Chapter 6 New Lives
It was a few days before he dared to send the letters. After all, Mokuba easily heard the judge's order. But it seemed to the boy that no one understood the connection between the brothers. They did not understand that he and Seto forgave each other easily. Yes, his brother may have ignored him and yelled at him at times, but that was not the reason he loved his brother. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about his big brother's good side. So, until this situation was resolved, he would continue to write to his nii-sama, as that was all he had to look forward to each day now.
During the time he had not dared to send his brother letters, Mokuba had been writing regular letters, telling him everything that happened throughout the day. Translating even one into the code would be difficult. Yet, this was so he could talk to his brother, so he would do it.
Fuguta took the first letter Mokuba had completed and mailed it, pleased to be of use and not minding at all that the law was in the process of being broken. Then, though he was waiting for the reply as well, Fuguta did not have half of the excitement that Mokuba had.
Now, with something to hope for, the boy made it through his school days and the tedious conversation with the Janukas. The mail was always first on his mind, but he struggled to hide it from anyone who was getting a little too curious. The Janukas, for one, were giving him odd little looks whenever he asked about mail. The only person Mokuba knew he could trust here was Fuguta.
As to the social worker the judge required him to see, the Janukas did not press it yet. Mokuba hoped they would forget they ever needed to make him see one. Yet, he knew it was unlikely the judge would forget, even if his foster parents did. But still, anything seemed positive when he had his correspondence with his brother to look forward to. Mokuba hoped Seto would write back quickly.
-
YO had tried to leave messages, but they were never answered. To Kaiba, it was all worthless. An appeal was expected by the prosecution anyway. But, mostly, Kaiba realized he deserved it. The tapes had brought everything back to mind. All the times he had treated his brother disrespectfully or ignored him…he did not deserve his little brother. Even so, Kaiba missed him more than ever.
Therefore, instead of working, Kaiba spent his time alone in his room, looking at photo albums occasionally. Most often, he merely contemplated.
A goon dropped off the mail each day, and it was with a great thudding of his heart that the CEO looked through it. Then, five days after the trial, there appeared a thick envelope with the writing of Fuguta on it.
Nervous for some reason, Kaiba ripped open the envelope, hands trembling as he struggled to read the words. Even such a simple sentence of "Hello, nii-sama!" made his eyes water.
The rest of the encoded letter contained Mokuba's sadness at their permanent parting as well as anger at anyone even bringing up a reason for a trial. He begged his brother to try to do something. Then, at the end, he wrote that he hoped his brother would write back soon, as Mokuba could hardly wait to hear from him.
In Kaiba's ears still echoed many voices. Now, it was his own that caused him to close his eyes and lean back against the bed from his seat on the floor.
"You're all I have left, Mokuba. I won't let them win."
He had lied to his brother. He had failed. If there were something Seto Kaiba was always proud of, it was the fact that he never lost. Yes, in Duel Monsters he had lost, but that reaffirmed the fact that he must not ever lose again. Now, when the most important part of his life had been under threat, he had lost again. There was nothing left for him anymore.
With the emotionless efficiency people in the business world could only dream of exhibiting, Kaiba wrote his brother a short message. It would be better to be forgotten. Mokuba needed to move on in his life. Maybe he could grow for the better with people who didn't lie. Yet, with Kaiba around and alive, Mokuba would always be clinging on, hoping for the unattainable. It would not be a good way for his younger brother to make it in the world. Because he owed it to his brother to help him live the best life, Kaiba had to send the letter.
-
With a small smile, the goon went over to his charge's door. He knew how anxious Mokuba was for any piece of mail. Knocking on the door, Fuguta could hardly have been any happier if he had been Mokuba.
The door opened before him. "Sir, you have mail." Fuguta had hardly extended his arm before the boy had jumped up and strained to reach the envelope. With great excitement, Mokuba tore open the mail and began reading eagerly, not even immediately aware that the ink was instantly visible.
