Hi :D
OMG I'm terribly late for this chapter " It was originally planned for Halloween, but life decided against it...
So it's published months later *facepalm*
I hope you'll still like it ^^

CHAPTER 11

"Let's recapitulate one last time," Isono said, checking a list on his smartphone – his transportable working life –, "Security?"

"Checked three times, IKaiba's in for a fourth," Katsuya answered smoothly, his eyes fixated on the road before him. He wanted to scratch his neck badly.

"Stage."

"Check."

"Sound and screens."

"Check. IKaiba on backup."

If Kaiba did not look at his best with all the work his bodyguards had put into the show, the blonde swore he would gladly kick his ass, consequences be damned.

"Invitations."

"Sent a month ago and mostly answered."

"Catering."

"Check. Got some more in case we have unannounced guests."

There were loads of food ready in KC tower's hall for KaibaCorp's special guests and privileged partners, all coming straight out of the Fleur de Lys. Kaiba had not commented when Katsuya had told him the name of the caterer, but he had been even more civil the whole day after. Guess he liked it.

"Snacks."

"Have three sorts, one of them is low on calories."

Not sure about that one, but the rookie had figured some variety would not hurt his boss. In any case, he doubted the CEO would eat any of them.

"Drinks."

"Tanks of water in the car, bottles at hand."

He could flood half of Africa with what the Manor had in its stocks.

"Speech."

"Copied."

Kaiba did not need any printed copy of his speech, but Katsuya had written down the main ideas and the organization of the whole thing for himself, so that he could anticipate in case of emergency.

His neck itched more and more, to the point it was hardly bearable. Gosh, he hated this shirt.

"Don't scratch," Isono warned him.

"Nah, wouldn't want to crease it."

Katsuya really did not. It was likely he would be filmed and appear on screen, as he was to stay close to the CEO at all times, and cameras could catch a glimpse of him when he and the rest of the security staff moved to accompany their boss as he changed places. So, he had bought a brand new, classy extra shirt to appease his mind about the ordeal. It was futile, but at least he was sure he would look his smartest, and Isono had complimented him enough to confirm he had made the right choice.

But the new fabric itched on his sweating skin. Thank God he had an ordinary uniform shirt to change before the gala.

Isono hummed and went back to his list.

"Orphanage donations."

"Ready to be delivered."

"Good. Lastly, Halloween decorations."

"Huh?"

Where'd it come from? Katsuya was stunned for a moment, but he focused on the road to avoid making a strange face. Why would they need Halloween stuff?

"You remember we are October 31, don't you? Director Kaiba did not really care, but Mr Kaiba suggested we included some Halloween touches to the gala, for entertainment's sake."

"Oh."

The blonde had to think hard so as not to appear completely out of it, but his thoughts crashed like a massive train wreck. What happened to him, that he had obliterated two full weeks of time? Last he checked, they were in mid-October. Or maybe they were not. His brain felt like mush and he resisted the urge to scratch his neck.

"Katsuya..."

"Yes, yes," he replied hastily to cover his confusion, "I remember. They'll be ready."

At least he hoped he had ordered some. If not, he hoped IKaiba had thought of it in his place.

But seriously, when did Kaiba say they had the launching announcement, again? Was it really October 31? The blonde wanted to doubt it, but if his mentor said so...

Katsuya glanced at the digital clock of the car and noticed that yes, they were indeed October 31. Still, he felt as if it was wrong. As if it should not be this... late. He had checked out everything on Isono's list so far, but he realized he could actually not remember doing any of those. He had answered automatically, without thinking. Which meant he had done all of these. He had to. Yet he could not remember.

What the hell.

"Are you okay, Katsuya?," his mentor asked with a frown. "I know you're tired, but we're nearly there. Just some more hours."

His own voice sounded strained, and the blonde snapped out of his paranoid thinking. Isono was right. It was only five in the morning, but the blonde was already feeling exhausted. Days and days of intense preparations for the upcoming event did that to you. It should really not be that surprising that he was completely disoriented. Mystery solved.

I seriously lack sleep, he concluded with a mental shrug. I'll sleep fer three days straight after dat. 'T'll do me a lot of good.

