**** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh ****
Chapter Twenty-Three
Marik sat alone in the darkness, staring out the window of his room at Domino City with a shrill smile over his lips. He ran his finger over the designs on his Millennium Rod, set down on the table in front of him.
He thought about how powerful he would become with both the Millennium Stone and the Millennium Rod in his power, not to mention his Egyptian god card. And once the tournament began, he would duel against Seto Kaiba and that pathetic Yugi Moto to attain their cards, and then he would have the power to become Pharaoh at long last.
He chuckled to himself at the thought of his fiendish plan. He looked over at the clock on the wall. It was nearing one in the morning. He had set out his goons to find the bearer of the Millennium Stone, Kale Tori's ex-wife, a little over an hour ago. They would be heading back about now with her and the stone in custody.
Marik thought about how deliciously his entire plan had come together. Without mere hesitation or remorse he had easily killed Kale Tori and had also gotten out the information that he just needed. Marik grinned to himself when he thought back to that night in Tori's apartment, and when he had thrown down his ex-wife's picture at his dying body.
Mischievously he remembered how he had been holding that picture for a long time, even before he had spoken to Kale. His ex-wife was a remarkably beautiful young woman, no doubt to be a successful model, and if all things went as he planned, he could very well been looking at his future queen for when he became pharaoh.
Silently he just prayed that she didn't know how to wield the millennium stone. If she did, things could be much more difficult for him. He knew she wouldn't let the stone go without a fight, especially if Shaadii had reached her. But he knew someone like her could be easily overpowered.
A knock came to his door, and easily Marik looked over his shoulder. He grinned to himself, the goons had returned. "What is it?" he called.
The guard opened the door and came into the room, and bowed down his head shortly. "Master Marik, I have news."
Marik grinned and stood. "Go on, what is this news? Have my men returned with the girl yet?" he asked, trying not to sound eager.
The guard gulped, and Marik's grin fainted and he raised an eyebrow. Was there something wrong?
"Sir they have not returned for quite some time, we tried to call but there was no answer, and when the car arrived at their location." he trailed out for a moment.
Marik's hands clenched into fists. He hated when people stalled, especially when it was about one of his plans. "Go on!" he demanded.
The guard cleared his throat nervously. "Well, they were all unconscious sir."
Marik scowled. Unconscious? His men were big guys, what could make them all go unconscious in the middle of a public street in the middle of the night? "What about the girl?" Marik insisted testily.
The guard shrugged. "Nowhere to be seen, sir."
Marik's teeth clenched together, and he turned around and grabbed his Millennium Rod to control his anger. He tried to crush it within his grasp, but it was no use. A millennium item could not be so easily destroyed.
Marik tried to calm down; he just needed to think these things through. He turned around and looked once again to the guard. "Find out what knocked all those men out and come to me with an answer by this time tomorrow, do you understand?" the volume in his voice was escalating.
The guard nodded nervously. "Yes sir."
"And find that girl!" Marik demanded, raising his Millennium Rod and scaring the guard almost out of his mind.
"Y-yes sir, we're right on it!" and without looking back, the guard ran from the room and left Marik in silence.
Marik sat down and thought to himself. What could have made his men go unconscious like that? It must have been some sort of attack; there wasn't any other explanation. And if they had called for the car, that meant that they had found the girl and had her in their custody. What had stood in their way?
~*~
"Shaadii, what happened?"
When Roux opened her eyes she had found herself in a dark room, lying in the most comfortable bed she had ever slept in. When she woke she didn't know where she was, and she barely remembered what had happened the night before. All she knew was that she was in what looked like a guest bedroom.
For an instant when she woke up she looked out the window and thought she was back at the Wheeler apartment, and her heart gave an excited beat. When she had gotten up to see if Joey and Serenity and everyone were there, she didn't recognize the room in the least. She couldn't have been at the Wheeler apartment, everything was too different. Everything was too unfamiliar.
But she sat up to clear her head and try to think things through, suddenly she looked ahead of her and Shaadii was sitting in the leather chair next to the dresser, watching her intently.
She gasped and then recognized him, and carefully she spoke. "Shaadii, what happened?"
He lowered his gaze. "It is what I have feared. The man who killed your ex- husband, who is looking for the Millennium Stone, is Marik Ishtar."
Roux had never heard this name before. She shook her head. "Who?"
