Amunra pokes head out from behind the pile of textbooks and research articles to see if there are any readers left

Greetings! Does anyone still remember this story? I hope so. It's not dead yet. Nope, I have lots of plans for it, just not enough time to write. I don't have any boring classes this semester that I can ignore and write instead. I'll try to make more time to write though.

On a totally unrelated note: Has anyone watched Knight Hunters: Eternity (also known as Weiss Kreuz Gluhen)? The reason I ask is that Dan Green, who does the English voice of Yami and Yugi in Yu-Gi-Oh!, does the English voice of Aya Fujimiya in Knight Hunters. For the first few episodes, every time Aya spoke, I'd point to the screen and yell "Yami!" It was quite amusing.

Anyway, I'm not sure if anyone remembers what they said when they reviewed, so I'm not going to reply to the reviews this time. I do want to tank each one of you that reviewed, though. You are wonderful, and the reviews help motivate me (and make me feel guilty when I don't post anything) so keep it up.

Enjoy!

Chapter 10: Last Ditch Effort

I lost track of time in the chaos that my office became shortly after I was brought in. I resented all of the people that kept coming in and out of it, since the office was normally my sanctuary, never to be occupied by anyone else. Right now, two security guards stood just inside the door making sure that only those people authorized by Hisaki were allowed in the room. Ms. Yamaguchi sat beside the couch I'd been laid on. She would look at me nervously and then look at the security guards, as if expecting them to do something. A nurse came in every so often to check on me. The expression on her face was serious, which frightened me a bit more each time she came and went. What had Shishio injected me with and why was I still unable to move?

My body had begun to feel even number than it had when I'd first been injected. When Ms. Yamaguchi had found me, I'd been able to feel her hands on me, feel the material of her skirt against my cheek. Now, even that sensation had gone away. I didn't feel the leather I was lying on or the hand Ms. Yamaguchi ran through my hair. The only reason I knew she was doing that was because I could see her brushing the hair out of my face. It was as if I were stuck in an empty shell, deprived of all sensory information.

"Shouldn't we call someone to tell them what happened to Mr. Kaiba?"

Ms. Yamaguchi's question brought me out of my thoughts and I shifted my eyes so I could see her. She was leaning forward, her face half in my view. She looked concerned, and I wondered why she cared. She didn't know me and I hadn't exactly been social to her when we met. Why was she still here? Why did she insist on taking care of me? Not that I needed taking care of, of course.

"Who should we call?" one of the security guards, whose name I didn't know, asked.

"What about his family? I'm sure they'd like to know that he's been attacked."

Family. That word had absolutely no meaning for me, not anymore. If it had ever meant anything to me, it was when Mokuba had been with me. Now, the word was just a mockery of everything life had taken away from me. It was one of the reasons I liked to keep to myself, so that no one would have a chance to make assumptions about me or learn more about me than I wanted them to know.

"He has a brother," the security guard said. "I think the younger Kaiba is in middle school. You might want to check with Mr. Kaiba's secretary about how to contact him."

'No, not that.,' I thought, wishing I had the ability to get up and run out of the office, before these idiots started poking around in my personal life. I shifted my eyes to Ms. Yamaguchi again, who was now looking at me.

"Is that the only family you have?" she asked. "Would you like me to call your brother?"

I felt my chest tighten at the mention of my brother and it brought home the point that I was now truly alone in the world. Mokuba was dead, and the only other person who had bothered to look past my rough exterior to see me for who I really am was now being held in Mexico for reasons I couldn't begin to understand. Without them, who would care about what happened to me? I wanted to shake my head, to tell her to drop it and leave my brother out of this, but I couldn't.

She frowned. "You don't want me to call your brother?"

I couldn't do anything but look at her and hope that my eyes alone conveyed my desire for her to stay the hell away from any mention of my brother. I didn't want her to know he was dead. I didn't want her to come back into the room with pity in her eyes because whoever answered the phone at Mokuba's school had told her he was dead.

She sighed and patted my arm. "It'll be okay, Mr. Kaiba. I'll be right back," she said and walked out of the office.

I closed my eyes. It couldn't be helped now. No one at Kaiba Corp. knew about Mokuba. His death had been kept quiet at my request, so that no one other than the police who had made out the report, the children in the playground that day and the doctors at the hospital knew. I hadn't seen the need to tell anyone here, because they didn't know Mokuba and didn't care about him. I was the one who had to live with the fact that my brother was dead, no one else.

