This took so much longer than I wanted it to be, but procrastination wasn't the issue this time. Instead, we have writer's block to blame. More at the bottom.

Let's get some things out of the way, since both these reviewers were guests and you can't message guests (obviously).

Jake- Can't tell if you're trolling, but… calm down dude, I said that Season 3 was troubled, not anything awful. But even if I had, how the hell would comparing me to Trump and calling me a crybaby change my mind, much less prove me wrong? That's just a dick move. Anyway, as I said at the bottom of last chapter, Danny wiped everyone but his parents' memories in the Season 2 (S2) finale… which was Reality Trip. Because goddamn it, he had no reason to hide it from his parents at that point. So he wiped the memories of everyone else, destroyed the gauntlet, yadda yadda yadda.

Con fusion- Thank you for being polite (unlike a certain someone). The notes at the top and bottom may answer questions you have. As I said, the only thing that never actually happened was Phantom Planet. I just didn't like it. However, I have no qualms against anyone that did. But yeah, that means that Vlad's not stuck on a big glowing rock. Considering that the DC universe also exists here, the Disasteroid probably wouldn't have been as much of threat anyway.

Moving on, some deleted scenes from last chapter:

-Vlad was actually going to be unaware of Sam's presence at first, talking to another football fanatic. Only a bit of time in would he see her in the reflective glass.

-The girls were going to confront Sam three times, but I found two to be enough.

-Pacifica was going to mention that Vlad sent her, so Sam would actually find out the poor girl had been set up.

-Pacifica was going to have the servants design a completely new dress to Sam's liking, but I thought that'd be pushing it, especially since I had no fashion knowledge whatsoever.

Also, in hindsight, I could've made the snobby "Casanova" bothering Pacifica Eustace Strych from Jimmy Neutron. But on the other hand, I don't want to bloat this story with too many cameos. I'll have to think about it.

So yeah, the chapter went through a lot of changes. But now it's time for our last crossover guest to come into play. Might not be as long as the last one.

Edited: This chapter was mostly fine, I only added one small line concerning Pacifica's gaming interests when Kaiba asks her about DDnD. This was written before Lost Legends came out, after all.

The Games Rich People Play

The Gamer

Day 1- 4:00 P.M.

"Unacceptable, Unacceptable!" Preston was currently stomping his foot in fury as he scolded Pacifica. They were in a room that was empty at the moment. "I told you to stay in one spot. One spot! I told you not to say anything, not to touch anything, or even look at anyone funny! And what happens? I barely look away for fifteen minutes and you're gone!"

"You were gone for a whopping forty-five minutes." She corrected him. "And I got bored."

"Bored? Bored! Do you realize the havoc you could have caused if anyone important saw you? Talked with you?!" He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "It turns me white just thinking about it."

Pacifica groaned. "Where is mom, anyway?"

"Currently "holding the fort" as one would say. She knows what to say, and how to retreat until I get back." He turned to her. "But that's irrelevant. Don't change the subject, young lady. Now, seeing as I can't trust you to do the simplest of tasks, it seems I will have to keep you at my side at all times. You will not step out of line in any way, or-"

"Or what, exactly?" Pacifica snapped. "Use the bell? Hate to tell you dad, but I know you won't dare use that in front of people. You know it's screwed up, so you wouldn't dare let anyone see you use it."

"But I can still use it when we are away from the public. Like here." He reached into his tux.

"Go ahead. Use it." She challenged. "I may relent to that thing more often than not, but tonight I've got plenty of reasons to steel through it!"

Preston cocked an eyebrow. "What in blazes are you talking about?"

"Oh? You didn't know? I've met plenty of people tonight!" She shouted the last part.

Preston nearly fell over at this. "Y-y-you… you what?!"

"Yeah! And who was it I talked to first? Oh, that's right! Mr. Wayne came over to talk to me personally." She stated, and Preston started sweating nervously. "As it turns out, he actually is proud of those foundations we talked about, and you were completely off. And you know what? He'd like to talk to me again."

"GAH!" Preston shrieked. "You… you… don't you understand anything about social queues?!"

"No! Because the social queues you think are social queues are NONEXISTENT!" Pacifica "pondered" again. "And who was the second guy? Oh yeah! He went by the name Billy Billions!"

"Billions?! The tech mogul?! Oh no, you idiotic girl! How could you embarrass us in front of someone so important?!" He was clutching his face in fear. "Oh, this is dreadful! Dreadful, dreadful, dreadful, dreadful…"

"And then I made friends with another girl. Well… sorta. Still, she was pretty cool. Her name was Sam. And guess what, dad? She was a goth girl." She snickered as Preston whirled around, a look of horror on his face.

"A goth?! How could you converse with someone so lowly?" He pulled his hair. Something about that nearly sent Pacifica into hysterics. "Please tell me you weren't friendly to someone like her!"

"Extremely friendly." She smiled evilly.

"GAHHHH!" He shouted into the air. "You've been astounding for years! Something I could be proud of! My daughter was the perfect example of high-class children, the best of the best! A winner! No one else's children could compare. But now, once they find out you became friends with this girl, I'll become a laughing stock!"

"Well, I guess that's your problem. I'm not some simple trophy that you can just show off to your followers," She sneered. "and your "image" is not my responsibility."

"Wrong. This huge mess would have never happened had you just stayed still and quiet!" He raised his head. "No… no, this would have never happened had we not let that boy into our mansion! Ever since then he and his family have been putting ideas into your head!"

Pacifica's smiled deteriorated into a scowl. "He proposed to me that you were nothing but a hack. That's a pretty good idea if I ever heard one."

"Gah! This is precisely what I mean! He and his family have turned you into a ruffian with no sense of standards! It's nothing but you cursing and insulting me now!" He threw his hands up. "I can't even let you out of the house without worrying that our cherished name will be tarnished. Do you know how risky that is for us? For you?"

"Don't you dare pretend that you're even the slightest bit worried about me. The only thing you care about is yourself, Dad. You "care" about what happens to me because you think I'm nothing but a pet that you train and groom to your liking. No exaggeration. That damn bell is proof enough of that." She pointed to his chest. "I mean, Pavlovian dog training on your daughter? Your flesh and blood? Seriously?"

"Assurance, dear. And it was completely necessary. It insured that you would never stray from the path. Though I can see now it wasn't enough." He clenched his fist. "All that work undone by a hick and his family!"

"Yeah, and you wanna know why? Because people aren't dogs, Dad." She spat out. "Especially not me! If you think you'll be able to sit there and bark orders at me, expecting me to obey like the little "accomplishment" I am, then you're even more delusional than I thought."

"Arrrrgh!" Preston shouted in frustration. "That does it. I won't have any more of this. No more rebellion, no more irritation, no more Pines! I'm going to ensure they won't be a problem anymore!"

