Chapter 18
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"Now boarding from Narita, Japan, to Cairo Egypt, Flight JL781 at terminal E." Narita Airport's PA sounded, repeating itself twice more for clarity. The art class shuffled, double checking to see if everyone was present. Yugi, Tea and Serenity had volunteered to help make sure the people from their class knew where to go, and what they had to do to keep moving smoothly, while Kaiba dealt with the ticket claims, reception, baggage check, and general movement through the airport.
"I'm so excited!" Tea said, grabbing Yugi's arm. "I've never been outside of the country before." Yugi flashed her a bright smile. The class filtered into the plane, taking their seats, and much to everyone's amazement, Kaiba rode with them in economy class seating. Though, in traditional Kaiba fashion, he refused to speak any more than he had to and remained on his laptop the entire 17 hour flight.
When the plane landed, a familiar face greeted the group. Ishizu stood, with name tag and wide smile. She led the group to the bus pickup and showed them to their hotel. It was getting quite late, and everyone was tired from the journey. Well, almost everyone.
"I cant believe you're sharing a room with Kaiba." Tea said. Serenity overlooked the tone she used.
"He said he didn't just want to throw money at a campaign, that he wanted to be a part of it. So I guess he's doing everything with the rest of us, as one of us." Yugi thought out loud. Serenity smiled.
"Well, that explains the plane." Tea pondered. The door to Yugi's room opened and Kaiba stepped in.
"I didn't realize you'd be having company the entire night through." He said blankly.
"You knew I'd be spending all my time with my friends." Yugi replied, but a glance to the clock made him rethink what he'd said only a few seconds prior. "But . . .it is kinda late, and we did have a long day." Tea got the hint, but still scrunched her nose at Kaiba as she passed. Serenity flashed a quick smile at him, along with a look that said 'be nice' before the two headed for their own room.
Yami laid on the bed, awake and too anxious to get any rest. He could feel Yugi's fatigue, but even Yugi was too excited to get some proper sleep. Kaiba had finished something on his laptop and was already asleep in the bed a few feet away. Yami lifted the puzzle, looking at it intently. Finally, after what seemed like a few moments, but in reality was more like a half hour, Yami lifted the puzzle from his neck, allowing Yugi to take over and place it on the night stand beside him. He whispered a goodnight to his friend and rolled over to get comfortable.
As he drifted off to sleep, he could have sworn he had heard something in the hall, but his eyelids gave up on him before he could even form a thought as to what it might be.
"Wow, I can hardly sleep. Are we really here?" Tea mused. She had taken the bed by the window and was looking out. "It's a lot greener than I thought it'd be." Tea sat atop her blankets, bed still fully made. She was wearing a lime spaghetti strap tank top, and some blue and green pajama shorts.
"We're in Cairo. One of the cities near the Nile, actually, we're at the base of the Nile's delta. It's the greenest from here all the way up to the sea." Serenity pointed out. She was tired and ready to go to sleep, so her mind went into fact mode. Serenity fiddled with the hem of her silk pink pajama top, which didn't quite match with her purple fuzzy long pants, but didn't look horrible either. They were the one thing Mai had let her keep, after fighting for them.
"I wonder if Yugi is still awake." Tea said, still glancing out the window.
"It's almost one in the morning. You shouldn't be awake." Serenity would have laughed, but her tired body simply didn't have the energy.
"But he's got the most to be excited about. hey, if I knocked quietly on his door, do you think Kaiba will wake up and kill me?" Tea asked. Serenity blinked.
"At this hour? I wouldn't blame him." Serenity was surprised that she could still form a smile, but her lips curved nonetheless.
"I'm gonna go anyways." She said, getting up and opening the door. Serenity followed her crazy friend, muttering behind her as she walked.
"This is a bad idea." She said, following Tea out into the hall. Tea glanced down the hall and smirked.
"See, he is still awake, his door is open and everything." Suddenly a dark figure bolted out of the room and took off for the far staircase. Serenity and Tea snapped fully awake. Serenity took after the man, screaming for him to stop.
"Check Yugi!" She yelled to Tea, and heard her run into Yugi's room calling for him.
"Yugi!" Tea began shaking the boy awake.
"Urg, how the hell did you get in here?" Kaiba rolled over, lifting himself into the seated position. He was wearing a white tank top and some long dark green pajama pants. Yugi also woke, popping up and looking confused. He was clad in long sleeve red plaid pajamas.
"I just saw a mad run out of here, Serenity ran after him- Oh, God, Serenity's alone!" Tea just noticed.
"What!" Kaiba launched himself out of bed, and ran to the hallway, glancing back at Tea for confirmation.
"Left, they went down the stairs!" Kaiba was off before she could get another word out.
"No! My millennium puzzle!" Yugi yelled, and with that he tailed Kaiba, Tea following closely behind.
"Stop!" Serenity screamed again. She had almost caught up with him. One final lunge and he toppled to the floor.
