A/N: Aw man, I haven't updated this in awhile…Sorryz. DX You guys probally don't even remember this fic, lol! Well, guess what? Neither do I! :D So I have no idea what I'm going to do until the, ahem, turning point. ^^;
Disclaimer: I do not own GX.
Chapter 7:
"So, are you sure that's what you heard?" Jaden blinked in disbelief, staring up at Jesse from the bench he was currently sitting on.
Jesse nodded. "Positive. Viper's gone. Point blank."
Stunned, Jaden shook his head. "Do you think he left the island?"
"I reckon so," Jesse replied, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, "But I can't be sure. I'm jus' repeating what I overheard from the teachers. They haven't seen him for weeks now. Of course, he could still be around. Huh." Looking up at the sky, Jesse scratched his head in thought.
"Ok, so he comes here to screw around with our lives and then he leaves? What a coward." Jaden scowled, clenching his fists. "If I find him again, I'll…I'll…"
"You'll what, Jay?" Jesse tilted his head a bit to one side, his brow furrowing in concern. Would Jaden be so angry that he would actually…? No, he would never do that…Would he?
"…I'll duel him!" Jaden finally sputtered, his frown deepening in determination.
Jesse sighed and shook his head. "Oh, Jaden."
"Well, I would have anyway…But that's not the point! He's really in trouble now! Alexis…I don't know if she's going to be Ok. It's been weeks." Jaden bit his lip, looking worried.
Jesse nodded slowly, easing himself down onto the bench next to the brunet. They sat in silence for a moment, each deep in thought about Alexis. She had not shown any improvement. Granted, she had not gotten worse either. But the fact that she had not waken up at all worried them both terribly. And they were equally worried about Chazz. He had hardly left her side. He absolutely refused to go to class, and would not touch his homework. He skipped meals, too. The situation was taking a toll on his health. But no one could convince him to at least try to keep himself up. He'd said that 'he would keep his lady company by being in a sickly state as well.' That was not doing anyone any good. After all, if he was in such a state, how could he take care of her if she needed him?
Since her coma had seemed so sudden and mysterious, Jesse was beginning to think that it might have been induced by a chemical or something of the sort. If that were the case, then perhaps Professor Viper had the remedy as well. No one really knew what had happened to her to put her in that state. They could make conjectures but they could not be sure. If they really wanted to know and if they really wanted to solve the problem, then they would have to track down Viper and ask him. Too bad he had dropped off the face of the earth.
Glancing over at Jaden, Jesse wondered if he were going to do something so brash as to try to track Viper down. The brunet's gaze slid in his direction around the same time, and their eyes locked. Jaden's angry, determined gaze sent a little chill down Jesse's spine. Something about that look…it just wasn't Jaden. He found himself grinning nervously despite himself. He gave a small laugh, but it was not because he was happy or thought the look was funny. Jaden only scowled deeper.
"I can't stand this anymore." He stood quickly.
Jesse blinked. "What do you mean?" He stood as well.
"I'm going after Viper. I will find him if it takes me an entire year!" Jaden clenched his fists, having made up his mind.
"Wh-What?!" Jesse was taken aback. "Are you sure?"
"Positive. I can't let him get away with this! After all, he hurt my friend. And what if he tries to hurt other people too? No…I won't stand for this. I'm going to find him, and I'm going to duel him!" He slammed his fist into his open palm to emphasize his point. "I've been wanting to have a duel with him anyway. We'll see how much he likes these biobands when he's on the receiving end of them! Besides, he seems like he could be a strong opponent. There are so many reasons to go hunt him down."
"Maybe you should think about this…" Jesse said weakly, "I mean, you can't just go running off like that without any leads."
"Oh, we'll find him all right." Jaden assured him smirking, "In fact, he's going to lead us right to him. I've got a plan…"
Jesse, to say the least, was not too happy about this. He was all for helping others out but…Jaden was jumping into something he had no background information on. Then again…the more he thought about what Viper had done to Jaden, the angrier he felt as well. Maybe Jaden was right. Even if it was rash, even if it did take awhile, they needed to start somewhere. They needed to take action. Finally, he sighed. "Ok, Jay, I'll bite."
