"I'll see you after school, then." Kaiba called over to Arielle as she
bounced into her classroom with renewed enthusiasm. Kaiba had finally
managed to convince Arielle that school would eventually get better and not
to be scared of Ushiro because if he dares to mess with her, Kaiba himself
would kick his butt.
Kaiba walked toward his own classroom. Students parted to make a path for
him, unconsciously. They had all learned the lesson of not to get on Seto
Kaiba's bad side.
Class went as usual, except Kaiba's constant checking on his watch. 10:45
AM, he checked his watch again. Fifteen more minutes, he thought with
satisfaction, leaning back in his chair, a slight smirk playing on his
face. Then, Ushiro Tashibana, you shall learn why it's never wise to mess
with a Kaiba.
Meanwhile, in Arielle's classroom, as the clock's hand landed directly on
the twelve, the classroom door opened. Every student, including the
teacher, stared at the door with a surprised expression. Two men dressed in
dark suits and sunglasses entered the room. Both of them were obviously
very muscular and definitely not to be messed with.
"We're here for Ushiro Tashibana." One of them said, he was slightly taller
than the other but was not as bulky. His hair was dark and his mouth was a
grim line. His shoulders definitely told the story of himself as a star
football player years ago.
"Wha--?" Ushiro looked up from his desk. "Whadaya want me fer?" Large for
his age and a bully, Ushiro was not particularly smart, but uses his
strength and size to threaten his way through life. Bullying the weak and
picking on the frail were his only sort of entertainment. He use to take
especial pride on beating up Tristan and Joey, Yugi at occasional times,
until he got bored and found himself a new victim.
"You're Ushiro?" The other man raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Name is
Rusty and Spence. You're coming with us. Our boss would like to have a few
words with you." He spoke with a slight New Jersey accent.
"Why?" Ushiro snarled. "I ain't done nothing, you guys can't take me."
"Yes, we can. Rusty," The first man, Spence, gestured with his jaws toward
the astounded teacher. "Show the lady our permit."
The man named Rusty flipped out an ID and showed it to the teacher. To
Ushiro's dismay, the teacher nodded.
"Go ahead, Ushiro." She turned back to her work. "You may finish your work
later." A dart of fright shot through Ushiro's eyes. He got up nervously
with a jeer at his peers from his desk and followed the men outside the
classroom. The whispers in the classroom began to buzz loudly. Rusty and
Spence walked closely beside him as if guarding a prisoner. But right after
they were out of range of the school, Ushiro broke free and ran.
"Ya ain't taking me nowhere," he yelled as he turned back. "Not as long as
I'm still alive and kickin'! You've got to catch me first, you big oafs!"
Ushiro's slow brain realized his mistake as soon as he turned back. Spence
was already beside him and without a warning, a blow knocked him out.
A groan sounded through the silence of the room as Ushiro raised his head. His muscles ached and he has a cramp in his neck. "Where the-what the?!" He looked around the room, but couldn't see anything. Not even a stray of light. It was then did he notice that there was a blindfold over his eyes. Though he couldn't see anything, Ushiro could definitely feel the cold air drift around the room while droplets of water were dripping somewhere that he couldn't detect. The room seemed damp and creepy to his uncovered skin, and he shivered from the spooky feelings. Despite of his new ability of not being able to see anything, Ushiro could tell the room was dimly lit. "Hey!" He shouted. His voice slicing through the silence. He wiggled on the chair that he was tied to. Perspiration poured off his forehead. "I know there's somebody in here, I can feel your presence." Nobody answered. The only sound was the dripping of the water.and a steady breathing. "Dammit! Answer me!" Ushiro was shaking visibly now. He began to threaten the unknown presence in the room, trying to do the best he can to scare them with his useless bluff. "When my hands are free, you're going to wish you were never born!" He tried to sound brave and hoped his thudding heart didn't betray him. "Come on, you coward! Answer me! What are you? Afraid?! Well, you damn well should be! Besides, it doesn't matter who the hell you are, but I'm the best fighter in this world. I'm bigger, I'm better, I'm stronger, and when I'm through with you--" The door creaked open, then slammed shut. "You can stop flattering yourself now." A deadly cold voice answered as he entered the room. Ushiro swallowed hard. The sound of shoes walking across the room was heard. It doesn't take a very smart person to know that his captor was here, in the same room as he was, ready to determine his fate. "But," the intimidating voice continued, filled with sarcasm and fake pleasantness. "Do continue. I'd like to know what would happen to me after you're through with me." Ushiro swallowed again. By this time, his blindfold was soaked with sweat. "When I'm through with you," he said, trying to sound tough, hoping his voice was not shaky. "You're going to hurt so bad that your mother would bleed." To his horror, the dark voice gave a low chuckle. "Just what I have expected from a loser like you." The voice said. "You know," it continued thoughtfully. "You're not very tough." "What do you mean?!" Ushiro