Chapter Eighteen
Yugi's Plan
Kaiba said in his office working away, still very angry with Mokuba and the outburst that had happened earlier that day. He felt mildly hungry but he wouldn't go down to eat, in case Mokuba was there to bombard him again.
Kaiba had never really been angry with Mokuba before, and he wasn't angry right now, just impatient and frustrated. He thought that out of anyone Mokuba would understand exactly why he didn't want this girl in his tournament, especially because he didn't like her. If Mokuba didn't like a girl for similar reasons, Kaiba would have understood completely.
~ Argh, why am I still thinking about this? ~ Kaiba snarled to himself, shaking his head angrily and slamming his fists on the desk. ~ This is my tournament and it's my decision! And I have made my decision! She will not be allowed back into my tournament! That's final! ~
Kaiba was final about his decision. There would be not another word about it. He continued on with his work, trying to ignore the feeling in the back of his mind that told him that he should be, or would be changing his mind very, very soon.
As Kaiba was working busily, not disturbed, the sun very slowly beginning to set behind him for the night, the bell on his intercom dinged. Kaiba looked over at it and then pressed the button with his fingertip. "What?" he asked bluntly to the intercom.
"Sir there's a Mr. Yugi Moto here to see you." His secretary's voice said drolly over the intercom.
Kaiba's lip curled in disgust. No doubt he was there to discuss Roux's disqualification. If it was the little Yugi, and no doubt it was, he could be easily chased off. "I'm busy, tell him to go away." He lifted his finger off the button, but his eyes remained on the intercom.
Yugi could be easily chased away. He didn't expect the bell to ring again, but it did, and Kaiba's teeth clenched together. He pressed the button. "What?" he snarled.
"I'm afraid he insists sir." Came the secretary's voice.
Kaiba scowled slightly. That wasn't like Yugi. "I repeat, I'm busy, tell him to go away!"
As soon as the he lifted his finger from the button, the door to his office slammed open, and when Kaiba looked up a fire inside him burned with fury as he saw Yami Yugi standing in the doorway, looking very cross.
Kaiba slammed his fist on his desk. "How dare you defy me!" he shouted and rose from his seat like a rocket.
"Kaiba!" Yami Yugi shouted sternly, angrily. "You have to stop this foolishness! It's ridiculous and aggravating!" no doubt Yami was talking about the situation with Roux and the tournament. Kaiba hadn't expected any different.
Kaiba took a deep breath in, and then sat down. "So, I suppose you're here to debate over your friend?" Kaiba asked sinisterly. "Save it Yugi, I refuse to change my mind!" his expression was suddenly harder and angrier.
"Kaiba, listen to me-"
"Forget it Yugi, I don't want to hear your advice." Kaiba said, returning to his work on his laptop.
Yami's lip curled angrily. "Kaiba! This isn't right! Just because you and Roux hate each other doesn't mean that you can so freely disqualify her from the tournament!"
"Yugi, you're so stupid." Kaiba said, shaking his head and clacking away. "It's not just because I hate her, she disrespected me." He grew angry just thinking about the incident with the coffee.
"You know that it's not fair, what you're doing to Roux." Yugi countered angrily.
"Save me the lecture, Yugi. I refuse to let her in!" Kaiba snarled at him. "I will not change my mind!"
Yami grinned openly. "Is that so?" this was where Yugi's plan came in. "I beg to differ." He raised a hand and touched his temple. "Because you see Kaiba, if you disqualify Roux, you'll have to disqualify me as well." He stated.
Kaiba scowled deeply. He certainly wasn't expecting this. All he would expect from Yugi was to beg Kaiba for forgiveness, and then run off crying when he failed miserably. But this was Yami Yugi, and Yami Yugi wouldn't give up as easily.
~ What is that twirp thinking? If he is disqualified from the Battle City Tournament, the whole world is in danger. ~ Kaiba raised an eyebrow in mere interest. ~ He's willing to sacrifice the safety of the world for a girl? ~
Yami smiled wickedly to himself. He had Kaiba right where he wanted him. "Thus, if I am disqualified, you will have no change to win my Egyptian god card."
Kaiba's eyes lit up in terror. "What?"
Yami stood sternly and stiffly. He would hold his ground, no matter what Kaiba said to him. Yami was prepared for anything.
