COUNTDOWN
--Initiation
By Tomaria
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned by Takahashi Kazuki-sensei, and I mean no disrespect towards Takato Nahoko, Imai Noriaki, Koriyama Soichiro, or any of the their family or friends. I started this story before I knew who they were, and I do not wish to slander them or Japan.
A/N: I really should finish one story before I start another, shouldn't I? This story was just too compelling though. I know that this could be considered very nihilistic, but I don't mean it to be. It is simply placing Yu-Gi-Oh! characters in a real-life situation.
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"Breaking news. 3 Japanese citizens are being held hostage by a terrorists group calling themselves Saraya al-Mujahideen. Word has just been passed to the government and prime minister along with a videotape of the captives being manhandled and threatened to be burned alive if Japan's Self-Defense Force is not pulled out of the Samawah area in three days. The Japanese administration has yet to comment on this incident—"
Ishizu Ishtahl's head snapped around towards the television in her office. As the video played over the air, the director's eyes widened as she saw the three captives, blindfolded and frozen stiff. "Honda-kun… Otogi-kun… Anzu!"
The phone rang and Ishizu picked it up without taking her eyes of the TV. "Nee-san!"
Ishizu's eyes were drawn from the startling news to the telephone. "Malik! Are you—"
"—Ah. Yugi, Jounouchi, and Bakura are here. Rishid went to pick up Mutou-san."
"He went to visit one of our dig sites, so he would know nothing. But… what happened?"
"I don't know. They weren't there when it happened." Malik sighed and Ishizu turned back to the coverage. This couldn't be happened. This couldn't be happening.
The line was silent until Ishizu heard a beep on the line; her secretary was calling. "Malik, I have another call, but tell Yugi-tachi I'm heading home now."
"Un."
Ishizu switched over to her secretary. "Yes?"`
"A… Seto Kaiba on the line?"
"Seto?" Ishizu was surprised the president would call her after she tricked him into showing up to this 'dried up, desert of a country,' as he called it, in the first place. "Put him on. Seto—"
"—What the hell is going on, Ishizu?" Kaiba Corporation's chairman didn't even give her a chance to explain the situation. He already knew it. "What's happened?"
"Wakarimasen… wakarimasen." Ishizu shook her head in defeat. She looked back at the television which had since moved on to another subject and sighed. "Seto, what do I do?"
"It's not my problem."
"You're worried or else you wouldn't have called." Ishizu retorted to Seto's false indifference.
"Hmph. Find out what you can and let me know." Seto said seriously, yielding to his concerned disposition.
"I will. In the meantime, see what you can do. Japan, the American government, somebody must be willing to help."
"Ah." Seto snapped his cell phone shut and crossed his arms.
"Nii-sama? Are they alright?" Mokuba clutched his brother's armrest and watched as his older brother looked out the window to the sea thousands of feet below.
"Wakarenai."
Ishizu stood in her office and closed her eyes. How could this be happening? These sorts of things only happened in Iraq, Israel… those places. Not Egypt. The clock was ticking, the countdown on. They had three days and if they had to do it alone, they would.
A/N: I swear though, I don't mean for this to be SetoIshi!! It's just that if he were to call and blame anyone, it would be Ishizu. They were staying in her country, her house, and she's part of the government, it's her fault basically. And I realize this is a bit of a stretch, being in Egypt and all, but nobody says it isn't. We don't know where these people are, which makes it more interesting.
Oh, and I meant to say that this is right right, right, after the last chapter of the manga. I expect they're on summer break during that time, so they'd spend some time in Egypt and do some sightseeing. Right, well, that's all. And wakarenai/wakarimasen means "I don't know" informally and formally respectively.
--Tomaria
(a.k.a. Aria-chan)