Chapter 9: The Kaiba Factor- Resuming the Deal
Wing couldn't wonder what had happened during the whole Kaiba incident with her vision...Lady Orchid seemed to get over the trauma pretty quickly it could seem, yet she never could figure out if she was getting it over the ordeal quickly since her quick temper hadn't changed much. Wing, Serenity and Tea still talked about it, wondering if Kaiba would ever show up again. Yet the one person who she wondered more about was Darren, he became even more silent and depressed than usual which made her worry about him.
Wing watched Darren closely as he finished his supper and quietly crept into a room shutting the door ever so slightly, and followed him inside. The room was dark as Wing didn't expect, she covered her eyes not adjusting well with the pitch black room. She crept slowly over a floor matted with wrappers, books and clothes. A night light shone dimly as Wing saw a shadowy figure sitting on the floor. She suddenly heard a clank as she tripped over a wastebasket..the figure started to move.
"Wing?!" the figure said as Wing realized it was Darren. He flipped a switch and turned the light on, a confused look on his face. "What are you doing here?"
"Since when did Dark Magicians forget to turn on their lights?" Wing asked sarcastically. Darren sneered at the girl's remark.
"Since this one never managed to get used to turning on their lights in the night.." Darren answered with the same cynicism. "What do you want Wing?"
"I've come to see if you're okay, Darren." Wing reassured as she sat down on the bed beside him. "I know you're recovering from that incident last week..but you know you can tell me anything."
"You think I'm going to believe that?" Darren grumbled darkly turning away as a glint of a tear rolled off his cheek. "Don't you have your boyfriend to deal with?"
"I want to help you get over what's gone on..I can't help you if you don't speak to me.." Wing remarked sincerely.
"You don't speak to me that often do you?" Darren answered. "Go play with your friends."
"Believe me..it's no use hiding. I can make anything come to light..I'll get the info somehow.." Wing threatened mischievously as she wiggled her fingers and began to tickle his sides. Darren wiggled and shook as a smile spread across his face and laughed.
"Since when did you become the tickle police?" Darren laughed as she pulled away. "You got to admit that seeing you always makes me smile."
"I try..." Wing answered meekly as she began to blush, her good humour began to slip away as she sighed deeply. "But you didn't smile a lot these past few weeks while I was around."
"The thing is you're never around anymore, Wing." Darren replied. "You're usually running around with those humans and your boy-friend. We don't ever spend much time alone together. Not even during work! We're mostly treating the customers all the time not to mention doing Lady Orchid's bidding.."
"Yeah..that is sure hard work.." Wing remarked cheerfully at the notion.
"Yeah almost like being tortured by a Green Goblin.." Darren joked vividly as they snickered together. Wing spread out her hands and sighed.
"So..we're together now. Does this make you happy?" Wing asked hopefully as an awkward silence past between the two. Darren breathed deeply.
"Yes. A little bit. Yet I'd be so much happier.." Darren answered leaning in close to Wing barely brushing against her nose. He closed his eyes trying so hard fighting through his feeling that he pulled back and sighed. "So...you're still in love with blond what's-his-name?"
"Yes, I am." Wing answered sheepishly, watching his expression fall again. "But I'm kinda having other thoughts.."
"Really?! Oh, uh that's too bad Wing." Darren choked. "I'm so sorry."
"Oh it's nothing like that.."Wing shrugged uneventfully. "It's that boy Seto Kaiba. I have had a strange feeling with him that I never felt before. Like envisioning someone out of someone's self experiences!"
"That must mean something; In the Monster Realm's over heated deserts I used to have such awkward feelings about things too." Darren told Wing reassuringly. "Your monster instincts can show you signs and you must read and follow them accordingly...you must find him."
"But what about Joey? He clearly detests Kaiba for some reason or another." Wing answered frantically. "What do I tell him if I get caught?"
"Tell him your intentions and make it clear." Darren insisted modestly, as he pat her back. "I know you're always determined to help those in need."
"Thanks, brother." Wing thanked giving him a quick hug, Darren put a hand on her back as he felt her warmth against him and suddenly disappeared as she pulled away.
"We're not siblings you know.." Darren answered silently as he slowly lowered his head as Wing left through the door as the telephone started to ring and sighed. "We're not.."
