Chapter 31

Early Saturday afternoon, shortly after lunch, Alex, Kaiba, and Mokuba were in the limo, heading towards the facility where the laser tag challenge would take place. Although Kaiba agreed to help Mokuba (with Alex's help), he was grumbling a bit under his breath. Alex noticed this and smiling, she said,

"Come on. I think this is going to be fun."

She looked at Mokuba and added, "I know you only accepted this challenge because of a moron, but I've never played laser tag."

Mokuba looked slightly surprised and asked, "Really? But isn't it popular in America?"

Alex replied, "It is, but I'm a bit boring. I've always been too focused on my studies."

Mokuba nodded and replied, "This is your chance to try it out."

Alex happily replied, "True. So before we go into this, can you tell us about this idiot and his brother? And you mentioned something about their sister?"

Mokuba nodded and then he described the bully and his siblings. As Mokuba finished up, he said,

"That brother looks familiar, but I don't remember from where."

Alex thought as well that the description of the brother sounded familiar, too, and going through her memories, her eyes suddenly shot up and she replied,

"Mokuba, this is going to sound a bit out there, but do you remember the first time we met?"

Mokuba replied, "Yeah?"

He wondered where Alex was going with this, and she replied,

"I think he's the leader of that gang I beat up. You know, the people who tried to kidnap you?"

Mokuba looked surprised but realized that Alex was right. Nodding, he replied, "That's right. Why didn't I realize that sooner?"

Kaiba couldn't help paying attention to their conversation at that point, and he said,

"If you had, I would have immediately helped."

Alex looked at Kaiba and replied, "Really?"

Kaiba nodded and replied, "Yeah. No one gets away with trying to kidnap Mokuba."

Alex replied, "I understand. Fortunately, I was able to stop it."

Mokuba grinned and added, "Yeah, you should have seen Alex, Seto. She pretended to look so helpless, and then she goes and beats them all up without mercy."

Alex laughed a bit and replied, "I can't stand morons like that. At least this time, this will be a proper challenge, and from what you said, they definitely need to be put in their place."

Mokuba nodded happily, and he and Alex looked at Kaiba to see his reaction. Kaiba seemed fired up, and unable to help herself, Alex teasingly said,

"It looks like you're a bit more excited."

Kaiba replied, "Perhaps I needed the right motivation."

Alex nodded, and soon, the three arrived outside the laser tag facility. They got out of the limo, and Mokuba led the way inside. As they entered the lobby, Mokuba noticed that their opponents were waiting for them and quietly said so to Alex and Kaiba. Alex took a quick glance at them and indeed, they fit Mokuba's description perfectly. She couldn't help frowning as she saw the brother, the leader of that gang she beat up.

Meanwhile, Mokuba's bully looked tauntingly at Mokuba and said, "I made bets that you'd chicken out on this."

Mokuba frowned and replied, "Never. I'm here, and we're ready to take you on."

The brother approached Alex and smirking, he said, "I remember you. Still as hot as ever, but I'll have you this time."

As Alex was about to reply, Kaiba stepped in front of her and said, "You'll have to go through me first, and that's my girlfriend you're talking to."

The guy frowned and replied, "Really now? We'll see about that."

Clearly, he wasn't intimated by Kaiba, although many guys would be. Finally, the older sister approached the group and turning to her brother, she said,

"I thought you said that a burly, muscular guy beat you up."

Alex raised an eyebrow and replied, "Is that what he said?"

The sister looked at Alex and nodding, she replied, "Yup. He must have been too embarrassed to tell us the truth, but I get it. I wouldn't want to say that I got beaten up by trash."

She wanted to agitate Alex, but Alex wasn't going to fall for it. She rolled her eyes and replied,

"We're wasting time. Let's get on with the challenge and get it done quickly. I have other things to do today."

The sister smirked and replied, "I agree on that. We'll help our brother quickly, and I have a date after this."

Alex quickly glanced at her and replied, "That explains why you're dressed like that, but your date must have no taste."

