Author's Note:
IT'S ALIVE! Nearly 6 years later, on March 12 2017.
This is a bonus chapter for "The Kingdom [be]Comes." It talks about events that are happening concurrently with the previous chapter (the duel between Yusei and Mahdi), but with the rest of the Signers as they are waiting. If you would like to continue to the remainder of that duel, skip to the next chapter, the proper Chapter 22.
This chapter is mostly flashbacks and gives some more background on supporting characters. Optional to read.
Thank you,
NineInchNailed.
"Maybe there aren't any such things as good friends or bad friends – maybe there are just friends, people who stand by you when you're hurt and who help you feel not so lonely. Maybe they're always worth being scared for, and hoping for, and living for. Maybe worth dying for, too, if that's what has to be. No good friends. No bad friends. Only people you want, need to be with; people who build their houses in your heart."
~Stephen King, excerpt from "IT"
"You did WHAT?" Crow cried out.
"I let him leave," Jack repeated nonchalantly.
Crow Hogan stood in front of his significantly taller friend with his mouth agape. They had gathered with a plan to eat quick breakfast and go searching for Aki again only to find out that Yusei had gone to battle. By himself. And that Jack Atlas casually let him do so.
Crow had to draw in a deep breath before attempting to speak up. "Okay," he said, "Okay. We're leaving to find Yusei too. Immediately."
"No need," Jack said. "I know where he went."
"WHAT!?" Crow exploded.
"Where?" Ruka asked worriedly.
"Shinjuku East, Satellite," Jack answered.
"Then let's go to him!" Rua exclaimed. "He probably needs our help!"
"YES, LET'S!" Crow snapped but Jack's six foot tall frame was suddenly blocking his path.
"We can't," Jack said, his stern violet eyes looking out at the small group gathered in the kitchen. Aside from the remaining Signers there were of course Bruno and Carly. "We can't go to Yusei now. We have to wait one hour."
Crow was so surprised he actually stumbled back.
"What?" Ruka asked.
"What's going on, Jack?" Rua exclaimed. "Why do we have to wait?"
"Because Yusei asked us to," Jack answered. He then told what he had overheard from Yusei's phone conversation with Mahdi and the parting Signer's request for time.
By the time Jack had finished, Crow's expression changed from disbelieving agitation to…nothing. He was feeling an intense desire to reach out and grab something like a newspaper and then proceed to whack Jack over the head with it.
He couldn't for the life of him understand what Jack could've been thinking.
So Mahdi had taken Aki hostage and threatened to kill her if Yusei didn't come alone. If this didn't sound like the most obvious trap in the world then Crow didn't know what else could. It was also more than clear what all of them should've been doing now: going after Yusei. Naturally they weren't going to run into that warehouse screaming and with flailing arms in case Mahdi's threat wasn't an empty one (and Crow would never ever do anything to risk Aki's life). But they could stand outside of the warehouse and be ready to storm in if they heard anything going wrong. Or they could find a way to spy inside. Or they could find a way to rescue Aki without Mahdi noticing. Or they could call for police measures if necessary. Basically anything other than what Jack was forcing them to do.
Which was to sit in the kitchen of Poppo Time for an hour with their arms folded.
Crow held his head for a long moment, feeling overwhelmed with frustration. He might have been hotheaded and sometimes he might have jumped into action without thinking first (okay…he did that a lot). But he still possessed some patience and that patience was always rooted within reasonable grounds. He had zero patience for unnecessary inaction which Jack was forcing upon them due to his uncharacteristically honourable promise.
Actually speaking of, since when did Jack so gallantly keep promises when there was nothing to profit for himself?
The rest of 5D's took Jack's prohibition with less annoyance than Crow but still without much enthusiasm.
"I hate waiting," Rua whined as minutes dragged on.
"That's okay," Ruka tried to comfort her twin brother even though she herself was quite shaken. "Just about 50 minutes left now."
"How about some breakfast while you guys wait?" Carly suggested and picked up an apron.
"Please, I'm starving," Bruno pleaded. "I get hungry when I'm sad."
Crow said nothing to Carly's offer, way too preoccupied with his standing by the window and staring outside and doing not much else. The gauzy light of the morning mist entranced him.
During the first-time cohabitation at Poppo Time he did all of the cooking. Yusei might have been a hands-on mechanical genius but making anything fancier than an egg seemed beyond him. Crow often wondered how he managed by himself ever since they all moved out. Perhaps he taught himself more recipes or was content eating omelets for all three courses.
Then there were Jack and Bruno. Jack was a diva who couldn't be bothered with such nuisances as preparing food to survive. But he'd be more than content to spend all their savings on overpriced coffee from Blue Eyes Mountain (also Crow tried that legendary coffee once and…he actually thought it kind of sucked. Or, like, it was so incredibly ordinary that he felt a tinge of pity at Jack's warped kingly tastebuds). And Bruno…he ate seldom and when, he did, he could eat a bus. But in other respects he was like Yusei in that mechanical engineering was his passion and anything other than that was largely irrelevant.
So since Crow was the only one actually concerned with eating more than just snacks, coffee and oxygen all day long, he took up the duty of the cook. But since this time Poppo Time found a few additional inhabitants, the cooking in the house was mainly taken over by Carly, Aki and Ruka. It wasn't about gender roles assignments but mostly that the girls' cooking seemed more intricate and more delicious. And Crow always jumped in to help out, ready to take over entirely and at any time if needed.
But today, while the arm of the clock crawled at a pace of a deceased snail, Crow really couldn't care less to help out with food prep. Or even eating anything for that matter. Instead he was staring intensely outside of the window and trying to keep his deadly urges of strangling Jack at bay.
As the kitchen became filled with the mouthwatering smell of eggs and bacon, Rua perceptibly asked, "Are you angry, Crow?"
"Yes," he answered shortly. He turned and shot a deadly look at the former King of Games.
Jack's eyes were closed, his expression - indifferent. He sat by the end of the kitchen with his arms folded and guarded the exit like a giant watchdog.
"This is what Yusei would like us to do," Ruka quietly reminded.
Crow snorted and continued his productive activity of staring at the empty Poppo Time plaza. The previously dreamy light of morning dissipated, devouring with it the last sign of a sunny day. Heavy gray clouds multiplied but refused the cathartic comfort that the rain could bring. "Yeah, well…" he paused. "Yusei doesn't always know what's best to do."
