Warnings: The standard apply.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX
Year One: The Academic
Jaden knew the second he'd walked into the strange lab that had certainly not been there on his last trip into the Abandoned Dorm (but then, he really didn't like to remember that trip all too much, seeing as how it nearly led to his and Syrus' expulsions, and involved a great deal of danger when it came to his two female compatriots.) that what he was about to face was not going to be easy in anyway.
But the again, nothing since setting foot on Duel Academy had been something he could label as 'easy'. There was always too much on the line, too many things to do, an opponent that was far stronger then he should have been, given that they were facing a bunch of teenagers, most of whom weren't even old enough to apply for a driver's license. The fact that the adults of the school had been more than willing to entrust the fate of mankind into the hands of a bunch of high schoolers boggled Jaden's mind. He had been certain, before coming to Duel Academy (he had been certain of a lot of things – like that monster cards were just cards, and that he was no better a duelist than the person standing next to him) that the events taking place around him only happened in the shounen manga he read in his spare time.
But the world was counting on him, his friends souls were on the line (if that freaky Shadow Rider in the mask was to be trusted, and Jaden knew from experience that, besides Titan and the Dark Scorpions, the Shadow Riders tended to be honourable, albeit evil bastards.), and Jaden had the sinking feeling in his gut that never heralded good things.
For starters, Lia had not woken up in the last two weeks. There was nothing physically wrong with her, Miss Fontaine said, but she simply refused to wake up. Then Alexis had come running to them, wringing her hands and claiming that Atticus had gone missing. Again.
" I just…he was there last night when I left him at his door." The poor girl was shaking as she gripped the cup of calming tea Chumley had whipped up for her a bit too tight. Chazz was at her side, trying very hard to be comforting without making it look as though he was using her vulnerable state as an in. " He was there. I said goodnight to him. He…" She strived bravely to hold back her tears. " …he ruffled my hair and told me to get some sleep. He kissed me goodnight, just like he used to when we were kids!" Alexis let her head collapse into her arms, scalding tea spilling over the edge of the cup and splashing onto the carpet. Muffled sobs came from her as Chazz rubbed her back, looking away awkwardly. Jaden reached forward to place a hand on her shivering shoulder, then seemed to change his mind and retracted it, looking sadly to the side.
" Maybe he just went out for a snack." Chumley suggested, smiling nervously. " Sometimes I get the munchies in the middle of the night, and I can't wait until morning-"
" No!" Alexis cut him off, her head snapping up. There were still tears in her eyes, and they were rimmed with red, but her face was set in a decided scowl. Chumley immediately backed down nodding quickly. " Atticus wouldn't…he would never…he knows I would worry." She looked down. " He would have told me if he was going out."
" Atticus is a goofball, but he's not that insensitive." Chazz agreed, giving Alexis' shoulder a squeeze. She shifted out from under his hand, shrugging it off. He looked off to the side, a bit of hurt and wounded pride dancing over his face.
" Chazz is right." The boy looked up at that, surprised. Alexis wasn't looking at him, but staring into her cooling cup of tea, where her reflection – red eyed and sorrowful – looked back at her. " Atticus…he isn't cruel. I know he would have told me, even if it was just to step out and get some air. He knows what losing him once did to me." Her grip tightened on the cup. " He wouldn't do that to me."
" What do you think happened?" Jaden leaned back against the desk, staring up at the ceiling, as though it could give him answers. On the chair beside him, Alexis shook her head.
" I don't know. His room was trashed, but there were no clues, no footprints, nothing."
" No, Lex." Jaden looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. She looked up to meet his gaze, her face scrunched up in confusion. " What do you think happened?"
Alexis looked away from him, staring into the green liquid of her tea.
" I think that all this is far from over."
Jaden kept staring at the ceiling.
" All this? You mean the Spirit Gates and the keys and the Shadow Riders?"
She nodded.
" I think we sill have a long way to go. I think we still have something we have to face."
" But you don't know what that something is." It wasn't a question.
" I have…" Alexis bit her lip, " …a feeling." At the silence she was met with, she sighed. " Look, I know it isn't much…hell, it's barely anything at all, but I know what I feel, and I feel like something terrible is going to happen soon."
" And when it does?" Chazz said waspishly, still stinging from her rejection. " What does your feeling say we do about it?"
" I don't know."
Chazz huffed and looked away, mumbling about uselessness.
" But I think Jaden has to face it."
