A/N: And so we hit the climax of the story. There's one more chapter coming after this one, but it's mostly to wind things down and wrap them up. This is the height of the action, right here, and I'm pleased with how it came out. I got a handful of reviews for the last chapter, and from them it looks like I'm doing something right. Very encouraging. You guys rule!

Disclaimer: Insert clever comment about how I don't own anything here>

Chapter Twelve: Cataclysm

It wasn't that Joey trusted Duke. He didn't trust the man as far as he could throw him, even though he considered him a friend. He particularly didn't trust him in anything involving his sister. The fact of the matter was that he knew that Duke was cunning and that if anyone could've changed the situation it would have been him. That was most likely why he was unsure what he'd come home to when he finally did get back from Duke's shop. What he hadn't expected was what he found.

He found the door slightly ajar and immediately jumped on his guard. Pressing through the doorway, he grabbed the bat that Serenity had left behind the door and glanced about. The place had been trashed. Someone had been here and something terrible had happened. "Ren!" he yelled, squatting in a defensive position. "Ren are you there?"

He heard a voice call from inside Serenity's bedroom. "I'm in here, Joey." Serenity replied, despondency clear in her voice.

Joey burst through the door and scanned the room. It was untouched. Serenity had probably hid in there when whoever had broken in here had come, and locked the door. She was lying on her bed and it was obvious that she'd been crying. "What happened here?" Joey asked, clearly worried.

"Seto… broke up with me." She whispered, sniffling slightly.

Raising an eyebrow, Joey tried to process the implications of that. For one thing, Duke was good. He'd have to keep in mind not to get on that guy's bad side. Then again, he'd been on Duke's bad side. Even Duke was no match for Yugi. But, if that was why she was crying how did the house get into such a state? "And he wrecked the house?" Joey asked bewilderedly.

Serenity screwed up her face and gave Joey a look. "What are you talking about?"

Joey opened the door so Serenity could get a good look at the apartment. The place appeared to have been ransacked, and she must've been so preoccupied in her room that she didn't notice. "The place is trashed, Ren," Joey informed her.

"Joey," Serenity sighed, lying back on her bed, "The place is cleaner than when you left. Still trashed, true, but you're the one that did it."

Taking a quick scan of the apartment again, Joey's face flushed. "Oh… yeah." Joey turned back to regard Serenity. The girl had obviously been crying, and her bed was littered with Cheetos that implied she'd been eating too. Serenity rarely ate in bed, and she almost never ate junk food. It was obvious, even to the dense Joey Wheeler, that she was depressed. "So this Kaiba thing… you're really upset about it?" he asked, sitting on the bed near Serenity.

Serenity just nodded and looked up at her older brother. She'd only half slept through the night, her heart aching the whole time. Joey had spent the night at Duke's, having to wait until almost midnight to find out the result of his meeting with Kaiba because Duke got lost in his garden. Her face showed the result of a miserable night. True, she wasn't going to give up so easily, but it ate at her inside that Kaiba had pushed her away. She thought she had made so much progress.

Joey looked away from his sister. He hadn't wanted to make her miserable. More than that, it was increasingly becoming clear that his motivations had had nothing to do with being worried about Serenity and everything to do with his hate and envy toward Kaiba. "Damnit," he muttered under his breath, and then turned back to his sister. "Ren, there's something I have to tell you."

"Me and Duke… Well, we were worried about what would happen between you and Kaiba… since all of the stuff that's been happening…" Joey exhaled sharply. He couldn't lie to his sister, "That's not true. Me and Duke were jealous of all the time you were spending with Kaiba, so we decided to break the two of you up. Duke told me that he convinced Kaiba that being with him was risking your life. He convinced Kaiba to break up with you in order to protect you, and that's why he did it." Serenity looked stricken, and Joey found he couldn't match her gaze. Doing the right thing sucked.

"So… that's why… Joey, how could you? You were being so nice, getting along with Seto even though you liked him! You couldn't just trust me to make my own decisions?" Serenity asked, sitting up on her bed, crushing some Cheetos as the bed shifted underneath her.

"I know. I was jealous, and it was a stupid thing to do. Look, just… go talk to him. Maybe it's not too late to change things."

Serenity nodded and kissed her brother on the cheek. "Thanks for coming clean with me, Joey," she said, smiling slightly. With that, she got up to go find Kaiba.

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Sitting in his familiar office chair, Kaiba stared out the window. The sun had risen about an hour ago, which meant that Kaiba had been evaluating and re-evaluating his plan for over three hours now, and he still wasn't happy with it. Mokuba said that it wasn't a problem, that he believed the plan would work, but he still couldn't condone the necessary cost. He would not put Mokuba at risk.

