Hey, look it's a new chapter! Ok. . . lots of things to say to people, so here it goes: (Oh I'm also looking for a BETA. . . I don't know how that whole BETA thing works but um. . . if someone out there knows. . . that would be great if they told me! lol)
MissDomaYuset: I will try to be nicer to Seto, I really do like him . . . but he always seemed power hungry to me . . . so that is how I portray him, but you'll see some of his softer side some other time (hint hint)
Growing Pains: Wow, thanks. I try so hard to keep the characters in character! I also try to add some humor! I also have to add that your musings are somewhat accurate, but I can't give anymore away! (Oh I hung my gold star in my room, lol)
SusArackAhack: I'm not a car person, and a BMW would have been great. . . maybe I'll work it in somewhere, too bad I didn't have it at the beginning though.
Mirage: Look a new chapter since your all eager!
Bunbunlover: All of your reviews were great, I'm glad you were on a roll! I was really happy to read them!
5animefan: Thanks a lot.
Melamory: Thanks, now you don't have to wait for a new chapter.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it was awesome to hear everyone's input! And hey if you're checking out my story and don't want to review. . . thanks for checking it out! Hope this chapter is good, I liked although it's mostly talking, but whatever. Review or not. . . it's up to you. SO it took me a little longer for this chapter because I had to figure out a way . . . well you'll see . . . enough babbling . . . here you go:
Disclaimer: YGO is and will never be mine.
Upon entering her building, Mai quickly ran up to her office. She grabbed the phone just in time. Somehow it started to ring as soon as she entered the building and she didn't know why.
"Mai Valentine speaking." Mai answered.
"Oh good it's you . . . this is James. I found out that stuff that you wanted." he said. Mai smiled and said she would be at his house as soon as she could.
Within the next few minutes, she was driving down the road 90 mph. Luckily nobody else seemed to be around, but then again who is at midnight?
She turned into the driveway and practically ran toward the door. The house which she found herself in was old and falling apart. It seemed that the porch would cave in within any second and the white paint had peeled off into ugly, gray siding.
The living room was cluttered with newspapers and pizza boxes. It was a funny place for Kaiba's top executive to be living.
"Do you have it ready?" Mai asked quickly. The less she was in there, the better.
"Here you go Mai." James replied as he handed over the brown envelope. Mai let a small smile cross her face.
"Thanks James." she replied briskly as she turned to walk out the door.
"Wait. . . Mai . . . did you call him yet?" James asked. Mai let her hand drop from the doorknob.
"No, but I'll get there." she said sincerely. James raised his eyebrow and ran his hand through his messy black hair. He was somewhat tan and stocky in fact. In this house he looked like a total slob, but at work . . . he looked like another businessman.
Mai shook her head and stopped staring.
"Are you sure you can do this?" he asked, his voice full of doubt.
"You don't know the real me James . . . I can do anything I want." she said curtly as she walked away. Her smile slowly faded.
It seemed like another day, well the weather did anyway. Rain drizzled all over the city and clouds covered the sun. The sky seemed to be covered in a bleak darkness that seemed almost hopeless.
Mai leaned back into her chair and spun it around a few times.
She had been in that same position all night.
In fact, after her late night visit to James's house, she went right back to the office. She placed the envelope on the table and had been staring at it ever since.
In that one envelope . . . well the information in it . . . it could give her what she needs. That envelope contains all the secrets she needs to take down the one person who could stop her from having ultimate power of the city.
If he wasn't here . . . if she was in his seat . . . the city would be hers. In a roundabout way, almost everyone would work for her. Nobody would be able to stop her . . .
Mai bit her lip and took a deep breath. It seemed like too big of a dream for the answers to be in the envelope.
His life was in this envelope.
All she had to do was open it.
Yet this seemed like the one thing she couldn't do. It was such a simple task. All she had to do was peel back the flap and Domino could be hers.
Kaiba's life was in this envelope.
"Miss Valentine, the student for the internship is here to see you." Jenny announced on the intercom, temporarily tearing Mai away from her thoughts. In fact, work was the perfect distraction.
She took a heavy sigh and placed the envelope in her desk and locked it.
She sat upright as the doors to her office opened, revealing a small girl with long auburn hair. Mai smiled, a true genuine smile.
"Serenity." she greeted. Serenity smiled and waved.
"Mai, I didn't know you were in charge here!" Serenity said with a smile. Mai just shook her head and watched as Serenity took a seat in the chair across from her.
