Hey everyone! Glad you liked the last chapter. Here's a new one. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh GX or Jess; she still belongs to ladydream-chan.

Claimer: YAY! This ENTIRE STORY IS MINE!!!! And the one or two or three OCs that show up that aren't Jess are also mine. :)

xXx

Jaden's POV

I sighed and scratched my fingers through my hair, looking outside. Sitting on the front porch the next morning, the day after Greiger was killed; I began to think about what was going to happen today. Hunting these Skulls is the only way to end this sick, twisted game. Being up even before the sun was something I hardly ever do but today I found that it was something I couldn't not do. Just then slim arms wound around my neck, a head resting on my back.

"Are you sure you want to go by yourself?" Alexis whispered softly.

I nodded and reached up, squeezing her hands with one of mine. "Yes; these Skulls are craftier than we first anticipated. They managed to kill Greiger right in front of Yusei." I turned my head around so I could look into her eyes. "They'd do the same thing to me in a heartbeat."

She frowned but nodded, resting her chin on my shoulder. "You're the leader, this is your plan." She turned her head, resting the side of it on my shoulder so she could look at me. "Just don't get yourself killed, okay?"

I smiled softly. "That's a good idea. Why didn't I think of that?"

She smiled, just the slight turn of the lips, before it was gone again. Her eyes clouded a little in sadness and I frowned. "Come here," I said, turning around just enough to wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into my lap. She let out a soft gasp in surprise but soon curled into my chest, hand clutching the front of my shirt.

"I don't like your plan," she whispered.

I nodded and rested my chin on the crown of her head. "Yes, I know."

"And I don't like that you are going alone again." Her hand tightened.

I nodded again. "Yes, I know."

"And I don't like that Jesse, Jim, and Julie are going out by themselves again too." She turned her head, pressing her face into my shoulder.

"Yes, I know." I brushed my lips over the top of her head gently.

She pulled away enough to look me in the eye. "Is that all you can say? 'Yes, I know.'?"

I frowned and looked down, rubbing my hand up and down her arm absentmindedly. "Alexis, there are just some things that we need to do by ourselves, no matter how dangerous that may be."

"But look at what happened to Marik when he thought he could do it by himself."

I nodded mutely, remembering the horrific scene that Atem and the other Pyramids had described for us after the death of their fifth member Marik Ishtar. "Yes, but even if I went with Jim and Julie and Jesse went together, once we were out in the city we'd end up splitting up."

"Why?"

I looked up, placing my hand on her cheek, thumb rubbing beneath her eye. She looked ready to cry. "Because we each have our own ghosts to kill."

"That's stupid!" The tears I feared would appear did then, spilling over just as quickly.

I quickly rubbing them away with my thumb but they appeared quickly. "Alexis," I said, pulling her to me, "this is something that I can't explain to you. Axel was Jim's best friend and Viper killed him. Emmy was the same to Julie and Camula killed her, not twenty feet from us. And Jesse"-I hesitated a moment-"Giese has been haunting Jesse forever; I can't let anyone else be the one to kill any of those Skulls but the three of them."

"And you?" she whispered, hand clutching and releasing the front of my shirt repeatedly.

"Their leader has done too much just to get to me for me to allow anyone else to take him out."

"So this is just a game of vendettas." It wasn't a question but an accurate observation.

"Yes."

"But this whole thing started because of a stupid vendetta and that war last year that killed Mark and Maria was another war started by the stupid need for revenge."

I tightened my arms around her, holding her tightly against me. "Yes, revenge is a stupid need but it is a need, like food and water."

She shook her head, burying her face in the crook of my neck. "You can't compare revenge to food and water."

"Spoken like someone who hasn't felt the consuming pull for revenge." I pushed her away, tilting her head back so I could look in her tear-rimmed eyes. "Don't you see, Alexis? These are things that we need to do, even if the very reason we need to do them was caused by another persons need for revenge."

She sniffed and rubbed her nose, grinding the heels of her hands against her eyes. "No, I don't see!"

I smiled. "That's because you have your hands in front of your eyes, silly."

She let out a startled laugh, shaking her head and dropping her hands. "Idiot," she murmured, smiling slightly.

I chuckled and brushed her hair out of her face with my fingertips. "We'll be okay, Alexis. We want to kill our own ghosts or avenge those killed, same as the ones who we're after, but we also have something that they don't."

She looked at me confused. "And what's that?"

I smiled and looked into her eyes. "We have people back home who we're not going to leave."

