Chapter 14: Unhappy Beginnings

The next morning, at Café Matsuo...

"Oi, Yuhiro! Get your butt down here quick!"

Upon hearing Roxy's voice, Yuhiro quickly got up from his bed and rushed downstairs, only for him to trip and fall down the rest of the way.

"Ouch!" Yuhiro shouted, as he slowly got up and headed for the kitchen part of the second floor. "This better be important, Roxy. Otherwise-."

What Yuhiro saw next surprised even him. He saw Progleo tangled in yarn, rolling around as he was trying to get out of the predicament he was in. Roxy, who was looking at Progleo, was sitting down at the table, watching with curiosity.

"When did this start happening?" Yuhiro asked Roxy as he sat down in the chair opposite to her.

"Just this morning." Roxy answered him. "I was sewing some clothing when Progleo went into my sewing basket and started playing with a ball of yarn." She rolled her eyes. "I ignored it for a few minutes until I realized that dogs don't play with yarn. Cats do."

"Obviously." Yuhiro went over to where Progleo was and untangled the yarn that was constricting his movements. Once that was done, Progleo went over and gave him a small lick to the cheek, which Yuhiro appreciated.

"Why were you playing with that ball of yarn, Progleo?" Yuhiro asked as he rubbed Progleo's fur.

"Not sure." Progleo replied, turning to the sewing basket. "I guess you could say I was curious as to what was in that basket. And when I looked inside, there was a part of me that wanted to play with the yarn."

"I see." Yuhiro headed for the fridge, grabbed a few pieces of ice, and gave them to Progleo so he could distract him. Afterwards, he grabbed his usual breakfast before sitting down once again. "Do you think the program Progleo ate is giving him strange side effects?" Yuhiro asked as he took a bite of his banana.

"Probably. It would be a good idea to ask Herald. He knows a bit more about this stuff than you and I." Roxy replied as she continued sewing. "With that out of the way, you know what today is, right?"

Yuhiro couldn't help but smile. "It will be good to see everyone, that's for sure." He thought for a minute before continuing. "You know, I was actually thinking of bringing someone as well."

"Who?" Roxy asked, putting down what she was sewing and now paying attention to Yuhiro.

"Aoi Zaizen." Roxy couldn't help but smirk upon hearing that.

"I gotta say, Yuhiro. I'm proud that you're finally moving out of your comfort zone and starting to let other people into your life."

"It's not like that," Yuhiro replied, getting Roxy's attention once again. "Yesterday, when we made a temporary alliance to fight against the Hanoi, I saw Blue Angel in LINK VRAINS. It looked like she was going to join, but then she walked away. I want to help her find a reason to duel again."

"Regardless," Roxy said, pointing her sewing needle at him, "you're willing to help others. You may deny it now, but whether you like it or not, you're letting people into your life."

"There's something else." Yuhiro said, as he looked at the table, away from his food. Noticing that something was up, Roxy dropped her cheerful attitude.

"What is it?" she asked, hoping she can help make him feel better.

"It's probably best I don't talk about it." Yuhiro got up from his chair and started walking away when Roxy stood up.

"Come on, Yuhiro. You can't hide it from me forever. Please tell me what's on your mind." Roxy said.

Yuhiro turned his head to face Roxy. "Aoi knows I'm Raguel." For several moments, Roxy was frozen in place. She then stepped forward to Yuhiro and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Tell me that's not true," she pleaded, looking him in the eyes. "Tell me that it isn't true." Yuhiro said nothing in response, which confirmed to her that what he was saying was true. "How the hell did she know?"

"There are three reasons Aoi was able to figure out my identity." Yuhiro answered. He looked at Roxy in the eyes to make sure she was paying attention. "One: When I met Watchman, she used a butterfly avatar to overhear my conversation with him. She must have heard him say my real name before it got terminated. Two: As Blue Angel, she heard about the Lost Incident when Playmaker and I infiltrated the mother computer in SOL Technologies. She also witnessed me losing control of my powers momentarily. Three: When she brought up the Lost Incident, I experienced an anxiety attack. These three factors were how Aoi was able to figure out my identity as Raguel."

Roxy let go of Yuhiro's shoulders and covered her mouth. "My God, why didn't you tell me about the anxiety attack sooner? I thought they were..."

"Gone?" Yuhiro finished for her. "I thought so too. But like the nightmares, they never seem to go away." He was about to head upstairs when Roxy stopped him.

"I'm not upset with what happened or how Aoi learned about your identity." Roxy said, getting Yuhiro's attention. "I'm just worried for her, that's all. If Aoi's going to get involved in all of this, then I do agree with your plan on taking her to the place you grew up."

Yuhiro turned around to face Roxy. "I'm worried for her too. But just as a friend," he quickly added before Roxy could say something and make him look foolish.

"I got you back to your usual mood, didn't I?" Roxy asked as Yuhiro headed upstairs to get his things for school. "Come on. Admit it, Mr. Grumpypants!"

"What was that all about?" Roxy jumped upon seeing Progleo beside her.

"I was just talking with Yuhiro, that's all." Roxy replied, as she knelt down to pick up the cub. "The kids are going to like you, today, that's for sure."

At Den Academy...

