I don't really have much of an intro for this one, so let's just jump into it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh GX, Duel Monsters, or any elements that sound like Maximum Ride. I only own this idea and any original characters or cards I create.
It was a little after seven in the morning on Academy Island. Students were starting to make their way out of the dorms to the main building for classes.
A short bluenette with glasses and a red uniform named Syrus Truesdale was among them. He was joined by a taller boy with black hair wearing a yellow outfit called Bastion Misawa.
"Good morning, Syrus." The Ra spoke with a British accent.
"Hi, Bastion." The shorter boy responded quietly, often the shy one.
"Ready for another day?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."
Before they could chat further, they were soon interrupted by a couple of loud, terrified screams. They rushed toward the source and found a trio of girls, one with black hair, one brunette, and the third a blond, all wearing blue uniforms. The blond stood close to an unconscious figure while the other two stood back in fear.
"What happened?" Bastion asked as they came up for a better look.
"We don't know; we found him like this!" The brunette answered, obviously freaking out.
"Oh my gosh, he's dead!" The black-haired girl cried, just as freaked out as her friend.
The blond girl was more composed than her two companions. She crouched down and felt for a pulse.
"He's not dead, Mindy. He's got a pulse, but it's very faint."
While they talked, Syrus had gotten closer to get a better look.
The person on the ground was a male and looked sorta sickly. A red mark like a scratch was across his cheek.
He was dressed in hospital clothes, torn up and primarily white except for the reddish-pink stains along his right arm. Following them to their source, he saw the stranger was clutching his shoulder where the colors were darkest. There was a matching puddle underneath him that still looked wet.
"Uh, guys?" Syrus asked, almost going unheard. "Does that look like blood to anyone else?"
Bastion heard him and looked at him, drawing the girl's attention. He followed the shorter boy's gaze and saw what he was looking at.
The blond also saw the red and bent down to look closer. Moving the brunette's hand, what the girl found caused her breath to be stolen.
"He'd wounded," The blond answered, the shock making her voice shake. "I think he's been shot."
"Where did this boy come from?" Bastion asked, leaning closer to get a better look at the boy. "And how long has he been out here?"
Since he was wearing hospital scrubs, he theorized he may have come from a hospital. However, that theory was ruined by the brunette's unkempt appearance and how thin and pale he was. No legitimate hospital would let their patients fall into this nasty condition.
"It doesn't matter right now. We need to get this kid to the infirmary," The blond took charge, turning to her brunette friend. "Jasmine, call the nurse to see if she's in her office."
"O-Okay!" She said, pulling out a PDA device.
Syrus stood there, staring at the boy on the ground, specifically his face.
Even unconscious, he looked sad but stubborn, as if he had lost everything but wasn't going to stop fighting. For some reason, it made his heart go out to the stranger.
He almost didn't hear Jasmine when she got back to them. "I told her what going on. She's sending down some people with a stretcher to get him, and don't move him."
The nurse and two men dressed as paramedics arrived a minute later, carefully loading the mystery boy up. Syrus stared after them as they rushed off, not taking his eyes off the boy until they disappeared into the building.
(Nurse's Office)
The nurse, Fonda Fontaine, and her crew rushed into the infirmary. They sprung into action as they started prepping instruments and needles.
Unfortunately, the moment the antiseptic scent hit the boy's nose, his eyes snapped open. Reacting badly to the activity around him, he started fighting and thrashing to get away from the medical personnel.
While the doctors tried to hold him down, Nurse Fontaine called security for assistance. By the time they got there, though, the struggling boy had managed to get off the stretcher.
The boy growled at them, looking very much like a trapped animal. One of the guards came at him, but he rolled away and sprung up in a fighting position. Like what happened last night, the brunette snapped his wings open, making himself look bigger than he actually was.
This action made everyone pause for a second, processing what was going on. The distraction gave the brunette an opening to attack.
Charging forward, he jumped onto one bed and kicked one of the guards in the chest. The force sent him stumbling into another guard and into a hospital bed. Taking everyone by surprise, he made a vaulting leap over the remaining guards and fled.
While the guards reorganized, Nurse Fontaine rushed to the phone and called the principal's office.
