Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh. If I did, Yami Yugi would actually follow through on one of his threats. "Don't you dare hurt my friends!" Oh come on! Use that pharaoh power and zap the guy for crying out loud! Ahem. Sorry.

I know it's a play on a movie title, but for the lack of any better chapter title…

The Secret of Nihm

Chapter 10

"What is this?" he muttered, eyes trailing over the data script. At first glance, one saw a typical holographic support program. He had written many in an effort to fine tune the dueling arenas at Kaiba Land as well as his portable dueling discs.

His first thought had been why something so rudimentary was so important to Ari Nieche. She had fought both him and Omaka tooth and nail to keep this programming to herself. Yesterday she delivered level setting four to him and now the changes were becoming clear.

At first he thought he was seeing minor glitches in the individual layers, but when the four were placed on top of each other as would be done in the finish program, it was clear the glitches were intentional.

What is she writing? It's hard to tell with only four layers, but she is definitely leaning towards something no one has ever done before.

He reached for the intercom. "Marie, have Ms Nieche report to my office."

If this is what you've been hiding from me, Ari, I am definitely intrigued. Why were you hiding in the depths of a fiber-optics company when you can write programs of this magnitude?

"Excuse me, Mr. Kaiba," his secretary's voice suddenly spoke over the intercom. "I'm afraid Ms Nieche is not in the building."

Seto glanced at his watch. Three in the afternoon? Where would she be? "Connect me to her secretary," he demanded.

"Ms Nieche's office," an indifferent voice soon replied.

"Where is she," Kaiba demanded.

"She didn't say, Mr. Kaiba. I assume she was meeting with someone as she took her laptop with her."

"What?" He slammed his fist viciously on the desk. I warned her! Ever since Honshu, she has been submissive and compliant. Apparently it wasn't enough. I never should have assumed I had her secured.

He punched in a number on his phone. When I get my hands on her, I'll make her rue the day she met me!

Ari wasn't paying much attention to what she was writing. The numbers and codes flowed from her fingers without effort as her mind drifted on a plain of melancholic delusion. She tried her best to hide her spiritless bearing in Mokuba's presence. The boy was too intuitive and her sudden change in disposition would be hard to explain without admitting the truth.

Her confidence was stolen by the oppressive reality of Kaiba's words. There were no doubts in her mind he was ready and willing to carry out his threat, not to mention more than capable. Who would care about little Ari Nieche? No one. No one would even notice if anything happened to her.

Her fingers stilled and she looked up at the bright cloudless sky. Kaska, I miss you so much. At least when you were alive, I still had someone. You never gave me what I really wanted or even needed, but you were always there.

With a sigh, she dropped her gaze to the computer sitting on her lap. It's foolish of me to retain hope. I have twenty thousand dollars from Omaka, but now I wonder if any amount of money could get me out of Kaiba's reach. I'm an asset, property…he will never let me go. What will he do when he realizes this program is useless alone?

A lilting musical tone disturbed her thoughts and she realized it originated from her jacket, which was sufficiently mashed between her and the cold concrete.

"I bet I know who it is," she murmured, flipping it open. "Hello?"

"Where are you?" It was a very pissed Seto Kaiba.

I may regret this later, she thought as a wicked notion seized her.

"Are you worried?" she asked innocently.

"Where are you," he demanded again and she could almost see those cold eyes flash.

"Gee, I didn't think you cared." She was enjoying this way too much, ignorant of the possible repercussions.

"Don't play games with me," he hissed and she was glad she wasn't anywhere near him.

Okay, I've gone too far. "Relax," She returned seriously. "I'm on the roof."

"The roof?"

"Yes, so you can't be mad because technically, I didn't leave the building," she said quickly.

She heard him swear softly. Glancing up at the bright blue sky, she sighed. "Honestly Kaiba, if I was going to run away I would…," she faded off on the sharp awareness that she couldn't. To even mention she still entertained the thought to the man who held her chains was asking for punishment. "What do you want," she finished softly.

Kaiba was startled. He had forgotten. When he heard she was gone with the computer, everything else had faded to black.

"Why are you on the roof," he demanded instead of revealing his lapse in memory.

The inquisition, she thought grimly. "I needed a break from my cell-uh-office. To get a new perspective."

Seto frowned. She's being evasive again. "What kind of perspective are you getting on the roof?"

Ari looked out at the marvelous view of Domino City. I wanted to feel free, even just for a moment. "You wouldn't understand," she said quietly.

Fair enough, Kaiba decided, his anger sufficiently eased. "Come down to my office," he ordered having remembered why he was looking for her in the first place. "You have some explaining to do."

Ari stared at the dead phone. What did I do now?

She tried to contain her anxiety. His temper had cooled, but she had been deceived before into a false sense of security. Each time the demanding power of his gaze fell upon her she could feel restrictive warmth where he once grasped her arms in violent rage. She despised the debilitating influence, but was unable to erase the permanent impression he had forced upon her.

