A good day to all. This chapter is gonna be a premonition of things to come. Alexis is going to meet another rival, and things get heated up. Jaden takes Atticus's advice, and well... you'll see. Also, the first true enemy in a while appears, but is she an enemy? I do hope you enjoy this next one. I even added a little... (cough) fan-service, though not as heavy as you think. After all, this is Yugioh... or is it?

To make up for the time wasted when I uploaded the last chapter, I have uploaded this one as fast as I could. Sorry for the lack of consistency when it comes to uploading chapters; I've just been so busy. (sigh) A man's life never ends...

Thanks for reading. I can't believe I have over 2500 views in such a short while! Keep it up!

Last time on Beyond the Academy:

Jaden unknowingly pisses Alexis off, and it takes an entire arcade showdown to regain her trust. A new card is now in her possession, but what relevance will it have towards the story? Also, what is the connection between Bridget and the Rhode's siblings? All that is known, is that she's coming for Jaden...

So what are you waiting for; GET YOUR GAME ON!

Chapter 9: Dense as a Brick

Part 1

After the eventful day, where the friends reconciled, the Rhode's siblings and their guests went back home. As soon as they got back, Atticus and Mac, who were both worn out, went to their respective rooms to rest, while Jaden and Alexis, who were both still full of energy, decided to head up to Alexis's room to chat, and watch some of the latest dueling news to use up some of that excess energy. After a couple of hours, the two finally got drowsy and eventually fell asleep. Professor Banner and Yubel both appeared as soon as Jaden fell asleep.

"Well Yubel, shall we tell him?" he asked.

"Tell him, and spoil the surprise? I think he should find out on his own when he wakes up, and when he does, his reaction will be priceless!" she laughed at the thought.

"Yubel, it seems you're still up to your old tricks. Well, not that I can complain" he said, shrugging his shoulders while smiling.

"Yes. Now let's sit back and enjoy the show! My one regret might be that Jaden may take a while to forgive me for this one, but it's worth it!" she said mischievously.

Suddenly, the two spirits felt a dark presence right outside the mansion. "Yubel!" he shouted.

"I know! There's someone outside. Someone emitting a lot of dark aura. That could be dangerous, so for Jaden's sake, we'd better take a look!" she declared. The two spirits wandered outside, to find a person clad in a black robe waiting, and though they couldn't tell much about the person from the outside, the person's silhouette identified that person's gender as a female. She was emitting a lot of dark aura, and it seemed like she was smiling as well.

"Yubel, she's dangerous! You must scare her off now!" he shouted.

"You don't have to tell me twice. Well, here I go!" she declared. Just as she was about to fire a warning shot, the person looked up in Yubel's direction, and gave a wide smile.

"Oh, hello there Yubel, guardian spirit of the supreme king" the girl said. She then proceeded to bow, something that completely caught Yubel off guard.

"You can see me?!" she asked in shock.

"Why yes, why wouldn't I be able to? It would be a disgrace to our organization, if I couldn't do at least that much" she said in a fearless tone. "Back to the important stuff, you're probably wondering why I'm here. Well, you can relax; I'm not here to start a fight, for the record. Just wanted to get that out of the way."

Yubel looked confused. "Then why would you come here?" she asked.

"Why does anyone do anything?" the girl responded in a provocative tone.

Veins began popping up on Yubel's forehead, while Banner was trying to calm her down by saying things like "Please calm down. Anger won't get us anywhere."

The girl gave a small laugh upon seeing the pissed Yubel, before saying "Just joking, lady Yubel. I'm here on behalf of my benefactor, who wishes for the true revival of the supreme king." Yubel and Banner were both shocked at the revelation. After getting the reaction she liked, she continued. "My goal is to test Jaden Yuki, and pull out his latent powers by challenging him to a duel. If he truly is the supreme king though, this should be no more then an amusing distraction" she laughed at the thought.

"But what if Jaden fails? What if he's not who you're looking for? What if you're wrong?" asked Yubel.

