Warnings: Atticus freakout. If you thought he was all better, THINK AGAIN.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX
Year One: The Academic
Lia slumped to the ground, boneless and listless, as the duel raged before her. Her head hung down to her chest, her eyes glittering vacantly from under her bangs. A hand was pressed against her chest, and her lower lip was slowly sucked into her mouth, a glint of white teeth visible as she bit down onto it. If she'd been standing, the quivering of her knees would've been far more obvious, but as it was, all that gave it away was the slight twitch in her legs as she pulled them under her rather limply supported body.
From his vantage point, Chazz looked at her (surprisingly still) upturned face. It was, as far as he could tell, rather pale and a little peaky, but other than that, gave no indication of there being something horrifically wrong. The hand that was clenched in her white shirt wasn't white-knuckled and the light material gave no hint of a red stain.
'Good.' He thought, more relieved than he wanted to admit. ' At least this way, she's not making everyone freak out.' He only dared to imagine the state Alexis would be in if Lia's condition (what a strange way to think of it, even if it was the only way that made any sense. It was strange to think that duelling, in any form, could cause someone so much pain. Well, no, that wasn't right. He knew how badly duelling could hurt a person, how badly it could tear them up. But that was a different kind of hurt, a hurt that happened deep inside, where no bandages could be put and no antiseptic could prevent infection. That kind of hurt just stayed there and festered, warping the person from the inside out. Chazz knew about that kind of hurt. Chazz knew it too well. But Lia's hurt was different. There was blood that dribbled through her clenched fingers and spread over her shirt and skin and splattered on the ground. There was proof and evidence of the hurt that Lia suffered. There was more proof for Lia's hurt than there was for his own, but somehow, Lia's hurt seemed so much worse. He had no idea why, but it might be the fact that while she had blood and proof and hurt on the outside, there was something completely broken in her eyes that told him it hurt on the inside too) started spreading across her white shirt like red ink. He didn't even want to think about Syrus screaming and fretting and trying to stop the blood flow, or Atticus gulping and looking away, all white and shaken, or even Zane calmly taking control of the situation and hauling the girl off to see Ms. Fontaine (and looking like a hero in front of Alexis, just like he always did. If it wasn't Jaden she was staring at, it was Zane, and while he had none of Jaden's innate talent for being a hero, he was still strong, and silent and trying very hard to be a good big brother, which was more courtesy than Chazz ever got from either of his siblings).
But most of all, Chazz didn't want to think about the look that would be on Jaden's face when he found out that duelling caused actual, bloody pain for someone he held so dear.
" Easy, French Bitch." He whispered through clenched teeth. The blanked eyes flickered up, and he met her gaze steadily.
" Just breathe, okay?" A little nod. " Just breathe, and it'll all be over before you know it."
" I feel sick." Lia whispered, and while it was weak, her voice was steady and her tone wasn't strained with pain.
" Well, if you need to puke, aim away from my shoes." There was a rush of air that might've been a snort. For once, Lia's unladylike manner was a bit of a comfort. She hadn't been right (or at least, what was perceived as right when it came to her- bitchy and angry and snarky and reluctant but willing to love everyone way deep down) since she'd screamed that terrible scream on the night they'd gotten Syrus back, and slipped away from the world for over two weeks.
" I mean it." He snapped, more for form's sake than anything else. " These are expensive shoes, and I really doubt that you have the means to foot the bill if anything happens to them." There was a definite snort from her that time. " Stupid bitch."
" Chazz!" Alexis snapped at him, but there was far less heat in her gaze than there had once been and she seemed to stumble over her words as he looked right at her. " Don't...don't be mean. Lia's just...Lia's..."
She was so beautiful, all hesitant and gentle, like Chazz could never remember seeing her before. There was something girlish and soft about her, like her cold exterior had melted away and left nothing but her tender heart and even more tender feelings in its wake. She had, over the course of the year, become less and less of the icy queen who ruled over the Blues. It was as if something had been unlocked deep down; it was like Alexis had found something she'd lost when she came to Duel Academy.