Shaadii closed his eyes softly. "In his childhood he was a tomb keeper, one who was given the Tomb Keeper's Initiation. He was destined to stay in the tomb until the all-powerful pharaoh returned. But Marik hated this destiny of his, and thought it absurd to have to pledge his life to a pharaoh." He paused for a moment. "What was once a pure heart was corrupted by evil. Marik took the Millennium Rod from his father and used it against him, and he proclaimed that in time he would be the one to hold the power of all three Egyptian god cards, and as many Millennium items he could rest his hands on, so that he may one day become the pharaoh."
Roux paid close attention to Shaadii's story. It seemed to fit into place. It explained why he was after her Millennium Stone, why he had gone to Kale for it, and why now he was hunting her for it. Everything fit into order.
"Shaadii how do I stop him?" Roux asked, looking at the ring on her finger, searching for answers.
Shaadii sighed very softly. "You can't. Not now, at least."
Roux looked at him softly, and she bit down on her lower lip. "Well then what should I do?"
Shaadii paused. He knew what he would say to her next would not please her in the least. Nevertheless, she had to know. He looked up at her, directly into her eyes. "The reason why Seto Kaiba was so interested in your ring, in the Millennium Stone, was because he was destined to find it." He paused, and watched Roux's eyes fill with confusion. "It was his destiny to find it, and protect the one who held it."
Roux let out a soft groan. "Are you sure?" she asked.
Shaadii nodded. He had indeed foreseen how Kaiba and Roux despised one another, all the events that involved them and the situations that made them loathe each other. He had seen it all, but he knew they had to cooperate.
"First, before anything, you must allow yourself to stay under Seto Kaiba's protection, and not bring yourself to danger." Shaadii said softly.
Then suddenly he jerked his head in the direction of the door, his eyes filled with alertness, and then slowly he disappeared before Roux's eyes. Roux tried to call out to him, but he was already gone before the words could escape her red lips.
The door opened.
Roux's heart seemed to stop when she heard the door open, and she looked over, and sighed with relief at who she saw.
"Hi!" said the little boy standing in the doorway. "You remember me, don't you?"
Roux smiled softly. "Of course I do. Mokuba, right?"
Mokuba nodded sweetly, and then came further into the room. "Well we were wondering when you would wake up." He said and approached the bed. "Are you feeling okay?"
Roux nodded. "Yes of course, I'm fine thank you." She looked around the room. "B-But where am I?"
Mokuba giggled softly. "You're in the Kaiba Mansion, this is one of the guest rooms. Apparently Seto said last night you had fallen asleep and since you were both pretty tired he just brought you here and put you in a guest room."
Roux nodded softly. "I see." She said, and the events of the night before returned to her in an instant. She remembered being chased through the darkness by the men in the suits, she remembered screaming for help, and then running into Kaiba. She remembered Kaiba giving her up willingly to the suits, and then demanding for them to let her go. And when he had finished them with the attack of his Blue Eyes White Dragon, he had demanded to see her ring.
She sighed heavily. Every word Shaadii spoke was true; she could feel it in her heart.
"Are you hungry?" Mokuba asked, watching her with his big round eyes. "Breakfast's downstairs in the dining room."
Roux smiled. "That sounds wonderful, I'd like that." She stretched out her arms. "Would it be all right if I took a shower first?"
Mokuba laughed. "No, it's no problem. There's a bathroom right next to this room, just go ahead and I'll meet you downstairs."
Roux gave him a sweet smile. "Thank you, Mokuba."
She found the bathroom easily enough, and as she was showering she wondered about the events of last night. She remembered getting into the limo and falling asleep on the seats, all the while knowing that Kaiba was watching her intently. If Kaiba had brought her here, which indeed he had, perhaps he was trying to protect her, even though she found it very unlikely that he would want to.
When she finished showering she dressed and started to walk down the hall. She began to wish that she had asked Mokuba for directions, as the mansion was huge enough to begin with and she didn't have a clue where she was.
Everything was nicely decorated and there were rooms upon rooms. Expensive paintings and pieces of art where set against the walls of the hallways and as she passed them she thought about how much they must have cost.
Seto Kaiba sure was rich, but then again he was a CEO millionaire with his own company. Why wouldn't he be rich?
