Chapter Six: Backtrack

Alexis felt completely and utterly inferior. Jesse shouldered the weight of her heaviest suitcase without breaking a sweat while she struggled with two lesser bags. Panting and infuriated, she glared in his direction, surprised to find him glaring back. His frown was tucked away into the rightmost corner of his lips and his eyebrows downwards, like he was sucking on sour words.

"What?" she snapped, adjusting her baggage.

He turned his gaze forwards, towards the Girl's Dorms in the distance. "I thought you didn't want to take this job."

"I changed my mind."

"And you walked out on your class today."

Alexis stopped dead in her tracks. To hide her surprise, she dropped the bags and put her hands to her knees. Taking deep breaths bought her a few seconds and some minor relief. "Word travels fast."

"Yeah, but," Jesse replied, stopping as well. He picked up one of her bags and swung it around his free shoulder, a perfect gentleman if not for the sternness in his eyes. "I covered your afternoon classes, and when I offered to cover tomorrow if you weren't feeling better, they told me you were taking two weeks off."

"Oh, thanks," Alexis replied. She eyed the extra load Jesse had taken on and held out her hands for it, opening and closing her fists in the universal 'gimmie' sign. "So if you're angry about taking on all this extra work, give it back."

"I'm not angry," he insisted. Realizing Jesse was not going to give back the bag voluntarily, Alexis stepped forward and grabbed the strap. Jesse's hand stopped her, touching just above her elbow in a gesture far too caring for comfort. "You're just acting weird."

She broke his grip, giving up on the bag to gain some distance. "I do nothing and Atticus accuses me of being depressed. I take action and you call me weird. There's no winning with you two."

Alexis marched on ahead, one bag lighter. A sigh, scrambled call to wait, and then the sound of Jesse jogging over kept her attention fixed firmly on the Girl's Dorms in the approaching sunset. Even without looking, Alexis could tell the bastard wasn't tired from all that extra baggage, coloring her green with envy.

"What are you? A bodybuilder?"

"Eh?" Jesse replied.

Alexis gestured vaguely at the suitcase on his shoulders, the extra bag on the other, and then her general lack of composure from carrying just one. After a pause to connect the dots, he laughed, breaking any tension between them.

"Nah, nah," he giggled, some of his Norwegian accent coming out. It faded with his mirth, dampened by the admittance, "I was in a really bad way after we came back without Jay, you know? Couldn't do anything I was so guilty. Ruby and the others kept berating me to do something, and one morning I just got so sick of it that I took off runnin'. It helped, so I just kept doing it."

Alexis risked looking at him and found him staring upwards with a fond smile. He kept surprising her with these easy admittances of guilt. Uncomfortable, she said, "It wasn't your fault. We all wanted to save you."

"I know that now," he replied. Jesse turned his smile back towards her, and she found nothing fake hiding there. "I feel the same about rescuing Jay, but I know better."

"You know better?" she repeated. They had reached the lake in front of the Dorm, and she bent into a boat to drop her load. Jesse reached around her and did the same, his strong arms at eye level. Observing his muscle as he pulled back and brushed the hair from his face, Alexis found her own suspicions about the chronic 'runner.'

Jesse closed his eyes and sighed, sounding rehearsed. "Saving me cost almost everyone their life, and I didn't do anything. Saving Jay in a world that absolutely hates him is gonna be a lot harder. We just can't take unnecessary risks, ya know?"

He made to get into the boat and follow her, but Alexis held out a hand. Her fingers brushed against the solid mass of his chest, and their eyes locked, his wide and hers narrowed.

She kept her voice neutral as she pointed out he was very much male and they were very rapidly approaching curfew for visitors in the Girl's Dorm. He kept his tight as he pointed out that it was going to be hard to visit her with that kind of attitude.

"Keeps Atticus off of my couch." She smiled pleasantly and he laughed it off.

As the waves lulled against the side of her boat and he faded into the distance, watching from the docks, Alexis allowed her question to take shape. Why would a runner be fit from the chest up as well? She knew he, listening to the lap of water as she retreated, was probably wondering questions of a similar line. Why was she running away, and from what?

