The room was bright, too bright, and the humming of the flourescent bulbs was a nuisance to Seto's ears. He stared up at them, safe from his hands behind metal grates, and cursed silently.
Turning away, he inspected the rest of the room with a deep frown. The walls were tiled and bare, not even a window for him to enjoy. Only the heavy steel door offered a glimpse of a world outside the room through a small, rectangular piece of glass, but it was not any world Seto wished to partake in. A world of maniacs and a constant stream of medication.
There was no furniture, except a plastic chair settled in one corner. Seto stared at it curiously, but did not sit. He had always assumed people in his situation were not allowed simple pleasantries such as that. It would only be too easy to break it apart into many sharp edged pieces..
Caught up in his thoughts, Seto did not hear the door open behind him, nor notice when an elderly gentleman stepped into his room. Only when the man cleared his throat to announce his arrival did Seto turn to face him.
The man was comparably short, with a slight, pointed beard which sported a respectable amount of grey. His eyes appeared amusingly large behind thick glasses. Seto managed not to laugh, but felt his lips curl into a bemused grin.
"Mr. Kaiba! It's so good to finally meet you."
His voice was oddly soothing, deep and with a subtle accent Seto couldn't quite place. He took the man's hand when he offered it for a handshake, but let go soon after.
"Why am I here?"
Seto jumped a little at the sound of his own voice. Somehow, it hadn't sounded the same. Almost like an older, more tired Seto.
The old man shifted uneasily, his smile grim.
"My name is Mr. Jones. I'm here to evaluate your situation," he said.
"My situation?" Seto asked, his own smile fading. "What do you mean?"
Jones took a deep breath as he crossed the room and took a seat in the chair Seto had been so preoccupied with when he'd first come in.
"Mr. Kaiba.. how are you feeling lately?"
Seto raised a brow at the question, unsure of how to answer. He was confused, angry.. and perhaps even a little frightened. But to these Seto would never admit.
"Fine," he finally muttered.
"Are you sure? Please. Tell me everything."
Seto huffed indiginantly. "I just did."
Jones would not be deterred so easily. He chuckled quietly, crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap. Seto took it as a gesture that the man would not be leaving any time soon.
"Mr. Kaiba, until we know exactly what's wrong, we cannot help you," Jones said. "The longer you remain silent, the longer you remain here."
Seto contemplated these words. He certainly did not want to stay in this room any longer than he had to. But, then, he also did not know what this man before him expected him to say.
"I'm sure my lawyers will find a reason for my leaving."
Jones only smiled at the threat, shrugging casually.
"What lawyers?"
Seto blinked, astounded. His was possibly the best team of lawyers in the entire city. The mere mention of them was usually enough to send offenders running. Jones noticed the look on Kaiba's face and tilted his head forward.
He spoke softly. "Mr. Kaiba, did you think I wouldn't have heard about it? I may not be a man of great importance to the business world, but we're talking national headlines. Even my teenage son knows of KaibaCorp's collapse."
Seto could not believe his ears. KaibaCorp in ruins? The idea was absurd. Laughable, even. If the expression on Jones' face had been any less serious, Seto just might have. Jones took the opportunity to continue.
"Well, I think we've found one of your contributing factors. You seem to be under the delusion that people don't realize you've lost your company. You want to pretend like you're still someone."
No. No! I AM someone! Seto fumbled for words, but said nothing.
Jones assumed Seto's silence as a confession of guilt, and shook his head solemnly.
"Your's was a privileged life, Mr. Kaiba. I can understand why you would want people to continue to believe it," he began. "But, the truth remains. KaibaCorp is no more. Being as intelligent as you are, I'm sure you can begin a new life without much issue."
Jones continued talking, but Seto had stopped listening. What form of deception was this? How could anybody try and convince him, Seto Kaiba, that his business had gone under? All of his careful planning, his flawless system of management.. it could not be true. No, it wasn't true! Seto sank to the floor, his hands curling into fists.
"Mr. Kaiba?" Jones watched him cautiously, wanting to reach out to him, but knowing all too well what a man in his state was capable of. He shook his head and stood.
"Think about it, Mr. Kaiba. I'll be back tomorrow to continue this discussion."
With this, Jones left the room, being sure to lock the door securely behind him. Seto scarcely noticed his absence.
"You're wrong," Seto said, barely above a whisper, but nobody was there to hear it.