No own, no sue. And the dream's a little graphic. Lemme know if I need to up the rating.

Chapter 3

"Stop it! Leave me alone!"

Someone punched him. His jaw clacked into the pavement. Harsh, grating laughter hurt his ears.

"Stop it!" he snapped, jerking away from another man's foot. Snow crunched as he rolled to his feet. Someone hit him in the back. He staggered, trying to run.

"Stop…leave me…" He could taste blood, his tongue slurring as his mouth started to water. Another man threw a punch at his cheek. He jerked his head back, dodging, then locked his jaws around the man's arm. The man screamed. He bit harder.

A fist came from his right. He swept his arm, ripping flesh as he turned to dig his nails into another man's face. Blood splashed into his face, hot and steaming in the winter air. He reared back, roaring, and, faster than the man could react, clamped onto his throat.

Seto lurched awake and bolted for the bathroom just in time to vomit in the sink. Again and again and again, until he could only dry heave, his body trembling as he struggled to hold himself up.

Finally he managed to reach over and turn on the water. He held his hands under it, just watching the cold liquid wash the remnants of his dinner down the sink as he tried to steady his breathing. That nightmare again. It was longer this time, more vivid. He had never reached the man's neck before.

He shuddered at the memory of the man's neck under his teeth. What kind of monster was he turning into? Gathering some water in his hands, he began to rinse his mouth out. His hands still shook but he didn't have the strength to stop them. Everything hurt. Everything always did, as if he really had been running and fighting and…

His phone rang. No one called him this late. No one except Mokuba. Coughing, Seto grabbed a towel on the way out and hurried to answer his cell.

"Hel—" He coughed again. "Hello?"

"Mr. Kaiba?" A woman's voice asked. The towel stilled.

"Yes."

"This is Sacred Heart Hospital, I—"

"What happened to Mokuba?"

"He seems to have been shot, sir. Two young ladies came in with him. They said—"

"Is he stable?"

"Yes, sir."

"What room?"

"Room 109, Emergency Room entrance."

"I'll be right there."

~~*~~

Within minutes, he was dressed, out the door, and on his way to the hospital. The press weren't there, thank God, and he swept into the Emergency Room, his long legs eating up the tile floor. A doctor met him at the desk.

"I'm Dr. Chapman," the older, shorter brunette said, holding out his hand. Seto shook his hand as they walked.

"Seto Kaiba. What happened to my brother?"

"He was shot in the chest with a high-caliber energy weapon."

"Range?"

"Five or six feet."

"Condition?"

"Stable. Second and first degree burns on his upper torso. We gave him morphine for the pain."

"Is he awake?"

"Just woke up."

They reached Mokuba's room, empty save for a nurse and two women. Seto ignored them as he checked his brother. The boy looked fairly normal, though his brow furrowed in pain even in sleep. Seto pursed his lips to keep from snapping at the doctor and looked at his now-bandaged chest. An IV in his right arm stretched back behind the bed to a bag the nurse was checking but his left arm clutched the blanket around his waist.

I should never have let him go out.

"He should be fully recovered in three weeks," Chapman said. Seto straightened up, finally looking at the women, and promptly had to catch himself on Mokuba's bed.

"Mr. Kaiba?" Chapman asked. He must have paled visibly. Mentally swearing, Seto swallowed.

"Give us a minute, please."

"Of course. Lisa." Chapman and the nurse walked out, shutting the door behind them, and Seto took a deep breath before looking back at the women. One woman, a red-head a few years older than Mokuba, looked anxious, her arms folded tightly to her chest. The other woman, a black woman either his age or a little older, stood straight and tall, staring at him as he was sure he was staring at them.

Pack challenge, his mind supplied. He mentally swore again.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Aliyah Monroe-Howlett," said the older one. Liyah. Used to train with me.

"Katherine Lebeau," said the other. Katie. We always went shopping on Fridays.

Seto shoved the annoying thoughts away. Now was not the time.

"What happened?"

"We went to see the James Bond movie," Howlett said, her dark eyes still intense and challenging. "We met Mokuba and his friends inside. Afterwards, we were walking back to our car when a member of the FOH stole Katie's IPOD."

"We were trying to get it back when the kid heard us," Lebeau continued. "He didn't start fighting or anything. He just reminded us of going out to ice-cream, we weren't really, and we were walking away when he…I guess he saw the gun and shoved me out of the way and…" She looked down at Mokuba, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears.

"FOH," Seto said carefully. "You're mutants, then."

"We're registered," Howlett shot back. "We are no threat and we would not have hurt the boy."