Rua and Ruka exchanged a look.
Carly silently passed the first plate of food to Bruno who instantly dug into it and forgot about everything else.
"And you do?" Jack spoke up with the same unreadable expression.
"This isn't about me."
"I think it is."
Crow sighed with irritation and turned to give gave Jack another evil eye. To him it was kind of funny when Jack tried to pretend like he understood these things. You know, things like people or emotions or anything other than his own self interest.
"When was Yusei ever wrong about what was best?" Rua intervened, actually feeling offended. He was who Rua looked up to, a hero and a role model, and he was always right in his eyes.
"Alright, I can give you an example," Crow accepted the challenge. "Do you remember when Arc Cradle showed up? Remember how Yusei decided he'd go up there alone and how, just like now, he thought he'd do the whole thing by himself? Oh and what happened? ALL OF US were needed to stop the Momentum gears in time. If he had gone by himself he wouldn't have had enough time to stop all the gears – oh and he also might've died."
"Um. That's not a good example, Crow!" Rua protested. "Yusei didn't know what was going to happen – he was only trying to protect us!"
"Well of course he was. That's exactly what he always does."
"Yes! He always has the interests of others in mind. If that's not doing the right thing then…then I don't know what is!"
"Right thing? Sure," Crow replied. "But best thing? Not always. There's a difference, Rua."
The younger boy went quiet.
"I don't really understand, Crow," Ruka hesitantly spoke up, trying to reason this strange discussion and find more answers for her noticeably troubled brother. "Are you saying that Yusei's heart is in the wrong place? That…he needs to be more selfish?"
"No, his heart is in the right place," Crow attempted. "But yes, I think it wouldn't be such a bad thing for him to switch his priorities once in awhile. You know, do things for himself, not just for others. I think it'd do him well. I think he'd be happy." He glanced at the clock and saw that there were 45 minutes left. Wooooo, great.
Carly passed the plates with breakfast to the rest of the group. Crow said "no, thank you," while Jack plain ignored her: the blonde had his unwavering purple gaze locked on his opinionated friend.
"I think I kind of understand what Crow's saying," Carly spoke up and out of habit pushed her glasses higher up her nose. "Like, it's basic relativism – what we'd define as "right" is subjective of course. What's a right thing in one instance may not actually be right in another."
"But…but no!" Rua exclaimed, flabbergasted. "I get that, it's like, not everybody agrees on the same thing but there are obviously some things that can be considered as more right than others and by everyone! Like, saving people! Trying to do good things, helping those that need help! So," he turned to Crow accusingly, "so what you're saying, Crow, is that Yusei is wrong because he's good? That he cares too much about us, his friends? That, what, he should stop?"
Crow was taken back at first at the passion and conviction in a young boy's voice but got himself back together. "Actually, yes," he answered feeling like a bastard but knowing that, despite this appearance, he had a good argument.
Rua became silent again, too taken aback to say anything.
"Listen," Crow began. He told them a brief summary of what he'd told Aki a day ago during Jean's duel: how the Team 5Ds leader has always been the type to bottle things up, how he'd never do anything to burden anyone else, how he'd promised to himself to be as strong as he possibly could be and how he'd do anything for them. And how it should be their responsibility as his friends to try releasing some of the responsibility he's been chosen for. "Again, remember the Arc Cradle," he reminded. "And why Jack and I thought we'd challenge Mahdi instead of Yusei. To help him out a little. But then hey, what's that? Today, somebody decided to do the exact opposite of that!"
Jack rolled his eyes but did not offer to explain himself.
"I've never thought of it like this," Rua said quietly. He continued looking upset.
"Crow, are you saying that we haven't been as helpful as we could be? That we've been letting Yusei down?" Ruka asked, echoing Aki's thoughts from a few days ago.
"No, not really," Crow wanted to cheer her up. "But just that, we should all be conscious of this. We gotta help more when we can. And fight back when he tries to do too much. And when he puts us ahead of himself. We are all his weakness, you know?"
"So…uh…what you're saying is that we're Yusei's kryptonite?" Rua suggested, somewhat embarassingly.
"Kryptonite…hmm," Crow contemplated and then nodded with satisfaction. "Actually, not a bad way of putting it."
"What's kryptonite?" Bruno finally joined in on the discussion.
"But wouldn't Aki-san be Yusei's kryptonite now?" Ruka proposed, gaze drilling something interesting on the floor. "Or, at least, more of…"
Crow stared, astonished both by her comics culture knowledge and her deduction. He thought it over for a few seconds. "Well…no, if anything she's like his Lois Lane, right? I mean, you could say that Lois Lane was Super's symbolic kryptonite. You know, great weakness and all, yada yada." He waved his hand dismissingly.
"Who are we talking about now?" Bruno continued asking as he looked around. "Who are these people?"
"Crow, stop projecting geek ideas onto everything," Jack grumbled with a bored expression.
Crow glared at Jack and then at the door. The diva still wasn't moving a muscle to let anyone through!
"Really?" Rua laughed a little, "Lois Lane? But Yusei and Aki-neesan began going out only like…yesterday."
Crow made a lopsided smile.
"That's not what matters!" Carly suddenly joined in, "They've been good friends for so long. Plus, Aki has liked Yusei for a very long time now."
Ruka resumed staring at the floor with an intense expression. "What about Yusei?"
"What do you mean?" Crow raised his eyebrows, "You're asking if he liked her? Wasn't it obvious?" He cleared his throat and began a tale of the past.
Ten months earlier.
"Okay, so let me get this straight" Crow began as he jumped up to sit on the desk and popped open a cup of Red Demon Dragon ramen. "So after spending two weeks doing almost nothing else you built a D-Wheel for Aki. From scratch."
Yusei nodded, his whole attention fixed on the computer screen as it went through a final check of the engine.
"Then you were there for the whole duration of her licensing class," Crow went on.
"Sure," Yusei agreed.
"…and then you took her out on a date."
Yusei frowned and said nothing. The scan of the engine completed, the diagnostic report revealing zero problems.
"And now you're going to customize the D-Wheel for her just the way she'd like it," Crow concluded, glancing over at the cans of primer and red spray-on colour lying by the D-Wheel. There were also indeterminate metal shells that'd probably be used to make fairings.
Yusei unplugged the wires connecting the computer to the motorcycle and closed the protective lid.
