Rawr! I'm back, and Jaden's now at duel academy. How will he cope with having to interact with people? Plus:
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Yugioh Gx. If I did, I'd be in the Bahamas right now, not writing fanfiction.
Jaden had to admit later that he didn't really remember most of the ride to duel academy. He'd dozed through most of it, keeping the other students from bothering him. Thankfully, Caleb hadn't been on the same flight, so his peace was lasting. He didn't really wake up until everyone suddenly rushed to one side of the plane. He opened one eye, and saw they were coming in to land at duel academy.
'Just in time then.' Jaden didn't really see what the fuss was about – it was a building on an island. His feigned sleep gave him an excuse to not look, at any rate.
The chancellor's speech was equally boring. It was nothing anyone with braincells wouldn't already know anyway. He glanced across at the late-comer from the induction duels. Slifer. Check. He smirked. It was good to know there was some justice after all. He didn't see Caleb, so he wondered if he'd been right about him. Not bright enough to get in and maybe not skilled enough either. Jaden hadn't seen Caleb's duel, so it was hard to say. He zoned out for the rest of the speech. Upon dismissal he turned and walked straight into Caleb.
'Ah. He was directly behind me.' Then his expression turned to shock. 'Y-you're in Obelisk too?' Caleb gave his happy little smile.
'I know! And I really messed up the written test... I only got ninety-two percent on it...'
'Only? Maybe he's smarter than he looks... At least we don't have to share dorms.'
Jaden decided to take the longer route back to the dorms, hoping to shake Caleb on the way. Passing by a lit duelling field, he heard voices from within, mocking the new arrivals. Jaden's eye twitched. He wouldn't have cared, except for the fact that he happened to be one of the new arrivals. He walked in, pretending not to have heard. 'Oh, sorry, is this field taken?' One of the boys, with strange seaweed-hair, jeered at him.
'Yeah, you don't belong here, newbie!' His accomplice laughed.
'Quite right. I wouldn't want to hang out with weak duellists after all. I'll go find the field where the real duellists are.' It took them a moment to realise they were being insulted.
'Yeah, that- Hey, wait a minute! The Chazz doesn't take that from anyone!'' Jaden smirked.
'Oh? So you're 'the chazz' are you?' A dark-haired boy leaped down from the stands.
'No, I am. And I don't like you're attitude, kid. I say we duel, right here, right now!' Jaden smirk turned to a snarl.
'Bring it. This should be entertaining.' They were interuppted by a blonde-haired girl, wearing long fingerless gloves.
'I thought I'd find you here, Chazz.' Chazz actually seemed to... blush?
'What do you wan't my sweet Alexis?'
'Knock it off. I came to remind you that you're going to be late for the welcome dinner back at obelisk.' Chazz made an, 'Oh, bugger' face, and dashed off, lackeys in tow.
'We'll finish this later!' Alexis put her hands on her hips.
'He just doesn't know when to quit... I hope he didn't bother you too much.' Jaden scoffed.
'Hardly. I know just how to deal with his type... Alexis, right?' She smiled. It was unusual, to say the least. People rarely smiled around Jaden.
'Right. And you are...?' He hesitated for a moment, but his name was hardly giving anything away.
'Jaden. Jaden Yuki.' She smiled again, then got a good look at his eyes. Clearly Chazz and his lackeys had missed them. She seemed taken aback, but carried on. Jaden had to give her that.
'Well, you should probably head back too. The dinner's for you as well. I think I saw someone looking for you too, before. Caleb, I think?' Jaden groaned. 'You know him then?'
'I met him at the entrance exams. I've been trying to lose him ever since. He's driving me mad!' Alexis looked puzzled.
'Why, he seemed... Oh, the dinner! We should go!' Jaden nodded, and they dashed to their dorms.
Jaden was about half way there when...
'Jaden!' So close...
'Sorry, Caleb. Have to get to the dinner!' Caleb grinned and started walking alongside Jaden. For Jaden, this was a dash. He didn't hurry.
'Hey, that's why I came to find you! But it looks like you already knew.'
'Of course I did.' Said Jaden, lying through his teeth. Appearing to know things is almost as good as actually knowing them.
'Guess I didn't need to look for you then. Should we speed up? I don't want to be late and miss most of the food!' Jaden could see where this was going.
'You eat a lot then.'
'Yeah! But I have a really fast metabolism, so I don't actually put weight on.'
'I had wondered.'
They arrived to the dinner on time, and while the food was excellent, Jaden found the company to be somewhat lacking. Most of the poeple in Obelisk were rich snobs with little skill, with the exception of a few third years, and, Jaden grudgingly had to admit, maybe Caleb. Speaking of which...
'So, Jaden, found any friends yet?' Jaden snarled.
'No, and I don't intend to.' Caleb's face returned to preach mode.
'Oh, but you must! Everyone needs friends! Friends are the spokes around which the universe turns! Without friends, we're nothing!' You could almost see his eyes turn into stars. '...Jaden?' Jaden had vanished. 'Aw, snap.'
