A/N: This chapter ended up being a fair bit longer than any of the other chapters to date, but I had a lot more that I needed to get done in it. It's also quite a bit darker, with notably a fair amount less humour than in earlier chapters. It does pack a fair bit of action though, and I think most of the sequences turned out fairly well. I'm not a hundred percent on all of them, but then again I never am.
I love the reviews I've been getting so far, they're what's been motivating me to keep writing. Four chapters in four days! Holy no life, Batman!
Disclaimer: You don't own me! Er, I mean, I don't own anything. Except me. You don't own me!
Chapter Four: Unanticipated
Kaiba wrapped his arms tentatively around Serenity, unsure what to do in this situation. Even he had to admit that Joey looked bad. He was seriously bruised, bloodied and cut, barely able to breathe and even then only by the aid of a respirator. Seeing her brother in such rough shape, Serenity had thrown herself into Kaiba's arms and wept. Reflexively, Kaiba had found himself awkwardly embracing the smaller girl.
As she cried softly, Kaiba found he lacked the willpower to pull the girl away. He could empathize with Joey's state, and knew that in the same state he'd have wanted his brother seen to above all else. Still, he found himself unable to say anything as he searched for the words to calm her.
"He'll recover. His injuries look bad, but they aren't serious." He said in the most calming voice he could manage, coming across as apathetic instead of soothing.
"You don't understand." She snapped bitterly, pulling herself away from him, "He didn't do anything to deserve this!"
You don't know that, Kaiba thought, but this time decided to 'let it slide' as Serenity had said. Suddenly, Kaiba heard the voices of the rest of the nerd brigade in the hallway. Silently, he receded into a corner, not wanting to be seen there but unwilling to leave Serenity without knowing she was alright. Strangely, he found himself feeling protective toward the girl, and even stranger, he found himself missing the sensation of holding the girl.
"We came as soon as we heard!" Yugi said as he burst in the door, the rest of the group in tow.
Serenity threw herself into Yugi arms, and Yugi patted her reassuringly. "Hey, don't cry Serenity." Yugi said soothingly, "He'll be alright in no time, and we'll make sure that whoever did this to him gets what's coming to them." He reassured her.
"Hmph." Kaiba grunted from the corner. Why did it work when Yugi did it?
"Oh!" Yugi said as the rest of the gang made it through the door in which Serenity had mauled Yugi. "Kaiba! I didn't expect to see you here."
"Neither did I." Kaiba replied coolly, "I had to drive Serenity here, and she asked me to come in. Trust me, this is not where I'd choose to be right now."
"You know," Serenity said, tiring of Kaiba's attitude. "You can leave if you're so unhappy here."
Though Kaiba couldn't help but feel slightly irked at the manner in which he had been dismissed, he was more than happy with the sentiment. Pausing in the doorway, Kaiba asked, "Will you come by tomorrow?"
"I don't know." She replied shakily. "I guess it depends on how Joey's doing."
"I understand." He said, and then he was gone.
"How is he?" Tea asked as she made her way to Joey's bedside. "He looks pretty beat up."
"The doctors tell me he'll be fine." She said, her voice still quaking slightly. "Though it really doesn't look that way. Why would somebody do this?"
"Ghouls." Yugi muttered, "It's gotta be."
Duke shrugged. "I don't know. It's possible, I mean, Joey was involved in Battle City, particularly in the finals, but it doesn't seem like the Ghouls would go after him for just that."
Unless they were trying to get to me. Yugi thought. I sense something's amiss, Aibou Yami spoke into Yugi's mind, Street beatings and assassins were never Marik's style. Something else is going on behind this.
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As they spoke, that 'something else' was brooding. He had savoured the sensation of beating the stupid Wheeler within an inch of his life. He had enjoyed the cryptic message he had left with him for Yugi. Wheeler's own involvement in Battle City had been minimal, but his sources assured him that without that involvement, Marik would have been victorious. Not that the new leader of the Ghouls particularly missed Marik. Marik had disbanded the Ghouls upon his return. No explanation, he had simply told them that the Ghouls were no more.
That hadn't satisfied him. He licked his lips as he recalled what had followed.