"Let's see, did I leave anything out?" Crow pondered outloud, with chopsticks picking out the remaining noodles. "Was there a candle-light dinner in there somewhere?"
"It wasn't a date," Yusei finally said.
"Sure it wasn't."
"It wasn't," Yusei insisted and looked at him sternly. "I was only teaching her how to turn-back for Riding Duels. Rua and Ruka were there too."
"I'm sure if you ask Aki or Rua and Ruka they'll say otherwise," Crow snickered.
Yusei lapsed into silence and after a few moments turned away, picked up a large sheet of aluminum and walked over to the workstation.
Crow sighed, understanding that Yusei was going to ignore him now – when he didn't want to discuss something further he stopped talking and pretended not to hear you until you either changed topics or stopped bothering him. This antic could be quite frustrating.
"Yo, Yusei. Come on, man, you know I'm just teasing," he stood up, impressively tossed the empty cup into the garbage can almost three metres away and walked over to the silent Signer.
"Yeah," Yusei said, eyes glued to the workstation.
"So you have a little crush on her - big deal!" Crow carried on and patted his shoulder. "…Can't say I blame you, really."
Yusei almost winced but seemed to have caught himself right in time.
"So you know, whatever. Ask her on a real date then."
Yusei frowned and was completely silent for a good long minute during which Crow began feeling kind of weirded out and wondered if he should just…walk away. But when Team 5D's captain finally spoke up, he was quiet and almost hesitant.
"No. I can't."
"What? Why?" Crow couldn't prevent himself from laughing out loud. Yusei could be so solemn at times that it bordered on melodramatic. Especially now, his answer was ridiculous. "Look, if you're shy or-"
"No," Yusei interrupted and turned to face him. He had such a serious and earnest expression on his face that Crow's smile quickly evaporated. "No, it's not that. It's-" he paused, looking away. "I'm just not sure what this is."
"I don't get it," Crow was genuinely puzzled. "What's there not to know? You like her, right? You think she's hot? What else do you need?"
"I don't know if I like her or if this is only…temporary. A chance. If it'll go away."
"Okay, well, I'm not saying that you should go out and marry her. Why not go on a date and take it from there? It's just a date. Whatever happens, happens. Whatever doesn't, well, it doesn't. Simple. Done."
"…What's the harm, right?" Yusei asked quietly, appearing to be agreeing.
"Right," Crow nodded. "I mean what better way to figure things out than to try getting to know her in that situation?" He himself thought that going into something already all emotionally invested and with your heart on your sleeve was a bad idea: it was pretty much a recipe for disappointment (heartbreak, disaster) if the other person didn't feel the same. He thought that Yusei had the best case scenario on his hands. That he was lucky.
Yusei slipped into another one of his eternal silences and Crow fought against annoyance as he waited for him to say something.
"It's Aki, Crow," Yusei finally uttered just as the shorter Signer thought he'd begin dozing off. "She's not just anyone."
Crow raised his eyebrows. "Well…yeah. …And?"
"She's my friend."
Are you the only guy in the world who actually wants to be in the "friend-zone"? Crow wondered. "Wh-" he began to clarify but stopped. Strange uneasiness came over him. Wait, he thought. This isn't that simple. There is something more to this. "So…uh….what you're saying is you're not going to ask her out?" he asked slowly, tentatively.
"Not until I'm certain," Yusei answered, "Not until I know." He reached into his pockets and fished out a folded piece of paper. He opened it and smoothed it out on the table. "Here is the final design I had in mind for the D-Wheel," he said, switching topics abruptly and like no prior conversation occurred. "The wings fairing I'll make now. You can help out with the brakes if you'd like. The rest will follow easily after that's done. If we start now, we should be done before she comes over today."
"And when do you think you'll be sure?" Crow ignored him switching topics. "I honestly think that you should at least…tell her." Because how long do you think she'll wait for you? he thought. Are you taking her feelings into consideration too? You have to be. You can't not see that she likes you.
Yusei's lips pressed into a straight line. Then the serious blue eyes fixed on Crow's and he saw frustration in them if he ever saw one. But it was quiet, subtle. Those who didn't know Yusei well enough wouldn't have been able to see it. "I can't, Crow," was his response. "I don't know when I'll figure this out but I'm not going to risk anything. And I won't. We have WRPG's to worry about now. That's it." His tone of voice was firm, conclusive. It was obvious he didn't want to discuss this anymore and that it was difficult for him to have said so much already.
"Okay, okay, I get it now. Relax," Crow made a carefree smile.
Yusei studied him with unreadable expression (suspicion, that's what it looked like) and then turned to his work again. With a permanent marker he started drawing the shape of a fender on the flat sheet of metal.
"Yeah, I get it," Crow repeated, stroking the invisible beard on his chin in mock thoughtfulness. "So…ah – a hypothetical situation – but what are you going to do if, say, Aki shows up one day with some guy on her arm?"
"If he's good and makes her happy then we will only welcome him," Yusei answered immediately, as if he'd long ago rehearsed what to say.
"Really?" Crow exclaimed and punched the air with excitement. "YES! "
Yusei stopped what he was doing and stared.
"Dude…it's been ages for me since…" a sly grin stretched across the mischievous Signer's face and he elbowed him, "Well, you know," and winked. He figured out which buttons to push. "Haha, so this is cool. I can finally make my move AND I have your blessing too!"
For a brief moment Yusei's eyes went wide, completely compromising his state of composure. But, almost as quickly, he recovered and put on a mask of disinterest, turning away again. "I'd rather you didn't," he muttered so low that Crow had barely heard him.
"Why? In case she actually says yes?" Crow pressed, still grinning. "Why, are you going to be jealous?"
"You can do whatever you want, Crow," Yusei said, a little dryly. "I won't stop you. However, if you're not actually serious then I advise against. Unless, that is, you're fine with putting friendships into jeopardy."
Crow half-sighed, half-groaned. This has now crossed that thin boundary separating the ridiculous from fullblown bizarre. He was so annoyed. "Honestly Yusei if you don't want me making moves on her you can just say it. Geez. Come on. Why are you being like this?"
Yusei hesitated, clearly struggling with what to say. "Thanks," was what he finally managed. It was an ambiguous reply that could've signified anything, really, but Crow knew that at least he won this battle.
