AN: so here's an attempt at a more action-thriller kinda thing? it started with a randomly generated prompt where Mai and Ryou had to go on a mission to rescue Atem, but i ended up adding Kaiba and Mokuba into the mix and it just kinda snowballed. i've never written anything like this before so i hope you guys like it ;;
For the first time since after the Ring had been buried in the Pharaoh's tomb, Ryou was alarmingly close to true panic. Yugi was in New York, visiting Anzu. Kaiba wasn't answering his phone. Otogi was in Seoul, supervising (and celebrating) DDD's Korean release. Jou and Honda were closest, but even they were out of town on a fishing trip, and even driving all night they wouldn't make it back to Domino until after dawn.
There was no way to contact Atem. He'd been missing for eight hours.
"What should I do, what should I do?" he muttered, pacing back on forth on the street restlessly, starting off in one direction and then abruptly changing his mind - getting nowhere. He stopped and forced himself to calm down. It was late at night, he was cold, and he'd checked all of Atem's usual haunts and asked at local hospitals and police stations. No one had known anything about Atem's whereabouts. Ryou was out of ideas and there was nothing he could really do without help, but he didn't want to just go home and wait for Kaiba to return his calls - that felt too helpless and too much like giving up.
A car horn honked. Ryou ignored it, wringing his hands out of nervousness, but also for warmth. The horn blared again, louder and closer, and Ryou turned to find himself face to face with a familiar set of headlights.
"Mai-san!" he cried, overjoyed, running for the passenger door.
"I just heard from Jou. Why didn't you call me?" she pouted.
"I thought you were still abroad," he said, buckling up the seatbelt primly.
"I got back yesterday," she grinned, peeling away from the curb. Ryou loved riding with Mai. It was so … deadly. He liked it better when the top was down and he could feel the wind with nothing between his body and the danger - but even with it up against the chill, Ryou could feel the sheer weightlessness of the vehicle, and it was thrilling to know that if they crashed, the car would crumple like tinfoil. Not that they would - Mai drove like a maniac, but she was an experienced maniac with lightning reflexes. Ryou honestly just liked the feeling of putting his life in the hands of someone he trusted implicitly. He figured he was just twisted that way.
But now was not the time to be thinking about thrills.
"Any word from Kaiba?" Mai asked.
"Nothing," Ryou said gravely, gripping the hand-hold on the door to steady himself as she made a particularly harrowing turn. "I don't know what's going on, or what we should do."
"Let's drop in on Kaiba first. He can ignore his phone, but he can't ignore it if I smash right through his front gate."
"Please do not do that."
"Why wouldn't he pick up, anyway? Kaiba is so rude," she continued in the same breath, tapping her perfectly lacquered nails on the wheel petulantly even as she swerved around a cyclist, into oncoming traffic, and back to the right side of the road again with the grace and ease of a shark cutting through the ocean. Horns blared. They both paid it no mind.
"Maybe he already knows and he's busy searching," Ryou said hopefully. "That seems likely. He keeps tabs on everything in this city, especially when it comes to Atem."
"It's still rude," she pouted, in a playfully whiny voice. Ryou wasn't fooled though - it'd been a long time since he'd seen her this worried.
Ryou's phone buzzed. He didn't recognise the number but he was so desperate to answer he almost dropped it.
"Y-yes, hello?"
"Bakura, it's Mokuba."
"Mokuba-kun! Have you heard -"
"Seto's missing too."
"Okay, here's what we have," Mokuba said brusquely. They had gathered in the Kaiba's shared home office.
"Nii-sama left work early, around five, and he was driving himself. As far as we know, he didn't come home or stop anywhere else. Our satellites can't pick him up, but traffic cams caught his car heading out of Domino, southbound," Mokuba paused then, struggling to keep his composure. He looked awfully small in that moment, standing behind Kaiba's enormous desk. "I have no idea where he was going, or why. I don't get it. He tells me everything. Whatever's going on, it's serious. I'm … scared."
Mai cursed under her breath, but her face was pale beneath her makeup, and though she would never pity people, it was clear she felt for Mokuba's plight.
"What do you know about Atem's situation?" Mokuba asked.