Finally she found a flight of stairs that went down into the foyer of the house. Roux smiled softly and congratulated herself for being able to find the stairs, if nothing else. The dining room wouldn't be too far away now, would it?
In a moment she didn't even have to worry about it, because she looked over and Mokuba was coming towards her. "Roux!" he called to her and started to wave his hand. "I'm sorry, I should have waited for you. I forgot that you wouldn't know your way around."
Roux smiled. "It's okay Mokuba. I found the foyer at least."
"Yeah, you're lucky." Mokuba said, his face beaming. "When we have guests over, and we usually never do, they couldn't find the stairs or foyer to save their lives. A person could die wandering around these hallways." He smiled, and then he took her hand. "Come on, the dining room's this way."
Roux didn't have much choice but to follow Mokuba as he dragged her along the hallways towards the dining room.
~*~
Kaiba tapped and clacked furiously at his keyboard as he sat in his office, the warm sun against his chair, heating the leather to warm his back. It would have been a nice feeling, but he was so hateful at this point in time that nothing could make his mood lighten.
He had been forced to bring Roux home with him last night, and that made him angry. She had fallen asleep in the limo as they were driving, and since Kaiba himself was fairly tired, he decided there was no point in going to a jeweler, there probably wouldn't be one open that late anyway. Having to bring her home was irritating.
The thought that that girl was in his house right now sickened him somehow, it made him flare with fury inside and out. When he arrived at the office that morning the secretary didn't even say a word to him; she knew it would be too dangerous, so she kept her mouth shut.
And she just had to be the girl to bear the Millennium Stone. That infuriated him above all other things. If it had been any other girl he would have been perfectly happy, but no. It had to be Roux Matuko, the airhead fashion model that cheated during a practice duel and didn't have a clue about the powers to that stone she held.
~ I hate you. ~ he growled to himself, thinking, but trying not to think, about Roux.
As he typed at the laptop he tried hard not to think about it. He found that it would go away eventually with the upcoming events of the business day, and soon he wouldn't have to worry about her until later.
At one point he looked up, just to match his curiosity, and saw Ishizu standing there in the middle of the room, her eyes set on him. "Seto." She said to him.
Kaiba's hands clenched into fists and he slammed them on the desk before rocketing out of his chair in mortal fury. "You have some explaining to do!" he yelled at her.
"Calm your fury," she said softly and held out her hand to him, as if to stop him. "I know you are angry, and I know you feel you are being tested."
"Being tested, oh that's rich! You never said it would be Roux who held the Millennium Stone!" he snarled at her.
Ishizu's lips curved just a tiny bit, so tiny you could hardly tell there was a difference. "Why Seto I didn't think it would make a difference."
But Kaiba saw the laughter in her eyes and the smile on her lips, and white- hot anger intoxicated him. "Don't you dare laugh at me! You knew all along that I hated that girl right from the beginning!"
"How could I, Seto?" she asked sincerely. "I appointed you with this task long before you even laid your eyes upon her."
He didn't think that made any difference. Somehow she had known. Her Millennium necklace, yes that had to be it. She could see the future, and she had seen that Kaiba and Roux would hate each other, and yet he would be assigned to protect her.
Kaiba growled and sat down, and without another look at her he continued on with his work. "You can forget about the entire deal," he said to her in a very businessman voice. "Because I'm not doing it. I refuse to protect her."
Ishizu raised an eyebrow, as though she knew he was lying. "Oh really? You would risk the Millennium Rod, and the Stone, and Marik's Egyptian god card, just because you hate this girl?"
Kaiba didn't answer.
"The Seto Kaiba I know would never back down from a challenge," Ishizu pressed, knowing it would trigger his inner-feelings. "Why are you so afraid of this girl?"
"I'm not afraid of her, I HATE HER!" Kaiba yelled at Ishizu, slamming his fists on the desk.
The intercom buzzed shortly, and temperamentally Kaiba pushed the button. "WHAT?"
"Sir, is everything all right?" came his secretary's nervous voice.
"Everything's FINE!" he demanded, and took his finger off the button, and faced Ishizu again.
Ishizu looked rather stern, and she stood very straight and erect. "If you are not afraid of her, then there is a part of you that is fighting the truth." He raised an eyebrow. "I promised you that you would have back what was taken from you after this task was complete."
Kaiba glared at her. "If you make me protect her, I will have my vengeance."