"It'll be fine, Seto. I'll be okay, I'm sure of it." Mokuba assured him from his seat on the couch. "By not doing anything about him you're putting me in more danger than the plan would," he added.

"He's watching the house. Or, he has someone watching the house. Whatever the case, the bodyguards are sweeping the area around the mansion. They'll find him or his man and we'll chase that lead," Kaiba replied, not believing the words himself.

"Come on, Seto," Mokuba scolded, "He won't be found unless he wants to be. Your plan makes sense. Have a backbone!"

Kaiba spun on Mokuba and looked as though he were going to bite the kid's head off. A moment later, he relaxed and turned back to the window. Mokuba was right, but he still didn't like it. He would willingly put himself at risk at the drop of a hat but he was loath to put his brother in harm's way, no matter the reason. Sighing heavily, he continued to stare out the window. If he'd looked just a little higher and to the left, he might have been able to make out the vigilant form of his antagonist, neatly tucked away where his bodyguards would never think to look.

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His eyes lit up as his prey came into sight. Mokuba walked to the gate of the mansion and released the lock from the inside. Slipping out the gate, Mokuba turned to head in the direction of the theatre he and his few friends frequented. Sliding out from behind the KC logo of the building opposite the mansion, he slinked down to the ground level and skulked carefully after Mokuba.

Trying to remain as silent as possible, he found his speed impaired by the need for stealth. He gained on Mokuba slowly, and knew that within three blocks he'd have caught up with the little bastard. He could bide his time till then. He'd have his satisfaction shortly. The younger Kaiba rounded a corner, turning onto a major street and his hunter followed. The moments passed like hours to the stalker, the adrenaline of the inevitable kill pumping through his veins as he followed his intended victim, licking his lips at the thought.

Mokuba turned again, this time onto a one-way side street that boasted very little traffic. Perfect for the kill, the stalker thought. He turned the corner again and saw Mokuba take something from his pocket. It appeared to be a pack of cigarettes. So the little Kaiba was seeking some privacy from the older to hide his filthy habit. Foolish child, didn't he know smoking could kill him? He saw Mokuba turn again into what appeared to be a dead end alley, probably his final destination. Eagerly, the hunter turned the same corner and darted into the alleyway.

To find nothing. No Mokuba, just an empty alleyway ending in a dead end brick wall. Suddenly, he heard the sound of steel being drawn from a scabbard behind him. He'd been tricked! Furiously, he grabbed his own sabre from his back and turned to face the elder Kaiba.

"I knew it was Vex who'd attacked Serenity from the moment it happened. After all, it was Serenity who'd delivered the final blow to him. And I didn't believe the story that Vex gave up and died either, further reinforcing my theory." Kaiba stated flatly.

The stalker grinned evilly, "You must think yourself very clever Mr. Kaiba."

"But while Serenity was in that coma you provided her with I realized that Vex didn't know that Serenity had delivered the final hit. How could he, he'd been unconscious from the second she hit him. And poison always was your style, Doctor Watanabe. Serenity wasn't telling me anything new when she told me it was you."

Watanabe glared at Kaiba. So Serenity had woken, and probably left the mansion without his knowing. Watanabe simmered with rage. Kaiba had destroyed him. His body was a mass of burns, the entire form overwhelmed in one massive scar. His face looked as though a wild dog had taken a bite out of it, so deformed was it from the fire. Atop his head only three or four patches of jet-black hair remained, the flames had consumed the rest. The doctor glanced at the mediocre blade in his hand and then to the expertly crafted sabre in Kaiba's. "My good sword is still at home," he complained, "I had to leave it there when my allies came for your brother and I."

Kaiba nodded grimly, "I owe you for that."

Eyes burning, Watanabe screamed at Kaiba, "Look at me! Haven't you done enough?"

"Haven't you?" Kaiba shot back without missing a beat. "Conspiring to kill me? Poisoning Serenity? Why? Money? I would have given it to you if you'd asked! You were like family to me!"

"I lived too long on your charity! I could've had a future if I hadn't wasted my life following the every edict of a teenaged narcissist!" Watanabe yelled back, fury coursing through his veins.

Kaiba planted his left foot, perpendicular to his leading toe-forward right foot. Placing his left hand behind his back, he pointed the blade at Watanabe, tip held high. "Enough. I could never forgive you anyway."

Watanabe struck a similar pose, his own sabre levelled with his eyes, pointing toward the boy he'd been employed to for so long. "I taught you everything you know about fencing. I can predict every move you'll make," he boasted, eyes flaring with hate.

