I do not own YGO nor the characters.

Characters may be slightly OOC at times, I try to stick to theirs characters as much as possible.

PROLOGUE

Jonouchi Katsuya tugged at his shirt collar nervously, glancing left and right to make sure there was no one in the corridor with him. He had tried to dress smart for the occasion, but the fabric felt unusual on his skin and itched. Not to mention he sweated too much for comfort. He could not stop feeling wrong and out of place. What in heavens was he doing in KaibaCorp. He almost regretted his presence.

With his luck, he would see the tell-tale white coat around the corner and be doomed to a lifetime of humiliations for even being in the bloody building. He did not want that. But his need for a job outmatched his personal wishes and had him here, so he sucked it up and remained seated in his goddamned chair, waiting for Isono to show up.

He had been surprised to receive a phone call from Kaiba's personal assistant and bodyguard. The fact that the man even had his number in the first place, nearly freaked him out, but he supposed it was only natural. Jonouchi swore that Isono was a frigging man in black, with all the gadgets and super abilities that came with the job. For someone who could hack satellites, launch international events without breaking a sweat, and save Mokuba from kidnappers twice a week in ten minutes beat, finding a phone number was merely a stroll in the park with lilies and bunnies.

Back to topic, Isono had offered Jonouchi a job. An actual, serious, well-paying job, with complete healthcare insurance and free tickets to Kaibaland once a year. The young man had searched for the catch, but in the end, he decided he would not look a gift horse in the mouth. Kaiba's lapdog was as versed to jokes as his master, only funnier. That meant the catch had to be minimal, or at least it would be clearly stated beforehand. No surprise there. And the paycheck was phenomenal, so Jonouchi had accepted on the spot anyway. His head spun with all the possibilities this sum could give him, beginning with a new, clean apartment in a nicer district, and real, fresh food three times a day, everyday. Those alone justified any risks.

He did not really know what Isono would need him for, though. Doorman, maybe? Or a handy job? Surely not something that involved too much brains. The CEO of KaibaCorp would have to sign his contract, and that douche would undoubtedly have a heart-attack thinking he would give a high position to the one he called a mutt, a good-for-nothing street rat. So no engineering for Jonouchi, and he could not do that anyway. Maybe he would be given a testing task? Now that would be awesome! Testing new Duel Monsters apparatus would be a dream come true for the duelist.

The sound of approaching footsteps snapped him out of his fantasies, and he saw Isono come down the corridor to him, his hands behind his back, all straight and serious and intimidating. Jonouchi scrambled to his feet, hesitating on the greetings he should be addressing to the other male. But the man in black spared him the effort, as he raised his hand to him.

"Good morning, Mr Jonouchi," he said formally as they shook hands, "I'm glad you could come so quickly."

"Morning, Isono, and yeah, no problem. I'm glad you called me, you really save me here."

Katsuya tried his best to sound polite. He did not want to spoil everything with his usual bad mouth, and swore to himself he would not say anything disrespectful as regards Kaiba. As strong as his dislike for the CEO was, he was going to be working for him soon, if Isono approved of him. He had to play nice.

"I'm most happy to be of use," the bodyguard replied evenly, "but think nothing of it. I saw your potential and I merely wish to improve the skills and efficiency of Director Kaiba's staff, and it appeared that your profile is just what I was looking for. This way, please."

He motioned towards a door further down and headed them to a plain-looking office with very simple decoration. He sat down and invited the young man to do the same. When both were seated in across from each other, Isono spoke up.

"I will be straight to the point, Mr Jonouchi," he declared with an unwavering gaze, "I didn't think you were cut for KaibaCorp until recently."

This, Katsuya could understand pretty easily. He did not think he was either. Yet here he was, having an interview with Kaiba's shadow.

"I really paid attention to your skills when I saw you during the Battle City tournament," the older male continued, "and witnessed your resistance and courage in front of danger. Now mark my words, courage is not a quality I look for in itself, but you displayed a particular aspect of it. In short, you showed to be quite competent in the field of physical, hand-to-hand combat and rescuing. That I respect, and searched for in candidates for a very long time."

Jonouchi dreaded the way it was getting to. Isono went on.

