This chapter is not as Zero-heavy as some of the others. Don't worry, Ryo, your bae will be back soon.

So stay strong and hold on
We can only take it for so long
Just stand up and stand tall
This is a wakeup call

-Bulletproof Messenger

She's not yours. She was never yours. I know because she has his eyes.

"Mama? What are you doing?"

"...Will you go find your father? Please?"

"Uh-huh."

Small, soft, pattering footsteps. They brought a smile to her face. Everytime. Everytime. Without fail.

They'll come for her. They'll come because of her blood, his and mine.

She paused, tapping the pen against the page, biting her lower lip.

It's not because I don't love you. I do love you. But I'm broken. You broke me.

She was nearly there. Nearly there. Hurry. Before he came in.

And what we always call her. It's a lie. It's not really her name.

Consider this retribution for what you've done. I love you, but I can't forgive you. So goodbye. It's over. I'm over.

This is for her. Everything was for her.

"Emiko? What's wrong? What's-"

He was late. Too late. Always too late. She lifted the gun, pulled back the hammer, and before he could stop her, it was done.

"I never really figured you for the family restaurant type."

Seto Kaiba arched one dark eyebrow, staring over the rim of his coffee mug at the young man sitting across from him. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"Uh, no, it's not…" Yugi held up his hands, scrambling for a good answer. "I just, um...I sort of thought we'd wind up in a five-star restaurant or something."

"Do I come across as that much of a snob? That I'd eat breakfast at an uptown ritzy eatery?"

"No! It's not that either!"

Seto snorted, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms over his chest. "Let me know when you've got something coherent to say."

"Don't be rude," Kyoko chided, stepping up to the table and tapping him on the head with a laminated menu. "You shouldn't bring over a guest and then talk down to him, young man. I know you were raised better than that."

"Oy-"

"You're Yugi, aren't you?" Kyoko pressed on, ignoring the disgruntled CEO and leaning over to pat his companion on the shoulder. "Tokkun told us all about you. Mostly good things, you know, in his own way. Grudging admiration, I believe is the phrase."

"Uh…" Yugi lifted his eyebrows, pointing across the table at his taller cohort with no small amount of uncertainty. "Tokkun?"

Seto flinched, grabbing the menu and making a horrible attempt at disappearing behind it. "Aren't there other customers you could be bothering?" he demanded of the hostess in a low growl.

The older woman just laughed, pouring him a fresh cup of coffee and shooting Yugi a wink before puttering over to the next table. Yugi fidgeted in the uncomfortable silence that followed, biting his lower lip and looking up hesitantly at his peer and longtime rival, who was scowling into his coffee as if it had embarrassed him as well.

"So...um."

"It was my dad."

"What?"

"My dad," Seto repeated, running his hand through his hair and blowing out a sigh. "He liked giving people stupid nicknames. Kyoko and Toru got in on it when I was a little kid, so I just- what?"

"Nothing," Yugi said, quickly straightening out the stupid grin that had been about to consume his whole visage. "I've just never heard you talk about your childhood before. It's nice. It's the kind of thing real friends do."

"Oh, shut up. What are you, five?"

"What was your dad's name?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Come on. Please?"

"...Ugh." Seto dumped his head into his arm, groaning to himself. First Jou, then Zero, now Yugi. When did he become so damn fond of just vomiting up personal details about his youth? He'd kept it buried because it hurt. It hurt deeply. He assumed it would just reopen old wounds if he brought it up, but if he was honest about himself, talking about his family loosened the tight knot their loss had formed in his heart. Somehow, the pain eased a little. "...Takahiro. Everyone called him Taka. Hell, even I called him Taka."

"Seriously?"

"He wanted me to."

"So what did you call your mom?"

"Mom. Obviously."

"It's not that obvious, given that you called your father by his first name…"

"Shut up," Seto repeated, but his voice, low and unwavering, lacked any real venom. For Seto Kaiba at nine in the morning, he sounded positively convivial. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Uh. Just some, um, stuff." Yugi fidgeted uncomfortably, pushing the paper wrapper off of his straw and playing with it for a few helpless moments. "Like the recall? How's that going?"