(Meanwhile)
Syrus, Bastion, and the girls had headed to class right after the paramedics left. About five minutes into the course, an announcement came over the loudspeakers for everyone to stay where they were until further notice.
The class began to murmur about what could have happened until the teacher called them all back to attention. Syrus' mind flashed to the boy they had found and hoped whatever it was didn't have anything to do with him.
(Near the Card Shack)
The mystery boy was running through the halls, trying to avoid any guards that could be around.
He ducked into an entrance to hide and found himself in some kind of shop. The shelves were filled with card packs, snacks, and stuff for rooms. There were also some fridges along the wall with different drinks.
Having caught his breath, he smelled cooking food coming from the back of the shop. Hunger overriding caution, he decided to go check it out. He slinked along the wall to the back as quietly as he could.
Finding a door, he peeked inside to see a heavy-set woman in a uniform with long brown hair in a braid. She was making something over a stove. He wasn't sure what it was, but it smelled delicious.
He didn't know how long he stood there, salivating, but when the brunette saw the woman turn in his direction, he backed away from the door on instinct. Before he could wonder if he'd been noticed or not, the woman laughed.
"No need to be shy, young man. There's plenty here if you're hungry."
Slowly turning back, he saw her looking his way with a kind smile. If she noticed the dried blood, then he didn't mention it.
Still nervous, he came back into the room, feeling like a frightened animal being coaxed out of hiding. However, like before, his hunger got the better of him.
She chuckled a little before serving up a bowl of whatever that great smell was.
The brunette looked at it questioningly. The teen had never seen a dish like this before.
She chuckled again at his inquisitive look. "It's called gumbo. Don't worry, you'll love it."
He hesitated but took the bowl anyway, his voice cracking from disuse as he said, "Thank you…."
"You're welcome," She answered. "You can call me Dorothy, by the way. What's your name?"
"Jaden." The brunette answered, sitting down at a nearby table to eat.
She was correct; he did love it. It probably tasted even better since he was starving.
Dorothy looked over the slim boy, taking note of the torn, messy clothes he was wearing.
"We should probably get you some fresh clothes, young man." She headed towards the back. "I think there's a Slifer uniform that should fit you. I'll be right back."
Jaden watched her go before he helped himself to another bowl.
She came back shortly with a box. "This should do nicely. There's a changing room back there when you're ready."
Jaden nodded, finishing off his second bowl. He moved to get up but winced when his injuries made themselves known, now that he was calm and awake.
"Are you hurt?"
Jaden stilled but nodded.
"I'll get the nurse, okay?"
He nodded again but was quietly looking for ways out if it came to that.
A few minutes later, the same woman from before came into the room with a medical kit. "I'm here, Dorothy, what's the–!"
Ms. Fontaine stopped abruptly when she saw the same young man from earlier in the room.
Jaden was also getting a shocked and nervous feeling. Unconsciously, he moved into a crouch, ready to spring at any moment.
"Glad you're here, Fonda. This young man's in need of medical help," Dorothy explained before noticing the tension between both parties. "It's alright, Jaden. Nurse Fontaine won't hurt you."
The brunette hesitated.
After what happened last night and throughout his growing years, he was hesitant about trusting anyone who smelled like a sterilized room. Eventually, though, he uncurled and relaxed a little. Fontaine could do the same.
She came closer and knelt down in front of him to better look at what she was dealing with. Jaden was forcing himself not to panic.
"Alright, where does it hurt?" She asked like she would a child to not scare him again.
Stiffly, whether from pain or fear, he didn't know, Jaden removed his shirt, shifting his wings out of sight. The scars and bruises from years of torture were on full display, but the one that stood out was his newest injury since it was still fresh.
Needless to say, Fontaine and Dorothy were both shocked by how beat up he was. However, the former managed to regain her composure before attending to his wounds.
"Alright, let's see what we're dealing with," She said to herself as she got to work. "I won't be able to fully know without an x-ray, but so far, this looks mostly like a really messy flesh wound. There doesn't appear to be any serious damage, so all we have to do is disinfect the injury site and–"
Her words came to an abrupt halt as her attention was brought to something behind him. Jaden had a pretty good idea of what it was…
"Jaden… What are these?"
