A/N: In celebration of Kaiba's birthday today, we get a new chapter! Happy Birthday Seto Kaiba
Chapter 25 Cry "Havoc"!
The weight of what the technician said fell on everyone in the room. Lara felt Kaiba's hand try to curl into a fist and she pulled him away from the others speaking softly so that only he would hear.
"Seto, you have to calm down."
"Lara do you know what this means?" He hissed through gritted teeth.
"I do and maybe the three of us need to talk about it away from here."
Kaiba nodded taking a deep breath to calm himself.
Kaiba took his copy of the results from the technician.
"Thank you for your time." He said evenly and left the room. The others followed him out. "Yugi, we have much to discuss."
"Yes, I agree." Yugi said.
"Come to the mansion tonight." Kaiba growled.
"Okay. See you guys later."
The drive back to Kaiba Corp. was torturous. Lara could see Kaiba's control slipping. He parked his car in the bay marked "CEO", slamming the door as he climbed out. Lara and Mokuba exchanged worried glances as they followed him into the lift and up to his office. He stormed into his office and Mokuba gently closed his door before all hell broke loose.
Kaiba walked around his desk stiffly, breathing raggedly.
"Seto?" Lara said tentatively. Kaiba violently swiped the pen holder on his desk sending it flying, crashing against the wall, shattering and sending pieces of crystal and stationery flying in different directions. He slumped against his desk, resting his weight on his hands, gripping the wooden surface with his fingertips, making them turn white. He visibly shook at the weight of his anger.
"Seto." Mokuba said softly as he stepped forward. Kaiba lifted his head to look at his brother who stood dead in his tracks at the look in his blue eyes. They were past anger, past pain. There were no words to describe the mixture of anguish, hatred and fury.
"Seto, I know." Mokuba whispered as his eyes filled with tears. This was too much to bear. Lara had no comforting words. All she wanted to do was enfold both these brothers in her arms and never let them go. "You told me not to go there, you can't either."
"I know Mokuba." His voice was strangled and rough. He sank into his chair, running his hands through his hair. Mokuba took a seat in front him and Lara moved to stand behind Mokuba, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He lifted his hand and placed it over her arms.
"Please don't shut down on us Seto." Mokuba pleaded. "This is big, we have family."
"Nothing has changed Mokuba." Kaiba's voice was empty, lifeless.
"Everything has changed." Mokuba said forcefully.
"The past is the past." Kaiba replied.
"Yes, but maybe we can change our future and his." Mokuba challenged but Kaiba said nothing. "It's Yugi, Seto. Can you think of anyone better to call family? How must he feel right now? We have been around each other for years and only now to find something like this out… It isn't fair but he is family now."
"Mokuba, the people in this room are family. We stopped having family the day we went to that orphanage and don't forget it." Kaiba spat. Mokuba shook his head and they fell into a tense silence.
Lara pulled out the chair next to Mokuba and sat down taking his hand in her left and reaching out for Kaiba's with her right. She coaxed him out of the fist that was threatening damage to everything near and held it tightly.
"You are both right." Lara said gently. "The past can't be changed, but Yugi has proven that he has nothing but respect for you both. He considers you both friends and what better foundation is there to start a relationship? It will take a long time to get used to this but now at least you know you aren't alone. Seto, I understand your bitterness. You went through hell, but maybe we should hear why Yugi never knew his cousins."
"I agree with Lara." Mokuba said. Kaiba simply sighed in response. "Bro, you are the one who says, 'the future is unlimited and the past is but a trace of a memory'. I think we need to work through the anger to see the future now. I know it isn't easy, I was there with you." Mokuba had such determination in his grey eyes. This revelation was naturally harder on the elder Kaiba, and he was going to be the strength his big brother needed.
Kaiba leaned back in his chair, pulling his hand out of Lara's grip. He ran his hands over his face, staring at the ceiling. He had a lot of warring emotions right now and he knew Lara and Mokuba were right. He needed to get a grip, this is what Zigfried wanted, to mess with his head. Kaiba realized he had to think rationally and since Yugi was related, that would endanger him as well. He thought to himself that he was right when he was twelve; emotions got in the way and he had to put them aside now to see clearly.