That caught all their attention. Syrus and Chumley, who had been sitting on the carpet, exchanged wary looks, before turning their heads to look at Jaden. The boy in questions was standing, leaning on the edge of the desk, his eyes closed and his face slightly scrunched up, as though he were thinking of something unpleasant that he would rather avoid, but knew he couldn't. The hands braced against the desk tightened their grip just a little. Chazz was scowling, darker than usual. Without a word to any of the others, Alexis got up, holding her tea carefully. She placed the now cool drink on the edge of the desk, walked to stand in front of Jaden.
" I'm sorry." She said softly, and touched his arm. Jaden lowered his head, but did not open his eyes. Alexis let her hand grip his arm fully. " I'm sorry to put all this pressure on you.
" That's the way it always is, isn't it? Something goes wrong, or someone gets hurt, and we all turn to you for guidance and inspiration. I didn't even realize it until I was dueling Titan, and I kept expecting to hear your voice, cheering me on." She smiled at him. " You make us stronger than we are, Jaden. You believe in us when we can't even believe in ourselves. You give us hope when we can't find any. We…we…rely on you."
She took a deep breath before continuing, stepping closer to Jaden. Chumley and Syrus watched, unable or unwilling to make a noise that would disrupt the serious mood that had settled in. From his place in the corner, Chazz eyed the pair, his gray eyes cold.
" And I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry we put so much pressure on you. I'm sorry we make you carry that burden." The hand on his arm shook a little." I can't imagine that our hopes and dreams are too easy on your shoulders." Her eyes softened. " And all this time, you've carried that burden. You've stood up, and made us better than we really are, and you've never once complained. We've relied on you to be our guiding light, and you've come through for us time and time again. I know you were scared when Syrus got taken away." Behind her, the boy cringed at the reminder of his incarceration. Chumley lay a heavy, reassuring hand on his friend's back. " Hell, I think you were more scared than any of us, because he's your best friend. But you never let that show. You…you swallowed your fear, and you told us that it was going to be okay. You told us that you would make it okay, one way or another. You were so brave, and so strong, and I'm so sorry we put that burden on you." Her eyes filled with tears, and suddenly, Alexis threw her arms around Jaden and pressed her face into his shoulder, crying openly. Chumley made a move to go and pull her off of him, but Syrus grabbed the bulky boy's arm and shook his blue head. In the corner, Chazz had crossed his arms, and the hand that gripped his elbow was white.
" We…we make you do all these things, and it isn't fair…" Alexis buried her head deeper into his neck. " None of it is fair at all…but…but…I don't think…no, I know…that none of us…not Syrus or Lia or Zane or anyone…would have gotten this far without you. And me." She pulled back and looked at him. " I could never have made it this far if it hadn't been for you." Her arms moved up until she was twining them around his neck. Behind her, Syrus and Chumley's faces had started to glow pink.
" I…you changed me. I was…just another Obelisk before you came along. I didn't agree with the ranking system, and I didn't treat everyone in Ra or Slifer like they were dirt…but I never did anything about it either. I just went through life, day by day, playing the game. But you…" She smiled at him. Jaden opened his eyes and looked at her through his bangs. " …You made everything exciting and good again. Being around you, Jaden,…"
" Alexis…" Jaden whispered as she trailed off. She smiled a watery smile, and shook her head.
" No, let me finish." She closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and then opened them again. " Being around you…is like rediscovering the game. Dueling with you made me think of the first time I ever played the game. You brought it all back: the fun, the thrill. Everything that I thought I would never feel again. You did that for me, and you do it for every person you play against." She laughed softly. " You really are amazing."
" Lex…" He tried again, but she shushed him.
" So this is my thank you. Well, my apology and my thank you. You got my brother back. You saved Syrus." She leaned her forehead against his. " You brought us all together. I'm sorry…that we've always placed such a burden on you…but it's only because…" She closed her eyes and leaned fully against him, " …we all believe in you so much.
" So from now on, Jaden, I'll be there. I'll shoulder that burden with you." She opened her eyes again and pulled back, but did not step out of the embrace she had placed him in. "It's only fair right? If I'm gonna lump all these expectations on you, I might as well take some for myself."
" Alexis…why would you…" Jaden just kept looking at her, something unfathomable in his shaded eyes. " …I'm not…"
She just smiled in response, her cheeks faintly flushing red, and leaned up to peck his brow. Jaden stiffened under the contact, his shoulders tense. Chumley and Syrus shared a sly, knowing look, and made to get up. Chazz grit his teeth and glared openly at the sweet display.
" Because you are, Jaden." Alexis whispered as she pulled back. " To everyone…to me…you are…"
" It's always about him, isn't?"
