To the Victor Go the Spoils
This is actually part one of two…my original chapter was incredibly long, so I split it. Chapter 5 – a.k.a. Chapter 4, Part II – will be up not too long after this. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far…Yes, Seto is completely insane and needs to get a grip. But that won't happen for…quite some time. If at all. You'll just have to read! ^_~
Plot: Seto is obsessed with beating the King of Games, no matter what the cost. However, he doesn't stop to think just what that cost might be.
Timeline: A few months to a year after the end of the series. Yugi and Yami are fully separated following the Ceremonial Duel, which Yugi wins, but Yami chooses to stay and remain separate, rather than continue to the afterlife. I'm calling him Yami instead of Atem…just for my own preference.
Rating: T for dark themes: insanity, violence, language. This is probably going to be the darkest fic I've ever written, darker even than Void of Tears.
Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, Yami would've worn a tutu at least once.
Italics indicate thoughts or emphasis.
Yugi lay curled in a ball on the ground, where Seto had left him. His breathing came in shallow gasps, and every movement caused him pain. He hurt all over.
Slowly, he pushed himself back with his feet until his back touched the wall, his grunt of effort quickly getting replaced with a whimper of pain. He stopped to catch his breath and then continued pushing himself into a sitting position once more, in the corner farthest from the door. He leaned back, allowing his bruised muscles to unwind a bit.
Seto had given him the worst beating he'd received since he'd solved the Puzzle. He'd hurled question after question at him, trying to get him to break down and give him the information he wanted. And the more Yugi had resisted, the angrier he'd gotten.
His lips twitched into a brief smile. Never thought a shrimp could be so resilient, did you, Kaiba? He thought in grim satisfaction. I've gotten the stuffing kicked out of me by bullies twice your size. I've come closer to death than you can imagine. It'll take more than a handful of bruises and threats to break me. However…
He frowned, wincing as the action pulled at the black eye blossoming on his face. Bruises he could deal with. He'd dealt with worse. It was Seto's new attitude that disturbed him.
The Kaiba I knew, he thought, troubled, kept himself under rigid control. He's been determined to beat Yami since we defeated him with Exodia, but he was adamant that he'd win an honorable match. Even his recent challenges…he never wanted Yami to go easy on him. He wanted him at his best, dueling with honor. And no matter how angry he got when he lost, he'd keep his temper and depart respectfully.
This new Kaiba, on the other hand, was a different story. In the few days since he'd seen him, his entire demeanor had changed. Gone were the icy stares, the controlled sneers, the carefully buttoned-up outfits with not a hair out of place. This Kaiba was unkempt – hair sticking out in all directions, clothes that looked slept in, dark shadows under his eyes – and…'emotionally unstable' comes to mind, he shivered. He'd started off their "conversation" looking amused, in a disturbingly good mood that did not match the situation at all. Less than two minutes later, amusement had morphed into a wild rage that had twisted his normally stoic features into a face that could haunt children's nightmares. And his eyes…Yugi shuddered, remembering the wild, maniacal gaze that had burned into his own eyes.
Even the fact that he was here at all was out-of-whack. Kidnapping and rough interrogation wasn't the old Kaiba's style. The new Kaiba clearly had no issues with it, if the pain throbbing through his body was any clue.
There was something wrong with him. Very wrong. And it disturbed Yugi to the core to see him like this. If he could be this violent now, who knows what he could do to his friends? To Yami? Oh gods, Yami…I really hope you're okay. I wish there was a way to warn you…
His eyes drooped. He wondered what time it was. He was tired, very tired…but his stomach churned with anxiety. Anxiety for his friends, for his other half, for what Seto was capable of. He let his head fall back against the wall, his weary thoughts troubled.
He could handle a bully. He wasn't sure if he could handle a madman.
And that made him a lot less confident about his chances of making it out of there in one piece.
...
Seto hummed to himself – a nonsensical tune, one that didn't have any real direction – as he sifted through the data on his computer, looking for one particular piece of information. He smirked to himself, amused. It was so unlike him to hum aloud. Perhaps he was getting sentimental and soft. The idea made him giggle.
The midget hadn't told him a thing he'd wanted to know. He was surprisingly resistant; the cowardly little wimp he'd been at the start of high school was gone. Another change that could be attributed to the former pharaoh, no doubt…stupid bastard, he thought, momentarily irritated.
However, Seto was not upset about Yugi's lack of cooperation. It had been fun to terrorize him, almost too much fun. He giggled to himself, remembering the giddy sense of power he'd gotten from seeing the shrimp squirm, crying out in pain as his foot connected with his stomach. Or something else. He didn't particularly care. It had just felt good. At last, a sense of victory! Victory and being on top again! Yugi had been at his mercy, his fate was in his hands, his pain his punishment for resisting him!
Seto laughed as his euphoria reached its peak, a cackle that rang with madness. He felt power sear his veins; his vision sharpened to a crystal clarity that was almost painful. He felt strong. He felt powerful, wildly and beautifully powerful. He felt…alive.
The information popped up on his screen. He stared at it for a moment, grinning maniacally. Time to put his plan into motion. He reached for the phone.
A giggle escaped his lips and he stopped. Wait, wait. This would never do for a conversation with the King of Games. The man was a study in composure. No sense in letting him know right off the bat how powerless he was finally going to become. No, he had to play his game. His dark game. Yugi. Yami. Dark Game. The Dark Game, the Dark King of Games had to play his dark game. And it was his game, his own game, his own rules and there was no way the King of Games could win.
He sneered at the phone near his hand. Much better. Can't let the King of Games think that this is just a fun little game, oh no. This was serious. A serious game. He picked up the phone and dialed.