She flushed a little, shaking her head quickly, leaning up to bury her head beneath my chin. "Cheater, saying something like that and making me actually understand everything."

I chuckled again and hugged her tightly. "Then we're even after what happened yesterday."

She smiled against my throat and curled more into my chest, sighing softly. "Okay."

I turned my head slightly and pressed my cheek against the top of her head, turning my eyes down to look at her hands. She had reached for one of mine, taking it and playing with it. I smiled and pushed my fingers back against hers. She giggled and relaxed a little, just watching my hand. I turned it around, taking the fingers of her opposite hand and linking our fingers together.

The Skulls wouldn't take me out, no matter how hard they tried. Alexis was my reason, my one reason why I keep fighting. She's too much to lose; something I never intend to do.

xXx

"Let me guess: you haven't changed your mind about your plan?" Blair said arms folded across her chest as she watched us getting ready to leave.

I sighed and looked at her. "No, Blair, I haven't changed my mind and I won't change my mind." I looked down at my shoes, tightening the laces with a little too much force. "Besides, I thought I said if you don't like it then that's just too bad 'cause I'm not changing it."

She stamped her foot on the ground. "That's not fair, Jaden!"

"He doesn't have to be fair, Shelia. He's the leader," Jim said, placing a firm hand on Blair's shoulder.

She scowled at him.

"You guys wouldn't be able to do much against the Skulls anyway," Jack said, testing the tip of his knife with the tip of his finger.

"Why do you guys all assume we're weaklings?" Chazz demanded, sounding annoyed.

Jesse raised his hands in a calming manner. "Calm down, Chazz. None of us assume you're weaklings."

"Speak for yourself," Jack muttered, sharpening the tip of his knife. Akiza threw her elbow into his stomach, hissing something mean at him.

"Isn't there some way we can help you?" Syrus asked, looking at me pleadingly.

I smiled at him. "Not in the way you guys are hoping. The fact remains that these Skulls are deadly, dangerous, and playing for keeps."

"We don't mind," Hassleberry said.

I frowned. "But I mind and that's all that matters."

Blair pointed at Alexis. "But you took Alexis with you yesterday!"

I looked at Alexis; she was standing next to me with her hands folded behind her back. "No, I didn't take her with me." I looked at Blair. "She followed me." I gave Alexis a look, but she just smiled at me.

"So that's it? You're not letting any of us come?" Atticus said.

I nodded. "Afraid so. You guys can help Yugi, just like Bastion."

Bastion has been helping Yugi create profiles on the remaining Skulls, then taking that and hypothesizing where they will most likely be based on their personalities. Bastion sounds hopeful that it will work, as does Yugi. Truthfully, it's all German to me.

"That's probably best," Atem said.

Chazz made a face. "You take your girlfriend with you and you let Phoenix go out without you and you just expect the rest of us to stay here?" He glared at me. "What am I? A freaking homemaker?"

"Homewrecker's more like it," Aster said.

Chazz shot him a nasty look. "Watch it!"

"Enough!" I snarled, slamming a book down on the makeshift coffee table. Everyone in the room jumped. I glared at Chazz. "No, Chazz, I don't think you're a freaking homemaker. Kung-fu training or not, I will not allow any of you guys to throw your lives away over the Skulls and that's final." I stood up straight and looked at my hand, clenching it into a tight fist. "I've got enough blood on my hands already and too many lives at stake." I glared at the gang, who were all avoiding eye contact with me. "I won't allow you guys to join that!"

Alexis placed her hand on my fist, forcing my fingers open so she could lace her fingers with mine, squeezing my hand reassuringly.

I squelched the urge to pull away but kept my eyes away from her. "You guys don't understand the dangers involved in this war; if you haven't realized that th3e Skulls are a million times worse than the Cribs then you must be blind." I looked up and around at my friends, whose gazes were kept away from me. "I have enough people to worry about. Why do you guys have to fight with me when I'm only trying to keep you safe?"

Syrus looked at me but quickly looked away, stammering, "We just want to feel useful, Jay. You let Aster go out to fight Sartorius."

"You guys can't keep bringing that up as an argument!" Aster snapped suddenly, glaring at Syrus. "Sartorius was a man I had to fight, a ghost I had to kill. You guys don't have anyone like that."

Everyone looked away from Aster, almost in an ashamed way; his words had hit home.

"Jaden and Aster are right," Jim said, stepping into the room. "You guys just need to stay here and help Yugi or somethin'."

For once no one argued. I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding and pulled my hand away from Lex. "Let's get moving," I said, looking back at everyone, "And remember, pair or no pair vendetta or no vendetta, don't be stupid."

