Warning: Well, let's get this show on the road, shall we? Also, what is up with the uploading feature on the site right now? I couldn't upload my document! I had to copy and paste in order to get the chapter in!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

Year Three Part One: Journeys

They were all crazy, of that much, Jim was sure. They were all certifiably insane, and no one was ever going to be able to convince him otherwise. As he sat around, listening to them bounce ideas of what to do and where to go to confront Viper off of each other, his one prevailing thought was that the Slifer Red Dorm had clearly, at some point, become a madhouse, and the inmates were running the asylum.

He'd come to Duel Academy because it sounded like a good idea. Things were starting to get dull and predictable at South, and he and Shirley had been itching for a change of pace. The stroking of his ego, calling him South's best, had also helped. Duel Academy was a legend. It was the first Academy to be created, and it was where the best of the best convened. To be able to go would be amazing; to be able to go for the sole purpose of dueling was absolutely mind-blowing. His bags had been packed before the day was out.

His expectations had been met. There was adventure around every corner; never a dull moment seemed to pass on the tropical island. If it wasn't a duel, it was vibrations making Shirley go nuts; if it wasn't vibrations, it was a mystery revolving around the Bio Bands. There was barely time to breathe, let alone think. Jim had always had a taste for adventure, and Duel Academy was providing it in droves.

But it couldn't be denied that things had gotten rather insane.

First, there was the fact that the Bio Bands were apparently dangerous. There were students taking up most of the room in the gym, passed out or barely conscious, collapsing after dueling. Viper, the one everyone was starting to believe was responsible, was nowhere to be found, having vanished without a trace. And, worst of all, Chancellor Sheppard had left the school. They were unarmed and stumbling around in the dark, a situation that didn't sit well with Jim at all.

And then there were the people.

Jim knew that it took all sorts, but he'd never met a group like the Slacker Club of Duel Academy.

First and foremost, there was Jaden Yuki, who Jim was 99 percent certain was crazy.

Absolutely, undeniably, batshit insane.

There just wasn't any other way to put it. The plans Jaden hatched, the way he talked, the fact that he seemed so goddamn prepared for things to go to hell in a hand basket...the boy was clearly unhinged somewhere. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In a matter of days, Jim had seen Jaden get more done than all of the faculty put together had managed in two weeks. Jaden had taken one look at the state of things at the school, frowned a little, and then faster than Jim could blink, set up what was essentially a strategy committee and started working. He'd dug up dirt on Viper and fiddle around with the Bio Bands until they yielded something. He'd warned them all not to overdo it in their duels, no matter the risk of bad grades and expulsion. If it came to that, then at least they'd be alive and failing, instead of dead. Which, when put like that, sounded like a really good deal.

It didn't escape Jim's notice that the others jumped to follow Jaden's commands at the drop of a hat. He snapped his fingers, and they stood at attention, awaiting orders. While not the well-oiled machine of a militia or mercenary group, there was a quiet understanding that went through them all, particularly when Jaden started talking in that strange, dark voice of his. His tone got deeper, his words got heavier, and the entire room seemed to be filled to the bursting with his presence.

Jim himself wasn't immune. Helpful and kind though Jaden may be, there were moments when the boy was such a commanding presence that Jim was helpless before him. He did what Jaden asked because there wasn't any other option. He literally could not comprehend a world where he didn't listen to Jaden when the boy used that voice. It was very effective, and it got things done a lot quicker, but Jim preferred the quieter, gentler Jaden, who snuck out snacks for Shirley and liked to lie on the roof of the Slifer Red Dorm, staring at the sky. Jim didn't think for a second that Jaden was merely napping – he was probably planning a next move of sorts- but when Jaden was like that, he was so much easier to be around. He was calmer, more approachable. Jim didn't feel like he should be dropping to one knee every time Jaden looked at him out of eyes that couldn't seem to decide what colour they were. Those moments in between orders, when Jaden was just Jaden, and not some great, terrible force- those were the moments when Jim felt like he could really learn to like Jaden.

