Emcee Entity

A Seto & Téa fanfiction

brought to you by Cherie Luster

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Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh! (smuggles Téa outback) hehehe. . .

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A/Ns: (waves) Hi! Thanks so much for the reviews! Sorry about the late update! It took me so long to write this chapter because I wanted to do alot more with it but... I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out! Hopefully you will be too! Enjoy Chapter 2!

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Téa woke up early Saturday morning with one goal in mind: telling Yugi, Joey, and Tristan about her new job. Kaiba had his personal chauffeur take Téa home after their meeting the previous night. Once she was safely inside her house, Téa told her parents all about Kaiba's offer and the contract that she'd signed. They agreed that it was the perfect solution to her worries about Julliard.

I get to attend the school of my dreams... if I survive working for Kaiba, that is. She sighed and pulled on a pair of brown corduroy pants. Well... it's really not that big of a deal... Kaiba is nothing compared to all of the rigorous ballet training I've endured over the years... one last hurdle and I make it across the finish line, to New York City, to become a prima ballerina. She tugged on a fuzzy blue turtleneck sweater and rolled down the collar. Yep... working for Kaiba is going to be a piece of cake.

How very wrong she was.

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"So... what do you think?" Téa had arrived at the Turtle Gameshop early, only to find the guys already engrossed in a three-way duel. She wasted no time telling them about her meeting with Kaiba, she figured it was in her best interest to get it over with quickly, putting off telling them would only drive her mad.

"Whaddaya mean, yer workin' fer Kaiba Corporation! Moneybags is da CEO!" Joey Wheeler's chocolate eyes blazed with great dislike as he bitterly ordered his Gilford the Legend to attack Tristan's defenseless Command Knight, with alittlemore force then was necessary.

Tristan stared at the empty zone where his monster had been seconds before.

"Eh...hehe... I guess I got a little carried away... sorry Tristan." Joey apologized, scratching the back of his head out of embarrassment.

Tristan just nodded, mutely excepting the apology.

Téa sighed, she knew Joey's reaction would be the worse, by far, out of all of her friends, owing to the grudge he had against Kaiba.

"I think its great that you're helping Kaiba out Téa," Yugi piped up, smiling admiringly at her as he played two cards face down.

"Thanks Yugi." Téa replied, gratefully returning his smile. Good ol' Yugi, he always made her feel better about her decisions.

Tristan snapped out of his stupor and drew a card from his deck. "I summon Goblin Attack Force to the field in face-up attack position," he stated proudly.

Yugi activated Trap Hole.

Tristan grumbled and ended his turn.

"I don't trust dat power-hungry bastard Téa," Joey said, "what exactly are ya gonna be doin' for him anyways?"

Téa unintentionally flared up. "I'm not going to be doing anything for him, Joey. I'm doing this for myself, I'm doing this for Julliard. If I had a choice in the matter, do you really think I'd waste my time with Kaiba or his two-bit company!" Téa paused, breathing heavily, and instantly regretted yelling at Joey. He was just being a concerned friend.

Yugi and Tristan stared at Téa, startled.

"I'm really sorry, Téa. I didn't mean it like dat." Joey mumbled, shocked by her uncharacteristic outburst.

Téa shook her head. "No, I'm the one that's sorry Joey. You're one of my best friends in the whole wide world and I had no right to take out my frustration on you. I'm just worried that if I screw this up... Kaiba would see to it that I never set foot in Julliard, ever."

"I forgive ya," Joey grinned, "and as fer ya screwing up... I'm not too worried 'cause I know yer gonna make dat undeservin' jerk's tournament a huge success... ta be honest wit ya Téa, I can't wait ta be seein' yer face on billboards and da like... dat's where da real fun comes in," he paused, looking thoughtful, "I wonder how many moustaches I'm gonna hafta paint..." he finished, beaming at the pretty brunette.

Téa's eyes widened, realizing that she had just been insulted. "Your gonna pay for that remark, Joseph Wheeler!"

Yugi and Tristan roared with laughter as Téa launched herself at Joey. She knocked him backwards, playfully slapping him while Joey, laughing, covered his face with his arms for protection.

Needless to say, the four friends forgot about the duel.

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Seto Kaiba woke up in his study with a very bad migraine. He had spent his entirenight in a stuffy boardroom, answering many annoying questions from his company's stockholders. When he finally left the office, it had been around one o'clock in the morning and he still had to perfect the design of the new duel disk that Téa would use in the tournament.

Gardner... why did the stockholders want her anyways? Its not like she's anything special. After all, female duelists are... uncommon, but not unheard of. Surely, a well-known, more established duelist, like that Valentine woman, would be a more appropriate choice to showcase Kaiba Corporations latest tournament. Incidently, I don't think I recall seeing Gardner duel, ever.

