Author's Note: Yay! The end is in sight! A huge thank you goes out to Dark Fairy of Doom for beta-reading this chapter! She did a terrific job smoothing out all my grammar snafus!
Virtually Yours
Filet of SoulSeto sank back into his seat, carefully readjusting his tie. Jerking his pen out of the top of his desk, he frowned at it. The nib was completely ruined. Seto tossed it into the trashcan by his feet and reached into his desk drawer to get another pen. All the while, he kept his gaze averted from Joey.
Joey's emotions were as easy to read as the contract sitting in front of Seto, and the last thing Seto wanted to see on the mutt's face was pity. Pity was given only to the weak, and Seto would rather be hated than pitied. He would simply not look at Joey, not acknowledge the pity that he knew the other boy must have been feeling.
"That bastard is as good as dead," Joey growled. Seto's gaze shot up in surprise. There had been no pity in the mutt's voice, though there had been plenty of anger. Joey parked his butt on the corner of Seto's desk and grinned. "We are going to yank his soul out of Pinky and send it straight to hell!"
"And just how do you propose we do that?" Seto murmured, raising an eyebrow as Joey began playing with the Rolodex. Simple toys for simple minds, he supposed - except that he'd come to learn that Joey's mind was far from simple.
Instead of answering, Joey continued to swish his finger back and forth through the cards. Seto snorted in annoyance. Despite their many past encounters with people who claimed to have the ability to steal souls, Seto knew that Joey was as clueless as he was about how to accomplish such flim-flammery. Suddenly Joey's finger shot out, halting the progress of the cards he'd had rolling around. He flashed Seto a knowing smirk. Frowning, Seto peered at the contact card Joey had picked. "No," he said.
The card read:
Pegasus, Maximillian
President & CEO Industrial Illusions
Various contact numbers and addresses followed the name and title in Seto's flowing scrawl. Seto glared at the card as though his gaze could burn it into ash. If Industrial Illusions hadn't been his chief business partner, that particular contact never would have found its way into Seto's Rolodex.
Joey, however, was not to be daunted by a simple "no." He bent forward until he was eye-to-eye with Seto. "I don't hear any better ideas coming from you, Moneybags. Maybe you've got some secret weapon stashed away that the rest of us don't know about. Are you hiding an eighth Millennium Item around here somewhere? A Millennium Hoover or something - perfect for sucking up dust bunnies and souls! Face it, Seto; we're out of our depth. Pegasus used to have a pretty good collection of souls going. He's bound to know something useful!"
Seto continued to glower, crossing his arms and shaking his head. There was nothing that Joey could say to convince him to crawl to Pegasus for help. He would be as unbending as a giant oak tree in this matter. "Or we could just call Yugi and ask him to bail us out," Joey added slyly. Seto began dialing Pegasus's office.
After several minutes of browbeating Pegasus's secretary, Seto slammed the phone down. "He's not there. Mokuba, go drag Weevil out of the game and meet us at the jet. We're going to go let Joey explain this mess to Pegasus in person." He was going to let Joey see for himself that Pegasus was a useless fop, and that all of this soul stealing hocus-pocus was nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
Seto began filling his briefcase with paperwork. He would get as much done as he could today. While he packed up, Joey shut down the laptop. When they were ready, Seto buzzed his secretary, informing her that he was leaving and would need all of his appointments rescheduled. He strolled out of his office calmly with Joey following.
When they arrived at the jet hangar, Joey let out a low whistle. "Anyone ever told you that you're obsessed?" Seto merely drank in the sight of his pride and joy - the jet he'd modeled after his favorite Duel Monster, the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Sliding an arm around Joey's waist, Seto led him on board.
Once his passengers were settled, Seto made his way to the cockpit where Mokuba busied himself with the pre-flight checks. Once he was sure everything was satisfactory, Mokuba pressed the intercom button. "Gentlemen, this is your co-pilot speaking. Make sure your seats and tray tables are in the upright position because we are fixing to haul ass!"
"Mokuba!" Seto snapped as he turned in his seat to glare. Mokuba merely grinned cheekily in response, leaving Seto grumbling complaints about not getting any respect. Rather than make a fuss over Mokuba's lapse in good language, Seto chose, instead, to concentrate on the take-off.