Despite the fact that the boy made his covered eye itch like mad.

Then there were the other members, particularly Alexis Rhodes and Chazz Princeton. Based on what he'd heard, Jim had come to Duel Academy expecting Chazz to be a spoil, self-entitled, but ultimately good person, who maybe pitched the occasional fit about his Slifer status, but stuck by his friends when the going got tough. What he'd found, though, was something entirely different. Chazz was a serious, sharp-eyed young man who was constantly watching the entire room at once. He deferred to Jaden when the boy used that voice, and playfully jibed at him at all other times. He goaded the others, especially the Academic Lia, into fights, but usually the worst fights occurred when the air was tense and one of them was at the breaking point. He was distracting them, Jim realized, from their worries. And if he had to be the scapegoat, then so be it.

The Chazz Jim was getting to know didn't have the simultaneous superiority and inferiority complexes he was supposed to have. The Chazz Jim was getting to know knew exactly who he was and what he could do, and he was fine with that. He might call Jaden a Slacker, but Jim noticed that, out of all of them, even Syrus, Chazz was the one who held Jaden in the highest regard, while at the same time, being willing to drag him down off that pedestal.

Which said nothing of Alexis, who followed Jaden like a loyal dog.

She was his general, Jim had come to realize. If there was a war, and Jaden was the ruler, then it was Alexis he sent to guide his troops, and Alexis he asked to help him plan battles, and, yes, Alexis he sent to fight on the front lines. The girl was an unstoppable force, all vibrant anger and devastating punches. She didn't look for a way to go around the wall, she smashed right through it, using the shattered pieces as weapons against the enemy. While Chazz was clearly the brains of the duo, Alexis, while not unintelligent, was the brawn, fighting with her fists where her duel disk failed and taking no prisoners.

She too, Jim had noticed, exhibited the confidence in herself that Chazz had. Wild and volatile as she was, she at least knew exactly who she was, which was more than most girls her age did. Eighteen and already a little too wise, Alexis was someone he never wanted to fight against, Jim realized. She was amiable and nice to him, but the look in her eyes when the danger Viper had brought down on them was discussed sent shivers down his back.

She would clearly do anything, become anything, to protect those she considered hers.

Syrus Trusedale was the only one who could come close to matching her. While he lacked Alexis' stature and natural fierceness, Syrus was a trap waiting to spring. He'd been almost constantly on edge since they'd started to unravel the mystery that was Viper, grinding his teeth and breathing fast. At first, Jim had thought it might simply be fear, but it wasn't. Not exactly. As he'd gotten to know Syrus, it had become clear that the boy was as impatient as they came. It stemmed from an incident in their first year that none of the group wanted to talk about, but Syrus was the type of person who didn't like waiting.

If there was going to be a fight, then they should have at it and get it over with.

Syrus was like Alexis in that there was a wild fire in his veins. He didn't look the part, but Jim had seen the damage done to Axel Brodie's face. The scars and cuts hadn't come into being on their own. Syrus was dangerous, in his own way, particularly because no one thought he could be. He was short and on the small side, so he was dismissed as a threat. But Syrus had the same instinct as Alexis, and experience had taught him a snap-decision making skill that was both a blessing and a curse. Syrus went for the throat when he attacked, and he was often too fast to be stopped.

Hassleberry was the easiest for Jim to understand. A fellow lover of dinosaurs, he and the younger boy had been able to spend hours just talking about the subject, bringing up digs they'd been to and books they'd read. Hassleberry had been happy to discuss his emergency transplant, which Jim was sure would never fail to amaze him. That the DNA had managed to activate with the boy's body and alter his own genetic make-up was nothing short of mind-blowing.

Jim liked Hassleberry best of all, because the boy was simple. He was easy to understand. He followed Jaden not only because of that voice, but because Jaden had won his loyalty, and once Hassleberry gave that, he was very unlikely to take it back. Hassleberry also didn't engage in the crazy schemes that Jaden, Alexis, and Chazz liked to concoct in the late hours of the night. He simply did as he was told, taking the order like a good soldier, and didn't look too hard into what was going on. Hassleberry wasn't stupid, but he saw no point in screwing up the world by complicating it. Something bad was happening. Jaden had a plan. Jaden needed him to do something to fight the bad thing that was happening. Hassleberry was ready, willing and able.

