CHAPTER 3 IS Up! (This is dedicated to follow-the-light-review and alamoon - thanks for the reviews guys and big thanks to anyone who's reading this story. I hope you're enjoying it!)
As promised this chapter will be about the first stage of Marik's plan. And as anyone who ever has plotted before knows, the first step is to gain as much intelligence as possible so that you can anticipate any future obstacles.
Basically, Marik and Mokuba will be trying to get on the good side of Seto and Ishizu, that should be easy enough . . .
WARNING: There will be some Joey and a little Tea bashing in this chapter.(sorry to all their fans but for me, it's really fun!)
DISCLAIMER: YuGiOh! belongs to Kazuki Takahashi-sensei, All I own is a bunch of art supplies, a vast manga/anime collection, my laptop, and a half-eaten popsicle.
ENJOY!
CH. 3: STAGE 1 - GAINING TRUST AND MAKING CONTACT
The next morning in Domino City, Japan. Birds are chirping, and the sounds of the city meld together to form a unique harmony. Outside the city high school, eager students enter the grounds ready to start the day. It is quite awhile until the starting bell rings so students are simply hanging out in the classrooms. In one of these particular rooms sits Seto Kaiba, reading an international sales report as the buzz of several simultaneous conversations float around him. He is interrupted as a can of his favorite coffee drink is placed in front of him. Looking up he watches as Marik sits in his seat opening his own can of coffee.
"Ohayou, Kaiba." -greets Marik.
"Marik," -acknowledges the CEO as he stares suspiciously at the can on his desk, "How did you know I like this particular drink?"
"I didn't, I just thought you might want some coffee. I know I always do this early in the morning." -answers the Egyptian with a quick yawn.
Still suspicious but satisfied with the answer, Kaiba opens the can and takes a drink. The caffeine helps to keep the insomniac awake for another boring school day. Marik watches the CEO out of the corner of his eye, taking note that his friendly gesture didn't go unappreciated.
I got to remember to thank Mokuba for that tip . . .
"So Kaiba, I caught you press conference last night."- begins Marik in his attempt to make small talk with the young businessman.
"So did the rest of Domino City."
"True, but I just wanted to say that the new dueling disk looks really awesome. You can tell that you must've put a lot of work into it."-compliments the tanned teen.
"Yes, I did . . . Marik what exactly are you trying to pull?"
"It was just a compliment, Kaiba. I'm just saying that it's really cool that you are so passionate about dueling that you spend your time coming up with all these new innovations and stuff."
". . ."
"You know, even before I met you, you were probably my favorite duelist. I guess you still are, despite your bad attitude, the glaring, the scathing sarcasm, and now that I think about it-"
"Do you have a point?"-interrupts Seto.
"All I'm trying to say is that when you duel, you do it because you love dueling. You'd do it even if the fate of the world didn't depend on your victory. Not to mention that you worked hard to be the best, it's very admirable. Ishizu thinks so too."
With the mention of the Egyptian woman's name, Seto mind flashes an image of her when they dueled atop his blimp in the semi-finals of Battle City. As he thinks of the desert beauty, one of the few opponents that put up a worthy challenge, a small smirk tugs at his lips. However, it quickly fades when he looks at the unsettling grin on Marik's face.
"What do you want, Marik?"
"I don't want anything, Kaiba."
". . ."
"Honestly,I really don't want anything!"
"Fine, although I highly doubt honesty to be one of your best character points, I do appreciate the 'praise'. However I've more than accepted the fact that Yugi is the reigning champion."-Seto replies in a surprisingly genuine tone.
"Maybe, but you're still my favorite. I like how you toy around with your opponents before delivering the crushing blow. You pretty much defeat them before the duel even begins." -Marik complements as he finishes his drink.
"To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."-Seto quotes from his favorite book.
Marik grins as he recognizes the quote."Sun Tzu, The Art of War, right? That guy really knew what he was talking about."
"You've actually read The Art of War?" -Seto asks surprised someone else has similar tastes in literature.
"Yeah. I know it's hard to believe, but I am smarter than I look."
"It's better than looking smarter than you are, like a certain person I detest."
Marik is slightly thrown-off by this response and follows Kaiba's line of sight to the door of the classroom. Entering the room at that very moment, is none other than Joey Wheeler leading Yugi and the rest of their friends. They are busy talking, so they are obviously confused when they see Marik covering his mouth as he laughs at Kaiba's uncharacteristically good comedic timing. The group is thrown-off by this, but decide to ignore it and take their seats. By the time they've put down their bags and gotten comfortable, Marik has settled down as well.
"Hey guys."- greets Marik with a grin as he tries to refrain from snickering.
" 'Morning"-replies Yugi.
Following Yugi's gesture, the others offer quick greetings as well to the Egyptian.
"Hey Marik, what's so funny? You've been gigglin' like a school girl ever since we came in here."-inquires Joey. "I like a good joke as well as the next person."
"Then try looking in a mirror." -Seto offers in a demeaning tone.