Alex observed that the girl was dressed in a tight dark blue shirt and a very short leather skirt, although Alex thought it was impractical, let alone that someone would freeze in this weather wearing such an outfit.

The sister was about to yell at Alex when Mokuba said, "Let's do this."

Mokuba looked to the bully and said, "State the rules."

The bully replied, "Simple. Me, my brother, and sister will go and hide in that room."

He pointed towards a door where there was a darkened room with a maze inside. He then continued,

"The objective is to eliminate all three on the same team. You can follow that, can't you?"

Mokuba replied, "Of course. We'll win, so you'll leave me alone and stop spreading those rumors about me?"

The bully smirked and replied, "Yes, as we agreed."

What he didn't tell Mokuba, though, was that he actually wasn't planning on keeping his word. The brother and sister were aware of that as well.

The brother added, "I want to raise the stakes. We are going to win, so I want to go on a date with her."

He pointed at Alex, which made Alex laugh and reply,

"Seriously? As if I'd ever date someone I can easily beat up."

Kaiba spoke up and added, "Not to mention that she's already taken."

The brother replied, "Then it's no big deal to accept that condition. It's not like I'm asking the two of you to break up. Just one date if I win."

Kaiba was about to reply when Alex said, "Ok, fine."

Kaiba frowned and turning to Alex, he whispered, "What are you doing?"

Alex whispered back, "It's fine. They aren't going to win, and I have a plan."

The sister said, "Can we just get this over with?"

The bully turned to her and said, "Ok." He then turned to Mokuba and said, "We'll get ready in the next room and the alarm will sound when your team enters."

He and his siblings entered the room, where they would put on their equipment and get their weapons ready and then get themselves in position.

Once it was just the three of them, Mokuba asked, "How are we going to do this?"

Alex replied, "With a plan, of course."

She looked to Kaiba and asked, "Is it alright if I come up with it?"

Kaiba replied, "You call yourself the ultimate genius, so knock yourself out."

Alex smiled and quickly thinking, she approached a teenage boy who was standing behind the counter in the lobby. The boy looked to be in charge of running the facility at the moment. She smiled sweetly at him and then asked him for a map of the room where their opponents were. After a map was quickly given to her, Alex returned to Kaiba and Mokuba and said,

"Ok, here's a map of that room. Those guys are stupid, so I doubt they would think very strategically. However, if I've learned anything, never underestimate the enemy."

She then went on to give her ideas of where their opponents might hide and the best way to approach and eliminate them. Mokuba looked amazed as he listened to Alex, while Kaiba seemed to be taking Alex's suggestions calmly, silently agreeing with her plan.

Once Alex was finished, Mokuba replied, "It sounds like a really good plan, but what do you think, Seto?"

Kaiba nodded and replied, "I agree."

Alex smiled and replied, "Thanks. You don't think we need to change any of it?"

Kaiba shook his head and replied, "It's a solid plan, and if we all stay level-headed, we can get this done quickly. Besides…"

As Kaiba trailed off, Alex looked curiously at him and asked, "What?"

Kaiba looked back at Alex with a smirk and replied, "I want that reward from you."

Alex blushed and replied, "I understand. You deserve one for helping us with this. But first, we have to ensure our victory."

She looked to Mokuba and with a bit of concern showing on her face, she said, "I hope I'm wrong, but I get this feeling that assuming we win, that idiot won't keep his word. He doesn't seem like the type."

Mokuba replied, "You think so?"

Alex nodded and replied, "I've met plenty of those kinds of people."

Kaiba replied, "Then we need some insurance."

Alex smiled and replied, "Exactly what I was thinking, and I have just the perfect idea."

She then briefly left the two of them and approached the boy behind the counter again. She whispered some words to him, mainly asking for a favor. The boy blushed but nodded in agreement. Alex then returned to Kaiba and Mokuba and said,

"Ok, let's do this."

Mokuba nodded and replied, "Ok. We can get all the things we need over there."

