Chapter 3 Separate
Ring.
"I've got it, Grandpa!" Yugi picked up the receiver, saying a breathless, "Hello? Kame Games."
"YUGE! I gotta tell you someding!"
"Oh, what's that, Joey?"
"Kaiba's got legal trouble! Maybe he's tryin' ta get back at de school!"
Yugi shook his head at his grandfather, who huffed and left. "Not a customer? Well, you'd better not clog up that phone line, young man!"
"I won't, Grandpa. Sorry," he said to Joey. "What do you mean?"
"I work for my uncle, remember? Well, Kaiba called him and he left in a rush. I haven't seen him since!"
"Oh, that sounds bad. I hope nothing terrible is happening."
"Like what? Rich-boy could pay off anyone he needed ta, Yuge. I dink he's just goin' after Domino High."
"If you say so." Yugi sighed, wishing this kind of stuff did not have a habit of happening at his high school.
"Well, I dought you should know! I'll see you tomorrow—if Kaiba didn't shut down de school! Hmm, I can't believe I'm saying dis, but rich-boy might actually be useful…So long, Yuge!"
"'Bye, Joey."
Yugi spent a moment in contemplation, pondering the meaning of Joey's observation. As always, another being pondered it with him.
"Yami, what do you think it means?"
The figure of the darker Yugi had arms and knees crossed, in deep thought. "Hmm," he said. "I'm not sure. But perhaps we should check on Kaiba."
Yugi looked at Yami and they both nodded. Then, calling out to his grandfather where he was going, Yugi ran out the door, nearly knocking over Téa, who was entering.
"Sorry, Téa," Yugi said, blushing.
"Why the rush?"
"I have to go check on Kaiba!" Yugi got back into his former mindset and hurried out the door once again, panting.
Téa took off after him. "Yugi, wait! Let me come with!"
Though she had called for him to wait, and even though she was wearing platform shoes, Téa still managed to catch up to Yugi in a matter of strides. Easily, she kept pace, asking what was going on.
"I just had a weird conversation with Joey, that's all." He then proceeded to explain everything, saying he just wanted to know what was really going on.
The Kaiba mansion was on a certain street everyone knew. Who hadn't driven by it at least once just to see what it looked like? Walking down the street felt awkward, as Yugi was certain no one just walked down this street. He felt eyes watching him constantly, and Téa experienced it as well, going closer to Yugi. As much as he wished it was for some other reason, he knew she felt uneasy.
For several minutes, they walked by a fence, blocking in a perfectly-kept yard. Yugi could imagine it crawling with maids and servants searching for a single, errant weed that had to be removed. It made him feel even stranger.
Finally, they reached the break in the fence where a car could drive in if the gate opened.
Inside the little hut that was like a tollhouse, a goon inside watched them. Yugi hesitantly walked over to the man in black, looking up at his stern face. In an instant, the puzzle gave a small flare and Yami was glaring at the goon.
"Let us in. We wish to talk with Kaiba."
"I've orders to let no one in except a certain few, and you aren't one of them. Sorry, sir, but you'll have to leave."
"That's not fair! We just got here! And we came because we're worried about Kaiba!" Téa took a menacing step forward.
Yami stopped her. "No, Téa. We'll contact Kaiba in other ways, then. I didn't think he would answer it, but I'll call him. Could I use your phone?"
"What—oh! Here." She dug it out of her purse, a dangly Kuriboh looking shocked to be swinging at the end of it.
The other Yugi took it from her gravely and pressed the numbers, looking shorter as he did so. The real Yugi was back. Obviously, calling a certain person was not something he thought was worthwhile.
Téa was extremely curious. "How do you know his number?"
Yugi gave a closed-eyed grin, making him look even younger. "I know all the phone numbers of my friends!"
Several feet away, the goon continued to watch them, not pleased they were still near. However, he had no orders to remove them, so they remained.
"No one's answering," Yugi said sadly, about to hang up. However, just at that moment, a gruff "Hmm?" came out of the receiver.
"Is Kaiba there?" Yugi asked slowly, uncertain of himself at the sound of the official voice.
"What is your business with Mr. Kaiba? How do you have his home phone number?"
"No business. I'm his friend. Friends have the numbers of other friends! I want to talk with him."
Téa was really curious how Yugi had managed to gain Kaiba's home phone number herself, and she was waiting to ask him. She did not believe Kaiba himself would have given it to him.
"Sorry, sir, but no friends allowed today. Strict orders. Maybe tomorrow." There was click as he put the phone down.
"He hung up on you? How rude!" Téa put a determined look on her face and strode over to the fence, all thoughts of phone numbers abandoned. Looking the fence up and down, she suddenly jumped and struggled to climb up it. Before she could get up another foot, the goon had emerged, and he yanked her off. She tumbled to the ground with an "oof!"
"You're trespassing. I'll call the police on you. Get away from Mr. Kaiba's property now, or you'll have to pay a fine."
"Jeez," Téa responded, rubbing her bottom. "We're going. We were only concerned for Kaiba."
Subdued, they returned to Yugi's home, ignoring Grandpa's muttering about "delinquent youths who left old men to work all day."
-
Sitting before the fireplace where there was no fire, Kaiba stared at his younger brother, who was unhappily looking at the ground. Often, Mokuba looked at Seto, but seeing his brother looking so intently at him, he looked away again.
Mostly to break the silence, Kaiba asked, "Do you want to hack into the government files?" The phrase, one last time remained unspoken.
Normally, Mokuba perked up at the sound of hacking, but this time, he merely shook his head mournfully. Then, sighing, he got up and sat right next to his brother, who made more room for him.
