Okies here is the revised and completed chapter 7. Seto is OOC, but hey who cares. I think he reactions are plausible. In regaurds to the shounen-ai, it is very implied. Nothing more. You will see the Joey/Seto thing later on. There could be Yugi/Seto but remember folks, Yugi's trying to get Seto to loosen up and have friends. Yugi does do this a lot in the show. He has a fascination with Kaiba and his lack/or rather need for friends. Plus the kid is always kind to him. Yami is a different story…okay he's nice but he sure as hell doesn't let Kaiba get his way all the time.
Also some people were confused about the dance. Yugi ws not playing a trick on Seto. He just wanted Seto to have some fun. He knew that Seto would be stubborn, so he got Anzu to pretend that he had ditched her. Joey and Honda's job was to goad Seto into wanting to dance.
There wasn't anything mean about it. All of them were sincere, but they felt Seto needed a little push in towards the dance floor. So yeah, that's the story about the dance…..
S: bitch…didn't want to dance…
* Maria beats him with that anime fan that people hit each other with *
M: Bad Bishi!! You need to wash out that dirty mouth of yours !! * drags him to the batroom*
S: * screams a string of VERY colorful language at Maria. *
M: Shame on you!! What would your brother say to you, if he heard that??
S: Go to hell!!
Mokuba: Ni-samma!!! 0.0 my ears!!!
S: 0.0 uhh..Mokuba you didn't hear that…
Mok: What does "fuckyoubitch?" mean?
Maria: it means……
S: NOTHING!! Go play!!
Mok: Can I say it??
S: NO GO OUTSIDE!!!
Mok: *gasp * Seto,…is that a SWEAR WORD?? 0.0
S: Go..out..side….
Mok: You swore Seto, no you gotta put 50 cents in the 'swear jar'.
S: …. Fine *gives him the money*
Mok: ^^ yay!! * goes out *
S: *grrr * I'm out 50cents because of you, bitch.
Maria jingles the jar, and Seto puts another amount in*
S: Fuck…*deposits another coin *
M: Wee!! At the rate you're going , I'll be rich…
S: I gotta learn to swear in another language….
~*~
It was late that night but no one wanted to be the first to leave the group; Not even Seto. Even though his chauffeur was waiting outside the dance when they left, Seto sent the driver to Yugi's house, so he could walk home with the others.
Everyone was laughing and talking about what Yami and Bakura had done.
" Man that was the funniest thing!" Honda said with a laugh. "First they couldn't dance, and then they manage to start a dance craze!"
"Hee-ya that was something guys." Joey said as he thumped Ryou on the back.
The smaller boy sailed a couple of feet a head of Joey.
"Whoops sorry bud, guess I dun know my own strength!" Joey apologized.
" No problem Joey, you just startled me!"
// Weakling.// Bakura snickered.
/Not now. Don't ruin a perfectly good evening./
Ryou waited for the scanting remark, but thankfully it never came. During this exchange Ryou had not noticed that they had arrived at Joey's house.
Everyone said good bye to him as if it was the last time they would see each other. All were too sad to have a perfect evening end. The group did this at every house. Finally Seto and Yugi arrived at Yugi's house.
"Didja have fun tonight, Seto?" Yugi asked ever hopeful of the blue eyed teen's response.
" yes. Yes I did. Thank you Yugi."
"Thank you for what, Seto?"
" For giving me a chance."
Yugi smiled, and nudged Seto in a friendly manner.
"It was nothing, Seto. I'm just glad you enjoyed yourself."
Seto smiled and nodded.
Just then Seto's limo pulled up.
"I guess this is my ride." He said. " Thanks again Yugi. See you at school on Monday."
"See you there, Seto. Say hello to Mokuba for me."
" I will. Good night Yugi."
Seto opened the door and got in.
"Bye Yugi" He waved after Yugi as he watched the smaller boy enter his home.
Seto sat back in his seat and sighed contentedly as the car sped off to his house. He was beyond exhausted from the dance. But Seto concluded to himself that it was a good and well deserved exhaustion.
" Have fun tonight sir?" the driver asked.
" Yes. One of the best evenings of my life."
~*~
Seto let himself in when he arrived home. Most of their servants had left for the night. He was surprised that Mokuba was not laying in wait to bombard him with greetings and questions as soon as he had entered. Seto shrugged it off, thinking of it as a small blessing, that Mokuba was asleep. He had been afraid that the boy would refuse sleep after his bout of nightmares. Seto, however prepared himself to find Mokuba in his older brother's bed.
He walked past their family room, and saw that the light was still on.
Forget being asleep, he's probably still watching a movie. Seto opened the door ready to usher a reluctant Mokuba to bed.
He walked into the room, and found the TV on, with the movie credits scrolling up the screen. A bowl lay on its side with the remains of popcorn scattered by it; but there was no sign of Mokuba. He frowned at his brother's carelessness and shut off the television.
