Whoot whoot! How wonderful! Enter scenes: Perverted Kaiba, the PRANK, a confused Marik and Yugi, a tearful Ryou, and a hyped up Mr. Bakura! Let the madness commence.
DayDreamer23182: (grin) Yes Kaiba makes everything interesting, doesn't he? Excited about Yami and Minkah meeting? Next chappie...not until then. Nonetheless, this chapter starts off the real madness! Whoot!
DarkRoseDamael: New reviewer! (Tackles) Hi! So glad you've hopped aboard the bandwagon! (Kaiba: "?") Hehe. Baku with pointy objects? (rubs hands together deviously) Oh yesssss. It's gonna be most intriguing...(runs off all "plotting"-like)
Lorna Shadows: (blink) Oh. Sorry about the confusion. My bad. Kaiba rules? (smirk) ooooh yessss...wait till you see what ensues with our beloved pervert next chapter (Kaiba: I'm NOT a pervert!) Ferris: hehe.
dragonlady222: Who Kaiba wants dead? Hmm, you find that out more in this chappie. So whoot for that! Ryou and Minkah? (scowl) I'm going to make a statement about that now: I'm never going to write that pairing. That's one of the pairings I hate most in all fanfiction.
DreamingChild: (smirk) No poor Minky isn't happy with his life or lifestyle at ALL. Then why be an assassin? (mystery music) Yes Kaiba's always been a bit...unstable? (kaiba: Try "misunderstood") heh. Suuuuure. (Kaiba: >. )
Spryte: Yes Kura + Kaiba problems. And that's an understatement. Not seeing Mai too much in ficcies? (grins) I totally agree. Which is why I'm making her an essential character in an upcoming story "Beneath the Surface". Whoot!
tenshiamanda1987: (snort) Yes, carreer changes for Kura-chan...of course, if he's an assassin I really don't think he'll mind stealing either...(smirk)
Under Finger and Thumb: Wow. That was a very loving review. (huggles) I wuvs you!
Van Helsing Girl6943: Confused? (blink) Welllll...I hope it's a good confused, as in "mysteries of the story" and not me not explaining something out well...I hope. (nods) Glad the story "kicks ass!" whoot!
Broken Mirrors and Tainted Promises: Aki sounds...nice. (Kura: Wow. What discription) You shut up!
Silver Mirror: Several thumbs up? (blink) How many thumbs do you have, dear? (glances at own hands) Nope. I've only got two. Whoa, you should call some world record thingie! (Silver: -.-;) ehehee!
Freedom of Darkness: (smirk) Yes they're going to play a prank on Kaiba. (kaiba: -.-) Minkah killing our CEO? Hmm...well, Kaiba is going to hit on him repeatedly. There's also a disturbing shower scene next chapter. (Freedom: O.o...)
Bluegrass Elf: Erm...Peace yo! Yer reviewin' rocks meh socks too! (Kura: Stop trying to be "cool", ferris. You're embarrassign yourself.) >. (sigh)
Tabby: Yes you do have a lot of questions. You find out vaguely whom Kaiba wants killed off. What's Malik plotting? You find that out in this chapter. Heheh. (Kaiba: It's gonna hurt my pride, isn't it?) Ferris: Actually, you handle it fairly well. (Malik: meh)
Joey-lover: (laughs) Yes we all love the evil people...esp. when they're hot dudes like Kaiba! Whoot whoot!...Mmmm...and blood. We like blood too. (Kura: Finally we agree on something.)
xxxJennxxx: You want Ryou to...stab his father? (blink) Ooookay then. "Two insane and decidedly crazy (and not bad-looking, either...)" (laughs) That is AWESOME, honey. (crawls under kitchen table with you and bringsKura along just for the heck of it) This is kinda kinky, isn't it? (kura: If you so much as touch me...) Wait, aren't you one of the insane hot people we're supposed to be hiding from? (Kura: Heh)
TheGodFish: (nods enthusiastically) Yes, lots and LOTS of blood in my stories (and this one's no exception!) Actually, the new story I'm scheming isn't gonna have much gore, if any! (readers: OoO) I know. Shocking. Minkah's gonna get the rest of them into trouble? (smirk) But of course!
So I'm dedicating this chapter to Van Helsing Girl6943 and DarkRoseDamael! Whoot! Just on a note: This is NOT a Ryou/Kura ficcie. (as in romance.) I hate that couple with a passion and will never write a story involving it. (Readers: GLARE) Nope. No threats this time. I put my foot down there...anyhoo, just wanted to clear that up. Onward!