He opened his eyes looking at Mokuba, seeing clearly for the first time in days.
"Mokuba." His voice was strong and steady. "Call Yugi. Give him a time to be at the house."
"Will do." Mokuba smiled. He got off his chair to leave when Kaiba called his name.
"Mokuba wait." Kaiba said getting off his chair. Mokuba turned around to face his big brother who pulled him into a hug. "Are you okay?" Kaiba asked.
"I am Seto." He smiled and Kaiba released him.
"Good." Kaiba replied. Mokuba left the office leaving Kaiba and Lara alone. He pulled her off her chair and held her back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her protectively and resting his head on her shoulder.
"Thank you." He whispered.
"I just want to be here for you." She said as she spun around to face him.
"I know." He replied, leaning his forehead against hers with his fingers in her hair and his thumbs on her cheeks. It may have seemed like a small gesture, but this embrace felt like the most intimate one they had ever had. Lara loved this man so much it made her ache and it scared her, she could not bring herself to say the words out loud yet but she could show him that she did, and she would.
Lara and Kaiba arrived home in time to meet Yugi. Neither of them had the time to spare, and Zigfried had deliberately chosen this season to launch his attack because it would either hurt Kaiba's company or his family. If he got lucky, it would affect both.
Lara went up to the bedroom dropping her handbag on the bed and pulling off her shoes. She deposited her watch on the bedside table and headed back downstairs barefoot, with her hair pulled into a loose ponytail but her blazer and suit pants were still in place.
She could hear voices coming from the dining room and found Mokuba sitting at the head of the long mahogany table with Kaiba on his left and Yugi on his right. Lara greeted Yugi as she sat next to him simply because it was closest to the doorway.
"Hi Yugi." She said squeezing his arm.
"Hey Lara." He greeted back. Lara found Yugi to be entirely endearing. She loved that he was a good friend to Mokuba, he had a goodness about him that made it easy to be in his company.
"How are you holding up?" She asked.
"I'm okay. I wish I could ask my mother or grandfather questions but since they have both passed I can't really get any answers. Kaiba I have something for you." Yugi passed a photo across the table to Kaiba who picked it up and looked at it with his mask of indifference still firmly in place but Lara noticed the change in his eyes. "When I went home, I looked through my mom's old photo albums that were in storage. She never really took them out. I think I went through them once or twice when I was quite young. I thought you should have this. It's the only one I found."
"Thank you Yugi." Kaiba said gruffly.
"What is it Seto?" Mokuba asked and Kaiba handed the picture over. A frown immediately appeared on Mokuba's face. He looked between the picture and Kaiba several times.
"I saw the resemblance too." Yugi said.
"What resemblance?" Lara asked and Mokuba slid the photo to her. There were two little girls standing side by side. One had round brown eyes and shoulder length dark brown hair, she had a kind face. Lara took one look at the other little girl and felt the air leave her body. She had long, straight, chestnut brown hair, a slightly angular face and perfect nose with the most amazing piercing blue eyes. If Lara had not known how old this photo was, she would have said that it was Kaiba's daughter. The resemblance was striking. She was essentially the female version of him. Lara held in her hand, the only picture of Seto and Mokuba Kaiba's mother.
"Wow." She whispered to herself.
"My mother told me once that she did have a sister but they had had a falling out and never spoke again. She had no idea where she was and she didn't want to find her. I didn't know her name." Yugi said.
"That would explain why you never knew you had cousins." Mokuba stated.
"Yeah. But I wish I knew. Maybe things would have been different." Yugi said looking at his hands.
"That won't help anything Yugi." Kaiba growled.
"I agree with Seto. We need to decide what to do from here." Mokuba said.
"Unfortunately, you've been dragged into this by Zigfried. You are in as much danger as any of us at this table Yugi." Kaiba said.
"I understand that but what I don't understand is why Zigfried is doing this." Yugi replied.
"Well, partly because of me." Lara sighed. She told Yugi everything that had happened, from the fake lead in Germany to the point she received the threat. "You have to understand Yugi, there is a lot of history here; not just between my brother and I but between the Kaibas and the Von Schroeders."
