Alexis sat at her desk chair in her temporary room at the Slifer Red dorm while she worked at her laptop. It was early Sunday afternoon and you could almost taste the students' feeling of freedom from another day of classes all around the campus. Most of them were outside enjoying the fresh air or even still asleep. But for Alexis, staying inside to work on her homework felt just as relaxing as free time itself. She had always been an excellent student, but it wasn't simply because it came easily for her. As long as the subject matter and assignments weren't too dull, she enjoyed classes. Even doing homework could be relaxing when she felt like she could take her time on it on a nice day with a breeze and some tea to drink.
Unfortunately, the peacefulness of the afternoon didn't last. Alexis was startled when she heard what sounded like some kind of loud buzzing outside her window. It sounded like some kind of vehicle. Almost like a…bulldozer.
No! It couldn't be… Alexis thought to herself anxiously as the horrible realization of the situation hit her. She quickly jumped out of her chair and ran outside.
Xxx
Once she was outside, Alexis' worst fears were confirmed. There was a bulldozer along with some other wrecking equipment stationed off to the side of the dorm. But how was this even possible!? Jaden had defeated Aster yesterday, so they had won the right to keep their dorm. And hadn't Aster told her that he had informed Seto Kaiba of this already just in case? The thought of Aster made her heart sink. Had he been lying to her about this? What if he had only told her this because he had been hoping for another easy lay in return like the other night? Maybe once Aster saw that he wasn't going to get what he wanted again yesterday, he decided to move on? Alexis didn't want to believe that, but at the same time, she couldn't help feeling a sense of dread and hurt, even though nothing had really been proven at all yet.
"What in Sam Hill is goin' on here!? It's loud enough to wake a stegosaurus after a hunt!" Hassleberry exclaimed.
"What's with all of these machines!? I know this place is in need of some renovations, but this is most certainly NOT the way to do it!" Bastion said.
Alexis turned to see Jaden and the others approaching in from the opposite direction. And off to the side near the bulldozers, she spotted Bonaparte and Crowler.
"Hey, teach! What gives!? I won that duel fair and square, so you can't just destroy Slifer!" Jaden protested angrily.
"You may have won the won the duel, but we have decided that the continued existence of this dorm is too much of an educational hazard to all students and faculty on this island. Its atmosphere is much too carefree and relaxed to promote a proper learning environment. In fact, it is more likely to encourage students to…slack." Bonaparte explained with a devious smile.
"What do you mean "we"!? Dr. Crowler, you don't really agree with this, do you!?" Jaden asked sadly.
Dr. Crowler looked at Jaden and the others hesitantly. Before he was able to say anything, Bonaparte cut in.
"You know how important this is for the future of this school! Slackers like this have no place here! If you don't want to make these choices, you will never take the "Acting" out of your title of Acting Headmaster!" Bonaparte urged Dr. Crowler.
Dr. Crowler had finally had enough. "If doing things like this is what being Headmaster entails, I would rather be Duel Academy's janitor! These Slifer slackers may not be the brightest of the bunch. And they could certainly learn the importance of not sleeping during my lectures… But they are still my students, and I won't forget how many times they have taught me some important lessons that you can't learn in the classroom! So I will not allow you to continue this meaningless endeavor anymore!" He said to Bonaparte angrily.
"It doesn't matter what you think! My crew is already here to begin their handiwork! Like it or not, Slifer Red is done for!" Bonaparte gloated.
"Then I shall duel you for it! Whoever wins decides its future, once and for all!" Dr. Crowler said as he took out his duel disk.
"Very well." Bonaparte agreed as he started to activate his own duel disk.
"Just what is the meaning of this?" A low voice with deadly calm interrupted.
Alexis and the others turned around in shock to see none other than Seto Kaiba himself standing there. It had obviously been years since his tournament golden years of dueling Yugi Muto and other legendary duelists, but Kaiba still looked and sounded very much the same. His face had aged slightly, but he still had the same hard glare and piercing gaze that would frighten anyone who wise enough to understand his power. He even still wore the same long white trenchcoat that he had donned in Battle City.
