Well, I was supposed to do this earlier this week, but I guess now is alright. It's a really long chapter of Appearances, by Melzart!

Story belongs to Melzart; Yugioh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Wow. Lots of profanity, reference to rape, and useless Mokuba here. Oh, spoiler alert: [SPOILERS] Kaiba gets really dark at the end. [/SPOILERS]. Um, huzzah?

Appearances

by Melzart

. . .

Chapter 8

The Abyss

Both of them, at the same time. One after the other. Twice as hard to cope with.

Those bastards truly seemed to have prepared very well for their attack.

Roland saw something he never would have dared to imagine: for a tiny instant, he believed that the great Seto Kaiba would faint due to the violence of the shock; he had glazed over.

He stood standing, his hands pressed down on the surface of his desk as if he wanted to crush it with his fingers; he was in fact trying not to fall down. He was completely thunderstruck.

His mouth hung ajar and totally silent, as if he were screaming in the vastness of outer space.

And the color of his face went from a livid white to a scarlet red and back again.

No! Mokuba! No! Naomi… I'll kill them. I'll skin them alive. And I'll mount their skins on my wall!

"Find them. Use every man you have. Hundreds. Thousands. Just find them."

He was whispering, certainly, but Roland was not about to ask him to repeat himself. Thus he scurried off to attempt to rally together all available men for the job. They would search the city to the last centimeter.

And Kaiba wasn't going to sit back idle.

He left his office, a whirlwind, convinced that time was against him.

. . .

"Psstt… Naomi. Wake up, Naomi."

Naomi opened one eye with some difficulty, and then the other. She was under no impression of being inside of an enchanted castle.

From what she could make out, her wrists were shackled together and suspended from a rope in such a way that her head, still bowed down, was pulled behind. They seemed to be inside of an immense, abandoned airplane hangar, or some sort of warehouse with tons of empty space.

When she had finally managed to put everything together, Mokuba was beside her, also attached in the same way that she was. Only their feet were touching the ground.

"Mokuba," she murmured low as she became aware of the presence of four of the culprits in the room with them.

"Hey!" one of the shouted, having heard them. "Sleeping Beauty woke up!"

This won an icy stare from Naomi.

"What do you want from us?" she asked, demonstrating that this was a game of which she was not appreciative.

"Oh. From you two, nothing," said another one. "You're nothing more than simple little appetizers."

Kaiba. Definitely. Nothing but trouble.

She had already had the leisure several of the thugs she had already met in the little alley behind that hotel, the night she had helped Kaiba defend himself- that was weeks ago already. And it was part of the same band that had tried to kidnap Mokuba at the mansion.

One of them, quite beefy in appearance, she recognized without any difficulty. He approached her, feigning harmlessness.

"My offer still stands, my sweet. After everything, I'll still have a party with you, whenever you'd like. It'll be an honor to best Kaiba at that little game… you'll see, he's no match for me."

She began to laugh wryly, shaking her head. His eyebrows furrowed.

"I don't play that 'little game' with Kaiba, as you say."

Then again, you will never be able to best him. Nobody does.

"No?"

Again, she shook her head no, looking at him with a disparagingly black look.

"So… tell me… why would he be following you so closely if you're absolutely nothing to him?"

At these words, Naomi was victim to a sudden and silent fury. She ignored it, obviously, not doubting this decision until the last second.

"I don't see what you mean," she said, inflexible.

But he scoffed, laughing out loud.

"Whatever. You can't… you'll have your party. I won't forget you," he threatened again, this time reaching to touch her breast.

On instinct, her legs thrust out defensively, making him back up a few steps.

"NEVER!"

"I can tie your legs together, too. That's no problem."

At that moment, a man walked in, interrupting whatever the man was intending to do with her.

"Oh, see here! Let's all calm down; we mustn't harm our merchandise," he said loudly in a sort of half-laugh. "Ah!"

His steps stopped in front of the captives.

"She is quite pretty. Hmm… I have to admit, Kaiba certainly seems to know about women," he said, addressing Naomi.

"She said she's not his girlfriend, boss," said the guy who had taken the kick.

"Oh, really?" the boss continued. "Normally, I'd be overjoyed. Right now, I don't care."

"Don't care?" spat Naomi, insulted. "What does that mean?"

He didn't respond to the question, however, only giving her a mocking grin.

What an asshole.

But she wasn't alone – she had to factor in Mokuba, as well.