"I'll help in any way that I can." Yugi said kindly.
Lara's phone began vibrating against the table, the buzzing diverted everyone's attention to the little device that flashed Zigfried's name. Lara did not want to answer but knew she had to. She took a deep breath and placed the call on loudspeaker.
"What do you want?" She answered
"Now Lara, is zat anyvay to answer your brozer's call? Fazer would not be happy." He said in a sing song tone.
"Well father is dead." She said harshly.
"My my, you are in a testy mood. Vell, I suppose it might be my fault." He chuckled.
"Why have you called? Other than to nauseate me." Lara said acrimoniously.
"I just vanted to tell you zat I found some sings."
"What things?"
"Sings zat fazer kept hidden. You ver his favourite. Did you know? Must be nice. You didn't have to be a genius like me. I must say zat I'm disappointed in fazer. Zer ver ozer sings too. Let's read zis one first.
My dearest Katarina, I am so happy to have a daughter, she vill be as beautiful as her mozer. I am sorry I vos not able to be zer but I promise I vill take care of her. Sank you for naming her after yourself like I asked. I vill visit as soon as I can. Koen.
Zat must have been hard to hear Lara. Let's read anozer.
My love, sank you for ze pictures of our Lara. It's hard to belive zat she is already a year old. I agree, she is smart, she vill have ze world one day...
You ver smart? I sink fazer had a sense of humour, no? Anozer one zen.
My Katarina, Vy did you buy zat car? It vorries me zat you like speed so much. Be careful when you have Lara viz you. I love you both very dearly. I'm sorry zat I voz not at her birsday but I vill be viz you in a week. I can't vait to see Lara, my perfect child. I'm touched zat you asked about Zigfried. He is very smart, maybe even a genius but he is an awful child. I often find him unbearable but maybe he vill grow out of it. See you soon my love. Koen."
"Why are you doing this?" Lara asked with a steely edge to her voice. Her eyes shone with unshed tears and her throat burned.
"Because my dear sister, I can." Zigfried said cruelly. Kaiba was furious and motioned for Lara to hand him the phone but she refused. "Oh look, zer is one unopened letter. Zis one looks good.
Vy Katarina? Vy did you buy zat car? I told you not to speed so much! How must I live vizout you? Vot is Lara going to do vizout you? I promise I vill look after her, keep her safe. Please vatch over her. I am sorry I wronged you, ve should have been togezer. Till we meet again my darling Katarina.
Maybe fazer did meet her again. Who knows? You know Lara, it's no surprise mozer didn't like you. You tried I suppose but mozer saw zat I vos superior to you in every way. She vood like to speak to you."
Lara steadied herself, taking deep calming breaths. She knew all Zigfried and his mother wanted to do was to inflict as much pain as they could. If they planned on harming any of the people in that room, they were going to try and do it in the cruellest way they knew how.
The silence on the phone was quickly filled by the highly accented voice of Zigfried's mother.
"Lara."
"Annette." Lara replied acidly.
"So now you finally know what your father was." Annette said cruelly.
"I have always known who my father was. His good and bad. And as far as I remember, I apologized to you for what they did." Lara said evenly.
"I didn't need the apology of some mistake. A slut, just like her mother." Annette seethed. "Don't think I don't know about your history. Does Kaiba know?" Annette said tauntingly.
"Annette." Lara warned.
"He doesn't, does he?"
"You know what? Go right ahead. There's nothing to tell."
"And you think a long line of conquests isn't something Kaiba would find repulsive?" Annette was getting on Lara's nerves. The accented voice did not help things either.
"Long line of conquests?" Lara laughed.
"Everyone knows what you're like."
"By everyone you mean yourself and your gossip mongers. Look, don't try to sell this ridiculous notion when we both know you started the rumours. You really are an idiot." Lara laughed mirthlessly.
"I'm an idiot?!" Annette screamed. "You know you are coming out of this just like Koen and your mother!"
"Ah, so that is your plan. Good luck with that. I think you'll find it's harder than you think to kill me." Lara said with a smile.
"Lara." Zigfried had obviously taken the phone back. "You really know to get under mozer's skin but no worries."
