I'm really sorry about the long breaks between chapters, but with NaNoWriMo and everything it's been nuts. This chapter is short, but we're closer to the big stuff.
I don't own Yugioh, but Airi is mine and so are the other OCs. Thanks to battousaisgirl16 for editing and all of you for reading
Enjoy :)
Chapter 49
It was cramped in the KaibaCorp helicopter, but everyone was too shocked to complain, or even notice. The news of the fall of KaibaCorp was unthinkable, but it had happened. Also having the soulless bodies of Rex and Alister in the back of the chopper didn't lighten the mood.
The shock of Roland's news was the hardest for Airi to process. She couldn't believe Dartz had infiltrated the complicated KaibaCorp system. This was a new level of cunning. If Dartz could take over Kaiba's precious company then how many other obstacles did he have planned for them.
Kaiba hadn't spoken a word since they'd boarded the chopper. Any other day she'd say he was put out from not beating her. She knew better. KaibaCorp was everything to Seto.
"How could someone do that?" Mokuba finally broke the silence. "Buy up all the shares of KaibaCorp stocks with no one noticing."
"They must have hacked the system." Kaiba's voice was unnaturally even.
"So he owns it now?" Mokuba asked.
Kaiba nodded. Mokuba called Dartz something that made all of them look at him in shock. Where had he been picking up words like that?
"Sir." Roland said.
"Skip the formalities, Roland." Kaiba said. "I'm not your boss anymore."
"Forgive us, sir." One of the other suits said. "But, we're loyal to the Kaiba family, and we'll remain with you until master Kaiba is reinstated as CEO."
"Then they'll quit." Joey whispered to Tristan.
"We're here with you, sir." Roland said. "We're aren't going anywhere."
Airi smiled. Good old Roland.
"Let's get it back, Seto." Mokuba said.
Kaiba stared down all of his men, as if to check their sincerity. He finally nodded.
"Lets do this." he opened his silver briefcase.
"And he calls us cheesy." Tristan muttered.
"Muto."
Airi and Yami both jumped in surprise. Kaiba turned to face them. He pointed at Airi.
"You claim to know about this Paradius. That's why you wanted to come."
"Partly." Airi said.
"Then I'll need you call this Pro. Hawkins."
"How do you know about that?"
Kaiba snorted. "I have to look charitable some how."
"Seto's been donating to random departments for years." Mokuba explained. "He make sure he know about all their research before funding them."
Airi and Yami shared a look. Kaiba willingly funded a crackpot professor's claim in Atlantis, but wasn't willing to help them out without a duel. This guy was infuriating at sometimes.
Airi selected the professor's number and put it on speaker when he was put on the line.
"Professor." she said. "We're almost to LA. Kaiba's company has been taken over by Dartz and we need your knowledge to find out where to locate them."
"Oh my, you've all be busy." the professor's voice sounded stronger than when they left them.
"Tell him my team is collecting images from the display at the college."
"There was a display at the college?" Tea said.
"Oh, I forgot about that." Professor Hawkins said. "They wanted evidence I could back up my research so I had to do a display at the college museum. I managed to work in some of my Atlantis work."
Kaiba was busy typing on a laptop. "My men are ready to upload images as we speak."
"How did they get there that fast?" Yami said.
"My brother is on top of everything." Mokuba said.
The group exchange looks. Airi bit back a sarcastic replay.
"Uploading images, sir." the KaibaCorp man said over the video feed. Crashing sounds could be heard behind them. "Sir, we're being-"the feed went static and then black.
There was a second pause. Then Kaiba pushed some keys.
"At least he got the photos to us." he typed some more before turning to Airi. "What's the Professor's E-mail?"
"You don't know it?" Airi mocked surprised as she walked up to him. "Move over." she typed it into the box. Kaiba visibly stiffened.
Airi glanced at him."Don't worry I won't be in your way for much longer."
He muttered something, but she didn't catch it. She sent the e-mail and then waked back to where the others were.
"The pictures have come through." Professor Hawkins said. They heard some typing on the computer. "Unfortunately they aren't complete."
"What do you mean?" Kaiba said. "My team sent everything they couldn't find."