Despite how incredible it was to see Kaiba himself on the island, Alexis noticed someone who caught her attention even more. Aster was standing a slight distance behind Kaiba. When he saw Alexis, he smiled reassuringly at her. The relief that she felt at Aster's presence and that he had kept his word flooded Alexis with happiness. She was grinning like an idiot, but was too happy to care if anyone else noticed.
"I don't believe this! It's Seto Kaiba!" Jaden practically shouted in excitement.
"I was informed that someone was going behind my back by attempting to destroy MY property at MY own school no less. I did not authorize any of this, but it ends now." Kaiba said coldly, ignoring the star struck gazes of the other students. He turned to face Bonaparte.
"Uhh, Mr. Kaiba, sir. I can explain! You see-" Bonaparte started to explain nervously.
"Shut up! I don't even know who the hell you are! Not that I really care. But you are going to dismantle this disgusting little operation right now. After that, you will leave this island and never come back. I'm also going to find who you work for and make sure that you are out of a job with them permanently and that they never recommend you to anyone else either. And if I hear so much as a peep about you coming back here or even the mainland in the Domino City area ever again, you better believe that I won't be so kind next time. Now take your crew and get the hell off my island unless you want to face the wrath of the entire Kaiba Corporation!" Kaiba warned Bonaparte.
Bonaparte did not need to be told twice. He turned tail and ran as fast as he could in the other direction.
Kaiba turned to face Dr. Crowler. "And you! Why did you even give any authority to let this happen in the first place!? You were put in charge while Sheppard is gone, and a whole dorm almost gets demolished on your watch! But it won't happen again because you're fired now!" He said.
"Wait! Dr. Crowler realized that he made a mistake in the end. That's why he challenged Bonaparte to a duel, to stop him from destroying the dorm. He may be tough on students like me, but that's only because he wants us to do our best. When push comes to shove, Dr. Crowler has always had our backs. Heck, he even went up against a vampire in a shadow game and got turned into a doll last year just to protect us and the sacred beast cards! Okay, he made a mistake this time. But doesn't the fact that he was able to realize that and try to correct it before it was too late prove that he knows what is more important now? I think that he deserves a second chance." Jaden spoke up quickly in Dr. Crowler's defense. The other students except for Aster murmured in agreement.
Geez… They're all too innocent and trusting for their own good. Aster thought to himself in exasperation.
"Jaden… That is more than I deserve…" Dr. Crowler said quietly, amazed that the one student who he had ridiculed and schemed against in the past was coming to his defense once again.
Kaiba looked at Jaden thoughtfully for a moment before answering. "Alright. But he is still on probation for a period of time. Just don't start talking to me about things like shadow games and vampires. I've had more than enough of that hocus pocus already." He said.
"Alright! Thanks, Mr. Kaiba!" Jaden said happily.
"Yes, thank you very much for granting me a second chance, sir. I promise that I will work hard and not give you any reason to mistrust me again. And thank you as well, Jaden and everyone. I was about to go along with a terrible idea, all just to gain more power. But once again, you and the others have shown me that there are things of much greater value. I'll be going back to the office now. Oh, and before I forget, we will be starting our next assignment tomorrow. It's a ten-page essay-double-spaced-on the mechanics and importance of non-battle phase trap cards versus battle phase only traps. Just thought I'd give you a heads up!" Dr. Crowler said, causing most of the students to groan. He then left towards the main building.
Once Crowler was gone, everyone turned to Kaiba excitedly and started barraging him with excited comments and questions.
"I can't believe I get to meet you like this, Mr. Kaiba! I entered your card designing contest a long time ago, and I was picked as the winner! And now I actually have them! Do you want to see them!?" Jaden asked excitedly as he held out his deck with the Neo Spacians.
"Oh. So, you were the winner? But how did you get those cards printed?" Kaiba asked somewhat suspiciously.