The girl began thinking for a moment. "I sincerely doubt he's not the supreme king; after all, the signs are too obvious. However, in the unlikely event that he isn't the supreme king, then either I wasn't good enough to draw out his powers, and I'll have to resort to more underhanded tactics like taking hostages, or if he truly isn't the supreme king, then I will be forced to end him, although I probably wouldn't bring myself to do it." Yubel's fury reached it's limits with that sentence, but the girl wasn't paying attention. "Though that will delay my benefactor's plan, and I'll be severely punished, not to mention that my own plans and dreams will be crushed, I have to do it for the sake of duty" she said.

The girl suddenly felt a dark aura surrounding the area. She looked up and saw Yubel gearing up to attack her. "YOU LITTLE WRETCH!" she screamed, "YOU DARE THREATEN MY JADEN LIKE THAT! I"LL BLOW YOU TO BITS, SO YOU"LL NEVER THINK ABOUT GETTING NEAR HIM AGAIN!", then fired a huge ball of energy at her.

KABOOM

The small garden across of the mansion, where the girl was standing, exploded, and was reduced to a pile of ash. Yubel looked around the rubble, and was satisfied when she didn't find the girl. "She must have been blown to bits" she thought.

"Wow, you're really strong as they say, lady Yubel" she heard a voice under her say. Yubel looked under her to see the girl standing there without a scratch. "If I didn't have these powers the old man gave me, not to mention that I'm a good athlete, I probably would have died.

Yubel looked at the girl, shock written all over her face. "How? W-W-Why?..." she stammered.

The girl simply laughed and said "Well, I think I've said enough for one night. Feel free to warn his highness about me, though it won't make a difference. Well, see ya!" The girl was then covered in black flames, and in the blink of an eye, she disappeared.

Yubel gritted her teeth. "Damn it all!" she cursed. "I'm sorry Jaden. I failed to protect you."

Banner approached her. "You know, it's not too late. We could always tell Jaden, and he can form a counter-strategy... I think. With that, you can at least have him ready for the encounter" he said.

Yubel calmed down after that. "You know professor, sometimes you amaze me beyond comparison. I'm surprised you don't come out very often" she said.

Banner gave a nervous laugh. "You know what I'm surprised about; how no one heard the explosion, and came to check on the situation..." he then realized that he had spoke too soon, as an overweight, bald man dressed in bath robes exited his house, to see what was going on. When he saw the garden, he suddenly froze up, before screaming "OH MY GOD! My garden! My beautiful garden!", while sobbing. "WHO DID IT! I know, I bet it was that bastard Kracowski from the other block. Well, two can play at that game. I'll show that son of a gun whose really boss!" he cursed, before getting into his car and driving off.

The two spirits stared blankly for a while, before Banner spoke up "We were never here, right?"

Yubel nodded. "Yup, we were just waiting for Jaden to wake up, while minding our own business. Now, I suggest we get back to that" she responded.

The two spirits then went back inside, and spent the rest of the night pondering the events that happened, or preparing for their little prank. With that, the curtain fell on another day.

On a side note, the man named Yamaguchi and Kracowski, were both arrested on charges of domestic violence. The two, who once hated each other's guts, became fast friends in prison, but that's a story for another time.

Part 2

"YAWWWNNN" Jaden yawned as he got up. "Morning, huh" he said. As he got out of bed, he noticed something different about the room he was in; the room wasn't his. "This isn't my room" he thought. He then noticed that one of his hands was touching something soft. After fully opening his eyes, he noticed that he was lying down right next to Alexis, his right hand wrapped around her waist, and his left hand grabbing onto her breast. Alexis was still asleep, however, she was blushing a little and making a few light moans. Jaden's face suddenly turned deep red, as he stared in horror at his current situation, then released his hands in a hurry, and frantically tried to get back to his room. As he was stepping out the door, he heard the blankets rustle, followed by a voice.