"That's it! you, little girl, are really annoying me!" Bakura grabbed Serenity and raised the millennium ring to her. It flashed briefly and she fell limp. He could hear footsteps coming closer, and not quite thinking, grabbed Serenity and took off down the streets. Not even a minute passed when Kaiba reached where Bakura previously was.
Movement out of the corner of his eye alerted him where to go next. Yugi and Tea followed close behind as Kaiba led them down allies and streets. Finally after winding through the city, Kaiba was catching up with the thief. Suddenly Bakura halted and spun.
"I suggest you stop!" He called, freezing Kaiba in place. He had a long blade held across Serenity's body. "I'm not in the mood to kill tonight, but I do what needs to be done." He said, making Kaiba uneasy. A second later Yugi appeared in the ally, and stopped as Kaiba put out a hand to prevent him from getting too close.
"Give me my puzzle back Bakura!" Yugi cried.
"I wouldn't count on it little boy." A voice sneered from behind him. Yugi and Kaiba both turned. Malik stood, a sinister grin plastered across his face as he held a similar long blade up to his captive; Tea.
"I'm sorry Yugi, I didn't see him." Tea said, tears filling her eyes. She gasped and shrieked as she watched movement behind the boys. Kaiba fell first with a loud thud, then Yugi as Bakura smashed the hilt of his blade into them. Tea tried to struggle, but was quickly restrained by Malik.
"You know, I had it under control." Bakura chided.
"Yeah, you looked like you were good. Weighed down by one of them, and chased by three more." Malik barked, his words soaked in bitterness. He threw Tea at where Bakura dropped Serenity. "You're going to carry her, do anything stupid and things might go bad." Malik pointed his sword at Yugi, then picked him up. Bakura grumbled something, then hoisted Kaiba up onto his shoulder.
Malik forced Tea to lead, instructing her when to turn when the time came. They went down a final dark ally after walking a few blocks and Malik's instructions stopped. Tea turned to see if he was still there, but her gaze only met a fist. Everything went black before she could even register what was going on.
"You could have waited til she was closer to the door." Bakura twitched. He dragged Kaiba the rest of the way to a door in the ally, then dropped him and unlocked it. He glanced back up at Malik before dragging Kaiba into the darkness before him. Malik stood eerily over Tea, a slight grin tugging at his lips. Bakura raised an eyebrow as he came back to bring another one inside.
"Do you mind? They're not weightless." Bakura said, lifting Serenity. Malik slowly shifted his gaze to Bakura, then after watching the white haired boy bring her into the darkness, lifted Tea and entered. After everyone was inside and properly restrained, Malik smirked evilly.
"The fun begins."
Kaiba's eyes blurred into vision. He was in a dark room, lit by a single torch. The fire gave the room a warm reddish hue, illuminating the stone walls and dirt floor. Next to him were Tea and Yugi, tied to the chairs they were propped up on. Kaiba noticed he was also tied to a chair. Kaiba hopped a little bit. The crude design and craftsmanship of the chair creaked and bent with his movement, giving him hope that it would break easily.
"I wouldn't do that." Kaiba's head snapped back up. Bakura sat off to the side, in a corner not so well lit. Kaiba could see something beside him, but couldn't make it out. Bakura laughed loudly and snapped his fingers. Light filled the room. Kaiba could hear Tea and Yugi beginning to shift, but what he saw prevented him from looking away. Serenity laid beside Bakura, a lifeless lump. Her body was twisted in an unnatural way and her eyes were... open, staring off in some unseen direction. Kaiba's entire being sunk inside him.
"Oh my God! Serenity!" Tea screamed, "What did you do to her?"
"Oh, please, it's not like I killed anyone... yet." Bakura flashed an arrogant smile at her, then looked down at Serenity, and began petting her hair. Kaiba was confused but rage still found it's way in.
"Don't you fucking touch her you freak!" He screamed, beginning to struggle against the ropes and chair.
"Ah ah ah." Bakura wagged a finger at Kaiba, only settling him slightly. He then gripped Serenity's hair and yanked her body up and over until she laid across his lap. Kaiba stilled instantly, fury etched in his face, but fear for the girl restraining him. "She's a pretty one. Not my type, but if you're into this sort of thing... " He trailed off, playing with the collar of her shirt.
"Bakura, release her, she has nothing to do with any of this." Yugi begged. Bakura snorted.
"Neither do you, not anymore at least. But... I will set her mind free, only because the ring must be empty for this to work." Bakura said. He let the ring flash and suddenly Serenity gasped. Her eyes watered immediately and she blinked rapidly, trying to rehydrate after all the time spent with her eyes drying out. When she could finally see, she jumped, and tried to shuffle away from Bakura, who was looming over her menacingly. He gripped her arms and refused to let her escape. Serenity looked around the room rapidly, but froze when she saw Kaiba, Yugi, and Tea, all restrained and looking less than well. Yugi had some blood trickling down his forehead, and Tea had a horrid black eye. Kaiba looked somewhat alright, but there was something wet in his hair.