"Uh, my… wings," He answered meekly, unfolding them a little so she could have a better look. "They're my wings…."
Neither woman said anything for a long time. The silence was starting to get to Jaden, making him wonder if he should make a run for it.
"Okay…" Ms. Fontaine took a deep breath, getting over her shock and going into doctor mode. "Your… wing seems to have some damage, but it doesn't appear too serious. When was the last time you had any vaccinations?"
Jaden stared at her before answering. "Um… never?"
"Okay, we can take care of that, too."
(A short time later)
Excluding his bullet wounds, none of his other injuries needed treatment. He returned to the infirmary with the nurse and the uniform Ms. Dorothy had given him.
When Ms. Fontaine was called to the main office, Jaden decided to take the initiative in fixing himself up.
He looked over the uniform and admitted that he liked the style. It consisted of a black sleeveless shirt, black jeans, red shoes, and a red jacket. There were also some socks and undergarments.
He grabbed the jeans and boxers before stepping into the bathroom attached to the infirmary.
He started a shower, careful not to mess up his wounds as he bathed. His wings needed a method to clean so the feathers didn't get messed up.
The water was cold by the time he got out, having enjoyed his first hot shower in a long time. Once he sufficiently dried himself, he took out the disinfectant and bandages from the first aid kit and patched up his injuries.
One was on his upper right arm, his left leg below his knee, and across his left cheek. The one on his shoulder took a little work, debating whether to use stitches or not since he was sure the refuel he got would kick-start his healing, but he managed. There wasn't much he could do about his wing, so he just opted for disinfectant and left it alone after that.
Checking his work in the mirror, Jaden decided to cut his hair to look less shaggy. Taking out the scissors from the kit, the trim took a good ten minutes. When he was done, his hair was shorter and spiked up in the back, with the front framing his eyes and face.
Setting the scissors down and brushing the clipped hair into the wastebasket, Jaden took one last look in the mirror at his new appearance.
"Like nothing happened…." He muttered before sighing. "But it did."
(At the same time)
The students were given the rest of the day off after the announcement, saying it was safe to leave. Syrus decided to head to the nurse's office and check on the mystery boy.
As he approached the office, he was met by Bastion coming the other way. "Bastion?"
"Fancy seeing you here, Syrus. Checking up on our guest?"
Syrus nodded.
The boys walked inside the infirmary just as Jaden came out of the bathroom, not wasting another second.
The first thing that they noticed was that he was half-naked, wearing only a pair of black jeans.
He was lean and somewhat tall, built like a runner or swimmer. They also noticed that he was drying his hair, which was now short and semi-neat compared to before.
Their earlier suspicions about his condition were proven correct when they noticed his ribs were sticking out slightly. Most of his body was covered in scars, but they were old and faded, except for where the bandages were.
Though, what stuck out were his eyes, chocolate brown and sharp as a hawk's.
And that was before they noticed the wings on his back.
When Jaden heard the door open, he turned around and froze when he saw two boys about his age standing there. The tallest one was staring at him with something akin to horrified fascination, while the short one's mouth was hanging open in plain shock.
"Alright…" The taller boy spoke, trying to figure out what to say to get his own brain back online.
"Try not to freak out…." Jaden said slowly, not quite sure what to do either.
"'Try not to freak out?'" Syrus retorted, having a mini-hysterical laugh. "Why would we be freaking out?! It's totally normal walking in on a teenager with wings! We're not freaking out!"
"Well, he's half right." Bastion mumbled, although it was clear he had many questions.
"Riiiight…" The brunette nodded slowly before changing the subject. "Who are you two?"
"My name's Bastion, and this is Syrus," He nudged the shorter to snap him out of it. "We were two of the students who found you this morning."
"Oh…Thank you. If you hadn't helped me, I might not have lasted much longer." Jaden said softly before turning to get dressed.
"What's your name?" The silver-eyed boy spoke up again after a minute.
The brunette paused before answering. "Jaden."
"Nice to meet you, Jaden," Bastion spoke next, trying to get one of his many questions out. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you get here?"
Jaden looked down as he started cutting into the back of his new shirt. "Hard question to answer."
"Okay, then where did you come from?"
Jaden hesitated while pulling on the modified shirt, testing it to see if his wings fit through the holes. "I don't remember."
