Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned by its creator, Kabuki Takahashi and it's respective anime companies. I'm borrowing the characters and ideas for a nonprofit fan fiction written solely for the enjoyment of myself, and hopefully others.
All rights and privileges to Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. The characters of these works are used WITHOUT permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit.
Author's Notes: To fully understand this fan fic, which is part of a much larger arc, I highly suggest that you read Animom's "KP Duty" and the follow up "Coming Clean". This story, which I am blessed that she allowed me to play in her richly written AU arc about what really happened when Seto Kaiba lost his soul to Pegasus. This is a story about recovery and coming to terms with oneself after the unthinkable happens.
Again, I cannot stress how good these stories are and I am unable to find the words to fully convey my feelings on this subject.
Summoning Death
The computer hummed softly in the background. The screen cast a pale blue light on it's creator in the room's semi-darkness. Stacks of various books were piled up beside the computer, thumbed through and discarded quickly.
What's wrong, Kaiba-Boy, can't concentrate? Bad dreams keeping you up at night, sweetie? Slipping into your pretend worlds again?
A paper back book went flying across the room followed by an angry snarl.
Aww, Kaiba's such a fierce little boy, throwing books and growling. How cute. Helpless little Seto Kaiba.
Kaiba rubbed the bridge of his nose with a groan. He wanted to silence the voice inside of his head. He wanted to stop it, to crush it, to kill it, to destroy it.
Pegasus.
Kaiba glowered up at the blank screen.
Pegasus.
The reason for his nightmares, his torment.
He felt a chill as he remembered what Kurosuke had revealed what had happened to him while soul less. And it had been haunting him ever since.
All because of Pegasus.
He could of taken all five of those henchmen, easily even. He could of disarmed them, broke limbs and rendered them helpless. Instead, he was the one rendered helpless for their perverse enjoyment.
Anger boiled up, hot and fierce within him.
Pegasus and that damned Millennium Eye. None of this should of happened. None of it at all. It was because of that Eye, magic, that this happened.
Why I can't sleep at night.
Magic was why he was turned against himself, a shell of the former, formidable Seto Kaiba. It was why the Big Five had been able to get the best of him in the VR game. All because of a stupid magical item.
Well, two could certainly play at that game.
******
"Query: search, spells for Vengeance," Kaiba stated as he sat down in front of his AI's console.
His AI replied in its brisk, female voice, "Magic spells? Working on the VR game again, Seto?"
"No, this is something much more important," Kaiba replied thoughtfully as the computer screen roared to life in a blast of color.
The AI replied, "Search commencing. Anything specific?"
"Utter degradation," Kaiba answered darkly as he rested his chin on his intertwined fingers as the screen flashed before his eyes.
Various spells and incantations flew across the screen. Kaiba browsed through them as the AI continued its search. He began to strum his fingers on the console as he saw connections between certain religions and their magic.
The AI said, "Note of caution, Seto, each Wiccan based practice warns of consequences three times the effect of the spell cast. You don't want to run around with a second head."
No, it's bad enough that I have a Beast and a Witty Phantom to keep me company, Kaiba thought dryly as he continued to scroll through the pages of spells that the computer kept finding.
He commanded, "Refine query: eliminate Wiccan rituals and spells. Continue the search limiting to Druid, Tao, Shinto, Romany, Greek, and Roman based rituals continuing on first query."
He leaned closer into the screen with a sigh. Most of the spells involved things like boils on the penis and other childlike tools of vengeance. There were many binding spells, but that just rendered someone from doing harm. Which would do him no good because the harm had already been rendered. He wanted Vengeance, but the search was infuriating.
He wanted to make those bastards know that he wasn't helpless. That he wasn't just some toy for them to pass around for their entertainment. He needed to feel that he had power.
"How severe do you want the punishment? The Boils of Binding Torment spell sounds interesting enough," the AI commented dryly as spells flashed past the screen.
Kaiba narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the screen.
The Witty Phantom snickered, Looks like Kaiba can't even cast a spell either. You should just give up now. It's over, honey, admit it and let me laugh at you while you try to move on in your pathetic life.
There were a lot of Banishment Spells as well. He could send a person to the Faerie Realms according to some of the Germanic based spells he was reading. He could trap a person between planes of existence, leaving them as an phantasm wandering desperately and never being able to touch or feel again, just existing as a waif.
That wasn't enough though. They could escape that or someone could let them out. Besides, that was too much like what Pegasus did with his soul.
He did have limits he reasoned with a dark chuckle.
Yes, you are the humane one, aren't you Kaiba? Why don't you play with Yugi again? Oh, wait, what's the use when he can beat you too? The Phantom scoffed at him, causing him to sneer.