"Well, good luck trying to get me to comply. Or have you already forgotten that I'm in no mood to go back to the way things were?"

Preston began to fix his now slightly messy hair. "No, no. Clearly there's no use in trying to stop the issue working on the outside in. No, to eradicate this infection, it must be cut off at the source."

Pacifica already knew what this meant. But she wasn't worried. "Really, Dad? Bigger and badder beings than you have tried to destroy Dipper's family and failed miserably. Or do I have to remind you of the geometric shape that rearranged your face? Literally?"

"Not necessary!" Preston suddenly shouted, panic in his voice. "...Y-yes, daughter, I'm completely aware of... their past opponents."

"So what makes you think you'll do any better?"

"My dear, while the Pines are indeed very versatile, it doesn't change the fact that an eight year old child managed to steal their little outhouse's will. Not to mention he was able to keep it because our town's legislation and judiciary are a complete joke." A sinister smile appeared on his face. "If a poor scamming child was able to do all that, what do you think a rich man like me is capable of inflicting on them?"

Admittedly, that was worrying. If there was one thing she knew at this point, is that the real world and the weird world were too vastly different places. Being chased down by a poltergeist was very different than keeping financial stability. After all, Dipper and Mabel nearly had to go home after Gideon stole the will to the shack, since Stan couldn't support them.

But... that didn't mean they couldn't adapt. If the little town they lived in had taught the twins anything, it was how to be on your toes. Mentally, and physically. She quickly doused her doubts.

"You can make all the threats you like, dad. But no matter what you try to do, I have faith they'll pull through it."

"Hmph. We'll see about that. But in the meantime, we salvage whatever parts of our reputation you've tainted."

Pacifica threw her hands up. "And back to square one! Honestly, if you cared anymore about your image I feel like you'd be a supervillain. Like Lex Luthor."

"You speak ill of that man, but he knows what is truly important. A true connoisseur of the finer things. It's that type of person you should aspire to be." He began checking his appearance in a nearby mirror.

"He tried to kill Superman just last week." She deadpanned.

"Well, considering how much of his things that flying clown destroys, I wouldn't blame him."

"Aaaaand you're defending a criminal. I think we're done here." Her father, not paying attention, didn't have time to react before he heard the door slam.

She made her way to the ballroom fairly quickly, ignoring the shouts of anger down the hall. She just wanted to get as far away from her father as possible. Though it wasn't a surprise he was only now going after her. He probably decided to get done making sure he looked nice before getting out of the room. Typically, before anything, he came first.

And to think, this idiot was her father. She made the comparison to Luthor, but that might have been an insult to the megalomaniac. In fact, from the tidbits she had seen of him, Luthor probably would've hated her father. He was little more than a clown with a lot of money behind his name. She had to wonder why she didn't leave or tell someone or just... do something.

But then again, even idiots could make a smart decision every now and then. That damn bell... she'd known it ever since she was a little girl. The day he started using it was the day a cold and hard chain was put around her, restricting her from going too far. She read once about how they used to train elephants, by tying up their leg with something they couldn't break or hurting them when they couldn't fight back. Then when they were adults, they wouldn't try escaping or hurting their captors since, despite growing into a dangerous behemoth, nothing was different to them.

Her situation was similar, but she was greatly aware that there was a difference nowadays. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to completely break ties. Perhaps maybe Mr. Wayne's therapist friend could help.

"Pacifica! There you are!"

That... wasn't her father. In fact, that annoying voice that sounded faux suave could only come from...

"You wouldn't believe the amount of nonsense I encountered once I left to get you punch!"

Charles Wright.

"Uh..." She wasn't sure what to say. Keep up her act from earlier? Or shrug him off again?

Charles took her inability to speak as an opportunity to explain himself. "I'm terribly sorry, my dear. But some of the oddest things kept me from finding you again. Infuriating too."

"Oh... really?" She said, still a bit unsure.

"Yes! Yes, indeed! Now, though you may find it hard to believe, a young boy tricked me into following a false you."

"Uh huh."

"It's true, darling! Though I couldn't believe my eyes either." He crossed his arms. "It makes me so frustrated, thinking back on it. To be fooled by such a pale imitation. It was a mere mockery of your… figure." He stated with a sultry voice.

At this point, Pacifica finally had a course of action for her mind. First, resist the urge to dry-heave. Second, feel absolutely pissed since Billy's robot girl perfectly imitated her. In an attempt to insult the "imposter", he was also insulting her too. He really wasn't as suave as he thought he was.

"And it was being controlled by a young boy, of all people. But just as I was about to assume the worst of you, a bit of luck came my way!"

Wright wheezed a little bit, trying his best to catch up to Pacifica. But no matter how fast he ran, she always seemed to run faster. No matter how close he got, she would disappear around the next corner. He would be infuriated if he wasn't so tired. "Darling… *wheeze* Pacifica? *huff* I can't help but feel… like you're avoiding me *cough*."

When he went into another room, only to see her up a large flight of stairs, he decided it was time to give up. He was starting to get sweaty, and he couldn't reach her anyways.

He stopped, trying to catch his breath. "Fine. You *huff*… go on then. But I'm going… to tell you off a storm *puff*, when I find you again. This was simply maddening!"

In fact, he swore he could hear evil chuckling in the distance. Maybe he was being tormented by an imp from hell.

"Whu-hey!" A voice rang out in the distance. "Let go of me!"

"Not a chance, Billy." Another voice, one that sounded older, replied. "You're gonna tell us what you were up to. You can't pull a stunt like you did and not expect us to be suspicious."

Curiosity motivating him, he investigated the commotion. What he found, was a small child being hoisted up by an older teen, whom was dressed very inappropriately for such an occasion. Next to him was a young Japanese girl and a… cat man?

"I don't have to tell you anything, Tennyson!" The small boy scrambled while whiffing the air with punches.

"You will if you don't want to be kicked out." The girl in the pink dress countered.

"That's what you think. MAZUMA!" The boy shouted out, and a figure whizzed by Wright.

To his surprise, Pacifica of all people had come to the boy's aid… or so Charles had thought. Right before his eyes, Pacifica began to morph… into a completely different girl! Her hair shapeshifted into a ponytail, her dress became longer and a different color, and she grew taller. When she was done, she snatched the young boy from the other's hand. Wright was baffled. And yet… outraged. All this time, the lovely Pacifica he had been following was nothing more than a fraud. He would teach this brat to fool him…

"You!" He shouted, getting the group's attention. "So you're the reason why I've been exhausting myself, running all over this mansion! How dare you make a fool out of me!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Billions. It seems our ruse on Mr. Wright has ended. Perhaps I should not have dropped my disguise." The… girl(?) said.

"No, no, that's alright Mazuma. I was done with messing with him anyway." The girl set him down on his feet. "If you really must know, Ben… I was playing just a small little prank on Charles Wright here."

