erase wut I sed in the last chpt. I am gonna make this a kaiba saving mokuba fic w/ kaiba and isis romance in the background. just wondering…if u could review it and tell me whether u want me 2 add other characters like yugi and joey and backura and ppl like that…fanx
"Isis Ishtar speaking. How may I help you?"
Seto hesitated as he prepared to ask for Isis's help. He knew he would be a bit shy in meeting her; after all, he realized he had, like a boy with a crush, been somewhat enchanted by her attractiveness. He had not felt such emotions for years, not since his first crush, an absolutely gorgeous girl named Deliz. He still remembered her long, rich, black hair and her smooth, perfect face. Seto had loved the girl with all his heart, but she paid no mind. Eventually, she moved away when her "top-secret" father was called on a mission.
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
"Oh, yes. This is Seto Kaiba…Isis. Do you remember me? You showed me that…um, Egyptian site, that's right."
"Kaiba! Yes, of course I remember. So how can I help you? Ready for another tour? Joking, joking."
Seto chuckled forcefully to use up the time. He wondered why she was being so friendly.
"Uh…no, not this time." Seto chuckled again, this time absentmindedly. He wanted to ask her to talk to him in person, so she could see him and understand his situation. He was afraid that is he poured it out on the phone, he would be overly emotional. He thought of going on a date, like catching a movie or getting a bite to eat, but she would most likely think of him differently.
"Actually, Isis, I…need to talk to you, but I would definitely prefer it if it were in person, you know, so you'd…understand better." Kaiba cursed silently under his breath. He was making it sound awkward, like she was unable to understand him well enough.
"Well, I mean…you know, it would just be…better if we talked in person. Face to face. Man to man." Dammit!! Kaiba thought. What the hell am I saying?
"Man to woman. Sorry…" Seto laughed. "I've been having a rough day. I mean, my brother…his soul, just so depressing…" He tried to sound tired.
"Uh, yes, Kaiba, we can do that. Here, I'm free this afternoon. Why don't we meet…at the museum? There's a great new restaurant there called the Traquarian Deli. It serves excellent food."
"Absolutely. I'll be there."
"All right. How about at five?"
"Great. See you then. Thanks for talking to me. I mean…" But Isis had already hung up.
Geezuz. Seto dropped the phone onto the hook and leaned back in his leathery chair. What was wrong with him? He was the CEO of a powerful company. He gave public speeches daily, and now he couldn't talk clearly into the phone. But Isis would understand. She just seemed like a kind, caring, understanding person. If Seto could at least keep a stern face and not stutter and blush whenever he was around her, everything could go well.
Seto glanced at his desk: so neat and orderly, consisting of a laptop, a stack of paper, and two dictionaries. His eyes skimmed past an old picture of Mokuba playing on a playground. The young boy was climbing onto the top of a slide. He was always picture perfect, with his knee raised and his hand relaxed over it. His smile seemed to burst.
Seto sighed. Mokuba was such a wonderful kid filled with potential to be more than Seto had ever dreamed of. He was smart and ambitious, kind and caring. It wasn't fair for Mokuba to have suffered through so much as a young boy: the death of their parents, getting adopted by a wild and cruel man, having his soul taken and stored into a card; and now this. Torture and hardships would kill his heart, like it did to Seto.
"Mr. Kaiba, someone is here to see you."
Seto snapped out of his daydreaming and glared tiredly at the man standing over him.
"Yes, let him in. Or her. Whatever."
"And…he asked for some privacy, Mr. Kaiba…"
Pause.
"Why?"
"I was not informed. He just told me he needed to speak with you ASAP. He didn't say much."
"His name? What does he look like?"
"He didn't tell me his name, but he had white hair and a dark face. Green eyes, too, I think."
"All right, let him in here. Just tell everyone not to come in for a while."
"Yes, sir."
Seto's assistant left the room and shut the door behind him. Moments later, he led a man in.
"Here he is. Shall I lock the door?"
"Yes, please do so."
Seto glanced at the man. He looked somewhat odd and familiar, as if Seto had met him somewhere in a dream…
"How may I help you?" Seto asked politely to cover up his curiosity.
The man chuckled in a shrill voice.
"Let's just say, Kaiba, that I am the Ardent Skull."
Seto shook his head in disbelief. He shook his head, as if trying to clear the words that he had just heard.
"Excuse me? What did you say?"
"The Ardent Skull, Kaiba. Me."
Seto's memory began to grow sharper and more distinct. He remembered now, like a sharp pain, the man he had seen and heard while he was semi-conscious on the ground.
"You…you were him, weren't you? You took my brother!"
"Yes, Kaiba, that would be me. How intelligent of you. Miss him already, don't you? Well, I have him with me now. See – " The man pulled a long, golden rod out of his pocket. "He's in here, trapped amid an array of dark forces."
Seto eyed the rod suspiciously. He noticed that it had a golden eye engraved into it, just like Yugi's Puzzle.
"I am willing to strike a deal with you. If you accept, I will consider allowing your brother out for free. You know, unharmed…"
Seto refused to give in and seem like he was begging this man for mercy. He merely stood grimly.
"No answer? Too bad…well, I guess I'd better be going now…"
The man glanced at Seto, his eyes filled with playfulness and slyness. Finally, Seto could not withhold himself from giving in.
"No, wait. The deal. Just tell me what it is. Then get out."
"Doesn't take a lot to get to you, does it, Kaiba? Weak, insecure, not the type of man I'd expect to see as the CEO of a company." The man glanced around Seto's orderly office. "Nice place you have here. They must treat you well…"
"THE DEAL, GOD DAMMIT! THE DEAL!"
"Oh yes, that. Well, I have it all typed up, all neat and professional, on this." He took a small sheet of laminated paper out of his other pocket and handed it to Seto. "All written, everything you have to do."
"Give me time to think."
"Yes, of course. What kind of man would I be if I did not? Take all the time you need. Well, at least until next week. I will be back here around the same time to collect your answer. You better have decided, or else your brother will be just like…never mind, let's not go that far."
"Whatever. Now, get out."
"A bit imprudent, are we, Mr. Kaiba? I come in here ready to strike a deal, and you don't even say thank you? I spared your brother, did I not? I could have just turned him into fish bait and – "
"GET OUT! NOW!"
"Please, please, must we be so rude? I will go when I find it necessary…"
"GET OUT!"
"OK, Kaiba. I'm going. But remember, I will be back soon. Next week, you will have my answer."
"GO!"
The man stepped out and carefully shut the door behind him.
Seto sat back down at his desk, infuriated. He vigorously shook open the sheet of paper the man had given him. The first paragraph read:
I, MARIK ISHTAR HAVE YOUR BROTHER'S SOUL IN MY POSSESSION. WITH IT, I CAN RULE THE WORLD WITH THE POWER OF MY RARE HUNTERS AND MY MILLENNIUM ROD. HOWEVER, I WANT MORE THAN THAT. THAT'S WHERE YOU COME IN.
Seto cried out in frustration. He couldn't believe what he was reading. This lunatic wanted to rule the world, like in some super villain fantasy book. This Marik Ishtar was either deranged and crazy, or simply a fool. Either way, Seto knew that he now was dealing with a man who meant business; a man who was like another Maxmillius Pegasus, only ten times crazier.
y a y ! dat was pritty long tho. how dyu like it? pleez r+r! aren't seto + isis so cute 2gether?