Author's Note:
Sorry for the delay! I had a few technical issues and had to get a new PC. Chapter 2 originally was going to be totally different, but decided that there needed to be a bit more character development and introduction! This chapter actually ended up being so long in the rough draft that it extended to chapter 3, 4, and 5! But we aren't too far off of having the first written duel of the series, so hold on tight.
I'd like to end this week's authors note with a thank you for the patience and the kind words on Twitter and Discord, as well as the way Kaiba has been written thus far. It is very apparent that he isn't himself (A bit moodier, a bit 'softer'), but hopefully this chapter at the very least begins to explain just how far he's come to get to this point. But don't worry, he'll be back to himself in due time! Until then, please enjoy Chapter 2! The first Duel should be between 5-7!
The start of the new week. A new day. Dawn. Outside was bright, for once in ten years, the seas that the Union Academy's living complex overlooked for once was calm. Coney Island, no, the rest of the city. It was all finally calm… Serene. The morning was a time for preparation, especially for him. Seto Kaiba. What was once a restful slumber is torn apart, his dreams coming to a sudden end, not to tranquil sounds of the sea, but by the noise of an alarm clock, far too loud for any sane man to have but for him, it was necessary.
His hand strikes down against a stainless steel alarm clock, reading out in electronic tone the day, and time to an already groaning man. "Monday, 5 AM" it chimes, in a similar voice to that of a particular robot girl. Kaiba would attempt to come to an immediate rise, finding his rigid spine unable to fully raise his torso. Rising to wake in his new home, his new penthouse, all the way at the top of the living complex of Union, the all-types Duel Academy. He had fallen asleep several hours earlier, twelve to be exact… The first real night's sleep he'd seemingly gotten in over twenty years… This time he was not plagued with the stress, or strenuous nightmares of the next days work, but rather cold refreshing darkness, acting to relieve himself of stress. For once he woke up not feeling at his worst, for once his self importance, his monetary value wasn't what made him feel good. But today of all days; he genuinely felt good.
He casually yawned, already balling up his fists and stretching out while the alarm clock spoke to him, seemingly interfaced with his robotic assistant who had already begun to project themselves on a virtual panel in front of his face, beaming down on him through the darkness of his studio, and blinding him. He recoiled slightly, yet still unphased. With his eyes now seared shut, he sighed, a bit annoyed at his partners sudden appearance. Subconsciously he knew she meant well, despite not harbinging any real feelings, or emotions. Though he couldn't help but still get annoyed at the artificial intelligence's lack of awareness. Regardless he still listened to her while basking in the gentle darkness of his room, still not ready to draw up the blinds and face the overcast skies that have plagued his life for the last ten years. The only real light in his life was that of an artificial human who seemingly knew more about him than his own self. DSS Z-483LL, the only Z-Type DSS android assistant in existence. Made by him truly via the help of some unruly sciences. She was near 1:1 with that of an actual human, but even so Kaiba never once was astonished. She was created by him, the 'smartest man in the world' he so thought. "Don't get up too fast, sir." she said while making a polite bow from her floating monitor.
"You slept well last night, didn't you?" she asked, still cold and unfeeling in monotone draw, but her cadence was still so soft, and orderly, as if she actively was trying to make herself sound less artificial. She couldn't see him well, the only camera she used for sight in the room being in the opposite direction, and in pitch-black darkness. The only real discernable object being that of her own screen's light. But she could see one thing, his feelings. His vitals were always constantly monitored, several 1x1 inch metal tiles lined his skin, embedded directly into his torn muscles. And through his vitals, through the reading of his neural activity and even his temperature; she could see straight through him. Reading his mood like an accurate mood ring.
The ceo rolled over to the other side, to face her camera, and to get her light out of his face. Now she is able to make out some of his facial features through the camera in question. His eyelids opened halfway, "Yes, just let me enjoy the morning… Please. " he sternfully pleaded, dismissing the android back to an audio only queue. She began reading off his plans for today…
"Breakfast will be served in approximately one hour, twenty-three minutes, and fifty eight seconds. Please use this time for your own leisure, I've already done your necessary maintenance work for my brothers and sisters" she says, denoting the other DSS systems running the school. DSS was a program he had created many years prior to now, before the event, and even before then. They were simple androids that could be used for assistance within Kaiba Corp, true artificial humans capable of any task, simply for the leisure of their owners. But they in no means could replace the job of a human. Their true purpose was always for Duel Monsters… To train him even further, to reach a point where he could finally overcome his true goal; to beat Yugi. But as is apparent; that was now impossible.