But if all the others had excuses for the way they acted and could argue his psychological assessment, there was someone who couldn't.

What Lia Shanner was doing with such a group, he couldn't figure out.

Lia was booky, anyone with eyes could see that. She was bookish and waspish to people who didn't know her too well, and she had a center as soft as marshmallows. She was a walking contradiction, blowing sweet then sour depending on her mood, but most girls were like that at that age. Unlike Alexis, Lia hadn't seemed to have figured out who she was. Her confidence was a front she put out in order to protect herself, a front that dropped when she was with friends and the tender light came into her eyes.

But why she was friends with the likes of Alexis, Chazz, and Jaden, Jim didn't know.

Lia didn't seem like the type. The other three were heroes, that much was clear. They were born for this sort of thing. Lia seemed like the type who'd be happier closeted away in her room with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate. She wasn't the type to go running off into danger, or to put herself on the frontline in order to protect anyone. While Jim was certain she was a good person, he just couldn't see Lia willingly making the kind of sacrifices Jaden, Chazz, and Alexis seemed to be prepping themselves to make every day.

And Lia was an Academic. Her dueling skills were zero and, if the rest of the group was to be believed, her knowledge of Duel Monsters could barely be called rudimentary. She would be utterly lost in a world where they had to save the day by playing a card game. There just didn't seem to be a place for her.

Still, Jim admired her guts for showing up and staying. With all the talk of stolen energy and increasingly morbid predictions of what Viper wanted, it took guts to stick around.

While her fear of Shirley was a little depressing albeit, understandable, Jim decided he was going to keep an eye on the girl. She clearly didn't know what she was getting into, and someone had to better to pull her out of the hot water when she got in over her head. Jaden and his crew should worry about their crazy plans. Jim would watch the little Academic for signs of her folding under the pressure.

Though, if she'd hung around for two years, maybe she was better prepared for what was going to happen than he was giving her credit for. She probably had a better idea of what was going on than he did, though that was partly his own fault. He only listened with half an ear when the Slacker Club (did that include Jesse? It certainly seemed to, despite the boy being from North. Jim wondered why he didn't transfer already. He was clearly happier at Duel Academy) starting going on about ideas, because frankly, some of the things they referenced (Syrus stolen by Beasts, Shadow Riders, a dead teacher and bleeding, gibbering puppets under the control of 'the Light') scared the shit out of him.

Or maybe she was as crazy as the rest of them.

That was a definite possibility.

In spite of his misgivings, Jim mirrored the rest of their actions and looked up as Chazz entered the room. He was scowling, but that wasn't anything new. Chazz was scowling most of the time. Alexis' scowl though, was a little more disconcerting. She was usually in a good mood. Jaden looked pensive, and Syrus was pinching the bridge of his nose. Jesse slid down the couch to make room, and Hassleberry waved from the floor.

" So what did Gecko want?" He asked. On the kitchen table, Lia hissed. Jim glanced over, and decided that it was probably best not to tell her that Shirley had made herself comfortable under the table.

" To enlighten us about the mystery of the Bio Bands." Chazz huffed as he plopped down in the armchair. Alexis and Jaden took the offered seats on the couch.

" He seems to think that everyone but him is an idiot." Alexis continued, crossing her arms. Syrus flopped next to Hassleberry, taking a casual peek at the cards he had spread out in front of him.

" At least he told us where to look." Jaden said, pulling his legs up to sit cross-legged. Chazz scoffed.

" Yeah, and why was he being so generous with the information? There's gotta be something in it for him."

" Does it really matter?" Jaden asked. " We know where we need to look now."

" Where?" Jesse asked before Jim could.

" The animal research lab behind the school." Syrus said, speaking at last. From the kitchen table, Lia piped up.