"So you're in?" Jaden asked, blinking and smiling a little.
Jesse nodded, forcing a smile as well. "You betcha."
"Sweet. Meet me in Chazz's room at midnight."
Jesse was puzzled. "Why midnight?" He asked, "You need time to prepare for your plan?"
Jaden blinked and scratched his cheek. "Nah, I just thought it sounded cool. Anyway, see ya then!" He slapped Jesse's hand before turning around and stuffing his hands in his pockets.
Jesse watched him walk away, then stared back down at his hand. "Oh, boy…" What was Jaden up to?
"Ouch!" Jesse winced as he struggled to push past the bushes. He wondered why he was coming the back way to the Slifer dorm. What sense did it make when he could have just taken the pathway? He had to remind himself that someone might see the large group of people trickling into Chazz's vacant room, and would be suspicious. No one could find out about what was going on. It was, as Jaden had put it so childishly, 'super secret.' So, that was why he was trekking through the forest in the middle of the night, having left the dorm to pick up a carton of chocolate milk from Ms. Dorothy. He had no clue what Jaden needed it for, but he had said it was urgent.
Jesse stopped at the clearing and checked several times. There was no one there, so he hurried to the nearest bush. From there, he darted to a tree, then, finally to the front of the dorm. Quietly, carefully, he slipped past the door into Chazz's room. It was darker than it had been outside, so he had to wait a moment for his eyes to adjust. There was no sign of anyone. Frowning, he stepped into the room. And then…
"Aaahh!" He fell down the three steps leading down to the sitting area and landed on his face. He had forgotten they were there.
Face burning, he picked himself up off the floor and tried to feel his way around the room so he wouldn't bump into anything. Well, he could only do so much with one hand occupied with the gallon of chocolate milk. And he couldn't predicate where any furniture lower than his hands were. He nearly tripped over the table, and muttered a small curse under his breath. Why did it have to be so dark?
He made his way down the short hall, though it took him awhile to get there. He felt along the walls to help guide him, until he caught a glimpse of a dim light shining from another room. Biting his lip and reminding himself not to leap at the opportunity, he turned into the room.
It took another moment for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he saw Jaden sitting on the floor, a few candles in the middle of the floor. Around him sat Jim, Hassleberry, and Syrus. Jesse raised an eyebrow as he took the empty spot between Jaden and Jim.
"What is this, a séance?"
"No. Did you get the milk?" Jaden asked.
Sighing, Jesse held the carton up. "Yup. I don't know what you need this for but—"
"Hey, thanks." Jaden took the milk from him and unscrewed the top, taking a large gulp. Jesse stared. "I was thirsty." Jaden explained, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.
"You mean to tell me…" Jesse groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as a migraine threatened to come on, "That you made me go out through the woods at eleven at night to get you milk just because you felt like it?"
Jaden blinked. "Is there a problem?" He asked a bit sarcastically, "Look, I had a craving. I can't think on an empty stomach. Hey…you didn't happen to bring food did you?"
Jesse groaned. "Oh, Jay…" He shook his head, but could not repress the amused smile that came to his lips. Well, he might not have been too happy about lugging that gallon of chocolate milk, but he loved Jaden and forgave him for it. It was actually kind of funny. He turned his attention back to the Slifer, who was staring at him hopefully with big puppy dog eyes. "Well, I know you. So I always keep a little something on hand." Jesse threw a candy bar in Jaden's direction.
Jaden caught it and grinned. "Thanks, Jes! You're the greatest, did you know that?"
Before either of them could continue with their conversation, Jim cleared his throat. "Sorry to sound rude, mates, but…Aren't we in a lil' bit of a crisis?"
"Oh, right," Jaden looked more serious, though it was hard to look that way with chocolate crumbles surrounding his mouth. "Anyway," He took a moment to swallow his mouthful of candy bar. "So here's the plan. These biobands monitor our dueling, right?"