"How's yours?"

"I asked you first."

"I'm not answering until you do."

Yugi scowled, letting his straw sink into his glass of lemonade until it was nearly out of sight. "It's...I'm almost at the end."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. She just died. Kisara, I mean. Last night- right before I woke up- you- Seth was holding her in his arms."

For several long seconds, Seto didn't reply, swirling his spoon absently around in his coffee, one cheek pillowed on his knuckles. Yugi watched him cautiously, and started when the young CEO looked upwards at him and their eyes met.

"Go on," Kaiba prompted at length, raising his eyebrows. "Or is that all?"

"No, it's…" Yugi floundered for words, stunned speechless at his reluctant friend's reaction- or lack thereof. The Seto Kaiba of three years ago probably would have stalked out of the room the moment this little conversation made it past its conception. The man sitting across from him now, however, was as placid and collected as he'd been when they first sat down, and was even waiting patiently to hear the rest of what he had to say. Yugi couldn't help but wonder what was responsible for the change, but that inquiry was sure to provoke a negative response. He decided to let it be.

"I just...I guess I'm not ready," Yugi confessed at length. He couldn't seem to keep his hands still. They wandered from the menu to his drink to his lap and back onto the surface of the table, looking for something to hold, something to anchor him. He used to fidget with the Puzzle when he was nervous, and in its absence, he found himself feeling helplessly disconnected from his own thoughts. "I'm not ready to...to watch him go."

Seto hummed quietly in what must have been understanding, lifting his coffee mug. "Atem?"

"Yeah. Last time I saw all of this unfold, we stopped it."

"Not really. What we experienced was a recall of its own, wasn't it? We altered the way events unfolded so that Atem wouldn't become mired in his own memories- so that he could overcome the piece of Zorc that was still trapped with him in the Puzzle."

Yugi looked up, mouth agape, staring wordlessly at his companion. Wincing, Seto shrugged one shoulder, trying to appear indifferent and failing miserably.

"Ishizu explained it to me. What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't be approaching this recall with feelings of guilt. There's nothing you can do this time around."

"...I know. Deep down, I know that. But I...it was hard enough, saying goodbye the first time. I don't want to do it again." Yugi wrapped his hands around his drink, the heat of anger and grief somewhat cooled by the condensation against his palms. It was a distraction, at least- the physical world distracted him from his thoughts. "I don't want to watch him die."

Seto frowned, shaking his head minutely at Kyoko, who was approaching from behind Yugi with fresh coffee. She took his cue and moved on to another table, stealing a worried glance over her shoulder at the youth she'd helped to raise.

"You're not sleeping, are you?" Seto queried, lowering his voice and leaning forward so that the curious onlookers whose eyes and ears invariably followed the King of Games wouldn't be privy to their discussion. "Not in the last few days, at least."

"...No. Not really. If I sleep for more than an hour or so at a time, it...starts up again. Like it was a movie on pause or something."

"How much have you seen?"

"Lots. The memories become clearer as he gets older, and more numerous." Yugi rubbed his forehead, shaking his head. "I'm so tired. The same kind of tired you get when you've been reading for hours and hours and hours. I'm just wiped out."

Seto made a soft note of agreement, pouring himself a second cup of coffee and opening up another creamer, watching the white swirl into the black and disappear.

"Kisara dying was the first thing I ever saw in a recall," he said quietly after a few moments. Yugi glanced up at him, biting his lower lip. "During Battle City. I saw Seth holding her body. I saw his tears fall on her face. Over and over again I watched her die, not knowing what it meant, but grieving for her, feeling the loss as acutely as Seth had. Mourning without context." He looked up at the shorter man, a tired smile quirking his mouth. "I don't want to go through it again, but I'm going to. At least this time, I'll get the whole story, whether I like it or not. Atem and Kisara both died to protect something. You owe it to him to understand why he did what he did, and you have the opportunity to see it through his eyes, to truly comprehend. Don't squander it."

