AN: I'm back and not kicking. Seriously. I don't think I did great in this chap. I even feel like I drunk a gallon of beer and had a hung over. But even so, please read and throw me some potatoes.
XxxxxxxxxxX
The auditorium was buzzling with excitement. The distribution from obelisk to slifer where thoroughly deliberate. Sho and the others, perfectly in one group right in the middle.
"You sure aniki is coming back today?" Dino-boy was uncertain as to whether he should believe it or not.
"Or someday sooner." Asuka clarified almost instantly. She doesn't seem to be convinced that Jaden would magically appear like he always does. Somehow, within her, she knows that Jaden changed. Somehow, that change made them all feel so far away unlike just a year ago.
"That Jaden sure knows how to annoy me, leaving his rival like this." The air of anger and worry all came down to Manjoume. He crossed his arms like a girl having the day of the month.
Principal Samejima cleared his throat that led to silence. "All of you must be curious on what agenda we have for this year." He paused feeling the momentum of the stage.
"This year, we have invited the top students from each of Duel Academy's foreign branches, right here, to the main Academy."
"We had other branches –don?" Kenzan was playing the stupid guy of the day.
Like a routine, the group sighed. And to save some trouble, Sho just said the awfully precise answer. "Yes we have."
The crowd could feel that the assembly wasn't just for that announcement. The air in the room shifted from bored to excited.
"Let us now begin the introductions." The main dish was finally served.
"From East Academy, Amon Garham!"
The thunder of claps was the cue for Amon to come-out. He waved to the audience like a superstar in his awarding ceremony.
"Hailing from the West Academy, Austin O'brien!"
A male student marched towards the line. Stopped and turned about-face to the masses.
"From South Academy, Jim Crocodile Cook!"
The young man walked and waved without an ounce of pressure.
"Is that a crocodile on his back?" a student whispered.
"I think it is..?"
"And last but not the least, Johan Andersen of the Northern Academy!"
"Johan Andersen?" Manjoume wanted a verification.
Asuka went and confirmed with a doubtful face. "Yes. It's Johan Andersen."
"What about that guy –saurus?" Now, Kenzan wasn't the only one who was on the 'unknowing' side.
He was indefinite as to whether he should share the information he has. "Do you know of the crystal beasts?" He went to the point, slowly but surely.
They shook their heads in silence and wondered.
"Years ago, my brothers had attempted to purchase those cards from Industrial Illusions as they were one-of-a-kind."
They were nodding. Like kids to horror stories.
He says the cards were based on Julius Caesar's attempt to create a tablet that featured seven different gemstones to be used as proof of Rome's conquest of much of the world. However, the ship sunk, and Maximillion Pegasus eventually created the Crystal Beasts cards upon hearing about it. In addition, the cards were not sold and instead were given to a boy who won a regional tournament.
The applause was there. The cheers were present. The audible sound of anticipation were all in the room. But in some way, the said student wasn't.
"Don't tell me the one who won was-"Kenzan's voice was swallowed by the audience's boom.
The hot-blazing anticipation from the crowd was getting intense. If he didn't come out now, there would be a man hunt for him.
Breaking the atmosphere, the door slid open.
The teenager was huffing like he ran a 250km track in broad daylight. He tried to compose himself and inhale all the air around him. "Sorry I'm late!"
Too late doesn't count. The audience had the little desire to throw some tomatoes at him.
He scratched his head and ran through the stairs, trying to be indifferent.
"You're far from being 'just late'." Jim held out a hand for Johan who was beneath the stage.
"Well, I'm not good with directions, actually." He was embarrassed with that little weakness everyone in the room seemed to have witnessed.
"Ahem." He wanted a replay just to make sure. "Again, Johan Andersen from North Academy!"
Now, everyone was truly in place. The masses roared for the champions like it was welcoming them into the jungle called Duel Academy.
"And now, introducing a new instructor-" The students doesn't appear to be pleased. "Professor Cobra!"
As students, none were happy to hear a new teacher coming. And the impression of the name does add to their dismay.
He walked, or maybe marched, into the stage. Hands at the back and chest-out. The aura he was emitting wasn't suggesting a good greeting.
"I am not fond of wasting time." His lion-like voice screamed danger to the students. "As of later, after one hour, an exhibition duel shall commence with only the top students of this school!"
