Is it odd that I figure Pegasus would be good with kids? I'm not entirely sure, but I think it makes a lot of sense. He's a kid at heart, and honestly he's not that old when we meet him at Duelist Kingdom.
He's only 24.
Having just turned 28 . . . yeah, I'm gonna say he's pretty young. Especially considering in this story, if I've calculated the timeline correctly, he's only 19.
Anyway, here are some things that happened:
1.
Croquet has watched enough matches of his master's flagship game to know that Pegasus is holding back. Equally obvious, however, is the fact that Seto is extremely sharp for a boy his age. As soon as Pegasus sets two notepads on either side of the picnic table (to keep track of life points), and their decks are shuffled, the boy's entire demeanor makes a radical shift.
Little Mokuba had said that his brother was "preparing for battle." This is clearly true, because he looks like a field general, glaring down at his cards like he thinks they might step out of line if he doesn't keep a close eye on them.
Kristine Hathaway and her companion, Dan (Croquet discovers that his last name is Elliot), have joined Croquet as the second and third members of the audience for this inaugural match.
"So, all I can gather from the past fifteen seconds is that the object of the game is to flip cards face-up as quickly as possible," Dan murmurs thoughtfully. He glances at Croquet. "He's doing well?"
"Extremely," Croquet says. "Every time Master Crawford breaks through one of his strategies, he starts on another. He's made sure that every card in his deck is useful in at least two different ways, from the look of it. And . . . unlike most beginners, he hasn't just gone straight for absolute power. I mean, he's still using what I've heard called a 'beat-down' deck, but . . . yes. Remarkable."
Against any other player, Croquet is sure that the sheer speed of Seto's play-style would intimidate and fluster his opponent. The boy is obviously advanced, gifted even, and he wastes no time in laying out each move; his turns typically last a total of five or six seconds.
But Pegasus Crawford has no trouble keeping up. His movements are swift but deliberate, and after a while Croquet realizes that his master has been deliberately slowing himself down, and he further realizes that this is wearing down Seto. The boy gets gradually, but obviously, frustrated. Pegasus, meanwhile, is entirely unperturbed.
"Unfortunately," Croquet says after a while longer, "it seems that Master Crawford's won."
"How do you mean?" Kristine asks.
Croquet gestures. "He's managed to break young Seto's concentration. Look at his face."
"I get that cards are a psychological game," Dan says, "but I think it's a bit early to say—"
"Damn it!"
Dan sighs. "Never mind."
Pegasus gathers up his cards, reshuffles his deck, all with the slightest of smiles on his face. "So sorry, dear boy. Your strategy was impeccable. No doubting that. Was this your first duel?"
"No! Well . . . yes. Technically." Seto is sulking.
"Remarkable. You are a talent." Pegasus smirks. "But, you did lose. And, of course, that means you must accrue a penalty."
"You're keeping the cards," Seto guesses, subtly pouting.
"Hm?" Pegasus quirks an eyebrow. "Oh, you misunderstand me. As punishment for losing, dear Seto, you must do something truly reprehensible." He reaches over, gathers Seto's cards, and shuffles them with the speed and confidence of a street magician. He hands them over. "You must accept my charity."
". . . What?"
"Take them," Pegasus says. "They're yours. I give them to you. You must accept this gift, which you did not earn, as punishment for losing. And if you wish to remove such a blemish from your conscience, well . . . I bid you good luck. Challenge me again. I'm sure I'll be seeing quite a lot of this place from now on."
Pegasus looks over at Kristine and Dan, and waves them over. He hands Kristine the briefcase of cards from which Seto built the deck he is now holding in both hands like it's a venomous serpent.
Pegasus says, "Keep these on hand, won't you? I'd like to see my cards in the hands of all the children here. Well . . . those who are interested, in any case." He looks over at Seto again. "By the way . . . if you'd won, I had intended to help you spread the word. But I do believe I'll leave that to you. If you want to practice, and improve your game, you'll just have to find someone else to play against in the interim." He smirks again. "You did lose, after all. Consider this the second phase of your penalty game: learn to socialize with your peers."
Seto looks up at the man with fire in his eyes. "You slick bastard," he murmurs slowly.
A silence builds.
Then:
"What did I just hear you say?!"
2.
Gregor Kelvin comes stomping up to the table, while another man follows him at a much more leisurely pace. The director looks like he's just gone thirteen rounds with a bottle of imported scotch, but that might just be the natural state of his face when he's angry.
Seto blinks, but doesn't flinch, as he looks up at a man he clearly detests. "What?" he asks in calculatingly innocent bewilderment.
Kelvin's companion is holding back, watching.
"That sort of language is flagrantly unacceptable, Yagami! How dare you disrespect a gues—"
"Allow me to stop you here, Mister Kelvin," Pegasus interrupts smoothly, rising to his feet. He is several inches taller than the man. "Please, do everyone a favor and don't make a fool of yourself. I won't have you using me as a platform on which to antagonize this boy. I will decide if I'm being disrespected, thank you very much." He turns a sideways glance at Seto. "I do believe your brother has found himself in a bit of trouble," he says, gesturing across the courtyard. Seto blinks, looks over, and almost squeals as he scrambles to rescue Mokuba from whatever torment he's found himself confronting.