I looked around the office, remembering the number of times Mokuba had come running through the doors and leapt onto the couch I now lay on to watch me work or wait for me to finish so we could go home together. He used to get bored and roam around the office, looking at the books and other trinkets I kept around. Most times, he'd settle on the floor in front of the windows and look out over Domino. He'd always enjoyed that view and would sit there for hours at a time, until I was ready to call it quits. Thinking back now, I wish I'd taken the time to spend more time with him. Back then, I thought I had the rest of my life to enjoy with my brother. Work had seemed so important then, but in the end, it had left me with nothing but an empty office and an even emptier house. Mokuba had deserved more than I'd given him, and I would give everything I owned just to have him smile up at me one more time.

"Mr. Kaiba."

Ms. Yamaguchi had come back and was kneeling beside the couch. Her face had lost its earlier liveliness and was lined with sadness. No doubt she knew about Mokuba now. She reached out to touch my cheek and I was surprised when her fingers came away wet. When had I started to cry? I felt foolish; I was crying in front of this woman I hardly knew. I berated myself for my weakness and willed my tears to stop falling. It was hard to do, when I hadn't even felt the tears slip out of my eyes in the first place.

"You're crying," she stated, looking at her hand as if the salty water on it was something out of the ordinary.

She shook her head and wiped my other cheek. I would have given anything to shove her away, to turn my face away before she could see whatever my eyes were showing her. I didn't want to be with anyone at the moment. I wanted to run, to hide in my own place where I could grieve in peace.

"I called the school your brother used to attend and they told me he'd been killed a few weeks ago during a playground incident. I'm very sorry."

"What?" the guard standing by the door said, unable to keep his shock out of the question. My secretary, who'd come in with Ms. Yamaguchi, also looked surprised.

I could do nothing. I couldn't move away, I couldn't leave the room, all I could do was close my eyes and pretend they weren't there to see my pain, my grief. I wasn't used to being helpless. I had paid dearly for my ability to do what I wanted when I wanted, and being unable to do anything but lay here was tearing my already broken heart in pieces.

"There's no one else to contact," I heard my secretary say.

She was saved from having to elaborate when the door opened once again. Curious, I opened my eyes to find Hisaki kneeling beside the couch next to Ms. Yamaguchi. He bowed his head and folded his arms nervously in his lap.

"Mr. Kaiba, we caught Shishio as he was leaving the building," the man said. "We have him in custody, but I don't want to call the police until I know what's going on. Do you have something on him? Is there a reason for his attack?"

I felt immense relief rush through me at Hisaki's words, glad that Shishio hadn't gotten away. The relief was replaced by helplessness, though, at my inability to talk to Hisaki and tell him what was going on.

"Is there something I can use against him, to keep him locked up?"

I blinked once and shifted my eyes in the direction of my desk, where I'd put the file I'd gathered on both Shishio and Spencer. When I glanced at the man again, I could see him glancing in the direction of my desk. I'd hired Hisaki because he was the best at what he did. I hoped he wouldn't disappoint me now.

"There's something on your desk you want me to look at?"

I blinked once. I'd seen people doing this in movies and always laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. I never would have imagined being in a similar situation.

Hisaki nodded and I could see him swallow nervously as he glanced at me and then at the desk again.

"I have your permission to go through your desk, Mr. Kaiba?"

I would have laughed at the man's discomfort if I could have. True, I never allowed anyone, not even my secretary, near my desk, but this wasn't an ordinary situation and I hoped to never be in a position again where I couldn't do things for myself. I blinked once and Hisaki got up and headed towards my desk. I heard him opening drawers and shuffling papers, until he suddenly stopped. I heard papers being moved slowly and heard the man gasp. He'd apparently found what I'd wanted him to find.

"This is what you wanted me to find?" Hisaki asked as he once again kneeled next to the couch and held up the file.

I blinked once.

"I'll get the police in on this right away, Mr. Kaiba," the man said and hurried out of the office without telling anyone else what he'd read in that file. The man was good at his job, and he was discrete. I might have to give him a raise after all this was over, if it was ever over.

A few moments after Hisaki left, Dr. Watanabe entered the office, carrying a syringe in one hand and a black bag in the other.

"Doctor, were you able to find an antidote?" Ms. Yamaguchi asked.