Marik was exiting through the main warehouse the Ghouls had occupied. He was done with them, done with this fool's errand. He understood his mistake now. He strode through the room, but suddenly felt his feet seized. He couldn't move! He looked down to find metal bars wrapped around his feet, and heard a familiar laugh.
"Vex? What are you doing?"
"I'm afraid I simply can't accept your request to disband the Ghouls, Master Marik. Some of us have sacrificed too much to simply see our dreams fade away because you lost a duel to some nameless pharaoh."
"What do you want!" Marik demanded.
"Simply that we duel. Really, it's a set-up you'd be proud of me for. Each of us is trapped on these platforms that I've rigged to our duel disks. As we lose life points, the platform will rise. If I'm right, I've calibrated it so that right about when we hit zero we should be within range of that pendulum up there. I attached one of those blades, you remember the ones Pandora used, to the pendulum to greet you when you get up there."
"Why are you doing this?" Marik asked, looking about frantically. Where was Odion, or anyone for that matter?
"I thought your death, like your life, should be something I could look up to."
Vex licked his lips again. Marik had double-crossed him, but now he had control of the Ghouls and intended to exact vengeance for what had happened in Battle City, and to kill the men that killed Master Marik. Or, at least the ones that had caused his death. Yugi was scared, the threats became more insistent everyday. Joey was down for now, and would be fully broken later. Kaiba had survived his punishment, but he knew how to destroy his spirit. And that was almost as good.
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It was about midnight. Serenity had drifted off sitting next to Joey's bed, and now her head was resting quietly on it. Joey watched her sleep, smiling. His sister seemed to always be there for him. He'd given her a hard time about agreeing to watch Mokuba for Kaiba. The thought of his sister spending any time with Kaiba, especially without him there, was not particularly pleasant. Still, it wasn't fair of him to be so rough on her. After all, he trusted her, and he knew she could handle herself.
She shifted, and then raised her head. "Oh, Joey, you're awake!" She cried, and wrapped her arms around her brother.
"Hey, Ren, watch the bruises!" He said as she squeezed him.
"Oh, heh… sorry Joey." She said, blushing apologetically.
"I'm glad to see you're here. Boy, I tell you, that was one of the scariest experiences of my life."
"What happened, Joey?" She asked, a clearly worried tone in her voice.
"I got ambushed by Ghouls walking home from Yug's. No duel, no nothing. I got away from 'em, but then a big one got me and gave me what for. Told me to tell Yugi when I came to that the Ghouls were back, and out for blood. Guess they're after him too."
"Oh…" Serenity said, her face clouding slightly and she looked down, lost in thought.
"What's a matter, Serenity?" Joey asked, nudging her face with his fist,
Serenity looked back at him and smiled. "Nothing, now that you're awake. Are you feeling better?" She asked.
"Strong as an ox!" Joey said, pumping one arm to show off his biceps, then wincing as his muscle ached.
"Dumb as one too. C'mon, don't overdo it Joe," Serenity chided. "Don't worry, I'm gonna stick this one out with you."
"Aw, you should go back to Kaiba tomorrow. He needs you more than I do!" Joey said, smiling softly.
Serenity's eyes lit up, "Really? You don't mind?"
Joey smiled, "Nah, not if you want to. I shouldn't a given you a hard time about it in the first place. You're a big girl now."
"Thanks big brother!" Serenity said, hugging her brother tightly. It wasn't the idea of going back to Kaiba, but the fact that her brother trusted her enough that lit her up. "You're the best."
Joey laughed. "I bet that's the only time someone ever calls me the best for letting them spend more time with Kaiba."
The two siblings shared a heartfelt laugh.
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"G'morning Cecil!" Serenity called as she hopped through the front door.
"Miss Serenity!" Cecil called, surprised, "I hadn't expected you today. I certainly hadn't expected you to be in such high spirits! Is the young Master Wheeler feeling better already?"
Serenity tilted her head to the side, "You know about that?"
The white haired butler winked at the young woman, "It's hard to keep anything a secret from me in this household. Master Kaiba and Master Kaiba are in the kitchen. I trust you can find your own way."