Softly, staring at his hands, the younger boy said wistfully, "I just want to stay like this. Is that all right, nii-sama?"
Focusing intently on the fireplace with no flickering flames, Kaiba took a moment to respond. Then, clearing his throat, he replied, "It's all right, otouto."
Though it was only a little past eight, Mokuba leaned against his taller brother and closed his eyes as if to sleep. Then, unobtrusively, his hand crept over to his brother's. Hands tightly gripped, the minutes passed by them as they appreciated the presence of the other.
-
Eventually, all moments that one longs to grasp and never release somehow slip through the fingers. Mokuba, who didn't want to sleep at all tonight, drifted easily into slumber. Kaiba never moved once his brother fell asleep, and he knew the exact time it happened because of his brother's breathing.
The goons stayed away, though Fintan and Duncan exchanged glances, slapping each other on the back when they turned away, and the twins, Willow and Aspen, looked at each other sadly. Roland took turns shaking his head in his hands to ravaging his brain for anything Mr. Kaiba could have overlooked. However, that was nothing.
The phone rang around 10:30, and Kaiba did not move. Mokuba stirred, muttered, "Seto," and continued sleeping, arms now fully wrapped around his brother in a clinging grip.
"Sir, it's YO." Roland handed over the phone.
"Yes?"
"Sir, the judge confirmed our suspicions. This opposition, whoever they are, and they wish to remain anonymous until the trial, have concrete evidence they will be using. I couldn't ascertain everything, but the judge assured me they had audio and visual evidence of abuse."
"How could they?" Kaiba forgot he was supposed to be quiet, and his harsh tone did what the ring did not: awaken his brother.
Rubbing his eyes sleepily and sitting up, the boy asked, "Huh? What's going on, Seto?"
Kaiba held up one finger, then said, "Did you find out where they got it?"
"No, sir. That is being held confidentially as well until the trial. Do you have any idea of what they are referring?"
"No."
Thinking deeply, Kaiba's eyes narrowed. There was no way they could have such evidence against him—permission was needed before visual evidence could be gathered, and no one had the right to take that, except Mokuba.
Finally, he replied, "I'll think more on this tonight. In the meanwhile, start working on our part of the trial."
"Yes, sir, immediately." YO hung up to begin.
After Roland took the phone once more, Mokuba looked up sorrowfully at Kaiba, again asking what was happening.
"A part of the situation doesn't add up right." He cast a glance at Mokuba, adding, "But don't worry, Mokuba, it doesn't change anything. I'll still find a way around it and come out victorious."
Mokuba had never questioned such speeches before, but this time, with so much at stake, he was not sure he believed his brother.
"Go back to sleep, Mokuba," Kaiba said after awhile. "You need it."
He was going to protest, Mokuba always protested, but then he decided it was not a good time to make a fuss. Sighing, he leaned back onto his brother and struggled to fall asleep. It was not nearly so easy as last time.
-
Around midnight, a call came through the household again. This one was from the goons at the gate, warning that there were people coming through.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we had to admit them. They had police orders."
Kaiba carefully extricated himself from his brother, who had finally fallen asleep half an hour ago. Because he was sleeping, his clinging grip had loosened, and Kaiba managed to escape without waking his brother—or so he thought.
After a small conference with the goons on the phone, there was a stern tap at the door.
"Open up. This is the police with an order. Let us in."
Roland opened the door, bowing them through. The police went straight to Kaiba, demanding, "It is the day of the agreed-upon consequence. We are here to remove the said Mokuba Kaiba to a safer environment."
"It's midnight!"
The police were undeterred. "That's why we're here."
Kaiba was about to start seething when a small voice cut through everyone:
"I can't believe that you would come pick me up in the middle of the night, without giving me proper time to say goodbye to my brother." Tears were streaming down Mokuba's face as he made his stand. "Doesn't twelve years of brotherhood mean anything to you? I wouldn't believe anyone could separate two people who never have anything bad to say of the other!
"My brother is my best friend in the entire world! There's no reason this should have happened. Why would these people do it so discreetly if they were so sure of things? They know what they are doing in wrong, but you still go to carry out their orders without a thought. And you come at midnight! Now I have to prepare for a goodbye that would have been hard before, had I been ready. But you make me have to give it when I am not even prepared."
The police looked properly ashamed, but it didn't change what they had to do. Putting a hand on the boy's shoulder, the chief one told him that it was his chance to say goodbye, and he had better take advantage of it.
"In front of all of you?"
The police said nothing, but they did not move.
Mokuba looked directly at his brother, the one who was staring at him with complete dismay and helplessness. Then, despite the hand on his shoulder, he ran forward, giving his brother a tight hug.
"I know I'll come back. I trust you, nii-sama."
"I'll work night and day until we win." Kaiba's hands gripped his brother hard, and the police looked as if they wanted to say something, but their tongues remained silent.
"Don't work constantly. You need to get your sleep, Seto, and go back to school."
Despite a buzzing in his ears and a knot in his throat,the CEOhad to remain in control and keep going. Right now, it was important to bind Mokuba in some way to staying well. "So do you. Eat what you're supposed to and keep busy. I don't want—I don't want you to get depressed." The last part was very quiet, and Kaiba's voice was a little husky.
The police had waited long enough, and they began pulling Mokuba back. The boy had not packed, though he would have had time the next day, but the police confirmed someone would be back to pick up belongings if he wrote a list. Then, with one last look at his brother as the police steered him through the doorway, Mokuba saw a small glisten on Seto's face. He was crying.
They were separate.