"Very little," Ryou said. "He was supposed to visit my apartment for the afternoon, but he never showed up. When I called the Game Shop, Jii-chan told me Atem had left the house on time. I walked the entire way between my place and his and didn't spot him. By that time it was sundown. I started searching the streets, checking alleys, asking around … nobody saw anything, the police were no help at all, and he's not in hospital either. I was about to give up when Mai showed up. We were on our way here when you called."
"So we don't really know for sure if he's even left Domino…" Mokuba scowled, eerily like his older brother.
"It can't be a coincidence, both of them going missing at the same time," Mai said, frowning. "Atem disappeared shortly after lunch. Kaiba running off only a few hours later has to have something to do with that."
Mokuba braced his hands on the desk, still scowling, working things over in his mind. "I haven't deployed our private police yet. I don't want to do something rash. Whatever it is, Seto obviously thinks he has to handle it alone."
"Your brother thinks a lot of things," Mai said. "He could have at least told you he was going somewhere."
"Unless he was being threatened," Ryou said.
"That's what I was thinking," Mokuba said. "I think - I think - that somebody took Atem and is holding him for ransom."
"So they have Atem, and they're powerful enough that Kaiba wouldn't risk involving Mokuba or telling anyone where he was going," Ryou mused. "Yet, they want money?"
"Maybe it's not money," Mai pointed out. "Maybe there's something else they want. Kaiba Corp is decades ahead of the rest of the industry. If I were a competitor, I'd probably resort to kidnapping too."
"Kaiba Corporation has no real competitors," Mokuba said, unable to keep from letting a little smugness creep into his voice. "Not since we bought I2."
"Maybe it's not about business at all," Ryou said slowly. "Maybe it's personal. Maybe it's about revenge."
"Oho… Kaiba and Atem have pissed off an awful lot people over the years, haven't they?" Mai said.
"And Seto's been gone for so long… if he was making some sort of exchange for Atem, he ought to be back by now. Even if it is just a ransom, something's gone wrong - " Mokuba suddenly tensed and touched his earpiece.
"Understood," he said after minute, and looked at the other two. "That was Isono. Our security personnel are all accounted for and no one knows anything. He didn't take someone with him, or get them to follow. He's disabled his GPS, satellite link and the tracking devices," Mokuba winced, "even the backup device I installed behind his back. We'll have to look for him manually," he gripped his hair. "That could be impossible! He could be in the mountains by now… he could be anywhere!"
"We'll find him," Mai said, eyes burning. "We'll find both of them. What road did Kaiba take out of town?"
There was a map spread out on the desk. Mokuba tapped it with his finger. "This one. It heads for the mountains, generally, but it branches off in a couple of places. And I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but there's also a lot of old factories and warehouses along this route. Some of them used to be owned by Kaiba Corp back in Gozaburo's day. Seto's been meaning to have them demolished or repurposed, but we haven't gotten around to them yet. At the moment they're just empty."
"Do you think they might have taken Atem to one of those buildings?" Ryou asked, studying the grainy photograph of Seto's car headed out of town, committing it to memory.
Mokuba shook his head. "I dunno… We still employ night watchmen, to keep kids out and protect our assets and stuff. We haven't had any reports of suspicious behaviour in weeks, and last time it was just college kids screwing around in one of the warehouses."
"Oh well. Let's just wait and see if anything else comes to light. In the meantime," Mai winked, jingling her keys "Ryou, would you care to take a drive?"
"Of course, Mai-san," Ryou replied, straightfaced. "After all, it's not unusual for young people to drive out to the mountains at night, to take in the view of the city. I hear it's breathtaking."
"Yes it is. And if we happen to spot a certain luxurious sports car parked anywhere along the way, we'll just have to tell our friend Mokuba about it. After all, he is a known collector."
"This isn't a game, guys," Mokuba admonished.
"We aren't treating it like one," Ryou said steadily, buttoning his coat. "We won't get out of the car. We won't even slow down. We'll just follow the road and look. If we spot anything we'll let you know, and that's it. We'll keep driving, all the way out to the overlook."
"I can send security to do that!"
"You need to get undercover vehicles and civilian clothing organised, and Ryou and I aren't interested in waiting around," Mai said fiercely. "Send your people out along the roads if you want, but we're leaving now. Ryou?"