"A small prank? Yeah, right. There's got to be something more going on here." "Ben" said.

"Enough!" Wright interrupted. "Now you try to ignore me, too? I'll have you thrown out for this!"

"Not a chance. I've weighed my options. At best, having a little "fun" here will only get me in a bit of trouble with security." He threw a sly smile at Ben. "Mischievous it may be, but villainous? Not so much."

The cat man didn't look satisfied. "Hello. Rook Blonko. What exactly did he do, Mister…?"

"Wright. Charles Wright. And this… thing has been leading me on, pretending to be a young woman I know." He huffed. "And at this point she must think I've stood her up."

"I see. And why exactly would you want to trick Mr. Wright of all people, Billy?" The cat man asked billions.

"Well… his father thought he could insult me to my face." He scowled. "Once I tell him how much of an idiot his son is, he'll be embarrassed beyond belief."

"Really, Billy? That's what this is all about? How petty can you get?" Ben shook his head.

"You little cretin! How dare you try to tarnish my name in front of my father!" Wright shouted.

Billy chuckled. "Try? Please, I don't have to try. You make it too easy."

As Wright fumed, Ben decided to interject. "That's enough! Mr. Wright, we'll take care of him, okay? You just go on and have a good night."

Charles simply waved him off. "Don't order me around. But fine, yes, deal with him. Throw him into the brig, or whatever it is you do. I might even throw a little money your way if he somehow… got a few bruises."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Ben replied. "I'm not some paid thug you can get to rough people up."

"Dressed like that, you clearly can't be anything else." He gestured to Ben's incredibly casual clothing choice.

"Look, I don't like tuxes, alright? I have a… bad history with them." Ben said. He shuddered, as if remembering something from his past. "But either way, I'm a guest here like everyone else."

"Could have fooled me. Here I thought you were some kind of circus act. That one over there is certainly entertaining to look at." He pointed at the tall feral individual.

That seemed to touch the teen's nerve. "Now just hold on one damn moment you-"

"Ben." The girl in the pink dress stopped him. "Just ignore him." Wright took note of that little slight.

"Indeed. I am unaffected by the comment." "Blonko" said, calming him down.

Ben took a deep breath, deciding to let the comment pass. "Right… Alright, Rook, Julie, let's go alert security about Billy's actions so-"

"Oh, and if you could," Charles said smugly, thinking he had won. "Tell your harlot that before she can talk about "ignoring" people, she should choose a far less ugly dress next time."

Dead silence between the group. Julie raised her hands in defeat, not taking too kindly to that statement. Rook pinched the bridge of his nose. Ben fiddled with his watch with tranquil fury.

Billy broke the silence, trying his best not to laugh. "Wow. You really are an idiot."

Before he could counter, a green light flashed, blinding him for a second. When he was able to open his eyes, he found himself face to face with a… giant… tiger man.

The tiger man leaned down, right into Wright's face. "Let me tell you something, Mr. Charles Wright. You got three strikes!" He suddenly began yelling. "First, was that "accident" you mentioned, second was insulting my partner, and third was calling my girlfriend a harlot! You think Rath doesn't know what that means?! RATH KNOWS PLENTY WHAT HARLOT, A PROSTITUTE OR PROMISCUOUS WOMAN, MEANS! Now, Rath knows it would be bad to grind you into paste at this party, so he's feeling nice! So, I'm gonna give you to the count of three, and if you aren't gone by the time I'm done, THEN RATH IS GONNA FIND OUT HOW FAR HE CAN THROW YOU ACROSS THE ISLAND!" He growled before continuing. "Got it?"

"Y-y-yessir!" Charles replied, trying his hardest not to soil himself.

Rath smiled evilly, making Charles cower even more. "…THREE!"

Charles screamed in terror, bolting across the room to safety. He could hear the tiger man laughing in the distance.

"It was a truly frightening experience."

Pacifica was busy trying to comprehend this story. Cat man? Tiger man? What was with the cats? And what about Billy? She knew their little stunt might be troublesome, but by the sound of it, these people treated him like some kind of villain.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but it really happened. But it's over now. Perhaps we can finally continue this lovely night together."

Pacifica grimaced. Well, perhaps this was a sign that she herself needed to bring reality down hard. She'd rather not deal with this anymore.

"Listen, Charles-"

"Oh! Mr. Northwest! I was wondering when I'd see you!" Pacifica swung around as Charles took notice of her father, whom had finally caught up to her. He wasn't mad anymore. But judging by the look of the giddy smile on his face, she'd rather he was. Charles continued to introduce himself. "Charles Wright, son of Jonathan Wright. I was talking with your fair daughter over here, I hope you don't mind."

Preston waved his hands. "Oh, not at all! In fact, I do say she could use the company! She's been in a rather foul mood all night."

"You don't say?" Charles replied, looking concerned.

"Yes, yes." He knelt down next to him, an evil grin across his face. "Listen my boy… could I have your help with something?"

"Well. This could only mean wondrous things." Pacifica sarcastically thought.

Preston was busy whispering in Charles' ear. Whatever plan her father was concocting could only mean misery for her. She had to put an end to this now.

"Hey-"

"Oh my goodness, how could I forget?" Her father shouted, a little bit too loud. "My wife must be wondering where I am. Pacifica, I'm going to go find your mother, so why don't you converse with Mr. Wright in the meantime?"

Pacifica only gave him the glare of a lifetime as a response, as he left into the crowd.

"So Pacifica, what shall we do first? See what performances are going on in the courtyard? Take a look at Mr. Whimsley's art collection?" Charles suggested.

Pacifica turned his glare on him. "I don't like you. From the moment I saw you, I've been thoroughly unimpressed. Whatever illusions you had of me finding any interest in you are nothing more than that. Now, if you could kindly go away, I ca enjoy my night again."

Charles was in silence for a little bit. But before Pacifica could feel satisfied, he shook it off. "Now Pacifica, I know that you've been feeling confused lately. Your father told me all about those peasants that have been interfering with your life."

"He what?"

The rich boy continued. "But I'm sure once you remember how the high-class live, you'll be able to forget those pesky commoners."

"How about instead I just leave?" Pacifica walked away, prompting Charles to follow.

"Wait, my dear! Where are you going?" He asked as he followed her.

"Away from you. So get lost!"

"Come back, Pacifica! Oh, not again…"

Day 1- 3:30

When preparing to welcome the rich, you have to expect that their entrances can sometimes be very strange. Not flashy, flashy isn't anything to worry about, flashy is typical. But strange, like "seeing a giant Blue Eyes White Dragon Jet bursting over the horizon, and touching down on a private airfield" strange. Not a single one of the airport staff were ready for this kind of strange. Nor were they prepared for the two sitting inside.