"I'll improvise," Kaiba replied, his own eyes burning with fiery determination. It had been hard to kill the man who'd been an uncle to him the first time. The man standing before him was nothing but a spectre, a mere shadow, of that man. He wouldn't hesitate. He would kill if he had to.

Watanabe rushed at Kaiba, slashing his blade left, then bringing it back across and swinging right. Kaiba easily parried both blows, and then responded with a lunge that Watanabe easily knocked aside. Seeing an opening, Watanabe swung the blade high. Kaiba ducked, reversing the blade and bringing it back at Watanabe's shins. It was an attack Watanabe easily backed out of range of, but it allowed him the time to rise and ready his blade again. He knew that in order to beat his fencing mentor he'd have to avoid disadvantages like being forced low.

Satisfied that Kaiba had made no major advancements since their old sparring matches, Watanabe had to admit that Kaiba was no mean foe. Resetting his stance, Watanabe gauged the terrain. Kaiba had lured him to this spot on purpose: he wanted an even fight. The alley wasn't wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and it was perfectly level and straight. He'd find that he couldn't get past Kaiba, nor could he flee. Clearly, he was locked into the fight. He wouldn't have it any other way.

It was the doctor who charged again, swinging the blade in a downward arc. Kaiba dodged backward instead of parrying, seizing the opening to lunge at Watanabe's chest. The spectre had expected the move, though, and quickly reversed the momentum on his sword, forcing the blade upward and exposing Kaiba's chest. Seizing the moment, he made a forceful lunge for the killing blow. Realizing his mistake, Kaiba threw himself into a backward roll, using his momentum to bring himself to his feet out of range of the blow.

Surprised by the unconventional dodge, Watanabe found himself overbalanced. Kaiba came in high, swatting the blade down with his own. Watanabe lurched forward from the force, realizing it was either that or drop his weapon. With a rare opening clear in sight, Kaiba drove his knee into Watanabe's face. The doctor staggered back from the blow but managed to extricate his sword from the lock. Hoping to take advantage of the daze his teacher was undoubtedly in, Kaiba pursued. He brought his blade in an arcing slash from his right, but Watanabe had enough sense to manage the parry. The blades shot sparks as they hit, but Watanabe's block wasn't enough to fully stop the momentum. Kaiba scored a slight hit on Watanabe's shoulder, drawing some blood from the cut.

Watanabe was far from out, however, and with his blade outward Kaiba's defences were not as solid as he would have liked. The doctor came in fast and hard, his blade working furiously to keep Kaiba's out. Every hit drove it a little further away from his chest. Kaiba knew what was coming next. Watanabe lunged for Kaiba's left shoulder. The CEO knew that the block was impossible, so he dropped to a knee to dodge. The blade came in too low, though, and cut the top of his shoulder much deeper than he'd hit Watanabe. Still, Kaiba was always one to turn a disadvantage into an opportunity. Quickly, he kicked off the ground and drove the top of his head into his former employee's jaw.

Staggering back from the blow, Watanabe let his blade's tip fall, usually a fatal mistake. Kaiba saw it and lunged hard, his aim true. It was a feint, though, and Watanabe rolled his body out of the way of the attack. Overbalanced, Kaiba knew that he had critically miscalculated. Watanabe would come in fast, and he'd come in from above. He had only one chance. Since he was already overbalanced forward and Watanabe had been kind enough to turn out of his way, Kaiba threw himself recklessly into a forward roll. Fortunately, Watanabe had already launched the attack. The blade struck just behind Kaiba, who had already found his feet. Leaping forward, Kaiba kicked off the wall and leapt toward Watanabe, sabre at the ready. The doctor pulled his blade up and readied it to accept Kaiba's leap, which was exactly the move the brunette had been hoping for.

Swatting aside Watanabe's blade with his own, Kaiba's knee struck first, catching Watanabe on the shoulder and driving him against the wall. Landing gracefully, Kaiba drove his sabre straight for Watanabe's heart. The old man wouldn't give up that easily, though. He dropped his legs out from underneath himself and fell beneath the streaking blade. Kaiba was too close for the blade, but Watanabe drove a shoulder into his knees as he threw himself away from the tangle.

Kaiba lurched slightly from the blow, then drew his blade from the wall. Their positions had been reversed in the exchange, and now Watanabe was blocking Kaiba from the exit. Kaiba had no intention of running, but he didn't want Watanabe to run either. The CEO's left shoulder was bleeding fairly badly, but it was his free hand anyway. Watanabe was tiring faster, and they both knew it. Kaiba would win. He let his free hand slide down to the Millennium Rod, tucked securely into the back of his pants.

