Cerulean: Blue: Sadness.
Lament: To grieve over.
Seto discovers something in Alister that he refuses to give up without a fight.
How far would you go to save your enemy's soul?
Warnings: Shounen-ai, out-of-character characters, dub names
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I was a little hesitant to post this, but your reviews made me feel better about it!
Cerulean Lament
Chapter Two: The Calm before the Storm
"So you defeated this guy in a duel and the Seal of Orichalcos took his soul?" Joey asked, watching as Seto took in his surroundings. He looked…out of it. Like he wasn't all there. His eyes had widened when he had seen them as he got off the plane. That may not sound too surprising, but this was Seto Kaiba. He never showed any emotion. Ever.
"Maybe," Seto replied tersely, setting the unconscious red-haired duelist on the ground. Though he was displeased to find out just who those five people on the ground turned out to be, he supposed it would be better for Mokuba if he had some friends around. Even if said friends were annoying.
Sighing, Seto brushed the bangs out of Alister's face. "I'll get you back," he found himself quietly promising, though he wasn't completely sure why. It wasn't just because of the deep guilt he felt at his rival's defeat, the defeat he hand given. After all, Alister was only fighting to avenge his brother; wouldn't Seto do the same thing if he had been in Alister's position? No, it was deeper than that. He felt a connection with the duelist, more of a connection that he'd ever felt with anyone, even Mokuba.
He didn't want to lose that. If there was even the slightest chance that someone understood him as much as he thought he understood them, Alister, then he would do anything.
He would do anything to feel.
The sound of approaching helicopters made him look up. His helicopters, Roland hanging out of the door of the lead one, waving anxiously. Mokuba laughed and waved back, running to meet the landing flying machine. Seto's eyes took in the bullet-proof metal and glass, the loaded weapons. He knew that Alister said he didn't hate him anymore, but would he feel a stab of that hate now, hot and painful against cold skin, if he saw these helicopters now, armed and ready to kill?
Seto sighed and stood up slowly. His ankle was bothering him, but he was still able to walk on it. He took a step forward and lances of pain shot up his leg. He tried unsuccessfully to hide a wince and glanced about to see if anyone had noticed.
Everyone was too busy watching the helicopters, watching as Roland jumped off the machine before it had fully landed and rushed to wrap Mokuba in a warm embrace. Seto smiled. Roland had always been the kindest of his security guards. Was that why he had promoted the man to the highest rank, his personal protector, once his stepfather had died? Because Roland was kind and no one ever showed him kindness, only respect and how he longed to feel that directed to him.
The feeling of eyes watching him from behind, a feeling he knew well, made him freeze. Seto spun around to meet a pair of crimson eyes.
"Alright, Kaiba?" the Pharaoh asked quietly.
Seto stared at him blankly for a moment. "No." He paused, then added, "Better make it Seto."
His companion tilted his head, an unspoken question. Why?
Because I despise the name Kaiba. Because if you had known the real Kaiba, the founder of Kaiba Corp, my stepfather, you would want nothing to do with the name. Because it's tainted, if it ever was clean at all.
He shook his head. "Because I'm not too fond of the name at the moment."
Yami's eyes, for he knew the spirit's name, or at least what they called him even though he pretended not to believe, wasn't sure what to believe, were filled with sadness. He seemed almost empty. Seto had heard from the mutt – Joey – that Yugi's soul had been taked by the Seal of Orichalcos by a man named Raphael. Yami was in pain, perhaps blaming himself for Yugi's capture as Seto blamed himself for Alister's. Even so, the spirit managed a faint smile. "I can do that, Seto."
Seto nodded and turned around in time to be pulled into a hug.
"Seto." It was Roland. He sounded relieved. "You're alive! Are you alright?"
"Well, my ankle feels like it might be sprained and you're impairing my breathing, but besides all that, I'm fine."
Roland grinned and let go of his young boss, instead bracing an arm behind the brunette's back so Seto could lean on him. "Sorry, sir."
Seto rolled his eyes. Coming from Roland, the 'sir' was only for show, only to be used when other people were around. If anything, Roland had been more of a father to both him and Mokuba growing up than anyone else.
So why did he always push everyone who cared about him away?
"How much damage have we suffered?"