Jaden slipped around the corner, trying to look nonchalant. He spotted Zane on by the far wall, sipping a glass of punch, the space around him devoid of people. Jaden felt a pang of jealousy – Zane didn't even have to try to get people to leave him alone. Zane saw him, and raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed Zane remembered him from the entrance duel. He motioned towards himself ever so slightly. Jaden walked over, remembering Caleb's comment about Zane's skill. If he had to talk to someone, it might at least be someone skilled. And might get Caleb to leave him alone.
'Jaden, right? I saw you're duel at the exam. Impressive. I'm looking forward to having some real competition for a change.' Jaden smirked.
'Well, I can't say I think much of this rabble. I take it most of them bought their way into obelisk?' Zane's mouth twitched slightly, possibly indicating a smile.
'Almost all of them. It's rare to get a first-year obelisk on talent alone.'
'Oh, a friendly word of warning. If you see a first year with shoulder-length brown hair, just run. He's crazy and annoying.' For a moment, Zane seemed almost taken aback by the description, but the moment was fleeting.
'I'll bear that in mind.'
Jaden was examining his room later, thankful to be far away from Caleb, when he received an e-mail from Chazz.
'Meet me at the duel field and we'll finish what we started.' Jaden smirked and stalked off to teach the upstart some manners. After he passed, one of the doors creaked open.
'So, you turned up, did you, slacker?' Jaden smirked.
'I'm right here, or are you more retarded than I thought?' Chazz snarled.
'Duel!'
:i'll go first, and show you how it's done! I play a card face down and summon reborn zombie in defence mode!' Jaden drew a card.
'Is that all? I play dark fusion, to fuse my evil heroes Darkwing and Blackfire into evil hero Inferno wing!'
'Not so fast! I activate cthonian polymer, and by sacrificing my reborn zombie, I can take control of your Inferno Wing!' Jaden's face twisted into a bitter snarl, his golden eyes flashing angrily.
'So be it. I summon Evil hero rockman in defence mode, and end my turn.'
'Fine! I summon Cthonian soldier in attack mode, and attack Rockman with Inferno wing!' Jaden's life points dropped by 800 due to Inferno wing's effect. He didn't even flinch. 'Now, Cthonian soldier, attack this slacker directly.' Jaden lost another 1200 life points, but still didn't flinch. Chazz was getting annoyed by how calm he was. 'I play a facedown and end my turn.'
I thought you two would be here.' They both wheeled around.
'Alexis? How did you-'
'Hi Jaden!' Jaden groaned.
'Caleb saw you sneaking off towards here, so he called me to try an warn you. If campus security catch you, you'll both be in real trouble! I'm guessing Chazz didn't mention that.' She glared at him.
'Oh, I already knew. I just didn't really care. Caleb, make yourself useful for once and keep a lookout. This shouldn't take long.'
'Why you...!'
'My move. I summon evil hero Shockwave in attack mode, and with it, attack you're cthonian soldier.' The monster exploded, and both duelists lost 400 life points.
'My cthonian soldier's effect-'
'Means we both lose the life points, I know. I play one card facedown and end my turn.'
'That's it!' Chazz glanced at his new card, and smirked. 'I attack your Shockwave with infernal wing!'
'I activate mirror gate, switching our monsters, meaning infernal wing is on my side now.' Shockwave exploded, reducing Chazz's life points by 500. 'And not forgetting his effect.' Infernal wing flew to Chazz, and seemed to take great delight in dealling another 1600 points of damage.
'Then, I activate Cthonian blast, destroying your infernal wing and dealing half of it's attack to you as damage! Next I play premature burial, to return my cthonian soldier to the field, but I sacrifice him to summon my Meifist the infernal general! Your turn.' Jaden drew his card, but Caleb called out.
'Jaden! Security's coming! We have to go, now!' Jaden snarled.
'Fine. Next time you won't get off so easily.'
'Easily? I was about to beat you!'
'Chazz! This isn't the time!'
'Tch, fine.' Chazz stalked out, and Alexis quickly led Jaden and Caleb out through the back way.
'Thanks Alexis. If you hadn't know about that back way, we'd have been done for.'
'That's fine. Chazz really gets on my nerves. But Jaden? How were you so confident? It looked like it could go either way to me.' Jaden scoffed.
'Hardly. I'd just drawn monster reborn. Bring back Infernal wing, and he would have been finished. All security did was save his ego.' Alexis looked momentarily shocked, but rallied.
'I'm going to bed.'
'Hey, Jaden! Wait for me!'
'Caleb, leave me alone!'
'But Jaden, without friends there-'
'No friend speeches!' Alexis watched them go.
'Well, this should be an interesting year...'
Back at the dorm, and after he'd made sure no-one was around, Jaden summoned Yubel.
'What do you think? Too much of a splash?' Yubel laughed.
'No one knows about your powers, so no, hardly. A reputation for strength is hardly something to complain about.'
'I just wished I deterred a certain someone...' She laughed again.
'Caleb? Oh, he's harmless. Irritating, but harmless. Give it time, and he'll find someone else to latch on to. And he might have a point.'
'Not you too...'
'Well, with others around you, you can always practice your delegation.' Jaden chuckled slightly.
'Might be worth a try.'
Well, there it is. You might have noticed that Jaden's duel was identical to the cannon one, with the names changed on his heroes. I'm sure you can tell which hero's which. Caleb isn't too annoying, is he?