demanded, lunging at the voice from his chair, almost falling face flat on the ground until a force behind his yanked his back. "You punk! And who the hell do you think you are you son of a-" "Silence." The dangerous voice gave a command that was obeyed immediately. "First, let's get one thing straight. You're under my mercy right now and I wisely suggest you not to test my temper nor my capability in physicality. It that understood?!" The low voice was demanding and Ushiro found himself answering as meekly as a kitten would have. "Yes.sir." Somehow, adding the sir now sounded like a good idea right now. "Now, then," The voice continued with an air of authority. "Your name is Ushiro Tashibana. You're seventeen and taking ninth grade over. You live between Domino High School and Domino Orphanage, five blocks away from the local park. You are an only child. Your parents divorced when you were eight, leaving you in the custody of your father, who, might I mention, is more than often seen at the bar, so drunk that he couldn't hold his head up." Ushiro heard a portfolio slam shut. "I suppose those information are all up to date?" "Yes.sir." His licked his lips nervously and rubbed his grimy, sweaty hands together behind his back. "You bully kids at school, may I ask what you get out of it?" The voice was deadly and piercing to the ears. "I.I--" Ushiro stammered, biting his lips. "Nothing." The person interrupted. "You got nothing out of it expect pain and instant amusement. Now, you're here as my hostage. Do you think anyone would miss you? Do you think anyone would care if you never return? Do you think they would cry and be presented at your funeral?" The voice spat. "Or do you think they'd spit on your gravel, celebrating for your non- existence?" "I." Ushiro couldn't stop the hot tears that were soaked up onto the blindfold. As if he was seeing the truth for the first time, Ushiro was truly sorry. Not sorry as he was a bully but was caught and was held here as prisoner. He knew it, and he knew that his captor knew it. "And as I was stating before all this...you're not very tough." The voice remarked, with a smirk in his voice. "You're not very tough at all. All of this bullying you've put up at school is simply an easy bluff to practiced eyes. You only pick on the kids smaller and weaker than you, which, doesn't make it very hard to watch them suffer as your entertainment." "But-" "Enough." Ushiro could hear the voice starting to deepen with anger. "You use to bully numerous numbers of kids, have you not? Until weeks before, you were still bullying three students that goes by the name Joseph Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, and Yugi Muto, do you object?" "No, sir." Ushiro was shaking more than he has ever shaken in his whole life. He had never been more scared. Who was this person that he couldn't see? How did he do it so that he knew every detail about him and his life? How powerful was he that he could get him out of class into this unknown world within the school hours? Just who was he? "Now, new reports say that you picked on a new student in school. Arielle, who is presently six and is in your class. It states here that you physically harassed her without her permission, then is unjustly trying to- " "I don't know who you are or what this big deal is." Ushiro was finally frightened out of his wits as he blurted out. "So just go away and leave me alone!" So scared that he blurted out without thinking. Now, he bit his lips as he awaits for the consequence. "The deal is," He could feel the person walk closer...and closer...and closer...until the suspense was so great that it was all Ushiro could do to prevent himself from sobbing straight out. "The deal is that--" The person's breath was warm on Ushiro's skin. He cringed and a cry escaped his throat. "-she was a Kaiba." Unintentionally, Ushiro's jaws dropped. He was shaking so badly that his chair rattled on the floor. "That's what the big deal is." The deep throaty voice continued softly. "And if you don't want another experience that is a thousand times worse than todays, I suggest that you leave her alone. Because the next time I hear you even get near her-" The voice came closer again and was lowered dangerously. "You're going to wish you were never born. I'm going to hurt you so bad in a way that even your mother would bleed. And just for your preference for future use, I...would...not...hesitate...to...kill...you..." With that as the shocking parting sentence, the person straightened up, and walked toward the door of the dimly lit room. Ushiro was still in shock when his blindfold was ripped off by Rusty. And when it was, he wished it wasn't. The room was so unusually frightening that it chilled him to the bones and made him whimper out loud without knowing why. He saw a stern figure opening the door. "Wait!" Ushiro finally found his voice. "Who are you?!" The tall, slender figure smirked as he opened the door and allowing it to slam behind him, shutting off the whimpering voice. "Mr. Seto Kaiba, sir?" A man intercepted him outside the closed door. "I suppose you're all finished with what you came here to do? Would you be going to your office now?" "No, I have some other things I need to take care of." Kaiba answered as he accepted another folder into his hands from his official. "I'll return later this afternoon. I have a meeting with the executives at five. You may deliver him back to his class now. I think he'll behave fine from now on."