"Huh, what happened? Morning already? Wow, time sure does fly" said Alexis. Slowly, she looked around her room, and saw Jaden panicking near the door.

Jaden cringed as she stared at him hard, and he began to lower his head. "I'm sorry, lex! We were both tired last night, and we fell asleep, but I was too tired and couldn't get back to my room, and apparently fell asleep right next to you on the bed. I'm really, really sorry! I didn't mean to! Please forgive me!" he said, while bowing his head.

Alexis looked stunned for a second, before sighing. "It's fine Jaden. You don't have to make it sound bigger then it is. Plus, you didn't really do anything, right?" she asked.

"Yes. We were both asleep, so I... really... didn't... do... anything" he replied, as his face got redder and redder with each word.

Alexis suddenly looked confused, before asking in a loud tone, "Jaden, what did you do?"

Jaden hesitated for a bit, then he began to stammer. "W-Well, I m-might have slightly touched your chest while we were asleep. I'm sorry, it was an accident! I promise that it will never happen again!" he pleaded to Alexis, while consecutively bowing.

Alexis looked slightly angry for a moment, before sighing again. "It's alright, Jay. True, I'm a little angry, but it wasn't deliberate. Plus, we really stayed up late last night, so I'm partially to blame, and when you think about it, it's not really that big of a deal" she said calmly.

"But why?" he asked. "I heard that girls hate perverts who touch their chests?"

"Again with that innocent personality. Damn it Jaden, how gullible you can be! Are you really a full-fledged adult? I'm starting to doubt it..." she thought. "Well yes, but you're no perv, Jay. In fact, you probably don't even care about women or love. It's been like that since the academy days, and to be honest, better you then someone else" she explained.

"Wait, what does that mean?" he asked.

Alexis finally giggled, then went up to him. "That's a secret!" she whispered into his ear, then walked towards her bathroom. "Alright Jaden, I'm gonna take a shower. If the others are downstairs, tell them I'll be right down" she said. As she entered, she added, "Jaden, I'm not mad, honest, so please don't think too much about it like you usually do when it comes to this stuff, okay."

After she closed the door behind her, Jaden left the room. "Hah, I survived somehow" he said, blowing a sigh of relief. Suddenly, he heard deep laughter from right above him. He looked up and found Yubel and Banner, laughing their heads off. Jaden started to put the pieces together, then he got a little enraged. "So it was you two! Why didn't you wake me up earlier? Not cool! I'll get you for this!" he shouted, as he started chasing the two spirits.

Alexis sighed. That was the third time she had sighed this morning. She was currently stark naked in the shower, trying to cool her head off. The water flowed down her hair and body, as she began pondering the events that had just happened.

"I do remember chatting with Jaden on my bed. I guess we both fell asleep at the same time, and Jaden was too tired to move back to his own room. Then, I guess what happens in our sleep is out of our hands, so I know he didn't mean it" she thought. "Well, it's not a big deal, so then what's this feeling of disappointment? Could it be that I'm angry, not because of what he did, but because I wanted him to do more?" she blushed at the thought, but then shook her head. "No, no, I'm just overthinking things. Let's just get this over with, and head downstairs."

After Jaden failed to catch the spirits that were partially responsible for the indecent situation he was in, he surrendered, and went down to the table for breakfast. When he reached the table, he found that Atticus and Mac were already there. Atticus had already begun eating, while Mac was reading the morning paper. As he stepped in, she said "Good morning, sleepyhead."

"Huh, oh morning guys" he replied.

"Yup, and what a morning it is! It's actually snowing today, so I guess we can have a little outdoors fun!" said Atticus excitedly.

"Yeah, sounds great" replied Jaden in an uninterested tone.

Atticus and Mac stared at him for a second, before they started whispering to each-other. "Hey Mac, what happened to him? I'm sure we had a blast at the arcade, so why is he bummed out?" he asked quietly.

"Beats me, Atty. My guess is this though; I think something happened to those two when we took our eyes off of them" she replied with a sigh. "Well either that, or he's just really tired."

