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Chapter Three

The two stepbrothers stared loathingly at each other in the dark emptiness of Kaiba Craft Three's computer system, both of them with the understanding that they were only working together for Mokuba's benefit. Noah averted his gaze upwards to the area above them causing Seto to do the same as a glowing image of a circuitry board rippled out across the emptiness before it disappeared again.

"Your first task will be to make that image stay in the space above us." Noah said as he returned his eyes to Seto who was now staring back at him. "In order to take control and do that you'll have to close your eyes and focus your mind into the system around us."

"I'm not closing my eyes around you." Seto narrowed his view on the boy who he didn't trust. There was no way he was going to make himself more vulnerable to Noah who seemed to be enjoying the fact that he currently held the power over him.

Huffing and rolling his eyes, Noah closed his own in the hope that Seto would follow. As much as he enjoyed winding up the CEO, he wasn't in the mood for arguing right now. "Your turn Seto. Close your eyes and focus."

"Done." Seto replied bluntly as he continued to watch his stepbrother whose eyes remained closed with the corners of his lips curling up.

"You're lying." Noah laughed, leaving Seto to wonder how the boy had known so. "For once in your life, just open up that closed mind of yours."

Seto gritted his teeth and shut his eyes. This is ridiculous. After a moment of nothing but the back of his eyelids, Noah came into view and surrounding them were displayed hundreds of lines of computer script programming.

"What took you so long?" the green haired boy smirked at seeing the CEO. "To work this world you simply alter the programme to your needs like so." Noah reached out towards the scrolling digits before him and changed them around to make the circuitry board appear above them and then disappear again. "Now you try it."

That's it?! Holding back the urge to spurt out an insulting remark at Noah for talking down to him like a child, Seto altered the script so that the circuitry board stayed visible above them. That's how they managed to control that virtual world and lead the others and myself into believing that they had a greater power over us?! Anyone of them could have seized control for themselves at any time if only they'd known how. He let himself fade from the script and Noah's view as he reopened his eyes. Now that he knew what he needed for manipulating the programme he didn't need his stepbrother's company any longer.

"I know it can be hard to focus at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it." Noah rejoined Seto by his side still talking down to him beneath the glowing electrical sky. "And once you do then you won't need to keep closing your eyes each time, only when there's something which requires your sole concentration to carry out."

"Your presence is no longer required Noah, so beat it." Seto spoke calmly to his stepbrother whom he was willing to spare from having shown him the simplicity of controlling the world around them which he had failed to figure out for himself.

"But you haven't learnt how to ….." Noah trailed off as Seto transformed the rest of the darkness around them into the same image that shone above without having to close his eyes to focus on the programme scripting. He was surprised that his stepbrother had caught on so quickly but then again he should have known better than to expect anything less of him.

"Go now, before I change my mind and delete you."

Noah eyed him fearfully and remained frozen where he stood. That had to be a bluff, Seto was cold but there was no way he'd be that ruthless after he had just helped him, or would he? He had been prepared to finally have his life come to an end back in his virtual world during the self destruction for the dignified act of protecting his stepbrothers and their friends from further harm at his father's hands, but not like this. "You don't seriously mean that?"

The CEO glared harder at the boy, hoping that Noah would leave him on his own from then on but still he remained where he was. What was wrong with this boy, did he like being threatened and abused? Seto knew that he didn't really want to delete the stepbrother, though he couldn't vanquish the thought from his mind, and one of the many things he never did was bluff so he would follow through with his threat. His eyes narrowed dangerously on Noah and he began to attempt to rearrange his data causing the boy to flicker in front of his eyes.

"Stop this please!" Noah exclaimed as he stared at his fingers which were now almost transparent and then looked up deep into the angry blue eyes knowing he deserved every single bit of hatred that was being sent his way. "I don't blame you for hating me after what I've done to you and Mokuba, but don't let your hatred control you." He could hardly make out his fingers anymore and his vision began to blur as tears formed in his eyes. "Please don't become our father."

The plea rang through Seto's mind as he saw Noah weeping before him, crying tears which weren't the boys own fear of having his life ended, but tears that fell with concern only for him. He couldn't recall anyone but Mokuba crying for him. Nobody had ever taken their time to just think about him, his feelings and the man he was slowly becoming, nobody except his brother. His concentration broke and Noah became a solid image again.

"Thank you Seto." Noah sniffed as he stood watching his stepbrother who was clearly battling within his own thoughts. His father hadn't been successful in creating what he thought to be the prefect predecessor after all, which he himself was relieved to know. "I'll go now." He whispered and turned away ready to leave the older stepbrother on his own.

Seto took slightly longer to react than he normally would have as he pushed back all the realisations which were starting to hit him and swung out his arm to take a firm hold of Noah's so that the green haired boy could not escape his presence. "You're not going anywhere."

"But I thought….?" Noah was confused by Seto's reaction. Had he been wrong in thinking that his stepbrother would cease to try and delete him? Or had Seto had a change of heart and forgiven him for everything he'd done? The look in the blue sapphire eyes told him there was still much hatred towards him.

"Stay." Seto simply said letting go of Noah's arm. He had been so quick to misjudge the boy's good intentions which were apparently sincere after all. It would still take much time, if ever, before he'd forgive his stepbrother for what had happened but he couldn't carry on the rest of his life pushing people away from him. "But don't get me wrong, I still hate you."

A happy smile wobbled across Noah's teary face. "I know."