Kaiba clenched his fists as he stated, "Add necromancy and voodoo to search query."
An idea dawned on him as the AI started bringing up things on necromancy and voodoo.
Voodoo, it seemed, raised spirits while necromancy controlled the dead. He said, "Suspend and save initial query."
"Done."
Kaiba leaned closer to the screen as he stated, "New query: search necromancy, potential users and proof that it works."
The computer retorted, "You're bringing me a challenge this time, aren't you Seto?"
"I know you can do it," Kaiba replied with a nod. After all, he had created this AI.
"Well, in St. Louis, Missouri it was reported that one cemetery had all of it's graves disturbed. And get this, Seto, eyewitnesses swore that they saw hands scraping up from the earth. Police reports state that certain paraphernalia was found on site, as well as a circle drawn in what DNA test surmised as goat blood with a dead goat less than fifteen feet away from the most disturbed graves," the AI answered briskly.
Kaiba asked, "Anything else?"
"Louisville, Kentucky, two miles away from Riverfield Cemetery a man was found mauled to death by what the local ME claimed to be human teeth. Leeds, England, Joyce Evens was walking through a cemetery before disappearing mysteriously, leaving only scraps of her clothing, shoes, and watch behind. I could go into New Orleans and the voodoo connections if you want," the AI offered, pride seeping from it's artificial voice.
Kaiba leaned back and answered, "No." Animating the dead to do their deeds. Not directly interfering but having control over something that does.
"Resume initial query. Restrict to Summoning Spells. Faeries, spirits, creatures, exclude demonic entities," Kaiba directed as the screen continued to flash at a rapid rate.
The AI chirped, "Oh, this one sounds interesting. Here, take a look at it."
Kaiba's eyes widened as he read the title: Incantation for the Summoning of Death: How to Enlist Death to Aid You.
"Perfect!" he exclaimed as he jumped out of his chair. Excitement filled his veins as he planned and paced. He said, "Save an encrypted copy of this under the file name Shinigami. Use the pass word to insure that only I'm the only person who lays eyes on this." He walked back to the screen and continued, "Place orders for the supplies under the usual accounts."
"Express shipping?" the AI inquired.
Kaiba nodded and answered, "Of course."
Kaiba smiled for the first time in weeks as his plan fell into order. Impulsively, he leaned over and happily gave the screen a quick kiss. He jumped back as the screen tingled his lips, surprised at his own actions.
The AI castigated, "You just smeared my monitor. I advise that you don't do that again."
Kaiba cracked his knuckles with a sharp smile.
******
He had chosen his Dueling Arena to perform the ritual. He had even sent Mokuba to visit Yugi Moto and sent the workers home for the day. He had made sure that he was alone and in a place where he felt safe.
And powerful.
Kaiba carefully sat down thirteen black candles in a circle on the arena field. He lit the candles and proceeded by sprinkling powdered nightshade over the candles. Finally, he walked up to his Dueling Platform and held up one single crow's feather.
He looked down at the printout in front of him and chanted, "By the powers of Blood and Bone, by my will alone . . ."
The flourescent lights began to flicker around him as he used a Zippo to scorch the edges of the feather. The bitter smell filled his nostrils as he waved the smoking feather. He also noticed that the candle flames were waving wildly in unison with the burning feather as the lights continued to flicker.
He shouted, "I call upon Death! I call upon Death to wreak Vengeance on those who have wronged me and mine! Death, hear my call! Death I summon you here and NOW!"
The air rank of ozone as he tossed the feather into the circle. The flames rose high before quickly snuffing out. There was a loud cackle as the lights suddenly blew out.
A few moments later, the back up generator kicked on, flooding the room in a pale glow. As soon as Kaiba's eyes adjusted from the pure darkness to the light, he looked into the circle. Then he smiled.
He had done it.
The pain would be erased. He wouldn't be afraid anymore. He could cleanse himself of this stain.
Kaiba blinked in surprise as he looked at the figure crouching in the circle, wondering if this wasn't some hallucination brought upon all the nightmares he had been having. The figure was encased purely in shadows, as if they belonged there. Kaiba couldn't get much of an impression, just darkness and a human shape.
A pair of glowing eyes turned towards him as the shadows dissipated around the figure.
Kaiba blinked. He really didn't know what to expect when he had summoned Death. However, he knew it wasn't the beautiful specter before him.