Watanabe knew that, at his age, he couldn't keep up with the youthful Kaiba. Fortunately, he was prepared. Grinning broadly, he pulled a gun from his belt and pointed the pistol at Kaiba. Shock played across Kaiba's face and he took a few steps backward. "Coward," he muttered, glaring at the doctor.

"I can live with that," Watanabe replied and fired the pistol three times.

Kaiba was hardly aware of his own actions. Instinctively he dived backward, underneath the streaks of the bullets just as Watanabe fired. Landing on his back, he was prone as Watanabe pointed the pistol downward and fired again. This time, he wasn't aware of his actions at all. He pulled his legs upward and threw himself backward again, rolling out of the way of the rounds. Watanabe followed the roll though. He'd fired off six rounds; he had two left. Kaiba'd found his feet again, but he didn't know which way Watanabe was going to go next. There was no way he could dodge the next shot.

He pulled back on the trigger, and Kaiba snapped into action. Impulsively, the sabre streaked forward and up, and a moment later a shower of sparks sprayed over him. Finally realizing what he'd done, he stared at the sabre in front of him. There was a large dent in the middle of the blade, and the bullet lay steaming at his feet. Horror consumed Watanabe's face, and he staggered back. Kaiba simply stared at the blade in awe. The doctor pulled the trigger again, but the gun jammed. Dropping it to the ground, he turned and ran.

Seto was not just going to let him go, though. Taking his sabre firmly in hand, he threw it at the fleeing man. Streaking through the air, it drove through Watanabe's back and the doctor collapsed to the ground. Kaiba exhaled a tense breath, and then walked for the exit of the alleyway. If it hadn't been covered by his white trench coat, he may have noticed the gold glow fade from the rod.

Reaching the mouth of the alleyway, Kaiba gave a sigh. Mokuba would be home safe by now. Vex and Watanabe were confirmed dead. He had won. Yet it was a hollow victory. It had cost him too much: a dear friend… even the only girl he'd ever loved. It was a victory, true, but he didn't feel like celebrating.

The thought had barely formed in his mind when he felt a sharp searing pain surge through his back. He didn't bother to check what it was, though. The foot or more of steel protruding from the middle of his chest gave him a fairly good idea as to that. He heard Watanabe fall behind him. It had been the traitor's final act of revenge. Blood ran freely down the blade, dripping off the end of the wicked weapon. He hoped nothing vital had been pierced. Slim chance of that. He hoped that he could make it home.

A few steps later, as he fell to his knees, he realized that that wasn't likely either. He hoped that someone would find him before he bled to death. This road wasn't frequented by anyone, though. He had chosen it for that reason. Now it seemed like that would be his epitaph. Here lies Seto Kaiba: He picked the wrong damn alley. It made matters worse that he'd told Mokuba not to send anyone to look for him until the next day. He had intended to fight to the death, and knew that if he didn't come back under his own power he wasn't coming back at all. He made sure to fall on his side as the last of his strength failed him. It would be foolish to further agitate the blade. He hoped that someone would explain to Serenity why he had ended it with her. The girl deserved to know.

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Serenity was on her way to see Kaiba, but she still didn't know what she'd say. She'd found herself meandering, her mind scanning over her thoughts, trying to come up with a speech to move the impassive man. At some level, Kaiba had been right in the reason that he'd broken up with her. The only thing he'd failed to take into consideration was how she felt. The fact was that she'd come to terms with the risks of dating Seto Kaiba. She'd decided that it was well worth the cost.

Perhaps that's what she'd tell Kaiba, but she doubted he'd accept that. No, Kaiba would want to protect her even from herself, from her own desires. Kaiba would push her away despite the fact that she knew he loved her because he wouldn't be able to bear the guilt if anything happened to her. Well, he'd have to swallow his fear. Love was a fearful, unpredictable thing. It was the best of things, and she knew that it was worth fighting for. Pausing to get her bearings, Serenity turned to walk to the Kaiba mansion.

She had accidentally made her way to a fairly busy street, and she nearly choked on the exhaust of the passing cars. Up ahead, she could see a homeless person who seemed to be sleeping under a blanket on the sidewalk of one of the off roads. No, not a blanket, a trench coat, not unlike Kaiba's. A moment later, she realized that the man was lying in a pool of blood. Calling for help, Serenity rushed to the man's side. It was Kaiba! A long sabre ran through the centre of his chest and she could see Watanabe lying in a nearby alley. So, Watanabe had finally found Seto, and Seto was the worse for it. He was breathing, but it was shallow and laboured. Serenity picked up the CEO to bring him back to his mansion. Or tried to. Kaiba was almost six and a half feet tall, and Serenity was less than five and a half. There was no way she'd be able to move him.