He then led the way to where their equipment and weapons were, but as Alex was about to follow, Kaiba grabbed her arm and asked,

"What did you tell that guy just now?"

Alex replied, "I asked him to help us with that insurance in return for me helping him in the future. Don't worry. I may have had to sweet talk him a bit, but that was just to help Mokuba. I want to make sure that idiot leaves him alone for good."

Kaiba nodded and replied, "Ok. Let's not keep Mokuba waiting."

Alex nodded, and the two of them followed Mokuba to where the items were. After gearing up, Mokuba nodded to the guy in front of the door that they were ready, and soon afterwards, the alarm sounded to indicate the start of the challenge.

Sticking to the plan, Alex went in one direction while Kaiba and Mokuba walked in another direction as they explored the room, making sure to keep to hidden spots but yet, still be able to have the advantage in visibility. In the middle of the room, there was an electronic scoreboard, which Alex assumed was for keeping track of eliminations.

Alex quickly but quietly walked, keeping her eyes open and her ears alert. She would listen for the slightest sound, and after a little while of walking, she heard a faint noise. Quickly, she hid behind a wall and looked towards the sound. There, she saw someone's back and knowing that it was one of her opponents, Alex aimed and fired her weapon, hitting the person in the back. Soon after, the scoreboard lit up, indicating that the brother was eliminated.

Meanwhile, Kaiba and Mokuba were together, looking for their opponents. As the scoreboard lit up, Kaiba smirked and quietly commented,

"No surprise there."

Mokuba grinned and quietly added, "Go, Alex."

The two of them continued to walk quietly, hiding behind walls and keeping their senses alert. Kaiba heard a sound from nearby and looking in the direction, he saw someone's back and knew that it was another one of their opponents. Without hesitating, he fired his weapon, and the scoreboard lit up again, this time indicating that the sister was eliminated.

Alex saw the scoreboard light up again and grinning, she thought,

Two down, one to go.

She walked towards her destination, while Kaiba and Mokuba did the same. All three of them stayed alert, knowing that there was one more opponent to eliminate. Alex noticed a brief flash of movement and quickly hid behind a wall. At the same time, Kaiba and Mokuba saw the movement, too, as well as noticed Alex. They quickly but quietly approached her, and Alex smiled at them, happy that the plan was working.

Alex indicated with her left hand towards the direction of their final opponent, pointing to Mokuba to take care of it. Mokuba grinned and quietly walked towards the boy who had been harassing him. Alex and Kaiba watched, and although Kaiba wanted to ask Alex if Mokuba could handle it, he didn't get a chance to. It was then that Mokuba shouted,

"Come and get me!"

Surprised, Mokuba's bully quickly turned towards him, and Mokuba fired his weapon at him, eliminating the final opponent. The scoreboard lit up to indicate that Mokuba and his team were the winners, and the room was bathed in light.

The bully screamed and pointing angrily at Mokuba, he shouted,

"You cheated!"

Mokuba replied, "How? We beat you, fair and square."

Meanwhile, Alex left the room, returning to the lobby but making sure that no one was watching her. She approached the boy behind the desk, and he quickly gave her a small flash drive. Alex gave her thanks and wrote down her number on a piece of paper, handing it to him and telling him that she'd be happy to help him out whenever he wanted. She then returned to the room and immediately noticed that Mokuba and Kaiba were in some sort of heated argument with Mokuba's bully and his siblings. She shook her head and asked,

"What's going on?"

Mokuba looked at Alex and replied, "He's accusing us of cheating."

Alex rolled her eyes and replied, "I see. I had a feeling this might happen, so I asked for a favor."

She looked towards Mokuba's bully and said, "You're obviously a sore loser, but that's no surprise. It must be a genetic trait or something."

Kaiba couldn't help smirking upon hearing Alex's comment, and Alex continued,

"So I politely asked that this challenge be recorded, and I have a copy of the proof. Now, if you break your word and harass Mokuba or do something even worse, we won't hesitate to leak this to the media. Not that I wouldn't mind having your failure become public."

