Disclaimer: Put simply, I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or its characters. I do own (from this chapter) Mrs. Shizutzi (the maid) and Jemu.
Replies to Reviews:
Ayame akakaru Kaiba: A lot of people were/are confused about Marik. I used some info my friend gave me, which was that Marik became good eventually – if not, then I'm doing it anyway! You have every right to question my story, and I'm happy to answer!
AuroranWings: Yami is too symbolic for his own good, haha!
MiStraLL: The time frame is...umm...I haven't got a clue. It'd have to be AFTER the Battle City Tournament, but before they go to Egypt. So...let's just say AFTER the Battle City Tournament, but with a few tweaked things.
MidnightBallad's Notes: Apologies for the slow update! I had MAJOR virus trouble! Anyway, here it is!
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Chapter IV:
The Wait to New York
Kaiba Manor, Sunday 2:20 a.m.
Seto was in his room, packing a small amount of clothing into a suitcase, emblazoned with a gold 'KC'. Scattered on his bed was his trusty laptop, his phone, a notepad that held the address to Akogi's office and another, very flat suitcase, also emblazoned with 'KC'. Sitting inside of that suitcase was US$900, 000 – all in one hundred dollar bills.
A single light lit the young millionaire's room, casting very long shadows across the walls and across Seto's face. He had been up early the previous morning, and now he was, once again, up early. The only thing that kept him awake was a short dose of caffeine every now and again, and the cook singing noisily downstairs in a shrill opera voice. Gods, what were his employees thinking nowadays?
At last, with everything packed, Seto slammed his suitcase shut and zipped it up, which allowed the doorway to be seen. Standing there was Mokuba, looking white dazed and tired.
'Mokuba? Shouldn't you be asleep?'
Mokuba yawned, stepping into the room. 'How can I, when Mrs. Shizutzi is singing like that?' He crawled onto Seto's bed, flopping down like a dead cat. 'I'm beat. Where are you going tomorrow?'
Seto put his suitcase on the floor and slid it beneath his bed. 'Business, as usual. Mrs. Shizutzi will look after you.'
Mokuba yawned again, eyes falling on the silver case that held Akogi's money. 'Hey, what's in there?'
'Not for your eyes, Mokuba.' Seto said, also picking up the case. He paused – that sounded rather wrong. Mokuba was too tired to care, and was already sound asleep, arms spread out to the side, snoring loudly. Shaking his head, Seto picked up his little brother and took him back to his bedroom, tucking him into his bed and gazing around his room. Mokuba's computer hummed away quietly, and Seto sighed quietly. He hated leaving his little brother again – he felt he was away from Mokuba all too often – but this was a very important business trip, and perhaps Seto could retire very early.
Yeah. Good idea.
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Tory's House, Sunday 7:45 a.m.
Tory was still fast asleep when her slim, silver mobile went off very loudly. Slapping a hand to her face and stretching her jaw down low, Tory rolled onto her side, reading the text message, still half-asleep:
Meet me outside of Deblin's game shop with Yugi Moto at eight o'clock.
'The heck?' Tory muttered, closing her eyes again. Who wanted to tell her that this early in the morning, when she should still be sleeping? And then something clicked in her head: Marik.
Tory sat up in bed, her brown and black cat curled up in a ball at the end of her bed, purring softly. Tory scratched her on the head, before changing into casual clothing – dark jeans, off-the-shoulder brown shirt decorated with beaded patterns; white sport shoes. Tory could never be bothered to match her shoes with her outfit, but her jeans were so long that her shoes could barely be seen anyway. Slipping another pair of sunglasses on – these ones silver with dark red lenses – Tory made her way downstairs, where her mother was baking pancakes. She was a tall woman, in her late forties, with spiky blonde hair and wide brown eyes.
'Morning, Tor. I'm making pancakes!'
Tory sniffed the sweet food. 'Great, but I need to go. I forgot that I was meeting Emily early to go to the eight o'clock ice skating session.'
'What?' Tory's mum said. 'No, breakfast first!'
Tory just ran out the door, picking up her CD player "Diskman" as she ran. Playing in the Diskman was a song called "A Little Too Late", and it was sung by one of Tory's idols:
It's
a little too late for you to say
That I'm a little too young to
feel this way
'cause I just wanna be loved just wanna be
heard
Be lost in the feeling standing here
At the door to my
life
Now that day has arrived so loud and clear
You'll hear
me singing...
Tory made for Yugi's house at a sprint.
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Kaiba Manor, 7:50 a.m.
Many people had been receiving phone calls today. Seto received one too, from his young secretary Jemu. It was a very stressful phone call.
'Kaiba-san! Serious problem!' Jemu had said worriedly into the phone, so fast that Seto had needed Jemu to repeat the sentence.
'What is it?' Seto had asked, freezing whilst typing up some work documents. 'Please tell me it can be fixed.'
'Someone has bid on those Scales.'
Seto was quite stunned. '...How much?'
A pause. 'Nine hundred and fifty thousand.'
Seto shook his head. Looks like he would have to boot up the price of his own bid by fifty thousand himself. 'Jemu, I want you to bid for me, and leave this message: Mr. Seto Kaiba will be coming to New York this Sunday. He will see Akogi then, with cash. He is willing to pay without signing anything. Got that?'
Furious typing on a keyboard, a quick answer. 'Hai, hai (yes, yes). it done, Kaiba-san. Sayonara (goodbye).'
'Thank you.' Seto hung up. Who was the crazy idiot who had bid for the Scales beside himself?
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Outside Duke Deblin's game shop, 8:00 a.m.
Yami and Tory awaited Marik outside Duke's game shop. The day was not exactly pleasant: rain fell lightly, making the sky glitter; clouds were dark and hung low, obscuring the highest skyscrapers. Black umbrellas held by residents bobbed up and down in the streets. Yami didn't mind getting wet – he'd been much wetter.
'He's taking his sweet time.' Tory said lowly, brushing a wet streak of hair from her face. Her sunglasses clouded her vision, so she took them off and shoved them in the back of her pocket. 'For someone who so desperately wants to come with us, he's not very good at showing it.'
Marik suddenly materialised out of thin air. Tory screamed, running into Yami, who was slammed up against Duke's front window. The teen inside gave Yami the finger, obviously telling him to get lost.
'Good morning, Tory.' Marik's eyes slid over to Yami. 'You too, Pharaoh.'
Yami just raised an eyebrow.
'Okay,' Tory said almost breathlessly. 'You say you can get us to New York, Marik. So...can you?'
Marik spun something between his hands – the Millennium Rod. 'Of course I can. I can get you back before dinner, too.'
Yami folded his arms across his chest. 'Just how are you going to do so? Teleport us there?' He smiled afterward. 'Can you even do that?'
Marik nodded. Tory went still.
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Airport, 2:50 p.m.
Seto Kaiba awaited his plane to New York later that day. He sat in the waiting lounge, holding his briefcase with the money for the Essence Scales in it. Seto was yearning to get on that plane and get to New York.
'I'll beat you to it, Tory...' Seto whispered to himself, smiling sinisterly. 'No matter what you do, I'll always be one step ahead.'
The overhead speakers made a pong-pong noise. A woman spoke over the radio, 'Your attention please. Flight 94 to New York is now boarding at Gate 6.'
Seto got to his feet, taking his briefcase with him. He remembered the fuss he'd gone through to get it onto the plane without having to put it in with his other luggage. But then again, few people argue with a millionaire, who could crash the airport's computer system in the click of a mouse if he chose to.
-End chapter IV-
MidnightBallad: I apologize for these chapters being short. I'll try and make them longer, alright? Thank you for the reviews everyone!