"Yeah, isn't that what Viper said? That he was going to keep track of who dueled and who didn't?" Hassleberry asked.
"Yeah, I don't get it then. What's that have to—" Syrus began.
"That's exactly it!" Jaden interrupted, tapping the strap of his bioband, "In order for him to keep track our dueling, he has to keep track of us too. I know that's the case because when Alexis and I were trapped in his, er, lair…heh heh…we saw computer monitors that showed surveillance and information about every student at Duel Academy. That means that these are kinda like tracking devices." He scratched his head and looked up at the ceiling.
"So…what's your point? We already knew this already." Hassleberry pointed out.
Grinning, Jaden replied, "Well, if it does what we think it does—or, at least what Ms. Fountaine said it does—and it's a tracking device, then it has to give off a signal from where we are. And if it gives off a signal from where we are, then there has to be some sort of receiving device that picks up on the signal. And if that's true, then we can trace the signal back to wherever he chooses to hide! Because, obviously, he has more than one place to monitor this stuff. I don't think he's done yet because these are still active. Right?"
Jesse blinked. "Wow…you really have thought this out…"
"Yep!" Jaden grinned, then leaned forward, smirking. "So what do you guys think about trying to catch him, huh?"
"Well, I don't know what he's after, but he did hurt Alexis. And I can't tolerate a lady getting hurt like that," Jim said, pulling his hat a little more over his face and smirking, "If what you're saying is true, then it would require a powerful amount of energy. I think that I can track him down, easily, especially since I have a keen nose on my side. Isn't that right, Shirley?"
The crocodile strapped to his back gave a small noise of agreement. The others backed away from Jim.
Jesse laughed weakly, "Funny how no one guessed that...Jay, you're a genius."
Jaden's face turned a little pink, and he grinned widely, holding up two fingers. "Hey, it's what I do."
"So…you told us what you thought. Now what's the big plan?" Hassleberry asked.
"Yeah, Jay, you've kept it a big secret until now." Syrus agreed.
"Well," Jaden replied, smirking wryly and scratching his nose, "I think Jim should definitely track Viper down. The way he can do that is for two of us to duel. That way, the energy will be given off and he can get a better signal. Then, we just make note of where he is and leave as quickly as possible to go find him. One of us duels him, wins, and then exposes him for what he really is. See?"
"You make it sound so easy…" Syrus sighed, hanging his head and closing his eyes.
"Well, that's because it will be easy," Jaden assured them, taking another gulp of the chocolate milk and smirking, "I promise you…this will be sure to work."
The others weren't so sure, but they had to trust Jaden. After all, what other options did they have? It was the best idea any of them had come up with. Question was, would it work?
"You guys sure about this?" Syrus asked as Jesse and Jaden stood outside the school the next morning, facing each other with their duel disks activated.
"Positive," Jaden replied, "We have to do this if we want to find Viper."
"Yup," Jesse agreed, "We have no choice. Don't worry about us; we know what we're doing and we'll be just fine."
"I don't know…" Syrus bit his lip, looking uncertain.
"As long as Hassleberry and Jim are ready in their assigned places, we'll be fine. As soon as they get the measurements, we'll stop." Jaden assured him.
"Ok…" Syrus reluctantly agreed, yet still seemed uncertain, "Well, I guess that means you should go ahead."
He didn't need to tell them twice. They only shuffled their decks and began the duel. Truth be told, Jesse was worried. He didn't want to hurt Jaden, as he was afraid he might. But he knew he had to give his best shot if they wanted to catch Viper. So he had to push his fears aside and do his best. Jaden did not hold back either. He put his whole heart into it, pushing himself beyond his limit. He really kept Jesse on his toes, especially with defense. All the same, he found himself enjoying it. Jaden gave him a kind of duel that no one else could. It was special not just because Jaden was such a good duelist, but also because dueling with him was almost like an expression of their feelings for each other. It might have seemed strange but it was true. It was their way of bonding.