~ I hope this works. Kaiba wouldn't risk the Egyptian god card, if he really wants the title of best duelist in the world. But if he turns it down, and I'm disqualified, the whole world will be in danger. ~ Yugi bit down on his lip as he thought to himself.
Kaiba gave Yugi a very hard look. There was no doubt that he couldn't accept turning down the chance of winning Yugi's Egyptian god card. With the rod, the stone, and all three of the Egyptian god cards, there was no doubt that Kaiba would have a very deadly deck and be a very feared duelist. No one would be able to stand in his way of anything.
Isn't that what he deserved? Isn't that what he had been working for?
Yugi knew that he had Kaiba trapped exactly where he wanted him. "Well Kaiba?"
Kaiba sat down crossed his fingers together for a moment, and didn't take very long to make this choice.
~*~
Roux had been able to take her mind off being disqualified from the tournament for the better portion of the afternoon. Everyone must have known how terrible she felt, because they spent the whole day with her cheering her up. That afternoon they had gone to the arcade, and had made her laugh when Duke and Joey played laser tag and wouldn't stop tagging each other. Then they had taken her for dinner, and it had been like it was before she was disqualified from the tournament.
When they were walking although the park during the sunset, that was when Roux almost completely forgot that she had ever been disqualified from the tournament. She sure was glad that she had Joey and his friends to hang out with. Otherwise she may have not gotten over it.
They began to walk along the boardwalk slowly, and then Joey stopped when they passed a pizza place and saw a man flipping a disc of dough up into the air.
Joey licked his lips. "Mmm.wow I could sure go for a pizza right about now!" Joey said, watching in amazement as the man in the shop flipped the dough high into the air and caught it with his fingertips.
Duke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "You could always go for a pizza," he reminded Joey. "You're a regular Jughead!"
"Say WHA?" Joey froze when he looked like he would fall over, and then he angrily he started shouting at Duke. "Whya calling me a jughead? I should flatten the sidewalk with ya!"
Roux shook her head. She remembered back when they were kids how bottomless Joey's stomach was, but this was getting really ridiculous. "Joey how could you still be hungry after those burgers?" she asked.
"Yeah, you had four of them." Tristan pointed out, and Joey gave him a blank stare.
"Hey, sometimes a guy gets a little hungry!" Joey said as though it were normal to be a constant eating-machine.
"Yeah but you're always hungry." Duke grinned and wrapped an arm around Roux's shoulder. "Believe me baby, if you were to date me, it'd be cheaper for both of us."
Joey went red, not only because of what Duke said, but also that he had his arm around Roux. Joey pulled Roux from Duke and held her waist with one arm, trying to give off the message that no one else could touch her.
Duke made a gesture of a cat clawing at Joey, and made a cat screeching noise.
"Hey look!" Tea said, pointing and smiling ahead of where Duke, Joey and Roux stood. "There's Yugi!" she exclaimed.
Roux had noticed that Tea had grown attached to Yugi, and she hadn't been too surprised either. They seemed like they would make the cutest couple, if she dared to think they would ever get together.
Roux turned around and looked down the boardwalk. For sure Yugi was coming towards him. She could recognize his spiky hair and shortness from a million miles away. But he was walking with someone, and in the early darkness Roux couldn't see who it was.
"Yeah that's Yugi," Tristan said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and leaning back considerably. "But who's that with him?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.
They all waited until Yugi came closer, and then Serenity said rather shocked. "It's Kaiba!"
Roux's heart skipped a beat and her eyes went wide. Kaiba? Oh, the last thing she ever wanted to do was to see him again after the coffee incident, and further more after she had been disqualified from the tournament. But there was no doubt, there he was tall and lean, looking very stern, walking just a little ahead of Yugi.
"Kaiba?" Joey snarled. "Ooh boy he has some nerve showing up after what he did to Roux!" he clenched his hands into fists and then put them up in front of him, as though battling an invisible person.
"Yeah!" Duke joined in, scowling tightly. "If he comes closer I'll shock him a few!" Duke did the same as Joey. He scowled and put up his fists.
Roux shook her head and lowered both their arms. "Don't guys." She said softly. "He's not worth it." She looked down at her shoes, and then she looked up again to see Kaiba. He wasn't even looking at her. That was a relief. The last thing she wanted was to get angry scowls from him.
Yugi saw them and he waved happily, and skipped towards them. "Hi guys!"