Roland's face fell. He knew something. "Sir, I'm sure I don't know-"
"Spare me." Everyone turned to look at him. That had been a little loud. Toning his voice down, Seto explained calmly, "Something else has to be wrong. Whoever sent Alister to take me down obviously had something bigger in mind. Why take me down? It's too difficult. Why go through the trouble? He was obviously after something I had, most probably my company. Sp tell me," he paused for a breath. "How bad is it? How much damage has my company suffered?"
Roland looked to his associates, other men of his status in suites and sunglasses, guns strapped to their hips. Then he looked to Seto, the tall brunette leaning on his shoulder, his ankle sprained. Seto was obviously the more dangerous opponent. He sighed. "I was going to tell you after you'd had a chance to recover some-"
"I can take it now," Seto assured him.
Nodding, Roland took a breath. "Kaiba Corp no longer belongs to you."
Seto's eyes widened. "Who took it?" he demanded, painfully aware of the others now gathered around the two of them.
Roland shifted beside him. Seto hadn't realized how heavily he'd been leaning on the older man. He was more tired than he thought. "We're not sure," the gray-haired man said quietly. "It all happened so quickly. Then Mokuba called and we knew we had to find you two."
"Dartz."
Seto snapped his head to the side to look at Yami. "What?"
Yami met his gaze evenly. "Dartz," he repeated. "He's the leader of the organization that's attacking us. He's the one directing the pieces. Alister and the others, they're just pawns in some larger chess game. Though why they'd want your company is beyond me…"
Chess. How ironic that he should compare it to chess. I wouldn't even be in this position if not for chess. But who's directing us? Fate?
"Seto?" Yami's worried voice.
Seto suddenly found himself wondering if they had chess in ancient Egypt.
"Seto?" Roland gave his a gentle shake.
"How?"
"They must have hacked into out network."
"Without you knowing?" the brown haired girl asked. Tea, he guessed her name was.
Seto nodded. "She's right. It's impossible."
"Obviously not if it just happened to you," the brown haired guy, Travis? Taylor? Tristan? did it matter? asked.
Seto sent him a glare that said go crawl under a rock and die, which Tristan, for that was his name, gladly would have done had the piercing blue gaze stayed on him any longer than it had. "So now what?" Seto asked faintly to no one in particular.
"Now we contact Duke, Rebecca, and Dr. Hawkins," Joey said. He sounded…hopeful. Did Seto have any hope left?
"Kaiba?"
The name shattered through Seto's thoughts, bringing his back to reality.
"Got a computer we could borrow, Kaiba?"
Seto winced at the name.
"Seto." Joey and Seto looked at Yami when he spoke, Joey as if the Pharaoh was suicidal and Seto thankfully. "Please?"
Seto nodded. "Follow me." He stepped away from Roland, standing on his own. He should at least look strong, at least look like he knew what he was doing. Even if he really wasn't, really didn't. He crouched down and picked up Alister's still limp body, struggling a little under the weight. The red-head was just a few tears older and a few pounds heavier than the brunette, and in his weakened state, Seto really felt the difference.
Refusing Roland's help, he walked to the helicopter, doing a fine job of hiding his limp, even while going up the steps. He laid the unconscious duelist on a bench at the back and fell to his knees beside it. Roland was right. He did need time to recover. Later.
A shadow fell across him and he turned around to see Joey laying an unconscious person on the bench across from Alister. He looked familiar. Short, with a tuft of purple bangs sticking out from the front of a red hat. A ridiculous frilled coat. Rex Raptor, former Duel Monsters champion.
"The Orichalcos took him," Joey answered Seto's unasked question.
Seto nodded.
"So…It's Seto now?"
Seto nodded.
Joey grinned and held out a hand.
Seto looked at the blonde's outstretched hand for a moment before reaching up and taking it. Joey pulled the former CEO to his feet and supported his weight as the brunette leaned on him. "Thanks," Seto said quietly.
Joey grinned at him again. "No problem, Seto."
As soon as they were all seated, Roland handed Seto his briefcase, out of which the brunette pulled his laptop. As Mokuba bandaged his ankle, Seto contacted Rebecca and gave the computer to Yami so the two could speak through the web cam.
"We've got to see those pictures!" Yami burst out midway through the conversation, referring to the pictures Dr. Hawkins and his team took at the underwater temple, the pictures that were stolen by Dartz.
"Don't bother," Seto said wearily, leaning back and closing his eyes. "I've already got a team down there. If you give me the laptop, I can have them send me what they've got so far."