The next day it was a busy and sunny afternoon at the ice cream shop, that was bustling with customers trying to get away from the hot sun. The heat was boiling up the profits which made Darren and Wing's work harder than ever. With the hot sun at it's peak, Lady Orchid served the customers orders with a glass full of lemonade in hand and the serving spoon in the other.
As Wing began to feel the heat, she could see through the crowds to see a misguided soul in the clearing. A young boy with shifty dark eyes and raven black hair came into view, panting heavily from running as he perched into an empty seat. Wing could see he was anxious about something and so she went to greet the boy.
"Hello there.." Wing greeted startling the jumpy little guy. "What can I getcha?"
"I...I.'d like a cone." the boy stammered, glancing away from the menu and turned his head every which way.
"Uh...what is it?" Wing asked confusedly.
"Huh?" the boy blurted nervously as he looked up at her.
"You don't have to be scared." Wing reassured calmly. "It's only an ice cream shop."
"I know. It's just that my brother won't like it if I'm caught being here." the boy confessed, shifting in his seat. "He might send his corporate goons after me."
"He won't do that.." Wing said modestly, but the black haired boy simply frowned.
"He probably will..he's been working so hard lately. I'm not sure he'd be excited for tonight!" the boy answered gravely, in the midst of it all he smiled at Wing with a more enthusiastic tone. "It's his birthday today, and I'm supposed to be getting a birthday cake for him. Just as a surprise..and it would be great if Seto could see it ..."
"That's so sweet! I'll tell you what..I see a big sundae coming right up for a sweet boy like you." Wing offered as she picked up his menu with a smile to the nervous little boy. "It'll be on the house!"
"No..no I don't need.." he mumbled.
"I insist." she replied. "One taste of Orchid's Double Choco-Fudge Banana Nut sundae your tastebuds wouldn't have known what hit them."
"Hey thanks..my name's Mokuba." the boy answered with a smile.
"Mine's Wing." Wing introduced. "Don't go anywhere Mokuba, I'll be back in a flash with that sundae!"
A few moments later Wing came back with the gigantic sundae, the goopy ice cream and sauce dripped in big gobs onto the table as Mokuba's eyes dazzling as Wing dropped the confection in front of him. Wing watched him eat the sundae hungrily as he began to chat with her, telling her about Seto Kaiba his brother and opened up to her, smiling a little bit and finished his sundae.
"Wing..I was wondering if you would come with me to surprise him, and help me buy a cake for him." Mokuba said excitedly. "It'll be the surprise of his life! And besides...he might like a little company on his birthday."
"Well..." Wing remarked as she gazed up to see Lady Orchid and Darren serving the customers without her. Darren's expression looked threatening as he looked up and saw her with
Mokuba instead of working. Wing bent down low and whispered in his ear. "After this shift is over I'll come with you..Okay?"
"No problem! See you later." Mokuba replied with a wink as he started away.
Darned paperwork...why can't being head of a corporation ever get easier? Seto Kaiba groaned as he scribbled over the notes of the last board meeting at Kaiba Corp Tower. An onslaught of files, papers, notes and messages scattered all over the place even piling up on the floor. Stressed from the maxed out work timetable, he turned towards the window behind him looking at the newly twilight laden sky, wondering when it was time to go home.
I can't believe I'm a year older now and I'm not taking time off to celebrate with Mokuba..although why would you want to celebrate getting older anyway? It's a waste of time and oxygen... Kaiba thought grimly as a sing song voice appeared out of thin air.
"Hello, Hello!" the woman's voice said as the purple haired girl from the ice cream shop came out of the elevator lift with Mokuba by her side. She was holding an unmistakeably big cake box in one hand and a tub of ice cream with a serving spoon in the other. "Special delivery for the birthday boy!"
"Seto!" Kaiba heard his brother yell as he covered his face in agony and blushed a hideous raddish red. Mokuba squeezed his brother tight and looked up happily. "Happy Birthday bro."
"We brought you some cake and ice cream!" Wing interrupted holding up her goodies.
"So we meet again..." Kaiba remarked snidely, as he looked at Wing coldly. "The girl from the ice cream shop, ever so homely as to come and take craps from my offer for the old lady I presume..ready to sell are we?"
"I'm not here to reconsider your offer. I'm here just for cake and ice cream and to make this a happy birthday." Wing replied nonchalantly as she started to split the cake and dish out some ice cream on top of the piles of paperwork on his desk.