Chazz had gotten to his feet, swaggering over to where the pair stood, his eyes glinting in the lamplight. For a split second, under the cover of his black bangs, he looked remarkably like the Chazz who'd confronted Jaden in the Abandoned Dorm at the beginning of the year.
" From day one, it's always been about him. Always Jaden this, and Jaden that, and look how wonderful Jaden is!" Chazz slammed his hand down on the desk. " All I ever hear about is him and all the fantastic things he's done since he got here. It seems to slip under everyone's radar that there are other people in this group, who contribute more than just a tiny bit to help Jaden succeed!"
" Chazz, this isn't about you-"
" Damnit Alexis, I did my part too!" Chazz roared, sweeping his hand out. Alexis sprang away from Jaden, her eyes sparking, but Chazz seemed to be beyond even her power to sway. " We all did our part! Why does Jaden get all the credit! We worked our asses off to get Syrus back, and do the rest of us get any praise? Any acknowledgement? No!" His balled fist connected with the desk again. Jaden remained where he was, his head hanging down. " Not one shred of gratitude from anybody! The only time we ever get acknowledged as helping Jaden out is when we're all in shit, and we have to share the blame equally! But would it kill you – or anyone – to say thank you to those of us who risked our education in order to help Jaden?!"
" Jaden risked his life!" Alexis shouted at him but Chazz waved it off.
" Anyone of us would have gone down there to get Syrus back, and you know it! You, me, -Zane! Any of us would have gone down into that crypt if it meant we could get him back, and it'd be nice if you realized that!"
" You wouldn't have gone down!" Alexis narrowed her eyes. " You wouldn't, not for Syrus. You'd do it for the glory, or the fame, or the hero status, but you sure as hell wouldn't do it for Syrus-"
" He's my friend too!" Chazz cut her off violently, and she was shocked to see the first film of tears in his eyes. " He's my fucking friend too, whether you like it or not, and I woulda gone down there for him if I had to. But we all decided on Jaden, so Jaden gets the praise, congratulations, that's how the world works!"
" I'm sorry Chazz, alright?" Jaden said suddenly, pushing off of the desk and walking to face the older boy. Chazz took a step back, surprised, but met Jaden's gaze with one of his own.
" Is that what you want to hear?" Jaden asked softly, sounding almost like he was pleading. Chazz shook his head.
" Not from you."
He stalked towards the door, and threw it open, but not before he leveled Alexis with an icy glare. Then he marched out the door, and closed it with a slam, his footsteps echoing as he ran down the steps and disappeared into the forest.
The silence that he left in his wake was oppressive. Syrus and Chumley looked lost, and Alexis was staring at the door as if she wanted to open it and go after Chazz, if only to wring an explanation for his behaviour out of his mouth with her own hands. Jaden was standing very still, exactly as he had been before Chazz had left.
" Go after him." It wasn't a suggestion.
Alexis started.
" But Jaden-"
" Can't you see he's trying?!"
Jaden whipped around. His eyes were serious, and Alexis leaned back against the table, staring straight into them and wishing she could get away. Something in that gaze seriously disturbed her, although she couldn't figure out quite what it was.
" I don't know why you're having such a hard time trusting him, Lex, but Chazz is trying the best way he knows how to fit in."
" By insulting you guys and picking on Lia?"
" We know he doesn't mean anything by it. And Lia is perfectly capable of taking Chazz on by herself. He's just scared, and confused, Lex." Jaden looked at her pleadingly. " He's never had to deal with being friends with people like us before. We don't care about his money or his last name, or anything. We like Chazz because he's Chazz, and he has no idea how to handle that. He's not used to being accepted. God knows his brothers saw to that." Jaden heaved a sigh. " He's hurting because he wants to show that he does care, but you won't accept that." He pointed to the door. " So go out and talk to him. He's a really good listener." She didn't move. " Please, Lex."
" Lia told me what he did to you." Alexis got up and started walking. " I'm not sure I can forgive him."
" You don't have to. I already did."
She sighed.
" I'll do this for you, Jaden." She opened the door. " I promised I'd share your burden, and I guess this is where it starts." She walked out the door.
" Alexis." Jaden called after her. She paused. " Have some faith in him."
Alexis kept walking, and the door closed with an ominous click.
