AN: WARNING: Violence, language and homophobic content. Also, Seto is going to be a little wimpy. Just so you know he isn't weak; he's really strong. He just isn't going to fight back for a little bit.
Chapter 2: Two Dead Boys got up to Fight
"Ha-Ha-HA-CHOO!"
"Bless you." Seto mumbled as he glanced over at Mokuba.
"Thank you. Do you have a tissue?"
"No… no, wait. Here." He replied as he tossed a handkerchief over to Mokuba.
"HA-CHOO!" Mokuba sneezed into the piece of cloth. "Sorry."
"Why are you sorry? It's not your fault you've got a cold."
"I just feel silly." Mokuba replied as Seto opened the back door of the car and let Mokuba into the car, before getting in the driver's seat. "Actually, I feel sick."
"I'd imagine so. I don't understand why Gozaburo would insist on seeing you as well as me. I wish he would just let you stay home. You need rest."
"I am tired."
"Go ahead and take a nap. I'll wake you up when we get to the craft." Seto sighed, as he pulled off his trench coat and handed it to Mokuba, so he could use it as a blanket. Seto buckled his seatbelt and made sure Mokuba was secure, before starting the car and pulling on to the road.
Seto knew that he was a very good driver, but he also knew he had to be. He had never bothered to actually get a license, so if he got caught driving, he would get in trouble. Checking all his mirrors, Seto changed lanes and merged onto the highway. Mokuba was already sleeping.
'Poor guy. His cold must be really bad. Maybe I'll ask Gozaburo if Mokuba can be excused from school tomorrow.' Seto decided, before he realized he had just missed his exit. Cursing softly, so he wouldn't wake Mokuba, Seto quickly got off the highway, and pulled into a gas station. He pulled out a map and quickly found a couple back roads that would led him to the launch pad. Putting the map away, Seto stiffened as a police car pulled in behind him. Seto forced a smile and nodded to him as the policeman got out of his car. He nodded in return and Seto started up his car. The policeman made no move to stop him and Seto let out a sigh of relief as he managed to pull out onto the road and put distance between the police car and his own.
Seto finally pulled into the parking area at two minutes after eight. Sighing, Seto turned to wake Mokuba, but he looked so peaceful when he slept that Seto didn't have the heart to shake him awake. Getting out of his car, Seto slipped his briefcase under his arm, picked Mokuba up and carried him onto the aircraft. He put Mokuba to bed in one of the bedrooms on the craft, before he ventured into the main control room and turned on the autopilot. Once he finished entering the destination coordinates, Seto opened up on of the wiring compartments and pulled the power supply plug to the security cameras.
"Hn. Security? More like a spy network." Seto snorted in disgust. Shrugging, he went to the small library on the craft and opened up his briefcase. He flipped through some of the papers, fooling himself into believing that he was actually going to do something worthwhile.
After a minute of pretending, Seto gave up and pulled out a collection of novels by Hesse and flipped to page 547. Mokuba had bought it for him a few years ago, but Seto had been forbidden to read it, as it wasn't a 'classic'. Fortunately for him, both of the brothers were experience at being sneaky. Even so, Seto was forced to be so careful about when and where he read that he was only now reaching the end. Seto let out a sigh and continued to read, until Mokuba came into the library.
"Seto?" Mokuba asked, sniffing quietly. "Why didn't you tell me that we were at the pad?"
"Mokuba, you're sick, you should be resting."
"I'm not dying, you know." Mokuba frowned, rubbing his nose.
"Come here." Seto frowned and Mokuba shuffled over. He pressed his hand to Mokuba's forehead and sighed. "You've got a fever. Go back to bed, and rest."
"But it's too hot." Mokuba whined.
"That just proves you're sick. Oh." Seto sighed, as the landing alarm sounded and he stood up. "Get your shoes on and meet me at the bridge."
Seto waited for Mokuba to hurry off, before he hid his book in his briefcase and hurried to the bridge to meet Mokuba. Seto watched through the windows of the blimp as his adopted father's island grew closer and closer.
Seto hated the island. The only nice thing Seto could say about it was that it was pretty, if you were into flowers and such, and that it was mercifully unwatched. The only security system that existed on the island was a hidden spy camera that watched his adopted father's office. There wasn't even a check-in system or an armed guard. Seto hit a random key to turn off the screensaver on the computer and quickly scanned the screen for error messages. Seeing none, Seto turned waited for the automatic pilot to shut off, before commencing the docking procedure. He steered the craft into the holding bay and allowed the automatic functions to take over, while he looked for Mokuba.
Seto found him in the on-board bathroom, throwing up phlegm and breakfast. Mokuba must have been pretty desperate, Seto decided, since he hadn't even bothered to lock the door behind him. Seto frowned and quickly grabbed Mokuba's hair out of his face.
