Reset Reality

Chapter 5

Loyal

Yami groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He had a pulsing headache, and the back of his head throbbed. He went to rub his hair, and his arm caught. He looked down. He had been handcuffed to a chair, his wrists cuffed to the arms and his ankles to the legs. Yami tugged at the restraints. He had to get out of here.

"Still struggling? You geeks never did learn when to quit." A cool voice growled. Yami stopped his struggle and looked around. The large room contained various computers and monitors. At one corner lay a large black object, like a giant canister. The source of the voice walked from behind Yami to stare before him. The figure wore a dark blue trenchcoat over black jeans and a black shirt adorned with the familiar purple Eye of Anubis that was Darek's trademark. Yami growled. Even in five years, in an alternate reality, some things never changed.

"Kaiba." He spat. Kaiba chuckled.

"Yami. It's been a while." The man replied. "When Pegasus told me we had a suspect traitor on the Project, I never imagined it would be you. I do hope the irony isn't wasted on you."

"Damn you Kaiba, how could you betray us?" Yami demanded. "You turned your back on all of us, just to survive!" Kaiba glared.

"Betray? I do believe that betrayal usually encompasses loyalty of some sort. I've been telling you all along, I was never one of your little pep squad members. Drill that into your head. We aren't, and never were allies. As for my alliance with Darek…excuse me for betting on the winning team. Plus, I was promised the chance to kill that bastard Drake as a nice incentive. Too bad we haven't seen him for so long. He's probably dead, in which case I'm rather disappointed. But I can also make due by killing you."

"Release me, and we'll see how that pans out." Yami challenged. Kaiba crossed his arms.

"You were late for work, you failed to attend the Clinic as ordered, and you were spotted near both the bombing, and Téa Gardner. Explain now why you shouldn't die for treason."

"Kaiba, this isn't the way things are supposed to be." Yami insisted. "Please, you must remember. Darek never came to power, Yugi defeated him. I don't know what has happened to change history, but this is not the way things happened! Please, you must believe me."

"Making up stories will not help." Kaiba said. "Now I'm in quite the dilemma here, Yami." He pulled a radio from his pocket. "Bring 'er." A pair of steel doors behind Kaiba slid open, and a pair of Hitotsu-Me Giants pulled in a bound Téa.

"Téa!" Yami gasped.

"Now, I can keep you and Téa locked up here as a present for Darek when he arrives tonight, or I can let you go and lead us to the rest of the DRF, and keep Téa as insurance. Decisions, decisions…" Kaiba pondered. Yami perked up.

"Darek is coming here?" He asked.

"But of course. After all, he has to be here for Project Shadow Beam to work properly." Kaiba leaned down and grabbed Yami's chin, forcing him to look up at him. "Now, this is how it will work. You will tell us all you know about the DRF. And if you do not, she will die." Yami glared. What was that word they used in modern times to express contempt? Oh yes, he remembered.

"Fuck you." Yami snapped. Kaiba raised an eyebrow and withdrew his hand before making a fist and punching Yami in the mouth, snapping his head to the side.

"Yami, I like to think I'm reasonable. Now, I am getting angry, and I'd advise you to speak." Kaiba snarled. Yami just glared. "Fine. If you will not tell us, then we'll do this the hard way." One of the Giants holding Téa left, and a few moments later, re-entered holding a long chain. Behind him, limping through the doors, was a creature.

It had wrinkled, grey skin covering its entire body, which was roughly humanoid in shape and size. It had 2 legs, one of which was longer than the rest, forcing it to take strange steps to stay balanced. It had two arms in the normal places, but the hands were weak, four-fingered things that didn't look very strong. It had a 6-inch neck that jutted forward, topped by a wolf head with 3 closed eyes. The chain was attached to a thick metal collar around its neck. The thing reminded Yami of something like the mythical werewolves he had heard of, only more frail. As the creature neared Yami, the eyes opened to stare at him sadly. Yami gasped. The eyes, though there were 3, were a light purple. Yami knew those eyes.

"Yugi…." He whispered. Kaiba chuckled.

"Now, either you will tell us of the DRF, or I shall personally order Yugi here to kill and devour her." He said, gesturing to Téa. Yugi whimpered and shrunk back as Téa began to struggle again. "Or, you can tell us what you know, and she shall live. For the time, at least."

"No…" Yami said.

"Alright then. Tell me what the DRF has planned for Project Shadow Beam, and I shall have Darek restore Yugi." Kaiba lashed out and gave a swift chop to Yugi's neck. Yugi collapsed to the ground before him, and struggled to get up on his misshapen legs. "Now, what shall it be?"

"D…" Kaiba froze at the low, raspy sound. Yugi grabbed Yami's leg and pulled himself towards the chair before putting a hand on Yami's knee to pull himself up. Yugi looked into Yami's eyes. "D….doooooo….doooooooon't." Yugi groaned, drawing out the sound. Kaiba glared and snatched Yugi's chain from the Giant and snapped it back. Yugi let out a strangled sound as he was pulled back onto his back. He writhes as Kaiba snapped the chain, lashing the metal in Yugi's throat.

"Tell me. Or they shall both die." Kaiba commanded. Yami looked up at Téa as she struggled futilely in the grasp of the hulking Kaa holding her. He then glanced down at Yugi as he struggled to right himself on his feet, no one making a move to help him. Yami hung his head, and Téa gasped.