Yusei clapped me on the shoulder, squeezing it tightly. "Let's take our own advice to heart before trying to force feed it to others."

I shrugged him off, ignoring his warning and headed for the door.

"Don't worry, Yusei," Jesse said from behind me. "Someone running to help Jaden would only get in the way."

You got that right, I thought, slamming open the door and running out of the house. The last thing I needed today was Alexis deciding to follow me again.

xXx

Narrative POV

"How you holding up, Mate?" Jim asked into the walkie-talkie in his hand.

'What do you mean?' Jesse's voice asked from the small box.

"You know exactly what I mean." Jim's eyes quickly scanned the crowded sidewalks. People gave him funny looks but quickly looked away in fear, seeing his scarred face, black attire, bandaged eyes, and-most importantly-the crocodile snarling on his back.

Jesse sighed, 'I'm fine. In fact, I'm almost eager to face Giese.' Even Jim, through the walkie-talkie, could tell he was lying.

"You're scared stiff, aren't you?"

Jesse hesitated. "Yes," he finally admitted, "but not just for me."

"Julie." Jim didn't need to think about it.

'How many brushes with death does she have to have before she's out of second chances?'

"You know that she doesn't think about the past or, at least, tries not to." Jim turned the corner onto a desolate street. He kept his eyes open, resting his free hand lightly on his gun.

'I know but I wish she would. And maybe also think about Maria.'

"And you." Jim paused when Shirley began to snarl softly on his back. His hand tightened around his gun.

'Yeah.' Jesse sighed. 'Anyway I'm also worried about Jay.'

"I hear you, Mate. Even though we know him best I still think he's a bit-" Jim broke off when he heard a door slam. He spun around, gun raised, in the direction of the sound. A broken door continued to slam open and closed by the wind.

'In over his head?' Jesse finished.

Jim nodded. "Yeah." He lowered his gun and continued down the street, keeping his gun in a vice grip.

'Do you think he can handle it?'

"Do you?" Jim's ear twitched and he looked across the street to his left. A door was swinging off it's hinges.

'Don't know. I want to think he can but there is so much on the line this time, especially for him.' Jesse waited a moment. 'Is everything all right over there, Jim?'

"I think there's a Skull here." Jim flicked the safety of his gun off.

'Where are you?' Jesse spoke quickly; Jim recognized what it meant. It meant Jesse was going to pull a Jaden.

"District B, Block C, Goldenrod Street." Jim dropped down onto one knee, his visible eye trained on the now still door. He slowly shrugged Shirley's carrier off of his back, helping her get out of it. Next to the building, where Jim's eye was trained, an aluminum can skidded into the street, almost like it was kicked. Shirley, now free of her carrier, hurried into the street and grabbed the can, holding it in her mouth. She scurried back to Jim, dropping the can at his feet. He looked down and his eye hardened, knowing the warning the can was sending.

The can had a snake curled around it.

'Wait for me, Jim. I'm about five minutes away,' Jesse spoke suddenly, sounding a little quiet; the wind was blowing across the speaker.

"No need, Mate," Jim said, voice calm but cold. "I know exactly which skull is here." He crushed the can beneath his foot.

'Jim! Jaden said don't be a hero!'

"You know where I am, come and meet me." Jim snapped off his walkie-talkie before Jesse could say another thing. "Let's go, Girl," Jim said, running across the street, He could hear Shirley scurrying after him. He stopped at the corner of the building, peaking around it and into the alley. It was mostly dark, the only light coming from the slightly ajar door at the end of the alley. The door led to a rusted, metal warehouse. It seemed just like the kind of building Viper would hang out in.

"Well this defiantly feels like a trap," Jim mused, pulling his hat down over his eyes. His lips curved up in a small smirk. "But you just gotta love that rush." Jim checked his gun, making sure his clip was full, before hurrying down the alley. Shirley followed after him.

Heart pounding in his ears, Jim pushed open door, jumping in with his gun drawn. The building was brighter than he thought it was and when he looked up, he figured out why. The roof of the building had rusted away, leaving gaping holes that sunlight flitted through.

"Now I feel like a cop," Jim mused, lowering his gun when he noticed the building was completely empty.

"Do you want to be one someday, Jimmy my boy?"

Jim whirled around, gun raising, only to have it kicked out of his hand. A fist connected with his chest, causing all of Jim's air supply to vacate his lungs with a trickle of blood. The same fist left his chest only to be replaced by a metal-clad boot. Jim flew to the opposite side of the warehouse, his back smacking into a steel pillar. He grunted in pain and slumped to the floor, eye closed tightly in pain.

