WALKING sounded like a feat akin to juggling, but he knew he couldn't pass up the chance. God, or whoever or whatever force governed the universe, had actually allowed him an opportunity to get out, and he had to take it. He might not ever get another chance.

He didn't know why Kaine had actually left the box open, or why the bonds usually holding his body to it were gone; maybe he'd thought his "pet" was too weak to do anything…and that might very well be the case, but Mokuba wasn't about to pass it up.

He struggled mightily to rise, and it took a while to do so but he managed it. Gripping the sides of the box, he managed to lift himself farther. Somehow, he got his legs up and over the edge. When he sat there to rest, he nearly screamed from the lance of fiery pain that shot up his body. Biting his lip so hard that it bled, he kept the scream in, allowing only the slightest of whimpers to escape.

Mokuba pushed up, and he was surprised that he was able to stand. His legs were sore, and the dried blood made them even less inclined to move than lying in the same position for a week had.

Walking was a chore, but once he found his way to a wall, he was able to move forward more easily. Ignoring the pain, he focused on getting out of wherever he was. He had to get out. He had to find his brother, he had to get home…

This had to stop.

Once Kaine had gotten a taste of him, he couldn't stay away for long. Mokuba knew he would be back soon, probably in an hour if he was lucky, to "play" again. Mokuba had to get out and away before that happened.

If that man touched him again, violated him again…Mokuba didn't know if he would be able to handle it.

The doors were heavy, and over twice his height, but Mokuba somehow found a way to open them. Once outside, he stumbled and fell to the ground, groaning as his bare knees were skinned.

Looking up, Mokuba finally realized just where he was.

…It was a cemetery.

How fitting…because he thought he was dying.

"Seto…" he whimpered, tears falling onto the concrete. "Seto…Brother…where are you…? Help me, Seto…I need you…Please…"

"Seto's not here."

"Seto…"

"He's gone. He doesn't care anymore. Don't you get it? He's abandoned you. You're mine now."

"Brother…come to me…please…"

"Look at how he's treated you in the past, my pet. Don't you understand? Seto doesn't love you. Nobody loves you. I'm all you have now."

"Seto…Seto loves me…Brother will come for me…he'll help me…"

"Brother isn't going to come. He's gone. Look around, don't you see? You're in a graveyard. Graveyards are for dead people. Why would Seto come for a dead person? Just give it up, my pet…stop whining over Seto and come to me. I'll take good care of you…I promise."

"Seto…promised…he'll be here…he will…he will…"

"You're dead."

"No…not dead…Seto will come…"

"He won't."

"Stop…you don't know…Seto will be here soon…he'll save me…"

"No one will save you."

"No…not true…not true…Seto will save me…"

"Give it up. Seto's gone."

"No…not gone…"

"Yes, he is."

"No…"

"He's dead."

"No…not dead…"

"Yes."

"No! Not dead! Seto is not dead!"

"Yes, he is…I killed him."

"No! Not dead!"

"Dead as a doornail."

"NOT DEAD!"

"Give it up."

"NO!"

He felt himself being lifted…but it didn't matter. Seto would come soon…Seto would be here soon…Seto wasn't dead…Seto was alive, and Seto would come for him…he knew he would…Seto always saved him…always. Seto promised. He promised. You can't break a promise.

Seto didn't break promises.

He would be here.

The box was there…it wasn't a box. It was a coffin. A coffin for dead people. But he wasn't dead…he wasn't dead, and neither was Seto. Seto would come soon, and Seto would save him.

He would.

Seto promised.

He promised…

You can't break a promise.

You can't.

"Yo, Darren."

"Hey," Darren murmured distractedly as he cradled the receiver of the phone against his ear with his shoulder. "Chris, good to hear from ya. What's up?"

"ID'd the kid ya'll found at the carnival. I 'member you askin' about that, so I thought I'd tell ya. You...did wanna know, right, Darren?"

"Yeah," Darren affirmed, suddenly much more interested. He took hold of the receiver, dropping the spoon he'd been using to stir his lunch. "So? Who?"

"Kid's name was Travis Maxwell. Went missin' about two years back, never found. Crazy thing is, he disappeared in Montana."

"Montana? You're kidding...how the hell'd the body end up here in California?"

"Not a clue. Guess somebody stashed the body somewhere."

"How'd you find out who he was?"

"Hey, I ain't no CSI. No damn clue how they figured it out. Fingerprints 'r DNA 'r somethin'...I dunno. I caught Fred when he was talkin' about it. Anyway, just thought you'd wanna know about it. Say, any luck on the other kid?"

"No...bastard didn't leave shit behind...it's really frying my nerves, Chris...the kid's only twelve, man. Twelve! And his legal guardian's...like, seventeen or eighteen."

"That young? Damn...oh, yeah, 's that big-shot game maker, huh? Kai-somethin'."

"Kaiba. Yes. Seto Kaiba."

"An' the missin' kid's his brother, right?"

"Right. I don't wanna have to tell the kid we can't find his brother...he isn't gonna take it well, for one thing. He'll no doubt have us all fired or something...God knows he has the money to do whatever he wants...and it honestly wouldn't surprise me if he did something drastic. I met with the guy...he's real close to his kid brother. If he ends up dead...well, he'll probably...ah, hell, I can't even guess what he'd do. Might pull a vigilante on us or jump off a bridge."

"...High-strung guy?"

"Yeah...sure seems that way. Hell, he's the CEO of a gaming corporation...one of the most popular in the business. That can't be no cakewalk. And from what I gathered from him, Mokuba - that's the kid's name - gets in trouble a lot with competitors."

"I can imagine. Prob'ly a real bitch."

"Evidently this makes the third time he's been abducted...but this one's worse. The other two times the kid was right around, an' the kidnapper contacted Kaiba and told him where he was...you know, as bait. This time...he's just as much in the dark as anyone else."

"Fuck...poor kids. Why're people so messed up, Darren? They're just kids. Both of 'em. Why're people so fucked in the head they'd wanna do this to a couple o' kids?"

"I don't wanna know...the minute you start understanding people like that, you start sympathizing with them...and you'll become just like them. I'll have no part in that. This's one instance where I'd rather stay ignorant."

"Good point."

"Well, I'm cooking some soup right now. Jen'll be home in a couple hours 'n I still gotta pay a couple bills before Monday. Thanks for the info, Chris. 'Preciate it."

"Sure thing. Later, Darren. Take it easy."

"You too."

Computer's fixed, so no problems anymore. I'll get back on my stories now. Since I was late both on this chapter and the past one, I added the second section to this chapter. Sort of a...gift for you all. Okay, so it's a lame gift. Whatever. I tried.