"Has anyone seen Honda?" Bakura asked.
All the knights look at each other and kind of shook their heads.
"Fine, Connor, Egan. Find Honda and drag his ass down here! I want to see him now!" Bakura ordered.
Sensing Bakura in a bad mood and not wanting a reprimand they quickly nod and took off. They found him just coming out of his room.
"Honda, Bakura wants to see you." Eagan said.
"Now!" Connor said.
"Yeah, well he can wait. I'm late for duty."
"Sorry, but after what's happened you'll be lucky to get out with your knighthood still intact." Connor said.
"Knighthood, maybe. But Bakura's about to blow his stack, no way he wont come out of this without an official reprimand."
"Why, what happened, now?"
"Master Mokuba went missing for a few hours. Word hasn't come down yet as to whether or not the king knows the kid got out threw the maze or not. But odds are he does but hasn't said anything yet."
"That brat again! I am not taking an official reprimand because of that kid again! Life was simpler before that brat moved in! Since he moved in all he's done is cause trouble!" Honda said.
"Hey, if you want to be suicidal enough to go to the king and tell him you think he should send his kid away, then be my guest." Connor said.
"Come on, don't tell me you guys don't agree with me."
"So, what are you just going to waltz up to the king and say, 'Hey there Seto. Listen about your kid. We all hate him! He's a troublemaker. Has been from day one. So, would you mind sending him back to the hell hole you pulled him out of?'" Egan asked.
"Well not exactly like that. The king would skin me alive if I used his first name!"
"Right. Well you go and do that and we'll right there with you..." Connor said.
"Really? Man thanks a lot! I'll go talk to the king now!" Honda said walking off.
Egan walked over to Connor. "Connor, are you mad! We'll both lose our jobs! After the years of hell we went through to get to be knights! We nearly didn't make it and now you're saying we should commit both occupational and physical suicide by backing Honda!"
"The idiot didn't let me finish what I was going to say." Conner said.
"And that is what, that we'd have his back by standing beside him." Egan said.
"No, we'll have his back, by being right there with him…in spirit that is. I have no intention of incurring the king's wrath by telling him to get rid of Master Mokuba. I may not have any love for that kid. But hey he makes the king happy and keeps him out of our hair and off our backs on something's." Conner said.
"Yeah when that kid disappeared, the king was on the warpath." Egan said.
"Not to mention the long hot boring searches for the king's brother we had to conduct before they were stopped." Conner said.
"Yeah, with the kid here the king hasn't done anymore surprise searches of our barracks to see what we're doing." Egan said.
"Yeah, or just to be sure we're keeping the place clean or doing our jobs properly. That kid has some uses. But you know, maybe we should stop Honda. If he incurs the kings wrath with that, we will be the ones to suffer in the end." Conner said.
Eagan gasped. "You're right! We can't let him near the king! Especially today! With it being Christmas Eve it would really put the king in a foul mood and that's the last thing we need right now!"
Connor nodded and they ran and not only caught up with Honda but started to drag him back to Bakura. They refused to even talk to him or answer his questions as to why they were doing this or where they were taking him.
x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x
They threw him down in front of Bakura.
"We found him just coming out of his room." Egan said.
"Not to mention he said he wanted to tell the king that he should send Master Mokuba back to where he came from." Conner said.
All the knights gasped not believing he was actually going to have the nerve to tell the king such a thing.
"So, suicidal are we?" Bakura asked.
"Look, before that brat moved in our lives were less stressful! We didn't have to worry about whether or not there was a guard in the maze or assassins at every turn!" Honda said.
"Well like it or not that kid is here to stay!" Bakura said.
"Look, it isn't my fault that little brat keeps getting out!"
"Really? Well according to this schedule you swapped with TJ. You'd take over the last hour of his shift at 5 this morning and he'd would return at 5 tonight and do your last hour." Bakura said looking over the schedule.
"Yeah, he said he has relatives that are coming in early and he wanted to spend time with them." Honda said.
"Which means if the king decides to punish someone then you will be it! If you wish to tell him you don't want Mokuba around then go right ahead." Bakura said. Then looked around. "Anyone here going to join Honda and stand next to him and tell the king you don't want Mokuba here?"
Honda stood up and looked around. "Come on guys, who's with me?"
Everyone looked away.
"Sorry, pal. Not me. I like Mokuba. Besides I want to become a knight! I'm not about to risk it." Joey said.
"Joey's right. We all like our jobs!" JD said.
"Not to mention some of us have a wife and kids to support!" Sands said.
"Yes, so you go right ahead and lose your job, the same way you lost your job as head knight to me." Bakura said.
Honda couldn't believe that no one was planning to back him up! "Come on, you guys! I know the king has a temper but…"
"But what?" Eagan asked. "Just waltz up to the king and announce you wish to remain a part of his army, a knight and wish to remain in this kingdom and this castle but you don't want him to be happy with his kid."
"You do that; we'll be sure to throw you a nice big farewell party afterward." Connor said.
"How many of you agree that that brat should be thrown out of here?" Honda asked.
The guards all kind of shrugged their shoulders. They didn't really care one way or another. Sure there were days like today they wanted to kill Mokuba. But for the most part the kid didn't bother them. They all saw a clear change in Seto and Yami after he came. Plus they couldn't deny that even though they hadn't been allowed to kill the turkey at Thanksgiving they did get a big feast, bigger and better than any year before. Now they had an idea that they may get the same thing if they keep on the king's good side.
"Sorry Honda. You're on your own. We like our jobs and the longer we stay on the king's good side the better we have it." JD said.
"Well Honda what will it be? Take an official reprimand or confront the king and tell him all of this?" Bakura asked.
Now that Honda thought about it, he didn't like either choice. He'd seen what Seto did with the big five. Though he hadn't done anything to warrant jail time. There was that possibility. Then again he could end up like Otogi or worse yet Haga. A drunken bum living where ever he can or with whomever he can. "Fine, I'll take the rip."
"Good. The first person to say anything to anyone about the conversations we've had here today will find their selves on full active duty in the maze! Do I make myself clear?" Bakura asked.
Not wanting a reprimand their selves they all nodded saying yes, sir.
"Good. Now all knights and some of the guards until further notice will take a regular shift in the maze. Honda you will alternate your full duty status at every post!"
"What about me? Do I get off full maze duty?" Joey asked.
"The kings in a good mood knowing Mokuba's safe. He assigned that, so you need to talk to him to get it off." Bakura told him.
"Thanks for nothin." Joey said not believing that Seto would let him off.