Chapter 23

Zane had been sat reading a book he borrowed from Claudia as she typed away on her laptop one handed, Pete had popped out to get them all some coffee while Vanessa checked on Joshua's vitals. Light music was coming from the teenage rebel's laptop, which even Zane was enjoying even though it was rock music.

Vanessa was use to Claudia blasting her music louder than what she had it, so she was able to ignore it, peace had finally filled the room, Claudia and Zane had talked out their small little problem, sitting back smiling in her small cot "Finally finished….it takes so much longer one handed." The blue haired boy next to her looked up from his book, "you wouldn't even tell me what you was working on love…"

She turned her head slightly to him, "I was hac-" pain was suddenly shown across her face, and her left hand gripped up slightly, Zane was about to shout Vanessa when he suddenly dropped his book gripping onto his left wrist, "What the Frack!"Claudia shouted, he ripped the sleeve of his trench coat down, and there burned into his wrist was the number 1. He looked back to Claudia and saw the same identical mark.

Vanessa heard the two teenagers groaning in pain and was shocked to see blood seeping from their wrists slightly and the number 1 burned into their skin she didn't have time to ask any questions when suddenly the doors to the infirmary was slammed open and a chestnut haired boy being pushed in on a stretcher.

"Oh my… what happened here?" the medical that was on site looked to the older woman, "We received an urgent call from Miss Rhodes, he's just like Mr Donovan, unresponsive…" when those words hit Claudia's ears, she looked over, seeing Jaden laying on the stretcher lifeless his eye's closed, and what she noticed the most was his shirt was off, and his key was missing.

"No… NO JAY!" Zane had to restrain Claudia from getting out of the bed, "Jaden… no…." Tears glistened in the girls eyes now fully understanding what had happened, "He lost… no…" covering her face with her hands, leaning into Zane's chest, she began to let sobs rack her body. While Zane's eye's hardened, Jaden was a skilled duellist, he wouldn't have lost so easy. He needed to speak with Alexis about what happened but at this moment in time Claudia was his most concern.

He watched as Vanessa told the medical team to place Jaden in the bed next to Joshua and began hooking him up to a heart monitor. He kept the red head close to his body as the doors opened up once more, he looked up to see the dirty blonde haired girl eye's puffy and red from crying, and there on her wrist, was the same burn mark.

"Alexis…" the girl just ignored him as she walked up to the bed, where her boyfriend was laying in. Sitting down taking his hand she didn't know what to do.

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2 days had passed since Jaden lost his soul in a shadow duel, Claudia had been released from the infirmary after been given the all clear from Vanessa, but that didn't stop her from visiting her two brothers.

She was currently stood on the school roof, Right arm still in a sling but her left holding onto the metal fence covering the roof, her eye's skimmed over the burn mark on her wrist "I promise Jay… Josh… they will pay for this I swear down they will pay…" "Claud.. you need to get some rest…"

She turned her head slightly and the female could see rage in the teenagers eyes, "I can't Myka… two people I love are already gone…" Myka went to place a hand on the girls shoulder but was slapped away rather hard. "Don't touch me, in fact… stay well away…" Claudia pushed passed the agent "Claudia wait! We are here to-"

"No, don't say you're here to fight this Myka! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO DUEL! You and Pete can't do anything! Jack shit really…. You both may as well head out on a Ping!" Myka was taken back and quite hurt by those words. "No you know what, your right we don't know how to duel, Claudia I know you are angry…"

"Yes of course I'm angry! Wouldn't you be too? Seeing your brother and your best friend down there, soulless!" Myka walked up to the girl placing both hands on Claudia's shoulders, "yes… I am angry, Jaden and Joshua are my friends too, I'm not as close to them as you are but I am angry. I'm so angry that I can't do anything to stop this….and I'm scared that you will be in the same condition as they are…please… you need to calm down.."

The 19 year old looked out into the distance, she bit her lip sucking in some air, then shook her head walking backwards, "No… I can't, not until the person responsible for this is taken down." With that Claudia left Myka on the roof alone"

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On the other side of the school, Zane was stood on the beach watching the waves crash into the rocks again, it was where he could get some peace from other students, he felt rage inside his soul, he had gotten the full story of Alexis after Claudia walked out of the infirmary that morning.

He had no idea where she had gone, but he knew she was feeling the same way and that she was safe. Both Jaden and Alexis had been ambushed up in the forest by a woman, Jaden had apparently told Alexis to run and get somewhere safe that he would deal with the woman and come back safe but she had stood there, watching in agony as Jaden's life points hit Zero and his soul was taken, The shadow rider had given Alexis a message wanting to duel the boy with the Cyber Dragons, and that's exactly what Zane was going to do.

He was going to wait till after dark and go up to the forest alone where Claudia couldn't find him and duel this person for Jaden's soul and key back. He wasn't going to risk the safety of his girlfriend. He had asked Syrus and Chazz to keep Claudia busy while he was taking care of business, He had also contacted Mrs Fredrick letting her know about the burn marks, she confirmed that once a key keepers soul had been taken the others would know as they were connected.

What had pissed Zane off greatly though was Professor Crowler, he had gotten scared and began hiding, the cross dresser professor had no intentions of going after this shadow rider.

Hearing the sand crunching behind him, he turned around to see his little brother "You should be back at the Slifer dorms Syrus" she watched as the smaller baby blue haired boy walked up to the ocean, "I'm heading there soon, you do know when Claudia finds out about this bro that she's going to be majorly pissed right?" Zane's eye's looked back forward, as the wind blew roughly against his face.