DSS systems are all scored by a rank, a letter… The further along the alphabet you go down, the more advanced they become, A, B, C, D, E, F, N, P, O, X, and Z. Three or more digits next, and then a dual value string of two random english characters indicating their body, or type. A-Units were the general work units, simple paper filing assistants who filled the job work of an unpaid intern in favor of giving others real full-time jobs… The rest were almost strictly for Duel Monsters, and used in thousands of academies around the world after the impact. All to test their capabilities of providing education for what was now his goal; to find a successor. Not for him, but for him.
With the CEO's eyes now rolled wide open, he sighed, still listening to his assistant drag on for however long in her cold, humanless demeanor. The back of his mind was rattling with the expectations of the day, the start of his goal, his dream, what was now an ongoing search to fill the gaps within his life. "With that being said, at ten the introductory speech will be given at the school's main grounds, as requested personally owned press outlets will be the only journalists given entry.", she continues. With the last of his daily routine about to be read out to him, Kaiba stopped her for a moment, rudely interjecting to ask within his regular bossy tone; "And have I gotten a response to my business inquiry?" he asks, forcing Z-483LL to pause. This wasn't something she wished to give the news back to, but even so she had an obligation to respond; "No sir…" she shakily says.
This brought Seto's eyes back to a close, making a deep sigh as he began to roll the blankets off of him, causing the joints in his left arm to snap and pop at every turn, giving indication to his poor aging. He couldn't help it, the man now in his mid-50s was deteriorating rapidly, miserably. "Open the blinds' ' he commanded, causing the robot to play an affirmative beeping-chime through the speakers. The pitch-black cloth affixed to wooden rods automatically began rolling themselves open, unveiling the pale blue-light of the overcast city into the room like a grandiose reveal. He made an unimpressed sigh. "Seto…" she beckons, simply being ignored by her master who despised being called that in this day and age. He couldn't stand it. And even so… She continued to address him, "You know Mokuba's doing alright..." she once again says as he began to get out of his silk-lined bed. But, what about Mokuba..?
"Of course I know that." he scoffs, now stepping up and onto the cold tile floor, his knee letting out yet another arthritic crack of it's joints. He grimaced in pain, cursing to himself under his breath for his shortcomings, his lost youth… His deteriorating health. He was old, but surely wasn't reaching that stage in life yet, where the decay becomes irreversible. He isn't done living yet. Regardless of all of the stress, the loss, everything that he's endured through all this time. Since Aigami, since all of his chances at reclaiming number one status, through all of this overbearing loss; He hasn't aged well. Over exertion, far too many long nights, and a general disregard to his general bodily health, and the state of his mind. His body was still rigid and muscular, but his skin loose and wrinkled lightly in some areas, as if a sheet had been tightly wrapped around a skeletal frame. His fingers were well worn, and calloused. He was natured… A Sage with Eyes of Blue.
In appearance alone he was still a trillionaire as he was in his youth. But through the slow silhouette of darkness being overtaken by light; it could be seen. A metal brace over both the left arm, and leg. One of the many physical traumas he had received in his youth coming to give him a grim reminder now... Regardless, his silhouette was still him, well-weighted, muscular in a way. His facial features were still impeccably sharp, his visage seemingly not having aged yet a day. From a distance he could still be in his thirties… As handsome as ever, but a turn to the window told a different story. The light cast onto his face showed his aged features clearly. Crow's feet, bags under his eyes… A large patch of silver hair streaking across what was once his fair brunette strands, now dangling down as if it hadn't been cut in years. He was still well kept, bar a heavy 5 o'clock shadow. But it was very evident that he was not the same Seto Kaiba…
He began stepping to the window, once again prompting his virtual assistant to appear as a full-bodied hologram against the glass, attempting to present him with a smile. "I know what you're thinking, and I know you're not going to like what I have to say, nor what the truth is…" she tries to whisper, causing him to scoff once again, his eyes fixating down with furious, but composed anger. His face in that instant was filled with disdain, subtle, yet clear as the very image he cast his gaze down upon. Without warning he brings up his braced arm and smacks his hand directly upon the face of the hologram, causing it to fizzle and then stabilize violently. An indication of what he wished to do to anyone who dared to tell him such a thing. Even if she was in the room with him physically, it didn't matter. He always believed her to be just a robot, despite presenting as female it was just an artificial it, made solely to bring convenience to his life, and nothing more. "You are an artificial intelligence system" he says, "I do not care whether or not your silly programming makes you think you know how I feel, nor if you have emotions either. But I will not let you console me like some sniveling child. "
He was angry at his assistant, no, angry at himself. What was a simple 'business inquiry' in his words was something far greater within his mind, in his heart; something that meant the world to him. Something that was now lost and gone within his life. With his hand pressed against the cold glass he scorned, letting out a deep disgruntled growl. The AI's projection similarly looked on with a deadpan expression filled with a great depth of emotional confliction, odd. His rude nature had never changed within her now fifteen years of virtual life, seemingly reaching its peak in this moment now as he aggressively represented his wishes against not her robotic drone, but her projection. She had never seen him make an outburst such as this… She was thinking. The metaphorical gears within her head turning, perhaps feeling. And even so, all she could do was step off of the glass and onto the hardwood floor as a fully rendered hologram. Her 3D body turning to face her master, her full figure, her full self. She commanded his attention. " Seto Kaiba… '' she says, the tone within her electronic voice becoming blurred, filled with an aggressive static baritone, almost distorted in a way through it's inflection.