School was starting to become Yuhiro's most boring part of the day. While it wasn't his favorite, it was better before Rachel Miyake and Gekiryushi Sanada joined the class. Gekiryushi was a good person to chat with, but whenever he walked through the halls, he felt that she was watching him. Whether it was out of curiosity or not, Yuhiro couldn't figure it out.

Then there was Rachel Miyake. Apparently, she thought he was "interesting" and kept asking him questions; about the school, the people he knew, and about himself. He was willing to answer the questions about school, referred her questions about the people he knew to those said people, and not answer the questions about himself.

To her credit though, Rachel wasn't pushy. If Yuhiro said he didn't want to talk about something, she respected him enough to drop the subject. She also didn't talk during class, which he appreciated.

What most annoyed him though, was that Rachel kept following him around wherever he went. At first, Yuhiro didn't mind. She was young and needed someone to talk to, at least for a while. Yuhiro had hoped that, over time, Rachel would find a club she liked and join it, which would help her make friends. Unfortunately for him, this wasn't the case. She ended up spending time with him outside of class, thus annoying him to no end. For someone who needed his personal space, this was indeed frustrating.

"I'm disappointed in you, Furutani." He looked up from his tablet as Rachel said that, a small frown on her face as she went back to looking at her own tablet. The two of them were sitting in the library, completing their Statistics homework for the week.

"What exactly are you disappointed in?" he asked, not really caring, but participating in the conversation anyway.

"I asked you a lot of questions about yourself," she said. "But you haven't asked me a single question about myself yet. How come?"

"It's simple. I don't care," he said bluntly. "I thought that me answering a few of your questions made it obvious."

Rachel put down her tablet and smirked at Yuhiro. "If you didn't care," she said in an amused tone, "then you would have told me to go away. How come?"

"Because that would be rude," he responded. "And besides, a friend wants me to interact with other people. So here I am, talking to you."

"So you do have friends," Rachel said. "I'm happy for you. Everyone should have at least one or two people they can trust unconditionally. Everyone should also be willing to accept others despite what they've been through."

Yuhiro looked up at her upon hearing that last part. Her face was sad, but he wasn't sure whether she meant it or if it was an act.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked. "Did something ha-?"

"Excuse me, Furutani?"

Rachel and Yuhiro turned towards the sound of a voice. It was Aoi Zaizen, holding a book.

"Yes? What's up, Zaizen?"

"There's a problem I need your help with."

Yuhiro thought about saying no, but decided to help. After all, he needed to talk to Aoi, and wanted to know if she was available to go to the Shelter with him later today.

"Excuse me," he said to Rachel, who smiled at them.

"Have fun, you two!" Rachel called out as they walked over to a different table.

"What problem are you stuck on?" Yuhiro asked Aoi.

"Problem #36." Aoi replied, pointing to it. "Can you help me solve this problem using the three different methods?"

He looked at Question #36, then to his notes. He already finished solving the problem, so it would be good practice for him.

Before he got started, Aoi spoke up. "I'm sorry about what I said on the sidewalk the other day."

Yuhiro glanced at her before speaking. "I'm the one who should be sorry," he said, surprising Aoi. "Regarding what I said the other day, I completely overreacted. I just didn't expect you to know about the Lost Incident. That's all."

Aoi was quiet for a few moments before responding. "I... didn't expect you to say that, Furutani. I thought you would be mad for what I did."

Yuhiro put down his tablet and sighed. "I was. At first. The reason why was because if anyone knew the truth about me, they would be in danger. I know it's stupid, but except for those who were in the Incident, I don't want to risk anymore lives. Not after what happened to you."

Aoi was touched, if not for a brief moment. Yuhiro actually cared for someone? It would make sense, considering he was Raguel. After all, following their duel, he implied that he did it for someone important to him. She gave a small smile. "Thank you. For telling me this."

"No prob." He then checked his watch before continuing. "Say, Zaizen. Considering how you know the truth about me, there's a question I wanted to ask you."

Aoi, who was curious, leaned in so she could hear what Yuhiro had to say.

"After school, do you want to come with me to the Den City Shelter where I grew up?" he whispered in her ear.

This completely caught Aoi off guard, who didn't know what to say. Did he just say he grew up at the Den City Shelter, she thought.

"If there's one thing you don't know about me, it's that I grew up there. I'm going with my friend today to help out, so I wanted to know if you could come along."

Aoi thought for a minute on what to say regarding what she just learned about Yuhiro. I already know Yuhiro is Raguel, she thought. But perhaps if I go with him, I could learn more about his past. Who knows, I may even learn what inspired him to become Raguel in the first place.

"All right," she finally said. "I have an appointment with one of my teachers later. But I should be able to come."

"Great." Yuhiro took out a slip of paper and scribbled down an address before giving it to Aoi. "This is where we're going to meet before we go. Oh, and I know how protective your brother can be. If he asks, tell him that Roxanne Matsuo is leading the trip. It should ease his mind."

After Aoi looked at the slip of paper, she nodded. "Okay. Thanks for letting me know."

"Oh? What's this the two of you are planning? A date, perhaps?" When Yuhiro and Aoi turned to the sound of the voice and saw Rachel behind them, they gasped in surprise.