"Well that's not good. What are we gonna do?" he asked.

At that moment, Alexis stepped into the kitchen after her bath. "Good morning, guys" she said, a little irritated.

Mac sighed. "Bulls-eye. Looks like I was right" she thought.

Breakfast continued on as normal, though there was a bit of tension between Alexis and Jaden. Atticus and Mac thought that this was just a repeat of the park incident yesterday. "I guess I'll use this vacation to teach Jaden about the one thing he doesn't know anything about; the opposite gender" he thought with a sigh.

Just as he was thinking about his next move, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" he said energetically, then he got up and went to open the door. Once he opened it, he began, "Yes, who is it..." before freezing up on the spot, at the sight of a very beautiful, red-haired girl, standing at the doorway.

Part 3

Bridget Parker was standing outside the Rhode's residence, contemplating whether or not to ring the doorbell. It was currently 9 AM in Domino City, however Bridget had actually arrived 30 minutes earlier. She had begun to have doubts about heading inside, mostly because of her complete dislike of the 'playboy' Atticus Rhodes, and pure jealousy towards her 'rival' Alexis Rhodes, for 'stealing her Jaden'. In the end, she straightened herself up, swallowed her pride, and rang the doorbell. After a minute or so, the door opened and she heard a voice saying "Yes, who is it...". The voice had frozen, and Bridget came face-to-face with the 'playboy' Atticus Rhodes.

"Atty, huh" she thought. "His hair grew longer, and he got a lot taller, plus there's no more snot in his nose. Other then that, nothing's changed."

Atticus stood there for a moment, before he gave his trademark smile. "Hey babe, haven't seen you around before. I know, you must be a local girl, who's heard the rumors of my awesomeness and manly physique, and you wanted to confess. Sorry, I'm already seeing someone, but I must say, while she's a total hottie, you come a close second. Ah, how fate was cruel to ALLOW MY ARM TO TWIST THAT WAY, AND BRING ME EXCRUCIATING PAIN!" Atticus was flirting with Bridget, until Mac, who came to see what was taking so long, saw the act being done in front of her, and began to twist and break his arm.

"Well, well. Cheating with another girl this early. Why, it's not even lunch time yet" she said with a very cold smile, while twisting his arm.

"OWWW! I'M SORRY MAC. I DIDN"T REALLY MEAN IT, HONEST. I WAS ONLY JOKING! PLEASE LET GO, MY ARM SHOULDN"T TWIST THAT WAY!" he cried out in pain.

"Hmph!" Mac let go, and while Atticus ran over to the staircase to nurse his injured arm, she went to the door to tell the girl off. "Listen you hussie, I don't really know who you are, nor care, but you'd better leave now, before..." she began, before her expression changed after taking a good look at the girl in question. "Bridge, is that you?" she asked.

Bridget sighed, and gave a small smile. "It's been a long time, Mac. How have you been?" she asked.

Mac suddenly smiled, and began jumping for joy, then ran over to give Bridget a hug. "Bridget, it's been forever! How have you been doing? You haven't called in years! What were you doing all this time? Was it really more important to you then your friends?" she bombarded the girl with questions.

"Easy Mac, you're squishing me! I can't breathe!" said Bridget, gasping for air.

"Mac, what's going on outside? What's with all the commotion?" Alexis then stepped out, and recognized the girl Mac was hugging. "Hey Bridge, is that you? It's been forever!" she exclaimed.

"Alexis" Bridget said after Mac let her go. "Yeah, it's been a while" she frowned.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Come on in! Let's talk inside!" said a cheerful Alexis.

"Wow, so you're working for Kaiba Corp.! That's pretty neat. It's no wonder we haven't heard from you in ages. Still, I thought you had bigger plans then that" said Alexis.