The promise of sleep brightened his stressed mood. He prayed all the gods he knew that he survived the day. Most importantly, he prayed that he would not make a fool of himself, otherwise both Isono and Kaiba would chase him down to hell and bring his sorry ass back to kill him themselves.

With that in mind, he focused on pulling out of the road and into the parking lot reserved for KC's employees, and squared his shoulders to face the next twenty-four hours.

"What d'ye mean, ye can't find 'im?"

Katsuya was frantically pacing up and down the corridor on the highest floor, his phone glued to his face as he talked to Mokuba, all pretense dropped. The younger Kaiba was as panicked as he, if not more, and his voice high-pitched as he answered.

"I don't know, he's not here! I checked all the rooms, the secret passageway, the basement, and even the car trunks. He's. Not. Here!"

The rookie forced himself not to scream at the boy. It would only increase their stress. He could not let his frustration out now. It was not a code red. If anything, it was an effing code black. Like, Shadow Realm black.

They were to go on stage in an hour. Everything was ready, and they only missed the main actor of it all. Except said person was nowhere to be found, and his little brother had no idea of where he could be.

Seto Kaiba, the best known celebrity on Earth, a six-foot-tall drama king with a signature white flapping coat, had vanished into thin air. Without leaving any trace. Sixty minutes before one of the most important events concerning his company's development.

Now was a good time to curl up into a ball and die. Or resign and flee far away from this galaxy. Because if they did not find a solution soon, they were screwed.

The call ended quickly after that, with Mokuba almost bawling in anxiety. Katsuya promised himself he would find his boss at all costs, if only to calm down the boy. He could not stand him being so helpless and sad.

He typed a text and sent it to Agent K.

Found anything new?

The answer pinged immediately.

No.

Now that was worrying. If even the most powerful AI on Earth could not find a trace of Kaiba, hope was sinking pretty quickly.

Isono called him. His colleague's face was carefully blank, but Katsuya knew that this only masked his own fears.

"Nothing," he announced gravely. "You?"

"Nothing more."

They eyed each other glumly. Fifty-five minutes until the announcement. A decision had to be made.

"We need to find a replacement," Isono expressed their thoughts out-loud. "Someone looking enough like Director Kaiba, to be on stage and at the gala for a handful of minutes at least, if only for the press and guests present. Mr Kaiba could do the rest, if he feels up to the task."

This could work. Fortunately, the rookie had the copy of Kaiba's speech ideas, and they could arrange a make-up speech satisfying enough for the public and investors. Could they find someone, though? Was it really necessary? The blonde voiced his concerns, and Isono sighed.

"We don't have many options."

True enough. But they had to find an actor in, like, forty-seven minutes, and brief him on the work. And make sure they held their tongues, with a comfortable tip. This was an almost impossible task. Grand.

Fortunately, Ra was kind enough to bless them with the existence of IKaiba, who made his presence known with a series of pings from Katsuya's phone. The blonde held the device for him and Isono to read.

I recollect J stumbled upon an escort page about a human doppelganger of Kaiba. Not perfectly like him, obviously, but close enough to fool everyone. I can try to reach him.

The elder bodyguard's brow shot upward, and his eyes zeroed on his protegee, whose ears were suddenly very red. Oh yes, the blonde remembered quite well the gentle, mesmerizing blue eyes of the man advertised as a copycat of his boss. Could they really trust an escort with the daring, essential task of being Seto Kaiba on stage, in front of billions of spectators?

"Can we trust him?," Isono voiced their doubts.

I fear we do not have much of a choice.

IKaiba was right. Forty-five minutes.

"I don't know," the blonde hummed, "I know where you're going, but he's an escort. We already discussed this."

Try to see it in another light. We are offering him a job as an actor, not as a prostitute. There is nothing shameful here.

He was right again, and Katsuya could not deny it, despite his previous reluctance. It was time to gamble. He sighed heavily and took a decision.

"Call him, if you can."

Of course.

