YUGIOH

Getting Back to Square 1

Chapter 2.

The two soldiers gave each other a high-five it as they dragged Kaiba into their military jeep and drove to a place they called Canyon's Ridge.

"Man, I thought we were toast." Mane said. "I was sure the boss was going to check and make sure."

"He's been feeling the heat, too." Korgy said. "I think by now, he also couldn't wait for the guy to give in."

They both loaded Kaiba up into an army jeep and got in. Korgy looked back and smiled, saying. "Well, Kaiba...this is your last stop, I'm afraid. Luther's convinced you wanted to die, so now we finally get to ditch you. What do you think of that?"

There was no answered from Kaiba, who was far too weak to say or do anything. He could only hope the right time would come for him to miraculously escape. But, it would take a miracle. He had almost nothing left to give.

They drove to the a cliff high on the other side of the island.

Mane noticed where they were at, and asked. "Why here? This is a junk yard."

"It's a good place to hide a body." Korgy said.

They dragged him out to the edge of the cliff where a watery grave invited anyone that dared jump off. Korgy then looked over at Mane and said. "Okay...now shoot him."

"ME?" Mane said, fearfully. "Why do I have to shoot him? Then if the cops come after us, I'll be the murderer! You shoot him!"

Korgy pointed the gun at Kaiba, who still looked up at them defiantly, despite being unable to move and barely recognizable with all the bruises all over him and the lack of nourishment. Korgy kept pointing the gun at him, but Kaiba was simply disgusted at them...all ready seeing the outcome.

'Gutless losers.' He thought, knowing Korgy wasn't going to shoot, either.

Sure enough, Korgy lowered the gun...lacking the stomach to shoot a man in cold blood, especially one that obviously posed no threat. "Listen, he's not going anywhere. Let's just dump his body in one of these junk cars and roll it off the cliff. He can't survive that. Then, no one has to shoot him...right?"

"Okay!" Mane said. They pulled a scrap heap out with their jeep, threw him in and rolled it off the cliff. After it crashed into the water, they watched it for 3 seconds as the remains of the car slowly sank into the water.

They then turned and walked away. "He's dead...problem solved."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Despite the beatings, Kaiba had been doing anything to conserve even the least amount of strength for one last surge to fight back...anything that might help him to somehow get out of this. He was expecting to use that strength on the guards, to maybe throw something at them - like a rock. Instead, that last bit of energy was going to be used to try and escape a vehicle before he drowned.

Fortunately, the old wreck that was used had roll-down windows instead of electric. He used his remaining strength to slowly roll down the window he was nearest to, hold his breath, and slip out before the car plummeted too far under water.

But as it was, to survive and get more air he needed to surface. There was no way he was going to be able to hide that from them in his condition...he was too weak. And only an absolute moron would not stick around for atleast 5 minutes and ensure the job was done right. So, either way...he was doomed. But that didn't mean he wouldn't atleast try for Mokuba's sake.

He reached the top that wasn't very far up and gasped for air. But, all Kaiba's energy was used in the struggle and his consciousness began to fade into blackness.

'Forgive me, Mokuba...I failed you.' He thought, as he blacked out and the water swept over his head.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Joey walked along the island beach, sulking for now the third day. 'Of all the fuck'n timing, Dad.' He thought, dreading this task that his Dad had asked for him to do.

His Dad and a bunch of his buddies ended up in jail a few days ago, for drunken disorderly and brawling, which added multiple counts of assault. When his Dad called to tell him he would be in jail atleast a few months because of it, Joey would have liked to hear. 'I'm sorry, son...for being such a crappy Dad.' Or some explanation as to what he was going to do living off of nothing in their fridge for the time he was gone, or atleast beg Joey to find a way to get him out of this.

But, that wasn't why his Dad called. The only reason he seemed to be upset that he was in jail was because he had set up some great place that he and his buds occasionally hung out for a week to drink themselves practically to death free of charge. All they had to do was 'be' there. Personally, Joey found it suspicious. But, his Dad begged him to go there, since he couldn't be there, himself.

"If none of us go, we're gonna lose this place to someone else!" His Dad panicked. "You gotta do this for me, son!"

"So, cuz you got in jail...I'm supposed to hang out at this place for a week, during my summer vacation, so that you guys still have a place you can drink yerselves sick?" Joey asked him, getting angry.

"That's right...be a good boy and do this for Daddy!" His old man said.

"And what the hell am I supposed to eat? Beer?" Joey snapped.

"They got all shit loads of canned food and crap there. Ya can't run out. Plus, you have fishing poles. You can fish. Just make it a camping trip with your friends free of charge. They'll love ya for it!" The old man said.

Those were the words that convinced Joey to agree with his Dad. He called up the people his Dad wanted him to, and got the time and place where they would ship him to this deserted island. Then in a week, they'd ship him back.

The problem was, when he asked his friends the next day to come with him, the news channels had all ended up going crazy about how Seto Kaiba was kidnapped and the kidnapper was found and admitted to killing Kaiba, but refused to give the whereabouts on where he buried the body.

