So decided to put this up a bit early today mostly because I bought a new book and am dying to read it :P Hope you enjoy what's coming...

Let's see if you can spot a special appearance by a water deck duelist XD

P.S. I know there isn't as much Kaiba in this chapter as we're all used to but the next chapter makes up for it, I promise :)


Anika held on to Kaiba tightly as Roland drove them home. He was not usually Kaiba's driver but after the events of the past twenty four hours she thought he wanted only people he greatly trusted around them.
"Seto, how is Mokuba?" Anika asked softly.
"Tired but fine." He replied. Anika noticed his jaw twitch and could only imagine the tempest of fury brewing within him.
"I'm sorry." She said looking down at her hands.
"For what?"
"Everything. Mokuba being there. What I said in that call."
"Don't be ridiculous Anika. That call was the only means I had to know that Mokuba was fine. And you weren't responsible for Mokuba being there."
"I feel..."
"Stop. It was not your fault." Kaiba growled. Anika fell silent. She wished she could believe him. "I have something for you." Kaiba pulled out her necklace with its broken chain and carefully dropped it onto her palm.
"Seto." She breathed. She was barely managing to keep the dam in place that held back all her emotions and this little gesture threatened to knock down those protective walls. She curled her hand into a fist and held the trinket close to her heart.

Roland parked the car in the basement parking bay that Kaiba normally occupied during his overnight visits. It allowed them to travel up to Anika's apartment without being seen. Roland made a quick call on his communicator and stepped out the building.
"Make sure everything is running smoothly Roland."
"Yes Mr Kaiba."

Kaiba draped his white jacket over Anika's shoulders and wrapped his arm around her waist as they entered the lift. If anyone stepped in the lift before they reached the top, they would not see any of the blood on her clothes nor would they see her injuries.

Thankfully it was still a weekday and they made it up with no interruptions. Kaiba pulled out his keys to her apartment and just about slotted them into the lock when the door flew open.
"Anika!" Alex stood in the doorway looking dishevelled. Kaiba stepped to the side and Anika was pulled into Alex's warm embrace. "Red I have never been so worried in all my life."

Anika tried to look around but the one person she wanted to see most was not in sight.
"Lex, where's Mokuba?"
"I'm here." Came the tired reply as Mokuba stepped into view. Anika pulled away from Alex and brushed off Kaiba's jacket in her rush to make sure Mokuba was okay. She hugged him tightly, not wanting to let him go.
"Are you okay Mokie?" She asked, her voice muffled.
"I'm fine." He said as he pulled away but still grasping her shoulders. "You?"
"Alive." She laughed nervously.
"C'mon, let's get you two comfortable." Alex steered them both to her white couch but Anika walked to the sliding door.
"I want to sit outside."
"But Red it's cold."
"I don't care." She pulled open the door. "I just need to not be inside." She explained almost apologetically.

She stepped out onto the patio, the cool December breeze brushed over her skin making her shiver slightly. The rays of the sun felt magnificent even if it was not enough to warm her. She looked to the horizon appreciating the sheer expanse of the city beneath her. It was freedom; freedom like she had never before felt.

Anika sat beside Kaiba still clutching onto her necklace.
"What did they say at the hospital?" Alex enquired.
"Not too much. I need to take it easy for a few days and not get my stitches wet." Anika replied. She could sense how stiff everyone was. The atmosphere was tense. "You know I would feel much better if you guys just loosened up a bit. I've just been the most tense I have ever been in the past twenty four hours, I need you to relax."
"We're just worried about you Red."
"I know that Lex. I appreciate it but I need to... Actually I don't know what I need to do but the tension doesn't help."
"Okay." Alex replied. "Whatever you need."
"I feel fine." She responded.

Mokuba was rather quiet. He simply stood at the railing looking into the distance. He reminded her so much of Seto in that moment.
"I think we should all spend the night here tonight." He said suddenly. Mokuba walked to Anika kneeling before her. Kaiba just watched as his brother spoke tenderly. "Anika I've been through this when I was younger and it was easier to deal with then because I knew Seto would get me and when he did I knew he would protect me. We were together almost all the time. It's different for you. You had no reason to have the faith I did and even though your fortress stands high above reach, you still live here alone. Just for a little while you need company."
"I agree with Mokuba." Kaiba stated.
"Okay." Anika smiled. She knew there was no point arguing with them. "You guys don't need to worry so much. Really, I'm fine."
"Well, I need to go get a few things so that I can feed us tonight, so I can take you home to pack a bag Mokuba." Alex chipped in.
"Thanks Alex. I must admit I'm worried."
"About?" Alex asked.
"You feeding us."
"I wouldn't worry. He's pretty handy around the kitchen." Anika smiled.

