Notes: To Angel Reaper in reply to your query---I included him 'cause I wanted to see what would happen if he met Yami Bakura ^_^
Yami Bakura just stared. "His father?!" he repeated incredulously.
"That's right," the man nodded firmly. "But who are you and why do you look so much like my son?!"
Yami Bakura smirked, crossing his arms. "I am his ancient ancestor from Egypt, and I would advise you not to get on my bad side!"
Bakura's father stared at him for a long moment, seemingly unruffled. "Alright, I can deal with that for now. Where's my son?" He, of course, didn't really believe what Yami Bakura had just told him, but he was more interested in seeing Bakura at the moment.
"Asleep," Yami Bakura grunted. "And he needs the rest."
The man nodded. "It is late," he agreed, "but I can't stay long. I'm leaving for South America in a few days."
"Fool," Yami Bakura muttered, turning away. He didn't have a very high opinion of Bakura's father—always running off on trips the way he did and leaving Bakura home alone—at least, alone as far as the man knew . . . until tonight.
The bedroom door upstairs opened and a sleepy-looking Bakura appeared. "What's happening, Yami?" he asked, but then gasped. "Father?!" he cried.
Bakura's father smiled. "Yes, son. I'm here for a few days." He held his arms open and Bakura rushed into them.
"I've missed you, Father," the boy said softly.
"And I've missed you, too, Bakura," his father replied.
****
Tea paced the hospital floor, her blue eyes worried and sad. She dreaded what she was about to do now, but she knew it had to be done.
Carefully she picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Mokuba?" she said when she heard his innocent, worried voice. How would she ever do this?
Mokuba's heart sank when he heard Tea on the line. She wouldn't call in the middle of the night unless something was horribly wrong. "My brother's hurt, isn't he?" he said quaveringly.
Tea's eyes filled with tears. "I'm afraid so," she said softly. "He was protecting Joey from Vivalene and . . ."
"Is he gonna be okay?" Mokuba interrupted pleadingly.
Tea bit her lip. "I'm sure he will be," she said comfortingly.
Mokuba vowed that he would be there in a few minutes and they hung up.
Shakily Tea looked around, knowing she needed to find the doctor. Seto had been brought in a while before and was being treated now. She prayed desperately that he would live.
The door opened and the doctor came in. Quickly Tea rushed over to him and he looked down at her. "You're Mr. Kaiba's friend, aren't you?" he asked.
Tea hesitated for a brief moment, but of course Seto was her friend. "Yes," she said firmly. "Please tell me—how is he?"
The doctor smiled tiredly. "He's hanging in there. The bullet didn't pierce anything vital, so that's something in his favor." He led her down the hall and into a room. "He lost a lot of blood, but he's a fighter. I think he'll survive."
Tea stared at Seto's unconscious body. "Does he need a transfusion?" she asked softly.
The doctor paused. "He might," he admitted at last and left the room.
Slowly Tea walked over and took her friend's hand. "Oh Kaiba," she said quietly, "you saved Joey's life!" Gently she pulled the blanket over Seto's bare chest, seeing how cold the boy looked. "You were so brave. . . ." She brushed his long bangs aside. "I was afraid I would lose you tonight," she told him slowly. Tea felt a bit strange admitting that, but it was true. She felt the boy's fingers move ever so slightly and she knew he was aware of her presence.
The door opened and Mokuba rushed in, tears flying from his gray eyes. "The doctor said that Seto was shot!" he cried, running over to the bed and embracing the older boy gently. "Big brother!!" he wailed, and Tea's heart broke.
"He's going to be alright, Mokuba," she said softly.
Mokuba clung to his brother's body and then looked up at Tea, his eyes sad. "Does he even know we're here?" he whispered tragically.
Tea nodded, her voice cracking. "Yes, Mokuba. He knows," she assured him. "He knows."
****
The van stopped and Serenity turned to look at Tristan, her eyes wide and frightened.
Tristan tried to smile reassuringly, even though he, too, felt apprehensive. "Hey, don't worry, Serenity. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you!"
