The morning papers were spread out along the table as he sipped at his black coffee. It was rare that he found himself at home, but even then that was no excuse to keep from working. The world still went on, whether he was in the office or not, and he'd been taught that lesson a long time ago. Even in a place such as this there was little comfort for him; even the coffee could have been made a little better, he found himself thinking.

But then he spied something. One of the headlines caught his eye almost immediately. It wasn't a company going under, or even his stocks being bought up (in one of those ridiculous plans to overthrow him from his company). No, it wasn't even that his newest Duel Disk release was selling well.

Katsuya Jounouchi, top ranked duelist- Deceased

To be sure, there was a definite sense of absolute morbid curiosity. That no-nothing last rate Duelist, dead? He didn't have the time for it, so he tucked it into the back of his mind for later, the paper being folded neatly and slipped into his coat pocket. It would have to come later.

The work day was a long and hard one as usual. There were no complaints from the steely eyed CEO. Work was work, and it needed to be done. It was in the early morning hours now, about four thirty or so, the sun not yet having enough decency to rise, the moon almost gone from the sky. Everything was quiet save for the hum of his machines in the office.

It was then that he remembered, and he removed the paper from his jacket. Leaning back in the office chair, he read on.

Katsuya Jounouchi was found dead in his apartment earlier yesterday evening. The cause of death has been determined a suicide. No notes were found, and upon questioning his friends have expressed deep regret.

Kaiba stopped reading.

The office remained silent for a moment as he absorbed this latest news.

Then it came, soft at first. Almost too soft, as if it weren't there at all, as if this expression hadn't been used in such a long time, it might have not existed within the man at all anymore. But then louder and louder until he couldn't breathe-

Kaiba Seto was laughing. Not even laughing, howling with such deep amusement that he turned red in the face until he couldn't breathe. It took a full ten minutes for him to come to a stop and compose himself.

The paper was thrown into the trash.

"Pathetic." He said, still smirking. He hadn't laughed that hard in a long time.

Seemed the mutt had finally been good for something, even if it was the last thing he did.

"Back to work."