Disclaimer: I am not the past, present, or future owner of Yu-gi-oh
Warnings: Abuse
Annie let out an audible sigh of relief as her eyes fell upon the next photo. There standing on what appeared to be some sort of balcony was the teenager she had come to recognize as Seto Kaiba. He was alive. Ever since she'd heard that he been hauled away by those soldiers, the same soldiers who had so ruthlessly tortured Malik, a fear for his safety had been gnawing at her. He was looking off into the distance with only his profile visible, and the photographer seemed to be on the ground below what ever level Seto was on. Regardless, it was still a rather clear photo.
The blue-eyed teen's features were schooled into a firm mask, and his clothes seemed a bit worn and dirty, a look she felt did not fit Seto at all. Still, at least he appeared to be doing all right in the physical sense. It was hard to tell someone's state of mind just by a photo.
"Seto never wanted to set foot in that house again," her grandmother informed her. "But then, it wasn't really his choice to do so..."
XXX
It's been said that over time your mind can play tricks on you. The pain of a broken bone that seemed agonizing at the time can seem nothing more than a dull ache when looked back upon years later. Or perhaps a highschool crush will remain eternally young and beautiful in your mind when in fact she was rather plain looking. Memories often tend to conform to what you want to remember.
As Seto once again stood outside the door of Kaiba Manor, he realized just how accurate his memories of the place had been. Externally nothing seemed to have changed. The house was still a pristine white, the windows were all sparkling in the afternoon sun, the grass was even cut to a perfectly uniform height of one and a quarter inches. It was a dread that as outside, nothing on the inside would have changed as well, that made his stomach twist into knots. But since he was Seto Kaiba and he realized what sort of foe awaited him within those walls, he didn't let any of his nervousness show.
One of the soldiers that had escorted him back to his childhood home, a redhead by the name of Hidaka, knocked on the door. The seconds ticked by painfully as he waited for the oak door to swing back and open the passage to his own personal hell. Seto knew better than to hope to get out of his current predicament. He was a prisoner, and for the last five days he had been escorted by elite soldiers through backwoods and fields in the most roundabout way to the Manor he could possibly imagine.
It was almost funny really. He'd always felt like a prisoner in the large house. Forced to do what Gozaburo wanted, punished for the slightest misstep or sign of defiance, and then he'd met Yami. It was through the crimson-eyed boy that he had started to find his own sense of self, started to think about what it was that he really wanted. And so he had rebelled, and managed to successfully walk out of Kaiba Manor at fifteen. It seemed only fitting that he was returning to this prison as a captive.
The door opened to reveal an elderly butler who just stared at the soldiers on the doorstep. When his green eyes came to rest on Seto though, they widened considerably.
"Master Seto!" He exclaimed rather unprofessionally. "Is it really you?"
Seto looked down at the man who was substantially shorter than him. "It's not anyone else."
"Look geezer," Hidaka ground out. "We brought the boy back so go tell Mr. Kaiba that we want our reward."
Seto started at this new revelation. Reward? Had Gozaburo gone that far in order to bring him home? The egotistical part of Seto's nature wondered just how much he was worth.
"I've been told to send you right up to his office," the butler stated, obviously choosing to ignore the redhead's insulting manners. "However I would suggest you untie Master Seto first. I'd hate for him to think you had mistreated the boy."
Yes, Seto mentally sneered. That 's Gozaburo's job after all, and the man never had liked to share.
The soldier's apparently decided to heed that little bit of advise, and cut the rope that had been binding Seto's arms behind his back for the past few days. The tall teen rubbed at the raw skin of his wrist as the tingling sensation began alerting him that blood was once again properly flowing to the limbs. There had really been no need to tie the ropes so damn tight, as he wasn't stupid enough to try to run away from an entire unit of heavily armed soldiers. Bastards.
He felt one of the more muscular soldiers grab him by the elbow, and then he was being dragged through the house he had formerly lived in, but never called home. He couldn't suppress the shudder that passed over him as he stood before Gozaburo's office. As a child, he had been summoned here for one reason and one reason only: Punishment.
In a reflexive moment of panic, he tried to struggle out of the firm grasp that held him. He felt like he was in some sort of waking nightmare, and even if it truly were real he knew of only one person in this house who could help him. One person who had always helped him...but it was too late. The man holding him shoved him through the open doors and he was faced with the horror of an all too familiar sight. Gozaburo Kaiba sat behind his large wooden desk staring calmly at Seto as if he hadn't a care in the world. The deceptive facade was as unsettling as Seto remembered it to be.