"How long were you behind us? And how much of our conversation were you listening to?" Yuhiro blurted out, who was clearly embarrassed.

"Just the last bit, when you asked Zaizen out." Rachel replied. She giggled and turned to Aoi. "You should be lucky, Zaizen. The two of you make a cute couple." Upon hearing that, Yuhiro and Aoi ended up blushing.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" they both said to Rachel at the same time, who only giggled at their reaction.

Satisfied that she was able to have some fun, she headed towards the entrance to the library, but not before shouting back, "Have fun on your date!"

"Miyake!" Yuhiro and Aoi said at the same time once again.

Hours later...

Café Matsuo, Aoi thought, as she headed for the fast-food restaurant Yuhiro wanted her to go to after school. She was familiar with the place because Akira went there many times, and would always get two burgers: a blue cheeseburger and a 6-ounce. But she had to admit, it was her first time going there herself. I hope the place is as good as Akira told me, she thought.

It then occurred to her that she hadn't told Akira of what she was doing after school today. So she turned on her phone and dialed Akira's number on FaceTime, who answered on the second ring. Unfortunately for her, after she told him of her plans for the rest of the day, he wasn't too happy.

"Aoi, couldn't you have told me this sooner?" the voice of Akira said through her phone, showing concern. "Would you like me to send Isomaki to drive you over?"

"It's fine, Akira." Aoi assured him. "The drive to the Den City Shelter is ten minutes from the school. We'll be taking a car there."

"A car? Are you planning on taking a taxi there?" Akira immediately asked, causing Aoi to curse in her mind for the error she made. "Do you have enough money? What if the driver plans on kidnapping you?"

"Akira, I do have enough money." Aoi calmly stated. "And besides, I'm not going alone, remember?"

"Alright. Thank you for telling me this, Aoi." Akira said. "By the way, who else is going with you?"

"A boy named Yuhiro Furutani. And the organizer of the trip: Roxanne Matsuo." Please work, please work, Aoi thought as Akira gathered his thoughts before responding.

"Roxanne Matsuo... Oh yes! I remember her!" Akira recalled. "She's a very nice woman. I remember a few years ago that she was responsible for getting a man named Travis arrested for abusing his former girlfriend. As long as she's going, then I can most certainly calm down. Tell her I say hi, will you?"

The comment ended up putting a sly smile on Aoi's lips as she stared at her phone. "I will, Akira. And is it me, or are you developing a crush on her?"

Akira couldn't help but laugh. "I don't have time for dating. And I got a baby sister to take care of." He sighed before continuing. "Aoi, promise me you'll stay safe? After all, you're important to me."

"Of course..." Aoi whispered, surprised by what she heard. "See you tonight, Akira."

With that, the call ended. Aoi stared at the phone in her hand for a brief moment before realizing that she was close to her destination. A building with the sign 'Café Matsuo' on it. As she approached the building, she saw a woman taking a person's order. This woman had black, wavy, waist-length hair tied in a ponytail, with a hairband on it. She wore blue denim jeans and a dark yellow shirt with an apron on it, as well as black-trimmed glasses. That must be Roxanne Matsuo, Aoi thought as she approached the woman, who was typing something on her tablet.

"Excuse me?" Aoi asked, getting Roxy's attention.

"Oh! I didn't notice you there!" Roxy immediately grabbed a pen and paper. When she looked at Aoi, she dropped both of them within seconds of picking them up. "Wait a minute. You're Aoi Zaizen, right?"

"Yes." Aoi confirmed. "How do you know?"

"Your brother used to stop by to pick up burgers for board meetings." Roxy replied. "Also, Yuhiro told me that you were coming by. Tell you what: I'll take your order, and let him know that you're here. As soon as you're done eating, we'll head on out. Sound good with you?"

"That would be very nice. Thank you." Aoi said, with a slight bow.

After the brief conversation, Aoi ordered a 6-ounce burger with cheese, lettuce, and pickles from Roxy. Once she paid for her order, she headed over to one of the picnic tables to wait for her order, while Roxy went to the back to inform Yuhiro of Aoi's arrival. A few minutes later, he went outside to the picnic table where Aoi was. And beside him was none other than Progleo.

"I was wondering when you would arrive." Yuhiro said. Turning to Progleo, he said, "I believe you remember my dog, Leo?"

"Of course I do," Aoi said, kneeling down to look at the cub. "Come here, Leo." Immediately, Progleo headed towards Aoi, happy to see her once again. Aoi ended up giving him belly-rubs, which he liked very much. "Do you plan on bringing him to the shelter?"

"Roxy insisted on it." Yuhiro replied, as he knelt down and pat Progleo on the head. "It would be a good idea for him to meet people other than Roxy and me, don't you think?"

"It's not a bad idea." Aoi said, looking up at Yuhiro. "But do you think that-?" Before she could finish her question, Roxy arrived and brought a tray, with the burger and fries that was ordered earlier.

"Here you go, Miss Zaizen." Roxy said. "One 6-ounce burger with cheese, lettuce, and pickles, as well as a side of fries."

Upon hearing that, Aoi got up and sat down in one of the chairs at the picnic table. "Thank you very much, Ms. Matsuo."

