Chapter 7: The Abandoned Dorm
"Hello?"
"Hello Yugi."
"Kaiba! How are you doing, old friend?" Yugi exclaimed
"Fine. I'm sitting in my office, thinking about the things I witnessed today." Kaiba stated
"Well, it's only… 10 pm so I've got time. Let's hear it. What's on your mind, friend?" Yugi asked
"I visited Duel Academy today. I cleared my schedule for most of the day so I could spend the day with Catherine, but something interesting happened." Kaiba replied
"While I was talking to the chancellor, your little friend Jaden came to his office."
"Oh? How is he?" Yugi sounded excited
"He's good. He wanted out of the field test that was taking place that day. That's so students can move up in dorm ranks. He said he liked being in Slifer Red, which is the lowest dorm." Kaiba explained
"Kat was there too and said that he was a good friend of hers. So, I decided to allow him to have his special duel and even granted a request he had, on condition he could win the match I put him with." Kaiba said plainly
"Who'd you put him against?"
"Kat. She seemed excited about it when I brought it up, so we went with it. Yugi… that duel... It was supposed to just be a regular test duel." Kaiba said while smiling
"I see. I knew I picked well. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you called and I'm glad to hear about this, but what does this have to do with me?" Yugi asked
"Do you have anything planned in your schedule for the next… oh I don't know, month?" Kaiba asked
"No not really, I'm retired. It's just me and Téa here. Why?"
"I think you need to see the kid for yourself. I can get you there anytime you want, and I can get you back anytime you want. What do you think?"
There was a slight pause where no one said anything, as Yugi thought about his answer
"Sunday, at 10 am." Yugi said excitedly
"Good. I'll clear my schedule for next week. See you then." Kaiba hung up at once
With Yugi
"Téa?"
"Yes, dear?"
"I just got off the phone… with Seto Kaiba."
Téa just stared at Yugi
"You and I need to go to Duel Academy next week. We'll leave at 10 am on Sunday." Yugi said seriously
"How long are we going to stay?" she asked
"Undetermined. Kaiba has offered to transport us back and forth whenever we want to, so you can leave if you don't want to stay, but I want you to see something… meet someone."
Téa smiled "sounds great. I'll be ready"
Saturday, the next day, at 9:28 pm with Jaden
'Ok Yubel… I think I've got everything. My duel disk, my deck with the boys in it, my usual attire, a flashlight and a cloak in case I need it. We good?'
'Looks good. Now to just wait for Marik.' She replied
Jaden leaned over the railing at the Slifer Dorm, looking out upon the grass
Jaden checked his watch
9:30
'And just like that, there he is. Appearing out of fucking nowhere. What the actual fuck?' Jaden said as Yubel laughed like hell
"Evening, Jaden." He said as he walked next to Jaden and leaned over the railing with him. Marik had his Battle City duel disk with him and his deck loaded in it, while wearing his usual cloak.
"Let's go" Jaden said as the two set out for the Abandoned Dorm
"Now… I have no idea where this place is" Jaden said seriously
"I do. I found it today while doing some reconnaissance." Marik replied
"So… I see you got your dueling stuff. Plan on having some action?" Jaden smiled, hoping he would get to see Marik duel
"No, but better safe than sorry. By the way, I was wondering… are you going to sawcon?" Marik asked with a straight face
"…Sawcon?" Jaden asked
"Yeah… sawcon deez nuts, bitch!" Marik busted out laughing, which made Jaden do the same
The two conversed and joked the whole way to the abandoned dorm
"Shh! We're here…" Marik hushed
"It's creepy… almost as creepy as you" Jaden snickered quietly
"Hilarious. Pay attention" Marik said seriously
The two stood still and looked around. Jaden was waiting for Marik to give an order or something
"Someone's here." Marik said so quietly that Jaden almost didn't hear him, despite being right next to him
Jaden kept his eyes peeled, looking for the figure that Marik noticed
Marik looked to Jaden and signaled with his hands to follow him quietly and Jaden nodded
The two crept around the path, which would have looked hilarious in day light
Jaden could make out two figures in the dark, standing side by side in front of the entrance to the dorm. They were both slender and looked young from the backside.
'Students' Jaden thought
"I have to find him. This is where he was last. There has to be something here" the figure on the left said. Jaden thought he could sense crying or at least an upset tone in the persons voice
All at once, in the blink of an eye, Marik stood up and walked right through the gate that closed off the dorm to the path and walked right up to the figures
Jaden struggled to keep up with Marik due to the sudden movement
The two figures didn't hear Marik creep up behind them
"Boo!" Marik said loudly, which made the two jump
"AHHHHH!" The two figures held each other as they were terrified that they had gotten caught
"Wait… Alexis? Triss?" Jaden said as he came out from behind Marik
"Jaden?" they both asked at the same time
"Which means… Marik." Alexis put her hands on her hips
"Hello, dear." Marik said with a smile
"What are you two doing here?" Jaden asked
"Well… it's like I said yesterday. Atticus was last seen… here. I vowed before coming here that I would find him, or atleast try. Triss decided to help too" Alexis explained while almost crying
"Have you gone in?" Marik asked quickly
"No… I'm having cold feet" Alexis started crying
Jaden saw this and walked forward and hugged her as she cried on his shoulder
"I need him back, Jay. I have to find him." She said between sobs
"Well, we're going in. You are welcome to come with us, or you are welcome to wait here for us." Marik said plainly as he started walking forward
"Come, Jaden." Marik said
"We'll wait out here… thanks." Alexis said as she forced a smile towards Jaden and let go of him
"I'll be back. Hopefully with something for you" Jaden said as he turned and went into the dorm
It was pitch black inside and smelled musty. Jaden could just barely make out Marik standing a few feet in front of him
"Use our flashlights, perhaps?" Jaden said while laughing
"Indeed" Marik replied as they both turned their flashlights on and shined them at the walls
"Very interesting…" Marik said as he walked forward
Jaden shined his light where Marik had his and gasped. The wall was covered in runes and etchings.
"Can you read this, Marik?" Jaden asked
"I can. Though its nothing new. It's just explaining each millennium item and what shadow games are." Marik said plainly
"Let's go deeper than" Jaden said as the two continued through the dorm. They eventually came to a room which was a dead end.
"Nothing here… fascinating" Marik said aloud
"Not nothing." Jaden said as he shined his light on a picture of a boy with black hair on the wall
"He looks… exactly like Alexis. Just with black hair and manlier. Must be Atticus." Jaden said
"Wonderful deduction, I can see why Yugi likes you" Marik said sarcastically
"Fuck you, Marik." Jaden said as the two started laughing and Jaden picked up the picture of Atticus and placed it in his bag.
"AHHHHH!"
Marik and Jaden's heads both jerked towards the way that they came in.
"That was" Jaden began
"The girls. Come quickly, Jaden" Marik said as they ran back to the entrance
The girls were gone when they got there, but there was a trail leading in two different directions made of cards from the girls' decks.
"Guess we split up, Marik?" Jaden asked
"Indeed. I'll go right, you go left. Jaden, be vigilant please. I can sense this is a dark place like you said, shadow games have been done here many times. Furthermore, do not endanger yourself to try to save one of the girls. You'll just make an even worse situation" Marik said seriously
"Fine. Now go!" Jaden said
The two split up and followed their chosen paths
Jaden's PoV:
'Yubel'
'Yeah?'