"Seto! Seto!" Arielle's eager and bubbly voice almost brought a smile on Kaiba's lips. Almost. Kaiba grabbed the briefcase by his foot and straightened up. "Hey, kid." He tousled her hair affectionately. "Guess what happened today?" Arielle asked eagerly as they walked hand in hand over to the limo. "What happened?" Kaiba asked patiently as he opened the door to the limo. "Well," the younger girl slid into the seats and began chatting energetically. "During our math today, two huge, gigantic, monstrous men came into the classroom and took Ushiro away!" "Really?" The young CEO tried to look interested. "Then what happened?" "Then.I don't know, about an hour and a half later, Ushiro returned. Boy, was he a sight!" Arielle wasted no time getting into the every little detail. "He started blabbing to the teacher about how sorry he was for being such a difficult person, then he started running from class to class apologizing to everybody he's ever picked on. And lastly, he came over to me and actually started crying when he saw me. I didn't know what to do when he started begging for forgiveness, so I forgave him. That was okay, wasn't it?" She looked worried. "Uh? Wha--" Kaiba quickly dismissed the smirk on his face and turned. "Of course it's okay, don't be silly." Just then, a beeping sound startled both of them. "Hello? Seto Kaiba speaking." Kaiba said in his driest tone to his cellphone. He listened. "Very well. I'll test it out as soon as I get home." He clicked it off without saying good-bye. He didn't say anything else until the limo reached Kaiba Mansion. "Go play with Mokuba, okay?" Kaiba said as they walked through the front door. "I have something important to do." "Okay!" The younger girl immediately set out on finding her younger companion. Kaiba headed up to his office, where he sat for hours trying his best to put the final perfection on his VirtualPod. He had to stop once, to chase Sugarcookie away from the door of his office, where she had apparently appointed that as her beauty salon, licking her hairs daintily. "This is just not going to work!" He finally growled, slamming the tools down on the table. He simply wasn't satisfied with his work. He buried his head in his hands. "I had wasted too much time. I should have been working on this continuously." He muttered to himself. "Not that I have to get this done because the executives insists, but it's about time. Come on, Seto Kaiba, work." Kaiba buried himself again in the work furiously. The phone rang. "Hello?" He growled in his best hang-up-and-stop-bothering-me-or-your-fired voice. "Hello, Mr. Kaiba?" The voice at the other end said. "Yes?" He snapped. "Sir, you better come down here right away, we have an emergency." The man sounded scared stiff as Kaiba snarled another consent, hanging up the phone. He grabbed his coat and hurried out of the mansion, calling to Mokuba and Arielle that he's leaving for KaibaCorp.