"Well I'm glad you made it through all of the tests." Mai said. Although Mai was head of the corporation, the internship was something she forgot about.
She was to busy letting her feelings get in her way.
"Yeah, but I don't know how well I'll do in the fashion world . . . at least Duke's working here though, I'm sure he'll help me." Serenity babbled.
"Huh . . . oh right Duke . . . he's downstairs. In fact that's where you should go right now. He'll give you a good tour of the building. I'd love to but I have some things I need to go through." Mai explained in a tired voice.
Serenity happily nodded and walked out the door.
Mai looked at the locked drawer. She needed to clear her head . . . get away from the problem for a while.
On the bright side, the rain had subsided even though it still seemed miserable outside.
Mai quickly gave Jenny some instructions and left the building. She was now glaring at her cell phone. All she had to do was make that one call . . . to him.
She couldn't do that either.
She laughed bitterly. She had become so weak all of a sudden, and weakness was something that she hated.
She knew it was something Kaiba hated too.
Mai sighed and continued her walk through town, enjoying the sudden weather change.
Yet for some reason she kept turning her head with every other step. She didn't know, but she had a suspicious feeling like someone was following her.
"Just me going crazy." she whispered to herself as she walked faster . . . right into someone much shorter than her.
"Oh, I didn't mean to walk into you . . . Yugi?" she stated. He got up off of the ground and gave a half smile.
"It's fine. You just didn't see me." Yugi answered. Mai nodded and looked behind herself again.
"Are you okay?" Yugi asked.
"Mmm . . . I'm good." Mai said awkwardly as she kicked the ground. She frowned as she noticed that she scuffed her new shoes at some point in time throughout the day.
"I haven't seen you since the other day." Yugi said, hopefully filling up the silence that seemed to be engulfing the whole city.
"Well you know, I'm not exactly popular in your little circle." Mai replied in a very bored tone. Yugi lowered his eyebrows and opened his eyes up a little wider in disbelief.
"Nobody hates you Mai." he replied quite seriously.
"Yugi, we're not in kindergarten anymore. It's time to grow up and look at the truth." was her cold response. Yugi just sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He remembered a saying about how everyone can't be saved, that some people are just doomed. He didn't know why the saying popped in his head all of a sudden, but it did.
"Sure, they're mad at you, but it won't last. Life isn't black and white as you think it is." Yugi answered.
"Usually it's really gray." Mai whispered as she glanced toward the sky in a disapproving manner.
"Mai . . . I don't know what else we can do for you, but if you need anything, you can call me." Yugi said, ignoring the voices in his head.
"I. . .don't think I will . . . actually." she replied. Yugi was taken aback slightly but put forth a fake smile.
"That's fine." he said quietly as he walked away dejectedly.
"But if I do . . . I will . . . but only if." she called back to him. She didn't know why. Deep inside she felt her weakness pouring out of her, but she kept it bottled up inside.
After her walk, she went back to her office just as Duke and Serenity were at the main lobby.
"Oh . . . are you down with your tour?" Mai asked. Serenity eagerly nodded.
"Wow Mai, this is so amazing . . . this company you built, all on your own. I always wanted to be just like you." Serenity said in a delighted voice. Duke gave Mai a short cold stare while she forced a smile.
"Well Serenity . . . why don't you try being you?" Mai asked her. Serenity laughed.
"Listen . . . I've gotta go." Duke said in a harsh tone and Mai nodded. He was probably mad about how Serenity wanted to be like Mai. In fact, he was probably harnessing his own harsh feelings toward her. Mai knew that Duke was the only one, besides Yugi, who would even come close to being on her side. Yet the past was something she couldn't easily escape from, and she knew he was thinking of everything that she did to all of them. Mai let it go and gave him the rest of the day off.
"So. . . are you going to Joey's wedding?" Serenity asked.
"What?" Mai asked, barely controlling the quiver in her voice.
"His wedding . . . they sent out invitations." Serenity replied confused.
"Oh . . . I'm busy on that day." Mai lied. She blankly walked away, leaving Serenity alone.
Mai knew Joey was getting married, but she didn't know when . . .
''He really does hate me." she whispered as she pushed the doors open to her office.
"Even I told you that." Kaiba said as he turned around on her chair. Mai looked up at him and frowned.
"But . . . I thought it didn't matter?" Kaiba asked as he placed his elbows on her desk and smirked.
"Get out of my chair." she commanded. Kaiba laughed and raised his eyebrows.
"Excuse me?" he asked.