'Keep your eyes open. I'm not omniscient and its hard to see in here.' Jaden said worriedly
'Will do'
Jaden followed the trail of cards down a flight of stairs and into a large chamber that Jaden assumed was the basement of the dorm
Jaden shined his light around the room. Every few yards were a statue, all pointing towards the middle of the room.
"Hello, boy!" A deep voice came out
Jaden shined his light towards the man and then torches all around the room lit up at once, illuminating everything.
The man was large. 6'3 at least, Jaden thought. Half of his face was covered by a mask and he had a large duel vest on his chest with a matching large duel disk on his arm.
"Who are you, and where are the girls?" Jaden demanded
"My name is Titan, and if you want the girls back, you'll have to win a duel with me. Not just any duel though, a shadow game!" He exclaimed
"Fine." Jaden said as he activated his duel disk
Marik's PoV:
'These cards… I've never seen these before. Interesting.'
'Can't be much further'
Marik entered a large chamber that he knew must be the basement
Marik shined his light around the room to see large statues spaced a few yards apart
'This… these are for real shadow games. But why here, on this island?' he thought
"Hello, boy" a voice rang out. It was extremely deep
At once, torches placed around all the room lit up at once, revealing the man. He was about 5'9 and had his entire face covered by a black mask that made him look like a fiend. He had a duel disk on his arm and looked like he was expecting a duel with someone
"Cool trick. Where's the girl?" Marik asked plainly
"Want her? You'll have to duel me and win. In a shadow game!"
"Sounds good. Let's do it, but hurry up" Marik said with no emotion in his voice
The man was slightly taken aback
'He's supposed to be scared!' The man thought
"Duel!" Marik and the man yelled
"What do I call you during this duel? Other than Chester the Molester" Marik asked with a slight hint of laughter in his tone
"My, you're a mouthy one. My name is Eredin." The man spat
"Great. You can go first, Eredin. You'll need it."
(At the same time, Jaden's duel was starting with Titan.)
Eredin's turn:
4000 LP
"Draw!"
Hand Size: 6
"I'll start by summoning Reborn Zombie in attack mode!" Atk: 1000 / Def: 1600
A female zombie with white hair arose from the ground
"Your turn, boy!"
Marik's Turn:
4000 LP
"Mhm. Draw!"
Card Size: 6
'Let's see if my suspicions are right' Marik thought
"I end my turn" Marik said as he faked a yawn
Eredin's Turn:
4000 LP
"Not even going to lay down a card? Guess you're given up already, ha! Draw!"
Hand Size: 6
"I summon Armored Zombie in attack mode!" Atk: 1500 / Def: 0
A hunched over, green zombie with red armor rose from the ground
"Now I attack you directly with Armored Zombie!"
Armored Zombie limped forward and slashed Marik, who didn't flinch
"Hahaha! Watch as this shadow game rips your body apart!" Eredin laughed maniacally
Marik looked down and most of his chest area was missing. He just looked back at Eredin and waited for his next attack
"Tough guy, eh? That'll change! Now go, Reborn Zombie!"
Reborn Zombie walked forward and slashed Marik's face, which left pieces of his face and his legs missing due to the shadow game
"I'll end with that. Your demise is nigh!" Eredin laughed
Marik's turn:
1500 LP
"Sure, it is. Draw!"
Hand Size: 7
"I play the spell card Pot of Greed." Marik said calmly
Marik then drew his cards and stared at his hand for a good 30 seconds
"Just give up, boy! This shadow game will take your soul!" Eredin said, breaking the silence
Marik let his arm with his duel disk and cards fall to his side and laughed evilly
"Is that so!? This is a charade, a sham. You have no clue what a shadow game is. You're a joke, and I'm no boy!" Marik pulled his cloak off
"Oh, you're a girl? My mistake, miss" Eredin laughed
"Hilarious. My name is Marik Ishtar. I am the master of shadow games, and someone you will wish you didn't fuck with. Now observe my brilliance!" Marik laughed evilly again, which freaked Eredin out this time
"M-Marik Ishtar? That Marik? Look man I don't want any trouble, I was just hired to scare some kid" Eredin stuttered his sentence out
"That 'some kid' is more than you or your friend bargained for. He could beat you in one turn, you're such a lousy duelist. I've heard about you, Eredin, and your friend Titan. You're both pathetic, scaring kids. But let's have ourselves a shadow game, shall we?" Marik said coldly
Marik threw a piece of shrapnel at the middle of the floor, triggering the rooms statues to light up and they traced the Eye of Horace on the floor. A small black sphere rose from the ground and expanded quickly, enveloping both Marik and Eredin.
Eredin looked around and panicked. All around him was nothingness, but he could hear cries of despair and wailing
"Welcome the shadow realm. Allow me to acquaint you with its populace! My turn!" Marik yelled
"I place once card face down"
"Next, I'll use the spell card Polymerization to combine the Red Eyes Black Dragon and Summoned Skull in my hand to summon B. Skull Dragon!" Marik yelled
A grey and purple and black dragon roared as it descended to the field. It stood on two feet and had bone armor Atk: 3200 / Def: 2500
"Now, attack his Reborn Zombie!"
B. Skull Dragon dashed forward and then stepped on the Zombie, crushing it into the ground
"AHHHH!" Eredin screamed in pain
Eredin LP: 1800
"What are you doing to me!?"
"Its not me. It's the shadow realm, and this is a real shadow game. Having fun yet? This is, after all, what you wanted" Marik taunted
"Please! Don't do this! Get me out of here!" Eredin begged
"Where's the girl?" Marik sounded demanding
"She's safe! She's just unconscious in a coffin in the room that we were in!" Eredin was almost crying from the pain
"Good… Then let's continue." Marik said coldly
"Wait! But I told you where she was! Please!" Eredin begged
"I activate my facedown card, De-Fusion! I can now split my B. Skull Dragon into its fusion materials!"
B. Skull Dragon roared as it was ripped apart in a portal. Out of the portal came Red Eyes Black Dragon and Summoned Skull, who landed next to each other on the field
Red Eyes Atk: 2400 / Def: 2000
Summoned Skull Atk: 2500 / Def: 1200
"Red Eyes, destroy his Armored Zombie!" Marik yelled
Red Eyes charged up a beam and sent it towards the Armored Zombie, which exploded
"AHHHHH! PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS!" Eredin begged as he was crying
Eredin LP: 900
"You did this to yourself when you kidnapped an innocent girl and challenged me to a shadow game. Summoned Skull, finish him!"
Summoned Skull charged a ball of lightning in his hand, then threw it at Eredin
Eredin LP: 0
Eredin's body spasmed when hit by the lightning and shook for a solid minute before his body went limp
The shadows closed around Eredin as Marik escaped from the Shadow Realm, leaving Eredin to perish
Marik looked around the basement and saw the Coffin with one of the girls supposedly in it
He ran to it and ripped the cover off, revealing a tied up and unconscious Triss with tape over her mouth
Marik ripped the tape off her mouth, which caused her to wake up. He then drew a knife from his back pocket
Triss saw this and screamed "Please! Don't!"
