Kaiba's Home

Shizuka came from the guest bedroom Kaiba took her to. What's wrong with me? Why did I come to him at such an early time? Why do I feel compelled to stay? He wasn't a nice man. She heard him talking about the woman Yuugi had been dating. He never even treated Yuugi as a friend. Why had he gone to that restaurant at such a terrible hour? This man, he didn't even want to take anyone to a real hospital during the Battle City finals. Shizuka strolled the house, trying to figure it out.

"Is Satiah here?"

She looked up from her confusion at Mokuba Kaiba, Seto Kaiba's younger brother. Wow, he wasn't that little anymore.

"Seto told me last night that Anzu had a spirit that got a body. Is it Satiah?" he asked her again. "Are you the spirit?"

Someone else was clueless too. Shizuka looked outward. There wasn't much to see. A blurry mess but she'd been so bent on getting to him, she didn't grab her cane. "No. I'm Shizuka Kawai."

"Oh yeah. Uh? Jounouchi's little sister." It had been a little while since they saw each other. "Hi. What are you doing at my family home?"

"I don't know." She'd be honest. "Your brother isn't a very nice man. I don't know why I came here. I just felt compelled too, like an itch that was bothering me the whole time."

Mokuba Kaiba touched her hand. "You should go home. I'll send a driver out for you in a second." Still, he was halfway quiet. "You were at our headquarters yesterday, Seto brought you in. You do keep following him, but he doesn't tell you to back off. I think he's fascinated with you too."

Fascinated? "Why?"

"You summoned the Blue-Eyes White Dragon," Mokuba Kaiba answered.

Oh. "I didn't do that. I just fell unconscious." The fear had paralyzed her. She was about to die. She tried to keep it together like Jounouchi tried to teach her, but she couldn't. She didn't live Jounouchi's life. She was just trying to survive in hers.

"I think you did. I think Seto thinks you did too," Mokuba Kaiba said. "Anyhow. That's why Big Brother is fascinated with you. I haven't figured out what the connection is the other way around though. Follow me." He led her through the house. "Did you see Satiah yet? I really want to see her. I haven't seen her for years. I was in elementary school last time. I wonder if she's happier now?"

"I don't know," Shizuka answered. "I heard your brother call someone a bad name for a girl last night." That didn't seem to motivate him into knowing. Probably because Kaiba does it a lot.

"Big Brother went to our Headquarters early. I don't think he even got sleep. He's like that when something is bothering him," Mokuba Kaiba warned her. "Did you want to go home, or did you want to go there with me?"

"There." No, home, but it popped out of her mouth. No matter what he does, I still feel compelled to stay with him. Why?

"Fine then. I'll take you myself in a minute. If I have you, I'm bound to see Seto for more than a few minutes at least."


Kaiba Corp

"Stupid, Stupid, Stupid." Kaiba hammered away on the keys, doing company work but at the same time, not being able to believe in the stupidity of Pharaoh. "One act, one simple act that I know I could have caved her into sooner or later. No, he gives it all up. Nothing!"

Yet, there he was, still worried about him. Still offered the help last night. Still had been the one to call last night to straighten things out at the museum. He's such an idiot. "His body was even still at Domino Museum again from another exhibit." Set up before the Ishtar's were all killed. Domino museum of all places to awaken from his mummified corpse. It is not coincidence. It can't be.

"I brought the dragon lady Shizuka Kawai to see you," Mokuba said from behind him.

"Fine. Take a seat." He didn't indicate to who he was talking to. As Mokuba went to the next computer, the issue came up that he knew would be coming from his little brother.

"Anzu had Satiah, right?" he asked. "Where is she now? Does she remember me? Does she remember being a card?"

Ugh. "I don't know. I was too busy trying to get her to do her duty last night. In which case she didn't." And Pharaoh didn't care one bit. Top notch idea when saving humanity from an unknown threat. Put friendship first. Just because she didn't want to hurt Bakura by sacrificing herself for Pharaoh, that was supposed to be the reason to give up on it? It's his power! He should be doing everything he can for it! Ridiculous.

"Seto?" His brother questioned again. "What are you going to do with Shizuka Kawai?"

He had no idea. As long as her instincts kept drawing her near, he wasn't going to tell her to leave. "She can just sit for now."


