An old poet once claimed that "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". There was truth to this. Demons and denizens of darkness hone their craft to an art form of pain and agony. They can't help it, it's what they exist for. Nothing personal. A woman, on the other hand, can take things extremely personal.
"Three. Years." Sitting in a corner booth, Jaden could tell that they were seated there so he couldn't easily escape. "Three years, you've been saying that you'll take the job only to back out at last second. I don't know why I expected this time to be any different."
"Come on." Shuffling awkwardly, he tried to think of a way out of the situation. "You know it's not like that." Jaden struggled to think of how she had even figured out he was going to slip away again. Only one person had known before him. But surely he wouldn't have...
"Oh, do I?" Nobody else could intimidate him like this. For one thing, she was nearly as good at Duelling as he was. For another, they had a very complicated relationship. "Well, that makes it all clear."
"Yugi needed me and I" That had really done it.
"Yugi?" Hazel eyes sharpened at the name. "Yugi Mutou?"
"Ah, you see..." Withering slightly in his chair, Jaden couldn't figure out where to begin. "Have I mentioned how nice you're looking?"A tiny smile was smothered before she could fall for the flattery. Even if she had put on a new outfit to come and meet him.
Without warning, a figure appeared beside their table and set a tray of coffees down. "I hope I'm not too late." Sliding into the booth with his regular serious expression, the King of Games chose to take pity on his eventual successor as sat beside him. "Dr Rhodes." That was one thing about Yugi. When he smiled, it was warm and comforting yet never very big. Just a reassuring little quirk.
"Dr Mutou." Even Alexis, who had been on the verge of reaching across the table to throttle Jaden, calmed down at the sight. "Do you have anything to do with this?"
"I assure you, any involvement I might have is long past." His natural charisma and honest tone seemed to be working far better than any assurance Jaden could deliver. It also confirmed that Yugi had been the one to sell him out.
"Then why's he been gallivanting around the globe doing your bidding?" Glancing sideways at his younger companion, the corner of Yugi's lips flickered downward for a moment. "That's right, he told me he's been working for you."
"Alexis, may I call you Alexis?" Folding her arms, the request was neither accepted nor denied. "Dr Rhodes," Going back to her formal title, Yugi lowered his tone slightly. "The work that Jaden has been assisting me with has been indispensable. I take it that you've been keeping up with the news?" He knew the answer already. A worn newspaper was still folded into her jacket pocket.
"Jaden is many things but subtle is not one of them." Her chilly tone reminded Jaden of the Ice Deck she wielded. Wait... Alexis didn't use an Ice Deck. Why had he thought...
"Of course not." Yugi's words dragged Jaden's attention back to the conversation before he could track the strange thought. "It was because of his... 'enthusiasm' that he was able to make such rapid progress against the Rare Hunters." The tiny inflection that he put on the word would have gone unnoticed by Jaden before his years travelling the world.
"What do you mean by that?" Of course, he was still a bit slow in some areas.
"Only that your reckless approach wouldn't have worked for conventional law enforcement." Not making eye contact with him, Yugi was still trying to win over Alexis. "That aside, while being very active in the community, he also has remarkably little official records. It made him the perfect person to infiltrate their activities."
"It probably didn't hurt when you announced him as the next King of Games."
"I meant every word of it." Despite providing an overwhelming advantage, he hadn't done it for the possible gain. He had done it because he believed saw potential in the young man sitting beside him. "I have absolute faith in Jaden."
"Then why're you sending him off on another pointless task instead of doing the job he promised Chancellor Sheppard he would do?" There was a deathly quiet when Alexis realised what she had said. The last 'meaningless' task Yugi had asked Jaden to do would set back the criminal underground for decades.
"Alexis, I have nothing but Jaden's best interests at heart." Placing a hand over his own heart, Yugi hoped that he was trusted enough to deal with the conversation. While he genuinely did have faith in Jaden, Yugi also knew that convincing Alexis was far outside his usual skillset. She had a doctorate, he had a good personality. It was no contest.
"You still haven't told me what he's going to be doing." Jaden opened his mouth with a reason and Yugi instantly kicked his ankle to remain silent. Alexis had to have noticed.
"You have my word that Jaden wouldn't be putting off his duties were it not absolutely vital." In the Duelling community, Yugi's word was the gold standard. His heartbeat was rarely this heavy outside a Duel.