" We have an animal testing lab? Why do we have an animal testing lab?"

" Remember the monkey?" Alexis asked teasingly. Jim and Jesse shared a confused look, but before either of them could ask, Lia's indignant shriek echoed from the kitchen.

" We never talk about the monkey! Never!"

' Monkey?' Jim mouthed.

' Beats me.' Jesse mouthed back. Just one more reference that flew over their heads.

" So that's where we gotta go?" Hassleberry was already climbing to his feet. " Well then, forward march, soldiers. Let's put this jackass down!"

" We'd probably be playing right into Adrian's hands." Alexis sighed. From the armchair, Chazz nodded.

" Yeah, no way he gave us all the info for free. He's not that nice a guy."

" Aren't ya bein' a li'l harsh?" Jesse winced at Chazz's tone.

" Look, Fairytale, speaking as an obnoxious rich kid, I can tell you that we don't just give things, even info, not without getting something in return. For whatever reason, Adrian wants us to go there."

" Do you think Adrian's working for Viper?"

" I dunno. Anything's possible, I guess."

" Jaden?"

" That party was pretty last minute, don't you think?"

" Maybe he was trying to get a lot of energy for Viper?"

" But he got knocked out hard too. I was there. He was out."

" Maybe he's a good actor.

" Lexi, I kicked him in the ribs just to make sure he wasn't faking. No one's that good an actor."

" You just wanted an excuse to kick the guy."

" He's a jackass! You woulda done the same thing, you stupid bitch!"

" He was creeping on me!"

" Yeah, and that's why I did it!"

" ...What?!"

" I was hoping to knock some sense back into him. I mean, you? Puh-lease he could do some much better."

" Why you-"

" Oh, knock it off, you two." Alexis' voice cut through Lia and Chazz's fight. They both fell silent, quelled by her tone. " So, Jaden, what's the verdict?"

The Slifer paused, leaning his head back against the couch. After a moment or two of silent deliberation, he spoke.

" I don't think Adrian's working for Viper. I do think he wanted us to go to the Research Labs. Maybe he's hoping we'll be some sort of distraction while he does...something. It's not the best of circumstances but..."

He lowered his head to look at the company.

" I think we should go."

Jim was surprised, pleasantly, that Jaden hadn't used that voice. He was purely Jaden Yuki, all smiles and quiet determination, and it warmed Jim's heart. The Orichalcum eye was quiet.

" Well," Chazz said, standing, " let's hurry up. We're wasting daylight."

" What he said." Alexis agreed.

" Ready and waitin', Sarge."

" Let's go, Aniki."

" Whatevah y' say, Jaden."

" We are so gonna die." Lia groaned, but there was a smile on her face. In fact, they were all smiling, in one way or another.

' Yeah.' Jim thought to himself as he observed them. ' Batshit insane, th' lotta 'em.'

He smiled.

He supposed it was a good thing he was a little insane himself.

" Oh Jesus Christ in fucking heaven!"

Ah, Lia had found Shirley.

" Heading out?"

Alexis jumped at the sound of the voice. Turning, she found her brother leaning casually on her open door frame. She clutched the duel disk to her hammering heart and breathed deeply, trying to ignore the dark look in Atticus' eyes.

" Jesus, Atty. You nearly gave me a heart attacked." She chided.

" You heading out?" He repeated, as if he hadn't heard her. He was eyeing the jean capris she'd changed into, and the sweater she'd tied around her waist. It was a little stupid, but she didn't know what she'd find, and she wanted to be prepared for anything. In the small bag on her bed, she's stuffed a change of clothing and some snacks, as well as her Swiss Army knife, a flashlight, and extra batteries for her duel disk.

She felt as ready as she was going to get.

When she didn't answer, her brother stepped into the room. His presence seemed to fill up the whole doorway, and Alexis hastened to give an explanation.

" Oh, uh, yeah!" Why was her brother making her so nervous? She didn't like the way he was looking at her. It was too knowing. " We decided to take Jim on a hike around the island. It's such a nice day, and we thought we'd show him around, tell him some stories, you know, do the bonding thing."

