[New York City - Times Square?]
Reinhardt, for the first time since he had arrived in that world, was feeling fear—the kind of primordial fear that paralyzed him in place but also compelled him to turn back and run as far away as he could. He was shaking, and his skin was pale as snow.
Swallowing, he did his best and hardest to stand his ground and compose himself; however, he was sure that Tragoedia could see through the facade of bravery if the demon's dark smile was anything to go by.
"So, you're the one that defeated Reggie, aren't you?" He asked in a voice smooth as silk, yet it was clearly obvious that there was something terribly wrong with his voice; it didn't fit the person speaking.
"I must say you aren't quite what I was expecting." He remarked, sounding almost as if he were disappointed. "However, after the display you showcased against that pitiful son of mine, I must say, you've piqued my interest." He nodded with dark satisfaction.
Reinhardt didn't respond; he couldn't respond. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but alas, no sound came; it was as if his vocal cords had up and left, or more accurately, ran away.
"Where's David?" Reggie asked in a shaky voice.
"Where your useless brother ended up is the least of your concerns." He calmly shot back while briefly making eye contact with her.
Tragoedia started to walk toward them with calm and measured steps; it was obvious that he was taking his sweet time approaching them so that he may enjoy the increasing sense of dread growing on the duo.
Without thinking twice, Reinhardt grabbed Reggie's wrist and pulled her as they started to make a mad dash in the opposite direction, and they ran for what felt like an eternity; thankfully, the darkness started to dissipate.
Without the darkness to shroud their vicinity anymore, Reinhardt quickly started to look left and right, his good eye frantically scanning for any sign of danger; thankfully, there was none to be found.
After catching his breath and allowing the tension to somewhat be drained from his body, he noticed that they weren't in Times Square anymore, but rather in some sort of park, possibly Central Park.
"Reggie, are you okay?" The scarred duelist turned to his companion only to find her curled up in a ball against a tree, quietly sobbing to herself.
"What did we do to deserve all of this?" She questioned in between hiccups. "What does that thing want with us?" She lifted her head to face Reinhardt, revealing her eyes red and her cheeks damp.
"Hey, I know things might look bad." He kneeled down and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "But I have a plan." His voice now carried a light tinge of optimism.
"What is it?" She locked eyes with him, a mix of expectation and faint hope being visible under all of the sadness and despair.
"David mentioned someone who was able to perform Xyz summon, like myself." He straightened his posture and offered her a helping hand. "I say we find out more about this mysterious person and enlist their help." He said with a small smile tugging on his lips.
Reggie looked at the hand being offered to her, and without hesitation, she took the hand into hers and used it to get back on her feet. If Reinhardt's plan worked, the chances to save her family would increase dramatically.
"What's the next course of action?" She asked while leaning against the tree having somewhat recovered some of her posture.
"Right now, we go back to my home and rest" He said as he rubbed his eyes.
"I'd rather we began our search for this mysterious person…" Reggie trailed off as she placed a hand over her mouth allowing a big yawn to escape her lips "But you do have a point, I feel like I ran an entire marathon" She looked down at her uniform and frowned at how disheveled it looked.
With that the duo started to make their way out of the park, though they opted to take the scenic route in order to allow the sights and sounds of a tranquil Central Park to somewhat calm them.
[New York City - Five Points - Reinhardt's Home - 00:12 AM]
Reinhardt was sitting at his wooden table enjoying some cheap microwave meal, while nowhere near a decent meal he liked both the smell and taste. Shifting his gaze from the food to Reggie, he saw that the blonde was fast asleep on his couch.
Setting down his plastic fork, he couldn't help but groan and allow his face to sink in his hands. Tragoedia was right there in front of him; he had the chance to end all the impending pandemonium right then and there, yet when push came to shove, he ran away with his tail between his legs.
Though there was hope in the form of the so-called "Purple-Haired Schmuck" who is capable of using Xyz Summon, tomorrow he would go to Demise's Sinkhole and have Garret dig any nugget of information he could.
But he had to admit that the mere fact that there was someone like him, a person who was transported from another world, was comforting in a somewhat weird way.
Finishing his meal, he picked the plastic container and unceremoniously dropped it on a trash bin filled to the brim with garbage before sitting yet again on the table and laying his head on the rough wooden surface, where he thankfully fell asleep rather quickly.