For a moment, Fuguta saw the happiness on the short boy's face remain pasted there. Then, it crumbled into utter desolation and depression. About to ask what the problem was, he never had a chance; Mokuba shoved him out the door and locked it. Mokuba's body thudded against the other side.
Slowly, he slid down to the ground, wanting to reread the message. What if he had misunderstood? No. There was no way to misunderstand one line. One line.
One short sentence was all it contained. The message was not even in the special pen this time. Tears coursed down Mokuba's face as he cried into his arms. He wished someone could have been there who would understand and care. But no one would ever comfort him again. He could never trust anyone again. He was alone.
The innocent-looking paper decorated the ground, hardly crumpled. Face-up, the words blared into the ceiling, hardly caring that they had just ruined Mokuba's life forever:
"Do not write to me again, Mokuba Januka."
-
There came a time a few weeks after the trial that Roland bravely dared to enter Kaiba's room with news. It was bravely because Roland had been in the room before. And each time he went in, he never wanted to reenter it because of the way Mr. Kaiba acted.
Nervously licking his lips, Roland waited to be acknowledged. He never was. Even more anxious, the goon spoke up on his own:
"Sir, the company has taken a serious downfall. If we don't do something soon, we'll go bankrupt."
Roland looked at his employer, wishing, for the first time, that the CEO would yell at him or throw something. At least then, the glassy expression on his face would be gone. But Kaiba did not please Roland. Instead, the young man registered that Roland was there, but his brain did nothing behind his eyes.
Helpless, Roland asked, "Sir, what should we do?"
Kaiba gave an odd laugh. That was one thing the goon would rather have had Kaiba never do again.
In a voice that did not sound like his own, the CEO said, "I would quit. That way, you'd save yourselves some time as you start looking for new employment."
Unable to answer, wishing the echoes of the fey laugh would leave his ears, the goon stared aghast at him until leaving the area quickly.
-
There was a goon squad meeting that night in their rooms of the mansion. It was time for them to take some action. Already, two-and-half weeks had gone by since the end of the trial. More than two of them hadseen Mr. Kaiba acting strangely. What was worse was that Fuguta reported Mokuba had also been acting strange for nearly the same amount of time.
"Misters Kaiba need our help. We got ta do somethin'!"
"Calm down, brother. We are goin' ta do somethin'. Just give us a little time. Why else do ya think we gathered here?" Fintan playfully smacked his younger brother's shoulder, making the thirty-two-year old man seem like the younger one.
Roland called everyone to order, taking roll call. "O'Riley brothers are here," he muttered to himself. "Willow and Aspen?" The twins nodded their dark heads to him. "Jaques?" Roland had barely asked before he saw the chef's hat over the heads of the dark-suited goons. "All right, Sammy?"
"Here," the new guy said, turning slightly pink as he realized how much he sounded like a grade-schooler. Being the newest member of anything was never easy. Yet, it seemed Sammy was destined to forever be "the new guy." Mr. Kaiba was hiring no one at the moment.
Roland continued, "Sung?" The psychiatrist gave a serious affirmative. "Gwalin?" This time, everyone else looked around.
After the mutterings of the goons quieted, Sung said, "He is watching Mr. Kaiba. I thought it would be a good idea with the way he is."
"You're right." Roland quickly finished with the last ten goons, looking up when he was finished. "We need a plan to save this company from bankruptcy."
"And we need ta get back Mokuba!" Duncan added.
"Of course. But right now, Mr. Kaiba is not listening to YO's advice to appeal."
"He is depressed," Sung commented softly.
Roland continued without a pause, "So we are here to make our plans complete. You all know th—"
There was a clattering and scuffle from above them, then a small man dropped into their midst from the ventilation shaft. His wild eyes matched his scruffy hair and beard, making him truly look like a dwarf out of one of Mokuba's favorite books, The Lord of the Rings.
His gruff voice barked out, "Fintan, come quickly! Mr. Kaiba just tried something drastic!"
The doctor rushed after the small man, grabbing his bag of medicines as he went. Sung was quick to follow as Roland picked up the phone to call for help.
