From Out of Nowhere

Chapter 1: First

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, but we all already knew that.

Seto Kaiba was not widely known for his kindness. In fact, many who had encountered him doubted he had any in him at all. Seto Kaiba didn't care though. Let the people think as they wish, he didn't have time to argue about such senseless things. Besides, it was true that he did not carry much kindness with him. It was a hard world, and he needed his steely exterior and glare that could kill to remain powerful, and to protect him and his little brother.

Seto Kaiba sighed as he adjusted his bow tie in the mirror, a slight scowl on his face. Kaiba Corp's annual charity gala was tonight to raise money for local orphanages. So, okay, he had one little soft spot to show a bit of kindness towards some orphans, but he just didn't want anyone to go through everything that he and Mokuba did.

He shook his head and gave his reflection a final icy glare, before turning on his heel and heading for the limo waiting downstairs.

The annual Kaiba Corp charity gala was on of the largest events in Domino city. Prestigious guests gathered from all over the country, and in some cases, the world, to attend. Kaiba Corp did not hold many public events, and it was rare for the CEO Seto Kaiba himself to be at any other events throughout the year, so it was an opportunity to lay eyes on the handsome blue-eyed man himself, or in the case of his business associates and rivals, to try and secure beneficial deals for their companies, or scope out the competition.

The company's security teams had been preparing for this for weeks. At such a huge venue, with so many important guests in attendance, it was their job to keep out any paparazzi and reporters, weed out anyone trying to sneak in, while ensuring the safety of every attendee from anything that could go wrong.

Kaede Erizawa was already positioned in her place as elegantly dressed guests streamed into the grand ballroom, dressed in expensive suits and dresses, and glittering with impressive jewels. Hors d'oeuvres were being served by sharply dressed servers, and small groups of important people began clumping as conversation and occasional dancing broke out.

She was standing in a hidden alcove by an emergency exit, and a long set of stairs that went all the way to the roof of the towering building. She was wearing a long, sleek black dress that went all the way to the ground to cover the sneakers she was wearing. It wasn't proper, and the security team was supposed to be able to blend with the crowd if needed, but how on earth was she supposed to run in heels?

She leaned against a wall, keeping a sharp eye and ear out while idly fingering her earpiece concealed by her long black hair. It was going to be a long, and lonely night in her little watch post, but she didn't complain. This is where her father, Tatsuki Erizawa, head of Kaiba Corp security had stationed her, and had given her the important role of personal protection over Mokuba Kaiba if anything should happen. Not that it would, she snorted at her bangs, thinking the idea of anyone getting past their well planned security set up was near impossible. She shook her head, and shifted into a more comfortable lean, eyeing the crowd of beautiful people, feeling rather plain in comparison.

Kaiba and Mokuba arrived after most of the other guests, and sure enough, as they exited the stretch limo, a line of bodyguards moved in to shield them from the buzzing crowds of journalists and photographers, flashes and yelling demands for statements ignored by Kaiba while Mokuba grinned and waved whenever he could. Seto Kaiba was dressed in a sharp black tuxedo, while Mokuba was in a smart dark blue suit and bow tie, though his hair still streamed out wild and large behind him.

Nearby, a band of giggling women were studying him, batting their lashes and gesturing to Seto. He sighed, foreseeing a very long night indeed. He impatiently walked beside Mokuba as the younger Kaiba enjoyed the time in the spotlight before they entered the party.

;

A few hours later, Kaede was slouched on the floor, struggling to stay awake and in focus on the gala and the attendees. So far, the night was going off without a hitch, as she figured it would. Bored, she shook her head and pushed herself back to standing position stretching and yawning widely, trying to gather up the energy to make it through the rest of the night.

Her radio started crackling, and that gave her all the inspiration she needed to quickly snap to attention, tensely staring into the crowd as she listened.

"Bzzt… This is Agito. We've just found Hiroki unconscious at the back entrance, along with the rest of his team. Looks like there was a struggle. It looks like a group of people managed to bust their way in."

Kaede felt her blood run cold, and quickly cranked up her earpiece to full volume to not miss a single word. She glared and put a hand on the strap that was secretly concealing her gun on her thigh under her dress. She hoped she wouldn't need to use it.

"Bzzt… Tatsuki here. Outside patrol team, stay with Hiroki's team and make sure they all get help. Beta and Charlie, come out and start mingling in the crowd, keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Alpha, stay where you are, but Delta, go outside and do a scan, support the patrol team if needed. Echo, you are to quietly check all available rooms and corners someone could be hiding in. Kaede, we're going to ere on the side of caution and go to the Kaiba brothers now. Remain inconspicuous."

Kaede gulped, but steeled herself slightly before slipping out into the crowd, reassured by her father's calm demeanour and soothing voice.

She carefully moved around, looking for Mokuba, finding him right beside the tall CEO of Kaiba Corp, as everything seemed calm and normal. Maybe they were overreacting. Maybe no one made it in. Maybe-

She broke out into a sprint, unashamedly hiking her dress up as she ran, pushing people out of her way, and grabbing her gun.