I would be true,
For there are those who trust me;
I would be pure
For there are those who care…
Howard Walter
Chapter 6: Prank
(Ryou's POV)
"Ryou!" my father calls the moment I enter the house. "Ryou!"
He rushes over to me, face flushed. He's panting heavily, eyes wide and frantic. Yugi and Marik are behind me, staring at him in complete disbelief.
"Umm…Is something wrong, Mr. Bakura?" Marik asks shifting his backpack to his other shoulder.
Otousan seems to notice them for the first time. "Oh hello boys. Ryou! Ryou, have you seen Minkah? Did he say anything to you about going anywhere today? Even hint at anything?" he asks in a panicked voice gripping me by the shoulders desperately.
I quirk an eyebrow. "No. Why?"
My father stares at me helplessly. "He's gone!"
Yugi, Marik, and I blink at him in shock.
"Gone? What do you mean 'gone'?" Yugi asks.
"I mean I can't find him anywhere!" Otousan all but sobs turning and rushing away muttering to himself about phone calls.
"I've…never seen him so out of control," Yugi murmurs as we cautiously enter the living room and sit down on the couch. "Perhaps we should leave."
"Why not try and help find Ryou's cousin? It'd be more useful than running off home," Marik suggests quietly.
"And where do you propose we start? Hell, I don't even know what Minkah looks like…" Yugi's voice breaks off at the sound of the front door opening.
(Minkah's POV)
"Well? What do you think?" Kaiba asks, sipping some champagne as he sits back in his chair.
I stare dubiously at the pile of clothing before me on the desk, picking a leather black muscle shirt up and holding it between two fingers. Oh gods no.
"Erm…" I try to say something appreciative like: 'Gee thanks for the pile of crap' but can't seem to manage it.
He chuckles. "I contacted your superiors a week or so ago, asking them for your measurements so I could get some more fashionable clothes for you."
I take a deep breath. "How…generous."
He smirks. "Oh come now, were you really going to wear that kind of thing around?" He motions to the outfit I'm wearing now. Okay. Good point.
"Fine," I sigh in defeat, scrounging through the clothes some more.
I look up after a few minutes to find him staring at me; it's not like before either. He's eyeing me like a peace of meat. I feel my fingers twitch, yearning to grab the blade at my side but fight the urge that my senses tell me to do.
"What?" I ask tersely.
He smirks. "Why not try something on and show me how it looks?"
My neck flushes and I'm hoping to all the underworld deities that he's not hitting on me. As if I don't have enough to deal with already. I stand quickly earning a questioning look from him.
"Actually, if you don't mind I think I'll be heading back now. They'll be looking for me," I state briskly.
He quickly recovers from his surprise, standing too and holding out a hand. "Indeed. I have a feeling this will be an excellent partnership."
I reluctantly reach forward and take the hand. It's cold and clammy, not unlike that of a corpse that's only been dead a short time, slowly decaying in tombs. I don't show my discomfort, waiting for him to let go. He doesn't, holding onto my hand tightly and staring uncannily into my eyes. He lets out a cry of surprise when I dig my nails viciously into his hand, letting go of me and backing up a step. I smirk.
"Yes, Mister Kaiba. It shall be very interesting indeed," I sneer picking up the clothes and marching out of the room.
(Yugi's POV)
My jaw drops when I spot Minkah—well who I'm guessing is Minkah. It has to be. There's an eerie resemblance between he and Ryou…and Mr. Bakura. His hair is pulled back, pure white. There's a scar nearly covering the right side of his face; gray intense eyes staring right back at me.
"Minkah! My dad's been looking everywhere for you!" Ryou exclaims from beside me.
The other barely glances at Ryou, turning and marching up the stairs, a plastic bag full of some unknown contents swinging back and forth at his side. Ryou stares after him helplessly, turning and running to tell Mr. Bakura no doubt. Marik and I glance at one another uncertainly.
"He…looks so much like them," Marik whispers looking back at the stairs.
I nod, unable to speak. He sure acted just like Ryou told us. Uncaring…aloof…I shiver. There was something about the way he gazed at us...
"I guess there's not much we can do right now," Marik says grabbing my arm lightly and steering me for the front door.
"Yeah…I guess not," I mumble softly, allowing him to lead me away.