Chazz swallowed hard, and fought to hold her gaze.
" ...You shouldn't be so mean." Alexis concluded lamely.
" If he wasn't, I'd be worried." Lia hauled herself slowly to her feet. Around her, the world shook, and she stumbled over her own two feet, leaning on Chazz's shoulder for support. The boy shrugged her off as soon as she stopped wobbling.
" Watch it, sweetheart, that's a tender area." He rubbed the junction of his shoulder and neck, still aching from the pull of the Spirit Gate Keys.
" In case you didn't notice, I was practically dragged through the woods." Lia hissed at him. " None of us are in any particular shape to go at it right now."
" So why do you keep trying to start something?"
" Me? You're the one with the attitude!"
" That's just the way I am! You're one who has a problem with it!"
" Anyone in their right mind would have a problem with it!"
" Sweetie, you're giving yourself way too much credit."
" That's it!"
" O-kay!" Atticus yelped as he caught Lia around the waist and shoulders. As she swore violently (when had she regained her ire? Chazz vaguely wondered – vaguely, because there were terrifying roars all around them and a decrepit, obviously insane old man in some metallic monstrosity at their front and Jaden with his back to them all, cards clenched in his white-knuckled fist and duel disk alight and it was all so distracting that Chazz wondered how he could think at all in the energy saturated air – if her anger at him might have anything to do with it), the older boy hauled her to his chest, effectively pinning her arms to her sides. Lia struggled, but her fatigue and strange bouts of weakness over the past few days were obviously not fully passed, because Atticus' grip held her steady.
" I don't know if either of you two has noticed, but the fate of the world is being decided." His voice was harsh, and Chazz flinched. " Now, I have no idea what that means to you guys, but to me, it's kinda a big deal."
Alexis' lips settled into a grim line.
" Atty, listen, this isn't-"
A tremor cut her off, and she went tumbling over. Chazz twisted around to look at her, despite his protesting neck, and fell over backwards, his head lying over the edge of the pit where Jaden and Kagemaru were duelling. The rope burns on the back of his neck and head screamed in pain, and Chazz grit his teeth as he tried to ignore it. Sitting up, he pulled his head forward and was rewarded with a crunching 'crack' as the joints slid back into place.
' That,' he thought with a wince, ' sounded bad.'
Behind them, Uria of the Flames burst into a million little shards as Tempest finished his attack. The dozens of high buildings created by Jaden's Skyscraper were lit up by the explosion of light that accompanied the destruction of the monster. From next to where Alexis lay sprawled and Atticus sheltered Lia from the blast, Syrus whimpered softly in his brother's arms.
" W-why are those things...." Syrus shuddered. " W-Why..." The dark red creature gave a grating screech that echoed even as it vanished. Syrus pressed himself deeper into Zane's chest and slapped his hands over his ears.
" Not real." He hissed. " Not real, not real, not real!" His entire body shook. " I'm out. I'm not there. Th-they can't h-hurt me. They can't, they can't. They...They..." Kagemaru's chilling laughter reached them and as a column of flames shot up from the duelling field again, Syrus turned to his brother with panicked eyes. " Zane!"
The elder tightened his grip on his brother.
" They can't hurt you, Sy. They won't. I..." He squeezed Syrus' shoulders reassuringly. " ...I won't let them."
Chazz immediately looked away, his cheeks tinted with a faint blush. It seemed so strange to him, but at the same time, the moment was something private, and if there was one thing Chazz respected, it was people needing their privacy in order to be able to function in society. Instead of looking, he reached over and helped Alexis to her feet, dusting himself off with his free hand. In front of them, Lia struggled to push Atticus off.
" I'm fine!"
" No, you're not."
" I'm perfectly alright. Now let go!"
" You're almost dead on your feet."
" It's none of your business, now let go!"
" Ottilia!" Atticus shouted. Lia froze at the sound of her full name. She turned, slowly, to face the boy behind her.
