Something Corporate

Chapter 15:

It was another week before the Supreme Court would take the case. Marik and Malik hired some lawyer they saw on a billboard and showed up on time on the confirmed date. March, 7, 2005.

During the week before the trial, Marik and Malik had little or no contact with Pips or Kaiba. Of course, once they found out there was a pending lawsuit against them, due to Kaiba, they put a horse's head in his bed. Needless to say, that wouldn't help them in court. Things like that never do.

Presently, they were in the courthouse, waiting for their lawyer to show up. It was totally packed in there, because there were a lot of people in the country trying to sue Ishtar Industries. But, they couldn't all do it at one time… all the people in the other countries, I mean. So, after this one, Marik and Malik would have to travel around the world to get to various countries that they… urm, mangled.

"Where is he?" Marik looked at his watch, "Kyte was supposed to be here by now. I swear, no one knows the meaning of punctuality!"

"Oh, relax… Look, there he is, right now." Malik pointed to the entrance.

A rather tall, dark haired man came running inside, trying to juggle his papers, and glasses without tripping over anything. "Marik! Malik! Never fear, Kyte is here!"

Marik rolled his eyes, "Yeah, never fear… what a joke." He turned to his hikari, "Malik, I can't believe I listened to you about hiring this guy."

"Aw, c'mon. I've got a good feeling about him, he may be clumsy and late all the time… but I think he had great credentials."

"Pheh."

"Okay, okay, I am here!" Kyte pushed his thick glasses up his nose, "Sorry, I'm late, but I had pressing business to attend to. It seems my stepmother has just fallen into a coma."

"Oh!" Malik gasped, "I'm sorry, Kyte, I didn't know!"

He waved away the comment with a smile, "Don't worry. I never liked the old bat anyway. Well, today's the day. Nervous?"

"A little…" Malik confessed.

Marik was leaning on the side of the wall humming to himself. "Dum da da dum… dum da da da da dum…"

"Well, that's good. It'll keep you on your toes." Kyte nodded to himself and looked inside a folder he'd been carrying, "I've never lost a case, and I don't intend to start with this one."

Suddenly the door opened and Kaiba walked in. He strutted through the hall in his trademark white coat, extra shiny and fresh-smelling (because Pips did such a terrific job). He was the leader of a short line that followed him down the corridor.

Mokuba was right behind his elder brother, and then Elmer Fizz was right behind him. And, of course, Pips was bringing up the rear, fumbling with and lugging a bunch of papers and documents, along with Kaiba's briefcase and Mokuba's laptop (complete with the charging battery and printer).

They walked past Marik, Malik, and Kyte who were standing by one of the benches, in front of the door to the courtroom. Their noses were high in the air as they ignored the other three's presence.

"What jerks." Marik said audibly.

As they went inside, Pips managed to whisper, "Good luck!" before he tumbled into the doors.

"Good ol' Pips." Marik and Malik smiled as they turned back to Kyte, "That's our old assistant. He's awesome once you get to know him. Crazy… but awesome!"

"Hmm… Well," Kyte looked at his watch, "It's time to skid addle! We've got to face the world in court. You both remember how to plead, right?"

"Not guilty." They said in unison, pleased with themselves for remembering.

Kyte pointed to the door and cracked it open, "Let's roll, my little clients."

They nodded and followed Kyte into the large room. Through the doors was a very big, glossy, wooden room full of people in suits and uniforms. Marik and Malik felt a little out of place when everyone else was wearing a business suit and they were wearing black leather.

Their seats were pointed out and they made themselves comfortable. It was still quiet after about two minutes of Marik and Kaiba starring evilly at each other from across the room.

A man in a dark blue uniform went and stood in front of the Judge's Bench, "Please rise for the honorable Judge Coral." He said forcibly.

Everyone in the room stood up and watched as a pale woman in a long black robe, from the back walked up to the bench and sat down.

