Another lame attempt at a Kaiba x OC fic. I know, it's utterly pathetic but a seriously cannot help myself. Anyway…
Not much I need to say about this fic, I'm not too sure where it's set exactly. Sometime after the whole Ancient Egyptian thing. I don't know, I haven't even seen those episodes yet.
If you've read my fic 'The Truth Can Lie' then you'll notice some similar aspects between the two stories. I've included the name Ai, and Toshio Hanzu, but his character is quite different in this fic. Why have I done this? I have no idea; I like to link my fics up in some way. By the way, I've changed the names of a couple of the OC characters a few times in my draft so if the names confuse you it's because I've forgotten to change them. Please tell me!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, Serenity would be dead. (Jealous fan girl rage kicking in…maniac laugh…'sigh')
CHAPTER ONE
Kaiba scanned the restaurant lazily, looking in distaste at the richly decorated furnishings, and over-extravagant fittings. Why Osaku had chosen to host the meeting here of all places was totally beyond him. On second thoughts, Kaiba didn't even know why he was wasting time with the likes of Osaku. He supposedly promised an innovative and 'revolutionary' computing prototype, but knowing Osaku, he was probably lying just to get the attention of his superiors. Kaiba surveyed the middle-aged man with a hateful glare. He was just like Gozaburou.
Full of bullshit.
Kaiba smiled wryly. What a pity his stepfather was dead; the two would have gotten on like a house on fire.
'Who else are we expecting?' Kaiba asked flatly.
'Hazashi Toshio, of Toshio Enterprises, he's just relocated to Domino for a few years.'
'Toshio? I might have known.'
Katsaya Osaku stared nervously at the youth, who was sitting arrogantly on the other side of the table. Kaiba smirked and drummed his fingers on the table looking very much bored with the whole matter. Osaku may have been at the top of his league in his day, but not anymore. Kaiba was Osaku's senior in every way bar age, and he knew it. Osaku had just about done his dash, and there was no doubt Kaiba would be planning taking over his pitiable company, Osaku Technologies, any day now. And as for Toshio Enterprises? It would take a bit more effort but it was hardly a challenge for Kaiba to overthrow Toshio's corporation.
'And here is the man himself.' Osaku announced, turning Kaiba's attention to a man walking purposefully over to the table, clad in a smart, black business suit. Behind him stood a girl wearing a very revealing, low-cut black dress. Her long, silky, black hair hung loose over her shoulders falling down her back. Her posture seemed to accentuate her slenderness but she remained downcast, and avoided eye contact.
'What is a woman doing here?' Kaiba thought irritably to himself, as he examined the girl carefully. She barely looked older than him.
'Osaku, it's a pleasure, and of course, Mr. Kaiba.'
Hazashi Toshio ran his hand through his greying hair and exchanged friendly greetings with Osaku, but to Kaiba, his words were out of spite and showed no trace of warmth whatsoever. Toshio Enterprises and Kaiba Corp had been old enemies. There was little communication between the two companies. Today was a very rare exception.
Kaiba answered to Toshio with equal distaste. 'I hear sales for your software are a little on the low side Toshio? Tell me, it must be doing wonders for your company.'
Toshio remained calm despite extreme provocation. 'The only way you can climb to the top Kaiba, is to start from the bottom.' He said placidly. 'You of all people should know that.'
'You're right Toshio, all though, if memory serves me correctly, I'd say your company has already enjoyed it's reign at the top, when your brother was president. Remember?'
Toshio grimaced but refused to rise to Kaiba's bait.
'I see you've brought your lovely niece.' Osaku silenced the tension, tactlessly attempting to change the subject.
'Forgive me,' Toshio seemed unperturbed by Kaiba's comments, but still spoke more in a civil manner rather than a welcoming one. He beckoned the girl standing passively beside him, forward.
'May I introduce my niece Ai, Osaku you've met her before. Ai is the only child my older brother, the late Mr. Toshio.'
Kaiba stared. Kito Toshio had a daughter?