"M-Mister Crawford . . . we don't allow the children to speak in—"
"Obviously," Pegasus interrupts, "because it would be quite troublesome if a brat were to use your turns of phrase against you, wouldn't it? Do yourself a favor now, and stop lying to me. I don't like it. And while my corporation might not be as influential as I'd like it to be for the moment, I believe I have more than enough resources on hand to make your life a living hell if you continue to insult me." Something flashes behind the sheen of Pegasus's silver hair, which covers the right side of his face. "Do we understand each other?"
Kelvin doesn't speak again. He simply turns and scrambles away, trying desperately to hide the fact that he is scrambling.
At this moment, the director's companion makes his presence known. He is a tall, broad-shouldered man, black-haired with a finely groomed mustache and a chiseled face. He is, like Pegasus, dressed in red.
"Pegasus Crawford?" the man asks in a low rumble.
Pegasus bows with a flourish. "You've heard of me. I'm humbled."
"Quite a performance, I must say. I don't exactly make a habit of . . . socializing while on business matters, but you've managed to inject some amusement into my afternoon. For that, I must thank you." He holds out a hand.
Pegasus shakes it. "It was my pleasure, Kaiba-shachou."
Gozaburo Kaiba smirks. "Mm," he says, and walks away.
3.
On his way out to the parking lot, Pegasus stops and watches as Seto (his last name is apparently Yagami) administers impromptu first aid to his little brother, which amounts to little more than patting him on the knee and whispering to him until he stops crying.
Pegasus steps over. "Now, now," he says, "what's this? Has our little warrior been bested in combat?"
Seto flinches, and looks up. "He just . . . fell down."
"No!" Mokuba says, insulted. "Did not! Got pushed."
"Hush, Mokie," Seto says. "Don't bother Mister Crawford."
Pegasus sits on his heels and dangles his hands between his knees. "Well, now. That's quite a shame. But you know, Mokuba, the very best way to get back at a bully who's pushed you down?"
Mokuba blinks away tears, and shakes his head. "Uh-uh."
Seto is scowling now.
Pegasus smiles. "I'm sure your Niisama knows this already. He can tell you how well this trick works, I think. If you really want to show that bully who's boss, all you have to do is one simple thing." He rises smoothly to his feet. "Stand up."
". . . Huh?" Mokuba stares up at the man. "Stand up? Tha's all?"
"Absolutely!" Pegasus says, grinning now. Seto's scowl softens. "The very best thing to do to a big, bad bully is show them that they can't keep you down. So stand back up, little warrior! Look at your shirt, there. You're a knight. A knight in shining armor! Stand proud! I'm sure that would make your Niisama proud, too. He can say to the other children, 'See? You can't hurt my brother. He's stronger than you.'"
Mokuba's little face twitches with a slight smile. "Nii'tama? Proud?"
Seto smiles at the smaller boy. "I'm always proud of you, Mokie. But Mister Crawford is right. Stand up, and show them. You're stronger than they are. Aren't you?"
Mokuba stands up. "Uh-huh! I'm knight. Stronger'n everybody." He looks at Seto and shrugs. "'Cept Nii'tama."
Pegasus chuckles. "Of course. Well, now. I have to leave. You boys take care of each other. I'm sure I'll see you again. After all, if I'm going to adopt an heir to take over my company someday, I have a lot to learn." He winks. "I'm hoping Miss Hathaway can teach me."
"Adopt?" Seto repeats suddenly. Too suddenly. "You . . . you're here to adopt?"
"That, and a few other ventures. But yes. That's my primary objective, I suppose you'd say. Most people might think I'm too young to think about such things, but it's never too early to start securing the future. But anyway, I do believe I'm counting the chickens before they hatch. I haven't even filled out the application yet."
He turns away. The two boys can't see the sly smile on his face, but Croquet can.
"Enjoy your day, Seto Yagami. Mokuba Yagami. It was a pleasure to meet you both."
"Bye-bye!" Mokuba sings out, and Pegasus doesn't have to look to know that he is nearly dislocating his arm to wave for him.
". . . Goodbye, Mister Crawford."
Pegasus and Croquet make their way toward the parking lot again, in meditative silence. The servant's face is almost grim, while the master's face is gleeful. He has made quite the venture out of his social visit today, and the stack of paperwork tucked under Croquet's arm might just hold the key to a glorious future. Pegasus has a difficult time holding in his excitement, which is probably why Croquet is so serious.
When Master Crawford gets excited . . . strange things tend to happen.
Dark things. Twisted things.
Pegasus stops walking a full three seconds before they hear Seto's voice again: "Mister Crawford!"
He turns his head. "Yes?"
Seto fidgets, and plays with the hem of his shirt before he realizes he's doing it and stuffs both hands in his pockets. "Um . . . I wanted to thank you."
"Oh, don't worry, my boy. It's not like I gave you the cards as some gesture of altruism. I have high hopes that this place will do wonders for our sales figures." He laughs. "I have my eye on you, Seto Yagami. You have the makings of a tournament player, I think. Just remember to practice."
A beat of silence.
". . . I wasn't talking about the cards. Sir."
"I know."
.
A note: in the "Paved with Good Intentions" series, the old director of the orphanage when Seto and Mokuba lived there is called Gregory Kelvin, not Gregor Kelvin. Technically this was a mistake on my part, but I'm leaving it in.
It's a new story; it's a new world. Some things change.
Some of those things are small. Others are not so small.