"Zigfried answer me one question. Why? We were civil as kids. I rescued the company without challenging your power so why do all of this?"
"Because Lara, you came into our home and I could never do anysing right for fazer. Do you know vot it was like to have you shoved in my face all ze time?! You ver not special. I realized I had to get rid of fazer for us to progress but again you became a pain in my side. I admit, you helped Schroeder Corp. but vonce it vos running like I vanted, I could finally erase fazer's mistake for our family. Family is interesting, no? It's so easy to control one. Like I can control yours ven I say you vill be coming to Berlin."
"Really?" Lara deadpanned. "And why is that?"
"Because if you don't, I vill hurt Mokuba and Yugi and Herr Kaiba last so you can vatch."
"Zigfried, don't make threats to me. If I come to Berlin you will regret it." Lara hissed.
"You're feisty Lara. Zis time you're outplayed." Zigfried hung up.
Everyone looked at Lara. She spun her phone on the table, trying to think of a way around Zigfried's threats.
"He's desperate. He knows he can't get the company back and the trial has started badly. He's out for vengeance any way he can have it." She looked up catching Kaiba's eye.
"No." He said forcefully. "You are not going."
"One for the safety of three? I prefer that." She said plainly.
"I won't let you." He growled.
"It's not a matter of letting me Seto. If you are here, you can protect Mokuba and Yugi. If I go to Berlin, we have a better chance of keeping our family safe." Lara said, her voice was rising slightly.
"You know that's a one-way trip. You know what they want to do." Kaiba said, his eyes flashed dangerously.
"Don't underestimate me. I can handle myself." She shot back.
"I don't doubt that Lara." Kaiba said enunciating every syllable.
"I have to do this!" She practically shouted.
"No one is asking you to!" He shouted back. Mokuba and Yugi leaned away from the table, away from the two ferocious tempers that were battling. "I'm not going to let you martyr yourself!"
"Seto he is my brother! I have to end this!"
"Since when is it 'I'?" He fired at her.
"Since the moment Zigfried asked me to go back! I won't risk your lives!"
"But you'll risk yours?!" He spat.
"Yes! In a heartbeat!" She fired back.
"Why?!" He yelled.
"Because you are my life! I wouldn't survive anything happening to you or Mokuba! Is this so hard to believe?!"
"No! But you are NOT going alone!" He roared defiantly.
"Seto!"
"Don't 'Seto' me! I'm going with you!"
"Why won't you just let me go?! I can protect you!" Lara yelled.
"I won't lose you!" Kaiba was on his feet with his hands planted on the table.
"It could keep everyone safe! Why won't you just let me do this?!" She yelled, slamming her hand against the table with a bang and pushing herself to her feet.
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU DAMMIT!" Kaiba bellowed. His voice reverberated around the walls. The room was silent. Kaiba and Lara had forgotten that Mokuba and Yugi were still at the table. Mokuba slapped his forehead in exasperation.
"This is why I say talk." Mokuba said simply making Lara's and Kaiba's head snap in his direction to glare at him.
Kaiba and Lara were breathing heavily. She was floored by Kaiba's last outburst. She sighed and hung her head. She walked around the table to Kaiba and pulled him into a hug. She stood on tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck. He pulled her close with one arm around her waist and one around her back, burying his head in the crook of her neck.
"I'm sorry." She whispered so only he could hear.
Yugi looked away, uncomfortable to be intruding on this intimate moment. Lara pulled away first but held onto Kaiba's hand. She pulled out the chair that was next to Kaiba and they both sat down. Lara realized that there was no way she would be going without Kaiba, she would only anger him further if she tried to convince him otherwise.
"If you and I go, there's no way you can take your men. We'll be in another country and still need to look innocent." Lara said softly.
"I realize that." Kaiba responded.
"So just you and I." She said. Kaiba nodded.
"Mokuba, you are in charge of Kaiba Corp. while we are away. You need to choose, you either stay here or at the office. You can't leave until I tell you to." Kaiba said gruffly.
"That's tough. I mean if all three of us aren't at the office, people will notice but here I can get work done and still keep an eye on you guys."
"My study line is secure." Kaiba stated.
