Hey- its GG here. MY WRITERS BLOCK IS OVER WHOOOHOOOO!! (Clears her throat) Anways, I'm glad you all still like the story....(::laughs:: and smirks at Lady Sephiroth...) and since I have constantly put you all through torture about Kaiba's 'mysterious' disappearance...I included a part in the beginning of this chapter explaining exactly what happened. No need to thank me... ::laughs:: ....I decided to include this now because I would be going crazy if I still didn't know what happened than too. So, I hope you like it! Do realize this chapter is a little shorter than usual but I guarantee I'll make it up next chapter! Oh, and please, Read & Review!
Personal Shout Outs:

Lady Sephiroth- Hey! I hope you like this chapter cause I wrote it for you! (I know you've been dying about the whole cliffhangers and such...sorry...I'm just so evil....) Thanks for the compliment on Joey's persona ::laughs:: I get him so well cause he's got the New Yorker accent and I used to live there! Plus me and him have the same sized brain!! About the whole Soul Room thing... I found it kinda corny and over used... but how else would they talk? So I figured...heck....I'll do it. Anyway, I look forward to writing that ficcie wit you!
Disclaimer: I don't own them, if I did the show would change alot in these ways:
1: It'd be more violent - just cause the card battling thing is just WAY too corny sometimes!
2: I'd make Kaiba fall in love with me! - ::laughs evily::
3: I'd make Tristan disappear! -sorry Tristan fans but he gets annoying sometimes...forgive me...

But ANYWAY, since I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, this will not happen, so NO I DON'T OWN THEM!
Chapter Eight: The Search Begins
A figure sped past a row of trees, trying to maintain a steady pace. He weaved through the array of obstacles that greeted him quickly and veered right at a break in the unclear path he was following. His head ached, his arms ached, every single body part ached from the stress, the run, the feeling of not being able to ever escape.

He was being hunted.

He stopped once he reached the far end of the woods, where the ground suddenly dipped and ran down to the edge of a cliff that was surrounded by a long twisting river. He needed to rest, but his predator was not exactly pleased with his resistance.

He had to run.

It was the only available option he had at this moment and he feared if he stayed in one place too long, his life would truly end and he'd never see her face again.

'Sydney.'
When he had been assaulted at his mansion the couple weeks before hand, he knew he had to get out of there as fast as possible. He only had one option in his office- jumping out the window. It was a far fetched escape but if it guaranteed the safety of his brother and the woman that he .... errr ....loved... than it didn't matter to him. After having jumped from the window, he had stood up after having made contact with the hard ground from the impact of the fall. He stood up, weary, yet still very much alive. He looked up to the window again to find the figure smiling, a very deep, dark, almost evil smile. It was than that Kaiba knew he had to run.

So he turned and took off.

His mansion layed in front of a very long and very large wooded forest that lead all the way to the depths of the next city. He knew it would literally take days for him to reach the next city or to turn around and return to Domino if he survived.

If....

He, however, made a delay before running into the unknown depths of the woods. He had to let Mokuba know what had happened, he had to let Sydney know how he felt about her if this was the last time he would have a chance. So he took the detour and sped toward the hidden lair underneath his mansion. He lifted the secret entrance and quickly disappeared into its depths, making sure to close the entrance behind him and giving his predator a harder time in finding him. He had walked down the flight of stairs and opened the door to his private room, turning on the computer and staring at the screen as it lit up and the computer began to function.

*Well, haven't seen you in awhile Kai- what happened to you?!*

Kaiba sighed at the computer's remark. He didn't know when he had ever programmed it to have concern but decided to let it in on the past events anyway.

"Someone's attempting to kill me," He told the screen,"I need you to set up a camera this instant. I need to record a message for Mokuba and Sydney."

*Processing. Downloading. Uploading. There, the camera in front of you should now be on. Adjust the focus and I will record it immediately.*

Kaiba slowly began to stand and stared into the camera's lens,"I don't know if I can do this."

*My sensors are picking up an intruder around this vacinity. I suggest you not hesitate at a time like this. Just say what's important. I will set up as much diversions as possible.*

'Atleast its loyal.'

He sighed and nodded,"I'm ready."