" You're lying."

He'd crossed the distance between them in three large steps. Alexis had never thought of her goofy brother as intimidating, but there was no other word to describe him. His face was black, and there was thunder in his eyes.

He knew.

' Oh-no.'

She had to try and salvage the situation, before Atticus did something stupid and tried to stop her or worse, tried to come along. She hated herself for cutting her brother out of her life, but what had happened to her the previous year had changed things beyond repair. She couldn't go back to being his baby sister. She couldn't be the girl he looked after and protected. As much as he wanted to (and as much as she suspected that Atticus needed to protect someone in order to feel some sense of worth after what had happened at the Abandoned Dorm), Alexis couldn't let herself be that girl again. She wasn't even sure that girl still existed. While she loved her brother, she'd grown up beyond needing him to be her hero and saviour. Alexis had learned to save herself, and this time, it was her turn to be the protector.

Too bad Atticus was never going to accept that, not as he was. He would never be able to accept not being her hero so long as he had Talia and Deon hanging over his head like a shroud and executioner's axe.

" What are you talking about?" Damnit, her voice sounded too high-pitched. " You're not making any sense, Atty. We're just taking a hi-"

" Stop bull shitting me!" He shouted, grabbing her shoulders. Alexis stared into her brother's desperate eyes and realized that it was too late to try and save the situation. He wasn't going to give her the choice.

" I've been your brother for 18 years, Alexis, and I can tell when you're lying!"

He started shaking her.

" I know you've been doing crazy shit behind my back, you and everyone in your little group, and I want you to cut the crap and tell me what's going on! Right now!"

" ...Don't do this." She whispered, pleading with him. His eyes narrowed.

" I knew it. You're about to run off and get yourself killed." His grip tightened.

" I can handle myself." But he wasn't listening to her. He was looking at her face without seeing it, his face flushed feverishly and his eyes wild.

" I told Jaden he shouldn't have given you back your memories! It's making you overconfident and you're going to get yourself killed like a rodent on a highway!"

" I'm not a little girl anymore. I can take care of myself." She pulled away from him a little, sorry to have to hurt him, but unwilling to give up after coming so far. " Let me go."

" No!" He snapped. " You're not going anywhere! We are going to stay right here, and you are going to tell me everything that's been going on! And that includes what happened last year, because I know something happened, and you've been avoiding me since June, and I am sick of i-"

Her punch caught him so hard in the gut that it knocked the air out of the word. They stood, suspended in time, the world ceasing to move around them as Atticus' eye s widened and Alexis' bangs fell into hers.

" ...Le...xi..." He wheezed, and then fell, unconscious. Alexis caught him in her arms, and his head lay against her shoulder. She pressed her face into his hair.

" I'm sorry." She whispered tearfully. " I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Atty, I'm so sorry."

She rocked back and forth for a moment, crying into her brother's hair, memorizing the weight of his against her and the way he smelled. She was sure it would be a long time until she was allowed to be so close to him again. By the time he woke up, she would be gone on her adventure, and she was sure he wasn't going to forgive her anytime soon.

Carefully, she put him on the bed, and brushed the bangs out of his eyes. She pressed a final kiss to his brow, scooped up her bag, and darted out the door, locking it behind her.

By the time she reached her friends at the school's entrance to begin their trek, her eyes had been dried.

And there we have it! The inevitable crash of Alexis and Atticus! Seriously people, it was coming, you all knew it. It had to happen. But this isn't the end of Atticus and his...problems, don't you worry. We have a LONG way to go before that gets cleared up.

And Jim! Jim and his thoughts! I've had to down play him a lot in this thing because he is such a show stealer. Seriously. I start writing him, and I can never seem to stop. Stupid Sexy Jim.

Well, there isn't much I can say that Jim hasn't already said, so I'll see you all tomorrow for the descent into the animal research labs!

Lia: We NEVER talk about the monkey!

MoS

P.S. Please enjoy the mental image of Chazz kicking Adrian in the ribs after their duel. I know I do.