"Well, I never had any plans to begin with. I didn't really find anything interesting or rewarding, well up until a year ago that was. Turns out that Kaiba actually has a lot of interesting projects going on, so in a way, it was actually pretty rewarding to join Kaiba Corp., not that it's saying much" said Bridget.

The three childhood friends were conversing in the living room, drinking tea and conversing about their own lives. Atticus was sitting on the staircase, sulking and nursing his own 'injury', while Jaden was trying to cheer him up. Little did Jaden know, that Atticus was acting that way to get Mac's sympathy and attention, not knowing that Mac was already used to that trick.

"How about you, lex? I heard you managed to cruise through courses, and by skipping a few, you're actually going to graduate right before summer, a year before everyone else. Pretty impressive" commented Bridget in admiration.

"Yup, and to think that focusing only on your studies, and ignoring all those date and party invitations, while horrible on your social life, could actually help you in life, and become a member of society in a flash" admired Mac.

"Yeah, there's that, but I also heard that you two are among the top female duelists on campus, and that you were even selected for the rare honor of receiving two of Pegasus's next gen decks" said Bridget.

"Well yeah we did, but 'next-gen' doesn't mean the best or most suitable for me" replied Mac.

After a sip of tea, Alexis asked, "Alright Bridget, so why did you come to visit us today, specifically? I doubt you came today to catch up."

Bridget took another sip, took a deep breath, then looked at Alexis. "Very perceptive. I actually came this official meeting review report and instructions, salary, etc. that are in this briefcase, to one of my colleagues on behalf of " she said, showing the briefcase.

Alexis frowned, while Mac asked, "Wait, you don't mean?"

Bridget smiled. "It seems that Mac knows who I'm here for. I actually went to his house, but his parents told me that he was staying at a friend's place, and that Atticus was the name of that friend. Yes, I'm here to see Jaden Yuki" she explained.

A moment of silence followed, before Mac said "Well, better go call him", and left the room.

Alexis then spoke up. "So you and Jaden work in the same sector of the company?" she asked.

Bridget stared at Alexis, while thinking "Maybe, if this is what I think it is..."

"That's right" she replied, "We both work in the same section. Jaden does the field work, and I supply him with assignment data and specifications. He relies on me quite a bit, though I can't tell you exactly what we do. It's our little secret."

A couple of the words sunk into Alexis's chest, and she begun clenching her fist, before calming herself down. "Is that so? Well, it is Kaiba Corp., so I suppose secrets are warranted in a company as big and as prestigious as it is" she said calmly, before looking at Bridget with a menacing smile. "Well, in your case, I bet Jaden was more of a pain then a gain. I mean, he's a great duelist, but when it comes to data and specifications, details, etc., he probably wouldn't understand it at all. I would know, because we've known each-other for a long while, and we share a close bond. I even tutored him for a while. Privately. In his room" she said provocatively.

The last four words struck Bridget like a rain of arrows. "Is that so?" she responded weakly. Both of them began to emit hidden sparks, while staring fiercely at each other. Just then, Mac stepped back inside, with Jaden in tow.

"Hey Brid... sorry, . Fancy meeting you here" he smiled.

"Hello Jaden. Yes, it was quite unexpected, but you do need these documents. Boss's orders" she replied, then walked over to him and handed over the briefcase. She then got close, and began whispering in his ear. "Listen Jaden, inside of this briefcase are all the documents regarding the meeting we had a couple of days ago, a couple of which I need you to sign, and bring back to Kaiba Corp., by the time of our next meeting. It also contains some funds, as well as a few references if you need to contact someone during your training period, and several other items you will probably need."

Jaden nodded, then said "Thanks Bridg... I mean, ..." he stopped as his lips were sealed by her finger.

"Please Jaden, we're not at work. You can call me Bridge" she said in a cute, seductive voice.

CRUMBLE

They all turned to look at the source of the sound. Alexis wore a dark expression, and one of the tea biscuits had been crushed in her hand.

"It seems I should take my leave. Remember Jaden, the contents of that briefcase must remain a secret, or else!" she said with a cute wink.