"I'm sorry." Mokuba sniffed after a moment. Seto smiled faintly and grabbed a paper towel and ran some water over it. He handed it to Mokuba, who used it to wipe his face and mouth.
"It's all right. You feeling better?"
"A little." Mokuba admitted and Seto nodded.
"You might want to tie back your hair, if you're not feeling one-hundred percent." Seto suggest and Mokuba nodded.
"But I haven't go anything to tie it with." Mokuba sniffed again, and moved to wipe his nose with his sleeve. Seto grimaced and handed him some toilet paper, before Seto opened up the medicine cabinet and pulled out a box of floss.
"Use this. Instant string." Seto sighed and he watched Mokuba struggle for a bit, before Seto snapped off an extra long piece and helped him.
"Thanks." Mokuba nodded.
"No problem. Come on, let's go." Seto shrugged and led the way to the door through the bridge, grabbing his briefcase as he passed. The brothers exited the blimp and walked towards the office. It was a long walk, almost a half-hour, and Mokuba's condition didn't really make them walk any faster. Halfway there, Seto gave up and carried Mokuba the rest of the way. They finally got to the building and took the elevator to the top floor. Seto was grateful that it was a Sunday, so no one was there to give them much trouble. In fact, with the exception of his father, his brother and Seto himself, the entire island was deserted until Monday morning.
The elevator finally stopped and Mokuba got out and sat down on one of the couches near the door to his father's office.
"You feeling okay?"
"I've felt better."
"You just wait here and rest." Seto told his brother, before handing him his trench coat and pulling some of his loose hair behind his ear.
"All right." Mokuba nodded, as he lay down on the couch and Seto walked into his father's office.
"Sir?" Seto asked, to show that he had arrived. Gozaburo was sitting in his large captain's chair, facing the large glass window that looked out over the island.
"You're late, boy." His father sighed, without even turning to acknowledge him.
"I'm sorry, sir. I missed his exit on the way here, and I had to double back…"
"Did I ask for an excuse?" He asked, finally turning to look at Seto.
"No sir."
"Damn straight. Come over here and give me your hand."
"No, I'm sorry! Please…"
"Shut the hell up, you faggot! That's two for being late, two for trying to excuse your failings and another one for arguing. You want more?" His father asked, standing up. Seto bit his lip and shook his head. "Come here then."
Seto walked over to his adopted father, but instead of striking Seto's hand with his belt, as Gozaburo normally punished Seto, Gozaburo twisted Seto's arm behind his back and slammed Seto's face into the desk.
"One!" Gozaburo shouted as Seto's head hit the desk. "Two!" Pulling Seto up, Gozaburo slammed Seto's face into the desk again. Seto tried not to cry out, but he allowed a little groan to slip out.
"One more for showing pain." The man laughed, and he slammed Seto against the wood again. Seto could barely hear Gozaburo's counting over the roaring in his head. When he was finished, he let go of Seto arm, and Seto slowly back away.
"Come here boy. Let me see you briefcase. I hope you were doing something worthwhile since I last saw you."
Shakily, Seto gave him his briefcase and looked at the ground. He didn't seem in the best of moods, and Seto secretly glanced at the door. He wondered if Mokuba had heard his punishment, but decided that he hadn't. He had looked so tired that he had probably fallen asleep as soon as Seto had left, and Seto knew for a fact that his brother slept like the dead. Besides, if Mokuba had heard anything, he would have come in.
Seto wasn't terribly worried about Mokuba coming in and seeing the bruises that Seto knew were forming on his face. His punishments weren't a secret from Mokuba. Mokuba had seen Seto's return to the house a mass of cuts and bruises. Seto had helped him put bandages on his back. They had even run away together once, when things had started to get worse. Mokuba knew.
However, Seto was worried about what their adopted father would do with Mokuba… if he remember that he had asked to see Mokuba. His adopted father had never hit Mokuba before. In fact, he barely recognized Mokuba's existence, leaving his care and needs in Seto's care. Seto was the one who asked his father's secretary for extra money to buy Mokuba clothes. Seto made sure Mokuba got to school every day. Seto made sure he did his share of the chores, since Gozaburo didn't believe in maids or cooks.
On the other hand, Gozaburo's mood seemed foul enough that he might strike out at his brother. Seto knew he couldn't let that happen, but Seto didn't know how to prevent it, either. Biting his lip, he silently prayed that Gozaburo wouldn't look to hard at his briefcase and that he could leave soon.
"Hum. What is this?" His father asked, as he flipped through the papers in Seto's briefcase. "Hesse? Explain, boy!"
