Alrighty, here we go again. Hmm, haven't posted in a good many moons, but hopefully this isn't with disappointments. Took down the last old chapter of this and replaced it. I don't know what I was on while I wrote it, but well, you'll find that this is much better. : D

So, please enjoy!

(P.S. - Thank you, lovely reviewers for holding on in there, it's done and all I need to do is post it! So stay tuned, 'cause it's comin' at you fast!)

In the Company of Wealth
Chapter 10 --- Swordsworn

Bypassing the door, he took a last look back to find Mokuba fighting to race back to the building, a hand outstretched as if to grasp something. Seto only hoped that when this was over, he could reach his hand out to that empty grasp and fill the void that separated them now.

Inside the main hall, it was exactly how he remembered it. Great marble flooring which cost more then most of the high-tech things in the building, and a staircase that lead two stories up to a glass elevator inside. Flowers and plants of all types still drooped from planters suspended on the walls. Stepping up the velvet-covered stairs, he reached the top and turned to gaze down. Usually there would be a receptionist at the front desk beside the door, and usually that receptionist would welcome him with a perfect smile each morning. What was her name? Darling --- Mallory Tina Darling. Maybe he needed a girlfriend after this was through.

First, he needed a life.

Turning back towards the glass elevator, he remembered when Mokuba cheerfully related it one day, when they had first arrived with Gozuburo at Kaiba Corporation, that the glass elevator looked like that one in Willy Wonka. Now that Seto thought about it, it kinda did, with the gold chrome on its crown and thousands of buttons to take you anywhere in the building. Just for old time sake, he stepped inside and ran his transparent fingers along the buttons. Then growled and clenched his fists.

It was useless to touch anything. Everything was intangible to him anyway! Still, with the gloved hand, he pushed his office button, and his fingers contacted the cold plastic, sending static shivering up his spine. He touched it --- felt it. The elevator dinged and closed its doors, slowly starting its steady travel to the top level. Stretching his hand, he wondered if the glove had anything to do with it, and tested it on the handle to hold onto, as he usually did when the elevator jolted to a halt. Otherwise, he would stumble out the door instead of his regal step. His hand contacted the cold metal as the elevator jolted to a stop.

The doors opened with a ding directly to his office.

Seto narrowed his eyes, a coldness touching his shoulders with the gentle hiss of another ethereal being wafting across the evil-filled room.

Every inch of his old office was torn, almost indescribably so. Maybe this wasn't his office after all? No, the broken picture frame on the floor held a picture of Mokuba. Of course this was his office, his haven from long ago. The office that he first acquired the Kaiba name in, sending his deceased father plummeting to his doom on this very floor, in this very room. What scared Seto weren't the shadow of torn memories floating upon the destruction, but the fact that his desk had been replaced by the long, rectangle mahogany table of Gozaburo himself, the old worn leather chair of his Stepfather sitting opposite of him, in front of a broken window. The broken window he shattered to fall to his doom . . .

The leather back of the old leather chair faced him, rocking back and forth slowly.

"Hello there, Seto."

Seto, in turn, greeted with displeasure. "Hello Malsworth, having a good day?" He tried to stretch a smile on his lips, but his evident scowl couldn't be covered. He clenched and unclenched his fists off and on as the demonic man swayed back and forth in his chair.

First, it was the building. Then it was the interior. And now his chair. Everything that even said the name 'Seto Kaiba' had been erased from time, history, and his name plaque. How delightful.

"So, do you like what I've done to the place?" Malsworth asked, reaching for a cigar in the desk. "A lot happier, wouldn't you say?"

"Personally, blue was better."

"Oh?" The man grinned and lit his stogie. "See, we learn something new about each other everyday. Like, so say, how you got that glorious bracelet of yours! Wouldn't you like that story? Surely you'd known about it for your whole life," his glare darkened, "seeing that all last life you searched for the power to conjure it."

Seto traveled his gaze down to the sparkling silver bracelet. Now that he mentioned it, it did bug him to find that he really wasn't that surprised to have an arm-length bracelet choking his right hand. How, in fact, had he conjured the stupid thing? "This isn't story time," he replied, putting his thoughts aside. "You know what I'm here for."

"Oh, in time, in time. I think we have a little while for storytelling, don't you think?"

"If you think," Seto said flatly, "for a moment that I will believe it, you're wasting your breath. I don't believe in magic."

Malsworth snorted. "How about miracles? Angels? God? Do you believe in that? I sure hope so, because you acquired that pretty piece of jewelry while fighting in the Crusades. And it only works if you believe." He grinned and chewed on his cigar.

A pulse ran through Seto's decorative arm, but he quickly hushed it with his other hand, rubbing quickly against the silver to quiet the gentle throb. For some reason, the bracelet drove him to listen, to hear every word as clear as crystal. It was almost mesmerizing.

"You see," Malsworth began, blowing a long puff of smoke into the air, "that bracelet found you out on the front lines while you were a valuable Crusader, fighting for a 'cause'. Though, as most would say, what cause would that be? No one knew, but it was religion then and you went for the pay, not for the heart. Not until, you met a man by the name of Jonathan. He, on the other hand, pushed full-heartedly into everything. You hated him, he despised you. A perfect relationship, I might add. And all went well until you, dear boy, was injured and both of you took shelter in a cave. But there the demons took the form of a Sphinx and trapped you and Jonathan inside.