She must have been the same age as him then. Kaiba had heard of a fair bit of Kito Toshio, a business man renowned for his generosity Kito Toshio was a well loved figure amongst the citizens of Japan distinguished for the benevolent management of his company; Toshio Enterprises. What had happened to him? Kaiba remembered something vague about a car accident. That's right, the car was rumoured to be faulty or something. After that, Hazashi Toshio, his younger bother, the man standing right before Kaiba, took charge of the company and moved over to America.
Kaiba regarded Ai with faint recognition. She didn't smile. Neither did he. Actually, he could have sworn she almost sneered at him. Kaiba scowled. No one dared insult him. Who did she think she was?
Osaku broke the silence and went forward taking Ai's hand in is.
'You've certainly grown up my dear.' He said in a high-pitched voice, quite unlike his normal tone.
Kaiba saw Osaku eye the girl up hungrily.
'So that's why she's here.'
Osaku was pathetic. He had a wife, children, even grandchildren, and here he was ogling up and down at another woman not even half his age! Kaiba could see the girl wasn't so happy about the whole prospect either. What would Toshio want off Osaku? Because her uncle was obviously forcing her onto him. Although she wasn't exactly obeying his orders. Toshio looked critically down at his niece and placed his hand on her shoulder, pushing her closer to Osaku. However, much to her uncle's distaste, she refused to acknowledge Osaku and pulled out of her uncle's grip, taking a seat as further away as possible from both Toshio and Osaku. Toshio looked liked he wanted to yell at the girl for her insolence but Osaku laughed apologetically and brushed the matter aside.
'I assure you Osaku, she'll warm up.' Toshio muttered under his breath as he took a seat. 'Now, tell me about these new designs.'
Osaku cleared his throat and began to speak. 'As you may well be aware of Osaku Technologies have had a long history of…'
Kaiba sensed a long-winded conversation and looked with little attention around the room. His eyes rested upon Ai. She was staring blankly down at her hands, playing around with a bracelet that adorned her wrist. She looked tired. Like she was going to break down any minute. Not that Kaiba cared.
'If she was so smart, she would be running Toshio Enterprises by now, she is the direct heir, not her god damn uncle.'
'Mr. Kaiba?'
'What?'
Osaku wiped his brow. 'So tell me your thoughts.'
'There's not much to say.' Kaiba looked at his watch. Sure, he didn't exactly listen to Osaku, but how could you when he had nothing of interest to say. Kaiba stood up and towered over the table, deciding he had enough. 'Why I even bothered to show up, I have no idea, I have a tournament to plan, there is no time for this' Kaiba grabbed his briefcase, and turned to leave.
'I'll get back to you tomorrow Osaku. Now if you would excuse me, I have other engagements.'
'B-but Kaiba! The meeting has only just begun…'
'And you can end it without me.' Kaiba stated simply, starting for the door.
'Osaku, I think it's time we left you to your business to' Toshio arose with Ai and called for a waitress, ordering her to ready his limo. 'But trust me, I am more than curious about your proposal my good friend.'
Toshio shook hands with a rather disorientated Osaku. 'I will contact you very soon for further negotiations.'
Osaku stood there impatiently as he watched the two leave the restaurant. Of course, he had never expected the meeting to go down well. But he still felt frustrated at Kaiba's ignorance, was he even listening? Osaku stared down at his briefing for his prototype. Never mind. He would catch Kaiba tomorrow. Once Kaiba found out all of the details of his design. He would be begging Osaku to sell it to him.
'Don't think you're going to get away with this that easily Ai.' Toshio barked as he followed Ai into the limo. 'Don't you ever act that way towards Osaku ever again. You hear me?'
'I'm sorry uncle.'
'You know what you have to do. If you play a move like that again, I'll have you sent right back to America.'
Ai nodded timidly.
'Remember to keep him distracted, the whole company's relying on you.'
'I understand.'
'Good, also, you're going to have to start school tomorrow as well.'
