YUGIOH

Falling From Grace

Chapter 17.

"I....I don't know what you're talking about." Tea said, backing up a few steps from the living Duel Monster.

"Oh? Did you forget the Shadow Pact, already? It is time for me to collect, little human." He stated, approaching her.

"N-no....he died of a heart-attack! I heard it!" Tea said, attempting to protest, yet getting a terrible sinking feeling in her chest.

"And who do you think gave him the heart-attack, sweet thing?" Saggi asked her.

"You're lying! You didn't do anything....he died on his own!" Tea said, clinging to denial.

"You think so? Well, let's find out." Saggi suddenly appeared right next to her, lifting her hands up. "Ahhh, yes....your hands are as bloody as mine."

Blood drenched Tea's hands, as she shrieked, trying to wipe them off in desperation. Saggi laughed evilly. "Silly human....you cannot wipe your hands clean. They will forever be tainted with the blood of that human."

"No! That's not true! I didn't do anything! I didn't kill him!" Tea cried, as tears began to fall from her eyes.

"You hired me to do it. You put the noose around his neck, asking me to pull the lever. Like it or not, your guilt is just as strong as mine....and now it is time you paid for your demands of me." He said, coldly.

Tea looked up at him, suddenly fearful of what he was going to ask for. "Wh-what do you want f-from me?"

Saggi approached her slowly, as she continued to back up. And yet, no matter how much she backed away, he still seemed to be gaining ground. She could only imagine the horrors of what he wanted from her....her life, her virginity, maybe some kind of gang bang with duel monsters and her. Her and Saggi....ick! The very thought disgusted her.

Saggi then stopped next to her, and pulled out a vile. "Drink this....drink it, and we'll call it even."

"Dr-drink?" Tea asked. She looked at it. "It's not poison, is it?"

Saggi laughed cruelly, stating, "I could simply kill you if I wanted you dead. What would I need this little thing for?"

Her eyes then widened, asking, "It's not a love potion, is it?" Horrified that she was going to end up falling in love with such a gross-looking creature as Saggi.

Saggi stated, "Under the rules of the Shadow Pact, I don't have to answer anything you ask. You are to serve my demand without question. But you are obviously new to this, so I will honor you with this one answer. No....it is not a love potion. Now, drink."

With a trembling hand, she reached out for the vile. She opened it to see the eerie black substance that didn't have a pleasant smell to it, at all.

'Oh, Yugi....forgive me.' She thought, knowing what she had done was wrong, and fearing that this might somehow hurt her relationship with her friends even more. Knowing she had to pay for what she had done, she held her nose and downed it quickly.

As she tilted her head up to drink the concoction, Saggi watched with sick amusement. 'No, not a love potion....but something far more darker and stronger. Lust, obsession, all the darker desires one could feel is in that vile. It will be much more potent than the love potion you have used, but lasting a much shorter time, as well....yet still long enough to serve it's purpose. Hahahaha....my master will be pleased in the end. Oh, yesss....very pleased, indeed.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The bell rang out loudly, as the game shop door was whipped open, slamming hard against the inside wall of the store. Everyone turned, including Tea who was instantly thrusted from the dark realm and back to reality. And the first person she caught sight of was the person entering the store: Seto Kaiba. Instantly, her eyes widened in shock of the sight....he was like a beacon of light in a tunnel of emptiness that felt like her heart. Darkness was now all around her....and he was her only hope to escape.

Yugi also turned to catch the sight of Kaiba. The very instant he did so, he felt a strange weakness come over him. 'That's strange....why do I feel so weird?'

'Something's wrong, Yugi. I felt it, too. I feel like I have been somehow....drained.'

'Really?' Yugi asked. 'I feel kinda....empty. As if I had just lost something important to me. Could Kaiba have anything to do with this?'

Kaiba had looked over the crowd, seeing Tea staring at him strangely, Yugi looking at him with fear and concern, Tristan looking confused, and finally Joey looking very fearful and embarrassed. Kaiba wasn't sure why they were almost all gawking at him with weird looks on their faces. Tristan for once appeared to be the most normal of them all.

He focused his gaze on Joey, and wondered if he had something to do with it....maybe he finally told them what happened. But then, no one looked at Joey at all, which is what he would expect if they knew. Yugi was the first to speak up, asking, "Kaiba, what are you doing here?"

"Strange question, Yugi. I thought you said I'm always welcome here." Kaiba stated coldly, his eyes still fixed on Joey, who swallowed nervously.

When Joey ran away with his friends, Kaiba had questioned himself if that was rejection. But after thinking about it, he decided it was not. Perhaps Joey had problems with another man. Perhaps Joey had commitment problems in general. Or maybe Kaiba's sheer will made Joey nervous. Kaiba knew he had a tendency to automatically make people nervous around him, so that would be no surprise.

But whatever Joey's problem was....it didn't really matter to him. As far as Kaiba was concerned, he would make Joey accept this, no matter how much he resisted. Perhaps the dog simply needed a little more training.

When he first approached Joey that fateful day in the alley, he originally feared what he might do if something got in his way between him and his objective. But since Joey didn't resist him that first night, Kaiba's confidence in this need for Joey grew tenfold towards him.

Now, whatever concern he had before in his pursuit to have Joey....it was gone and replaced with a determination to do whatever it took to get what he wanted. He would not let Joey get away....he would make him his. And one way or another....Joey 'would' accept it.

