Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, or vampires, but I do own my AU. Damnit. Somehow. ...honest!

Author's Note: Yes, I wrote a second chapter. No, I honestly am not sure where I am going with this. I am more interested in feedback and suggestions, since this sort of fic is so new to me. Where do YOU want to see this go? What do YOU want to see happen? Who should live, who should die? ...yeah, just leave a damn review already.

The silence at the breakfast table the next morning was deafening. Shizuka unconsciously slumped in her chair, trying to make herself as small as possible as if, through becoming a miniscule speck of dust in the air, it might lighten the mood. However, her brother was still obviously peeved with her late return and she could tell that there was something else bothering him.

Not typically one to pry, the redhead was still worried, and after the fourth time he dropped blueberries on his lap, she gave in.

"Onii-chan?"

He looked over at her, dark eyes guarded. "Yes?"

At least his tone was friendlier than it'd been when he'd first awoken.

"What's wrong?" So much for subtlety.

At first, he hesitated, clearly trying to weigh the consequences of confiding in his little sister. He tried his best to shield her from the world as much as he could, not even considering that her maturity would be stunted from being coddled. In his mind, so long as he had his arms around her, nothing would be able to harm her.

But last night had been a harsh awakening to reality. His sister was growing up, and was going to start going her own way, and he couldn't always be there to protect her. It hurt, and at the same time, made him feel incredibly angry, already throwing temper tantrums at invisible attackers who dared attempt to defile his sister. They weren't even necessarily violent; footpads and cutpurses were one thing, but the rigors of the corporate world, the heavy burden of bills and adult worries, were what he was attempting, and failing, to
battle.

Not to mention keeping her safe from all that goes bump in the night.

Perhaps it was time to involve her further in the little details of running day to day lives, the necessary evils they all allowed into their homes and tolerated. After all, if something were to happen to him one day…

He pushed such thoughts aside. He'd screwed up. Again. His sister came first, always, and his overprotective nature had clearly left her inadequately prepared to face the world.

"We may lose the apartment," he said finally at length. "The factory is being closed down and everyone let go. Our landlord understands, but only to a point. I have one month to find new employment."

Jounouchi's words crashed down around her like bricks, and she stared at him, feeling as if he'd struck her and knocked the breath from her lungs. In truth, she had no idea how much their rent was, or their other bills. She'd attempted to learn, but Jounouchi had pushed her away, assuring her he had everything under control.

He always thought he had everything under control.

Now, though, things were going to have to change. He was going to have to learn about the job she was keeping on the side, and the savings she'd been building up. Still, she wasn't sure if such a meager amount was going to be enough.

"I'm sure you'll find something," Shizuka said with her usual optimism –outwardly, at least; inwardly, she wasn't as cheerful as everyone made her out to be – and she reached across the table, taking one of her brother's hands in his. "We'll make it work."

Her wording wasn't lost on him. "I don't want you to get involved…"

"I already am."

"Shizuka…"

Her tone firmed, though her voice was still gentle. "I'm a part of this family, and I live here." Unbidden, the thought of Kaiba and his invitation flashed through her mind, that chance meeting that had kept her twisting and turning in bed for most of the night. Angrily, she pushed it away; Jounouchi's did not beg, something her brother had taught her at a very young age. They fought, but they did not beg.

His eyes lightened a little, and he went so far as to smile. "Shizuka." This time, her name was said with more warmth. "I don't want you to worry about this. I have everything under control."

No he didn't.

"I know," she murmured. Handling her brother and his pride was an art form she still hadn't mastered. "But I want to help. Please?"

"You need to focus on your studies."

"I already have a job."

Jounouchi went still, his eyes widening. "…what?"

The tension thickened palpably. Apparently, the news upset him just as much as she expected. After all, it meant that she lied to him about her location at various times, telling him she was at a friend's house or in the library studying when really, she was out of his reach. Dangerous, in his eyes, and unforgivable.

"The school authorized it."

"Without my consent?"

"I'm not a child."

"You're my sister." As if that justified everything.

"I realize that." Shizuka paused and took a deep breath, trying not to lose her temper. It was rough sometimes. "But it is my decision and I will stick by it. I have some money saved up that we can use if things get tight, and I am not going to quit. I'm still managing good grades…"

If barely passing substituted for good.