Marik stopped and looked at her
"Let me untie you and I'll explain"
Triss stared at Marik and then slowly nodded her head
Marik then went to work cutting her ropes. Once she was free, he grabbed her behind the neck and waist to lift her up
"Can you stand?" He asked
"Yeah… yeah. I'm fine. What the hell happened?" Triss asked
"Jaden and I were exploring the dorm when we heard you and Alexis scream. We rushed back to find you, but you were gone. There was a trail of cards leading in two different directions, I followed this one to you and Jaden followed the other one, presumably to Alexis. Oh, here." Marik handed Triss her deck that he picked up as he went
"Thanks. But who kidnapped me?" Triss was shaking. Partly because she was cold, partly because she was scared of the whole situation, and partly because Marik was intimidating her with the cold look in his eyes
"A fool that called himself Eredin. He challenged me to a shadow duel, thinking I was Jaden or one of his little classmates. I assumed when I saw him that he had no clue how a real shadow game went or how to start one. He lost our duel, of course."
"So… where is he then?" Triss looked around but didn't see anyone
"See the statues everywhere?" Marik pointed to them
"Yeah." She said simply
"These create actual shadow games. I knew this because I've seen statues like these before. I'm an expert on shadow games and the shadow realm in general. I activated them to trigger an actual shadow game." Marik said
"So… you went to the shadow realm? Wait…" Triss realized what was going on now
"You defeated him and left him there. You banished him to the Shadow Realm!" Triss said with surprise all over her face
"Is that a problem?" Marik asked with a cold, killer look in his eyes
Triss felt a shiver go down her spine at making direct eye contact with Marik. "No… thank you for saving me." She said while looking at the ground
Marik got visibly angry and raised his voice
"You lie. It's not fine to you. You can't lie to me, Miss Merigold."
"No? Alright then. No, it's not fine that you banished someone to the Shadow Realm. Don't you think that's a bit extreme?" Triss put her hands on her hips as she got angry
Marik just stared into her eyes for a moment before yelling
"You question my judgement? You think you know things? You don't. You're just a child. A naïve one. Hold this!" Marik was angry and screaming as he shoved his duel disk into Triss' arms
"What are you…?" Triss asked but quickly realized what Marik was doing as he walked over to one of the statues and she got out of the way
The shadows appeared once again in the middle of the room and Marik angrily walked straight into them, disappearing completely and leaving Triss with her thoughts
Triss was alone for several minutes wondering when, or if, Marik would come back
Finally, an opening appeared in the shadows and Marik came out, dragging a man she assumed to be Eredin
The shadows then disappeared and Marik dropped Eredin to the ground carelessly
"Happy? I saved him. This is the asshole that kidnapped an innocent girl and tied her up and locked her in a coffin. Now when he comes to, he can go and do this to more girls like you. Any idea what men like him do to little girls like you, given the chance?" Marik said coldly to Triss who was about to cry
"I'm sorry. I don't know! I don't know anything! I can't think right now! Please just stop screaming at me!" Triss broke down and started crying
Marik sighed and let go of his anger as he watched Triss start sobbing
"Too harsh, Marik. Too harsh. She's just a girl.' He thought
Marik walked forward and hugged her as she hugged him back and cried into his shoulder for a few minutes. The only noise in the room was Triss' sniffles as she recovered
"You good?" Marik smiled at Triss
"Yeah. I think so." Triss wiped the tears from her face
"I'm sorry. I have more to say, but it will have to wait until later. We need to go find Jaden and your friend Alexis." Marik turned to leave the basement after Triss handed him his duel disk back
"What about him?" Triss asked Marik, pointing to Eredin
"Up to you. Leave him or don't." Marik said as he walked away
Triss looked at Eredin and decided how she felt as she stared at his unconscious body
'Marik's right. He's a vile person. Perhaps its best I leave him' She thought as she turned to follow Marik
20 minutes earlier, on the other side of the dorm with Jaden
"DUEL!" Jaden and Titan yelled
"You can go first, boy." Titan laughed
Jaden's turn:
4000 LP
"Draw!"
Hand Size: 6
"Where're the girls!?" Jaden demanded
"I told you, I'll only give them back to you if you win" Titan laughed evilly and smirked
Jaden seethed at the mystery man
'I hate him, Yubel. I swear I hate him' Jaden said angrily to his friend
'Try to stay calm. You need to focus on this duel. These feelings will pass after it's over, its normal for you to be emotional in this situation.' Yubel tried her best to calm Jaden
"Fine. Have it your way. You'll wish we did this differently when it's over!" Jaden yelled to Titan
"I play the spell card Pot of Greed!" Jaden said as he drew two more cards
'I usually try to have fun in duels, Yubel. I don't want to have fun with this guy, I want to end him, fast.' Jaden said
'Good. End this as fast as possible, then. This guy gives me the creeps, and so does this place' Yubel replied
"I play the spell card, swords of revealing light! You cannot attack for the next 3 turns!" Jaden exclaimed
"Next I summon Ra's Disciple in Attack mode!" Atk: 1100 / Def: 600
Three Egyptian men appeared on the field. Each had a headdress that resembled the Winged Dragon of Ra.
"What does that card do, boy? And why are there 3 of them?"
"Ra's disciple allows me to special summon all other Ra's disciples from my hand or deck to the field instantly. It cannot be used to tribute summon except for 3 specific monsters" Jaden said smugly
"And what are those?" Titan sounded angry
"The Egyptian God cards" Jaden said with a smirk
Titan laughed hysterically at this
"Funny, kid. Good joke. Now end your turn so I can get started, and in 3 turns I will send you to the shadow realm!" Titan said evilly
"Sure. I end my turn" Jaden said calmly
Titan's turn:
4000 LP
"I Draw!"
Hand Size: 6
"I summon Infernalqueen Archfiend in attack mode!" Atk: 900 / Def: 1500
A demonic creature in a purple and red dress appeared in front of Titan
"Infernalqueen Archfiend makes all Archfiend monsters on the field gain 1000 attack!" Titan chuckled
Infernalqueen Atk: 1900
"Now normally I'd have to pay 500 lifepoints per turn to use Archfiends, but not with this card! I play the field spell, Pandemonium!"
The arena turned into a hellish looking place
"Witness your end! When my Archfiends are done with you, the shadows won't have much left!" Titan exclaimed, trying to scare Jaden
"I'll end my turn, stupid boy. Now go and summon your big scary "Egyptian God Monster" Titan laughed uncontrollably
Jaden's turn:
4000 LP
"Gladly! Draw!"
Hand Size: 5
"I think before I do, though, I'll do a few other things" Jaden smirked
"I summon Elemental Hero Avian in attack mode!" Atk: 1000 / Def: 1000
A green man that looked more bird than man appeared. He had two large wings and three claws on each of his hands
"Next, I play the field spell: Skyscraper!"
Buildings rose all around Jaden and Avian
"This gives my Elemental Hero cards an extra 1000 attack when they're fighting a monster with higher attack points than them!"
Titan looked angry at this
'This kid might put up more of a fight than the usual. No matter…'
"Now I play the spell card Double Summon! This allows me to normal summon once more this turn!"