One hour, two gallons of water, and a near heart attack later

Katsuya had seen many strange things in his life. Being involved with a three-thousand-year-old, magic wielding pharaoh, did not help normalcy. With his pals, the blonde had lived more adventures than a man his age should count, and he had thought he was done with weirdness as a whole.

He had obviously not taken into account the Sen parameter, which had to be acknowledged as a ticking bomb ready to blow up in his face.

He took it on himself to call the escort and to offer him the job of saving their miserable carcasses, in exchange for an obscene amount of cash. Meanwhile, IKaiba was putting together a contract, both to make the deal a real thing, and to make sure the man had no escape should he not be trusted.

The rookie was surprised to be greeted by a low, rumbling baritone. His voice was a tad lower than Kaiba's, but for a splitting second, Katsuya was fooled.

"Hello?"

"Am I talking to Sen?"

He chastised himself for not checking the escort's real name.

"Speaking." The tone shifted slightly to a more cajoling one. "How can I help you, sir?"

Don't be embarrassed, don't be embarrassed, don't be embarrassed. He repeated the sentence in his head to keep himself grounded and professional.

Forty-two minutes.

"I am glad I could reach you, sir. I would like to call on your services for twenty-four hours, for a most demanding task that would require skills you prove to possess. Would you be available from... now?"

No need to beat around the bush. Either the escort said yes right away and that was good, or he said no and they found another solution.

The man did not answer immediately, probably stunned into silence. When he did, however, his voice was close to a purr.

"Oh, I see. Hasty, I don't dislike it. However, this will be charged more."

He was not against the idea, at least. Katsuya nearly sighed out of relief.

"Of course. You will be largely compensated for your trouble, as well as for your discretion on what you are about to do."

"Silent as a grave. However, for that kind of stuff, you should contact my agency first."

He was being suspicious. Not good. The rookie went all-in.

"I had your agency. Given the short notice for the job I am offering you, they gave me your number, and here we are. I hate to rush things, but I am afraid I will need your answer now. If you accept, you will have to sign a contract and begin immediately, with half the amount paid upfront and half after completion. If not, I will hang up and never attempt to bother you again."

Silence. Maybe he went too strong on him? The blonde felt dread well up in his stomach.

Forty minutes.

"Well," he continued after a long pause, "in that case..."

"Okay, okay," the other interrupted, "I accept. Fifty thousand."

"Yen?"

"Dollars. American."

Katsuya shrugged. It made no difference to him. It was Kaiba's money, after all.

"Make it fifty-five thousand if you can join me at the following address within ten minutes."

He gave the address of his own apartment. There would be less risks there. He silently motioned to Isono, who got the message and arranged things while the rookie finished the phone conversation.

They would have less than thirty minutes to turn a total stranger into Mister Ice Drama King and Camera Bitch. Then, they would have to search for the real Kaiba, as discreetly as possible, while they accompanied said stranger to the announcement and the gala and pretended he was Kaiba. Saving KaibaCorp and saving Kaiba at the same time. Was it not Katsuya's wildest dream.

"Got it," the escort reverted back into a seductive purr, "now should I take my naughty virgin costume, so that you could sink your unholy fangs into me?"

Yeah, definitely a dream come true. At least, when the culprits behind Kaiba's disappearance were found, they would have the pleasure to be handled by Mokuba. Or not. On second thought, absolutely not. Katsuya was too young to go coffin-shopping.

A few minutes later

"When you said it was going to be demanding, I hadn't imagined it would be that demanding. Not that I complain."

Katsuya did not reply. Not when he had a half-naked twin of Seto Kaiba in his living room. The male escort had been true to his word when he had promised he would be here in ten minutes – eight and a half, actually –, surely because there had been five thousand dollars at stake. The blonde had waited for him with one of Kaiba's suits, the aforementioned contract, and bundles of cash into a briefcase. After a brief greeting, he had shoved the clothes into the other's hands and asked him to change.

So far, Sen was taking things in stride. He had raised a brow when he saw that his 'client' was fully clad and deadly serious when speaking to him, but he did not feel threatened or trapped. When doing a job as his, he had come to know when people represented a threat or not at first glance, and this blonde chap was not. Stressed out, but not dangerous. He even looked like he was embarrassed, which was downright laughable, and a little cute. He hired an escort advertised as open to cosplay fetishes. They were beyond embarrassment at this point. But maybe it was his first time.