Atticus' face was completely transformed. The sparkle and mirth that had been in his eyes during Chazz's duel with Alexis had vanished, replaced with a cold fury and a dark, foreboding look. His face seemed t blacken as he glared, full force (when, Chazz wondered, was the last time anyone had seen Atticus so mad?) at the weakened Academic. The grim line his mouth was set in and the lines that followed the furrow of his brow radiated a sharp, biting anger that seemed to freeze the blood in the veins of those nearest and render them immobile. Lia herself lowered her head, unable to hold his gaze, and slumped her shoulders dejectedly. The submissive action caught Chazz by surprise, but he had no time to wonder about it as Atticus opened his mouth.
" Now is not the time for your petty arguments with Chazz and your irrational fear of letting people get close. Be quiet!" He hissed as Lia's head rose, her lips parted and frowning. She immediately dropped her head back down, utterly cowed. " I don't know why you are so terrified of letting people help you, but whether you like it or not, we're in this together." He pointed to the duel, where the mist that had filled the field was parted to reveal a desolate, gray wasteland, and Kagemaru prepared to summon another Beast. " You see that? Do you see it?" His eyes narrowed. " Look over there, Ottilia!"
Hazel eyes flicked over to the duel and then back to her feet again.
" That is our fate right now. That is what decides whether we live or die. That decides what happens to the rest of the world. And no matter how much you try to shut it out, you are a part that world hanging in the balance, Lia." His eyes softened a little. " And Jaden is the only thing standing between us and total destruction."
" It's a fucking game of cards!" Lia screamed suddenly, her head shooting up as she took a step towards Atticus. " It's a game of cards, and all it relies on is fucking luck and maybe something resembling a strategy! It's not...it isn't..." Lia stuttered over her words. " ...what's the worst that could happen? They're just cards. I'm sure the police can-"
Even Chazz's jaw dropped as Atticus smacked Lia on the temple.
To her credit, the girl only staggered, but stayed upright, despite her shaky posture and shivering limbs. Reaching up, she touched the upper right half of her face, where a faint pink colour had flooded to the surface. Through the wild curtain of her dishevelled hair, one hazel orb glared at Atticus.
" Big Brother!" Alexis gasped, reaching forward. Whether she was trying to get to Atticus or Lia, Chazz never found out, because Atticus cut her off.
" Do you know," he said softly, " ...what happened to the Academics that came with us the night all those students disappeared?" He didn't wait for Lia to shake her head, but continued, in a blank, frighteningly steady voice.
" They were devoured alive by the shadows."
Lia went very still, her hand falling away from her face. Alexis' hand dropped back to her side, and she stared in horror at her brother.
" They were sucked in with us, but the shadow creatures didn't even bother to save them for later. They understood that they had no duelling spirits, that their energies were governed by different rules and honed by different skills. They just jumped on them and absorbed them." Atticus' eyes hardened. " While we were forced to watch, two of our friends were sucked into nothingness. There weren't even bodies. There weren't any remains. They just vanished."
Lia stood, her face pale and for the first time, fear alive and kicking in her eyes as Atticus stepped towards her.
" Do you understand now, Ottilia? Do you understand what will happen if those cards get a hold of you? They can suck out our duel spirits and use it for energy, but the only spirit you have to offer is your very soul." He stood right in front of her , eyes blazing. Lia met his gaze with the same look Chazz imagined someone having as they looked at an oncoming train. Her whole body trembled, but Atticus ignored her terror and placed a hand on her shoulder.
" They'll do more than just kill you, Lia. They'll rob you of any chance you ever had at rebirth. They will steal every life you have lived before this and any life you may have lived. They will tear the soul from your body and leave your flesh to rot. This isn't just a card game." And under his hand, Lia's shoulder spasmed. " It was never just a card game. The more you try to deny it, the higher the chance is that you'll die."
Finally, as though the word 'die' had unlocked something inside of her, Lia gave a terrified yelped and pushed back against Atticus, sending her body stumbling over her own feet and on a collision with the ground below. Quick as a snake, Atticus' arm shot out and his hand encircle her wrist, yanking her back against him. Lia let out another shriek, struggling and pushing against his chest, trying to get away from him.
" Atticus, that's enough!" Alexis yelled at her brother. " You're scaring her!"
