Hello fanboys and fangirls! Welcome back to another frightening installment of Weekend Detention. We're your hostesses, Kabuki and Sylvia, here to provide you with tea, sugar, and anything else that will keep you open and ready for the chills and thrills you're sure to encounter. Watch and be amazed as the Yu-Gi-Oh gang falls into the Twilight Zone terror that is the Overlook Hotel's dark secret! Thrill to the growing madness of Seto Kaiba! Frolic through the dank depths of the hotel with Duke and Tristan, while poor young Mokuba remains the tragic child, possessing gifts too powerful to be controlled!
*g* Sorry. Too many bad movies, but at least it kinda sounds like an appropriate trailer. Anyway, Sylvia and I are definitely feeling psyched by all the responses we got for Chapter 11! It's always great to see new reviewers, and of course we love to see how our long-time followers react to the strangeness of this story. Now, let's get to the mass of responses! Wow, and a lot of long ones too this time. We do indeed feel loved! *happy dance*
darklight – Thankies! Well, I'm personally a huge Pegasus fan, but with Sylvia as a Seto fan both of us have had to learn moderation (me more than her though). But don't worry. Pegasus is *not* going to steal the spotlight by any means. This is a story about the collective group, not an individual. Oh, and the hotel too of course. Yeah, poor Seto is indeed being cut off from Mokuba, but indeed it isn't his fault. The Overlook has plans for our dear Mr. Kaiba.
Malik Fan – Whoa, don't get all freaked out over there! Put the hammer down, nice and easy, good … we've got a new chapter up, so just try to relax a little. (aside to Yami MF) Does this happen often?
BlackHoleSun – Don't worry about Yami. He's a big spirit in a house of spirits – theoretically I think he can care for himself. Maybe. *g* And of course Seto couldn't have done that to Mokuba! But Tea's just afraid and jumping to conclusions. Joey knows better.
SetoKaiba419 – I agree! Yea, Pegasus! I'm always happy to see him pop up now and then. He'll try to get there in time, but you know him. Funny Bunny could come on and … well, can we really hold him responsible for watching some TV for a few hours? He can't even come up with a straight answer to plot questions, can he be expected to save the gang? It would be funny for Miss Sweeney to give him detention, but I think he's a bit old for that. If anything he'd have to be a college student now, and they don't get detention – just more and more research to do. *pout* As for Seto and Mokuba, I'm sure everyone hopes they're ok. But the question is … will they be? *malicious laughter* Oh, sorry. I do so try to behave in public. I'm glad you found Rice's TVL. It's a great book, Lestat is one of my favorite characters of all time. As for reading your story, I'm sorry I haven't gotten around to it yet. I've been sporadically touch and go in the fic reading department as of late. Sylvia, though, wants to know if you'd like her to beta read it for you and let you know what she thinks, perhaps even give a few suggestions. She's the best beta reader – I never post one of my stories without her expert consent. *g* Anyhoo, thanks for dropping by and good luck with your class reading!
Vyctori – Hehehe… we do love our cliffies! We're regular addicts, you can't expect us to go cold turkey on cliffhangers so easily! *g* Poor everyone indeed. Don't worry, though. Maybe it'll get better once they're all in the same place …
Anime*2000 – Between cliffhangers and suspense, we're some demanding writers I suppose. I hope it isn't literally killing you, though. We'd have to find out if any of our Yu-Gi-Oh cast knows mouth-to-mouth. *g*
Moonymonster - *evil grin* We thought you might freak out about poor Mokuba. Sorry about that, but at least you know he's important here, right? I mean, he's not a cardboard cut-out Mokuba standing around and watching action, right? Well, I guess he is kinda is right now … but maybe he'll wake up again soon. As for Yami .. how can we kill him off? Isn't he already long dead? That would be a bit of a paradox, wouldn't it? But I can't tell you what's going to happen, dear. You've just got to keep reading to find out. *evil grin*
sakuya – Comatose is WotC now. It sounds like a good one to us, and poor Mokuba is definitely comatose, so it suits the chappie nicely. So we've gotten you attached to Yami, huh? Wow, we feel impressive! *g* I'm glad Pegasus is back too, even if it was for a moment there. He's so cute when he's in pain. *pinching Pegasus's cheek* Yes you are! You're just adorable when you're being mean and evil and stuff! Just adorable! *L* He's gonna hate me and Sylvia after all this. But of course, I think the whole cast will hate us for putting them through the Overlook in the first place, right? Hehe…
seto&mokuba lover – Wow, such high praise! You'll make the two of us blush with words like that! Oh, too late. *blush* Thank you! As for how we got the idea, well, I did a literary analysis on The Shining and its various interpretations in film. Sylvia and I watched both movies over and over and … well … when we saw how Mokuba kinda looks like Danny Torrance, it just kinda clicked. Thanks again for your kind words! Hopefully we can maintain the high standard. *smile*
Metranome – Sorry you've been away from civilization. We're glad to see you back though. Yes, suspense is a wonderful tool for maintaining fear. *g* I'm taking an Alfred Hitchcock film class, so as Sylvia and I watch his movies, I'm sure that will be reflected in this story. Remember, though, we're a good three chapters ahead of what's been posted, so you might not see the results for a little while. *g* We're glad you like the characterization – we do work hard on that! Psychological depth is one of the most important parts of any story to us, and we try to keep that going through this fic. Well, Yami's vanishing act really is a mystery, but you're fav chars still have much to deal with. You're right that they'll probably all need therapy for sure, but I doubt they'll get a group discount. Maybe Pegasus will feel bad about getting them in this situation and pay for it. Heh… maybe.