Still, Katsuya could not help being uncomfortable. He proceeded to explain the details of the job while Sen was changing. He did not look at his bare torso – he had already seen it on the website, anyway –, but he kept him in his peripheral vision.

"I will be honest with you," he began, "I'm not interested in your skills as an escort, but as... let's say an actor."

Sen hummed, slightly pouting.

"I see. The virgin costume would have clearly been overrated, then."

The blonde cleared his throat.

"Indeed. What I mean is, I would like you to say a speech in front of a dozen cameras, as Seto Kaiba."

The escort's head shot up so quickly, that Katsuya feared he might have whiplash. The brunet's eyes bore into him, flabbergasted, trying to search for any sign of joking.

Sadly, the rookie was not. And when Sen realized this, he gaped slightly. He was much more expressive than Kaiba, in that aspect.

"Man, that's... I mean, I can certainly do it, it's easier than strip-teasing on a toilet bowl with high heels, but..."

Don't ask, don't wanna know. Still, Katsuya's brain imagined the scene for a millisecond, and got scarred for life. He decided he would kill Kaiba's abductors with his bare hands, even if they turn to be Kaiba himself.

Thirty-four minutes.

"That is not all," he added. "After the speech, I need you to appear at a gala organized by KaibaCorp, and entertain a group of its most important guests and associates."

Sen smirked at that.

"That'd be more my usual thing. Entertaining people, I mean."

The blonde nodded.

"I take it you are still in, then."

The smirk turned into a grin.

"Wouldn't be here if not."

"Good. After you change, I need you to sign the contract and read your speech carefully. We made it simple and clear, and I will be there at all times, should you need assistance."

"Can I ask where the boss is?"

By the boss, he meant the actual Kaiba. Katsuya's lips pressed into a thin line.

"Director Kaiba is unavailable at the moment, hence our requesting your services. Rest assured that your intervention is greatly appreciated and, as promised, you will be rewarded for your efforts."

"Alright, alright. Touchy subject, I get it. You're a tough guy to deal with, you know that?"

Katsuya only snorted. If only he knew what kind of man the blonde was in his free time, he would be very surprised. But then again, the rookie knew nothing of the escort either. No more words were exchanged after that, and the rest of the briefing passed quickly. Isono picked them up in an adjacent alleyway, and off they were to the first stage. Mokuba was sitting stiffly in the back seat next to his fake brother, his fists clenched on his knees and his eyes haunted. Both bodyguards prayed the gods that everything turned out okay in the end.

Still no trace of Kaiba. Even IKaiba had no clue. Of course it would not be okay.

One hour later

Thank de gods we're alive. No one notices anything.

The launching event was going more or less smoothly so far, with Mokuba playing his part masterfully despite his growing anguish. The speech went without a hack, and the blonde tailed Sen everywhere, scaring away prying reporters and overbearing fans. He made sure no one came too close to notice the Kaiba they had in front of them, was not quite Kaiba. For that purpose, his rough yankee looks helped a great deal. That, and the fact that Sen Kaiba looked glued to him in a mix of condescending 'don't bother me peasant' way, coupled with a 'I'm nice enough to look at you and sketch a ghost of a smile, so respect me and stand back' way. It was both typical Kaibaness, and distorted generosity from said Kaiba, and the fans fawning over him looked positively excited. The rookie did not understand such passion, but he was glad they stayed away.

Except that Sen Kaiba was really glued to him, like, almost physically glued. The distance between them was ridiculously short, to the point that Katsuya could lean slightly forward and take a nap on Sen's back if he wanted to – that man was as tall as the actual Kaiba, much to the rookie's dismay –. It was difficult to say if it was only part of the people-repelling act, or if the man sought out the blonde's presence – consciously or not – as a means to reassure him. Sure, as an escort, he might have encountered hyper fans before, but maybe not that many at a time. Maybe he was not used to such attention, in fact. For a moment, Katsuya felt sorry for him.

