Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh!
...sorry...i was planning on updating my stories but right after winter break, i found out that i had a...let's say...unsteady grade in my math class. so now that it's second semester, i'm studying really hard for that class. thus my updates will have some inconsistencies. -__- so sorry. btw, obviously, story and light in the dark racked the most votes. ^__^. .. Will continue the sorries at the end…sorrrrrry!
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This isn't fair, fumed Tea, looking at the ring of men with their rifles.
"You-you wouldn't hurt a poor little girl like me, would you?" Tea said in a small voice, putting her hand that held the gun, behind her back. "Since you only want this really, really rich CEO here, why don't I leave you guys so you can have a nice long talk, okay?" She started to edge away.
"I don't think so, Miss Gardener. You see, after that incident near the arcade, we did a search on who this elusive young woman who had single-handedly taken down two of our top men," a man said behind her.
Tea: -__- Darn...
Mokuba tugged Tea's arm, "Tea, I'm scared..."
"It'll be alright," Tea assured the little boy, ruffling his hair. "Well, since you've obviously got us boxed in, why don't we all be civil and talk this whole thing over," Tea suggested to a man on her left that had a silver pin on his chest.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Miss Gardener, I don't know what you're trying to do, but it's not going to work. Now, originally we were targeting Seto Kaiba but we were lucky enough to net in his little brother as well. The only problem we have now is...what are we going to do about you?"
Tea: o__O You aren't going to kill me?
Oh that's smart Tea, since when did you make it a habit of asking someone if they were going to kill you or not?
The man smiled faintly, relaxing his hold on the rifle. "Well you have an impressive reputation Miss Gardener, from the reports, we can see that you've been all over the world...That's why we...slipped out the information to all of your...enemies that you've made, that your code name is just a hoax, your real name is Tea Gardener, and you live in Domino City.
Tea: O___O--- __ ---- T__T
Kaiba frowned, so instead of killing Tea, they would let their her little friends do the dirty work, thus when the government investigated it, the officials would only catch the people with the dirty fingers.
"Enough talk," the man ordered, making a silencing motion with a heavy hand. The circle of men stepped forward, tightening the ring around the threesome. He withdrew a handkerchief and a small clear bottle of an unknown liquid. Very carefully, he dipped the cloth into the glass. Tea wrinkled her nose, how wonderful, they were going to be drugged. She eyed the tense Kaiba, and the scared Mokuba clinging to his brother's pants. Hmm...their weight might pose a problem.
In a brusque manner, Mokuba was taken kicking and screaming while the men forcefully smothered his face with the cloth. Kaiba, his face pale while he struggled in the grasp of several other men, shouted at his brother in an anguished voice. He turned toward Tea, calmly standing, watching the scene with dispassionate eyes.
"What the hell are you doing?" he yelled at her, "What do you think you can accomplish just standing there?!"
Just stay calm and don't fight them that much, Tea mentally willed at Kaiba. If you get too hurt, you'll slow me down. I can't carry both you and Mokuba.
The silver pinned man stepped toward Tea. "Your turn, girl, and no funny business, y'hear?"
Tea smiled sweetly, "I promise, but since my end is near, how about telling me the reason behind this, and perhaps. . .you can tell me your name?" She ended at a hopeful note.
His lips curved, "Nice try. The only thing I'll say is that my name Vane Richardson. The person who has just told every multi-billionaire who wants to cut your lovely throat, your name."
"Ah yes, that would be kind of hard to find information about you if I'm lying dead in a sewer," Tea said regretfully, shaking her head. Vane Richardson. . .his name sounded vaguely familiar. If she ever got herself and her charges out of this ridiculous mishap--no, once she got herself out, then she was going to find out every little detail about this Vane Richardson.
When the cloth enveloped her nose and mouth, she quickly breathed in the toxic fumes. Just breathe in a little, enough so that you're unconscious but able to think clearly and move when woken up.
**********
Kaiba woke up groggily, his back ached from being tossed around. And Mokuba was. . .Mokuba! He sat up straight, looking wildly around. He sighed in relief, his little brother was curled around Tea's legs.
"Told you I would take care of you guys," she said with a weary smile. He looked at the cold wooden floor. Ropes were lying with abandon next to his feet. "They tied us pretty tight, but then again, I wouldn't expect anything less. So far, I've gotten us free from the ropes, I just need to figure how to get out of this idiotic boat. From what I've figured out," she looked at the small oval window, "There are two guards stationed outside of this door."
Kaiba shook his head angrily, trying to clear his head, "Wha-what's going on?" His mouth felt thick and swollen as if someone had stuffed cotton candy in his mouth.