The others looked at him in disbelief.
"You know my brother," Mokuba put in happily. "Always one step ahead of everyone else."
"More like a dozen," Yami said, handing the laptop to the former CEO.
Seto did some typing and was soon in contact with his team at the museum in Florida. A few words, and his team was sending the pictures.
Most of the pictures were downloaded onto Seto's laptop when they heard some yelling coming from the other side of the connection. "What's wrong?" Seto asked, more than a little alarmed.
Some more yelling. Then static. The connection had been broken.
Seto sighed. More people hurt because of him. "At least we got the pictures," he said tiredly as he sent them to Rebecca.
On the ground, nearer to Domino City, a young girl named Rebecca turned the computer screen to her grandfather. "Ok, gramps, what's it say?"
Dr. Hawkins looked closely at the screen. "I can't tell," he said at length. "It's too blurry. I can't see what the words say."
Back on the helicopter, Seto looked to Roland and the other guards. "You know, you don't work for me anymore. Just say the word and we'll drop you off somewhere. You owe me nothing."
"No." One of the men stood up. "We'll stay with you until Kaiba Corp is under your control, sir!" The others nodded emphatically at this.
Seto looked to Roland.
"You know I'll always be on your side," the gray haired man said.
"And you," Seto called to the pilot. "Are you with me?"
The pilot nodded forcefully. "Of course, sir."
Touched by this show of loyalty, Seto smiled faintly. "So if I fall, you all go down with me…"
Roland touched his shoulder, nodding.
Seto nodded back. "Then set a course for Kaiba Corp."
"What?" Joey asked, standing up, only to be knocked back down as the helicopter swerved to follow its new course. "Are you nuts?" he continued once he'd regained his balance.
"You heard them," Seto said, pointing to the computer. "The pictures are too blurry. Only my computers at Kaiba Corp are powerful enough to enhance them."
Yami nodded. "Seto's right."
"But," Joey tried again, "you don't even own it anymore!"
Seto looked at him, that determined look they'd all seen at least once or twice lighting a fire behind his icy blue eyes. "Then we break in."
"But…They might have guards and stuff!" the blonde tried again.
"Then we'll fight our way in," Seto said, turning that determined gaze on him. "I plan on getting back what's mine." He glanced at the prone form of Alister. "And even what's not." His fists balled into fists on his lap. "Then I plan on giving them hell for taking it in the first place." He leaned his head back, and stared up at the ceiling as the others told Rebecca of their plans. "Wait for me, Dartz," he muttered quietly before falling into an uneasy half-sleep.
The helicopter landed by the docks of Domino as the sun was finishing its descent to the horizon. Seto awoke at some soft words from Mokuba and stepped carefully to the ground. So. They'd be breaking in under the cover of darkness. Even better.
Joey paused beside him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. As they were in the air, while Seto had been pretending to sleep, he had heard them talking about Mai. Seto vaguely remembered her from hi last tournament, but then, she wasn't easy to forget. A beautiful woman with long blonde hair, her beauty outshone only by her skills as a duelist. And her narcissistic attitude. Nevertheless, Joey had feelings for her, even Seto realized that. The woman he loved had been taken by the same organization that had stolen his company. And quite the number of souls as well.
They were both fighting for the same thing again, yet this time Seto wanted to acknowledge it, wanted to show Joey that he understood what he was going through, that he would help him in any way that he could. Seto tried to smile, tried to say thank you, the blonde was trying to give him some semblance of comfort, after all, but nothing came out. Instead, he only stared incomprehensively at his former rival, wondering how he could withstand the pain. Here, Seto was feeling all this grief over someone who up until a few hours ago had been his enemy out to kill him. How must Joey feel, losing someone he truly cared about?
Joey only nodded, as if he understood what Seto had been thinking. For all Seto knew, he could have. Seto was too tired to wear the icy mask he so carefully put on every day. Let them see the real Seto Kaiba, not the strong, confident CEO, but the weak and tired young man hiding behind the mask.
The blonde had turned and was beginning to walk away when Seto suddenly spoke up. "I'm sorry I called you a mutt…" he said impulsively.
Joey paused and turned around, a wide grin on his face; not the fake one that had been plastered there before in false optimism, but his real trademark grin. "Thanks, Seto. But don't go saying stuff like that just yet. You can apologize to me all you want when this is over." He turned to look at the ocean. "Talking like that now, you make me think we may never see each other again. Like you're not planning on coming back."
