Crossfire
Disclaimer: Still don't own YuGiOh.
Ch 2- Corruption and Deception
xxxx- Seto –xxxx
I am a genius, therefore, I pick up on things others do not, and know it.
This is why my plan is flawless. This is why my plan will work.
Every detail, every kink, every small imperfection or possible problem I have a solution to.
I am organized.
My plan has been put into steps, an outline, if you will. An outline with three simple headers, or at least, simple to the naked eye. Each section has infinite sub-plots, possible variations, and requires a precise, definite action to combat any interferences.
I am a genius, as I've said before, and to me, this is nothing.
Step one: Information.
The more I know, the better apt I am to make this run smoothly.
xxxx- 3rd –xxxx
Outside the food court of the mall, a mother cradling her crying baby, an old man reading the daily paper, a group of pre-teen girls fussing over their newly purchased summer tees, and a newly wed couple enjoying a nice cup of coffee on a summer afternoon, gave a slight involuntary shudder, the kind you get when a drop of ice is pressed into the back of your neck, or a blast of winter wind snaps into your face out of nowhere. Taking no notice, they all went back to their business, as if nothing happened.
Three other people, however, also felt that chill, but with a much stronger impulse, one that could not be ignored.
In unition, their heads snapped toward the one who's bitter ice filled words caused the chill.
Their mouths agape, one clasped their hand over their mouth while another stuttered.
"M-m-mai?"
"Save it!" The chill swept the three again, "I can't even look at any of you right now. What happened to honesty, honor, pride, even friendship? You're disgusting, how could you! I guess it was all a lie!"
"But Mai! You don't know.."
"I said save it! I can't even look at any of you right now, you… you…" No word foul enough came to her mind to describe a person that would do what they did. In defeat, she simply raised an accusatory finger at Jou, and glaring him down, she gave him a taste of what she was feeling right then.
"You're disgraceful. I've heard what you've done, and I've yet to meet anyone low enough to do something like that in my life! You all should be ashamed!" Tears welled in Shizuka's eyes, but Mai went on, "I can't believe you'd ever do anything like that!"
Mai lowered her finger and sadness softened her gaze but did not remove the anger from it, her tone also reflected the added emotion. "I never want to see you again," It was just above a whisper, but the three heard it as if it was shouted over a stadium loudspeaker.
Those last seven words stung Jou more than the entire rant. His eyes misted as he looked into Mai's. He tried to justify his actions in his mind, but gave up when he realized the truth of her words, no matter how harsh they were.
He lost Mai for a chance a beating Kaiba in an unfair duel.
Mai was the best thing that ever happened to him. He remembered when he asked her on their first date. He was so nervous. He didn't think she'd accept, didn't think she was 'in his league'. He just prayed that she wouldn't slap him or laugh cruelly. He spent weeks building up the courage to be there that night. And when he asked, if his blind rambling stutters could be considered asking, she giggled, and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.
He was so shocked by this; he barely heard the words she spoke into his ear after the kiss.
"I'd love to."
When those words finally registered, he was at one of the happiest point of his life. He'd looked like an idiot and known it, yet she gave him a chance. And what did he do?
Had he known Mai was the price to pay for his actions, he never would have even thought twice about dong what he did. And what's worse, he dragged down his baby sister and one of his best friends along with him. Their grief added to his.
He had never felt lower in any point of his life.
Mai couldn't look at him a second longer. Turning on her heal, she stormed to her car. They didn't see the tear sliding down her cheek as she drove away.
Mai flopped down on her bed and pressed her face into her pillow, tears freely flowing. She felt like an idiot, falling for their ploys. So there was no such thing as friendship, or loyalty, honor, trust. They're all an illusion, an illusion for the weak.
Falling into a shallow slumber, Mai didn't notice the hour hand of the clock rotate in its rhythmic fashion, or the car that had been parked across from her apartment since she'd been home.
Mai woke to the beginning of twilight as she looked around for the source that woke her; her phone.
She knew who it would be before picking it up, but silently hoped otherwise. She heard her answering machine click on in the other room, and then the caller left his message. It was just as she expected.
"Mai, its me, look, I want to come over, please just hear me out," he sounded choked up, like he had been crying, "I know you're there-" he was cut of by Mai picking up and hanging up on him.
She needed to clear her mind, organize her thoughts. Grabbing a jacket and a pair of shoes, Mai left her apartment building and walked into the waning twilight. Unbeknownst by her, a man in a car parked adjacent to her apartment got out and sauntered nonchalantly behind her, going unnoticed and unseen by anyone.
Jou threw open the door to Mai's apartment, "Mai!" he shouted. No answer.
He looked through the rooms, nobody was there. He sighed and looked over at her answering machine. It read 'one old message. Tuesday, 6:07pm.' His message.
He sighed, fighting back tears. She had gotten his message. 'Probably went to clear her head. There's only one place she can do that.'
