AN: Religious themes. I don't mean to offend anyone, and I'm not telling that any religion is superior to another, but there will be Christianity involved with this story. Another warning, Joey is going to be a church worker. Honestly though, I don't really see how the vague religious themes could be that offensive.
AN 2: the collars that Protestant ministers wear are sometimes referred to as dog collars. Please do not mistake Joey for an S & M freak. Thank you. Also, remember that the left ear = straight; right ear = gay.
Chapter 4: Drew Their Swords and Shoot Each Other
"Seto?" Mokuba asked, looking over at his brother. They were driving home after their interview with the police, and Mokuba couldn't get his mind off it.
"Hn."
"I don't like this." Mokuba sighed, as he looked up at his brother. Seto didn't reply, and simply flipped on his blinkers and turned left. "It doesn't feel right, lying to those men."
"Cops, Mokuba. Homicide investigators." Seto replied, as he checked his rear-view mirror. "Their sole job is to look at cases like ours and hunt out the criminal."
"But you didn't do anything wrong!"
"I killed our adopted father. That is illegal, you know."
"But you did it for a good reason." Mokuba sniffed.
"Justice is blind, Mokuba. They don't care. Those bastards never care." Seto snapped, glaring at the road.
"But I care! I care and they're going to send you to prison if you don't tell them the truth."
"Damn it, Mokuba! They're going to send me to jail whether or not I tell them the fucking truth! All I can hope to do is lie, and hope that they won't know that you're lying too. I can't make you an accessory. You can't be involved."
"No!" Mokuba sniffed. "I don't want to do this!"
"Mokuba…" Seto sighed, a warning note in his voice, as he stopped for a red light. Taking his chance, Mokuba threw open his door and dashed out into the street. "Mokuba!"
Growling in frustration, Seto waited until the light turned green and quickly found a parking space. Locking his door, Seto stuffed his keys into his pocket and jogged down the street in the direction Mokuba had run.
Kaiba looked up and down the side streets, checking for any sign of Mokuba, but he couldn't find anyone. Frowning, Seto looked around in confusion, hoping that Mokuba was all right.
"Hey, baby." A woman's voice called from a building nearby. Seto looked over and saw a woman walking towards him. He looked at her purposeful and seductive walk, and knew instantly that she was a prostitute. "You looking for something? I can give you a really good time."
"Uh…" Seto blinked as the blond latched onto his arm and began to pull him towards the house. "I'm not interested, miss."
"Really?" The woman smiled.
"I'm gay."
"Oh. Sorry." The woman shrugged, looking a little embarrassed.
"But I am looking for someone. It's a little boy, about this tall," Seto indicated Mokuba's height, "Long-ish, black hair and this awful red and orange sweater."
"Why do you want to find him?" The prostitute asked suspiciously.
"I'm his brother. No, really." Seto sighed pulling out a picture of him and Mokuba together. "See, that's me and him."
"Oh. Well, in that case, he went into that church over there." The lady said, pointing the direction of a church six or seven blocks down the road. "I'm watching you. If I hear any fuss, I'm calling the cops."
"If you want to." Seto shrugged, not really caring. Things couldn't get much worse for him.
"Hey!" The woman shouted, as Seto turned to follow Mokuba. "I'm Mai, what's your name?"
"Seto!" Seto called over his shoulder. He hurried down the street and finally came to the church. It wasn't huge, but it certainly wasn't small. Seto stood outside the large double-doors that were the entrance of the church and told himself that he shouldn't feel intimidated by one building.
"I shouldn't." Seto told himself firmly, but he was. He could feel the blood slowly dripping off his hands and the dirt that tainted his skin began to seep in deeper. He felt a holy-aurora seeping from the church and he knew that it wasn't a place for someone like him. He was a murderer; he was a weakling; his soul had been destroyed and torn by everyone, even himself.
Letting out a sigh, Seto sat down on the steps and pressed his face into his hands. He couldn't do it. He couldn't open the doors.
Seto heard a door open and close behind him, and turned around, thinking it might be Mokuba. It wasn't. It was a tall boy about Seto's age. He had blond hair that hung around his face at funny angles and framed his brown eyes. He was wearing a nice pair of black slacks and a button down shirt with a dog collar. The blond shivered and quickly pulled on a green jacket before he started to shuffle around in his pockets. He pulled out a cigarette and a lighter.
"Want one?" He asked Seto, who shook his head. "Your loss."
"Are you supposed to be doing that?" Seto asked with a frown.