"Yeaah… Funny story about that. They weren't exactly…printed. You see, I somehow got sent to space on one of Jupiter's moons. That's where I met them at first, but they were still just card spirits then. At first, I thought I was going crazy or just having a really weird dream. But when I saw one of Kaiba Corp.'s satellites on the beach there, it all made sense. Neo Spacian Aqua Dolphin and the others knew that I had won that contest back then." Jaden explained.
The origins of the Neo Spacian cards had been bothering Aster for a time at first, too. Maybe it had been possible that Jaden had seen the creator of Duel Monsters while he was gone in order to obtain them. But Aster didn't believe that Jaden would ever lie about anything. He was too pure for his own good. With that conclusion and the fact that the Neo Spacians had to have come from somewhere, Aster found himself feeling less skeptical about Jaden's claim than he thought he would. After all, he had already proven that he could defy Sartorius' predictions. And surprisingly enough, Kaiba seemed to accept Jaden's answer as well.
"Again, I'd prefer not to hear about anything of that nature. Just make sure to take good care of your deck." Kaiba said with a rare smile.
"Thanks, I will! But since you're here, how about a duel!? It would be a super sweet to duel you with the cards that I drew for your contest!" Jaden exclaimed.
"Heh. You don't know what you're asking. Besides, I'm retired now. My sole focus is running Kaiba Corp." Kaiba said.
"Ahh, well! I had to ask!" Jaden said sheepishly.
"Um, Mr. Kaiba? I've been wondering about this for awhile now, so I figured I'd ask you now that I have the chance. Um… Why is the Slifer dorm so much more, uh, I guess you could say, "rustic", than Ra and Obelisk? Not that it really matters since I'm in Ra now, but I was just curious!" Syrus asked timidly.
"I had thought that that would be obvious. To motivate you to work harder, of course. If anyone couldn't put in the effort to study hard enough for the entrance exams or not know their own deck enough to do well against those sub-par test decks, then they shouldn't expect to get the good stuff right away. Instead of cursing their own fate, they should be grateful that they still have a chance for something better at the academy and strive to meet those goals. That's what becoming a good duelist is all about. Always aim higher if you want to be the best." Kaiba explained.
"But Slifer is awesome! How could anyone want to leave?" Jaden asked in bewilderment, causing the others to shake their heads or sigh in resignation.
"Mr. Kaiba, why is the only dorm for girls in Obelisk Blue?" Alexis asked Kaiba pointedly. It was something that had always bothered her. She didn't look down on any of the other female Obelisks as duelists, but she could still tell that there was a wide gap in dueling skill among her and some of her other peers. Wide enough to place some of them on the level of Ra or possibly even Slifer.
"Applicant number issues. Statistically, there is usually a much lower ratio of passing female applicants compared to the males each year. Certainly not enough to fill three separate dorms every year. So, we had to make some adjustments." Kaiba said bluntly. He was obviously uncomfortable with admitting to the fact that some of the female students were being placed above their real rankings just to avoid any complications with the numbers or other controversies that could arise from the ranking system.
"I see." Alexis said. She knew that this whole situation could have been avoided altogether if Kaiba hadn't made the decision to divide the students like this, but there was no way she was going to bring that up.
Hey, Kaiba. I got a question for you! Why the heck did you approve of such a ridiculously risqué design for the girls' uniform!? Do you have any idea what it does to me to always have to see Alexis like this!? Aster mentally asked the question that he could not bring up to Kaiba in irritation.
"Well, I'm afraid that's all the time I have for today. I have to get back to work and I'm already behind enough as it is thanks to that goon's shenanigans. Good luck in your dueling and make sure to study hard." Kaiba said. As he started to walk away, he paused in front of Aster.
"Thank you for informing me of the situation here, Aster. Also, I received the document you faxed me last week about the Charity Ball. Everything is in order and should be running smoothly in time for it." Kaiba said.
"Thanks! It looks like it's going to be as successful as last year, too. It's always a pleasure to work on these projects with you, sir." Aster said respectfully.
"We appreciate your assistance as well. I'll see you at it then." Kaiba said. He then took his leave.