"Yes, and we have very little time in which to administer it," the doctor said. He placed his black bag on the floor and kneeled next to the couch. "Mr. Kaiba, the drug Shishio injected you with is very powerful and is meant to work right away. It is a miracle that you are still conscious. Tell me, have you felt a decrease in sensation over the last few hours?"

I blinked once. I could think of nothing better to do, and since it'd worked with Hisaki, I was hoping it would work with the doctor as well.

"This particular drug was developed to sedate patients who needed to be conscious during surgery. It completely deadens the nerves, while leaving the patient awake and aware. It works over time, so I'm not surprised that you've had that symptom"

"You said that it was a miracle he was still conscious," Ms. Yamaguchi interrupted, "but you just said the drug was meant to keep a patient awake."

The doctor nodded in her direction. "In certain doses, it is. However, the dosage given to Mr. Kaiba was well above what would be given in a surgical setting. The fact that Mr. Kaiba is only sixteen years old is a complication as well. This medication is extremely volatile and would not normally be prescribed to a teenager. By all indications, Mr. Kaiba should have been dead of an overdose hours ago. As things stand now, I don't know what side effects the drug is going to have on his system."

It didn't surprise me to know that Shishio had once again tried to kill me. What bothered me was that he'd told me where Yugi would supposedly be in three days. If he had injected me with a drug that he knew would kill me, why give me any information at all? Was what he'd said even true? What would I be walking into if I did go to Teotihuacán? Would Yugi even be there? Maybe Shishio hadn't known about the effects the drug would have and had only done what he'd been told to. If he'd been told to give me information, what were the chances that the information was accurate? I had to get to Shishio and get answers out of him one way or another.

"Mr. Kaiba, are you listening?"

The doctor's question startled me out of my speculations. I looked at him and saw him holding a syringe in front of my face. He frowned and held the syringe closer to my face. He sighed, momentarily annoyed, until he seemed to realize that he was talking to his boss. His annoyance cleared from his face and an expression of neutrality graced his features instead.

"This is the antidote, but there are dangers involved in administering it," the doctor said. He'd apparently told me all of this before, but I hadn't been listening, hence his earlier annoyance. "Like I said earlier, your body was not meant to handle this drug and the high dosage could have caused some nerve damage. I won't know for sure until I run more specific tests on you. I can have you taken to the hospital and run those tests, or I could give you the antidote now. I'd still need to have you sent to the hospital, but at least you'll be fully mobile when I do."

No! No more tests, no more delaying. I have to get to Shishio. Of course, I couldn't say this out loud, but there must have been something on my face because the doctor nodded.

"What kind of damage are we talking about, Doctor?" Ms. Yamaguchi asked.

"Mobility could become an issue if Mr. Kaiba's body has been damaged too much. He could lose the ability to walk or to speak. He could lose the ability to form coherent thought. The drug generally attacks only the nervous system, but when there is prolonged exposure, the brain can be affected as well."

The breath hitched in my throat and my heart sped up with my growing fear. That would be Shishio's perfect revenge, wouldn't it, to leave me paralyzed or brain dead. My brain didn't feel affected though, as I could still form coherent thought. I tested it, going through some complex mathematics and recalling some of my more intricate designs and was relieved when I could do both things just fine.

"Mr. Kaiba, do you want me to inject you with this?"

I couldn't tell him that yes, he had to inject me with the drug, but I did manage to blink.

"Are you sure, Mr. Kaiba?" Ms. Yamaguchi asked. "It could turn out worse for you."

I laughed inwardly. Nothing could be worse than the hell I was currently in. I eyed the doctor and blinked again. He nodded and sighed. He uncapped the syringe and lowered the collar of my shirt so that my shoulder was exposed. He looked at me once again, as if for reassurance, and when I didn't react, he plunged the needle into my shoulder. I didn't feel anything. Normally, I felt the prick of the needle and the burning sensation of the chemical as it entered my body, but this time, I felt nothing. The doctor looked shaken as he emptied the syringe and I saw his hands shaking as he put the needle away. Ms. Yamaguchi's face had drained of all color and she was wringing her hands together nervously.

I didn't feel anything. I wasn't sure what the drug was supposed to do, but shouldn't it have had some effect by now? I looked at the doctor again and noticed that he was looking at me intently. A sudden thought rushed through my mind, leaving me panting in sudden panic. Shishio had betrayed me. He worked for me, was supposed to have been loyal to me, and yet he'd laundered money from my company and helped whoever he now worked for kidnap Yugi. How did I know that Dr. Watanabe wasn't working for the same people Shishio worked for? How could I be sure that whatever he'd given me would cure me instead of finish the job?