Of course Joey came forward. "Hey Yug." Then he took the opportunity to cause Kaiba some damage, against Roux's best thoughts. Joey crossed his arms. "Say, why you walking with moneybags?" he asked, and the group cringed at the thought of how foolish Joey was being. "You trying to improve your image, Kaiba?" Joey snickered wickedly.
Kaiba's mean eyes narrowed. "Shut up Wheeler, and save the smart-ass comments for when you duel."
Joey put up his fists again. "Oh yeah? I got it in my right mind to bang you up after what you did to Roux!"
Kaiba's expression didn't change in the least. "Be careful Wheeler, you don't want to break a nail. Monkey's need those to get food." He rolled his eyes. "Not like you don't eat enough already."
Joey fumed and his face went completely red, and he couldn't find any words to shoot back a snarky comeback to Kaiba. There was no need, Kaiba had no intention of carrying on the conversation.
Instead he turned his eyes on Roux. "And as for you!"
Roux jumped as she stared into his harsh eyes, burning with anger and hatred for her.
Kaiba sighed very softly, but under his breath. "You're back in my tournament." Roux's heart stopped completely. She stood in complete awe. "Consider yourself lucky, I hardly ever change my mind about anything." Kaiba looked over at Yugi. "But Yugi gave me an offer I had to refuse."
Roux was lost for words. She stood with her lips agape, her jaw trembling slightly. She couldn't believe she had heard the words. "You mean it? I'm really back in?"
"Yes." Kaiba said, and then he lowered his gaze and turned to walk away from them, but he looked at her for a moment. "But I warn you, Miss. Matuko, if our paths are to cross again it will not be pretty." He said solemnly, and elegantly he turned to walk down the street.
They group stood stunned for a moment, until Duke said. "Well isn't he a dancing ball of sunshine."
That was when Roux shouted out. "Kaiba!"
Kaiba stopped, but he didn't turn around. He would only listen to what she had to say, but he promised himself he would not speak to her about it. He would not speak to her again.
"Thank you for allowing me in afterall." She said sweetly, smiling sadly at his back. Even though he had his back to her she knew he was listening. "You don't know how much it means to me." She said.
Kaiba smirked and started to walk again, and at the thought of being defeated in a battle for words, he snarled angrily to himself. ~ And I sure as hell couldn't care! ~
Yugi's Plan
Kaiba said in his office working away, still very angry with Mokuba and the outburst that had happened earlier that day. He felt mildly hungry but he wouldn't go down to eat, in case Mokuba was there to bombard him again.
Kaiba had never really been angry with Mokuba before, and he wasn't angry right now, just impatient and frustrated. He thought that out of anyone Mokuba would understand exactly why he didn't want this girl in his tournament, especially because he didn't like her. If Mokuba didn't like a girl for similar reasons, Kaiba would have understood completely.
~ Argh, why am I still thinking about this? ~ Kaiba snarled to himself, shaking his head angrily and slamming his fists on the desk. ~ This is my tournament and it's my decision! And I have made my decision! She will not be allowed back into my tournament! That's final! ~
Kaiba was final about his decision. There would be not another word about it. He continued on with his work, trying to ignore the feeling in the back of his mind that told him that he should be, or would be changing his mind very, very soon.
As Kaiba was working busily, not disturbed, the sun very slowly beginning to set behind him for the night, the bell on his intercom dinged. Kaiba looked over at it and then pressed the button with his fingertip. "What?" he asked bluntly to the intercom.
"Sir there's a Mr. Yugi Moto here to see you." His secretary's voice said drolly over the intercom.
Kaiba's lip curled in disgust. No doubt he was there to discuss Roux's disqualification. If it was the little Yugi, and no doubt it was, he could be easily chased off. "I'm busy, tell him to go away." He lifted his finger off the button, but his eyes remained on the intercom.
Yugi could be easily chased away. He didn't expect the bell to ring again, but it did, and Kaiba's teeth clenched together. He pressed the button. "What?" he snarled.
"I'm afraid he insists sir." Came the secretary's voice.
Kaiba scowled slightly. That wasn't like Yugi. "I repeat, I'm busy, tell him to go away!"
As soon as the he lifted his finger from the button, the door to his office slammed open, and when Kaiba looked up a fire inside him burned with fury as he saw Yami Yugi standing in the doorway, looking very cross.
Kaiba slammed his fist on his desk. "How dare you defy me!" he shouted and rose from his seat like a rocket.