Finally, after a race of speech then autographs then navigating through the crowd to the car, the pair stumbled down not so gracefully on the leather seat and let out a huge sigh. They had a ten-minute break until they reached the next event, which was a press conference. Then there was a meeting with the Board – ugh –, then they could grab a quick lunch, then they would change and head to the donation at the orphanage, and finish this excruciating day with the gala, the apex of the whole damn thing, with rounds of handshakes and polite words and effing smiles. Kaiba was not fond of those, and for once, Katsuya agreed with him. Maybe he would book a face massage for Sen after that, because the poor chap's cheeks were going to hurt a lot.

In the evening

Katsuya's feet, head, and freaking nerves were killing him by the minute. Still no trace of Kaiba. Sen swarmed up in crowds like a pot of honey among flies. Mokuba ready to burst in tears the longer the day stretched on without any news. And the two closest bodyguards of the Kaiba brothers were in the eye of the storm.

To make things worse, it looked like the guests all wanted their fair share of Kaiba's attention, and it was a umpteenth miracle that no one had noticed anything out of place. Sen was probably dying inside, and Katsuya made a mental note to add a comfortable tip on top of the amount they had agreed to pay the escort. Possibly to allow him to retire from this job. He deserved it.

After a long couple of hours, dinner was ready to be served, and the rookie sighed internally. Finally, once everyone was seated, he could take a few seconds to go to the loo and drink and check on IKaiba's progress. But mostly have a few seconds to himself, before he got enough and hit a guest's head with a candelabrum.

He excused himself and slid into one of the facilities on the lower floor, breathing in deeply once he was alone. He rubbed his face warily, praying any deity kind enough to listen that they needed to find his boss soon, otherwise hell was bound to break loose for good.

Halloween It was, indeed. The most frightening day of Katsuya's life, without a doubt. But here, he did not think Kaiba would knock on the door and ask for a treat. The trick had been running since the moment he disappeared... and the blonde felt too tired to have too coherent thoughts anymore.

Splashing cold water on his face, he gathered his resolve and breathed slowly. He was mercifully alone, and he intended to use that time to his advantage. Not for long, unfortunately, as Isono also deserved his few seconds of respite...

"Well, lookie, here's our little puppy ~"

Katsuya jumped, his hand reaching for the taser to his belt. This voice could not exist.

A cackle.

"Really, Susan, it's Halloween! The perfect evening for me to visit."

Yami Marik leaned lazily on the tiled wall, his head tilted to the side in questioning. The rookie gripped his self-defense weapon, ready to attack should the maniac move a pinky. He would not be afraid. He would not.

"So... nice of you to come," he said. Don't show weakness. Buy time. IKaiba will alert someone. "But I'd rather you be gone."

The spirit grinned lopsidedly at him, purple eyes gleaming in the neon light.

"Why, this isn't how you should treat someone offering gifts. I came all the way with your candy, you might as well enjoy it and thank me."

Wow, it was turning out downright strange. And creepy. Katsuya frowned, not letting his guard down.

"Candy."

Yami Marik offered a toothy grin.

"Yes. Don't you like candy, puppy? I like candy. But I swear I didn't taste yours. Too hard to my tastes."

The rookie scanned the area briefly, checking if he had missed something. The room felt suddenly much darker than what he remembered. This was peculiar, considering the standards of the building.

"I wouldn't accept anything from a freak like you."

He hoped he had not angered the spirit too much, for he remembered the last time darkness licked at his soul. But the other simply arched a brow.

"Oh? Even if he's your sugar daddy?"

Wait, what?

It did not make sense. And yet, as Katsuya's brain began to analyze the man's words, it did. Horribly so.

Dots that should never have been together in the place, connected. Kaiba's disappearance. Halloween. Yami Marik on the loose. He. Candy.

Anger flared in his veins. He took out his taser and aimed at the spirit.

"What did you do to him, you monster?," he shouted. "Tell me where he is, or the gods help me-"

"What, Susan?" Yami Marik took a step forward, his lips twisting and stretching impossibly. "I've never been a living thing, remember? Just a ghost. What could you do?"