Anika closed the door as Mokuba and Alex left the apartment together. Kaiba walked up behind her and held her in a gentle embrace.
"Seto I actually think you should go with Mokuba. I'll be fine until you get back."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah I am. He says he's fine but I think he needs his big brother."
"I'll be back soon."
"I know."
With that Kaiba kissed her forehead and rushed out the door.

He could not shake the feeling that something was still amiss. The lift doors opened and he stepped out into the foyer of the building. Hanari had just walked in and was signing in at security. Kaiba almost walked past him before he greeted.
"Hello Mr Kaiba." He smiled. "Just going to see how Anika is doing."
"Hmm." Kaiba replied.
Hanari got into the waiting lift and ascended the floors. Kaiba just could not rid himself of his uneasiness. He decided he would do a little more digging around once he got back to the mansion. A thought did occur to him though and he pulled out his phone. His first call was to Mokuba. He dialled Alex's number; the answer was prompt.
"Kaiba?" Came his voice.
"Alex put Mokuba on."
"Sure. Hold on."
"Hey Seto."
"Mokuba how far away are you?" Kaiba asked.
"Not too far, about five minutes away from Anika's. Why?"
"I want you to come back here immediately."
"What's wrong?" Mokuba knew the tone well. Whenever Kaiba spoke this way it was a clear indication to not question him and to do as he said.
"I have a hunch about something. I don't want you two at the mansion just yet." Kaiba responded quickly.
"Okay. We'll turn around as soon as we're able to."
"Good." Kaiba hung up and placed a second call. This one was to Mike.
"Detective Nashimoto." His voice was slightly muffled, it sounded like he was driving.
"It's Kaiba. Where are you?"
"A few blocks away from Anika's place. Is there something you need?"
"Get here fast. I've had a realization."


Anika cursed under her breath as she heard the loud knock on her door. She was just about to have a shower. She needed to scrub her skin down, rid herself of the blood, the constant reminder of her ordeal.

She peered through the peephole and saw the friendly face of Hanari waiting outside. She pulled open the door and wearily greeted him.
"Hey Masaru. Please come in."
"Hi Anika." He said solemnly as he studied her face. For some reason his reaction irritated her. "I heard what happened. How are you doing?"
"I'm okay really. Just a bit sore and stiff. Come through." She motioned for him to follow her to the lounge.

"I can only imagine." He replied. "Tell me exactly what happened. If you don't mind that is." He tacked that little bit the end quickly. He did not want to seem callous and inquisitive.
"It's fine. It's going to be all over soon anyway. Once everyone gets a whiff of what happened the media will be abuzz."
"I suppose that's true."
"Can I get you anything to drink?" Anika offered.
"No thanks, I'm okay."
"If you're sure."
"Yeah. You were saying..." He prompted.