Ai didn't bother to ask her uncle which school she was going to, she had only just gotten to Japan and figured that just like America, school wouldn't such a big thing for her, she was hardly there anyway. Toshio always pulled her out of class at such awkward times to drag her off to corporate meetings. She didn't have any business experience at all, but her uncle always seemed to insist her presence. As to why he did this, she didn't know, and was wise enough not to ask. Her uncle rarely showed Ai any sign of affection apart from when she had a 'job' to do and the only enjoyment she ever got when she was carrying out orders from Toshio, was a rare sign of her uncle's recognition.
Toshio ignored Ai for the rest of the trip and chose instead to look out the window. Ai shifted uncomfortably and concentrated on the floor in front of her. Why of all people did it have to be Katsaya Osaku?
Her uncle had brought Ai to Japan, promising she would not have to play much of a part in the negotiations of Osaku Technologies. But he had lied, Toshio was definitely up to something; he didn't like Osaku, so why was he being nice to him? Maybe that prototype was more than what it seemed. Ai sighed softly. As much as she didn't want to this, she sought to make her parents and her uncle proud. 'This is for the good of the company.' She reminded herself mentally. 'You can't muck things up for him.'
The 'him' Ai was referring to, was her uncle. Ai desperately wanted Toshio's approval so one day she might be able to get a proper job within the family business. Her uncle was always criticising her and putting her down, but he claimed it was to help her self-esteem. She assumed he was right.
She missed her father more than anything. Ai's mother died when she was young so she didn't really feel as though she was missing out on any kind of 'feminine' influence, as she had never had that kind of love in the first place. When her father died, Toshio became her guardian and raised her to fend for herself, and although Toshio Enterprises was a billion dollar company, she was denied any sort of luxury or extravagance one would expect to have growing up in a world like hers. A world full of excess, indulgence, and pleasure. Ai had seen the pampered daughters of wealthy businessmen and while she was actually glad she wasn't raised thinking she was better than everyone else, she did yearn for the love that these men gave they're daughters.
'Just give up, it's not going to get any better than this.'
The limo pulled up beside the newly renovated buildings situated in the city centre of Domino City. Toshio planned to make these offices the company's main headquarters. Her uncle had told Ai that Japan was becoming very much the business focus of the world, which is why they had come back to live for a few years. Ai barely remembered Japan from when she was younger, but she had definitely warmed to the country. After all, this was her place of birth.
'Come inside, I'm going to be a while.'
Ai sighed and got of the limo. As she stood up Toshio grabbed her by the arm and examined her carefully.
'You need to eat.'
Ai was surprised at her uncle's concern for her. When she attended business meetings with her Toshio, she was forbidden to eat or drink. In fact, not a single mouthful of food had passed her lips in two days, Toshio had started her off early and she felt like she would faint any minute.
'I thought you said I wasn't allowed to eat.'
Toshio didn't answer and pulled Ai through the door.
'You don't realise the importance of these negotiations do you?' Toshio and Ai took the lifts up to the top floor and entered his office.
Ai didn't answer and let her uncle continue.
'He's hiding something. That design is worth more than we know. I need you to find out why. Make him think he's in love with you. You've done this before Ai; you're good at it. Seduce him, intrigue him, attend to his every whim. Do whatever; just make sure you have him begging on his knees for you. Do it for the welfare of our company.'
By the look in his eyes, Ai could tell her uncle was being dead serious, and she was eager to gain her uncle's approval, even if it did mean having to seduce Osaku. He had said 'our company'. Not his, not her father's, but 'our company'.
'My father.' Ai thought to herself, 'I'll do it for my father.'
'If you can carry this out, you are worthy to become a part of Toshio Enterprises.' Toshio continued talking as he went to his desk and uploaded his laptop. With a determined glint in his eyes, he turned to his niece.
'You will have to be alert at all times; there is no room for mistakes. Osaku can get bored easily; you need to have him constantly occupied. When he's not looking, we can strike. Do I have your full participation?'
'I will do my best uncle, I promise you.'
'Good, now go and get something to eat.' Osaku handed his wallet to Ai and waved her out. 'There's a shop around the corner.'
Ai exited the office quietly. Leaving her uncle to his thoughts.
'You've just made your daughters grave brother.' He said silently to himself as looked at his niece through the reflection.