(Ryou's POV)
I sit on my bed as Otousan yells at Minkah in the next room. They're speaking Arabic so I can't tell what's being said. I'm pretty sure Otousan's doing it on purpose too. I grit my teeth, burying my face in my pillow and screaming. I feel tears well up in my eyes, seeping into the thin fabric. Why is he doing this? What good will it do to hide the truth from me and hurt me like this? It's tearing me apart.
I sit up slowly, wiping my face with my sleeve. My eyes focus on the picture next to the bed. It's a small silver frame that holds two photos. My most precious ones. The one on the left is my mother, long blonde hair and brown eyes; a bright smiling face. On the right is my younger sister Amane with her white hair like mine and Otousan's; her eyes were blue like my father's, light and deep. My chest aches the more I stare at their faces unable to look away.
"I thought we could finally be a family," I whisper, tears streaming down my face. "Why are you doing this, Otousan?"
(Kaiba's POV)
I sit quietly at my desk as the sun sets, the city lights the only illuminations about. Shadows play off the wall and doors like serpents twisting about in a coiled heap in the bowels of some sunless pit. I pour another glass of champagne, my mind not the least bit hazy. I turn and stare at the chair across from me where he sat, scowling at the nail marks on my hand. They bled a little, though it was more of a surprise to me than anything else. I must admit, he has nerve. Not many would dare do such to me. I find it intriguing really. He has no fear; if he does it is completely hidden from all. A mask.
He's quite young to be an assassin, though I'm really not surprised. When I first saw him…I lean back staring at the Blue Eyes painting; its gaze almost radiating light in their intensity…like his eyes when I opened the door to find him about to hack my guards to pieces. I smirk, remembering how easily he'd sliced the one man's arm. My bodyguards are not weaklings by any means. They've had extensive training for years and years before they were even allowed to set foot in Kaiba Corp. I turn when there's a knock on the door.
"Enter," I declare loudly, swerving around to face whoever it is.
A guard comes in, body erect and tall. "Sir, the three you spoke of…"
"Are they disposed of?" I ask idly.
"Yes sir."
"Excellent," I nod, standing up and wandering over to the window. "We can't have people not following orders, especially now that Minkah is here."
"Is he really necessary?" the guard asks, faltering slightly when I turn.
"Why wouldn't he be?" I question narrowing my eyes.
He haltingly stutters. "Well sir…we disposed of the three guards ourselves…I don't see why…"
"You couldn't take care of the targets that he'll be focusing on?" I smirk. "Yes well, they are of the elite. The most influential of the elite. They have bodyguards the plenty whose training might very well surpass your own." I come closer to him, the beads of sweat on his brow visible now. "They have elaborate security and many unidentified allies. Tell me, could you take them down without being caught or drawing suspicion to Kaiba Corp in any way?"
"I…no sir," he says softly, bowing his head.
I sneer, turning and walking back to the window. "These are uncertain times. I want to make sure things go my way."
"But…do you believe he can handle these people?"
I look down at my hand where the skin is swelling around the nail marks, the city lights making the wounds appear gaping and deep. A smirk forms across my face.
"Without a doubt."
(Yami's POV)
"You three are going to get into so much trouble," I mutter as Malik, Jou, and Honda finish up their trap they've set up in one of the halls of the school.
It's what Malik called "the perfect spot" for their prank; they're planning on having Kaiba walk this way. What makes this spot so "perfect" is that the second story is open above, only a banister of thick wooden columns instead of walls.
"But it'll be worth it," Jou grins, pulling out a bulging plastic garbage bag from his backpack. "Here, Honda, go set it up."
The brunette nods eagerly, racing off with the bag for the second floor. I turn to Jou and Malik who are both in the process of clearing everything out of a large trash can with a swinging front.
"What the devil was that?" I ask.
"Huh? Oh the bag? Just the surprise for our snobby CEO. Add some sweetness to his life," Jou snickers.
I roll my eyes. "And why are you two emptying the garbage can?"
Jou nods to Malik who picks up an armful of trash and races off with it.
"I'm going to stake out in it, you know, get a great view of the action," Jou grins, rubbing his trash-covered hands together. They're covered in Ra knows what, fingernails grimy and greenish.
"And where's Malik going with all that garbage?"
Jou frowns. "The bathroom. He's disposing of it. What, you thought we were going to use it?"
I sigh, grabbing the bridge of my nose with my finger and thumb and shaking my head. "I don't even want to know."
Jou grins. "That's the spirit!" He slaps my shoulder with his hand before racing off with his own pile of garbage. I wrinkle my nose when I spot the slimy substance on my shoulder, sighing heavily and walking away.