"You may now be seated." The man said and everyone sat back down. He then took his previous position at the side of the bench.

"Ahem." She cleared her voice, "We are here for the trial of Marik and Malik Ishtar, former president and vice-president of Ishtar Industries. Mr. Ishtar," She looked at them, "I will now read your public offenses."

They nodded.

"This country and various others have charged you with purposely harming the general public with the Miniport in a state of malfunction and disrepair. Elaborate proof has been supplied to this court, thanks to Mr. Kaiba of your intentions." She smiled brightly at him, "But that is not why you're here today. The personal lawsuit filed by Kaiba Corporations on you is why we're here."

"Aw, what'd we do to him! He's got his company and the rights to the Miniport, what else could he possibly want!" Marik blurted out, with all eyes on him now he decided to continue, "After all, he's the one that gave us the mon-"

"Stop it!" Kyte and Malik pulled him back into his seat and shushed him severely, "What're you doing!"

"Mr. Ishtar!" yelled Judge Coral, "I will not have another outburst like that in my courtroom, do you understand?"

"Hmph… Yes, mommy." He said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Kaiba and his little group snickered, while Pips sighed and thought, 'Oh the tragedy of being caught in the middle! I hope this turns out better than it looks…'

"Mr. Ishtar," Judge Coral continued, "Was the gist of what you were just saying is that you deny Mr. Kaiba's claims on you?"

"Duh." He answered simply.

"Well," Kaiba stood up, "I anticipated his feeble attempt at covering his butt. So, I am well prepared to defend my case, with Mr. Chimera at my side!" Kaiba nodded towards the middle-aged, oily man sitting next to him.

"Oh no…!" Kyte muttered, "Not Chimera."

"What do you mean, 'not Chimera'?" Marik and Malik looked at him, "What, is this bad or something?"

"You could say that… Mr. Chimera is an excellent attorney. He knows how to make everyone crack. It's something about his methods… He's totally unstoppable when he gets in the groove."

"Well, I certainly hope you have a way of countering his groove!" Marik said.

Kyte shrugged, "We'll find out. I've never done this before."

"WHAT!" Malik and Marik yelled, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. They lowered their voices and asked, "What do you mean you haven't done this before? You said you've never lost a case!"

"Technically, that's true. Since this is my first time, I haven't ever lost a case."

Marik turned to Malik and said, "This is all your fault! You hired him!"

"My fault? It was your fault for ever getting us involved in this in the first place-"

"Mr. Ishtar, Mr. Ishtar, and Mr. Kyte. Are you prepared to defend your case against the Kaiba Corporation? If not, I can let the jury judge you right now and we'll be finished before lunch time."

"No, no…" Kyte stood, "We're prepared."

"Fine, then." Judge Coral raised her gavel and slammed it down, "The court will now come to order and the lawsuit of Kaiba Corporation vs. Ishtar Industries will now begin."

"I suppose I shall jump right in." Mr. Chimera rose from his seat and walked out to the middle of the room, "I would like to speak, first, of the issue with Mr. Kaiba's integrity. As you say, Mr. Ishtar, that Mr. Kaiba has been unfaithful and has tricked you, is that correct?"

Marik nodded carefully, "Yeah…"

"Well, Mr. Kaiba has been in the public eye for… going on seven years now. He's a respectable man in the community, and this city has always been proud of their young business pioneer. Mr. Ishtar, however-"

"Objection, your honor!" Kyte shouted, "All that is irrelevant!"

"Overruled." She said, simply. "Continue, Mr. Chimera."

"I have a witness from Marik and Malik's own street. She says… well, I'll let her tell you herself. Mrs. Peggy, please rise and come to the witness stand."

Out of the audience, stood a withered old woman. She used her cane to trot up the bench and sat in the seat by the Judge.

The guard came up to Mrs. Peggy and put her hand on the Bible, "Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I promise," She said frailly and made herself comfortable in the seat.