Yugi lowered his gaze, staring into his dark reflection on the shiny surface of the table. "They wouldn't want us to go through this."

"No. But we're going to, anyway."

"Always the optimistic one, aren't you?"

"I do what I can."

Yugi blew out a sigh that tickled his bizarre bangs before quirking a cautious grin at his companion. "You seem to be taking all of this rather well."

Kaiba groaned, rubbing the back of his neck to chase away an inevitable ache. "At some point it becomes easier to join them and beat them. And why do I get the feeling that you're buttering me up toward something?"

Perceptive as usual. Yugi chewed on his lower lip for a moment before proceeding, well aware that he was walking on eggshells. "Right. Well, uh, since you're doing alright, I was...there's an international tag-team tournament coming up, and I want you to play with me."

Seto paused with his coffee mug halfway to his mouth, blinking at the blushing young man sitting across from him. Kyoko chose that exact moment to bustle by their table once more, dropping steaming plates of ham and eggs before moving on, humming absently to herself. Squirming under his friend's bewildered stare, Yugi hesitantly picked up his fork and stabbed at a golden yolk.

"Okay, please say something," he said at length, taking as big a bite as he could manage to keep himself from adding that Kaiba's stare was weirding him out.

"Er. I'm going to start with no."

Yugi raised his eyebrows and continued chewing.

"Not because it's-I'm not being butthurt, or anything," Seto amended quickly, shaking his head. "It's just...I'm tired, too. It's just...not in me, right now." He ran a hand through his hair, a little disappointed to find that his appetite had vanished. "Why didn't you ask Jou?"

"Because I wanted to ask you," Yugi replied cryptically. "I don't know. Maybe I just wanted something normal. I know I'm not really the one you've been chasing all this time, but I can banter with the best of them. You could bust my chops a little every now and again." He smiled at Kaiba's bemused expression. "I thought dueling together might be a good way to get both of us back into the swing of things. You know."

"It's not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, at least."

"It's alright. I wasn't really expecting a yes." Yugi indicated the impressive spread Kyoko had placed before them. "You can foot the bill today as an apology."

"Kyoko never charges me anyway, but sure." Seto pulled a plate toward him, shrugging. "This one's on me."

"Can I attack with this one?"

"Nope."

"Why the hell not?"

"It's a magic card."

"Then this one?"

"That's a trap."

"Dammit! You're just making this up as you go along!"

"I'm really not."

"Then how do you tell which is which?!"

"You look at the pretty colors."

"Gah! You suck!"

"You suck," Seto snorted, extending a leg to kick Zero in the side. The hunter swatted at him irritably, scowling at his hand of cards before looking down at the field.

"So how do I beat that thing?!"

"Said the thousandth victim," Mokuba chuckled, stepping into the living room and hopping over the back of the couch. He leaned forward to look at their field and cracked a grin. "I feel obligated to point out that using a Blue Eyes against a rookie is probably overkill."

"He told me not to go easy on him," Seto responded placidly, shrugging one shoulder. "What's up, kid?"

"Nothing except my girlfriend dueling in the finals today," Mokuba snorted, turning on the television and propping his feet on Zero's shoulder. The hunter smacked his leg, forgetting his strength, and the teenager backed away quickly. "And get this- Japan beat South Africa."

"Damn. Now I don't know who to root for."

"Obviously for Rebecca!"

"I'm not sold on her yet."

"Don't be a jerk," Zero said, reaching across the field to poke Seto firmly in the shoulder. "You know if it was me up there, Mokuba would be cheering me on."

"Firstly," Seto snorted, grabbing the hunter's hand and biting playfully at his fingertip, "you're not my girlfriend. Secondly, there is no way in hell you will ever make it into a Duel Monsters tournament."

"Oh, bite me."

"I am, idiot."

"Seriously, I will projectile vomit if you two keep that up," Mokuba warned, pointedly turning up the volume painfully high to override their banter. "If you insist on being gross, please do so elsewhere."

"We're done," his older brother assured him, but playfully pulled Zero into his side, wrapping an arm around his neck and holding him close. After a moment's hesitation Zero settled into the embrace, unexpectedly comforted by the intimacy. It was soothing to hear the sound of another beating heart.

