Chapter 2

Just a Quick note I'd like to thank Silver Hunteress and Pinfeathers for the reviews and apoligize for the long delay on this. It been a crazy couple months. Oh well on to the story.

I do not own Yu-gi-Oh or Iron Man.

Chapter 2

30 hours earlier.

An extravagant party had been arranged to present Gozaburo Kaiba with an award for contributions made to various charities. These contributions had been made in the name of Kaibacorp although Gozaburo knew nothing about them until he received the invitation. They had been Seto's doing and Gozaburo was trying to think up an appropriate punishment for giving away his money. He had just finished adjusting his tie when he heard an all too familiar voice behind him.

"Well don't you look charming." Seto sneered. He liked this. He knew his stepfather would rather cut off a limb than donate to charity, ANY charity. The fact that it had gone to war orphans that he caused was probably eating at his soul.

Gozaburo glared at him before answering with mock kindness. "My dear stepson, how could I not like you giving away my money to a bunch of poor, helpless, disease ridden wastes of life." He could see Seto tense up. He knew that insulting orphans of ANY type got to him on a personal level.

Seto was about to respond when the driver entered the room. "Your limo is waiting Sir, and the plane is ready to leave for the demonstration tomorrow."

Gozaburo nodded and walked past Seto heading for the door when an idea occurred to him. He would get rid of Seto and start working on Mokuba's training, he had neglected it for too long now. He looked at Seto and said "I know just the thing to do. You're going to earn the money you gave to those orphans."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Seto asked, not liking the sound of this one bit.

"Simple, you will accompany me to the dinner tonight and act like we're the best of friends.."

"I'd rather gouge out my eyes…"

"You didn't let me finish my boy. After the dinner you will get on that plane go on this little sales trip for me. I know how you love them so." The glare he got in response was worth the money spent and with a smirk on his face he pushed past his "son" and out to the waiting limo with Seto following angrily behind him.

"Why the hell would I ever consent to that?"

"Because if you don't I'll pull your dear brother out of that boarding school." Gozaburo said with a grin.

Seto growled but didn't put up any more resistance. He had to keep Mokuba away from this man. No matter the cost.

All through the dinner party Seto watched Gozaburo and he had to admit he was impressed. The man could swindle any con artist and he had the press as well as the people from the war orphans charity eating out of his hand. They really believed that he was this great humanitarian. What made this even worse was who was sitting at the table with him.

"Look at him, what an actor." Tea said. Appointed by Gozaburo to be his assistant after he found out how much she annoyed him the only thing they could agree upon was that Gozaburo was the most evil man on the planet. "I mean you would actually think he cared about those kids."

"You would think so." Seto said. "But I've known him for long enough that I can read how disgusted he really is. Knowing that he's as miserable as I am is the only thing making this night bearable."

"Oh come Kaiba, the food is good, the band is great, and that snake hasn't been within twenty feet of you all night, lighten up."

"First off Gardner, the food is sub par, second I've heard better bands at high school recitals, and third even if that bastard hadn't been within a thousand feet of me it would still be too close."

Tea sighed. She could see he wasn't in one of his better moods, although for most it was hard to tell the difference. However, in the last year she had been his assistant she had learned to read him and while he was usually short with people, and almost always looked like he was ready to decapitate you if you got too close (too close being about fifty feet) there were some subtle signs if you knew where to look. The most obvious being in his shoulders which always held a perfect posture but if you knew him well enough you see when some of the tenseness left them. The second was in his eyes they would hold just a bit less hostility although the difference was so tiny you would need to be able get very close to be able to see and most people just didn't have the nerve for that. And the third was in his voice. He would lose some of the harshness and anger and he wouldn't throw out insults as fast. These were all very rare and she clearly wouldn't be seeing any tonight.

"Mr. Kaiba? Or may I call you Seto?" a voice said from behind him.

Seto cringed. He knew that voice and would rather be anywhere else than here at the moment. He turned his head to see none other than Mai Valentine the annoying reporter for the Domino Sun and popular anchor woman for the local news standing with her usual throng of followers at her heel. As usual it looked like she had attracted every loser in the place and since she always dressed like she should be prowling some street corner, he wasn't surprised. And as usual her cameraman/boyfriend/pain in his ass Joey Wheeler was there glaring at the crowd of admirers and at him in turn as though he couldn't decide who he hated more. "What the hell do you want Valentine? And its Kaiba to you and your lapdog."

Joey's head snapped around, his full attention on Seto now. "What did you say you rich snob? I dare you to say it again now that you have to say it to my face."