Roxy couldn't help but snort. "Please, call me Roxy." Turning to Yuhiro, she said, "I'll load the things in the trunk. Keep Aoi company until I call the both of you over."

As she started walking away, Yuhiro said, "You sure you don't want any help?"

"Yes! I'm totally sure. After all, I don't want you damaging the equipment." Roxy called back as she headed to the van.

Yuhiro took the seat opposite to Aoi as she started eating her meal. "There she goes. She may be a pain in the ass, but deep down, she cares just like any mother would."

"A mother?" Aoi wondered as she bit into her burger. "You mean-?"

"Yeah. She adopted me." Yuhiro confirmed, turning to face Aoi. "About five years after I was brought to the Den City Shelter. At first, it was rough, but I learned to get used to it over time. Now living with her isn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"I didn't know the two of you were close." Aoi said as she took another bite into her burger.

"Me neither." Yuhiro agreed with her. Before either of them could say anything else, their attention was directed to Roxy's voice.

"Hey, you guys! The van is all packed up! The sooner we head on out, the better!"

"Coming!" Yuhiro said as he got up from his seat. Turning to Aoi, he asked, "You ready to go?"

Ten minutes later...

The drive to the Den City Shelter ended up to be just like what Aoi predicted: ten minutes. Except for Progleo, everyone was silent for the drive there. After Roxy found a parking spot, the group walked to the Den City Shelter, where upon arrival, they found children playing near the entrance. One of the kids, a small boy, widened his eyes in realization upon seeing Yuhiro approach the building.

Turning to the other kids, he said, "Look everyone! Yuhiro's here!" Immediately, there were shouts of "Yuhiro!" from the other kids, as they headed towards him.

"I haven't seen you guys in a while!" Yuhiro said, as the children gathered around him. "And guess what? I brought a puppy!" Yuhiro gestured to Progleo to go forward and meet the children. Nervous, the cub took a few steps towards them, who greeted him with love.

"He's so cute!"

"I love him!"

"He's the best!"

This was said by many of the kids as they played with Progleo. Aoi couldn't help but chuckle at the kids welcoming the cub as one of their own and playing with him. She remembered of how she welcomed Akira as a little kid. Aoi would greet Akira with a smile, causing Akira to chuckle as he pat her head.

"Yo! Think fast!" a voice said as a basketball came out of nowhere towards Yuhiro. Before Aoi could warn him, he turned to where the basketball was coming from and grabbed it with his left hand. Yuhiro then dribbled it in front of him a few times before having the ball go through his legs and to his right arm and back.

"Miles Shilton," Yuhiro said, calling out to him. "I told you. You gotta think fast to be fast if you want to catch me by surprise." Miles, a dark-skinned 14-year boy, appeared in his sight as he received the basketball back. He wore a red hoodie with a black shirt underneath along with jeans. He also had average-length black hair with thick eyebrows as well.

"I know man. But I seriously thought I'd get you this time." Miles said as he pulled Yuhiro in for a bro hug. "How've you been, man? It's been a while since we last saw each other."

"Everything's good these days." Yuhiro replied, as he pulled away from the bro hug. "And you're right. It has been a while."

"Obviously. We've so much to catch up on!" Miles said, before noticing Aoi. "Oh. Didn't notice you brought a friend with you. I'm Miles. Miles Shilton." He extended his hand.

"I'm Aoi Zaizen." Aoi said, taking Miles' hand and shaking it. "You know Furutani?"

"That's right!" Miles confirmed. "Yuhiro and I have known each other for a few years now." Turning to Yuhiro, he said, "Man. Do you know how long it's been since you last came?"

"Dunno. A few months?" Yuhiro replied, turning his head to Roxy behind him, who smiled and waved back at the group.

"Well, obviously!" Miles crossed his arms, as though he were offended. "Dude, it's not just the kids who missed you, but everyone here as well."

"Miles is right, you know," a new voice said. "The children weren't the only ones who missed you." When everyone turned to the source of the voice, they saw a man walking out of the entrance to the shelter and towards the group. The man wore a light-blue and green buttoned up shirt, with slacks. He also had middle-length brown hair that was combed back, along with a freshly trimmed beard and mustache. His green eyes surveyed the area until he found Yuhiro.

"Of course they weren't," Yuhiro said, walking towards the man and letting himself get pulled in by one of his hugs. "I missed you, Quinton."

"I know, Yuhiro," Quinton said back. The moment, however, was interrupted by an "Ahem!" from Roxy. Quinton, who heard that, couldn't help but smirk as he walked towards her and shook her hand. "Don't worry, Roxy. I haven't forgotten about you." He then turned his head towards Aoi. "And who is this?"

"Zaizen. I'm Aoi Zaizen," Aoi said, bowing a little.

"There's no need to do that," Quinton said, laughing at the unexpected gesture. "My name is Quinton Monell, and I'm the man in charge of this place. It's quite rare to have guests here, especially," he gestured towards Yuhiro, "if it's Yuhiro the one bringing them here, a wonderful young lady at that."

He then proceeded to elbow Yuhiro's right arm a few times, causing him to roll his eyes.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Quinton asked. "Are you not going to help your lady friend feel at ease? As we speak, her face is turning as red as a cherry."

