Hi, guys. So apparently I lied when I said I'd update more frequently once my boyfriend left for boot camp, as its been over two years now and . . . well . . .I'm just a little late . . . BTW, He is no longer my boyfriend now, he is my fiance. He proposed the day before he left and he graduated a proud soldier. Now, I wont keep you all waiting any longer . . .that is . . .if you're still there . . . anyone? . . . T.T . . . I'm sorry . . .
.
.
.
Chapter 13
.
.
.
.
.
"Hey, aren't you supposed to be at the movies?" Joey's voice carried into the living room from the bathroom. Serenity could hear some clanging coming from through the wall.
"Yeah, we decided to get some food first, but I think the tacos didn't sit well-" Joey stumbled out of the bathroom, looking completely disheveled. His hair was messy, his shirt was zipped into his fly and he only had one sock on. " . . . are you ok?" Serenity helped a moaning Tristan to the couch while eying her brother quizzically.
"Yeah, neva felt better." He laughed, but Serenity could tell it was more nervous than anything. She headed towards the bathroom when he cut her off mid-hall.
"Um . . . what are you doing?" She asked him, attempting to walk around him, but being blocked every time she tried to pass.
"Heh, what do ya need ova here? Doesn't Tristan need some help?" Joey asked, his voice wavering.
"Um yeah, he's got some stomach troubles, and I was getting some meds from the cabinet in the bathroom." Serenity pointed to the right side of the hall, where the bathroom door was, making Joey attempt to block it, and spun to the left, circling him and opening the door herself. Serenity's face flushed bright red. "M . . .M-M . .. Mai . . .uh . . .I'll give you some privacy." Blushing fiercely, Serenity made a B-line for the living room and sat warily on the sofa chair.
" . . . so . . . bad tacos?" Joey peeped, while Mai sauntered out of the bathroom, only slightly less disheveled than Joey.
Tristan moaned loud, clutching his stomach and giving Joey a much needed distraction. Before Serenity could glance back up to where her brother was just a second before, she could hear the bedroom door close. Mai tossed her some gas medicine for Tristan and leaned against the wall. She didn't seem at all fazed by the bathroom incident.
"So, how many days until you fly off to Egypt?" Mai asked, plucking an apple from the fruit basket.
"Well . . . the trips supposed to be next Monday so, nine days. But I don't think I'm going to be able to go." Serenity looked saddened. She only found out about the trip two days prior, and in her excitement, forgot about the realities of her life right at the moment. "I put in a request to Child Services to get permission to leave for the trip, but they said normally it takes weeks to get it processed." Serenity dodged as Tristan sprung up to get to the bathroom. She hoisted her self from the crouching position to sit on the now free couch. Mai plunked down beside her and munched on the apple.
"You're pretty buddy buddy with Kaiba now, right?" She said after a short pause. Serenity made a confused face.
"Well, I wouldn't quite put it that way, but we talk."
"Well, I bet Kaiba argues with Child Services all the time. And he's not usually one to lose." Mia crunched into the apple again.
"Mai . . .I couldn't possibly ask him for any more help . . ." Serenity was taken aback. Out of all the people who have been helpful to Serenity lately, Kaiba was the one who surprised her the most. His timing was impeccable, his words were just the ones she needed to hear, though not necessarily the ones she wanted to hear, and his actions have always been decisive and precise. To ask any more from him . . .
"Hun, I'm not saying run up to his door and ask him to be your lawyer. I'm just saying, get the number of whoever he's talking to. Ask him what to say and how to ask for what you want. He's a go getter, and you're more of a worker bee. He leads, and you just do what you have to do. You try not to step on people's feet, and he's an Olympic champion at foot trouncing." Mai lifted herself up, moved to the waste bin and dropped the apple core into it. "I'm just saying . . . what would it hurt? I think Tristan's been to quite in there, might want to make sure he's ok." Mai grabbed her jacket off the hanger on the wall and cracked open the door. She gave Serenity a final wink and left quietly down the outer stairs that led to the front of the apartment building.
Serenity sat with herself for a moment, thinking over Mai's advice before standing and checking on Tristan.
"Sir, it's time to close up." Kaiba jumped a little as Daniels voice called from the intercom he was resting on. A quick check to the clock confirmed that 8 O'clock was coming up fast. Kaiba fixed himself up a bit, and slapped a bit of color into his cheeks.
Upon opening the door of his office into the rest of his floor, Kaiba was greeted with smirks and giggles. Confused, he looked down at Daniel for an explanation.
"You . . . might have been leaning on the intercom button while snoring." Daniel said, attempting to hide a smirk. A few more employees cracked and let loose more laughter. Kaiba blinked a little bit, shocked that he would fall asleep at work, let alone be caught at it too. "Um . . . Sir, if I could have a moment?" Kaiba backed into his office and outstretched an arm inviting Daniel to follow suit. After the door was shut behind him, Daniel cleared his throat.
"Seto, is something wrong? You've been acting weird for weeks." Kaiba was half expecting this from Daniel, the man knew him the best out of almost anyone. But, weeks? Sure Kaiba knew he had been slacking a little more. Work still got finished, but he was spacing out and now apparently falling asleep on the job. But that was all recent.
