Originally posted: 5/1/04
Reposted: 6/11/05

THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed chapter 03! It really means a lot to me when people take the time to write a nice review, saying what they liked and what they didn't. :throws bonbons to the multitudes:

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island of red flowers

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by sir mocha

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chapter 04: h u m i l i t y

The accountant walked nervously down the hall towards the towering oak doors at the end. Why on earth had they chosen him to address Mr. Kaiba? He was terrified to death of the young CEO, who had been driven half-mad by his brother's shooting. Ever since that day, Mr. Kaiba had been even surlier than before, and very, very edgy, firing Kaiba Corp employees at will. And this accountant, the bearer of bad news, liked his job and was not ready to leave yet.

The slower I walk, he thought, the longer it'll be until I face Mr. Kaiba, and the longer it'll be until I'm fired. So maybe I'll take my time…

A loudspeaker over the twin doors beeped, and Kaiba's irate voice boomed through the desolate hall. "I know you're out there, and I know you have something for me, so enter now before I get impatient and lose my temper."

The accountant jumped at the direct address from the infamous CEO, and then walked quickly towards the door, shaking slightly. Mr. Kaiba was legendary for his notorious temper, and many an employee had been dismissed from Kaiba Corp, victim to Mr. Kaiba's rage.

Since Mr. Kaiba was expecting him, the accountant didn't bother to knock, but instead pushed open one of the immense doors hesitantly. His eyes took a moment to adjust; the room was very dark because all the windows were covered by dark curtains.

Kaiba, cast-free after only a month (at his insistence), was sitting at his desk, surrounded by piles of paper and glowing computer screens. He looked up at the interruption. "Weren't you taught to knock first before barging in?" he asked irritably.

"But sir…" began the flustered accountant.

"Silence. Tell me what you were sent to tell me, then get out of my sight," snapped Kaiba.

"Y-yes sir." The accountant gulped. "Harrison of N-Tech faxed a report a short while ago to the finances department. The finances director felt that it would be best if you saw this immediately, as it is an issue of rather pressing importance."

"Well, don't just stand there like an idiot, summarize it for me! I'm very busy, and can't spend all my time reading reports from American technology companies." Kaiba glared at the accountant, who was sweating profusely at what his boss had just asked him to do. He had quickly learned that it was a baaaaad idea to ignore a direct order from the CEO.

"Harrison said that N-Tech has decided to stop distributing Kaiba Corp products in the States, and is planning to manufacture its own products, based largely on our own. If you would like to read the full report…" he trailed off, holding up a packet, damp from his sweaty hands. He waited for the guillotine blade to fall.

And fall it did. "WHAT?" exploded Kaiba, jumping up out of his chair, red in the face. "WHAT? HOW DARE THEY STEAL MY TECHNOLOGY! THE THIEVES!" He stalked over to the quivering accountant and snatched the packet from him, eyeing him angrily. "What are you still doing here? Get out of my sight, and get out of my building. If you ever return I'll get my nine-millimeter and blow a hole in your head!"

As the terrified accountant sprinted away, Kaiba stood, reading through the report. Every page made the scowl on his face more and more pronounced. Once finished, Kaiba furiously ripped the packet in little pieces, which he threw angrily on the ground. "Patent?" he muttered, "I'll 'patent' your ASS, Harrison!" He stormed over to his desk, opened his contact book, and found the number for Harrison, CEO of N-Tech, and American-based gaming technology manufacturer. He dialed the number on his laptop, then pulled on the headset and angrily shoved the hair out of his eyes, trying to make himself look older and more mature.

Harrison's face appeared on the screen, looking smug. "Ah, Seto my boy, I wondered when I'd be hearing from you. Doubtless you've received my report?"

"Bastard," spat Kaiba in perfect English. "And I'm no one's 'boy'. I'm the most powerful man in Japan, and it would be wise for you to not forget that. But enough pleasantries. WHY have you dropped Kaiba Corp, and WHAT do you mean by stealing MY technology?"

Harrison tented his fingers. He adopted a tone appropriate for talking to small children, which further infuriated the already livid young man. "You see, my son, we discovered that rather than buy products from Kaiba Corp, and re-sell them, it would be cheaper for the consumer and cheaper for N-Tech if we made it ourselves. And really, your technology is not hard to make. It just needed someone like you to develop the concept in the first place. Once we had decided to drop you, we checked to make sure that it was legal to produce technology similar to yours without asking first. And when we found that you had no US patents on your technology, we felt that it was fair game. Did you understand all that, or do I need to explain it to you again?"