At the comment, Joey's eyes widen as his face flushes with embarrassment and anger. Yugi and Tea try to calm him down as Tristan, Marik, and even Bakura try their best to hold in laughter.
"What was that, rich boy?"-Joey asks, wordlessly daring the CEO to continue insulting him.
Since they all know Seto Kaiba isn't one to back down from a challenge, especially a challenge from someone he thinks is beneath him, not one of the teens were surprised to hear the following words pass through Kaiba's lips.
"And here I thought that dogs had an incredible sense of hearing."
"Get a new joke already! You'd think someone as 'intelligent' as the great Seto Kaiba would be able to think of better insults!"
As Joey finishes speaks, a triumphant smirk appears on his face. Kaiba simply tilts his head to the side and rests one of his long fingers on the tip of his chin in a traditional thinking pose. He takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh.
"Hmm . . . let me think, a new name for Wheeler . . . Moron? . . . Fool? . . . Loser? . . . Amateur? . . . One-trick pony?, Hmm . . . I kind of like that one . . . No-talent hack, perhaps? . . . Degenerate?"
As Kaiba rolls off the list of insults to Joey and the others, the blonde's anger visibly grows. Yugi, Tea, and the others are all starting to worry about Joey's temper, but Marik is simply watching the situation like a comedic scene from a T.V. sit-com. Kaiba however, still feigning reverie, continues listing potential new "nicknames".
"Wannabe? . . .nope. It's applicable, but it just isn't quite right. What I need is name that will fully describe how low Wheeler is, while at the same time imply how he feeds off the handouts of others in one perfect word. . . Marik?"
"Yes?"-answers the Egyptian, surprised by the sudden use of his name.
"Do you have any idea what word could possibly fit that criteria?"-asks the CEO.
Marik grins as he catches onto Seto's train of thought."Well, the first word that comes to mind would probably be mutt."
At Marik's response, an evil sneer forms on Kaiba's face. All shreds of his feigned act are completely gone to reveal the true intentions of his words.
"Perfect. So you see, Mutt,"-states Seto, his words dripping with venom, "Why should I waste precious time thinking of a new nickname, when the one I first gave you just rolls right off the tongue?"
By this point, Tristan and Bakura have to hold the blonde back from lunging at the brunette. Kaiba maintains his cool composure, not at all threatened by the idea of Joey Wheeler attacking him.
"Alright you two, enough is enough! Every day it's the same argument. You'd think the two of you would get tired of it by now."-complains Tristan trying to keep a grip on his friend.
"Kaiba you know how easily Joey gets riled up, you should really stop teasing him."-reasons Ryou.
"That's right, friends shouldn't argue like this,"- Tea begins. "They are supposed to help and support one another through thick and thin. . . Through good times and bad times, times of darkness and times of light, times of hope and times of despair- "
"I don't have the time, nor the patience to hear another one of your friendship speeches, Gardener."-Seto interrupts, earning a glare from Tea and silent gratitude from everyone else.
"You have to admit Seto, they do make a good point."-comments Yugi.
Kaiba closes his eyes as a dark chuckle emerges from his throat. With the exception of Marik and Yugi, the disturbing sound sends chills down the backs of the students. The ominous aura surrounding Seto is nearly palpable as he begins to speak.
"You people just don't get it, do you? I only tolerate your presence because of the respect I have for Yugi as a fellow elite duelist. Circumstances in the past have required us to work together and you have proven yourselves somewhat useful. Because of this, I have remained friendly with all of you. However, and listen to this part closely, do not mistake my kind gesture for friendship unless you have a desire to be severely disappointed."
After this speech, the gang is completely silent. They are all finally snapped out of their shock by Marik.
"Wow . . . that was harsh!"-exclaims the teen with as he chuckles to himself.
"In case you haven't noticed, Marik, he insulted you too!" -observes Tea.
"It's Seto Kaiba, he insults everyone!"-Marik states to the girl, enunciating the last word. "You all act as if the man just makes stuff up. I think the reason you all have a problem with Kaiba is because you're half-afraid that the stuff he says is true."
"So what, you're on Money Bags' side now or somethin'?" -asks Joey.
"Sides? This isn't a war, Joey. All I'm saying is that Kaiba didn't really mean what he said, insulting people is fun for him. It's how he entertains himself. Yugi and I get that, why don't the rest of you?"-Marik clears up.
During this conversation, Yugi and Seto have started a duel on the nearby desks as Tristan,Ryou, and the rest of the class watch. Yugi is smiling and conversing with Kaiba who is responding in a civil, near friendly manner.
"What the-" -replies a stunned Joey.
"Look Wheeler," -begins Marik, in a low voice out of earshot of the CEO. "After years of trying, you people have finally managed to get through one of the many walls surrounding Seto Kaiba. It's probably as close as you'll get, but that's not the point here. Kaiba has a dark sense of humor, so if you all insist on being buddies with him, you better get used to it."
"Wait, that just now, that entire thing, was Kaiba's idea of a joke?"-asks Joey.
As Joey tries to figure this out, Marik and Tea both roll their eyes in unison as the same thought runs through their minds.