"Really?" Kaiba remarked while watched helplessly as she began giving slices of cake to the workers on the floor and talking about it being his birthday. He could see the corners of their mouth lifting in little snickers and was obliged to shout at them to get back to work.
"Don't you like Wing, Seto?" Mokuba asked diligently as Kaiba just stared.
"Like isn't even the word to describe a girl like her." Kaiba stated, feeling a bit overwhemled and embarrassed as she went around being cheerful. Something which he detested.
"Mokuba, you had your cake, now go play your video games or something.." Kaiba remarked. "I have a lot to work to do.."
"Seto.."
"Kaiba, why don't you have another slice?" Wing offered pulling out a big slice out with the server, the icing dripped all over the notes and paperwork. Finding no paper plate to leave it on, she loosened her grip on the server and the cake splattered onto his desk. Kaiba's eyes widened as he felt all hot and bothered.
"STOP!!" Kaiba shouted loudly, "I don't want any cake! I have work to do...just leave me alone!"
"Seto..." Mokuba murmured as he lowered his head. "I'm sorry."
"Hey! Leave him alone, Seto!" Wing shouted back. "That's not the way to treat someone who just wants to help you! It's not fair!"
"Fairness gets you nowhere in the world." Kaiba remarked. "Boundaries are meant to be broken..that's why everything is going to dust! Innovation and learning to survive this world gets your dreams to come true."
"That's not what I've been through." Wing retorted, suddenly the pictures from her memory after the time that Kaiba came in came swirling in. "That face...the vision."
"What are you doing?" Kaiba shouted as Wing climbed up on his desk and came close to him, looking him directly in the eyes. Kaiba closed them tightly as Wing began to feel around his face and part his hair. Mokuba looked amazed as she continued to brush his brother's skin until she framed his face with her hands..her voice barely a whisper.
"There you are..little boy." Wing said mystifyingly, Kaiba's eyes shot right open as the flood of memories came back to him. Sitting in his mother's lap he remembered the game his mother used to play with him. How could it be possible?
Mokuba smiled and slunk towards the door, knowing that little silent cue that he had to leave the room. Kaiba left the papers with the cake stained all over as he and Wing had a little moment of awkward silence just looking at each other obscurely before starting a heart to heart conversation between others and the work he had and the life they lived in.
"I love my brother, and it kills me that I'm not being with him sometimes..but I have the company to manage and a board of directors to please. Those guys demand big things around here and told me about upping the profits..that means extra hours and working late night hours." Kaiba remarked remorsefully. "No matter how much I give them..they aren't always satisfied."
"That seems awful lonely for Mokuba.."Wing replied sympathetically with a sigh.
"It is sometimes, but we manage to usually work things out. Not lately though with this production deal.." Kaiba remarked solemnly as he leant back on the desk and commented in a vulgar pattern. "It gets kinda lonely here too you know..."
"I guess I see.." Wing nodded understanding as she looked up at him. "Do you have anyone besides your brother...you know as a friend?"
"Of course I do..." Kaiba started quickly. "I mean, I let them go because I don't have time for such matters. It's such a dog eat dog world that it's just a waste of time.."
"Caring about someone is a waste of time?" Wing answered as she put her hands on his broad shoulders. Kaiba looked at her darkly but couldn't help her honesty."'Cause if you know in your heart that it's not true..I can be your friend if you like..."
"What about Wheeler? You going to dump him or something?" Kaiba wondered boastfully as she began rubbing his shoulders.
"No...I meant friends in a different way." Wing whispered as she pulled her hands away. "You know like bosom buddies."
"Bosom?" Kaiba exclaimed, narrowing his eyes. "Fine."
"Yes..." Wing insisted, "You don't have to fear me you know..."
"What are you suggesting?" Kaiba remarked uncertainly.
"I sensed something about you..something that makes you hold back from things." Wing instigated, he looked back in confusion at the girl's face, feeling somewhat peculiar of her presence. "Feeling deprived..isolated.."
"How do you know?"
"I don't know." Wing replied modestly, "I just know that it's okay to let go of those feelings. Let loose and free from those insecurities."
"You saying I'm insecure?" Kaiba remarked angrily.
"So what..do you accept the offer Seto Kaiba?" Wing stated cattily.
"Do I have a choice?" Kaiba sneered coldly.
"No." Wing answered sarcastically. "So what do you think?"
