Chapter 30: Kaiba's Past

Now that she knew that she was in Kaiba's mind, it was time for her to get to work. To get down to the very core of his personality! To see just was it that made Seto Kaiba the person he was today. She knew that it had something to do with Gozaburo Kaiba and how he had raised him, but what was it exactly. So far, from what she had seen Kaiba and Mokuba's mother had died and right now, Seto was mourning while Mokuba was, as young as he was, basically oblivious to it all. It must've been tough on them both. Having lost their mother while they were so young. Just thinking about it made tears once again fall from her eyes…

Like them both, Kara had lost her parents, too. But at least she had them for twelve years. Kaiba, on the other hand, only had his for four years and Mokuba not only didn't have much time with his mother, but it was during his birth. She knew that she would've either been cold, heartless, and ruthless or depressed and suicidal if she had lost her mother that way, not to mention maintaining the eternal guilt for the rest of her life. It was surprising that Mokuba wasn't as cold as his bro! As for their father, she assumed that he had died not to later. She knew that she would have to go forward into time. To see the event which lead to the death of the father and to them both becoming orphans.

As if it reacted to her thoughts immediately, the necklace began glow brightly as the area around Kara began to glow white. She wondered what would happen now. Especially since she was in another person's mind, there was no telling what would happen next…

Domino

Kara looked around as she found herself back downtown somehow. Either Kaiba had someone awoke and had security threw her out, or that she was still in his mind. Seeing that Kaiba wouldn't be one to cruelly throw a person into the streets (or at least she hoped so), Kara decided to look around to find the origin of the memories she was now visiting. The last one was a bit depressing with the loss of the mother, but it was the…well… loss of their father she was now concerned about. After all, his death would eventually lead both soon-to-be orphaned boys to be adopted by Gozaburo Kaiba. As the blue haired girl walked the streets, she soon came across a fairly large brick building near a street corner. As she walked closer, she saw the golden metal sign near the door: Domino Children's Orphanage.

Kara blinked. Was this the orphanage Kaiba and Mokuba went to when they lost their father? Which brought another question: If they're there right now, then how did the father die? Otherwise, he abandoned them! She couldn't think about this even more, as she was snapped from her thoughts by the sound of children yelling and screaming!

"What's happening?" She wondered to herself as she proceeded to run around the corner, heading towards the source of the commotion. It didn't take her too long, as when she got there, she saw a group of small children yelling with a few of them shaking the fence.

"What's wrong? The little baby scared?" One of them taunted. "Don't worry, we can't hurt you! This here fence is here to make sure you guys are safe!"

"Oh c'mon! We won't bite!" Another said to their target as Kara saw the group of young boys. There weren't that many of them, but there weren't that less of them either. Afterwards, that same boy suddenly kicked the fence as his friends suddenly laughed.

"Oh that's right!" The first one said with a hint of arrogance in his voice. Obviously the leader of the bunch… "The fence isn't here to protect you from us! It's here to protect fine, upstanding citizens like us from animals like you! Otherwise why else would you be caged here like the animalistic filth that you are!"

"Filth, filth, filth!"

"Stop that!" Another voice said from the direction they were looking.

"And what are you gonna do about it, kid? You can't touch us! I know you'd wanna get your hands on-BACK YA FUCKING FREAK!" He swung his metal baseball bat hard as a scream of pain was heard.

"Mokie!"

Kara blinked at the name. "Mokie?" The voice who called out that name also sounded familiar.

"You see, animals like you need to learn yer place!" The leader replied. "After all, why else would ya mutts be in there? To keep ya from being apart of society! That's what you orphans are! After all, if there was someone in the world that even gave two shits about ya, you wouldn't be here!"

"That's not true… That's not true…"

"Then tell me kid! Why are you here anyway?"

"None of your business!"