Why are you being such a stubborn mule? Crow fumed, watching him returning to business as usual. You have a gorgeous, smart, sweet girl who's crazy about you and you're playing mind games. With yourself. Ridiculous! He never thought there'd come a day where he wanted to smack Yusei in the back of his head but this was it today. Absentmindedly he picked up the sheet of paper with Yusei's design ideas and walked over to Aki's future D-Wheel. It's almost like talking with Jack! He rolled his eyes, glimpsed at the paper…and then his jaw fell open.
The blueprint of Aki's potential D-Wheel was sketched by hand and with a pencil. And it was the most careful and intricate sketch he had ever seen. The amount of meticulous detail depicted was astounding - he could swear that if he looked close enough that he'd see every bolt and screw on that drawn motorcycle. There was measurement next to each part with a general scale at the bottom. The drawing itself had shading – although there was not a single kohl smudge outside of the diagram. The concept art looked almost life-like, in gray tone. Then there were numerous calculations on the side (that made no sense to Crow) and dotted down ideas for the colour. The amount of thought put into this design for Aki was mind-boggling.
Holy shit, Crow thought dumbfounded and stared at Yusei's back. Did he stay up ten nights in a row to come up with this? Or more? And how long did he think about this before actually starting a sketch?
Yusei slipped on a pair of working gloves, picked out a shear power tool, and began cutting into the aluminum sheet along the line he drew earlier. When he worked on something it always looked like nothing else existed but that indeterminate piece of junk which would eventually turn out to be something awesome.
Actually Crow thought that it was how he usually did things…didn't he?
It was then that Crow understood something.
That day was the first time he understood that while Yusei Fudo (his best friend, someone he has known since childhood and someone he considered a brother) was the type who preferred to keep things to himself – he did, in fact, express himself. And all the time but not the way "normal" people did. And Crow didn't know why this wasn't so explicitly obvious to him before:
It was all actions.
How instead of telling you he'd have your back he'd always actually be a shoulder to lean on; he'd support you no matter how many mistakes you've made, no matter how stupid and, most importantly, no matter how awful. He'd do anything to lend his help when you need it; and he'd defend you against injustice until his last breath. Simply put, he'd always be there for his friends – through light and through darkness – and if you're someone especially important to him then he'd actually try to make something for you – something useful but personal; meaningful.
And it was here, right here and Crow saw it clearly for the first time.
He likes her. No, damn it, he actually really likes her. Watching him create a customized D-Wheel for Aki. Seeing that careful and thoughtful graph he drew with possibilities of what she might like. Unfortunately this realization has also brought with it more questions. What's the problem then? He fruitlessly tried to piece something together that was eluding him.
"Crow, are you starting on the brakes?" Yusei's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Ah. Yeah," the Signer remembered and picked up a screwdriver, kneeling next to the D-Wheel. But he couldn't do anything; thoughts continued bombarding his working memory. He spoke about some stupid risks, about unwilling to try but why? Crow racked through his brain. So maybe…maybe Yusei wasn't saying the whole truth. Maybe he was keeping a real reason to himself. But then just what the hell was he keeping so hidden?
Crow's face turned sour remembering the time Yusei had a breakdown in front of Rutger Godwin. When he, before their disturbed eyes, revealed that he didn't care what happens to him as long as he makes up for his father's mistake to everyone. He revealed to Rutger the honest darkness of his own heart, something he never did to his own freaking friends. Crow was glad for the chance he got to tell Yusei not to dare think like that and that Jack and him had yet another follow-up talk after. Because that was messed up. That was one of the most shocking things he's ever heard. And how could he have known Yusei for so long and never once have noticed that something was wrong, that a horrible guilt had eaten into his best friend?
But at least that was over with now. Yusei's darkness and insecurity have been purged...haven't they?
He glanced over at Yusei working silently. Feeling frustrated. He wished he'd cut all this bullshit out and actually speak to him honestly and openly for once.
But the sad thing was that the Signer knew that Yusei wouldn't say anything to him. He just wouldn't. Memories pried into Crow's brain and unwillingly made him think back to their Team Satisfaction days and how Kyousuke Kiryu used to be Yusei's closest friend. Crow imagined that there wasn't anything the two of them couldn't talk about. There were many things the two have shared, things that he and Jack would probably never know about. When he and Jack abandoned Team Satisfaction, Yusei was the only one to stay with Kiryu. He could never walk out on a friend.
Another thing was that Kiryu was pretty much an older brother to Yusei. Interestingly, the vibe Yusei had always projected was that of being the most mature, the most knowledgeable, the one that knows what's best; in 5D's he was the 'adult' of the group, the natural leader. Somehow an instinctual hierarchy was established which wasn't chosen or voted but just was. However, Kiryu was probably (or once used to be) one of the few people who were 'above' Yusei. So there was a time when Yusei would've readily sought Kiryu's thoughts on a matter and heeded his advice; he would've been interested in his input before making a decision and would've confided in him. Crow imagined that Team Satisfaction Kiryu would've been able to get the full truth out of Yusei and little-to-none of the cryptic responses Crow was getting now. Kiryu probably would've even managed to convince him to suck up all his uncertainties and actually go and ask the poor girl out.
It wasn't fair but it was the reality.
Actually… Hold up. Wait. Okay, that was it. It suddenly hit him like a truck and Crow cursed himself for being too stupid to realize something so obvious earlier.
Kyousuke Kiryu. THAT'S WHAT THIS WAS ABOUT. That's where everything went back to.
During and following the time Kiryu was imprisoned and his eventual death, Yusei had changed.
He became distant. Locked up. He stopped smiling. He stopped hanging out with Jack and him. He poured himself into making D-Wheels, fixing things, determined to change things for the better. And although he was better now that team 5D's came together and Kiryu was alright habituating the Satisfaction Town, today it occurred to Crow that some of that forced detachment might've remained. It was subtle and nearly unnoticeable but it was still there.
The detachment created by a gaping hole in all their lives when Kiryu had passed away.
Crow came to see Yusei that same day he found out. He located him at a parts dump. There were a lot of dumps in Satellite, pretty much every corner of this city was a dump, but this one was a "designated electrical parts" one. Broken TVs, antennas, car engines, computer cases. Everything electronic you wanted was here and everything was unusable crap.
When Crow saw his fellow Team Satisfaction friend, he was exactly the same. He looked focused and serious. There was nothing different about him, really. Even his clothes were the same, aside from being covered in some soot. At the same time Crow saw that something was a little different but he couldn't quite figure out what. He seemed a little too focused, a little too detached.
