Author's Notes: Wow I didn't know I would get that many reviews in one chapter. I never get that many reviews in one chapter. I'm surprised that a lot of people actually read it. I guess you guys convinced me to go on with the story.
Disclaimer: Yugioh does not belong to me. All original characters are mine.
Chapter 2 - The Man
Seto Kaiba usually didn't drink but today it was an exception. He poured a glass of brandy and down it in one gulp. The alcohol burned in his throat but that didn't bother him one bit. The fact of the matter that he was near drunk soothed him just a tad.
Stress...yes he was under a great amount of stress. And the only way to get rid of that was alcohol. Not that it happen often, but because this time he felt a blood vessel in his brain was going to pop.
His new enhanced duel disk system was going to be put behind schedule. Something he was angry about, as he demonstrated when he fired five people in his sight as he stepped into his office building after school. No employee dared go near him after that.
He needed a partnership with a software company and he needed it now.
"That idiot of a man." he mumbled and sat in his leather desk chair with his fingers entwine. Recurring from the morning, he now faced the dreaded prospect of finding another company, one of which he wasn't too keen on wasting his time on.
But his pride was more important to him. He wasn't going to sign a contract and be chained with someone lower then him. He wouldn't expect any less then the highest authority of a company.
There was a knock on his office door. "Come in." he said huskily.
His secretary walked in slowly and cautiously as if any sudden movement would detonate the ticking Kaiba bomb off.
"S..Sir it's the Vice President of Kane Enterprises." she trembled as she handed the phone to him, ready to dash out when he got mad. She didn't want to be next on his list of ex-employees.
Seto took the phone. "Leave." he grunted.
His secretary rushed out of the office as fast as she could, she didn't need to be told twice.
"Mr. Yue, I'm surprise to see that you've mustered enough courage to call me after this morning." he said in a dangerously low voice.
Seto could tell that even over the phone his intimidation over people still didn't waver. He heard a little shudder from Yue as he spoke. "I've spoken to our president about your request and he has reluctantly agreed to meet with you in person."
"You've made a wise choice." Seto said.
"Since you've requested that you meet with our President. He also would like to make a request that you two meet at Kane Enterprises. He has informed me that he wishes to meet with you now, if it's not out of the way."
"Tell him I'll be there. The sooner we get this over with the better."
********
The trip to Kane Enterprises wasn't long. It stood in the middle of midtown Domino City which was about a half and hour away from Kaiba Corp. Seto sat in his limo looking out at the city from his window. He watched as people crossed the street, when the limo stopped at a red light, eagerly rushing home from work. Unfortunately for him, his work day didn't end just yet.
His advisor sat across from him with his personal bodyguards side by side, squeezed together in a tight seating. They looked very uncomfortable.
Well of course they would. If two of your bodyguards were beefed up the size of a gorilla, it would be a little cramped. It was humorous to see how they were squirming while trying to maintain a serious posture without sweating at their own body heat.
"Tell me, do you know anything about the CEO of Kane Enterprises?" Seto asked his advisor, crossing his arms.
His advisor, who was desperately trying to make room for himself, answered with an uncertain look. "There wasn't much about him that I could find out. Most of his profiles were stamped confidential."
"I wonder why I hired you." Seto stared at the incompetent man. "If you can't even tell me one fact about the CEO."
"Well..." he began, trying to redeem himself in front of Seto. "There were rumors...that he goes by another name. Some call him 'The Man'. But other then that it looks like the only way to get any information on him is by Kane Enterprises itself."
Seto laughed disdainfully. "The Man" he smirked. "What a joke. It seems to me he thinks very highly of himself."
His advisor gave a nervous laugh just incase Seto's bodyguards beat him with a stick if he didn't. But Seto didn't care about his advisor's pathetic attempt to get on his good side. His thoughts were preoccupied by his meeting with 'The Man'. Someone who might prove as nothing but a brainless fool in Seto's eyes.
Or maybe...prove to be just as audacious as him.
********
With each footstep his took, Seto had his dignity marked on it. And from entering a foreign building, he wanted everyone to know he held authority and control in the palm of his hand.
"Mr. Kaiba..." he heard his name being called. He turned to see Yue in front of him who looked like he was trying to paste on enough of a welcoming face as possible. But it was hard to do that since Seto knew he detest him with a passion.
"We're glad that you're able to make it. Now if you'll follow me this way."
Yue briskly walked, leading Seto, his two bodyguards, and his dim-witted advisor through the industrious halls of Kane Enterprises.
Seto couldn't help but analyze his surroundings. The building looked architecturally modern as they walked pass the main entrance with a large sculpted block of slate in the center that bear the company's logo.
"Right this way." indicated Yue as he lead them to what seemed like a large conference room. The double glass doors opened automatically. Inside was a polished mahogany table and all along with it were twelve chairs evenly spaced.
"Our president will be here in a second. Just make yourselves comfortable."
Seto sat down hoping this wouldn't take too long. He heard footsteps coming closer and closer. Loud heels clicking the floor. He had a very strange feeling that he heard those same footsteps before. He swivelled his chair around to see the guy they called 'The Man'
But it was someone he least expected.
Selena.
********
"You!" he exclaimed, a little louder then he'd intended. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked.