Serenity winked back, "Sure thing Cecil! Look sharp!" She called as she found her way into the kitchen. She met Kaiba in the doorway as he made his way to the garage.
"Sere-, Wheeler. I hadn't expected to see you here today." He replied flatly.
"Joey's conscious and he seems to be recovering nicely. He seemed to encourage me to come visit Mokuba." She replied brightly.
Kaiba grunted, and brushed past Serenity. "Oh, Seto!" Serenity called after Kaiba.
He turned to look back at her, "What?"
"You can use my first name, if you want." She said, smirking broadly.
Kaiba spun and strode away. Serenity could have sworn he was suppressing a smile of his own.
"So, Mokuba, what do you want to do today?" Serenity asked as she took a seat on the stool beside the younger Kaiba.
"I want to get out of this stupid house." Mokuba said bluntly, "Even with all the stuff we have to do I still get cabin fever in here."
Serenity sighed softly, she understood and could certainly empathize. Over the last week she had seen more of the inside of the mansion than she cared for, and certainly she wouldn't have minded a chance to get out and see the city. "Tell you what," she said, casting a glance about for listening ears, "If you're good all day today I'll take you out for ice cream before Seto gets home."
Mokuba's eyes lit up, "You'd do that? Oh, he'd be pissed if he found out, Serenity."
Serenity shrugged, "What's he going to do, fire me? I'm doing this as a favour to a friend, remember?" she said slyly.
A grin played across Mokuba's face. "Alright!"
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"Mokuba! Come back!" Serenity yelled, chasing the black haired youth down the sidewalk. Mokuba had fulfilled his part of the bargain, and so Serenity had to fulfill hers.
Mokuba spun around as he ran to flash Serenity a peace sign. He stumbled and landed on his butt, then spun around and hopped back onto his feet. "I'm alright, I'm alright. C'mon, Serenity, let's go!"
"Mokubaaaaa!" Serenity called after him, and stopped, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath. "What's this?" She said, picking up a small Duel Monster's card shaped locket from the ground. She opened it up to find a picture of a young Seto Kaiba. It must be Mokuba's. He'd dropped it when he fell. She smiled, the two brothers were so close, and yet Seto always seemed remote to her. Well, he usually seemed remote. Over the past few days she'd seen glimpses of a Kaiba she'd never known, compassionate, passionate and even fun. The main difference between the Kaiba she knew and the Kaiba in the photograph was the smile on Kaiba's face. A genuine smile was rare from Kaiba, but it seemed to suit him in the picture. He was cute, but then again, he still was. A different kind of cute, to be sure, but still… If he had a personality to match his face, she thought, he'd be a tough guy to resist.
"Are you just gonna give up like that?" Mokuba asked, bending at the waist to be face to face with the hunched over Serenity.
"There you are you little…" Serenity muttered with a grin as she stood up.
"Uh oh!" Mokuba yelled and dashed away down the sidewalk. The ice cream shop they were headed to was just around the corner.
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Kaiba was home early. It hadn't been a particularly productive day. His mind had been a tumult of unusual feelings, and he'd been unable to focus. He'd gotten to know the younger Wheeler fairly well over the last few days. He'd been impressed by her intelligence and her spirit, and she'd been forceful enough that even he'd have to admit she qualified as his friend by now. It was an odd feeling. Yugi was always trying to make friends with the powerful CEO, but Kaiba was less than enthused by the idea. To him, a friend should be someone that one could have meaningful conversations with, and trying to have even a brief conversation with Yugi was excruciating.
He had decided to take Mokuba and Serenity out for dinner. Both had spent too much time cooped up in the mansion the last few days, and it seemed an appropriate gesture of friendship to solidify the relationship between him and the young Wheeler. Striding through the door, he turned to the ever present Cecil, "Where are Mokuba and Serenity, Cecil?"
Cecil shifted uncomfortably, before stating, "Well, Master Kaiba, the young Miss Wheeler took Master Mokuba out for ice cream earlier today. They haven't returned yet."
