That big italicized thing in the middle is a dream... just so you know ;;

Seto shook his head back and forth fiercely. His eyelids drooped, but he forced them open. He couldn't let himself fall asleep; he still had work to do.

Looking tiredly at the computer in front of him and trying to ignore the time display (1:30 AM), he began to enter numbers on the keyboard. But his hands moved sluggishly, weary and slow to react. With a short, irritated sigh, he punched a button that called one of his servants. Almost immediately, the butler appeared at Seto's side.

"Yes, Seto-sama?"

"Coffee," the brown-haired boy instructed shortly.

"Would you like it caffeinated or de-caffeinated?"

"Caffeinated, you fool!" snapped Seto, impatient. "As caffeinated as you can make it!"

With a hasty bow, the butler departed. Seto faced the computer again and tried to focus. But it was useless. He was simply too tired. That was why he was calling for the coffee—he loathed the beverage, but the caffeine in it was valuable at a time like this.

And he needed it quickly… because…… Again, Seto tried to fight off the weariness clouding his head, but it began to envelop him. When had his eyelids become so… heavy…? Why couldn't he lift them…? No, he commanded himself with as much sternness as he could muster, I mustn't fall asleep… I… I can't… I…

With a sigh, Seto slumped onto the table, unable to hold his tired body up any longer. Get up, said something in the back of his mind. He wants you to keep working.

But I can't, replied the rest of him. I'm too sleepy.

"Get up, Seto!" commanded a harsh voice—the voice of Kaiba Gozaburo. "You have no time for sleeping!"

"But I'm tired," Seto mumbled, so quietly that he wondered if he'd only thought it. "I'm tired… Chichiue…" He rested his head on his arms, creating a pillow for himself. That was nice. It had been a few days since he'd felt a pillow.

Then a line of white-hot pain lashed down his back. Seto twitched and gave a low groan of pain, but he did not lift his head. He had almost grown used to the whip his "father" wielded; he'd certainly felt it often enough to do so.

"GET UP!" Gozaburo repeated. The whip hit Seto again, still failing to evict a response. Seto could hear Gozaburo breathing heavily behind him. He's getting angry, Seto observed distantly. He's going to hurt me more.

But resting like this felt so good…

"Not going to get up?" Gozaburo asked, obviously furious. "Well then…" In a whisper that Seto couldn't distinguish, he told a nearby servant something. "Maybe you need a little more motivation," he sneered then.

But Seto was no longer listening; sleep had claimed him completely… deep, wonderful sleep… no pain… no feelings… just oblivion…

"Nii-sama!"

A shrill voice broke into Seto's mind. That's Mokuba, he thought vaguely.

"Nii-sama! Help me!" Mokuba's voice cried.

Is he in danger…? Seto wondered, his head a little less clouded.

"Nii-sama! Please! Wake up!" Mokuba's tone was almost hysterical. "Nii-sama!!"

Now Seto was struggling to clear his mind. He's in trouble… I… I have to help him…!

With an effort, he brought himself out of his sleep. Momentarily confused about where he was, he looked around. Oh, that's right, he figured out. I fell asleep in the study. But what is Mokuba doing in— Then Seto gasped.

The servant Gozaburo had spoken to earlier was holding Mokuba roughly by the arms. And Gozaburo himself had his whip in hand again.

"MOKUBA!" Seto was suddenly completely awake. "Get your hands off him!"

"Why should I?" Gozaburo taunted. "Obviously, hurting you doesn't motivate you anymore. And judging by the look on your face, hurting your dear brother will work much better."

"Don't you dare!" Seto stood fiercely, ignoring the pain from the new whiplashes on his back. "Don't you dare hurt my brother!!"

"Nii-sama…" Seto glanced at Mokuba's face. There were frightened tears streaming down it. "Nii-sama, what's he going to do to me?"

"Nothing!" Seto shouted. "I won't let him do anything!!"

At that, Gozaburo laughed. "You think you can stop me?"

Seto flew at his "father," trying to grab the whip. "I won't let you hurt him!!"

Gozaburo neatly lifted the whip out of Seto's reach, a nasty smirk on his face. "Well, it seems you've woken up for now," he sneered as Seto jumped against him, still attempting to snatch the whip.

With a gesture, Gozaburo commanded the servant to release Mokuba. The little boy immediately ran to Seto, throwing his arms around him. "Nii-sama… I'm scared…"

Gozaburo forced the two apart. "Get out of here, brat," he said to Mokuba. "'Nii-sama' is still working."

But Seto took Mokuba tightly by the hand. "Listen to me, Chichiue!" he shouted. "I swear! If you hurt my brother, I'll kill you!!"

Gozaburo crossed his arms and stared at Seto for a moment, and then his face spread into a slow, poisoned smile. "Really?" he said, sounding amused. "No, Seto. I don't think you would. You don't know enough anger. You don't hate me enough. Right now you're just making threats. You aren't a killer." He snickered. "Not yet."

Seto started and woke up. Something burning hot was on his hand—oh. It was the coffee. He must have bumped the cup and spilled it.

Shaking the coffee off his hand, Seto scowled. I fell asleep. He had been trained ever since he was young not to sleep until he was finished working. But he hadn't been strong enough to resist it this time.

That dream had probably been a scolding from his subconscious—reminding him of the pain that could come from laziness.

But it reminded Seto of something else too. Seto's scowl deepened as he remembered the vow he'd made that day, remembered Gozaburo's amused reaction. Not yet, he'd said. That had been true. At the time, Seto had been twelve years old—he wouldn't have been ready to take another life.

But such readiness was part of Kaiba training.

With a tight-lipped smile, Seto thought of the day when KaibaCorporation had become his. That had been satisfying—but even more pleasing was the image of Gozaburo throwing himself out the window when he'd realized that he'd lost their "game."

Seto bared his teeth in a strange expression that was half-grimace, half smirk. You're right, Chichiue… I wasn't ready then. But maybe you should have realized that "not yet" wouldn't last forever.