Once the jet was sailing through the sky, Seto tapped at the controls, opening the window blinders. Here was the perfect opportunity to show off his piloting skills. Seto directed the jet straight upwards, relishing the struggle between machine and gravity. Once he achieved the altitude he wanted, the jet leveled off, but Seto wasn't done yet. He sent the jet into a dive over the ocean. Faster and faster the water rose to meet them. At the last moment, Seto pulled out of the dive, sending plumes of water soaring up on both sides of the jet as he rose back into the air again.
Seto flipped the intercom on to check on his passengers, smiling as he listened to Joey's delighted chatter. "That was fucking awesome! I never knew moves like that could be done outside the movies! You think he'll try it again?"
"If he does," Weevil groaned, "then I'm going to need another barf bag. You're both insane! You for bungee-jumping off the floating city and him for that!"
The rest of the flight proceeded without incident, and soon Seto was landing on Pegasus's private island. Pegasus's number one toady stood outside the jet as everyone exited. It took Seto a moment to recall the man's name - Croquet. "Mr. Kaiba, I was unaware of a meeting scheduled between you and Mr. Pegasus for today. If you'll follow me, I'll have a conference room set up right away and some refreshments brought in."
Seto, however, had no plan to stick around for even that long. He wanted to have done with this foolishness as soon as possible. "Don't bother," Seto growled, fixing Croquet with his most commanding glare. "Just take us to him."
Though his sunglasses hid some of his emotions, Croquet's lips quirked downward in a brief, disapproving frown. But he had the decency to keep his thoughts to himself as he led the way to Pegasus's gardens. Of course Seto didn't care one way or the other about whether or not Croquet approved of this intrusion into Pegasus's life.
The man they sought was stretched out in a patio chair. Dressed in jeans and a pastel yellow shirt, Pegasus seemed almost normal. Seto frowned at the sight - he'd only ever seen Pegasus in that garish red suit and, once, a bathrobe. The latter of which being an image that Seto had worked hard to scrub from his mind. Never in his wildest imaginings, however, had he once thought of Pegasus in casual clothing. The older man seemed unaware of the group as he concentrated on capturing the garden landscape on paper. On the table by his side Seto saw a bottle of wine and a portable CD player. His eyes tracked the headphone cord back to Pegasus. The foolish fop really was oblivious, lost in the music and his art.
Slipping behind Pegasus, Seto reached out and snapped the headphones. It was a trick he'd learned with Mokuba, and it proved just as effective on his business partner. Pegasus let out a surprised yelp as he whirled around. Instantly the surprise on his face dissolved into a joyful smile as he recognized his visitors. "Kaiba-boy! So good to see you again! And you brought some friends. My, my! You really should have called ahead, but no matter. Pull up a chair. Make yourselves comfortable. Croquet, be a dear and have the kitchen staff whip up some snacks for our guests!" Seto tried not to roll his eyes at the performance as he took a seat. He knew Pegasus's greatest strength, as a businessman was his charisma. People liked him because he seemed to genuinely care about them, even when he was busy stabbing them in the back.
But still, everyone took a seat. Since they were one chair short, Joey settled on the ground by Seto's feet. Weevil, who'd wound up on laptop-carrying duty began setting up the computer so Siegfried could join in on this encounter. Once Croquet was gone, Pegasus flipped to a fresh page in his sketchbook before setting it on the table. "So, to what do I owe this surprise visit?" he asked, noticeably turning down the charm. "I know it's not for the pleasure of my company."
"We want to ask you about..." Seto began. He paused as he tried to organize his thoughts. There had to be a way to introduce the subject without sounding completely crazy.
"Magic," Joey prompted, leaning his head against Seto's knee.
"A logical explanation for the removal of a person's consciousness from their body," Seto growled, giving Joey a light smack on the back of the head. Magic simply did not exist.
"Soul removal, Kaiba-boy?" With an amused smile, Pegasus began drawing. The Millennium Eye began took shape on the paper in just a few quick strokes. He followed that up with a quick sketch of the Seal of Orichalcos. "Every culture has its own theories. However, finding a method that works can be quite difficult. You've already had experience with these two." Pegasus tapped his pencil against the sketches. Seto growled in memory of the supposed magic, but raised no protest as Pegasus continued. "According to some superstitions, your soul will escape when you sneeze if you don't cover your mouth - most likely stemming from the days where outbreaks of plague were relatively common occurrences. On a different note, some cultures - even today - believe that when you capture the image of something, you capture its soul."