"I have never heard of this guy," Mokuba commented, flopping sideways on the couch and vaguely indicating the television when Japan's representing duelist stepped up to his platform, turning to the crowd and waving. "Ugh. What a show pony. Know anything about him, bro?"

"No. I didn't look him up."

"...Liar."

"He calls himself 'Jirou.' No surname available, no info on where he's from. He just sort of materialized about four months ago, won a few regional tournaments and qualified for the international league. His deck is based on fiend-type monsters and utilizes a variety of traps to frustrate his opponents into not thinking clearly. Hackneyed and overused strategy, but it's obviously working for him."

Mokuba lifted an eyebrow, grinning. "You worried about this guy?"

"Don't be stupid. The only one who should be worrying about him is Rebecca."

"Yeah…" Mokuba bit his lower lip. The opening ceremonies had concluded, and the duel platform flickered to life with a hum. "She can win."

"I'm sure she can."

"You don't sound convinced."

"Rebecca has a quick temper. I hope he doesn't get under her skin, that's all," the elder Kaiba replied neutrally, shrugging one shoulder. "In any case, making it this far has pretty much secured her career, should she choose to continue playing. Winning would just be a formality from a financial standpoint."

"But from any other standpoint?" Zero prompted, tapping a finger against the prominent ridge of Seto's collarbone.

"She should damn well want to win, obviously."

Mokuba laughed, pillowing his head on his arm. "Well, she fought like hell to get this far. Make sure you congratulate her whether she wins or not, 'kay?"

"Nn," his brother replied noncommittally, busying himself with playing with Zero's hair.

Zero's limited knowledge of the game prevented him from enjoying the match to the fullest, but from the brothers' frequent exclamations, it was apparently a good one. It continued for an hour in what was essentially a stalemate, with no great loss of life points for either player. Commentary from the only two experienced players in the room subsided until Jirou played a monster Zero had yet to see.

"Ballsy," Mokuba laughed, sitting upright. "I've never seen anyone but Yugi use Dark Magician in tournament play. Think it's an indirect challenge?"

"I'm sure it is," Kaiba replied, running a hand through his hair. "Kind of asinine, though. If he wants to make a scene, he should find his own iconic monster. Something people will remember him by, instead of recycling old tricks."

"Old tricks, huh? Good thing he can't use someone's special monster," Mokuba snorted, poking his older brother in the back of the head. "You'd go off the edge."

"Pretty sure I prepared for that eventuality many years ago."

"Yeah, via property damage."

"Shut up."

The duel moved ahead with slightly more velocity after Jirou's summon; Mokuba patiently explained to Zero that it was much more difficult to plan long-term strategy when contending with a monster with such high attack, which the hunter understood implicitly; he had spent enough time trying to outmaneuver Rido Kuran, after all, that he'd had very little energy left over to focus on anything else. It was sort of comforting to see the same concept in play now.

Scarcely ten minutes had passed before Jirou, now with three monsters on the field in addition to his magician, made another move that made both Kaiba brothers sit upright.

"The hell is that?" Mokuba demanded. "The Wicked Dreadroot? Never heard of it! But damn, four thousand attack points?"

"That was banned from tournament play for several years after its release," Seto said, already skimming the card's information his phone, eyebrows knitted together. "And for good reason. Special effect halves the attack and defense of everything on the field. Oh, for Christ's sake, did he just use Shrink?"

"What does that do?" Zero demanded, pushing himself up off the comfortable pillow of Seto's shoulder.

"Halves the attack of the target- but why would he target the Root thing? He just summoned that."

"No idea- he activated Just Desserts, what else is he planning on summoning? The Dreadroot and the Magician aren't enough?"

"What?" Zero asked, looking from the television to Seto and back again. "What's Just Desserts?"

"It lets him summon one more monster if he pays five hundred life points- hush," Seto said, watching the screen intently. "What is he up to?"

"No idea," Mokuba said, leaning forward excitedly as Jirou's second monster began to materialize. "But I don't- what is that?"