As the cockpit opened up, the staff struggled to find any sign of luggage or belongings to take. In fact, other than the cockpit, there really were no obvious openings or places to put anything of the sort. Nothing but the two people in the driver's seat.

As the taller one exited the… dragon, he pressed a button below the cockpit, causing a small compartment to emerge. From it, he took a metal briefcase. Some watching the events unfold gave a sigh of relief. At least he had something. A baggage handler came to take the goods.

"Uh, Sir, do you want me to-?"

"Out of my way."

The employee immediately sidestepped, as if avoiding a dangerous animal approaching him. Other than that command, the man paid no one near him any mind. He was determined to get to the party to do… something, and he made it clear to anybody paying attention that it would be best to leave him alone.

It was only natural for them to be startled as another young man ran past them, catching up to the other. A few inches shorter than the other, he seemed much happier. Or less angry, at least. As the two left to get a ride to the mansion, the workers silently agreed to try and pretend nothing just happened, and did their best to ignore the big draconic jet currently taking up space on their runway.

The younger man snickered. "Boy, we sure do cause a ruckus when we arrive in that thing, big bro." His brother said nothing. "Are you sure only about only staying tonight? This place could be pretty fun."

"I refuse to indulge him. Whimsley's been pestering me for months on end to join this party, as well as others. If he won't take no for an answer over the computer, then I'll make sure he gets the idea face to face. Once I get that out of the way, we head home, Mokuba." He said, without even turning his head.

"I dunno, public embarrassment might not work on the guy. He did practically throw away his dignity begging you to come." Personally, Mokuba Kaiba would've accepted the first offer. The event seemed like fun.

But his brother saw this as nothing more than a pointless annoyance. After all, Seto Kaiba could be very vicious when he was bothered by people he deemed "pathetic". To him, they were the worst kind of people, and deserved none of his respect. "I could care less. He needs to get it through his thick skull that I am not interested in his parties. I have better things to do with my time and money."

A limo pulled up. "Kaiba Brothers!" The driver shouted from his window. "Master Whimsley has been expecting the two of you."

"It would've been smarter not to." Kaiba replied.

As they entered the limo, Mokuba got a text. Once he saw the message, he cringed slightly. The limo driver continued talking. "I'm sorry to say, Master Kaiba, but it seems Master Whimsley had to duck out of the party to see to technical difficulties. He will not be there to greet you."

Kaiba growled. "Of course he wouldn't. He knows I'm only here to tell him off… Doesn't matter. He will get the message tonight, and we will be leaving before the night's over."

"Hey, big bro?" Kaiba looked over to his little brother. "You remember how Whimsley kept trying to bribe us to come?"

"Vividly. Money, rare cards, a tournament… but none of it was worth my time. I have all the money I need, his taste in cards is garbage, and the tournament would've had nothing but amateurs playing." Kaiba chuckled, as if it were a joke. "Shows what happens when you stick your nose in something you know nothing about."

"Well… I think I found his trump card." The older Kaiba brother raised an eyebrow. "You see, it looks like he had one more trick up his sleeve, had we not accepted." Mokuba laughed nervously. "It looks like Yugi's coming. I just got a message from him."

Kaiba groaned. "Of course. He probably caved in on the first invitation. Still, Yugi isn't exactly the richest person, even now. This island's still out of his reach."

"Yeah, I'm curious about that too. Let me ask him." Mokuba fiddled around with his phone, before turning back to his brother. "That explains it. He's one of Whimsley's personal guests for the tournament. All expenses paid. The winner will get a chance to challenge him."

Kaiba scoffed. "He's too soft. All Whimsley wants to do is show off how many famous individuals he's on good terms with. And Yugi knows that too."

"Yeah, he was probably just wanting to be nice." Mokuba agreed, continuing to look at his phone. However, once he looked at his next message, he struggled to hide his shock.

Unfortunately, Kaiba noticed. He sighed. "What now?"

"Uh… well, it looks like Yugi's been giving all the perks of a regular guest. A room in the nicest hotel on the island, access to every single resort, and-"

"Just get to the point, Mokuba." He didn't like where this was going, but it was better to get it over with.

"…and inviting a certain number of other guests to come with him." There it was. "And it looks like Yugi's invited Honda, Jounouchi, and Anzu."

Honestly, once he found out Yugi was invited, he should've expected this. He and his group of friends had split up a few years back to pursue their career paths. Yugi, being the bleeding heart he was, would want to have a reunion.

To be fairly honest, he wasn't on the worst terms with them anymore, but that didn't mean he wanted to spend any inkling of his time with them. They were all just so annoying… He could already see it now. Jounouchi would challenge him (and the idiot would lose again), Honda would sit there and do absolutely nothing, and Anzu and Yugi would create massive sexual tension. "And here I was thinking that tonight wouldn't be completely insufferable."

"Oh come on, you could probably have a match with Yugi while you're waiting for Whimsley. At least that won't be boring." Mokuba said, trying to cheer Kaiba up.

"I suppose." The thought didn't help much.

Once they reached the mansion, Mokuba stuck by the entrance. "I think I'll wait for Yugi and his friends to come. In order to pick up everyone, they had to make a few stops. They'll be here soon though."

"I'm shivering in excitement." Kaiba said, dripping with sarcasm. "I'll call you once I'm done with Whimsley."

"Hope I get to enjoy the hor d'oeuvres at least. Heard they've got really good pigs in a blanket…" Mokuba mumbled as his brother went inside.

Once he entered the ballroom, he noticed the servant next to the entrance, waiting to call out the names of new arrivals. Unfortunately, the servant had not been the wisest. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been the first of Whimsley's employees to get in Kaiba's way.

"Excuse me, sir? Name and industry you're associated-"

"Listen here, because I will only say this to you once." Kaiba glared down the worker. "I'm Seto Kaiba. Your boss has tried to beg and bribe me for months on end to come to this event. I'm here to let him know why he shouldn't do so any longer. So, you're going to go find him or call him and tell him to meet me in the ballroom. Now."

"Y-yes sir. Right away." The worker replied, trembling harshly. Feeling his point was made, Kaiba went on his way. His victim, on the other hand, was dangerously close to soiling himself. Had you listened to the announcer earlier in the night, you would notice his voice would have more context and less cracking. Now? Not so much. "S-seto K-k-kaiba of… of Kaiba Corp!"

Kaiba knew what was going to happen next. Many of the other guests took notice of his arrival. As he walked past, some immediately tried to coerce him into their groups. Others tried to look impressive so that he'd notice them. A select few tried and failed to act like they were above him. He ignored every single one of them.

Leeches and braggarts, the lot of them. Nothing more than a bunch of pathetic losers who kept trying to impress every living thing that moved. Either that, or latch onto someone more popular and feed off of their notoriety. Whimsley was one of them. A charity event this may be, but anyone smart enough to count a few dollars knew that was just a front. What this really was, was a show. A big performance that the rest of the world would gawk at and watch like a baby with some keys.