"Just in case," Seto mumbled.
"Don't," Joey said, looking him straight in the eye. "Don't."
A truck with a trailer-camper was parked by the crates and storage buildings, three people standing out side it, fidgeting, anxious. They made their way over to the new arrivals, joyous calls of "You're alright!" and other happy greetings. Hands were shook, embraces passed around. Tristan drew Duke into a hug and kissed him passionately, not at all to the surprise of anyone else.
"So, what's the plan?" Rebecca asked, sliding her glasses farther up her nose.
Seto, who had been hanging back during the happy greetings, stepped forward. "We break into Kaiba Corp. Enhance those pictures."
Rebecca looked him over, seeming…disappointed. Of course she's disappointed, Seto thought sourly. She was expecting the great Seto Kaiba, the computer genius, cold and determined. The mask. And all she sees now is the pretender that was wearing it, injured and weak.
"We can't have too many people going in," Seto continued, hoping his tone retained a semblance of its old business-like manner. "I'd say even two is pushing it. Breaking into Kaiba Corp won't be easy. I should know, I designed most of the defensive systems myself." Though Dartz didn't seem to have too much trouble getting past them, he thought to himself bitterly. "So obviously I will be going in." A pause, in which he hoped someone would jump in and volunteer. When no one did, he continued. "However, I probably won't be able to do this alone…"
"I'll go."
Everyone's eyes swiveled to focus on Yami. Yes, of course Yami. The official hero-of-the-day.
Seto nodded. "Right, the rest of you probably shouldn't get too close-"
"I'll come for tech-support," Rebecca interrupted.
Seto sighed. Sure, the girl may be incredibly precocious, but she couldn't have been more than twelve years old. She was Mokuba's age… "Look, kid, this isn't a field trip."
Rebecca stood up straighter, glaring up at the most feared former CEO in the world. "I happen to be very good with computers," she said haughtily. "And I'm not a kid."
She kind of reminded him of a younger version of himself. "Whatever, kid," he said, giving up. "But I refuse to be responsible for anyone else."
As the others made their way to the camper, Seto told Roland to make sure Alister and Rex got to a medical center. He protested, of course, but Seto convinced him that they needed more help than he did at the moment. Roland eventually complied.
The rotors began spinning as the engines started up. Seto let the wind they created toy with his hair and send his coat flying behind him. He intended to see them off. After all, who knows, it might be the last time I see them. I should have sent Mokuba with them. He wouldn't have liked it, but he'd be safer with them than with me.
Suddenly, there was someone standing beside him. He felt, rather than saw the presence of the Pharaoh. He turned his head, looking quizzically down at Yami.
Yami stood watching the helicopters as they began their ascent. How frail he looked, the wind buffering his thin body, the forlorn look in his crimson eyes.
"They sent me to bring you back," he said at length. "It's time to go."
Seto said nothing, watching as the helicopters flew off into the distance. The sun was almost gone, the remaining light painting the sky with dazzling reds and purples. The sight of it reflecting off the water was beautiful and should have filled him with an inner peace if some sort.
It didn't.
"You don't have to always feel so responsible for everyone."
Seto once again answered him with silence.
"I know you feel responsible for what happened to Alister."
Nothing.
"Someone should be responsible for you too. Plenty of people would be willing, if only you'd let them."
Seto looked down at him. "Are you volunteering?"
Yami shrugged. "It's my job, isn't it? I am the official-hero-of-the-day." He flashed Seto a quick grin before heading back to the camper.
"If anyone were to be responsible for me, I'd feel like I owed them something," Seto said quietly to the ocean.
Yami paused and turned around. "You'd owe me nothing."
"I'll help you find Yugi," Seto said as he turned to face the spirit. "I swear."
A sad smile. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Seto."
To be continued…
AN: Hehe, I already had this chapter written when I posted chapter one. Chapter three is almost done too, I think.
Meh, I'm not sure how I'm feeling about this chapter…Nothing really happened except for Seto angsting…and just to let you know, I don't think this story will follow the whole storyline of the show. Mostly because I haven't seen the whole season…haha. But it'd be boring if I followed the storyline. Right? Right? Er, nevermind. (Sigh) The next chapter will be more exciting though. I hope...