"I think you're psycho and obnoxious and way too trusting to people..." Kaiba answered. "You better be more careful around strangers.."
"You're not a stranger..you just need help." Wing remarked swiftly.
"Oh whatever..C'mon. I want to show you something." Kaiba instructed as he took Wing by the hand and went down the hall, passing by areas of manufacturing technologies as they went towards a boarded door. "Kaiba Corp is supposed to be the leading manufacturers of the city's new technologic breakthroughs..but it's biggest customer is the card gaming industry and my personal hobby of Duel Monsters."
"We create from those duel disks to holographic gaming fields which serves as a battle field for the players monsters..." Kaiba continued as he thrust the doors open to reveal a gigantic arena that put itself together right before Wing's eyes. Kaiba jumped onto the platform and activated the elevator shaft that forced them into the air.
"This was the prototype for the first duelling arena system that gives a more realistic version of the card's monsters enhancing the game play!"He explained, as he took out a deck of cards and flipped one over onto the play board. "Although it's one of the earliest models, I keep upgrading so it has a more rivetting image. Observe.."
Wing watched as multi coloured sparks flew from underneath the card onto the control board as the beast displayed on the card arose from the holographic playing field as the great dragon appeared before her eyes and roared...the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Wing broke into tears as she recognised the monster as Kaiba looked upon his creation proudly.
"So do you play? Don't worry..he won't bite."Kaiba remarked lightly as he glanced an icy blue eye as the Blue Eyes snapped.
"YOU MONSTER!" Wing shouted through tear stained eyes, shoved Kaiba aside as she tried to get off the platform. "It's you who've been abducting those monsters from the Monster Realm weren't you! Of all these years!"
"What are you crazy! These are just holograms!" Kaiba yelled angrily, he grabbed her arms as she began wiggling trying to get free. "I didn't do anything wrong, Psycho!"
"You're wrong..they're realer than you think!" Wing said her thoughts flowing back from the Monster Realm and how she missed them. "You don't know what and who you're dealing with!"
"Wait a second! What's going on Wing?" Kaiba shouted as he began to frantically shake her. "Answer me!"
"I should never have left the convent! I should have never had made that wish.." Wing cried as she managed to pull away. The platform dropped as Wing began to run away, she stood at the door momentarily looking back at Kaiba. "I should never had trusted humans..you think it's all a game but it's NOT."
"Why you.." Kaiba said through clenched teeth as the doors opened and Wing disappeared. Furious of his mysterious encounter with the girl, Kaiba rethinks his plans and jumped off the platform. He reached for the telephone that was propped up next to the door and called his lower office. "I'll show her about trust. Cancel all my meetings and have the demolition crew on board...it's time to take that shop by force by destroying it!"
At that moment Yugi Moto had stepped in front of the Olde Orchid's Ice Cream Shop, alone. The many mysteries of the shop had aroused his suspicion as Yami had foretold, the feeling was unbearable to him and he needed some answers. He and Yami had a discussion about the place and insisted they should go there and told him his suspicions of Darren and Orchid...a very disturbing sense that lay a mystery among the ice cream shop.
Yugi knocked on the screen door and entered in quietly as he climbed up towards the upstairs apartment and knocked again afterwards.
"Just a minute, ya head yack!" Orchid's familiar tone came from behind the door and opened the door slightly, and appeared to be wearing a puffy pink shower cap on her head and a mauve fuzzy dressing gown. "Good evening young man..you're one of Wing's friends aren't you?"
"Yeah, I was wondering if she's here just now.." Yugi replied.
"She's gone for the moment, dear." Orchid remarked sweetly, catching his eye with her mystical gaze. She looked behind her to see Darren emerging from his room seeing his maleficent glare. "But her brother is here...I'm sure he'll like to talk to you and give you some answers you want."
"Uh thanks." Yugi replied mystified as a black cat passed through his legs, seeming as if it was muttering to himself and taking no interest in Yugi at all. He locked eyes with Darren as he caught him staring and fled back into his room. Yugi couldn't quite place it as he followed the dark boy into the room, and stumbled on the dim night light that shone not as illuminating as a regular night light would seem. He looked into the distance to see the dark figure as it perched in the shadows of it's dark lair.
"I'll take it from here." Yami stated boldly as his puzzle seemed to glow as the pharaoh emerged from his sleep. Yugi held the Millennium Puzzle in his hand and shook his head.
