Title: Dollar in a Storm

Author: Stairway

Summary: A cruel game of secrets, lies, and blood begins when Seto Kaiba finds an address scribbled on a note in his father's office, which leads to an odd encounter with a crimson eyed boy. AU Yaoi SKxYY

START OF CHAPTER ONE


Seto gently but swiftly locked the door behind him. Suitcase at his side, he strode into his father's office, being wary of the items around him. Circling a chair, he gently placed his suitcase down on the cushions and leaned down to unlock the two metal latches. They opened with a small click. Seto scanned his eyes around the vacant room once more, checking for sounds. When he found none, he continued his work.

Seto flipped through the many files and folders in his suitcase, until he found one manila folder labeled CONFIDENTIAL in bright red letters. He held the folder under his arm while he used his other to snap the suitcase shut.

Holding the folder with both hands, he examined it. 'Confidential, hm?' Seto thought with a raised eyebrow as he took a few steps to set the folder down on his father's desk.

With delicate fingers, Seto used his forefinger to slowly push the folder to the edge of the desk, covering the small sign that read; MR. GOZABURO KAIBA in neat white letters. Underneath were the words; CHIEF EXCECUTIVE OFFICER.

Seto frowned at the words, but took no further action.

Instead, he walked back to the leather chair and promptly lifted up his black suitcase, hoisting it to his left side. Glancing back at his father's desk, he narrowed his eyebrows and looked away...then did a double take.

Seto looked around suspiciously as he curiously walked back over to his father's desk. What caught his attention was a Post-It note, attached to the center of the computer screen.

Settling his suitcase back down on the floor, Seto leaned over and removed the note from the screen, holding the little yellow piece of paper up in front of his eyes. Scribbled on the piece of paper in a black pen were the words;

126 Arrow Court

Mutou Residence

Seto raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar address. 'Mutou residence? What business do they have with KaibaCorp?...' Seto thought curiously. Neatly folding the Post-It note in two halves, Seto stuffed the note into his shirt pocket. Picking up his suitcase again, Seto dashed out of the large office.

He would remember to visit this '126 Arrow Court'.


Yami slid the key into the keyhole, hearing each of the small gears fall into place. Flicking his wrist, he twisted the key and the door opened with a small click. He took the keys in his mouth and used his empty hand to shove the door fully open. Stumbling inside, he skillfully used his right foot to reach behind him and shut the door.

Just above the door there was a large sign that said 'Kame Game Shop.'

Yami moved through the game shop, going behind the counter and opening another door that led to a series of stairs. He sighed, looking at the long flight of stairs before accelerating up each step. The door behind him swung close.

Yami strode over to the kitchen, placing his two bags of groceries on the counter as he took the keys from his mouth and hung them on the wall.

Beep.

Yami stopped, and looked around at the sound.

His eyes settled on the telephone, a small red light blinking and indicating he had new messages. Walking over, he pushed the 'Message Playback' button and leaned his arm against the small table.

You have one new message. Received today at nine forty A.M.

"Hey Yami it's me…just calling to check up on you…"

Yami recognized it as his younger brother, Yugi. He had gone on vacation for 3 weeks with one of his friends, Jounouchi, up to the mountain areas to go camping.

"Things are going great up here…as always. Jou managed to fall into a river saving his hat, and got a slight cold. But, other than that we're fine…"

Yami had to smirk, Jounouchi was known to be the clumsy and foolish one.

"I still miss you like hell, and I promise I'll bring you something special when I get back. Love you, brother. Call me when you're in."

You have no new messages.

Yami leaned down and pressed the 'delete' button.

Message deleted.

He would remember to call Yugi later, of course. Yami was just about to walk away, when the phone suddenly rang. Yami looked down at it curiously. Reaching over he lifted the phone of the receiver and held it up to his ear.

"Hello?" Yami asked politely.

No response. Yami frowned, thinking there might be something wrong with his phone or the connection. "Hello?" He tried again. Still no response. Not even the sound of breathing, or a machine starting. Nothing. Feeling no need to go further, he promptly hung up.

'HowOdd…' Yami thought.


Four men huddled in a blue mini-van listened intently as the phone rang.

"Hello?" Someone answered on the other end. The men looked at each other, then back at the phone, a grin plastered on each of their faces. "Hello?" That voice asked again.

"He's home. Let's hurry." A gruff voice said as he and the other men reached under their seats and each pulled out a gun. A glint of destruction gleamed in their eyes. The door of the van slid open…


Seto sighed in aggravation as he let his arm hang over the window of his convertible. He sat, staring…almost glaring at the extremely slow light that had yet to change from red to green. He peered outside, taking in the rows of buildings and street signs that littered his view.

One particular street sign caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes as he focused on it… a green sign with white letters reading 'Arrow Court.'

A loud BEEP brought Seto's attention back to life as he silently cursed at himself for not noticing the light turn green.

Soon after, he made the next left at Arrow Court.

Seto's eyes scanned the left side, looking at the numbers on the houses and buildings. 89, 91, 93…he needed 126. Deciding it would be on the right, that's where he focused his attention.