He coughed forcefully, rubbing the blood from his lips and chin. Wincing, he shifted to look up at the man standing opposite him, a sick smirk on his lips. Jim recognized Viper from the vivid descriptions Axel gave him during their late-night chats about their pasts. Simply remembering his now-dead African friend caused Jim to see red, the image of Viper fading slightly.

"I must say, Jim, you are dumber than you appear." Viper pulled a blade out of its sheath from his belt. "Walking right into a trap by yourself?" He tisked, running the tip of his blade along his index finger, slicing the skin slightly. Blood trickled off of the tip and landed on the ground.

"What makes you think I'm alone?" Jim snarled, forcing himself to his feet. He flinched, feeling his bruising and broken ribs.

Viper roared in laughter. "You've been spending a bit too much time 'Down Unda', Mate!" He smirked darkly, tapping his blade against his palm. "Up here we know when there is more than one person in our traps."

Jim clenched his hands into fists, his eye cold on Viper. He was baiting him; even Jaden wouldn't fall for such a crass ploy. Still, something about this ploy gave Jim an idea. Viper that he was alone but he couldn't be more mistaken.

'You want to play with this Australian, Mate? Well, allow me to show you how me and my mates play in the Outback.' Jim cracked his neck, bouncing back on the balls of his feet.

Viper raised a curious eyebrow at him before a slow smirk crawled across his lips. "That look…you remind me of Axel." Viper's smirk stretched into a full blown twisted grin, sick and terrifying. "And soon you'll end up like him too."

Jim narrowed his good eye at him, reached up for his hat. "We'll see about that. Remember, Viper, all snakes are the same: the lowest living creature, crawling on their stomachs in their eternal shame." Jim pulled his hat off, noting Viper's sick grin gone, replaced with a bone-chilling scowl. "And you're just like them…a God-forsaken creature."

Viper launched then, snarling. Jim threw his hat then, blinding Viper momentarily. While the Snake was blinded by the hat, Jim jumped, tackling him against the far left wall. They fell through it, tumbling into a small pond. Rusted steel and polluted water filled Jim's mouth and nose, causing him to release Viper in an attempt to clear his airways. He slammed his fist against his chest, coughing forcefully.

"You…brat!" Viper appeared out of the muggy water, connecting his bruised fist with Jim's jaw. Jim slammed against the ground, water splashing up and over him, causing fresh water to fill his nose and mouth. Jim began to sit up, only to stop when he was staring down the barrel of a gun. Viper stood above him, covered in rust and dust, clothes clinging to him and dripping water. His eyes were blazing, his jaw set. "And now you die!"

Just then, as Jim swore he saw his life flash before his eyes, Viper cried out in pain. The gun slipped from his hands, disappearing in the murky water. Jim smiled and jumped to his feet. Viper tried fruitlessly to pull his leg away from Shirley, who had her jaws locked onto his shin.

"You said I was alone, but look who's truly alone." Jim grabbed Viper's arm, kneeing him forcefully in the chest. Viper sagged forward, coughing up blood. Now over his knee, Jim kicked the back of Viper's knees, causing him to stagger forward slightly. Jim took this chance to wrap his arms around Viper's neck, pulling him in a chokehold.

Viper pulled at Jim's arms, trying to open his airway. "Let go of me! Killing me won't do any good!"

Jim tightened his arms. "It will do plenty good! This is for Axel you bastard!"

With that, Jim twisted his arms, snapping Viper's neck. When his body sagged in his arms, Jim let him fall into the pond. Shirley shook her head back and forth quickly, snarling. Jim kneeled in the water, stroking the top of her head. "Atta girl, but he's dead now. I don't want you getting sick because you at some sleazy snake." He flicked the edge of her nose and she released the leg in her mouth.

Jim stood up and looked at the hole he and Viper created during their fight. As he stepped over the lifeless corpse in the pond, Jesse appeared, gun raised. Jim stood on dry land, wringing out his shirt.

Jesse looked at him, at Viper, and then at Shirley. He lowered his gun, placing in his belt. He reached down and picked up Jim's hat, dusting off the top as he approached him. "Everything good?" he asked, handing Jim his hat.

Jim took his hat and looked back at Viper. He smiled then. "Oh, yes." He pulled his hat on. "We're very good."

xXx

Took me a long time to write this chapter and I have no idea why! BLARGH!

Please review! Please, please!

-x-Anime-Queen-2011-x-

-o-Mel-o-