She looked at Kaiba and added, "That's ok with you, isn't it?"

Kaiba nodded and replied, "Of course it is."

He looked at their opponents and added, "Now you will leave Mokuba alone for good or else. And one more thing."

He looked at the brother and in a threatening voice, he added, "If you ever dare to make a move on my girlfriend again, I have my ways of eliminating you and leaving no evidence."

The brother was finally intimidated, and he nodded, not saying anything. Only the sister scoffed and muttered about how all this was a waste of her time, probably the least to care about the outcome.

A little later, Alex, Kaiba, and Mokuba were back in the limo, heading away from the laser tag facility and back towards the mansion. Feeling excited, Mokuba said,

"Thanks so much. I couldn't have done it with you both, and that was a clever plan, Alex."

Alex smiled and replied, "Thanks. It might have been a bit unexpected, but the best laid plans are the unpredictable ones."

Mokuba replied, "But I had no idea you could be as scary as Seto."

Alex looked confused and replied, "What do you mean?"

She paused and frowning slightly, she added, "Oh, you mean about the insurance part? I hoped I wouldn't have had to resort to it, but…"

Kaiba replied, "You were just looking out for Mokuba. I would have done the same thing."

Mokuba nodded and added, "Seto definitely would have. But anyway, the important thing is that we won – all three of us."

Alex smiled softly and replied, "True, and it was fun."

Mokuba looked thoughtful and asked, "Alex, was this really your first time at playing laser tag?"

Alex nodded and replied, "Yeah, why?"

Mokuba replied, "You seem like you really knew what you were doing. You came up with that plan, and then you eliminated that idiot quickly."

Alex shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I play a lot of video games, and it helps to understand people. I just applied my knowledge and hoped it would work."

What Alex didn't say, though, was that she also knew how to handle opponents because she took battle simulations back at the agency.

Although Mokuba accepted Alex's reply, Kaiba looked at Alex, as though he thought she was holding something back. She gave him a quizzical look, to which Kaiba only said,

"Now that I helped, I want that reward from you."

Alex laughed and replied, "Of course. But first, we celebrate with Mokuba. It's really his win, after all."

She leaned in towards Kaiba and whispered, "But I will make sure to give you a very wonderful reward tonight – just the two of us."

Kaiba blushed but smiled, looking forward to tonight.

Meanwhile, back at the time agency, Cas was sitting at her terminal, looking into the time anomalies that Alex reported to her. She was so absorbed in her work that she was surprised when a young man who appeared to be in his early 20's with blond hair and brown eyes quickly approached Cas and angrily asked,

"Is it true? Is Alex gone?"

Cas looked up at the man. Quickly recovering, she sadly replied, "Yes, I'm afraid so. She isn't dead, but her memories have been wiped."

The man balled his fists and replied, "Why? She was the best. It should have been easy for her to eliminate Kaiba."

He took a deep breath to try to calm down and then said, "I heard that they still want Kaiba eliminated. Let me go after him."

Cas looked at him and replied, "I don't know, Max. I have to be careful about whom to send to the field. You know that."

In truth, Cas was reluctant to send any more agents and risk having Alex's cover blown. The young man called Max replied,

"I can do it, and then I can bring Alex back here. I know that there's a way to recover her memories."

Cas sighed and replied, "Yes, but it's in the experimental stages."

Max replied, "Still, it's a way. I refuse to lose her, and if the only way is to complete Alex's mission, then I'll do it."

Cas looked at Max for a minute and then realized why he was acting that way. She looked concerned and quietly asked,

"Max, do you like her?"

Max blushed a bit and replied, "I, um…"

Cas frowned and replied, "You know that romantic relationships aren't allowed here."

Max angrily replied, "I know that, but I don't care. I want her back, and I'll do what it takes."

Cas sighed and replied, "Let me think about it, ok? But no hasty actions in the meantime."

Satisfied with Cas' reply, Max nodded and left the room. Once she was alone, Cas let out a breath and quietly muttered,

"As if things aren't already a mess."