"Yeah, plus the panic room is there."
"Panic room?" Yugi repeated wide eyed.
"Yeah. Seto had one put in a few years ago just in case something was to happen. I'll stay here." Mokuba decided.
"Yugi will have to stay as well." Lara said.
"I agree." Kaiba drawled.
"Guys, what about the others? Zigfried said he would come after us which includes Yugi. He could control Yugi by using the guys against him." Mokuba mused.
"The more people are here, the less secure the house is Mokuba." Kaiba growled.
"That's true Seto, but I think Mokuba has a point. It's only four other people. Yugi, do you think you could get them to understand the situation? You guys cannot even go outside until Seto and I give you word." Lara said.
"Yes. The house goes on lock down." Kaiba stated.
"They would listen." Yugi replied.
"Mokuba, you know what to do. You have Roland and the team." Kaiba said to his brother.
"Consider it done." Mokuba replied.
They chatted about their plans, all the while Lara had the conversation with Zigfried playing over and over in her head. That's when she realized where the information had come from.
"Things he kept hidden." Lara said softly with a faraway look in her eyes.
"What?" Kaiba looked at her curiously.
"That's what Zigfried said. All this information, he got it from my father." Lara said with a smile. It was clear the others thought that she had lost her mind. "When I was younger I would sit in my father's office while he worked. I once saw him put something into a thick hardcover book that looked really old and he told me that we were never to touch it. I never told anyone about the hollowed-out book in his study. Don't you see? Things my father kept hidden where in that book. That's what Zigfried found. My father's letters, all that info on the Kaibas. Papa did get info off Gozaburo's system before."
"And Gozaburo would have collected as much info on Mokuba and me before we arrived. He would definitely keep things from us, he wanted us to feel trapped so he could have power over us." Kaiba added to Lara's thoughts.
"It's Gozaburo's fault that we didn't know about Yugi." Mokuba said as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Lara, we leave tomorrow." Kaiba said forcefully.
"Sounds like a plan." Lara replied.
"Yugi I'll show you to the guest room. I'll arrange with Roland to bring some of your stuff over tomorrow morning." Mokuba said.
"Thanks, Mokuba." Yugi replied with a smile.
It was late when they had all retired for the night. The house was cast in darkness. The only light came from Kaiba's bedside lamp. He had his head propped up on his arm and Lara lay facing him. He held her close with his sheets covering their bare hips.
"So tell me something." Kaiba said. "What did Annette want me to know?"
Lara groaned. "It's not a very interesting story."
"Tell me anyway." He growled.
"There were rumours about my loose morals that Annette perpetuated. Honestly, my longest relationship was with my vibrator." She laughed. "I had four relationships if you can call them that. One in the states, one in England and two in Germany. I felt nothing real for them, it was almost purely physical. A release if you will."
"I see."
"Do you think worse of me for that?" She asked.
"Of course not. I'm insulted that you would ask me that." He said in a low voice.
"As long as you know that I'm no girl scout." She said.
"Please. There's nothing innocent about you." He scoffed and she laughed.
"I'm sorry about earlier Seto. I just can't bear the thought of anything happening to you both." Lara whispered.
"When are you going to realize that I feel the same?" Kaiba replied.
"How did I get so lucky?" Lara smiled.
"No idea." Kaiba smirked cockily. He pressed his lips to hers, invading her mouth with his tongue. His kisses were the panacea for all her troubles. He pulled away to switch off the light, plunging them into darkness. Kaiba held Lara close knowing that the next day could be hell. He could handle whatever came next but he would make sure that Zigfried could not.
A/N: I wanted Yugi and Kaiba to be related because Priest Seto and Atem were cousins what with Akhenaden and Akhenamkhanen being brothers. The issue was that I didn't want to use a father connection because that would mean that Kaiba's initial surname would have been Motou and he would remember that. So then I remembered, a few years ago I read somewhere (think it was 9gag) that Yugi and Kaiba's mothers were sisters and I thought that was perfect! So there we go, an explanation in case anyone was wondering lol.
The title was inspired by Anthony's dialogue "Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs of war". I just thought they are essentially marching into battle with Zigfried.