Jesse occupied her thoughts as she banked on the shores of her new home. His searching eyes tugged at her lungs as she labored over her suitcase, wrenching it free of the boat with a curse. A few milling students giggled, but left her to herself once she righted the behemoth. There was no way Jesse could lug this around so easily if he was only a casual runner.

Which meant he was omitting some kind of exercise routine. But for what purpose? Their conversation had turned towards the Dark World before she had time to press or tease him about his strength, and she was hardly up for talking about that.

The stories of that dimension were always there, ready to ruin conversations and days. She carried hers within her chest and lugged it around, denying it whenever possible. If it came up in conversation she was sure to shut up and move on. That was how all of them dealt with the trauma of dying and losing everything. All except Jesse, who had the best reason to feel guilty.

Alexis touched the handle of her suitcase, still warm from Jesse's hands, and reflected. Deflected. Every time she had come close to pulling at the topic of the Dark World, Jesse twisted it around to focus on him. She had thought it was his way of comforting her, of telling her that she was not alone in her feelings of darkness and helplessness, but now she wasn't sure.

She closed her eyes and grit her teeth. Jesse's strangeness did not matter in the grand scheme of things. What mattered was that she was wasting time when Jaden could still be under Burgundy's sword, or worse. She shouldered her baggage and marched on.

The trek to Ms. Fontaine's room was far from quick. She waved off any and all offers of help from the students, not wanting to entertain pleasantries. When the apartment door was closed behind her, Alexis flopped down all of her possessions and rested the back of her head against the dark wood. Her muscles protested, threatening strike. She ignored them, knowing that if she found a way to travel in her dreams, her body would be going through much needed musclization.

She might even be able to fit into her old uniform. A strange smile jerked onto her face, almost painful with its ferocity. Here she was, sitting on the floor of her old Dormitory, lugging baggage, worrying about fitting into her uniform, and waiting to find a vanished loved one. A quick glance out the living room windows confirmed that the old lighthouse was in view, and she was almost able to taste the salty ocean breeze, to hear the reassuring tone of Zane's low voice.

We'll find him, he'd say. He can't stay hidden for long.

And she had found Atticus—under the roof of the abandoned dorms, where she had lived as a teacher up until this moment. Now here she was, lost and looking in the Girl's Dorms, the Queen of the Obelisks once again. Alexis closed her hazel eyes and willed herself three years younger, standing tall in ridiculous booted heels, doing the annual saving-the-world quest at Jaden's side.

Jaden couldn't stay hidden for long, either. She had found him, one way or another, and all that was left was a rescue. Alexis stood, tugging and tossing off her teacher's jacket to expose her eight-fingered bruises. Although still tender to the touch, Brron's hand was a needed reminder of the reality of her dream world, and it motivated Alexis deeper into Ms. Fontaine's apartment, towards the bedroom. She could hear the sleeping pills tumbling in her skirt pocket, calling for use.

They reminded her that she had forgotten to grab a glass of water in the kitchen. Muttering under her breath, Alexis backtracked into the kitchen area and came face-to-face with Axel, already halfway into the entrance. They both stopped in place, surprised.

Alexis broke first. "Don't you knock?"

"No." He closed the door softly behind him and squinted into the apartment, darkening with the setting sun. "Are we alone?"

"Yes," she said, and added pointedly, "There aren't any visitors allowed in the Girl's Dorms past sunset."

"Good."

He made no attempt to leave, nor did he come any further into the apartment. Instead, he searched her face with his cool honey eyes. Very little had changed about him in their years of separation: he still wore his sturdy black jacket, red shirt, and soldier's pants along with his dreadlocked hairstyle. It would be easy to pretend they were still in their senior year, except for the fact that she and Axel had never exchanged more than a handful of sentences.

Alexis crossed her arms. Axel's expression flashed, and Alexis realized too late that she had exposed her bruises. She rushed on, "Axel, this is my first night acting as the Dorm Head. I need to set a good example for the students here, and that does not involve breaking the rules. Please come back in the morning or call me."