Tea raised her eyebrows in speculation, "Hmm," she murmured, "It seems you got the full brunt of the fume." She tossed her head back, frowning, what to do, what to do. Absently, she scratched her chin, staring at the planked floors. There was no possible way to overcome the men at the doors even if she managed to open it. She eyed the steel rimmed door, mmm. . .no doubt about it. That was not a possibility. Now if the doors were wooden, it might have been a different matter. . .if the doors were wooden. . .
"Got it!" Tea said, snapping her fingers. "The floor is wooden. Get ready Kaiba brothers, you're going to help me pry these boards apart!"
Kaiba: O__o
Mokuba: (who just woke up) Whuh?
"Start over there," Tea pointed with an imperious finger to the farthest corner of the room from the door. She procured up several hardware devices in an Ever-Ready kit, one of those mini cases that held everything a person needed to fix up a house.
As the brothers hastily set to work, peeling the planks and glue holding it together, Tea kept a careful eye on the window.
"Take this knife," she called out, tossing a sharp blade to Kaiba, "It would be easier to separate the boards."
Silently, Kaiba took her knife. You just wait, Gardener, he thought grimly to himself, you're going to wish you never ever crossed Seto Kaiba.
In what seemed like several hours, the three of them had managed to pry open a hole that merely showed to the sweaty people an iron-copperish looking floor.
"Damnit!" Kaiba swore angrily, pounding his fist against the patch of metal floor. "Now what?"
"Wait," Tea said, holding up a hand. She reached inside her shirt, and took out a small bottle inky bottle.
Kaiba stared at her, "I thought they took all of your weapons. . .and did you just take that from your, uh, um, chest?"
She rolled her eyes, "Um, uh, no, I did not magically take this bottle from my chest. The correct definition is bra, or sports bra in my case. Anyways, they took the most obvious of my stuff, but since a majority of my, uh, things are very inconspicuous, I'm usually left with enough to get me by. Like this one," she added, tilting the bottle to the side, watching the slow liquid move.
Carefully she emptied the remnants of the bottle onto the metal, running the liquid in a complete circle. In fascination, Kaiba watched as the metal fizzed and rusted into a dirty brownish-red color.
Gently Tea set her weight on the metal. It gave way slowly, making an indentation downwards. With her knife, she set the point and sawed away at the parts that were too stubborn to move.
The Kaiba brothers stared at the black hole in trepidation.
"Oh don't worry, I'm going in first," she said crossly. Time was starting to run out, any second the men would come in and check on them.
She broke open a Glo-Lite from her pack, and held it between her teeth as she placed the end of a rope into Kaiba's hands.
"I'll give you a tug to let you know it's safe," she ordered as she lowered herself down.
There were a few bouncing noises as Tea landed on her feet. "Coast clear," she muttered softly.
Her eyes brightened as she took in the small boats around her. Her eyes lit on a sturdy looking canoe, that might just do the trick, she mused thoughtfully.
She hastily tugged at the rope, and started to climb back up. Now all we need is a little distraction. . .
"Oof," she grunted as she rolled back onto the floor. Quickly she rose, beckoning the brothers closer.
"If we're to escape, we must do everything at the exact moment. I'm going to distract them, while you two are going to be down there, setting the pedal-powered boat free from its crate. Wait for me when you guys are done."
"A pedal-powered boat?!" Kaiba exploded.
"It's the only one," Tea said tersely back. "Now get down there, I'm gonna make some noise."
When the last Kaiba was lowered slowly down, Tea took out several grenades and set them around the floor.
She drew in a deep breathe. Okay, Tea, it's show time. Calmly walking to the door, she stood in front of the door. Then, she took in a sharp breathe. . .and suddenly started screaming her head off. Let me outta here, you mother f@#$%^$^^! What? Oh, you aren't going to listen to me are you? Huh? HUH?!!!! Why I bet your mother was a ~~~~~~~~~~ and a ~~~~~~~~~! You aren't fit enough on this earth, what kinda people are you, you ~~~~~~~~ and @#F%$F%! I bet you sucked on your @F#%$%%% and ~~~~~~~ ever since you were little! Maggots, you guys are the lowest, most despicable son of a @#$%% and ~~~~~~~~~! Why aren't you saying anything? Cowards! Little sissies!" She gulped in fresh air as she prepared herself for another onslaught.
"What's the matter? Too stupid to hear me?" she dragged out the word stupid, mimicking a cow. "St-u-u-u-piiiiiiiiid-d-d. . .Moooooooooo!"
Finally the door was yanked open and Tea faced the two irate men. "Catch!" she cried as she tossed two grenades into the men's hands and slid between their legs. Scrambling, Tea started throwing grenades to the men walking the deck. She risked a hasty glance back, ahhhh, perfect. The men were screaming as the grenades dropped at their feet and exploded. Nothing like a little chaos to add into the mix, she thought smugly.