"Don't patronize me," snapped Kaiba, seething. "I don't need you to explain what I understand quite thoroughly. I'm quite surprised, really. For six years, N-Tech had been a financial supporter of the R and D at Kaiba Corp, and in turn Kaiba Corp technology has helped you become big and influential in the States, a status you would not have achieved without our help. Now you're honoring that allegiance, and that help, by stealing my technology and slapping me with a technicality my lawyers will tear apart in no time?"

"You yourself just said that N-Tech has been a big backer of Kaiba Corp R and D. If it weren't for our financial assistance, you never would have developed that technology in the first place!"

"Not that it matters anymore, but the technology you thought to purloin from me was technology I whipped together in my spare time. N-Tech had nothing to do with it, and if you had any honor you would not take what is rightfully mine."

"Seto, lad," said Harrison, leaning back in his chair, "sometime you'll learn that the business world is not a world of 'friends' and 'honor' and 'commitment'. It is a world where we take any opportunity we can get to get ahead in the game, and make the most profit. You'll learn that as you grow older and wiser," he added condescendingly.

"Well, obviously no wisdom was exercised in the decision to steal my technology and drop Kaiba Corp," retorted Kaiba. "This was a pleasant chat, Harrison. I'll be sure to get in touch with you very, very soon." He terminated the conversation, happy to have had the last word.

Harrison, sitting in his office, stared at the black screen where Kaiba's face had been seconds earlier. He turned to his assistant, smirking. "He's just a child," he said, speaking insultingly of the 21-year-old. "He thinks he's so powerful, but we can throw back in his face anything he throws at us." He paused for a moment, then, "But I will keep my eye on him. It's not wise to underestimate an opponent." Another pause. Then, startling the assistant, he loudly exclaimed, "Dammit, we were so close!"

-V-

Kaiba popped two ibuprofen in his mouth, and washed them down with some water. He tilted his head back, hoping that the pounding in his head would soon subside. He massaged his temples, trying to assist the drug.

I really need to get back to work. I have a lot to do still, and I promised Mokuba I'd visit him tonight. Kaiba had been making visits three times a week for a month, visits where he would sit at Mokuba's bedside and talk to him in hopes of waking him. But Mokuba remained silent, and Kaiba, in his spare time, threw himself into work with even more vigor. He would work 18-hour days, 7 days a week, convincing himself that he needed to work in order to provide adequately for Mokuba. His brother's shadow haunted him at nights, so Kaiba slept less and worked more, eager to do anything to take his mind off Mokuba. But the visits were a ritual, almost a necessity, and Kaiba found that they helped relieve him of the stress he felt at work.

Some hours later, Kaiba awoke with a start as he fell off his chair, startled by the ringing of his telephone. He looked at the clock: 7:43 pm. Kaiba had, unintentionally, had a much needed 4-hour nap.

Perfect! he thought angrily. I wasted four necessary hours, and now I have only 20 minutes before I have to go. DAMMIT! Kaiba was very much cranky, but at least his headache was gone.

Ii then occurred to Kaiba that it might be prudent to pick up the phone. Maybe it was Harrison, calling to apologize and beg forgiveness? He picked it up, and said, "Kaiba here."

"Oh, good, Mr. Kaiba, I reached you!" The voice was female, so Kaiba assumed that it was Takenouchi, because what other female would wish to call him?

"What happened? Why are you calling me? Is Mokuba awake?" he asked eagerly.

Silence. Then, "I'm sorry, Mr. Kaiba, but I'm not Dr. Takenouchi. My name is Dr. Mazukaru. I'm glad I finally reached you. I left several messages with your secretary earlier, but—"

Kaiba switched lines to his secretary, cutting the doctor off. "Do I have any messages?" he asked the young woman.

"Several, Mr. Kaiba, but I didn't want to disturb you," replied the secretary meekly.

"You're a bad secretary," spat Kaiba. "Those messages could have been crucial, and instead of waking me, you let me sleep on and waste four vital hours. You're fired." He abruptly switched back to the doctor, and ordered, "Continue."

"Er," said Mazukaru uncertainly, "I know you're very busy, but I was wondering if, when you came by tonight to the hospital, I could have a word with you. It's quite important."

"If I have any time to spare, I suppose I could give you a moment," replied Kaiba, surprising himself with his generosity. Perhaps the nap had put him in a good (well, not good, but better) mood.

"Thank you very much Mr. Kaiba. So I'll come and find you later."