"I've just had a lot on my mind." Kaiba said shortly, for once, unable to find words for a further explanation.
"Yeah, it's understandable. You've been trying to keep up with Mokuba, and there was all that press from when you helped that poor girl, and funding the trips to Egypt and France for your candidacy for class president" Kaiba's eyes fixed on Daniel, who wore a smirk. He kept forgetting Daniels younger brother attended Domino High with him. Daniels smirk faded and he sighed. "all of that on top of Sony bothering us every other week and those gangs getting ballsier eve-"
"Gangs? What gangs?" Kaiba snapped up. He was more awake now than he had been all week.
"Oh, just some punks graffiti-ing the side of the building from time to time. Started two or three weeks ago. They keep putting up gang symbols, but we wash them off the next day so it's not a big issue." Daniel said, glancing out the window.
"Show me." Kaiba walked to the door of his office, opening it then looking back, waiting for Daniel to take the lead. Daniel swallowed in hesitation, but figured it was best to humor the young CEO.
Once outside, Kaiba saw a mess of scribbled writing, too overlapped and poorly written to read. The offending paint was scrawled across the side of the building and wound around to the back. Kaiba followed it while Daniel tried to keep up.
"Sir, I'm sorry, they must have just done it. This wasn't here during lunch." As Kaiba rounded the corner he could smell fresh paint and hear small laughing. Two heads whipped up as Kaiba's presence became known.
"H-hey! You get back here!" Daniel called out as the two hooded hooligans dropped everything and took off. He began running after them immediately.
"N-No! Daniel, stop!" Kaiba's heart was racing. He was paralyzed, sweat running down his forehead. He had one hand outstretched towards Daniel as if to grab him from almost twenty feet away. Flashbacks rushed past his eyes of gangsters who grabbed and bloodied him not long ago.
Daniel jogged to a stop, letting the vandals escape, but suddenly something else caught his eye.
"Mr. Kaiba . . . you need-" Daniel whipped out his cell phone before even finishing, dialed a number and waited for an answer. Kaiba found the strength in his legs again and walked over to Daniel, who had just said something into his phone and was silent again, eyes never wavering from the building.
Ice filled Kaiba's veins as he froze to the spot. On the wall before him were the words "Where's Mokuba? DMP" His had shot to his pocket, the only part of him able to move. Kaiba could hear Daniels phone click shut, and suddenly the twenty something year old was in front of him.
"There's no time," he said as he grabbed Kaiba's hand. Kaiba's eyes just looked through him at the wall, "You need to get home just in case he's at a friends house and comes home. I'll close up and call the authorities." Daniel, apparently waking Kaiba out of his own mind tossed his boss his keys. "I'll deliver your briefcase to your house later tonight after I'm done dealing with the police." Kaiba nodded silently, and strode towards his car.
The maids and cook and butler were frantically rushing around the mansion when Kaiba showed up. Once inside his own home, the old Kaiba sprang to life.
"I need to know where you've looked. I want a direct feed from the security cameras to my home office of all footage of Mokuba coming, leaving, or even just playing. And where is the damned nanny that was supposed to be watching him!" The help scattered about desperately trying to find the little Kaiba and keep the big one from blowing.
A yell echoed down from the second story. Kaiba didn't even think before taking the stairs, 3 steps at a time. He came to a room with a few maids hovering just outside. They immediately parted, clearing a path for him.
"Whats going on?" Kaiba saw Mokuba being led by the hand by a maid, and quickly clutched him to his chest. Someone had to do something about that gang. Someone had to do something about that gang now.
"Are you sure you want all of it? You've been saving for-"
"I know dad, but I'm sure." Tea took the envelope from her father, counted the contents and sighed. 'I have to tell him. I cant just let this keep building in me. Once we can be alone . . . I'll tell him.' Glancing down at her hand, any other person would see a life dream, a goal earned through blood sweat and tears. Tea paced a bit. She had worked her way through high-school to afford the expensive dance lessons and choreography teaching certificates, but . . . "I'm going" She said, clenching the money.
Water droplets pelted the cement of the cold winter streets of Domino. What snow had been there was now gone, washed away by the only slightly warmer rain coating the town evenly.
Footsteps trudged heavily down the sidewalks, the brisk weather failing to keep all living souls indoors. The ground almost froze beneath him as an icy stair pierced the night. His path, though currently was in the better side of town, was leading to the slums. And this time, he was ready.
Wow, I cant believe I remembered the plot. Lol, I guess I'm back ^.^ sorry to keep you all waiting so long. Hopefully I'll update in a timely manner this time around. And who knows . .. maybe actually finish it?
Also, I realize now that I have a disclaimer on Yu-Gi-Oh, but failed to add a few more disclaimers. I do not in any way shape or form, own Sony, Toshiba, Stargate, Sarku, or any other business/corporation mentioned in this fan fiction. And I don't think I'm going to mention my actual business in this fan fiction as it has my real name in the corporate title . . . and . . .yeah no.
~~Kehkan