"Mokuba?" He called. There was no reply. Seto sighed and wandered towards the kitchen, perhaps his brother was playing a late game of Capsule Monsters with their live-in cook and other servants.
He opened the door of the kitchen, the lights were on and the kitchen was in pristine condition, ready for the next day's meal.
"Hello? Is anyone up?"
the only answer was silence. Panic was now rising within him. He had now been in the house for ten minutes and he had not come across anyone. Seto walked quickly through the house calling out his brother's and the servant's names, trying still the fear that was consuming the good humor that he had been in.
Seto moved to one of the larger sitting rooms, and was met with a draft. The window had been smashed open. He heard a faint moan in the room next to him.
"Hello?" He called out. A frantic moan was the reply. Seto ran to the other room, and found his maid Mrs. Sombersby, on her side bound and gagged.
Seto removed the gag, and worked on freeing the elderly woman.
"What happened?" Seto said almost screaming at the elderly woman.
"I don't know, sir. They came. Men in black suites. I don't know how they got in. They came after Tarro left. They cornered me in here. I don't know what became of the others or the little one." The old woman said with tears in her eyes. Seto berated himself for yelling at her. Mrs. Sombersby was the only person, beside himself, that truly loved Mokuba. In some regards she was like a grandmother and nanny all rolled into one.
He freed her, and ran off to search for his brother.
"Call the police, and free the others!" Seto called over his shoulder
Please be safe…please be safe…god please let him be all right. Seto's mind screamed as he rushed in and out of every room in the mansion. He searched the mansion's entirety, until he came to the last place e hadn't looked….his office. He could hear the police cars coming up the street. Seto pushed open the double doors of the den, praying that his brother was inside.
Please. Let him be here…
Seto mustered up all his courage and pushed open the door. He was afraid of what could be on the other side.
His blue eyes scanned the room and he saw nothing.
Seto felt his heart shatter. Mokuba was gone, his only family destroyed, his sense of security annihilated. He dragged his body to his desk and slumped against it, fighting back the tears, fighting back the anguished sobs of helplessness. A small whimper escaped his lips and her mentally berated himself for being so weak. The he heard something. I small crackle and a popping noise. A fire.
Seto looked at he fire place and there was nothing there, but in the room that was sealed on the far left of the room…
No! He thought. I'm not going in there. He couldn't be in there. I sealed that room up after he died…
He walked up to the door, his stomach twisting in knots. The sealing on the door was broken, and the deadbolt on the ground. The door was slightly ajar, as if it were inviting him in. The boy shivered; he did not want to go into that room. It was the place where his demon dwelt, the site of where the nightly beatings the Seto had once had to endure in order to "toughen up". It was the place were Seto had once lain so bruised and beaten that he could barely move for three days. Mokuba had saved his life that time, by sneaking water and food so that Seto could live.
Seto drew deep breaths preparing himself for what he would find on the other side of the door. With a strong kick, the door was thrown off its hinges, and Seto peered in. Indeed a fire was lit in that room's fire place. The flames cast eerie shadows upon the wall. From the fire light he could make out the outline of the large chair placed in front of it. Hanging off the side of the chair, was the outline of a very familiar sneaker.
Seto felt his heart leap into this throat as he rushed towards the chair.
"Mokuba!" He cried as he turned the chair to face him. The little one laid unconscious, dwarfed by the large chair. His skin was pale and Seto could see bruises appearing on the boy's exposed flesh.
Without hesitation, Seto scooped up the smaller form and took Mokuba to his room. Seto laid Mokuba in the bed they often shared. He shook Mokuba trying to rouse the young boy.
"Mokuba?" He said shaking the silent form. There was no response or sign awakening. Seto reached to take Mokuba's pulse. His heart was racing as he searched over his brother's neck for a pulse. Tears were forming in his eyes as he began to give into his worst fear, and then he felt something. A gentle throb, and then another. Mokuba was alive.
Seto breathed a breath of relief and thankfulness. Who ever had done this to his brother was going to pay. Seeing the bruises, Seto began to unbutton his bother's shirt to see if there was any serious injury that was being hidden by his clothing.
As Seto was undoing the shirt, Maggie the Kaiba's maid came in to inform Seto that the police had arrived.
"Keep an eye on him." He said curtly as he moved passed his maid, so he could address the police.
A half hour later, Seto was climbing the stairs to return to his room, hoping that Mokuba was awake. He had left the police to investigate the house, but Seto didn't care. As long as Mokuba was safe, he didn't care if anything was stolen. He reached his room ad found Maggie, cleaning up the boy's beaten form.
"Has he woken up?" Seto inquired.
"No, sir, but there was this." Maggie handed Seto an envelope.
"I found it under his shirt sir."
"Thank you. You are excused." Seto said with out looking up from studying the envelope. The maid excused herself and left to keep an eye on the police.
Seto turned the envelope in his hands. It was a manila and gold colored. When he turned the envelope to the back he found the millennium symbol stamped across the seal.
