Above, the white dragon swooped elegantly towards the cloaked figures, its brilliant white wings luminous and almost transparent as they reflected the sun's bright rays. Instinctively, the cloaked figures lifted their arms to shield their faces from the dazzling light. But the dragon was only just getting started.
A tall figure, unidentifiable in the sunlight framing his impressive silhouette, rose to his feet, long coat billowing out behind him as he leant casually against the side of the helicopter. The cloaked figures heard as the sun-framed man pointed his finger towards them an bellowed a loud command at the dragon.
"Blue-Eyes White Lightning attack!"
The dragon immediately descended, landing with an audible thump in front of the ring of dark shapes. It hesitated for a moment, its head drawing back slightly. Then, without warning its head jerked forward and its mouth opened wide to project a long beam of bright bluish-white energy which smashed into the figure's monsters, easily wiping them out with one blow.
The dragon looked back to its master, as if for confirmation. Its deep blue eyes met ones of equal intensity and ferocity. "Finish these cowards once and for all!" He growled.
Turning back to the figures, who now cowered fearfully at its feet, the white dragon lifted its head once more to release another burst of intense energy, scattering the figures until they laid unconscious, sprawled like rag dolls on the alley-floor.
Satisfied, the silhouetted figure within the helicopter nodded at the dragon in silent thanks then slipped his hand onto the bulky device attached to his arm. After a moment, he removed a small brown card from its flat surface and the dragon's form flickered briefly, before fading into the air.
Namu hastily clambered through the broken window of one of the deserted street flats, pulling his hood low over his head to cast his face in shadow. He couldn't risk being seen, not yet anyway. He was lucky to have escaped such a predicament without detection.
Lifting his rod, he uttered a few quiet incomprehensible syllables under his breath, his dark lilac eyes fixed predatorily on Florence's slumped from. Somehow, she had escaped harm from the white dragon's attack, but he couldn't risk the teenager remembering today's events. So she would forget. With a flash of gold beaming forth from the rod's golden eye, Namu completed his task. Without a backwards glance, the young man fled from the alley.
Kaiba lowered the helicopter to the ground, its blades cut cleanly through the air as it descended among the scattering of cloaked bodies which lay motionless on the ground beneath. The sapphire-eyed youth smirked. It was good to know his Blue-Eyes was as invincible as ever.
For a moment, Kaiba pondered why he had been drawn to this place… it was a good thing Yugi wasn't here or he'd be giving him the whole 'destiny lecture', which - knowing Yugi – would no doubt be followed by the 'friendship speech'. He groaned at the thought, passing an exasperated hand through his messy brown hair.
Luck. It was because of luck that he'd seen those monsters from his usual leisure flight over Domino. Rare though it was anything interesting happened. This was an exception.
Peering down at the control screen, Kaiba read the reading on the height measuring device. He removed his headset upon registering that the KC copter was only 5 metres above its destination. Stepping towards the open door of the helicopter, Kaiba fearlessly jumped from the cockpit to execute a fearless and perfect landing on the ground beneath, briefly touching his hand to the floor before straightening up.
A frown spread across his stern features. It was impossible. The group of unconscious men had stolen technology that was not due out until the start of the Tournament next month.
"How did they get their hands on my technology?" Kaiba growled furiously to himself. This was unacceptable. "I'll see to it that every one of these thieves is hunted down and destroyed!" He assured himself, a slight smirk twisting the edges of his lips…by me!
It would be all the more satisfying to see the dogs cower at his hand.
As the young man scanned the street, calculating how much back-up he would need to remove the unmoving bodies, his eyes widened in shock as they fell upon the young girl's form slumped uselessly against her motorbike.
Had he done that?
Slightly concerned, Kaiba weaved through the maelstrom that his Blue-Eyes White Dragon had created until he reached the girl's side.
"Driver." He muttered in recognition. Well it would have to be her wouldn't it? The question was, what had those figures wanted with her?
Kaiba clenched his hands into tight fists. Those cowards had obviously ganged up on her and attacked her. That was unacceptable. He would not have this in his town.
After a few moments, Kaiba sighed. He supposed that he would have to get the girl home as soon as she was in no fit condition to do so herself. Lifting his hand, the youth replaced his headset.
"Give me the location of the citizen known as Florence Driver's house." He barked into the microphone. He wasn't wasting any time on pleasantries. Anyway, why should he? He was paying these people.
There was a long pause. "Residential area. Street 115, house number 7. Anything else Mr Kaiba?" The weary voice asked.
"No." He turned off the communication link then swept back to the girl's motionless form. He would have to arrange for her motorbike to be taken to her house separately, preferably without arousing suspicion.
Kaiba kneeled down to pick the girl's form up, slinging her easily over his shoulder as if she were no more than a sack of potatoes. He smirked slightly at the analogy, then produced a remote from an inside coat pocket, pressing one of the buttons so that the helicopter descended to ground level. He quickly jumped into the KC copter, then dumped the inanimate girl onto the seat beside him.
Turning on his communication once more, Kaiba fixed his default glare expression back onto his face. "Clear up this mess."
"Yes Mr Kaiba sir." The voice on the other end of the line said obediently.
"And get the girl's bike back to her house. Discreetly." With this final command issued, Kaiba disconnected, then glanced down at the girl's form beside him. She was stirring slightly. He'd better get her back home quickly.