"I know they did. But the quality is not good. Also, this isn't all my research. To be any help I would need all the images, and I don't have them with me."
The helicopter hit a patch of turbulence, sending them all spinning and looking for hand holds.
"OK," Joey said once they all regained their footing. "All Kaiba needs to do is photoshop the items."
"I don't have that on my computer, Wheeler." Kaiba said. "I don't have useless toy programs like that. The only computer I own which has programs to clear up photos is the main computer."
"The one belonging to the company Dartz just took over?" Tea said. "How are you going to get to that one?"
"And were do we find the lost files?" Joey said. "The professor need all the stuff or we're not going to go to the right place."
"Professor." Airi said into the cell. "I'm going to hang up. Don't worry, Tea will call you back and we'll get all the files to you."
"What are you talking about?" Tristan said. "Dartz probably already got to all the files."
"No he didn't." Airi sent a text with the professor number to Tea and then punched in a number on her phone. She prayed Nasira was ok as the dial-tone started.
"Hello?" a hesitant voice said.
"Sira?"
"Airi!" Nasira paused. "Wait, how do I know you're the real Airi?"
Airi said something in Ancient Egyptian. Only Yami understood, and he glanced at Kaiba with a smirk.
"Oh Airi." Nasira continued in Ancient Egyptian. "I've been worried sick. Has your brother and the Pharaoh taken out Dartz yet."
Airi did her best to stay composed. "We'll do that next, but I need your help."
"Anything."
"I need you to copy the Professor's files." Airi turned to Kaiba. "Will you be able to get inside your building?"
He gave her a look.
"Just checking." she turned away from him. "OK, here's the plan."
"We'll coming into landing, sir." the pilot said over the intercom.
Airi continued, speaking faster. "I'll send you a text with an e-mail address on it. Put it on the computer, and wait until I send you another text. Then send it and get offline."
"Got it." Nasira said. "But why?"
"The Professor needs it."
"He's alive!"
"Yes, he's fine. I got to go."
"OK, take care."
"You too." Airi hung up and looked to Kaiba. "Well, what's your email?"
They approached the city in a thick cloud cover. Yami was visibly nervous and Airi was too. Something was definitely wrong. She didn't know normal weather for this area, but it was sinister to be a coincidence. They landed in an open area and soon the blades had stopped turning.
"This is as close as I can get, sir." the pilot said over the speaker.
"Let's go." Kaiba jumped to the ground and turned to Airi. "You coming?"
"You're not fighting it?"
"It's your fool plan we're following."
Yami jumped down and held out a hand for Airi to hold as she jumped down.
"Where do you think you're going, Yugi?"
"I'm coming too."
"You're surprisingly determined, considering you lost your title as the King of Games."
"He didn't lose." Joey shouted. "You miss heard me on the laptop."
"I want to hear it from Yugi."
"This isn't the time." Tea said. "What about your company?"
"First things first." Kaiba said. "I'm not going to rescue my company with assistance of a second rate duelist. So, Yugi? What do you have to say?"
Yami looked his right in the eye.
"Yugi Muto is still the King of Games, Kaiba. You have my word."
Airi did her best not to smirk. Yugi hadn't lost after all, and Seto would never would never be able to tell the difference.
Kaiba nodded. "Then what are we waiting for?"
"We'll find the professor." Joey called after them. "Good luck guys."
Tea waved after them, and Airi noticed she gave Yami a special smile. She didn't know what to think of that.
Kaiba, Yami, and Airi made their way down the dark street. The clouds became thicker as they continued and seemed to be getting closer. Airi check her deck and dull disk. They would be needed. She had a hunch.
A block away from the KaibaCorp Building, Kaiba stopped. The other two could see the problem. A large Seal was resting around the base of the skyscraper and monsters were patrolling the green as large ugly guards.
"Try the back door?" Yami said.
Kaiba didn't respond. He walked over to a manhole cover and knelt down. There was a slight outline of a K in the metal surface. He turned a secret nob and pulled the cover up.
"Being paranoid pays off." Kaiba smirked. "I always create alternate entrances in case of take overs."
"A common risk?" Airi asked, but Kaiba had already disappeared down the dark hole. Yami followed and Airi was close behind.