Time seemed to freeze as the two bearing the Kaiba name just stared at each other. Seto's gaze conveyed his pure hatred of the man before him, and yet at the same time Gozaburo could see a familiar bit of fear in those blue depths. It was this knowledge that brought a twisted smirk to his lips. Oh how he'd missed this boy!
"Why Seto, how nice to see you again. Please, have a seat."
Seto's body obeyed the man's words without him even telling it to, and he sat down in one of the brown leather chairs in front of the desk. He hated himself for being so damn obedient, and that rage shone fiercely in his eyes.
Undeterred, Gozaburo turned his attention to the soldiers. "Why are you still here?" He asked them, his voice hard and demanding. It was a voice that cracked many men.
"We brought the kid, we want the reward," Hidaka bravely informed the elder Kaiba on behalf of the group. "There was supposed to be a reward."
Gozaburo didn't say anything at first, and Seto knew from experience that the man was just toying with them. He seemed to get some sort of perverse pleasure out of exerting his power over people, and this was just his way of letting them see that he was indeed in charge of this little interaction.
"Ah yes, the reward." Gozaburo gave them a grin the Cheshire Cat would have envied. "Leave your names with my butler and I'll see that you get it."
That in itself was a dismissal, a clear indication that the discussion was over and they were to leave. Seto inwardly cringed when he again heard Hidaka speak.
"We'd rather have the reward now if you don't mind."
"I'm afraid I do mind," the businessman sneered, as he rose casually to his feet. "It would seem you don't trust me." His hand reached out to press a button on the edge of his desk. "And I don't like that at all."
As the last word left his mouth, a group of ten very intimidating security guards entered the room. Each one of the men dressed impeccably in black suits, had a gun trained on one of the three soldiers.
Gozaburo let the soldiers take in their predicament before he spoke. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you gentlemen, but I feel you really must be going."
Seto could tell the older man was getting off on toying with the men and, realizing that he hadn't changed at all, began to wonder exactly why Gozaburo had wanted him brought back here. They'd made a deal when Seto had left over a year ago, and now something had caused Gozaburo to go back on his word.
When the security team had successfully escorted the men out of his office, Gozaburo sat back down in his chair and returned his attention to Seto. The teenager was just as strikingly handsome as ever, soft brown hair, sharp blue eyes, a strong bone structure and lean form. Yes, Seto had grown up nicely.
"It was so nice of you to finally come home again Seto," Gozaburo finally began. He almost laughed when Seto shot him a heated glare.
"I was escorted here by an entire unit of enemy soldiers, it was hardly my choice."
"And yet, here you are. I truly didn't expect you to return so soon."
"I didn't expect to return ever," Seto told him contemptuously. "Do you mind telling me why you were so desperate to get me back here that you were offering a reward? After all, the last time we spoke we agreed that you would stay the hell out of my life."
"Now, now Seto," Gozaburo shook his head. "That isn't what we agreed to at all."
Seto's hands gripped the handles of his chair so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Like hell it isn't!"
Casually crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair, the older man remained unfazed by Seto's outburst . "We agreed that you could go off and live with that little lover of yours and I would continue to support you financially until your eighteenth birthday. You were to have no contact with me or any other member of this household and vise-versa, or the agreement would be null and void and you would return to your rightful place here with us. That is what we agreed to."
"You had no right to bring me back here, I didn't break any of your stupid rules, I didn't contact anyone here."
"But you tried to," Gozaburo declared. "Don't think I don't know you've been calling him and then hanging up before he answered. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't often find yourself thinking about him."
"But the fact remains that I never actually spoke to him." Seto felt no need to admit to the truth of the older man's accusations. "I never broke the agreement."
"Now that's not true at all." Gozaburo's tone was mocking, and Seto longed to wipe that grin off his face. "I let you go to live with that unworthy young man, and since I hear that he went off and got himself killed, that cancels the agreement." Seto paled at the words. "If you'd of been smart enough to realize that on your own, I wouldn't have had to send Songim forces out looking for you."
Suddenly Seto was furious. This wasn't supposed to be happening, everything was all wrong. He should be curled up at his house withAtemu beside him trying to coax a smile out of him, or get him to go out to dinner with the gang. He was not supposed to be seated across from the man he hated more than anything being told that he was back where he belonged. Life seemed to be screwing with him, and he had no control over it. And if there was one thing Seto Kaiba despised, it was not having any control.