The rookie stepped back, his fingers frozen, his insides feeling like jelly. Ra, those eyes. Purple pools of complete madness, swirling and boiling and menacing to suffocate him.

One more step. Two. Three. The wall finally compromised his escape backwards. His heart leaped in panic. An impossible tune rang in his ears. His thoughts in a jumble, he could not avoid the hand that captured his neck.

Curiously, though, it did not hurt. But Katsuya felt his consciousness vanishing anyway.

Before his vision went dark, he glanced one more time into Yami Marik's eyes...

And he jumped wide awake, his alarm blaring his favorite song.

Blearily, Katsuya took some time to gather himself. Where was he, again? Where was Yami Marik? Kaiba? Sen? What...?

"Katsuya, are you alright?"

The blonde's attention snapped to the origin of the voice. In front of him, his duel disk was projecting IKaiba's form, hand half raised in an aborted attempt to reach to him. The face of the AI was scrunched up in worry.

What happened? Katsuya rubbed his eyes, looking around. He recognized his duffel bag in a corner, then his covers, his nightstand, his phone...

He took the device and checked on the date. October 18. The fuck.

"Katsuya," IKaiba repeated, "I am failing to understand. What are you doing?"

A dream. It had all been a fucking nightmare. Thank the gods.

The rookie fell back on his pillow with a sigh, covering his eyes with an arm.

"A dream..."

"Sorry?"

"I've had a nasty dream, K. Sorry if I worried you."

A silence, then, "Worried? Katsuya, you were mumbling and tossing, and then suddenly, you screamed at the top of your lungs. I am more than worried... Oh, your neighbors up are calling the police, by the way. They think you are hosting a murdering party, or something. They sound quite angry."

"I'll deal with that."

"No need. I've answered in the place of the authorities. If you promise you won't do that again, there would be no reason for them to do anything more."

Katsuya sat up again, sheepish.

"Heh, thanks... Erm, did I say strange things?"

IKaiba stared at him.

"You mentioned Kaiba and Sen. Something about searching them. And Yami Marik. I recollect he was one of the participants to the Battle City tournament, and he is the avatar of Duel Links's next event. However, I fail to see why you would dream of him, and I think I won't be able to understand without your explanation on this. I won't push you into it, though, I just want to know if you are okay, or if you need me to contact an ambulance."

The blonde shook his head.

"Nah. Guess 'ave worked a bit too much lately. An' da guy reminds me of too many unpleasant memories. 'T'll pass once da event is finished."

"Unpleasant?" The AI's frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, er. 'T'll be hard to explain, but, um, let's say he was quite creepy and maniacal in 'is way of dueling. Would haunt anyone sane at a time like dis."

"I- all right. I hope it is just what you say. I do not like it, when you are this agitated."

Warmth filled Katsuya's chest, replacing the cold dread he had been feeling under the spirit's abyssal gaze.

"I'm okay, K. Thanks for the concern, though."

The AI nodded, unconvinced.

After a while, the blonde eventually smirked, a thought imposing itself in his mind.

"Hey, you noticed you called me Katsuya?"

IKaiba looked taken off guard for a moment, then he snorted.

"That is your fault for worrying me."

He laughed heartily at that.

"My sincerest apologies, my lord."

He was just glad he was not alone.

The artificial being feigned offense, but he could not resist that laugh. After a while, he finally smiled himself, relieved that his human was okay. Just a dream...

In the meantime, however, he was frantically combing through dark networks and forums. Something was nagging him from another source. His captors were currently catching waves from an unknown emitter, right from KC tower. His security feed assured him that no one had entered the building except from the usual employees, and Kaiba's office had remained empty since Kaiba had left, about an hour ago. Such a strange occurrence was troubling. He fired a quick text for Isono to go check that out later. Maybe one of the devices in development was malfunctioning.

It could wait a while longer. For now, his human was okay, and that was all that mattered.

"Say," he eventually continued, "why is that, that you dreamed of Sen? Would you like me to contact him? Maybe you were interested in hiring him for the evening."

The reaction he got was priceless. Nothing better than light teasing to ease tension away, psychologists said. He could see why.