"Huh? Oh." The blond flushed, before he quickly took the piece of stiff cardboard out of his collar and unbuttoned the first two buttons. Smiling at Seto, he laughed. "See? Now I'm off-duty. I don't think I've seen you around before. You new here?"
"Uh, no." Seto shook his head.
"Should've guessed. You're dressed too nice. So what are you doing here?" The blond asked, taking another drag of his cigarette. "Confessing your sins before you go to screw the brains out of a prostitute? If that's the case, go to the Catholic Church a few streets over. And go after you've done you're sin."
"I'm not here to confess. My brothers inside."
"The kid in the front row? Long black hair?"
"Yeah, that's him."
"You can wait inside if you want. It's warmer."
"I… I don't like it in there." Seto finally admitted.
"It's cool. Name's Joey, by the way."
"You can call me… Seto." Seto sighed, deciding it was better if he didn't give away his last name. "Are priest allowed to smoke?"
"Oh, I'm not really a priest. Went to seminary for a few years, but they kicked me out after I refused to give up my boyfriend. Oh well."
"You're gay?"
"One queer comment and I'll smash your face into the sidewalk." Joey snapped, before grinding his cigarette butt under his shoe.
"And you're a priest? How, exactly, does that work?"
"One, I'm not a priest. I just went to Seminary for a few years. After I got kicked out, I just got a part-time job at the church. The rest of my time is spent putting a few hours in at the garage, or helping with the kids." Joey sighed as he pulled out another cigarette, but didn't light it.
"Kids?"
"Yeah. There's an orphanage across town. I used to live there with my sister. I suppose that's why I went to seminary. Most of us went there if we didn't really have any other plans." Joey sighed and light his cigarette. "So, what about you? You got a job? You must be pretty close with your brother, if you're here with him. I mean, where are your 'rents?"
"Uh… Mokuba and I sort of live together. I guess you'd say I'm his guardian."
"Sorry. Must be tough to raise the kid. I know my sister was tough as hell and she's pretty nice. God, if she was a bitch, I don't know what I would have done. Didn't help that she was really pretty, though. Damn it, if she hadn't married Tristan, I'd still be beating guys away from here with a baseball bat." Joey growled at the memory, and Seto snickered. "Huh? What's your issue?"
Seto laughed harder and eventually, he was clutching his sides in pain.
"You're such a dog, puppy." Seto finally managed.
"What?! You bastard!" Joey spat, jumping to his feet.
"You've even got a collar!" Seto snickered, causing Joe to growl again. "And you sound like one, too!"
"You…" Joey began, before his cell phone went off. "I'll kick your ass in a minute. Yeah? Wheeler here… Oh, hey- WHAT?! Now?! Cripes, uh… I'll be there. … I don't know! My bikes in the shops. Would she be mad if I stole a car? … Shut up, Devlin."
Glaring at his cell phone, Joey turned it off and shoved it in his pocket.
"Need a ride?" Seto asked, as he got to his feet.
"Huh? Uh… yeah. It's my sister; she just went into labor."
"I'll drive you. I've got a car."
"What?" Joey asked, looking a little surprised.
"Don't you trust me?" Seto asked with a smirk. "I won't try anything, you know. I don't go for dogs."
"Shut your trap; I'll take the ride. Uh, what about your brother?"
"Our street is along the route to the hospital. She is at North Domino Hospital, right?"
"Yeah; isn't it the only one in this damn city?" Joey asked, as he reached into his pocket to pull out his cigarette pack, but Seto gripped his wrist tightly. "Eh?"
"You aren't to smoke near my brother." Seto replied, before he squared his shoulders and walked into the church.
"Hello?" Seto whispered, as he walked through the small entrance hall and into the sanctuary. It wasn't a fancy church. The floor was wood and the wood pews were in straight rows facing a small alter with a simple golden cross and a few candle holders and candles on the alter. A small table off to the side held three purple and one pink candle and a fat white one in the center.
Seto finally found Mokuba sitting in the front row. He was looking at the ground, and Seto thought that he might be praying. Silently walking down one of the side aisle to the front row. Pulling his trench coat around his legs to muffle its noise and movement, Seto slipped into the pew and sat next to Mokuba.
"You found me." Mokuba said after a moment.
"I had help." Seto shrugged and the brothers sat in silence for another minute. "Let's go. I'm driving a… an acquaintance somewhere, but I'll drop you off near home."
"I like it here." Mokuba said, as if he wasn't listening to Seto. "This priest told me I could come here any day between noon and five, if I wanted to be alone. He said that because it's the time of Advent, the church will be opened extra hours. What's Advent?"