"You still doubt me, creep?" Jaden asked as Titan laughed again
"You're delusional, boy. My partner has probably already defeated your friend by now, and soon I will defeat you too! You will both suffer in the Shadow Realm for eternity!" Titan exclaimed
"Doubtful. I think your partner has his hands full. But you shouldn't focus on him, you should worry about what I'm about to do to you! I sacrifice my 3 Ra's disciples!"
The 3 Egyptian men disappeared as Titan's eyes widened
"Mighty Obelisk, hear my plea for help! Assist me in this duel and vanquish my enemies! I SUMMON OBELISK THE TORMENTOR, IN ATTACK MODE!" Jaden yelled
A giant blue monster rose behind Jaden and roared, which made Titan scream
"How!? How do you have the Egyptian Gods? You're just a stupid boy!" Titan yelled in disbelief
Jaden ignored Titan and looked at Obelisk
"This guy kidnapped Alexis and Triss then challenged me to a shadow duel. Please friend, get rid of him so I can find my friends!" Jaden pleaded with Obelisk
Obelisk roared horribly at Titan which actually made him piss himself
"THIS IS NO SHADOW GAME! THIS IS A DISGRACE! YOU DARE TOUCH A CHOSEN ONE!?" Obelisk roared as he got ready to fight
Jaden was surprised at both statements from Obelisk, but he figured he would ask later. Right now, he needed to get the girls back.
"Avian! Destroy his Infernalqueen Archfiend!"
Avian Atk: 1000 to 2000 due to Skyscraper
Avian bombarded the monster with a storm of quills, destroying it
"Obelisk! Destroy him!" Jaden yelled
Obelisk charged up his fist, which obtained a light blue aura as he rammed it into Titan
Titan LP: 0
Titan fell to his knees as the arena disappeared and Jaden walked towards him, but stepped on something on the floor which caused the statues to light up
As they did, they all connected in the middle of the room to create the Eye of Horace. As Jaden looked around, he saw Triss and Marik enter the room
"Jaden! RUN!" Marik yelled as the shadows appeared and swallowed both Jaden and Titan
Triss gasped and covered her mouth as she saw her friend disappear
"JADEN!" Triss called into the shadows
"He cannot hear you. He will have to find his own way out, I can't save him" Marik said
"But why not?" Triss was on the verge of tears
"Jaden's duel was not a shadow game, but mine was. A shadow game demands that the loser be left in the Shadow Realm, which I did not do. Now the shadows demand a sacrifice, so it will either be Titan… or Jaden." Marik said with a worried voice
Inside the shadow realm with Jaden
"Hello?" Jaden's voice echoed in the dark, but no one answered him
Jaden looked around and saw nothingness until he noticed Titan, collapsed
All around Titan were little… black globules with eyes and mouths. There were infinite numbers of them. They all surrounded Titan and got closer to him. Jaden then looked around and noticed the same globules surrounding him and he began to panic.
Jaden's duel disk lit up at that moment and out came Yubel and Winged Kuriboh
"Uh… guys?" Jaden asked as he looked at his duel spirits, who didn't look like spirits anymore
Yubel looked around and noticed the situation quickly
"Jaden get behind me" Yubel ordered
"Yubel? Where are we and WHAT THE FUCK ARE THESE THINGS!?" Jaden panicked
"We're in the Shadow Realm, and these things are trying to consume you for the Shadows. Kuriboh, help me!" Yubel roared
The two duel spirits stepped toward the black globs, which parted like the red sea
"Jaden! Look for the opening!" Yubel yelled over her shoulder at him
Jaden looked around and saw a very small light in the darkness
"I see it! We should go! But what about Titan?" Jaden yelled back
"Leave him! He can't be saved; the shadows are consuming him already!" Yubel said as she pushed Jaden toward the opening and ran with him towards it
A moment later, Jaden jumped into the light and came out in the familiar basement room
Triss squealed and ran forward and hugged Jaden, who was glad that he had another human that he could hug back after what he had just experienced
'Yubel? You here?' Jaden asked in his mind
'Yes. Talk later.' She said as Jaden nodded
"Where's Alexis?" Jaden asked Marik
"Probably in that coffin over there, unconscious." Marik pointed to a coffin in one of the corners of the room
Jaden ran over to it and pushed the lid off the coffin
Sure enough, inside was a sleeping Alexis. All tied up with tape over her mouth
Jaden quickly ripped the tape off Alexis' mouth which made her come to
"mmm… Jaden?" Alexis slowly came aware of what the situation was
'I'm… laying down. I cant move? Oh, I'm tied up. And Jaden's standing over me.' Alexis processed slowly
Jaden smirked at Alexis
"Under different circumstances…" Jaden whispered with a shit eating grin
Alexis sighed but blushed scarlet
"It's not the time for jokes! Get me out of here" Alexis almost screamed at Jaden who started laughing
"Marik? Got anything to help with this?" Jaden looked at his friend
"Yeah. Use this" Marik handed Jaden his ritual knife which he then used to get Alexis out of her binds
"Alright let me help you up, ready? On 3… 1, 2, 3!" Jaden pulled Alexis and let go of her once she was upright, but she fell immediately
"Oh shit, sorry! I expected you to be ok" Jaden reached down to Alexis
"Ow…" Alexis said
"You can't stand on your own?" Jaden asked while frowning. He felt bad about letting her fall
"No, I don't think so…" Alexis looked down at her leg, which had a large cut in it
"Oh… Oh! OH MY GOD! JADEN MY LEG!" Alexis squealed at the sight of her bloody leg
"It's ok, it's ok! Calm down! Just sit still!"
Jaden stood up and removed his jacket which he then used to wrap her leg in
"I'm gonna have to carry you to the hospital room at school" Jaden said
"Here we go!" Jaden stood Alexis up while holding onto her and then picked her up
Jaden looked at the girl in his arms
Alexis had fainted. Either at the sight of her leg, or from the pain. Jaden didn't move and just stared at her for a moment. She looked so cute while asleep in his arms
"Talk about getting swept off your feet…" Triss giggled at the sight
"Jaden, we need to get her to the school so I can treat her wound. Come quickly!" Marik hurried everyone out of the dorm
"Phew!" Triss said as they exited the musty dorm
"No time for delays. Follow me." Marik said as he put his cloak on and led the way. Triss followed behind him and Jaden behind them, with Alexis still in his arms, who was fast asleep
15 minutes later at the school grounds
"Almost there… alright. Bring her in here, Jaden." Marik said
Jaden entered through the doorway, careful not to bump Alexis' head, who was fast asleep
"Set her on one of the beds and wake her up while I prepare to treat the wound" Marik ordered as he set off around the nurse's room to gather his needed supplies
"Alright… here we go." Jaden grunted as he layed Alexis down on one of the beds
Jaden snapped at Alexis, but it had no effect, so he started shaking her and she began to come to
"Hey… Alexiiiiis… wake up beautiful."
Triss giggled at that
"Mmm? Where are we?" Alexis sat up
"Hi there" Jaden said while beaming at her
"We're in the school's little hospital room where Ms. Fontaine works a lot of the time." Triss said
"Where's Marik?" Alexis asked
"I'm right here, Ms. Rhodes. This is going to hurt" he said as he walked towards her with alcohol, bandages, a few cloths, and tweasers.