One would probably say that Kaiba had no room to talk about these people in such a way. After all, he hosts large tournaments all the time that grab people's attention. But the knew that it was actually necessary in those cases. To bring the greatest duelists around, you had to make the greatest tournaments around. And like a Venus fly trap, they'd come and take the bait. And Kaiba would crush them.

To best the best. That's the real thing Kaiba cared about. The fame was just a tool to bring them in. His victory over others was what mattered to him, not the attention. It was that simple.

Or at least, it had been. He would never admit it, but Yugi and his friends made him softer. It wasn't obvious, but those who knew him liked to tease him about it. He used to think the only way to win the game of life was by crushing anyone in your way and never losing. But after everything those four had done around, he had to admit they proved him wrong. There were other ways of getting through the game of life.

And he hated it, because now he had a begrudging respect for them. Yugi was obvious, as he was the King of Games, and yet his strategy and thought process were ones that Kaiba had once thought inferior. Jounouchi he had respected ever since his daring duel with Marik (which he would admit even less likely). And Anzu, though she didn't play duel monsters, had a strong will and brutal honesty. And Honda… well…

In any case, it was the exact reason why he despised the people trying to get his attention in here. Nothing but lazy louts who thought they had already won. Completely unaware of how the game of life truly worked.

"Well, looks like I'm not the only surprising guest here now." Some of them, however, could be exceptions.

Kaiba was surprised to see Bruce Wayne walking over to him. He thought that of the two of them, the Gotham man would have an even less likely chance of being here. "Hmph. I wasn't aware that you decided to come, Wayne. So you let yourself get roped into this too?"

"Well, the party seemed like a fun opportunity. I couldn't possibly pass it up." He shrugged.

"Drop the act, Wayne. You only ever attend events on your home turf, and rarely do you ever leave Gotham for something as long as this charity event. I know the real reason why you'd be here."

Wayne raised an eyebrow. "Then you might be interested in what brought me here."

"Just because I have no interest in this event, doesn't mean I want to hear about your daring adventures, Wayne."

Wayne closed his eyes knowingly, as if he expected Kaiba to be abrasive. "If it makes you feel better, it'll lead up to something you may be interested in."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Fine. I suppose I do need something to pass the time. At least until Whimsley gets out here."

Bruce continued. "I had some obligations that required me to participate." As he predicted. No sane man would pointlessly waste his time here. Wayne could only be on this island if it was for business, not pleasure.

Kaiba snorted. "Some guests are abusing their freedom to plan heinous actions? What a surprise. Who couldn't have seen it coming with the deep security measures this resort employs."

"I tracked them here from some venom exports ordered by them." Wayne said, taking out his phone. "They're here to convene, likely about the next steps of their plot. With the little security Whimsley has for this place, it'll be simple for them."

"So then, Whimsley's even more of an oaf than I thought he was." Kaiba shook his head. "I still can't comprehend his logic. He wants to keep heroes off the premises, yet isn't willing to thoroughly check the more unsavory ones, or even keep an eye on them."

"According to him, he wants to keep his visitor's privacy a priority. He believes if the people on his resort don't feel safe, they won't have a good time. So, no superheroes have jurisdiction, and the resort can't keep tabs on their guests." Bruce's face became more stern.

Kaiba scoffed. "So he wants to keep everyone happy. I didn't realize the man believed in fairy tales."

"I don't buy it. He's got to be hiding something. No one can be that trusting and naive. There's always a chance they could return to their criminal ways."

Kaiba looked up to the sky. "Is that why you always have your little club keeping an eye on me?"

"It's necessary. Especially in your case." Kaiba sighed, prompting Bruce to emphasize. "May I remind you that you created a theme park specifically designed to kill someone and his friends? Not only that, but you kidnapped his grandfather, who was in dire need of medical attention, and hired a serial killer. Don't even get me started on how you acquired your three Blue-Eyes cards."

"You can dwell on what I once did all you want, Wayne, but I've left those events behind. I care little if anyone else hasn't. You included." He wasn't proud of the things he did then, sure. If anything, they proved he used to be a lesser man. Especially with the way he treated Mokuba... but Kaiba never stayed in the past. His interests had changed: that's all that needed to be said. "If you're so scared of me turning crazy again, then you might as well arrest me here. After all, Yugi never pressed charges."

Wayne stared him down. "I think the events succeeding Death-T were punishment on their own. But like Luthor, you have the financial support to try again, should you want to. That's not a risk I'm willing to take."

"Then you're expecting me to become a threat?" Kaiba asked.

"I expect the possibility that you may become a threat. Just as I expect the possibility that anyone else may become a threat. One cannot rule out the chance that such things could happen." He replied with a serious look on his face. "So no, I don't completely assume you'll go back to your old ways. But I'm prepared if that situation arises."

"Whatever helps you become sleep deprived at night, Wayne." Kaiba decided to resume their earlier conversation. "So then, who exactly is it anyway?"

"Four individuals. Two of them still haven't arrived, but the others have. Neither of them have met each other yet. Out of all of them though, the one I think will catch your attention comes from the Northwest family."

Kaiba paused for a moment. "...Northwest of where?"

Bruce shook his head. "It's their name. The head of the family is Preston Northwest. Runs a mudflap factory in Oregon. He's made a surprising amount of money out of that industry."

"Do you want me to be impressed? Sounds more like some kind of horrible joke to me. I guess it could be funny in that regard."

"No." Bruce rejected. "Actually, it's his daughter that you'd find yourself concerned with."

The duelist grunted. "What exactly do you expect to happen when I talk to this girl?"

Bruce frowned. "That girl is in a troubling position, Kaiba. And I think what she needs now more than ever is a kindred spirit." What on earth was that supposed to mean?

Suddenly, a commotion began near the entrance, interrupting their conversation. Whatever it was, it had Bruce's attention. "I think this is something I need to see to. If you're not still here later, then I suppose I was wrong about you two being kindred spirits."

He somewhat hoped Wayne was wrong. He was never smug about being right, but he always expected to be. It was irritating in its own way. Still, Kaiba didn't owe any favors to him. All he was concerned with, was meeting with the host of this event.

"E-excuse me... sir?"

Kaiba didn't say a word, only turning to the quivering worker.

"I'm afraid to say that um, uh... Master Whimsley will not be able to see you for... a-a-an hour."

As if things couldn't get any more annoying tonight. The worker took notice as the gaming mogul clenched his fists.

"I know that your dissatisfied sir, but the technical problems the master is overseeing are top priority. It's crucial he helps with the process." He said, in hopes that Kaiba would understand.

Kaiba turned back away from the employee. "Then make damn well sure there are no other priorities after that."