"Well, I suppose it can't be helped." If Yugi hadn't been happy in his own relationship, Jaden might have started to suspect something. "I just don't know how Chancellor Sheppard is going to take this." For one reason and another, she seemed to be the unofficial envoy between the genius Duellist and the academic organiser.
"I've already spoken to Chancellor Sheppard." Admittedly, he hadn't even sounded that surprised to learn that his eternally delayed addition to the Duel Academy staff had deferred by another year. "It should only be a very short delay. I'm sure that Jaden will find an interim replacement for the summer."
"Oh, I know that he'll have someone who can cover for him." The more they talked between themselves, the less angry she seemed to be. "But this was supposed to be his opportunity to learn the ropes."
"What's there to learn?" Shrugging carelessly, Jaden was jumping right back into trouble without realising it. "I already know where everything is."
"What you need to learn is how to file reports on time, write up your students, deliver a curriculum and handle the dorm responsibilities." Frost glinted in her eyes as she sipped her steaming coffee.
"Yes, Alexis." Sinking to the table in humility, Jaden could only be thankful that these were two of the people he trusted the most.
"You have to take this seriously." Setting her cup down only emphasised her ire. Alexis never put down her coffee before it was finished. "Slifer's either advance to Ra Yellow or Obelisk Blue before leaving. You're the only one to ever graduate at Red and you've still got the highest practical scores on record. Ever since Banner passed and you left, Slifer's have been barely able to advance to Yellow and average grades are dropping. Just because you want to keep running around like"
"What I think Dr Rhodes is trying to say," Stopping the lecture before it could begin in earnest, Yugi knew they were operating on a fine schedule with no room for complications. "Is that the young Duellists entering with a disadvantage need a strong figure to guide them. Since I have been unjustly taking up your time," With good reason. Not that he was going to argue the point when he needed all the goodwill available. "These last few years, the interim replacements were lax in anything more than academic progress."
"Right. So you need a Slifer to show them it can be done and help students gain confidence before they start dropping out." He caught the twin looks of amazement. "What? It makes sense."
"Whatever he's been doing for you is certainly an improvement." Rightly acting as if Jaden was beneath her notice, Alexis continued her conversation with Yugi.
"While I wish I could claim all the credit." Graciously accepting the compliment, Yugi was smart enough to not let up his guard for a minute. "It doubtless lies with you. Jaden speaks very highly of you. I would love to attend one of your lectures when I have the time."
"Don't think you can flatter me into forgetting your part in all this." Pointing a finger under his nose, they both knew it was an empty bluff. "If Jaden doesn't show up this year, I'll take it all the way to Pegasus if I have to."
"On the contrary," Leaning back as he tried to figure out if Jaden was extremely lucky or supremely unlucky, Yugi was suitably blasé about the whole affair. "Pegasus will be first in line if Jaden's late. He's eager to see how the next King of Games fares as a teacher. Jaden, why don't you walk Alexis to her bus?" Jaden was wise enough to pick up on the inference.
"That would be nice." He almost wished he wasn't smart enough to pick up on that one. Alexis still looked exceptionally angry.
"I'm still mad at you." Folding her arms, she still had plenty of displeasure left as they walked towards the port connection.
"Yeah, well." Scratching at his head, Jaden was dealing with fairly complex emotions. A lot was going on in his life. "Maybe you're right to be."
"What?" She hadn't seen him in a few months. They spoke over the phone when timing allowed but meetings were far rarer and more prized. Alexis had expected him to reject her feelings but it seemed he had matured in his travels.
"I promised Sheppard I'd take the job three years ago but kept dropping it every time Yugi called." They turned a corner and he stepped aside to let an old lady pass between them. "Working with him is great and all but not if it's going to keep making me break my promises."
"My, haven't you grown." They were at the bus stop now. The next ride would be along in a few minutes. "I almost wonder what happened to the impulsive Duellist who looked second and jumped first."
"He learned the hard way to start looking." Staring down at his chest, there was no physical sign of the changes inside. Nor was the spectre floating above his head visible to anyone else. "I think doing all that stuff with the Rare Hunters taught me how to make a plan before running in."