He stared at her bruises, face unreadable. She kept hers neutral and locked her posture, knowing to uncross her arms would only make the situation worse. Still, so would Axel when he finished counting exactly how many fingers had caused the bruising—at least, if he didn't assume the missing two were hiding underneath her bicep.

"Axel," she repeated. "Please make it quick or leave."

"You asked Jim about spirits."

Alexis seized her sense of surprise before it could show and stuffed it deep down into her stomach. "Something isn't right in the Dark World, and I wanted to know who we can trust when we find a way to break in."

Axel narrowed his eyes. "Our technology is not yet capable of breaking the barrier. If you had talked to Bastion, you would know this. It is too early to prepare."

Alexis found it in her to smile. "I'm a teacher, Axel. All we do is prepare."

"Then prepare for creating a portal," Axel countered, eyes lingering on her arms, "not travel."

Suspicion was written all over his face, and he clearly wanted it to show. The twisting in her stomach intensified, but did not alter her demeanor. She had her mission: find Jaden. Whatever mission Axel had could not change that.

"Actually," she corrected, "we can't go in blind. Nobody wants this to be a repeat of last time. The more we know, the safer we'll be."

Axel didn't budge.

"We should focus on our strengths," Alexis pushed, brow knitting. "You can gather intelligence with Jim, having survived the longest there. Bastion can work on the spirit portal. Atticus can round everyone up, and I can handle finding friends."

"Jesse would be the better choice."

His words ran across her skin like a paper cut. She growled, "I'm more than capable."

Perhaps realizing his insult, Axel revised, "Jesse can see spirits. He may be able to communicate with them through his Gem Beasts. You have talents elsewhere."

He did not elaborate where, exactly. The truth was that she had no use anymore: she was three years rusty as a duelist, lacked physical strength, and could not utilize any supernatural powers. She opened her mouth to argue with him regardless, if only to kick him out, but stopped short.

Without any concrete reason, Alexis was the only one to have broken into the Dark World. Visions were never in her resume of skills, and she knew from her time under Sartorius that psychic powers did not just develop overnight. For the first time, she realized that there was no explanation for her trip into the Dark World.

Unless Brron had not been lying. Unless she had been summoned. But why not Jesse? He had survived in the Dark World and had a strong connection to its inhabitants. She did not—all she had was desire to save her long lost friend.

Fear began to burn in her. She had been summoned because she was weak.

"I apologize, you're right. Jesse would be the better choice."—her voice sounded far away—"He may even be able to help Bastion with the spiritual aspects of the portal."

The lines in Axel's face deepened. His thick eyebrows turned downwards, and his mouth twisted into a hard frown. Suspicion. Concern. Alexis couldn't bring herself to care over the tizzy of realization. She was rushing blind into the Dark World with no real way of defending herself—into a world that had killed her at her prime, and had destroyed Jaden in every way possible, the strongest of them all.

If Brron was to be trusted, it was Yubel who was contacting her. The draconic duel monster had never shown any interest in her before this, and those who fell under Yubel's gaze found themselves manipulated, murdered, or possessed. The demon's first trip at Duel Academy had resulted in the death of Professor Viper, Marcel's possession, and Jesse's disappearance. Not to mention, Yubel had put Jaden's childhood friend in a coma just for beating the boy in a duel.

What could this psychopath want with her?

The answer came quickly, and with it, a loss of breath. Alexis fell back into the kitchenette, leaning against the island counter and bright blue barstool. Her hands cupped around her bruises, squishing a jolt of yellowish pain from them, grateful for the minor injuries. Though she doubted Brron had meant to do anything but annoy Yubel, he had probably saved both her and Jaden's lives.

Alexis looked up, meeting the searching eyes of the once-transfer student. "Axel, did you ever encounter Yubel in the Dark World?"

The man took a half-step back, appraising her lilted speech. "No. Jesse, Crowler, and Syrus are the only ones here to have met her."