The passage didn't smell of a sewer at all. This didn't surprise Airi. Kaiba would never like the fumes coming up through his passage ways.
They hurried along the passage until it ended at an elevator at that wall. Kaiba clicked a button on the pin guard and the buttons to the code opened.
"Do you think they've already changed all the codes?" Yami said.
"That or they'll be watching all the entrances."
"Can you hack it?"
"No time." he held up the locket shaped like a duel monster's card and swiped. The doors slid open and they entered.
"Fools." Kaiba said. "if this is their best, breaking in will be easy."
Airi looked around. Everything did look deserted but she checked her duel-disk again just in case.
Yami fell back to walk next to her.
"Was that really your security code you said to Nasira?" he said, trying no to smile. "Money Bags has a big head? I didn't know there were words for that in Ancient Egyptian."
"Just a little improvisation." Airi shrugged, lips also twitching. "It sounded good when we thought it up."
"Stop your whispering back there." Kaiba said. "Stay alert. They know we're coming, if they have any sense."
Kaiba led the way to the elevator and pushed the button. Airi remembered someone say something about taking stairs in emergencies. But she considered how tall Kaiba corp buildings were and didn't comment.
The doors opened and they stepped inside. They started to ascend, with no elevator music to make up for the awkward silence. Both Yami and Airi were tense and listening for anything strange. Kaiba glared at the door, possibly imagining what he was going to do with Paradius when he got his company back.
The elevator stopped. All eyes went from the lighted button to the floor indicator. They didn't match up.
A large foot stomped through the roof of the elevator, a large monster foot. All of them jumped to the side, Yami positioned in front of Airi.
"Who is up there?" Kaiba demanded.
In response the monster made his original hole larger and dropped through into the car with them. Before any of them could gasp or yell the intruder smashed a hole through the back of the elevator and disappeared.
"Leaving so soon." Airi muttered.
"Great." Yami said. "No holograms."
"I'm not staying in here." Kaiba hit the emergency button on the elevator. Both he and Yami pulled open the doors.
"Airi, go." Kaiba ordered.
Airi jumped through the narrow opening into the hall way. She stopped when she saw what waited for her. She heard the other too exit the elevator behind her, and both stop when they saw the monsters.
It was hard to tell how many, but it was enough to say the hall way was full of large, vicious monsters looking at them with malicious interest.
"Who left the Holograms on?" Kaiba said.
"These aren't Holograms, Kaiba." Yami said. "These are the real thing."
"You're nuts."
Yami gave him a look. "Do you have a better explanation for the elevator?"
"Discuss it later." Airi pulled some cards out of her card pouch. "We still have to get past them."
"With your cards?" Kaiba pulled his own cards out of his pouch.
"Save it for later." Yami placed his on his duel-disc. "Ready?"
Kaiba was already running into the mist of them. Airi and Yami were close behind.
"Celtic Guardian!"
"Vorse Rader!"
"Victoria!"
The three monsters appeared in front of their masters, and stared chopping into the mob of monsters standing before them. With each slice the monsters fell in disassembled pieces They cleared enough of a path for the three of them to get through the monsters and continue through the hall. Airi tried to block out the screams of the enemy as they were cut up. It made her skin crawl, enemy or not. They made it to the end of the hall way. Their monsters followed, ready to defend them in case of a rear attack.
They reached the door and Kaiba again pulled out his card-locket and swiped it.
Nothing happened.
"What? They can't have changed all my codes that fast."
"Can you reprogram it?"
"With monsters chasing us? Any better ideas Yugi?"
"Seto, I have an idea." Airi pulled out her own card-locket out of her pocket.
"That won't work. That code is old."
"I hope you haven't rewritten everything?" she swiped it.
The doors slid open.
A roar behind them announced several more monsters had managed to get through their monsters' defenses. All three teens jumped through the door and Kaiba hit the door button. It slammed shut and the pounding on the other side of the door shaking the door.
"Good thing that worked." Airi said.
Kaiba gave her a look. "I'm changing all the codes when I get my company back."
"You're welcome." Airi muttered.