"I didn't say you did." His voice sounded calmer than he would have liked, as if he were trying to placate some dangerous beast.

Maybe I am.

Crap. It was starting again. He hadn't had to deal with her memories in months. And now he was talking for the first time to women he already knew.

Melody, if I ever get my hands on you…

Mokuba whimpered softly and his eyes fluttered open.

"Seto?" His voice was scratchy and weak.

"I'm here, kid. How are you feeling?"

"M'chest…hurts…"

"It will for a while. You got burned pretty badly. What did I tell you about playing the hero?"

"That…it was the job for…short little…dorks…with starfish…hair."

"Good boy. Rest now. I'm going to ask the doctor when I can take you home."

"…what about…the girls…"

"We're fine, hon," Katie said quickly. "Ya know, there are easier ways to impress a lady."

"Gotta be…original…"

Seto smiled at his brother and glanced at Howlett. The woman nodded and the two walked out into the hallway.

"Are we in danger?" he asked.

"No. The three ran off, terrified you would track them down and kill them."

"They aren't far off." Seto cast a protective look back at the door then turned to Howlett. "Ideally, we would go back to Japan, but he's in no condition to travel. You're sure we're safe."

"I would not have said so otherwise. All the same, I would like our doctor to examine the boy."

"You think Chapman missed something?"

"I think this hospital deals with so many people that they release patients before they're ready because they don't have room. Mokuba runs the risk of serious infection and our doctor has the time to better care for him."

"Your doctor."

"We are students at Seidou University in Westchester. Dr. Henry McCoy is our school's doctor."

Seto raised his eyebrows. Hank McCoy was one of, if not the expert in mutant physiology. His papers on human genetics had been used in graduate level classes for years.

"I will consider it. Right now, I have to make a few phone calls. Excuse me."

Howlett nodded and he headed out of the hospital.

"Kaiba!" He turned as he reached the sidewalk to see Evelina hurrying to him from the other parking lot.

"Hello, Evelina."

"Eve, please. What happened? Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Why are you here?"

"I was visiting my mom. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. My brother was in an accident."

"Oh my god, is he okay?"

He winced inwardly.

"He's fine. Excuse me; I have to call my security officer."

"Oh sure sure. Just…if you need anything or if you or your brother need a place to stay, I'm right down the street."

"Thank you, but I'm having him transferred to Seidou University."

Her lip curled slightly and she almost seemed to pull into herself.

"Oh. That place."

"They have the best facilities this side of the Mississippi."

"And you trust them with Mokuba?"

"Yes." And, oddly enough, he really did. Turning away, Seto dialed Roland's cell number. At his side, he could see Evelina…Eve…staring at the pavement.

"Hello?" a sleepy voice answered.

"Roland."

"Mr. Kaiba." His head of security instantly sounded more awake. "What's wrong?"

"I'll explain everything later. For now, Mokuba's going to Seidou University. He's staying with some friends. Call my secretary and let her know and if anyone asks, tell them it's part of our vacation."

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you." He clicked his phone shot and put it in his pocket.

"I'm sorry," Eve said quietly. "I just…I had a bad experience with mutants. I didn't mean to sound so…well, anyway, I'm sorry."

"It's fine." No, it wasn't. "I would have done the same thing." No, I wouldn't have. But Eve smiled, her entire face brightening at his acceptance, and he caught himself smiling back.

"Well, I hope your brother gets better soon," she said. "Good night."

"Good night." He watched her head back to her car. "Eve?"

"Yes?"

"I should have Mokuba transferred by tomorrow morning. Would you like to meet me for coffee afterwards?"

"You still feel bad about hitting me with a car?"

"Yes."

She laughed, a light, musical sound, and nodded.

"I'd like that. See ya, tomorrow, Blue Eyes."

He froze, his throat catching, but she had already turned her back. Blue Eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second then stalked back into the hospital, his scowl driving even the doctors into broom closets.

Howlett and Lebeau were standing outside Mokuba's room when he arrived and Lebeau's eyes widened slightly at his mood.

"Let's do this," he said.

Howlett nodded and walked off to call the university while Seto walked into Mokuba's room.

"Hey…" Mokuba muttered. Seto smiled happier than he felt and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Hey, kid. As soon as the doctor releases you, I'm sending you home with Lebeau and Howlett."

"Huh?"

"They go to Seidou University. It's where Hank McCoy works. You've heard of him."

"Oh…yeah…" Mokuba yawned, wincing slightly when the bandages pulled, then closed his eyes. "I should…be okay there."

"Yeah." Seto glanced back at the door and sighed. "Yeah."