Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh.
My Notes: Make sure you read the last chapter again. I added more material to make it complete chapter. I also hope that I'm not becoming too predictable. I'm trying to keep things interesting. Oh and does anyone know where I can find uncommon names? One of the things I hate is that I never think of good names for my characters. I want them all to have unique and original names since I too have a unique name myself. And does anyone know where I can get pictures of Serenity and of that stone tablet of the Pharaoh and the High Priest dueling? I have one but I want one that shows it in complete detail because it showed what cards they each had. Speaking of cards, I need ideas of cards or of decks too. This is one of the aspects of the show that I have a love/hate relationship with because I'm not really good with card games. I'm going to put my email address on my profile so you can email me. That said, here's the next chapter. And yes, I have some kind of plot in mind. I'm not just making this up as I go along. yeah right.
I also hope I'm getting everyone down right. I have had problems writing female characters before. And I know Joey isn't this dumb, I think.
Siblings' Distress
"Big brother!" a familiar voice called out. Joey turned in time before his sister collided into him with a big hug. The embrace squeezed the breath out of him which he expressed to her with muted sounds of choking. "Sorry," Serenity replied after realizing her mistake.
"I think you crushed some ribs," Joey complained.
Tea stepped forward. "Tristan, be a gentleman and help Serenity with her bags." Tristan willingly obliged.
"Bags?!" Joey exclaimed, immediately recovering from his injury. "I thought this was supposed to be a visit?"
Serenity blushed. "Well it was, but Mom said that I needed to experience some city life for a while. She said and I quote: a young woman needs to know firsthand the possibilities and dangers that are available to her in the modern world."
"What? She actually said dat?" He growled. "I can't go to school and take care of my sister at the same time."
"You won't have to. Mom called one of her city friends and they're going to put me up one of their apartments they own."
It took a moment for Joey to realize something important had been imparted. "Wait, what? You're getting your own apartment?" His mind was reeling at the dangerous scenarios his sister might face. Subconsciously he also knew he, the older sibling, was being shafted by his mother.
Serenity brushed some of her hair out of her face. "Only for a month. If things work out, I could start paying rent."
"With what money?" Joey asked as Tristan returned with two bags and a small carry-on.
"Well I do have some savings. And I do have a few job interviews lined up."
Tea's ears perked. "Well look at that. Little Miss Wheeler is going to out do her older brother."
Serenity shyly looked down at her shoes. "Well, I did have time to do some preparing."
"I bet you planned this visit for your own benefit," Tea politely chided. "But what about school?"
"Yeah. What about school?" Joey echoed.
At this, Serenity could only blush harder. "Well... I started taking a few of the advanced classes...and well I've done enough course work to graduate early. I only have a few classes left but I could easily do them at a community college." Hearing this, Joey's jaw dropped.
Tea beamed however. "I'm impressed girl! Obviously you got the brains of the family."
"Yeah. And maybe she'll give Kaiba a run for his money," Tristan joked.
After that Joey just stopped listening. I can't believe it, he thought. My own sister is going to have her own place and maybe her own job and she's almost through with high school! This is completely unfair! How did this happen? Joey only heard mumbling as he walked his sister and their friends to where Yugi was sitting. They had left him with Nadia because she was so adamant about spending some time talking with the world famous duelist. When he and everyone else left him, Yugi still seemed despondent over Kaiba. Nadia apparently worked some magic because Yugi was smiling and laughing when the group came nearer into view.
The two were still sitting in the middle section of row seating; seats that were connected horizontally and typically found in most train stations and airports. "So that's when Joey and Tristan both popped out of their gym lockers armed with whipped cream and water balloons and they managed to clobber each other. It was the best display of a prank gone horribly wrong," Yugi laughed.
"Aww Yuge, why'd you have to tell that story...," Joey groaned as he turned several colors of embarrassment.
Yugi brushed off some of the tears that came from laughing too hard. "I'm sorry Joey," he apologized. "We just started talking and then school came up and then somehow it ended up about the boys' locker room." At this, all the girls giggled.
"Hey, you should tell her the time that we managed to convince Joey that the head cheerleader had a secret crush on him and how he brought two dozen roses to her bedroom," Tristan added.
"And what about that time when Mr. Robinson asked him to do a report on Frankenstein the book and Joey thought he meant the movie." Tea said further embarrassing her friend.
Joey, who was already shades of red and purple, cried out, "Enough already! Geez I know I'm not the smartest one here..."
"Or the strongest or handsomest," Tristan stated.
Ignoring Tristan, he continued, "But I'm always there when one of my friends needs me. Old reliable, dat's what they call me."
"We call you other things too," Tea playfully added.
Nadia just lightheartedly hit Joey in the shoulder. "Don't worry Joey, I still like you. Especially now that you are just human. " She chuckled as Joey breathed a sigh of relief. "So this is your little sister?" She asked as her green eyes locked on to the smaller Wheeler.
"Hi. I'm Serenity," the auburn-hairedgirl stated.
"Nadia," the exchange student replied in her accent. "Strange you two don't look like siblings."