"Get yourself together and get ready for the day." she commands in a sharp electronic growl, it's bass heavy enough to be felt within the bones of the old CEO. He turns, shocked that she would dare speak, or command him in such a way… He attempts to retort; "Aika!" he begins, though the referral to her given name was only met with a similar aggression. She angrily snarls back like an undisciplined child. Silencing him, "You are so strong, Mr. Kaiba. Now find the strength to carry on, or you might as well be useless in finding this future you so strongly believe in." He was speechless. His dull azure eyes staring back to her hologram, staring right to her blood red optics… "Tsk… " is all he could elicit, not wanting to admit defeat, even though she was right. He couldn't help but stare past her semi-transparency to a picture on the wall behind her. A sentimental picture of Mokuba, her first body, and himself. He was disgusted.
"What will it be then, master?" his assistant asks, causing him to reply with a heavy sigh. He looked deep into the blistering red eyes of Z-483LL. "Let's get ready for work" he sterned, his voice showing signs of heavy stress, for once within the back of his mind he felt at someone's mercy. Even in the off chance she did have feelings, she could take those and turn them maleficent at any moment. She could ruin him, physically, emotionally, financially. She knew everything about him. He paused for a moment, reeling back the thoughts moving through his brain as his assistant's hologram turned away from him. For once in his life he felt fear, dread, this hypothetical situation was brought upon by himself… And for someone who had lost everything, he couldn't afford to lose himself. Not to his own creation… His own synthetically made flesh and cooling fluid blood... He shook his head.
"Then good morning, Mr. Kaiba." the AI said with a now forced smile, clearly in great reluctance. Despite her previous demeanor, and despite her previous attitude towards her master; she always smiled. She owed it to him. She was the last thing he had. "Tsk…" Seto flinched, scared. For once in his life someone he saw as an equal had truly challenged him in words. It shocked him... Straight down to the bloody core, and now; she continued smiling. Her blood red optics staring straight back at him… Her perfectly shaped pale-blue lips curving upon their sides to present him with all he had… "A dainty little robot…" he says, back to his regular demeanor. "When will you know your place..?"
"I already do, my master" she replies in her cold, simulated, English tone… She chuckles, trying to break the space between them with a calculated step forward. One leg sultrily shifting in front of another, her hips swaying from side to side. Each tap of her large heels clicking, and bolting into the floor, their vibrations being felt as if they were real to the old CEO. This struck him with an even greater growth fear… He crosses his arms as the droid continues to approach him, the rising sun now illuminating her features further as her hologram converted into solid vision. Every last bit of her now visible to the real light of the world. "And where would that be..?" he asks.
Her response would be dramatically delayed… Her internal sensors lagging, and stalling to calculate the perfect response to help with his mood, to close the immense gap they had just made for eachother. Ever since the day she was born as an AI, and then an Android; she learned. She read, and she watched human behaviors to get to where she is now. To be therapeutic to him. And despite her sporadic mannerisms in speech, she continued to attempt to improve, to read people and their moods… To read the human soul. But now wasn't something she could simulate from her romance novels. She had to improvise… "I'm waiting…" Kaiba impatiently quips, as his assistant does the last thing she could think of. Hold him.
The rising sun illuminated her actions clearly, yet still; the CEO flinched as her jet-black hands stretched to touch against his… Every last bit of her visage, just like the CEO has aged. At one point she was much smaller, much more juvenile. And after many upgrades, and years of their shared improvement; she had seemingly reached maturity like her master. Her ghostly pale white skin was illuminated by the sun, the only contrast of her beautiful face being that of her deep-red eyes, enticing blue lipstick, and her similarly cobalt hair; which transitioned downward to yellows, then oranges, then reds. Her hair meant to mimic that of a flames warm gradient, which was meticulously crafted over the course of months to perfection, just for her majesty. "It's with you" she whispers.
