Authors Notes: I do not own Yugioh GX or any of the characters in this fic (except Kenji).

The Truesdale brothers walked down the vast, sterile corridors of the Obelisk Blue dorms. White walls gleamed, blue tiles sparkled. Harsh white light flooded every corner and reflected off of the cold marble floors in shimmering flashes. No cockroaches here, only cleanliness fit for gods. The scent of the place was nothing if not pure; the smell of new carpets and floor wax. It stung Syrus's sensitive nose and made his eyes water.

Syrus was overwhelmed. The boy's eyes were usually fixed firmly on the ground, but he couldn't help trying to take in the uncaring beauty of the Home of the Elite.

Although he longed to improve, Syrus found that he hated the atmosphere of the Obelisk Dorms. It was too quiet, too cold. As vermin-ridden as it was, he preferred Slifer. He missed it already.

I want to go home. Why did it have to be me? I just want to go see Jaden and Chumley. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be with my brother.

He realized how terrible that was, but he couldn't deny that it was true. Being with Zane was simply too stressful. Syrus was stressed enough; he didn't need his brother around to worsen the situation.

The click of Zane's heels ceased suddenly, and he turned to face his brother. Syrus, too absorbed in his own worries, kept walking, and eventually bumped into him.

"I-I'm sorry, Zane."

A ghost of a smile touched Zane's lips for an instant.

"Can't you watch where you're going, Sy?" His tone was laced with playfulness, which Syrus didn't notice.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, earning himself a sigh from his older sibling.

"Don't worry about it."

Zane began walking again, and Syrus followed. He wasn't looking around any more; his eyes were focused firmly on spotless tile. The silence settled itself in once again, interrupted only by occasional mechanical whirrs and the clack of Zane's boots.

Does he hate being with me as much as I hate being with him? I really wish that I never had a brother. I love him, but we're just too different. We'll never be close.

"Zane?"

"Yeah?"

"Do…do you know this guy, um," he consulted the now seriously crumpled note, "Kenji?"

"I've dueled him a few times. Why?"

Syrus mumbled something under his breath and shoved the note into his back pocket.

"What was that, Sy?"

"Oh…I was just wondering."

They had been walking for quite some time, and Syrus was beginning to wonder how large the Obelisk Dorms were and how much longer they would be walking. Zane answered his mental question seconds later.

"We're almost there. His room is A-475."

Syrus glanced at the doors as they slipped in, then out of his vision. A-469, A-470, A-471…he began to get dizzy, and shook his head.

"How many rooms are there here?" Zane didn't respond immediately, and Syrus mentally cursed himself, assuming that his brother was ignoring him.

"One thousand, I believe. There are five hundred 'A' rooms and five hundred 'B' rooms. 'A' rooms are for the first half of the alphabet, that is, for people with last names beginning with letters 'A' through 'M,' and 'B' rooms are for the second half, letters 'N' through 'Z.' You would have never found him. You were on the totally wrong side-"

"-the side with 'Truesdale,'" Syrus finished, and buried his face in his hands.

"Yeah," Zane said, with a good-natured chuckle. He paused. "Who sent you to deliver this note, anyway?"

"Dr. Crowler."

Zane stopped in front of Room A-475, and frowned. Syrus jogged half-heartedly to catch up, and stood beside his brother.

"And he didn't give you any clue as to where to find him?"

"Uh-uh. He just handed me the note, and told me to deliver it."

"I'll have a talk with him. Sometimes he just goes too far."

Syrus gaped at his brother. Did Zane…did Zane actually just stand up for him? Or at least, offer to stand up for him?

Zane held his hand out to Syrus. This time, his younger brother got the hint immediately, and handed him the piece of paper. It was now an odd grayish color, and becoming fuzzy around the edges. Zane held it between his index and middle fingers, as if it was a Duel Monsters card.

With his other hand, he knocked on the door of Kenji Kosuke.

To be continued...