Disclaimer: I don't own (I never thought I'd say this) Yu-gi-oh.
Darkness surrounded him as he looked up blankly. He has seen the same scene a thousand times, empty chaotic darkness on all sides. His own eyes were blankly reflecting the shadows, after all nothing here was new to him, he visited this place every night. If he slept at all. As it turned out, this night was one of the worse ones as a mournful cry echoed around the darkness. A dragon's cry.
He felt it pierce him, shake him. That noise haunted his moments of peace. He held out for as long as he could until he could stand it no more and squeezed his eyes shut, slamming his hands to his ears in an effort to block out the awful noise.
It was then that Seto Kaiba woke up.
He glanced at the clock, , that was usual for him now. He spared the dream, the nightmare, a few shaky breaths before he moved on, pushing it back into the recesses of his mind. He got out of his bed robotically, not bothering to reach for the curtains in the dark of morning. It wasn't like he would be able to see anything anyway.
So instead he walked over to his dresser and pulled out some slacks, business attire for a business man. He looked over to his wardrobe as he always did and once more decided that there was no need to don a shirt this early. Instead he left the room, his footsteps echoing down the empty hallways of his mansion. Nothing had changed, the mansion was as empty as it was a year ago.
When Mokuba left.
The servants and maids wouldn't be up this early so he was left to his thoughts as he made his way to his study, the only other place aside from his bedroom that was ever used by him. The door was ajar and he pushed it open softly, revealing the organised room.
It didn't look like it was lived in, at least not by a human. There was only one thing that implied the room was even used by Kaiba, the picture resting on his desk. It showed a much older Mokuba standing with a group of friends, Yugi'sgroup of friends to be exact. As much as Kaiba disliked them, for some reason they made him happy so he let it go.
When Mokuba was 17 he had moved out after an argument with Seto, instead choosing to live with Yugi in an apartment near his grandfathers card shop. He replayed the events in his head and still came to the same decision. It was best for Mokuba.
-Flashback-
Kaiba sat in his office at KaibaCorp, drumming his hands on his desk in irritation. He had a meeting coming up but one of his technicians for the latest iteration of the duel disk had suddenly decided to that he needed time of for his wife, who was pregnant. Which was why the CEO was now waiting for the technician to arrive in his office.
His cold eyes looked up from his laptop screen as the door opened, revealing a nervous looking man. Kaiba stopped his drumming and set his glare on the man.
"Mr. Kaiba, I'm s-sorry but my wife went into labour and I-" Kaiba cut him off with his cold voice.
"Do you think I care about your family problems? You are the head technician on this project and
you need to be in this presentation to the board, phone your wife and tell her you'll be late." The man, perhaps foolishly, glared back at Kaiba and his voice rose.
"I can't do that! I'm not about to leave her alone at a time like this." Kaiba's eyes narrowed at the display of insubordination.
His tone dropped to a deadly whisper and he responded. "you will phone her or you won't have a job." The older mans eyes widened at the ultimatum and he started retracing his steps.
"W-what? No, p-please we need this job, even more for the child!" Kaiba's stony countenance didn't waver as he replied.
"This is your last warning, either you keep your job or-" before he could finish he was interrupted by Mokuba bursting into the room, his face glowing with excitement.
"Not now Mokuba, I'm busy!" Kaiba snapped, but Mokuba's expression didn't shift.
Instead he ran up to the desk, average height now in his 17 year old body, and grinned up at his brother. "Guess what Seto, Yugi and the others are going on holiday to visit the Istars in Egypt and they invited me too!"
Kaiba knew that Mokuba had become friends with the geek squad, but this was the first time recently that it has been so openly shoved in his face. The mention of Egypt sealed the deal. "No."
His cold response made the grin on his brothers face fall and Kaiba turned back to the man. "Now as for you, you only have two choices-" Mokuba interupted him again with a shout of protest.
"What! I wasn't asking you a question Seto, I'm old enough to make up my own mind, and I'm going on holiday with them." Kaiba turned his glared back to his brother, who flinched slightly at how much colder it had gotten recently.
"I said no Mokuba, I won't have you wasting time with Yugi and his deranged friends in some lifeless dust bowl. You may be 17 but you still live in my house!" Mokuba glared back at him.
"It's OUR house Seto, what's been with you recently? You've changed, you never want to do anything and you only work." Kaiba tried to end the conversation quickly.
"We are not discussing this now, Mokuba, KaibaCorp will not run itself. Now as I was saying" he turned his glare back on the poor employee. "Your child's birth or your job, pick. Now."
Mokuba's eyes widened and he looked at the cowering man for the first time since entering. "Wha- Seto! You can't ask him to do that, just give him the time off. Your acting like...him." Mokuba didn't need to say his name for Seto to know who he was talking about.