The man furiously nodded, and shuffled away as fast as he could.

"An hour. Great... Might as well find somewhere else to go," Kaiba thought. He began to see there was far too many eyes pointed his way. At least it would take awhile for him to be noticed again if he entered another room. Noticing the art room just a small distance away, he figured it would at least be quieter in there, and made his way over.

He had hoped he would be able to get there without someone bothering him, but if this night was any indication, fate liked to rob him of smaller pleasures. A mustached man, currently chatting off about some "regained fortune", stood in his path. Like all the other sheep in this room, he backed away in a panic once he was aware of Kaiba's presence. Now, Kaiba wasn't going to give them an ounce of respect anytime soon... but damn it, he wished they would at least show some kind of backbone. It was one of the reasons why he didn't want to waste his time at events like this. Unless there was someone who presented a valuable business opportunity for Kaiba Corp., then there was no reason to come. Such was the case here. Nothing but spineless idiots waiting to be thrown a bone. If they actually had some fight in them, maybe he would hate them less. Though not likely.

Finally arriving at his destination, Kaiba was satisfied to know that things really were quieter in this room. At least a little bit anyway. Still, there was little else to do in this room other than wait, or look at Whimsley's "collection". Seeing as how he wasn't an art person, he'd have to be content with simply staying here until a better alternative presented itself. Perhaps once Yugi arrived here he could challenge him to pass the time. Or maybe he could just crush Jounouchi again. Seeing that furious look on his face after being completely annihilated in a duel was always an entertaining sight. Plus, maybe Jounouchi would finally get it through his thick head that he could never win against Seto Kaiba.

...No. No. That was about as likely as Yugi bullying someone. Impossible.

"Would you stop following me?!"

"Darling, I wouldn't be following you if you weren't running away from me."

"Don't you think that's the point?!"

So much for peace and quiet. Kaiba had hoped he'd get at least get a little bit of time before the chaos followed here. Following the source of the noise, he found two individuals, both around their teens. One was a blonde girl, currently looking extremely peeved. The other was a sleazy looking boy with black hair. Currently, it seemed the boy was trying to calm down the girl.

"Pacifica, I just want to help you, love." Pacifica? The hell kind of name was that?

Pacifica only seemed to get angrier as the boy spoke. "Don't call me that, Wright. There's only one guy I have my eyes set on right now, and it isn't you."

"Oh come now, I'm one of the richest boys in the country!" He said, trying to persuade Pacifica. "What could this other person possibly have that I don't?" He thought for a moment. "Is it Eustace Strych? I hate that boy so much... Well, whatever he's wooing you with, I can do better. Trust me on that."

"I have no idea who that is." She deadpanned. "And it's what this guy isn't that makes me most interested in him. What he isn't, is a shallow showboat who only sees me as a trophy. Unlike you."

"Your words wound me, darling." He put his hand on his heart as if hurt. "Dear, you must give me a chance."

"I won't, and stop calling me terms as if you're familiar with me. you barely know me. Not that I really want you to know me anyway." She replied.

Kaiba noticed that at first glance, she exhibited many traits of the other party-goers. Fancy dress, "correct" posture, and the same kind of atmosphere that all blue-bloods emitted. But she was different from the others in one way: she had a spine. Whatever the argument was about, she was assertive enough that most other people would have stopped trying to convince her at this point. The only reason the conflict hadn't seemed to end was that the other person was clearly an idiot, just like all the rest. But as he had correctly guessed earlier, this only barely interested him more than everything else. not wanting to listen to their screeching voices, he turned to leave the room.

"Pacifica, I only wish to look out for you. Your father asked me to."

"The only thing my father cares about is what I could do to his reputation and I'm glad to know I guessed right about why he left you with me."

Without even realizing it, Kaiba stopped in his tracks and jerked his head back towards the conversation. It was almost as if it was on instinct. His interest in the conversation had increased a lot more. Though the two hadn't said any more than that, and the subject had gone back to the girl trying to shoo away her unwanted admirer.

Half of his brain told him that it was nothing. "You shouldn't get involved. It's not your concern," It said. The other half though... it pulled him towards the conflict. Yet again, more of Yugi and his friends' infectious attitude making him soft. He cursed himself as his two halves debated back and forth for a little bit, before everything became silent. Taking a quick look at his briefcase, he sighed, before walking over to the two teens.

"Could you two be just a little bit louder? I think the paintings were just about to shrivel up." He said sarcastically, catching them by surprise

Their reactions were very different from one another. While the Wright boy did what Kaiba typically expected, becoming extremely nervous and quiet, Pacifica merely looked slightly confused.

She shook her head. "Sorry sir, but until I get it through his thick skull, I'll need to be as loud as I like."

Wright tried to shush her. "Shh! Pacifica! Don't you have any idea who that is? That's Seto Kaiba, of Kaiba Corp!" He whispered to her. "He's one of the biggest gaming moguls in the world! You need to impress him, for your father's sake."

"Don't shush me." Pacifica asserted. "And if someone requires me to grovel before them to earn their respect, then I don't need it at all."

"Pacifica! You shouldn't say such things!" He turned to Kaiba. "I am so sorry Mr. Kaiba, she doesn't mean it. She's just having a stressful night, is all. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Charles Wright, and this is-"

"I don't care." Kaiba interrupted him. "And if anything, she's right. I have no time for mindless dogs who need all the gratification they get. It's nice to see someone actually has an ounce of dignity in this place." As Charles began to sweat, Pacifica had to hold down a laugh. "What I do care about, however, are my own eardrums."

"Er... right. Pacifica, why don't we go somewhere else? We don't want to bother the other guests." Charles suggested to her, reaching for her arm.

She jerked it away, not having any of it. "Thing is Charles, you're bothering me. And participating in any activities with you is far less appealing than being confronted by disgruntled visitors or staff. So with my apologies to the other people in this room, I'm not going anywhere with you."

Charles pinched the bridge of his nose. "Honestly darling, must you be so stubborn? Do you really believe in the words of the common rabble?"

"As much as you don't seem to believe me when I say "go away". Maybe this is why I needed Billy to lead you away from me. You're clearly too thick-headed to take a hint." She jeered.

"Wha... What are you talking about?" Charles asked, in disbelief.

"Oh, you didn't know that? I'm the one who asked Billy to lead you away. I'll have to thank him later, since he kept you away for at least a little bit." Though she had a smug grin, Kaiba could hear the sincerity in her voice as she talked about thanking him.

Charles seemed offended. "Pacifica, how could you do such a thing to me? Do you have any idea how insufferable he was?"

"Can't be any worse than sticking around here with you. Now that's insufferable." She retorted.