She dived immediately for the younger Kaiba as startled yells and screams rang up around her. The shot that was meant for Mokuba flew harmlessly where his head was a second ago, as Kaede turned and shot the man who had aimed at him in the stomach, causing him to fall as a second shot rang out.

Tatsuki was an excellent bodyguard though, and threw himself in the bullet's path before it could hit Seto Kaiba. The shot took him in the chest, propelling him backwards before he crumpled on the ground.

Panic immediately broke out, guests running for the doors as other security guards sprang from their places to tackle the two gunmen. Kaede swore and wished she could check on her father, wished she had acted sooner…

But danger was afloat, and she had a different role now. She leapt to her feet, dragging Mokuba up with her, grabbing Kaiba's arm, and briskly pulling them both towards her, as they heard a few more shots ring out, muted by the loud crowd.

"Follow me NOW!" she gruffly yelled, waving them to follow her, and breaking off at a jog towards her previous watch post. The two Kaibas, both shocked to say the least, followed her closely, as Kaede led the way, gun at the ready as she carefully kept her guard up.

She was quick enough to drop another man by shooting him in the chest just as he was aiming a shot at the brothers. Mokuba cried out, and Seto quickly pulled him behind him, growling as they followed Kaede to the stairs.

"These go all the way to the roof!" she yelled over the noise, waving at the stairs with her gun, urging them to go up, "start running for it, no one will be able to target you there!"

They obeyed without a word, Kaiba briskly taking the stairs 2 at a time, while Mokuba sprinted as fast as he could, breathing quickly becoming laboured. Kaede stayed behind them, watching their backs, and constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed.

After climbing the several stories of the event hall, they finally reached the final door, which Kaiba broke out to the roof with an 'oomf' of effort. The three of them spilled out into the chilly fall night air, while Kaede secured the door behind them, speaking as she did in a low, serious voice, "Stick to the wall where you will be hidden by the shadows. I will call in a helicopter to return to the estate where I will go with you to make sure there's no more trouble," she ordered as she shouldered the door back into place.

Without another word, she slipped a sleek phone out of the chest of her dress, blatantly ignoring the look Kaiba gave her, and pressed a speed dial button, waiting one ring before speaking into the phone.

"Peter, it's Kaede, bring the helicopter to the roof of the event hall immediately, we're already waiting for you," she spoke briskly, hanging up without waiting for a reply. Only then did she finally look to the Kaiba brothers to examine them. "Are either of you harmed at all?" she asked in a softer voice, wariness in her silver eyes. Mokuba carefully shook his head, fear still in his eyes, while Kaiba did nothing at all. Letting out a sigh of relief she didn't know she was holding in. she carefully slid down the wall, placing her gun and phone beside her, pulling her legs into her chest and looking out into the night. Her brother found unconscious from a struggle, her father shot in the chest… and she didn't know how either of them were doing. They could still hear commotion at the front doors, as security was still helping people get out safely, police and ambulance sirens now accompanying the fearful shrieks of the attendees, but it was quieter than before.

Kaede decided to try her radio for a status update.

"Bzzt…. It's Kaede. The Kaiba brothers are secure. Is… does anyone have an update on my dad and brother?" she ended in a whisper. Her radio was still cranked to the max from earlier, so it was just loud enough for the brothers to hear the reply she got.

"Bzzt… hey Kae, it's Shuichi. We're about cleared out of the building. Cops are cuffing and taking away all the shooters we found. Hiroki woke up just as they were loading him into the ambulance, so he should be okay. T… Tat- your father went in an ambulance too. It didn't look good. He bled out pretty badly. I'm sorry, Kae… over."

She lost her hard expression and instead opted for something a little more vulnerable and miserable. She shook her head, and took the earpiece off, shoving it into her dress. She stood up and put her phone away, but kept her gun loosely at her side, standing at the ready, sending harsh looks into the night.

She focused on regaining her composure and steeling her emotions again. She could not afford to let her emotions swallow her while on the job, she could not afford to let anything happen to the brothers her father had spent his life protecting. She could not-

"Hey… Kaede?" Mokuba had quietly stepped up beside her. He was looking up at her with a sad, understanding expression. "Thank you for… you know, saving me back there. And Seto too. You really saved our butts and kept us safe. You're totally my hero," he finished with a small smile. Kaede had never really interacted with either of the brothers, but Mokuba had immediately made a shining first impression on her. She sadly smiled back, placing a hand on Mokuba's shoulder.

She looked into Mokuba's violet eyes, and suddenly felt better, "Just doing my job, Kaiba Jr. You make me sound like Batman or something though! I'm just glad you're both safe," she said softly back, making Mokuba beam widely, and even Kaiba raised a curious eyebrow. Just then, the whirring of spinning blades approached them, and a quick look above them showed that Peter was approaching in one of the Kaiba Corp helicopters. Kaede went silent then, and stepped out of the shadows to wave him closer. He dropped a rope ladder, and they all climbed up to the copter, Peter nodding at them as Kaede came up last, shutting the door closed, and making sure the two brothers were secure.