"Yeah we get that a lot. Everyone thinks Joey's some kind of pervert being seen with a girl my age." Serenity explained. "Even after we tell them that we're related they still look at Joey strangely."
"Well it's not like I've done anything wrong," he said. "But let's forget all dat! It's time to have some fun!"
"What do you have in mind?" Yugi asked.
"Well we could see that movie, what's it called? Oh yeah. The Lost Age of Angkor. It's suppose to be really good and has this killer battle scene that's just epic," Joey stated dreamingly.
"I heard it was over three hours long. And I can't stay out that long," Tea objected.
Joey scratched his chin. "Well if that's the case, we could always go down to the mall. There's some CD's I want to pick up and I'm sure you girls can find something down there."
"Just as long as I get to spend time with my favorite brother of mine," Serenity said.
Yugi got up and stretched his limbs. "Sounds like a plan."
"Would you excuse me a moment?" Nadia asked. "I need to use the lavatory."
Joey was puzzled. "Okay, but what do you to mix chemicals for?" He was promptly hit on the head.
"Lavatory, not laboratory. She needs to use the bathroom," Tristan explained.
"Ohhh...," Joey said.
"Sorry, my accent...," Nadia began.
"Don't worry about it. I thought I saw one over there." Tea said. "Come on Serenity, you probably need to go to." With that the three women left the guys.
Nadia eyedSerenity. This woman is a threat to the High Priest? she thought to herself. But she seems so innocent, so carefree. I will have to watch this one carefully.
Meanwhile in a different part of town,
To say that Mokuba was overjoyed when he saw his brother waiting for him after school would be an obvious understatement. "Big brother!" he cried out in joy. But his joy seemed short-lived.
"Get inside." It was an order more than anything. The limo took off immediately afterwards.
"Where are we going Seto?" Mokuba tentatively asked. Something seems different about him, he noticed.
"I need to stop by headquarters to pick up something. Then we're heading to Lab #54."
Lab #54? But that's where the duel computer is. "Why are we going there?"
"I need to test something." As always that was the end of the discussion.
During the quiet ride, Mokuba thought he saw something glimmering form the inside of Seto's overcoat. He couldn't make it out, but he couldn't help but think that it seemed oddly familiar. He wanted to ask his brother a number of questions, and while he was used to Seto's remoteness, it seemed that he was more wrapped up in himself more than usual. Kaiba Corp. Tower loomed ever closer.
"I won't be long," Seto informed both Mokuba and the driver. Within ten minutes, he returned with an all too-familiar metallic briefcase in his hands.
"Alright Seto! You're going to duel again?"
Kaiba was still as stony faced as ever. "Yes Mokuba. I realized what a waste it was not using these superior cards. I've learned they might hold much more than what I originally thought," he said as he fastened his duel disk to his arm.
"Cool. So you're going to go to duel tournaments during your vacation?"
"Not exactly."
Mokuba watched as Seto reassembled his deck with an assortment of new and old cards. Then, without realizing it, he saw what had caught his eyes before. Seto has the Millennium Rod! The artifact was neatly tucked on the inside of Seto's belt. I thought he said he was going to melt it down to gold bars if he ever saw it again. He must have talked with Yugi about it. Mokuba then saw something that he never thought would ever occur. "Seto, you haven't put in your Blue-Eyes in your deck."
"I don't need them," he replied bluntly.
Now Mokuba knew something was definitely wrong. "But Seto, you always play your Blue-Eyes White Dragons. They're your favorite cards."
"Precisely Mokuba. Everyone knows that I play these cards," Seto explained. "The moment I step into any arena everyone waits to see the most fearsome dragon appear. My opponents adjust their decks accordingly." Kaiba grinned, showing a smile that was quite disturbing. "Now imagine their surprise when I don't play them. In the back of their minds they'll wonder what kind of strategy I have in store for them. Then they will give into their fear that I might have found a card stronger than my Blue-Eyes. Then I will have my advantage because they won't know what I'll throw at them. My foes won't know what to think." His smile grew and coupled with the look in his eyes made Mokuba feel very nervous.
"That's a really good plan," Mokuba said meekly.
Seto continued as if he hadn't heard his brother. "Then imagine their fear grow when I play cards no one has ever seen. Cards that I will have designed and created. With my own personal supply of unique and rare cards, no one will be able to stop me."
Mokuba felt chills. "But isn't that cheating?" he asked.
Seto Kaiba stared at his brother like he was a necrophiliac. "Was it cheating when Pegasus did it to me?! But with him it was stupid toon cards. I won't be so asinine." Again he smiled. "Besides, with him out of the picture, I am free to have my revenge and buy up Industrial Illusions. I already have spies in the company." He chuckled to himself. "Soon I will be the most powerful duelist ever, whether anyone likes it or not."
Mokuba stared at the three Blue-Eyes. An idea occurred to him. "Can I make a deck from whatever cards you don't use?" he boldly asked.
"Suit yourself," Seto said as he handed his briefcase to his brother.
I don't know what's wrong with Seto. Mokuba held the three Blue-Eyes in his hands. But I know that he will want these back when he's normal again.