Marie sat wedged between two security guards, her hands balled tight between her thighs. There was a spot between her feet where a metal loop had been welded to the floor. Once, it must have been used as a way to lock a chain in place which she assumed would then connect to a pair of handcuffs. This was oddly out of place within the sleek nature of the KC Security Transport vans. The outsides had been painted a polished glinting black with tinted windows, with guards in heavy vests manning the inside, which was a blinding shade of hospital white. She stretched her feet out and nudged the guard sitting opposite her.

"Ten bucks if you can get me outta here."

The guard said nothing and merely stared at her from behind their glasses. Marie forced her lips into a smile and tried again. She was nervous as hell and sweating terribly. "Ten bucks and half a KitKat with a bite taken out the side. No? What was it? The side-bite? I don't blame you."

The van came to a sudden halt that threw her forward. The guard immediately pulled her up by her arm and thrust her out the open door onto the curb. The door to the van remained open and the guards watched as she stood up on shaking legs. Seto sat in the car ahead of them, also watching her as Mizumi blew cigarette smoke out the window. The latter's face was twisted in an ugly expression. No doubt the retrieval of the key lay just as heavy on her mind as Mizumi's.

With all eyes on her, the message was clear: don't try anything funny, bunny.

She brushed the grit off of her uniform - a modest silver spare that must have been designated to KaibaCorps kidnapees specifically - and walked towards the shack housing the woman who had offered her sweet and sour dumpling soup. The owner of the business had her back turned towards her and was busying herself with a boiling pot.

"Excuse me," Marie said timidly and the woman turned around. The genial expression that she was wearing immediately dropped when she saw Marie standing there. "Remember that key I gave you? I need it back."

"So sorry, hun," the woman said, her eyes darting to the car with Seto and Mizumi. "I don't have it anymore."

"You what," Marie exclaimed. "Where is it?"

The woman shook her head and began to wring her hands on her apron. "Silly me, I...you must forgive me...I...I dropped it down the drain when I was washing the dishes."

"No, no, no!" Marie cried. She rushed into the kitchen and stood with her hands upon the sink. The drain was too small for her to reach her hand in, but she tried anyway. "Are you serious? Wha...I needed that! We gotta do something! Can you take the sink apart? Can you-" Marie began to panic. Everything had been going so well. She had gotten Ryo the passports and a ticket to his new life. But what would happen now that the key had been lost? On one end, there was Kaiba to consider. There was no telling what he would do now that her promise had been broken. All of his hard work had literally gone down the drain. And then there was Mizumi. Marie didn't even want to think about the repercussions of inciting her wrath. If she had given Kaiba the key then it was possible that Mizumi might have doubled down on her efforts of taking it back from him instead of focussing on her. But now Marie no longer had proof that the key wasn't in her possession, and Mizumi would no doubt hunt her down relentlessly because of it.

She stuck her fingers into the drain and wriggled them around but to no avail. The woman gave a loud swallow and then put her hands on the back of Marie's shoulders. She tried to say something but Marie, furious now, shook her away.

"The pretty lady in the car," the woman whispered. "The one with the perfect hair. She has it."

"What-" Marie said, swinging around. The woman cleared her throat and glanced surreptitiously to the side.

"I said: the pipe beneath the sink is very wide and I think it leads to the sewers below the shop. There's no telling where that key could have ended up. I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

Marie stared at her. She could feel the heat of Mizumi's gaze over the woman's shoulder. The woman, for her part, was trying her best to maintain an apologetically cheerful facade. She was wringing her apron so hard that her hands had turned red with the effort.

The pretty lady in the car. The one with the perfect hair. She has it.

Well, that could only mean one person.

Marie realized that Mizumi must have followed her at some point during the night. Yes, that was it. Mizumi had immediately called Seto after their scuffle and put the blame on Marie, then followed her and took the key after Marie had been taken away. There was a spider web of deceit growing tighter around her. Seto thought that Marie had the key when in truth it must have been only a few inches away from him in Mizumi's pocket. But there was no way that he'd believe it if she flat out told him. The only possible way to extract herself from this mess was to get Mizumi to confess. But Mizumi was jaded and angry and, above everything else, highly narcissistic. There was no way that she'd give the key up so willingly.

A door slammed and Marie looked over the woman's shoulder. Seto was walking towards her, Mizumi close at his heels. The look in his eyes read clearly: you'd better have my key. Marie looked at Mizumi in fear and, in that brief moment of the two women looking at each other, Marie realized that Mizumi knew that she had figured it out. Incredible, egotistical Mizumi who was all about principles and…

Principles. Making a point.

Once upon a time, Marie had believed these to be Mizumi's biggest strengths. But they weren't, not at all. They were weaknesses if her opponent knew what they were doing.

Marie pushed past the woman and began to laugh as she walked towards Seto. His face was impassive but his eyes had widened ever so slightly in surprise. Marie pushed her hands into her pockets as if she were digging out the key and then held them, empty, before him.

"What's so funny," he asked. Mizumi stopped a few paces behind him and crossed her arms.

"You are, you fucking donkey," she continued to giggle, bending over at the waist for full effect. "Did you really think that I'd give you the key? After I went through all that work just to get it?! Haha haha!" She was channeling her inner Joker and praying to God that she wore it well. "You're so stupid, Kaiba."