She walked in cooly expecting the surprise on Kaiba's face. She gave him her infamous smirk amused by his confusion. "Welcome Mr. Kaiba." she said in her formal tone of voice. It was as sweet as honey but it also dripped with a hint of sarcasm.
Seto stared at her with utter confusion. He noticed that she had changed her school uniform to a business suit, wearing a perfectly tailored knee high navy blue skirt and matching cashmere jacket. Her attire made her look at least 5 years older then she really was, seventeen.
"She has to be a secretary of some sort, maybe she works part time in the company after school" Seto thought to himself. There was no way she would be the CEO, that wasn't a possibility. But why had she greeted him with a tone that seemed like she owned the place?
Without a moments glance he brought himself back into focus. "Where's your president?" he asked, thinking this to be some sick joke, one of which he wasn't going to tolerate.
"You're looking at her." she said with an innocent smile.
"Your 'The Man'?" he eyes widen.
"Ah, I see you've learned about my secret little nickname." tucking her sleek hair behind her ear. "You really should close your eyes Mr. Kaiba. Any wider and your eyeballs will pop out of their sockets."
Seto who came to the realization of it all felt a surge of anger. "Your Vice President, whom I might add is a moron beyond belief, (Yue gave a slight glare at him) referred to you as a 'him', so unless you had a sex change or something, you can't possibly be the president!"
Selena's bodyguard Jones, who was standing beside her, cracked his knuckles together.
Selena held up her hand. "It's okay." she whispered to him. He stood down, but that didn't stop him from giving Seto a dirty look now and then.
"I'm afraid I might have tweak the truth somewhat." she said unable to suppress her grin.
"I don't find this funny." Seto said angrily. "I do not like being played as a fool!"
"I assure you, I had no intention of making you look like a fool." But she did look like she was enjoying it throughly. "It's was only a matter of security reasons. You see, being a woman in my position has many...let's just say...problematic situations."
"I really don't give a damn about your piety problems. I have half a mind to walk out of here right now!" he snarled threateningly.
Selena tried not to take any notice of Kaiba's...well...rudeness. The tension in the room held everyone's breath. Both Kaiba Corp. and Kane Enterprises looked ready to kill.
"Gentlemen please." Selena said calmly. She swore men were complete airheads from the beginning of time. "Alright Mr. Kaiba, by all means leave if you feel the need to. But I daresay you won't get that partnership you wanted and I know how eager you are to launch your duel disk system."
Seto froze. She was right, he wouldn't get the partnership but he was willing to take that risk. No one was going to make him look like an idiot.
Especially not a woman.
"I don't need you're pathetic company. Anyone would be willing to partner with Kaiba Corp!" Seto said challengingly. "And you will get nothing." he smirked at her with triumph.
Selena didn't flinch even for a second at Kaiba's aggression. She knew how to kept it cool and calm. "I guess you could go to any software company." Selena said looking directly at Kaiba. "But from market rates, Kane Enterprises has always come up to the top and the best out of all the others. And if I'm not mistaken Mr. Kaiba, I thought you wanted the best."
Seto gritted his teeth in annoyance. He had to admit she had a point, Kane Enterprises has always managed to kept it's competitors down and produced the latest software and hardware technology before anyone else. Compare to Kaiba Corp, the two could be evenly matched.
Well...almost
Selena read Kaiba's struggling expression. His deep blue eyes flared at her. She knew that he would be damn if his pride was taken away. But she also knew that if Kaiba wants his dueling disk to succeed, he was going to need her. "Think about it Mr. Kaiba. Kaiba Corp. and Kane Enterprises side by side. We could rise to the top. No one will be able to compete with us together. Your product will be the top of the line. And everyone will get what they want."
It was like she held out a plate full of possibilities to him. Seto couldn't help but taste the victory once his enhanced duel disk were out. Kaiba Corp. would beat out all the rest, Industrial Illusions, Kanomi Incorporate, and that snot nose dice lover Duke Devlin.
"So Mr. Kaiba. Do you agree?" Selena asked cutting Seto's train of thought.
"A very promising proposal." Seto said with his emotionless face. "But what would you want out of all of this?" he wasn't quiet sure if he should trust her. This was a business company and in a business company there always come with a price.
"Nothing that isn't being offered in the contract. We will get half of the profits and market shares. And you will get your duel disk system out and running."
Seto still felt skeptic of her but his eagerness for his duel disk held a stronger hold on him.
"Now won't you sign the contract?" Selena took the contract from Yue and placed it on the table with a pen in front of him.
Seto hesitated for a moment but then signed it with his full name 'Seto Kaiba'. Selena took the pen and signed her name as well.
The deal was set.
"Everything is in place." Seto said.
"Well, I guess, now that we're partners, I've never properly introduced myself. My name is Selena Kane."
Seto had a feeling that this was going to be more then he bargained for.
Author's Notes: Whew! Another chapter done. I was really stupid to have 3 stories running and try to finish them all at once. Now my mind has been split three ways. Plus school, work, and all that crap.
The concept of 'The Man' you might have heard before, yes because I stole it from abc's Alias. If anyone watches that show. I love that show so much I just had to put something from there! I hope abc doesn't sue me!
Anyway I hope you like this chapter. I've worked really hard in trying to write in the plots and things you're going to have to remember later on. Although I see flaws everywhere! Gah I'm too tired to even look at it anymore. I've reviewed it 3 times over already, why don't you review for me? ^_^ hehe. Till next chapter!