No 'hello' or 'how are you' or any normal formalities. They haven't actually seen each other in over a month. The whole team had grown apart and none seemed to have noticed or cared. "…Have you heard?" Crow asked carefully. It was a stupid question. Of course he'd heard. But what else do you say at a time like this?
"Yeah," Yusei answered. Voice flat, eyes glued to the ground, searching.
Crow lowered his gaze. He didn't know what more he could say. I heard they beat him everyday and withheld his food rations. He died from starvation. He had several broken ribs and he weighed 40 killograms. His eyes began watering and before he'd begin choking on his tears, Crow said the first thing that came to his head. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm going to build a D-Wheel," Yusei answered.
Crow looked up in shock, tears momentarily forgotten. "A D-WheeI? Building it?" Sure he always knew that Yusei was a naturally talented mechanic. But this goal was impossible. No one ever built a D-Wheel here, not since the legendary duellist who crossed Daedalus Bridge. It'd get confiscated in a heart beat by Public Security. They were the only ones permitted to have a D-Wheel. Plus how can you ever succeed at such a task? There is nothing at all here that could be used to build something like this!
Yusei nodded while still picking through garbage. He grabbed a large piece of junk, something that looked like a rusty pipe, and studied it.
"But-" Crow stopped, unable to think. This was insane. "How?"
"The pieces fit together," Yusei answered. Still monotone, still detached. Still not looking at him. "And if you can't find the pieces, you make them." He tossed the pipe away and continued searching.
Crow looked around the garbage surrounding him (their whole world was garbage, one broken skyscraper to another) and something occurred to him. He attempted it then but only once. "Yusei, look. Kiryu, he… It wasn't our fault. He chose his own path."
That was a very wrong thing to say but I didn't realize it then, he thought in the current day with deep regret.
Yusei looked up sharply and Crow at once saw something horrible. Yusei's eyes were dead. There was some infinite darkness in them, bottomless and hopeless. And, as unsettled as he was, Crow understood then that Yusei had permanently lost something the day police took away Kiryu. That a piece of his soul had died with him. That fateful day he lost both of his friends from Team Satisfaction.
"He didn't choose to die the way he did," Yusei said. At that moment he radiated fury and pain and darkness.
"No, I…I didn't mean it like that," Crow said in a small voice. He had never wanted to disappear into the ground as much as he did that very moment. He had only wanted to say it wasn't anyone's fault. That Yusei didn't have to attempt at the impossible in order to make something better.
Yusei regarded him with those petrifying dead eyes for a few wordless seconds. And then he turned his back to him. Resuming doing what he was doing previously.
Blinking away hot tears, Crow departed. And that was the last they'd seen each other for nearly two years.
"Crow, that was so sad," Carly's voice broke in, tears pouring dramatically from underneath her spiral glasses. Ruka was discreetly wiping away her own. Rua's bottom lip was trembling but he was fighting hard to convey a tough image.
"What?" Crow was surprised by the interlude and their reaction. "Oh. Well yeah. But hold on, let me return to the actual story."
…As Crow was saying before he was interrupted, that day he truly thought that Yusei would never return to himself. Or get back to being his friend again. He honestly held that what happened to Kiryu was his fault and nothing could convince him otherwise. That after everything Kiryu had done for him…he had let him down. He let him rot in that jail cell.
So they all went their separate ways. Crow heard through Satellite grapevine that Yusei's closest friends were Rally, Blitz, Nerve and Taka – probably because they never pried. They never questioned his motives, they always took it as him knowing what was best. Interestingly, they were the ones that came to him; Yusei, despite his selfless actions, never actually actively looked for people. At the base level he was actually a loner. People were the ones drawn to him. Perhaps there was something in human biology that drove you to seek out those who cared more for you than for themselves, those who made you feel safe, those who'd in the end sacrifice everything for you.
And Crow also often wondered if Yusei – surrounded by all his friends and all those beaming faces – ever felt lonely.
"Crow! Stop! This is too sad!" Carly wailed, taking off her smudged glasses and now actively using her sleeves to wipe her face.
Disgusted, Jack passed her a box of tissues.
"I'm getting there," Crow promised. "As well all know, Kiryu came back as a Dark Signer..."
His reappearance as their enemy incidentally both shattered Yusei and brought him back to life. Final battle and eventual resurrection – liberating.
But Crow believed that after what happened with Kiryu, permanent scars were left in Yusei. They created a dark hole of fear: fear of losing those dear to him. It's created with it a coping mechanism: not to confide in others for issues. By not admitting to weaknesses you were invulnerable.
So it was easier to do nothing. Anything not to risk losing another friend. Simple as that.
"Okay, now I'm returning back to the story about Aki's D-Wheel," Crow announced. Looking around the room to challenge them in case they've fallen behind.
The Crow from ten months ago didn't realize that since his epiphany he wasn't doing anything but just sitting in front of the D-Wheel and staring at his tragic friend. He must have been looking at him with such a sorrowful expression that when Yusei glanced over at his progress, he became worried and asked: "Crow, what's wrong?"
At that minute the doors of the Poppo Time garage flew open with a bang and revealed behind them Jack Atlas. The wind was blowing through the tails of his gray coat, making his appearance all the more (over-the-top) dramatic.
"I am here," Jack announced and pranced down the stairs. He was holding an enormous travel cup of Blue Eyes Mountain coffee in his hand.
"It took you over an hour to order a drink to-go?" Crow voiced a greeting. The three of them were supposed to have been working on Aki's D-Wheel since 8am. Naturally the blonde diva claimed he couldn't function without his drink and disappeared for most of the morning even though the stupid coffee shop was just across the plaza.
"None of your business," Jack grimaced and stopped next to Yusei who returned his attention to work and was concentrating on getting the curved cut of the metal exactly right. The captain of Team 5D's didn't even look up at his former nemesis. "What did you say you wanted me to do?"
"You can help paint it," Yusei answered. "But that's the last thing. For now see if Crow needs anything to adjust the brakes."
"I'm not his servant!" Jack refused, inflating his chest. Yusei pretended not to hear him. So the former King of Games puffed like a rooster for about a minute before admitting defeat and reluctantly walking over to Crow.
"That's right, you're my bitch for today," Crow snickered and instantly received a shattering smack on the back of his head. "UGH, MOTHER-FU!" he cried out, grabbing his head, while Jack snatched the blueprint out of his hands (nearly ripping it) and glanced at it.