Sure enough, Aoi's cheeks were bright red. While she did act nervous at times, it was surprising to her that someone was able to figure it out very quickly.

"Ha! You just got lectured, Yuhiro!" Miles said, which caused the kids to laugh. However, Quinton silenced them right away by putting a finger to his lips.

"With that out of the way, why don't we all go inside now?" Quinton gestured everyone to head inside of the shelter.

"This way, Aoi." Roxy said to Aoi, who nodded as she followed everyone inside.

"You and Roxy will be able to get the mini BBQ going for the residents, correct?" Quinton asked Yuhiro.

"Don't worry, Quinton. It isn't my first time." Yuhiro responded. "We also brought more variety for any of the senior residents that don't like steak."

"I'm sorry. I don't think I'm the best when it comes to making burgers." Aoi pointed out to Quinton, who smiled.

"Don't be. You can help me out with something else." Turning to Miles, he said, "Could you go help Roxy and Yuhiro with burger prep?"

"Leave it to me!" Miles said, as Quinton and Aoi left the group and headed towards the kitchen.

"So, Ms. Blue Angel," Quinton said, as he opened the door to the fridge. "What brings you here to the shelter, exactly?"

Aoi's face widened in surprise upon hearing him call her that. "How did...How did-?"

"Before you say anything, no. I don't plan on revealing your identity." Quinton said as he carried out a load of juice boxes and put them on a nearby table. "As for how I figured it out, let's just say a magician never reveals his tricks."

"A magician?" Aoi wondered. It then hit her. No wonder this man looked so familiar. "You're Stregone, aren't you?"

"The one and only," he confirmed as he headed back to the fridge to find more juice boxes. Pointing to the pantry, he added, "There are some baked goods in the pantry. I have my hands full at the moment, but could you give me a helping hand?"

"Of-of course." Aoi nodded, her mind going straight away to the task. "I didn't expect you to know who I was in LINK VRAINS."

"Like I said, don't worry about it." Quinton replied as he put the second load of juice boxes beside the first one. "What I do want to know is: Why didn't you join in our alliance against the Hanoi?"

Aoi was silent as she brought the baked goods and put them beside the juice boxes. "It's just. I don't have a reason to duel right now." She turned to look at Quinton. "When I became Blue Angel, I did so in order for my brother to see that I can handle myself. But after what happened to me..."

"I know. We all saw it on the news. What the Hanoi did to you during your duel against Playmaker." Quinton sighed. "Unfortunately, this world is filled with cruel and selfish monsters who will do whatever it takes for their own self-gain. They can range from criminals like the Hanoi to the bullies in our neighborhood." He then looked at a picture on the wall. It showed him and Go Onizuka, along with several children. "But I have hope that there's people who will stand up for others and fight for the sake of good. That is why I became Stregone."

Aoi couldn't help but nod at what Quinton was saying as he headed back to the fridge. Everyone who went near her always wanted something from her, whether it was a referral to SOL Technologies, or even the new Duel Disk that came out. She soon snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a grunt behind her.

"A little... help?" Quinton asked, as Aoi rushed to help him carry what looked like a box of cucumbers, which, while they looked light, were actually really heavy. The two of them carried them over to a nearby sink. Afterwards, the two of them started chopping the skin off the cucumbers before cleaning them. "Thanks by the way, for the assist."

"No problem." Aoi said as she chopped the skin off of the cucumbers using a knife before cleaning them. "What was it you were saying earlier?"

Quinton thought for a minute before responding. "I remember! That the world was filled with cruel and selfish monsters who will do anything for it's self-interest. Sadly, Yuhiro had to learn this the hard way..."

"Yuhiro...? What exactly happened to him?" Aoi muttered. While she knew what happened to Yuhiro, she wanted to hear it from the man who he was raised under before getting adopted by Roxy.

"If you knew, you would turn deathly pale." Quinton said in a serious tone as he put down the cucumber and knife in his hands and turned off the sink. He then turned to look at Aoi with his green eyes. "Are you prepared for that?"

Aoi nodded. This is it: with the information she was about to learn, Aoi would finally be able to figure out how best to help Yuhiro get through his pain. And by doing that, he might be able to open up to others and trust them again. "Yes, I am. For I want to help Yuhiro the best I can."

"Very well." Quinton confirmed. "Ten years ago, this event happened in none other than Den City. At the age of six, Yuhiro was kidnapped by an unknown group of people and was tortured day and night, all for some 'science experiment'." He spat out the last two words. "As a result of the event, he suffered aftereffects that he still experiences to this day."

As she listened to the story, Aoi slowly pieced the puzzle pieces together: kidnapped, by an unknown group of people, aftereffects, and tortured day and night? It made perfect sense...

"I was one of the social workers who helped get him and the other children out of that horrible place when it ended." Quinton continued. "When I brought him to the Den City Shelter, I hoped that interacting with the other kids would help lessen his burden, but I was wrong. Yuhiro experienced no joy in the activities he participated in, suffered anxiety attacks, and also experienced nightmares. I can't keep track of all the times I heard him screaming for dear life."

Aoi was completely silent. Poor Yuhiro, she thought. No wonder he mentioned he can't move on. From what he went through, the Lost Incident must have been that bad to scar him permanently.