"So we are supposed to make Gozaburo sneeze and draw his picture?" Siegfried interrupted. "You'll have to pardon me, Herr Pegasus, but somehow I find myself placing little faith in the validity of these methods."
For the first time, Pegasus's gaze was drawn to the computer screen. In silence he took in the sight of his vampirical doppelganger sitting on Dame Chat's couch with Dartz sprawled across his lap. "Hello!" the virtual Pegasus chirped in greeting. "You must be my namesake - the other me that Seto Knight and Joey Thief told me about!"
As he waited for Pegasus to digest what he was seeing, Seto began running his fingers through Joey's hair. More and more, the mutt's presence felt comfortable to Seto. Judging from the way Joey leaned into Seto's touch, Seto suspected the feeling might be mutual.
"Perhaps, Kaiba-boy, I should not share any more information until I know exactly what is going on here."
Seto grumbled internally as his thoughts were drawn back to the business at hand. He let his fingers slide through Joey's soft hair one last time as he shot a sour glare at Pegasus. It wasn't as though any useful information had been shared. Of course, that would be just like Pegasus to feed them useless tidbits until he'd divined their purpose. "Let Pinky tell it," Joey mumbled, seeming as irritated as Seto about the interruption. "It's all his fault anyway."
Seto nodded and let Siegfried explain about being trapped in the virtual world with Gozaburo loose in the real world. While the story was being told, Seto once again allowed his fingers to comb through Joey's hair. As the tale wound to an end, he watched Pegasus lean back in speculative silence. When his thoughts had finally run their course, Pegasus spoke. "It seems to me, Kaiba-boy, that rather than questing for a magical trinket that may or may not work, a far simpler - and cruder - tactic would be to send Gozaburo back into the virtual world by force. If you can get to him, drug him or knock him out and then do your little ditty on the computer."
Seto watched as a slow smile spread across Siegfried's face. "Brilliant," he breathed. "Herr Kaiba, if your people would remove the patch that keeps me as an active player in the game and leaves me with a player's limitations, I could get you past my security system."
Siegfried's smile proved contagious as everyone around the table joined in. They would still need a plan, but now they had a starting point. "Pegasus, you are a genius," Mokuba said, saving Seto from having to make that admission aloud.
"But of course," Pegasus huffed. "Just because I'm eccentric, it doesn't mean I'm stupid."
At Pegasus's insistence, the group agreed to stay on the island until their plans were finalized. Seto had fought the decision tooth and nail until Pegasus and Siegfried knocked his arguments out with a devastating one-two punch. Pegasus softened Seto's resistance by pointing out that there was nothing to prevent Gozaburo from hiring an assassin to follow through on his threats against Mokuba. When Seto pointed out that he and Mokuba could stay at any hotel in the world, Siegfried sheepishly interrupted to reveal that he had programs available to track the credit card charges of his business rivals. If Gozaburo were looking for Seto, then the moment a charge was made, he would find Seto.
With a roar of outrage, Seto lunged to smash the computer into tiny bits. How dare that pompous idiot spy on his credit charges! A body crashed into Seto, sending him sprawling to the ground. Thrashing, he screamed obscenities at both Siegfried and the person holding him down. The weight shifted, and Joey murmured in Seto's ear, "If I can keep Tristan pinned, then I can sure as hell hold your skinny ass down until you calm down. Now, I know you've had a bad few days, but blowing your top isn't going to help, so chill."
Seto went still, taking deep breaths as he tried to let go of his anger. As if sensing that it was safe now, Joey slid off of Seto. As Seto returned to his seat, Joey stood behind him, leaning over and wrapping his arms around Seto's neck.
Pegasus, as always, maintained his usual air of amusement. Far be it from him to allow a near-brawl with a computer to dampen his mood. "Don't worry about money, Kaiba-boy. Just make me a list of everything you'll need, and I'll cover it. You can pay me back later. I've got far too much invested in Kaiba Corp to risk Gozaburo regaining control."
That night began the planning for what Joey dubbed "Operation Ghost in the Machine." Seto spent the first part of the planning session trying to convince both Joey and Weevil that this wasn't their fight. Both boys promptly told him to where to shove that thought. They were in this for the long haul, whether Seto liked it or not.