"I expect to see you at Kaiba Corp first thing tomorrow morning," Gozaburo informed him making it clear that there was no room for argument on the matter.
"No." Seto's voice surprised even himself.
"Excuse me?" Gozaburo questioned, features darkening substancially. "I don't believe I heard you correctly."
"I said no." Seto rose from the chair and stared down at his still seated nightmare of a guardian. "I'm going to go home now, and you're going to let me." Gozaburo merely blinked up at him stupidly for a moment and Seto thought that perhaps his defiance had paid off, perhaps he could once again be free of this life.
The business man moved with a speed uncommon to someone of his age. It seemed that one moment he was casually seated behind his desk, and the next he was standing directly in front of Seto. His eyes were narrowed in intense hatred, as he backhanded the rebellious teenager across the face. Seto felt the pain explode across hischeek as he head snapped to the side. He didn't even have a chance to recover before Gozaburo grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him up against the nearest wall. The edge of a painting dug painfully into his shoulder, but he was more concerned with the anger in the other man's face. He had plenty of scars and memories of childhood injuries to know that look was a cause for worry.
"How dare you talk to me like that you ungrateful little bastard." His grip on Seto's shoulder tightened painfully. The force of it likely to leave bruises. "It seems you've forgotten your manners in your time away. Perhaps you need a little refresher course."
Seto's whole body tensed, but he refused to give into the fear. He was sixteen years old now, he wasn't some kid that Gozaburo could just order around. He couldn't hold back the cry that escaped him though as one of those massively strong hands left his shoulder and grabbed the raw skin of his wrist. The limb was twisted painfully, and shocked tears sprang to his blue eyes. He'd be damned if he was going to let them fall though.
But Gozaburo was far from finished with his little prodigy.
XXX
What had he been thinking defying Gozaburo like that? That was the question that ran repeatedly through Seto's mind after he was unceremoniously escorted back to his room by two of the black-suited guards the elder Kaiba always kept on hand.
The whole idea of standing up to the man was a stupid one. Hadn't he proven to Seto over and over again that he always got his way?
"Not when it came to Atemu," Seto whispered to the empty room around him. Gozaburo had tried numerous times to keep the two teenagers apart, but they adamantly refused to let him come between them. Atemu had some second thoughts when Seto began showing up with the occasional bruised arm or wrist, but the young Kaiba had quickly assured him they were completely unrelated to their situation. And most importantly of all perhaps, when the two had stood together and told the businessman of their plans to move in together, they had forced him into a compromise.
Seto's heart ached as he wished his love was here to guide him now. It wasn't something he was overly fond of admitting, but he'd always sought the older boy's advice. Or rather, he had listened when Atemu had given it so freely. His lover had shown him so much over the years, from simple things like how to laugh to things as complex as the value of friendship. Atemu had been more than his lover, he had been his support, his trusted friend. Without him Seto was a little lost. He was starting to feel like the old Seto. The one who had lashed out at people and treated them like they were less than him, when he really just wanted their respect.
"People respect you because you've earned that right, not because you've ordered them to. You can't be a good leader using fear tactics."
Atemu had been right of course, it had just taken Seto a long time to see that.
Of course, the sense of dependence hadn't been completely one sided. Atemu had come to him for advice just as many times as the reverse. The two lovers had perfectly complemented each other. What one lacked, the other possessed. Where one faltered, the other stood strong. But now Seto was on his own again, and it felt uncomfortable from lack of practice.
When he'd first gotten back to his room, Seto had spent the better part of an hour out on his balcony just staring off into space. His little encounter with Gozaburo had left him with a lot to think about, especially the last comment the man had made to him.
"And why should I come back to work for you at Kaiba Corp?" Seto demanded. They had been arguing in circles for almost forty minutes and while his mind was still as sharp as ever, his body was starting to feel the strain. Gozaburo had done just as much talking with his fists as he had with words.
"Because I can offer you the one thing you've always wanted," the older man told him, a smirk tugging dangerously at his lips.
Seto raised a brow. "And what's that?"
"Power."
Seto had to admit it was an interesting offer. He would return to Kaiba Corp and oversee all dealings with Songim. Of course it didn't surprise Seto at all that Gozaburo was playing both sides, providing both Alcutz and Songim with the weapons they would use to destroy each other, but the old man had grown worried about personally interacting with them lately. He needed someone capable to undertake managing one side so he could focus on the other. He seemed to think Seto would be the perfect puppet.