They continued on, following Kaiba and looking out for monsters. They finally reached some large doors with the KaibaCorp insignia on them.
Kaiba entered a code and then swiped his card. He smiled triumphantly as it opened and they entered the computer room. The computer was massive, but turned on easily once Kaiba started typing in commands on the keyboard.
"Text your friend." Kaiba said. "I'll be nearly complete with the images by the time her email arrives."
Airi sent the drafted message off, secretly hoping Dartz's men hadn't stopped cell communication as well. Yami stayed by the door ready to send his monsters against any new threats. That was the only plus side with holograms becoming real. They actually had something to fight with.
"I got it." Kaiba started opening the files, punching some codes to make the photographs clearer and putting them in a different file. "Done, and sent."
A small video screen appeared in the small corner and Rebecca's face appeared.
"Images received."
"How were you able to open video feed in here?"
"Please, I'm a college student. When this is over I could help you with these outdated programs.
They heard some laughing and interacting on the other side of the screen, indicating that Joey and the others had found the professor.
"Rebecca, how were the images?" Airi said before Kaiba could voice any indignation about his programs qualities.
"Lot better, I have to say you're ex is good at photoshop, no matter what he says." Rebecca found and they could hear her typing. "Grandpa's on the other computer translating, I'll connect the audio."
The Professor's voice came over the computer. "Much better. Thank you all. Let's see. The inscriptions are still pretty rough and eroded, but are decipherable."
"Better be worth coming in here." Kaiba muttered.
The professor started to read the inscriptions. "After it's 10,000 year long slumber, the black serpent will swallow the sun, and then paradise with rule once more."
"Well, that's nice." Duke's voice came over the computer. "but what does it mean?"
"It must mean Atlantis will rise again."
"Atlantis?" Kaiba looked back at Airi. "You dragged me here for a made up city?"
Airi glared at him as she went up the computer. "How many times do I have to try and convince you?" She scrolled through the images on the computer until she came to a photograph of a symbol on one of the stones.
"Now look up Paradius." she said.
Now looking convinced, Kaiba did a web search. He stopped as he came to the webpage he looked for. The two symbols were identical.
"Does that look made up to you?" Airi said.
"It can't be." there wasn't much certainty in Kaiba's voice. "How can images from an old dig be on a modern day cooperation?"
"That's the least weird thing on this whole adventure." Yami said.
The keyboard under Kaiba's fingers began to crackle with electricity. Airi and Kaiba backed away in just in time as the entire keyboard sparked. The glass of the computer monitors exploded around them, spraying Kaiba and Airi with glass.
"Airi!" Yami was by her side, checking her over.
"I'm fine." Airi shook her hair and some fragments fell onto the floor. "Seto?"
"What just happened?" he brushed glass off his coat.
A cold laugh echoed around the room. Airi looked around trying to find a source. She didn't know if it was the laugh that was terrifying or not seeing the source. It made her skin crawl.
"I must congratulate you, Pharaoh." the voice said. "You're so close, yet so far."
An image appeared in front of them like a hologram, but with a slight green tint Airi recognized as Orichalcos aura. A man in a business suit and tie appeared in front. He would have looked normal if he hadn't been standing on top of the head of a gigantic and horrid looking snake.
"Dartz." Yami said.
"Thank you for coming to me. It makes my job so much easier."
"What do you want?"
"Isn't it obvious Pharaoh? You and Kaiba are chosen duelists who are supposed to destroy me." Dartz smiled a sarcastic smile. "I can't wait to see you try."
"I don't have to prove anything to you, crook." Kaiba shouted. "Give back my company."
"Return the souls you stole, monster." Airi shouted. Seeing the man holding her brother captive was causing her to shake with hatred. Yami put an arm around her shoulders, but she could tell he was far from calm.
"You're in no position to demand anything." Dartz said. "I am the one in charge of the odds here."
"Then, maybe you'll hear a deal." Yami said.
"Yugi, don't be stupid." Kaiba said.
"I'm listening." Dartz said.
Yami stepped forward and showed his duel-disk. "We will duel you, and when we win you'll return everything you've stolen. Souls and companies."