His hands clenched in anger and for the first time in a long time his emotions boiled over. He slammed his hands on his desk and stood abruptly, his eyes ablaze with anger. "Shut up, Mokuba! I'm nothing like him. Go back to your room, I will not let you have friends like those clowns, and you." He settled his glare on the employee.
"You're fired, get the hell out of here. I hope your wife appreciates your company because you are going to be around her a lot." The man froze, his eyes wide in shock and Mokuba growled in frustration.
"Yes you are Seto and I've had it. Recently you've been colder than usual, even to me! If you want to be alone so badly then you can be, I'm moving out." That made Kaiba react. He stepped back in shock.
'Am I that bad...so be it.' Kaiba thought, sealing away his emotions as best he could. He had already decided that if Mokuba had a chance to have a somewhat normal life that he would give it to him. The time after Atem's death had given him time to think, time to deal with his own life and Mokuba's
He had grudgingly accepted his past life, though he still denied the idea of destiny as best he could. But witnessing what he had with Yuigi he found that he couldn't completely deny magic as he once had, though it pained him to say that. After that he had watched Mokuba grow up, grow closer to Yugi and become friends with him and the geek squad.
And then the dreams had started.
He knew what caused them, when he had selfishly ripped up the fourth Blue-eyes white dragon. He had torn the very soul of the dragon, and now it haunted his dreams, reminding him every day of what he was. He was cold, he was callous, he was Seto Kaiba. So he had become that, in an effort to stop his weak emotions overwhelm him as he was remind, every night, of what he had done. His past life, his adopted father, Mokuba...Kisara, they all had to be locked away.
He had tried in vain one last time to keep Mokuba, but he knew that Mokuba needed more than what he could give. So he would let him go, let him have friends and grow up as a normal teenager, a normal adult.
Anything but him, he was only a shell of a person. Mokuba could still do better than that.
"Fine." Kaiba finally replied, surprising both men in the room.
Mokuba looked slightly confused. "Wha-so you-"
"Yes Mokuba, I want you out of my house." Mokuba blinked in surprise, his throat closing slightly at his brothers cruel words, at the unflinching man before him.
Mokuba tried to find a response. He couldn't. Instead he left, forcing himself not to show weakness to his brother. Kaiba watched him go, his own heart screaming out for him to stop his brother, but they went unheeded by his cold brain. Mokuba would get over him and be better for it, Seto knew that he would suffer more in the end, but this was why he found a way out of the orphanage.
This was all for Mokuba.
The room temperature seemed to drop and he looked back at the man he had just fired. He couldn't even find it in him to be angry right now, so he just spoke in a monotone.
"Why are you still here, go clear out your desk. I've got a meeting to go to." And with that Kaiba swept out of his room, his signature trench coat having long been replaced with a more sophisticated business suit and coat.
-End flashback-
He stood by his decision to this day and had actively avoided any confrontation with his brother or the geek squad. The only one that had been out of his control was when Yugi had come with Mokuba to pick up something from the mansion in the early morning. Apparently Mokuba didn't know about his new sleeping habits, so didn't expect him to be up that early.
He remembered the bitter argument that Yugi had with him, trying to make him 'see reason' as he called it, Kaiba sneered slightly. Of course Kaiba could see Yugi's point, he just didn't agree with it. His brother shouldn't be in the same house as him when Kaiba was in what was (he suspected) a mentally questionable state.
The argument had ended with Kaiba forcibly ejecting both Yugi and his brother from the house, trying to ignore the pain in his brothers eyes. He would get over it in time, and he would be better for it. That was what he told himself whenever he hurt Mokuba like this.
After that the only other issue had come when Yugi and his friends arrived at his mansion, demanding entrance to talk about Mokuba. Needless to say that Kaiba had not let them in, only told his security to threaten them with legal action if the continued to attempt to force their way onto his property. Eventually they had left, and that was the last time that they had tried to contact him.
Despite what they clearly thought, he kept careful tabs on Mokuba, he made sure his bank balance was kept high and made sure his brother was safe. Though Mokuba could take care of himself much better than when he was younger he was still the heir to one of the most powerful companies in the world. But his brother never knew: never knew about the multiple kidnappings that Kaiba had foiled with his security, or the reason behind the sudden move of his previous girlfriend. She had only been after him for his money and the older Kaiba had put a stop to that quickly.
That was what he was doing now, his daily check-up on Mokuba, in the morning where no one could see. This was the only moment of the day he allowed himself to feel anything.
Emotion was not a necessity in the business world.