The blue eyes widened and he tore the envelope open and read the card. His stomach clenched as he read:
Hello, Kaiba-boy. Miss me? It was so gauche of you to leave with out so much as a "good bye." Anyway, this is to inform you that I have you little brother. I must say the little one and you have such interesting nightmares…and they all involve me. How sweet of you two to be thinking of me. The little one is safe…in the shadow realm of course. I couldn't bare the thought of you two being a part, so I left his soulless shell as a reminder that you couldn't save him. And you won't Seto. You won't find him this time. I hope you enjoy being an only child. Take care now Kaiba! Remember, pay back is indeed a bitch.
Pegasus"PEGASUS!!" He roared, and he turned and ran for the helicoptor hanger.
"I'll kill him! I'll ring his foppish neck! He'll pay for what he's done to Mokuba!" The boy ranted as he grabbed his brief case and deck.
"That bastard is dead! I'll shove that accursed eye down his throat until he chokes on it!!"
He stormed past Mrs. Sombersby and barked orders at her and any servant that had not fled from the enraged boy.
" Take care of Mokuba! Make him as comfortable as possible!! Guard him with you lives." He growled at his employees. "I swear if any more harm befalls him while I'm away…" he fumed at one of his maids.
"Seto." Mrs. Sombersby called as she ran after the boy.
"Not now!" he hissed.
"Master Seto, please calm down!!"
The tall boy stopped dead in his tracks, and he wheeled around to face the shorter woman. "Calm down..something's happened to Mokuba!" He hissed at her through clenched teeth. The older woman was not effected by Seto's harsh manner. She knew him too well to take it personally. She placed a reassuring hand on the boy's wrist
"My dear you will have Mokuba back. But you must calm down. Think rationally, or you'll make a mistake."
Seto moved from the maid's touched. He knew better than to do that, but he was too angry to care about Mokuba, to care about how he reacted to the maid. Deep down he did revere the old woman as a nanny or friendly grandmother, but his cold personality would not let him express his true feelings for the woman. But somehow she understood Seto, and put up with him. Hell. This wasn't the first time he'd ranted about something.
"get the helicopter ready." He said in a dark tone. Mrs. Sombersby nodded. She knew that tone all too well. It was pointless to argue with the boy. All she could do was give him advice and support in his actions.
" Go sit with your brother, and I'll fetch you with the helicopter is ready." The maid commanded her employer.
Seto turned and went back to his room. He stayed by his brother. Whispering promises of Pegasus' end to his comatose brother. Maggie walked in looking as white as a sheet.
"Is it ready?" Seto snapped as he gripped the brief case.
"Sir, turn on the television. I think you should see this." He said in a shaky voice.
"TV on!." Seto growled at the voice-commanded screen. The screen flickered and turned to a news channel.
"You better not be wasting my time." The boy snarled. "what is so important that…"
Seto's voice caught in his throat. On the screen there was an island. The sky was filled with black smoke, as the island below it burned in flames. It looked more like a floating bond fire than an island. A reporter was at the bottom of the screen,
"Tragedy struck here tonight, when the famed, 'Duelist Kingdom' created and run by Maximillion Pegasus, caught fire this evening. The blaze has spread so quickly that it has destroyed everything in its wake. There is no news of survivors, nor do officials think there are any. The cause of the fire is still unknown…."
Seto stared in disbelief at the screen. The words barely registering his brain. Mokuba was gone. Seto now had no idea were his brother could be. Any where in the whole world was possible. He had failed. Immediately his guilt came in over powering waves. Mokuba was truly gone. He had left Mokuba unprotected, ripe for Pegasus' taking. He looked at his brother's beat up form, wanting the scream and throw up at the same time. Mokuba had been hurt by Pegasus, and was unable to defend himself.
His breathing became rapid, as he punched the screen with all his might, causing the screen to shatter into a million pieces and sending Maggie running from the room.
He didn't care that blood was weeping from hands or the pain that was surging through his body from the shards of glass that were embedded in his skin. The only hurt he registered was from the ache in his heart
Alone…he was alone. Mokuba was gone. Pegasus had his brother. Alone. He hated 'alone', and now he had no family. Pegasus had destroyed it. It was gone.
Seto ran to his brother's side and shook Mokuba harshly hoping to prove that Pegasus was bluffing, but the little one stayed still and silent.
"Please Mokuba. Do not be gone from me. I need you." He said in an anguished tone.
"Mokuba." The boy pleaded with ragged breaths. He could not believe that he had been so stupid to leave Mokuba again. And for what, a stupid dance! I should have been here!!
"I wasn't here for you like a promised. Wasn't here for when you needed me. Forgive me, forgive me please. Wake up and tell me that this is a dream, and I'll promise never to leave your side again. I was selfish, I should not have gone out tonight."
The boy remained still, and his brother howled in anguish. "Mokuba.." He said in ragged sobs. His body sank to the floor and he laid there weak from the pain and his flood of emotions.
"Mokuba…" he whispered, and then reduced himself to whimpering and sniffling like he had during his first night at the foster home; without anyone to comfort him.