Kaiba gave an affirmative grunt, then hung up the phone. I wonder what that was all about. Why would a doctor wish to talk to me when we've never met? His mind suddenly flashed back to that day, a month ago, that he had had the run in with that crazy pregnant woman. It couldn't be… That was nothing but nonsense. Refusing to give up his practical, non-imaginative nature, Kaiba packed up his work and left for the hospital, passing his sobbing ex-secretary on the way out.

-V-

9:15 pm. Kaiba stared at the clock during a lull in his one-sided conversation. He had just finished ranting to Mokuba about the incident with Harrison, and told Mokuba all the unpleasant names he would like to call the treacherous man. He was casting around in his mind for something to tell Mokuba about, and something that might wake him up. He had hoped that all the colorful swearing would shock his brother awake, but Mokuba remained silent, and Kaiba remained somber.

A knock on the door made Kaiba turn around, and he saw, standing in the doorway, a middle-aged, slightly stout woman. "Mr. Kaiba?" she asked. "Hi, I believe we spoke on the phone earlier. I'm Dr. Mazukaru," she said cheerfully, holding out a hand to shake.

Kaiba stood, and shook her hand with his own. "You said you had something you needed to discuss with me?" he asked inquiringly.

"Ah, yes. Could you follow me, please?" asked the doctor, proceeding out the door. Kaiba followed, his new black coat swishing out behind him.

"So what is this all about?" he asked impatiently.

"Well," began Mazukaru, "about a month ago, one of my patients came to me and asked me to obtain for her legal custody documents. When I asked her why, she said that she had to get her affairs in order before it was too late, or some silliness like that. The poor dear… we had found her on the street, lost, alone, and babbling nonsense—"

Speaking in Egyptian, no doubt. How ignorant is this doctor? thought Kaiba snidely, suspecting with apprehension who the woman was the doctor was talking about.

"—and of course we took her in and gave her food and shelter, and a place to rest her head. And when the girl came to her senses, she told us, imagine this, that she would have her baby in a month! And her brother in Egypt, and her husband dead… Well, I felt so sorry for the poor dear, I was willing to do anything for her, so of course I scurried off as fast as I could to find those papers."

Kaiba was starting to worry. He had written off the woman as a lunatic, but from the sound of the doctor's babbling, the woman had hoodwinked her into taking some sort of legal measures for… what? Surely it had nothing to do with that crazy godfather nonsense…

"So as soon as I got those papers," said Dr. Mazukaru, "she gave me the names and phone numbers of the two people she named as godparents to her child. I had no idea why she seemed so desperate, but I suppose it is fortunate that we got that taken care of while we could." Her smile dropped, and her face fell. "She died, Mr. Kaiba," she said in a somber tone, quite different from her cheerful burble. "She died right after giving birth. I won't forget her last words: 'Tell them to take care of my daughter.' And she died without even giving a name to that beautiful baby girl." Mazukaru wiped the tears out of her sad eyes.

This is not good, thought Kaiba nervously, waiting for the doctor to regain composure. This is not good at all.

Mazukaru, now dry-eyed, continued. "We've already tried calling the child's godmother several times this week, but have been unable to talk with her as of yet. You have to understand, Mr. Kaiba, that we are short of space in this hospital already, and we cannot keep the child here any longer. The only other option is to send the girl to an orphanage, and you of all people can understand why we don't want to do that."

That old SNAKE! thought Kaiba angrily. She's playing on my goddamn miserable childhood at that goddamn miserable orphanage. "And I suppose," he said coolly, "that you want me to take the infant?"

She gave him a sad smile. "We were hoping that you would."

Now Kaiba had to weigh the consequences. He had neither the desire, nor the time, to take care of a child, and indeed, had no idea how one went about doing so. He was a businessman, not a family man, and he didn't know how adopting a child would change the professional image he had worked so long to perfect. He didn't want to be known as a sentimental fool to his ruthless business partners. Plus, he had no love for the strange child, and had had bad experiences with a step-father who didn't love him. He did not want to become another Gozaburo.

On the other hand, what Mazukaru had said was true: Kaiba knew the hell he went through, and Mokuba went through, all those years at the orphanage, and he could not put anyone through that misery, even indirectly. And that was enough to make him hesitate in his decision.

Mazukaru saw the conflict in the young man's eyes, and decided to assist him with his decision. "Follow me," she said, walking into the room she had led them to.