It didn't take long for him to make sure his brother was okay, so he closed the program he had developed to check up on him and opened up the blueprints for his new device. Work was the one constant in his life, as boring as it could be and as frustrating as it could be, it gave him solace from other when he desired it.
He continued to work until the maids started to do their morning rounds, not that they had much work of late aside from making him food in the morning. As they started to move about the noise they created started to irritate him. Without a noise, he picked up his laptop, put it into his briefcase and left the room, returning to his bedroom to change.
With the rest of his business suit and a dark overcoat on he stepped out of the front door, ignoring the greetings of his staff as usual. He walked down the long path to the imposing gate at the front of the mansion, pausing as he left. Kaiba usually took a limousine to work, but for the first time in a year he decided against it today.
He turned on his heal and started to walk down the road, glancing up at the sky and taking note of the weather. It was mid winter, it suited his persona perfectly. Snow dusted the trees and pathways, his once green lawn now a pure white field.
Kaiba ignored the looks and whispers which surrounded him as he made his way into Domino cities business district. He wasn't someone that was usually seen after all, particularly in recent years. The only time he could remember being in public was when when he made a press conference regarding certain aspects of his company. Even Kaiba could tell that the press would jump on him if they knew how introverted he had become, so he had tried to inject some of his previous passion back into his statements. In addition he had used some of his own brand of insult, cutting the journalists and his competitors down to size with a few well placed statements.
The rumours still swirled around him but that was to be expected, he always had some rumour or another around him. Even the crowd of busy business men parted before him, no one wanted to be the one that stood in Seto Kaiba's path. Even in the ruthless business world his merciless nature had caused waved, especially after Mokuba had left him. Kaiba mused on it, finding it slightly ironic how even the most ruthless men on earth would avoid him now.
His musings were brought to a shuddering halt when he saw a few familiar faces in front of him, not ones that he would ever expect to find in this area.
"...I know whatcha' mean Tristan, why'd we have to choose now to go to visit Mai, putting up with all dese business jerks. Speaking of which..." Kaiba knew that the mutt had seen him, along with that dense friend of his. At least the other had the decency not to try and provoke someone of superior intellect.
Kaiba tried to just ignore them, he wouldn't let them try and get a rise out of him now. However, fate was not in his side, and Joey grabbed his arm as they went past.
"Oi, rich-boy, don'tcha try and run from us! I've finally got ya out in da open, so you're gonna listen to me 'cause I know how ya brother is doing." Kaiba's didn't change his expression as he removed the other mans hand from his coat.
"I know that Mokuba is alive and well, if that's all you had to say then I'll be leaving, Wheeler." He tried to move on again but Joey ran in front of him, his arms outstretched.
"Not so fast! You haven't had to watch Mokuba every time your name comes up, I heard whatcha' said to 'im, how could ya be so cruel! Wait scratch that, I know why, ya cold hearted bastard." Kaiba didn't react after joey had finished his rant, glaring daggers at the CEO.
'I suppose just because the mutt has a sister he thinks he can relate to me somehow, why must they try and interfere in things that they don't know about!'He thought irritatedly.
Instead of giving him an explanation, Kaiba looked around at the growing crowd. "If you're finished creating rumours Wheeler, I have a job to do." With that he pushed past the younger man, ignoring the scuffle behind him as Tristan had to hold Joey back from attacking the business man.
However he heard the final remarks of the man as he walked away towards KaibaCorp.
"You're a heartless monster, Kaiba! Why don't ya die and do us all a favour." Once more the insults appeared to wash of him like water off rock, but the last remark stuck something deep within his mind.
'Would that be better for Mokuba...for me?'He banished the thought as quickly as it had come, he did not show weakness, and there was nothing worse than this. The weakest a man could be, to take his own life. But the idea didn't leave his head completely, it stayed as a parasitic thought in the back of his mind as he walked to work.
When he stopped outside his building it was still in his mind. All his recent actions were, the emotions that should be suppressed were writhing at the surface, Wheelers words echoing in his mind. 'Some damn mutt doesn't know better than me, he doesn't know half the situation.'But that didn't stop his mind from reminding him of his past actions, the Blue-eyes cried once more from his dreams.
"..aiba, Mr. Kaiba, are you okay?" He blinked and saw a timid employee standing before him, her eyes displaying her fear for him to see clearly.
"I..." For the first time in a long time he didn't know what to say, his mind couldn't hold back his thoughts any more. He tried to look away, but caught himself in one of the large glass windows that made up the wall of the KaibaCorp HQ.
His stoic face, the business attire, cold eyes that showed nothing but contempt for the world around him. Seto Kaiba, that's who he was...wasn't he. 'I created my own destiny, I raised myself from nothing and gave Mokuba the life he deserved!'His mind cried, but another voice responded softly.