Two days later, the plans were ready to be set into motion, and Seto and Mokuba found themselves smuggled into Germany in Pegasus's private jet as part of his luggage. Since Gozaburo didn't know who Joey and Weevil were, they played the roles of Pegasus's assistants. Once the bellhop unceremoniously dropped off Pegasus's bags at the hotel room, Seto and Mokuba came out of hiding. Instantly, everyone set to work transforming the penthouse rooms into Command Central.
Mokuba and Weevil set up the computer. Pegasus and Croquet left to secure the last bits of equipment the group would need. Seto and Joey double-checked the items they already had. And, hardest of all, everyone waited.
Now that he was free to manipulate the virtual world, Seto saw that Siegfried had made changes to Dame Chat's home. No longer was there a quaint living room. The room had been expanded and revamped to resemble a modern living room. Siegfried had claimed one corner as his own private workspace, and was surrounded by various screens. The sphinx reclined in a corner of her own, on top of the fluffiest rug Seto had ever seen. The vampires prowled the room, examining the many changes. "What is all this?" Seto growled.
"A proper workspace, Herr Kaiba," Siegfried mumbled, glancing away from his screens only briefly in acknowledgment of Seto. "With the way this place was before, we were practically stepping all over each other. Anyway, I am all set for the evening's entertainment. I hope you are as well."
Seto nodded. "We will be as soon as Pegasus takes care of our transportation. Don't forget that while we're gone, Mokuba's going to be monitoring everything you do. If you betray us, we'll leave you trapped in there."
"Understood, Herr Kaiba," Siegfried sighed. He began pointing at the various screens, outlining their purposes to show Seto that he knew his role. "This is for communication. I'll be managing a conference call between those out in the field and those staying here at Command Central. Over here, I have up the schematics for my castle. The GPS nodules you three will be carrying will help me pinpoint your location and guide you. On this display, I am viewing the feed from my home's security cameras. And this last is a nasty surprise for Gozaburo when he returns to this world. No tricks, Herr Kaiba. I want back in my body, and I want that malicious program destroyed almost as badly as you."
As much as the thought of depending on Siegfried galled Seto, he knew they had no choice. Tonight, their lives were going to be in those well-manicured hands. Giving Siegfried one last glare, Seto went to change into what Joey called their "ninja clothes," though the clothing hardly came close to anything resembling what a stereotypical ninja wore. A pair of black jeans, a black hoodie, and black gloves later, Seto was pacing impatiently, until Pegasus came barging back in. "Your chariots await, dears. Good luck!"
Seto gave a nod at Pegasus's words. It was time. He, Joey, and Weevil donned headset telephones, as Siegfried dialed up the conference call. "Puppy-dog to Pink Powder-puff - come in, Pink Powder-puff," Joey quipped. "Can you hear me?
"Loud and clear, Puppy-dog," Siegfried answered, playing along with Joey's spy joke. The code names had been entirely Joey's idea. Seto had only agreed after hearing what he'd come up with for Siegfried. "Pink Powder-puff" was entirely fitting. Choosing "Puppy-dog" for Joey had been Seto's attempt at putting a stop to the code name foolishness, but it had backfired horribly as Joey had accepted the name instead of starting a shouting match.
Seto exited the hotel, with Joey and Weevil following. Out front, they found two off-road motorcycles. Pegasus had chosen well. Seto took one. Joey and Weevil took the other. Soon they were zipping off down the street. Their goal was beyond the town.
The wind whistled around Seto as he rode. As they reached the city limits, Seto decided to kick things up a notch. "Hey, Puppy-dog, think you can keep up?" Without waiting for a response, Seto took off, whipping down the road faster than ever. In response, Joey revved his engine and fairly flew along.
Farmland gave way to forests as they roared along the road. By the light of the moon, Seto could just make out the spires of the Schroeder castle looming over the trees. When Siegfried gave the word, they whipped the motorcycles off the road, into the forest. The boys dodged trees skillfully, as they headed for their stopping point. "Not bad, mutt," Seto muttered into the phone, more than slightly impressed at how well Joey kept pace with him.
"Not bad yourself, moneybags," came the laughing response. Seto smiled, feeling a little more relaxed. The race had helped to ease some of his tension over the planned evening.
Following Siegfried's directions, the group pulled to a stop at an old playhouse about a mile from the castle. They would have to go on foot from here to keep their approach from being heard. According to Siegfried, the playhouse had once been one of Leon's favorite haunts. They hid the bikes inside and began their hike. This time Seto didn't offer to race, but only because there was no way Weevil would be able to keep up.