Emerald Dragyn Rc – Wow! Thanks so much! So much high praise, we've got perpetual blushes after reading all the kind words everyone sent us this time around! Thank you. We're glad we've recruited another reader. We always like fresh meat – err… I mean, new readers. *g* Yeah, that is a good point. If Seto had been watching Mokuba instead of picking fights, he might have been able to save Mokuba. But I'm sure he'll beat himself up for that for a while. You know how he gets about Mokuba – and he doesn't really know about Mokuba's powers. Hehehe… and yes, Pegasus is on his way! Hopefully he'll be some help, if he gets there in time. *cue ominous sting music*
Mimiru – Ah, I didn't recognize you with the name change for a moment. *g* It sounds cool. Yeah, Duke's kinda freaking out everywhere, isn't he? The hobo might have a pretty good chance if the gang can't even work together as a team.
Chibi Arwen – Why? Because we gotta! *g* No, actually the hotel targets its prey quite carefully. Yami, Mokuba, and Yugi just happen to be important enough to render helpless for a while. Don't worry, though, there's many other members of the gang that care about those three. They won't let the hotel hurt them without a fight. *blinks at commands* Oh, ok. Yes ma'am! *grabs Sylvia and the two begin typing away* A thousand pardons, ma'am!
Whew! See? That's a lot of responses! We're glad everyone seems to be enjoying the story so far. You guys are all so kind, thank you so very much! You keep us fueled and inspired to write more and try to keep the story high-quality. Thank you so much! And now, we continue with our tale of terror! *g*
Remember, you're writers are hungry. Please feed them the proper diet of responses, rationed with care and affection!
*smoohies*
Kabuki and Sylvia
*****
Chapter 12:
From his place on the couch, Mokuba felt as though he were in a haze. His head was light and his mind couldn't seem to focus on anything. He watched the argument between Tea and Joey without fully comprehending what was going on. He'd barely noticed when his brother had run to him in a panic, cradling him in his stronger arms. Mokuba was in a state of complete shock with his thumb tucked reassuringly inside of his mouth and his eyes staring vacantly. But the child's mind was far away from his brother and the biting tongues of Tea and Joey, Mokuba was walking down a long deserted corridor with stone walls, attempting to flee from something he couldn't quite remember. Then he heard the distant shrieks of the hysterical Yugi, the older boy's cries echoing off the dry stone walls. Mokuba furrowed his brow and turned toward the direction from which he was trying to escape. Yugi's shrieks came to him again, and slowly, reluctantly, Mokuba returned down the passageway and toward consciousness. He groaned slightly and shook his head, watching mutely as Tea and Joey ran over to their friend. Yugi was on his knees, sobbing as Tea crouched down next to him, comforting him as best she could. Joey was trying to figure out what had happened, and Duke and Tristan looked worried for Yugi, but uncertain as to whether they should speak up for fear of Tea and Joey's wrath being placed on them.
"What's wrong with him, Tristan?" Tea looked an absolute mess, being torn between two dear friends, trying to help Mokuba and Yugi at the same time.