'You are who he made you, Seto Kaiba. Exactly that, a Kaiba.'The voice was right, Kaiba thought with a start. His self-imposed seclusion, it would be exactly what Gozubura would have wanted, for Seto to sever all ties and become a machine.
"Are you alright, M-M.r Kaiba?"
He blinked again at the voice and said the only thing that came to mind.
"...No." He realised what he had said moments later and looked up at the building again. He couldn't go back in there again, not now.
Instead, he turned on the surprised employee and left. He needed to clear his mind, to escape everything, especially his late father'slegacy. He ignored the people around him as he pushed on quickly, he would not run, after all he still had his image to maintain, but he was going as quickly as he could.
A vibrating phone pulled him out of his thoughts. He whipped it out of his pocket whilst still moving, looking at the screen: 'KaibaCorp'No, he needed to get away from that. Without thinking he got rid of the phone the quickest way he could. By throwing it into the traffic going past. He received more than a few startled glanced but he paid them no attention, even as he heard his phone shatter under the tired of some car.
He continued to walk, not slowing and not knowing where he was going. He finally stopped once the buildings had started to thin and the skyscrapers were behind him. He looked around, wondering where he was exactly. 'This must be the outskirts of Domino, not that I've ever needed to visit here. The buildings are much smaller...kind of like that shack Yugi and my brother share.'
He looked around absently, noticing that there were significantly less people milling down the streets. The young CEO frowned and looked down at the road. It was mostly iced over, unlike the gritted and black roads in the centre of Domino. Kaiba frowned and continued to stare at the road, anything to take his mind of the current situation give his mind a moment of peace. However something caught his eye as it was crossing the road and his head shot up, eyes wide.
'No, it can't be- not here.'His eyes locked onto the figure crossing the road, white hair bouncing slightly as her head swayed back and fourth to some unknown beat.
Her skin was as pale as ever, only her eyes stood out from her white surroundings, drops of water in the snow. Of course he had seen that face before, seen that skin before, that beautiful silver hair before. 'Three thousand years ago she died!'So how could she be here now? He looked over her clothes, they weren't especially good, ragged jeans and a worn t-shirt even against the bitter cold. Maybe it was because he was paying her such close attention that he noticed the shape moving behind her.
He didn't think as he pushed off the wall beside him, his expensive shoes somehow maintaining grip on the ice and long coat still billowing behind him. He barely noticed that he was still holding his briefcase, his mind focused solely on the girl before him.
'She can't die before me again!'That was the only thought going through his mind, he had already seen her die once and die to save him as well. A wry thought flitted across his mind seconds before he reached her.
'I suppose it's only right that I return the favour.'And then he was beside her, pushing her out of the way of the vehicle skidding on the ice. He caught her shocked expression as she flew back, eyes connecting for an instant as she fell to the ground. Then he was alone in the centre of the road, no time to move.
It was in the last moment when he looked up at the driver of the van that he finally felt alive, for the first time in over a year. He didn't hear the silent scream of the girl he had saved, or the screech of tires on the ice surface because he had finally repaid his debt. Everything could go on now, Mokuba could either take control of KaibaCorp or do as he wished, Kisara would live rather than die as she had before.
'I'm sorry, Mokuba.'His brother was the last thing to go through his mind as the van finally hit him, the pain flaring through him before everything went dark.
The street froze as the body of a young man was launched down the road, his arm twisting at an odd angle as he bounced off the ice and slid down the frozen surface. The white haired girl watched with wide eyes as his body came to a stop, not even twitching. The state of shock was broken as people started rushing towards the fallen man, the driver amongst the first to reach the body.
"Someone call an ambulance!" Someone shouted out from the crowd as it gathered.
A woman complied and was quickly replaying their location to the emergency services. The driver hunched over the body to get a look at the man he had hit, when he saw his face his eyes grew wide with fear.
"Oh my God...this is Seto Kaiba!" There was silence as everyone tried to get closer in an attempt to confirm his statement.
It was true. Seto Kaiba, CEO and one of the most powerful people on earth had just been hit by a van.
(A/N) Right, I don't know if this will ever be continued so I'll just say that now. I have idea's but I have no intention on making this a weekly thing as I did my Bleach fic, I'm just sticking it up because it's been on my HD for about five months and I thought I may as well. So it might be continued at some point, but any updates will be sporadic at best if they do come, since they'll just be from random moments when I want to write this.
Yes, Kaiba does seem a bit OOC, but I can't see him as the type to forget a debt (purely because he would rather not be in one at all) and at this point his mental state is pretty damn poor! So in summary, might not update, don't expect it. review if ya want.