The Crow and the Coyote

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Turnout

"Kyona! I'm gonna get you!" yelled the voice of ten year old Crow Hogan as he chased a girl with jet black hair down an alleyway.

"Oh lighten up Birdie!" the girl cried back over her shoulder with a laugh. "You should be thanking me for hiding that ugly dye job of yours!"

Face turning red Crow sped up to his quarry, "It was my natural color and you know it!"

Jumping over an overturned trashcan Kyona said, "Then I really did do you a favor! Besides that is more of your color anyway!"

They continued their banter for a few more blocks while two other boys tried to keep up with them. This was really difficult because they were too busy trying to stifle their laughter at their friend's predicament, and always seemed to trip over themselves as they ran to catch up.

Earlier that day Kyona had 'accidentally' dropped a bucket of pink paint on Crow's head, and, try as he might, he could not get it out of his hair. Martha had assured him it would only last a few days, since the once orange-red head refused to have it cut or shaven, and said that Kyona would be properly punished. But Crow did not want punishment. He wanted revenge.

So here he was, chasing after the offensive girl down an abandoned block of the Satelite Sector near the old subway turminol while his two "friends", Jack Atlas and Yusei Fudo, tried not to kill themselves before they reached them.

"C-Crow! W-w-wait up!" the black-haired boy, Yusei, yelled inbetween surpressed giggles.

"No need to make a bigger fool of yourself, mate!" the blonde-haired boy, Jack, shouted bluntly before nearly collapsing on the ground with his own surpressed laughter.

"When I'm done with her, you're next Jack!" the pink-haired boy screamed.

Suddenly Kyona came to a stop in front of wall in a dead-end alley not far from where their chase began.

"Gotcha!" Crow said in a victorious cry, pointing at his prey. "Now you're gonna get it, Kyona!"

As Crow made his way to her he could not help but take in her ten year old appearance. Her black hair was tinted with bits of silver at the ends and along her temples, and only came to her shoulders in soft waves. Her skin was a smooth coppery color with high cheek bones, and she had narrow, cat-like golden-brown eyes that were searching around her surroundings, possibly for an exit. She was dressed in black pants, black flip-flops, and black short-sleeved shirt with white trim along the neck and sleeves.

"If I wasn't so mad I'd say she looked cute. Wait! What am I thinking?" Crow thought as he was closing gap between them and only stop when he was a foot away.

Putting her hands up in surrender and smiling at her captive Kyona said, "Okay, Crow, you got me. Now what are you going to do with me? Beat me up? Pull my own hair out? Give me a warning and tell me not to do it again?"

"No, no and nice try," he responded. "I'm going to drag you all the way back to Martha's so she can give you a good punishment. Just let me find some rope."

Pulling on a piece of it that was hanging from a hole in the wall Kyona handed the end to him, "Since you came this far, here's some."

"Than- what the..."

Before he could finish Kyona tied his wrists together behind his with that piece of rope, and, very quickly, tied another piece of rope around his right. Then she tied that to his wrists and tied his remaining foot to two rings that were attached to the ground. Finally, she took his pierced headband and tightened it around her mouth and stood back to admire her work.

"Hold that pose," the dark-haired girl laughed then she pulled a final rope and ran off.

Looking up as best as he could from his position Crow saw an avalanch of pink paint and matching feathers come at him before...

"NO! NOT THAT!" a figure shouted at the same time his alarm clock went off.

Shooting out of bed at the sound the man went to the full-length mirror on his wall. Instead of a ten year old covered head-to-toe in pink paint and feathers looking back at him there stood an average-height, toned, semi-muscular, twenty-five year old, orange-red head by the name of Crow Hogan, the "trick star" of the Ace Dueling League.

His hair was in disarray, more so than his trade mark style, his criminal-marked face was sweaty and his dark-grey eyes looked tired, which was something he was not used to by any means. He was in his usual sleepwear- orange short-sleeved shirt and black shorts- but even they seemed to be soaked with sweat, as though he did just run that long distance after that dark girl.

After a few deep breaths Crow was able to calm himself down. This was his time off for a well-earned vacation.

"And there's no way I'm letting that girl ruin it!" he thought to himself as he got ready to take a shower.

However another thought concerning that same girl came worming its way to his conscienceness, "I wonder what she's been doing these last fifteen years. I bet she's still kinda cu- Stop it Crow! No more thinking about Kyona! Who? That's better!"

"Yo! How have you been Kalin?" Crow said into the audio/visual screen of his home's calling room, looking at the silver-blonde haired face of his old friend, Kalin Kessler. "How are things in Enforcer Town?"