Serenity smiled back weakly. "Oh, I'm not worried about myself," she said softly. "I'm worried about you and Yugi and Tea . . . and my brother," she finished, looking down.
The door opened and the female ninja smirked at them through her mask. "Come now," she purred, and Tristan knew it was Vivalene. The woman held up a weapon threateningly.
"And what if we refuse?" Tristan snapped.
"Now, darling, we've already been through that," Vivalene replied and grabbed Serenity viciously, causing the girl to cry out.
Up on a roof high above them, Joey's angers boiled over. He was just about to leap down and attack when Tristan clenched his fists and said, "I won't let you hurt her!" The hazel-eyed boy knew that he would have to go along with Vivalene's plans for now to keep Serenity safe, and so he and Joey's sister were herded out of the van and into the warehouse Joey was standing on.
"Just you wait, Vivalene," Joey vowed as he watched through a skylight. "You're gonna pay for all the lives you destroyed tonight. I'm not gonna let you take any more."
Down below, Tristan watched as Vivalene circled around him and Serenity. "What do you want with us, Vivalene?" he demanded. "And what did you do to Joey?!"
Serenity gasped. This was Joey's girlfriend, the one she had been told was so treacherous?! "Did you hurt my brother?!" she screamed.
Vivalene shrugged, seemingly unfazed, and pulled her mask off. "You kids are interfering with my plans. I'm tired of it." She glared at them.
"Well, maybe if you had stayed out of Joey's life, we would've stayed out of yours," Tristan retorted. "We weren't gonna just stand by and let you hurt him like you've probably hurt countless others!"
"Where is my brother?!" Serenity demanded.
"Not to worry, dear," Vivalene told her. "Your foolish brother is still among the living—thanks to one of his other friends."
"What do you mean?" Tristan's eyes narrowed.
"Joey's friend gave his life to save him," Vivalene replied in irritation, thinking of how Seto Kaiba had screwed up her plans.
Tristan and Serenity exchanged horrified looks. Someone else was dead because of Vivalene?!
"You killed our friend and tried to kill my brother?!" Serenity shrieked in outrage.
Vivalene shrugged flippantly.
Joey, still listening in, could barely stop himself from yelling at and attacking the woman right then and there. She was speaking as nonchalantly as if she was telling about the weather—but Seto was dead because of what she'd done! The only thing stopping him from confronting the evil woman now was that he didn't want to put Tristan and Serenity in any further danger. Somehow he had to figure out how to get Vivalene away from them.
****
Yami Yugi faced the ninjas determinedly, refusing to back down. "What is it you want?" he demanded.
The ninjas didn't answer. Instead the one in the lead raised his weapon at Yugi, and the boy ducked just in time to avoid being struck.
Yami Yugi grabbed the ninja's arm and restrained him from trying that again. "Do not harm this boy in any way or you will regret this meeting for the rest of your lives," he warned.
"You will both come with us, then," the ninja hissed.
"Let's go with them, Yami," Yugi said quietly. "I have a feeling that maybe we should."
Yami Yugi looked at him for a while, then slowly nodded. "Alright, Yugi," he agreed at last. "I trust your judgment."
With that the ninjas herded them into the back of the van and shoved their unconscious driver into the passenger side. The lead ninja then got into the driver's seat and they took off.
****
"Bakura," said the boy's father as they sat on the couch, "tell me about your friend."
"I am not his friend," Yami Bakura retorted.
Bakura felt a bit uneasy. "How much did he tell you, Father?" he asked cautiously.
"Just some nonsense about him being your ancient ancestor from Egypt," the man replied, shaking his head.
"Well, he is from Egypt," Bakura said slowly. "And perhaps we are related in some way," he added guardedly.
Bakura's father sighed. "I've been away for much too long," he said regretfully. "You've changed so much. . . ."
"Do you really have to go away again?" Bakura asked sadly.
"I have a lot of work to do, Bakura," his father replied. "Besides, you seem to be getting along fine."
"But I miss you, Father," Bakura said forlornly, even though he knew it wasn't likely to change anything. He had had this conversation with his father many times in the past—more times than he could count or even cared to remember.
Much as Bakura had expected, his father said only, "I have to go, Bakura," and then looked away.