"Fools." Kaiba gnarled as he entered the mansion after ten o'clock. "Can't even handle something so simple without me." He walked up the grand staircase quietly, not wanting to wake up the kids if they're asleep. He peeked into Mokuba's room first. His little brother was breathing deeply, no doubt in deep slumber, buried in layers of comforters so that only his hair showed. But as Kaiba peeked into Arielle's room, he found no one in the still neatly folded bed. "Arielle?" He whispered as he headed down the hallway, peeking into every room he's come across. "Come on, kid, it's not time to play hide-and-seek. It's your bed time." If he was surprised that Arielle wasn't asleep, Kaiba was even more surprised when he found Arielle in his office, typing commands away on his private computer. "Arielle!" He exclaimed as he hurried toward his whole lifetime's work. Arielle jumped a foot high as Kaiba's voice sliced through the air. "Hey, big brother!" She chirped, jumping off the computer chair and hugging Kaiba around the waist. Kaiba jerked the younger girl off and marched forward, examining his computer. His breath caught and his heart tripped a beat. A bile taste appeared in his mouth. Everything he's ever worked on for his entire lifetime was gone. Even the backup. "What did you think you're doing?" He turned Arielle, trembling in rage. "Big brother, I--" Arielle, noticing Kaiba's anger for the first time. "Go to your room, now! And don't you ever get on my computer ever again, DO YOU HEAR ME!?! EVERYTHING I'VE EVER WORKIN ON IN MY WHOLE LIFE IS GONE!!!" Kaiba no longer cared if Mokuba was sleeping, he began yelling at the small girl and it was all he could do to stop from lurching forward and throttle the younger girl. "GONE! Do you understand?!? Everything I've worked so hard to achieve and create is gone! JUST LIKE THAT!" "Seto!" Arielle cried. "I didn't do anything! Mommy taught--" Kaiba could barely see anything, he was so angry. All he could see was red. He was ready to cry, ready to hit the younger girl, and break his computer all at the same time. He was ready to burst. And at the mention of Arielle's mother, he did burst. "You DIDN'T do anything?" He echoed ludicrously, his shoulders shaking. "You didn't do ANYTHING?!" He took a step forward and grabbed Arielle's shoulders, beginning to shake her insanely. Never had he been so rough to anyone in his life. "What do you mean you didn't do anything?!" He hollered, shaking her. Arielle's head snapped back and forth. Her face turned pale. So pale that she was almost transparent. Kaiba was surprised that he didn't break her neck. "Everything I have ever had saved up is GONE! GONE! NON-EXSISTENCE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR IGNORANCE AND STUPIDITY!!!" "Seto! Stop!" Mokuba's alarmed voice all of a sudden rang out from by the doorway. His eyes were huge and he was visibly shaking. No doubt from fear. Kaiba stopped shaking Arielle and threw her on the ground, staring at her in disgust. "And another thing. I...am...not...your...mommy! My name is Seto Kaiba! My mission was to get you back to your health, then find you a good home. You are not living with us! I never wanted you in the beginning!" "Big brother." Hot tears were streaming down Arielle's pretty face. Kaiba held up a hand. "Don't ever call me that again." He said coolly. "Tomorrow, you're going back to the orphanage. Until then, I don't want to see your face." Choking back a sob, Arielle got up and fled from the room, never looking back. Mokuba was ready to follow her, but Kaiba's menacing voice stopped him. "Go to your room, Mokuba." Mokuba looked at his brother with fearful eyes. His once lovable big brother had never used that tone of voice with him before. And for the first time in his life, Mokuba was scared. Standing in front of him was not the big brother that he had so admired, so respected, and so loved. Standing in front of him was a out of controlled monster. A beast that will not be tamed. Stepping backward, Mokuba also ran back to his room without another word. After both youngsters had left, Kaiba sank down to the floor. His heart was broken to pieces, for after his little brother, technology and KaibaCorp was his next and only other love. Now all of his work was gone, he can never create or replace it ever again. He stifled back a cry as he stood up and headed for his own room. It would simply be too much to ask for him to go on his computer right now. For the first time in his life.Seto Kaiba felt defeated.