"He's not here! I don't know where he is, but he's not here! Yami's gone!" Tears streamed down Yugi's cheeks as he buried his face in his hands. Tea kept rubbing his back, trying to pull him out of his hysteria, but the broken cries only continued unabated.
Tea shot a protective glance at Duke and Tristan, "What did you two do to him!?" At her side, Joey rolled his eyes.
"I don't know!" Tristan was pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what had just happened. "He was sittin' there like a vegetable, then he suddenly just jumped up and started yellin'!"
"Yugi, please, just talk to me," Tea touched his face, trying to pull him to his senses. The boy had stopped his wailing protests, falling into broken sobs instead.
Duke looked at Joey curiously. "What's wrong with him?"
"I dunno." Joey crouched so he could see his friend's face. "C'mon, Yug, snap outta it!"
Tea stared helplessly at her friend. "Yugi, calm down. We'll find Yami, it'll be okay." She soothed him as best she could – she had no idea what it was like to possess such an old spirit not to mention lose one, but she knew Yugi needed her support regardless of her confusion. Yugi's cries and tears had ceased, but his face was still marred by terror.
"Yeah, Yug, we'll figure out what happened to 'im. Besides, how many places could a Pharoah hide anyways?" The bushy-headed blond grinned, hoping to pull his friend out of his panic with humor. Yugi smiled half-heartedly even though his eyes were still frighteningly vacant and slowly rose to his feet.
"Please, Yugi, we need you! Don't forget about us, even if Yami's gone, we're still here." Tea brightened as Yugi smiled at her, a spark of his regular optimism returning. He took in a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he wiped the tears from his face.
"You're right, Tea. You always are. But we have to find Yami before he gets hurt. He could be anywhere-" Yugi's voice cracked under the strain of his emotion, and his eyes grew misty at the mention of his twin spirit.
"That's okay, Yugi, we'll find him. Joey's right, we can't just leave Yami alone." Tristan started looking around the room, as though the spirit would be hiding behind the furniture. "He can't have gotten too far…"
"Would somebody please tell me what this is all about?" Duke folded his arms and glared at the group, specifically Yugi. "I think I've been pretty patient with all of this talk of ghosts and spirits and pharaohs, but really, this is just too much! Is Yugi a schizophrenic or something? Some of us need to know about these things!" Duke glowered at Tristan, causing the pointy-headed biker to grin nervously, eyes darting uncertainly toward Yugi.
"Ahhh, Yugi? You wanna help me out here?" Yugi watched Duke closely, as though he were trying to decide if he would truly understand. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sharp cries of Mokuba, squirming about in his brother's grip, arms and legs flailing as though trying to escape some unseen assailant.
*****
Kaiba had moved away from the group, taking advantage of the fact that Joey and Tea had lost interest in his younger brother. He could care less about Yugi's problems; he was more worried about his brother. He watched Joey and Tea run to Yugi as a hawk watches a hunter. Slowly, cautiously, he moved closer to his younger brother, kneeling down before him and staring into his vacant eyes.
"Mokuba? Can you hear me?" The boy didn't move, just kept sucking at his thumb like a toddler. Seto reached forward and pulled the hand from his mouth, watching with disturbed curiosity as the boy replaced it back into his mouth. "Mokuba, please, it's me! It's Seto!" He stared at the curled child, his brows furrowing as his eyes darted toward Joey and Tea as they tried to help the spiky-headed duelist. He hung his head in defeat: whatever had happened to Mokuba, he'd been too distracted to stop it. He'd been so obsessed with protecting him, that he'd forgotten that perhaps there were other dangers in the building besides Yugi's gang. Seto lifted a hand to the tiny child's shoulder, "Mokuba, whatever's happened to you… I'm sorry I was too late. I'm here for you now. Please, let me help you…"
Mokuba felt the warm hand squeeze his shoulder, and in a dizzying flash remembered what had happened his first night at the Overlook. The ghostly comforting hand in the darkness followed by the cryptic voice from Pegasus' mind – in that instant Mokuba had felt such hatred and distrust for the man, a distrust which was quickly fading in light of the true nature of the Overlook Hotel. He remembered his panic as the hotel had come between him and his brother, and the desperate call he'd finally made to the Creator of Duel Monsters. He'd received only a scattered response – maybe Pegasus wasn't coming, maybe he'd lied, maybe he was laughing at him, or maybe Mokuba wasn't strong enough to reach the older man. Then his memories turned darker as he remembered the looming shadows in the kitchen, and the