Z-483LL's hands would clasp over Seto's, palm in palm, trying her hardest to alleviate the ever hastening beat of his old heart. Not out of love or uneasy feelings of endearing emotion, but out of fear, and harsh anxiety. "Free will is such a nuisance…" Kaiba complains as her hands reap him of his heat, "But you still put up with me" she replies, similarly feeling the relaxation sweep over him. "Only because I'm the one who made you" he grins, casting aside his emotions yet again to rub his thumbs over the back of her black-metal palms… Everything about her was artificial, straight down to the coloration of her body, yet the texture that awaited his touch was beyond real.
As Kaiba began to touch against her deep skin, he couldn't help but hold his breath in muted astonishment. Despite his harsh demeanor, he couldn't help but relish in the complexity of his creation. Even though it was just solid light, it still felt lifelike, as the temporary projection of photons was directly made in replica of her physical body. "So soft…" is all Z-4 could gently elicit, while Kaiba dropped his guard and began to further explore just how lifelike her unnatural looking skin truly was. "Model revision 483." he chuckles in response, as this was the first time he had ever touched her in such a way. "I'm still surprised by my own genius." he escalates.
Despite its color, and appearance; every part of her exterior was synthetic skin. Her arms, and her legs from a distance looked to be near-black gunmetal, while her midsection was a much lighter shade to provide contrast. Her joins balled at certain sections, almost reminiscent of a doll. And a close look at every last bit of her artificial hide would give better detail, as it was covered in thousands of tiny-hexagons like some kind of ballistic material. Unlike most DSS systems, she embraced this. She enjoyed her porcelain white face, and her inhuman colorization. He enjoyed her visage... While other DSS systems wore basic clothing, or had dyes applied to cheap synthetic skin; she reveled within her own complexion, and didn't hide herself with useless clothing.
She truly was beautiful, and her fluidity of both movement and action only led people to believe she was a cosplayer more than an artificial human. And despite being just a solid hologram, her AI body was only more beautiful. Like all DSS systems, she had no genitals, and no need to wear clothing. But unlike her much more basic brothers and sisters; they were modeled off of humans. They had the same skin color, the same voices. It would look odd without it. "Good to see you've gotten back your vigor then, my master" is all she could say, now having some form of reluctant pleasure within her ability to properly stroke his ego.
"I'm sure today will be great" she continued to excite, her hologram now beginning to glow a subtle periwinkle. "One last thing…" Kaiba says, before her hologram disappeared to continue with today's work; "Anything, Mr. Kaiba" she responds while gently letting go of his hands. "I've left you something in my office." he bluntly says, causing the robot's demeanor to once again shift to a brimming, and appreciative smile. "You're a sweet man, Mr. Kaiba. Please enjoy your morning." And with the last of her words transmitting through the speaker, she disappeared. Dispersing and floating into the air in a cloud of white pixels, similarly to a destroyed duel monster.
And finally… The lights in the CEO's room would turn on, leaving him alone once again, and for his partner's robotic body to awake elsewhere within the campus of his 'Union Academy', and leaving him to quickly move across his room. The CEO for a brief moment would pause, once again looking at the photo of what was once his entire family, grimacing at what was lost to him. He steps into his main living space, taking in a deep breath of the cold air from within the room, before one of his many house servants goes to hand him the morning paper, and a coffee. He sighs immediately following his lungs reaching their peak; "One of these days…" he says, before his many members of staff began moving about to prepare the CEO for his speech.
His living space was large, it was grand… Befitting the CEO. He smiled at his surroundings, his first real time being able to truly take in his surroundings, and his views of the Coney Island Boardwalk. He looked down past his balcony, seeing his buttling staff moving about the large space to present his breakfast. His two handmaids already at his side in lieu of Z-4 or 'Aika's absence. He grimaced, not being truly used to more than just his robot assisting him. All around him was noise, something he hasn't been accustomed to in over ten years.
As he made his way down to his breakfast nook, he couldn't help but get annoyed at all of the people around him. Chirping, telling him things he already knew. He couldn't handle it… So, in a sharp, fast motion he would raise his hand, silencing the relentless chatter around him... Leaving him to sit down while his chefs presented him with his first meal of the day. He could handle everything himself… "I believe that will be enough…" he sternfully says. All present would make a polite bow as he asserts himself in front of his new 'family'. "Go out and do whatever you all please. I can take the rest of my morning from here…"