"Yes, let's get started."
Mai hesitated for a moment before leaning over the desk to give Mokuba's shoulder a warm squeeze. "You know he's probably fine, right?" she said encouragingly. "I've stared death in the face and your brother is still the most terrifying person I know."
"He's just a kid," Mokuba said, gently removing her hand and looking far, far older than his fourteen years. "He's a genius and I love him, and I know the world thinks he's some kind of a god, but he's still just a big, reckless kid. You don't think I see that? He's my brother. At the end of the day, he's just my brother."
"Well, kid or no, he's coming home tonight," Mai said, zipping up her jacket and striding out of the office.
"We'll be in touch, Mokuba-kun," Ryou said, turning to follow her.
"... I'm counting on both of you."
Atem's eyes opened, slowly and reluctantly. There was a sharp and terrible pain behind his eyes and it hurt to see. He felt stiff and sore, lying on his side on cold concrete, wrists and ankles taped tightly together.
He felt no disorientation. Though his memory of the abduction was hazy, and he didn't know where he was precisely, he was perfectly aware that he was a hostage - and that he was being used as bait for Kaiba Seto. Details of his surroundings came slowly as his eyes adjusted to the dark. So it is night time already. He was inside what looked like a storeroom, with metal walls and small rectangular windows high up. Shelving racks lined the walls but they were empty. Dust and cobwebs clung to whatever surfaces they could get a hold on. The whole place had the distinct, hollow feeling of disuse.
Kaiba knelt a few feet away, facing him. His hands were behind his back and he was clearly bound at the wrists and ankles, like Atem. Whoever had captured him had taken away his coat, his bracers, his boots - even his belt. He looked naked and skinny without them. Kaiba's eyes were open and alert in the dark, watching Atem. All Atem could feel at the sight of him was a dull and helpless anger.
"You should not have come," he growled without preamble. "You must have known it was a trap."
"You're welcome," Kaiba snapped back.
"I have nothing to thank you for," Atem said sharply. "Not only have you failed to rescue me, you've also gotten yourself captured. Think of how worried Mokuba must be!"
"Don't you dare bring up my brother like I don't spend every waking minute thinking of his welfare!" Kaiba hissed.
"Well, I'm honoured you spared a few of those minutes to come all the way out here for me," Atem said sarcastically. "Did you even tell him you were leaving?"
Kaiba's scowl told Atem everything he needed to know.
"So nobody knows you are here," Atem sighed. "You've done a fantastic job of playing right into their hands."
"Don't fucking lecture me," Kaiba said, disgusted, though at himself or Atem, nobody but him would ever know. Atem said nothing, knowing it wouldn't help to keep arguing. He settled for glowering at Kaiba.
"I didn't want him getting involved," Kaiba said finally, quietly. "Are you badly hurt?"
"Mmph," Atem groaned, curling up his knees and using his arms to push himself up slowly. Unlike Kaiba, his hands were bound in front of him, so he was able sit up without much difficulty, though it made his head spin. "I don't think so," he said finally.
"Good," Kaiba said, and left it at that.
"And you?" Atem asked.
"I'm fine," Kaiba dismissing the question like he was annoyed at Atem for wasting his time with it.
"Do you have a plan?"
"Working on it," Kaiba was scanning the room.
Atem frowned. "Did you not plan for this eventuality beforehand?"
"I never plan for failure," Kaiba snorted, staring up at the windows.
Atem could respect that. Kaiba's attitude might be abrasive in other situations, but in a crisis Atem found it invaluable, and oddly comforting. "You should not have come, Kaiba, but … I am glad to see you."
"Don't get sentimental."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Atem smirked. They sat in silence for a while. I didn't take long for Kaiba to give up looking around the room. There was nothing that could help them escape or give them a clue as to their captors' identity or intentions, and he knew it. He settled for glaring at the ceiling.
"Did they tell you want they want with us?" Kaiba asked Atem.
Atem thought for a moment, staring at a stain on the floor. "My memories are … not clear. But I do not think so. They only said they wanted you, but I do not know why."
Kaiba said nothing.
"How long do you think it will take for someone to find us?" Atem asked.