Seto moved over to the window. His room hadn't changed at all in the time he was gone. The furniture was still arranged exactly the same, the same pristine white sheets covered the bed, and the single bookcase along the far wall was still stacked with the same classics as when he was growing up. He felt almost as if he had stepped into a time machine, and was once again the nine year old orphan who did whatever his new guardian wanted.
Did he want to stay here and work for Gozaburo? Was the chance to have that kind of power worth what he would have to give up?
Gozaburo was right about one thing, growing up Seto had wanted nothing more than absolute power. He'd lost his parents, his home, and his friends in the blink of an eye, and then he been hauled off to the nearest orphanage. By the time he'd made his way to Kaiba Manor, he'd started to accept that he had no control over his life whatsoever. His future always seemed to be at the whim of others. Then he'd begun his training to be part of Kaiba Corp's future.
Suddenly he'd been the one making decisions. He found that people listened when he gave instructions, and if he mimicked Gozaburo's harsh attitude, they responded even faster. Seeing people listen to what he said provided the boy with an unfamiliar rush. Within two weeks, he knew that this was what he wanted, the power to control the things around him. Never again would he have to be at someone else's mercy.
It was with this goal in mind, that he dedicated himself to his studies. It was that thought that filled his mind as he suffered through his punishments, and it was for that reason that he put his talents to use for the weapons manufacturing company. He'd truly thought that one day he would reap the reward, and therefore the path it took to get there wasn't of importance.
Meeting Atemu had tested all those beliefs. At first it had been infuriating to see that the boy with such striking crimson eyes was just as likely to tell completely ignore him as he was to do what Seto said. For the first time Seto had practiced asking for things rather then demanding them, and it had shocked him to see that the results were the same. He realized that asking had the added bonus of creating a sort of mutual respect that garnered a more productive working environment.
When he'd tried to apply what Atemu had shown him to the companies employees, Gozaburo had broken his pinky. Apparently Seto had been becoming too soft. He was informed that if he wanted employees to work better he should threaten to fire them and tell them that they could let their families starve. It was the first time after one of his punishments that Seto had ever felt any sort of hatred towards the businessman. Before he had convinced himself that the painful sessions were for his own good, that he must have done something wrong to warrant them, but that night he had felt only fury. How dare Gozaburo challenge what Atemu had taught him! Atemu he respected, but he was beginning to question the man who had raised him.
Eventually, he had come to see Gozaburo for the monster that he was. His perceptions were no longer clouded by the filth Gozaburo had been drilling into his head to keep him from seeing the truth. The businessman was nothing more than a greedy, selfish, back-stabbing, lowlife who would do anything to make sure his company came out on top. Seto had been shocked to come across documents detailing the damage done by and number of lives lost to weapons that the company had produced. Such things were unacceptable to him.
But now? Now his life had taken an unexpected turn. Atemu was missing while he was no closer to finding him then he had been the night of the memorial, and now he was back at Kaiba Manor with a job offer extended to him. Did he still crave that power?
"And what do you plan to do with that power once you get it; will it be enough, or will you just want more?" Atemu leaned further into Seto's embrace. "Are you going to except the responsibility that comes with that kind of power?"
The memory of Atemu's words were as timely as his lover himself. It was exactly what he knew the teen would be asking him if he were here. Would he ever have enough power to be satisfied if he pursued this?
"I don't know Atemu," he admitted. "I just don't know."
"Don't know what?"
Seto whipped around at the sound of that voice. He'd been caught in a moment of indecisive weakness, and he was furious as a result. He may not have seen the speaker since the night he packed up his things and turned his back on the household, but he'd of recognized him anywhere.
The voice belonged to the one person he had trusted in his childhood. The one person he had missed since he left this life behind. Here was the one person Seto had wanted to talk to so many times, the need to hear that voice so great that he'd often called the Manor only to hang up before anyone answered.
"Noa." Seto was torn between smiling at the teen or throwing something at him for invading his privacy like he had.
Noa was leaning against Seto's doorframe, his sharp blue eyes peering out from behind his shocking green hair and his arms crossed casually over his chest. He looked as if he hadn't a care in the world. And then he smirked.
"I overheard the maids gossiping that you'd returned home, but I just couldn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes."
"What is it that you want Noa?" Seto snapped, Noa's casualness over their impromptu reunion striking a nerve.