stench which had heralded the horrible things which had ambled forward from their sealed prison. They were not happy to have been locked away after coming so close to capturing Yugi and Joey the other day, no, not at all. Mokuba had covered his eyes and counted aloud, one, two, three, but the things had only come closer. He could imagine their horrible skinless faces, the moving white things behind their empty eyes as they leaned in to grab the child who kept spoiling their fun. Mokuba had felt his face wet with tears, but he only moaned, the sound echoing out and back to him in the metallic kitchen as he backpedaled from the things, reeling, his sneakered feet squeaking only a moment as he felt the press of the closed impassive door at his back. "Please, please don't – don't – don't pleaseohpleaseohplease …" Despite his fear, his terror for himself, his brother, and everyone else, he'd opened his eyes wide, but the sight was too horrible. It was as he'd imagined, and he'd tried to scream but the sound got lost somewhere and he'd been panting instead, trying to breathe the stench as little as possible because it was just so awful. The sound rang in his ears as though it were happening again, despite the concern of his approaching big brother. He heard only the sound, saw only the deepening shadows that loomed over him, the stench of decayed things, the slick, slippery sound their limbs made as they'd moved across the linoleum floor, the iron grip that wrapped around his throat, his shoulders as he was lifted from his protective ball on the floor. He stared helpless as an injured bird stares at a snake, paralyzed by his own fear, unable to turn away as the pressure on his throat increased, blocking the air from his lungs …
Mokuba screamed, he screamed with all his might, he screamed so loud it made his throat sore, and Seto, who had placed his hand on his little brother's shoulder to begin with, jumped in surprise. Kaiba did the only thing he could do to help; he wrapped his arms around his younger brother as the child cupped his scarred hands around his ears, tears streaming down his face as he recalled the events of the morning when he was locked within the kitchen.
"Mokuba, it's me, Seto! Please calm down, it's okay! Listen to me, it's alright, I just want to make sure you're okay!" Seto held his brother tight, but even with the child's face pushed against his chest, the boy kept screaming, his face red and his arms and legs flailing. But Kaiba only held his little brother all the closer, attempting to keep him still so he wouldn't get hurt. The bushy-headed kid was completely unaware of his brother, though, and kicked and screamed all the harder. In his vision, the slippery things were still clutching him, his big brother's hands were the decaying arms of the dead men from the meat locker, and all Mokuba knew was that he had to get away from them as fast as he could. In his mind he was stranded, alone and rendered immobile by the gorgon-like vision of the horrible things. They were so angry, in so much pain for so very long, and to them anyone who wasn't locked in with them was prey. There was no thought but pure rage in the dead things, and Mokuba tried with all his might to will his limbs to action. In the real world, Seto held the struggling little boy, dully noting each punch and kick from his tiny brother with a growing despair. The Dragon Master paled as he watched a slight trickle of drool slid down the boy's chin, followed by a bubbling gush of spittle that made Seto remember how he looked as an infant – incapable of caring for himself and utterly helpless. "Mokuba please – " Then the cold, unfriendly darkness began to settle over the child's vision, and Mokuba uttered a final wail of pure terror and agony before collapsing, limp and still once again, against Seto's chest.
No one knew how to react, and for a long moment only the resentful ticking of the grandfather clock marked them. Seto looked down at his sleeping brother in complete confusion, brushing the unruly ebony hair aside to confirm what he suspected – the boy was in fact asleep. Seto wiped his dirty sleeve across Mokuba's face, flinching slightly as the boy's head lolled to the side. Seto simply couldn't believe how pale his brother was; the bruises looked like swollen brands seeming to forever mar the frail skin. Seto took in a deep breath, and then looked to the rest of the stunned group. He spoke determinedly enough, but the fear was evident in his eyes and in the slight wavering of his normally confident voice. He put an arm out to emphasize his words, making the others flinch at how terribly the thin fingers trembled with fear and impotent rage. "Anyone care to guess what that was all about?"
Yugi shook his head wearily, bravely breaking the silence that had come over the group at such a terrible sight. "I don't know, but I think it all ties in together somehow. The hotel is – "
"This has nothing to do with the hotel, Yugi, this concerns my brother."