Kaiba blew out a breath. "I can't say for sure. Mokuba will already be searching, so … less than a day, probably." He didn't mention that they probably would have already been located if he hadn't destroyed both of the tracking devices in his vehicle as well as disabling the GPS and the satellite link. He closed his eyes and shoved his pointless regrets back down. "Whether or not he finds us isn't the issue. It's what he does when he figures it out that really matters. I've seen this place from the outside and there's no way to approach it undetected, and surrounding it will be difficult. We don't know if whoever has us really wants us alive all that badly. What I'm saying is, it could all get very ugly very easily. We need to think of something before then. I don't want Mokuba to put himself in danger because I was stupid enough to walk into a trap."
Atem had nothing to say about that, retreating to his own thoughts. He wasn't as anxious as he might have been about not knowing what was going to happen; he'd been in more life-threatening situations than he cared to recall and he was fine with thinking on his feet. It was not knowing why it was happening that bothered him - and the fact that his memories of the events leading up to his capture were so unclear. Atem frowned. He hated gaps in his memory. He did not want to look back and see blackness again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It will come back. I need only retrace my steps…
He'd left the shop and headed towards Ryou's. It was a cold day, but clear. The wind was cutting. He had put on a scarf at the last minute. One of Yugi's; they shared clothes all the time. He reached up to his throat, eyes still closed. The scarf was not there. How had he lost the scarf? I don't remember! his mind growled.
Backtrack. Just keep recreating the afternoon. To get to Ryou's, he had to pass through a market street. Sometimes he liked to stop and look at things. Had he stopped today?
No, he remembered. I wanted to get to Ryou's, because I was feeling lonely and anxious. Everyone had gone their separate ways for the weekend. I was thinking about how the day might come when we all drift apart for ever.
He let out a long, slow breath. He'd passed through the market street without incident. He'd turned onto the tree-lined avenue that bordered the park and admired the autumn leaves without stopping. After the avenue he had to cross the bridge …
Atem's mind went blank. What had happened when he reached the bridge?
The was an old man … he'd dropped something over the side…
It was a soft doll, a gift for his granddaughter. It was easy to spot, sitting on the bank all in bright red…
"Please, I will go down and fetch it for you! It's really no trouble! Just a moment..." his own earnest voice floated back to him. He'd doubled back to scramble down the grassy incline.
"Thank you, my boy … I feel like a silly old fool, dropping it like that … so kind of you..."
They'd been waiting for him under the bridge. Cowards! his mind screamed with righteous and indignant fury. Liars and cowards! They'd grabbed him and gagged him and covered his face. He hadn't gotten a look at a single one of them. Somebody had mentioned 'Seto'. Kaiba was next.
And then Atem had woken up here.
He touched his throat again. Had he lost the scarf in the scuffle?
No. I took it off and hung it on a low tree branch before I went down to the riverbank. I didn't want to ruin Yugi's scarf in case I slipped and fell in the mud.
Had somebody found it?
Not likely. The tree was back from the road and I hung it on the side facing away from the street. No one would see it unless they were looking for it.
They must know I am missing by now, he told himself, and they do not need to know where I was abducted to figure out where I have been taken. But … if I can, I would like to give Yugi his scarf back. Hopefully, it will still be there once all this is over.
The important thing was that he had remembered it.
He let his eyes drift open again, letting the memory sink in, running over it one last time, relieved to have that empty black gap filled in. When he came back to the scene under the bridge, he gasped as something suddenly occurred to him.
"Kaiba! When you were captured, did your attackers speak to you?"
"Not really," Kaiba said.
"Were they speaking Japanese?" Atem pressed.
Kaiba frowned. "They did when they spoke to me on the phone earlier. When they caught me, they didn't speak at all. They might have spoken to each other, but it was quiet. I couldn't hear."
"I heard them speak to one another," Atem said. "And they were speaking Egyptian. Of the Ancient variety. Whoever they are, I think they know what I am … and who you were. They called you by the Priest's name. I think whatever they want is somehow connected to our past lives."
Kaiba groaned. "Will there ever come a time," he asked, presumably to the universe at large, "where I can go one fucking week without somebody trying to meddle in mystical forces beyond mortal comprehension, or what-the-fuck-ever?"