Violet eyes dominated a lively, heart-shaped gamine face. A wide mouth curved up in a playful, almost teasing grin that seemed like he was listening to something that only he could understand. He was a bit taller than average height and broad shouldered. Kaiba watched as he tilted his head thoughtfully, letting a long, chestnut braid trail down his body like a lover's caress and he couldn't help to notice that the lean figure was dressed entirely in black leather. He seemed entirely at home in his own skin.
Something that Kaiba envied him for.
He asked, "Shinigami?" The God of Death. He reasoned that he might as well show him some respect if he was going to him ask to reap Vengeance for him.
The braided teen grinned up at him and asked in a jovial yet bored voice, "So, why did you Summon me here?" Then, surprisingly, he winked.
Kaiba blinked, taken back as the boy strode over to him. Leaping, he grabbed the steel bars of the platform and pulled himself up to look at Kaiba. Kaiba noticed the muscles flexing in his arms as he did and the ease he held himself there.
Collecting himself, he growled, "Vengeance."
The violet eyes rolled as the boy groaned. "Vengeance. Always vengeance. I can do vengeance. I'm really good at it, but it gets fucking repetitive," the boy retorted as he looked up at Kaiba defiantly. He then swung himself to climb up onto the platform.
Kaiba blinked as he was standing face to face with the impish youth, who was looking at him with those uncanny eyes. I want to rid myself of these demons. I will rid myself of these demons.
Death reached out as if he had sensed that something was wrong. His hand gently touched Kaiba's shoulder as he looked up at him with wide violet eyes. Kaiba jumped at the instant contact, both ashamed and afraid.
That's right, jump away from him, the Phantom snickered.
The boy peered up at him and asked, "What's your name?"
Kaiba couldn't help but notice that the tip of the boy's head reached just above his chin. He confessed, "Seto Kaiba. You weren't exactly what I expected. Of Death."
"Don't tell me you were expecting some cute Goth chick. I'm a Death, one of many. I'm kinda a messenger really for Death, ya know. I may run and hide, but I'll never tell a lie. I'm Duo Maxwell," he said with a tiny bow and a teasing grin.
This guy's really full of himself, Kaiba thought as folded his arms and asked, "Can you do what I want?"
"Vengeance . . . Actually, I don't think that's what you need," Duo mused in his loud voice.
Kaiba snapped, "It's a yes or no question. Can you?"
"Hey, I'm not some weapon for you to use. I'm a person too. I've got Free Will and stuff. Just because I've got a higher death toll than Attila the Hun doesn't mean anything," Duo retorted sarcastically.
Kaiba glared and stated, "If you won't help me, then go."
"Oh, you need help alright, but not what you think," Duo taunted as Kaiba began to walk down the platform.
Kaiba spun back around to face the grinning boy and glared. He managed between clinched teeth, "Go. Now."
"Oh no, you're not rid of me that easily. You Summoned me, you've got to put up with me," Duo retorted happily, grinning manically as he followed Kaiba out of the arena.
Kaiba growled, "Wonderful." Now, on top of everything else he had to deal with, he had to deal with this Braided Baka.
To Be Continued . . .
Initially, the idea to this story, the seed if you will, came from watching Joey and Seto having one of their little "conflicts" and I thought, Now, what would happen if Kaiba met someone with a personality like Joey's but who was as smart or almost as smart as he was?
Of course, Duo Maxwell came first to mind. And not just because I'm a Duo Fan Girl, but because Duo's use to being in odd situations.
Originally, the first idea that I had for a crossover was much like my other crossovers. Characters from A, B, and C shows join together to fight this wicked evil. There's some laughs, some good fights, and Everyone Lives Happily Ever After.
Even though that's fun to write, it gets fucking repetitive.
So, I read Animom's "KP Duty" and an idea bloomed. Along with reading a bunch of badly written Jonouchi x Kaiba fics, I thought I might try my hand at the shonen ai genre. But with a crossover couple because . . . well, you have to admit that they'd be cute together. And I wanted to stretch my pallet as an author. Sure, I can write crossovers, action, and vampires, but what about shonen ai?
And one night I wrote the "teaser" with Kaiba summoning Death, aka Duo Maxwell with the seed in my head that maybe Duo's also helping Kaiba overcome what Pegasus did to him. (You have to admit, all of those Kaiba-boys were a little freaky, even if he was head over heels for his lost love. Maybe it was the Eye screwing with him.)
Animom read the teaser, cuz she's just cool like that, and realized how powerful her Tememos AU was. First story of that arch was "KP Duty", "Coming Clean" is the story that my little crossover takes place in. So, she had the great idea to tie our stories together.
So, go read "KP Duty" and "Coming Clean" so you can truly understand how great this arch really is. Plus it'll make more sense.
Now, feed the author and review! Or I'll sick Duo on you.