A groan sounded through the silence of the room as Ushiro raised his head. His muscles ached and he has a cramp in his neck. "Where the-what the?!" He looked around the room, but couldn't see anything. Not even a stray of light. It was then did he notice that there was a blindfold over his eyes. Though he couldn't see anything, Ushiro could definitely feel the cold air drift around the room while droplets of water were dripping somewhere that he couldn't detect. The room seemed damp and creepy to his uncovered skin, and he shivered from the spooky feelings. Despite of his new ability of not being able to see anything, Ushiro could tell the room was dimly lit. "Hey!" He shouted. His voice slicing through the silence. He wiggled on the chair that he was tied to. Perspiration poured off his forehead. "I know there's somebody in here, I can feel your presence." Nobody answered. The only sound was the dripping of the water.and a steady breathing. "Dammit! Answer me!" Ushiro was shaking visibly now. He began to threaten the unknown presence in the room, trying to do the best he can to scare them with his useless bluff. "When my hands are free, you're going to wish you were never born!" He tried to sound brave and hoped his thudding heart didn't betray him. "Come on, you coward! Answer me! What are you? Afraid?! Well, you damn well should be! Besides, it doesn't matter who the hell you are, but I'm the best fighter in this world. I'm bigger, I'm better, I'm stronger, and when I'm through with you--" The door creaked open, then slammed shut. "You can stop flattering yourself now." A deadly cold voice answered as he entered the room. Ushiro swallowed hard. The sound of shoes walking across the room was heard. It doesn't take a very smart person to know that his captor was here, in the same room as he was, ready to determine his fate. "But," the intimidating voice continued, filled with sarcasm and fake pleasantness. "Do continue. I'd like to know what would happen to me after you're through with me." Ushiro swallowed again. By this time, his blindfold was soaked with sweat. "When I'm through with you," he said, trying to sound tough, hoping his voice was not shaky. "You're going to hurt so bad that your mother would bleed." To his horror, the dark voice gave a low chuckle. "Just what I have expected from a loser like you." The voice said. "You know," it continued thoughtfully. "You're not very tough." "What do you mean?!" Ushiro demanded, lunging at the voice from his chair, almost falling face flat on the ground until a force behind his yanked his back. "You punk! And who the hell do you think you are you son of a-" "Silence." The dangerous voice gave a command that was obeyed immediately. "First, let's get one thing straight. You're under my mercy right now and I wisely suggest you not to test my temper nor my capability in physicality. It that understood?!" The low voice was demanding and Ushiro found himself answering as meekly as a kitten would have. "Yes.sir." Somehow, adding the sir now sounded like a good idea right now. "Now, then," The voice continued with an air of authority. "Your name is Ushiro Tashibana. You're seventeen and taking ninth grade over. You live between Domino High School and Domino Orphanage, five blocks away from the local park. You are an only child. Your parents divorced when you were eight, leaving you in the custody of your father, who, might I mention, is more than often seen at the bar, so drunk that he couldn't hold his head up." Ushiro heard a portfolio slam shut. "I suppose those information are all up to date?" "Yes.sir." His licked his lips nervously and rubbed his grimy, sweaty hands together behind his back. "You bully kids at school, may I ask what you get out of it?" The voice was deadly and piercing to the ears. "I.I--" Ushiro stammered, biting his lips. "Nothing." The person interrupted. "You got nothing out of it expect pain and instant amusement. Now, you're here as my hostage. Do you think anyone would miss you? Do you think anyone would care if you never return? Do you think they would cry and be presented at your funeral?" The voice spat. "Or do you think they'd spit on your gravel, celebrating for your non- existence?" "I." Ushiro couldn't stop the hot tears that were soaked up onto the blindfold. As if he was seeing the truth for the first time, Ushiro was truly sorry. Not sorry as he was a bully but was caught and was held here as prisoner. He knew it, and he knew that his captor knew it. "And as I was stating before all this...you're not very tough." The voice remarked, with a smirk in his voice. "You're not very tough at all. All of this bullying you've put up at school is simply an easy bluff to practiced eyes. You only pick on the kids smaller and weaker than you, which, doesn't make it very hard to watch them suffer as your entertainment." "But-" "Enough." Ushiro could hear the voice starting to deepen with anger. "You use to bully numerous numbers of kids, have you not? Until weeks before, you were still bullying three students that goes by the name Joseph Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, and Yugi Muto, do you object?" "No, sir." Ushiro was shaking more than he has ever shaken in his whole life. He had never been more scared. Who was this person that he couldn't see? How did he do it so that he knew every detail about him and his life? How powerful was he that he could get him out of