Disclaimer: I'm a poor pathetic writer. I sell dust bunnies for a living. Need I say more?

Desperate Action

Chapter 3

The world did not exist when she was working. Her fingers moved too rapidly for the eye to follow and it called for an attention to detail that couldn't be broken. In this state, she passed the hours without dwelling on the growing hatred within.

A hand alighted on her shoulder and Ari jumped, overturning her chair.

"Wow, gee, I didn't mean to startle you, Ari," Mokuba apologized.

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Moki. I was a little involved."

"You really zone out when you work, don't you."

She smiled as she righted the chair. "It helps me to drown out everything else. What brings you down here?" She knew the answer without asking the question. The younger Kaiba had been coming down regularly the last few days ever since he found out she had been hired.

Mokuba draped himself over the back of her chair. "Seto's in a meeting and I was bored so I thought I'd come down and see how you were doing."

Is every conversation going to start with that?

"I'm just great," she muttered, scrolling through the program she was rewriting.

Mokuba frowned. "Seto can be cold and distant sometimes, but he's not a bad person."

"If you don't mind I would rather not talk about your brother right now."

He fell silent as she scanned through her work, but her thoughts were scattered by the mere mention of the man. With a sigh, she locked down the computer and turned to face him.

"Ice cream?"

His face brightened. "Yeah!"

"Do you have any family, Ari?" Mokuba asked while they strolled.

"Not anymore," she said.

"I don't know what I would do without Seto."

"It's important to have family," she agreed, biting into her ice cream cone.

Mokuba gazed up at her thoughtfully. "You must get lonely."

Ari couldn't keep a smile off her face. "You're too perceptive for your own good. I like my solitude."

"Do you?"

Yeah, do you? "Well, it's nice to have company sometimes. I like having you around."

"Really?" His eyes and smile were bigger than the stars themselves.

Ari chuckled. "Really. You make me forget things."

"Seto likes to forget things too. He stays busy so he doesn't have to remember."

"Some things aren't worth remembering." She wiped melted vanilla from her fingers and tossed the napkin into a trash bin. "We better get back before anyone notices we're gone."

"Okay."

Halfway to her office she met Kaiba and his expression was anything but pleasant.

"Decided to take a break?" he asked flatly.

An angry retort rose to her lips and died when Mokuba poked his head out from behind her.

"Hey, big brother! Ari took me out for ice cream!"

Kaiba's eyes softened noticeably when they alighted on Mokuba. "I've been in meetings all day. You must have been bored." His stare reverted back to Ari, the warmth saved only for Mokuba gone.

Ari held her tongue as his frigid gaze looked her up and down. She took a hesitant step back at his unusually intense scrutiny.

"You've gained weight," he said finally with a faint note of satisfaction.

What does he care?

Ari frowned. "Did you need something?"

Mokuba glanced uncertainly from one to the other.

"Show me what you've been working on," Kaiba said.

Ari stepped past him into the room she shared with three other programmers. Sliding into her chair, she booted her computer and tried to ignore the oppressive presence behind her.

Soon the program she was working filled the screen. Kaiba leaned forward, his sharp eyes scouring the script. After a moment she saw an arm reach over her shoulder to the keyboard, scrolling down.

"What's this," he demanded, pointing at the screen.

"Bypass code. It saves script programming that tends to slow response time."

"It won't work."

"Yes it will," she retorted, knocking his hand aside to scroll further in the text. "Here…it needs a linking code to complete the bypass." She turned to glare at him as he leaned above her. "I know what I'm doing, Kaiba. I could write this in my sleep."

His cold eyes turned towards her and she silently cursed herself for saying too much.

"I know," he said.

Her pale eyes widened and she quickly glanced away. He's feeling me out! He knows I won't tell him what he wants to know unless he corners me and like a good little mouse, I'm walking the maze. The snake!

Unconsciously she clenched her fist on the keyboard, her knuckles turning white. Her reaction wasn't lost on him and he couldn't help smiling in his slight knowing way. I hit close to the mark

"Let's go, Mokuba. Ari has her work to do."

"You sure this is what you want?" The guy eyed her skeptically. "I've got some with full active programming."

"Wasted memory," Ari murmured, as she examined the laptop. I can boost the memory with an outside cache. I was going to save my money to escape from Domino, Kaiba, and just disappear, but logic dictates chances of success are slim to none when it comes to a powerful man like Seto Kaiba. So I'll get some power of my own. Fight fire with fire. Kaska, so help me, I will be everything you hoped.

"Do you have a compatible booster cache?"

"Sure. I've got a 120 and a 380."

"Let me see the 380."

"Sheez, Lady, how much memory do you need?" he asked, lifting the cache onto the counter.

Wordlessly, Ari examined the cache. It was perfect. "How much for all of this?"

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "For this system prime…380 cache… you're looking at four thousand."

Not perfect. Ari swallowed hard. Even with the advance Kaiba gave her, she didn't have near enough. He gave her only enough to get by, nothing more. Well, eating is overrated anyway.

"I'll give you five thousand if you let me pay half in cash now and half with my next paycheck."

"When do you get paid?"

"Two weeks. I work for Kaiba Corp."

"Deal," he said instantly. "Say, what do you need this for if you work for Kaiba Corp? They have the best in technology."

Ari started counting off bills. "It's unrelated."

Now I can resume my work from Nihm. If I can complete it on my own before Omaka and Kaiba get wind of it, I will be a free woman again and a rival they will have to respect. I may not have all the pieces now…but I have enough.

The guy graciously put her purchase in an easy carry case, 'complimentary' he said. Ari gripped the black case as if it meant her life. Indeed it did for she had spent literally every last dime on the contents. Her moment of satisfaction died when she noticed the black limo sitting outside the store.

"Hello, Ari," Omaka greeted as he rolled down the window.

"What do you want," she demanded.

"You're looking well. Has someone taken you under his wing?"

Ari's breath halted. He knows.

"I don't have time for this," she growled, striding down the sidewalk. She expected to hear the door open and close, but instead the limo drove off past her. Maybe he will leave me alone after all, now that I work for Kaiba. But then, why wait outside the store for me? I have to get out of this before they both tear me to pieces in the struggle.