"It's a religious time that comes before Christmas."
"Oh."
"Can we go now? I want to leave." Seto snapped tensely as he stood.
"But it's so peaceful and quite. I like it. Don't you?"
"No. It's… It reminds me of how dirty I am. It… accents my lack of a soul." Seto sighed, as he looked away from the altar.
"But you…"
"I don't want to talk about it." Seto growled and Mokuba sighed.
"Can I come here again, at least?"
"I'll think about it." Seto relented and Mokuba stood.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Seto shifted into drive and began to go down the street as he watched Mokuba hurry down the street towards their house, which was a few blocks down.
"Don't worry so damn much," Joey shrugged, catching Seto watching Mokuba through the rear-view mirror. "You live in a decent neighborhood and it's noon. What's gonna happen to him, for Christ's sake?"
"Are you sure you're a priest?" Seto asked, shooting his passenger an odd look.
"Look, when you grow up in a religious orphanage, you're expected to go to seminary, unless you've got a better idea. Note that I did get kicked out." Joey shrugged and the pair sat in silence for a few minutes, before Joey started to get agitated. "Can't you go any faster?"
"We're here, you idiot." Seto rolled his eyes. "Come on, dog; let's move."
"What?" Joey asked, as Seto got out of the car. "Hey! What the hell are you doing, calling me dog again? Hey! Come back here, you asshole!"
Running after Seto, Joey finally managed to catch up with his ride at the information desk.
"Ah, here he is." Seto told the nurse before turning his head around to look at Joey. "I remembered that I didn't know your sister's name. Care to enlighten me?"
"Taylor. Serenity Taylor." Joey told the nurse, ignoring Seto.
"Room one-zero…nine." The nurse smiled, pointing the two boys in the right direction. "Just follow the screams."
"What an odd woman." Joey muttered as he headed towards the room that the nurse had told him. As they approached the room, they did indeed hear a loud yelling, which grew louder with every step. They came within sight of the room, and found two tall boys standing outside. The one who was standing had heavily gelled, brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a brown trench coat of a police uniform and he looked like he was about to pass out.
The boy who was casually lounging in one of the chairs was wearing a pair of tight leather pants with a matching leather shirt. He had long black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. His right ear was pierced and a thin chain was threaded through it with a small die attached to the end.
"Devlin; Tristan!" Joey called, and he ran over to them. "How is she?"
"Can't you hear her, Joey?" Devlin asked with a smirk. "Looking good, by the way."
"Stow it, Devlin." Joey growled, just as Serenity let out another piercing scream and Tristan turned a deeper shade of green. "Hey, Tristan. Shouldn't you be in there with Serenity?"
"They sent him out because he looked like he was going to spew all over the room. Frankly, I'm not getting cop-boy over there." Devlin sighed, jerking his thumb in Tristan's direction. "Blood and guts all over a alleyway and he doesn't flinch. Gunfight surrounds him and he doesn't even piss his pants. But his girl goes into labor and he looks sicker than a corpse."
"That's your sister, mutt?" Seto asked, looking over at the other room. "Well, doesn't she have an impressive set of lungs."
"Mutt?" Devlin laughed, noticing Seto for the first time. Shaking his head as he continued to laugh, Devlin looked Seto up and down. "You've got good taste, Joey. Real fine taste."
"I disagree. I dated you, didn't I?" Joey shot back. "Besides, he's just a friend. Seto doesn't swing like that, you pervert. I mean, jeez, Devlin, you're such a slut."
Serenity let out another piercing scream and Tristan shot off down the hall, clutching his stomach. Devlin calmly picked up a pen and a piece of paper he had ripped out of a magazine and made a small tally mark.
"That's his third time running off." Devlin remarked, as a nurse came out of the room.
"Uh, excuse me?" The nurse asked nervously.
"Yeah?" Joey asked, and Devlin looked up from his ripped magazine page.
"Ms. Taylor is done. It's a girl. Uh, where's the father?"
"In the bathroom." Devlin supplied. "I'll get him. Why don't you go in to see Serenity, Joey?"
Without another word, Devlin turned and walked off to the bathroom, fully expecting everyone to follow his orders.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mokuba quickly slipped into the room and ran over to the box next to Seto's desk. He opened it up and pulled out the tape. Looking around guiltily, Mokuba took out a blank tape and replaced the pilfered evidence, before hurrying out of the room.