"You heard me . . . get out of my chair." she said as cold as she could. If Kaiba was any regular person, he would have goose bumps running up and down his spine and he would have been frozen to the spot after she said that. He wasn't.
He moved and made a waving motion toward her chair.
"Why are you here?" she asked with a sigh.
"To give you a warning." he said, leaning back in his chair.
"So warn me." she snapped.
"I'm telling you . . . giving you one more chance to back out." he said, as he played with her nameplate which was placed on her desk. It was gold with her name carved into it . . . and it was also cold to the touch. It was so similar to the woman she had become.
"Thanks . . . but that has to be a good two minutes of my life I'll never get back." she said in a laughing tone.
"Or two minutes you won't get to pout about Wheeler." he answered.
"I wasn't pouting . . . " she said in a quiet tone, " And your excuses to see me are ridiculous." she added quickly.
Kaiba sat speechless for a moment.
"I don't make excuses." he said coldly.
"You came, you warned . . . now leave." Mai said as she started to sort though some papers.
"You are really different from other women . . . no wonder Wheeler liked you . . . always putting him down probably . . . " Kaiba rambled.
"Doesn't it suck when you wake up in the morning and realize there is one person who doesn't worship the ground you walk on?" Mai asked. Kaiba shrugged.
"I wasn't the one looking for world denomination oh mighty one.'' was his response.
"You went pretty far last time . . . didn't you? But then you had Joey to pull you out . . . what happens now that you have no one?" Kaiba asked, annunciating every other word.
"I eliminate you." Mai replied in a regular voice, as if she was having a normal conversation.
"I'd like to see you try . . . after all you do have all those weakness . . . such as Wheeler." Kaiba stated. Mai glanced up from her desk.
"I don't have any weaknesses." she said, trying to sound convincing.
"Follow me." he said. Mai bit her lip, but hesitantly picked up her purse and walked out of her office.
Upon entering the lobby, she saw Serenity talking to Jenny.
"Oh . . . Mai! Listen . . . sorry you can't make to Joey's wedding . . . I'll have to tell them you're busy." Serenity exclaimed.
"No. . . they uh don't need to know." Mai covered. She could see Kaiba smirk out of the corner of her eye, but payed no attention to it.
"So are you busy, because I was wondering if we could hang out later . . . " Serenity said. Mai glanced at Kaiba and rolled her eyes.
"I'm not sure . . . I have a lot to do actually." she said and Serenity frowned, but nodded in a understanding matter.
"Well then, um see you later Mai." Serenity responded with a wave as she walked toward the exit.
"Huh, she has perfect timing." Kaiba noticed. Mai glared at him.
"I'm beginning to really hate you . . . not just a loathing or an occasional hate . . . but a hate so deep that I can't put it into words . . . there are you happy now?" Mai replied with a harsh tone, but Kaiba didn't answer.
"Please, you hated me before . . . after all, you were one of them." he said as they walked into his limo. Mai rolled his eyes.
"I didn't know you . . . you just can't hate people you don't know." was her response, but it was barely audible. Kaiba stood speechless for a moment, then decided to ignore her statement. What did it matter to him if she hated him? She was the enemy right?
"You know . . . if you hated me so much then you wouldn't be here . . . after all I don't usually socialize with people I hate." Kaiba explained to Mai as she sat across from him. She gave a bitter lip and shrugged her shoulders.
"Then why do you always talk to Yugi . . . I don't think you hate him . . . I think you like Yugi." she teased.
"I'm not sure . . . I don't like him . . . but it's hard to hate him . . . I tried . . . besides Mokuba likes him." Kaiba muttered.
"But I hate the rest." he added.
"Where are you taking me?" Mai asked.
"Well . . . honestly I was going to show you something . . . but your little copout was enough to entertain me." he said smugly.
"I'm glad you're satisfied." she muttered.
The rest of the ride was filled with awkward silence, something that Mai was used to. Not that she cared for it, but it was better than Kaiba's voice interrupting her thoughts. It's not like she could clear them up anyhow.
The limo stopped in front of a small building. It was surrounded by other huge buildings, but something was different about it. It was made of brick with moss growing on the side.
"I didn't think buildings like this existed anymore." Mai said as they got out of the limo. It turned out to be a quaint little French restaurant.
"This is what you wanted to show me?" Mai asked. She was very skeptical at this point, but she knew that Kaiba wasn't the average guy. So the fact that he brought her to some restaurant hidden within the skyscrapers of the city didn't surprise her.
"No. . . but you ruined what I wanted to show you . . . since you hate me already. It took the fun out of getting you to that hatred point." he said out of boredom. Mai shrugged.
