Chapter 2:
Title: Shadow Wars Inc.
Author: Fairyfae
Rating: PG-13 (enough cussing to up the rating)
Pairing: SetoxYami (they meet again in the next chapter)
Genre: Action, Romance
Spoilers: None of which I am aware.
Warning: Cussing.
Disclaimer: Me no own...TT (Snuggles Seto plushie)
Summary: Memories long since forgotten have reemerged to haunt Seto. The world is suffering random and unimaginable attacks. Seto suspects his company is involved in weapons dealing and a Pharaoh is brought back to life for a limited time to stop a supernatural disaster and to save his undeclared love
Seto slammed his clenched fist down onto the polished mahogany desktop in front of him. Eyes narrowed and mouth pinched, he continued to examine the incriminating evidence spread across its surface. Despite the warm sunlight that streaked through the windows spanning the fifty-foot wall behind his desk, Seto felt a chill traverse his tired body. Someone in his company was siphoning funds into weapon production plants. The same production plants that were supposedly long since abandoned and destroyed. Someone was, yet again using Kaiba Corp., his company,to create death and destruction. Someone was going to pay for this deception. He would make sure of it. After all, he had little left to live for, just Mokuba who would eventually leave him and his company, a company that he constantly had to struggle to keep. Any vision of happiness vanished with a certain figure years ago.
Kaiba reached out and pressed the intercom button, "Mrs. Sang, see to it that my limo is at the door in ten minutes. Call my jet and tell them to have it ready for immediate departure to Egypt. I want to leave Japan no later than two o'clock. Do I make myself clear."
"Imminently clear Mr. Kaiba. Your limo is on the way as we speak."
With crisp, concise movements, Seto gathered the evidence on his desk and shoved it into his briefcase along with his handheld and his cell phone. He paused only a moment to rub sleep out of his tired eyes and to pinch the bridge of his nose in a brief expression of exhaustion. The constant battles with corrupt officials and his own demons were beginning to get to him. Lately, he had been getting only approximately four hours of sleep a night, not nearly enough to run a company full of both people who depended on him and enemies.
Straitening back up and dropping his hand from the bridge of his nose, he clicked shut the lid of his wireless laptop. Without a backward glance, he picked up his briefcase and laptop and strode across the plush baby blue carpet of his office into his personal elevator. The doors of the elevator slipped shut, blocking sunlight and leaving only the cool artificiality of track lighting. Lips pursed in anger as he again thought on this latest betrayal within his company, he slipped the cell phone back out of his suitcase and dialed his home number.
"Kaiba household. Mokuba speaking. If you're a money grubbing female and you want to speak to my big brother, he's not home at the moment and he's gay as a blue bird anyway so…"
"Mokuba, its me." In the elevator, Seto's left eyebrow was twitching in annoyance at the same time that he was trying to suppress a smirk. Somehow, Mokuba always lightened his black mood. Now his mood was more slate grey… How the hell did Mokuba know he was homosexual anyway? Must be a coincidence.
In his usual emotionless clipped tones, Seto rapped, "I need to leave the country for a day or so. Its unexpected but I will return as soon as I can. While I am gone, you listen to that fool Bakura."
Mokuba whined on the other side of the connection. "Setooo…Bakura's crazy. Anyways, he never lets me do anything."
Seto gave a short, sharp laugh. "What you mean is he's to sharp to let you get anything by him. He may be an ass, but due to his previous profession, he is the best head of security I've ever had. Also, I know I have him on a short leash and he smart enough to know that if anything was to happen to you, I would bring back the age-old practice of drawing and quartering. Yes, he is a bit psychotic, but Ryou keeps him in line and he does manage to keep everything safe as long as I keep him well paid." Seto snorted in his own mind. Psychotic is right. At least he's not a hothead like that stupid puppy nor is he annoying as the friendship girl. At least Bakura was mercenary and Seto knew how to handle mercenaries. After all, he was a capitalist himself. He surrounded himself with sharks that were little more than legalized mercenaries.
Mokuba was not quite done wheedling, "Can I go stay with Yugi or Joey. Pleassse."
Seto winced, he knew he was going to regret this but, "why don't you invite them over while I'm gone." At least then I won't be there to witness their stupidity. "Is that satisfactory?"
"Thanks big brother," Seto could practically see the shit-eating grin on his brothers face, "You're the best." Mokuba's voice practically bounced over the connection, "Have a good trip." Seto shut his cell phone and the elevator doors opened.
The lobby was busy as usual; a melody of harried voices and clicking heals filling the air as people rushed about across the tiled marble floor, the marble covered by a giant embossed KC. Arched pillars towered over people on both sides of the lobby and a black, lacquer security desk sat opposite of five glass revolving doors. The most up-to-date, high-tech monitors circled the parameter of the room close to the ceiling, some of which showcased new products while others showcased different game tournaments. Underneath the monitors, the walls were covered with elaborate murals of Kaiba's theme parks across the world, as well as several of the most famous duel monsters. In the center the room, in the place of honor, was a skylight. In the skylight was a stained glass depiction of the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, wings spread, trumpeting victory in full glory.
Seto tried to tuck his cell phone back into his briefcase without looking but managed instead to drop it.
"Damn! Figures."
In the moment that Seto bent to retrieve it, a shot rang out. Chaos immediately ensued. Seto's heart slammed into his ribcage with the force of a jack hammer as his body dropped flat and rolled to the edge of the elevator. Now covered, his eyes cut sharply to the side in an attempt to spot his attacker. Men and women screamed and ran in panic. The sounds that once filled the lobby with a pleasant music escalated to become a panicked cacophony of noise. The lobby looked like a kaleidoscope of colors as variously dressed individuals rushed passed each other in an un-choreographed dance in an attempt to find cover or leave the building. The security guards pulled out their guns and moved to secure the elevator.