"That is something she will have to deal with, I'm not having her anywhere near this duel Syrus it's too dangerous" the boy sighed and sat down on the sand. "You really do love her don't you" a smile was placed on the older boys lips "I thought that was obvious, Syrus… if I lose this duel tell Claudia that … I love her ok? and I will always be with her"

Syrus looked up to him, "I can't do that bro, because you are going to come back and tell her that yourself." He nodded and looked down to the younger Trusdale, "Of course I'll come back, Take Alexis to the Slifer dorm too ok? she could use friends right now." With that the small boy stood up "Will do, good luck ok?"

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8pm rolled around the Slifer dorms, Claudia was sat at her desk while the two older agents was stood near the wall, Alexis was on Jaden's bed and Syrus was sat on the floor "and that is all the information that Mrs Fredrick has at the moment, so basically we can't neutralize the key's unless we have all 7, then Jaden's soul will return to his body." Pete spoke putting his Farnsworth into his back pocket.

Claudia's eye's hardened at Pete, "So we have to just beat all 7 shadow riders, then neutralize the keys? Well just leave that to me" she went to stand up when the door opened to see Chazz walking in with take out boxes, "Why couldn't you go for this? I don't drive.." he spoke to Claudia, but that was a bad idea.

"In case you forgot dipshit, I can't drive with my shoulder and leg at the moment! And where's Zane?" she looked around the room but everyone held a confused look on their faces, "Does he normally come here?" Myka asked, Claudia sighed nodding "well I did ignore him today…." She stood up walking over to the window, "I just…don't feel right at the moment Myka, you was right I shouldn't be feeling this much anger…. I apologise for earlier…" the older woman just shook her head smiling "It's ok sweetie and I'm sure Zane is on his way here I did hear he got into an argument with Professor Crowler." Scrunching up her red eye brows Claudia looked to the agent "Zane never argues with a teacher, he holds respect for them even if it is Crowler."

A lightbulb clicked on inside Pete's head, he looked to Alexis and Chazz, "Do you two feel any anger at all?" Chazz thought about it as he took a seat on the floor "I did slightly but that soon faded when walking into this room."

Alexis just shook her head, "I've just been depressed, but I do feel a slight bit of anger, at myself for not being able to help" licking his lips slightly, "What if… those key's do more than just burn and take souls away?"

Claudia walked forward slightly, "Like increase a person's emotions?" Clicking his fingers, "Bingo the main emotions being anger and rage? Think about it, ever since you put that key around your neck, you've been everything but calm and centred like the wonder girl I know, in fact you wasn't even that angry when Artie had kept Claire a secret from you." Shock was clearly seen on the girls face, "Your right, yeah I was pissed at Artie for that, but I forgave him after like a day i-" Her face suddenly paled as she rushed over to the window, the dark sky's flashed with lightening, and in the distance she could have sworn she saw Cyber end dragon, "No… there's a shadow duel.."

Syrus' head shot up "How can you tell?" "I can sense it, I can sense the Sacred key around the duellist neck, it's up in the forest…"

Closing her brown eye's she tried to focus on who was duelling but something was clouding her mind, "I'm going up there." She went to leave the dorm when Chazz suddenly grabbed her wrist, "Claudia I don't think that's a good idea.." slapped his hand away from her, "No if a shadow duel is going on then we need to be there. Know your opponent before they know you Chazz."

With that Claudia left the room, everyone looked to each other before following the teenager out of the dorm room.

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Upon a large cliff, Zane was stood panting, his Cyber end Dragon had just been destroyed and he had no trap cards left, he stood with only 800 life points as the woman in front of him laughed, "Oh this is so rich, two gate key's within two days, those cards will be mine before you know it."

Zane's eye's showed hope and power in them, his smirk grew on his face, "I may fall today Vampiress but there is someone strong than me that will take you down, and she is a force to be reckoned with." The woman just covered her mouth with the back of her hand and began howling with laughter, "No one can beat me Cyber Boy, I've had fun playing with you now it's time to end this duel" she stood up straight as car lights shined in the distance, quickly covering her eye's they both heard car doors slam shut and a female voice shout, "ZANE!" he turned his head slightly and gave a sad smile to the girl running up to him, "Claudia… i…."

"Attack him directly!" he couldn't finish his sentence as the last of his life points, his back arched, falling to his knees, "I'm….sorry…..i couldn't…save them…"

Claudia's eye's widened as her knees skidded to the side of Zane, "Zane…babes… no…please… don't leave me…" Zane's face never falted, it still held a smile on it as his hand reached up to wipe a stray tear from her cheek, "I'm sorry love… we'll be to…together again… I .. love…" he couldn't say anything else as his eye's closed and his hand fell from her face hitting the ground.

The key around his neck disappeared, only to re-appear around the shadow duellist neck, Claudia's head faced the ground as her friends finally reached her, everyone was shocked that Zane had lost, but Claudia's head snapped up, a red tint was in her brown eye's as she looked to the woman, "You ….bitch… YOU BITCH!" she tried to lunge forward but the teenager was restrained by Chazz and Pete.

The woman laughed, "oh if you want these back then you are going to have to duel me Key keeper…. But for now, ta…ta.." the woman waved disappearing into the night.

Claudia fell to her knees next to Zane's lifeless body, looking up to the sky as the heavy rain hit her face, "I'LL KILL YOU!"

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Zane lost his duel! Oh dear god!

Claudia's losing her sanity to pure rage and hatred!

What's going to happen next? Will Claudia duel the vampire lady? Or will someone else lose their soul first?

Curedream90! And ArticDragonSlayer! Over and out!