"No..I'll do this on my own." Yugi murmured as Yami went back into the puzzle sulking.
"Be careful.." the pharaoh remarked finally.
"Show yourself Darren." Yugi remarked calmly as he called into the darkness. "You don't have to hide from me...I just want to talk."
"What do you want? My sister is out..leave me alone." Darren's low bruting voice replied from the shadows. "Wing has better things to do."
"I don't want to see her. I was hoping I could talk to you." Yugi answered. "Wing doesn't talk much about her past and I don't know you well so I just wanted to learn some more about where you guys lived and about your family history. Just to get some answers."
" Answers? To what?!" Darren spat. "I don't have any answers for you."
"It seems as though your hiding something.." Yugi stated. "Where did you come from before moving here? What was it like?"
"My mother became a nun and my dad's on business seeing the world..got it?" Darren snapped curtly.
"I see..but that doesn't explain much." Yugi replied slowly.
"How can you be able to see? It's pitch black in here.." the dark figure in the corner rose from it's place. "Are you a Magician too?"
"Well I did do a few card tricks during my friend's birthday party when we turned six but that's not what I meant.." Yugi replied sincerely. Darren hit the lights and moved towards the short sixteen year old, his blue eyes fixed on him mysteriously.
"You're one of the blond boy's friends aren't you.." Darren commented suspiciously.
"Yeah..Joey. He's one of my best friends."
"Then tell him to stay away from Wing!" Darren shouted angrily. "He doesn't know who she really is!"
"Whoa...Jealous much?" Yugi remarked backing away.
"Excuse me?" Darren shouted grabbing a stick and waved it threateningly towards Yugi.
"Why are you so angry when Joey is concerned?" Yugi asked concernedly. "You don't like him at all?"
"No. Ever since we got here Wing has always been with him and your friends instead of being with me." Darren sighed as he dropped to his knees and put down the stick almost crying. "I came here just to be with her..and we could explore this world. Together."
"You must be really attached to Wing." Yugi said understandingly. "Do you think you can still try and do things you used to do before you came here?"
"Impossible." Darren scoffed, looking away. "We should never have left our home..I should have never met her. It would have been better off."
"Wait, so you're not brother and sister?" Yugi asked confusedly, Darren sighed as he sat on the bed.
"No..well. I guess we are alike." Darren replied. "But still..it doesn't help me get over my feelings for her."
"Maybe you should talk about it." Yugi answered. "Wing will understand."
"It's not that easy you know.." Darren remarked hoarsely. "Wing's consumed with the world around her now..she doesn't remember the good times we had back where we were."
"Do you think you can ever go back there?" Yugi asked. "You know like an old trip or something?"
"Exactly! We must go back, immediately!" Darren cried jumping from his bed and ran towards the door. "We should have never left that world in the first place!"
"Wait! You seem so familiar, somehow." Yugi asked with a hunching suspicion. "Did I know you from sometime before?"
"In another world...at another time." Darren whispered softly, as his voice went stale before going out the door. "But I doubt it."
"Hold on! I'm coming with you.." Yugi put in as he went to follow Darren who went fast paced into one of Lady Orchid's mysterious rooms.
Darren didn't know where he was going, but he was going to get back to the Monster Realm and take Wing away from the place that (what he thought) destroyed her. He stomped through the bitter aroma filled room where he stumbled into some kind of book room that almost appeared in thin air! Through the clacking beads they went, Darren looked up to the titles of some of the collection of books, (most titles..were obscure) and realized there were some that were from the convent in the Monster Realm!
The book I was searching for! Darren realized as he picked up one of the books from the shelves. Yugi looked amazed as he looked at the different objects around him wondering what they could be. Darren looked at the of the book which had a star shape carved into the hard leather binding and saw an inky picture caught in between the pages in blue, that looked like a gnarly tree with lips growing from it's branches with it's own pair of fangs and next to it was a picture of the great Mystic Shine ballwith an inscription..that gave Darren a wicked idea.
In the depths of the apartment Cat Nip spread the herbs and mystical seeds with it's paws as Orchid stirred up a bubbling brew in a big black cauldron.Orchid's face seemed intense as her wrinkly skin seem to melt in the heat. Cat Nip's fur stood on edge as Orchid began to cackle as her pupils started to glow yellow.
"It is time to go home..."
Finally able to update..sorry if anyone missed it. If you didn't missed it, whatever. Review if you must