Kaiba followed her into the nursery he had peeked into earlier. Again his nose wrinkled, but this time it was the smell: a combination of formula and talcum powder. The sound of crying grated in his ears, and he clenched his jaw, eager to get out.

The doctor walked over to a basket in the corner, where a baby lay, wrapped in a pink blanket. Even Kaiba could tell that she was a sweet girl, sleeping calmly while those around her cried and fussed obnoxiously. Kaiba felt a strange feeling that he had not felt in a very long time: compassion towards a stranger. Even the most cold-hearted of all CEOs would feel compassion for this poor child, sleeping contentedly, not knowing that she was alone in the world. But he would allow none of this compassion, none of this pity, to show. He still wore the sneer that had become a permanent fixture on his face.

But Dr. Mazukaru, who had worked with hundreds of patients, knew how to look past a patient's facial expression and into his or her eyes, the windows to the soul. She could see the pity and attachment in Kaiba's eyes, and she knew that he was at the edge of convinced. And she knew how to push him over that edge. She reached down into the basket and picked the baby up. "Why don't you hold her, Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba looked at the doctor, startled. He had no clue how to handle a baby. What if he dropped it on its head, and killed it? But with a free hand, Mazukaru positioned his arms, and before he could protest, he felt the weight of the child tucked into his embrace.

He looked down at the small, sleeping bundle he held gingerly. She felt just right in his arms, and she looked so contented. Indeed, the two seemed to have been made for each other, as a satisfied Mazukaru thought. They were the perfect picture of father and daughter.

Well, isn't this darling, smirked the voice in Kaiba's head. You, staring goo-goo eyed at the little bundle of puke in your arms. Are you Seto Kaiba, President and CEO of Kaiba Corp, or are you Papa Seto, singing lullabies, and feeding and burping Baby, and then wiping up after she pukes all over your clothes?

"This is madness," agreed Kaiba out loud. "I'm 21 years old, and the president of a multinational corporation. I have no time to have a family." He tried to hand the baby back to Mazukaru, but she pushed it back to him.

"I will not let that child spend another night here. Either she goes with you, or she goes to an orphanage, but she will not stay here." Mazukaru knew she was being harsh, but she needed to push Kaiba just a little further.

That orphanage thing again! She's doing it on purpose, I know it!

But how can I refuse?

"I don't know how to be a father," said Kaiba almost pleadingly. "I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Are you telling me," asked Mazukaru, eyebrow raised, "that there is no one in that big house of yours that knows how to care for a child?"

Kaiba's mind wandered to the large caretaking staff at the Kaiba mansion, all of whom hated him for being such an arrogant jerk. "Well, yes, but—"

"Then you're good to go," said Dr. Mazukaru. She abruptly took the baby from Kaiba, and hurried into an adjacent room. Kaiba stood watching as she returned with a diaper bag in one hand, and a baby carrier in the other. "Put this bag over your shoulder, like a purse," she instructed, smiling at Kaiba's obvious reluctance at her choice of words. "Then use two hands to carry the carrier. You don't want to accidentally drop it." She told him some other rudimentary skills of child care, then bid him goodbye. Right before he left, she said, "Mr. Kaiba, the girl has not been named yet. Do you know yet what you would like to name her?"

Kaiba looked down at the baby, whom he was becoming more attached to every minute. But a name…?

Kaiba took on his usual tone. "I don't care. I'll let her mother name her. Women like to decide that kind of thing. I will see that the baby receives sufficient care. Good evening." He was halfway out the door before a question came to his mind. "May I inquire as to the identity of her godmother?"

Mazukaru checked the contact sheet. "The godmother is a Miss Serenity Wheeler, and I have her phone number here, if you would like it."

Wheeler! thought Kaiba, dumbfounded. The puppy's sister! Of all the people to share custody with… Let us hope that she is more bearable than Wheeler… It would be quite impossible to be less bearable, after all… but it might be hereditary. This is a strange situation indeed. Kaiba smirked. Wheeler will doubtless be amused by the fact that the father of his sister's child is the man he hates most in the world.

He took the note with Serenity's address and phone number written on it, then left the hospital. He climbed into his limo, looking at the driver in the rearview mirror. If the driver was surprised by Kaiba's 'acquisition', he belied it well.

-V-

"Oh, the bastard's back, I see," spat one young maid in the Kaiba mansion, spotting the limo's headlights from the kitchen window.

Snorts of agreement were made by all the rest of the staff, who all hated their employer with a vengeance. Of course, none of them would have dared show such disrespect right to Kaiba's face, but behind closed kitchen doors, many a curse was thrown towards the cold young man. (They weren't aware of the concealed microphones that fed their every word directly to Kaiba, who knew what they said and didn't care.)