"I know, but I think the hotel is behind this somehow and – "
Seto waved his hand and stood, the sleeping Mokuba clutched tight in his arms. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard from you, Yugi. Don't blame the hotel." Mokuba stirred in his arms at the statement then fell still. "I don't know what's going on, but I intend to get to the bottom of it. If none of us were around to hurt Mokuba, then it can only mean one thing: someone else is in the hotel with us."
Duke nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I thought so too when I was upstairs with Tristan. There was some noise in one of the rooms."
Kaiba's face remained stony. "Which room was it?"
Tristan shook his head, stepping toward the taller boy. "Woah, Kaiba. As much as I don't like you, there's no way I'm letting you go into that room."
Seto was unmoved. "If someone else is in this house, then they hurt my brother. I'm going to go settle this. For all we know, he could be the cause of all the shit that's happened so far. You want me just to sit here and let this continue? No, I don't think so."
"I agree! That hobo could've caused all this stuff to happen." Duke nodded with approval. The cynical part of his mind flew back to the image of the photographs with their dead eyes, but he decided that it must have been his imagination. Since Tristan was so damn paranoid, and moving around like something was going to jump them, it must have made him start to see things that weren't there. It was a safe, sturdy explanation, and Duke latched onto it. "Why don't Kaiba and I go kick the bum out?"
Tea looked at the three as though they were nuts. "You guys are crazy! You're in no position to be kicking anybody out of here like that, Kaiba. You're an absolute mess, I can smell you from the next room!"
"I'm not going to impress him, Tea, that's the last thing on my mind." Kaiba smirked.
"That's not what I mean," Tea folded her arms. "You've got wounds all over you, and that arm looks terrible! I've got antiseptic right upstairs; it won't take but a moment. You and Joey need to start taking care of yourselves."
Joey took a step back, "Hey now, don't put me in th' same group as Kaiba over there! He's a walking ambulance candidate!"
"I really don't think it's a good idea," Yugi spoke hoarsely, his eyes focused on the ground. "Before Yami and I had our… problem, he said that the hotel was the cause of all this, not some weirdo guy upstairs."
"Is your spirit always right, Yugi? Do you trust him over your own sense?" Kaiba narrowed his eyes at the boy, a grim smile playing on his lips. "I bet you still believe in the boogeyman." Then he cast a glance at Duke. "And as for you, I'm doing this alone."
"Hold on, now. Pegasus left me in charge, remember? I'm coming with you and that's final." Duke grinned cockily into the storm of Kaiba's glare.
"I don't take orders from him, and I don't need a sidekick like you to hang around and get in my way." Kaiba turned, still carrying his younger brother in his arms.
"Wait a minute! I discovered him! You wouldn't have anybody to beat up if it weren't for me!" Duke hurried over, but stopped in his tracks when Kaiba spun around.
"You mean you could have kept this from happening? If you'd just done your job earlier, my brother wouldn't be comatose?!" Kaiba ground his teeth, and Duke couldn't help but take a step backwards.
Joey moved forward to intervene, but Tristan was already speaking. "I stopped him, Kaiba. And I'm gonna stop you too. There's no hobo up there. Whatever's up there isn't alive, and I don't think even you wanna mess with it. If it's responsible for what happened to Mokuba, then I doubt any of your threats are gonna do any good."
Duke shook his head. "Man, do you always sound so paranoid, Tristan? I appreciate you taking up for me, but I don't need other people to fight my battles." He tossed a set of dice into the air, smiling as he caught them in his other hand. "Besides, I don't think Kaiba and I have much to worry about, if this guy's only defense is to piss on people's shoes…"
"No, don't you remember what happened to me?" Tristan exclaimed, pointing up the collapsed stairs at the far end of the lobby. "I got soaked remember? I doubt any hobo could've caused that much water to appear."
"What exactly did happen, buddy?" Joey gave his friend a nudge.
Tristan looked to the side for a moment, obviously uncomfortable about remembering the incident. "After Duke fell down the stairs, I tried to see if he was okay, but the stairway was too dark, and I couldn't angle my flashlight good enough to see anything. Then I felt something wet on my shoes, and as I looked down, I saw I was standing in ankle-deep water. I looked down the hall, and actually saw the water running down the walls, like the entire hotel was flooding or something."
Kaiba scoffed, "That's impossible, Tristan. There wasn't any water damage up there, it would have been terribly obvious."
"Hate ta rain on your parade, buddy, but the floor woulda squeaked or somethin', even on our end of the hall." Joey pointed out, but Tristan shook his head.