Although they dueled almost every day and discussed card strategies, this duel was different. Neither of them was dueling simply for the pure pleasure of it. They were enjoying it, but they were also a little more serious about it than usual. This was to protect the ones they loved. This was for Alexis.
Syrus watched them nervously, biting his lip. He kept glancing down at the PDA he gripped so tightly in his small hand, waiting for the signal from Jim. It was taking way too long for his comfort. If Jim didn't get back to him soon, he might try to stop them in the middle of the duel himself! After all, he didn't want them to get hurt. Then what would they do? What if Viper had made it so they would die from the exertion? They had to figure out where he was located before the duel was concluded. If Jesse and Jaden would stop dueling. As it was, the two boys seemed too caught up in it to notice their surroundings. It was good to see them so passionate about the game but…they had other priorities at the moment, didn't they? Though, watching Jaden take a hit to his life points was most unpleasant. He almost couldn't stand it.
As Jaden gripped his side, looking pained and tired, Syrus finally got a message on his PDA. Quickly, he pressed the button accepting the message, and Jim's face appeared on the screen.
"I've got some bad news."
The last thing he wanted to hear. He felt his blood run cold and he shook a little. "Wh-what?"
"It's not nearly enough energy. I'm getting a constant reading, but it's too weak. I think they're going to have to go all the way through with it." Jim explained, frowning, "Let's just hope they can handle it."
"B-But—!"
"We have no choice. If they don't do something, then other people will get hurt. And I can't stand for that. You know you can't either." Jim told him.
"I guess that's true," Syrus admitted, sighing heavily, "Ok, thanks for telling me. I'll…let them know."
He turned the PDA off and looked back over at Jaden, who was summoning Neos. He really did not want to encourage them. He might have even told them to stop, had he not known better. Slowly, he stepped closer to the two boys, and cleared his throat.
"Um, guys?"
Jesse and Jaden looked up at him, a little surprised. They'd been so entranced by the duel that they had forgotten he had been there.
"Jim says that you're probably going to have to finish the duel. He says the signal is too weak. He needs you to give more. Do you…think you can hang on? Can you handle it?" Syrus looked nervously from one to the other.
Jesse and Jaden exchanged a glance. Then, to Syrus' surprise, they both smiled. "Are you kidding me?" Jaden said enthusiastically, "This is great! I wasn't going to stop anyway at this point, but if he says he needs more energy, then I'll be glad to deliver!"
"You can say that again," Jesse agreed, smirking, "There's no way I'm letting him slip through my fingers! I got him on the lines right now! I can't let such a good duel go to waste. So, what do you say, Jay? Think you can stand a little defeat?"
"Oh, you're on! Bring it!" Jaden challenged, seeming to have renewed strength.
Sighing heavily, Syrus shook his head. "I guess I should have known…"
He had no choice but to sit back and watch them put all they had into the duel. It was really entertaining. They were both skilled and fully into the game. But would that really be enough? Then again, if they were that passionate about it, then it had to work. If it didn't, then nothing would.
Hassleberry approached Jim, carrying two backpacks. The Australian turned slightly and glanced at him as he approached, though he did not avert his attention from the small device he was holding. He watched it carefully as it recorded the energy expelled from the duel.
"Well, everything's in place," Hassleberry sighed, setting the backpack down, "Now we just have to wait on the Sarge."
"Good," Jim replied, his eyes still glued to the device in his hand, "But I don't know how long it will take Jaden."
"Hopefully not too long," Hassleberry muttered, looking concerned, "Alexis ain't lookin' so hot."
Glancing briefly up at the dino duelist, Jim asked cautiously, "What do you mean?"
"Well, she's gotten worse. And Chazz is all upset. If we don't find a way to cure her soon, then she's a goner."
"Hmm," Jim looked thoughtful, "Well, we can't have that. Don't worry. We won't let her die."
They lapsed into silence, each to his own thoughts. The only sound was the quiet beeping from Jim's handheld, as well as an occasional growl from Shirley. Hassleberry sat down on the ground next to Jim; all they could do was wait. He wanted to go help Jaden but there was nothing more he could do. It made him so anxious to have to sit there and do nothing. He wanted in on the action.