At the entrance to the bathroom, Gwalin paused, opening the door. "I stopped him from finishing it, but he did it so quickly I could not halt him completely. After he was in the bathroom for so much time and so quiet, I grew suspicious and peered in. This is what I found." Gwalin pointed to the CEO's crumpled form on the floor of the bathroom where it sat in a pool of blood. Nearby was a razor, the lights innocently winking on its shiny blade—shiny, at least, where blood had not forever stained it.
Fintan raced over to start binding his wrists better than Gwalin had done after discovering him. Muttering to himself, he wrapped the still-bleeding wounds as tightly as possible to halt the blood flow, but it seemed so much blood was already lost.
"Oh, Mr. Kaiba," he whispered. "How could ya do it?" He sighed and shook his head, adding, "And why did ya have ta be so smart as ta know the best place ta slice?"
The ambulance could not arrive soon enough, and when it did, they began a quick blood transfusion. Gwalin talked to police and Fintan hopped into the ambulance. The remainder of the goons sealed up the Kaiba mansion and prepared to undertake their plan.
-
"Okay, guys. Something is obviously very wrong. Why doesn't one of you spill it?" Téa took her usual stance, glaring from Joey, to Tristan, to Yugi.
Under her scrutiny, Yugi easily crumbled, much to the dismay of the others and even Yami. "Well, Joey's uncle YO—" Yugi began.
"Don't do it, Yuge. I told you it was top secret."
"Oh, come on, Joey," Téa burst out. "As if you could ever keep a secret!"
"I know. Dat's why I don't wanna talk ta you!" Joey slapped one hand on Yugi and one on Tristan. "Let's go, guys."
She stomped her foot. "I don't believe you told them but won't tell me! I thought I was your friend, Joey!"
"You are. It's just, I can't tell anyone. I wasn't suppose ta tell dese two, but it ended up dat dey were around when I got da phone call. I accidentally shouted somedin' I shouldn't've." Joey, for once, looked very embarrassed.
"It's for your own good, Téa," Tristan said gravely. "You really don't wanna know. Now, we have somewhere to go, so we're outta here."
Téa narrowed her eyes, but watched them leave. Yugi was the only one who looked as if he wanted to say something more to the girl, but he did as Joey requested and only glanced back once.
With a wicked grin, Téa began following after them from a distance, deciding it was time to get back at Joey and Yugi for trailing after her to find out where she worked. She certainly hadn't wanted them there, but they had not listened, so she had no reason to listen to them now.
About thirty feet ahead of her, Joey, Tristan, and Yugi were hastening down the road. They were mostly silent, as they could not think of anything optimistic to say.
Finally, Joey couldn't hold back anymore. "What'd he go do dat for?"
Yugi turned his big eyes to his friend. "I think you know why, Joey," he replied quietly. "You heard the results of the trial. And you know how close the Kaiba brothers are."
"Maybe, but it still doesn't seem like someding moneybags would go do."
Tristan shook his head. "Maybe going to see him isn't the best idea."
Joey looked like he agreed, but Yugi said adamantly, "We have to go! He's our friend!"
Inside the boy's mind, another voice made a derisive snort. "He's your friend, Yugi. I would never consider Kaiba my friend. A good rival perhaps, but nothing more."
"Yami!" Yugi's utter shock made him stop walking.
The other two looked at him, hating hearing only one side of the conversation.
Joey grabbed the puzzle hanging from Yugi's neck and gave it a little shake. "What's goin' on in dere, eh? I dink you should come out when you talk and den switch back and forth so we can hear all de answers!"
"Uh, Joey-man," Tristan said, "that would be a lot of switching."
Joey shrugged. "It'd be betta den sittin' in de dark all de time. So what's goin' on, Yuge?"
"Uh, nothing. Let's just go see Kaiba before visiting hours are over."
The other two shrugged and resumed walking.
