This is an AU based on Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz and is very Seto Kaiba-centered. For those people who haven't read it, it's an espionage-terrorist story that freaked me out. Also if you don't like Kaiba or if you can't let Marik be the villian or have Isis/Ishizu/Kaiba then don't read.
Disclaimer: I don't own or claim to own Stormbreaker or Yu-Gi-Oh!
Chapter One: The Silver Mercedes
The doorbell rang. As Seto Kaiba glanced at his clock, he saw that it was only three--three o'clock in the morning. Groggily he dressed and walked downstairs to answer the door, but he saw the intern was already there. So were the police.
"Are you Mrs. Rider?" asked one officer.
"No, I'm an intern from Egypt," replied Isis.
Seto walked over to the door. "I am Seto Kaiba. Are you..." His voice trailed off as he saw the looks on their faces. "You're not...for real?" As he later recalled, they were using their funeral voices.
"Unfortunately, yes," sighed the officer. "Your uncle was killed in a car accident. We took him to the hospital and..." He muttered many other phrases Seto only caught partially, but the truth was clear. His only older relative was gone.
"How could this be?" he demanded. "Mr. Kaiba was an excellent driver. Tell me, how could he have been in a car accident in the middle of a city?"
The officer ran a hand through his hair. "He wasn't wearing a seat belt."
"That's impossible," Seto sneered. "He always wears a seat belt. My father's brother is probably the most careful person I've ever met."
"Well, he wasn't careful enough this time. I'm sorry, but that's all I can tell you now. The service is tomorrow."
At that time, Mokuba half-walked, half-stumbled down the stairs. "What's going on, big brother?"
Seto saw him and quickly changed his tone. "Nothing that I can't tell you in the morning," he soothed. "Why don't you go back to sleep?" When he had left, Seto returned his attention to the officers. "So you're telling me that Mr. Kaiba was killed in a car accident in the middle of a city, was rushed to intensive care, and died, all because he didn't wear a seat belt? The seat belt part is ridiculous enough."
"I'm sorry, but I can't give you any other information. Goodbye, Mr. Kaiba." With that, they turned and left the house.
Somehow none of this seemed right to Seto. He made up his mind that tomorrow, right after the service, he would take a look in his uncle's private office, the one place that was always locked. Maybe that would hold some answers...
At the funeral service, a man approached him offering his condolences. He said he was from the bank his uncle was a manager at, a bank called Japan International. >"Your uncle was a fine man, and we are very sorry to lose him. My name is Mr. Muto, has he ever mentioned me to you?"
"No," Seto replied, although his mind was elsewhere. The man seemed unnatural, almost, but really, he had no reason to suspect him. Or at least he didn't until Mr. Muto stepped into his limousine. As the driver reached over to close the door, his jacket slipped momentarily. In his pocket was a small, but powerful pistol. Why would a bank manager be armed? He shrugged it off. At least he would be able to look into the "forbidden" office.
When he opened the office door, Seto stood rooted to the ground in shock. Mr. Kaiba was gone, and so were all of his files, documents, anything to do with his job. But what could have been so important as a bank manager so that someone would break into his house? The whole seat belt issue still puzzled him--perhaps if he saw the car at a junkyard he would have felt more trusting.
It was a silver Mercedes; Seto was sure it was Mr. Kaiba's car. The license plate matched, but now he knew the police, Mr. Muto, everyone was lying. From far away, the car appeared to be in perfect condition, not a scratch, couldn't possibly have been in a fatal accident. As he walked closer, over the piles of bent metal, he shook his head in disbelief. It...couldn't have been. The glass was shattered and sprayed over the driver's seat, and small holes riddled the side panel, but that was all. There were small dark brown stains on the seat that needed little speculation. Now Seto could picture his uncle's last moments, but why all this for a bank manager?
His thoughts were disturbed by the rumbling sound of machinery. But when he looked up, it was already too late. The giant crusher had already closed in upon the car, trapping his leg to the roof. Then suddenly it deposited the entire car in another heap. Sighing with relief, he climbed out of the half-crushed car, just grateful to be alive. But by that time, the machinery operator had climbed out. "What do ya think you're doin' here, kid?" he growled.
But Seto decided not to answer.One day when he ws six, his uncle took him to a karate class without explanation, and he had been taking lessons ever since. Now he was a blackbelt, and all the training stepped into play when he brought up one leg and lashed out.The man didn't even have time to yell, just collapsed. Seto ran around him, headed to his bike, and raced home.
When he reached his house in the evening, he looked at himself in the mirror. One shoe on, clothes ripped apart, and completely oil-streaked, he knew he looked an unusual sight. But he had escaped with his life, and that was more than Mr. Kaiba could do. However, one thing was certain now: his uncle was not who they all thought.