They took off at last, and only then, did Kaiba, who was sitting in the front seat with Peter, look back at her, and gave her a respectful nod, "Good job, Erizawa. Don't worry about your family members, I will ensure they get the best care Domino has to offer," he said in an emotionless voice, but Kaede perked up nonetheless, and even Mokuba gave him a surprised look. Kaiba did not usually have such praise and care to go around.

Feeling a little more relieved, she pulled out her little phone again, and hit another speed dial button. Once again, it only rang once, "Kaede here. We emergency evacuated the Kaiba brothers and are returning to the estate as we speak. Do a preliminary sweep of the gate and grounds, and I will accompany them tonight to make sure no more unsavoury characters appear. We'll arrive shortly," and again, she hung up without waiting for a reply.

;

Arriving at the Kaiba mansion was a much calmer affair. Roland and the house security team had done their sweep and had nothing to report when they landed. Kaede kept her gun out again as she escorted the Kaiba brothers into their home, Doing her own personal room sweeps, including the bedrooms when they reached them. She double checked the windows, pulled down the shades, and gestured for Mokuba to go in before doing the same to Kaiba's room which was just down the hall. Kaiba rolled his eyes, he was perfectly able to take care of himself, but said nothing. Tatsuki was probably dead, and letting her do what she needed to feel secure was important now.

"All clear, Kaiba, I will stay in this hallway until I can ramp up security around the mansion," she nodded dutifully towards him while he just crossed his arms and examined her. He had known of Kaede before as a relative of two of his best security officers, but had never directly interacted with her. She didn't usually have a field role, from what he could recall. She didn't look like she ever would based on appearance alone, but Kaiba had been convinced of her capabilities tonight. She did not stand very tall at 5'2, and was a small woman. However, her arms were chiselled and toned, and he could only imagine the rest of her was made of solid muscle as well. She had long, messy black hair that after all the excitement of the night, had lost its ponytail, and now was draped all around her. Her long bangs hung in her face, and were also messy, probably from her running her hands through it constantly during all the stress. She had striking silver eyes, and pale skin, which were her only standout features in the dim room, the rest of her looking rather plain.

He said nothing, and nodded to her, turning into his room. His absence allowed Kaede to lose her tightly held composure as her eyes moistened, and she turned around fiercely, feeling very lost and vulnerable. She didn't even notice when Mokuba slid back out of his room, and tightly hugged her around the middle.

"Kaede… I promise we'll try to take care of your brother and father! Thank you for all of your protection, I know Seto won't say thank you, but trust me, he's really glad you were there to take care of me," Mokuba said into her shoulder before pulling away. Kaede gave him a watery smile, not feeling any need to put on a mask for the younger Kaiba brother.

"Get to bed, mini Kaiba, it's been a really... really long night," she said with a slump of the shoulders. He smiled back and walked back into his room, calling over his shoulder to say, "It's just Mokuba. Goodnight, Kaede!"

;

Kaiba felt a rare stab of pain as he watched Kaede Erizawa try to sob unnoticed as she leaned into her brother, who was thanking guests for coming to Tatsuki's funeral. He shifted very uncomfortably in his well-tailored suit. He didn't want to be here, but Mokuba insisted they had to go, as it was Seto's life Tatsuki had saved, giving his own life in the process. Mokuba looked sadly at the Erizawa siblings, as they struggled to stay strong as they idly greeted various friends and family members who approached them.

"Hey… Seto? They're orphans like us now, aren't they? I don't see their mother anywhere…" he drifted off, looking even more troubled. Seto nodded solemnly, feeling the same emotions as Mokuba, but not letting it show. He gestured to Mokuba, and they strode over to be the next to approach Kaede and Hiroki.

"Kaede… We're so sorry," Mokuba said sadly, quickly approaching her for a hug. Kaede hiccupped, and hugged him back, closing her eyes, "Th-thank you… Mokuba," she said, her voice wavering. Hiroki nodded appreciatively to the young Kaiba and shook his hand after he released Kaede.

Seto approached next, not really knowing what to do, as he didn't really have Mokuba's touch with people. He awkwardly glanced at the two siblings as they expectantly looked back.

"I'm… sorry," he muttered under his breath, diverting his gaze, "why don't you two… take the rest of the week off. Return Monday to your posts though; keeping our security high at the mansion is still top priority in the face of the police's failure to find out who orchestrated the attack.

He nodded at them both, then pulled Mokuba away, walking away from Kaede's shocked and annoyed eyes. She hiccupped again, glaring into the CEO's back, "nice apology, asshole," she blubbered out. Hiroki just sighed.

A/N: Hello people of the world! This is your generic, run of the mill, SetoXOC story... sort of. It was originally posted with the same title under my old account, Nyx Nightmare. 2 years later, this is a rewritten version that is guaranteed to go longer than 2 chapters. I hope you enjoyed the introductory chapter, I welcome and encourage all feedback! I am already nearly done chapter 2. Just needs to be edited and slapped on the sight. Look forward to it!

-Nyx