[5 hours later]
Beep-Beep-Beep-Bee-
Reggie tightly grabbed the alarm clock in her hands before and hurling the machine across the room, causing it to completely disassemble as bits from its mechanical innerworkings spread across the room as the blonde covered her head in an attempt to go back to sleep.
Reinhardt, on the other hand, couldn't be afforded the desired privilege of "five more minutes" as he pushed himself off the old wooden table, causing it to creak rather loudly, earning an annoyed groan from Reggie.
Picking his duel disk and deck, Reinhardt stopped in front of the mirror to give his hair some last-minute touches, though he stopped when he heard movement behind him, and upon turning his neck, he saw Reggie throwing the blankets off her body and sitting up.
"Did you manage to sleep well?" He politely asked the blonde.
"I still feel like crap," she bluntly responded back while scratching the back of her neck.
"I'm really sorry; good furniture is hard to come by." He apologized before returning his attention to the mirror, where he gave his hair some final touches to be at least presentable to go out in public.
"Where are you going?" She asked after letting out a big yawn.
"Well I don't live here for free, and beside I will see what I can find about that mysterious person" He explained while fully turning to face her as he leaned against the wall.
"I'm going with you." The blonde bluntly declared while getting up, though she stopped when she looked at the mirror and saw the abominable state of her uniform. "But, do you have any spare clothes that I can use?"
"I have a few lying around." His attention turned to a pile of clothes stacked unceremoniously in a corner. "But don't expect anything fancy."
A few more minutes later, the door to Reinhardt's home opened, and the scarred duelist himself emerged from it. Tailing right behind him was Reggie, who was now wearing a brown baggy jacket and a pair of jeans. On her head was a blue and white trucker cap with the phrase "I'm Eggscellent" stamped on the front.
"Where did you find all this stuff?" She questioned while adjusting the jacket sleeves in a failed attempt to be a bit more comfortable.
"Ah, you know, here and there." He responded nonchalantly as he locked the door shut and shoved the key in his pocket. "Most of it I got from my monthly dumpster diving."
"You really don't have it easy, don't you?" She finally spoke while taken aback by what he has to go through on a monthly basis
"I like to think that I carved a somewhat tolerable niche out there." He motioned to the decrepit warehouse he currently called home. "But enough lollygagging; they only serve breakfast until eight in the morning."
[Five Points - Demise's Sinkhole - 6:55 AM]
Arriving at Five Points local watering hole the duo could already see a few patrons, either stumbling out of the bar or passed out cold in the middle of the sidewalk, tough Reggie was a bit horrified by the display Reinhardt simply side-stepped the drunks as if it was just another monday to him.
…though considering his situation that might as well be, when and if they were able to save her family she would see if her dad could help him somehow.
She snapped out of her daydreaming and quickly catched up with Reinhardt, entering the establishment properly. She followed closely behind the scarred duelist, her gaze wandering through the various patrons that were populating the bar and she couldn't help but shudder.
"Good morning, Garret" Reinhardt greeted the bartender who lifted his gaze to give the scarred duelist a curt nod before returning to his task of cleaning the countertop.
"Who's that friend of yours?" The barman questioned while shifting his focus to Reggie.
"Just someone who is dealing with..." He trailed off while searching for the words from the top of his head, "Family issues, so they're crashing at my place." He concluded while giving the old man a small smile.
"You always had a heart too pure for these parts," Garret remarked while allowing an amused snort to escape his lips as he shook his head.
"Changing topics I need a favor." Reinhardt leaned closer to Garret in a conspiratory fashion.
"Lay it on my Renni, and I will see what I can do," he said while setting his rag down and focusing his attention on the scarred duelist.
"There's this boy in Central Duel Academy who apparently can perform Xyz summon, like me." He looked left and right before returning his attention to the bartender. "And I would like you to unearth some information about him."
"Do you have the money?" Garret asked while interlacing his fingers and launching the scarred duelist an inquisitory look.
Reinhardt patted his pockets for a bit before letting out a frustrated groan. Though his frustration was short-lived, as he turned his head to the side and saw a man sleeping next to him, he reached for the man's pocket and pulled his wallet.
"I think this should do it," he declared while pulling two bills of one hundred dollars and sliding them to Garret, who simply took the money without saying another word.
"I will see what I can find, though it is Kaiba Corp we're talking about, so don't expect a miracle," he said in a solemn tone of voice while analyzing the bills he was handed.
