Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh or TBAA. Would be nice if I did, but I don't.
Author's Notes: Hello everyone! Thank you to all who reviewed so far. A special thank you goes to my beta-reader, Hyatt Insomnia!
Warnings: Mild violence and language, so far.
To Steal, Kill, and DestroyChapter Five: Intrusions
Unfortunately, Tristan and Yugi were not the only ones visiting the Wheeler household that evening. About an hour later, the doorbell rang yet again. Mrs. Wheeler answered it, then came in the living room to get her son. "Joseph, there's a man by the door who claims to be a friend of yours…he says his name is Louie…"
Instantly, the boy jumped to his feet and raced to the door. Standing on the front porch was Louie DeAngelino. "Hey, Joey, how're ya doin'?" Joey's response was to give the man a solid fist to the jaw.
"GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE, YA CREEP!! WHAT THE HELL DIDJA DO, BREAK OUTTA JAIL, OR SOMETHIN'?? YOU STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY FAMILY, YOU HEAR ME, YA LOUSY GOOD FOR NOTHIN' LOWLIFE!!!"
"Whoa, hey, Joey, take it easy," the black-haired man replied as he picked himself up from the ground. By this time, Yugi and Tristan had run outside, and were standing right behind Joey. Serenity and her mother were standing in the doorway. Serenity had her arm around her mother…she couldn't imagine what was making her big brother so angry! The blonde continued to rant and rave at the man. "GET OUTTA HERE!! NOW!!"
"Joey, who is this guy?" Tristan asked.
"That's Louie. That's the creep that helped my father ta…" he trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence, especially in front of his sister.
Tristan's eyes widened. He understood exactly what Joey was saying. He then looked at Louie and narrowed his eyes. "He's right. You better leave. Now."
"Hey, is this any way ta greet an ol' friend o' yours?"
"You ain't my friend." If looks could kill, Louie would have been dead in seconds.
"Aw, c'mon, Joey…it's water under the bridge! Why not let bygones be bygones? Your ol' hotshot friend Kaiba did."
"Kaiba ain't my friend, neither!" Joey growled, "An' jus' what exactly do ya mean by that?"
Louie chuckled. "Yer ol' friend Kaiba gave me a job."
Joey's eyes widened. "No way!"
"Why would Kaiba give a job to a creep like you, anyway?" Tristan added.
He simply shrugged. "Beats me. Guess he jus' has good taste, huh?"
The blonde clenched his hands into fists. "Get the hell outta here or I'll call the cops an' have yer sorry ass thrown back in the slammer where it belongs."
Yami, who had taken over Yugi's body, stepped up. "I suggest you do as he says… or you may suffer a fate far worse than any jail you can imagine."
"Okay, okay, I can tell when I'm not wanted! I'm goin', I'm goin'!"
Joey glared at him as he crossed the street, got into his car, and drove away. He still stood outside with his fists clenched after Louie's car could no longer be seen.
"Joseph, who was that man?" Her son didn't answer her. She walked up to him. "Joseph Wheeler, I demand an explanation!"
"No one, Ma," he said quietly. He was still looking down the street with his fists clenched. Now that she was closer to him, she noticed that he was trembling slightly.
"Joey," she said in a much softer tone, "Why don't you come back in the house, and finish watching the Duel Monsters Tournament with your friends?"
"C'mon, Joey," Yugi, now back to his old self, tugged at his arm, "Let's go back inside, and watch the rest of the Tournament, okay?"
"Okay." Joey slowly turned and went back into the house. Once inside, he went back to trying to be his usual cheerful self again. But they all knew that although he was doing his best to hide it, something was really bothering him.
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Kaiba was at his desk bright and early in the morning as usual when he heard the distraught voice of his secretary outside his office. "But, sir! You can't go in there! Mr. Kaiba does not wish to be disturbed!"
The door banged open to reveal an enraged Joey Wheeler on the other side of it. He marched right up to Kaiba's desk and stuck his finger in his face. "I wanna know if it's true!! You tell me to my face, ya jerk!!"
"Oh, Mr. Kaiba, I'm so sorry! I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen…"
"It's all right, Nanette," the CEO replied, standing up, "I can handle stray dogs. You may go now."
"Thank you, sir," she quickly left, shutting the door behind her.
"You tell me, ya jerk. Tell me to my face!!" Joey repeated.
"I don't even know what you're talking about, mutt."