"Seto! Seto, wake up!" she cried, hunched over his unmoving body.

Desperate, Serenity raced to the mansion to get help. It took her a few minutes, but she reached the gate, gasping for breath. She pressed the button in to page the house. Finally, a voice came from the speaker. "I'm sorry, Miss Serenity," Cecil apologized from inside the house, "But Master Kaiba specifically told me not to let you in. Normally, that wouldn't stop me but he's also out at the moment."

"I know, Cecil," Serenity explained hurriedly, "He's been stabbed badly. Get Doctor Kitsune, he needs immediate medical attention."

In less than twenty seconds Tai and Mokuba were at the gate with medical supplies. Minutes later, they were ate Kaiba's side.

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"He's still the luckiest damn man I've ever met." Tai explained as he left the ER in the Kaiba mansion. "An inch to either side and it would've been lethal. If we hadn't found him when we did, he'd probably have bled to death. As it stands, he'll be down for a few days but he'll make a full recovery. Jeez, and I was worried taking this job would mean I'd be doing very little work. Boy, but do you guys keep busy," he joked, looking down to where Serenity and Mokuba sat.

Serenity forced a smile, though she was in no mood for humour. Mokuba was a bit more receptive. He'd been confident in his brother's recovery since they'd brought him in. Watanabe had been dead when they arrived, and no small wonder. While the blade in Kaiba had pierced nothing vital, the blade in Watanabe had punctured both lungs. It was an end, at last, to the confrontation with the Ghouls. Hard to believe that all that had happened had occurred in only a few weeks.

"May I see him?" Serenity piped up, looking up at Kitsune.

"Sure," he replied, "You'll have to take the sheet off his face."

Mokuba raised an eyebrow at the doctor, so Tai explained, "He should be coming to any time now. I thought it would be funny if he thought we thought he was dead. At least, it would be funny for me." He seemed somewhat sheepish about the whole thing.

This time, Serenity did chuckle. She could picture the look on Kaiba's face when he awoke to find himself covered in a sheet like he'd passed away. Rising, she and Mokuba entered the room where Kaiba lay. His face seemed the usual, stoic expression he always wore, almost as though he were just taking a nap. Attached to his arm were two IV's, more blood and painkillers to allow him to sleep. He was hooked up to a heart monitor, but aside from that he was entirely normal. Serenity sat down on the chair beside him and Mokuba stood in the doorway.

"He was worried about me, thought that I might get hurt trying to bait Watanabe into the alleyway. Apparently, he should've been worrying more about himself," Mokuba stated, smiling at his older brother. His words had been somewhat harsh, but Serenity knew that he only voiced them out of concern.

"So it's over then? The threat has passed?" Serenity asked.

"Looks like." Mokuba replied, running a hand through his hair, "Seto took quite a bit of a beating though, over the course of this whole affair. This is the third time he's been bedridden."

"I was pretty shocked the first time I saw him like this. Although, I guess that one was worse. All those sword wounds… But I guess I'm getting used to it. Getting used to the idea that not even Kaiba is invincible."

"Sure he is," Mokuba stated, grinning, "You think any normal person could have survived what he has?"

Serenity chuckled, and Mokuba turned for the door. "I'm going to go grab some food, can I get you anything?" he asked.

"No, thanks." Serenity replied, and turned to watch Kaiba.

Mokuba left, and Serenity sat in silence. She took one of Kaiba's hands in her own and gently stroked it, watching the man she'd come to care so much about.

"Serenity…" she heard him say, and his eyes opened slightly.

"Seto! You're awake!" She cried happily, squeezing his hand in her own.

"Thank you… for calling me," he whispered, his eyes not leaving hers.

Serenity smiled, "From the depths of hell," she replied.

"Thank you… for saving me," he whispered again.

"You didn't need saving," Serenity answered with a smirk, "You? You're untouchable."

Kaiba turned his gaze to the IV's and gave a quizzical look to the one with clear fluid in it. Serenity caught the glance and explained. "Morphine."

Nodding, Kaiba pulled the IV from his arm and went back to sleep.

A/N: That should lie to rest the bulk of the tension. There's still the issue of Kaiba's upcoming court case, and a handful more of loose ends that I have to tie up. I purposely added in a few hints about the antagonist to make it look like Vex because Tawnykit guessed correctly right from the get-go. Bad Tawnykit! Anyway, as always I encourage you to let me know what you did and didn't like. I love getting reviews.