"Sir?" Seto asked, looking up at him. Seto gritted his teeth in panic as he saw that Gozaburo was holding his book.
"Boy, did I not specifically forbid you from reading this trash?!"
"Yes, sir. You did, sir." Seto mumbled, knowing what was coming next.
"Seto… you are a disappointment to me."
"I'm sor-"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Gozaburo roared as he stood up and threw Seto's book across the room. "Look at you. You have the nerve to come in here seventeen minutes late and make excuses. You're a sniveling bastard, you know that? Oh, and then I find out that you've been disobeying me and reading horrific trash!"
"It's not tra-"
"SHUT UP!" He snarled, lashing out and punching Seto in the jaw. "You slutty faggot. How weak do you get?"
"Sir…" Seto protested, as he held his jaw. It was throbbing, and he could barely speak because of the ache. He felt his eyes tear up, and he prayed that he wouldn't stop crying.
"I forbid you to speak! Now, come here boy. I'm going to beat the daylights out of you. I see I've been too lenient on you. Give the queer an inch and he'll run a mile."
Seto rubbed his jaw, watching as Gozaburo removed his belt. Inwardly, to himself, Seto gasped.
'He really is going to beat me to death… if I'm lucky.' Seto realized as he backed away, hoping to buy himself some time, as Gozaburo grabbed a water bottle off the desk and wet the leather of his belt.
"Come here boy." Gozaburo ordered him, once he was ready. Seto shook his head and watched in horror as Gozaburo reached out quickly and grabbed his wrist. Seto pulled away, but Gozaburo was stronger and Seto ended up getting hauled towards him.
Seto kicked out at Gozaburo's ankles, and threw a punch at his face, but Gozaburo dodged and threw him against the windows. He felt his head collide with the glass and there was a faint cracking sound. Seto shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the dizziness, and blinked it away in time to see a fist coming at his head. Seto gulped and rolled out of the way. Seto crouched on the other side of the desk, as his father cursed and swore at him. "You ass! You made me break my window! Now… you're really going to pay."
"Seto?" Seto heard Mokuba called, as the office door creaked open.
'Oh… shit.'
"Mokuba! Go away! It's nothing!" Seto shouted, as he circled the desk, praying that he could keep space between himself and his adopted father.
"But… I heard glass breaking." Mokuba replied as he opened the door and walked in. Seto looked over at him, and Gozaburo lashed out, ripping the back of Seto's shirt. He winced as the leather connected with his skin, leaving a long, red welt. "Oh…"
"Come here boy." Gozaburo ordered, beckoning for Mokuba to come over.
"No! Mokuba, leave." Seto snapped.
"Come here!"
"Leave!"
"Don't argue with me boy!" Gozaburo shouted, as he reached across the desk. Seto gasped as he yanked on his hair, so that the back of his head slammed into the desk. He groaned and Gozaburo grabbed at his bangs, so that he could use more force. Seto struggled against his hold, but after a minute, the roaring overcame me and he slipped to the ground.
He could feel the roaring fad away, and he didn't feel quite as sick as he had. Pressing his face into the carpet, Seto tried to open his eyes. He could hear screaming, and, in the back of his mind, he knew that Mokuba was in trouble. Forcing his eyes open, Seto looked up in time to see Mokuba slam into the wall. He used the desk to pull himself to his knees and he looked around for a weapon. He quietly opened the top desk drawer, and he felt around inside it, until he had found what he was after. Seto shakily got to his feet and bit his lower lip.
"Go-Gozaburo!" He shouted, his head still spinning slightly. He cocked the gun and aimed it at Gozaburo's head. Gozaburo turned around to look at Seto and laughed, before slapping Mokuba across the face. "Leave him alone."
"You wouldn't, boy. You pansies haven't got enough balls to pull the trigger of a gun."
"I'm only going to warn you one more time." Seto told him.
"And then you'll… what?" Gozaburo smirked as he took his hand off Mokuba's collar and slammed his knee into Mokuba's crotch. Seto winced as Mokuba fell to the ground, shuddering in pain.
"I'll kill you." Seto breathed, trying not to look at Mokuba's pained expression. "I've had enough of your beatings. It's going to stop, and you're never going to touch Mokuba ever again."
"Oh, yeah?" Gozaburo asked, kicking Mokuba in the back.
"Stop!" Seto shouted.
He pulled the trigger. Twice.
He watched as the body of his adopted father slammed into the window and the glass shattered. The glass flew everywhere, and he covered his eyes with his arm to avoid being blinded. There was a few seconds of silence before he heard a muffled thump.
"Seto?" He heard Mokuba cough, and Seto looked over at his brother. "What did you do?"
"I… holy… shit. I think I killed him."