Zero had scarcely a second to look at the screen before Seto abruptly got up to his feet, his knee knocking the hapless hunter in the side of the head.

"Ow! Hey, what did you-" Zero froze when he caught sight of Seto's face, and slowly lowered the hand he'd raised to his cheek. "Hey. What's wrong?"

He had never seen Seto Kaiba- nor any man, for that matter- look so completely unnerved by anything. Kaiba had lost all of his color, and was staring at the screen through a numb, shocked visage, mouth slack and eyes wide.

"...Nothing," the older man stuttered out, but he was shaking his head, and took a step backwards as if to run from the image on the screen. "It's not…"

The hunter glanced back at the screen, and felt something cold sweep into his stomach. The new monster took the form of a young girl, adorned in a simply patterned dress, her white hair a cascade around her slim frame. She stood with her hands open at her sides, a confident smile just lifting the corners of her mouth. For a brief moment, the subtitles on the screen displayed the card name:

Maiden With Eyes of Blue.

Zero didn't have time to press the matter- something was happening in the match. Jirou had continued his move, directing his Wicked Dreadroot to destroy the newly summoned monster and Dark Magician. It obliterated both with ease, and there was a collective roar from the crowd as both holograms pixelated- but not before both creatures swooned and fell in a disturbingly realistic portrayal of actual death.

"What the hell," Mokuba said quietly, looking up at his brother, "was that about? Why did he destroy his own monsters?"

Seto shushed him, still standing, eyes fixed on the screen.

The duel ended three turns later; with its four thousand points restored, the Dreadroot made quick work of Rebecca's already failing defenses, and the crowd roared when her life points dropped to zero, marking a surprise victory for Japan. Over the screaming, an official ran up to the field as the dueling platforms were lowered, scarcely giving the opponents time to shake hands (grudgingly, on Rebecca's part) before handing Jirou a microphone and asking him to address the audience.

Seto tuned most of it out. Jirou was a man of middling height, with dark hair and eyes- unremarkable and unimpressive in every way, except for the little stunt he had just pulled. And it was a stunt, Seto told himself, over and over again- just another trap in the prick's repertoire. He tried not to let the other disturbing thoughts surface- It looked like her, there's a card that looks like her, Pegasus saw her face and he made a card that looks like her, that bastard- and forced himself to listen to what the international champion was saying.

"I issued a challenge today," Jirou said loudly, amidst curious murmurs about the peculiar attack on his own monsters. "It was a risky move, I know, but it was a statement I've been dying to make. My sponsor was very eager to see it played out, and my partnership with him is one I hold very dear." And then- it set Kaiba's nerves on edge- Jirou looked directly at the camera.

And smiled.

"To the recipients of my challenge- I'll hope to see you in the upcoming tag-team tourney, in which my sponsor and I will be participating. Perhaps we can settle old rivalries, and start some new ones."

The crowd exploded- the official chased after Jirou as he began to exit the stadium, asking for further comment, but the duelist was now entirely reticent.

"Damn," Mokuba muttered, scratching the back of his head. "That was all kinds of messed up. Seto, did you get what he was going at? Hey, Seto, where are you-?"

"Need to make a call," the elder Kaiba replied gruffly, accessing his speed dial as he strode from the room. He headed out the front door, needing the cold winter air to bring his temperature down from boiling to simmering. He wanted to hit something. He wanted to cry. He wanted to head down to the museum and crash in Ishizu's office, to-

See her again.

No. Don't.

"Yugi," he barked into the receiver as soon as he heard the other line pick up. "Did you see?"

"Yeah." The tone in the younger man's voice left no question as to what he was thinking. "That was for us. Seto- that card-"

"I know- I mean, I don't know. That's why I'm so pissed off." He began to pace around the walk, feeling more agitated by the second. The way that shtihead smiled…

"What do we do?"

Seto Kaiba paused, running a hand through his hair, and quirked a grin. "Play, obviously. I'm going to destroy that fucker."

Nerdy chapter is nerdy.

…Damn I love this game. No ragrets.

"