(Malik's POV)
Honda and I position ourselves on the second floor, peering between the wooden columns of the banister. It's still early in the morning, all the teachers are no doubt idly chatting and drinking coffee in their lounge; which is very fortunate for us. It is also to our advantage that Kaiba always arrives early. Why, I have no idea. The only reason I know this is because of the times I had 6 AM detentions and saw him wandering the halls. As soon as we pull this off we have to skedaddle, both Honda and I being well known pranksters. I shift a bit so the garbage can on the floor below us is visible. Honda takes out the walkie-talkie, pressing the red button near the top.
"Jou man, can you hear me?"
There's static for a moment before the blonde's voice answers: "Hell yeah! I'm all pumped up and ready to go!"
The brunette and I chuckle. I reach over and take the device.
"Just remember to be careful. As soon as we spring the trap you've got to be ready for trouble."
Static. "Affirmative. Don't worry 'bout it! I'm not getting' caught! Nor am I going to miss my first row seat for the best view!"
I smirk. "Though the smell might leave something to be desired."
"Ha ha ha," he grumbles.
Honda snickers, taking the walkie-talkie back. "Make sure to turn down the volume on that thing so Kaiba doesn't hear it when he's down there."
"Affirmative."
I shake my head. "What is it with him and that word whenever we're pranking?"
Honda shrugs, a grin on his face. "Who knows?"
(Jou's POV)
I sit back in the trash can, air supply not the best. It's warm in here, my legs cramping from lack of movement and space. I bite back a groan of discomfort as my right foot begins to tingle, falling asleep. Great. Just brilliant. I check a third time to make sure the volume is down on the walkie-talkie. It would be pathetic indeed if I were caught because it was too loud. I know better than that, considering myself one of the top pranksters of the school. That reputation also brings trouble for me; every time something goes awry I'm automatically a suspect. There have been countless times when I've taken the blame for someone else's lame attempt at a prank.
I clear my throat, the stench beginning to get to me. If I were asked to describe it I'd call it a mixture of bubble gum, tuna fish, and rotten eggs. Yeesh. Not to mention the mold that's growing quite nicely on the bottom of the can. Luckily there's a top on this thing with one of the swinging doorway thingies. I don't know how else to describe it. I push the opening out just a little so I can see down the hall. I'm the one giving Malik and Honda the signal, seeing as how they won't be able to see Kaiba until he's right under them, which doesn't give them much time to act. I tap my teeth against one another for a moment, a kind of habit I have when I'm edgy. This is definitely one of such times. How can it not be? I mean, we're pranking one of the most powerful people in the world here…
My eyes widen when I hear his voice echoing down from an adjacent hall. With trembling fingers I put the walkie-talkie to my mouth and whisper urgently.
"He's coming!"
"Understood. We're ready." Malik's voice crackles softly.
I place the walkie-talkie between my feet which are now almost completely asleep. Let's just hope I won't have to try to escape because right now that's not a possibility. I force myself to clench my jaw so my teeth don't chatter, tightening and loosening my muscles as I wait in anticipation. This is it. We're finally gonna give that bastard what he…
I nearly swallow my tongue when I spot the other person beside him. Looks like that kid Yami and Malik's brothers hang out with...Oh shit! This isn't possible! What are the odds…! I reach down but the lack of space for movement I can't find the walkie-talkie. They continue forward, only a few yards away now. Shit! My fingers suddenly close around the device, bringing it up to my mouth.
"Stop! Wait!..."
"Don't worry, man. Just sit back. We'll get 'im," comes Honda's voice.
"No wait! There' s someone with…" I don't have time to finish, the battery going dead. Bloody hell! What ARE the odds? "Oh fuck."
I look up in time to see the guy next to Kaiba stiffen as if he has a sixth sense, looking up at the banister and the bag hanging high above. I choke as Kaiba says something, roughly grabbing his arm and pulling him forward. No! I close my eyes at the sound of twenty gallons of warm honey and maple syrup sloshing on the two figures far below.
(cackles) Honey-coated Kura and Kaiba...!...(drools)
Kaiba: I don't like that look she's giving us.
Minkah: RUN!
Ryou: Doesn't anyone want to lick me?
Malik: That's just wrong.
Yugi: Please stop talking.
Ferris: (excited) Next chapter: Yami meets Kura. Pranksters get into trouble. And a disturbing shower scene.
Characters: O.o...
Minkah: Please tell me I'm not one of the people in this "scene." I already had that one in Screams of Shadows with the blonde mutt.
Ferris: (cackles)
Minkah: -.-;