"Guess I should have said so earlier." she noted.
It seemed that they had reached some sort of unsaid agreement. It was if they could get along, while being fierce competitors. Of course, neither knew how long it would last, but as of right now it was fine. It was actually a nice feeling to have somebody else to talk too . . . after being alone for so long.
Not that either of them would ever say it . . . no. . . . they were too prideful for that. In fact most of the conversation was bickering over the most random things . . . but it was still a conversation. Besides most of it was in fun . . . it wasn't even hatred, even though she teased Kaiba about hating him. She tried too hard not to let hatred take over her anyway.
A while ago . . . Mai swore to herself that she would never consume herself with power again. The moment she was feeling that hatred rise up into her again, she was scared. She knew she couldn't go absolutely crazy like last time.
It's probably the real reason she couldn't open up that envelope . . . the one with everything she needed.
Yet, somewhere deeper inside her . . . she knew she wasn't strong enough to destroy someone like that.
"I'm insulting you . . . why aren't you listening?" Kaiba asked, awaking Mai from her thoughts.
"Because it's all the same from you . . . you just ramble on about how you're better than everyone else." she answered in a very matter-of-fact tone.
"Glad you were listening." he muttered, much like she had in the limo ride there.
"I was." was her immediate response.
"So did you get one of those invitations for that dueling party?" Mai asked, mostly to fill the uneasy silence that was starting to drift into the restaurant. Although uneasy, it was calming . . . sort of like how the humidity gets really thick before a thunderstorm in the summer and everything becomes quiet. It was if the humidity rose at that instant. . . which made everyone to lazy to really speak.
"Yeah, but I've been to them before." Kaiba replied out of boredom, as usual.
"So have I . . . but just in America . . . and usually just to keep up appearances." Mai said with a shrug.
"Appearances . . . I duel, but only if the opponent is worth my time . . . other words there isn't a point. Besides, it not like there is any invention there that can impress me . . . I am, after all the best of the best." he said with a smirk.
"After Yugi." Mai quickly added.
"Excuse me?" Kaiba asked as if he had been talking to a child who had just asked a ridiculous question.
"After Yugi . . . he is the best, only beaten . . . what . . . twice or something, but not by you. In fact he could be like eighty and be blind . . . and he would still beat you." Mai explained.
"Honestly I don't understand your fascination with him . . . unless you like him . . . which Istill think you do . . . Personally I think you should just get over it . . . There is nothing wrong with second place." Mai added.
"Do you hear yourself? The only reason you settle for second is because you've never been first . . . being second, is . . . well you're the first loser . . . never on the top . . . isn't that what drove you all insane and power hungry anyway?" Kaiba asked coldly. For some reason their calm bickering had turned to something else. Instead of joking, it seemed like the words were sincere and truthful. . . as if they were said topurposely hurt the other person.
Mai was just about to respond when she heard the door open. Suddenly Abby and Joey walked in. Abby was beaming happily while Joey looked rather defeated.
Defeated . . . the perfect word to describe how Mai was feeling. Yet it all felt like it was coming together. Her eyes widened to the cold truth.
"You planned this . . . that's why you brought me here . . . to taunt me." Mai accused in a harsh whisper. Kaiba turned around and saw the two getting a table.
"No. . .I didn't plan this part." he said.
"Oh . . . so it's just a perk . . . how am I supposed to believe you?" she asked, her words becoming colder.
"I didn't . . . how and why would I care where the mutt and his tramp goes?" Kaiba responded in another harsh whisper.
"Because your Kaiba . . . you always know where Yugi and his stupid friends are . . . it's like a sick obsession with you . . . plus you want to eliminate me . . . " she rambled.
"I didn't . . . but even if I did . . . this is how I would expect you to act." he added.
"Expect?" she asked in a disbelieving tone.
"Yeah . . . I knew you weren't strong enough to be over him." he concluded.
Mai took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. She was strong enough to be over him. She really was. In fact she was ready to admit in any second . . . but nothing came out.
She bit her lip . . . and she had to face it. Kaiba had won . . . she was weak.
Pushing her chair backward into the waiter, she exited the building without glancing back once.
He did it . . . he proved she was weak. He proved that she couldn't beat him . . . how stupid of it was she to even try? Kaiba was indestructible . . . perfect in almost every sense.
She was weak . . . and full of feeling . . .