A sudden, burning sensation raced through my body. It started at the point where Dr. Watanabe had injected me and slid down my body to my toes, where it turned around and came back up again. I gasped and my body arched in agony. My hands and feet felt as if they had been covered in flames, and my arms and legs convulsed. I didn't have time to realize that my body was finally moving. All I could concentrate on was the feeling that I was being burned from the inside. My breathing quickened, until the only air I was taking in came in short, painful gasps. My body continued to convulse, and Dr. Watanabe had to hold my head still to keep it from hitting anything.

"He's burning up!" the doctor exclaimed as soon as he'd touched my head. "Go get some towels. Wet them with cold water and hurry back."

Ms. Yamaguchi did as she was told and the doctor turned back to me. He took the pillows out from under my head and laid it flat on the cushion. He took off my shirt and my pants, leaving me in only my boxers, and the cool air of the office immediately began to soothe the raging fire inside of me. His hands on my bare skin escalated the pain, and I heard myself screaming. The doctor winced at the sound, but continued to hold my arms and legs steady. Ms. Yamaguchi returned a short while later and they covered me with the blessedly cold towels. I tried to control the convulsions, control my screaming, but my body still wasn't following my commands. The fire continued to burn and I continued to scream, until I felt as if my vocal chords would rupture from the strain.

A while later, I wasn't sure how much time actually passed, the fire finally subsided. I felt weak, but was relieved to feel the cool towels covering my chest and legs, and the cool cloth that Ms. Yamaguchi was running over my forehead. I closed my eyes and waited for my breathing to return to normal.

"Mr. Kaiba, how do you feel?"

"Like hell," was the immediate response. It had come out hoarse, but I had been able to speak. I smiled lopsidedly and looked at the doctor, who looked relieved.

Experimentally, I wiggled my fingers and toes and was satisfied that I could not only feel them, but also move them. I lifted my arms and winced when I only managed to lift them a bit off the couch.

"That's normal, Mr. Kaiba. You're going to be weak for a few hours. I really need to get you to the hospital and make sure that no permanent damage was done."

I slowly shook my head. I sat up, blushing slightly when the towel that had been covering my chest fell onto my lap.

"I have to talk to Shishio. I don't have time to go to the hospital right now, doctor."

Dr. Watanabe scowled. "You have to, Mr. Kaiba. If you suffered some damage, it's better if it's treated now, before it can progress further."

I was about to protest, when a commotion from outside caught our attention.

"You can't go in there," one of the guards said.

"Move aside, mortal," the voice growled and I knew immediately who it was. The person didn't waste any time before pushing the door to my office open. Bakura stood there, glaring at me as if I'd done something to him. He stepped into the office and turned around to close the office door. When he turned back, it was Ryou I was facing.

"Kaiba, are you okay? I heard you screaming all the way from the elevator. What happened?"

I cringed. Great, not only was I too weak to get to where I was going by myself, but Ryou, and who knows how many other people, had heard me screaming. Self conscious for the first time, I looked down at my nearly naked body and shivered.

"Here," Ms. Yamaguchi said as she handed me my shirt.

"I'm sorry, but I had to lower the temperature of your body," the doctor replied as he handed me my pants. "This was the quickest way I could think of."

I nodded. I couldn't be mad at him, because the cold towels had actually helped reduce the burning pain. I fumbled to put on my shirt but couldn't quite get it to go where it needed to go. Ms. Yamaguchi and the doctor both helped me dress and I would have been embarrassed, if I hadn't been too worried about my condition. How was I supposed to go after Yugi if I couldn't even dress myself?

"What happened, Kaiba?

"He was attacked by one of our own employees," Dr. Watanabe said before I could stop him. "He was drugged. I just gave him the antidote for the drug. The effect was rather painful, which is why you heard the screams."

Ryou turned to regard me with sympathy in his eyes, which I immediately hated.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I growled, my voice still hoarse. "I don't remember asking you to come."

"I told you I wanted to help you," Ryou said.

"I didn't ask for your help."

The doctor and Ms. Yamaguchi looked at each other in confusion, before the doctor finally spoke.

"I'm going to call an ambulance to take you to the hospital, Mr. Kaiba."

"No," I said, and shakily got to my feet. I walked over to my desk, stumbling a few times as my legs readjusted to the movement, and picked up the phone.