Now Ishizu smiled widely, and it irritated him. "Of course you will Seto. Vengeance." Then she began to laugh quietly to herself, and disappeared slowly from sight. Kaiba was glad she was gone, if she had stayed much longer his patience would have been tested greatly.
Kaiba buried his face in his hands, running his longer fingers through his hair, frustrated and confused. He felt so stuck, like he was wedged between what he wanted to do, and what seemed right. Deep down he knew that if Roux was being hunted for the stone, she should be protected. But then again he despised her so much, why should it be he who should have to suffer for it?
All for the Millennium Rod, the Millennium Stone, and the Egyptian god cards. Were they worth such a high price?
Kaiba spent the entire afternoon thinking about it, and watched as the sky turned and the clock ticked, and by the end of the business day, he had made his decision.
~*~
Roux and Mokuba now sat in the back of the limo as it drove smoothly and sleekly through the streets of Domino City, heading towards the Kaiba Corp building, which lay on the other side of town.
Roux and Mokuba had spent the day together, as they were told to await for Kaiba's word on what was to be done with her. Together she and Mokuba had toured the mansion, Mokuba telling her a story or a funny thing that happened with each room, and why his brother had decorated it in such a matter.
They had gone to the library, the many spacious bathrooms, the main living room, the recreation room, and many other rooms and Mokuba grew more and more excited telling her more about each room, without seeing that she was getting a little bit bored.
But Mokuba was so adorable and so full of life, she wouldn't dare disappointed him.
Then they had spent the rest of the afternoon doing various activities within the mansion. They didn't leave on two accounts. One the guards standing at the gate wouldn't let them leave because Kaiba had given them straight orders that the girl was not to leave until a decision was made. Two, Roux was still scared to death of what had happened the night before, and didn't want to go out alone.
Although she didn't appreciate being locked inside a spacious mansion, Roux decided it was for the best, and was rather surprised that Kaiba would go to such a length to make sure she stayed put.
She would have thought he'd let her run loose, get captured, even killed, it wouldn't matter to him. This whole new change of moods had altered her thoughts about him. Not for long, however.
Roux was nervous when she was sitting in the back of the limo. She picked at her fingernails and thought desperately about what Kaiba would say. They were on their way to pick him up from Kaiba Corp, and then they were going to drop her off at her hotel.
Kaiba may have had to protect her, but there was no way he was going to have her stay in his house, rude as it was, that was just how Kaiba was.
Mokuba didn't say much on the ride to the Kaiba Corp building. He studied Roux intently, smiling softly, thinking of how nice she was, how pretty she was, what a pity it was there she and his older brother hated each other. Had they liked each other just a little bit, Mokuba would have dared to make them into a couple.
But at this point in time, that was like playing with fire, and Mokuba knew it.
The limo stopped in front of the building and waited. Roux, who sat on the side seat opposite from the door, kept looking out the window at the entrance to the building, chewing on her lower lip, hiding her ring from view.
Within minutes she saw Kaiba come stalking out. She shivered. The glare in his eyes was scornful and cold. She was terrified as to know she had to sit in the same car with him for a little while. She was shaking. She couldn't stop.
The driver opened the door for Kaiba, and he climbed in, not looking at either Mokuba nor Roux. He didn't say anything, he just sat and stared at the floor until the driver started the limo and began driving.
The silence made Roux even more nervous. She knew there was something wrong. But she wouldn't push it. She waited patiently, even as she was shaking almost uncontrollably. She knew she had to stop. The slightest movement from her could irritate him greatly, and she knew it.
Roux was thankful it was Mokuba who broke the silence. "Well Seto?" he asked softly.
Roux watched as Kaiba closed his eyes tightly, as though he were enduring great pain. He made no sound and didn't move as he seemed to be lost inside his own thoughts for several minutes.
Mokuba and Roux exchanged a rather confused and curious glance, and then in unison they both looked to Kaiba.
Kaiba rested a bit, pulling down his shoulders and letting out a breath. Then he sat back and tilted his head back, against the seat, so he wouldn't have to look at them. "You don't have to be afraid any more." He told Roux seriously. "You're under my and Kaiba Corp's protection now."