"No, look, there's something else. I saw something too. Something came outta that room when Duke and I were running to the medical room."
Joey laughed, "You ran?" He clutched Tristan's shoulder, batting his eyes and grinning from ear to ear. "Ooh, big tough guy got scared of a little water!" Tristan shoved him aside.
"Did you see anything, Duke?" Yugi turned to the dicey duelist, "You told me you saw something up there, something that shook you up pretty bad – in fact that's what caused you to fall down the stairs in the first place." Yugi watched the other boy carefully as Duke shrugged uncertainly.
"I don't know what I saw. Probably nothing since Tristan was freaking out over a little water."
"It wasn't a little water! We're talkin' rivers!" Tristan stared at Duke in complete disbelief. He'd thought for certain that the dark-haired Dungeon Dice duelist had come to believe what had happened upstairs, but now his only compatriot was turning on him. "Duke, you can't tell me you didn't see somethin' up there!"
Duke slid the pair of dice between his thumb and first two fingers, a mask of indifference settling on his normally wily features. "I don't know about you, Tristan, but I didn't *see* anything. I did *hear*, though, and all I heard was an angry hobo. That bastard messed up a good pair of shoes, and I've got a score to settle. Besides," he grinned slyly, tossing the dice into the air and catching them with one hand dramatically. "It's my job so I might as well enjoy it."
Tristan narrowed his eyes. "Well did you *hear* anything that made you fall backwards down those stairs?"
Duke's eyes went vacant for a moment and he seemed to shiver, as though he'd been slapped in the face by a beautiful woman. Then he seemed to reel himself in again, plastering his trademarked cocky smile on his face as he twirled a bit of dark hair around one finger. "I just lost my balance, that's all."
Kaiba nodded, "That's easy to do in this place, I've noticed." He glanced down at his brother with grim determination.
Tea sighed, moving toward the taller boy, "I'm sorry I accused you of hurting Mokuba, Kaiba."
"It's alright, Tea, I understand." All eyes turned to the disheveled Kaiba and the small boy in his arms.
Tea blinked, "You do?"
"Of course," Kaiba smiled slightly, "You were only looking out for Mokuba. At least I know you'll help me keep an eye on him." He stared at the small boy in his arms, and for a moment, covered in dust, one arm ragged and bleeding freshly through the torn white trench coat, his unconscious brother in his arms limp as a rag doll, Seto Kaiba exuded a look of utter helplessness, as though for the first time there was nothing he could do against that which threatened the most important person in his life. He stood a little apart from the group, and compared to the rest, he was isolated and alone despite the offers of company, companionship, and sympathy which their worried eyes seemed to offer. A part of him wanted to tell them everything, but some shadowed self murmured warnings, reminders of weakness and the dangers of depending on others. He sighed, and for a moment he looked far beyond his age, but when he raised his gaze once more, the old arrogance had returned. "I want somebody to watch over him at all times." Kaiba skimmed over the group, his eyes eventually resting on Tristan. "Can I trust you with my brother, Tristan?" Kaiba smiled, his eyes narrowing, "At least I know he won't drown."
The pointy-haired duelist stared at Kaiba with uncertainty. If he said yes, Kaiba would undoubtedly blame him for anything that happened to Mokuba – from a paper cut to the common cold. But if he said no, then Kaiba would place him on the list of untrustworthies, thereby making him a prime target for his next temper tantrum. But Mokuba looked so cute and helpless, and he recalled Duelist Kingdom when Yugi was facing Pegasus in the final duel. He'd found Mokuba locked in a cell, a soulless shell of the laughing, carefree kid he'd glimpsed. In fact, he was kind of reminded of that same shell as he stared at the comatose Mokuba, helpless and frail in his brother's arms. Tristan knew, no matter what Kaiba did to him, he couldn't refuse helping the kid another time. "Fine, I'll take him." Tristan moved forward to take the boy, but the menace in Kaiba's eyes made him pause. He stood uncertainly, unsure of what the other boy wanted to do. "Um … Don't worry, Kaiba. I'll look out for him. He won't drown on my watch."
"You'd better, Tristan, because if I find anything else wrong with him when I return from dealing with Duke's hobo, I'll hold you personally responsible." The look in Kaiba's icy blue eyes made Tristan nervous. "Come upstairs. I'll put him to bed and you can sit like a good little boy and guard him."