"Hisaki, where are you keeping Shishio?"

"He's in one of the offices on the ground floor, Mr. Kaiba," Hisaki said, all business. "The police have not arrived yet."

"Good. I'm going down to see him."

I hung up the phone and turned towards the others. "I'm going to talk to Shishio. Dr. Watanabe, I will check myself into the hospital when I'm done with what I need to do."

The doctor looked at me, and then finally nodded. "I will forward my report to your physician then," he said and left the office.

I got my shoes back on and headed for the door, and then tripped over the edge of the rug and went sprawling forward. I would have fallen, if Ryou hadn't caught me.

"I'm going with you, Kaiba. I don't care if you don't want my help. For Yugi's sake, I'm going to give it to you anyway."

By the time I got to the ground floor, I felt stronger. I hoped that I would finally be able to walk without having to lean on Ryou Bakura, because having to depend on someone else was simply not my style. As I pushed his hand off my arm and walked out of the elevator, I sighed in relief that the dizziness I'd been experiencing was gone.

"You should be in the hospital," he said. "I'm sure the doctor put a lot of effort into curing you and you shouldn't undo his work like this."

I turned and glared at him. "Dr. Watanabe did what he gets paid to do, nothing more."

I left Ryou in the elevator, hoping that he would take the hint and walk out of the building instead of following me. A few minutes later, I groaned when I heard his footsteps behind me. Ignoring him, I found the room Hisaki had mentioned and let myself in, not bothering to knock. Hisaki stood to greet me and I could see Shishio seated behind Hisaki, handcuffed to the chair.

"Mr. Kaiba, it's good to see that you're healthy once again," Hisaki said.

The man looked behind me and narrowed his eyes. He then met mine and I shrugged.

"He's a nuisance I haven't been able to get rid of," I said.

"Do you want me to take care of him?" Hisaki asked.

I shook my head. I didn't want Bakura to send my security chief to the shadow realm. It'd be very hard to find a replacement in such short notice. Hisaki nodded once and I heard Ryou chuckle softly. Shishio refused to look at me. The man's face was turned away, but I could tell that he was listening to our every word. I walked past Hisaki and stood in front of Shishio. I probably should tell Hisaki and Ryou to leave the room, but I didn't really care what they overheard now. Things were going to become public sooner or later, and I had more important things to discuss with Shishio right now.

"How does it feel, Shishio?" I asked, turning the man around so that he was finally facing me. "You and Spencer are both going to go to jail for a very long time for laundering money from my company."

Shishio stared blankly at me. His face was pale, and it took me a while to realize that he wasn't really afraid of the consequences of what he'd done. He didn't think I was much of a threat, but he was afraid of something, or someone, else.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself? Aren't you the least bit shocked that I'm standing here, instead of on my way to the morgue?"

That caught Shishio's attention. His eyes widened and he looked confused.

"Why would I think that you'd be on your way to the morgue? That drug was only supposed keep you immobilized for a while," Shishio finally said.

"Or so you were told," I replied, my voice dripping with anger.

I wanted nothing more than to beat Shishio's face in, force him to tell me where Yugi was and who was behind the kidnapping, but I knew that if I did that, he would only shut down and not say anything useful. Not only that, but I wouldn't be able to leave quietly to go after Yugi, not when I'd have to answer for my actions to the police.

"What do you mean?"

"Who are you working for, Shishio? Who are you laundering the money for?" I asked, ignoring his question.

His face became blank again.

"They neglected to tell you that the drug your thugs gave me was supposed to kill me," I said, leaning down so that our faces were almost touching. "What did they tell you? Was the information you gave me correct?"

Shishio seemed genuinely at a loss. For an instant, I felt sorry for him. He'd been played for a fool by someone more ruthless and deadly than him. They'd used Shishio's greed against him, and now he'd more than likely be killed to cover up whatever was really going on. At the same time, my fear increased for Yugi. If he was with whoever was pulling Shishio's strings, he'd be in even more danger than I'd originally thought. My fists tightened around Shishio's shirt and I lifted him as high as the handcuffs would allow me. He grunted as the metal bit into his skin, but I only pulled harder.

"Where is he, Shishio? Where did they take him?"

From behind me, I heard Ryou Bakura's gasp of surprise and before I could warn him off, the white haired boy was standing beside me.

"He knows where Yugi is?" Ryou asked me. "Where is he?" he asked Shishio.