Anika thought that he was a bit too eager to hear this but she pushed those thoughts away; people often did not know how to react when something like this happened. Hanari turned out to be one of those people.
"I went to Arabica with Mokuba, got out of my car and had Andrea whisper in my ear not to try anything, that's when I saw Kuro had a gun on Mokuba. I couldn't risk doing anything that would result in him being hurt and I think they knew that. It would not have made any sense to point the gun at me because we both would have been able to disarm them. Anyway, they bundled us into a panel van, but we couldn't see where were going." Anika got off the couch and walked to the painting on her wall. Her back to Hanari. It was easier if she felt like she was speaking to no one in particular. "It was a long drive, maybe an hour or so before we stopped. I had no idea where we were. Seto tells me it was some abandoned plot outside Domino. They blindfolded us and bundled us into a car which they obviously drove to the warehouse."
"Geez Anika. That must have been terrifying." Hanari said sympathetically.
"It was quite. I figured that they were driving in circles. The pattern was too repetitive so I recorded every turn we took and realized I was right. Plus the phone call Andrea got while they were driving confirmed we were in Domino."
"You always keep your wits about you don't you?" Admiration evident in his tone.
"Helped us this time. They held us in the warehouse but I managed to get Mokuba free once they left and he got help. Kaiba came in and rescued me. Erizawa took a bullet to the shoulder and his accomplices weren't doing great when the police got there."
"I'm sorry about what you had to go through."
"Me too." She replied. They were both quiet for a moment.
"What was it like being handcuffed all night?" He asked as he stepped up behind her. Anika spun around to face him.
"I don't think I mentioned anything about being handcuffed Masaru." She said realization dawning on her. Hanari smiled and it hit her, Erizawa's words all those months back when she and Kaiba confronted him about the break in. "You never see what's right in front of you Facet." He was right. She never saw this coming. "You..." She said quietly.
"Yeah, me." He replied simply and in an instant her old friend was gone and replaced by a cold calculating fiend.
"Erizawa worked for you the whole time."
"You don't honestly think that he could pull something like this off do you? Please, I know you to be smarter than that."
"Why?" She asked in disbelief.
"Oh it was nothing personal, just money."
"What?!" Anger flared in her core.
"As per the bylaws of Facet Inc, should you become incapable of performing your duties through illness, accident or death, I take over in the interim until a permanent replacement can be found. Who better to replace you than me permanently?"
"I can't believe I trusted you all these years." Anika felt winded, this betrayal being more than she knew how to handle and it made her fume.
"You made it very easy but I guess I was one of your biggest strengths. I wanted Facet for a while but I also wanted it bigger and more profitable."
"The corporate communication division. I would take the risk, build it up and you would benefit."
"Pretty much and then recently you put the plans into motion for the American office and I couldn't be happier. Things were just falling into place."
"Then you used my feud with Erizawa as the perfect cover." Anika seethed.
"Exactly. Anika why did Erizawa hate you so much?"
"Because he thought I stole his clients among many other things."
"And which little birdie whispered that into his ear? Me. Obviously he didn't know it was me at the time. You see, Erizawa was a tool I used; I don't really care what happens to him. I played you for years."
"You son of a bitch."
"Come now Anika, let's not get personal. I was always second in charge. You made sure of that."
"Because I trusted you and you were good at your job!"
"True, but I didn't want to be your worker bee. Yeah sure I have other business interests too and I'm a silent partner in another venture. It all makes for great wealth but look at this." Hanari extended his arms and spun around. "This lifestyle, apartment, cars, all of it came from one business. It's like playing Monopoly and you know those two really expensive properties before you hit Go? It doesn't matter how many of the other properties you have, you always want those two. They are like the crown jewels. That's what Facet is to me. You should be flattered."
"You almost killed Seto, me and those pilots for greed." Anika said through clenched teeth. Her fury bubbling to the surface.
Hanari smiled at her. "I suppose I should tell you the order of things but first I have a proposition for you."


Kaiba impatiently waited as Mike arrived at Anika's building. He parked his car in front of the building and rushed in.

"What's so urgent?" Mike asked Kaiba who was already stepping into the lift. Mike hurried in after him.
"Who paid Erizawa's bail?" Kaiba asked.
"I don't have that information with me."
"Hm. Why am I not surprised? I just saw Masaru Hanari. He's gone up to see Anika. Don't you see?"
"See what? Oh." Mike realized what Kaiba was getting at.
"Exactly Mike. I didn't tell anyone and obviously you didn't either. Mokuba and Alex have been together since this morning and the only other person he has been in touch with is me."
"So how did Hanari know?" Mike said as he caught on. "I'm surprised you aren't in there right now."
"He's been up there for a couple minutes and he isn't stupid enough to hurt her when I saw him come in and he signed in at security. Here's your opportunity to do your job properly." Kaiba said cross armed.

Mike took the opportunity to radio in for back up.
"This is Detective Nashimoto. I need a second squad car at Miss Anika Facet's residence. We have an arrest to make."
"Yes sir. Mako and Komiya are on their way."

The lift doors opened and he quietly slotted the key in and turning the lock, careful not to make any noise. Kaiba and Mike could hear the voices coming from the lounge and Kaiba peeked around the corner. He saw Anika facing away and he knew that Hanari's back would be facing the second entry to the lounge. Kaiba walked past the kitchen and around the corner.
"We should go in." Mike whispered in a harsh tone.
"We are. This passage leads there too. Anika will be able to see us so wait for her before you jump in. Are we clear?"
"Kaiba."
"I said, are we clear Mike?"
"Yes." Mike sighed.
The two of them snuck past Anika's bedroom and hovered near the doorway so that she could clearly see them. Anika was looking down at a bottle in her hands. She slowly lifted her gaze catching a glimpse of Kaiba before dropping her gaze once more. Anika was good at thinking on her feet and she knew this was the best opportunity to have Hanari dealt with and possibly have her life saved.