Yami Bakura wasn't impressed. "You do not have to go," he remarked. "But you seem to find your work more important than your son." He, of course, didn't especially want Bakura's dad to be around all the time and eventually find out what the thief really was—but still the man's attitude greatly annoyed and angered him.
Bakura's father stared at Yami Bakura, shocked by what he had just heard. "How dare you speak to me that way, young man?!" he thundered.
Bakura watched worriedly. He had known that if these two ever met, there would likely be a big confrontation—and now it was happening.
Yami Bakura fumed. "'Young man'?!" he cried indignantly. "Obviously you do not know to whom you are addressing! I am your senior by centuries, even millennia!"
Bakura's father was aghast by what he naturally assumed to be a display of absurd crazy talk. "Bakura, where on earth did you find this person?!" he demanded.
Bakura scratched his cheek. "Uh, well . . . actually," he had to admit meekly, "he was in that Ring you gave me."
****
Tea watched Seto worriedly. She and Mokuba hadn't left the teenage boy's side since the doctor had let them into the room, and that must have been hours ago by now, she thought to herself sadly.
Mokuba had climbed onto the bed with his brother and was hugging him gently when the older boy stirred. "Big brother?" Mokuba said hopefully, looking up.
Tea perked up as well. "Kaiba?" she whispered, leaning over.
Seto's eyes opened and he looked at her blankly for a moment before seeing Mokuba and smiling at him. "Hey kid," he said softly.
Mokuba's eyes lighted up. "Seto!!" he cried happily, embracing his brother again.
Seto held him close and stroked the younger boy's long hair. "Where am I?" he asked now.
"You're in the hospital, big brother!" Mokuba replied with a shudder.
"You were shot in the chest," Tea added softly, breathing a prayer of thanks that he was awake.
Seto grunted. "I remember that," he said, seeming to recognize Tea now. He looked down at Mokuba and began speaking to him quietly. Tea couldn't hear what was being said, but she decided that that was just as well anyway, since it was probably a private conversation.
Now Seto looked up at her again. "Where's Wheeler?" he wanted to know.
Tea looked worried. How would she explain?
As it turned out, she didn't have to. "He went after that witch, didn't he?" Seto continued, a knowing look in his eyes.
Tea blinked. "I'm afraid he did," she said softly. "He . . . he thought you were dead, and . . ."
"He still blamed himself," Seto deduced with a sigh.
Mokuba was horrified. He hadn't heard the details of what had gone on, but now he was starting to get an image in his mind of what had happened. "Seto, were you shot by that awful Vivalene?!" he cried.
Seto turned to look at him again. "I was," he admitted, "but don't worry kid—I'm going to be fine." He smiled tenderly at the younger boy and Mokuba looked relieved.
A soft knock came at the door and the three young people exchanged looks. Who would be knocking? A doctor or a nurse would probably just barge right in, especially if they thought Seto was still unconscious. "Come in," Seto said at last, his eyes narrowed in confusion.
The door opened and Ishizu stood there, a soft smile on her face. "Ah, Seto Kaiba. You are awake," she remarked and nodded a greeting to Mokuba and Tea.
The others were surprised at how calm the Egyptian woman looked. Her brother had died; how could she mask her emotions like this?
"Ishizu," Seto said slowly. "I wasn't expecting you."
"Because of Marik?" Ishizu's eyes were shining. "That is right, you do not know," she said softly.
"Know what?" Mokuba asked.
"He is alive!" Ishizu replied joyously.
Mokuba's eyes widened. "He is?!"
Ishizu nodded, her smile deepening. "Yes, he is," she told him.
"That's wonderful!" Tea exclaimed.
Seto leaned back into the pillows, his face mostly expressionless, but with a hint of a smile. "I'm glad to hear it," was all he said.
Ishizu lingered for a moment longer but soon left after promising to take a message to Marik from Mokuba. Seto, exhausted from the whole experience with Vivalene, soon fell asleep holding his brother.
Tea watched him for a moment and then turned to look out the window worriedly. Where was Joey? And for that matter, where were the others?! Had Vivalene captured them, too? She had the uneasy feeling that things weren't over yet and said a silent prayer for the others' safety.