Someone picked up halfway through the second ring. "Hello?" Ah, the King of Games himself, sounding rather stressed. Already worried about his little counterpart, no doubt. His voice sent tremors of hatred up Seto's spine.
"Hello, Yami," he said softly, amusement touching his voice. "Having a good evening?"
"Kaiba?" Yami sounded surprised. "Why are you calling at this time of night?"
Seto could have laughed. Oh my dear Yami, how dense we are tonight. "I decided I wanted a friendly chat, of course. Why else would I be calling?"
He heard some muttering in the background. Then, "It's not exactly your style to call me late at night for a friendly chat," Yami said dryly. "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. This is not a good time."
"Not a good time?" Seto asked in mock sympathy. "Why, what's wrong? What's made the King of Games so tense this evening?"
Silence on the other line. Then Yami spoke again, slowly, sounding slightly disturbed. "What…is the real reason for this late-night call, Kaiba?"
Seto smirked, deciding on the spot to bug him just for fun. "Hm…" he feigned thoughtfulness.
"Kaiba!" Yami sounded irritated now.
Oooh, he was getting to him. Excellent. "Well, aren't we cranky this evening," he sneered. "Good thing I have some news for you that will brighten up your day."
"…And what is that?" Cautious, now. Wary. Aw, the King of Games didn't trust him. How cute.
"I know where your little counterpart is hiding." Gleefully, he waited for the inevitable…
"WHAT?" Seto wanted to laugh right then and there. Shock and…relief. Oh dear, King of Games, it's not THAT easy. "Where is he? Is he all right? Where did you find him?"
Seto did laugh then. Yami was so amusing when he was worried.
"Kaiba! I don't have time for games! Where is Yugi?"
Oh, but you DO have time for games. MY game, my serious little game. And such FUN we'll have… "Staying with me, of course. Though he has no desire to return home. And he's fine…for now." Well…almost fine. But you don't need to know that yet, do you?
Silence again. Then Yami spoke again, his voice laced with barely controlled anger. "What. Have you done. To my hikari."
"Why, nothing of course. Just a nice warm welcome. You're far too suspicious, King of Games."
"Bullshit," Yami spat. That's right, pharaoh, SQUIRM. Squirm knowing there's NOTHING you can do!
"Do I need to send some visual confirmation? He's here and he's fine."
"Let me speak to him. Now!"
Seto was having a hard time holding in his laughter. Oh how FUN this was! "Oh Yami, you are in no position to be giving orders," he said silkily, hoping that the King of Games would catch his drift.
He did. "…What do you want, then?" Apprehension. Gods, he was so easy to read.
"I want you to come here at 4 PM tomorrow. We'll discuss what I want then. Your answers will determine whether you'll be reunited with your precious other half."
"Fine. But I'm warning you…you lay one finger on him-."
"Ooooh, threats from the pharaoh. I'm shaking." Yami growled in response. "If he cooperates with me, he'll remain in one piece. If not…well, we'll see what happens when you arrive tomorrow, shall we?" How does it feel, you bastard? How does it feel that you can do NOTHING but what I want you to do?
"…You son of a bitch." My, what an obscene mouth you've got, my dear pharaoh. "I'll be there."
"Of course you will." He hung up. And laughed. He laughed and laughed, not noticing the notes of insanity and hysteria that crept in, until his sides hurt and tears ran down his face.
"AH, YES, PHARAOH," he crowed, "You'll play my little game! My game, my GLORIOUS little game! And when I'm done, you'll be done with games, because you'll lose THIS one so miserably that there's no one who will give you a second glance!" He could see it now…the arrogant smirk wiped clean off his face, the mask crumbling, the fear showing, defeat and humiliation in the red-violet eyes that were once so strong, so mesmerizing…They'd laugh at him. Oh how they'd laugh, laugh at the former King of Games like they'd laughed at Seto. He knew they laughed at him, he knew that behind their eyes they sneered, thinking he could never defeat the King of Games, that he was wasting his time, that he was a fool for trying…
"I AM NOT A FOOL," he snarled, pacing his office with short, quick, fevered steps. He would show them. He'd make him crawl. He'd make him writhe in pain, make him suffer. Tomorrow was just the beginning.
He stopped. There was no way he'd be able to sleep now. He was too wound up, had too much energy. His face still haunted his mind, the same face that had haunted his dreams for months, the face he wanted so badly to crush beneath his feet.
Well, he couldn't do that right now. But there was, of course, his honored guest below, who no doubt was trying to fall asleep himself. And that was unacceptable. No, no, no, if he couldn't sleep, Yugi couldn't sleep. Sleep was overrated, anyway.
He strolled out of his office, making his way down the stairs. Oh, little Yugi…no sleeping now. The game is still in play, and it's my turn.
I'm sure EVERYONE knows this already, but the "Dark Game" stuff that Seto thinks about plays on "Yuugi" meaning 'game' and "Yami" meaning 'darkness.' I've always found it very interesting that "Yami no Yuugi" literally means "dark game," which is what the Shadow Games are called in the Japanese anime/manga. They use a different word for 'game' when referring to the Shadow Games, of course (because it'd be weird and confusing as hell to call them 'yami no yuugi' ^.^;), but still. Neat little play on words there, especially considering the pre-Duelist Kingdom manga.
Anyway, Seto's mind is unraveling and he's becoming a deranged freakazoid. But we haven't heard from Mokuba in awhile…what's HE doing while his brother is going nuts? You'll find out in Part II. XD
Please review! I truly appreciate any constructive criticism. :)
And as always, a huge thank you to Toxic Hathor for graciously beta-ing this for me.