"HOLD IT!" Alexis slightly shouted, "Let me escort you out. It's the least I could do, as a host" she finished, trying to mask her irritation behind a smile.

Bridget slightly smirked at the sight. "Sure Alexis, after you" she said. Mac just stood where she was, confused about what had just happened, while Jaden, too dense to read the atmosphere, decided to head up to his room to explore the contents of the briefcase.

Outside, Alexis finally snapped. "Alright Bridget, what's your game?" she asked.

"I'm afraid that I don't know what you're talking about?" replied Bridget.

"I'm talking about Jaden, and the fact that you were openly flirting with him in my house. You were never into boys, yet here you are playing the 'cute and cuddly' act with Jaden of all people. You just show up at my house after all this time, just to flirt. Don't you think that's strange?" asked Alexis.

"Well, well, this coming from the girl who couldn't confess her own feelings when she had a clear opportunity to do so" replied Bridget, and while ignoring Alexis's shocked expression, she continued. "Yes, I know all about that night. Listen Alexis, I don't really have a grudge against you, regardless of all the times you upstaged me in the past, and all the arguments we had. I truly fell in love with Jaden, and I intend to confess to him real soon, though I currently can't due to certain private circumstances, and when I do, I'll make sure to never let him go, but don't worry, I'll send you an invitation to the wedding" she said in a provocative tone, then sighed. "Truth is, when I heard that he was at your place, I thought that you had actually won the battle, and that I've lost my chance, but now, seeing that you are indecisive and cowardly, I can leave without regrets. Enjoy playing 'girlfriend' while you can." As soon as she finished, she got into her private limo while looking at Alexis with a provocative smile, and drove away.

Alexis stood there in the spot, stunned. She wanted to scream, to cry, to shout, but the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. She knew it deep in her heart; she had been utterly defeated today.

Part 4

In his room, Jaden opened up and examined the contents of the briefcase. Inside, there was a full report of the events that transpired during the meeting, including the big announcement. He also found a pamphlet regarding the details of the big duel tournament that would occur in several months time.

"This must be the pamphlet Kaiba's gonna start handing out next week" he thought. He also found a few profiles of several victims that had been formerly possessed by darkness, and some of the common decks and key cards used by them. Next, he opened a personally signed note from Kaiba, reminding them that his work was top secret, meaning that if the secret's out, so are you. He also mentioned that should he encounter darkness during their training, his job was to eliminate it ASAP, to prevent himself from being exposed. Finally, Kaiba asked all Dragoons to train hard and win, or else.

Attached to the letter, was his shiny, laminated new Kaiba Corp. ID, and as explained by Kaiba, his ticket around the city. The ID in his hands was an executive's ID, and showing this anywhere around Domino City, meant preferential treatment at any restaurant, store, etc., though Jaden didn't really care about that. He also received a brand new card from Bridget, who based on the small greeting's card, said it was an early Christmas present. Finally, he received a platinum credit card, which based on the letter, contained his enter salary, which... well let's just say that it was an overwhelming amount, being a dragoon and all.

Again, Jaden didn't really care about all that. What excited him the most was the pamphlet. "Man, I can't believe that the rules are so simple, but what's this about qualifiers? Well, it looks like he was spot on about the prizes. Just thinking about designing my own card gets me all fired up!" he thought excitedly. Suddenly, Pharaoh came into the room, and pounced onto his bed. "Hey, where on earth were you? Wait a minute, (sniff)(sniff), do I smell tuna on your breath? Damn it, Pharaoh, you know that carrying you is gonna be a pain in the..."

Yubel appeared right before Jaden finished his sentence. "Jaden, stop worrying about that, and start worrying more about the events that happened over an hour ago" she said.

"Meowww" yawned pharaoh, and Prof. Banner floated out of the cat's stomach, and appeared. "I think this is what they would call a love triangle, right" he teased.

"Love triangle?" asked Jaden.

