Evil is Coming
"This place is quite amazing, especially given how long ago it was created. The software they would have had to have been using, not to mention the limits of the times...truly remarkable. It would have evolved and mutated without supervision of course but the core of this place was created by man. " Was Seto opinion as he looked around them with interest, his all seeing eyes taking in every little detail. He considered himself the king when it came to these sorts of things but he had to give credit where credit was due. This world was amazing. "It's been a while since I've been in a data world, much less made up of it. Can't say I overly missed it."
"Well so long as we watch out for data streams and above Champion level digimon we'll be fine." Rika said with a grin as she stuck her hands in her pockets, pleased that he was impressed with the Digital World. It was like a second home to her by now and she wanted him to like it as much as she did. "Our digimon, the ones we're close to are nearby in this little valley they call home. Care to go?"
"Sounds like a plan to me." Seto agreed with a nod as he walked over to her side, taking her hand into his. He wasn't one for public displays but for some reason he felt more and more protective of her as the hours went past. As though he sensed something lurking nearby that she needed protection from. "Lead on."
Smiling at him Rika led the way through the familiar brush, stopping every once in a while so that he could look at something either of them found of interest. Soon walking into the clearing Rika smirked when she saw that Calumon and Gilmon were playing horsey again with the red dragon looking decidedly worn out as Calumon played cowboy to Gilmon's horse. Nearby Terriermon and Lopmon were watching with amusement while Rika could just catch glimpses of her digimon napping in a nearby tree. "Hey, you guys!"
)
"RIKA!" Calumon called out in delight, hopping off a relieved Gilmon's back to come running over to launch himself at Rika who caught him with a smirk on her face. "Jeri said you might be coming to visit today. Did you bring me cream puffs? Did ya? Please? Who are you?" Calumon wanted to know as he turned his attention to Seto with a child's endless curiosity. "Are you a friend of Rika's? Have you come to play with us?"
"Well of course I did." Rika said with a shake of her head. "And yes Seto is a friend of mine, I've been working for him this summer. He creates digital worlds just like this one and wanted to come see ours."
"Takatomon said that Rika was going to go work for this really tough business shark but you don't look like a shark to me." Gilmon said as he came over, tilting his head to the side with a curious look on his face. The man looked human like Takatomon and Rika but maybe he wasn't and just looked that way. "Is this his rookie level?"
"No, stupid. Takato just meant that this guy here is really tough when it comes to the business world." Terriermon called out as he and Lopmon headed over to get a look at this stranger as well. After all you had to have a lot of clout to get into the digital world. Yamaki was really strict in that area and the digimon couldn't remember having any visitors that weren't from Hypnos or their own Tamers. "Henry's showed me computer magazine articles about you once I think. You're really rich and famous right?"
"I suppose you could say that." Seto said with an acknowledging nod of his head before his eyes fastened on the large yellow fox that had just dropped down from a nearby tree. "And that would be your Renamon if I'm not mistaken."
)
"Renamon!" Rika said in delight as she put Calumon down to race over to hug her digimon who returned the hug while watching Seto coolly as if she were assessing him, Seto thought absently as he watched the two catch up before Rika brought her digimon over to meet Seto. "Renamon, this is Seto. Seto, Renamon."
"It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance." Renamon said with a respectful bow. So this was Seto Kaiba, a man who had come to this world with Rika while holding her hand. While Rika allowed it.
"And mine as well." Seto said with a nod of his head, suddenly feeling a bit like what most boys must feel when they're brought before their girlfriend's parents. "This is quite a world you live in, I can see why you all fought so hard to protect it."
"There is a lot more to see, especially since you just got here." Terriermon pointed out with a smirk, always ready with a smart remark. "So will you be wanting to see this superior digital world, Mr. Kaiba? There's a lot to see after all and since this place is full of danger you'll need to be careful where you go if you get my drift."
"Are you offering to give me a tour, Terriermon?" Seto replied evenly, recognizing the little rabbit dog creature from the various video games and cards. The cute and the fluffy tended to sell after all. Somehow he couldn't see the little furball being of much use in a fight against a rookie level, much less a champion.
"Why not." Terriermon said with a grin. "We can all show him around."