~*~
**** Okay then, now that that chapter is finished, I have to retire for a little while to get some more ideas for this story. Basically I have it all planned out, but there are a few surprising things about to happen, in which I need to plan for. ^_^ ****
Chapter Twenty-Three
Marik sat alone in the darkness, staring out the window of his room at Domino City with a shrill smile over his lips. He ran his finger over the designs on his Millennium Rod, set down on the table in front of him.
He thought about how powerful he would become with both the Millennium Stone and the Millennium Rod in his power, not to mention his Egyptian god card. And once the tournament began, he would duel against Seto Kaiba and that pathetic Yugi Moto to attain their cards, and then he would have the power to become Pharaoh at long last.
He chuckled to himself at the thought of his fiendish plan. He looked over at the clock on the wall. It was nearing one in the morning. He had set out his goons to find the bearer of the Millennium Stone, Kale Tori's ex-wife, a little over an hour ago. They would be heading back about now with her and the stone in custody.
Marik thought about how deliciously his entire plan had come together. Without mere hesitation or remorse he had easily killed Kale Tori and had also gotten out the information that he just needed. Marik grinned to himself when he thought back to that night in Tori's apartment, and when he had thrown down his ex-wife's picture at his dying body.
Mischievously he remembered how he had been holding that picture for a long time, even before he had spoken to Kale. His ex-wife was a remarkably beautiful young woman, no doubt to be a successful model, and if all things went as he planned, he could very well been looking at his future queen for when he became pharaoh.
Silently he just prayed that she didn't know how to wield the millennium stone. If she did, things could be much more difficult for him. He knew she wouldn't let the stone go without a fight, especially if Shaadii had reached her. But he knew someone like her could be easily overpowered.
A knock came to his door, and easily Marik looked over his shoulder. He grinned to himself, the goons had returned. "What is it?" he called.
The guard opened the door and came into the room, and bowed down his head shortly. "Master Marik, I have news."
Marik grinned and stood. "Go on, what is this news? Have my men returned with the girl yet?" he asked, trying not to sound eager.
The guard gulped, and Marik's grin fainted and he raised an eyebrow. Was there something wrong?
"Sir they have not returned for quite some time, we tried to call but there was no answer, and when the car arrived at their location." he trailed out for a moment.
Marik's hands clenched into fists. He hated when people stalled, especially when it was about one of his plans. "Go on!" he demanded.
The guard cleared his throat nervously. "Well, they were all unconscious sir."
Marik scowled. Unconscious? His men were big guys, what could make them all go unconscious in the middle of a public street in the middle of the night? "What about the girl?" Marik insisted testily.
The guard shrugged. "Nowhere to be seen, sir."
Marik's teeth clenched together, and he turned around and grabbed his Millennium Rod to control his anger. He tried to crush it within his grasp, but it was no use. A millennium item could not be so easily destroyed.
Marik tried to calm down; he just needed to think these things through. He turned around and looked once again to the guard. "Find out what knocked all those men out and come to me with an answer by this time tomorrow, do you understand?" the volume in his voice was escalating.
The guard nodded nervously. "Yes sir."
"And find that girl!" Marik demanded, raising his Millennium Rod and scaring the guard almost out of his mind.
"Y-yes sir, we're right on it!" and without looking back, the guard ran from the room and left Marik in silence.
Marik sat down and thought to himself. What could have made his men go unconscious like that? It must have been some sort of attack; there wasn't any other explanation. And if they had called for the car, that meant that they had found the girl and had her in their custody. What had stood in their way?
~*~
"Shaadii, what happened?"
When Roux opened her eyes she had found herself in a dark room, lying in the most comfortable bed she had ever slept in. When she woke she didn't know where she was, and she barely remembered what had happened the night before. All she knew was that she was in what looked like a guest bedroom.
For an instant when she woke up she looked out the window and thought she was back at the Wheeler apartment, and her heart gave an excited beat. When she had gotten up to see if Joey and Serenity and everyone were there, she didn't recognize the room in the least. She couldn't have been at the Wheeler apartment, everything was too different. Everything was too unfamiliar.
But she sat up to clear her head and try to think things through, suddenly she looked ahead of her and Shaadii was sitting in the leather chair next to the dresser, watching her intently.
She gasped and then recognized him, and carefully she spoke. "Shaadii, what happened?"
He lowered his gaze. "It is what I have feared. The man who killed your ex- husband, who is looking for the Millennium Stone, is Marik Ishtar."
Roux had never heard this name before. She shook her head. "Who?"