Shizuka sat down and just heard them clicking and clacking on the computers. She rubbed her forehead. She hated to be there, but she hated it more not to be. As cliche as it was to say, she had to admit she felt like a moth to a flame. It wasn't where she wanted to be, but it's where she was supposed to be.

She turned her head. There were probably windows, but she couldn't see out them anyway.

"Oh. We have to go pick up Honda from jail, Seto," Mokuba Kaiba told his brother. "He's apparently been trying to break into Kaiba headquarters? No joke? Do you know what that's about?"

"His little girlfriend ran off with me last night." Seto Kaiba gestured back toward her, not even referencing her name. "She still hasn't gone home. We'll settle the Honda matter in a little while, there's more important things than dealing with thugs."

I want to go. "I want to go." Shizuka could finally say it.

"Then go. Doors unlocked, head out," Seto Kaiba offered.

"I'll take her and we'll sort things out with-"

Shizuka didn't even scream. She didn't know how to react. She heard it. She heard a lot of things. A door opening. A shot. A scream. Another scream. A clanking of metal. Scuffling and-

"Shizuka Kawai, get a move on!" She recognized Kaiba's grip.

She ran along with him, his hand guiding her. What had happened? "Are you okay, are you shot?"

"Mokuba was shot, so no, I'm not okay! In there!"

She felt herself getting pulled and stopped. The sounds of the keys now sounded like an elevator. She heard the weakening sounds of Mokuba's breathing.

"Hang on, Little Brother, It's okay." Kaiba's voice. She had never heard it sound so panicked. Not for her brother. Not during any part of Battle City. None of it. "Damn it, who made it through my building? This is the highest security of any building out there in all of Japan."

Shizuka heard the doors open.

"**** every single one of you!"

Kaiba cursing out someone from the elevator. What was in front of her? She heard a struggle, the sound of metal and another gun go off. What's going on? I hate not seeing. Mokuba was still on the ground. Silent.

She laid against the ground, when she heard Mokuba say something.

"Left. Phone. Give."

Left? She felt around on the left and found the shape of a phone. She went over to Mokuba Kaiba trying to be gentle as she found his hand, hoping she didn't hit his wound. He made a couple of sounds then gave it back to her.

It rang for only a little while. There was no answer. "Police." She couldn't feel the numbers out on the phone, there was no keypad on it.

"Not police. They can't."

"They can't what?" He stopped talking. "Mokuba Kaiba?" What's going on out there? There were lots of sounds now. Fighting. Scuffling. Shooting here and there. There were shouts in different languages, she couldn't understand them. She tried to stay on the floor near Mokuba Kaiba.

She heard someone come back to the elevator. She didn't move away from Mokuba.

"Get away from them now," she heard Kaiba yell to the person in the elevator. "Get away!" It wasn't a warning, it sounded like a plea. Desperate. Like he couldn't do anything. "Shizuka Kawai, attack with it! Attack with the Blue-Eyes before it's too late!"

What? "I don't know how to do that."

"Just say it! Just say 'I summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Then, it happened. This time, she was awake for it. She could hear it. Someone in the elevator screamed, and the scream was thrown out of the elevator.

"Attack, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Kaiba's voice came again. She heard several screams and could feel extreme heat in front of her. Her whole body felt like it was pounding. Like it was all one big heartbeat. She felt someone else come in, this time, a presence she didn't fear.

"Stay down." It was Seto Kaiba. "Return to Shizuka, Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

Then, it was a miracle. Shizuka's eyesight, she could see everything! The world was crystal clear, better than the doctor's had ever done. Then, she saw the carnage. Mokuba was bleeding intensely and unconscious. She hoped. Seto Kaiba was right next to them, waiting in the elevator like he was ready for someone else to come. In his hand, he held the same kind of weapon Marik once held. It had the gold eye on it and a long stake.

Outside the door, ten people were lying on the ground, dead. There were four people standing and praying.

"You need to kill the dragon," someone said to him. Seto Kaiba didn't respond. "Kill the girl to kill the dragon, before it's all too late!"

Seto Kaiba still did nothing. He just remained with his little brother and her. Then, he held the eye staff toward the man. "Why do I have to kill the girl to kill the dragon? Why would I want to kill the dragon?"

Seto Kaiba seemed to have a power over them. He continued to ask questions, each of them answering like they were stuck in a trance.