That not only killed the mood for Yugi, Tea, and Tristan...but Joey, too. After he heard that, he didn't want to go to this, either. But, he had no choice. He made the arrangements and agreed with his Dad. And after asking his friends, sure enough everyone was too upset to go on any fishing trip with him.

So, here was Joey walking down the abandoned island all by himself, feeling upset, depressed, and lonely. Plus, the food sucked. They had tons and tons of pea soup and creamed corn, an entire fridge filled of beer, a sink for water, and fishing gear for catching fish.

'If I knew how to catch fish.' Joey thought. So, now he was going to have to live off of food he hated for a week bored out of his mind until the ship came to take him back home. 'I just wish I wasn't alone, here.'

Joey then looked ahead to see some pile of black and brown on the beach ahead of him and shook his head. "Whaddya know...the crap from the mainland can make it all the way over here."

Joey then walked up to the pile of trash to see what the waves kept crashing against. Never in a million years did he expect this. "Oh, shit..."

He ran over to where Kaiba's broken body lay, praying that the guy was somehow still alive and breathing.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Kaiba slowly awoke. The first thing to his senses was intense pain everywhere. There was some kind of light coming from somewhere that hurt before he even opened his eyes. He wasn't sure if the two idiot guards realized he resurfaced and went down to grab him from the water and pull him back to the camp. But he didn't hear anything, which was unusual…it was so quiet. Either way, he needed to figure out where he was.

The lesser of the two swollen eyes managed to open a crack, to see that he was in some sort of room. The room lacked any sort of painting, making it a natural gray wood, both on the top and sides. He was in some kind of bed with covers, but where was no way he was going to be able to see what it looked like since he couldn't move his head. He could now see the window that was causing the painful light to hit his right eye, causing more pain.

This didn't look like the camp, and there no people keeping guard, or the sounds of jeeps or helicopters in the distance. He had a feeling he was no longer at the camp. But, then where was he? Wherever he was, he didn't think out of danger, yet. No…too easy.

An uncontrollable coughing fit then hit him, though he barely had the strength to cough, and it hurt when he did. Plus, after coughing, it seemed to have attracted someone to approach him. 'Atleast I'll get some answers.' He thought, knowing he'd be too weak to do anything if he was captured again, anyway.

"Hey, you awake in there?" Came a familiar voice. It was on the left side of him...the side his eye was closed on. And he was too tired to turn. Fortunately, the person moved for him, and came to the other side of the bed.

Kaiba was in such bad shape, Joey couldn't tell if his eyes were open or closed and wondering if he coughed while unconscious or awake. But then with effort, his lips moved and managed to take the shape of one word: mutt.

Joey laughed, unable to be angry...he was just too happy that Kaiba was still alive. "I guess ya are still in there. Everyone should a known you were still alive. Assholes never get taken down that easy! But, wow...did they do a number on you. Geez, it's like they shoved ya in a blender or something. Who did this to ya?"

Kaiba showed no sign of answering. He slowly pulled his tongue out to lick his lips then had another slight cough hit him.

"Well, don't you worry, man." Joey continued to say. "Even if we are in a pretty abandoned place, fortunately this shack actually has an emergency phone. I'll just called up Yugi and have him call yer brother to come get us. That'll be good too, cuz if I stay at this dump another minute, I'm gonna..."

Joey was turning to head to the phone when he stopped and shut up. Kaiba had miraculously managed to pull his hand out and grab Joey's shirt with a vice grip that just wouldn't let go.

"Huh?" Joey asked. "What's wrong?"

Slowly, Kaiba managed to gently shake his head no.

"No? You mean you don't want me to call?" Joey asked. It was returned with a very subtle nod. "Are you crazy?" Joey snapped at him. "Did you see what shape yer in? You could have internal bleeding fer all I know! You need some kind of medical help, and I aint no doctor!"

Again, Kaiba gently shook his head no.

Joey managed to rip himself out of Kaiba's grip, snapping. "Ya stupid stubborn bastard! Why the hell not?"

Slowly, his mouth shaped the word: danger.

"Danger?" Joey asked. "What do you mean, danger? Are you still in danger? Is Mokuba in danger?"

A gentle nod.

"Then we gotta call him and warn him!" Joey said. A gentle no.

Joey sighed, thinking about this. Finally, he said. "Fine. You obviously know more about this than I do. I'll take your word for it, for now. I wont call, then. But, I don't know how ya expect me to take care of you. I mean...you know you're really risking your own life, if you're expecting me to be able to handle helping ya out. Not ta say I wont try, but I don't know shit about what to do first for ya."

He worded something Joey couldn't understand. Joey came closer, asking. "What?"

"Promise..." He whispered.

Joey moved back and scowled. "Yeah, I promise I wont call! Jerk! Didn't ya hear what I said about your life?"

Kaiba looked away, not seeming to care.