Mokuba wasn't stupid. He knew that Seto was going to destroy the only evidence of what had really happened in their adopted father's office. Seto was ruthless when it came to getting what he wanted and Mokuba knew that Seto would risk or do anything to get what he wanted. Mokuba knew that Seto would not hesitate to crush anyone, even Mokuba himself, in order to save him. Mokuba knew that Seto would go to jail if it would keep Mokuba innocent of any guilt.
However, Mokuba also knew that he wasn't going to let that happen. Seto had protected him, and he wasn't going to let Seto suffer for that. But there was the problem that without the tape only Seto and Mokuba would know what had happened. And with Seto's word against Mokuba's, Mokuba knew that his word would count for nothing.
Locking the door to his room, Mokuba quickly slipped the video into a case, wrapped it in wrapping paper and tapped on a gift tag.
'Happy Birthday, Rebecca; from Mokuba.' Mokuba scrawled down, before smiling happily. Seto wouldn't dare to look there. Perfect cover.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Glancing over his shoulder, Bakura tugged his jacket together and wished that it buttoned higher. He'd only been standing outside for a few minutes and he was already freezing. Frowning slightly Bakura raised his fist and pounded on the door with his fist. He knew that someone was home (there were lights on in at least two rooms of the house and a car in the driveway) and he was damned if he was going to give up this easily. He'd finally gotten up enough courage to do it, and if had to leave then, he knew he wouldn't be able to come back for a while. Bakura stomped his left foot to get the circulation back in his legs and kicked at the door a few times.
"ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT!" A voice finally shouted and Bakura could hear the sound of someone hurrying down the stairs. Bakura could hear some shuffling and a couple bolts and lock being undone and the voice continued to mutter to itself. "All I want is to take a shower. I mean, is it too much to ask? Well, apparent- uh… Bakura."
"Hey, Ryou. You… uh… hi." Bakura gulped as he looked down at Ryou, who was dripping wet and only wearing a towel and a large T-shirt. "Uh, sorry about the shower."
"What do you want?" Ryou asked, looking down at the ground.
"Can I come in? It's a bit cold out here."
Ryou seemed to hesitate, before nodding slowly.
"Come on in." Ryou whispered and Bakura did.
"Nice… uh… nice house." Bakura stammered.
"I'm sure that's not why you're here. Why don't you get this over with so you can go back to Marik." Ryou frowned slightly. "Will you have a coffee… for the road?"
"Hey, don't be like that."
"How should I be? I come to apologize for my partner hurting you, and I find you tonguing Marik! It kind of confuses me, you know. You acted like you like me, but you're screwing Marik. What exactly does that say, huh?"
"I'm sorry about that. Look, I know I look like a slut, but… I like you."
"I'll bet you like Marik too."
"Not even a tenth of how much I like you. Ryou, the reason I was with Marik is because I like you."
"I don't like how this is going."
"Listen! I'm going to tell you the truth and I'm not going to bullshit you anymore."
"Bakura--" Ryou began to interrupt.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Bakura screamed, slamming his fist against the wall, causing Ryou to take a small step back. "JUST… listen to me for a second. I'm lying all my cards on the table; the least you can do is listen!
"I like you… a lot. I don't mean to sound like a pervert, but you're very attractive. However, I'm not a romantic guy. One-night stands are more my style, you get it? It might have been the same way with you, but that asshole you call a friend was always protecting you, and Marik was protecting the asshole, so I couldn't just beat him up. So I kept seeing you and listening to you talk and damn it if I didn't do research!"
"Are you stalking me?"
"Not… stalking. I just happen to read some files and stuff on you. Anyway, I kinda… started to feel something for you." Bakura sighed, shaking his head. "Oh God. I must sound like a pervert. Do you wanna go out?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"That was… interesting." Seto sighed as he pulled up to Joey's apartment. It was evening. The hospital had kicked Joey, Seto and Tristan out around seven, and Devlin had left around five to open up his bar/nightclub called 'Dice'. Seto had agreed to drive Joey home, seeing as he had taken Joey to the hospital in the first place, and Tristan was in no condition to drive anyone anywhere, including himself; they had called the poor, mildly drunk father a cab.
"Yeah. Thanks for the ride. Um… sorry about Devlin. That's just the way he is. Hits on everything in a humanoid form. Hope he didn't offend you." Joey shrugged as he got out of the car.
"Oh, it's okay." Seto shrugged and Joey turned to shut the door. "By the way, puppy?"
"Hey!" Joey protested, but Seto shushed him by covering Joey's mouth with his hand.
"I am like that." Seto smirked before he reached over, shut Joey's door and drove away.