Chapter 16

~Dream Sequence~

Heat, everything around her was radiating extreme heat, Sweat poured down her forehead, and hair was stood up on the back of her neck, her modified black duel disk on her arm, and cards in her hand, but her eye's was focused forward at the opponent in front of her, he wore a black trench coat, his raven black hair messy but there was a black mask covering the persons eyes. He was holding his own duel disk and cards, but that's not what had her attention, it was the monster he held out on the field.

A large black dragon was staring down at her figure, it's red eye's glowing and smoke radiating from its mouth, turning her head to the side, 6 people chained to the wall all unconscious, all her friends, the main one that stood out was the blue haired boy in the middle wearing his signature obelisk blue uniform. "And now! Key keeper! It's your turn to join them! Your soul and key will be mine!" the next words out of his mouth was muted as the dragon let out a large fireball towards her.

"CLAUDIA!"

~End of Dream Sequance~

Shooting up straight breathing deep, Sweat poured down her forehead as her pupils was rather large, she gripped onto the thin piece of t-shirt that was over her heart as she heard someone calling her name, "Claudia? Claudia! Are you ok?" turning her head slightly she noticed the blue haired boy from her dream sitting there, concern held deep in them Onyx eyes of his.

He placed both hands on her face, "Claudia… it was just a dream… your safe, are you ok?" trying to swallow what saliva she had left in her dry mouth was slightly impossible, so she did the only thing she could do. "W…water…" quickly she felt the bed rise up slightly as he rushed into the bathroom with an empty glass and came back out not too long after.

Taking the tall glass with a shaky hand, she took a few gulps of the crispy cold water, which felt good on her sore throat, her heartbeat calmed down, looking around the room she had noticed it was dark and the bed side lamp was on, an open book was in place of where the teenager had been as he was now currently knelt down next to the bed looking at her.

"I…I'm fine… now thanks Zane… I didn't even know I'd fallen asleep what time is it?" he looked over to the digital clock on her bedside table, "11.30pm, you've been asleep for a good 7 hours, I didn't have the heart to wake you up when Myka came in to call for dinner, so she said that left overs would be in the fridge for us. I'm sorry I knew it was a bad idea for me to stay on the bed with you…"

Shaking her head slightly she placed the glass on the nightstand and took his hands, "I…it wasn't you, it was weird…. It wasn't one of my usual nightmares I sometimes get, or even the Cyber Dragon dreams…. It was something else…. I was in what seemed like a pit of fire, Duelling against someone, you and 5 other people was chained to a wall and the last thing I remember was a large black dragon breathing fire at me…"

His eye's narrowed slightly as he felt her grip tighten slightly, "I don't remember what was said…but oh my god… I've never had one of them dreams before…" she let go of his hands and covered her face then drew her hands upwards pushing the messy hair out of it. He couldn't help but laugh slightly, so when she gave a confused look, he handed her a small mirror. The 19 year old red head looked in horror as she placed the mirror down and rushed into the bathroom to wash her face.

Her mascara had run making her look like a funny racoon, "I'm sorry Claudia I couldn't help it, but that dream…could it be because your close to the warehouse?" grabbing a hand town drying her face, she looked to him, "Maybe, it might be trying to show me something that could happen when we go back to the Academy… Ever since I helped it expand after the Expansion joints was jammed it's been showing and protecting me from a lot of things…." The girl had finally told him about the Warehouse since he was a new upcoming agent, and the fact that it was her destiny to be caretaker of the place.

So when she had explained that the warehouse was basically alive and it had a crush on her, he didn't want to believe it especially when she had told him about using her but as a buzzer. So She said she would prove it when she took him to the warehouse through half term, Something he was very interested in seeing since Mrs Fredrick had told him about the endless wonder.

He placed a hand to his chin, looking to the floor slightly, Claudia recognised that as his thinking mode, "That could be a possibility, it would be something to speak with Mrs Fredrick about she may know something about why you are getting these dreams all the time."

She gave a nod grabbing some white sweat pants and a white vest, "I'm just going to take a quick shower, sorry I know you want to talk more but I'd feel better being out of these sticky clothing and clean." He smiled to her, and leaned in giving her a slight peck on the lips, "Take your time love, I can go back to reading while you shower. If it's ok with you I may take one before bed myself." She nodded and walked back into the bathroom closing the door.