"Did he... did he have any family?" she asked, nervous on what Quinton was going to say next.

"Unfortunately, no." he answered, his face looking downcast. "From what I know, every member of his family was brutally killed in an attack just hours before he was kidnapped. We don't know if there were any survivors, but it's safe to assume that they're all dead." He sighed and put a hand to his face temporarily, as though the events of the past caught up to him and caused him pain.

Aoi covered her hands to her mouth. Yuhiro lost his family just hours before the Lost Incident began, she thought. And any memories he had with them were taken away from him forever.

"But for some reason, I knew I couldn't give up on him." Quinton said. "Even in the state Yuhiro was in, I was determined to help him, in any way I could. And I guess I partially succeeded in the end."

Aoi raised an eyebrow in hearing his last comment. "How?"

"With this," Quinton answered, pulling out Arcanite Magician from his pocket. "I taught him how to play Duel Monsters, and it pretty much saved his life. As a result of the game, Yuhiro was able to interact with the other kids there. While the anxiety attacks and nightmares were still around, he pretty much functioned like a normal kid."

"And then years later, Yuhiro was adopted by Roxy." Aoi finished for Quinton, causing him to raise his eyebrows in surprise at her.

"He told you?" he asked, curious as to how Aoi knew that information.

"Yes," she answered, "just before we arrived here." Wanting to process what she heard, she asked, "Could you give me a few minutes to myself please?"

"Of course." Quinton responded, as he left the kitchen, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

I have all this information about Yuhiro, Aoi thought. And yet after knowing all this about him, I still don't know how to help him. Not after the last time I asked Yuhiro about the Lost Incident.

She looked at her hands. "I don't know what to do," Aoi whispered, as tears flowed through her eyes. "I don't know what I even want. And if I don't know what I want, then I don't know how to help Yuhiro." She put her hands to her face as she cried, letting the tears flow out of her eyes.

"Oh, there you are!" a voice said as its owner entered the kitchen. "Yuhiro told me to find you, and-." When Aoi looked up, she was surprised to see Miles, who stopped talking upon seeing her upset. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were upset. I'll leave you alone if you like."

Miles was about to leave when she stopped him. "No. It's alright," she said as she wiped her tears using her arm. "Could you mind helping me bring the stuff on the table?"

"Yeah, sure." Miles replied, as he picked up a load of juice boxes and baked goods, while Aoi did the same.

"Miles," Aoi said, getting the boys attention as they walked out of the kitchen and through the hallway, "how did you end up volunteering here at the shelter?"

"Well, it's simple. I live here." Miles responded. "And Quinton convinced me to help maintain the place. I have to say, it's helped me cope with the grief of losing my mom."

"Your mom?" Aoi said, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Yeah." Miles sighed. "Are you familiar with the Disbandment Armistice?"

Aoi nodded. Three years ago, there were two gangs in Den City: the Sons of Ajax and the Nightlock Predators. They've been on a turf war with each other for many years, causing the deaths of not only gang members, but innocent civilians as well. One day, however, the fighting suddenly stopped when the gang leaders, Jeff Shilton, and Norman Rodriguez, surrendered themselves to the Den City Police. As a result, both gangs were dissolved, and as long as they weren't reformed for any reason, any gang members remaining were pardoned for all the crimes they committed while they existed.

"My dad was the gang leader of the Sons of Ajax." Miles said, his face looking somber as he recalled the story. "When I was 11 years old, there was a scuffle between my dad and Norman regarding a dead Nightlock Predator and stolen supplies. My dad told him again and again that he had nothing to do with it, but Norman didn't want to listen. He threatened war unless my dad paid tribute as compensation for the dead gang member."

Aoi was about to say something when Miles continued. "My mother had a heart full of gold, and wanted peace more than anything. She was able to convince my dad to parley with Norman, in the hopes of preventing a gang war. Unfortunately," Miles sniffled up before he got it under control, "the peace talks got out of hand, and Norman was about to shoot my dad when my mother took the bullet for him. Horrified by what happened, my dad and Norman agreed that their war wasn't worth it anymore. So, they dissolved their respective gangs permanently, and turned themselves to the police on the condition that any former gang members were to be pardoned for all crimes committed while they existed."

"I'm so sorry," was all Aoi could say. While she didn't have many memories of her mother, at least she and Miles were able to spend time with them before they died so early. "From what you tell me, she died like a hero in the end."

"I know. That's how I want to remember my mom as. A hero." Miles agreed with her. The two of them arrived at the main area of the shelter, where several tables were set up, with people sitting on the benches near them. Aoi put her load of juice boxes and baked goods at the designated area for them, while Miles did the same. "You want to know something really cool?"

Aoi was now curious as to what Miles was going to say next. "What?"

"Before my mom had me, she was a Charisma Duelist in LINK VRAINS. She was known as 'The Phoenix.'" Miles smiled in pride as he said that, while Aoi's mouth dropped a bit. As if to prove his point, Miles pulled out a card from his deck and showed her.

"No way," she said, as she looked at the card. Nephthys, the Sacred Flame, 'The Phoenix's' ace monster. "You mean to tell me that you're the son of-?"