Seto widened his eyes.

There in front of him was a large, empty field… open space …free land. It seemed as if the area was cleared from an accidental fire. Burned wood, concrete, and other house materials littered the ground…even the air smelled of ashes.

Seto looked over the land again, old couches and burnt tables littered over the vast field. Wires, fences, bottles, glass, and other materials were put in organized piles. He also took notice of one small building between all the mess, seemingly untouched and untainted by the destruction outside. Driving in front of the building, he read the sign that said 'Kame Game Shop. 126 Arrow Court.'

Seto's eyes widened. This was the place? The place on the note? Well, better a game store than someone's home. After all, KaibaCorp was about gaming technology.

Pulling up and parking in the small driveway next to the building, Seto took the keys out of the engine. Taking another glance over the deserted land, he pulled on the handle to open the driver's door.

It was then he heard the sounds coming from the second floor of the building. Door slams, shouting, loud bumps, hard thuds, a gunshot? Then a sudden scream of pain. Seto gasped as he turned around to look at a suspicious blue van parked further up the street, engine still running, and a pair of eyes looking up at the building through the tinted window.

Seto panicked. Was he witnessing, or hearing a crime? Robbery, perhaps? Maybe...a homicide? Before Seto knew it, he was slowly climbing back into his car, mind reeling of just what might occur to him…or happen next...

Yet he wasn't expecting this to happen…

Seto's mind went spinning as he heard the sound of a gunshot again, then the ear-splitting sound of a window shattering directly above him. He looked up, and saw a black figure falling from the window, back facing the ground.

Seto closed his eyes as he felt the sharp, glass shards fall onto his face and car, slicing him on the cheek and sticking to his cotton shirt. He felt a large thud shake his entire car as the figure fell into the backseat of his convertible. Hard.

Before he could react to seeing the person's physical condition, he shifted into reverse and pressed on the gas petal. Way too much adrenaline was pumping through his veins to realize the two men that gazed out through the broken window, holding a cell phone up to their ear.

A few minutes later, the blue mini-van began to drive…


Seto sat at his desk, typing away at his keyboard, looking back ever so often at the figure lying in his bed. He was able to successfully bring him back to his mansion without anyone noticing, save for the nurse and doctor that helped with his injuries. Surprisingly, they weren't as severe as a fall from a window should be. A few cuts and scrapes from the glass, a sprained wrist, and a few large bruises on his torso, most likely from some sort of fist fight.

His mind remembered the two gunshots he had heard. Luck was definitely on his side, or rather this boy's side.

'Just what happened back here?' Seto couldn't help but wonder as he pulled away from his laptop. What business did his father have with this boy…and most importantly why was he targeted down and almost killed? His father couldn't possiblydo this...could he?

A moan reached his ears as he quickly glanced over at the spiky-haired boy, shifting in his sleep. He hadn't moved an inch since he landed in the back seat of Seto's car.

The brunet pushed his hands away from his desk, rolling the chair around so he faced the bed. He studied the boy, eyeing his every feature, every movement.

How his chest rose and fell with each short breath, how his fingers flexed every once and a while from tension, how his face showed traces of pain as his eyebrows furrowed…

He was truly a sight…candy for the eyes, one might say. The stranger had spiky, tri-colored hair…a mixture of blonde, auburn, and black. Vibrantly contrasting against his rich caramel colored skin, an odd combination yet somehow…fascinating.

Indeed, yes. But what business could this unique boy have with his father? CEO of the largest gaming company on the planet?

Seto frowned and looked away. Why was he so…worked up over this? He had all the answered he needed, right in front of him…lying on his bed. He just needed to be patient…have patience. Soon the boy would wake, and he would get his answers.

After all, it wasn't like he could just gather courage up and ask his father. No amount of courage would help you under the steady but lethal gaze of Gozaburo, Seto knew that first hand. He was on his own, and it was like that for as long as he could remember. His father had said, "If you want something, go after it. Don't wait for it to be served."

Speaking of which, if his father knew he had been snooping around in his office…let alone stole something…

Seto lifted his hand and gently brushed his fidgeting fingers over the shirt pocket, feeling the neatly folded note inside.

"…w-what…"

Seto snapped his head over to the stranger, and immediately rushed to his side after hearing the strained voice. Even under great amounts of stress and pain…the voice sounded so melodic, rich…he could get used to it.

Seto leaned down and helped the boy, who was now trying to sit in an upright position. He placed one of his hands on the stranger's back, and another on his arm, supporting him.

"Easy does it. Don't want to strain yourself even more." He was shocked to hear the softness in his own voice. He had never spoken to anyone in that tone, save for his younger brother when he was a child. And to think, Seto had easily opened up to this exotic boy. Him, of all people…this exotic, wild-haired…

…crimson eyed boy.

The boy opened his eyes, adjusting them to the dim light that illuminated the room. He moaned again, lifting his good hand to wipe the tiredness away from his eyes. Then he looked up at his captor.

