Well, since the only two reviewers requested it, I will be telling the full story of "Downfall" . . .
I've often heard people say that the one important thing in life is love. Once I was even told that love "makes the world go around". And that is why they could never possibly have come as far as I have, why they haven't achieved what I have. Those fools think that friendship is going to save them. I, of course, know better. I've learned from my experiences that if there is one force that keeps everything moving and in order, it's control.
Sure, people give it other names, other forms – power, authority, responsibility, wealth even. But it all comes down to the issue of who's making the decisions, who has the control. And I have it. After all of my hard work and manipulating, I finally was the one running things. My life, Kaiba Corp, and my brother, my only family, all under my control. But now I'm losing it. Lately there have been so many threats to my authority and even ownership of the company that I've lost count of the times that I've had to manage to buy it back.
I've always prided myself on my personal discipline. I didn't get to be CEO of this company by being lazy. But the last few months, I've found myself falling asleep in the middle of my work more often. Which is completely unacceptable. Just last week I almost missed sealing an important deal because of my revolting inability to stay awake long enough to accomplish what is needed for the success of my company. But I've found a solution, a temporary one, anyway. It started out entirely harmless. Coffee. I said I'd never drink it; but in desperation I caved. I was astounded by the effectiveness of caffeine, until, ironically it stopped working entirely. And I'd have a serious scandal on my hands if someone found out my replacement for my daily latte.
And then there's Mokuba . . .
A door slammed somewhere to the left of Kaiba's study, a sure indication that his teenage younger brother was finally home. After glancing quickly at the expensive watch he wore on his left hand, he sighed and slid backward in his wheeled chair to stand at his desk.
"Mokuba." Immediately after calling his brother's name, Kaiba heard ridiculously loud music suddenly blast from the direction of Mokuba's room. Frowning, he put the top of his lap top down and strode determinedly out of his study and into his brother's bedroom. The sixteen-year-old laid on his bed facing the headboard, away from the doorway and his older brother. "Do you have any idea what time it is? Kaiba demanded.
"Glad to see you, too, Seto," Mokuba muttered in response before reaching over to turn up the volume on the CD player on his dresser. His older brother was quicker, moving across the floor to take the player out of Mokuba's reach with enough strength to jerk the plug out of the outlet in the wall. "Hey!"
"Where in the world have you been?"
"I was out. With my friends. Something you certainly wouldn't understand." Seto suppressed the urge to use words he knew he'd regret later.
"You didn't tell me where you were." Kaiba wasn't really trying to aggravate Mokuba, he truly was concerned about his brother's habit of disappearing, especially when he wasn't entirely sure where he disappeared to.
"Since when do you care what I do? As long as I don't ruin your precious reputation, or cost you the company. Isn't that right, Kaiba?" The bitterness with which the teenager spat out the last word stung worse than any other insult the older brother had ever been dealt.
"What did you call me?"
"What you are," Mokuba replied, seizing the CD player back from his stunned brother. In a few seconds he had it back on his dresser and plugged in to the wall. "It's what you wanted, isn't it?" he asked with a sneer before turning on his music at an even higher volume than before.
"I wanted you to be happy." Kaiba commented in a calmer tone. The spiteful, rebellious teen before him was anything but happy. Mokuba pretended that he hadn't heard him, and soon was rewarded with his older brother's departure from the room with a desperate sigh. The teen turned his CD player off and rolled over onto his stomach, shoving his face directly into the down feather pillow at the head of his bed. And I just wanted my brother.
That's it for now, please review. Next chapter coming soon!
Hope