Laughing Kalin replied, "Pretty good. Had a few squabbles every now and then, but nothing I can't handle. Actually, the reason why I called is because I need you to come here when you can."

Smiling the orange-head boasted, "Well you're in luck! I happen to be on vacation for a while near there, so I'll see you very soon!"

"Great," Kalin said, "then could you come around eleven o'clock? I'll meet you at the entrance to town and I'll take you to where I'll explain."

"Eleven? No probs! See ya Kalin!" With that the two signed off and Crow went back to his room to pack a few things.

"Like Martha always said 'No matter where you're going, always go prepared'," he thought, then he became sad.

His caretaker had died two years after Team 5Ds split up to go make their own futures, leaving the orphange to another old aquaintence of his, Drew Currior. He was likeable enough, and he really did like the kids there, so there was nothing to worry about.

"Enough sad thoughts! You got to get going and pack before eleven!"

With that final bit of gusto he packed two sets of shirts, pants, socks, underwear, his toothbrush, some toothpaste, a washcloth and drying towel, soap, and a few sheets of toilet paper to be on the safe side.

Once packed he put the suitcase in a compartment of his Duel Runner, the Blackbird, put on his helmet and set off for Enforcer Town, his thoughts wondering as to what his former team leader had to say.

"It must be something important if he wants to talk in person. It'll probably be something along the lines of well-earned publicity, what with the town actually expanding since we kicked out Lawton and his duel gang," he reasoned.

Five years ago Kalin had went to the town, formally known as Crash Town, to find an opponent that could beat him and end his dueling career because he wanted to pay for what he did when he was a Dark Signer. A woman by the name of Barb had contacted Yusei to beat Kalin under the pretense of wanting to save him, but that quickly went south when it turned out that she was the duel gang leader's girlfriend and just wanted to get the top duelists out of the way. After that she double-crossed her boyfriend, Marcus, and it was revealed that she was working with his brother, Lawton, once she obtained the deed to the town for her "fine work".

But then Yusei and Kalin dueled against Lawton, and before he could get away Crow and Jack then joined the fun and dethrowned the new "ruler" of Crash Town.

Since then the town, now name Enforcer Town after their old team, had expanded because so many people and their families wanted to start over with a new hope and everybody could duel freely. From the letters and messages Kalin had sent there was a small Duel Academy in the town, along with a hospital, a jailhouse and a marshall's office where Kalin had taken up residence along with his adopted brother and sister, Nico and West.

As Crow finished pondering these thoughts a dark blue Duel Runner came at him, ran passed, turned around, and came up beside him.

"About time you got here!" the driver exclaimed with a laugh.

"Shouldn't you be watching your own speed limit, Marshall Kessler!" Crow yelled back at his friend, and they both made their way through the lanes that divided the Old Western-style town in a healthy fit of laughter.

Along the way many people came out of the buildings to look at who the new arrival was with the marshall. When they saw who it was by the trademark wings of the black Duel Runner everybody cheered and screamed the rider's name. Many started waving pictures and pens to indicate the want for an autograph from the grinnning and waving Trick Star.

"Not getting much attention, are you Crow?" Kalin said in a sarcastic manner but still with a grin.

Shrugging his shoulders Crow stopped his little display and continued to follow Kalin to the meeting spot.

It was an old fashioned Western-style hacienda with a large courtyard, a fountain at the eastern and western walls, and was strung up with decorative, unlit paper lanterns of every color. Wooden rails were put up along the archways of the walls and there were tables, chairs and people sitting at them enjoying what appeared to be a duel.

The duo had parked their Runners in two available spots and went inside the mansion from the front, since they had to park at the side due to the large crowd.

Upon asking Kalin what all of these people were doing here Crow looked up and spied a silver neon sign with the words "Martha's Place" hanging on the space above the door they went in.

Inside the crowd was larger and noisier. There were more tables and booth seats along the walls that surrounded the entrance, each draped with a different handmade quilt with beads dangling from the ends of the colored strings. There were people in uniforms that had the place's name on their shirts bringing the people more drinks, their orders of food- which really appetizing to a hungry Crow- and their was a group of five people with different instruments and microphones filling the place with country/rock music.

Feeling a tug on his arm Crow looked in time to see Kalin drag him to another part of the mansion. This part was much quieter and more spacious than the last part they were in.

"Sorry about that. I would've taken you through the back entrance, but the owner said I'm not allowed there, even if I am the marshall," the silver-blonde said with a grin.