"I knew it! The reason why yer here is because nobody wants ya! Lemme guess: Ya parent's off themselves, huh?" He saw the pained look of the boy's face as he continued. He smirked, "I knew it! Ya parents were so ashamed about the fact that they had such loser children that they wanted to kill themselves so that they wouldn't have anything to do with ya anymore! I mean I wouldn't blame 'em. You sure as hell look wimpy! I bet you can't even throw a punch!"

"That's enough!" Kara yelled at the boy as she stormed over there. She couldn't believe them! She knew kids could be so cruel, but now they were going too far. Nobody deserved to feel that way. She glared at the leader. Under his backwards blue hat was shaggy, chestnut hair, save for the glaring green eyes that were towards her direction. "What's wrong with you?"

"Stay outta this, Lady!" He snapped at her.

"Yeah!" Another boy replied, with red shaved hair and blue eyes. "This isn't none of your business!"

"I think you and your little group need to leave right now before I call your parents!" Kara threatened. She may still be a teenager, but she was old enough to exert some authority to children.

"Like hell you will! You don't even know who our parents are!"

She crosses her arms. "Okay then… Then I'll just inform the police and let them deal with you!"

"Okay okay we'll go…" The leader held up his hands. "No need to get your panties in a bunch! Guys, let's go…" The group of mischievous boys left as one of them, as awkward as it was, actually checked Kara out.

"She hasn't got laid…" He said, which made Kara's eyes go wide. Kids actually know about this at this age, let alone talking about it?

That didn't matter at the time, as Kara took a look at the two boys: One of them checking on the other. She was in shocked at what she saw… "It can't be… Seto?" It was indeed a younger Kaiba checking on a little boy. From the look of his hair, it had to be Mokuba. From the look of things, his hand was somewhat injured. Must've been from when that kid kicked at him. Again, kids could be so cruel, it's heartbreaking.

Kara moved as closed to the brothers as much as they fence between them would allow as she asked, "Are you two okay?"

"We're fine, Miss." The younger brunette explained. "Mokie needs to get some ice and he'll be okay."

"Who were those guys, anyway?" Kara asked, trying to fathom kids who actually could be so cold to act that way towards anyone, let alone orphans.

"They're just a bunch of bullies…" Seto's eyes narrowed. "They like to think they're tough by picking on the weak, when in truth that they're just scared cowards who back down when faced against someone stronger and better than them. They'll get theirs and if it were up to me those thugs would never mess with anyone ever again after I'm through with them."

"Haven't you told someone about this?"

"We tried, but none of the grown ups will believe me. That's when I realized that nobody will ever do anything to help us again, and that we would have to survive on our own."

Kara closed her eyes as she lowered her head with a frown. "That can be true! Somebody has to listen to you! They're supposed to be taking care of you guys, not ignoring you! Just what do they do anyway?"

"I'm sorry Miss, but I have to take Mokie inside…" Seto simply said as he helped his sniffling brother to his feet before walking him towards the building, leaving to Kara to thing about what had just happened, specifically what she had learned. What kind of orphanage is run by people who do not care about the children anyway? With that in mind Kara sighed, remembering how cruel, heartless, and despicable people could truly be, young or old. She realized that not everyone could quickly find a family to adopt them like she did. Perhaps it was because of some couples preferred boys and some couples preferred girls. She is starting to understand why Seto Kaiba was the way he was. First he loses his parents, and now they get heckled and bullied by the kids who lived outside of the orphanage. And then the adults who worked there, adults who are supposed to be taking care of the orphans don't do anything about it! It made her angry just thinking about it. But she would soon be snapped out of her thoughts by a very familiar voice…

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

Kara blinked as she turned around. To say that she was shocked would be an understatement. Angry blue eyes were narrowed glaring daggers at her as the only thing the blue-haired girl could do was just smile… "Er…Hi!"

Kaiba glared, arms crossed, as his teeth was clenched down. "What… are you… doing… in my MIND?" No response, as the person, the intruder to his mind was angry. "Did you really think that I wouldn't notice you trying to do some of that hocus pocus crap when you 'conveniently' put me to sleep? Did you really think that I wouldn't notice you trying to invade my mind, my personal thoughts, my personal feelings?"