"Looks boring," he commented smugly, considering his Wheel of Fortune to be the greatest of all great D-Wheel designs of greatness.
There was a loud (too loud) click as Yusei made the final cut of the shape. He placed the finished shape on another sheet of metal and began drawing its outline.
"But whatever, good enough," Jack tossed the paper aside. "What's with the red paint though? Are the two of you going to match now? D-Wheel buddies?" he chuckled at his own joke.
"That's her favourite colour," Yusei replied, voice chilly.
"Right," Jack shrugged uncaringly and leaned against a table, slowly sipping his coffee.
"I'm sure she'll love it, Yusei," Crow jumped in, rubbing the back of his sore head. "She won't know what hit her!"
Yusei ignored what both of them had said. Instead he finished what he was working on and went over to see Crow's progress so far. "You've done nothing," he concluded.
"Well you know me," Crow put on a lighthearted smile on his face. "I started thinking about food and girls and forgot everything!"
"Go get something to eat and I'll finish the brakes," Yusei said. He noticed his sketch on the ground and walked to pick it up, carefully smoothing it out.
"Tsk, come on, I'll help this time, Yusei, honest," Crow promised, feeling bad. "We still have 4 hours until Aki comes to visit after her class. It'll be finished before then, for sure! So in the meantime, Jack can go and bring us take-out!"
"Jack Atlas is not your servant!" Jack bellowed, puffing his chest.
"Wouldn't be a bad thing to try helping others sometime?" Crow snarled back.
Yusei sighed and continued working.
"And that's it," current time Crow had finished.
The rest of the team sat silently for a bit, digesting everything they've heard. Breakfast was finished, dishes cleaned.
"Thank you for telling us all about this, Crow," Rua was the first to speak up. "We've been friends with Yusei for so long now and yet… I've never thought of this."
"It's not really obvious," Crow tried to make him feel better. "I don't actually think he's aware of this, himself. But the point is…now that the two of them are finally together, Yusei has finally gotten something that's just for himself. He deserves to be happy. And I truly believe that Aki is so good for him. And she will help him open up."
"And actions always speak louder than words," Carly echoed one of the sentiments of his story. Crow nodded at her enthusiastically, glad that somebody was getting it!
Jack have sighed, half groaned outloud and rolled his eyes so hard that it nearly hurt. He thought that Crow's tale was the sappiest and most unnecessary thing he had ever heard. Full of ramblings and bullshit, too. Exaggerated caricature of Jack Atlas, stoic heroic image of Yusei and philosophical sefless Crow.
Worst of all – it was boring!
Crow turned attention to him. The blonde ex-King annoyed him so much sometimes it was honestly astonishing. "You want to say something?"
"What you said about how Yusei always does anything for us? And supports us? That's a lie," Jack answered.
"How so?" Crow demanded. His newly converted cheerleader – Rua – also joined in with an accusing look.
"If you looked beyond your crush on him you'd see it's obvious," Jack said. "He's not this saint you think he is."
Crow exhaled, rolling his eyes. He glanced at the clock and saw that there were now 20 minutes – so at least time was moving. Perhaps they could spare a little more. "Why don't you enlighten us?"
"Fine."
Since he was very little, Jack Atlas knew that he was destined for greatness.
He was also destined to be elsewhere rather than this shit-hole Satellite.
And none of his friends understood: somehow Nerve, Blitz, that small orange one, and whatever that other fat one was, etc. seemed perfectly contented living in garbage for the rest of their lives.
Oh, they bitched and moaned about unfairness and everything but they never made steps to change things for the better. Actually, they'd never do anything to change. Not even the ones he thought were worthy: Kiryu lost his mind and died a year ago in prison, Crow was in his own world, and Yusei turned into a depressed mop ever since Kiryu "left."
"Wow, that's cold," current day Crow piped-in.
"Would you shut up? I've let you finish," Jack snarled.
Meanwhile Carly sighed dreamily, resting her chin on her hands. She was fascinated by the secret revelations of her gorgeous boyfriend's past.
"The day I had defeated Yusei in a duel and taught him the truth about dueling was a great day," Jack continued.
Yusei owned everything to him as a result of that duel. He would never have been half as decent of a duelist as he is now, if Jack Atlas didn't tell him that fighting with monsters and traps and magic is nothing if you don't fight with your soul. And Jack's soul burned stronger for victory and greatness than anybody else's.
On one glorious day he had discovered a throne in an abandoned building. It may have been an amphitheatre once upon a time. It didn't matter anymore. In those abandoned ruins he had started spending most of his time. Aspiring and preparing. He knew he was going to be King one day but he didn't know how to go about his goal. One thing he did know for certain: the Red Daemon's Dragon was the very materialization of his destiny. And it was there to guide him towards it.
He remembered the day Yusei had found Stardust Dragon. It was such a ridiculous stroke of luck.
Jack remembered it like it was yesterday.
The three of them were returning to Martha's after a long day of playing Duel Monsters. Everything was just as normal. They were passing by a junk yard and something shiny appeared to have caught Yusei's eye. He asked to go check it out. They all went and there it was: lying in all that garbage, shiny as new. Yusei had a dumb expression on his face as he picked it up and studied it. He was so excited and he kept showing it to them, saying "Can you see this? Do you see this? Have you seen this?" It was nauseating.
And Jack knew that it wasn't jealousy that he'd felt – it was competitiveness. Because looking at that silver card in Yusei's hands, all he could think was "I'm going to have an even better one some day." Because why shouldn't he? It was only a matter of time. And it was. Red Daemon's Dragon came his way soon after and he knew that it was a living manifisteation of his destiny. He had to be patient and be prepared to give up everything to attain his dreams. He knew this with certainty and finality, just as he'd always known he was destined for greatness.
He liked Yusei and Crow but he knew that he wouldn't put them ahead of his happiness. If they were going to keep him back, he'd drop them.
"Gee, thank you so much," Crow interrupted the story again.
Jack paused and eyed him until Crow sighed and waved at him dismissingly. As if "permitting" him to continue.
At some point, Jaegar had come to see him at the ampitheatre on behalf of Rex Godwin. He was there to show him that a path had been paved for him to becoming a King. Jack only needed to start on it and make appropriate sacrifices for his dream.
However, before that important fateful day, there was a chance meeting he had with Yusei. A couple of weeks before Yeager's visit.