Kaiba grunted his displeasure and made his way to the office. After he had specifically told her Mokuba was not to leave the mansion she had taken him out for ice cream! For a sugary desert, she had put his brother's life in danger! He was furious, both at Serenity for this perceived betrayal and at himself for going so far as to admit amicable feelings toward her. Obviously, she was not the type of person he could trust. His compassionate feelings melted away in an instant, replaced by a smouldering anger. Entering his office, he activated his computer and executed a search for the tracking device that Mokuba carried. He would find them, recover his brother and give the Wheeler girl a piece of his mind before dismissing her from his life altogether. No one disobeyed Seto Kaiba.
"Hm? What's this?" He wondered aloud as the tracking device kicked in. "That's not an ice cream store…" Quickly, he cross-referenced the reading with a map, "It's a warehouse. They've already gotten to them! Shit."
Kaiba stood up and quickly loaded the tracking data into his palm pilot. Grabbing his briefcase and the pilot, he ran down to the garage and hopped into his BMW, sliding the palm pilot into the slot on the dash that uploaded the data to his car's navigation system. Streaking out of the garage, he floored the gas pedal. It was time to recover his brother.
Passing the door of the warehouse from a safe distance, he carefully scoped what the situation was. The Ghouls were different this time around. He knew there would be no elaborate duel set up once he entered that warehouse. It would be an ambush, plain and simple. They weren't after cards or glory, they were after blood and this was an obvious ploy to lead him into a trap. They didn't learn, did they? Pick a fight with Seto Kaiba and you went home in a stretcher. The first step was to take out as many of them as possible before entering the warehouse. There were two at the door. He'd start there.
As he hopped out of his car, he pressed the automatic locks and grabbed his briefcase from the passenger seat. Confidently, purposefully, he strode toward the door of the warehouse. Seeing him approach, the Ghouls looked shocked.
"You!" the left side guard exclaimed.
Kaiba tossed the briefcase to the guard, who caught it reflexively. Having him momentarily distracted, Kaiba punched the other guard in the jaw, causing him to stagger backward. The other caught on, and dropped the briefcase to drive a right hook toward Kaiba. Dropping to a knee, Kaiba picked up the fallen briefcase and held it firmly in his grasp, driving it into the guard above him. Falling back, the stricken guard grabbed his broken jaw.
Kaiba spun to the second attacker, holding the briefcase out to block the punch. Having punched solid steel, the Ghoul grabbed his hand in agony. Kaiba slammed a foot into the Ghoul's chest and spun to stay close to the Ghoul as he reeled backward. Solidly within his desired range, he elbowed the cloaked man in the face and then slammed the briefcase into his chest. Winded, the attacker fell to his knees.
The aggressive CEO was forced to pay for his lack of foresight with a shot to the stomach as the first Ghoul was once again on him. Stepping backward to put himself into a more comfortable stance, the first Ghoul pursued him with a vengeance. Leading with another right hook, Kaiba found himself again dropping to a knee to dodge the blow. Unfortunately, this is what the attacker had expected, and he drove his knee forward to strike Kaiba. Sensing the blow, Kaiba threw himself backward and used his momentum to complete a full roll and find his feet again. Disoriented by the unconventional dodge, the Ghoul was unable to block the next blow to the skull from the case. He fell to the ground, fully unconscious.
With one down, Kaiba shifted his focus to the other, now fully recovered and charging full strength. Waiting until the last minute, Kaiba ducked and drove his shoulder into the rare hunter's chest. Sprawling over the compacted form of the CEO, the Ghoul took a headlong dive into the pavement, issuing forth a gut-wrenching thwack. He wouldn't be getting up any time soon.
Now that the door guards were down, Kaiba found his way to the drainage pipe from the warehouse's rooftop. Removing one of the straps from his trademark white trench coat outfit, he strapped the handle of his briefcase to his belt and rubbed his hands together. "If this works, this warehouse better have a goddamn skylight." He muttered to himself.
Kaiba leapt onto the pipe and began using the rungs to scale his way up the side of the building. Encumbered by the weight of his briefcase hanging awkwardly from his back, he faltered once or twice before reaching the roof. Glancing around, he found the rooftop to be unguarded, and the skylight he had hoped for as well. "Things are looking up." He muttered sarcastically, and made his way to the skylight.