"You tell me… I wanna know if it's true that ya hired that lowlife slime ball ta work fer ya!"
"Who I hire is none of your business, Chihuahua."
"It is my business when ya go around hirin' lowlife creeps that kidnapped me, and chained me ta a bed!" (1)
Kaiba smirked. "I thought that was your loving father's idea."
"Shaddup!! You just tell me if ya hired that no-good snake!"
"I believe I've already given you an answer, mutt. Now why don't you run along and find some dog toys to play with?"
The blonde duelist growled and clenched his fists. "I ain't leavin'! Not until ya gimme an answer!"
"And I told you…you've already got your answer. What I do at Kaiba Corporation is none of your business. Now get out of my sight."
"No! I want a real answer, Moneybags!! Or are you too chicken ta tell me ta my face?"
"Don't make me laugh. The day I'm afraid of you all Hell will freeze over."
"Then you answer me!"
The door suddenly opened, and Monique came in. "What's going on in here?"
Kaiba was doubly annoyed. Now he had not only the puppy dog to contend with, but the witch as well. "Nothing that concerns you, Monique."
"Anything to do with Kaiba Corporation concerns me. Is this young man disturbing you?"
Kaiba's glare would have sent a lesser being scrambling in fear. "This doesn't concern you. Don't you have something better to you?"
"The safety and well-being of our CEO always takes top priority above anything else."
"Oh, please," Joey rolled his eyes, "Why don'tcha jus' crawl up there an' kiss his butt?"
"Excuse me?"
"Listen, lady…no offense, but this here's between me an' Moneybags."
"Young man, I will not tolerate anyone threatening our CEO," she replied in a stern voice.
"I ain't threatin' him. I jus' want the jerk ta answer a simple question. Which he won't do."
Kaiba was starting to get a headache. He stood up. "Both of you, get out of my office now!"
"I toldja, not 'till ya gimme an answer! Didja or didja not hire Louie the creep?"
"You mean Mr. DeAngelino?" Monique interjected. "Why, yes, Mr. DeAngelino is an employee of Kaiba Corporation. Is that all you wanted to know?"
Joey's amber eyes widened. He couldn't believe his ears! He glared at Kaiba. "Ya did it, didn't ya? Ya reeeeeally did it. Ya hired that…that…that thing after what he did ta me. That's low, Kaiba, even fer you!"
"Now, see here, young man! Mr. DeAngelino happens to be a fine upstanding member of this company and of society."
"Yeah, an' I'm da Queen of England!"
"Unfortunately, he got involved in a domestic dispute between this awful man and his delinquent son. The poor man was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"WHAT!?" Joey was growing angrier by the second. "Is that what he toldja!?"
"That's what happened."
"Yeah? Did he also happen ta tell ya that the 'domestic dispute' was him helpin' my dad ta kidnap me?"
Monique gave a little gasp. "Oh, my! You're not…"
Joey crossed his arms and glared at her. "Yeah, I am. An' whateva that creep Louie toldja ain't nothin' but a pack 'o lies!"
"Oh, dear," Monique breathed, and quickly left the office.
Kaiba sat back down again and started typing on his computer. "You can go now, too, Chihuahua."
The blonde teen turned his attention back to Kaiba. "No."
"Fine. Stand then like the idiot you are, then. I've got work to do." The CEO's cold sapphire eyes never left his monitor.
"I wanna hear it from you. I wantcha ta tell me ta my face, ya backstabbin' coward!"
"I've got nothing to say to you."
Joey banged his fists down on Kaiba's desk. "I'm gonna chuck that damn computer outta the window in another two seconds if ya don't listen ta me!"
"Touch it and you'll be the one flying out the window, mutt."
Joey clenched his fists and growled at the CEO. Before he could do anything, Monique came back in the office. "Apparently it seems you have another visitor."
The blonde teen's eyes grew wide. "Ma?"
"Joseph?"
Suddenly, two men in black suits rushed in and grabbed the younger Wheeler. "Hey! Leggo o' me, ya creeps!" Mrs. Wheeler gasped and Kaiba immediately jumped up from his chair. "That isn't necessary! I can handle stray dogs myself. Let him go!"
The security guards ignored the billionaire and continued to struggle with Joey. One of them drew a gun from his pocket, raised it up, and slammed it into Joey's temple. The young boy instantly crumpled to the floor while his mother screamed.
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Footnotes:
1.) Reference to LWTH, Chapter 15
Please read and review! Arigato!