AN: This is a side-fic to That Which Rises and Falls, but it can stand alone as well. I just thought that a certain plot point in that story needed expanding, and came up with this. Hope it satisfies!
Disclaimer: Yugioh and all its characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. I just come up with new ways to use them. =]
Dartz had many minions, thousands upon thousands of people stationed all over the world. Chevron, BP, Wal-Mart, General Electric, even Microsoft. Not one company, major or minor, was without it's well-placed spy, though rarely were these agents called upon. People in positions of power had the ability to push the world's trade—and thus the world's balance of power—in the directions that Dartz wanted. Money talked as well—over half the world's arrests for embezzlement involved agents from Dartz' "shadow market," and those were just the ones who had been caught.
He did not seek to rule the world; he already ruled it, if quietly, subtly. A bribe here, a suggestion there... The connections Paradias had formed a web that spanned the global market, and nothing stood in his way.
He was almost ready to begin the final stages. There were just a few more pieces to fall into place.
Dartz had many minions, so when Kaiba Corp. grew to be more than just a garage company, it was fairly easy for one of them to bring a certain butler to his attention. Hobson was a small, toad-like man with black piggy eyes hidden behind mirrored spectacles—clearly someone with thoughts in his head, thoughts he knew shouldn't be known to the general public if he wanted to steer clear of the law. It was remarkably clear after only two interviews that Hobson was a sick man, sadistic beyond measure, and one who didn't need pursuading with pretty dreams of global cleansing and paradise on Earth. He was happy to spread chaos and pain for the thrill it gave him, and far be it for Dartz to turn away such a willing recruit... even if the man would likely be the first to die once the cleanse began.
Gozaburo Kaiba was an interesting man, and the more he learned, the more facinated he became. Here was a man with a deep-seated anger, insatiable greed, and the power and intelligence to have, be, and do whatever he pleased. He was either a very good candidate for a Swordsman... or a potential threat to Dartz' power base.
So he instructed Hobson to present Gozaburo with a gift: a silver ring with a glowing, pale-green stone set into it. The man's reaction to the stone's presence would determine which category he fell into.
Dartz had many minions, so Hobson was pleased to be the first to inform him of Kaiba's sons. Three sons, two of which were adopted. The naturally-born boy did not interest him—though he was intelligent and with power well above average, his soul was a fragile thing, and he lacked the anger and drive to be a Swordsman. Noah's death came and went without comment, though Dartz found Gozaburo's attempts to prolong the boy's life amusing. However, that left the other two boys in Hobson's care, and that was when Dartz began observing the Kaiba household with interest.
He had been watching Seto Kaiba for some time now, wondering if his soul was really as powerful as initial tests had suggested. The loss of his parents clearly hadn't fazed him, although he seemed to have a weakness for that dark-haired boy, the little brother. The brother would have to be removed if Seto was to be any sort of Swordsman material...
And he was capable of murder! That was a delightful find. So perhaps Gozaburo wasn't such a waste of time after all, if his tender parenting—and Hobson's tutoring—produced a boy like this.
Dartz had many minions, so it was barely noticed when Hobson died. Caught by the wiles of an infant in his own cruel trap and electrocuted, or thusly go the rumors. Very little of Kaiba Corp's Death-T games were televised, owing to "technical difficulties"—even in the farthest depths of his fling with insanity, Seto Kaiba was not stupid. However, the death of one insignificant butler was overrun by the publicity of Kaiba's defeat and subsequent coma. But no matter. Dartz could turn his attention to other things.
The ageless Atlantean King sipped his wine thoughtfully, pondering his options. Seto had been cleansed of his all-consuming darkness, making him (if he ever woke from his coma) all but useless to his mission, and Kaiba Corp's more-than-corruptable board of directors, along with several of Kaiba's personal guards, had already been claimed by Maximillian Pegasus, another whom he had been watching with increasing interest. Though, at the moment, this was the least of his concerns.
Did his eyes decieve him, or had the Nameless Pharaoh finally returned?
Dartz had many minions, and not all of them were warriors. Some were wealthy businessmen who provided him with funds in exchange for the "removal" of company rivals. Some were religious or political figures who shaped those in their sphere of influence as their benefactor saw fit. Some were just well-placed contacts who followed orders blindly—be they bodyguards, celebrities, or household servants. A good many of them were simply ordered to wait for further instructions, even if instructions never came.
Ah, poor Alister, he thought without remorse. The boy had been crushed when he learned of Gozaburo's death, and would likely throw a fit when he found out the man's son had been locked in a Penalty Game. However, it suited Dartz very well; there were still some final preparations to be made. And if Seto's soul was as strong as he suspected, he would break out of that Game before the year was out. Alister's patience—or lack thereof—was something to consider, but he trusted Rafael to keep the hotheaded teen under control.
In the meantime, the Pharaoh and his host would grow strong. They would find the Egyptian Gods and gain enough power to set the Leviathan free from its prison at last.
Dartz had many minions, nearly all of which served his purpose in some way...
Soon, he thought with barely contained excitement. So very soon...
...but none of them were remembered.
A "Swordsman," for those who haven't seen the subbed episodes, is the term for the main warriors/duelists of Dartz' group. Rafael, Alister, and Valon were all Swordsmen, as were Mai and Gurimo (the older man from the first two episodes of season four). Paradias was the name of the company, and Doma was the name of the cult that the company was a front for.
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