"What?!" He balled his fists at his side. "Why, you little-"

"Uh-uh-uh, tsk tsk tsk," she wagged her finger in his face. "That was your first mistake, thinking that I was a little anything. See, you're pretty, Seto, and you have a bright future beneath your belt..." she winked and bit her lip for emphasis. Mizumi sputtered. "...if you know what I mean," Marie continued. "But you suck at seeing what's right in front of your perfect little pointy nose. For years you thought that I was nothing but a little Social Media Account manager who was too naive to even tie her own shoes. But you were wrong. I've been plotting against you from the beginning. Yes, I've been working for Arronaxx and yes, I sold them your precious little key," she gave another deranged laugh. "That night, in the car, you were so busy getting all up in my business that you didn't even notice me switch the key out with a fake."

"You what-" Mizumi said, turning red.

"Shut up, Mizumi," she said with a dainty wave of her hand. "This business is a little over your head. Seto. By the time you get back to your safe, all your precious little blueprints will be gone, done-zo, outta hee-ya."

"Before I make your life a living hell, I want you to tell me why...why would you do this to me," he demanded in a heated tone, his fists quivering. Marie shrugged.

"It's simple. I wanted to teach you a lesson, and that lesson's about power. You think you're so great with your money and suits and sportscars. You have your face on the front of every magazine and on every screen in Domino City. But all it took was a little Social Media Manager to turn your world upside down. I'm more cunning than you, Seto. I'm smarter, prettier, and more ballsy than you can ever hope to be. This heist will go down in KaibaCorps history and it was all because of me. Just think," she paused, readying herself to put the glass cherry atop the paper card cake, "not even Mizumi could have pulled off something like this."

"Okay, wait!" Mizumi pushed Kaiba aside and stormed up to her. Marie intuitively flinched, fully expecting her to lash out with her fists again. "You're such a little liar, Marie," she growled.

"What was that? I'm a liar? I think not. Didn't I just tell you that this matter is over your head, sweetie?"

"No the fuck it isn't," Mizumi hissed. "Don't be a bitch and try to steal my thunder."

The street had gone completely silent. Everybody was staring at Mizumi, including the very confused shop owner who was glad that she had missed out on her soap operas to witness this. A small smile cracked across Marie's face. Seeing this, Mizumi's face fell and she took a nervous step back, right into Kaiba's hands. She whirled around and tried to pull away but he tightened his hold.

"What did you just say?" He said slowly.

"Seto, I-"

"You said Marie was lying. What was she lying about, Mizumi?" His fingers tented as they tightened on her shoulder. "Tell me."

"Fuck this!" Mizumi reached into her bra, pulled out the key, and shoved it into his chest. His fingers closed around it as he stumbled back. Mizumi thrust her middle fingers in the air and stuck her tongue out. The KC security guards gasped at this uncharacteristically vulgar display as she backed away slowly, wobbling precariously on her heels.

"Yeah okay, so what?" She screeched, her voice echoing through the night. "I changed my mind about you and stole the key. I would have been halfway to Constance Lemuria on Arronaxx's dime if I hadn't run into this little brat. And you know what? She's right about one thing. You really have become an egotistical brat since you took over KC, Seto. And before you go telling me that I have no right to say such a thing, remember-" here, she gave a spiteful laugh and shook her head, "I was by your side before rags turned to riches, babe."

Marie jumped at this and looked at Seto. She had been of the belief that Mizumi had just appeared one day and had taken over Ryo's job as Kaiba's personal assistant. But if what she said was true, she and Seto had known each other since-

"Get in the car," Seto said to Mizumi. The security guards roused themselves and made a move to grab her but she jumped back and crossed her arms.

"Touch me and you're mincemeat." She held her head up high and sashayed towards the car. She hopped in the passenger seat and gave Marie a nasty look before sliding her legs into the car and slamming the door shut. The security guards began to move back into the vans, leaving Seto and Marie alone together.

"Seto," Marie said, turning to him. "I'm sorry...for everything. I know you've gone through so much. I can't even begin to imagine where your mind is at right now."

He shrugged and closed his eyes. "Just another day at KaibaCorps," he said. "Still, I'm the one who owes you an apology. I'll have to fire the person who does our ad postings on job sites. I'm sure they didn't include helping to unravel company-based conspiracies as part of your job duties."

She really, really, really wanted to wind her arm through his and pull him close to her side. But given what had just gone down, she didn't think that now was the time for such displays. Instead, she folded her arms behind her back where she was sure they wouldn't cause any trouble. "Yeah, I would sue you for everything that you've got for false representation except I'm the person who handles the job posting side of things."

"Huh," he said, looking down at her. "What do you know? I learn something new from you every day." Judging by his smirk, this was obviously not the case. "But answer me this, Marie: how did you know that Mizumi had my key?"

"It's a really long story. I'm talking condensed One Piece."

"I have time."

"The fuck you don't," Mizumi screamed from the window. She slammed her hand on the car horn repeatedly until he looked up at her in annoyance. "Come on!"

"You're the one that's in trouble," Seto called back. "What the hell are you rushing me for!?"

Marie was glad that he chose that moment to walk away. If he hadn't, she would have been tempted to pull him into the biggest, most embarrassing teddy bear hug of his life.