"You were in a jam, against a Sphinx who talked in riddles. You couldn't answer --- no, wait --- you didn't want to answer. It was futile, you said heatedly to your friend. So, Jonathan took the riddle for the both of you."

Seto knew what was coming, and he had a sinking feeling he knew who this 'Jonathan' was now. It disgusted him just to think of it. But then he thought about the story, and his eyes widened. "He didn't . . ."

"Oh yes. A friend who gabled his own life away to save your own." Malsworth grinned. "Such a cruel world, isn't it? He took a gamble with a Sphinx. Poor Jonathan couldn't answer the riddle." A dark smoke came from the cigar this time, the flame burning rapidly, lowly. The lights in the room began to fade as the elevator door dinged open again and a figure stepped out. "Oh, and poor Jonathan? He became our newest family member. You, on the other hand, got up enough balls to summon that dreadful bracelet and defeat everyone but me, and him."

Seto trailed his eyes to where Malsworth pointed, and pursed his lips together. Stupid mutt.

Joey advanced slowly, shuffling on his tennis shoes. A dreadful grin spread across his face. A soft, darkly toned British accent slithered from his thin lips. "Seth. Come to our side." His hand moved, and underneath a black glove glistened with a gem on the palm as red as a Red-Eye Black Dragon's eyes. So he too, Seto realized without thinking, has one. Joey clenched his fists. "It is much simpler, friend."

"What drug are you on? I wouldn't be your friend even if you paid me." Seto shuffled back to the desk while Malsworth laughed. "Now get out of my face, mutt."

The red gem glowed; summoning a beautiful sword into Joey's gloved hand. It was laced with black and gold, a red gem glowing in the center of the hilt just as the other jewel glowed. The steel was sharp, a deathly glow lit upon it in the darkness. Joey raised the sword and pressed it against Seto's throat. His face was not even an inch from Seto's. "You will pay for my sufferings. You will pay, my friend, for all you've done. Sent me to rot with the damned. I was a Crusader as you, fighting for the light but you sentenced me to darkness. Eternal darkness."

Seto stared at the mutt patiently, his jaw throbbing as he thought. There wasn't anything he could do at the moment, except use his head, which was what he was best at. Hopefully, this 'Jonathan' had the mind of the mutt like Seto hoped. "Are you done yet? Don't you understand that I don't know you? Now give the mutt back."

"No," the imposter breathed. "I will not."

"I'm sure his goody-goody friends won't like that," Seto warned as the elevator dinged again. He frowned. "Now who?"

A sword laced with purple and gold pressed against Joey's neck. A hand with a glove, the color of the same purple with a lighter violet as the gem. A tri-colored youth stood behind Joey, eyes dazed and distant. Eyes also of the possessed, but there wasn't darkness. Instead there was a crimson hue to the violet youth. "Don't touch him Jonathan," Yami warned softly, "he does not know."

"I know," Joey's possessor snarled. "This is the best time to kill him --- when he's down. So butt out, you stupid Pharaoh."

Yami spoke in a whisper, fighting the anger in his voice. "I cannot allow that. Death does no honor to the soul, Jonathan, and it does not make your worth soar."

Seto's eyes widened. Worth. The touch of steel met his deadening fingers, and a sword rested in his hands. Ice eyes met Joey's possessed bluish-brown. As quick as lightning, he willed the sword to come to Joey's neck alongside Yami's. "I have a brother waiting for me," he whispered, surprised at his own calmness, "so I'm not about to let him down."

Joey's eyes widened as his sword hesitated. Malsworth cocked his head and laughed. "Worth?" he snickered. "Worth is nothing before power! Jonathan, kill him! Master will be proud."

As if searching, the blonde's deadened eyes gazed into Seto's, and then his sword lowered. In turn, the swords against him lowered. Yami glanced to Seto and smirked. Joey turned to Malsworth, his hand tightening over his sword. "You told me he was heartless."

Malsworth blinked. "He is! Heartless to you---"

"He has a brother." Jonathan continued. "He has a life . . . and he knows the meaning of worth." His voice quivered. "You almost made me kill him." The dead eyes sparked with life, the darkness lifting itself as the accent Seto actually welcomed, returned. "That is not cool."

Malsworth shrugged. "Suit yourself. Master will condemn you."

"Not if I'm allowed to stay here," he was hopeful as Joey regained control. "I wish I could stay here." He closed his eyes. "I am tired of his darkness."

The man raised a bushy eyebrow. "Are you challenging me?"

"I am," Seto growled. "I want to get back to Mokuba." Yami nodded in agreement. Jonathan looked away, ashamed, but Seto could tell that he had another ally now, and that actually made things better. Somehow, a solo act right now didn't sit very well, especially since he always liked doing things alone. It was just another change, he guessed, another puzzling transformation he had undergone in the brief moments of thought. "Mokuba needs me."

Malsworth summoned fire onto his hands that quickly morphed into a gleaming fire sword. "Then let's play."

R & R ! Please! I might be slow, but I promise it's worth it for the last (flips through notes) FOUR CHAPTERS! (or so . . .)