And like the day he first approached Joey in the alley, Kaiba once again took the time to properly stalk his prey, waiting for the right moment to spring. He considered waiting until Joey was alone once again....but he didn't fear nor care what anyone else thought of the matter, and he had no intention to play some kind of stupid hide and seek game with the mutt. If anything, showing up in front of Joey's friends to claim what was his would be the perfect opportunity. It would allow the rest of them to know that Joey now belonged to him.

"Um....yeah, but....where's Mokuba?" Yugi asked. Yugi would normally be quite happy to have Kaiba here. But Kaiba's actions were unusual, and the feeling both him and Yami were getting when he entered wasn't good. Something was wrong....and from what Yugi could tell, Kaiba seemed to be responsible for it.

"Home." Kaiba stated simply. Kaiba now approached, his eyes still not leaving Joey, who cringed against the wall. Kaiba simply snatched Joey, pulling him closer by the arm, and ordered, "Let's go...."

Instantly, Yugi changed to Yami and moved in-between to protect his friend, as he snapped, "What do you think you're doing, Kaiba? Leave Joey alone....he's not going anywhere with you!"

"We have something to discuss....stay out of it, Yugi!" Kaiba snapped.

"If he leaves, Kaiba….he'll do it on his own accord, and not by you man-handling him!" Yami snapped, staying protectively in front of Joey, only assuming the worst - especially after that drain he felt.

'Interesting choice of words.' Kaiba thought. Finally, Kaiba turned his attention from Joey to Yami, glaring daggers at him. "So....you still think you're better than me, don't you?" As Kaiba asked this, he glanced back over at Joey.

Now that Kaiba felt so deeply for him, he absolutely hated the fact that Joey would cling behind Yami, like his hero. Kaiba wanted to be that person that Joey would protectively hide behind....not Yami! Once again, Yami was somehow getting in the way of what he wanted. He would not let that happen again. No....this time, Kaiba would prove to Joey that he was more worthy than Yami was. He would earn Joey's attention and loyalty.

"I've never thought that at all, Kaiba." Yami stated. "I'm only protecting...."

"You're only protecting what's yours. Of course...." Kaiba stated, turning his direction back towards Yami. "Well, maybe it's about time I changed that, as well."

Yami didn't understand what Kaiba meant. From what he could tell, it sounded like Kaiba had some sick intention to hurt his friends.

Now, Kaiba finally backed away, then pointed at Yami with all his pride and conviction. "I challenge you to a duel! And when I win, you are not only going to finally admit that I am the one true Duel King, but you are going to stay out of my business once and for all. Got it??"

Yami just smirked, saying, "Suit yourself, Kaiba. But there is no way you can win. As long as I have my friends behind me, I will be the one that comes out victorious!"

"Well, I think he can!" Tea suddenly snapped, surprising everyone....including Kaiba.

"What?" Yami asked.

Tea looked coldly at Yami, saying, "You heard what I said." She approached Kaiba, placing her hand on Kaiba's shoulder, saying, "Kaiba is the best duelist of them all. You have no right to be talking to him that way. I hate you, Yugi....I want nothing to do with you! Kaiba is the one I will be routing for....he's the only one that deserves it!"

"Tea?" Tristan asked.

"Like, what have you been smoking?" Joey asked.

"This is not funny, Tea." Yami said.

"Who's laughing...." Tea said, looking at Kaiba, dreamily.

Whatever anger Kaiba had been feeling a minute ago had faded, now too freaked out to have Yugi's fan girl pawing and practically drooling on his shoulder. He immediately shrugged her off, snapping, "No thanks....I don't need a cheer-leading crew."

Tea instantly looked hurt from that, saying, "I'm sorry....please don't be angry with me! I'll be better, I promise!" Then tried to cling to him once again. The others just stood there stunned, having no clue what to say. They were as equally confused from Tea's actions as Kaiba was.

This was all too weird for Kaiba. He shoved her away once again, turning to Yami and saying, "I'll give you the details tomorrow on when and where." He then smirked, adding, "Don't chicken out."

Before the Tea leach could cling to him for a third time, Kaiba abruptly turned and left the store. But Tea didn't stick around either, and quickly ran out after him all the way to the limo, before he finally slammed the door in her face and drove off.

"Kaiba! Please don't leave me!!" She begged. 'This is all my fault!' She thought. 'I was so mean to him....I gave him that potion and made him like Joey. It should have been me he liked! It should have been ME!!'

When Yugi and the others ran out to follow her, she was on the hard pavement, on her knees in tears.

"Tea....??" Yugi asked, feeling heart-broken from what she had said to him.

Tea whirled to see Yugi, then Joey and Tristan behind him. "This is all your fault!" Tea snarled coldly at Joey. "You don't deserve him! I 'will' find a way to make him hate you again! This isn't over!!" With that said, Tea stormed away....leaving everyone standing there, unsure what to say or think about Tea's strange behavior.


Narr: Wow....this chapter was a lot longer than the norm, so atleast you had more to read. Plus, you got some more Tea torture! (evil grin)

Next week: Well....you guys wanted more Kaiba/Joey. Now, you got it! Kaiba sets plan B into action!

What's his plans with Joey, and will Joey's friends figure out what's really going on? Read and see!