"Mmm, looks like we're finally getting somewhere." Jim suddenly remarked.
Hassleberry glanced over at his handheld. It was beginning to emit a high-pitch noise, the beeps coming faster. "Do we have enough?"
Jim nodded. "Sure do. But…it won't stop increasing. We have to wait for it to settle down so we can get a lock on the signal."
"That thing is going crazy!" Hassleberry pointed out, staring at it. Though he understood why. He could even feel the disturbance. His primal instincts began to kick in.
Shirley growled low in her throat, beginning to thrash. Jim reached out and stroked her, trying to shush her. "There, there, it's all right, girl." He pulled his bandana from his neck and quickly tied it over her eyes, trying to calm her down as he talked soothingly to her.
"I don't want her getting too upset or she might hurt herself," He explained to Hassleberry, then noticed that the other boy seemed to be in the same predicament. "Well, now, what's this? Oh…that's right…You have that 'dino DNA.' Now, now, there's no need to get upset. We're going to be all right."
It was one thing to calm a crocodile. It was another to try to calm a hybrid boy.
Before he had time to think about it any more, though, the device distracted him. He glanced down at the readings and gasped. "Oh, boy, this isn't good. Hassleberry, you have to snap out of it. We've got trouble!"
Hassleberry growled, but leapt to his feet. Jim only followed suit, and the two ran off in the direction of the school, where a large cloud of smoke could been seen.
Syrus coughed as the wind blew the smoke in his direction. He squinted, trying to see as the cloud slowly cleared. Who had won the duel? In the end, though, it didn't matter. As long as the goal was accomplished. Worried, he stepped closer to the spot where Jesse and Jaden had been standing, waving his hand through the foggy air.
"Jay? Jes? Hello?" He stopped and looked around carefully, then gasped. "Jaden!"
The Slifer was lying on the concrete on his stomach, passed out. Syrus felt dread rising from the pit of his stomach. He had known this hadn't been a good idea! He had known he should stop them. But did he? No…He should not have trusted Jaden's word. He should have trusted his gut feeling. Kneeling by Jaden, he put a hand on his shoulder and shook him furiously.
"Jaden! Please wake up…"
He glanced over in the direction Jesse had been standing. He, as well, was lying on the concrete, unconscious. Neither of them looked that good. Both of them were pale, with pained expressions on their faces. He wondered if they were dead.
Quickly, he pressed his fingers on the inside of Jaden's neck, feeling for a pulse. He was quite relieved to find one, though it was weak. He did not want to leave Jaden's side, but feared that Jesse might be dead, so he went to check him as well. Much to his relief, he was alive as well, though barely. Standing up, he realized that this had gone way too far.
At that moment, Jim and Hassleberry came running up. They stopped when they saw the two duelists lying flat on the ground, then glanced at each other. Hassleberry quickly snapped out of his state of mind, and rushed over to Jaden's side. Jim hurried over to Jesse's.
"What happened, Private Truesdale?!" Hassleberry asked, gently pulling Jaden to his feet.
"Well, um, they finished the duel…" Syrus hung his head.
"Yes, obviously," Jim sighed, pulling Jesse to his feet, "But what happened?"
"I don't know. I couldn't see after the explosion." Syrus admitted, looking sheepish.
"This is not good," Jim told them, "I've got a lock on Viper's hideouts too! One of them is moving…I think he's carrying it with him. If we don't go now, then we'll lose him!"
"But what about Jesse and Jaden, huh?" Syrus snapped, stamping his foot, "We can't just abandon them!"
"It's what the Sarge would have wanted," Hassleberry told him, smiling sadly, "He didn't go to all this trouble and sacrifice just so we could sit back and worry about him."
Jim nodded. "I agree. We have to continue with his plan."
"But, we need him for his plan!" Syrus protested, "What are we going to do?"