The helicopter rose once more into the air. Kaiba executed a perfect 180 turn, then accelerated to top speed, a frown creasing his face as he thought back to the figures slumped in the street beneath him.
Obviously this Tournament wasn't going to run as smoothly as he had hoped.
Florence woke the next morning. Her head pounded uncomfortably as her alarm clock greeted her in its usual manner. Grinding her teeth, she slammed a hand onto the innocent clock, silencing it with a last, submissive beep. It was time to get ready for school.
Unfortunately, in the process of having a shower and almost falling back to sleep while washing her hair, Florence succeeded in being late. Her parents shouted up to her, requesting non-too-gently that she hurried up, or, as the case was 'get her ass downstairs now!'
By the time she arrived downstairs, fully clothed and brush stuck in the tangles of her long hair, April had long since departed with her friends. Feeling a slight sense of loss that her sister hadn't waited for her, Florence frowned for a moment, then pushed her feelings aside. Getting petty and upset wasn't going to help anyone. She was sure April had a reason.
Glancing down at her watch, Florence realised the time with an expression of horror. With a quick 'bye' to her mum and dad, she rushed out the front door and dashed down the road, arriving breathlessly at the school gates. Late.
Florence barely looked at her timetable before hastily making her way to her first lesson. Maths. Great.
Luckily, the teacher had yet to arrive. Apparently she had slept in. Breathing a sigh of relief, Florence seated herself at the only spare desk in the room, which unfortunately happened to be, once again, next to Kaiba. Obviously he preferred an empty desk any day to human company.
The teenager passed a short, tri-colour haired boy, barely registering his wave but she looked up as he called out. "Hey Florence! We thought you weren't gonna show!" Yugi's voice chimed out, breaking through her ponderings.
Florence smiled vaguely at him, still absorbed in her thoughts as she seated herself next to Kaiba. She didn't catch the strange look the blue-eyed youth gave her as she sat beside him wordlessly, without even bothering to ask permission. Neither did she catch the fleeting look of jealousy on Yugi's face. Then, finally, the lesson started.
The school hallway:
Spotting her sister, Florence made a beeline for her. The morning so far had been hellish. She was tired and unable to pay attention, in addition to the aggravating lop-sided smirk that the smug Kaiba seemed to have on his face every time she spoke to him.
She needed to talk to April. Desperately.
Catching her sister's arm, Florence pulled her sister away from the bustle of the corridor and to one side.
"April, I really didn't mean to upset you." Florence's tone was sincere, "I'm sorry."
April smiled at her sister, "No, you're right Florence. I really shouldn't have thought much of those dreams anyways…I mean they were dreams, couldn't mean much right?"
"April-"Florence started, "I'm truly sorry."
"It's okay, Florence really." April gently brushed her shoulders against Florence's; despite April's cheery tone Florence could still sense something was wrong.
"I'll see you at lunch okay?" April told her older sister before taking off to class. Although, April thought smiling, Florence might be hanging with her new friend…Uh, Yugi was it? - Seems like a nice kid…Maybe she doesn't need me anymore. This thought struck April, like a sharp knife piercing into her heart.
"Yeah." Florence smiled back.
"Well," April still smiled, but her eyes portrayed something that of melancholy, "Save me a seat."
As April left her sister and to class; she tried her hardest to push any depressing thoughts out of her head.
What if, April kept trying to push the thought out of her head. What if I don't belong anymore...?
Later on in class:
Florence sat in the back of the class, glancing at the clock set in the corner every so often to see just how much work she had to endure until April would come for lunch. Honestly, The blonde thought to herself, you'd think we'd be on the next few chapters of this subject by now. World History was something Florence was already familiar with; and if there was anyone to blame about her current boredom, it would be her tedious 5th grade teacher .
"Having a hard time paying attention, Driver?" An icy tone mocked. He had decided not to mention about the events of the previous day, it could only be damaging to his reputation, and it really didn't seem worth it.
Florence rolled her eyes at the arrogant teen, "Shove off, Seto." She laced his name with sarcastic emphasis.
Florence smirked upon registering Kaiba's expression of annoyance; it was amazingly satisfying to aggravate him. Not as high and mighty as you thought you were, she teased in her head.
"You will call me Kaiba," Kaiba whispered in a deadly serious tone. Florence flinched as the youth unexpectedly reached out to grab her arm in a steel grip.
Glaring down at his hand as if scowls alone could burn through flesh, Florence's felt her temper reach its peak. How dare this arrogant teen touch her?
"You are not the boss of me; so you don't have any say in what I will or will not do -SETO!!" Florence ferociously broke her arm out of the brunet's iron grip; and for a rather short-lived moment Kaiba's ice-blue eyes widened and showed a rare flicker of respect as he met the teenager's determined expression.
Although, Florence thought as she glanced back at him, it could have just been a trick of the light. The blonde girl awaited the inevitability of Kaiba's next insult or rude comment. It was almost a game now. A competition between the two. But who would crack first?
Kaiba simply sent the girl a self-satisfied smirk and went back to his work, resuming his usual, obsessive tapping on his laptop.
"What the hell…?" Florence whispered to herself, registering Kaiba's expression of aloof indifference. God, I hate that despicable, smug pain-in-my-ass!!! And for some reason a slight tint of blush rose to her cheeks as she realized that he had, in fact, succeeded in annoying her once again.
Less editing on this one, but still some... lots more to come... IF YOU REVIEW! ... please? ~ DragonGirl *hyper on coffee*