"Kaiba!" Yami Yugi shouted sternly, angrily. "You have to stop this foolishness! It's ridiculous and aggravating!" no doubt Yami was talking about the situation with Roux and the tournament. Kaiba hadn't expected any different.
Kaiba took a deep breath in, and then sat down. "So, I suppose you're here to debate over your friend?" Kaiba asked sinisterly. "Save it Yugi, I refuse to change my mind!" his expression was suddenly harder and angrier.
"Kaiba, listen to me-"
"Forget it Yugi, I don't want to hear your advice." Kaiba said, returning to his work on his laptop.
Yami's lip curled angrily. "Kaiba! This isn't right! Just because you and Roux hate each other doesn't mean that you can so freely disqualify her from the tournament!"
"Yugi, you're so stupid." Kaiba said, shaking his head and clacking away. "It's not just because I hate her, she disrespected me." He grew angry just thinking about the incident with the coffee.
"You know that it's not fair, what you're doing to Roux." Yugi countered angrily.
"Save me the lecture, Yugi. I refuse to let her in!" Kaiba snarled at him. "I will not change my mind!"
Yami grinned openly. "Is that so?" this was where Yugi's plan came in. "I beg to differ." He raised a hand and touched his temple. "Because you see Kaiba, if you disqualify Roux, you'll have to disqualify me as well." He stated.
Kaiba scowled deeply. He certainly wasn't expecting this. All he would expect from Yugi was to beg Kaiba for forgiveness, and then run off crying when he failed miserably. But this was Yami Yugi, and Yami Yugi wouldn't give up as easily.
~ What is that twirp thinking? If he is disqualified from the Battle City Tournament, the whole world is in danger. ~ Kaiba raised an eyebrow in mere interest. ~ He's willing to sacrifice the safety of the world for a girl? ~
Yami smiled wickedly to himself. He had Kaiba right where he wanted him. "Thus, if I am disqualified, you will have no change to win my Egyptian god card."
Kaiba's eyes lit up in terror. "What?"
Yami stood sternly and stiffly. He would hold his ground, no matter what Kaiba said to him. Yami was prepared for anything.
~ I hope this works. Kaiba wouldn't risk the Egyptian god card, if he really wants the title of best duelist in the world. But if he turns it down, and I'm disqualified, the whole world will be in danger. ~ Yugi bit down on his lip as he thought to himself.
Kaiba gave Yugi a very hard look. There was no doubt that he couldn't accept turning down the chance of winning Yugi's Egyptian god card. With the rod, the stone, and all three of the Egyptian god cards, there was no doubt that Kaiba would have a very deadly deck and be a very feared duelist. No one would be able to stand in his way of anything.
Isn't that what he deserved? Isn't that what he had been working for?
Yugi knew that he had Kaiba trapped exactly where he wanted him. "Well Kaiba?"
Kaiba sat down crossed his fingers together for a moment, and didn't take very long to make this choice.
~*~
Roux had been able to take her mind off being disqualified from the tournament for the better portion of the afternoon. Everyone must have known how terrible she felt, because they spent the whole day with her cheering her up. That afternoon they had gone to the arcade, and had made her laugh when Duke and Joey played laser tag and wouldn't stop tagging each other. Then they had taken her for dinner, and it had been like it was before she was disqualified from the tournament.
When they were walking although the park during the sunset, that was when Roux almost completely forgot that she had ever been disqualified from the tournament. She sure was glad that she had Joey and his friends to hang out with. Otherwise she may have not gotten over it.
They began to walk along the boardwalk slowly, and then Joey stopped when they passed a pizza place and saw a man flipping a disc of dough up into the air.
Joey licked his lips. "Mmm.wow I could sure go for a pizza right about now!" Joey said, watching in amazement as the man in the shop flipped the dough high into the air and caught it with his fingertips.
Duke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "You could always go for a pizza," he reminded Joey. "You're a regular Jughead!"
"Say WHA?" Joey froze when he looked like he would fall over, and then he angrily he started shouting at Duke. "Whya calling me a jughead? I should flatten the sidewalk with ya!"
Roux shook her head. She remembered back when they were kids how bottomless Joey's stomach was, but this was getting really ridiculous. "Joey how could you still be hungry after those burgers?" she asked.
"Yeah, you had four of them." Tristan pointed out, and Joey gave him a blank stare.
"Hey, sometimes a guy gets a little hungry!" Joey said as though it were normal to be a constant eating-machine.