)
Mai sat on her bed and absently ran a brush through her still slightly damp hair, working out the tangles as she stared off into space. There was so much to think and worry about at the moment her mind didn't even know what to think about first, Mai thought with a weary grin as she set the brush down beside her. First off there was the fact that she wasn't stupid, she knew that bastard was going to come after her. Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow but he would come and he would want his pound of flesh. Who was she kidding, he'd want and see her dead. She'd disobeyed the rules and he'd come to make sure she paid the price in full. After all a restraining order was only a piece of paper when you got right down to it and couldn't stop a fist from flying or a life from being ended. All it could do was say that he was supposed to say, that the law was on her side. Well what good was the law when it hadn't kept him in jail, away from her? Then there was Rika. Mai knew that her cousin was just itching to play bodyguard or worse, executioner. She wasn't stupid, she knew that her cousin was capable of killing someone and even managing to pull it off without regret. Rika would kill for her and Mai didn't know what to do about that. On the one hand she loved Rika and loved her even more for the fact that she would make any sacrifice to keep her safe. But on the other hand Mai was terrified that Rika would get her chance and no matter how the meeting ended blood would be shed, possibly lives ended. Deep in thought as the possible scenarios swarmed in her head Mai didn't even hear her phone ringing until the fifth ring. Absently shaking off her dark and more then a little depressing mood Mai shifted and grabbed her phone, bringing it to her ear after she checked the number first, just in case. "Mai speaking."
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"Hey ya, girlfriend, good to hear your voice." Came the voice from the other end, faintly European and one Mai recognized as her friend Fantasia, an up and coming Swiss model that she'd met while she was over there.
"Hey yourself. What's up?" Mai said as she relaxed, absently thinking that a little mindless fashion chatter was what she needed, At this point any distraction would do.
"Well this is really probably nothing but I thought I should pass it along, just in case. I was talking to Rochelle today and she mentioned that she had seen the bastard around, asking about you and where you were. Of course Rochelle said nothing but she thought that maybe, possibly Janine had told him something." Fantasia said quickly, her dislike for the witchy Janine obvious in her tone. "You know how she never liked you and well, it's possible that she might have pointed him in the right direction."
"It was only a matter of time before he looked here, it doesn't matter." Mai said with a sigh, feeling a headache brewing now.
"True but it might be a bit more serious then that. Apparently Janine might have said something along the lines of you running home with your tail between your legs and back to your old boyfriend. I thought about it and perhaps..you should warn that old boyfriend of yours? I remembered you said how that creep was always at his worst when there were other guys anywhere near you. It wouldn't be a stretch to think perhaps he might want to settle the score with his rival first." Fantasia said hesitantly, not quite sure if she was helping or making things worse. "He'll probably do nothing but I thought I should say something, just in case."
)
"No, you're right." Mai said slowly, her eyes brimming with horror as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "Going after Joey is precisely something he'd do. With his ego he'd assume Joey had to do something with me leaving him, that it was Joey's fault I left. Oh God."
"Look you said this Joey is no push over, I'm sure that he'll be fine."
"Yeah but Joey isn't mentally unbalanced and without anything resembling a conscience." Mai murmured then hung up, not even bothering to say good bye. Quickly calling Joey's apartment she got Serenity who told her that Joey was hanging out at Yugi's at the moment. Thanking her Mai tried there but only got the busy signal. "In that case I'll just go there." Mai decided, hanging up again before heading out of her room and down the stairs. Calling out to whoever was home that she was going out Mai hailed down a cab and was soon on her way. Arriving fifteen minutes later at the store Mai found Mokuba manning the front desk and was directed to go up to Yugi's room. Stopping only to return quick hellos and how are yous with Yugi's mother Mai finally arrived at Yugi's door and impatiently knocked.
"Come in." Yugi called out from his floor where he, Joey, Tristan, Tea and Yami were doing some card trading and discussion in preparation for an upcoming tournament they were all participating in. Looking up when the door opened Yugi didn't even think to mask his surprise. "Mai. Hey, what's up?"
"Mai?" Joey said in equal surprise as he looked over to stare at her. He'd called her that morning and she'd said she had a massive headache and wasn't up to going out to lunch with him. She didn't look so good either so why was she here? "What are you doing here?"
"Hey ya, how was Europe?" Tea wanted to know having not had the chance to catch up with Mai since she'd gotten back from Europe. Joey had said something about her not being up to company but the idiot wouldn't tell her why. She looked fine to her if a bit pale though the color was coming back now. "You look great by the way. Love that jacket."
)
"Thanks, Tea. Uhm I'm sorry to interrupt." Mai said, beginning to feel rather foolish now that the fear was starting to leave her. He was safe and fine, she was and had gotten all worked up for no reason. "I just came to talk with Joey..Serenity said you were here but you're busy, I'll catch you another time."
"You aren't interrupting, have a seat." Yami said as he motioned to a small space of Yugi's room that wasn't occupied at the moment or covered in stuff. "Something up?" He added casually. There was something about the look in her eyes when she'd caught sight of Joey that bothered him. He knew from Joey that the two were patching things up or at least starting to but that didn't explain the relief in her eyes. Like she hadn't expected him to be here. Or at least not safe and in one piece.