The green haired boy's hands came up in mock surrender. "No need to get testy." He pushed away from the doorframe, and took a few steps toward Seto. "I just wanted to see you. You know, welcome you home and whatnot."
Seto remained still as Noa approached him. It didn't quite seem real, almost as if a ghost were walking out of his past. As the legitimate son of Gozaburo Kaiba, he and Noa had grown up together. The man had often pitted them against each other in academic matters, and it had always been a fierce competition. Somehow though they had managed to put all of that aside outside of Noa's father's presence and had been great childhood friends. In fact, Gozaburo had kept Seto so well isolated for so many years that the boy had been his only friend- a fact which had served to strengthen their bond.
Noa was a year older than Seto, but they were exactly the same height, had the same fierce blue eyes, and thanks to their shared barber, they had the exact same hairstyle. If Noa would have dyed his hair brown, they would have been nearly interchangeable.
"This isn't my home." He knew Noa had made the refernce on purpose, but Seto couldn't restrain himself from rising to the challenge. Just like he always had.
Noa stopped just inches away from Seto, and the brunet could hear his breath across the short distance. Yet somehow the invasion of his space didn't seem uncomfortable. A well manicured hand came up to brush cinnamon bangs out of his eyes, before moving down to brush against his cheek. They remained like that for a moment, each staring the other down.
Then Noa let out a heavy sigh. "What the hell did you say to him this time?"
Knowing that the other boy was referring to the numerous bruises visible on his face and neck, he merely shrugged. "Nothing he didn't deserve to hear."
"You shouldn't be so defiant," Noa said with a shake of his head. "The only thing that ever comes out of standing up to him is more bruises. If you truly want to best him, you need to act like a businessman not like a spoiled child."
Seto's eyes narrowed. Noa had a point, but that wasn't really wanted to hear right now. "Your father isn't responsible for these actually." Seto gestured to his bruised face. "They're compliments of the soldiers who brought me back here."
Noa stepped back and regarded him skeptically. "Am I to assume you were a less than model prisoner?"
"No. You're to assume that they are just violent."
Unable to stop the amused smile that came to his lips at Seto's self-righteous response, Noa laid a hand casually on Seto's shoulder. It was a simple gesture, but Seto winced with pain and wasn't able to cover it quickly enough.
"Explain," Noa demanded. He'd seen Seto take some pretty heavy damage over the years, and nothing annoyed him more than the younger boy trying to pretend that he was fine when he was obviously in pain. The few trips Seto had made to the hospital had all been done at Noa's insistence, and each time he had paced the waiting room in anxious worry.
Seto didn't answer right away, but when he did his voice was softer. "Your father and I had a bit of a disagreement about whether I would be staying here or not. He was simply trying to persuade me to change my mind."
"Typical," Noa sighed. He took both of Seto's hands in his and led the teen over to the bed where he motioned for him to sit down. "I'm going to go get some supplies, and then we're going to take care of those injuries." Seto opened his mouth to protest, but Noa cut him off. "Not a word out of you, your mouth has already gotten you in enough trouble for one night."
Figuring it wasn't worth arguing about, Seto just sat on the bed while Noa dashed out of the room to get some bandages and ice packs and whatever else he might need. Alone again, Seto glanced around his room and noticed there was a camera on the dresser over by his door. Noa must have left it there when he came in, but what would Noa have been taking pictures of?
He didn't get a chance to properly ponder that question as Noa bustled back into the room with a rather large first aid kit in his arms. He knelt down in front of Seto, and began extracting ointments and painkillers from the kit.
"Just like old times isn't it?" From anyone else the remark would have sounded playful or perhaps even teasing, but coming from Seto's mouth the words were just bitter and sarcastic.
Noa's blue eyes found Seto's, and the older boy saw a sadness there that made his own chest hurt. "Yeah," he nearly whispered. "Just like old times."
A comfortable silence fell between them as Noa continued to examine and tend to Seto. It was a routine they had become accustomed to over the years Seto had been at the manor. When Noa had first starting treating Seto's injuries he could barely put on a bandaid, but now he could stitch small cuts closed, and pop dislocated joints back into place with ease. Of course if it were up to him, Seto would never get injured in the first place.
"All done," he smiled as he put a last piece of tape around the splint on Seto's jammed index finger. Seto had taken off his shirt so Noa could get a better look at his shoulders, and he was currently holding an ice pack to each of the large bruises.
"Thanks."
Noa started to pack away the contents of the first aid kit, but stopped as he was replacing the bandaids. "You don't want to stay here do you?"