"What are you fools doing." Seto snapped, fury evident in every line of his body, every syllable that he uttered. One security guard shuttered violently.
"Bu…But sir."
"But sir nothing you incompetent." Seto snapped, eyes hard as uncut diamonds. "Your first priority is to secure the lobby and to make sure everyone is safe. Calm this panic before people get hurt and my company suffers even more law suits than we already probably will. I can handle myself. Give me your gun."
Not waiting for the security guard, Seto snatched the gun out of his hand and clicked off the safety. The other guards had already moved to secure the building and to make sure no one had been hurt. Seto confidently strode out of the elevator, eyes darting left and right in an attempt to discern anything unusual. Unfortunately, it seemed that the villain had escaped. Clicking the safety back on, Seto's body whipped back around until he faced the guard whose gun he had commandeered.
"If you value your job, you will gather up every single person that was in this lobby over the last hour and you will question them to see if they saw anything unusual. I will give you access to all the surveillance equipment and give you charge over the rest of the security team for the duration of this task. For the sake of your job, you had better have something to tell me when I get back from my trip."
"You are leaving sir…but where and what about the police."
Kaiba raised an eyebrow, "Never mind where. I am assuming that since my company hired you, you have some level of competence in matters of security. You better hope that's true. You handle the police and have something substantial for me when I get back in three days."
Confident that he had instilled the fear of god and himself into his subordinate, Kaiba dismissed the guard, a Mr. Shokun according to his badge, and retrieved his cell phone from the elevator floor. Two different security guards moved to walk around him, one in front and one in back. He stepped out of the elevator and through a hidden, non-revolving door, on the side of the building, immediately to the left of his personal elevator. His limo was waiting on the curb. He dismissed the two remaining guards with instructions to follow the orders of Mr. Shokun until he returned.
"Take me to the airport." Seto barked before leaning back and dialing the number to what was once the widows-house to the estate and was now the home to his head of security.
"Bakura here. This better be fucking important if you don't want to die."
"Is that anyway to talk to your employer." Seto spit out, words loud and sharp, "And its always important, theif." Scorn coated every word, "I'm the only one who has this number and I don't exactly like to talk to you for social reasons."
Bakura pulled the phone away from his ear. "This is exactly how I talk to my employer since it's you priest." Never one to be beat where scorn is concerned, Bakura continued, "Who soured your milk this morning."
Seto leaned forward briefly to press a button. A tinted plain of glass lowered, separating his breathing space from that of the driver's. Leaning back Seto replied, "Skip the pleasantries Bakura. I'm in no mood. Someone just tried to assassinate me." He crossed his long legs, his agitation evident as he impatiently bounced his right foot up and down. "And don't call me priest."
"You don't say. Here I thought I would be the one to have the pleasure of killing you. Buuut….Since were talking about assassins…I suppose this call is to request the use of some of my…shall we say more specialized skills."
Seto could practically see the maniacal grin on Bakura's face at the opportunity to conduct mischief. Good behavior had begun to chafe on him. One condition of Bakura getting a body was that he be on good behavior. Furthermore, his behavior was to be monitored and controlled by none other than Seto Kaiba seeing that his 'other half' was such a pushover. No one had ever accused Seto of being a pushover. Seto forced Bakura to put his criminal skills to good use. Bakura's job was to ensure that crime did not happen to Seto and Mokuba. So far the job had been pretty nine to five. Now however…
"I want you to do a little professional snooping." Seto ordered, "See who wants me dead and why."
"Don't most people want you dead."
"Shut up and just listen for once you white haired monkey. Despite your aptitude, pissing me off is not part of your job description. Do what your told and I will continue to ignore some of your more colorful activities like we both know you want me to."
Seto's lips pursed as he looked out the window. Damn, it was taking him longer to get to the airport than he thought. The incident had delayed him and now they were stuck in lunch hour traffic.
"See if there are any contracts out on my life. You have my permission to use whatever means are necessary and are at your disposal. Yugi and Joey should be at my home watching Mokuba for the next couple of days. I suppose I'll have to count on those fools to watch over him. See if you can find anything out before they have to leave him alone. I'll inform Mokuba that he is not in your care for the next couple days. If you find anything out, you know this number." Without any further civilities, Seto flipped his phone closed.
Moments later his phone rang. He opened it and pressed it to his face. "Whatever you say Asshole but your paying me a bonus." Bakura's sneered and then hung up.
Seto scoffed. At least his life was never boring. During the rest of the trip to the airport, Seto called Mokuba and made him aware of the new arrangements. No arguments there. He also made all arrangements necessary to fix any damage that may have ensued during the commotion in the lobby. Any damage should be assessed and repaired before he set foot back in the building.
Firelight flickered, gilding stone walls in a mantle of elegance. A regal figure separated itself from a patch of darkness. The fire bathed the figure turning him into a vision of gold, black, copper and crimson. The figure's eyes slipped shut in a type of ecstatic contemplation, his heart pounding in anticipation. How many times he had dreamed of standing in the presence of his dragon one more time and soon he would have that chance. His dragon was coming closer. He could feel it. Despite the gravity of the situation, he exalted in being alive again. The time to leave his tomb was approaching and he would see his reason for living shortly.
The figure glided across the room and alighted, dare one say daintily, on the dusty surface of, what seemed to be, an overturned sculpture of him. He reached into darkness, the cavernous opening of his own sarcophagus, and removed a handful of small figurines. The talismans were white and barely five centimeters in height, but each was carved in exquisite detail. Laying them out on his palm, the figure sifted through them until he found that for which he was looking. Firelight flashed on ivory as the ex-pharaoh grinned.