Weak whispers among the students was heard.
"The participants being Johan Andersen and-"
Johan stepped forward. And so did Manjoume. "Of course it's me."
"Jaden Yuki!"
"What?!" Manjoume was dumbstruck. Even if he wasn't there it's like he was still there.
It seemed that Manjoume wasn't the only one to say it.
"Jaden? But I heard-"
"I don't see him here."
"He left the academy right?"
The buzzling doesn't give the impression that it was ending.
"What are you guys talking about?" Johan sounded arrogant. "I talked to him before I went here." His bottled excitement was reaching its peak.
"Really?!" Sho announced like the megaphone he was.
Johan glanced to see who was asking. "Sure did."
"If Jaden Yuki doesn't come at the said time," Cobra was laying his traps and explosives. "He would be kicked out of this school!"
"Agapitos!" The exaggerated tone came from a professor with an obelisk blue uniform in full regalia.
"That's going too far monsieur!" A fat-small man accompanied him.
Both of them were walking to war with Professor Cobra. He, on the other hand, doesn't even care for their comments.
The two teachers were escorted out by soldier-like administrators.
"That is all!"
It ended there. No room for retaliation. No room for argument.
XxxxxxxxX
The students weren't in their blooming aura from earlier. Sucked out of energy by just a roar from a real lion.
"Kicked out?! That's too much -saurus!" Kenzan was stomping hard to the ground. His stomach, on the roll for cobra stew.
Sho was thinking of what Johan said. "He said he talked to Jaden."
"That's true." Asuka was affirming.
"If he did, then why didn't he just pull him over here?!" Manjoume was irritated to the core. As stupid as the idea was, they all wish Johan did.
A bright idea came to Kenzan. "Why don't we just ask Johan?"
"The overseas students are scheduled to have a rest at their ship." Asuka turned off the bright idea.
"And I doubt we're invited in that ship anyways." Manjoume went for the target.
The sudden absence of sound was killing their suggestions right to the heart. They don't know anything and they can't do anything. Not even to where they should start looking.
XxxxxxxxX
For a bright day, it was dark and crumped as to where Professor Cobra was headed. It complements his thoughts and atmosphere.
He trudged through the forest and walked in a singular path with one attaché case on his left hand.
He was eager to get to his destination. Just a few more steps. He froze. Like a snake to its prey. "Who's there?!"
The flying birds and the resolute silence answered. Nothing else. He waited a bit more just to be sure no one was indeed there.
It didn't take too long for him to confirm that he was really alone. He continued his walking and entered a huge facility.
The cobra's intuition was right. Someone was there though he paid no head.
'That' someone was slouching with his back on the tree. He merely watched the conspicuous person enter the facility like he was a spy on errand. A sound of worry entered his ears and dismissed it.
"Kurikuri..."
XxxxxxxX After 1 hour Xxxxx
The battle dome wasn't as rowdy as it used to be. Students were talking among themselves asking "Where the heck is Jaden?"
Johan was surely present. He was standing on the field as he was enjoying the attention he seems to be getting. The zone he was at had a different frequency. A rather high one.
Cobra arrived on stage. Everyone gulped hard as the trial-like atmosphere weighed on their shoulders. The one on the defendant's seat was Jaden who was going to be kicked out right about a minute.
"I see that Jaden Yuki is still 'absent'." His growl taunted everyone that heard it except for one.
"He'll come." Johan was positive. It was either intuition or just plain enthusiasm.
Cobra looked discontented to the point that he glared at Johan. "I do not fancy myself on tardiness."
Johan didn't answer 'cause he's the teach no matter what anyone says.
"On this day, Jaden Yuki-" The shrill discomfort of everyone can't be voiced out. The-said 'hero' that defeated the 3 sacred beast and the society of light is going to be eliminated from the school by just a thing called tardiness. It was laughable. "-is now kicked out from this Academy!"
"Who was?" the mocking voice came from the entrance. It was familiar. Far too familiar for everyone to forget. The voice that was gone for exactly two months was heard loud and clear. But somehow, it sounded fiercer.
XxxxxxX
AN: I know it sucks guys but I feel so stupid today that nothing comes up in my noggin. I would also like some comments. And potatoes….please?