"At first I felt sorry for him, with his brother and all," said another, "but after that he became more of a slave drive, and more heartless than ever."

"We should all quite one day," said a man at the sink, washing dishes. "Then he'll see how much he really needs us, and how he depends on us, but by then it will be too late."

"Let me remind you," said a cold voice from the door, "that you are all under contract, and if you quit then you forfeit all the pay you have earned to this point."

All the servants turned, and were very unpleasantly surprised to see Kaiba, the object of their grumbling, staring at them from the doorway. But what was more surprising was the carrier he dangled from one hand, which appeared to be occupied by a sleeping pink bundle.

"Find me the head housekeeper, that Umake woman," ordered Kaiba. "We need to talk."

"Did I hear my name?" asked a venerable old woman emerging from the back stairs. Miro Umake had been hired by Gozaburo Kaiba when the mansion was first built, and had been working there ever since. She was well into her 70s, with fluffy gray hair and kindly brown eyes (though at the moment they were hardly kindly towards the disagreeable CEO). Kaiba knew that if anyone knew how to raise a child, it was Umake. However…

"What do you need, Mr. Kaiba? I am extremely busy, currently, and do not have time to trade words with the likes of you, sir." She made the title sound like an insult. Then her eyes widened as she caught sight of the baby. "Good lord, Mr. Kaiba, what is the meaning of this?" She followed him out the door, the curious servants running to the keyhole, trying to hear what was going on.

Kaiba explained to Miro the entire story, beginning with the encounter with the woman, ending with his surprising day.

"Mr. Kaiba, as I interpret this, you need my personal help with this child. Yet there is nothing in my contract saying that I have to help you raise your adopted child. So I do not see why I should help you, when you have never been particularly pleasant to me in the 10 years you've lived here."

"I would be willing to offer you a salary raise, of course," added Kaiba somewhat impatiently. The baby was beginning to give off a pungent odor, and Kaiba had a sneaking suspicion as to the source.

"You don't get it, do you Mr. Kaiba? I would like you to pay me the respect I deserve for 10 years of hard work and loyal service to you and to your mansion." She smiled sardonically, knowing well that Kaiba would never be able to accomplish this feat.

This idea was so novel to Kaiba, he had to stop and consider it. Surely he showed his appreciation. He paid her, right? And gave her food, and a place to stay in the mansion. He may not have been particularly chummy with her, but she was a servant. It didn't matter. Or did it? That was what Kaiba was contemplating.

There was an awkward silence, then something happened that neither person quite expected. Kaiba bowed to Miro, and then said in his most humble voice, "Please, I… need your help. You know more about this than I ever will."

Miro smiled, a true smile this time, and said, "Good evening, Mr. Kaiba. I do not believe that we have been properly introduced. My name is Miro Umake, and I am head manager of the Kaiba mansion." The two shook hands, Kaiba somewhat reluctantly, humiliated by his servile action.

Miro noticed the sour and somewhat sick look on Kaiba's face, and chuckled. Must be hard for him, bowing to someone lower than he is. "May I hold the child, Mr. Kaiba?" she asked, taking the baby into her arms and studying her fondly. "How precious. What's her name?"

"She doesn't have one yet. I figured I'd let her godmother name her." That reminded him. He yelled very loudly, so the eavesdropping servants would hear, "I need one of you to locate Serenity Wheeler for me. Tell me as soon as you have her." Several servants jumped to fulfill the direct order from their boss. "Serenity is the baby's godmother, and I need to talk to her about custodial arrangements, and names, and such," he said more quietly to Miro.

"Well, the fact that she is the godmother is fortunate. According to Ryou, Serenity is a very nice girl, and very caring towards her family and friends." Ryou Bakura, Miro's grandson, frequently visited his grandmother at the Kaiba Mansion; Kaiba knew the two were very close.

"The servants will find her soon for you, Mr. Kaiba. And in the meantime," she added, "I have to teach you how to change a diaper."

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I figured I would take pity on our protagonist and give him a relatively angst-free chapter. He's going to need it, especially for what's coming up ahead:cackles:

Also, if you're not a fan of corporate politics, you probably won't like this story very much. The issue with Harrison and Kaiba Corp evolves into one of the main plots of the a little later on. Don't get me wrong; there's action, and romance, and humor and angst and all that good stuff! But there's also a lot of corporate politics…

…Reviews? I'd love some…