-
The hospital loomed in front of them like a rock wall no one wanted to try to go through. The doctors in white uniforms and nurses bustling about gave it a sense of dread, as if someone were dying right before their eyes.
Inside, there were people who looked at them silently, depths of blackness in their eyes, echoing the inner screams of grief within their souls. They did not seem to care that they were mindlessly staring at visitors and that it might be rude; rude no longer had a definition to them. The ways of the living had died with their relation or friend.
None of the trio said anything, hating the scent of sterilizers and medication. Going immediately to the front desk, they tried to get this over with as quickly as possible. Even Yugi was not feeling as enthusiastic as before. Behind them, Téa hurried through the door and waited behind a pillar for them to keep going.
"Why are they here?" she mused, looking around. "Who's in the hospital? Oh no! I hope it's not Yugi's grandpa!" She put a hand before his mouth, eyes wide and about to cry.
Among the three, they left the talking to Yugi. He was the most diplomatic of them all.
"Can you please tell me which room Seto Kaiba is in?" Yugi's spiky hair was the only thing easily visible from the top of the desk.
The nurse stared at all their apparel, wondering, as she commonly did, what young people were into these days. Yugi had a very unusual hairstyle, though he at least was still nicely displayed in his uniform. The other two might have had more normal-looking hair, but they also had untucked shirts and had big scowls on their faces, looking as if they wanted to fight anyone who came near them.
She was not certain about admitting them, but in relief, the name gave her an excuse, making her not have to come up with one on her own. "Seto Kaiba? I'm afraid he is not having visitors. You'll have to try again some later time and bring identification with you. I'm sorry."
They looked at each other and then turned around when a girl's voice gasped out, "Kaiba?"
"Téa! I told you ta go away!" Joey scowled his fiercest at her, but she ignored him.
"What do you mean Kaiba's in the hospital?"
The others were loathe to talk. Tristan stared at the ground, Yugi scuffed his shoe, and Joey glared at her. The nurse behind the desk was also watching them closely, wondering what they were still doing here after she had warned them they could not see Seto Kaiba. The security button was constantly near her fingers.
The three boys pulled Téa out of the hospital, breathing in the fresh scents gratefully. Also, away from the people whose eyes only saw death, it was easier to draw each breath and not feel guilty.
"All right, I'll come clean." Joey raised a fist. "But you have ta keep it quiet! YO wasn't supposed ta tell me, his nephew, and I wasn't suppose ta tell a single person."
"Well, I'm surprised it's not published in the papers yet," Téa retorted.
Joey's eyes went blank. "Huh? You mean because I work for deliverin' de papers?"
Tristan shook his head, moaning, "Téa, don't confuse him!"
She agreed with Tristan, mentally reminding herself she was talking to Joey here. "Just answer the question, please."
Joey was about to start in again, but Yugi beat him. In a small, solemn voice, Yugi answered, "Kaiba tried to kill himself, Téa."
The girl sucked in a breath. Kaiba? Try to commit suicide? She could not imagine why. Such an easy life with money to buy one anything. No, she definitely did not think suicide would be the top thing on her mind if she had billions.
It was as if Yugi could follow her mind's track, for he continued softly, "Mokuba got put into a foster home, remember? It was about three weeks back."
"Well, now that you reminded me about it, I guess I recall that snippet of information. But I still don't think it is like Kaiba to do something so drastic."
The others all stared at her as if she were the Joey whose head was full of thoughts of food, his Red-Eyes Black Dragon, and nothing else.
"Don't you remember when I dueled him on the wall? He didn't have Mokuba then, either."
Téa felt completely idiotic. "That's right…" she said, feeling herself reddening. After the entire spiel she had spewed forth on the wall, she had forgotten?
There was silence on the entire group. Then, slowly, they turned back towards their homes and began walking in complete silence, the memory of those penetrating eyes at the hospital no longer pasted to the backs of the gangs' eyelids. Now, a picture of Kaiba standing at the very edge of a sudden fall replaced the images that had been reflected in their dark depths.