The question caught Seto somewhat off guard. He knew eventually the older teen would want to speak with him, but he had assumed it would be to catch up on what had happened during their time apart. He hadn't expected him to come out with the big questions first. Then again, Noa was a lot like him- no small talk, just straight to the point."
"Gozaburo wants me to, he offered me my old job back as well as added responsibilities."
"So he offered you a chance for more power?" Noa always was sharp.
"Yeah. I just have other things I need to do first I think." The sadness returned to Seto's eyes, and even the icy teenager couldn't prevent it from showing in his voice. He knew now that not even a chance at all the power in the world would prevent him from looking for Atemu. It was just something he had to do.
As if reading his thoughts, Noa placed a hand on Seto's arm. "He's listed as dead Seto, I don't know what else you can do."
Seto wanted to punch him for that comment, his hand curling into a fist at his side and waiting for the command to strike. His blue eyes darkened to a fierce indigo, and taking the warning for what it was, Noa removed his hand and increased the distance between them enough to be comfortable.
"I don't believe that," Seto affirmed. "I just can't believe that it's true."
Opening his mouth to further argue the point, Noa hesitated when he got a better glimpse of the teen seated on the bed. Seto looked so tired. It must have been hard for him, surrounded by people who thought his lover was dead while he still held on to the last thread of hope. The brunet never seemed to need people, but it still must have been lonely. Isolated from the one person you had ever allowed completely into your heart. And now Seto bore the extra burden of being back at Kaiba Manor and all the pressure and responsibility that came along with it. All the harsh words that had been on the tip of Noa's tongue just melted away. He wouldn't be the one to shatter Seto's illusions. Not tonight.
"I know it's asking for a rather large compromise on your part," Noa said instead. "But if you stay here you'd at least have access to all of Kaiba Corp's resources. Perhaps you'd be able to find out something that way."
It was an obvious point. Kaiba Corp worked closely with the military, and as such they would have access to not only military personnel, but also limited access to military files. Access that Seto currently didn't have. It was a risk. Gozaburo would never allow him to continue his search if he discovered what he was up to, and in the mean time he would have to contribute to the company's production, but it was the best lead he had at the moment. Could he go back to a job he hated under the control of a man he despised for such a purely selfish reason as finding Atemu?
Seto smiled sardonically as he realized he'd sell his own soul to get back the teen that he loved so much. And in a way it seemed like that was what he was doing.
"I'm sure your father was planning to have me stay anyway, but I guess now I can tell him I'm doing so willingly." It was a statement, it was concession, and it was final decision.
Noa knew Seto well enough to detect the faintest trace of defeat in his voice. It was disheartening to hear, yet he choose not to comment on it. It wouldn't be as bad as Seto thought, and as for himself, Noa was just happy that Seto had finally returned home.
"It won't be that bad. Maybe if you're nice enough father will let you fire the guy who took over when you left."
Even Seto had to smile at that..
Author's Notes: Taking into account it's content, I'm oddly fond of this chapter. I enjoyed getting to write the dynamic between Seto and Gozaburo, as well as that of Seto and Noa. With Gozaburo, I tried to keep in mind that Seto was dealing with his abuser. That's why I allowed him to be verbally defiant, but not physically defiant. It's my own personally theory that while he might no longer hold his tongue around Gozaburo, he wouldn't yet openly attack him. People who have been beaten into any form of submission tend to only fight back when pushed to the brink. Look at all those battered wives who put up with abuse for years, and only strike back when they feel they have to do so or die. I didn't want Seto appearing weak though, so I let him at least be self-assured enough to speak his mind to his guardian (a strength he probably picked up through Atemu).
As for Noa, I choose him over using Mokuba for one very important reason: the bond Mokuba and Seto share is too strong. If I had included Mokuba in this story, it would have changed to many things. First, Seto never would have left his little brother behind when he left, and would have spent the rest of the story always looking after and trying to protect him. Cute? Yes, but it doesn't work with the plot I have in mind. Secondly, Yami would always come second in Seto's heart and again I just didn't want that to be the case. So I used Noa instead and gave him all of Mokuba's privileges; such as calling Seto by his first name, permission to touch him, permission to come into his room, etc. I like to think that while the two boys are actually rather close, neither one likes to really show it which is why they seem to flit back and forth between comaraderie and outward anger. I hope this doesn't bother anyone too much as it is somewhat of an important point, but if it does all I can say is too bad.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and feel free to let me know what you think.