Oooh, ow, gotta slow down, she grumbled as her leg faltered beneath her. She grabbed several more and flung them in every direction as she ran into a room. The ship shuddered as the grenades blew up chunks of holes into the deck, raining metal and wood into the air. Gunfire sounded in accompaniment to the bangs.
"Leseee…this room should hold my stuff, I heard them saying it was in room B-8 and this is room B-8. . .aha!" she crowed, holding a bag stuffed with her weapons.
"Now," she smiled, "Time for the real distraction."
She tied five rolls of dynamite together and scooped the bag onto her shoulder, her gun buckled at her waist. With steady fingers she lit a match to the end of the wick.
"Adios, ship!" she cried, flinging the door open and hurling the pack into the air. It landed in the middle between Vane Richardson who was in the middle of striding to the room that was supposed to hold the captives and several other of his men.
In astonishment he gazed at the red bundle and then sharpened his look at Tea standing in the doorway of B-8.
"Move!" he roared, his voice cracking like a whip. The men hastily jumped back as the dynamite detonated as a fiery burst of red, orange, and yellow flamed up and licked its way outward.
"See ya later, Richardson, and be sure to send my hello's to your boss!" Tea screamed at him, running at full tilt back to their original room.
Her feet skidded as she jumped down the narrow hole of metal, sides scraping against the jagged wood.
Down below, Kaiba and Mokuba waited tensely for Tea.
"No time!" Tea cried as they moved forward, a million of questions bubbling in their minds.
"Back up!" Tea motioned and then threw an opened grenade at the side of the ship. Throwing herself back, arms covering her head and face, a wave of heat met her body as the explosion blew a hole into the ship.
"Good Lord!" Seto swore, staring at the hole. Water lapped into the hole as the ship tilted and groaned. Above their heads, more explosion rained out, and a menacing rumble tore through the ship.
"Hurry!" Tea yelled, as the water started pouring in, "We're just above sea level! We can escape because they're too busy trying to get into life boats right now."
Frantically the three of them pushed the small vessel, their hands and feet churning with adrenaline.
"Remind me to fire you after all this is done," Seto panted. "And I suppose the grenades are just another of those inconspicuous things that you have?"
Tea patted his cheek condescendingly and then ducked as the furious CEO tried to punch her. "You're learning so fast, Kaiba-boy!"
With a flying leap, Kaiba jumped first, then Mokuba, and finally Tea.
"Now. . .PEDAL FOR OUR LIVES!!!!" Tea yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Never did I ever think that I would be actually pedaling in this ridiculous little boat, stuck with an idiot body guard who just happens to be Tea Gardener, Yu-gi's friend! And the fact that a huge-ass boat right behind us is about to explode any second from now does not make me any happier!!!!!" Seto roared as the boat shot across the water, mostly powered by Seto's rage.
"WELL," Tea said pointedly, purposefully removing her feet from the pedals since it was obvious that Seto was doing the work. "Who just got you out of this mess, huh?"
KABOOM!!!
The ship behind them exploded in a burst of fire, flying scraps of metal and wood as the sea slowly swallowed the hulking craft.
Seto kept on treading, the explosion had made him pedal even faster.
"Ummmm. . .we're far enough now, we should be fine now," Tea noted, nervously looking at Seto's red face .
Slowly the small boat stopped as the three looked back to enjoy the fireworks.
"Just like a New Year's Celebration!" Mokuba said in wonderment, his eyes reflecting the licking flames that were blossoming on the vessel.
"Yeah!" Tea said in a false enthusiastic voice. "So why don't you enjoy the show with Kaiba at your side, huh?"
She quickly switched seats with Mokuba, wedging him between Kaiba who was starting to turn on her with an ominous expression.
The three settled to watch the brilliant flames from afar, their silence marred by the occasional voice of Mokuba. "Stop it! Seto, stop trying to hit Tea! I wanna watch the show!. . .Tea! I felt that!"
". . .sorry Mokuba, I was aiming for your baka brother here. Dang, you need to cut your hair, it's too big!"
The little boat started to rock back and forth as Tea and Seto went for each other.
"Stoooooooooooopppppp iiiiitttttt!" Mokuba wailed.
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Now, how will our heroes get back to the city? And what will Kaiba do to Tea. . .and who is the person behind all of these attempts? Stay tuned. . Hopefully I will update soon…and hopefully the next chapter will answer most of these questions ^__~. . .
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Hee hee, saw a mental pix of the three of them pedaling hell for leather, like in the anime shows where they turn into chibi figures and their legs into little circles that go unbelievably fast. . .
Apologies: Sorrry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. I'll try to update light in the dark. Sorry for those who reviewed and told me to update! I was seriously going to!. . .ahem. . .anyway, sorry again.
And it might seem a little fast in some parts becuz I was hurrying to update….-__-
Luv you guys a lot!