Quickly, the handsome CEO scanned the room below him. The glass of the skylight was filthy, letting very little light through, but Kaiba had the eyes of a falcon and a driving determination. He was unhindered. The first thing he noticed was a sniper, hidden rather ineffectually atop the walkway that composed the upper level of the warehouse. He glanced around for any others, but found that to be the only one. Obviously, they had underestimated him yet again. All the better for him. He glanced down to the ground level, and took a sharp intake of breath. This was not what he had been expecting.
There was one guard, obviously not a man of prominence within the Ghouls as he had been chosen to be the bait for their trap. With a knife firmly in hand, he was towering over, trying to intimidate no doubt, their captive: Serenity Wheeler. Even from his perch fully three stories above her, Seto could see she was shaking like a leaf in the chair to which she was bound. Mokuba was nowhere in sight. Kaiba felt his rage toward the girl melt away as he watched her struggle against her bonds. He had to rescue her. He had a plan.
Quickly Kaiba searched the skylight for any kind of opening mechanism. There was none. Rising to his feet, he took a few steps back and gauged the distance to where the sniper stood. He could make it. Kaiba bolted forward, and leapt, driving through the glass and falling two stories to the grate walkway, a mere step away from the shocked sniper.
Serenity quivered in fear, as the Ghoul towering over her explained to her that they hadn't expected to find Joey Wheeler's sister when they took Mokuba, but now she'd serve as bait to lure Joey into their trap. He told her that she'd best start making peace with the fact that she was the reason her brother was going to die. Just then, the glass above her head shattered, spraying natural light into the room. Looking up, she could see a falling form silhouetted against the sun. Her rescuer. Her knight in shining armour. Her angel.
Kaiba rose in and instant and snatched the rifle from the stunned Ghoul. He drove the butt of the gun into the Ghoul's jaw, who sprawled backward, tumbling over the rail of the walkway and striking the ground with a loud thud. Kaiba tossed the gun away –he hated them- and leapt from the walkway, landing on a knee. He rose to his feet and walked toward the one remaining Ghoul who, furiously, was charging toward Kaiba.
Swinging the blade at Kaiba, the CEO was forced to use all of his dexterity ducking and dodging the arching and diving knife. As he was driven backward, Kaiba snaked one hand to his back and released the clasp on his briefcase. The move cost him, as the dagger ran deep into his right arm, cutting nearly to the bone. Grabbing the case by the handle, he waited until the rare hunter extended himself for a slash. Spinning, he swung himself out of the way of the attack and brought his briefcase against the man's skull.
The Ghoul staggered back, stunned. Kaiba had not had that briefcase a moment ago. Nevertheless, he would have his victory. He turned and strode back to Serenity. Spinning to face Kaiba, a dark smile grew across his face and he held the knife to Serenity's throat.
Surging with rage, Kaiba grabbed a card from his deck, kept in a special case on his belt, and threw it at the hunter. True to its course, it streaked through the air and sliced across the top of the Ghoul's hand, causing it to spasm uncontrollably. Dropping the knife, the rare hunter grabbed his hand in agony. Closing the distance between himself and the rare hunter in three strides, Kaiba picked up a crowbar from the top of a nearby crate and bellowed, "Don't you ever touch her!"
The rare hunter looked up a moment too late. Horror on his face, Kaiba struck him hard across the jaw with the crowbar. The Ghoul collapsed on the ground like a sack of potatoes, unconscious and seriously concussed.
Kaiba pulled a handkerchief out of an inside pocket and glanced casually at Serenity. Smirking, he wiped the sweat off of his face and then tied the handkerchief around the wound on his arm, making it tight to staunch the bleeding.
Despite the fact that she was still trembling in fear, Serenity was more than happy to play along to Kaiba's game. Raising an eyebrow at him, she asked politely, "Do you mind?", motioning to the ropes that kept her bound to the chair she sat in.
Kaiba looked up and couldn't contain a smile at her sense of humour at the moment. Then, remembering why he was here, his face darkened. "You have Mokuba's pendant." He stated flatly.
"Wha?" Serenity asked, confused, "Oh, yeah. Is that how you found me?"