"Yep!" Miles sheepishly confirmed. "The one and only. I plan to one day log onto LINK VRAINS and show the world that 'The Phoenix' is back!"

"That's very wonderful of you." Aoi said. "Your mom would be very proud of you carrying on her legacy. And I'm pretty sure that if you're lucky, you'll get to duel Blue Angel one day."

"Dueling a Charisma Duelist, huh?" Miles mulled over. "That would be a lot of fun actually now that you mention it."

"Of course."

"There you baboons are!" a new voice suddenly said, getting Miles' and Aoi's attention. Sure enough, there was Roxy, walking towards them with her arms crossed. "Yuhiro told me to find you guys because there's a lot of hungry people that need to be fed. He and Quinton need some help to serve these people food because there's two of them, compared to all the hungry customers we're receiving today." Aoi nodded in understanding, while Miles raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, why can't you help, Roxy?" Miles asked.

Roxy took a deep breath before saying to him directly, "BECAUSE I'M THE COOK, YOU DINGUS!"

This statement caused Miles to run outside in terror, while Aoi walked with Roxy outside.

"Was that really necessary?" Aoi asked her.

"Nah, just wanted to do that for my own amusement." Roxy responded.

Hours later...

By the time all of the burgers were served, and the room was cleaned up, every person there enjoyed their meal. From there, Roxy loaded the equipment back into the van while Yuhiro entertained the children with Progleo and Quinton while Aoi and Miles watched. Sadly, it came to an end once Roxy came back and said that it was time for them to go.

"You'll come back soon, right Yuhiro?" a little girl asked him as she gripped to his hand.

Turning to the little girl, Yuhiro said, "Don't worry, it's a promise." Hearing this made the girl light up in happiness.

"I'll see you next time, bud." Miles said as he pulled Yuhiro into a bro hug.

"Same here, Miles." Yuhiro replied, pulling away from the bro hug. It was then that Quinton came forward and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Promise me that you'll take care of yourself, all right?" Quinton asked.

Yuhiro couldn't help but smirk. "Don't worry yourself, Quinton. Everything will be fine. That, I promise."

Soon, he along with Roxy, Aoi, and Progleo walked away from the shelter, with several shouts of "Goodbye!" from the children, echoing from behind them.

"Take care!" Yuhiro shouted back with a smile.

Aoi couldn't help but wonder as she watched him interact with the kids. At school, he acts like a different person, she thought. But here, he's kinder, happier and more willing to interact with others. Perhaps this place is more special to him than I thought.

The quartet headed to the car and got in, with Roxy driving away from the shelter afterwards. A few minutes after they left, Aoi said, "I know why you brought me here, Furutani."

Yuhiro turned around from his front seat and raised an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

"You wanted to help me find a reason to duel again. That's what Quinton told me." Aoi responded.

Roxy's eyes widened in surprise in hearing this, while all Yuhiro could do was smirk. "You're right on that. The truth was, I invited you here in the hopes of helping you find a purpose to duel again. Did going here today help?"

Aoi wasn't sure how to respond. While she didn't know who or what she wanted to duel for as of now, she'd be lying if she said that today didn't impact her at all. Aoi then remembered the words Quinton told her in the kitchen. I have hope that there's people who will stand up for others and fight for the sake of good.

Taking a deep breath, Aoi finally said, "While coming here today helped, I'm still not sure why I exactly duel. I need some more time to figure it out."

"No one's pressuring you, sweetie." Roxy interjected. "We all need some time to figure things out sometimes. Hell, when Yuhiro told me how you figured out his identity, it took a few hours for me to fully process that information and accept it. Ha!"

"Do you think we should tell her?" Yuhiro asked Roxy as he turned his head to face her.

"Might as well. As long as she is aware of what she's getting herself into, then I don't see the trouble." Roxy replied.

Yuhiro then pulled out his Duel Disk. "Here, Aoi. There's someone who you should meet." He handed the Duel Disk to Aoi, who placed it on her lap. Within moments, Herald emerged from the Duel Disk, surprising Aoi.

"Ah, so you're Blue Angel in the real world." Herald said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Aoi Zaizen."

"You're... You're-." But before Aoi could finish her sentence, Herald continued.

"Yuhiro's Ignis. And if you think seeing me surprised you, just look at this." Turning to Progleo, who was sitting on the other backseat, Herald said, "Progleo, why don't you say hi to Aoi."

"Hi, Aoi!" Progleo said, causing Aoi's jaw to drop at the sight of seeing a talking dog.

"Believe me, that was my exact reaction when Progleo started talking to me!" Yuhiro said, laughing at Aoi's reaction as a small touch of red formed around her cheeks.

As she turned to see Yuhiro actually enjoying himself for a change, Aoi thought, There maybe hope that you can move on from the Lost Incident after all, Yuhiro. I promise, once I figure out what's going on with me, I'll do everything I can to help you move past your trauma.

"Hey, Aoi," Roxy said, snapping Aoi out of her thoughts and getting her attention, "I know that you've experienced issues of trust with people because of what they did to you. Trust me when I say, it can be a pain the ass." Roxy then looked at her rear-view mirror. "If you ever need someone to talk to about this, you can always talk to me."