-
Fuguta was extremely worried. He had heard the news from the other goons about Mr. Kaiba. Since then, however, he had gained no further information, and Kaiba could have died in the meantime. However, no papers or newscasts proclaimed Seto Kaiba's death, and it was foolish to think that Seto Kaiba would die without everyone knowing. Therefore, Fuguta was at least convinced that Kaiba could still pull through. But he did not know if he should tell Mokuba about any of it. The poor kid was already depressed and wouldn't speak to anyone. What if he added more misery to Mokuba and worsened his condition? Fuguta was left at a stalemate.
The Janukas had enrolled Mokuba in an orchestra class, but Mokuba did not play his violin anymore. They wondered which was worse: hearing only mournful tunes on it or not hearing it at all.
"Do you still think we should only wait to have him talk to the social worker that the judge ordered us to use?" Mrs. Januka peered intently at her husband. "You think he's still adjusting?"
"Of course he's adjusting, dear. But I think we should have him speak to a counselor, not a social worker yet. I think a counselor or psychiatrist would be more understanding than a social worker. Besides, most kids feel a sense of misplacement in a new home and Mokuba is no different. I know he misses his brother, but he'll get over it eventually when he sees how much better life is for him here. It might all amount to nothing in the end."
Both Janukas thought about what had been revealed at the trial and felt terribly for the boy who had been neglected and emotionally abused.
"You know, my dear, I think the social services pulled Mokuba out of there just in time. Who knows what he would be going through right now? Kaiba Corporation has taken a major fall. Some estimate it is only days away from declaring bankruptcy. Yet, there are still those who want it. Look at this." Mr. Januka handed his wife a piece of paper.
She read it over, shaking her head once. "According to this, the poor boy no longer can inherit the company that his brother has because of Mokuba being in a foster home. I don't think it is a major loss, though. Mokuba will get his shares in our company and be better off for it."
Mr. Januka did not seem to be paying attention; instead, he staring at the paper in his wife's hand with a calculating look. After awhile, he gave a little "hmm" sound as he stood from the table.
"I just realized. Mr. Seto Kaiba no longer has enough of the corporation himself. It is now a toss-up between him and the board of directors. From what I have been reading in the stock market news, they are eagerly buying all they can, and the only ones as well." He frowned. "It is odd. Kaiba has been doing nothing for awhile. I think we can expect to see the company get a new name soon."
Mrs. Januka was not sure if she were upset by this or not. She had no ties to Seto Kaiba and could care less what happened to him after what he had done to his little brother. However, something seemed strange to her.
"Who was the person who prosecuted Mr. Kaiba?"
"What?" Mr. Januka glanced up, and then thought a little. Finally, he responded, "Someone who wanted to remain anonymous, if I recall correctly. Why?"
Mrs. Januka shook her head. "No reason. I was just curious."
Then, the multi-millionaires went back to doing what multi-millionaires did—which was whatever they wanted.
-
Roland was always in charge when it came time for a goon mission. Now, because of his leadership, he was at YO's mansion, wondering why this man who had so much never seemed to help out his nephew. Perhaps his nephew never wanted any help.
The goon went up to the door and knocked. It should have been no surprise since he had an appointment with the lawyer. But it was still a few minutes before the door opened. In the meantime, Roland looked around at the area, seeing the carefully-tended flower beds and trimmed trees. No bees dared to buzz around his head in this place, and not a fly was in sight. It reminded the man of the Kaiba mansion. Mr. Kaiba took a sort of obsessive behavior when it came to waging war on the insects. Few mosquitoes lived long enough to sting anyone, and it was always a joke among the goon squad members when they heard a buzzing. They knew that soon a smack would follow.
Soon after his reminiscences, a servant opened the door and escorted Roland to the office where YO was on the phone. After a few seconds, the lawyer finished his conversation and gestured for the goon to sit down, which he did.
"I have come, sir, for a major reason. I know you expressed your interest in an appeal to Mr. Kaiba, but he never responded. I think we should go ahead without his consent."