Kaiba reached down and picked up the knife. Carefully, he cut the rope on her right hand. "Do you know where he is?" He asked, looking into her eyes.
Melting under the intensity of his gaze, Serenity simply shook her head. Guilt ate at her, as she knew that he no doubt blamed her for the entire incident. He had a right to, she should never have taken Mokuba out of the house without his permission. She should have been cognizant of the risks.
As Kaiba gazed at her, Joey, Yugi, Tristan and Duke, with a police officer as well, burst through the main door.
"All right, ya freaks, where's my sister?" Joey yelled, then took in the scene. What he saw was Kaiba, bent over his sister with a knife in his hand. His sister was tied to a chair, clearly terrified and staring back at Kaiba. Her face was a picture of fear, and Joey suddenly understood. "Kaiba! I should've known you were behind this, you snake!" He yelled. Lunging at the police officer, he wrested the gun from his belt and aimed at Kaiba.
To Kaiba, everything passed in slow motion. First, he turned his head to see why Joey was there and what he was yelling about. Wasn't he supposed to be in the hospital? The next thing he knew, he heard a loud shot, and then felt something strike the side of his head.
The bullet struck Kaiba slightly behind the ear as he turned his head. The angle was wrong, and the bullet ricocheted instead on breaking through the skull, sending it flying into a crate. Kaiba's head twisted and he looked into the air, stunned, finally, his gaze fell back to the bound Serenity.
Kaiba didn't know where he was. He wasn't sure what was going on. The entire world seemed to be ringing. He felt something hot on his neck, and upon touching it he realized it was his blood. Suddenly, he became aware that a girl was screaming. He wished she'd stop: she was giving him a splitting headache. He saw that a girl was sitting in front of him. She was quite pretty, but he realized that it was her screaming. Suddenly she was getting larger and he realized that he had fallen atop her. Then he didn't see anything at all.
By this point, the police officer had grabbed his gun from Joey, but before he could handcuff him the group sprinted to see if Serenity was alright. Serenity was screaming and crying, and Joey hugged her and desperately reassured her that it was okay now, and that she was safe. Finally, Serenity managed to speak.
"Ohmygod, Joey, you shot Kaiba!" She screamed.
Joey nodded, "I know. I had no choice, he was going to kill you."
Serenity shoved him away with her free hand, "No, Joey, Kaiba saved me! He was trying to cut me lose!" She screamed at him.
Stunned, Joey stepped back. Immediately Duke and Tristan took his spot, each trying to free Serenity and comfort her at the same time. Yugi was hunkered over Kaiba. "Your bullet just grazed him. I think he's alright."
"My god, Ren, I'm so sorry." Joey said as Duke and Tristan helped Serenity to her feet. "But you don't know how it looked!" He insisted.
Serenity ran and embraced her brother, "Just promise me you'll never do anything like that again!" She insisted.
"I won't." Joey replied, tears forming in his eyes, "I was just so scared."
A groan issued from the fallen Kaiba. He knew the force of that impact had concussed him, but he didn't have time to worry about that right now. "Did anyone get the license plate number on that truck that hit me?" He groaned as he found his way to his feet, picking up the card he had thrown at the rare hunter. It was a 'Negate Attack'.
"Seto!" Serenity yelled and threw her arms around the still dazed brunette. "Thank God you're okay!" She cried.
Unsure of what to do, Seto wrapped an arm around the smaller girl. Suddenly, his cell phone rang. Pushing Serenity away gently, he pulled it to his ear. "Kaiba."
A moment of tense silence passed, and then, "Understood." Kaiba hung up. "Mokuba's in another warehouse not far from here. I have to go." He said simply and strode out.
"Seto!" Serenity called after him. "Good luck."
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Moments later, Kaiba walked into the warehouse he had been told Mokuba was in. Recklessly, he had strode through the unguarded warehouse, desperate for his little brother. Still, shock took him as he gazed around at the warehouse.
It was empty.
A/N: Dun dun dun! I was going for something of a cliffhanger there. Please, let me know what you think. What worked, what didn't work, too dark, not dark enough, not enough action, not enough romance, that type of thing. I appreciate every review I get.