"Oh my… Oh my god. Please don't!" Alexis yelled
"Shhh! We're right here don't worry. Try not to wake everyone up while you're at it?" Triss laughed
Alexis grabbed a hold of Triss' and Jaden's hands
"Please…" she begged Marik not to
"I'm sorry, but I must clean the wound, or it will just get worse" Marik explained
"Take this to bite down on, in case." Marik handed Jaden a rag to put in Alexis' mouth
"Here we go…" Marik went in with tweasers first to remove the small piece of shrapnel in her wound first as Alexis screamed quietly into the rag
"God… I'm so sorry, Lexi" Jaden said to Alexis as she cried
'Lexi?' She thought for a moment, before she was snapped back to reality by the intense pain in her left leg
"Triss, my bag. Open it and grab the picture frame in it" Jaden ordered
Triss pulled out the picture and gasped, rushing over to Alexis to show it to her
"Yo! Look, it's a picture of Atticus!" Triss showed her friend
Alexis gasped at this and Jaden removed the rag from her mouth
"Atti!? Where did you find that?" Alexis asked, now not paying any attention to Marik as he worked on her leg
'This isn't too bad. She should recover quickly, few days at worst.' Marik thought as he worked
"Marik and I found it while searching the dorm, right before you were taken…" Jaden trailed off
"This is the first sign of him! Maybe I will find him!" Alexis exclaimed
"Wait, so… how did you find me? And how did Marik find Triss? And what happened to the guys that took us? And…" Alexis looked around the room
"How did I actually get here?" she asked, confused
"I carried you here" Jaden said to her while laughing and Triss giggled
Alexis blushed scarlet
"Oh… I see. Tell me the rest then" Alexis tried to change the topic
"Well, from my perspective, I followed a trail of cards that were yours. Which I have, don't worry. They led me to a basement with some creepy dude, who challenged me to a shadow duel." Jaden explained slowly
"So we started the duel and he wouldn't tell me where either of you were" Jaden nodded his head towards Alexis and Triss
"So, I decided to end the duel as quickly as possible. I used swords of revealing light on him on turn 1 so he couldn't do anything, and I summoned Ra's disciple… you know how this goes" Jaden smiled
"Anyways, next turn I summoned Obelisk. I turned to him and said 'This guy kidnapped Alexis and challenged me to a shadow duel. Help me out?'"
"Which really made him mad. Like, really mad. He basically screamed at Titan before talking." Jaden said while recalling the events
Jaden opened his mouth to speak but Marik cut him off
"Your wound is cleaned and bandaged. You should all get back to your rooms and go to sleep so we don't raise suspicions and get anyone in trouble. Jaden don't talk to anyone about this until you hear from me tomorrow" Marik just walked out of the room. Just like that.
"Oooooooook then?" Triss said, confused
"Alright home girl… time to go" Jaden picked Alexis up, who squealed
"Where we going?" She asked
"To your room" Jaden replied
"Dude… if you get caught in there… Imagine the scene. A boy in the Obelisk Girls' dorm, carrying a girl, a really popular one at that, with her leg mysteriously injured and you can't explain how the wound got there…" Triss said seriously
"I see your point. I'll take her to my dorm then" Jaden said as he walked out the door with Alexis in his arms
"Uh… your dorm? Jaden, that's not really appropriate…" Alexis said while blushing and Triss started giggling
"No? Where's your mind at?" Jaden said as he started laughing and Alexis turned redder than Triss' hair
"I'm not that kind of guy" Jaden said while giggling
"I know that…" Alexis trailed off
"You'll take my bed and I'll sleep on the floor" Jaden told Alexis
"Don't you room with Syrus and Chumley though? They'll surely ask questions." Triss stated
"I'll explain to them in the morning when they wake up. Don't worry, we can trust them, they're cool." Jaden said as he could see the Slifer dorm a way off
"Well, you're in good hands, Alexis. So, I'm gonna go get some sleep." Triss said while smiling at her friend
Alexis looked at Triss and mouthed something along the lines of 'If you tell anyone I'll kill you' which made Triss giggle
'I won't' Triss mouthed back
A few minutes later, in Jaden's room
"Ok… gotta be quiet" Jaden whispered to Alexis as he moved things around with his feet
"Alrighty…" Jaden said to himself as he put Alexis down on the bed and propped her leg up
Jaden turned around to start getting into his sleeping bag when he heard Alexis whisper
"Jay…" Alexis whispered so quietly she wasn't sure that Jaden would even hear her
"Hmm?" He grunted back while looking at her in the dark
"Thanks… for everything. For being my friend, for helping me with Atti and dorm, for carrying me and getting me help, for… not taking advantage of- "She trailed off while smiling
"Well, I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I did that, now would I?" Jaden snickered as Alexis giggled at him
"Now… let's get some sleep. Talk more in the morning" Jaden said as he got comfortable in his sleeping bag
Unknown to each other, both Jaden and Alexis fell asleep while thinking about the other
The next morning at 9 am
"BANG BANG BANG"
A noise from the door woke everyone in Jaden's room
"Fucking hell… who is it?" Jaden asked loudly
"The disciplinary action squad! Open up!" A woman yelled from the other side
"Shit…" Jaden whispered as moved quickly
"Don't make movements or noise. Stay hidden" Jaden whispered to Alexis as he covered her with the blanket, and she nodded
"BANG BANG BANG" came from the door again
"I'm coming, damn." Jaden walked forward and opened the door
On the other side of the door were 5 individuals in black Kevlar body armor
"Are you Jaden Yuki?" The woman asked
"I am. Why are you here?"