"By the way, I also want two turkey sandwiches and a black coffee," Reinhardt added as he handed Garret a twenty-dollar bill.
"I will have it delivered to your usual spot; thank you for your patronage." With a satisfied smile, the barman pocketed the money he had just received.
The scarred duelist gave Garret a nod; he then turned to Reggie and motioned for her to follow him before they left; however, Reinhardt made sure to return the wallet to the sleeping man, who by now was drooling, and Reinhardt couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy...if only he could sleep like that at night.
"This place is surprisingly nice," Reggie commented while looking around the well-kept decor and (mostly) clean tables.
"That's Garret to you; the man doesn't do anything half-assed." Reinhardt commented while looking up from the comic book he was reading.
"You seem to know your way around these parts," she said while removing her trucker cap and giving the bar one more look, doing her absolute best to avoid any form of eye contact.
"I kind of need to, especially when you consider my line of work." He motioned to the bar around him without taking his eyes off the comic book. "But enough about me; how about you?" He settled the comic book down and placed his elbows on the table.
"Sure, what do you want to know?" She crossed her arms and leaned against her chair.
"I want to know how you're holding up." He had genuine concern on his face as the words left his mouth.
"To be honest, I'm hoping this is a dream." She laughed weakly, "That at any moment I will wake up in my comfortable bed." Any semblance of a smile left her face as she continued speaking.
"This nightmare will end, I assure you." There was a mix of determination and fierceness as he spoke.
"I'm sorry, but why are you doing all of this?" She crossed her arms while looking him dead in the eye. "I'm grateful for what you've done for me so far; I'm just curious as to why you are going out of your way to help a stranger."
"Because I can." He responded without missing a beat. "I have the capability to stop people from suffering, and I assure you I will go above and beyond to do so."
Before Reggie could press the topic further, their conversation got interrupted by a fat man carrying a platter with two sandwiches and a mug of steaming coffee.
"Hey Adam, how's it going?" Reinhardt greeted the now-named Adam with a curt nod.
"I'm doing good, Reini; thanks for asking." He responded with a jovial smile plastered across his face while he settled the food on the table, though he stopped for a brief second when he looked at Reggie.
"They're a friend who is crashing at my place." The scarred duelist quickly clarified just as Adam was about to open his mouth to speak.
"By the way, Reini, next week will be my daughter's birthday, and she insisted on inviting you." He reached for his pocket and pulled a slightly crumpled piece of pink paper, which turned out to be an invitation to said birthday.
"Ah…I see" Reinhardt awkwardly smiled as he took the invitation in his hand and neatly folded the paper and pocketed it. "I will see if my schedule is free by then; you know how things are around here." He motioned to the bar around them, earning a belly laugh from the man.
"Ah yeah, Garret puts you to work to the bone, doesn't he?" He asked after recovering from his laughing fit. "But enjoy your meal, will ya?" Adam gave the duo a nod before making his way back toward the kitchen.
"And that was Adam; he's the waiter and chef of the bar." He quickly explained to Reggie as he slid her one of the turkey sandwiches, "And trust me when I say, the man can cook."
To say Reggie was hesitant would be the understatement of the century; she was no picky eater, but there was a little voice on the back of her head advising her against eating the food, presenting the reasoning that it could give her one hell of a case of food poisoning.
Yet there was another voice telling her to give the sandwich a chance, arguing that not only was it being offered to her by Reinhardt but also that it neither smelled nor did it look that bad.
Swallowing hard, she picked the sandwich and slowly brought it closer to her lips, and with a bit of hesitation, she opened them before taking a bite.
The taste was, for lack of better words, divine. She couldn't put her finger on it, but everything about that sandwich worked flawlessly, from the bread all the way down to the oregano sprinkled on top of the bun.
"Pretty good, no?" Reinhardt asked with a small, knowing smile, which only widened as the blonde nodded before wolfing down her food.
The two of them spent a good ten to fifteen minutes just enjoying their food, with a few failed attempts at trying to spark some small conversation, which would quickly die just as quick as it started.
Reinhardt's expression, however, became sour as he laid his eyes on a clock mounted against a wall; his gaze shifted to Garret, who was staring directly into the scarred duelist's eyes while tapping on his wristwatch while motioning to a door with the words "KEEP OUT" ominously carved upon its metallic surface.