" She should be scared!" Atticus retaliated, eyes fierce. " By hanging around with us, especially with Jaden, she's put herself in danger! Every time someone comes after him because of his duelling spirit, she's going to get caught in the crossfire with no powers, no cards, and nothing to offer up except her own soul! The Beasts thrive on duel energy! They are going to suck the life out of all the cards in the world unless Jaden can control them! They are going to tear our duelling spirits and wills right out of our bodies!"
" Atticus, stop it!" Alexis tried again, but her brother cut her off, holding up his hand to silence her.
" Don't you get it!?" He asked incredulously. Under his harsh tone, his voice sounded raw, and, even though they were hard and cruel, his eyes were filmed over with tears. " Don't you understand?! We'll survive it, Lexi. We get to live. We'll have lost our will to duel, and our love for the game, but we'll be alive, if that means anything! But her?" He shook the hand he held and Lia pulled against his hold. " Lexi, if Jaden loses, hell, if Jaden lets this duel drag on too long, this girl is as good as dead. All the Academics, all the non-duelists of the world will follow, but she'll be the first. Not Syrus, not me, not Jaden, but her." He thrust Lia at his sister. " The Beasts don't care that she's a 14-year-old girl with her whole life ahead of her. They don't care that she honestly has nothing to do with this. They don't care that they won't be ripping out a duelling spirit, but her own soul. They. Don't. Care. So get serious and realize how much danger you're in." Atticus sighed, and the blackened colour of his expression faded away. " I don't wanna see you die."
" I won't let them!" Alexis snapped, grabbing Lia around the shoulders. " I won't let anyone do anything to her! She's my friend and...and...and I'll protect her no matter what!"
Lia looked at Alexis as though she had never seen her before, while Atticus scowled at his sister's declaration.
" Alexis..."
" You won't be able to."
Alexis' grip tightened.
" Oh yeah? Watch me. Lia." She smiled shakily down at the girl. " Don't worry. No matter what happens, I won't let those Beasts get you, okay?" Lia simply stared at her, as though she was looking through her, or she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. " Believe me." Alexis implored. " I'll take care of you."
" Alexis, you won't be able to!" Atticus yelled, glaring at his sister. " We're talking about three awesomely powerful monsters that can suck her soul out! You'll blink and she'll be dead on the ground! How exactly do you intend to protect her?!"
" I'll find a way! I don't know what it is yet, but I'll find it and I'll protect her!"
" Damnit, Alexis, quit being stubborn! You're powerless in this situation!"
" Shut up, you don't understand!"
" You're the one who doesn't understand! We need to get her out of here right now, or else-"
" I couldn't protect you, but I am damn well going to protect her!"
Atticus' eyes widened.
" Lexi..."
" I couldn't...when you needed me most, I wasn't there...I never did anything to save you...so I can't let anything happen to Lia, I just can't-"
" I think you're all forgetting something very important."
All three, Alexis with her pleading eyes and Atticus with his shocked face and even Lia, with her numbed limbs and frightened face and stunned eyes turned to look at Chazz. The boy had his arms crossed over his chest and his face set in its habitual scowl, his whole body tense and agitated. He was tapping his left foot against the ground angrily.
" You all seem to have conveniently forgotten once very crucial factor in all this." He opened his eyes. " Shanner. Chose. This."
From her place at Alexis' side, Lia looked up, her face puzzled.
" She chose to come here with us. She chose to face the Beasts. She chose to follow Jaden."
" She didn't know-" Atticus started.
" Bullshit!" Chazz hissed. " She's had plenty of chances to run since Day One. All of us have. But for some god unknown reason, we all stayed. We've been offered dozens of outs along the way, and none of us took them. Not me, not Lexi, and especially not Shanner. We're all here today because we wanna be. Maybe it was the wrong choice, maybe it was a stupid choice, but the point here is that it was our choice. If Shanner's still standing here after everything you've told her, then good for her. If she dies, well, then she can die having made an informed decision." Chazz shrugged. " We all decided that we were here to the bitter end. Even a bitch like Shanner can appreciate the commitment in that."