There Jesse was again, impossibly tangled in the fallout from their third year. Alexis shook her head. "Chancellor Sheppard once said that she was obsessed with Jaden. That she hurt anyone and everyone who came near him."

Axel said nothing, but kept his attention on Alexis. She gripped her bruised flesh tighter, numbing herself to the painful truth. Memories, pushed down in denial, burst to the surface of the evening three years ago, when their gang had returned to Earth without their hero. Syrus, alone, staring up at the blue sky, bursting into tears as he retold the tale of Jaden's departure. The Slifer's promise that he was not sacrificing himself, and that he was going to work something out with Yubel.

"What if the reason Jaden hasn't come back is to protect us from her?"

The unsaid: What if Jaden's in hiding from Yubel? What if Yubel is using me as bait to draw Jaden out? What if Jaden closed the inbound portals so that we couldn't stumble into Yubel's traps?

Axel's eyes brightened, but his posture remained rigid. "That seems likely."

Alexis allowed herself to slump into the barstool and unclench. Instead, her hands found her eyes and kneaded, a poor attempt at covering the anxious smile underneath. "Jesse would know more about Yubel."

"I'll speak with him," the warrior promised. He turned away from her, stopping short of the door. Without looking back, he added, "Good thinking."

He slipped out the room like a shadow, ducking out of the dorms as the sun did the horizon. Alone in an unfamiliar apartment, Alexis collapsed back onto the island. Her left pinky brushed against the cool metal of the sink, reminding her of her reason for entering the kitchen in the first place: a glass of water for sleeping pills.

She had eight to nine hour of guaranteed sleep; she had eight to nine hours of possible torture from Yubel.

Vision floating, Alexis gazed from the sink, to the ceiling, and finally to the crystalline lake outside of her window, pastel from the dipping sun. Night was coming, and with it, a decision three years in the making. Alexis could sit here, stare into the lake, and accept that her memories of dueling Jaden, of suffering her first defeat, would remain submerged and rose-tinted for the rest of her life. Or she could risk that life to search for him, to see him again, and to possible drift right into Yubel's trap.

Her hand snaked into her pocket and fisted the sleeping pills. Dreams had shown Jaden in danger, under the sword of a Spirit Jim had admitted to be hostile. The warrior had been strong, defensive, and Jaden had been weak and confused from the depths of a coma. The Slifer was charming, but he had been damaged too deeply by that world. They all had.

Jaden Yuki was three years missing, and out of self-made miracles. He was on the run from a psychotic monster, and from an entire dimension of revenge-seekers. He was human in the Spirit World, and he was without help for all but one woman. To top it off, his rescuer was likely his downfall, if Alexis' suspicions were true.

But…

Many things had changed since their somber graduation. She had weakened and worsened and failed where everyone had expected her to succeed. She lost her cool and her temper, and she couldn't hold a duel disk to save her life. Alexis was never going to be the girl she once was, the girl who had helped save the world.

But she could not be the girl who could not save her friend.

Even if she failed, she had to try.

It was Jaden Yuki.

She had to.

Thumb popping the pill top, she strode to the sink and ran the faucet. The water was clear, cool, and refreshing under her tongue. She fished the correct amount of medication and pushed the pills past her lips, swished, and swallowed. Will ironclad, Alexis Rhodes marched to the back of the apartment complex, armed herself with her duel disk, dropped to her covers, and slept.

When she woke in the other world, Yubel was the first name she heard. The name burst from the lips of a heavily muscled spirit, sword raised overhead, like a curse. In the reflection of the steel, Alexis caught her bearings: the small hut, the occupied cot, and the horrified flashes on Claret and Maiden's faces. Jaden.

Instantaneous, her reaction was instinctual. She twisted and lunged as the weapon sliced down, aimed for the tightening face of Jaden, still stiff on his sickbed. Her hand stretched for the blade, her legs dug deep into the dirt in front of him, and her body turned to catch death for him.

Outstretched, her fingers met the edge of the sword.

A/N: I'm baaaaackkkkkkkkkk. So, who's ready for an adventure of peril, mystery, and all-around doom? I know I am.