His secretary barely glanced her way as she let herself into his office, hugging her laptop to her chest as if its synthetic capacity might lend her strength. She was pleasantly surprised to find Kaiba's eyes genuinely calm, which effected immeasurable relief.

"I want you to explain this to me," he said, turning his laptop towards her.

"The program?" she asked in surprise. "It's pretty basic."

"I can see that," he returned as he observed her apprehension diminish. I swear sometimes she must think I'm going to eat her alive. Not that I couldn't…. "I've noticed the glitches before, but now they are stacking up. They're intentional, aren't they?"

"Central to the programming," she admitted.

Seto leaned back in his chair and scrutinized her thoughtfully. "What are you intending to accomplish that no one else has?"

Ari smiled hesitantly. I suppose I always did want to know what the great Seto Kaiba would think of this. "The intention of upgrading holograms and holo-dueling is in hopes of erasing the boundary between virtual reality and reality."

His bright eyes widened slightly. "Is that what this is? You've managed to solidifiy the energy emissions?"

"In theory, but it's untested. With three more layers of programming to complete, there is potential for unprecedented obstacles."

"Of course. No one has pursued an upgrade of this magnitude because the hardware necessary to contain such energy has yet to be invented—," he faded off as he stared at her. Ari's gaze had drifted to stare at the floor beneath her feet.

Could it be? "That's what Omaka was after," he said suddenly. "Nihm developed a fiber-optic cable that could."

"Everyone would want the upgrade," Ari spoke softly, "and we would have the only hardware that could sustain it."

"Seize the market. Brilliant," Kaiba admitted. "Where is it?"

Ari focused sharply on her shoes. "I don't have it," she whispered.

If she thinks she can lie to me now, she's in for a harsh reality check. "Ari!" he spoke sharply and her head snapped up.

"I don't have it!" she repeated firmly.

His cold eyes narrowed. "How could you lose something so valuable?"

"The prototype disappeared shortly before Kaska died," she said flatly.

The program is useless without the fiber-optic cable, surely she knows that. The whole scheme revolves around that piece of hardware. I can see why she fought so hard to keep it for herself. Success would secure the market for decades. Something else troubled him.

"Why do you call him that?"

She was snapped out of her glare. "What?"

"You always call Ashine by his given name."

"Oh," she said and nothing more.

"You never did tell me why he left his company to an infantile like you."

A spark flickered in her eyes, a shadow of the spirit she sported before he had inflicted terror into her. "Are we done?" she demanded.

Blue eyes glittered. "For now."

"There is a call for you on line one, Ms Nieche," her secretary announced the minute she stepped off the elevator.

"A call?" Who would be calling me? Well, it will be a nice diversion from Kaiba's interrogation.

"Hello," she said as she fell into her chair.

"Ari? It's Lil."

She sat up straight. "Lil? Why are you whispering?"

"Meet me at Yin's coffee shop in ten minutes," she said and the line went dead.

"Lil?" Ari tapped the phone and then hung up. What was that? She sounded scared.

Without a second thought, she grabbed her jacket. "Nina, I'll be back in ten minutes," she shouted over her shoulder.

Lil was a shadow of the woman Ari had worked with, nervous and jittery. She wouldn't even look at Ari as they stood in line at the coffee shop.

"I'm being watched," Lil said suddenly over her shoulder.

Ari peaked over her shoulder and realized Lil wasn't kidding.

"Is he treating you okay?"

"What?"

"Kaiba. Does he…does he hurt you?"

Ari was shocked and looked down to hide it from whoever may be watching. "Do you mean Omaka has been—."

"You were wise to not sell yourself to him," Lil whispered. "I was a fool to believe the things he offered me."

"What are you saying?"

"I didn't want to betray you, Ari," a tear rolled down the woman's cheek even as she stared into the pastry display. "I was in love and he needed my help. Please forgive me."

Ari closed her eyes. So that's how he knew about the holo-program upgrade and the fiber-optic cable. "I forgive you," she whispered as it dawned on her the nightmare her friend must be living.

"I know he never said it, but Kaska loved you," Lil said, stepping up to the counter. "A regular coffee and one of those bear claws."

Ari had so many questions. "Why, Lil—."

"He knew Nihm would fall quickly after he died," she interrupted, counting out her money carefully. "He asked me to keep this safe for you. I'm so sorry, Ari."

She turned away and walked out of the coffee shop as if nothing had been out of the ordinary. Ari stared after her in shock. "Lil—."

"You gonna order, lady?"

Ari turned back towards the man and glanced down at the counter. A tiny key lay on the edge. She quickly swiped it up, knowing from the warmth of the metal it had been left by her friend.

"Cappuccino, please."