"NO!" She screamed.

"I'll tell you everything." Yami muttered. Kaiba smiled.

"Excellent. Darek definitely knew what he was doing, making me control Domino. Once he flies in from England tonight, I'll have lots of interesting news to tell him." Yami's head shot up.

"England?" He asked. "I thought Darek was in the US."

"He is." Kaiba replied.

"But you just said…" Yami trailed off as Kaiba grinned a mysterious grin. A tiny glimmer of hope shined. "This isn't real!" Yami yelled triumphantly. "You slipped up! Darek leads from the US, not England! You screwed up, that proves this can't be real!"

"Real? Does it matter?" Kaiba laughed. "Real or not, it doesn't matter. What if I had Yugi rip out your throat right now? It may not be real, but I'll bet it would seem real. It changes nothing."

"It changes everything." Yami insisted, smiling happily. "You messed up. Your words prove this world is not real. I don't know what is happening here, but it is just an illusion." Kaiba narrowed his eyes before turning to Yugi.

"Attack!" He snarled. Yugi leapt, unable to disobey, and knocked Téa to the ground. Yugi growled and reached for Téa's throat, Téa's hands coming up to barely block him.

"Now then, shall we try this again?" Kaiba snickered, noting Yami's shocked reaction. "Now, tell me of the DRF." Yami hesitated. What if he was reading too much into that? It was just a slip of the tongue. Maybe this was real…

"They have something planned for Project Shadow Beam. What, I do not know, I have not contacted them until today. I am to meet a contact sometime later today, but I haven't been told who they are, or where I will meet them. That is all I know." Yami said. Kaiba nodded.

"I see. Very well then. Yami, you shall be returned to your work station, and you shall proceed with your plan to meet with the DRF. At that point, I shall have the army destroy their main forces. Thank you Yami. Your help shall lead us to the downfall of the DRF."

"I won't." Yami insisted.

"You will, or she shall die." Kaiba said, pulling Téa to him by the shoulder. "Do as we ask, and I give you my word, she shall be allowed to live."

"And Yugi?" Yami reminded him.

"I'll try and talk Darek into changing him back, but I make no guarantees." Kaiba replied. Yami glared.

"Very well. You shall have the DRF. What about Project Shadow Beam?" Kaiba smiled.

"It shall go forward as planned." He said. Yami clenched his fists as Kaiba cast a glance at Téa. "Take her to a holding cell." He muttered, tossing her to one of the Giants. Yugi hung his head as the Giant grabbed his chain to lead him away. "Either Téa or the DRF, Yami. One of the them shall be destroyed tonight. Your choice." Yami's breath hitched as the other Giant stepped forward. Those visions at work…one life for the world…

"I'll be watching." Kaiba finished, turning and walking away. As he left, the Giant chuckled and made a fist. Yami's world went black as the giant Kaa rammed its fist into his face.

- - - - - - - - - -

Yami lifted his head and looked around. He was back in his cubicle. His computer screen was blank, the CPU turned off. Everyone else was gone. Yami stood and looked around.

"Hey Yugi!" A voice called. Yugi turned to see a colored man wave him towards the door. "C'mon, we were told to head to the roof."

"For what?" He asked. The man's gaze darkened.

"He's arriving to oversee the execution of Project Shadow Beam." The man explained. Yami narrowed his eyes and followed him. The man led Yami to the elevator, and they took it to the top floor. There, a crowd had gathered near a railing at one edge of the building. Yami growled and pushed his way through them. He had to see. He noticed a series of telescopes set up along the railing, and pushed his way to one. He looked up as a large shuttle flew down. Beyond the building edge was a building with a large, flat roof. A landing pad. The large shuttle landed, and a hatch opened on the side. Yami put his eye to the telescope and focused in on it.

7 feet tall. A bronze tan. Black, wavy hair to the waist. A muscular body. Black boots. Baggy, purple silk pants. A long, red cape. A pair of dark brown eyes that pierced the soul. Even after 5 years, Lord Darek Higurashi still looked the same. Darek stepped off the shuttle and shook hands with Kaiba, who was waiting. Kaiba looked like he was saying something, and Darek smiled. Yami scowled. No doubt his old rival had just informed Darek of Téa's capture, and the impending downfall of the DRF. Kaiba and Darek turned to leave, then stopped. Kaiba said something, and Darek turned around to stare straight up ay Yami.

Yami withdrew from his telescope and stared back. Even though they were over a hundred meters apart, Yami and Darek locked eyes. Yami's blood boiled. This was him. The man who had slaughtered his friends. The man who had turned Yugi into a monster. The man who had practically single-handedly enslaved the world. Bearer of the mighty Kaa Reshef the Dark Being. Owner of Six of the Seven Millennium Items. Controller of Shiva, Golem, Efrite and Pazuzu, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Barbarian King of Western Egypt. Lord of the Setting Sun (1). Darek.

"Five years ago, I made a mistake. And I intend to correct it." Yami whispered. "This ends tonight Darek." Yami knew there was no way Darek could have heard him. And even if he had, he knew there was no way he could have heard his reply. But he did.

"Yes Pharaoh." Darek chuckled. "It does."

1: Setting Sun, or Sunset, translated into Higurashi. Hence Darek's last name.