"You were seen entering the abandoned dorm last night by an anonymous staff member. You will need to come with us, as will your friends there." She pointed to Syrus and Chumley
"But… they had nothing to do with it" Jaden replied, confused
"We'll see. Still, they must come. Now all 3 of you get dressed and come out in 5 minutes, or we're coming in to get you." The woman said as she closed the door
Jaden turned to look at his friends, who were looking to him for answers
"I'll explain later. Just play along for now. You guys have done nothing wrong, so don't worry. Just comply with them." Jaden said as the three started moving to get dressed
A few minutes later, Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley exited the dorm room, leaving Alexis alone
"Follow us to the Chancellor's office" The woman said as the 8 of them walked slowly to the school
9:40 am with Yugi
A blue jet that resembled a Blue-Eyes White Dragon landed in front of Yugi and his wife
"You're early. Good. We're ready!" Yugi beamed at Kaiba as they loaded their luggage in the world's fastest jet and got ready for take off
"Hold on Yugi. This won't take long" Kaiba smirked
9:50 am with Jaden and friends in the Chancellor's office
"Sir, we brought them like you asked" The woman said to Sheppard
"Thank you. You may leave" He dismissed the squad of personnel
Sheppard just stared at the three students, who were all groggy still but all quite nervous
"Why… were you- "the doors busted open as Seto Kaiba, Yugi Muto, and Téa Gardner entered the office
"Yugi!" Jaden ran forward and hugged his friend
"Hey bud! What're you doing here…?" Yugi hugged back
"Sheppard?" Kaiba asked
Sheppard sighed
"Good that you're here, Seto. These three are in trouble… deep trouble." Sheppard said slowly as Kaiba, Yugi, and Téa looked at them
"Uh… well hi, I'm Téa…" she said as she laughed nervously and waved to the three boys, who all waved back nervously
"What did they do?" Kaiba and Yugi asked at the same time
"Jaden, do you want to tell everyone?" Sheppard glared at Jaden
"Uh… sure… I got caught entering the abandoned dorm by a staff member, anonymous, of course" Jaden said sheepishly
Kaiba got very angry at this and started screaming
"I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM THERE! ARE YOU DEAF?" He yelled at Jaden
"Kaiba, he's just a kid. Calm down" Yugi said as he walked in front of Jaden and his friends
"What about your friends, here?" Yugi asked Jaden seriously
"They had no idea where I went last night. They weren't a part of it" Jaden replied quietly
"You were seen entering the dorm with several others, Mr. Yuki" Sheppard said, which made everyone turn to him
Just then, Kat Kaiba and Triss busted through the doors to Sheppard's office
"Hello girls!" Yugi waved at them
"Hi, Yugi. Hey, dad" Kat said back as Triss just stood quietly
"Triss? Why are you here?" Sheppard asked
"Well… uh… I'm kinda the reason Jaden's in trouble. I was with him at the dorm" Triss replied quietly
"But not just you. Who else?" Kaiba asked sternly
Triss looked at Jaden, who nodded his head 'no'
Triss just stood awkwardly, not saying anything
"I WANT ANSWERS!" Kaiba demanded loudly
All the color in Triss' face disappeared after being yelled at
"I…" Triss began but then the doors opened once more, this time just a single individual. This one was cloaked
"Who the hell are you!?" Sheppard stood up, demanding an answer
"Marik." Yugi replied, looking at his friend
Marik removed his cloak and stepped forward so everyone could see him
"Hello, Yugi. Kaiba." Marik nodded to each
"Miss Merigold, lovely as ever." Marik did a slight bow before Triss, which made her blush
"You're the daughter of Seto, yes? Kat is your name?" Marik shook hands with Kat, who nodded enthusiastically
"And you're Jaden's friends he bunks with. Nice to meet you" He nodded at the other boys, who were terrified
Marik looked Jaden straight in the eyes
"Don't say a word" was all Marik told him, and Jaden nodded
Marik walked towards Yugi and pulled him to the side of everyone so he could whisper to him without being heard
"Marik? Care to explain what's going on?" Kaiba demanded as Marik held his index finger up to Kaiba, which infuriated him
"Listen closely. Many things are happening quickly here. Go to Jaden's room, it's the one in the Slifer dorm. Top balcony, first on your left. In there is a young girl, tell no one. She can explain what happened. She must not be found, understood?" Marik told Yugi, who nodded and left at once with Téa
"Ok. I'll start from the beginning" Marik decided quickly what details to leave out and which ones to include. He wouldn't exactly lie… just not give the whole truth
"My name is Marik Ishtar, most of you already know me. I came here to train Jaden. He shows incredible talent with the god cards, which piqued my interest. I told him I needed somewhere spacious to train him but away from public. He mentioned the abandoned dorm and that it was the only place he could think of, yet he warned me it was forbidden to go there."
"When we got there, we realized someone had kidnapped Triss, as her cards were thrown across the ground. We followed them and dueled the man, got Triss out of there, and went home immediately." Marik explained
"I see… are you alright, Triss? I'm sure that was very traumatic for you." Sheppard asked warmly
"Yes, I'm fine, thanks to Jaden and Marik." She said
"How did you get there, Triss?" Sheppard asked
Marik made eye contact with Triss and slowly nodded his head 'no' just enough for her to pick up on it
"Um… I don't know. I can't really remember." She lied
Sheppard sighed and leaned back in his chair
"Very well. Go see the nurse, then. I will call her and tell her why you are there." Sheppard dismissed Triss as she left the room
"Now then… you boys. You had nothing to do with this, then?" Sheppard looked to Syrus and Chumley, who both shook their heads side to side
"No sir." Chumley said sternly
"Very good. You may leave." Sheppard dismissed them as well
"I thought you were going to teach him, not lead him into trouble!" Kaiba yelled to Marik
"I assure you that was not the plan, idiot." Marik retorted
"YOU!" Kaiba stood forward, ready to fight. But Kat held him back
"Dad! Not worth it!"
Sheppard stole everyone's attention again when he began speaking
"I realize you went in to save Miss Merigold, Jaden. While that is honorable, you were going in there whether she was there or not." Sheppard said to Jaden
"The punishment for this will be decided by the council" Sheppard said as he got up and left the room and Seto followed along with Kat
"Well, you won't be expelled. That seems highly unlikely." Marik said as he sighed and sat down
"You left the best parts out" Jaden managed a smile
"So did you, last night" Marik looked at Jaden
"True." Jaden said, looking at the ground
"I figured you would want to know first" Jaden said
Marik nodded
"What else happened?"
"After summoning Obelisk, he spoke. Well, more yelled, really" Jaden laughed slightly
"What did he say?" Marik leaned forward
"THIS IS NO SHADOW GAME! THIS IS A DISGRACE! YOU DARE TOUCH A CHOSEN ONE!?" Jaden imitated Obelisk, which made Marik laugh a bit
"Funny impression. Those words carry meaning, though." Marik said as he looked out the window
"When Ms. Rhodes has recovered, we will put this to the test." Marik said as Jaden nodded, but then frowned
"Oh shit… I left Alexis all alone. She's probably so freaked right now." Jaden said as he felt bad
"Don't worry. I sent Yugi to check on her and told him that she could give him all the details he needed" Marik comforted
"Ok… so what now?" Jaden looked to Marik, who was pointing to something behind Jaden
"That's next" Marik said. As Jaden turned, he saw Seto Kaiba beckoning for Jaden to come into the room
As Jaden entered, he saw Marik leave the office the same way he came in
Inside the room were Seto Kaiba, Chancellor Sheppard, Kat Kaiba, Dr. Crowler, Professor Banner, Professor Sartyr, and the woman from the disciplinary action squad
"Have a seat, Jaden." Kaiba said as he showed Jaden to a seat where he was across from the council of 6
Kaiba walked to his seat and smiled at his daughter, who was standing nervously in a corner
"Now… let's get right to it. You are accused of entering the abandoned dorm, which is strictly forbidden. You have also admitted to this and there are plenty of witnesses that support you being there. So there's no point in going through the trial part. Now we just need a verdict." Sheppard said
"Usually the punishment for this is expulsion, but I don't want you expelled over some stupid shit that Marik talked you into." Kaiba looked at the table and then Jaden
"I say we suspend him. For atleast two weeks." The woman from the disciplinary action squad said aloud
"Strip him of his privileges other than the basic needs and double his workload" Sartyr said
Dr. Crowler spoke up next
"Jaden is a good duelist; wouldn't you agree Mr. Kaiba?" Crowler turned to Kaiba with a smirk on his face
Kaiba nodded slowly, not knowing what Crowler was suggesting
"I think straight up expulsion would make us look like tyrants, especially since so many look up to Jaden." Crowler stared at Jaden with an evil smile
"However, if we don't enforce the rules, we will look weak and more students will be willing to break the rules." Crowler said, which made everyone else nod in agreement
"So, I suggest this: we have a duel that the whole academy attends. Jaden vs a pre-selected opponent. If he wins, he stays and is off the hook. If he loses, he's expelled." Crowler looked around as the room was silent
'I see what he's trying to do. He wants you to lose and be embarrassed in front of everyone, and then also be expelled on top of that' Yubel gritted her teeth
'Yeah, it seems that way. But we both know that won't happen.' Jaden replied
"Ok Dr. Crowler, not a bad idea. But who will his opponent be? He's faced some of the best at the academy and won every time. Who is an opponent that will actually be a threat to him?" Kaiba asked as he looked for answers from the rest of the council
The council all sat in silence as they all pondered on the same question: who could they put Jaden against?