"You could do better if you weren't working…"

"…and everything will be easier with both of us working to pay everything off. Don't you see?" Shizuka amiably talked over him, uninterested in his assumptions about her academic life. She wasn't the best student in the world, and never would be, and at least this way, her time was being put to good use.

Again, Kaiba's face rose in her mind – this time, not as she'd seen him last night, but as she remembered him from Battle City. Pale skin carrying a healthy flush to it, hair shifting in the breeze, eyes cold but beautiful. Shizuka wasn't entirely sure why she kept thinking about him, and believed it had to be because of his vast wealth. Had he still been the same as during Battle City, she could have curried favors, pulled strings, gotten her brother or herself a job with Kaiba Corporation.

Had Kaiba still been human.

She likely could still land a position there, especially once school let out. They were always hiring, though that by itself was ominous. It was a dubious pleasure to be able to claim one worked at Kaiba Corporation considering the darker dealings it had fallen into. It still pursued advanced gaming technologies, but rumors abounded of the underhanded dealings and dark avenues it twined through. Unsurprising, considering who headed the organization, but…

But the fact remained that Kaiba was alive – sort of – and he'd offered her an invitation to see him. The fact remained that they needed assistance of some sort if they were going to continue to survive.

The fact remained that they could not leave the city without permission, and if Jounouchi could not find employment within the boundaries of Domino…

Perhaps, if her brother never found out, if no one aside from the two of them ever found out, then a little bit of…not begging, perhaps, but persuading…a trade of some sort…

"Shizuka?"

The girl gave a start, not having realized she'd gone quiet. Shaking her head, she tried to pick up her train of thought, finding it elusive.

Instead of responding, she simply looked at her brother, watching the emotions warring across his face. Then finally he nodded.

"So long as you tell me where you are at all times." It might have sounded excessive, but coming from his point of view, it was more than understandable.

"Of course."

"…I'd die if anything happened to you."

"Onii-chan…"

Rising from the table, Jounouchi tugged his sister up and against him, drawing her into a tight hug.

The siblings said no more.

More than a week had passed since Shizuka's received the invitation, and it wasn't until early on a Saturday evening that she even pulled out the card, examining it as if expecting it to be covered in poison. Her brother was at Honda's, presumably spending the night – the two were spending an awful lot of time together lately – and all of her friends were busy with other engagements. Which left her alone and bored, a rather dangerous combination.

Especially considering the burning desire she'd had to take Kaiba up on his offer.

It wasn't an especially intelligent decision, of course, considering she was probably running right into a nest of the creatures, but somehow, she felt he wouldn't have invited her if he wasn't certain he could keep her safe. Though really, one never knew with them…they dined on lies, feasted on manipulation, and she could be nothing but the newest toy he wished to play with before discarding.

Vampires. The word still sent a shiver down her spine. Who would have ever thought those things actually existed? They had been nothing but shadow figures lurking across fictional pages and on the television screen until the outbreaks began to occur. Shizuka still didn't feel comfortable labeling them that way; they bore only a little resemblance to vampires, and even the fictional creatures had plenty of contradictory information to choose from. There had even been rumors that some of them were spotted during the daytime, out in plain sight, the sun beating down on their pale features…

Was it really worth the risk to go see him? What, exactly, did he want from her? He couldn't possibly know about their current financial situation, but during Battle City, he'd barely given her the time of day. Had she been a duelist, and one of skill, he might have offered her more than passing glances, but as it was…

She was a nobody. A schoolgirl, the little sister of someone he disliked, just another human in the crowd.

But this human had been gifted with the invitation, something Shizuka doubted Kaiba handed out often.

Shizuka sighed, pillowing her head in her arms. Her thoughts were contradicting one another, just as they did every single time she allowed herself to consider accepting. She kept telling herself it couldn't hurt, nothing would happen to her, and if it did…

One less burden for her brother…

She stopped that train of thought, then derailed it and set it on fire.

But it still didn't stop the churning in her stomach, or the odd temptation that was tickling across her skin like spiders. It surprised her as much as it annoyed her; normally, she was much safer than this, preferring to keep herself hidden away. The less attention brought to her and her family, the better; such attention often led to darker things.