With that thought in his head, Jou sprinted out of the apartment and down the road, knowing he'd find Mai at the end of the path, he hoped.
Mai was sitting at the bench before she had realized her feet had carried her there. Of course she would be here, she should be here. Watching the last duck shake the water off of him and waddle out of the pond, she smiled. The duck would be going to his home, to sleep, not knowing or caring of anyone else's problems in this cruel and twisted world.
As the last of twilight faded Mai looked up at the sliver of the crescent moon. On this still night, its reflection was perfect and unaltered as it lay still upon the pond.
She sighed; she wished her life could be that still, that constant, that perfect.
But the moon wouldn't hold its crescent shape, just like her life couldn't hold perfection, but she took comfort in the fact that no matter what, the moon would always return to that shape, just as she hoped her life would return to happiness.
What was she thinking? She is Kujaku Mai, and needs no one, nothing. Happiness was an illusion for the weak.
She heard footsteps approach behind her and whipped her head around. She has long since ceased crying, and needn't hide anything.
The isolated figure of Jounouchi Katsuya came out of the bushes and slowly made his way toward the woman on the bench.
"Figured I'd find you 'ere." He said softly, looking at his shoes rather than at her.
When she didn't respond, he looked up. Her eyes still held the emotions of their last encounter. Disappointed, but not surprised, Jounouchi began to recite the apology he had come up with on the way there.
"Mai, I know what I did was wrong. It was the lowest thing I've ever done in my life. I shouldn't have ever even thought of doing it, let alone put Honda and Shizuka up to it. I'm so sorry, I never wanted to lose or hurt you." A tear slipped down his cheek.
She looked up at him sharply, cutting his soul with her glare as easily as a diamond-coated blade through butter.
"And why apologize to me? Is Kaiba not the one you hurt? You and Shizuka need to apologize to him. See if he forgives you, which I doubt. Not that I blame him."
She dropped her gaze to the ground, cutting holes through it with her penetrating stare.
"To him! But…" he started.
Her controlled anger turned to full blown rage.
"Have you learned nothing? You tricked him, so you could cheat at a duel! And how you tricked him… And you speak of honor? Do you have any idea what you've done to him? You have no idea what it feels like to be used like you're nothing, do you?" She began to shout, her words ringing through the park. "Well I do! And trust me, it doesn't feel good. Kaiba didn't deserve that. No one does. I don't think I can stand to look at someone who could do that. You have no idea how much it hurts to be used and thrown away like that! If you could do it so easily to him, why not me? How can I trust you?"
"Mai I'd never, I had no Idea.."
She cut him off again, "No, you didn't. Now please leave me alone right now."
"I'm not leaving you alone out here!" he protested.
"I can handle myself." She growled.
"Fine," He looked defeated. "And Mai, I'd never do that to you. I'm sorry."
And with that, he walked off the direction he came, feeling, if possible, worse than he did before.
The man in the car stood behind a cluster of nearby pines, shielded from view but completely within earshot, not that you needed to be close to hear their shouts.
His eyes were wide, his jaw dropped as far as the muscles would allow, in pure shock.
"Kujaku defended me? But why?"
It was almost an hour later when Mai decided to head home.
Walking through the deserted streets that lead to her apartment, she almost regretted asking Jou to leave. She didn't feel safe, at all.
Her home was almost 20 minutes away from where she stood. She could handle herself, she could kick anyone's ass.
She didn't feel that way now.
And to make matters worse, she thought she heard footsteps echoing her own.
Paranoia. She thought to herself, thinking nothing of it.
She stopped.
The footsteps stopped also.
She continued walking, the footsteps started again.
Her boots made a distinctive click-click on the pavement, she had grown to recognize the sound. Her boots did not make a muffled FLAP between the two clicks, which is what she heard now; which lead to one conclusion.
Someone was following her.
She picked up her pace. Sure enough, the FLAP sped up as well.
She stopped, and disguised a look over her shoulder as a look at her watch. Nobody there.
Mai lost her calm and controlled appearance and started running. She sprinted as fast as her feet would carry her.
But apparently that wasn't fast enough. As she lost her cool, so did her pursuer, the FLAPs were no longer in time with her own, but were now at the natural running pace of whoever was chasing her.
Unfortunately for Mai, their pace was quicker. The FLAPS effortlessly caught up with the click-clicks as a muscular pair of arms threw themselves around Mai, one covering her mouth, the other around her waist, hoisting her up off of the ground as if she were no more that a rag doll.
Her scream was muffled by the hand as she was dragged, kicking and screaming, into the nearest alleyway.
AN: Whoa… over 2000 words to this chapter. Guess I got a little too wrapped up in this. Anyway, hope you liked it. Please review. I've got a good layout for the next chapter, I think. Anyway, tell me what you think, and feel free to give your suggestions on where you want me to go with the story. Not promising I'll do it, but I might use some ideas I come across ;)