*Recording.*
A rustle of leaves caused Kaiba's head to shoot up. He turned his body slightly, gazing into the vast behind him, his eyes darting around trying to pick up the outline of a figure. He suddenly decided not to take the chance and sped off toward the river. As he neared the cliff he knew he'd have to jump to make it to the low height of the river's waters. He came upon the cliff and looked back for a brief second before looking forward again and taking a giant leap over the cliff that laid before him. He free fell downward, his arms and legs spread as he neared the shimmering water below him. He suddenly spun his body around and positioned himself into a dive.

He broke into the water, his body suddenly cooled from the waters' depths. He immediately began to look around him, noticing that the blood that once stained his clothing had now created a blinding cloud of red color around him. He kicked for the surface and gasped for breath as he searched for the shore. He realized he was now in a less wooded area which meant one thing- less hiding places for him.

He turned his head to see the closest shore and slowly began to swim toward it, his body becoming more and more tired from his constant will to live. He dragged himself onto the ground and collasped a couple feet inward. He let his face lay against the ground, still gasping for air and racked his brain for his next move.

'You can't run forever.' His mind told him,'Its been how long now? A couple weeks? Months? Keep this up and you'll be dead before he finds you.'

His ego sure had its ways of acting up at the most horrible times, but in a way, it was right. He COULDN'T run forever. He would eventually have to face him or be hunted for the rest of his life.

'I WILL NOT be made into a pathetic ANIMAL!'

With that, Kaiba slowly staggered, managing to stand up and was on the move again.

************************************

"Exactly where do you suppose we look?" Sydney asked in a caustic tone. She might have been friendly with Yugi when she first moved here but she still held loyalty to Kaiba. Yugi continued to look forward as they walked around the mansion for the fifth time looking for something, anything that would give them a hint as to where Kaiba could have possibly went.

"I'm not sure."

She crossed her arms and frowned,"I knew this was a bad idea. I should have never believed you."

Yugi stopped to look at her,"You would have never believed me if you didn't already believe he was alive in the first place."

Sydney remained silent and watched Yugi turn and continue to walk through the upstairs hallway, looking around for anything that the police might have missed. She walked quietly behind him, not truly understanding exactly why he had suddenly decided to help her. He hated Kaiba - atleast he acted as though he did.

'Than again,' She said to herself, 'I doubt he wanted Kaiba to die either...'

"Yugi-" She was about to apologize for her rudeness.

"What's that?"

Sydney raised an eyebrow,"What?"

Yugi gestured to a small opening with stairs that lay outside in the back of the mansion. He was standing near the back window when his eyes caught it and stared at it quizzically before deciding he'd better ask about it. Sydney walked to the window and looked down at the opening. It was though the ground had been dug into. There was a flap of ground that lay open, revealing narrow stairs that seemed to lead downward.

She thought for a moment,"I believe that's his private area. He told me had a personally secluded area that he used to accomplish certain tests on his programs, that might be the room he was talking about."

Yugi gazed at it,"I think we just got our first lead."

He suddenly turned to head back outside and Sydney looked at him funny.

"You're not a detective," She told him,"How would you know what to even look for?"

Hearing nothing, she sighed and began to follow the boy back down the stairs and out the front door to the back yard. She found Yugi already standing there, gazing down into the ground at the blackness that lay within and turned to him.
"So are you gonna stand there all day looking at it or are we going to investigate?"

Yugi raised his gaze to hers,"I think maybe you should go in first."

"Why?"

"Kaiba wasn't fond of me and I don't know what type of traps he might have set in case I ever set foot in there," Yugi told her,"Knowing Kaiba, he'd have made me the only person who cannot walk inside."

"Fine."

She slowly approached the stairs and slowly began to descend, taking each step at a time and looking around the inside walls for any signs of traps. Seeing nothing but bare walls once she reached the end of the staircase, she turned to call for Yugi.

"It's all clear," She called upward,"I see no devices besides cameras down here."

"Than I'm coming down!"

She waited until Yugi's small frame approached her and gestured to the door that lay before them. It was solid steel, with a panel beside it. Yugi nodded and watched as Sydney approached the panel and placed her hand against it, lighting the panel to a bright orange.

*Security Code Password please.* The computer requested.