Shaadii closed his eyes softly. "In his childhood he was a tomb keeper, one who was given the Tomb Keeper's Initiation. He was destined to stay in the tomb until the all-powerful pharaoh returned. But Marik hated this destiny of his, and thought it absurd to have to pledge his life to a pharaoh." He paused for a moment. "What was once a pure heart was corrupted by evil. Marik took the Millennium Rod from his father and used it against him, and he proclaimed that in time he would be the one to hold the power of all three Egyptian god cards, and as many Millennium items he could rest his hands on, so that he may one day become the pharaoh."
Roux paid close attention to Shaadii's story. It seemed to fit into place. It explained why he was after her Millennium Stone, why he had gone to Kale for it, and why now he was hunting her for it. Everything fit into order.
"Shaadii how do I stop him?" Roux asked, looking at the ring on her finger, searching for answers.
Shaadii sighed very softly. "You can't. Not now, at least."
Roux looked at him softly, and she bit down on her lower lip. "Well then what should I do?"
Shaadii paused. He knew what he would say to her next would not please her in the least. Nevertheless, she had to know. He looked up at her, directly into her eyes. "The reason why Seto Kaiba was so interested in your ring, in the Millennium Stone, was because he was destined to find it." He paused, and watched Roux's eyes fill with confusion. "It was his destiny to find it, and protect the one who held it."
Roux let out a soft groan. "Are you sure?" she asked.
Shaadii nodded. He had indeed foreseen how Kaiba and Roux despised one another, all the events that involved them and the situations that made them loathe each other. He had seen it all, but he knew they had to cooperate.
"First, before anything, you must allow yourself to stay under Seto Kaiba's protection, and not bring yourself to danger." Shaadii said softly.
Then suddenly he jerked his head in the direction of the door, his eyes filled with alertness, and then slowly he disappeared before Roux's eyes. Roux tried to call out to him, but he was already gone before the words could escape her red lips.
The door opened.
Roux's heart seemed to stop when she heard the door open, and she looked over, and sighed with relief at who she saw.
"Hi!" said the little boy standing in the doorway. "You remember me, don't you?"
Roux smiled softly. "Of course I do. Mokuba, right?"
Mokuba nodded sweetly, and then came further into the room. "Well we were wondering when you would wake up." He said and approached the bed. "Are you feeling okay?"
Roux nodded. "Yes of course, I'm fine thank you." She looked around the room. "B-But where am I?"
Mokuba giggled softly. "You're in the Kaiba Mansion, this is one of the guest rooms. Apparently Seto said last night you had fallen asleep and since you were both pretty tired he just brought you here and put you in a guest room."
Roux nodded softly. "I see." She said, and the events of the night before returned to her in an instant. She remembered being chased through the darkness by the men in the suits, she remembered screaming for help, and then running into Kaiba. She remembered Kaiba giving her up willingly to the suits, and then demanding for them to let her go. And when he had finished them with the attack of his Blue Eyes White Dragon, he had demanded to see her ring.
She sighed heavily. Every word Shaadii spoke was true; she could feel it in her heart.
"Are you hungry?" Mokuba asked, watching her with his big round eyes. "Breakfast's downstairs in the dining room."
Roux smiled. "That sounds wonderful, I'd like that." She stretched out her arms. "Would it be all right if I took a shower first?"
Mokuba laughed. "No, it's no problem. There's a bathroom right next to this room, just go ahead and I'll meet you downstairs."
Roux gave him a sweet smile. "Thank you, Mokuba."
She found the bathroom easily enough, and as she was showering she wondered about the events of last night. She remembered getting into the limo and falling asleep on the seats, all the while knowing that Kaiba was watching her intently. If Kaiba had brought her here, which indeed he had, perhaps he was trying to protect her, even though she found it very unlikely that he would want to.
When she finished showering she dressed and started to walk down the hall. She began to wish that she had asked Mokuba for directions, as the mansion was huge enough to begin with and she didn't have a clue where she was.
Everything was nicely decorated and there were rooms upon rooms. Expensive paintings and pieces of art where set against the walls of the hallways and as she passed them she thought about how much they must have cost.
Seto Kaiba sure was rich, but then again he was a CEO millionaire with his own company. Why wouldn't he be rich?
