Chapter three: Meeting Alex (Jack's POV)

I took a sip from my tea cup and smiled slightly, enjoying the taste. There's nothing like a perfect cup of tea….

Except maybe one enjoyed while alone. I opened my eyes and scowled at the girl sitting across from me. She just looked at me blankly. For ten. Straight. Minutes.

"Can I help you?"

"To a cup of tea such as that overpriced nonsense you're drinking? No thanks, Rose's is better."

"Why are you sitting here?"

"Last I checked, there is no crime in sitting with an obviously lonely guy that is sitting in front of a low quality tea shop that charges way too much for nonsense cups of tea." My eye twitched once, twice, three times. This girl is really annoying. What does she want from me?

"I would appreciate it if you leave."

"Oo, sorry, can't."

"Why not?" She raised her wrist and looked at her black watch.

"According to this baby right here," she turned her wrist in order to show me the time, "it is time for my daily 'Annoy a Blond Idiot Sitting in Front of a Café'. And you, dear sir, are today's focus."

"Sorry to put a damper on your plans, but I'm not in the mood for someone's petty game." I realized my tea is now cold and waved over a waitress. "Get me another…."

"Don't bother. Just bring him a fresh, empty cup." The waitress simply looked at her. "Like, now." She scurried away.

"Who do you think you are?"

"Oh, terribly sorry. I've forgotten my manners. My name is Alexandria Holmes, but you may call me Alex."

"Here you go, Atlas-sama." The waitress set the cup down in front of me. As she walked away, Alex pulled out a canteen and poured some tea into the cup.

"Drink that, and you'll never waste your money on this place again." I raised the cup, glaring at the girl over the rim of it. As I took a sip, my eyes widened and her lips turned up in a smirk. I slowly lowered the cup.

"Who made this?"

"A friend of mine. All natural flavors with little to no sugar. It's absolutely divine, isn't it?"

"Hai. I may need to meet this friend."

"Believe me, you will in time." She looked over my shoulder before looking me in the eye again. "At this time, I need you to go straight home without looking back. It was nice meeting you, Jack Atlas." She stood and walked towards whatever, or whoever, she had seen.

I sat there for a good ten minutes, thinking about how her eyes had seemed to harden an instant at the moment she looked behind me. As if she had seen something unpleasant. After debating it, I stood and walked in the direction she had.

"…cheating," she was coughing, supporting herself on the wall. A hand was over her chest, and she was glaring at some guy who weirdly looked just like her.

"You should know better than to approach me without Meta. I cancel out your power."

"What are you…?" I started demanding as I stepped forward.

"Jack, no!" In a flash, the raven girl was in front of me with her arms crossed in an 'X' over her chest. She cried out as a lava colored burst hit her. "I could've sworn I told you to not look back. Are you really that pig headed and stupid?" I decided to ignore that.

"What did he do to you?"

"Later. Now's not the best of times." A card appeared in her hand as she stared the guy down.

"I heard a rumor that you six were being slow in telling your Signers about your connection. But I didn't think it was true," the guy sneered. He raised her hand, and fire surrounded the limb. "That was your final mistake."

"Don't think I'm beat out just yet. Demon's Knight, appear!" My sign began to glow as she pressed the card into the glowing necklace around her neck. My eyes widened as a knight that was the exact same color as my dragon appeared in front of her. I could almost feel my Red Demon's Dragon trying to come out as well.

"Another monster? Weather Princess couldn't even stop me!"

"This isn't WP, though! Attack!"

"Not today! I'll test its power another time!" he informed us as the knight rushed towards him. He disappeared in a flash of lightning.

"Coward! Come back and fight your destiny like a true duelist!" I yelled out, looking around for him.

"Jack, he's gone. Leave him… be for…."

The raven fell back, and I caught her before she hit the ground. After inspecting her, I realized she had burn back on her chest directly above her heart. "What did he do to you?" I muttered, carrying her to my D-Wheel.

"Take me to the hospital, and I'll tell you on the way." I got on my D-Wheel and situated her in my lap before putting on my helmet. As I sped off, she told me the craziest story ever.

~Line Break~

"Jack!" I turned around and saw Yusei, Crow, and some girl with silver hair running towards me. "Did you hear about Aki?"

"Aki?" I raised an eyebrow. "She's here?"

"You didn't know?" Crow asked me. I shook my head. "Heat was somehow shot straight to her heart during a duel. She's been here for a few hours now."

"Heat? You mean like from some kind of lava burst?"

"That's how she described it," Yusei answered.

"This is ridiculous." I turned my head back to look at the lit up OPERATION sign. "That's exactly what happened to Alex. Only she wasn't in a duel, and she had char marks on her chest.

"Did you just say Alex?" I turned to the girl and saw that her eyes had widened significantly. "Alex is in there?!"

"Meta, calm down," Yusei advised her.

"No! Who attacked her?! Was it a guy who looked almost exactly like her but with boy features?!"

"You don't have to yell. You are in a hospital, if you hadn't noticed." I grunted as she jacked me up and yanked me down to her eye level. 'For such a small girl, she sure is strong,' I thought as she glared directly into my eyes.

"Answer. My. Question," she growled.

"Yeah, that was him. He also said she should know better than to approach him without you."

"That's because she absolutely should." She shoved me away from her. "She can't beat Ander. Not the way her mind is at the moment. I'll be back, Yusei. Stay here with Hero." She walked away.