Tea saw the smirk on Kaiba's face appear and his eyes lit up with the challenge and she knew this was going to turn out badly. Mai saw it too and tried to stop Joey just as Tea opened her mouth to cut off Seto. But Kaiba beat them to it.

"What's the matter? Did I hurt the puppy's feelings? You know Valentine you aren't allowed to bring pets into places like this, there are leash laws and you should have left him tied up outside. The only dogs that should be in here are seeing-eye dogs. Are you blind? You know what? You must be blind after all you are dating Wheeler." Kaiba smirked and Tea had to admit this was the most pleased he had seemed all night. Mai however, who had been holding Joey back until then, narrowed her eyes at Kaiba before she let Joey go.

Joey tackled Kaiba and pretty soon they were throwing punches, kicking, and yelling curses. Security was called and cameras started to flash capturing the disgraceful display. On the stage Gozaburo was laughing, this was the most entertainment he had gotten all day. By the time everything had settled down Joey, who had started the fight and lacked Kaiba's influence, was on his way to jail while Kaiba was being treated for a rather large cut above his eye.

Mai walked over to Kaiba. She glared at him. "Are you happy now?"

Kaiba smirked and responded. "Let's see I got to punch Wheeler, got him sent to jail, and got out of that terrible party so yes I would say I'm as close to happy as I've been all night."

Tea groaned. "Come on Kaiba can't you be nice just once?"

"I don't do nice."

"Did you do this?" Mai asked handing him a report.

He looked at it. "What is this?" he asked.

"It's what I wanted to talk to you about. The report says that some organization calling itself Paradias is using weapons purchased from Kaibacorp to commit atrocities in Afghanistan and other parts of the middle east. Do you have a comment?"

"I do." Seto said. "Impossible. All of our shipments are strictly regulated and go only to recognized, allied governments." With that Seto got to his feet and walked over to the limo that had just pulled up and got in. Tea gave Mai an apologetic look before following him.

For almost ten minutes they sat there looking out their respective windows. Seto was relishing the quiet and hoping that Gardner was angry enough at him that she would choose not to talk to him for the ride to the airport.

"Hey Kaiba?"

Damn.

"What Gardner?"

"Do you think that what Mai said about Kaibacorp weapons being sold to terrorists is true?"

For a second Seto said nothing, then he sighed. "It isn't possible. While I don't doubt Gozaburo is enough of a snake that he wouldn't hesitate to sell out his own country, I check every shipment that goes out and I track them to make sure they get where they're going. I don't see how they could be getting them. They're probably getting them from those damn Schroeders who are using knock-offs to give Kaibacorp a bad name. Regardless I'll have to investigate when I get back."

Tea nodded and looked away out the window for a moment before she looked at him. "What if you don't come back?"

"What kind of question is that? Are you stupid or something? Why wouldn't I come back?"

"I just have a bad feeling." She said.

He snorted. "Your "feelings" don't mean anything. Now I would like to enjoy the ride to the airport so kindly shut up."

"Yes, Kaiba." She said as he looked away. He never saw the hurt in her eyes and she wasn't sure if he had it would have mattered to him at all.

The limo pulled up to the airport where an average size man with abnormal hair stood waiting. He glanced at his watch and scowled. It was about time he had been waiting for almost an hour. He narrowed his red eyes as he saw one of the infuriating men he had ever known emerge from the limo.

"Kaiba!" He yelled. "What in the name of Ra took you so damned long! I've been waiting for over an hour!"

Seto glared at him but he simply glared back. He was one of the few who would. "Oh I'm so sorry to have kept the mighty Pharaoh waiting. If that stupid mutt of yours hadn't gotten away from his handler I would have been here at least five minutes earlier. I had to send him to the pound." He said with a smirk as brushed past him and onto the plane.

Atem sighed. This was not going to be a fun flight. Kaiba was still the same person he had always been and it was getting a bit tiresome. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Tea smiling at him. He returned her smile and asked "So what happened with Joey?"

She groaned and related to Atem what had happened at the award dinner. He smiled despite himself. "At least everyone is okay. But I thought that Kaiba's stepfather was making this trip, why is Kaiba here?"

"I'm not sure for some reason his stepfather decided Kaiba should go instead and he went along with it."

"Strange," Atem said. "That is very unlike Kaiba."

"I know. " Tea agreed. "I'm worried. Keep an eye on him okay."

"I will. I promise." Tea smiled at him and he returned it. He wanted to say something else but a voice stopped him.

"If you two want to make out, do it on your own time. I want to get this over with." Kaiba said.

Atem growled and walked past his smirking rival. Tea couldn't help giggle as she headed back to the car. 'Stay safe.' She thought.