Yami Bakura just stared. "His father?!" he repeated incredulously.
"That's right," the man nodded firmly. "But who are you and why do you look so much like my son?!"
Yami Bakura smirked, crossing his arms. "I am his ancient ancestor from Egypt, and I would advise you not to get on my bad side!"
Bakura's father stared at him for a long moment, seemingly unruffled. "Alright, I can deal with that for now. Where's my son?" He, of course, didn't really believe what Yami Bakura had just told him, but he was more interested in seeing Bakura at the moment.
"Asleep," Yami Bakura grunted. "And he needs the rest."
The man nodded. "It is late," he agreed, "but I can't stay long. I'm leaving for South America in a few days."
"Fool," Yami Bakura muttered, turning away. He didn't have a very high opinion of Bakura's father—always running off on trips the way he did and leaving Bakura home alone—at least, alone as far as the man knew . . . until tonight.
The bedroom door upstairs opened and a sleepy-looking Bakura appeared. "What's happening, Yami?" he asked, but then gasped. "Father?!" he cried.
Bakura's father smiled. "Yes, son. I'm here for a few days." He held his arms open and Bakura rushed into them.
"I've missed you, Father," the boy said softly.
"And I've missed you, too, Bakura," his father replied.
****
Tea paced the hospital floor, her blue eyes worried and sad. She dreaded what she was about to do now, but she knew it had to be done.
Carefully she picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Mokuba?" she said when she heard his innocent, worried voice. How would she ever do this?
Mokuba's heart sank when he heard Tea on the line. She wouldn't call in the middle of the night unless something was horribly wrong. "My brother's hurt, isn't he?" he said quaveringly.
Tea's eyes filled with tears. "I'm afraid so," she said softly. "He was protecting Joey from Vivalene and . . ."
"Is he gonna be okay?" Mokuba interrupted pleadingly.
Tea bit her lip. "I'm sure he will be," she said comfortingly.
Mokuba vowed that he would be there in a few minutes and they hung up.
Shakily Tea looked around, knowing she needed to find the doctor. Seto had been brought in a while before and was being treated now. She prayed desperately that he would live.
The door opened and the doctor came in. Quickly Tea rushed over to him and he looked down at her. "You're Mr. Kaiba's friend, aren't you?" he asked.
Tea hesitated for a brief moment, but of course Seto was her friend. "Yes," she said firmly. "Please tell me—how is he?"
The doctor smiled tiredly. "He's hanging in there. The bullet didn't pierce anything vital, so that's something in his favor." He led her down the hall and into a room. "He lost a lot of blood, but he's a fighter. I think he'll survive."
Tea stared at Seto's unconscious body. "Does he need a transfusion?" she asked softly.
The doctor paused. "He might," he admitted at last and left the room.
Slowly Tea walked over and took her friend's hand. "Oh Kaiba," she said quietly, "you saved Joey's life!" Gently she pulled the blanket over Seto's bare chest, seeing how cold the boy looked. "You were so brave. . . ." She brushed his long bangs aside. "I was afraid I would lose you tonight," she told him slowly. Tea felt a bit strange admitting that, but it was true. She felt the boy's fingers move ever so slightly and she knew he was aware of her presence.
The door opened and Mokuba rushed in, tears flying from his gray eyes. "The doctor said that Seto was shot!" he cried, running over to the bed and embracing the older boy gently. "Big brother!!" he wailed, and Tea's heart broke.
"He's going to be alright, Mokuba," she said softly.
Mokuba clung to his brother's body and then looked up at Tea, his eyes sad. "Does he even know we're here?" he whispered tragically.
Tea nodded, her voice cracking. "Yes, Mokuba. He knows," she assured him. "He knows."
****
The van stopped and Serenity turned to look at Tristan, her eyes wide and frightened.
Tristan tried to smile reassuringly, even though he, too, felt apprehensive. "Hey, don't worry, Serenity. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you!"
Serenity smiled back weakly. "Oh, I'm not worried about myself," she said softly. "I'm worried about you and Yugi and Tea . . . and my brother," she finished, looking down.