"Well I..." Mai began then shaking her head took the seat Yami had offered and decided to come clean. As it was she could use a sound board that wasn't already itching to go on a killing rampage on her behalf. "I kinda got into some trouble in Europe, guys. One of my friend's thinks that trouble might come here and not just cause me trouble..but Joey too."
"This friend of yours thinks that bastard is gonna come after me?" Joey said with a surprised then considering look. Well wouldn't that be just perfect, he thought though he tried to stop the small smile that wanted to cross his lips. Here he'd been wondering how he was gonna get together the dough to go after this guy and now it sounded like the bastard might come to him. "Well in that case you've got nothing to worry about, Mai."
"If this person is bad enough that Mai's afraid of him then I think you should be worried, Joey." Yami said as he gave Joey a hard look. "It's all well and good to think you can beat him but you have to take into account that people, particularly dangerous ones are often hard to predict. What do you mean exactly by cause Joey trouble, Mai?"
"This guy..well he's dangerous, really, really dangerous. He's a control freak and well...he told me if I ever left him he'd kill me and I know of at least one male friend of mine who's been a victim of his jealousy where I'm concerned. He didn't do it personally, the guys that attacked Kenneth, all five of them were hired and I know he was the one that hired them. Kenneth was just a friend so in Joey's case..in Joey's case, on top of me leaving and turning him into the police...well I just...Joey I know you're tough and can handle yourself but not even the strongest men in the world can face an army alone and win."
)
Hearing a knock on the door Serenity looked up from her book and wondered who it could be. She wasn't expecting anyone and Joey wouldn't knock unless he was carrying something. Setting the book down on the coffee table she got up and walking over looked at the peep hole. Through it she could see an unfamiliar face looking back at her in a dark black suit. He was very handsome, she thought to herself, as handsome as a movie star and grinned at the idea of him being a suitor come to whisk her away from summer course reading. Puzzled, since she didn't know him she decided he must be looking for someone and needed directions. Unlocking the door Serenity parted it slightly and stuck her head out. "Can I help you?" She asked with a polite smile.
"I'm looking for Joey Wheeler. Are you his girlfriend?" The man asked just as politely, with a faint European accent that Serenity thought was rather dreamy.
"Oh, no." Serenity said with a laugh, shaking her head even as she absently wondered what this guy would possibly want with Joey. Joey didn't exactly spend his time rubbing shoulders with the upper class preps after all. The richest person either of them knew was Kaiba and he certainly didn't ooze charm and good breeding the way this guy did. But there was something about this guy that was starting to bug her. Something about him that gave her a bad feeling in her gut now that she could look into his eyes. Those almost lifeless eyes even though they seemed to be trying to look nice and harmless. She was starting to think opening the door had been a bad idea.
)
"Then you would be Serenity, his younger sister?" The man hazard to guess even though this lovely creature didn't resemble the street urchin at all. With better clothes and the right person in control she could actually be quite beautiful, he thought absently to himself. Well even street trash occasionally held something worth looking twice at.
"Yeah, that's me." Serenity said slowly, not quite what to think now. He knew about her which suggested he did actually know Joey. "Do you..work for Seto Kaiba? Did he send you over here?" Serenity asked hesitantly, hoping that was the case and the man had simply been sent to pass on a message of some sort.
"No. I wasn't even aware your brother was associated with Kaiba." The man said as his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He knew Kaiba only by reputation but if Kaiba was connected to this cretin Wheeler then perhaps his plans would need to be altered and changed. After all, he had no intention of paying for what he'd come here to do.
"Well like I said, my brother isn't here. I don't mean to be rude but I don't know you and as it is you should have had to buzz our room to get into the building. In other words you got in here some other way and if you came to see Joey then I suggest you call him or leave me your number for him." Serenity said carefully, forcing herself not to slam the door shut in this guy's face. The way he spoke when he mentioned her brother...she didn't have to be a mind reader to sense the hatred and rage behind it.
)
"I think I'll just wait here for him, if you'd mind opening the door and letting me in."
"Actually I do mind and you aren't coming in. I don't know who the hell you are but I want you to go." Serenity said hotly and moved to close the door in the man's face. She never saw the fist coming. Head snapping back when his fist crashed into her face Serenity went flying backwards and onto the floor, unconscious before she hit the ground.
"I think I will wait here for him, thanks. And you can entertain me till he arrives like a good little hostess. Your brother took my girl, what do you think he's going to say when he sees how much his mistake costed you and will very soon cost him? Apparently no one taught you your place in this world, Serenity. I'm going to enjoy teaching you."