Chapter 46, Piece 26 * * * * * * * *
Jou stepped off the bus and looked at the office building before him. It was on the unfashionable end of 12th Street. Past Denver's modern skyscrapers, but before you reached the endless stretch of forgotten warehouses. A squat, grey box with cheap rent on the bus line. It was also only a few blocks from the art school. Which made the location ideal as far as Jou was concerned.
It had taken Jou more than a year to get there - if you counted from when Yugi first called about the manga. The trip had taken twenty-six hours, including connections and delays. But the real problem had been his citizenship - or rather his lack of.
Since his father was American and his mother was Japanese, Jou had been born a citizen of both countries. And as far as America was concerned, Joseph K. Wheeler - the name on his social security card - could be a dual citizen until he died. But Japan required that Jounouchi Katsuya - as he was listed on the Jounouchi koseki - choose one of the two citizenships when he turned 20 years-old. Jou choose Japanese, completed the required paperwork and thought nothing about it. When Yugi called, Jou made travel arrangements and grabbed his unexpired US passport.
And was stopped at the airport, under suspicion of ID Theft.
Thankfully, the koseki was considered the official citizenship document, and showed his previous dual status. Someone had footnoted that his English name was 'Wheeler'. Jou was able to get part of the ticket cost refunded. It had taken three months to get a new Japanese passport and save up enough money to try the trip again.
That time, he'd made it to LAX when he was stopped at a security checkpoint; apparently 'Joseph Wheeler' was on the no fly list. He was stuck there for two days - they didn't incarcerate him, but he wasn't allowed to leave the premises. Finally, they allowed him to return to Japan. He received a formal notice a month later informing him that he was not the Joseph Wheeler in question, and he should feel free to fly any time he cared to. He attached the letter to his passport and kept an electronic copy on his phone. Just in case.
This trip, he'd contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the US State Department, and the Colorado Bureau of Tourism to be sure that he'd be allowed in.
A two-year work visa; he didn't know what kind of shadow magic Yugi had used to get it for him, but it had worked. He had gotten stopped at every security checkpoint, but this time they all let him pass.
There was no security in the lobby, and Jou was almost surprised when the rickety elevator actually made it to the 4th floor without stalling.
Suite 404, Yugi had told him, but Jou would have found it anyway. Honda's boisterous laughter carried down the hall.
"Dude, nothing is that funny." He grinned at his friends as he opened the door.
"Hey! It's the terrorist!" Honda exclaimed. "What'd you do, sneak in from Canada?"
"Nah, swam in from Mexico. Food's better."
"Whatever!" Honda laughed again and hugged him. "Yug's on his way, 'Togi's on the phone, and Ryou hasn't called in yet." He gestured to the man sitting on the couch. "This is our local hero. Eric, Jounouchi; Jou, Eric."
"The Kansas mystery?" Jou shook Eric's hand. "That thing is great. Can't wait for the sequel."
"I'm too busy reading your story about the New York gang! Where did you get that stuff?"
"Legacy of a misspent youth." Jou chuckled.
The phone rang and was answered in the other room. A moment later, Otogi came out and hit the speakerphone button. "Ryou?"
"I'm here." The voice came back.
"Hey dude!" Jou called out. "I found the place."
There were more greetings and introductions. At about the time the conversation began to run out of steam, Yugi opened the door.
"Oh!" He seemed a bit surprised, and a lot distracted. "You're all here already."
"You're late," Otogi pointed out. "We were supposed to start the staff meeting for issue #14 half an hour ago."
"Yeah." Yugi nodded. "I ran into someone, and...uh...I may have found us a new backer."
"Seriously? Yugi, that's AWESOME!" Honda cheered.
"May have?" Otogi seemed a bit more cautious. "Why may?"
"Well…" Yugi looked up and saw Jou. "Jou! You're here already."
"Nice to see you too, buddy." Jou gave his short friend an arched look. "Fess up, Yugi. You look like you're guilty of something."
"I'm not guilty, really. I didn't mean to ask. I mean, I didn't ask - he offered the money. And he promised no strings. One string. But...its…" His voice petered out and he grimaced. "Well…."
"Ok," Eric shrugged, "who's the backer, and what's the string.
"Kaiba," Otogi guessed. "Mokuba wants to give you the money."
"And the 'string' is his fucking brother," Jou growled. "No fucking way. If he's in, I'm out."
"It's not Mokuba," Yugi said, but he sounded miserable.
"Yugi, you can't lie worth a damn." Honda gestured. "It's written all over your face. You saw him today, right?" Yugi nodded. "And he offered you the money."
"It wasn't Mokuba. See…." Yugi sighed deeply. "I wasn't planning on seeing him. I was coming back from the printers, and I stopped at that bagel shop on Colorado Blvd. And they were there, and I really only planned to say hi while I waited for my sandwich, but one thing lead to another, and he offered, and he wouldn't let me say 'no'."
"I am NOT working with Moneybags." Jou crossed his arms. "Not happening."
"He doesn't want to work with us…" Yugi started.
"Wait…" Otogi looked at Yugi. "What do you mean, 'he' doesn't want to work with us?"
Ryou's voice cut under the group. "Yugi, it sounds from here like you mean Kaiba offered you the money."
"Kaiba?" Honda laughed. "Not even in your…." he stopped as he realized that Yugi was nodding. "Kaiba Seto wants to back our manga?"
"No. Fucking. Way." Jou was flat.
"I'm lost." Eric threw up his hands. "Who is this Kaiba guy anyway?"