Shizuka's resistance was crumbling, the flakes spreading and dusting away. Before she knew it, before she could think rationally and talk herself out of it, she was on her feet, heading to the shower and shedding her clothes along the way. She'd already made her decision days ago, she realized absently; it had just taken her this long to acknowledge it and find the courage to pursue it.

Despite her words to her brother concerning their financial situation, she was worried. Jounouchi still had not found employment, and his other jobs didn't pay enough to carry the rent and bills entirely on their shoulders. Shizuka was unable to acquire more hours while she still attended school, and a pay raise for either of them was out of the question. Jounouchi was too proud to ask for help.

Shizuka, not so much.

Not to say she didn't have her pride, just that she was more willing to bend so long as it kept her brother safe. She would gladly accept any burden to keep it off of his shoulders, much as he'd done for her over the years, even if she had to deal with someone like Kaiba, even if she had to put her pride on the line and watch it trampled. Still, she couldn't stop the bitter tears from mingling with the water dripping down her naked skin.

If her parents hadn't been killed, things would have been different, she just knew it.

If the darkness had never covered the city…

Such thoughts were dangerous, but she couldn't banish them. She at least knew better than to voice them. Such talk had led to numerous disappearances, and the police turned a blind eye to the questionable circumstances. They weren't to think of it, even to question if these creatures had spread beyond their borders, or originated in another country. The Japanese were fed very little news from the outside.

There was no help in Domino City, but Shizuka was going to seek it anyway, likely from the last place she ever would have considered looking. There lay the chance that she'd wind up dead from the attempt, but the way things stood, she took that risk every time she stepped out of the apartment. Safety conditions were degrading, the police force either too disinterested – paid off, most likely – or simply not equipped to handle the increasing threats.

If things continued the way they were, the creatures would rule over a dead city.

The warm water seemed to turn to ice, and Shizuka shivered, turning it off. The usual delight she took in her showers had vanished, turned dark and corrupted like her thoughts as she continued wondering how life would have been had everything remained normal. She could have been any typical schoolgirl, laughing and smiling and studying and going on dates, keeping her brother from murdering any guy who looked at her, and not worrying over staying out past ten on weeknights. University entrance exams would have been the center of her attention, shopping and going out with friends, instead of huddling in corners whenever she sensed one of them around, hoping not to be noticed.

Had they not enacted the law banning humans from leaving the city without permission from a member of their hierarchy, she and her brother would have left a long time ago. Her parents never would have allowed them to remain in such a dangerous city. But such permission was rarely granted for those who hadn't already curried favor by bowing and scraping to them.

Something which Shizuka was more than ready to do to fix their situation. But with any luck, it would be unnecessary.

Taking a deep breath, she padded into her bedroom to prepare herself.

The club played much the same music as it had before being taken over and renovated, the heavy bass making the floor pound. Colored lights were everywhere, bathing each section in its own color, ranging from blue to orange to blood red, and one section – where most of those seeking narcotics to ease their troubles tended to congregate – sported a blacklight, making the people mingling appear almost to glow.

Couples writhed on the dance floor, all but ignoring the beat and moving to their own rhythm. Occasionally, a pale and lifeless body would be carted out, discarded somewhere out back, but no one paid it much mind; such events were all too common there.

Kaiba spent most Saturday nights at the club, watching the people, conducting business, forging new alliances and breaking old ones. He had finally settled into a position where he was secure enough to pick and choose his battles, and where to wage them, and this was one of his favorite locations. It offered both the opportunity to appear in the public eye, as well as to conduct business in privacy if he so wished. His presence by itself had turned the night club into one of the most popular in the city, and it was well-known to those in the upper echelons that this was his preferred stomping ground. If one needed to find Kaiba for whatever reason, he'd be there.

Most importantly, this was where he met with his eyes and ears, where he went to gather information about his brother's whereabouts. Nothing but faint rumors had trickled in, growing steadily thinner, and this night was no exception, but he kept to his schedule almost religiously, refusing to believe that the cycle would not break. He had people combing the entire globe for his little brother; they would find him, if there was anything to find.

The latter, of course, was something he refused to even consider. He was still Seto Kaiba, and Seto Kaiba did not lose.

Leaning back on the leather couch, he sighed softly as he felt soft hair tickling his arm. The girl chosen to be his consort for the night was an unusually affectionate one, though she made no attempts at wriggling into his pants, no matter how much she might have wanted to. Isono was getting better at weeding out the fanatics; his fangirls seemed to have become even more rabid lately. And, he dared to think, this one was almost pleasant company.