class into this unknown world within the school hours? Just who was he? "Now, new reports say that you picked on a new student in school. Arielle, who is presently six and is in your class. It states here that you physically harassed her without her permission, then is unjustly trying to- " "I don't know who you are or what this big deal is." Ushiro was finally frightened out of his wits as he blurted out. "So just go away and leave me alone!" So scared that he blurted out without thinking. Now, he bit his lips as he awaits for the consequence. "The deal is," He could feel the person walk closer...and closer...and closer...until the suspense was so great that it was all Ushiro could do to prevent himself from sobbing straight out. "The deal is that--" The person's breath was warm on Ushiro's skin. He cringed and a cry escaped his throat. "-she was a Kaiba." Unintentionally, Ushiro's jaws dropped. He was shaking so badly that his chair rattled on the floor. "That's what the big deal is." The deep throaty voice continued softly. "And if you don't want another experience that is a thousand times worse than todays, I suggest that you leave her alone. Because the next time I hear you even get near her-" The voice came closer again and was lowered dangerously. "You're going to wish you were never born. I'm going to hurt you so bad in a way that even your mother would bleed. And just for your preference for future use, I...would...not...hesitate...to...kill...you..." With that as the shocking parting sentence, the person straightened up, and walked toward the door of the dimly lit room. Ushiro was still in shock when his blindfold was ripped off by Rusty. And when it was, he wished it wasn't. The room was so unusually frightening that it chilled him to the bones and made him whimper out loud without knowing why. He saw a stern figure opening the door. "Wait!" Ushiro finally found his voice. "Who are you?!" The tall, slender figure smirked as he opened the door and allowing it to slam behind him, shutting off the whimpering voice. "Mr. Seto Kaiba, sir?" A man intercepted him outside the closed door. "I suppose you're all finished with what you came here to do? Would you be going to your office now?" "No, I have some other things I need to take care of." Kaiba answered as he accepted another folder into his hands from his official. "I'll return later this afternoon. I have a meeting with the executives at five. You may deliver him back to his class now. I think he'll behave fine from now on."
"Seto! Seto!" Arielle's eager and bubbly voice almost brought a smile on Kaiba's lips. Almost. Kaiba grabbed the briefcase by his foot and straightened up. "Hey, kid." He tousled her hair affectionately. "Guess what happened today?" Arielle asked eagerly as they walked hand in hand over to the limo. "What happened?" Kaiba asked patiently as he opened the door to the limo. "Well," the younger girl slid into the seats and began chatting energetically. "During our math today, two huge, gigantic, monstrous men came into the classroom and took Ushiro away!" "Really?" The young CEO tried to look interested. "Then what happened?" "Then.I don't know, about an hour and a half later, Ushiro returned. Boy, was he a sight!" Arielle wasted no time getting into the every little detail. "He started blabbing to the teacher about how sorry he was for being such a difficult person, then he started running from class to class apologizing to everybody he's ever picked on. And lastly, he came over to me and actually started crying when he saw me. I didn't know what to do when he started begging for forgiveness, so I forgave him. That was okay, wasn't it?" She looked worried. "Uh? Wha--" Kaiba quickly dismissed the smirk on his face and turned. "Of course it's okay, don't be silly." Just then, a beeping sound startled both of them. "Hello? Seto Kaiba speaking." Kaiba said in his driest tone to his cellphone. He listened. "Very well. I'll test it out as soon as I get home." He clicked it off without saying good-bye. He didn't say anything else until the limo reached Kaiba Mansion. "Go play with Mokuba, okay?" Kaiba said as they walked through the front door. "I have something important to do." "Okay!" The younger girl immediately set out on finding her younger companion. Kaiba headed up to his office, where he sat for hours trying his best to put the final perfection on his VirtualPod. He had to stop once, to chase Sugarcookie away from the door of his office, where she had apparently appointed that as her beauty salon, licking her hairs daintily. "This is just not going to work!" He finally growled, slamming the tools down on the table. He simply wasn't satisfied with his work. He buried his head in his hands. "I had wasted too much time. I should have been working on this continuously." He muttered to himself. "Not that I have to get this done because the executives insists, but it's about time. Come on, Seto Kaiba, work." Kaiba buried himself again in the work furiously. The phone rang. "Hello?" He growled in his best hang-up-and-stop-bothering-me-or-your-fired voice. "Hello, Mr. Kaiba?" The voice at the other end said. "Yes?" He snapped. "Sir, you better come down here right away, we have an emergency." The man sounded scared stiff as Kaiba snarled another consent, hanging up the phone. He grabbed his coat and hurried out of the mansion, calling to Mokuba and Arielle that he's leaving for KaibaCorp.