20 minutes later, Claudia walked out showered and changed, purple towel around her neck and sat down on the bed picking up her hair brush "feeling better?" giving a slight nod she smiled to him "Much better, so did anyone else apart from Myka call in?"

Zane placed a bookmarker on the page he was reading and placed it down on the bed, "Alexis called in saying that everyone was going to bed and that your co-workers are crazy especially Pete since he can out eat both you and Jaden at the same time." He felt the bed shake slightly as Claudia couldn't help but laugh, he loved that laugh, it sounded like gentle bells ringing. "it's not my fault I have a high metabolism Speaking of food we both skipped dinner because of my lazy body so let's grab some food….Maybe I can steal Pete's 2am Hoggie"

Raising his eye brow, he had no idea what she was talking about for the past week she had been complaining she kept going on about that specific food. He pushed it off as being an American thing but Claudia just claimed it was a Pete thing.

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Morning soon came quite early to the teenagers in Claudia's room when a rather loud knock came at her bedroom door. Zane woke up instantly but he noticed his girlfriend was still snoring away, laying on her stomach, right arm hanging off the bed, red hair plastered over her face and slight drool hanging off her chin.

He couldn't help but smile but then heard a voice on the other side of the door, "Claudia! If you don't wake up right now then I'm!" he couldn't hear anything else as he opened the door to see the old man he met back at the academy, "Morning Mr Nelson, Claudia's still asleep at the moment but may I ask what's wrong?"

He rubbed his eye's slightly tiredly but the man in front of him was wide awake, "it's almost noon and your both still in bed, wake her up and let her know that Claire is downstairs oh and your other friends are up too." With that the man walked away and Zane closed the brown door that held a AC/DC poster on it. He turned around crossing his arms listening to the snoring coming out of the girls mouth.

Syrus had mentioned she slept through her alarm quite a few times at the school and now he believed it, especially after she slept through her old man shouting. Walking over to the bed he shook her shoulder, "Claudia love? It's time to get up." Swatting her arm slightly "5 more minutes"

He couldn't help but chuckle as he placed a small kiss on her cheek, "Wish I could love, but your dad just told me that your sister is downstairs waiting for you" snapping her eye's open and shooting up rather fast almost head butting Zane. She looked around with a dazy look in her eyes, "What time is it?!"

"mid-day?" he'd not seen her jump out of bed so fast, as she began trying to gather clothing while trying to take her tank top off, "Shit! Shit shit shit shit! Claire's going to kill me!" he had covered his eye's while she was getting changed, the most he saw was slight scaring on her back.

It felt like half hour until he felt a kiss on his lips, "I'm so sorry that I've got to run out on you this morning but I've been looking forward to seeing my sister for over 6 weeks!" he uncovered his onyx eye's and smiled down to her, She was dressed in blue boot cut jeans, black vest and her motorhead denim jacket over her shoulders, hair was down but she held no makeup on her face. Her new signature two belts and duel deck was on her waist and green converse on her feet. "It's fine have fun love, me and the others will most likely take a tour around the town."

She nodded and kissed his lips again before grabbing her wallet and running out of the door "later dude!"

Shaking his head, he walked over to his duffel bag and began picking out clothing for that day.

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Sat downtown in the Univille Dub café , Claudia held a cappuchino in her hands while her sister looked dumb struck "whoa! Re-wind for a second they are actually allowing you to room with two boy's at the school? Isn't that like illegal?" Claudia shrugged her shoulders slightly smiling, she was now wearing her gothic make up but this time lip gloss instead of black lipstick, "it is in the obelisk and Ra dorms, but in the Slifer dorms there isn't many rooms and I'm pretty sure Professor Crowlers just looking for new way's to get me expelled from the school after that entrance duel."

"Wow sweetie, that's harsh, and! I'm hearing from Artie that you got into a fight with that blonde girl I saw back at the B&B? is that why you now have a scar?" She raised her hand to Claudia's lip allowing her thumb to run over the small scar on her sisters lip, Claudia just pulled back slightly trying to swat the hand away, "Ah another scar to add to my growing collection isn't anything new to me girl."