"You could duel him, Dad." Kat spoke up
"I could, but I don't want him to be expelled so I wouldn't try as hard as I could, and I also don't want to lose on purpose" Kaiba laughed
"Yugi?" Kat asked next
Kaiba shook his head
"He won't do it, either. Same reason." Kaiba replied
It grew quiet again until Jaden spoke up
"Send two" Jaden said, which made everyone look at him in shock
"Two?" Sartyr and Banner asked at the same time
"Yes, two. Myself vs two opponents. They work as a tag team against me." Jaden said while smirking
"What a WONDERFUL idea, Jaden!" Crowler said in an evil tone
"That's hardly fair to you, Jaden" Banner said quietly
Jaden bite his tongue anymore
"Unfair? What's unfair is that someone kidnapped Triss. What's unfair is someone in this room ratted me out and is pretending to be a friend. What's unfair is that I must do this to clear my name." Jaden was getting angry in his seat as he continued speaking
"What's unfair are these missing students that no one has found or done anything about!" Jaden's voice continuously rising as he spoke
"What's unfair is that two men snuck onto this island somehow and kidnapped two girls! What's unfair is that they knocked them out, tied them up, and locked them in coffins! And none of you did ANYTHING about it!" Jaden was basically yelling at this point. All the professors and Kat were surprised at what he had to say
"What's unfair is that... one of those innocent girls that got kidnapped? Yeah, she got her leg sliced open and I had to carry her two miles so that Marik could help her because NONE OF YOU were there! And now you think you have the right to judge me and Marik? Go find your two duelists! Send them here so I can beat them in front of anyone, I love a good show! I hope you find the best, because even they won't be enough!" Jaden challenged the council
With that, he was finally done and slumped back into his chair and sighed
'Whoa… you ok?' Yubel asked
'Yeah… just annoyed with these people. They call themselves 'Adults' but have no clue how to tie their own shoes' Jaden replied which made Yubel chuckle
"Whoa…" Kat whispered
Everyone on the council was quiet as they stared at Jaden with wide eyes until finally Kaiba spoke up
"I understand your upset. Last night was hard on you and everyone else involved. You can be angry all you want, but I suggest you watch your tone. No one talks to me like that. I like you boy, don't make me change my mind." Kaiba glared at Jaden
"Now… who was the second girl? Ms. Rhodes, I presume? She seems to be glued to Triss, or maybe it's the other way around." Sheppard asked
"Yes, it was Alexis. She had her leg cut up pretty bad, but Marik said its fine and she'll heal over the next few days." Jaden replied calmly now
"Still, I would like for her to visit with Ms. Fontaine later today. Where is she now?" Sheppard asked
"She's uh… in my dorm" Jaden replied
Everyone was quiet except for Kat who giggled, and Seto who chuckled and smiled
Jaden looked at the council. 5 out of 6 of them looked unhappy about this
"Ok, relax. I put her in my bed and propped her foot up while I slept on the floor. She's just a friend… nothing happened to break school rules. It was that or get caught in the girls' dorm with a wounded girl in my arms. See my point?" Jaden looked at everyone as they all smiled slightly and the tension in the room subsided
"Alright then, Mr. Yuki. You are free to go… for now. Your match will be Friday, I will find you some opponents." Sheppard said but Crowler interjected
"Leave that to me, Chancellor! You're such a busy man and I have nothing going on this weekend, allow me to arrange for his opponents!" Crowler tried to sound like he was being helpful, but Jaden knew he had something else in mind
"Alright then, Dr. Crowler. You may find Jaden's opponents. This session is concluded."
"Wait!" Jaden exclaimed as everyone turned to him
"Please, don't mention that bit about Alexis being carried or staying at my place to anyone, please. She's a good girl and doesn't need the poor reputation that would come with that. She doesn't deserve it. She's already been through enough" Jaden explained
"We all agree with you, I'm sure. None of us will say anything that happened in this meeting to anyone other than the offense that you're being dueling for when the match begins" Sheppard said
With that, everyone dispersed to go do whatever it was they wanted to do
Jaden left the room and Kat followed quickly behind him
"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!" was all Kat managed to say for some reason
Jaden looked at her and laughed
"What?"
"That was nuts! The way you talked to them in there? Of course, dad called you down, as he should have, but still! And you carried Alexis two miles! How romantic!" Kat giggled as she poked Jaden everywhere with her index fingers as he blushed slightly
"She couldn't walk, and she fell asleep in my arms. She needed help, not like I was making a move or anything"
"Awh! She fell asleep in your arms!? Her knight in shining armor, to sweep her off her feet!" Kat teased
"Chill." Jaden said as they both laughed
"Please, don't tell anyone about... well, any of it. Especially not how I feel" Jaden said quietly
"I wouldn't do that. It's not my place. But I will tease you every chance I get!" Kat said while laughing
10 minutes earlier with Yugi and Téa
Yugi entered the slifer room with his wife
"Hello? I know you're in here, Marik sent me…" Yugi said aloud as he saw some shuffling on the bottom bunk
Out from under the covers came a blonde bombshell of a girl
"Holy shit… You're Yugi Muto!" Alexis said, eyes wide
"I am. This is my wife, Téa Gardner." Yugi introduced her as he shut the door behind him
"Hi!" Téa waved
"I'm Alexis. Alexis Rhodes. I would get up and shake your hand but…" she pointed to her leg, wrapped in bandages
"Oh my! What happened, dear?" Téa asked as she rushed to inspect Alexis' leg for any further injuries
Yugi and Téa sat down on chairs in the room as Alexis explained the events of how she had met Jaden and Marik and everything that happened since then
"That… is a lot to process." Yugi said
"I'm sure there's more that I don't know yet. Jaden was supposed to tell me the rest this morning, but he was taken away before he got a chance." Alexis said sadly
"So, you're in… Jaden's bed." Téa giggled as Alexis blushed bright red and Yugi started laughing
"Young and in love! So cute!" Téa said to Yugi
"Wait! It's not like that! We're not in love, and nothing happened here!" Alexis tried to explain quickly while blushing
"Oh? He's so cute though!" Téa said to Alexis, which made Yugi turn to her and raise one of his eyebrows, which made everyone laugh
"I've actually come here to retrieve you, Alexis. Marik asked me to move you to your room… discreetly" Yugi said
"Ok… why?" Alexis asked curiously
"He said if anyone were to find you here, like the other boys that stay here, for example, it could lead to unfortunate rumors. He said you're a nice girl and don't shop around with boys so you don't deserve that kind of reputation, so he asked if we could please get you to your room before anyone notices something's wrong." Yugi explained
"Oh… how nice of him! Please do! Thank you!" Alexis sighed in relief
Yugi and Téa covered Alexis up with a blanket with the rest of their luggage as they went to the Obelisk Girls' dorm. They used the excuse that they were "taking a tour" of the school if anyone asked, and they quietly got Alexis into her room and on her bed without anyone noticing.