"Well, funtime is over for me," he said with a mix of contempt and bitterness dripping from each word.
"What's up with that face?" Reggie questioned after whipping her mouth.
"Remember when I said I didn't live in that place for free?" He crossed his arms and practically sank into his seat. "It's because I have a deal with Garret; he gives me a place to stay alongside protection from the local gangs."
"But in return..." Reggie urged him to continue, already getting concerned with the response coming her way.
"I have to entertain a crowd in underground duel arenas," Reinhardt said in a dejected voice.
Reggie's face went from concerned to downright horrified in a blink of an eye. She knew he had it rough, but that was on a whole other level, though it would explain why half of his body looks like seared beef.
"Well, we will talk more later." He got up from his seat, but before he made his way toward the bar, he turned to face Reggie one last time. "Just stay there; I promise I will be quick."
With that, he hurriedly made his way toward the ominous door, leaving Reggie sitting there absolutely flabbergasted.
While she knew the existence of underground duels, it was an open secret among the larger Duel Monsters community, yet Reggie saw the aforementioned arenas as nothing more than a gathering place for degenerates where they would twist a card game to fit their own perverted desires.
But now? It was clearly obvious that things weren't as black and white as she initially thought, if Reinhardt's situation was anything to go by.
Maybe the world isn't small after all…
[The Mediterranean Sea - Princeton Group's Private Yacht - 03:33 AM ]
Chazz Princeton was standing on the upper deck of his opulent yacht. His expression was solemn, if a bit sad, as he looked out in the moonlit sea.
In his hands he held the Light and Darkness Dragon card, who even now still refused to talk to him, not that Chazz didn't blame him after all; one of the first things the ex-Obelisk Blue did once he arrived at the academy was bury the card on a random clearing under a rock and forget about it.
He groaned as he remembered the words spoken by that purple-haired slacker, yet the more he thought about them, the more true they seemed to be.
"Chazz..."A weak voice echoed through the upper deck, just barely audible from the gentle breeze that swept the area.
He immediately spun on his heels and started to frantically look left and right. He was supposed to be alone in the yacht; he had made sure there were no staff lest Jagger and Slade would know his whereabouts, which was something he wanted wholeheartedly to avoid.
"I...never...left...you" The voice spoke again, a bit more discernible than before.
He turned around again, but this time instead of being met with the empty moonlit sea, he found himself face-to-face with his old friend and someone who gave so much to him.
Light and Darkness Dragon
Chazz was at a loss for words; he wanted to see and talk with his partner again, but now that his old friend was hovering in front of him, he couldn't do anything other than fall to his knees and extend a tentative trembling hand forward.
"Y-you're back" The words stumbled from his mouth as tears began to stream down his eyes, tears of joy.
"Chazz, I never left you, not even for a second." The dragon responded in a warm and reassuring voice.
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry for abandoning you." It was all Chazz managed to say before he finally broke down in tears, all the while he kept muttering apologies between hiccups.
Instead of talking further, the dragon opted to lean in and envelop his massive wings around the crying duelist. Even though Light and Darkness Dragon was nothing but an incorporeal spirit, Chazz could feel a comforting warmth enveloping him.
He didn't know where the yacht was taking him or what was going to happen to him, but one thing was certain: no matter what happened, he wouldn't be alone ever again.
[Author's Notes]
Hey there folks! It 's ya boy! Mac!
I will be honest, I was a bit anxious on how this chapter would turn out, but I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty satisfied with the results I got. I am debating with myself whether I should use these earlier chapters of Arc 3 to expand on the area Reinhardt and Reggie are in.
And speaking of satisfaction, I absolutely loved to write the little snippet with Chazz and Light and Darkness Dragon, and you could say that moment is the beginning of his character arc, though I am still debating with myself if I should send him to North Academy or to the USA and tie his plot with Reinhardt's.
Fun fact: originally that little snippet was supposed to be about where our boy Zane Truesdale is, since we never heard of him at all. While I have a pretty good idea of where I want him to be, and no, he's not in the USA, I still need to let the idea cook since at the moment I have only a few loose scenes that sort of tie into one another.
But in any case, the next chapter will be an Oleander-focused one; it won't be anything serious, so probably some silly slice-of-life stuff like in the good old days of this fic's infancy.
Anyhow, that's it, folks! Mac sign' out!
Don't forget to leave a review containing criticism and/or suggestions! I read all of them!