Shishio looked from me to Ryou and then back to me. He shook his head but didn't say anything. I pulled him up harder, but a hand to my arm stopped me. I turned to see that the spirit of the ring had taken over Ryou's body again.

"Let me," Bakura said. "Ryou wants to know where Yugi is, and I think I can convince this man to tell me."

"Why should I trust you?" I asked, angry that the spirit would dare interfere in my business in the first place, especially in front of Shishio. "What can you possibly do to get him to confess?"

Bakura sneered. "Do you remember a thing called the shadow realm?" he asked, his voice down to a whisper.

I nodded. Of course I knew what it was. How could I ever forget?

Bakura laughed and the sound made Shishio jump. "I think we'll take a trip through the shadow realm for a bit."

Bakura reached out and took Shishio out of my hands. He put him back down on the chair and stood to one side. I wasn't really sure what happened, but before I knew it, Shishio's eyes had widened, and Bakura's had closed. Both men were still breathing, but Shishio's breaths came at a fast and shallow pace, as if he were frightened. Moments later, Bakura opened his eyes and glared down at Shishio, who was now shaking and mumbling incoherently.

"Do you want to know what I found out?" Bakura asked.

I nodded. Bakura put a hand on my arm and a rush of visions hit me all at once. I stumbled back but stayed on my feet. I looked at Bakura, who was smirking.

"You're out of practice, priest. I just shared my memories of the encounter with you. To find out where Yugi is, all you have to do is sift through what I just gave you."

I glared at the spirit, angry that he'd dared violate my mind that way. I concentrated on what he'd given me and was shocked to see a bound and gagged Yugi being carried into an airplane. His clothes were burned in places, part of his hair had been singed, and his face had patches of red where the fire had burned him. His eyes were open wide, fear and sadness flitting across the violet eyes. My heart clenched at the sight and my anger returned full force.

"We'll be in Mexico City in a week," the man carrying Yugi said. "Tell Kaiba to meet us there by then. We'll be able to easily eliminate him and move on to the next phase of our plan."

My eyes snapped open and I turned to Shishio once again. The man had recovered from his trip to the shadow realm, and his eyes on me only increased my rage. I hit him with my fist, smiling at the crack of knuckles hitting the cheek bone. I hit him again, before pulling him up by the shirt once again.

"You sold me out, you son of a bitch!" I yelled. "What did they offer you that was worth my life? Did they offer you control of Kaiba Corp.? You told them about Yugi and me. You told them that you could get to me though him, didn't you? You involved an innocent person in your game and for what? I swear that I will make you pay for what you've done. Whatever happens to Yugi, I will personally see to it that you suffer the same fate."

I let him go, watching in satisfaction as the chair toppled over and sent Shishio crashing into the floor. I was shaking with rage. My breathing was fast and erratic, and I had to force myself to take deeper breaths so that I wouldn't hyperventilate. I clenched my fists and cursed myself once again for involving Yugi in my life. I should know by now that anyone involved with me ultimately pays for it with their life. An image of Mokuba suddenly appeared in my mind, and I felt the familiar burning in my eyes. I closed them; I was not going to cry any more. I had no right to feel sorry for myself. Instead, I would allow myself to feel the anger: anger at both the world and myself.

I turned and quickly left the room, knowing that Hisaki would deal with Shishio and the police. I had reached the elevator when Bakura caught up to me.

"You're going to Mexico, aren't you?" Ryou asked, the spirit apparently having relinquished control of the body for now. "I want to go with you."

"You don't know what you're saying," I snarled.

Ryou tried get inside the elevator with me, but I pushed him away with enough force to send him crashing into the opposite wall.

"It's a trap, Kaiba, and you know it," Ryou yelled. "If you go alone, they'll kill both you and Yugi."

I stood at the threshold and regarded him for a moment. "Yugi will not die," I said, my voice low and oddly calm. "No matter what happens, he will not die. Whatever happens to me doesn't matter. If I'm killed, then maybe the world will finally be a better place."

I stepped into the elevator and the doors closed in front of me, but not before I saw the look of sadness cross Ryou's face. I shook my head and pressed the button that would take me to the garage.

I had a plane to catch.

I really must stop tormenting poor Kaiba. One of these days, he's either going to have a nervous break down or start thinking about suicide with all the stuff I put him through.

Next up: Kaiba meets the men behind Shishio and Spencer... and he gets to finally see and talk to Yugi. Stay tuned!