"Yeah but you're always hungry." Duke grinned and wrapped an arm around Roux's shoulder. "Believe me baby, if you were to date me, it'd be cheaper for both of us."
Joey went red, not only because of what Duke said, but also that he had his arm around Roux. Joey pulled Roux from Duke and held her waist with one arm, trying to give off the message that no one else could touch her.
Duke made a gesture of a cat clawing at Joey, and made a cat screeching noise.
"Hey look!" Tea said, pointing and smiling ahead of where Duke, Joey and Roux stood. "There's Yugi!" she exclaimed.
Roux had noticed that Tea had grown attached to Yugi, and she hadn't been too surprised either. They seemed like they would make the cutest couple, if she dared to think they would ever get together.
Roux turned around and looked down the boardwalk. For sure Yugi was coming towards him. She could recognize his spiky hair and shortness from a million miles away. But he was walking with someone, and in the early darkness Roux couldn't see who it was.
"Yeah that's Yugi," Tristan said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and leaning back considerably. "But who's that with him?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.
They all waited until Yugi came closer, and then Serenity said rather shocked. "It's Kaiba!"
Roux's heart skipped a beat and her eyes went wide. Kaiba? Oh, the last thing she ever wanted to do was to see him again after the coffee incident, and further more after she had been disqualified from the tournament. But there was no doubt, there he was tall and lean, looking very stern, walking just a little ahead of Yugi.
"Kaiba?" Joey snarled. "Ooh boy he has some nerve showing up after what he did to Roux!" he clenched his hands into fists and then put them up in front of him, as though battling an invisible person.
"Yeah!" Duke joined in, scowling tightly. "If he comes closer I'll shock him a few!" Duke did the same as Joey. He scowled and put up his fists.
Roux shook her head and lowered both their arms. "Don't guys." She said softly. "He's not worth it." She looked down at her shoes, and then she looked up again to see Kaiba. He wasn't even looking at her. That was a relief. The last thing she wanted was to get angry scowls from him.
Yugi saw them and he waved happily, and skipped towards them. "Hi guys!"
Of course Joey came forward. "Hey Yug." Then he took the opportunity to cause Kaiba some damage, against Roux's best thoughts. Joey crossed his arms. "Say, why you walking with moneybags?" he asked, and the group cringed at the thought of how foolish Joey was being. "You trying to improve your image, Kaiba?" Joey snickered wickedly.
Kaiba's mean eyes narrowed. "Shut up Wheeler, and save the smart-ass comments for when you duel."
Joey put up his fists again. "Oh yeah? I got it in my right mind to bang you up after what you did to Roux!"
Kaiba's expression didn't change in the least. "Be careful Wheeler, you don't want to break a nail. Monkey's need those to get food." He rolled his eyes. "Not like you don't eat enough already."
Joey fumed and his face went completely red, and he couldn't find any words to shoot back a snarky comeback to Kaiba. There was no need, Kaiba had no intention of carrying on the conversation.
Instead he turned his eyes on Roux. "And as for you!"
Roux jumped as she stared into his harsh eyes, burning with anger and hatred for her.
Kaiba sighed very softly, but under his breath. "You're back in my tournament." Roux's heart stopped completely. She stood in complete awe. "Consider yourself lucky, I hardly ever change my mind about anything." Kaiba looked over at Yugi. "But Yugi gave me an offer I had to refuse."
Roux was lost for words. She stood with her lips agape, her jaw trembling slightly. She couldn't believe she had heard the words. "You mean it? I'm really back in?"
"Yes." Kaiba said, and then he lowered his gaze and turned to walk away from them, but he looked at her for a moment. "But I warn you, Miss. Matuko, if our paths are to cross again it will not be pretty." He said solemnly, and elegantly he turned to walk down the street.
They group stood stunned for a moment, until Duke said. "Well isn't he a dancing ball of sunshine."
That was when Roux shouted out. "Kaiba!"
Kaiba stopped, but he didn't turn around. He would only listen to what she had to say, but he promised himself he would not speak to her about it. He would not speak to her again.
"Thank you for allowing me in afterall." She said sweetly, smiling sadly at his back. Even though he had his back to her she knew he was listening. "You don't know how much it means to me." She said.
Kaiba smirked and started to walk again, and at the thought of being defeated in a battle for words, he snarled angrily to himself. ~ And I sure as hell couldn't care! ~