Looking around Crow voiced something that was nagging at him since he got there, "Wasn't this place Marcus's old pad? And what's with all the people near the front?"

Stopping at a column Kalin leaned on it and answered, "Yes, this was Marcus's old place but once he was kicked out all of his, the gang's, and Barb's things were either auctioned off to raise funds or burned. Mostly burned because nobody wanted anything that those yahoos touched.

"As for your second question," Kalin continued, "a young woman bought this place two years ago and converted half of it into a restaurant, and left the other half for her home, though she will rent the remaining rooms out to people who need it. Those people that we saw are her constant patrons from the town and from neighboring cities."

Whistling Crow said, "This seems like a good set up, but how did she come up with the name?"

Sighing a looking a little sad for the first time that day Kalin replied, "The woman who owns this place used to be one of the people from the orphange you, Yusei and Jack grew up in. She named it after the woman who raised all of you..."

"Martha," Crow finished and his eyes were starting to brim over. Turning quickly he said, "Well that was very sweet of her, whoever she is, and I'll have to thank her when I meet her. Speaking of which, who is she?"

Breaking into a devilish grin Kalin began redragging Crow to a large room in front of them. "You'll find out," he said in a sing-song voice.

When he opend the door Crow's jaw dropped. Inside of the room, sitting at a long mahogany table, was all of his former teammates and friends from the WRGP.

Jack Atlas was in his gold trimmed white trenchcoat, matching pants and shirt at one end of the table. Beside him on his left was- from what Crow could tell- Carly Carmine, but instead of her trademark trifocal glasses she appeared to be wearing contants that better flattered her hazel eyes, her hair was pinned back in a half-ponytail and she was wearing a light lavender dress. Yusei Fudo was at the other end of the table wearing a sleeveless black shirt, dark blue jeans, and his motorcycle boots. Akiza Izinski was sitting close to him on his right in a dark, rose madder business suit-dress, with a blue shirt underneath. Finally, there were the twins, Leo and Luna, in the middle of the table, wearing their upperclass uniforms from Duel Academy and their hair still in their respective ponytails.

But two more women were there as well. Sitting between Luna and Akiza was Sherry LaBlanc in her signature rider's outfit that was supposed to resemble a knight's armor. Sitting between Leo and Carly was Misty Tredwell in a simple cream-colored dress with baby-blue trim.

"You going to say something or are you just going to stay there gaping like a fish?" Jack asked bluntly while Carly playfully slapped his shoulder.

Snapping out of it Crow regained his grin and made his way to the table amidst the cries of "hello's" and "how are you's" while Kalin went to the other side of the table and stood behind Misty, placing a hand on her shoulder and her hand on his, smiles on both of their faces.

"Is everybody here then?" he asked the dark-haired girl in front of him.

"Almost. She had to go get drinks, but I think she'll be back. You just missed her by a few minutes," the supermodel responded.

Casting his eyes at the newcomer Kalin said, "Maybe it was for the best. I don't think I would like to spend the rest of the day cleaning up a mess on her floors."

"She? Her?" Crow asked his other friends, completely bewildered.

Trying to surpress a growing grin Yusei said, "You'll find out once she gets back."

Just then they heard footsteps coming their way, each one pronounced with the jingle of spurs with each stomp. They also heard a strong humming sound carrying a tune, probably from the band in the restaurant area. It sounded quite catchy, slightly punctuated by a few lyrics every other second.

"She definitly has been working on her vocal chords, huh, Yusei?" Jack asked with a knowing smile at his spiky-haired friend.

Yusei just nodded his head, trying to stop his facial muscles from betraying what he was feeling and thinking.

Sherry's bodyguard, Elsworth, opened the door from his hidden post in the shadows when the steps came near the door.

Before Crow could ask who the mysterious "she/her" was a voice carried into the room. A very familiar, somewhat angelic voice.

"Alright! Got the drinks here so let's get this meeting sta-," the woman behind Crow's unturned back stopped, her eyes grazed the back of him from top to bottom then back, and a sneaky smile played on her lips.

Making her voice both sweet and devilish at the same time the woman said, "Well, hello again...Birdie."

At that last word Crow turned his head and his face held the look of utter disbelief and horror as he saw her, a tray of drinks in hand.

"No! It can't be! Please tell me that's not..."

A.N. Anybody care to guess as to who the mysterious woman is? (:D)

This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds fanfic about the funny and near-unknown Crow Hogan. Hope you all enjoy and feel free to check out my other fanfic stories in the Harry Potter forum under "Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape, romance/drama".