"Now, Mrs. Peggy," Chimera began, "Could you tell the court in your own words, what Marik and Malik have been to you, the past year that they lived on your street."

Marik growled through his teeth, 'That old bat's gonna get us locked up!'

"Oh… it's hard to describe those two. They're so strange!" She shivered, "Weird things always go on in their house. I always see these people going in and out… people with spiky hair. Music going at all hours of the night. Magic voodoo. It's all so confusing…"

"Magic voodoo?" Mr. Chimera looked at Marik and Malik accusingly, "Can you specify if they've ever used magic or voodoo on you, Mrs. Peggy?"

"Well. There was this on time about a year ago… I'm not really sure what happened but, when I came to, I was standing… nude, in the middle of the street, with those two laughing at me!" She burst into tears and dropped her cane on the floor, "Oh, it was awful!"

The jury and the people sitting where aghast and appalled. They all turned to face Marik and Malik who were burying their faces in shame and woe.

"Heh heh." Mr. Chimera walked back to his seat, "Your witness, Mr. Kyte."

Kyte swallowed hard and stood up, trying to be professional, "Mrs. Peggy. Please, if you could, tell the jury about how Marik and Malik have helped the community since they moved to your neighborhood."

"Um…" She sniffed, "Well, for whatever reason they had, they've planted flowers all around and they scared all the thugs and hobos away. That's good, I suppose. Oh! And they made those noisy children leave me alone. That was nice."

"T-They did?" Kyte was surprised, "I mean, of course they did! You see, Your Honor, Marik and Malik Ishtar are simply seventeen. They play their share of tricks, like teenagers do, but they have a soft side for doing good. The defense rests."

Kyte sat back down with Marik and Malik and asked them, "Why'd you two plant flowers by her house?"

Marik sighed, "World domination plan gone wrong."

"Ah."

The next witness was called to the bench. Mr. Elmer Fizz. He took the oath and then seated himself.

Mr. Chimera grinned under his white mustache, "Mr. Fizz, you say that both Marik and Malik robbed you of the Miniport in the first place, correct? Please explain how it happened."

"Eh he he he he he he he he! Yes, of course!" Elmer was all smiles, "It was the day of my College's Science Fair, last year. I had been scooping out the competition, and my project seemed to be the best. A few judges came over and congratulated me, then when I thought the judging was over, there were Marik and Malik." He pointed at them. "They told me that they were judges and they asked me how my invention, the Miniport, worked. I explained it in terms too advanced for their comprehension, and even gave a demonstration. Before I knew it they had run off with both the Miniports! It was traumatizing!"

Elmer fake-cried for a while and Mr. Chimera patted him on the back, "There, there." He whirled around to face the courtroom, "You see, Marik and his subordinate have no conscience and therefore they are quiet capable of stealing and deceiving."

"What do you mean, 'subordinate'!" Malik called out, "Why, I oughtta…!"

Marik shushed his hikari and then Chimera continued, "Mr. Fizz has also confirmed that Marik and Malik tricked him on two other occasions by impersonating celebrities. Specifically Mike Tyson and Dolly Parton. They'd do anything to keep their companies reputation intact."

Whispers among the jury and the audience began. Judge Coral slammed her gavel down once again. "We will now take a recess. This trial will be continued and concluded in thirty minutes." She turned to Mr. Chimera and Kyte, "Would you both like to prepare the next witness before the break?"

They nodded.

"Very well. You've told me your joint witness will be Mr. Pips Carter, yes?"

Pips' ears perked up, "Huh?"

Kaiba grabbed his shirt collar, "Pips, after the recess, you're going to be taken under oath as a witness. This is very important, so don't you dare screw this up!"

The gavel slammed down again, "Break!" People got up and began to leave. Marik and Malik were looking pale as they stumbled out with Kyte at their side. Pips gasped, 'I-I'm going to have to testify? Against… Marik and Malik?'