"Fools." Kaiba gnarled as he entered the mansion after ten o'clock. "Can't even handle something so simple without me." He walked up the grand staircase quietly, not wanting to wake up the kids if they're asleep. He peeked into Mokuba's room first. His little brother was breathing deeply, no doubt in deep slumber, buried in layers of comforters so that only his hair showed. But as Kaiba peeked into Arielle's room, he found no one in the still neatly folded bed. "Arielle?" He whispered as he headed down the hallway, peeking into every room he's come across. "Come on, kid, it's not time to play hide-and-seek. It's your bed time." If he was surprised that Arielle wasn't asleep, Kaiba was even more surprised when he found Arielle in his office, typing commands away on his private computer. "Arielle!" He exclaimed as he hurried toward his whole lifetime's work. Arielle jumped a foot high as Kaiba's voice sliced through the air. "Hey, big brother!" She chirped, jumping off the computer chair and hugging Kaiba around the waist. Kaiba jerked the younger girl off and marched forward, examining his computer. His breath caught and his heart tripped a beat. A bile taste appeared in his mouth. Everything he's ever worked on for his entire lifetime was gone. Even the backup. "What did you think you're doing?" He turned Arielle, trembling in rage. "Big brother, I--" Arielle, noticing Kaiba's anger for the first time. "Go to your room, now! And don't you ever get on my computer ever again, DO YOU HEAR ME!?! EVERYTHING I'VE EVER WORKIN ON IN MY WHOLE LIFE IS GONE!!!" Kaiba no longer cared if Mokuba was sleeping, he began yelling at the small girl and it was all he could do to stop from lurching forward and throttle the younger girl. "GONE! Do you understand?!? Everything I've worked so hard to achieve and create is gone! JUST LIKE THAT!" "Seto!" Arielle cried. "I didn't do anything! Mommy taught--" Kaiba could barely see anything, he was so angry. All he could see was red. He was ready to cry, ready to hit the younger girl, and break his computer all at the same time. He was ready to burst. And at the mention of Arielle's mother, he did burst. "You DIDN'T do anything?" He echoed ludicrously, his shoulders shaking. "You didn't do ANYTHING?!" He took a step forward and grabbed Arielle's shoulders, beginning to shake her insanely. Never had he been so rough to anyone in his life. "What do you mean you didn't do anything?!" He hollered, shaking her. Arielle's head snapped back and forth. Her face turned pale. So pale that she was almost transparent. Kaiba was surprised that he didn't break her neck. "Everything I have ever had saved up is GONE! GONE! NON-EXSISTENCE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR IGNORANCE AND STUPIDITY!!!" "Seto! Stop!" Mokuba's alarmed voice all of a sudden rang out from by the doorway. His eyes were huge and he was visibly shaking. No doubt from fear. Kaiba stopped shaking Arielle and threw her on the ground, staring at her in disgust. "And another thing. I...am...not...your...mommy! My name is Seto Kaiba! My mission was to get you back to your health, then find you a good home. You are not living with us! I never wanted you in the beginning!" "Big brother." Hot tears were streaming down Arielle's pretty face. Kaiba held up a hand. "Don't ever call me that again." He said coolly. "Tomorrow, you're going back to the orphanage. Until then, I don't want to see your face." Choking back a sob, Arielle got up and fled from the room, never looking back. Mokuba was ready to follow her, but Kaiba's menacing voice stopped him. "Go to your room, Mokuba." Mokuba looked at his brother with fearful eyes. His once lovable big brother had never used that tone of voice with him before. And for the first time in his life, Mokuba was scared. Standing in front of him was not the big brother that he had so admired, so respected, and so loved. Standing in front of him was a out of controlled monster. A beast that will not be tamed. Stepping backward, Mokuba also ran back to his room without another word. After both youngsters had left, Kaiba sank down to the floor. His heart was broken to pieces, for after his little brother, technology and KaibaCorp was his next and only other love. Now all of his work was gone, he can never create or replace it ever again. He stifled back a cry as he stood up and headed for his own room. It would simply be too much to ask for him to go on his computer right now. For the first time in his life.Seto Kaiba felt defeated.