Finally she found a flight of stairs that went down into the foyer of the house. Roux smiled softly and congratulated herself for being able to find the stairs, if nothing else. The dining room wouldn't be too far away now, would it?
In a moment she didn't even have to worry about it, because she looked over and Mokuba was coming towards her. "Roux!" he called to her and started to wave his hand. "I'm sorry, I should have waited for you. I forgot that you wouldn't know your way around."
Roux smiled. "It's okay Mokuba. I found the foyer at least."
"Yeah, you're lucky." Mokuba said, his face beaming. "When we have guests over, and we usually never do, they couldn't find the stairs or foyer to save their lives. A person could die wandering around these hallways." He smiled, and then he took her hand. "Come on, the dining room's this way."
Roux didn't have much choice but to follow Mokuba as he dragged her along the hallways towards the dining room.
~*~
Kaiba tapped and clacked furiously at his keyboard as he sat in his office, the warm sun against his chair, heating the leather to warm his back. It would have been a nice feeling, but he was so hateful at this point in time that nothing could make his mood lighten.
He had been forced to bring Roux home with him last night, and that made him angry. She had fallen asleep in the limo as they were driving, and since Kaiba himself was fairly tired, he decided there was no point in going to a jeweler, there probably wouldn't be one open that late anyway. Having to bring her home was irritating.
The thought that that girl was in his house right now sickened him somehow, it made him flare with fury inside and out. When he arrived at the office that morning the secretary didn't even say a word to him; she knew it would be too dangerous, so she kept her mouth shut.
And she just had to be the girl to bear the Millennium Stone. That infuriated him above all other things. If it had been any other girl he would have been perfectly happy, but no. It had to be Roux Matuko, the airhead fashion model that cheated during a practice duel and didn't have a clue about the powers to that stone she held.
~ I hate you. ~ he growled to himself, thinking, but trying not to think, about Roux.
As he typed at the laptop he tried hard not to think about it. He found that it would go away eventually with the upcoming events of the business day, and soon he wouldn't have to worry about her until later.
At one point he looked up, just to match his curiosity, and saw Ishizu standing there in the middle of the room, her eyes set on him. "Seto." She said to him.
Kaiba's hands clenched into fists and he slammed them on the desk before rocketing out of his chair in mortal fury. "You have some explaining to do!" he yelled at her.
"Calm your fury," she said softly and held out her hand to him, as if to stop him. "I know you are angry, and I know you feel you are being tested."
"Being tested, oh that's rich! You never said it would be Roux who held the Millennium Stone!" he snarled at her.
Ishizu's lips curved just a tiny bit, so tiny you could hardly tell there was a difference. "Why Seto I didn't think it would make a difference."
But Kaiba saw the laughter in her eyes and the smile on her lips, and white- hot anger intoxicated him. "Don't you dare laugh at me! You knew all along that I hated that girl right from the beginning!"
"How could I, Seto?" she asked sincerely. "I appointed you with this task long before you even laid your eyes upon her."
He didn't think that made any difference. Somehow she had known. Her Millennium necklace, yes that had to be it. She could see the future, and she had seen that Kaiba and Roux would hate each other, and yet he would be assigned to protect her.
Kaiba growled and sat down, and without another look at her he continued on with his work. "You can forget about the entire deal," he said to her in a very businessman voice. "Because I'm not doing it. I refuse to protect her."
Ishizu raised an eyebrow, as though she knew he was lying. "Oh really? You would risk the Millennium Rod, and the Stone, and Marik's Egyptian god card, just because you hate this girl?"
Kaiba didn't answer.
"The Seto Kaiba I know would never back down from a challenge," Ishizu pressed, knowing it would trigger his inner-feelings. "Why are you so afraid of this girl?"
"I'm not afraid of her, I HATE HER!" Kaiba yelled at Ishizu, slamming his fists on the desk.
The intercom buzzed shortly, and temperamentally Kaiba pushed the button. "WHAT?"
"Sir, is everything all right?" came his secretary's nervous voice.
"Everything's FINE!" he demanded, and took his finger off the button, and faced Ishizu again.
Ishizu looked rather stern, and she stood very straight and erect. "If you are not afraid of her, then there is a part of you that is fighting the truth." He raised an eyebrow. "I promised you that you would have back what was taken from you after this task was complete."
Kaiba glared at her. "If you make me protect her, I will have my vengeance."