So full of it in fact that she let it drive her. She tried to be hard and empty, but it didn't work. Not when Joey hated her with every fiber of his body . . . not when he was getting married to some idiot who Mai was nothing like . . . not when she had to realize the fact that she was alone . . . and she had no one.
Luckily it wasn't raining, because Kaiba had to run to catch up to her. The fact that he even thought about chasing her had to mean something. The fact that he coaxed her into his limo did mean that she had to mean something. Kaiba didn't know, after all. . . she was weak. He never cared for people with weaknesses. . . and this woman. . . well she could not be an exception. Especially considering the fact that she was upset over Joey Wheeler.
She lead a silent protest as they entered his limo . . .
Mai could feel the tears that were daring to spill out, but there was no way that she would ever let that happen.
"I wasn't planning that . . . I was planning to show you the invitation I received . . . but not that." Kaiba explained.
It was a low blow, and he knew it. Hitting people when they were down was always his style. Somehow he was invited to Joey's wedding. . . and Mai wasn't. The thought bounced around in her head for a moment. Mai felt that Kaiba really planned that. He brought her there on purpose, and that was the only clear thought in her head at all. The rest were ignored.
"Why would I care?" Mai asked, ashamed at how her voice quivered.
"You . . . you're weak . . . I always knew you were weak. I knew you could never move on from that loser . . . guess what, he's done with you. He has been done with you . . . get over it. It's like some sick obsession of yours. You're pitiful Valentine . . . and I don't know why I even wasted my time talking to you, because all you showed me today is that you were a waste." Kaiba said in a cold voice that sent chills to anyone.
Mai sat there in silence, letting the insults bounce off of her.
"Stop the car." she commanded.
"It's thunder storming." Kaiba noted as the rain beat down the windows. The thunder also boomed in the sky in such a horrific manner that Mokuba Kaiba himself was hiding under the bed in his locked bedroom.
"Do it." she commanded.
Their truce was long gone, just like the quiet before the storm . . . practically forgotten. She didn't know why she cared so much what he thought . . . but it didn't matter anymore.
Without Joey . . . she had nobody and she was beyond weak and pitiful. Kaiba was right. She didn't even have Kaiba's occasional company anymore. There was no way he'd been seen with her after seeing her storm out on him like that, again.
"Why?"he asked, confused. He didn't mean to insult her as badly as he did, but he hated weak people and right now he hated her . . . and her pitiful ways . . .
He made the motion and the driver pulled over.
"I'll show you who's weak Seto Kaiba . . . you have made an enemy today and if you come out of this . . . I might let you go." Mai said as she slammed the door in his face.
Both were equally fuming . . . but Mai took out her cellphone.
All this time, she's been weak . . . full of petty emotions that stop her from succeeding . . . they blocked the power she could get.
James . . . he could see it . . . he knew she couldn't do it.
Oh, but if he could see her now.
Her blonde hair was drenched and completely straight . . . her clothes clung to her and even though it was cold, she didn't have a single goose bump.
Her eyes were void of any feeling . . . except one . . . rage.
The one feeling she vowed never to give into finally broke free.
Mai was lost . . . defeated. It took a lot to get her to this point. . . and finding out how Kaiba was invited to Joey's wedding was the last straw. Not to mention the fact that part of her was actually somewhat enjoying Kaiba's company. . . and he was gone. Everyone was gone, and they had been for a long time.
She dialed the number as if she had it memorized.
It rang several times, but was unusually clear for the horrendous weather.
A groggy voice answered the phone, but the accent was all to clear and Mai knew who it was. There wasn't a chance to turn around now and she knew it.
She was going to go all the way this time . . . she was sick of being alone and forgotten . . . and at this moment, she was mad at Kaiba and Joey . . . but no matter how she loathed them . . . she hated herself with such a passion that they looked like her best friend.
She hated how weak she was . . . and how far she had come, but because of a man. . . Joseph Wheeler . . . her journey was done. She hated how she felt about him. . . she hated how he was her only friend and she threw that away over power and jealously. She hated how she was feeling something toward Kaiba and he embarrassed her in a manner she couldn't forget.
Her pride was wounded, and that is something hard to bounce back from. Mai didn't know why she kept trying, when everything she did backfired.
What was the point of being 'good' at all if nobody cared, they all compared her to the time in which she was 'evil'.
They abandoned her again, oblivious to her silent pleas for help. They couldn't see her silently falling. . .
So she decided to contact the one person who didn't leave her. . . who was still on her side. . .
Chocking back any more feelings she opened her voice and spoke into the phone as thunder roared in the background.
"Valon . . . It's me . . . I'm ready."