"If I don't take these pills you'll have Alex and Eli killed. So the only way to make sure they remain safe is to take my own life."
"Got it in one Anika." Hanari responded pleased. "It's not so bad I am told. You take those two pills and fifteen minutes later it's lights out."
She turned the bottle around in her hand. Anika took a deep breath trying to control her temper before continuing. "I tell you what, you tell me the story of how you managed all of this like you were supposed to, and then I'll take them."
"You're just trying to stall. Hoping your knight in shining armour will return for you twice in one day?"
"I'm not hoping, I just want to know."
"Okay then." Hanari picked a photo frame off the mantelpiece. It was a beautiful glass frame. It was a deep red on the bottom with red flame like tendrils on the sides. The top was a clear frosted glass. The effect was beautiful, like fire and ice. In it was a picture of Anika in a cobalt blue dress and Kaiba in a black tux gazing at each other as they danced. The message on the back read:
"The Norse believed the Cosmos was created by the meeting of fire and ice,
they were right.
XOXO
Alex"
Hanari snorted and placed it back in its place.

"Initially I didn't want to really hurt you but shake you, make you lose faith in yourself, maybe even make the company unstable. You would need my help and I would negotiate my way to a better deal and from there taking over would be simpler. I soon realized that that plan was a tad simple. I was being naive. You were getting a bit too cosy with Seto Kaiba so I decided to inform his pack of rabid fangirls of your plans at the launch. I met Fumiko that day but she would never know it was me. I wore a hoodie and shades when I spoke to her. You handled that very well I must say but I realized that she was useful so I got Erizawa to bring her on board. The plane crash was not entirely my idea. I told Erizawa what your plans were and instructed him to arrange an "accident". He did take it a bit far but once again you came away looking better. Then Andrea was easy. She was openly hostile towards you so setting her up didn't take much effort but that's where I made a mistake. I did not realize that you and Kaiba had such trust. Obviously you two got to know each other a bit more and my plan to make you lose credibility failed. Then Andrea met Kuro and invited her to join what they thought to be a quest for vengeance. Then you went and threw a spanner in the works with your little take down of Erizawa. That pissed me off. I needed a power player and you went and ruined him."
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience." Anika replied snidely.
"You should be. That's when I realized the only way to get Facet Inc was to remove you completely from the picture and we planned this out pretty well. Mokuba was not supposed to be there. That was a change in your routine. I suppose at the end of the day if you want something done right you need to do it yourself."
"What about Kaiba Corp?"
"That was before the realization that I needed you dead."
"Right and the fact that Erizawa was now predictable didn't help."
"Yes and no. It didn't help that plan but it helped me become a ghost in your system. No one ever suspected me."
"Interesting story Masaru. Too bad it won't work." She ssneered.
"Have you forgotten already Anika? If you don't take those pills Alex and Eli bite the big one. I planned this all out."
"I'm glad you said that." Anika smiled. She gave the smallest of nods and Kaiba and Mike entered the room.
"Mr Hanari you are under arrest for the kidnapping and attempted murder of Miss Anika Facet." Mike said as he pulled out his handcuffs.
"What?!" Hanari screeched. Mike ignored his outburst and read him his rights.

Just then the door opened and Alex and Mokuba walked in.
"What the devil is going on here?" Alex asked shocked.
"You don't have anything on me." Hanari continued on.
"I disagree Mr Hanari." Mike hit the playback button on the voice recorder on his phone, forwarding to the end of the track "If you don't take those pills Alex and Eli bite the big one. I planned this all out."

Alex and Mokuba stood in stunned silence as officers Mako and Komiya took Hanari away. Kaiba watched him being dragged off and swore his revenge on both Erizawa and Hanari.
"Anika will you put those pills in this bag please."
"Yeah. Sure." She dropped the bottle into the clear evidence bag, filled everyone in on the details they had missed out on with Mike taking her official statement. He greeted everyone and left.

A plan formed in Kaiba's mind. They would never trace anything back to him but both Hanari and Erizawa would know who ripped away their lives.

"I'll be back now." Kaiba announced and went down to the car. He had learnt of Erizawa's dark and dangerous dealings last night while waiting for news from Mike. He thought the information could come in useful and now it will. "This will never happen to my family again." He vowed. He drove the car out to a pizza place, placed a voice altering device onto a disposable cell phone and made a call.
"What?!" A gruff voice answered.
"I understand that you want Osamu Erizawa."
"What's it to you?"
"Think of it as an anonymous gift. Erizawa has been re-arrested today; you should know where they'll take him. The cops got his dog, Hanari, too. Enjoy." Kaiba said smoothly. It may not have been the correct order of their interaction but a little misinformation does not hurt. He ended the call, pulled out the sim card and destroyed it. Then broke apart the phone dropping the pieces and the battery into different trash cans. He bought a large pizza that he knew Mokuba would love and drove back to the apartment.