As they approached the castle wall, Joey got out a grappling hook. "Who'd have ever thought we'd be doing this for real?" he muttered. Seto nodded in silent agreement. Once Siegfried gave the all clear, Joey tossed the hook up the wall.
"Gentlemen, before you go in," Siegfried said, "I'll try to keep track of where my security staff is in relation to your position. I'll also be interrupting the security camera feeds. I can cut out the feed on each camera for approximately ten seconds before an alarm is sent to the main monitoring room, so be careful not to waste time."
"Yes, Mother," Joey snickered as he began the climb over the wall. They'd been over this information during their planning sessions, but a reminder never hurt. At the top, Joey waited for Siegfried's signal, and then dropped down into the bushes below. Weevil followed, and then Seto.
Siegfried's directions led them to an alcoved servant's entrance. Safe from the cameras for the moment, Seto dug into their bag of tricks and handed Joey a screwdriver. Faster than he would have thought possible, the doorknob was in pieces. Joey swung the door open and murmured, "Alright, Pink Powder-puff, Team Hero has entered the Lion's Den."
"So I see, Puppy-dog," Siegfried murmured. "Begin phase one - Rapunzel Rescue." Early on in the planning, it had been decided that the first priority would be to get Leon out of the castle. If they couldn't stop Gozaburo, then at least they could prevent Leon from experiencing Seto's childhood.
Siegfried really did have a lovely home, Seto realized as they trooped through the hallways. He decided that he would ask for a proper tour when this mess was over with. Avoiding the security guards proved easier than Seto would have ever dreamed. All they had to do was listen for Siegfried's warning and then hide. As they reached the camera that kept vigil over the hallway outside what Siegfried told them was Leon's room, they paused.
"Not going to work," Joey whispered. "It'll take us longer than ten seconds to get in there and get the door shut."
"It's enough to get us under the camera, and that's all we need," Weevil responded. He reached into the front pockets of his hoodie and pulled out a small wicker cage. Seto frowned, wondering what Weevil had in mind. As soon as Siegfried gave the signal, the three ran under the camera, plastering themselves against the wall to stay in the camera's blind spot. "Get me on your shoulders, Kaiba," Weevil whispered insistently.
Seto crouched down, and Joey lifted the smaller boy onto his shoulders. With a grunt of effort, Seto rose. Joey kept his hands out to steady Weevil until Seto was fully upright. "Hold this, Wheeler." The wicker cage dropped down into Joey's hands. Joey held it so Seto could see the preying mantis inside. Seto was about to protest, wondering what good a stupid bug would do, when Weevil's hands pressed down on top of his head. Growling, he waited for Weevil to change position. Once the kid was standing on Seto's shoulders, he held out his hand for the cage. Joey passed it up, and within moments the preying mantis was out of the cage and perched on the camera lens. "There!" Weevil was smiling as he jumped down. "No one's going to be paying attention to the door now. Let's go!"
Triumphant in this minor victory, the boys quietly opened the door to Leon's room and tiptoed inside. Leon was found curled up and crying on his bed. So lost was the child in his misery that he didn't notice the intruders until Seto clapped a hand over his mouth. "It's alright," Seto whispered in his ear. "Siegfried sent us, Leon." Slowly he brought his hand away, still worried that the boy might scream for the guards.
Instead, Leon just turned to stare at the three, recognition slowly dawning. "It's alright," Seto said again, trying to be as soothing as possible as he pretended not to notice the boy's black eye. "Your brother did something very, very stupid, and he sent us to clean up his mess. You're going to go with Weevil out to the playhouse – the one you used to sneak out to when you were younger – and you're to wait there until you hear from us." Leon nodded, relaxing at the mention of the playhouse. Seto gave himself a mental pat on the back for mentioning it to earn Leon's trust. After all, knowledge of the playhouse could have only come from Siegfried.
Weevil opened the window, and readied a rope. Soon the two boys were descending into the darkness of the garden. Once they were on the ground, Seto reeled in the rope and waited. He and Joey weren't going to move until they received word that both boys were safely on the other side of the walls. "Rapunzel Rescue is a success!" The relief in Siegfried's voice was plain to both Seto and Joey. "Time to begin phase two – Ghostbusters. Good luck!"