"Which you still refuse to show me but Alexis and those boys you room with apparently have? They mentioned it to me asking if I knew anything about them, you'd told me about the child abuse you went through after being placed in the foster system but I didn't know it was that bad…." Placing her cup down and sitting back in her seat, "I didn't want you feeling guilty Sis, plus it's all in the past now I'll show you one day but for now let's just enjoy today….cause I won't get to see you again until Christmas unless I can get Artie to send the chopper next month"

Claire smiled crossing her arms, "I think I can get him to agree to that, After all he kept us apart for 15 years I'm sure a little guilt trip won't do any harm" that made the 19 year old smirk, "You my sister, are becoming more corrupted every day." Claire leaned forward with the smile turning into her own smirk that could rival Claudia's. "So, any boys caught your attention in this school? You are 19 now Dia,"

That caused the girl to blush, and dart her eye's around the dub until her eye's was fixed on the door, at that moment Zane had decided to walk in "As a matter of fact, I'm currently seeing someone. Same age as me but a 3rd year student." The older Donovan leaned back again picking up her black coffee, "Spill girl, is he treating you right? I can tell you aren't a flower person so we can ditch that."

"Hey! I resent that! So long as the flower isn't some weird Chinese Orchid I'd totally love them…" that was when she heard the smooth sexy voice of her boyfriend speak up, "So Roses would do?" both girls looked up seeing him stood there, a take away cup in his hands and him smiling down to Claudia.

"So long as the roses come from you yes…" Claire looked the teenager up and down, and then back to her sister, "Wait….this fine looking piece of meat is your…" Claudia nodded as Zane had narrowed his eye's to the girl, she was an older Claudia alright but she wasn't THE! Claudia Donovan he fell for. "You must be Claire, I'm Zane" he held his hand out to shake hers as the red haired teenager sat back. "that I am, it's nice to meet you and to know that my sister is doing rather well for herself." She winked to the younger Donovan.

Before Claire could say anything further, Claudia butted in "where is everyone else?" Zane smiled taking a seat next to her, "They are at the small diner over the road, Jaden was complaining about needing food so Alexis caved in I wasn't hungry so I wandered around for a bit before coming in here. We did ask if Steve would like to come since he was still at the B&B but he still has a stack of paperwork to go through. Something about your dad breathing fire down his neck if he didn't finish it before 5pm tonight, and that you should be helping him…" Claudia couldn't help but laugh "yeah that's my old man for ya, All work no play"

Scrunching up her eye's Claire looked confused, "Artie's adopted you? When was you going to tell me this?" Scratching the back of her head, placing the empty coffee cup onto the table, "It was a while back sis, just after… Joshua disappeared from CERN, Jinksy knew on how I felt about Artie being the only real father I had since our dad died… so he pushed me into asking Artie to adopted me. At first he didn't want to, but in the end after a long night we went to North Dakota and he filled in the paperwork to officially adopt me. I guess it slipped my mind"

With that the three of them kept talking up until it began getting late and Claire had to head back to North Dakota for work the next day.

It wasn't over for Claudia and Zane though, as they was about to get into her car, an all too familiar voice spoke behind them, "Welcome home Agent Donovan, and I see you brought our newest agent Trusdale here." Both of them jumping out of their skin turned around to see Mrs Fredrick there, looking with a slight smile on her face. "I so wish you wouldn't do that… but thank you Mrs F, but what are you doing here?"

The African-american women just walked forward slightly, "I was having a nice cup of tea and slice of key lemon pie at the diner when I saw you, I can sense that something is concerning you Agent Donovan, I can feel it through the connection to the Warehouse as you are future caretaker, but we can't talk here about It, meet me at the Warehouse in an hour and we will talk there ok?" before the two teenagers could say anything the woman had left entering a black car and driving off, Claudia turned to Zane, "Looks like your going to the Warehouse a lot earlier than expected…."

He gave a nod and got into the passenger side of the car.

WH WH WH WH WH

It was only a 20 minute drive from the dub to the warehouse that was on the outskirts of Univille, Zane had mentioned to Claudia that going off road was a bad idea but, once he had seen the rather large rustic old building in the distance of the dessert he had a feeling that she knew where she was going. After all Claudia worked here and he shouldn't really doubt where she was going.