"Wow! So, you know Kaiba, Aster!? That is amazing!" Jaden gushed.
"Well, I wouldn't say that I actually "know" him. I don't think a lot of people do. But I've worked on a few charity events with him and his brother since I've joined the league. Kaiba is a hero to orphans like us. It has been really great to work on things like the Charity Ball knowing that it all goes toward helping them and other underprivileged children. As intimidating as he can be, Kaiba's really a big softie when it comes to helping them." Aster explained.
"It sounds like he's not the only one." Alexis said to Aster with a teasing smile, causing him to actually blush.
"So, what exactly is this Charity Ball thing about? Is there dueling?" Jaden asked curiously.
Aster couldn't help smiling at Jaden's question. "That's the main event. It's nothing formal, but all the kids get new packs of cards at it and duel each other, and at the end, everyone gets more prizes based on all sorts of crazy categories that we make up. You know, things like "scariest monsters", "longest turns without bathroom breaks". That sort of stuff. That way, everyone feels like a winner." He answered.
"That sounds awesome! I wish we had those kinds of contests here… Too many people here are too focused on just winning. Something like this could show them that duels can still be fun either way. Do you think Kaiba would let us come to the ball?" Jaden asked.
"I'm not sure, but I'll see what I can do. It would have to just be you guys, though." Aster said.
"Thanks, Aster! I hope we'll get to see you there if we can. And Kaiba. It's just too bad that he's retired now. I bet everyone else at this would like to duel him as much as me." Jaden said.
"Don't you know? Being retired is just a convenient way for him to keep his title without the chance of losing it towards any promising younger duelists like us." Aster said.
"No offense, but you don't think that you would actually have a chance, do you?" Alexis asked seriously.
"Probably not. I'm not naïve enough to believe that I could just go in and defeat him. But where's the challenge in not trying at all?" Aster answered somewhat defensively.
"Yeah! It would be awesome, win or lose! But it looks like the closest thing I'll get to it was last year when I got stuck in the spirit world and dueled Kaibaman. I'll never forget that. It might as well have been a duel against Kaiba himself with the deck he was using. It had three Blue-Eyes and everything." Jaden recalled thoughtfully.
"Did you win?" Aster asked carefully. It was another one of those situations where he could not picture what Jaden was saying to be true, but at the same time, couldn't bring himself to doubt it either.
"Eh, heh, heh. No. He beat me in a few turns right when it looked like I was making a comeback. Those dragons just kept finding a way back. With that and the way he talked to me, it was like he was the real Kaiba. I dunno, it was almost like he had his spirit with him. I was glad to duel him. It helped me come back from my fears when they were hurting me the most." Jaden explained.
Xxx
After they had talked a little longer, everyone had finally gone their separate ways for the day now that the excitement was over. As Alexis started to head back inside, a small piece of paper fell out of her pocket. Surprised, Alexis quickly unfolded and read it. It read: Meet me in an hour near the lighthouse for lunch. A.
Alexis felt her face heat up. How had Aster managed to put that in her pocket without her noticing? What was this supposed to be? A date? But she had told him that she only wanted to be friends. Either way, she knew that she was going to follow through with this. Aster had just helped to save Slifer Red, so she should at least meet him to say thank you.
But it is not just that. You want to see him again. To get to know him even better. Alexis admitted to herself. She had no idea where these feelings were coming from, but she was sure of one thing: It was getting harder and harder for her to avoid Aster, especially since she didn't even want to try to anymore…
AN: Sorry for the wait here. I did not think that this would turn into over a three-thousand-word chapter. Not much AsterxAlexis focus here, but I felt like this scene was necessary. I threw Seto Kaiba in here because the Charity Ball is going to be used eventually and I could see him and Aster working together on stuff like this once in awhile since they are both famous orphan duelists themselves. And because he's just plain awesome. XD I hope that I did okay with writing him and the other characters here like Jaden and Crowler. Next chapter is AsterxAlexis relationship building/fluff! Thanks to all who are reading this!