Neither of them had come back, and Jaden had started to get worried. Thanking every listening deity that it was Friday night (and pausing, and thanking every listening deity again that the school followed Western customs, and Western children did not go to school on Saturdays – something that still boggled him. And he'd found out from Syrus that Western children didn't take exams to get into high school. They just went to the closest one, no entrance tests needed. And the only reason Duel Academy had one was as a fail safe, in case some rotten eggs managed to get far enough into the system to reach the exams- and could sleep in and gods, how he envied them) Jaden had called together Chumley and Syrus and the three had headed off on a search party, calling out for their missing companions in the thick forest. They'd remembered flashlight, and Jaden had insisted that none of them split up, remembering the frightening experience in the Abandoned Dorm (Lia and Alexis bound and gagged in heavy coffins; Alexis had a nasty bump on her head, and the marks on Lia's neck wouldn't leave for weeks).
When the world had started shaking (apparently, there had been quite a few quakes going through lately), and the six bright beams of light had shot out of the water and plunged into the cloud-covered sky above them, Jaden would admit that he hadn't been all that surprised by the turn of events. Alexis warnings, coupled with his own growing sense of dread (which still lingered over from plunging head first into the shadows and pulling Syrus out from the Beasts' claws) had mentally prepared him for something disastrous to take place in the near future.
He just didn't think it would have been Pharaoh, the pudgy dorm cat, of all things that would lead him to the inevitable confrontation.
The second he'd seen the mummified Banner lying in the coffin, Jaden had felt alarm bells going off in his head. When Amnael (as in, The Mark of – Banner had been very adamant about drilling that, of nothing else on the syllabus, into their heads) had appeared, and shown him the strange book that apparently held all of his friends, the alarms bells had grown to full fledged sirens, shrieking in his ears against the insanity he was about to partake in.
But a duel was a duel, and Jaden had never been one to back down from a challenge, even if it was a highly dangerous one with a psychotic, alchemy nut, who probably had more than one trick up his large sleeves, if his Chaos Distill and Steel Lamp were anything to go by,
But Jaden had a bigger problem.
The second the seventh Shadow Rider had started talking, something about it had rattled at Jaden's nerves. It had jiggled in his brain, the tiny, almost insignificant fact trying to make itself known as he tried his best to ignore it and focus on the duel, that wasn't, for once, going his way at all. First, he'd had to deal with the vicious alchemy beasts the Rider kept siccing on him (like that fanged Salamandra the Steel, or his snarling Oroboros the Bronze. Jaden had the distinct feeling, although his mind was rather clouded at the moment, that he had seen those names and elements in class. Speaking of elements, Jaden was pretty sure there was no card he had ever hated so fiercely as he hated that Elemental Absorber, which stopped him at every turn). And then, once he'd managed to actually make a half decent move, the Rider had pulled out that dangerous Absorber, and Jaden's plans (vague and indistinct as they might have been) had all been shot straight to hell.
Of course, Jaden hadn't gotten as far as he had on sheer, dumb luck (not that that didn't help once in a while). He had skill, he knew he had skill, it was just a matter of putting that skill (and the brain he was actually starting to use in class, thanks to Lia and her water bottle that was somehow always filled with ice cold water – nothing like a dip in a glacial spring to wake him up) to use, and figuring out a way to beat the Rider.
If only he hadn't been so distracted by looking at him.
There was something…something hard to put his finger on and getting increasingly annoying…about the Rider that had Jaden completely stumped. There was something in his build; something about the way he pronounced certain words, muffled as they may be behind the mask; something especially about the way his snow-white hair fell over his face and was tied neatly (as far as Jaden could tell) behind his back. It was in his stance; in the way he played his cards; in the cards themselves, something familiar about the entire duel that drove Jaden nearly mad. In every move and every nuance of the movements, there radiated a painful sense of deja-vu.
The fact that wriggled and writhed in his mind struck home with vicious clarity as his Burst Impact leveled the playing field, and it made something in his chest clench as all the pieces of the puzzle slide painfully into place.
Pharaoh darted across the dueling arena, despite Chumley's and Syrus' plaintive warnings. Jaden made no move to stop the cat. He knew Pharaoh was in no danger.
" Huh?" He heard Chumley exclaim as Pharaoh rubbed happily up against the legs of the seventh Shadow Rider, purring in delight. " But Pharaoh's never that friendly with strangers."
" That's no stranger, Chum." Jaden said, but the pain in voice made both his friends look over worriedly. Jaden clenched his fists, looking down at the ground, his bangs casting his eyes into shadow.
" Please, take off the mask."
The seventh Shadow Rider shifted, looking at him.
" I want to fight you face to face-" He paused, and grimaced. The squirming in his stomach intensified, and Jaden wondered, distantly, why it had all come down to this.
" – Professor Banner."
And now, the fun begins.
MoS