As the two argued back and forth, Kaiba was beginning to regret letting himself come over here. He had to end this before it gave them a migraine. "If you two could be quiet for just a moment," The two became quiet as Kaiba interjected. "Then perhaps I can offer your solution." He set his briefcase down on a nearby coffee table, and opened it up. Ignoring the contents of the bottom section for the time being, he opened a small compartment and pulled out a small blue circle. He threw the circle towards the two teens. Before either of them could react, the circle stopped in mid-air. Two smaller circles ejected from the sides, and began to float as well. Then, all three of them started expanding, with the two smaller ones changing shape. The biggest one in the middle only grew wider, and the bottom stretched down to the floor. The smaller ones lowered themselves down, before their backs curved upwards, and also stretched down to the floor. Finally, the middle lit up, and from it, holographic images of chess pieces hovered before them, the surface displaying a chess board. "A good way to solve any conflict... is by playing a game."

"You... want us to play chess?" Charles asked, confused.

"No, I want you to start bashing your head into the table." Pacifica could barley keep the giggles from coming out. For a moment it seemed like he was actually going to do it. Kaiba sighed. "What do you think, moron?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin. "You," He pointed to Pacifica. "Pick a side."

"It's Pacifica," She noted. "And heads."

Kaiba flipped the coin, ignoring Pacifica's correction. "Hmm... Heads. Looks like you pick who plays which set."

"Um... I guess I'll go with the white pieces." She said. It wasn't the weirdest thing she had seen tonight, but it was enough to be off-putting, that was for sure.

"Forgive me, Mr. Kaiba, but... are you sure it is a good idea to gamble for the solution to this issue?" Charles asked warily.

"A game pits your determination and skills against another person's, Wright." He tapped a part on the table and the pieces rushed into place. "If you don't have the will to win, or in most other cases, just aren't good enough, then you clearly didn't deserve what was put on the line in the first place."

Pacifica pondered on these words for a moment. She had been more than willing to fight and argue with her parents, but beyond that, she was always too afraid to anything else. Expose them? No, she felt they still had a lot of influence and could easily cover them up. Defy them in every single way? No, she was still afraid of that bell on many matters. Could she say she really had a strong will? Did that mean she was really a weakling all this time? She looked at the chess board, slightly disheartened.

Charles took note of this, and reached out his hand. "Pacifica, let's just go back into the party, okay? Let's just give up this stubbornness already."

Give up. Huh. Didn't sound too enticing. If anything, giving up sounded exactly like what Kaiba was talking about. She still wasn't sure if she was really making any victories in her life, but giving up to people like Charles or her father, even once, definitely felt like a loss. She swatted his hand away and steeled herself.

Kaiba noticed this. "Hmm. She's starting to get it." He thought.

Pacifica sat down, glaring down Charles. "My request is already pretty obvious. If I win, you leave me alone. For good."

Charles sighed, and sat down on the other side. "Fine... and if I win, you stop this silly little attitude and come enjoy the night with me."

"Deal," She agreed, and they both looked at Kaiba.

Said man smirked. "Alright then. Begin."

Ten minutes later, and Kaiba was regretting it. Out of all the reasons he set this chess match up, one of them was to get some bit of excitement out of tonight. But this match... it was excruciating to watch. He was expecting amateurs for sure, but these two acted as if they just learned to play chess today. Hell, maybe they did. Though a fair amount of time had passed, both had barely made more than two moves each. Not even a pawn had been taken yet.

Currently, it was Pacifica's turn again. She was contemplating which pawn to push forward. Not even really setting one up as bait, just moving them forward, as if such a simple act with the right one would intimidate her opponent. In the meantime, Wright was taking none of this seriously. He looked at the board with indifference and had no motivation when moving his pieces.

Once Pacifica moved her pawn though, the game began to pick up. Wright moved one pawn a little too close, allowing Pacifica to take it, and marking the first "casualty" of the game. On the reverse side of things however, this seemed to wake Wright up, and his focus on the game increased a little bit more. As time went on, both would start to get a little bit better. With each move, Pacifica became a little more clever, and Wright became a little more motivated. Kaiba took this time to analyze their play styles.

Pacifica's was a mostly defensive style, and a very aggressive defensive style at that. She was good at keeping Wright away, discouraging him from rushing in. But looking a little bit closer, Kaiba could see a flaw. She was far too set on keeping as many pieces of hers alive as possible. She had her special pieces spread thin, protecting her King, but also her pawns. Instead of using her defenses and lesser pieces to lure him in, she was just creating a big wall to keep him out. It was as if she couldn't bear to lose any of them. Not that she hadn't already.

Which brought him to Wright. He certainly had a more aggressive play-style. His efforts were currently geared towards breaking through the giant wall Pacifica had built. At first, he tried to barrel through it, but that ended up costing him a Knight and a Bishop. So he began to chip away at the wall instead. He was kept at a distance most of the time, but every now and then he would snatch a pawn and make a quick get away. If Pacifica didn't change tactics soon, her strategy would soon be turned against her.

Finally, it came to the type of move Kaiba often saw in the middle of a match. Whoever got the upper hand here, would bring the turning point of the game. Wright was geared up to take another of Pacifica's pawns. Depending on what she did, it would either be inconsequential, or her biggest mistake. Trying to protect the pawn would simply give Charles the opening he would need to burst through and overwhelm Pacifica. But if she began using her pieces as bait, instead of treating them all as sacred, she could bring Wright to his knees.

Kaiba could see that Pacifica recognized this. For the first time since the beginning of the game, she went into deep thought. Let the piece be taken, or try and defend it?

Pacifica took the bishop close to the pawn... and moved it away. Though it seemed like a mistake, it brought Wright's attention away from a Knight, which was perfectly capable of taking whatever captured the pawn. Charles, like many an oblivious rookie, took the bait... and found his own piece taken in response. From then on, Charles own strategy was used against him. Any pawn he took, he found himself being ambushed by a piece he completely forgot about. It got to the point where his Queen was taken while he was merely setting up a kill. And with each piece taken, Wright's confidence withered away. It wouldn't be long before-

"Checkmate." Pacifica said, having completely surrounded Charles' King. In response, the boy slumped down in his seat in defeat.

He scrambled to regain his composure. "D-darling, surely you must reconsider..."

"We had a deal, Wright. You need to leave." She said sternly.

"N-no, no, I must honor your father's reque-" He was stopped as Kaiba walked up to him.

"Get out of my sight." For the second time that night, Charles ran like a madman out of the room.

Pacifica looked to him. "Thanks."

"Don't," He rejected. "I only did it because he was beginning to annoy me."

She shrugged. "Whatever. at least the game was... exciting, I guess?"

Kaiba scoffed. "Hardly. It was sloppy and unprofessional."

"Gee, thanks." She said sarcastically. "It's not like I play the game a lot anyway. I just watch a friend who plays. He's into stuff like that, along with Dungeons, Dungeons and more Dungeons. So I'm probably not making that a regular thing."