Red struck blue.

"…Thank you." The boy said in a cracked voice. Seto was least to say, surprised by the boy's actions. Surely when one wakes in the arms of a stranger-in pain-one would be a bit…suspicious, no? Seto lifted an eyebrow as he scooted away, finding the strange boy could sit on his own.

"You're probably wondering why you're here… or how you got here…" Seto spoke in a low tone. The boy looked up at him again.

"I thank you for saving me." He said in a low whisper. Seto was stunned. The boy had completely disregarded Seto's previous remark, and he continued. "If you hadn't been there with your car, I wouldn't be here talking to you."

"…you're welcome." Seto replied. Even if 'saving him' wasn't intentional, the boy did have a point. Seto noticed the boy's eyes gaze away, as if uncomfortable.

"Though… if you don't mind me asking, what brought you to that location?" The stranger asked, so low Seto almost didn't hear.

An alarm rang in Seto's head. This was the conversation that he needed.

"I found your address on my father's desk." Seto replied, a bit too sharply for his intentions. He didn't want to go into too much detail, the crimson eyed teen was still recovering. The boy looked curious and tilted his head in question.

"You're father…?" He asked more than stated. Seto replied with a nod.

"Gozaburo Kaiba." The name exploded like fireworks in the boy's brain. His eyes widened with sudden realization as he looked across the room, the letters KC imprinted in wallpaper on the walls suddenly becoming of importance. The crimson eyed stranger looked back at Seto.

"CEO of KaibaCorp…so that means…y-you must be Seto Kaiba!" He blinked, processing the information. Who hadn't heard of the multi-billionaire and his son? The awards they've won, the money they made…their pictures were plastered over every newspaper and magazine in Japan.

Seto replied with another nod.

"I-It's nice to finally meet you in person, you're practically everywhere…you even won that hottest guy in…Japan…award…" The wild haired boy suddenly looked down, embarrassed. Seto internally smirked. 'How…cute…' Seto thought as he saw the boy's ears turn beet red.

"Well, it's clear that you know me. But I still have not a clue who you are." Seto said, saving the boy from his embarrassment. Instantly, he snapped his head up.

"Oh, where'd my manners go?" The boy lifted his hand in a greeting as he introduced himself with a smile. "The name's Yami. Yami Mutou."

Mutou Residence.

Realizing the sudden connection, Seto smiled back and took the smaller hand in his own, giving it a shake. Firm, yet gentle.

"So…you said that you found my address on your father's desk?" Yami asked, pointing to himself. Seto could sense the slight concern in the other's voice.

"Yes, though It's highly unlikely that the two incidents were related, probably a bad coincidence." Seto said, trying to convince himself. He knew there was something fishy going on, but he didn't want to expose that to Yami. "My father may be a billionaire, but he's not…he's not…" Seto said, trying to find the right word.

"I understand." A smooth voice replied. Seto looked down at the younger that had a small smile on his face. "I could never blame-nor assume-you two had anything to do with it, it's just absurd." Yami said with a reassuring nod. "Just…it's odd. I never thought something like this could happen…" Yami faded into a whisper as sadness and shock filled his eyes. Seto noticed as Yami seemed a bit more distant. "What did they want?" Yami asked in a cracked whisper.

"You're not in any…trouble, are you? Did you recognize these men?" Seto asked, leaning ever so slightly closer to Yami. Yami responded with a shake of his head for both questions.

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened?" Seto asked. "I could help get some investigation done, maybe find out who's…" Seto stopped speaking when he felt a light hand touch his.

"Don't bother, really. It's ok…I don't want to involve you in this, you probably have much to do and I'm already a disruption by being here." Seto widened his eyes as Yami began to stand up. "I should really be heading back…"

"You're going back?" Seto said a bit loudly. "Don't you think that's a bit dangerous?"

"They would be foolish to return. Besides, it's my home…I have no other place to go." Yami said as his fists clenched slightly. He tried to take a step, steadying himself as he stretched his limbs.

Seto looked down, inwardly biting his lip. He couldn't just let Yami walk away, possibly walk into the hands of danger. Something still wasn't right, it was all too soon to make any conclusions. If his father had anything to do with the attack…

The sound of a door closing shut brought Seto back to his senses. He looked around; Yami was not in the room.

"Yami, wait!" Seto bolted out the door and stopped behind the spiky-haired boy. Yami stopped walking and turned around to stare into blue eyes.

"Yes?" He asked politely, blinking twice. Seto swallowed hard as those red eyes pierced into his own.

"I'll make reservations for you at a hotel nearby. Don't go back there, some men are foolish. I wouldn't be surprised if they came back."

Yami stared in uttermost shock at the brunet. Magazines said that the CEO's son was as stubborn and rude. Yet here he was, offering to pay for a hotel fee to a poor teen like himself. He was truly shocked, and overwhelmed. Yami could feel the heat rise in his cheeks as Seto continued to look at him, waiting for a response.

"Thank you." Yami murmured softly with a smile. "I'd like that."


END OF CHAPTER ONE