"Look I'm concerned for you, alright!" Kara sighed. "I just can't stand to see you angry! It's starting to take a toll on your life! You don't even see Mokuba that much any more and it's starting to take a toll on him!"

"I could care less!" Kaiba crossed his arms. "Mokuba understands what I need to do! Besides, don't you have someone else to bother…"

"It's not 'bothering' when you care about someone. And I thought someone like you would understand!"

"Don't even play that guilt trip on me!" Kaiba glared. "I've already had enough of that crap from Mokuba, the last thing I need is for you to start too!"

"Maybe we wouldn't start that 'crap' if you'd just mellowed out a while!"

"Mellowing out is for slackers!" Kaiba glared. "Anyone who wastes time and doesn't work doesn't deserve to live!"

"That's what Gozaburo told you, isn't it…" Kara sadly stated as Kaiba's eyes went opened. "You mentioned how Gozaburo was responsible for you having a tough upbringing, that you have to work without thinking about anything else. No friends, social life, nothing that normal people your age strived for. Gozaburo isn't around anymore!"

"As much as I despised that man and hated him to the core, that does not make him any wrong with what he had said. If I ignored him, Mokuba and I would've been out on the street! I would end up with lowlife thugs who'd even kill their own families for money! I don't want to submit Mokuba to a life as common thug and end up like that losing chump Wheeler!"

"What do you have against him anyway? I mean really, what the hell did Joey ever do to you!"

"He's done enough, as far as I'm concerned! All his kind has! Trash like Joey Wheeler are nothing but worthless common thugs and no one should ever waste there time on them because thugs are living contradictions. Thugs are filled with unfulfilled ambitions. Thugs wax and wane, thugs love to complain, thugs love to hear themselves talk but hate to explain! Thugs love to be another man's judge and jury. Thugs procrastinate until it's time to worry. Thugs love to be late and hate to hurry!" Kaiba scoffed, "Wheeler thinks that I'm just an elitist piece of shit with a prejudice against the poor? Well I think that he's just a bitter broke piece of shit with a prejudice against the rich and the successful! People who'd amount to more than he ever would in his pathetic life! If you don't believe me, why don't you ask him yourself! Maybe he'll entertain you by mocking me or making fun of me! He doesn't even know a damn thing about me and he still labels me as some heartless spoiled rich kid with a silver spoon in his mouth! And he complains about me not giving him any "thank you's"? Would you thank someone who basically gave you backhanded help? I didn't think so!"

"Okay, fine! Let's agree to disagree: Joey shouldn't be prejudice against you! You shouldn't be prejudice against him!" Kara said. "Damn it, if you'd just get past by your upbringings and backgrounds you'd find that you have plenty in common! You both like dueling! You both had a younger sibling that you care deeply about! Hell, the reason why you're both in anger management in the first place is because of each other!"

"Blame Wheeler! Everything's always has been and always will be his fault! Even now, if that dog would had accept the damn duel he wouldn't be in the hospital in the first place!" He scoffed, "Hopefully he won't recover!"

"…You don't really mean that!"

"I do! And besides, if the tables were reversed, Wheeler would feel the exact same way! Face facts Kara: I hate Wheeler, Wheeler hates me, that's the way it'll always be!"

"I think you both need to get together with a SWAT team and deal with your own problems!" Kara admitted. Honestly, she was beginning to wonder if Arisa was right about this being a bad idea to try to make them friend. Just when she thought she figured out why Joey and Kaiba hated each other, more questions seemed to form. Were they so much alike, despite their backgrounds and home life that they'd be too stubborn to even try to get along with each other? As she felt her necklace glowing again, maybe another method would have to be taken.


It's safe to say that this mission of Kara's ended failure. What will happen now? You'll just have to stay tuned...