Now Ishizu smiled widely, and it irritated him. "Of course you will Seto. Vengeance." Then she began to laugh quietly to herself, and disappeared slowly from sight. Kaiba was glad she was gone, if she had stayed much longer his patience would have been tested greatly.
Kaiba buried his face in his hands, running his longer fingers through his hair, frustrated and confused. He felt so stuck, like he was wedged between what he wanted to do, and what seemed right. Deep down he knew that if Roux was being hunted for the stone, she should be protected. But then again he despised her so much, why should it be he who should have to suffer for it?
All for the Millennium Rod, the Millennium Stone, and the Egyptian god cards. Were they worth such a high price?
Kaiba spent the entire afternoon thinking about it, and watched as the sky turned and the clock ticked, and by the end of the business day, he had made his decision.
~*~
Roux and Mokuba now sat in the back of the limo as it drove smoothly and sleekly through the streets of Domino City, heading towards the Kaiba Corp building, which lay on the other side of town.
Roux and Mokuba had spent the day together, as they were told to await for Kaiba's word on what was to be done with her. Together she and Mokuba had toured the mansion, Mokuba telling her a story or a funny thing that happened with each room, and why his brother had decorated it in such a matter.
They had gone to the library, the many spacious bathrooms, the main living room, the recreation room, and many other rooms and Mokuba grew more and more excited telling her more about each room, without seeing that she was getting a little bit bored.
But Mokuba was so adorable and so full of life, she wouldn't dare disappointed him.
Then they had spent the rest of the afternoon doing various activities within the mansion. They didn't leave on two accounts. One the guards standing at the gate wouldn't let them leave because Kaiba had given them straight orders that the girl was not to leave until a decision was made. Two, Roux was still scared to death of what had happened the night before, and didn't want to go out alone.
Although she didn't appreciate being locked inside a spacious mansion, Roux decided it was for the best, and was rather surprised that Kaiba would go to such a length to make sure she stayed put.
She would have thought he'd let her run loose, get captured, even killed, it wouldn't matter to him. This whole new change of moods had altered her thoughts about him. Not for long, however.
Roux was nervous when she was sitting in the back of the limo. She picked at her fingernails and thought desperately about what Kaiba would say. They were on their way to pick him up from Kaiba Corp, and then they were going to drop her off at her hotel.
Kaiba may have had to protect her, but there was no way he was going to have her stay in his house, rude as it was, that was just how Kaiba was.
Mokuba didn't say much on the ride to the Kaiba Corp building. He studied Roux intently, smiling softly, thinking of how nice she was, how pretty she was, what a pity it was there she and his older brother hated each other. Had they liked each other just a little bit, Mokuba would have dared to make them into a couple.
But at this point in time, that was like playing with fire, and Mokuba knew it.
The limo stopped in front of the building and waited. Roux, who sat on the side seat opposite from the door, kept looking out the window at the entrance to the building, chewing on her lower lip, hiding her ring from view.
Within minutes she saw Kaiba come stalking out. She shivered. The glare in his eyes was scornful and cold. She was terrified as to know she had to sit in the same car with him for a little while. She was shaking. She couldn't stop.
The driver opened the door for Kaiba, and he climbed in, not looking at either Mokuba nor Roux. He didn't say anything, he just sat and stared at the floor until the driver started the limo and began driving.
The silence made Roux even more nervous. She knew there was something wrong. But she wouldn't push it. She waited patiently, even as she was shaking almost uncontrollably. She knew she had to stop. The slightest movement from her could irritate him greatly, and she knew it.
Roux was thankful it was Mokuba who broke the silence. "Well Seto?" he asked softly.
Roux watched as Kaiba closed his eyes tightly, as though he were enduring great pain. He made no sound and didn't move as he seemed to be lost inside his own thoughts for several minutes.
Mokuba and Roux exchanged a rather confused and curious glance, and then in unison they both looked to Kaiba.
Kaiba rested a bit, pulling down his shoulders and letting out a breath. Then he sat back and tilted his head back, against the seat, so he wouldn't have to look at them. "You don't have to be afraid any more." He told Roux seriously. "You're under my and Kaiba Corp's protection now."
~*~
**** Okay then, now that that chapter is finished, I have to retire for a little while to get some more ideas for this story. Basically I have it all planned out, but there are a few surprising things about to happen, in which I need to plan for. ^_^ ****