Stepping out of the silver Prius into the desert sand, Zane looked up impressed with the size of the building, the girl tilted her head slightly, "Welcome to Warehouse 13, just…don't touch the bombs" shaking his head slightly as he watched her open the rather large iron door. "Bombs?" she didn't say anything but entered the building.

He soon followed and then understood what she meant about the bombs, but he noticed they seemed to glow slightly as she walked passed them, Claudia did the security Retina scan to gain access and enter the office of Warehouse 13.

Inside the room Mrs Fredrick was sat on a soft sofa chair with Artie at the computer desk, he turned around to see Claudia and Zane stood there. "What's he doing here? Claudia!" "Chill Dino Dude, Mrs F wanted us both here," The older agent looked over to the woman sat in the chair.

"Agent Donovan, Agent Trusdale please take a seat now before Agent Trusdale gains the grand tour of this place, what is it that is clouding your mind Claudia?"

The young red head turned away looking at the large filing cabinets that was to the left of her, but Zane looked straight to the woman, "Claudia's been having nightmares, First it was about my Cyber dragon deck calling to her, and now it's about someone duelling her." Mrs Fredrick looked to Claudia and nodded before standing up, "I see, There is a prophecy about one master for cyber dragons and I believe that is Claudia if she's been having the dreams, but about this new one…. Why do you think it's connected to this place Agent Trusdale?"

He didn't even want to ask on how she knew that was what he thought, so he just continued, "Because she just started having them as soon as we came here close to the warehouse, We think the warehouse maybe trying to warn her about something." Giving two more nods as she walked up to the two teenagers standing in Arties office, Claudia had leaned herself against the table inside the room, crossing her arms over her stomach "That is a possibility Agent Trusdale just like myself Claudia is connect to the Warehouse so if the Warehouse knows that danger is coming for the future caretaker, then it might be trying to warn her about this danger.

We will look into this, Claudia what do you think about this situation?" Raising her head to the woman standing in front of her, she couldn't help but shiver at the stare Mrs Fredrick was giving her, "I think…the person in my dream is very familiar to me… I've been trying to go over it since getting to the Warehouse and I feel a connection to this person… but what I don't get is… the words that the person spoke…. I finally remembered what he said… I could tell it was a male by his voice, even though he was wearing a mask, that I was one of the key keepers…..and that my soul would be joining my friends…."

Zane looked to his girlfriend and noticed she was a little pale… well paler than usual for someone who has a natural pale complexion to begin with, "Key Keeper?" she nodded and looked over to Artie, "does any of that make sense to you?" Artie took a deep sigh pushing his glasses up on his face, "I'm sorry kiddo it doesn't… but I will make sure that this danger doesn't come for you. I'm going to get onto researching this… it maybe an Artefact? But I've never heard of an Artefact taking a someone's soul. Mrs Fredrick have you?"

Taking off her glasses she held them in her left hand, "Maybe but I will need to speak with the Regents about this, for now I want both of you to try and get through your school year while we look into this, if this is an Artefact, then we will find it and neutralize it before any harm can come." Both teenagers nodded as Zane placed a hand on Claudia's back, he felt her flinch up slightly but she soon calmed down when he began rubbing it gently.

"Thank you Mrs F, Well at least the Warehouse isn't trying to zap my arse this time to try and get my attention…" Zane couldn't help but smile, "No, it's trying to sleep deprive you," Artie couldn't help but smile at the two teenagers, until he realised something, "Wait… when was you going to tell me we was getting a new agent!"

He turned to look at the African woman but she had vanished into thin air, rolling his eye's he looked back to the teenagers, "Alright, give the grand tour then go home ok Kiddo? Get some sleep and Agent Trusdale? HANDS TO YOURSELF!"

Quickly Zane pulled his arm back slightly afraid for his life, This man in front of him was a trained agent that knew how to use a gun, "Got it sir…" Claudia just rolled her eyes grabbing Zanes hand, "Come, let me show you around pooh bears cave." And with that the two teenagers left Artie's office but the man's eye's never left Zane's form.

Once he had seen the teenagers leave, he turned to his computer and began his research.

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And that my friends is the newest chapter complete! Looks like the plots beginning to thicken!

Artie's going into father mode with Claudia and Zane!

And something evil is coming Claudia's way? Let's just hope it's not a flock of angry birds!

Curedream90 and ArticDragonSlayer! Over and out!