The door opened and the female ninja smirked at them through her mask. "Come now," she purred, and Tristan knew it was Vivalene. The woman held up a weapon threateningly.
"And what if we refuse?" Tristan snapped.
"Now, darling, we've already been through that," Vivalene replied and grabbed Serenity viciously, causing the girl to cry out.
Up on a roof high above them, Joey's angers boiled over. He was just about to leap down and attack when Tristan clenched his fists and said, "I won't let you hurt her!" The hazel-eyed boy knew that he would have to go along with Vivalene's plans for now to keep Serenity safe, and so he and Joey's sister were herded out of the van and into the warehouse Joey was standing on.
"Just you wait, Vivalene," Joey vowed as he watched through a skylight. "You're gonna pay for all the lives you destroyed tonight. I'm not gonna let you take any more."
Down below, Tristan watched as Vivalene circled around him and Serenity. "What do you want with us, Vivalene?" he demanded. "And what did you do to Joey?!"
Serenity gasped. This was Joey's girlfriend, the one she had been told was so treacherous?! "Did you hurt my brother?!" she screamed.
Vivalene shrugged, seemingly unfazed, and pulled her mask off. "You kids are interfering with my plans. I'm tired of it." She glared at them.
"Well, maybe if you had stayed out of Joey's life, we would've stayed out of yours," Tristan retorted. "We weren't gonna just stand by and let you hurt him like you've probably hurt countless others!"
"Where is my brother?!" Serenity demanded.
"Not to worry, dear," Vivalene told her. "Your foolish brother is still among the living—thanks to one of his other friends."
"What do you mean?" Tristan's eyes narrowed.
"Joey's friend gave his life to save him," Vivalene replied in irritation, thinking of how Seto Kaiba had screwed up her plans.
Tristan and Serenity exchanged horrified looks. Someone else was dead because of Vivalene?!
"You killed our friend and tried to kill my brother?!" Serenity shrieked in outrage.
Vivalene shrugged flippantly.
Joey, still listening in, could barely stop himself from yelling at and attacking the woman right then and there. She was speaking as nonchalantly as if she was telling about the weather—but Seto was dead because of what she'd done! The only thing stopping him from confronting the evil woman now was that he didn't want to put Tristan and Serenity in any further danger. Somehow he had to figure out how to get Vivalene away from them.
****
Yami Yugi faced the ninjas determinedly, refusing to back down. "What is it you want?" he demanded.
The ninjas didn't answer. Instead the one in the lead raised his weapon at Yugi, and the boy ducked just in time to avoid being struck.
Yami Yugi grabbed the ninja's arm and restrained him from trying that again. "Do not harm this boy in any way or you will regret this meeting for the rest of your lives," he warned.
"You will both come with us, then," the ninja hissed.
"Let's go with them, Yami," Yugi said quietly. "I have a feeling that maybe we should."
Yami Yugi looked at him for a while, then slowly nodded. "Alright, Yugi," he agreed at last. "I trust your judgment."
With that the ninjas herded them into the back of the van and shoved their unconscious driver into the passenger side. The lead ninja then got into the driver's seat and they took off.
****
"Bakura," said the boy's father as they sat on the couch, "tell me about your friend."
"I am not his friend," Yami Bakura retorted.
Bakura felt a bit uneasy. "How much did he tell you, Father?" he asked cautiously.
"Just some nonsense about him being your ancient ancestor from Egypt," the man replied, shaking his head.
"Well, he is from Egypt," Bakura said slowly. "And perhaps we are related in some way," he added guardedly.
Bakura's father sighed. "I've been away for much too long," he said regretfully. "You've changed so much. . . ."
"Do you really have to go away again?" Bakura asked sadly.
"I have a lot of work to do, Bakura," his father replied. "Besides, you seem to be getting along fine."
"But I miss you, Father," Bakura said forlornly, even though he knew it wasn't likely to change anything. He had had this conversation with his father many times in the past—more times than he could count or even cared to remember.
Much as Bakura had expected, his father said only, "I have to go, Bakura," and then looked away.