YO leaned back in his chair, evaluating the man before him. With a hand rubbing his chin, YO replied, "You know, I dink your right. We don't need Kaiba's consent anyway. Because he is incapacitated, we can proceed widout it."
If Roland was shocked at YO's new way of speaking, he quickly got over it. He was a member of the goon squad, after all.
YO continued, "Kaiba had said someding about it at de trial, but after dat, he never mentioned it, for reasons best unsaid. But somehow, dose udder attorneys got a hold of someding dat's illegal: tapes of de Kaibas. If we press charges about dat, I dink we'll win. Den, de other verdict will have ta be thrown out on regards ta faulty evidence. Mokuba'll be back home, dough dere will be after-effects," he admitted.
Roland raised an eyebrow. "What would those be, sir?"
"Well, most likely, both of dem would have ta go through trainin' and counselin'. Plus, dey'd always be watched for abuse. But, bein' back togeda would cancel all dat out. Don't you dink?"
Roland was nodding, imagining the sounds of Mokuba's violin straining through the mansion once more and Kaiba's company back on its feet. Anything was worth seeing a smile on either of their faces, though for the latter, just a slight grin that was not creepy-looking would be the equivalent to the former's beaming face.
"Then it is a plan, sir. Can you begin work right away? Just tell me what you need someone to do, and the goon squad will try to do if they can."
The two shook hands, and Roland was feeling relief at the warmth in YO's. Thinking of Mr. Kaiba made him only feel the cold breath of the dead and the stillness of utter silence. He would take an angry, tense, and upset Kaiba with Mokuba around rather than have to deal with the lonely, depressed, and suicidal Kaiba who came because his brother was absent.
-
There was nothing more to it. The appropriate letters had been sent, not that Seto Kaiba was in any state to read his. But Kaiba Corporation was now… Actually, none of the board of directors could come up with a new name that they all agreed with. That was soon taken care of, however.
"You'll name it after me, of course," their leader, who was not even on the board of directors, said with a cackle and a jiggling of his three chins. He looked over the rim of his glasses at any of the five who would dare disagree. None of them did. The thought made the pudgy man oozing fat cackle again.
Looking in a mirror, he tried to straighten his suit, but it always rolled with his excess flesh. Still, he leered at himself and thought of what a fine president he would make.
After all the years he had slaved for Gozaburo and had to watch the brat Seto, Hobson knew he deserved the company. The board of directors he used only because they already owned so much of the company. Now, they could be disposed of. What did it matter if he had promised them safety for complying? The smiling face in the mirror chuckled lowly. He knew the best ways to torture people, so he knew what he was doing. Perhaps, because the board had never made a protest, Hobson would cut short their pain. There was plenty of time to figure that out. Right now, he had to go to the ceremony that marked the changing of owners. Hobson Corporation would do nicely. All his workers would be even more frightened of him than of the former president, ensuring expert work would be done. Before long, the company would be back up where it belonged with sales and surpassing what Kaiba had done. Going back to the original products of Kaiba Corporation was enough to guarantee big profits.
The other five men looked nervously at each other, wishing they knew what was behind Hobson's beady black eyes and beefy grin.
When all was prepared, they went over to the old Kaiba Corporation building, grinning in glee when they were greeted as the owners. All of the five men on the board of directors knew they were only a façade—the true owner was the shorter, rounder man behind them, but for tonight, they played it well.
Hobson cackled when he saw how few people were there. Only the most loyal remained after such a tragic downfall, and Hobson could hardly wait to begin torturing them for their loyalties. Hobson was wishing every night that Kaiba would die, but then, he would change his mind, wanting the young man to know he had failed and lost his company. Now, all his old employees would be harassed merely because they had been loyal to him.
As to what to do with Mokuba, Hobson was not yet certain. The boy was obviously no threat, but Hobson of course wanted to take him down permanently. Maybe he could still use one of the brothers to hurt the other more. Torture was such a delicious game, one he enjoyed partaking in as much as eating.