Atem had to laugh. "Kaiba… you are in all honesty the last person who can accuse people of meddling in mystical forces."
"Yes, but that's different," Kaiba sniffed.
Atem smirked. "Because you make it look cool?"
"Because I make it look extremely cool."
"I have to wonder…" Ryou said pensively, staring blankly at the map. He'd been over the route they were going to take a dozen times, but he couldn't think of anything else to do with himself.
"Hm?" Mai's eyes never left the road. They weren't yet out of town. They'd stopped briefly to get coffee and gas, and were now snaking their way through the city, headed for the southern highway.
"Well… why would Kaiba be so paranoid about these people? He's not afraid of anyone. He even went so far as to keep Mokuba in the dark, and I don't think Kaiba's ever lied to Mokuba in his life. I just have to wonder … how scary does someone have to be to spook Kaiba into acting that way?"
Mai thought for a moment. "I don't know. These days, I can't imagine anyone being able to so much as touch Kaiba. Not even Malik at the height of his power even dared to go at Kaiba directly, and he had a global crime syndicate and mystical dark powers," she said dryly.
"'Direct' wasn't really Malik's style," Ryou said darkly, ghosting his fingers over the mangled scar on his arm. "And he was after Atem, not Kaiba. The last person audacious enough to really go toe to toe with Kaiba was Pegasus, and he was household name, as well as wielding an Item."
"But that was also an inside job," Mai pointed out. "He had people in high places within Kaiba Corp itself. People who were planted close to both Mokuba and Seto, waiting to strike."
"Do you think something similar could be going on here?"
She sighed. "I have no idea. I really don't. Why would he disable tracking? Why would he lie to Mokuba? The fact that he wasn't acting like himself is what makes me really nervous." She lapsed into a thoughtful silence, watching the road. What would she do, if she were in Kaiba's position? What would scare her?
Ryou was staring out the window as the city slipped by. "What if he is acting like himself?" he murmured thoughtfully.
"Hm?" Mai stopped at a red light and took the opportunity to look at him.
"We've been assuming Kaiba kept Mokuba in the dark out of fear," Ryou said, fixing his steady black gaze on her. "What if he actually did it out of pride?"
Mai made a frustrated noise in her throat. "Oohhh! That sounds exactly like him! That egotistical idiot!" She slammed a fist on the steering wheel, making her bangles knock together with little tinkling sounds.
"He's lived the kind of life that's made him think he has to do everything alone," Ryou said, staring at his hands sombrely. "He's always trying to prove some point, when he isn't being paranoid that everyone's just out to stab him in the back. I feel sorry for him."
"Oh, yes, I've heard the story and it's a real frigging tragedy. I get it," Mai said furiously. "And I know a thing or two about what it's like to be too damn proud to rely on people when you ought to. But I still think he's being a dumbass and I'm still mad at him. Just let me have this," she pouted, wrenching the gear stick a little too forcefully than was necessary as their lane started moving again.
"I won't argue," Ryou said neutrally, sipping his latte. "If he's caught in a trap, which seems most likely at this point, then he's been stupid enough to underestimate his enemy."
"Or overestimate himself," Mai muttered bitterly.
"Still, it's all conjecture," Ryou pointed out. "We don't know anything for certain yet. For all we know, he might have been just that scared of these people."
"I was not scared of them," Kaiba glowered. "I just didn't feel the need to have him keeping tabs on me. I'm perfectly capable of dealing with one little kidnapping. I handled it well enough plenty of times with him when we were younger."
"Yes, so far you've performed admirably," Atem said cattily. "After all, you've gotten us this cosy room and we haven't even been killed yet."
"Kiss my ass, you snarky little bitch."
"Now is hardly the time," Atem fluttered his eyelashes because he knew flirting infuriated Kaiba. "Turn around."
Kaiba stared.
"So I can untie you," Atem said patiently, wiggling his fingers in front of his face. "They put your hands behind your back, but not mine."
Kaiba, cheeks a delicate shade of shell pink, shuffled on his knees until his back was to Atem, who began picking at the tape.
"You know," Atem said quietly, "Lately you've been acting far more like the arrogant teenager from years ago than the responsible man I thought you'd become. 'I didn't want him keeping tabs on me'... that's something a spoiled and reckless child says about their parents, not what a loving guardian says about leaving his little brother behind without a word."