It was a lie, but he wished it was true.
"Well, that could be a problem." They all turned to see that the nurse was back with a balding, middle-aged man in a dark red coat.
"Chancellor Sheppard?" Syrus gasped.
"What are you doing here?" Bastion asked.
"What else, I heard we have a young man here with, ahem… special needs, shall we say?" Sheppard explained, trying to figure out how to best approach the situation. "I'm not sure if there's a point in asking, but do you have a last name, Jaden?"
"Yuki. My surname is Yuki." It was the one connection he had left to his past.
"Well then, Jaden Yuki, I'm Chancellor Sheppard, the headmaster here at Duel Academy." The older man introduced himself.
Jaden nodded a greeting, then blinked, feeling a grin tug at his lips. "Did you say Duel Academy?"
The chancellor returned the smile. "Yes. Are you a duelist?"
The teen nodded again before looking like he had just remembered something.
"Looking for this?" Nurse Fontaine asked, holding up a deck case when he started looking around. "You dropped it when you ran out earlier."
"Oh, thank you," Jaden blushed slightly, remembering what happened before. "Sorry about that…."
The nurse just smiled understandingly.
"Well, that changes things a bit," The chancellor spoke again. "Might we continue this in my office?"
Jaden became nervous again. He wasn't keen on being alone with a stranger, but the chancellor seemed harmless enough.
After a moment's hesitation, he nodded an 'okay,' tying his new jacket around his waist since he hadn't adjusted it yet.
"Very well. Follow me, please."
"Before you go, Jaden, could you come back tomorrow? So I want to check your injuries?" The nurse asked/instructed, giving him his deck back.
Jaden nodded and headed out the door, looking at the boys before leaving.
(Main Office)
Jaden was now standing in the main office, trying to keep his nerves together.
The chancellor was sitting at his desk, and a thinner man with a long blond ponytail and a blue coat with pink frills stood next to him.
"Now, Jaden," Sheppard spoke, explaining his plan. "Since you only remember your name and that you're a duelist, I've decided to enroll you here at Duel Academy."
"Really?" Jaden almost couldn't believe his ears, smiling a little. "Thank you."
"Excuse me, I'm troubled," The other man spoke up. "This boy just appeared on our doorstep, and you're allowing him to stay? We don't even know if he's capable of being a student here."
"Yes, I know, Dr. Crowler," Sheppard turned toward Crowler. "Which is why you'll be testing him. That's why I asked you here to meet the boy."
Crowler was about to object, but he got an idea and a sly smile. "Very well, sir. I'll take care of this personally."
He then walked out of the room with that smile still on his face. Jaden didn't trust it for one minute.
"Well, then, why don't we get your living arrangements set up," Sheppard said, oblivious to the ill intent Crowler had.
(Later That Evening)
The rest of the day had been spent getting Jaden his school stuff, such as his Duel Pilot and his academy issue duel disk. He managed to get a hold of another pair of scissors and adjust his jacket so his wings could pop out if he needed them.
After dropping off his new school stuff in the room he was given at the Slifer dorm, he had been left to his own devices to explore his new surroundings. It was almost completely dark out when he got back to the dorm.
He headed for his room and found Syrus sitting at the desk. The shorter boy turned at the sound of the door opening and was surprised to see Jaden standing there.
"Oh, Jaden, hi."
"Hey."
"What are you doing here?"
"Chancellor Sheppard's going to have someone test me tomorrow to see if I can stay," Jaden explained. "I guess if everything works out, you and I are gonna be roommates."
"Really? That's great!"
Syrus pointed to the top bunk, where snoring sounds were coming from. "That's my roommate, Chumley. He sleeps a lot, and he's kinda grouchy."
Jaden looked at the top bunk, then back at Syrus. "I think I'll meet him later."
Syrus giggled a little at his reaction. "Well, we better go to bed. If you still have to pass the entrance exam, you should get some sleep."
The newcomer yawned. "Yeah, guess you're right."
He changed into school pajamas, climbing into the bottom bunk when he was finished since the other two were taken. As both boys went to sleep, Jaden thought he would like it here.
Alright, the second chapter is done. Stay tuned for more.