"Good luck! We'll be around if you need us!" Téa whispered as they left the room and Alexis quickly passed out again
With Kat and Jaden
"Marik? Triss?" Jaden said aloud as he saw his friends
"Jaden. Follow us quickly. Meeting time." Marik said
Kat looked at Jaden, who just shrugged his shoulders and began to follow Marik
"In here" Marik said as the 4 entered the same unused storage room as usual and Marik closed the door
"Right… you 3 take a seat over there" Marik said as he sat at the chair behind the desk, he usually sits in
"Alright. Spill, Jaden. What happened in that room?" Marik asked while playing with a pencil
"Give me all the juicy bits" He added, which made the girls giggle
"Wait. Before you do…" Marik squinted his eyes at Kat
"Not again…" Jaden whispered which made Triss start laughing, knowing what was coming
"What's your name, young lady?" Marik asked while looking at Kat
"Catherine Kaiba. But my friends call me Kat." She said proudly
The room grew quiet except for the little giggles that Jaden and Triss let slip as Marik stared at Kat, who stared back determinedly
"Something on your mind?" Kat asked Marik who smiled slightly and evilly
"Deciding if I can trust you or not" Marik said quietly
"Anything I can do to help you along with that?" Kat asked while giggling quietly
"Maybe… JADEN!" Marik got loud at once and Jaden stopped laughing and sat up straight
"Why do you keep bringing only pretty girls here?" Marik said as the three students laughed and Kat blushed slightly
"I didn't intend to bring either of them here, truth be told. Just worked out that way." Jaden defended
"Right. I'm gonna ask you a series of questions, Ms. Kaiba. There is no right or wrong answer, just answer truthfully. Ready?" Marik said while Kat nodded
"Oh god…" Triss whispered
"When you wipe, do you wipe from the front or the back?" Marik asked as Triss and Jaden fell into laughter
"Ah I see what this is now… you think you can make me uncomfortable. We'll see about that" Kat said smugly
"The back" she replied
"Have you practiced kissing in the mirror?"
"Hell yeah. Have you seen me?" Kat made a "kissy" noise with her lips towards Marik
Marik raised one eyebrow and smiled
"Who's your secret crush?" Marik asked wickedly
"You." Kat replied with her own evil smile
"Oh my" Marik said while laughing
"You're a troublemaker… and naughty" Marik said with a shit eating grin
"You have no idea" Kat replied in a sexy tone
"What was the last R-Rated film you watched last?"
"Porn" Kat replied while grinning
Jaden choked on his saliva and Triss covered her mouth and sucked in her breath as Marik whistled
"Alrighty then... Beat me at my own game, now I'm the uncomfortable one" Marik said which everyone laughed at
"Ok Jaden… now tell us what happened with the council. Though, I sense Kat already knows" Marik said as Kat nodded
Just as Jaden was about to speak, the door opened and Marik jumped up.
"It's just us, Marik." Yugi said as he and Téa entered and closed the door
"Hey Yugi!" Jaden got up and hugged his friend
"What's up guys?" Téa asked
"Well… Jaden was just about to tell everyone what happened in the Council meeting" Marik replied
"Don't let us stop you. We're all ears" Yugi smiled
Jaden recounted his time in the Council meeting, trying his best to not leave any details out. Anything he might've missed, Kat filled in
"I appreciate you defending me, Jaden. But challenging the council to find the two best duelists they could was not smart, especially if the teacher that dislikes you the most oversees finding the duelists." Marik said seriously
"Knowing Crowler, he really will find the two best duelists in the world" Triss said with a frown
"So… what now?" Yugi asked
"Now, I gotta run. Gonna go see Dad for a bit" Kat said as she waved bye to everyone and left the room
"That one... is trouble. Too determined to prove herself... too alpha" Marik explained to everyone quietly as they all laughed
"I think I'll leave as well. Need a nap" Triss said as she got up
"Ms. Merigold, wait just a moment" Marik called out as he stood up and continued
"I want to apologize again for last night. I was in a foul mood after dueling that man, I did not intend to hurt your feelings"
"It's fine. I'm all good now. Besides, you were right." Triss smiled as she left the room
Everyone looked to Marik who just shook his head
"Don't ask"
"So... how's Alexis?" Jaden asked a few moments later while smiling
Téa giggled and Yugi looked to Marik, who nodded his head while smiling
"What?" Jaden said as he looked around the room
"She's good. Why do you ask?" Yugi was grinning from ear to ear
"Just curious. I only carried her like two miles last night and gave her my bed." Jaden said slightly annoyed
Everyone just looked at Jaden while smiling, which just made him mad and he sighed
"That obvious?" Jaden blushed
"Not to her" Marik replied
"But to you guys it is. Why?"
"We're older. Seen a thing or two. Watched friends fall in love" Marik nodded to Yugi and Téa
"You're still young, as are your friends. Most of them won't pick up on it, you're pretty good at concealing it. You treat her just as you would any other girl, pretty or not." Yugi began
"So then how did you know?" Jaden asked again
"The looks you give her. The twinkle in your eye and the smile on your face when you talk about her or hear her name" Marik teased slightly, but was serious in what he had said
"Nothing wrong with how you feel, Jaden. Perfectly normal, she's a pretty girl. But why her? Your other friends are just as pretty. What's special about Alexis?" Téa asked while smiling
Jaden sighed and smiled as he started thinking about Alexis
"Don't know… just something about her, man. She gets so much attention from other boys, but she doesn't like it. Most girls like her relish in it and use it to their advantage, but not her."
The others decided to just listen for now, and hear everything that Jaden would spill
"Not just that, though. It's her in general too... like… I can just get lost in her eyes. She caught me staring into her eyes the other day after my match with Kat, I thought I was gonna pass out from embarrassment, but I played it off. And her hair is beautiful and smells like… strawberries or something. I can't quite place it… God I feel stupid right now!" Jaden said as he buried his face in his hands
"THAT'S TOO DAMN CUTE! I need insulin! It's so sweet, I'm gonna die if I don't get some insulin!" Téa squealed
"This isn't going beyond this room, right?" Jaden asked all at once, and quite seriously which made everyone laugh
"No, of course not. Are you afraid for her to find out?" Téa giggled
"Ha! Nah, afraid is the wrong term. More like… just want her to be blissfully unaware for a while longer, which I think she is. I don't know how to explain it" Jaden said as he smiled at Téa
"You want to see more of her as a person, know all the little things. Study her and see all the little things that get her attention. What makes her laugh, what makes her sad, what makes her smile." Yugi beamed
"Exactly!... Is that creepy? Please don't think I'm creepy." Jaden said sheepishly which made everyone laugh again
"That's not creepy, it's cute! All girls want someone like that" Téa said while giggling
Jaden blushed scarlet at that
"Let's change the subject"
End of Chapter 7
Alrighty guys there's the next chapter. This one was super long as I had a lot of ground to cover since this is an important chapter for my story line. I've got lots of good things planned ahead, too. I know I said this would take a few days to get out but I was so excited that I just did most of it in one night and then revised it today. Really hope you guys liked it, make sure to review and let me know what you want to see!