Yami Bakura wasn't impressed. "You do not have to go," he remarked. "But you seem to find your work more important than your son." He, of course, didn't especially want Bakura's dad to be around all the time and eventually find out what the thief really was—but still the man's attitude greatly annoyed and angered him.
Bakura's father stared at Yami Bakura, shocked by what he had just heard. "How dare you speak to me that way, young man?!" he thundered.
Bakura watched worriedly. He had known that if these two ever met, there would likely be a big confrontation—and now it was happening.
Yami Bakura fumed. "'Young man'?!" he cried indignantly. "Obviously you do not know to whom you are addressing! I am your senior by centuries, even millennia!"
Bakura's father was aghast by what he naturally assumed to be a display of absurd crazy talk. "Bakura, where on earth did you find this person?!" he demanded.
Bakura scratched his cheek. "Uh, well . . . actually," he had to admit meekly, "he was in that Ring you gave me."
****
Tea watched Seto worriedly. She and Mokuba hadn't left the teenage boy's side since the doctor had let them into the room, and that must have been hours ago by now, she thought to herself sadly.
Mokuba had climbed onto the bed with his brother and was hugging him gently when the older boy stirred. "Big brother?" Mokuba said hopefully, looking up.
Tea perked up as well. "Kaiba?" she whispered, leaning over.
Seto's eyes opened and he looked at her blankly for a moment before seeing Mokuba and smiling at him. "Hey kid," he said softly.
Mokuba's eyes lighted up. "Seto!!" he cried happily, embracing his brother again.
Seto held him close and stroked the younger boy's long hair. "Where am I?" he asked now.
"You're in the hospital, big brother!" Mokuba replied with a shudder.
"You were shot in the chest," Tea added softly, breathing a prayer of thanks that he was awake.
Seto grunted. "I remember that," he said, seeming to recognize Tea now. He looked down at Mokuba and began speaking to him quietly. Tea couldn't hear what was being said, but she decided that that was just as well anyway, since it was probably a private conversation.
Now Seto looked up at her again. "Where's Wheeler?" he wanted to know.
Tea looked worried. How would she explain?
As it turned out, she didn't have to. "He went after that witch, didn't he?" Seto continued, a knowing look in his eyes.
Tea blinked. "I'm afraid he did," she said softly. "He . . . he thought you were dead, and . . ."
"He still blamed himself," Seto deduced with a sigh.
Mokuba was horrified. He hadn't heard the details of what had gone on, but now he was starting to get an image in his mind of what had happened. "Seto, were you shot by that awful Vivalene?!" he cried.
Seto turned to look at him again. "I was," he admitted, "but don't worry kid—I'm going to be fine." He smiled tenderly at the younger boy and Mokuba looked relieved.
A soft knock came at the door and the three young people exchanged looks. Who would be knocking? A doctor or a nurse would probably just barge right in, especially if they thought Seto was still unconscious. "Come in," Seto said at last, his eyes narrowed in confusion.
The door opened and Ishizu stood there, a soft smile on her face. "Ah, Seto Kaiba. You are awake," she remarked and nodded a greeting to Mokuba and Tea.
The others were surprised at how calm the Egyptian woman looked. Her brother had died; how could she mask her emotions like this?
"Ishizu," Seto said slowly. "I wasn't expecting you."
"Because of Marik?" Ishizu's eyes were shining. "That is right, you do not know," she said softly.
"Know what?" Mokuba asked.
"He is alive!" Ishizu replied joyously.
Mokuba's eyes widened. "He is?!"
Ishizu nodded, her smile deepening. "Yes, he is," she told him.
"That's wonderful!" Tea exclaimed.
Seto leaned back into the pillows, his face mostly expressionless, but with a hint of a smile. "I'm glad to hear it," was all he said.
Ishizu lingered for a moment longer but soon left after promising to take a message to Marik from Mokuba. Seto, exhausted from the whole experience with Vivalene, soon fell asleep holding his brother.
Tea watched him for a moment and then turned to look out the window worriedly. Where was Joey? And for that matter, where were the others?! Had Vivalene captured them, too? She had the uneasy feeling that things weren't over yet and said a silent prayer for the others' safety.