~School Infirmary~
Jaden was lying there in bed with Kuriboh, who was now solid, cuddled up beside him. Sitting up, he spared a glance to the bed near his, "Hey Axel, you awake over there?", the latter shifting slightly in his bed but offering no reply, "Oh good you're up, couldn't sleep huh, just wanted to say that what you did back there, at the lab, was cool and I wanted to say thanks. Guess I owe ya one huh buddy."
"You're welcome Jaden, now get some sleep" came the response from the stoic transfer as he turned over. Jaden was about to place himself down on the bed when a scream rang out. Jaden flew from the bed, Axel following suit, they both listened closely.
"Did you hear that!" said Jaden. Axel just nodded as the two ran in the direction the sound came from. Stopping as they met Jim in the hallways "So I guess you guys heard it too." "Are you kidding me!" Jaden exclaimed, "I think the whole school heard it!" The three continued to run in the direction the scream came from until they found Jesse and Blair lying on the floor in the hallway.
Jaden felt his veins turn to ice as he and the others quickly rushed over to them. Jaden took Jesse who was unconscious up in his arms while Jim did the same with Blair, "Hey Jess, come on buddy, wake up" he said as he desperately tried to get a response from the tealette.
"Jaden! It took Marcel!" Blair said weakly as she struggled to sit up in Jim's arms. "We tried to stop it but it threw me against the wall and scratched him with its creepy hand" she exclaimed indicating to Jesse. Then Jaden looked down at the tealette in his arms and noticed a scratch..!
"I have never seen a scratch like that!" said Axel. It was glowing on poor Jesse's arm.
"Jaden! Let's gets them both to the infirmary! Afterward, we will try to find Marcel!" Jim said as he lifted Blair to carry her against his chest. Axel helped Jaden support Jesse as they rushed off to the infirmary. On the way, Jaden just wondered, is that thing that attacked Jesse and Blair tonight the same creature he saw on the platform with Viper?!. Please be ok, he hoped, glancing at the tealette he was supporting who had yet to wake up.
~School Library~
After walking endlessly around in the hallways of the school, Adrian returned to the library. He sighed deeply, he had been unable to find it anywhere. However when he arrived at the library he could see a figure surrounded by candlelight, the figure became clearer as Adrian walked closer.
"Aren't you that kid Marcel?!" he asked. "What are you doing here?!" he demanded. Marcel just looked at Adrian and smirked.
"Not anymore!" Marcel said his voice morphed and sounding much different than usual, his accent completely gone. "Surprise Adrian it's me." Adrian watched in horror as Marcel moved his newfound cape and showed him the creature's arm where Marcel's left arm should've been.
"But we had a deal" Adrian exclaimed angrily "you promised to share all your power with me but now it seems you've gone and got yourself a new plan" he snarled.
"Nothing has changed," Marcel assured, "I can still give you the power you desire, all I ask is that you follow my every command, as for this boy he's the perfect vessel for me."
"I'll do it" Adrian replied. If I have to take a few orders from this thing to get the power I desire, then so be it.
~Infirmary~
Jaden felt numb and powerless. Even from his perch on Bastion's bed, he could see how the fever made the tealette shiver beneath the infirmary blankets. Ms. Fontaine was leaning over him, examining the wound once more. Blair had been fine and was cleared to leave after Ms. Fontaine checked her over to make sure she sustained no major injuries when she was flung against the wall.
Jesse had not been so lucky, the scratch was infected and he was burning up badly. The Europeans normally tanned skin was almost stark white against the infirmary bed, excluding the red flourish that donned his cheeks, a clear indication of the fever that was currently ravaging his body.
Jaden couldn't help but glance over every few seconds, his friend's breathing was heavily laboured and from here he could see how Jesses' eyebrows kept furrowing as if in constant pain. It killed Jaden that all he could do was sit here and do nothing as he watched his best friend suffer like this, he would give anything for it to be him instead of Jesse in that bed.
"I'm worried about Jesse," Bastion said, "The school doesn't have the proper resources to treat him, we need to get back to our world before his condition worsens." "You're right!" Jaden agreed "but if you don't know how to get us back then how will he get the help he needs?!" frustration evident in his tone. "I wish I had the answers for you, but I'm at my wits' end. I just hope that other students don't become this ill" Bastion replied glancing in Jesse's direction.
The pair fell into an uneasy silence, except for Jesses laboured breathing and the soft meowing of Ruby Carbuncle from the end of Jesse's bed, a desperate plea that her master would just wake up and be alright. Me and you both Ruby, Jaden thought sadly.
Ms. Fontaine just stood up and sighed. "Is there anything we can do, please?" Jaden asked the nurse. "Unless you know where to find a first aid kit with all this medication, Jesses condition will only worsen" she replied, shaking her head while handing the brunet a list. Jaden's heart sank as he read the list. "Damn, that's a lot of medicine!"
"Wait, did you say first aid kit, The submarine! I saw one stranded in the desert. It must have a first aid kit on board!" Bastion exclaimed suddenly.
Jaden could feel renewed hope rising in his chest as he sprung to Jesse's bedside. "Hear that Jess" he cried gabbing the sick boy's hand, "We're going to go to that sub and find that first aid kit and then you'll get better, I promise. Just hang in there till we get back ok!".
Just then the tealette shifted and his emerald orbs opened a crack, but Jaden could see they were clouded over with pain, and fever. "Det gjør vondt" was the soft whimper that was elected from the sick boy before he slipped slowly back into a restless sleep.
"Wait, what does that mean?" Jaden questioned the other two. Bastion shook his head equally as confused. "Don't worry he's delirious, it's probably just the fever talking nonsense" Ms. Fontaine offered. "Ok…" Jaden replied still not convinced.
"Now one question though" Jaden pondered "Do you think Crowler will let us go?"
~Chancellor Shephard's Office~
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Crowler screamed at the gang for their suggestion. "I'm in charge and I say nobody goes anywhere, it's far too dangerous!"
"Please Crowler, Jesse needs that medicine" Jaden protested, "And besides it's not like we can just run to the drug store and put an order in."
"You don't even have to go professor" Axel added, "We can handle it, it's better if you stay with the remaining students anyway."
"I know but if something were to happen to you, your parents would have my job" Crowler insisted shaking his head in his hands. "Oh, why do all the important decisions always fall on my shoulders."
"Look!" Jaden yelled slamming his hands down on Crowlers' desk, "There's no medicine left and we need to find some and fast, so just give us the green light to go and find that sub" he yelled shocking the gang at the anger emanating from the Slifer.
"Look professor don't worry if I'm with them nothing bad is going to happen" Axel assured. "You got that right there mate, Axel, and I are very well trained for situations such as this" Jim added. "Here," Axel continued, pouring a bunch of student notebooks onto the desk in front of them, "Student notebooks?" Syrus questioned. "Not quite, see I've reconfigured their hard drive to act as global positioning homing beacons, this ensures we won't get lost and will be able to find our way back to the academy" Axel explained.
"Crowler please, we need to go and do this" Jaden pleaded. Crowler just sat there and sighed loudly. Just then Professor Bonaparte came running in crying before falling to a heap on the floor. "Crowler! I can't find him, Marcel is missing! Why, why, why…." the vice-chancellor sobbed from his spot on the floor. "Calm down there are lots of students missing, is this Marcel someone special?" Crowler asked. "No! It's not like Marcel is my son or anything even close to that! He's just one of the more petite students at duel academy and I'm concerned for his well-being!" he yelled shaking his hands.
"Well, Crowler do you need another reason to let us go!" Jaden demanded. Crowler let out a heavy sigh, "Well, I guess I have no choice. You can go."