She now knew why her life was in danger, but she still didn't understand what it meant. "What do they mean, Seto Kaiba? What is Ba?"


"****ing hell." Kaiba never expected to hear that word again. These people had been tracking down the appearances of the Pharaoh's magic since his last appearance. Nothing had been happening, then they spotted signs magic was coming back. However, the signs weren't good, and there was no way it was made by them.

For the last four years, they had found signs of evil making a slow return. They assumed the magic was done by the Pharaoh himself, coming back from the dead to try and rule over the living. They didn't seem to know anything, just random observers trying to hack their ignorance into intelligence. Except, that these ignorants did run across something. It wasn't in their heads. Kaiba needed to conduct new research now. Once they found Yuugi, they were determining who would be who already. They knew another group was trying to pull out the evil magic, they had run into it on several occasions.

That's how they found Yuugi, they tracked the other group's movements. Some of what they said made sense while the rest of it made none. Knowing authorities would be looking at his cameras, he decided to speak to them through their minds with the rod. You've been lured in by bull. We weren't responsible for any of those things, and killing an innocent girl or two isn't going to make anything bad go away. Do you know why? Because we're not involved in it. If anything, the forces are coming together to fight something evil. Did that ever occur to you? He held his rod out closer. One of you will go home and you will say this. The crap that is happening is destiny. Pharaoh is coming back to fight the evil, not take over the world. Any second thoughts about not doing that, and your mind will be mine. As for the rest of you? He used the power to make sure they would never be a menace again.

One survived to take his message and that was good enough. Now, get out and move. The doctor's are coming.

Kaiba moved Shizuka Kawai up with him. His doctors were coming in quickly to take care of Mokuba. Mokuba. His facilities weren't enough this time, his doctors weren't there or ready, and he didn't stop the ambulance from coming in. There would be a ton of questions by the police, like why they all started to shoot themselves, but he didn't care. He never said anything compromising out loud. His brother was shot and he was getting the best care right away. "I'll be right there, Mokuba."

Because of course, police. They showed up late, but not late enough he could follow to the hospital.


Domino Hospital

After Seto Kaiba gave the police what little information he could, and Shizuka gave what she could, he was freed. After all, they had video of the whole ordeal from his security system. He did make sure though that he kept the millennium rod. Brainwashing was not his favorite to use, but useful at the moment. Brainwashing was a weak use for the rod. If you weren't persuasive enough to make someone do what you want, it wasn't something an item should be bothered with. It was your fault, at least to Seto Kaiba.

It felt? Like an old friend come home. The idiot holding it hadn't seemed to know what to do with it, like he was holding it for someone. If a person didn't know what an item could do, they weren't much better than a paperweight for it. Either that, or dead. If they were that clueless, they must have got it from the other group.

Kaiba checked the internet while he stayed with Mokuba. He was stuck in the public hospital since the police took him away for questioning. Mokuba would be in better hands soon, but he didn't want to be gone from his brother for long, so he was moving everything to his mansion. He also had to deal with some of the red tape like rules, provisions, paychecks, threats and maybe some bribery. Shizuka Kawai stayed right beside him, and he wasn't letting her leave easily. She was a potential weapon and people were trying to kill her, to kill the dragon.

Shizuka turned. "I'm sorry about your brother."

Mokuba would be fine, they got him in on time. Plus, Kaiba hated pity. Still, he wasn't leaving yet until his home facilities were ready. If anyone so much as made a move against his brother, he'd go ahead and use the weak trick of brainwashing again. He wasn't above making people shoot themselves if it saved his brother.

"Can I get you something?" Shizuka asked.

"No. How are your eyes?" He glanced at her eyes again. The color of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's eyes were in hers still. Piercing blue.

"I'm great," she answered. "It's just strange."

"What's strange about it?" he asked.

She seemed surprised he was still having a conversation with her. "They just feel strange. My eyes have never seen this clear. The doctor's said that there was no way to ever fix them this time. I was resigned to being blind. I don't understand. Could I . . . possibly call my brother?"

"Soon." He rubbed his thumb against the millennium rod's smooth base. Honda and Jounouchi were on hold. He was trying to determine if the information squealed to him was accurate or something a boss had told them.

So far, they were banging it all on the head though. Even his own lovely employee that was literally a serial killer that Jounouchi had survived against in Death-T. He had been missing too. He should have followed up on it closer.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go find a vending machine."