He jumped up immediately. Damn... I was supposed to fetch Gardner and take her to the studio to shoot the tournament's promotional ads. He reached for the phone on his desk.

"Konami? I don't care how you do it but have Téa Gardner standing outside of Focus Studio in a half hour, I'll take care of the rest."

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"How did you find me here?" Téa was being led out of the Turtle Gameshop (but not before saying goodbye to her confused friends) by Konami, who she knew to be Kaiba's right-hand man.

"Your parents." Konami answered automatically, opening the door of a sleek, black, Kaiba Corporation limosine.

"My parents? They told you where I was?" Téa interrogated, ducking into the limosine.

"Correct." Konami replied, shutting the door.

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"Where are you going in such a hurry big brother?" Long-haired and lovable Mokuba Kaiba questioned.

"To Focus Studio," he answered distractedly scanning the room for something, "I have to meet Gardner there for her photo shoot."

"Téa will be there?" Mokuba asked, eyes shining.

"Yes!" Kaiba exclaimed, finding his trenchcoat and shrugging it on.

"Can I go too big brother?" Mokuba asked pouting.

Kaiba took one look at Mokuba's face and sighed. "Go grab your coat."

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Téa excepted Konami's outstretched hand and exited the limo. "Thank you," she said, now standing upright.

He grunted in reply, eyes concealed behind black shades.

Téa supposed that meant that she was welcome.

"Mr. Kaiba will join you shortly," with that said, Konami returned to the limo and sped off, probably to the Kaiba mansion.

Téa shook her head and turned around, finally taking in the building before her.

"Wow," she breathed.

It was truly a vision.

Téa held her bangs aloft and gawked, mouth open and eyes wide.

Focus Studio was a huge establishment, made entirely of glass. The early afternoon sun danced on it, giving it the appearance of one big, glittering diamond.

"Wipe the drool off of your mouth Gardner, Jesus Christ, you're worse than Wheeler."

Téa jumped and turned automtically toward the source of the insult, and found herself staring into the sneering face of Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corp., a.k.a. her ticket to Julliard.

"Oh stop it Seto, you know she's pretty, even when drooling," said an exuberant mop of hair, who then greeted her with a loud "Hiya Téa!"

Mokuba Kaiba stood grinning just behind his big brother.

Téa's hand flew up to her mouth, eyes round. "Was I really...?" The embarrassed dancer couldn't bring herself to say "drooling."

Mokuba and Seto exchanged amused glances before turning back to a blushing Téa, who was hurriedly wiping her mouth with a piece of kleenex that she had fished out of her pocket.

"No, we... hehehe... were ... hehehehehe... only joking," replied Mokuba, who was having a hard time controlling his laughter, "C'mon Téa, the inside of this place, is way cooler than the outside!" Mokuba grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs while a still smirking Seto followed.

Mokuba dragged Téa past the "Focus Studio" sign (Seto was taking his sweet time on the stairs) and was about to barrel through the entrance when someone called out to the two of them.

"Yo, Mokuba and Téa Gardner! Wait up!"

The pair halted and spun on the spot.

"Hey! You guys ran right past me!" A tall young man with thick, midnight black hair and warm, bright brown eyes jogged up to them with a smile that screamed "hottie."

Téa blushed brilliantly at the sight of the newcomer, taking in his amazing abdominal muscles, which were evident through the form-fitting red t-shirt, which (she noted) he wore very well indeed.

Mokuba immediately brightened. "Hey B!Sorry I didn't see you..." he scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.

"No problem." B grinned, ruffling Mokuba's hair before fixing his melting gaze on Téa, who's cheeks were still a bit pink.

"B," Mokuba spoke up, flattening his raven colored mane, "I'd like you to meet Téa Gardner. Téa, this is B, he owns Focus studio."

B took Téa's hand and kissed it, just as Téa saw Kaiba's ego-inflated head appearing over the top of the stairs, eyeing B with a sour expression.

"Hello Téa, I must say, it's an honor to be in the prescence of one as lovely as you."

"Gardner is as lovely as the paparazzi coupled with a head cold." Seto Kaiba bit out, striding over to where the trio stood.

B released Téa's (now numb) hand and turned to face Kaiba who (for reasons known only to Kaiba) looked angry.

"Nonsense," B said turning to face Téa once more, "I have no doubt in mind that her photographs willturn out to bemy finest."

Téa tried to look at B, but her eyes refused to cooperate, and, on top of that, it suddenly felt a gazillion times hotter outside then it actually was.

Mokuba was looking from B to Téa with a silly grin on his face.

Seto, however, snorted, taking care that he had completely killed their moment, before roughly grabbing Téa (who's face was a delicate shade of red)'s upper arm and pushing both her and his smirking little brother inside.

B shook his head, clearing certain thoughts, and followed them into his studio shortly afterward, smiling.

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Stay tuned!

Cherie