'Slowly.' Appearing behind him, the transparent Yubel had been suitably concerned during his first dozens encounter. 'Very slowly.'
"What is it?" Usually, when people looked over their shoulder, it was because they sensed something amiss but Alexis couldn't see anything behind Jaden.
"Yubel's complaining that it took me a while." Shrugging off the insult, he had become accustomed to the vocable conscience. It certainly helped before doing something stupid.
"Oh." Looking up in the air, she must have stared right through Yubel without seeing anything. "Is she still...?" Words like 'inside you' were too close to an innuendo for comfort. Especially when Yubel was the other woman in Jaden's life.
"Yep." Of course, Jaden was completely at ease sharing his headspace. He hadn't been using most of it. "She's a bit moody sometimes but she's a lot nicer now that she's got some friends." The rest of the Spirits in his Deck had been trepidatious in the beginning but they were one family now. Stopping the end of the world has a way of bringing people together.
"It's nice to know she has people who care about her." Yet her face was still filled with suspicion. She wasn't sure how much trust she had for Yubel after trying to collapse the universe.
Eternally vigilant eyes noted the look and felt a pang of guilt. 'I have apologised more than once.' Even though the only person who could hear her had forgiven her, she continued to apologise for the incident.
"She's really sorry about what happened. And she did help me stop Nightshroud." As the only one who could hear the remorseful tirades, Jaden felt it his duty to communicate them to the rest of the world. She had been nothing except helpful in taking down the Rare Hunters, even if her suggestions had occasionally been more aggressive than was needed.
"And I'm willing to start afresh but it'll take a bit of time." They could see the bus coming down the street now. It was held at traffic lights but would be there soon. "And we'll have plenty of that when you're at Duel Academy." Her point was clear. She was going to trust him only one more time.
"We're both looking forward to it." As much as Yubel could express enjoyment beneath her serious demeanour. "There're bound to be a lot of good Duellists and it'll be nice to meet other people like me."
"I can honestly say, nobody else is like you." Irrepressible positive outlook, untameable hair, merged human-spirit soul. "But I've noticed a few... interesting students. I hope Yubel is okay if other people are able to see her."
"Yubel doesn't mind meeting new people." Several facets of her returning gaze unnerved him. The last time Yubel had tried meeting people, the universe had nearly broken apart.
"I bet she minds this." She opened his mouth with a sensual kiss as their bodies pressed tightly together. By the time they parted, his face perfectly matched the jacket he wore. "See you in class." Stepping onto the bus, she glowered down at him. Despite her personal feelings, she was professionally angry with him. "Don't be late this time."
'She's right.' Raising a glowing finger towards the bus as it started to pull away, Yubel was taking careful aim. There was little danger if one of the rear tires were to mysteriously puncture. 'I do mind.'
"No!" Gasping as he knocked her arm away, it was difficult to think that she would have actually done anything. Yubel had come so far since their reunion that he sometimes forgot just how harsh she could be if she thought him in danger. "What're you doing?"
'I don't like it when she does that.' The bus rounded a corner and out of sight. Even the cars that had filtered in behind it would have been fair targets to get a decent shot at Alexis. Distance was the only real way to be safe. "It's like she enjoys trying to upset me."
"We've talked about this." It hadn't been the easiest conversation. "You and I are always going to be together. But Alexis is my fiancée and that means I'm going to spend a lot more time with her in the future." Any relationship involving a formerly psychotic Duel Spirit was bound to be rocky but they had managed to come to a tentative understanding about Alexis. At least, Jaden had thought they had. The opportunity for dates with Alexis were few and far between and he had spent three days persuading Yubel to restrain herself the last time one had come along.
'Didn't you tell me that you didn't even know what 'fiancée' meant when you got engaged?' Vanishing with her snarky comment, Yubel was a dangerous pouter. Not many people were capable of instantly obliterating the source of their anger. She had learned to distance from the human world until explosions were less necessary.
"Hey! I told you that in confidence!" Reduced to shouting at her printed card while she hid, Jaden drew a few strange looks as he walked down the street. As soon as people noticed his attire, they generally recognised him as a trash Duellist and looked the other way. Part of the reason he was so effective was because people tended to miss exactly how capable he actually was.
The original quote is actually "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned". Have a favourite quote? Why not leave it in your review?