"That isn't what I said."
"I was paraphrasing, and you know it."
"Are you saying I don't love my brother?"
"You're just twisting my words out of spite now. What's the matter with you?"
Kaiba didn't answer for a long while. Atem found the end of the tape and pulled it loose, swiftly uncoiling it from Kaiba's wrists. Kaiba rolled his shoulders and flexed his fingers, getting some feeling back into his arms, before turning and taking Atem's hands in his own without prompting, examining his bonds.
"He's taken to checking up on me," Kaiba finally said through gritted teeth, ripping the tape off Atem's wrists with more force than was strictly necessary. "He asks about my health. Polices my workload. Enforces curfews." He made a disgusted face.
"He cares about you," Atem said exasperatedly, rubbing his wrists.
"I don't like it," Kaiba scowled, unfastening his own ankles now. "I've been raising him since he was three, and now he's treating me like a child."
"Kaiba," Atem said, obviously trying to keep from laughing. "Are you saying you came here without telling Mokuba because you're rebelling against him?"
"It's not just that," Kaiba snapped, colouring.
"Then what is it?"
Kaiba looked like he was going to tell Atem it was none of his damn business. Atem simply raised an eyebrow, infuriatingly, and the words died in Kaiba's throat.
How does he do that?
"It's like the older Mokuba gets, the more useless I feel," Kaiba said slowly, stretching out his long legs and staring at the ceiling. "He's brilliant, Atem. With public relations, with technology, with creative direction … He will surpass me in every way someday, and as a parent, I know that's how it should be, but...
I can't help thinking that someday he's going to want to break away from me. He's been my whole life ever since I can remember, and I can't fucking stand the thought of a day when he doesn't need me anymore. So I've been thinking - maybe it would be better if I started relying on him less, too. I didn't want him involved tonight because I realised I've gotten too used to him helping me over the years, never considering that one day he might not be there at all."
He will surpass me in every way someday… Atem closed his eyes, smiling.
"Kaiba," he said gently. "I think I understand how you might be feeling. But you must understand - that day you dread is coming. One day, Mokuba will not need you anymore. You must face that day with courage and grace, and have faith in your brother. For once, forget your own pride, and place it instead with the man you have raised. What was the point of it all, if not this? Kaiba... " Atem waited for Kaiba to look at him before continuing. "He isn't supposed to need you. But that does not mean he will not want you. Pushing him away because you are scared of losing him is counterintuitive and ridiculous, and thinking that he would ever leave your side is by far the most foolish mistake you've made in this entire evening of reckless, foolish mistakes."
"...You just had to get at least one burn in, didn't you?"
"You absolutely deserve it. I am already preparing more. We would be home in bed by now if you had just had the sense to do this properly-"
"Shut up."
"Excuse me-!"
"Listen."
They could hear, faintly, the sounds of footsteps approaching the heavy steel door. Atem and Kaiba stared at each other, wide eyed.
Should we try to make a break for it now? Atem asked wordlessly, tilting his head to the door.
Kaiba hesitated for only a moment, then nodded. Quickly they both scrambled to their feet and stood beside the door. Kaiba pushed Atem to the hinged side, so that if the door opened, he would be hidden behind it. Atem looked indignant.
You're too small to go taking them head on! Kaiba's eyes shouted. He flattened himself against the wall so he wouldn't be immediately visible to anyone entering the room. If I engage them first you can take them by surprise after!
Atem could see the logic, but he didn't like it. I had years of combat training when I was pharaoh…
Kaiba rolled his eyes. You're not the pharaoh anymore. When was the last time you were in a real fight?
Atem looked away, partly to avoid answering Kaiba's gaze and partly to cock his ear toward the door to listen better. The footsteps were much closer now. He could make out individuals. He held up three fingers for Kaiba to see.
Three, he mouthed.
Kaiba smirked. Three was easy. He could take three.
The footsteps stopped. Muted voices filtered in. Keys jangled. Kaiba and Atem held their breath, waiting.
AN: confession! even though this story is supposed to be more about Mai and Ryou, i love writing Atem and Kaiba the most :) thanks for reading, i ought to have an update ready in about a week