" Chazz, that isn't fair to her-"
" The only thing that's unfair is refusing to give her the choice to stay." Chazz glared at the older boy. " People like to have control over their lives, Atticus. Trust me when I say that taking away that control tends to make them irritable."
Atticus looked down.
" Chazz, I understand that, really I do, but you've got to see it from my point of view. I...the things I saw...they were-"
" That doesn't give you the right to tell her to run away if she doesn't want to!"
" She doesn't deserve to die!"
" It's her choice!"
" Who in their right mind would choose to st-"
" I'm staying."
Lia had pushed herself out of Alexis' side. The weakness that had plagued her seemed to have evaporated, even as, on his side of the field, Winged Kuriboh took the blazing attack meant for Jaden. The resulting explosion lit up half of Lia's face, casting the other half into shadow. Her eyes glimmered in the flashing light, and if Chazz squinted, he could see the tensing of her shoulders as she clenched her fists. For a split second, as the light of Winged Kuriboh's death died down, the haughty, bitchy teenager who kept everyone at arm's length and the frightened school-girl who'd trembled as Atticus explained her eventual, gruesome fate faded away, and in her place stood a proud, determined woman.
" I'm not going anywhere." Lia reiterated, and tossed her hair out or her eyes with a motion of her head.
" Lia..." Atticus looked at her with resignation. " Do you even understand what you're risking by staying?"
" Not entirely." Her eyes narrowed. " But...but running away...it just feels wrong..."
" And dying doesn't?" His voice was sardonic, and Chazz thought he saw a slump of defeat in the older Obelisk's shoulders.
" Well, yeah...I guess. It's just...Chazz is...right." She grimaced. " It's my choice. And I'm choosing to stay."
Then she winced.
" You have no idea how hard that was to say."
Chazz snorted.
" Get used to it, though, 'cause it's usually the truth." He puffed out his chest. Lia whipped around to face him, her face dark.
" Hey jackass! Don't go projecting your problems onto my situation! Deal with your own demons!"
" Projecting! Who the fuck's projecting?! And for that matter, what sorry sonovabitch would project onto you?"
" You got something to say, Princeton?"
" Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that you were deaf as well as ugly! "
" What did you just say to me! "
" And there they go." Alexis muttered, rubbing her temples. Atticus stood beside her, his mouth hanging open just the slightest and his eyes wide. " What? "
" ..." Atticus shook his head. " No, it's nothing." There was a beat of silence, where Lia screamed at Chazz and Chazz shouted back and both of them fought hard to keep their wits as Jaden fought to save them all, and then Atticus turned to his sister.
" Lexi?"
" Yeah?"
He smiled warmly.
" You...made some very good friends while I was away."
Alexis blinked, her brother's statement slowly registering as the duelling arena lit up in flames and explosions. She turned to look at Chazz and Lia, and then at Zane and Syrus, the latter of which was clinging to the former's arm, pale, but steadfast, looking into the eyes of the Beasts as they towered over Kagemaru's side of the field. Chumley stood on Syrus' other side, ready to use his bulk to shield his small friend from view, and beside that group stood Bastian, shouting encouragements at Jaden, who was poised with his duel disk and cards at the ready, his face unseen, but an aura of determination radiating off of him in waves.
She smiled softly.
" Yeah, I did."
" I couldn't agree more."
Both Rhodes siblings whipped around as a sharp, female voice cut through the roaring of the infuriated Beasts and the collective thundering hearts of all the spectators.
Yasmin, the Gravekeeper's Assailant, walked silently out of the shadows.
A little later than promised, I know, but I slept like the dead last night, and just couldn't wake up this morning. Seriously, I'd close my eyes for a second, and open them up half an hour later. Weird.
And we are fast approaching the ending. How do you like the little twist at the end there? And Atticus' rant? the boy has issues, which I will continue to explore throughout later Years. And Chazz. Who loves Chazz? I love Chazz so much right here. He's being his usual, prissy self, and at the same time, he's giving a pep talk. Yay!
See you soon!
MoS