And the last horse finally crosses the finish line . . .
At that moment, the teacher walks into the classroom, ending the impromptu duel between Yugi and Seto. The students return to their seats and get ready to start the day. As he takes out his notebook and textbooks, Marik's mind is far from the classical Japanese literature he's supposed to be taking notes on.
Alright, Stage I is in full swing! I've obviously gotten on Seto's good side thanks to some helpful tips from Mokuba. By the way, I wonder how the kid's doing on his end . . .
In the cultural district of Domino City, the sun reflects off the white marble of the Domino Museum. The banners hanging outside advertise the new Egyptian Art exhibit as they dance lazily in the breeze. On the steps, a class of junior high students assemble, about to enter the building. Judging from the navy blue uniforms, the class is from Domino City Junior High. Among them, is the young Mokuba Kaiba standing next to his girlfriend Rebecca Hawkings. The two stand a little ways off from the group, engaged in their own conversation.
"This is going to be great!" - exclaims Rebecca as she adjusts her glasses. "I heard the new curator has brought over some artifacts from Egypt that have never even left the country before!"
"Uh-huh, sounds great, Becca." -replies Mokuba, obviously lost in his thoughts.
"Are you okay Mokuba? You were really excited about this trip yesterday . . ."
"I still excited, just for different reasons."
"Yeah, I noticed that yesterday too. After that phone call, you kinda zoned out on me."-Rebecca comments.
Mokuba smirks at her comment and drapes an arm over Rebecca's shoulders, causing the girl to furrow her eyebrows in confusion. Her green eyes look into his gray ones questioningly.
"I'm sorry. I just started working on a new project with a friend of mine. It's proving to be quite time consuming."-replies the younger Kaiba brother.
"What kind of project, Mokuba?"-inquires Rebecca as she peers over the rim of her glasses.
"The kind that best remains a secret for now, but will be worth the wait once it's complete."
"I swear you are becoming more and more like your brother everyday."
"I'm going to take that as a compliment."
"You can take it however you want, it was meant as an insult."
Having won the verbal fight, Rebecca has a victorious smile plastered on her face. Mokuba sighs in defeat as the two follow their classmates into the builing. Once they make their way into the museum lobby, Ishizu Ishtar comes into view. She is wearing a black, fitted suit jacket with matching wide-leg pants and simple flats on her feet. Peeking from underneath the jacket is a burgundy, Egyptian-style tunic. Ishizu's dark hair is pulled up into a high ponytail allowing her normally hidden bangs to frame her face. She greets the students with a gentle smile as the students form a semi-circle around her.
"Welcome to the Domino City Museum of Natural History. I am Dr. Ishizu Ishtar, head curator of the museum, and fortunate enough to be your guide for the Egyptian Art Exhibit today. If you have any questions during the tour, I urge you to ask them. Now if you'll please follow me, we can begin.
As she speaks, Ishizu scans the crowd of students before her. When her eyes meet those of Mokuba Kaiba, he smiles at her. Recognizing the younger brother of Seto Kaiba, Ishizu smiles in return. Noticing this exchange of silent greeting, Rebecca turns to Mokuba for answers as the class follows the new curator into the eastern wing of the museum.
"Do you know Dr.Ishtar or something?"-questions Rebecca.
"You could say that."
" . . . Kaiba."
Recognizing the warning tone in her voice and the use of his last name instead of his given one, Mokuba looks down at his girlfriend.
"Let's just say that Dr. Ishizu Ishtar could, in the very foreseeable future, be changing her name to Dr. Ishizu Kaiba . . .
-TSUDUKU(TO BE CONTINUED!)
CHAPTER 3 COMPLETE!
NINJA-RENKA: whew this chapter wiped me out, it was fun to write though. So much sarcasm to fit into one chapter. In my mind, I always imagined Seto Kaiba to have a dark sense of humor, much like myself. I know, not much Seto/Ishizu action has happened yet, but as the saying goes, "You can't build a good relationship without a solid foundation."
MARIK: Umm . . . I thought the saying went "You can't build a good HOUSE without a solid foundation?"
NINJA-RENKA: House, relationship, same difference. They both are solid investments that require a lot of time, commitment, and money. ANYWAY, The next chapter probably won't be upload as quicky as these first three, but you won't be disappointed. Unless you're a person who is impossible to please regardless of what I do, in which case it is out of my hands.
MARIK: . . .
NINJA-RENKA: AHEM! This is the part where you give away the next chapter like you usually do?
MARIK: I was going to, but you found a new place to hide your chapter notes-
NINJA-RENKA: HAH! That'll teach you.
MARIK: However, fortunately for me, you underestimated my ninja skills!
NINJA-RENKA: Monkey feathers!
MARIK: In the next chapter, tentatively called " Updates and Day Dreams", Mokuba and I trade our notes and plot while Seto and Ishizu have some interesting thoughts about the future.
NINJA-RENKA: Nicely done, Marik. By the way, I'll dedicate the next chapter to the first person who can tell me what famous book introduction inspired Tea's friendship speech!
-NINJA-RENKA OUT!