But her hair was the wrong color, her eyes were too small and set too close together, and her build was too husky. Not that she was unattractive – far from it; he wouldn't be seen in public with anyone who didn't meet his standards – but it just didn't feel right. But it was unlikely that the girl would survive the night, so it didn't much matter.

Not that he cared in the first place. She was disposable, like so many others in this city. Fodder. Useless. Her family's name carried no weight, and only her beauty had kept her from being thrown to those in lesser circles, and even that wasn't famed enough to earn her a space beside one of the hierarchy.

Which, of course, bristled with Kaiba. He was used to being at the top of the chain, and now he'd been thrust into a world where everything was mixed up, and he had to work his way back to the pinnacle. He'd made fair progress thus far, but it was stunted. Much rested on the shoulders of a negotiation that was to take place later that night,
after the hour struck one, in one of the private back rooms often set aside for such matters.

However, his mind wasn't, for once, on business. It was on a scrawny little redhead he'd cornered what seemed like forever ago, and whether or not she'd show up this time.

Kaiba couldn't really blame her if she chose not to. After all, his kind had a reputation, and she was a good girl. Kaiba had harbored a less than friendly reputation even before his change, but, if possible, it had only degraded over the year. But he'd seen stronger girls succumb to their curiosity, and had no doubt that, eventually, Shizuka would come to him.

They always did.

What he would do when she did, he hadn't quite decided, but he figured he'd deal with it when it happened. There were several options for one of his standing, one of which was to do absolutely nothing. That in and of itself carried dangers; if he appeared to reject her, that would open her up to anyone else in the vicinity who might find her scent attractive. But at the same time, if he lent her his protection, his enemies would sniff her out just as quickly.

Perhaps he shouldn't have involved her at all. For some reason, what appeared to be the almost inevitable conclusion bothered him. Why, he didn't know, and he stubbornly refused to delve deeper and discover the reason. It was enough that it existed, floating around in his mind, whispering and taunting.

The girl's head slipped down into his lap, but he barely noticed.

Instead, his thoughts were once again turned inward, falling back to memory, though so much of it had faded. Had he found the girl attractive, back during the finals? Or just another annoying nuisance, like her brother? He easily recalled how polite she'd been, quick to offer him the respect he deserved, and her soft-spoken, gentle nature. It was, in part, why he'd given in and allowed that white-haired boy to receive treatment from his own personal medical team.

Only in part though; he hadn't been about to allow someone to die during his tournament. The publicity from that would have been permanently damaging, and he never wished personal harm on any of the participants. He might have been ruthless and cold-hearted, but he'd never been cruel. Even now…

It wasn't cruelty; it was pragmatism. Kaiba did what it took to survive, and to ensure his place in society.

But the memory of her bent in a deep bow, her voice pleading…

He gasped softly, one hand twining in the girls hair, guiding her. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend the hair he touched wasn't done in elaborate curls, and that the mouth around him wasn't quite so big.
That way, if he deluded himself into forgetting that the girl wasn't the one he wanted, it was more enjoyable.

Until a familiar scent wafted across his nose, and his eyes snapped open, locking upon the entrance to the club. A small waif of a girl stood showing the guard a small card, and he was leering at her like a wolf presented with a hamstrung deer. At first, it appeared as if she wouldn't be permitted to enter, but then he waved her through and she stood near the bar, looking around helplessly.

A tongue ran along his lips as he took in her form, hands tightening in dark curls almost painfully. She'd gone so far as to dress for the occasion and, surprisingly, had left her throat bare. Most humans who entered this club – of their own accord or because they had no choice – typically kept their necks covered unless they had been brought there for a specific purpose. Thus, it was no wonder she drew hungry looks. It was clear that she had either received an invitation, or possessed a death wish.

Not to mention she looked twice as delicious clad entirely in black, with just enough left to the imagination to keep her from looking like a streetwalker. Plenty of those had frequented the club and similar ones in the early days, but swift disappearances had put an end to that.

Obviously nervous, the girl continued looking around, before finally locking gazes with Kaiba. Dark blue held amber for several seconds before his hips bucked up, body finding release while his mind was still captured.

"Shizuka," he breathed, breaking into a wide grin. "You came."