"What... what do you want?" She tried to keep herself from crying. He leaned in close, mouth not even an inch from her neck. Locking eyes with Kaiba, he breathed in slowly. Kaiba's eyes narrowed angrily.
"Life" He whispered before running his teeth against her neck. Serenity shuddered at the sensation and squeezed her eyes shut.
"I thought you said she wasn't your type." Malik stood in a doorway behind the three restrained in chairs. He leaned against the frame of the door, a smile twisted onto his features.
"I haven't had fun in a while, even your sister would be my type." Malik's smile faded. Bakura's hand skimmed under Serenity's shirt, across her stomach and up.
"P-please... no." She sobbed. He yanked her hair, forcing her head backward and her back to arch as she cried out. Kaiba broke, refusing to be useless. He stood, chair still attached to him, and rammed the chair into the wall. It splintered immediately, and the ropes fell around him. Malik moved fast to grab him, but it wasn't fast enough. Kaiba lifted him and threw him over his shoulder onto the ground, and was on him in an instant, He could feel something hard in Malik's robe, and grabbed it. He didn't stop long enough to look at it, and swung it at Malik. The boy fell, bloody and groaning.
A scream alerted him to where his attention was needed next. Bakura stood, Serenity in front of him, gasping for breath as his hand closed over her throat.
"I will break her neck!" Bakura screamed at him. Kaiba paused for a moment to evaluate his surroundings, but unfortunately it was a moment too long. Malik brought down both of his fists, clenched tightly together, on the boys collar, cutting off blood, and knocking him senseless. Malik left briefly, and came back with another chair, this one a little better made, but still crude. He placed it, then grabbed Kaiba by the arm and 'helped' him into it, Kaiba began to struggle immediately. Malik, still hurting from the blow, dizzily stumbled away and Bakura sneered.
"Listen girlie, you're going to be good, got it? You're going to tie up your little hero, and you'll do a damned good job." He said, throwing Serenity at Kaiba. He grabbed his blade and held it up to Tea, a few centimeters away from her eye. "Now be a dear." Serenity had caught herself on Kaiba's lap. She looked to him, tears in her eyes. Kaiba sighed and nodded at her. She quivered out a breath and began tying him up, sobbing quietly as she did. "Well see now, that was easy." he said, lowering the sword. He frowned. "Well, now I have no reason to hurt anyone. That's no fun. Has anyone ever told you you cave too easily?" He taunted her. A sinister grin plastered itself onto him and he sauntered over to her.
Serenity was still kneeling in front of Kaiba. She couldn't find the strength to look up. Instead she looked to the ground, below Kaiba, and something caught her eye. A golden rod lay behind Kaiba's left foot, the thing he had hit Malik with, lay forgotten and in reach. Suddenly Bakura was behind her. He pushed her violently forward and she fell onto Kaiba's chest and lap hard. A strong hand held her down against Kaiba, and the other began lifting her shirt, exposing her scarred back.
"Huh, looks like someone's into the same shit as me." He said, fingers gliding across the marred flesh. Kaiba emitted a low growl, but it only seemed to fuel Bakura's amusement. Suddenly Serenity got an idea.
She sobbed and hugged Kaiba, making Bakura cackle evilly. One of her hands slipped below, finding the rod and placing it under Kaiba's foot, making him aware of it's presence. Bakura didn't even suspect, when she began untying Kaiba's wrists. When he was free, she pulled her arms up from behind him, and gripped the sides of the seat of his chair tightly. In one push she launched with all of her strength, crashing into Bakura and knocking him back.
Kaiba moved lightening fast, grabbing the rod and hitting Malik with it again, who had overcome his injury only seconds prior and was moving towards them. Serenity ran to Yugi and Tea, grabbing the sword Bakura had wielded before and cutting the bindings off of them. The heavy blade was too much for her and she was forced to drop it as she, Tea, and Yugi ran for the door. Yugi paused for a moment, just inside the door, and scanned the room once over. In the back he could see some sort of table. He ran up to it and found the millennium puzzle and ankh. He grabbed them and ran out the door where he saw Serenity looking in and waiting for Kaiba. Kaiba began towards Bakura, but stopped as the thief pulled out a smaller, more deadly weapon.
"Seto!" Serenity screamed from the doorway. She heard shots fired, but was taken into the hallway before she could see anything real. Kaiba had grabbed her and was running, holding onto her the whole way. They reached the streets, confused and lost, but Kaiba refused to let that slow them. He ran towards a more well lit section of city, the rest of them following closely.
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So, very action packed, wouldn't you say? This was one of the chapters I was really looking forward to writing, so it went fast. Tell me what you think.
Read, Review, Enjoy! ~love