"And yet you decided to accept the match anyway, not knowing if Wright was a master player or not."

"Yeah, well... It was my chance to finally get him to leave me alone. I'm not just going to let that asshole keep barging into my personal space. He wanted to keep prying, so I showed him why that was a mistake." She said in response.

"I could tell." PacifIca jerked her head back to him in slight surprise. "The way a person plays can often reflect how they think or act." She looked at him in confusion. "You had a very aggressive defense, keeping him from getting too close. Yet, you also wanted to protect all your pieces. Even the most useless ones. Once you finally stopped worrying about the unimportant ones, you were able to back him into a corner."

She thought back to the game, realizing that the game did reflect her own situation. But if that was the case, then what was keeping her from pushing Charles back outside of the game?

Kaiba continued. "As for Wright, he would either chip away at you or try and rush through. Not too off from the way he acted."

"Tell me about it. The guy just can't take a hint." She huffed in agreement.

"Hmph," Kaiba turned away. "Don't try and get chummy with me. I'm only stating facts."

She raised her hands up. "Alright, don't get your cloak into a twist. I'm going anyway."

"PACIFICA!"

"Or maybe not. Hey, um… sorry. There's gonna be a bit more yelling." She walked over to meet the angry voice head on.

Kaiba saw as the mustached man he encountered in the ball room stomped over, eyes solely set on the young girl. "Young lady, it seems we need to have another talk." He said in a seething tone.

"The results are just gonna be the same, dad. Why don't you just let me do my own thing?"

"And let you embarrass the Northwest name?"

...Wait, what did he say?

"If anything, the one making the Northwests look bad is you, Dad."

"...The one I think will catch your attention comes from the Northwest family." "That girl is in a troubling position, Kaiba. And I think what she needs now more than ever is a kindred spirit." Kaiba heard Wayne's words echo in his head. He growled quietly.

"Pacifica, I will not have you bringing anymore shame to this family. You are staying with me from now on." He tried to whisper, but Kaiba could hear him pretty well.

"I keep telling you, I'm not just a trophy for you to show off."

So that was what Wayne meant by "kindred spirits". Personally, he was in slight disbelief. The man looked like nothing more than an idiot. Though he supposed idiots could be the most dangerous type of men.

Time stood still as his mind went through another dispute. Though this one was a little more… detailed.

"I don't owe anything to her. I've already gotten myself mixed up into her problems. If she wants to make things better than she might as well do it herself." A mental projection of himself argued into the darkness.

A man that sounded much more cheery and compassionate rang out from that darkness. "Kaiba, you know more than anyone that it isn't that easy. She needs someone to help her."

"So I need to make a detour and help someone I barely know? And for what, to make you satisfied? I could care less about how you and your friends see me." He stated.

"It's not for us, it's for you." The man stepped out, revealing a spiky haired individual he knew all too well. "You help this girl, and it can help you come to terms with your growing compassion. I know your too afraid to admit how much it's rising in you." Kaiba turned his back on the mental image of Yugi, trying to ignore him. "Honestly Kaiba, ask yourself. Would you want anyone to go through even a fraction of the childhood that you had?"

Kaiba came back to reality. Looking back at the argument between the father and daughter, he began to feel a sense of déjà vu. He shook his head. He was getting too soft.

This time, however, the two noticed him before they said anything. Preston, if he remembered right, attempted to immediately suck up. "Mr. Seto Kaiba! What a pleasure to-"

"Shut it." Kaiba silenced him, not having any of that right now. "Pacifica, you said that friend of yours played a game called "Dungeons, Dungeons and more Dungeons", right?"

"Oh… Yeah." She nodded. "It's pretty big in the states, from what he's told me. I tend to be more into online gaming, but I've played a few sessions too."

"Interesting. I've had my eyes set on that game for a while. Tell me more." As if by chance, he got a text from Mokuba. "But talk on the way. I have to meet up with someone."

Preston seemed to think this as another opportunity. "Y…yes, Pacifica! Tell him about that game! And while you're at it, tell him about our company-"

"Quiet. You have nothing I want to hear." As he turned to leave, Pacifica followed him, happy that someone was getting her out of this argument. However, Kaiba noticed Preston trying to follow as well. "Not you." He waved him off. "You annoy me."

Only Pacifica looked back as Preston was left behind, wondering what just happened. She gave him a smug smile.

Though she wasn't sure why, she much preferred talking to Kaiba over staying with her father any second longer. He was abrasive and cold… but the same gut feeling Pacifica had with Sam was coming back up when it came to Kaiba. Might as well sate the curiosity as to why it did.

Preston looked on in amazement as his daughter and Kaiba walked off. "I just don't understand it…" Preston scratched his head.

He jumped when he felt a hand grab his shoulder. "Preston! There you are!" He turned to find his partner, Vlad Masters, staring at him over the shoulder. Preston was about to sigh in relief until he noticed the evil grin on Vlad's face. "I've been looking all over for you. We need to have a little talk." He said through clenched teeth.

He's heeeeeerreeeeee…

The man… the myth… the legend… and the guy who is kind of a dick, but hey, we love him for that. He's made it. Everyone give a round of applause to Seto Kaiba! Oh, and his brother Mokuba.

Now this is gonna be tricky to describe. Or it could be the simplest thing ever. We'll see. Now, I'm mostly going more with the manga version of all these characters, but I'll be making references to the English anime most of us know (also poking fun at some things). Right now though, I feel like working with the Kaiba who used to be a crazy son of a bitch.

This takes place after the picture Takahashi made, with Kaiba battling Yugi on the spiky-haired protagonist's newly created game Spherium, after Dark Side of Dimensions. He's mellowed out mostly, but he's definitely still the abrasive gamer we know. He won't tell anyone the outcome of his battle with Atem when he used the cube to go to the afterlife (or at least whoever knows). Whatever the outcome though, he seems to be satisfied.

Of course, this made it difficult to introduce him to Pacifica, as I still wanted her first impression of him to be good. In fact, the reason why this chapter took so long is because I kept rewriting Kaiba's section over and over. Nothing ever seemed right to me. But eventually, I found a good way to do it. At least, I hope so…

In hindsight, it was kind of obvious, but I wasn't thinking straight at the time: A game. Kaiba, being from the world of Yugioh, is naturally attracted towards not just Duel Monsters, but all kinds of games, especially chess. His philosophy is that life is a game, and you're given one chip to win it with- the chip of life. To lose is to die… or so, he used to think. Though he probably still holds that philosophy in general, I think he's mellowed out on what losing means and the whole "death" thing, especially due to a certain lightning bolt haired boy and his friends.

Yugi and his friends will arrive in the next chapter, believe it or not, so I'll wait to talk about them later. In fact, that's the chapter where our multiple guests begin to clash. See you next time, hopefully sooner rather than later.