The moment Siegfried confirmed that the mantis was still hanging around on the camera, Joey and Seto dashed into the hallway. They ran, guided by the voice in their ears. At one point Siegfried yelled at them to hide. Seto had pulled Joey into an alcove, ducking behind an oversized vase displayed there. Seto held Joey against his chest as they tried to quiet their frantic breathing. Once the security guard was safely past, they were in motion again - running with as much silence and speed as they could muster.
As they approached Siegfried's room, Seto could see a light shining beneath the door. Seto bit back a sharp curse. Of course Gozaburo would still be awake. Things had been going too well, so something had to backfire. This certainly killed any thoughts of sneaking in and chloroforming Gozaburo.
Seto tapped Joey's shoulder and pointed to the door. "He's awake." Joey nodded grimly - he understood. "This isn't your fight, mutt. You don't have to go in there with me. No one will fault you if you back out now."
Joey shook his head. "You should know by now that I don't abandon my friends, man. We're going to bust in there and kick his ass together." Seto turned away, not wanting Joey to see the joy those words brought. He was supposed to be a loner, yet he was glad that he wasn't going to be facing Gozaburo alone.
Together, Joey and Seto burst through the door and into a decorator's lavender paradise. Gozaburo was seated at a dressing table, preparing to take a pair of scissors to Siegfried's long hair. At the intrusion, the man laid the scissors back on the dressing table and turned - a slow, deliberate movement.
"So good to see you again, Seto." Even had Seto not known that this was Gozaburo, at those words he would have known that this wasn't Siegfried. Gozaburo spoke slowly and evenly, forcing each word to sound as he wanted it. He spoke with a mouth that was accustomed to forming words in one way, and a mind that was determined to bend the words to his will. Gozaburo was all about control.
"The feeling isn't mutual," Seto snarled, taking up a fighting stance. He wasn't a helpless child any longer. Gozaburo was going to see that he no longer held any control over Seto.
Gozaburo lumbered closer, moving without Siegfried's grace. Seto felt that Gozaburo wore this body like an ill-fitting suit of clothes. "You are just a little boy playing at being a man, Seto," Gozaburo murmured, mimicking Seto's fighting stance. "No matter what form I wear, child, I am your father, and you are just a worthless, stupid boy."
A shiver ran down Seto's spine as he took a step back as doubt began to churn in the pit of his stomach. "Seto!" Joey yelled. Seto glanced his way long enough to catch a glimpse of a grin and thumbs up. Seto returned the smile, and then ducked as Gozaburo took the first swing.
As he came back up, Seto slammed a fist into Gozaburo's stomach. Gozaburo stumbled backwards as he tried to catch his breath. Seto smirked, realizing that through his years as a virtual creature Gozaburo had forgotten what it was like to have a real body. Seto stepped up his attacks, his body a flurry of movement as he kicked and punched.
Gozaburo seemed to be concentrating on defense as he blocked attack after attack. Suddenly he darted to the side, snatching the scissors off of the dressing table. Seto hissed in pain as the scissors stabbed into his side. Then there was a thunk and Gozaburo fell to the ground, eyes rolling back in his head.
Joey stood over the prone body, clutching a hardbound book in his hands. He flashed Seto a sheepish hangdog look. "You alright? I was going to let you two fight it out. But then he stopped playing fair."
"I'll be fine," Seto grunted, as he began using the scissors to slice up Siegfried's bed sheets. He bound up his wound, while Joey tied up Gozaburo. Briefly, Seto glanced at Joey's makeshift bludgeon. "It's a shame you had to be so rough with a perfectly good book, but I think the Brothers Grimm will forgive you."
Joey nodded as he double-checked his knots. It was imperative that Gozaburo not be able to work his way loose or scream for help. "Siegfried," Seto said, getting back to business. "We've secured your body, but while we're dragging this dead weight along, it's going to take longer than ten seconds to get past the cameras."
"Especially since you're injured," Joey added, earning a glare from Seto.
"Then let me know when you're ready and I will shut down all of the camera feeds, Herr Kaiba. It will set off security, but at least they won't know where to look for you." Seto wished that there were another way, for without the cameras, they would lose their early warning system. But, if the cameras were left on, the security guards would easily be able to pinpoint their location.