By then he had fallen out with Yusei and those groupies that followed him everywhere.
Every once in awhile he and Yusei would come upon one another and acknowledge each other. He could tell that Yusei had changed since their duel. He'd become more serious and it wasn't because of what had happened to Kiryu. It was because Jack had shown him the true path of a King that had to be undertaken in order to attain victory. He had made him realize how serious he had to get if he ever had a chance of defeating him for the coveted title. He'd also started building a D-Wheel which Jack thought was a worthy task.
One of those times Yusei had come and visited him in his throne room. Jack didn't know how he found out about this but he guessed that his little orange friend… Rally. Right. That it was Rally that tipped him off.
Anyway, Yusei came to the throne room. He said something about something, asked how he was doing and what he was up to. Something like that. They had a little detached banter going on for a bit.
Then the dialogue that Jack remembered verbatim.
"What are you doing on that throne, Jack?" he asked.
"It represents the status of my future."
Yusei thought for awhile. Then he said: "You can be great, Jack. But you shouldn't forget your friends. You don't have to give up one to attain the other."
"You can't become great unless you sacrifice everything to follow your dream," Jack responded. "Otherwise you wouldn't be great."
"That's not true," he disagreed.
Jack shrugged. He knew the truth. He didn't need to try convincing somebody who didn't believe. Especially not someone who didn't feel the same burning within his soul.
"Why do you want it, Jack?" the fellow duelist asked quite possibly the stupidest question ever.
"Any known relative I had, died in in Zero Reverse. Shouldn't I bring legacy to my name? Shouldn't I make it known that Atlas is not dead, that it still exists?" Jack squeezed his hand into a fist. "That it still pumps in the bloodline of the world?"
With that Yusei went silent for whatever reason. He took a little time and then he tried again. "There are other ways to reach recognition if that is what you desire," he finally proposed.
Jack sighed. It was useless to argue with someone who clearly didn't understand what was more important. "By stealing for orphans like Crow? By free labour like you? By living in trash for the rest of my life? By being the King of these slums?"
Yusei attempted to say something but he wouldn't let him. "Glory, fame, riches and power," he interrupted. "These aren't achieved by trying to make this place better or by sacrificing your life to it. To get on top, you leave this-" he gestured around him, to all of Satellite - "All of this, behind. I want to be alive when I'm in power."
Yusei tried a single retort then. It was so desperate. Jack did not respect what he had said to him then and even now he had no patience to recall it. "I think you are capable of more good than you let yourself think, Jack," Yusei said.
Jack became angry then, with valid reason. "I often think you are deluded, Yusei," he blurted out. "It's like you can't see beyond what you want in people. You dream that everybody is selfless and good if only they try hard enough. And when they're not – you make up excuses for them. Open your eyes!"
"That's not true-" Yusei started something again but Jack was sick of having this discussion:
"Look at what happened to Kiryu! You blinded yourself to what he was becoming until it was too late!"
At that, his future rival had fliched and had become very still.
Even if that last tidbit was a bit harsh, Jack knew that he was right. Because Yusei has long been giving preferential treatments to some people – whether he realized it or not – and frankly Jack was annoyed. He didn't feel like sugarcoating the truth for him. If he was too upset he could go back to his groupies with a tail between his legs and get them to console him after this. Jack honestly didn't give a shit anymore. "Now, if you don't want to support me that's fine. But that makes you the biggest hypocrite I know."
Yusei stood there, silently staring at him. He had a dumb, glassy expression on his face. "Ah," he finally retorted shortly and turned around, beginning to walk away. "Then I bid you best of luck on your path. See you around, Jack."
Jack knew he had won that round. "Luck has nothing to do with it. It's all skill, power and what you have in your heart!" he called after him.
Everything after that happened the way fate willed it to be.
Rally came a few more times, begging him to come hang out and duel with us, please, please, like the way they used to when he didn't know his true path. But he'd brush him off. He'd tell him that they weren't the same. That him and Yusei are different in their goals.
And Yeager coming and telling him about the opportunity to escape Sattelite and to become King – it made it especially easy since that discussion.
Using Rally to get Yusei to forfeit Stardust and the D-Wheel was predictable. Jack did not regret doing that. He simply took a path of victory.
"He chose friends over his cards. And I took the path of a King," Jack finished the story in current time.
A long thoughtful silence fell over the group of friends while they pondered the second story they've heard this morning.
Crow was the first to break the silence:
"Jack, what the hell," he threw his arms up, exasperated. "That was the worst example I've ever heard! Seriously? So just because Yusei didn't support you with your crazy ideas it's his fault?"
Jack was looking at him mildly annoyed. "You didn't understand the tale."
"You're right. It's so complicated," Crow agreed and cleared his throat. "Let me get it straight and you correct me where I missed something, okay? So you wanted to drop all of us to become King. Yusei suggested that you don't burn your bridges. You accused him of not supporting your obsession. Following your obsession you went your separate way. Oh and fucked all of us over."
Jack had begun fuming at this point. He jumped to his feet. "Oh but it was okay for him to side with Kiryu when he was psychotic?" he snapped. "Don't you remember? When you and I left, he stuck with him!"
Crow was now also furious. But before he had a chance to speak up, Rua jumped in. "But how does that make Yusei wrong? If anything, he was right, Jack! You don't abandon a friend when he's not well!"
"No. What Kiryu needed was some good beating for his dangerous paranoia," Jack barked. "Yusei stayed with him and offered to hold his hand instead. But when I have a dream, not only he – all of you – give me the finger."
Everyone was now quiet. Even Carly was keeping her silence.
"Come on, Jack, that's not true," Ruka spoke up quietly. "We're Team 5D's. We support each other always."
"That's right!" Rua joined his sister. "And we all have our dreams to follow. Bright futures to discover. We all support each other, no matter what! If your dream is to be King, then be it!"
Jack's expression changed to neutral and he plopped down on the chair by the door. Closed his eyes and refused to say anything else, despite their attempts to say something of value.
Crow sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. He did not agree with what Jack had said. He also did not agree with Yusei's decision to stay back with Kiryu during their time as Team Satisfaction but he understood it. And maybe the reason Yusei didn't want to support Jack in that little melodramatic story is because of what had happened with Kiryu. Crow wondered if it occurred to the former King of Games that the reason Yusei didn't encourage him destroying all their bonds to chase his dream was because he was reluctant to lose any of his friends. Ah, but perhaps that was too complicated to grasp and Crow was too tired to attempt explaining it, again.