"A little adjustment," Hassleberry decided, hoisting Jaden onto his back, "If he doesn't wake up on the way there and insist to go with us, then I'll duel Viper myself!"
"And if that doesn't work, then I will." Jim agreed.
"Though, I sort of wonder if you should unleash your crocodile on him instead," Hasseberry joked.
"Nah, Viper's not a snack she would enjoy," Jim assured him, walking towards the entrance of the school carrying Jesse, "Too tough to chew with all that hardened muscle."
"Oh, yeah, guess that's right," Hassleberry muttered, trailing behind with Jaden.
They took the boys to the infirmary for what felt like the hundredth time. Ms. Fountaine look up from her paperwork as they trudged in, looking dismayed. Quickly, she hurried to check them out. Syrus bit his lip as he watched her fuss over them. They looked even worse than they had before, if that was even possible. He could tell they were struggling to even breathe. This worried him. What if they didn't make it? What if they…died?
"This is not good," Ms. Fountaine told them, quickly placing them into beds, "Their bodies are shutting down…"
"You mean they're dying?!" Syrus exclaimed, his voice coming out in a squeak.
Ms. Fountaine hesitated, then nodded. "Well, that's not to say that nothing can be done. I'm sure I can stabilize them. But if they don't get the treatment they need right away…" She trailed off, leaving the rest to their imaginations.
The three fell silent. They only watched Ms. Fountaine bustle about the room, placing oxygen masks over their faces and checking them over. Syrus wondered how he could've let them get this far. How could he have let his best friend practically kill himself? It wasn't worth it. After all, they probably weren't even going to go after Viper anymore. Or, at least, that's what he thought.
"Are you sure they'll be all right?" Hassleberry suddenly asked, his face drooping.
Sighing, Ms. Fountaine nodded. "I'm sure I can take care of them."
"Good. We don't need them dying on us. As much as I hate to do this…We're going to have to go." Jim said, shifting uncomfortably.
"What?!" Syrus was so shocked, he almost fell over. "Even after that?! Why can't we just stay here? They need us!"
"They'll have to do without," Jim told him, "They sacrificed themselves for us."
Before Syrus could argue any further, the door to the infirmary opened, and Chazz stepped in, holding a tray with some food on it. He placed the tray on Ms. Fountaine's desk. Well, more like he dropped it. He glanced over at Jesse and Jaden briefly before collapsing in his seat next to Alexis, looking exhausted.
"So, what are you dorks doing here?" He asked halfheartedly, leaning back in his seat. He sounded more miserable than bitter.
"Jaden and Jesse dueled. We were trying to find where Viper was so they had to put their all into it. I guess it kind of backfired." Syrus replied, staring down at the floor.
Chazz did not reply. He only glanced back over at Alexis, and took her hand. He hung his head sorrowfully, looking as though he'd all but given up hope. It really was a sobering sight. Their friends were all suffering, and it was Viper's fault. This was what made up their minds. If they wanted their friends to be saved, then they would have to do something. And as much as he did not like to admit it, Syrus realized that he would have to leave Jaden if he wanted him to be all right. It might have seemed wrong to not stop him from hurting himself. But it was even more so to let this continue. He could never let himself hear the end of it if something bad happened to Jaden permanently.
"Well, I guess we'd better get going," Jim sighed, breaking the silence, "We got a long way ahead of us. Just let us know if anything happens to them."
Ms. Fountaine nodded. "Don't worry. You'll be the first to know."
With that in mind, Jim turned to his companions and gave a little nod as an indication that they should leave. Reluctantly, they started to walk out, casting one last apologetic glance in Jaden and Jesse's direction. They had no choice. They had to leave and catch Viper before it was too late.
Much to Ms. Fountaine's surprise, Jaden awoke within the next few hours. He was still in poor shape, but his strength of spirit forced him to recuperate. He was so weak, he struggled to so much as open his eyes. But he managed. Blinking, he glanced around himself. It took a moment for him to realize where he was, since his mind was so fogged up. His first impulse was to close his tired eyes and go back to sleep, but then he remembered Viper. Finding new energy, he shot up to a sitting position, his eyes wide. Ms. Fountaine hurried over to him, scolding him and telling him he needed to lie back down. But he refused to listen. He pulled the oxygen mask off his face, then looked around again, ignoring Ms. Fountaine's protests. That was when he saw Jesse. His eyes widened.