"It'll be away from this area of the hospital. These people are dangerous. I'll just have my men pick something up. What do you want to eat?" Once again, she looked shocked.

"Anything is fine," she said. "No particular thing."

Kaiba went ahead and ordered his men to pick something up.

"Sir?" One of his men already had some bags he was expecting too. "Here are the items you requested."

Kaiba took the bags and looked at them. He took one and gave the other to Shizuka Kawai. She looked into the bag, confused. "You're covered in my brother's blood. Go get dressed." He was covered in it too. It was less about getting dirty, but having his brother's blood around him after that close call didn't leave great reminders. He dialed Yuugi again, to give him a warning about the situation and Honda being an idiot. There was no answer. He then tried to call Jounouchi. He wasn't answering either. "Your brother isn't answering."

"I could go home and change. I didn't know about the blood," Shizuka Kawai apologized. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine just go get dressed. When you come back, I need to talk to you." He moved closer to check on Mokuba as she got dressed in the bathroom. His little brother was okay now, just sleeping. Soon, Mokuba, you'll be back home safely instead of in the middle of an open public hospital with security I could hack and take over if I wanted to.


Shizuka did as he requested. I can't believe I had his brother's blood on me. How did I not notice that? It was on her side. When she opened the bag she was surprised that she even had socks and shoes. The shoes had fit. The socks didn't. She also had a nice long dress that was a light blue.

She came out, not needing to mention about the socks. It was nice enough he got her clothes. She came over by him. He's very protective of his little brother. He might not be a nice person, but it was clear he loved his little brother.

"We need to talk about the dragon you control." Kaiba took a seat. She sat down too. "You've noticed the danger around you increase."

Of course she noticed that. People came after her two, maybe three times. "Yes."

"Pharaoh of Yuugi came back, and a lot of things have tagged along to help," he said. "That means that something powerful and dark is coming. You are a part of that."

A part of it? "You mean the dragon?" She didn't know how to control it.

"Yes, but destiny has given us something new. I control the dragon, as well as you, Shizuka Kawai."

What did he mean by that?

"You asked about ba when we were in the elevator. Ba is used like fuel, to summon monsters." There was more to it than that, she could feel it. "Ka is the power monsters have. Living beings have ba and ka, a finite amount. However, when I call the dragon, your power and energy doubles the power of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

Doubles the power? "If I hadn't spoken to Jounouchi over the years, I would never have believed you." She had though. Her brother and his friends had seen amazing things and she believed him. After Battle City, she believed anything.

"Believe this. That darkness that is coming, your dragon has got to fight it." His eyes focused on hers. "I need you here to save the world."

Eeh? "Jounouchi knows how to summon monsters too."

"It won't work for him." Kaiba brought out a card to show to her. "Since ancient times, I have been tied to this card." He held it close in his fingers. It was a dueling card with a picture of a light blue dragon with blue eyes. "I also have this. It's called the millennium rod." He gestured to the rod in his other hand. "It's basically how you summon without spending all your energy that you just die."

Die? I don't want Jounouchi to put his life on the line like that. And? "Will I die?"

"There's a chance." Kaiba was honest. "If we don't step forward and take a chance though, when the darkness comes, a lot more innocent people will die. Good men, women and children." He put the card away again and placed the rod down too.

There's a chance I could die from this dragon summoning. "You said it takes life force?"

"You remember watching your brother duel?" Kaiba asked her. She nodded. "It's similar to the game. When the dragon gets struck, it will strike your own life force."

I could die. Shizuka always wanted to be brave like her brother. It was a dream of hers. She tried to keep being courageous in life, even dated Honda who was really brave. But then when she went blind, she floundered. And? She had to admit something to herself. "My eyes aren't as clear again."

"Seeing again is probably temporary power then," Kaiba suggested. "A lot of power goes through a summoning. You are taking my ba too."

What? "Your life force?" She squeezed the side of her dress. "You could die too?"

"There's risk in everything." That was his answer. That said it all. "You have better chances with me than alone. Alone you will be using only your own life force. If it comes to push and shove with the enemy, the stronger the life force, the more chance of success. Well?"

Well? "It's my choice?"