"I dug in your past, and I found that you come from a poor background and belonged to a gang some years ago. Therefore, I assume that you have some deep knowledge of the underground world, or at least you had a taste of it. You have quick reflexes, reckless but generous behavior, great stamina, and instinctive reactions. You're fit and healthy, sturdy as an oak, and your hits always land. You prove to be faithful and protective towards your friends and relatives, trustful when need be, and brave. And to complete your profile, you know Director Kaiba and Mr Kaiba, and they know you. Maybe you're not on the best of terms, but I guess you're as close as friends, considering Director Kaiba's relations. You even went so far as to save Mr Kaiba a couple of times, which I am very grateful for and find the best reference for the job."

Outraged to have been searched at first, Jonouchi short-circuited when he heard Isono mention him, Kaiba, and friends, in the same sentence. He almost burst out laughing at the thought. Him, be friends with moneybags? When hell freezes over. But he did not express his thoughts out loud. He was not the man with a gun at his belt, and he knew from experience that his interviewer was very touchy when it came to his beloved boss. So he schooled his features as best he could.

"What kind of job do you want me for?" he finally asked.

Isono quirked a brow, as if surprised the blonde had not guessed yet, then hummed pensively.

"Given your record and qualifications, I think it's obvious, Mr Jonouchi. Under my direct supervision, you could become a very valuable member of the Kaiba's close security staff. It's kind of a multitasking type of positions, as Director Kaiba wants his personnel to excel in many things, but..."

"Wait," Katsuya suddenly blurted incredulously, "you mean you want me to become like you? A..." He searched for the adequate term. Lapdog was injurious and did not cut it. Neither did bodyguard. After some seconds, he eventually found something, "A man in black?"

Isono's brows shot up at that. Man in black? What was this? The blonde flushed and tripped on his words to explain.

"It's just that with your black suit and dark glasses, and your freaking poker face, you look like those men in black from the movie. They're cool, mind me, they have all these gadgets and stuff, and they drive a nice car, too. I..."

"I understand," the elder interrupted evenly, "I know the film. Mh," he hummed, "even if I've never thought about us like that, I must say it can be a pretty accurate comparison. At least, on the cool side."

Was it an attempt at humor? It was difficult to tell, since those frigging glasses hid Isono's eyes, but the man's mouth seemed to have twitched and curled for a fleeting moment. Or maybe Katsuya had imagined it.

"Anyway, to answer your question, yes. I'd like to hire and train you as one of us, meaning I'd teach you everything I know to become Mr Kaiba's shadow, much as I'm Director Kaiba's."

"Oh. Wow, that's..."

Incredible? Impossible? Creepy as fuck? Jonouchi did not know anymore. His face must have shown his internal debate, however, for the other let out a tiny chuckle. He started at that. First he was offered one of the strangest and most dangerous jobs in the whole universe, and now, he heard Isono chuckle. Next, he would find Kaiba behind the door, waiting for him in a frilly neon pink suit with a giant lollipop in hand and a huge bright smile... A shudder crept up his spine. No, that was too frightening an idea, and he shoved it far away. Instead, he focused on formulating a response.

"That's a lot to take in, in fact," he managed to say. Bingo! He patted himself mentally on the back, proud of his answer.

Isono nodded comprehensively.

"I figure. Unfortunately, I'll need an immediate answer from you. Mr Kaiba is in dire need of an assistant, to relieve both Director Kaiba and me, and you'll need a lot of work to become decent in the position you'll be given. You'll need to begin first thing tomorrow morning, if you want to be ready in a few months, preferably before the big launch of Kaibaland USA..."

"Er, hold on," Jonouchi interjected once more, "how can you be so sure I'll say yes?"

The man lowered his head slightly, just so that his eyes were partly visible behind the dark glasses. Did he ever take them off to sleep?, Katsuya wondered. Isono's gaze was knowing. He had no doubt. He knew the blonde needed the job.

"If you don't think you're up to this tremendous task," he said in a challenging way, "maybe I'll let you go back to your life, Mr Jonouchi."

And that was how Isono got him. It was common knowledge that Jonouchi Katsuya never backed off from a challenge. This one, much to his astonishment, got him to be a new recruit in the secret body of Kaiba's men in black. Without Kaiba knowing about it until he had to sign the contract, of course. Man, the blonde would have loved to see the douchebag's face at that instant. Instead, his exemplar of the contract had come in the mail with an obvious scratch, almost a hole, created by a costly fountain pen where the CEO had ratified his official hiring as "security guard".

Hello :)

As you can see, I am trying a series of humoristic drabbles, with prompts from my ultra chicken friend KailynMei :p

I hope you will enjoy those, I will try to update as often as possible!