin said in disgust. "Look how I hurt you because I was trying so hard not to hurt you!"

"You saw that didn't work, so you're not gonna try that again," Radley said. "You're really turning over a new leaf. Yusei saw it. I see it too." He smiled. "You're not gonna hurt me or any of the others."

Kalin sighed. He still worried, but he couldn't deny the flicker of hope. "I want to believe that."

"Well . . ." Radley squeezed his shoulder. "That's a start."

xxxx

Kalin sighed as he sank down on his bed with his phone. Radley was resting for a while ahead of dinner, so Kalin had decided to call Yusei. He still wasn't sure exactly what he was going to say regarding the tournament, but he wanted to ask about the town name.

Yusei smiled when he answered. "Hey, Kalin. What's up?"

"Hello, Yusei." Kalin smiled too. "How goes the tournament preparations?"

"Pretty good," Yusei said. "I think we're all going to be ready on time. The Duel Team is ready and Bruno is leading the pit crew."

"Pit crew?" Kalin mused. "It sounds like a car race."

Yusei nodded. "It's designed like that. None of us have ever seen anything like it. Jack, of course, always rode solo in the past."

Kalin smirked. "Of course he did."

He paused. When he was actually talking to Yusei, he felt so comfortable that all of his doubts and hesitations were falling away. He wanted to tell everything.

". . . I've been thinking a lot about your invitation, Yusei," he said. "I told Radley and we told Scotch. We all like the idea of being in a tournament as a team. We're actually trying to see if we can get ready for this one, but it doesn't look likely we'll be ready in time."

Yusei didn't look surprised by Kalin's announcement. "I thought you'd really get a kick out of it," he said. "I hope you'll make it in." He smiled more.

Kalin didn't feel like telling him the reason why he, personally, felt stuck. He didn't want to hurt Yusei with reminders or by telling him he was still struggling with the memories. "I hope so too," he said. "I think we'll be ready for a later tournament, if not this one."

Yusei nodded. "I'm sure you will be. This one is really historic, though, because it celebrates the City and the Satellite being united." His expression grew softer. "That was our dream, Kalin. It's only right for you to be there."

Kalin hesitated. That was definitely significant. "We'll try," he said at last. "And . . . we need a team name. We want to change the name of the town and have the team name promote the town. But . . . I want to call it Team Satisfaction Town. Is that alright, Yusei?"

Now Yusei blinked in surprise. "Satisfaction Town," he repeated. "Of course that's alright, Kalin." He looked pleased and moved rather than upset.

Kalin shifted. "I wasn't sure it would be right to call the team Satisfaction Town when that sounds so much like Team Satisfaction. . . . I'd be the only original member there. . . ."

"The name was your idea," Yusei insisted. "You have the right to use it however you'd like."

"Do you think Jack and Crow would feel the same?" Kalin couldn't keep the uncertainty out of his voice.

Yusei hesitated. "I'm sure Crow would," he said.

"But you're not sure about Jack," Kalin noted.

"I think we'd all be happy about the town name," Yusei said. "But I'm not sure how Jack would feel about the team name."

Kalin sighed in resignation. "Yeah . . . I'm not either. He might feel like I'm replacing everyone."

"Replacing everyone how?" came Jack's gruff voice. He soon appeared next to Yusei in the hologram feed.

Kalin steeled himself. "Yusei invited me to the WRGP," he said. "I don't know that I can make it, but I was considering possibilities. I want to rename the town Satisfaction Town, for all of us and because I found my satisfaction here after years of sorrow. We were thinking of promoting the town in our team name, so that inevitably led to Team Satisfaction Town."

Silence. Then Jack grunted in annoyance. "The Enforcers' era is over. Why would I care if you name the town and your team after us?"

". . . You're saying it's alright then?" Kalin pressed.

"Of course it's alright! Join the tournament and show us your best game!" Jack said.

"You can count on it, if we're ready in time," Kalin said.

Jack gave a curt nod and stalked off.

". . . That went better than I thought," Kalin said. "But I'm not completely convinced Jack isn't bothered."

"I'm not either," Yusei said. "I'll talk to him. But meanwhile, Kalin, feel free to do whatever you need to and want to." He smiled. "We're really happy you're finding your way again."

"Thank you, Yusei." Kalin smiled.

He was in a better mood when he hung up, despite the concern over Jack. Yusei always knew the right things to say. Talking to him made Kalin feel like trying again. If he could conquer his fears about Turbo Duels, hopefully Radley could conquer his fear of losing. Maybe it would all be in time for the WRGP tournament or not, but at least he believed that someday they would do it.

Radley suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Hey," he said with a yawn. "How did it go?"

"Good," Kalin said, smiling as he got up. "I'm still not sure about Jack, though. He really did seem like he might be upset."

"But you're okay with that?" Radley asked.

Kalin sighed. "Well, I wouldn't say 'okay,' exactly. It's just that I accept it. I didn't see Crow yet, but Yusei was happy. It was nice just to talk to Yusei."

Radley nodded. "It's good you can talk to him," he agreed. "You wanna see about dinner now?"

"Yeah." Kalin got up.

"Are we staying here or going to the diner?" Radley wondered.

"You've probably already been more active today than you should have been," Kalin said. "It would be better to stay here."

"Maybe," Radley mused. "But we'd be going there after dinner anyway. I don't want to let the Bunch or the town know if I'm worn-out. Of course . . ." He smiled and winked. "If you're planning to cook dinner, I'm perfectly alright with staying here until after dinner."

"I was planning on that," Kalin agreed. He smiled too. Radley's appreciation for his cooking was something he was still getting used to, but he liked it.

"Then we'll stay," Radley said. "Can I help?"

"Only if you stay sitting down and rest," Kalin said.

"I can do that," Radley promised.