"Enough Banner, or I'll crush your throat!" threatened Yubel, before turning back to Jaden. "Listen Jaden, I feel that you have to pay close attention to that Bridget girl. She's obviously up to something. Her type always is."

"Relax, guys. Bridget was just teasing me. I'm sure that being outside of work, she thought that it would be cool to act all cutesy, and I bet she's having a good laugh as we speak" smiled Jaden.

"Whatever you say, Jaden. That topic aside, I think that something happened between that Bridget girl and Alexis" she stated.

"Oh! You noticed too, Yubel! Yes, it's quite suspicious, though they apparently seem to be fighting over the same guy... HIII!" Banner stopped after seeing Yubel preparing a beam of energy. "I'm sorry!" he bowed and disappeared back into Pharaoh's stomach.

"Anyways Jaden, Alexis seems really down right now, possibly due to that Bridget girl. Before I came to you, I saw the two of them bickering at the doorway, and based on the fact that Alexis was rooted to the spot in shock, and the other girl was smirking at her, so I assumed that the Bridget girl said something unsettling to Alexis" she stated.

"I don't think it's Bridget fault, but if she's feeling down, I guess it's my job to cheer her up!" he said excitedly. "But I don't know how to do it."

"Well Jaden, I think it's time to put that hefty salary that you got from your job to good use. Here's an idea; why not take her out somewhere nice?" suggested Yubel.

"Great idea, Yubel! I'll ask Atticus about a few places I could invite her to" he said excitedly.

"Wait Jaden, Atticus might not be the best person to..." she then put on a mischievous smile. "Actually Jaden, I think that's a great idea. You should ask Atticus all about the nicest places in town to take Alexis to. Now get moving; your lady awaits." she said, as she disappeared.

"Alright then, to Atticus I go!" he declared, then left the room.

Atticus was in his room, dressing up into his winter gear, to head on outside and have some snowy fun. As he was leaving his room, he heard a knock on his door. When he opened it, he saw Jaden, who was slightly blushing, outside. "Hey Atticus, can I ask a favor?" he asked.

Atticus looked confused. "Sure thing Jay, but why'd you come to me? I'm sure Mac or Alexis could have helped you out better then I ever could" he pointed out.

"Yeah, but I need some (cough)... girl advice" he stammered.

Atticus stood there for a moment, letting those words slowly sink in, before ecstasy overwhelmed him. "YIPEE! Jaden's finally realized it. I'm going to have a little brother!" he shouted, while dancing around the middle of the room.

Jaden gave a confused smile, unsure of what to do next. "Listen Atticus, it's not that big a deal. I just need you to tell me about some of the really good restaurants in the area. I want to invite Alexis over there, so I can cheer her up" he explained.

Atticus stopped, and said "Oh, so that's it. Bummer, but still it's progress, if even if only a little." He then turned to face Jaden. "Well Jay, the best place isn't very far from here. I'd say it'll take about a 15 minute drive. The place is called 'Heaven's Door', and it's probably the best 5-star restaurant in all of Domino, that only the elite of the elite can enter. Luckily for you, the Rhode's family happens to fall into that category, so let your uncle Atty pull a few strings for ya" he smiled while explaining, then put his hands on Jaden's shoulders. "Listen Jay, just go to the counter and say 'Rhodes'. You'll instantly get a good table and service, though you'll have to dress up in a suit. They've got a strict dress code after all. Ah, I know! I've got the perfect 'date night' suit. I'll loan it to you..." Atticus began talking like a machine gun, which caused Jaden to lose him halfway through his instructions.

"Um, Atticus, not to butt in, but what exactly is going on? I don't really get it..." he began, before Atticus started pushing him into the closet.

"Don't worry, Jay. When I'm done with you, you'll look even better then me, and that's actually saying something" he smiled mischievously. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."

Jaden began to panic at that last sentence. "Wait, don't I get a say in this!"