He knew the truth and he had shared it with all of them. Yusei had always and would always do anything to support his friends. Crow knew it since he had first become friends with Yusei and he knew and believed this still.
Crow absently watched Rua and Ruka chattering to Jack, Bruno nodding along, and let his own thoughts carry him away into memories again. He recalled the time he received his very first criminal marker. Large, bright yellow and hideous it stretched across his forehead like an ugly reminder of his poverty and subpar social status. The moment he made it through the door, Martha howled with rage. "Crow, how could ya do this, how could ya do this!" she preached angrily while pulling his cheek to elastic widths with no heed to his squeels of protest. "Don'tcha understand what this means? What it means for ya future, boy?" Only when he sauntered off with tears of pain and embarrassment was he finally able to distinguish notes of dismay in Martha's voice. And it made him feel so much worse; he had not only disappointed his mother but her implied belief – that this was it, that he had ruined everything – passed on to him. It was over; nothing would ever happen or turn for the stupid scar has tainted him for the rest of his life.
But Yusei didn't think so.
"Wow, Crow, that looks awesome!" was the first thing eleven year old Yusei exclaimed once he found him bawling his eyes out and scratching at the raw doodle on his face (and even contemplating a new hairdo from this time on, something with disproportionally long bangs). Second: "Now everyone will think twice before bothering you!" And then: "But what did you do anyway that they arrested you?"
Feeling better at the lack of judgement in his voice, Crow decided he could confide a little. He explained that he was caught stealing duel cards. "But NO, not because I wanted some new ones to kick yours and Jack's sorry asses with!" he hurried to defend himself when a sly smirk appeared on Yusei's face. "But because, you know…the other kids…they uh…you know," Crow paused uncomfortably and glanced at the group of some 6-8 year old children on the distance.
Yusei looked in the same direction but didn't say anything.
"Well, you know," Crow was beginning to feel embarrassed. He hated that Yusei wasn't getting it and that he had to spell it out. "These kids…they don't have anything, you know. Some of them have nothing and I thought I could get them something." Crow shuffled his feet, his stare glued to them. "Remember how dueling helped us? We spent hours…" he trailed off. Hours playing. Hours laughing. Hours spent with all their friends. Hours not thinking about their hunger or about yet another new kid at the orphanage who cried all night.
"Of course," Yusei nodded. "Then it's super obvious, Crow – you were the one who did the right thing and they the wrong."
Crow stared at him with surprise and saw seriousness uncharacteristic in someone their age. "What, really think so? I mean, like, they're still the police and all…"
Yusei nodded again and then started explaining in shockingly eloquent and grown-up manner: "We're kids but still they don't spare us from their hate. Growing up here is hard enough but it's obvious that we'll be punished for being born here until we're old. Nobody deserves to have his face cut open for wanting to help others or for stealing food because they're hungry. You know it's true, Crow. There is no justice! And one day we'll need to face them and change this for the better!"
Crow continued staring at him, feeling exhilaration pumping in his veins. At eleven years old Yusei clocked in at about 4'4" in tallness (actually, not even) and yet to Crow this scrawny kid suddenly seemed like the most mature person in the world, like the only adult there is. Like-he-was-the-only-one-who-got-it.
Yusei brought out a pathetically thin deck of cards and began sifting through it. "Also…maybe having that yellow crap on your face can be a good thing."
"Huh?" Crow blinked. "How?"
"Think: now if someone treats you different because of it you'll know instantly if they're worth wasting time on. You'll always know who real friends are."
"Oh…" Crow looked down, not hiding a wide smile. Already feeling eons better than minutes ago. "Yeah…yeah! I guess you're right!"
"Also – I mean it – I think it looks seriously badass," Yusei grinned and then handed half of his deck to him. "Here, now let's go play before Jack wets himself from waiting. He's been bugging me to duel since morning. He wants to try a new strategy on Stardust."
"Um, what? What's this?" alarmed, Crow rushed to give the cards back. "Why are you giving these to me!?"
"Uh, because they're your cards now?" Yusei answered, looking at him like he was stupid. "I know they've confiscated all of yours because they do that with everybody. But don't think I was crazy enough to give you Stardust, okay?" He then turned and ran away like nothing happened.
"Dude…" Crow mumbled while staring at his new cards. Well…they weren't new (in fact they were worn-out and looked like somebody chewed on them a little) but to him they were the best cards there ever could be. He then kicked off his left shoe, reached down and peeled off a dirty holed sock. From there he took out a rumped D.D. Crow card, his most prized possession which he managed to hide before they arrested him. He placed a sloppy kiss on it, added it to his new deck, and then ran after them.
And Crow knew from the very beginning that he would always believe in Yusei. From when they were kids and until the end of the world. He would never stop believing in him. And that if he could sacrificing anything of his own to ensure Yusei's happiness, he always would. Without a speck of doubt.
It was at that moment that the Signer birthmark lit up a bright shining red and sizzled sharply. Every one of the team 5D's gasped and clutched to it, grimacing in pain.
"What's happening?" Ruka panicked.
Crow glanced at the clock. They had three minutes left of that hour that Jack was forcing on them. But the mark burned foreboredingly, threateningly. Something bad was happening.
"Jack!" he yelled at him.
Jack was standing, bewildered as well, not knowing what the right decision was. And then as quickly as it lit up, the pain vanished but the light remained.
"What happened, what's going on?" Rua pleaded. "Do you think something has happened to Yusei and Aki?"
"I have no clue," Crow looked down at the imprint of the dragon's tail seared into his forearm. There was no bad lingering feeling from it anymore but the glow was no comfort. It was calling them somewhere.
"Does it hurt at all?" Carly asked them.
"No," Jack answered and looked up from his own arm, decisively. "Let's go."
It was a little after the promised hour that the group of friends finally began making their way to the Shinjuku East warehouse. Worst of all, the birthmark had seized shining soon after and left with it no feeling whatsoever. They now had no idea what had happened.
Despite their hurry and their speed, it was still taking them at least twenty minutes to get there.
They were nearing it, speeding along the highway when the sound of sirens had reached them. They had to slow down and pull over to the side of the bridge so the emergency vehicle could come through. And as the vehicle moved along the path, a slow and frightening feeling awoke in Crow and there was no way to escape it: the ambulance was going in the same direction they were. And that they were too late.