Aoi smiled in gratitude. "Thank you, Roxy! I'll definitely keep it in mind!"

Card Gallery

No cards in this chapter.

QOTC

What did you think of Miles Shilton and his backstory, as well as the backstory Quinton Monell told Aoi about Yuhiro?

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 15: Shifting Tides. The search for the Another cure continues! Raguel and the duelists he formed an alliance with continue to fight against the Knights of Hanoi, in an attempt to find out who was responsible for the Anothers, as well as how to cure them. After Raguel ends up defeating a Knight of Hanoi in a duel, he learns valuable information that could end the 'Another' situation, only for him to run into one more obstacle...

Responses to Reviews and Authors Notes

Thank you to ZarcEternal, Revolver, Unknown, Savagemaster1999, HunterHQ, Anonymous, Unnamed, Tema Rocket, Guest, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 13 of Obscured Truth.

Okay, what a chapter! Thank you everyone very much for waiting, as it's helped me release this chapter in the best format it can be in. Before I answer people's reviews, we'll summarize what happened in this chapter.

The main thing that happened this chapter was Yuhiro taking Aoi to the Den City Shelter in an attempt to help her find a reason to duel again. While she was impacted by the visit, she still needs time to figure out what she ultimately wants, which is what will happen next chapter.

At the shelter, we meet Stregone's real-life identity, Quinton Monell, the owner of the Den City Shelter. He is the father-like figure to Yuhiro, who helped him after the Lost Incident by teaching him Duel Monsters. His appearance is based on Jake Gyllenhaal, while his personality is based off of Cassius Bright from Sora no Kiseki (or Trails in the Sky if you're not familiar with Sora no Kiseki).

We also meet Yuhiro's friend, Miles Shilton. He is the son of a Charisma Duelist OC in the story known as 'The Phoenix', as well as of a gang leader. Miles' story and how he ended up in the Den City Shelter was based around an event I created for the story in Den City known as the Disbandment Armistice, which is this: Three years ago, there was a gang war between the Sons of Ajax and the Nightlock Predators. One day, the leader of the Nightlock Predators, Norman Rodriguez, accused Jeff Shilton (leader of the Sons of Ajax) of the death of one of his gang members along with stolen supplies. Jeff attempted to parley with Norman at Miles' mother's urging, but the peace talks got out of hand, and he would have died had she not taken the bullet for him. Horrified by the events that transpired, Jeff and Norman disbanded their respective gangs and turned themselves to the police, on the condition that all former gang members were to be pardoned of any crimes committed while the gangs existed.

Following the events that happened, Miles was sent to the Den City Shelter, where there, he met Yuhiro. He also wishes to honor his mother's sacrifice by becoming an aspiring Charisma Duelist one day using her deck, which is the Nephthys deck. As for whether he'll duel in this story or not, I can confirm this: He will duel.

For those of you who are curious, Miles is 14 years old in this story, and his appearance is based on Miles Morales from Marvel Comics. His personality is also based on Izuku Midiyora from My Hero Academia.

After the visit at the shelter, Aoi and Herald end up meeting each other for the first time, and Progleo even says hello to her, shocking her in the process (to Yuhiro's amusement). What did you think of their first encounter with each other? Were you surprised, or did you expect something more?

Anyways, let's get onto the reviews.

ZarcEternal: My apologies for not explaining it to you last chapter, but I forgot to mention that I kept the Pendulum Zones in Speed Duels. The way this is done is that the Pendulum Zones shift to the left and right Spell and Trap Card zones that are closer to the middle. I implemented this so that it provides a challenge not only for Stregone, but for any other Pendulum duelists that might appear. If you still have questions about it, don't hesitate to send a PM.

Revolver: TBH, aside from the duels and Go Onizuka vs Dr. Genome, not much happened in Chapter 13. I get that you're disappointed, but I hope you understand that I wrote them in order for me to practice writing duels involving the Steelswarm and Danger! archetypes.

Unknown: How Yuhiro got his pendant will be answered later on the story. That's all I'll tell you.

Savagemaster1999: A duel between Playmaker vs. Watchman? If that were to happen, then Playmaker wouldn't last.

HunterHQ: I hoped that the duels gave the characters the spotlight they deserved. As to whether something like this will happen again or not during Blue Angel's duel against Baira, I'm not fully sure yet. What I will say about Numera is this: She will come clean eventually.

Anonymous: I agree with you. It's a shame that, even though Stregone gave Go a good pep talk, he abandoned his career as a Charisma Duelist and became a bounty hunter.

Unnamed: Watchman hasn't fully gained his power yet, which makes his abilities limited. He also doesn't know where in the network his former colleagues are. If he did, he could help Raguel.

Tema Rocket: You really think Watchman is evil? All I say to you is this: Keep on reading...

Guest: Thanks very much for the compliment. You will see more dub lines as the story goes on.

Guest: The 7th Ignis is Herald. And as for a duel between Watchman and Dr. Kogami, I'm afraid it won't happen.

As always, let me know what your thoughts, opinions, and comments are in your reviews. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to put them in your review as well. I also encourage you to spread word about this story to anyone you know that may enjoy it. Any constructive criticism you have is welcome, as it helps with the story. See you next time!