When they were ready, Joey picked Gozaburo up under the armpits. Seto grabbed him by the legs. "Cameras off," Seto commanded. Once again they were on the move, this time to Siegfried's computer room. Seto let out a grunt of pain with every step, but he refused to stop or let Joey take up their entire burden. Instead, he continued to push himself, trying to pretend that all he felt was just a stitch in his side.
They were nearly to their destination when they ran into security. Joey shifted his grip on Gozaburo, and Seto caught a glimpse of a flash of metal at the unconscious man's throat. "Seto, tell them to drop their weapons and their walkie-talkies or else Pinky dies." Seto repeated Joey's words in flawless German. He could see the guards wavering with indecision as Joey glared at them. The cold gleam in Joey's eyes was like nothing Seto had ever seen in the normally open and friendly boy.
Seto actually believed Joey would slit Gozaburo's throat. The guards seemed to believe it too as one-by-one they threw down their weapons. "Now tell them to kick everything over here. One wrong move and Pinky has to learn to breathe through his throat." Once again Seto repeated Joey's words, and this time the guards didn't hesitate as they kicked their weapons over. Seto released his hold on Gozaburo to pick everything up. With a nod, Joey began backing away, muttering, "Which door? Which door?"
"Third on the left," Siegfried responded.
As Joey started going to his left, Seto shook his head. "Other left, mutt. You're facing backwards." Joey nodded and altered course, never taking his eyes off of the guards. Seto opened the door, and the two dashed inside. Once the door was shut and locked, Joey dropped Gozaburo and grinned at Seto, brandishing his weapon. Seto's eyes widened as he realized Joey had just bluffed his way past armed guards with a screwdriver. "Remind me never to play poker with you."
Chuckling to himself, Joey began wrestling Gozaburo into the virtual reality pod. Seto made his way to the computer and began logging in, following Siegfried's instructions. At the door, a thumping started up as the guards tried to break their way in. Seto's fingers flew across the keyboard as he began to manually log Gozaburo into the system.
Onscreen, Siegfried's virtual headquarters took shape. All of the furniture was pushed away from the middle of the room. Seto watched as Gozaburo appeared. Suddenly the floor began glowing as an all too familiar seal appeared beneath him. "No way!" Joey gaped, rushing to Seto's side to get a better view. "Is that Orichalcos?"
After a moment of studying the glowing seal, Seto shook his head. "I think it's just a containment seal. He probably got the idea from Pegasus's sketch." Seto pointed, circling his finger around the seal. "See. The runes are different - Germanic, instead of whatever language that was around the Orichalcos."
Gozaburo, meanwhile, was not taking his imprisonment lightly. Roaring, he threw himself at the invisible walls of his prison. From his work area, Siegfried made an obscene gesture at his prisoner, sending him into a further rage. Onscreen, a popup appeared asking whether or not Seto wanted to delete the Gozaburo program. "Would you care to do the honors, Herr Kaiba?"
"Gladly," Seto said as he clicked on the yes button. Gozaburo's screams became more frantic as he began to disappear. Never had Seto seen anything more wonderful.
"We did it!" Joey whooped, throwing his arms around Seto. Seto wasn't the yelling and cheering sort, but he did permit himself a smile as he held Joey against him. Giving in to an impulsive impulse, Seto began to bring his mouth down to Joey's. What better way to relish the moment than to do something to make it even more memorable?
Before Seto could follow through with the kiss, however, the door burst open and Siegfried's security guards flooded into the room, guns pointed at the two. With the moment ruined, Seto pulled away from Joey, raising his hands into the air.
A pair of guards came forward and began frisking the boys. Seto grimaced uncomfortably as their hands treaded into no man's land. Joey, however, stood by Seto's side with such a resigned look on his face that Seto wondered whether or not he'd been through this before. As if realizing that Seto was thinking about him, Joey turned his head and winked. "It really unnerves the cops if you pretend like you're enjoying this. Watch," he chuckled. Joey began making a delighted moan in the back of his throat, as he lolled his head back. The guard patting him down grimaced in disgust and jerked his hands away.
"Fascinating," Siegfried called out from the virtual reality pod. Then he switched to German as he began issuing orders to his guards. "Someone untie me! And do stop manhandling my guests. Honestly! If I wish to indulge in a bit of bondage with my guests, then I should be allowed to without guns being drawn!" Between Joey's moaning and Siegfried's explanation for his bound state, Seto found himself wishing the floor would open up and swallow him before something even more embarrassing could happen.