Mac was sitting in the living room with Alexis, trying to calm her down. Alexis had come back after seeing Bridget off, all depressed, not wanting to see anyone or hear anything. After helping her calm down, she got the details of what happened between the two childhood friends, how Bridget had basically declared Alexis as her love rival, how she would take Jaden from her, and how she had called her a coward.

"I can't believe that Bridget would say that!" complained Mac, "And to think that she had the guts to flirt with Jaden right in front of you. I'm gonna go give her a piece of my mind!"

"It's alright, Mac" said Alexis. "She really hasn't won yet, and anyways she's got a point. In some ways, I am a coward" she sighed and looked out the window.

Just as Mac was about to retort further, Atticus stepped into the room. "Ladies, I know that you're busy, but I have something to show you" he announced.

"Atty, this really isn't the time..." she began, but Atticus looked at her, with a 'Don't worry, I've got this' look.

He then went over to Alexis. "My lady, I know you're down in the dumps, so I prepared a little remedy for you. Introducing, for one night only, the handsome hunk, Jaden Yuki!" he announced loudly.

Alexis looked up, dazzled at the sight of Jaden as he entered the room. He had worn a fancy black tuxedo, with matching pants and a dark red tie. Mac was staring in admiration, and Atticus was urging Jaden to say something.

"Damn, this is so embarrassing! But, if it'll cheer her up..." he thought, as he stood in front of Alexis. "M..My lady, w-w-would you do me the h-honor of going to dinner w-with me?" he asked nervously, while stammering and blushing. Alexis stood there silent for a moment, before she began to laugh. "I knew it! I screwed up" he cried out, then went to leave, but Alexis grabbed his arm.

"Sorry, Jay. I'm not laughing at you, well not fully anyways. I'm laughing because I'm really happy that you invited me. Let me prove it" she said. Then she cleared her throat, and said "I'd be honored to accept your invitation to dinner. Please take care of me", while smiling.

Jaden then gave off his trademark smile. "Yeah, leave it to me!" he said. All the while, Mac was looking on while blushing, with stars in her eyes, and Atticus was nodding while saying, "All's well that ends well."

"Are the preparations ready, Fira" came a voice from a mobile phone.

"You bet, old man! I got lady Yubel to take the bait, though she almost killed me in the process. Occupational hazard, I guess" the girl named Fira sighed.

"Enough complaining! You remember the plan, don't you?" the voice asked.

"Yeah, yeah" she yawned. "Capture that Alexis chick, make lord Jaden come after me, and duel him. That's it, right?"

"As long as you remember. I'm counting on you, Fira. Do not fail me!" the voice ordered, then the call ended.

"That shitty, useless old fart! I wish he'd just die" she said. She then looked at the photo of Jaden. "As for you my king, I can't wait to meet you in person. When I do, I will make sure to make you fall for me with my dueling skills. As for that chick, well... lets just say that after tonight, she'll never even think about getting close to you ever again!" she said while laughing hysterically. With that, the ominous night began.

So, Bridget is officially a rival. Well, I bet you saw that coming, but Jaden wearing a tux. Hell, even I couldn't believe it, and I'm the author! I slipped in a little fan-service in, just to spice things up, not that it actually made a difference...

The big question is: Who is Fira, and what is her actual aim? And why didn't Yubel warn Jaden about the impending threat. Either way, I've spiced things up for probably my first true, action-packed chapter, full of heroes and new cards. Wanna now what they are? Well, you'll have to read the next chapter to find out. All I can say, is that Jaden should probably bring along a LOT of ice...

Now for the preview:

Next time on Yugioh GX: Beyond the academy

Jaden takes Alexis to a fancy joint and embarrasses himself, but that wasn't the worst of it. Now, he has to duel one of the top duelists of duel academy, a duelist even the pros fear, with Alexis's life on the line, and win. But what's her connection to the supreme king, and could she be a potential love rival! All this and more in Chapter 10: A Fiery Encounter

So for now, I guess I'll turn in. Looking forward to your reviews and support!

With that, I end my turn.