BEP: For some reason, listening to music for 'The Matrix' has helped me write this fic. Kinda suits Kaiba's character, even if he isn't the main character in this story. Maybe he just needs a hug to make up for all the hardship in his life. XD...Or maybe not.
"Come on Mokuba." Seto Kaiba's demanding voice ordered his younger brother down the hallway. They'd come to see a new piece of machinery that could, apparently, provide enough of a challenge in a duel to be worthy of his attention. Seto, as a person, was not extremely optimistic and the idea that he could be beaten by a simple machine defied all logic. Nevertheless he was interested, to say the least. If this piece of metal did turn out to be something special, then he just might have something that could help him beat Yugi in a duel.
Glancing back at his younger brother, he wondered why he had seen fit to bring him along. Then again, Mokuba was stuck to his side pretty much 24/7. He didn't mind that much though. After all, what was the point in bringing another duellist to their knees without someone to watch them fall? Mokuba was devoted to him, something he, as a denied egotistical maniac, enjoyed thoroughly. The only thing wrong with Mokuba was his incessant need to befriend anyone he saw. The friendship he'd created with Yugi was not one Kaiba approved of. Far from it. And because he was so naïve, he was easy pickings for any enemies lurking in the shadows, meaning that Seto would have to go and save him. Secretly though, although it was an annoyance, he didn't mind. When it came down to it, he wanted his brother safe, just as he always had. He remembered the orphanage, how naïve little Mokuba had been picked on and bullied, and how he, Seto Kaiba, would look after him and had aspired to create a better future for both of them, damn the consequences. He never spoke these thoughts out loud of course, but did ponder over them again and again when he had nothing better to do.
Mokuba almost skipped down the corridor, until they both came to the lift. Entering he glanced up at the security camera and muttered his desired floor, waiting for the people up in Security to send him down. Because pressing buttons was for the common people. And he was not a common person. Quickly, the people at the control unit complied, and the elevator began its descent, hurtling down to a place beneath is feet, beneath him in a way. Beneath everyone who walked above it. Physically, anyway. What was contained here was beyond normal human understanding, a collection of machines and tests, all designed to satisfy one purpose. To make him the greatest duellist that the world had ever seen. They passed endless rows of duel disks, each one identical in appearance but apparently enhanced in some unheard-of way; old tried-and-tested devices that had failed to match up with his high standards; duel-bots that had crashed when attempting to surpass his unbeatable deck; and many other, unrecognisable pieces of worthless metal which he imagined had once been something that the scientists here had constructed in the past. In fairness, it had wasted an unwanted rainy afternoon facing those misshapen lumps of crushed cans.
Finally, they came to the door at the edge of the underground laboratory. This was the most secret room in the area, and was protected by a seemingly endless combination of locks, codes and scans. Well, it would be to anyone who wasn't Seto Kaiba. Try as they might, no one could match his greatness. Any impersonation was seen through instantly. Still, even he had to have a code, only his would skip over all of the other necessary safe guards. An eye scan accompanied his seven digit code and the Kaiba brothers entered the room.
Safe to say, first impressions were not impressive. The machine was nothing more than the rest of them, a large hunk of metal attached to another piece of metal, all wired to a computer where several experts sat and typed lines of coding for hours on end. The only thing he could think of which that was more boring than duelling Yugi's friends. Some day, he'd issue it as a punishment.
"Mr Kaiba, allow us to present the latest in duel technology. This machine is guaranteed to provide for you a worthy opponent whose talent easily surpasses that of Yugi Moto. If you defeat it, the computer will automatically bump up the difficulty of each virtual opponent, meaning that your general duelling skills will be improved as well as those which you plan to utilise for any future duel with the Moto kid."
"I doubt that, but if this machine does deliver then maybe I can use the new-found skills to defeat him. After all, he is the only person who's actually ever given me a real challenge. And be careful what you say. The question is not 'if' I beat it, but 'when'." He was smug to see the man stutter his apologies. "Now, hurry up and get it started. I don't want this to take any longer than it has to."
"Of course Sir." The man hurried to the controls and Seto walked to the underground arena, for once, allowing Mokuba to follow him to the room, so long as he waited at the sidelines. Mokuba was as ready to watch and cheer on Seto as Seto was to defeat the bot. Besides, there wouldn't have been enough room in the already cluttered control room, for many extra people had been drafted in to help with the construction of this rumoured, unbeatable machine. Unbeatable, we'll just see about that. He thought to himself as the bot fired up and the duel began. It was over before the machine's second turn.
"Well, that was pathetic." Seto almost spat the words, "hopefully for you, the next few levels will prove to be more of a challenge." The next six didn't, and the bot suffered as painful a defeat as it had in the first match. To the credit of the scientists, level eight did surprise him, but it made no difference to the outcome. Nine and ten did give a bit of fight, but it annoyed him more than it tested him. "How many levels are there exactly?" He probably should have asked that at the beginning but it only just occurred to him that if there weren't many more then it was pointless continuing.
"You've only beaten a tenth of the levels. There are one hundred in total."
"Then, let's skip out the middle levels and go straight for number one hundred. I don't want to waste any more time dealing with opponents that Mokuba could beat in his sleep." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his little brother straighten slightly, pleased with the compliment he thought Seto had delivered. Yes, ever loyal Mokuba was still here, not that Seto was surprised. Mokuba took any chance to stay with his brother and root for him, even if he didn't need back up and support. If Mokuba was at least half as bored as Seto was then he would've left ages ago. But no, he was still here. Still, rooting for his big brother. Seto almost smiled. Almost.
"But Sir, this machine is new. No one has tested any level beyond fifty. We aren't sure if the levels following are safe or stable."
"You should have checked before I came down, now I need to challenge someone worthy or my attention, and if I have to spend one more minute duelling at the kid's levels then I'm going to fire you all." The scientists hurried to meet with his demands and he turned his attention back to the duel bot, as it whirred and clicked up level after level. Time to see what this thing is really made of. He didn't get to. As the counter neared the nineties, the bot started overworking, almost pulsing. Seto was confused, but not worried. That was, until he saw the expressions plastered to the faces of the scientists as they desperately tried to control the energy.
"What's going on?!" He cried.
"The machine is sending out an excessive amount of radiation. It's too great for us to control. Sir, you must get out of there!"
Seto Kaiba started to worry, and made his way towards the door. If he could just get out then maybe he would be safe. He broke into a run and made it through the exit. Then he turned, holding the door open with his arm for Mokuba, who was running for his life across the room, falling over in fear. The power was building, and Seto wasn't sure if Mokuba could get to the exit in time. So he made a decision. Abandoning his own safety, he ran back into the lion's mouth, back into the duel room. He yanked Mokuba up by his arm and pulled him towards the exit. Too little, too late though. The surge of power pulsed once before oscillating outwards. It hit both Kaibas, pulling them towards the machine. Then, a blinding light exploded from the bot, and the Kaiba brothers were sucked in, away from the noise and crowds of Kaiba Corp and Domino City.
Oh no! What will happen to Seto and Mokuba? Well, stupid question, given that it's kinda explained in the little summary and the tagged characters. Oh, well. Enjoy and stay tuned for the next exciting chapter that will be uploaded I-don't-know-when. Sometime soon, hopefully. Bye bye for now. BEP.