"What happened to him?!" He demanded to know, leaping out of bed.
"Please lie down!" Ms. Fountaine grabbed his arm, and tried to force him back into bed.
He shrugged her off. "I won't until you tell me what happened to him!" He rushed over to Jesse's side, almost falling over in the process.
Ms. Fountaine sighed. He wasn't going to listen, obviously. "He passed out from the duel. Just like you did. Now will you please lie down?"
"Is he going to be all right?" Jaden asked, ignoring her request.
"Sure he'll be fine," Chazz snorted from across the room, "But I don't know about your other friends."
"What do you mean?" Jaden asked, looking concerned.
Ms. Fountaine held her face in one hand, shaking her head. "Oh, please don't get him started…"
"Hassleberry, Jim, and Syrus left to go take care of Viper." Chazz told him, scowling, "And I don't think that's a very smart idea for them to try to duel him."
"What?!" Jaden's eyes widened. He turned back towards Ms. Fountaine. "How long have I been out?"
"A few hours," She answered, grimacing. "Frankly, you should be glad. You're lucky to have woken up so soon. It should've taken you a few days at least."
Jaden groaned, holding his head in his hands. "Well, I guess I have no choice."
Ms. Fountaine eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"
He refused to reply. For a moment, he seemed torn. He glanced over at Jesse, then towards the door. Finally, he leaned over Jesse and pressed his lips briefly to the other's cheek, murmuring an apology in his ear. Then, he turned around and hurried out the door.
"Where do you think—?" Ms. Fountaine began, reaching out to seize Jaden.
Jaden managed to dodge her hand, and slipped through the door quickly. He ran down the hall, ignoring the pain spreading over him. He would not let himself succumb to weakness. He was going to go find his friends and Viper. But how could he do that? Thinking fast, he pulled out his PDA. Hoping that his friends wouldn't tell him to go back to the infirmary, he sent a message to Jim, asking where he was.
A moment later, the screen came on, and Jim's face appeared. "Jaden? What are you doing awake?"
"Did you think that could keep me down for long?" Jaden asked, grinning, "Now come on, tell me where Viper is. I still want to duel him, you know."
"You can't be serious…After what happened to you? How could you recover so fast?" Jim did not seem amused.
"Well, I'm just strong, I guess." Jaden shrugged, then joked, "So are you going to tell me where you guys are? Or am I going to have to track you down?"
Jim sighed heavily. "We could use a little help, I guess. I'll send you the information about where he's hiding. It's funny because he really is still on the island." It was obvious that he did not want to put Jaden in harm's way, but he had no choice. Things were not going as well as he would have liked, and they needed Jaden's help.
A moment later, a map came up on the screen, with a path outlined. "Sweet." Jaden scanned the map momentarily, then put his PDA in his back pocket.
He hurried outside, running the entire way. He had no time to spare. If Viper thought he was going to get away with his crimes that easily, then he was wrong. There was no way that Jaden was going to let his friends suffer any longer. There was no way that Viper was going to inflict this on anyone else. He would duel him, defeat him, and make him realize that he should change his ways. Who knew? Maybe he would change his mind. Jaden just hoped that his friends hadn't already gotten themselves into trouble. He hurried even though it hurt because he didn't want to take the chance. Little did he know that he was only making it worse. He was only walking into Viper's trap.
A/N: Yeah yeah, not the best ever. I know kinda random/repetitive. I promise that I'll stop the whole 'Jaden gets hurt and then runs out of the infirmary to go find Viper and save his friends' after this because he faces him for the last time next chapter. But…meh. I have fun writing this story so…yeah. Ummm Idk if I should include an actual duel next chapter or not. If I do…would anyone be willing to proof read my duel? I don't wanna fuck it up.