"Password?" Yugi repeated,"Do you know it?"

"I'm afraid not," Sydney said racking her brain,"But I have a strong idea what it might be."

"I guess it's worth a try."

Sydney leaned inward toward the panel,"Mokuba."

*Password accepted. Releasing locks.*

Yugi watched as the large door slid to the side and sweatdropped.

"I should have known," He responded as he followed her into the small room. It was dark, too dark to barely make out their own figures.

"Kaiba may be intelligent but way too easy to figure out," Sydney commented as she looked around the room puzzled,"Where's the light switch?"

Suddenly, just as though the room knew what she wanted, it lit up, blinding their eyes with hues of green and blue. Sydney lowered her arm from her eyes to gaze what lay in front of her. It was the largest computer interface she had ever seen. A single chair sat in front of the large screens and a head set that she knew Kaiba must have used to communicate with. She let her eyes roam around the room and looked back at the screen when it faded to a soft blue.

'So this is why this is so secretive,' She said to herself, 'I can just imagine what Seto does down here.'

*Welcome back Kai- who are you people?*

Yugi looked at the machine shocked,"You can talk?"

*Very much so. But I asked you a question first. Who are you?*

Sydney took a step forward,"I'm Sydney and this is Yugi."

*Ahhhhh... Miss Muik. Kaiba has told me much about you.*

"Where is he now?" She asked it trying hard not to get her hopes up too high.

*I'm afraid I do not know. I lost contact with him after he had recorded the tape that I'm sure you have recieved. He's not with you?*

"If he was, I wouldn't be asking," Sydney said annoyed.

"Do you know more about the guy that was after him?" Yugi asked it.

*I am sorry but I don't remember. Kaiba wiped a majority of my memory before he departed.*

Sydney growled angrily and slammed her fist into the control board,"This is getting us nowhere!"

*Hey! Watch the hardware! I'm sure Kaiba is fine- he told me before he left to give you a message.*

"A message?"

"What type of message?" Yugi asked the machine as Sydney looked up after slamming her fist.

*He had me record it onto my hard drive.*

"Record?" Sydney asked the computer,"As in, he recorded it? With his voice?"

*Yes.*

"Upload it. I want to hear it," Sydney responded and looked to Yugi to find him nodding slightly. For some reason she felt comfort in his presence, even though she knew the two didn't get along, Yugi was a caring person.

*Downloading. Uploading. Playing recorded message now.*

"Sydney," Kaiba's voice suddenly filled the room,"If you are hearing this message, you have found my underground computer system. I commend you on your resourceful skills on figuring out my password. And if I'm right, I believe you did not come alone. That fool Yugi is probably along side you now."

Sydney and Yugi looked at eachother suprised. How did Kaiba know that?

"This computer interface is the most advanced technology I have ever created. It can do anything you could possibly imagine, and I'm sure you have a thought stirring in your mind right now, Sydney. If you're wondering if I'm still alive right now- don't bother. My life is not your concern now. Mokuba is the most important thing to me, as you are. I need you to find out as much information on the man that hired the guy to come after me. His name's Bill Georgeman, and he is indeed, on the company board."

Sydney gasped and Yugi looked to her,"What's wrong Sydney?!"

"I fired him!"

Kaiba's voice continued,"I'm sure you've been taking care of my company for some time now and have the skills to find out as much as possible. I'm sure it won't be long before he comes after you as well. Than he'll come after your grandfather, Yugi. This whole thing has some strange pattern but I haven't had the time to think it out. Good luck, Sydney."

The voice dropped off and Sydney looked to the computer,"Is that it?

*Yes, that is the last of the recording.*

Yugi watched Sydney suddenly grab the headset resting on the panel and seated herself in front of the computer.

"Sydney?"

"Stand back and watch a master at work," Sydney responded,"If there's one thing I know, it's that I won't stop until that scumbag gets his just reward."

Yugi couldn't help but smirk at her comment. Sydney looked up at the computer and tried to keep her body from going crazy after hearing Kaiba's voice. It had been so long since she had heard his tone and hearing it for the first time in weeks gave her more strength than she ever had.

Her face suddenly fell into a determined smirk,"Computer."

*Yes?*

"Let's find Bill and have a little talk with him."