"Especially my company." Kaiba stepped forward. Both duelists placed a card on their duel-disks and called forth their dragons. Critius and Timaeus appeared on the glass sprayed floor.
"Well, long time no see dragons. Temaeus, how's the eye."
The turquoise dragon sent a spray of fire at the image of Dartz. Both he and the Levianthan disappeared. Airi was about the cheer, but Dartz's voice came again inside the room.
"The ancient battle continues." Dartz sounded amused. "I am looking forward to our duel, chosen duelists."
"Come back and fight, coward." Kaiba shouted.
Dartz didn't answer.
The doors behind them opened and Airi turned to find more duel monsters coming through the doors. One took a swipe at her but she just managed to get out of the way.
"Guys, look out!" she summoned Athena to hold them off.
"Airi, come on." Yami grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the back of the room. Kaiba was already there opening another elevator. How paranoid was her ex? This many escape routs and elevators. He must be less popular than she thought.
The doors shut and the elevator headed up. Kaiba opened a small glass hatch and pushed a button marched for emergencies. Airi fought to catch her breath but didn't get enough of it back before they reached the roof. Monsters were waiting for them, but so was the Blue-Eye White Dragon Jet. It hovered just beyond the roof, apparently being driven by the auto pilot. They ran toward their ride, followed close behind by the monsters.
"Yugi, jump!" Kaiba shouted.
"You nuts?" Airi said.
The cockpit opened, but it was still a few feet away from the edge of the building. Yami leaped off the edge and managed to get inside, though he stumbled and nearly fell out the other side. He steadied himself and held out a hand toward Airi.
"Airi, jump." Kaiba ordered her.
She was gasping, looking towards the side of building back towards the monsters following them. She nearly tripped on an uneven spot on the roof. She felt someone grab her around the middle and pull her close to their chest.
"Seto?" she gasped.
"Hang on." he started running towards the edge. She gripped his coat. If this ridiculous coat could be useful, maybe it could help him fly if he missed. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see if they missed.
They landed and she heard the sound of the cockpit closing around them.
"You can let go now." Kaiba said.
She let go and Yami lead her to the only other seat in the cockpit. Kaiba punched the controls and they launched away from the building. Yami and Airi were squished together by the momentum both trying to find something to hold on to. The jet shook as a fire ball from one of the monsters hit their wing.
"Hold on!" Kaiba shouted as they spun down towards the ground. Yami grabbed Airi and they clutched each other.
"Help!" she screamed and didn't remember anything after that.
She didn't remember the crash, but woke with Yami calling out her name. She slowly opened her eyes and managed to make out three figures standing around her. Three?
"Yami?"
"Oh thank heaven." Yami said.
She blinked trying to see all of them clearly. Yami was clearing out of being a blue and spiky haired blur, but Kaiba was still a white blur. As for the third person she could make out green, and guessed who it was.
"Your Mystical Elf saved us." Yami said. "Without her, we probably would have been rubble like the jet."
"She likes doing that." Airi smiled. "Thank you."
The green blur made a bowing motion, and disappeared.
The white blur, Kaiba, moved slightly away and seemed to be looking at something.
"How bad is it?"
"You or the jet?"
"I guessing I'll live." she couldn't feel any major damaged areas. The slight dizziness might be from summoning a monster during a plane crash. she motioned towards Kaiba. "The Blue-Eyes won't make it?"
"Watching his company building getting blown up isn't helping any."
Airi's vision cleared enough so she could see the KaibaCorp building a block away and in flames. The monsters were taking their lost prey very badly and were taking it out on the building it's self. A few feet away from them was the smoking wreckage of the smashed jet.
Kaiba shook his fist at the building.
"Dartz will not take my company apart. As long as I draw breath, I'll make him pay for this."
Airi leaned back against Yami's chest and looked up at the smoky and cloud filled sky. She blinked and squinted up at the clouds. She was sure she could see the silhouette of a large black snake slithering across the sky in the smoke.
Yami had been looking up at the sky too and he looked down to meet her gaze. They both knew they had greater threats to face.
A/N: Well, there it is. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm hoping to have the next one finished soon.
You guys are all awesome. Thank you for reading. Take care and God bless.