"The dragon is your protector, it saved your life on the boat. It wouldn't leave you to be enslaved to anyone. So the choice is yours." Kaiba continued to stare straight ahead.

"Jounouchi wouldn't like it," she said back.

"I don't care what Jounouchi likes. It's your decision." He was looking through his phone again.

I want to be brave like Big Brother, but to risk my whole life? "What if I said no?"

"Then I just keep fighting on my own." He was reading down another page.

Even if I go blind again. I? I'll never be like Jounouchi. But I could make a difference. So much is happening right now around us, I know something is coming too. If I don't fight? She looked back at Kaiba. He couldn't force her. He knew it. She could just walk away and leave it to them. The pros. If Yuugi had the Pharaoh back, then he could handle it. Couldn't he? "I don't know."

"If you don't, then get out of this room. It's not for wimps." He criticized her.

I need time to think. It felt constricting there now. She moved out the door and moved away. Jounouchi isn't a fan of Seto Kaiba. It was hard to get along with him. He kept belittling him all the time. Jounouchi had even told her about Death-T. Physically trying to kill her brother! He said he changed though. Even Mokuba Kaiba didn't sound half as bad. He was nice to me.

No one was coming after her. Now that she didn't want to risk her life, nobody watched her any extra. Why should they? She didn't want to risk anything for anyone. It's such a big decision. She wanted to call up her brother to pick her up and take her away. It was dangerous there all alone with no one around. She could even feel the blurriness getting stronger along with her tears.

It was her life and it would be controlled by one of her brother's enemies. He put them through so much. But? Do I really just want to be a nobody? Am I running so that I can live, but never really live? Why am I even with Honda if I don't want to become stronger? I want to be stronger. She stopped walking. Honda never actually showed her how to be strong though. He was sweet with kind smiles and a gentle embrace, but he didn't make her strong. Just because he's strong doesn't mean it comes to me. Right now, Honda was being brave again too. He was in jail because he broke into Kaiba Corporation to try and get her back.

She looked backwards. I want to be brave. Helping Jounouchi's enemy would make him mad and worried, but I want to be brave. I don't just want to be a little house warmer all day. I want. I want? She turned back. I want to help! I can help people, and everyone will be at risk anyhow. Men, women, and children. Who knows how bad that unchecked power would be? I'm sorry, Jounouchi.

This was why she kept feeling drawn back to Kaiba. This dragon in her. That dragon was there for a reason. It was driving her back to him. I won't just hide my whole life away, hiding the dragon in me. If I am able to fight, then I'll do it.

She walked back through the doors and back to Mokuba's room. "I want to help!"

Kaiba glanced over at her. "You better be sure. Your life will be on the line if things go down."

"I don't want to be useless. I hate being useless." Be honest. No matter how mean he was, he would be holding her life in his hands. "It's not the thought of not seeing, it's the thought of never being anything. I wasn't anything before it either. I had just a little job, but now, I don't even have that. I just hang around the apartment, and I just hang around waiting for Honda to come home. I don't want that kind of life." Embrace it. "I want to help save this world, even if it costs me my life!" There.

She waited for his response.

"You accept the fact that you are technically a weapon that I control, and that your life could end?" He was checking one more time. "Don't change your mind. This is final. I will not be a happy person if you change your mind, and you don't want to see that side of me."

She understood. "I won't. I won't change my mind after I make it up and I've made it up. No matter how bad things get, I won't change it again." Besides. "I know that you also saved my brother's life." If he hadn't dropped him the right key after Marik possessed him to fight Yuugi? Her brother wouldn't be alive. There was good mixed with that bad.

"Good. Sit down," Kaiba said. "Food should be here shortly. Did the whole clothes fit?"

Uh? "Almost."

"What didn't fit, the socks? It's usually the socks for some reason."

She nodded.

"You'll have to give my men when I call them your undergarment sizes too. When we return home to my mansion, you'll have a room and wardrobe with clothes that fit. My men will also go to your house and move your stuff over to the mansion. You'll be next to my room." He flipped open his phone. "I don't care if you're blind. I'll make sure you won't be a bump on the log, but right now we are both staying put. I'm not leaving Mokuba until my team is ready. Probably, one more hour."

Oh. "Are you allowed to take him away from the hospital?" she asked.

"I'm Seto ****ing Kaiba," he responded. "They'll make exceptions. Now, let's talk about what's going on."