Strange, how destiny does things. She had barely seen him three times, and was already in danger with him for the second time. The young man truly had to learn how to avoid being ambushed. Even though it wasn't really his fault, himself victim to those he thought he knew. And perhaps more. Honestly, could she really blame a rich and powerful man for being the target of so many crooks and wannabes?

She had no other choice but to look out for herself, now. And just for herself. No faux pas allowed.

"And what do you hope to get in exchange? Because this is blackmail, isn't it?" she asked.

The boss smiled.

"And you're intelligent, too. Which makes you worth even more to Kaiba, I'm sure," he responded, malice underlining his voice.

"You're wrong. It's not what it seems like," she insisted further.

"We'll see," he muttered, turning on his heels to leave.

"Poor guy," she breathed quietly, lowering her eyes away from him.

A hand, very large, rudely slapped her face, which made her turn her head in rage towards Mokuba, who jumped slightly.

"Pay attention to what you say!" screamed the thug, apparently defending his very dear employer.

Let go of me, bastard. Do me that one pleasure, she told herself mentally, her gaze practically gunning him down.

She won a second slap.

"Don't even try looking at me like that. Who knows what I could do if I didn't stop myself," he said, persuaded that he had complete control of the situation.

Mokuba began shouting at him, angered that she couldn't defend herself.

"You're just a coward! You wouldn't dare if she wasn't hung up!"

"Want one too, brat?" he offered.

"Mokuba!" she scolded, trying not to provoke him any further.

She didn't quite understand what pushed to her to try to come to his aid, if not protect him. It was just something she had to do.

"Enough!" shouted the boss from nearby the exit. "You needn't be so brutal. For now."

He then left the huge room, smirking.

. . .

Mokuba kept his eyes on her, more worried than he was frightened.

"You okay, Naomi?"

She nodded her head slightly to reassure him.

"Don't worry. I know my brother. He's gonna find us," he said again.

He has such confidence.

She couldn't reasonably count on him appearing. But she didn't want to destroy the young boy's hopes. Also, maybe deep down, she also believed it was better to give up.

"Yeah," she breathed gently.

Out of curiosity, but mostly out of a desire to relax the atmosphere, she began a short discussion, voice quiet.

"How'd you find yourself here, Mokuba? You didn't have your guards with you?"

"Oh, yeah. But they came to the high school. I was leaving the restroom when they got me. Nobody could have done anything about it. And I didn't want them to hurt anybody."

She nodded, approving of his choice of trying to protect his peers.

"Yeah."

"Hey, shut up!" cried one of the men.

Naomi and Mokuba glanced at each other quickly, both choosing to keep their silence.

. . .

"So?"

"Still nothing, sir."

Kaiba was becoming more and more impatient, even though he had understood from the get-go that it wasn't going to be a pleasant or convenient experience. The crooks certainly wouldn't reveal their location so easily.

Hold on. I'll find you. I'm coming.

. . .

"Hey, cupcake! You wanna play strip poker with us? I'll hold your cards if you want…. and I'll volunteer to take your clothes off for you," said another one of the thugs.

Naomi grinned at the irony.

"Alright, but only if you release me."

They began to laugh at her 'joke'; apparently, not a single one of them was going to risk actually doing it.

"I tried, right?" she murmured to Mokuba, who was trying to stifle a sort of half-laugh himself.

How could she stay so calm and even find a way to be funny?

But Mokuba once again became lethargic, racked with concern.

"Hey," she told him again. "Don't worry. Your brother'll find us soon. I'm certain."

He acknowledged her with a curt nod, thanking her simultaneously.

"Yeah. And he's gonna make cake outta these- "

Neither one of them had noticed the guy who had walked right up to them and then slapped Mokuba hard across the face, making him reel.

"I told you to shut up, you dirty, pretentious kid!" he shouted.

Naomi could do no more than aim a kick in his general direction. But he recovered rapidly, the attack having missed.

"Pathetic," she hissed to him between her teeth.

"What did you say?"

"You're also deaf as well as being as fearful and stupid as an ass? PA-THE-TIC!" she tried to insist with even more arrogance that perhaps even Kaiba was capable of.

Oops… I don't think I should have said that…

He whipped around to strike her face again, this time aiming for the side that hadn't been hit before.

"No!" screamed Mokuba, understanding that she was simply sacrificing herself for his own sake.

Courageously, she acted as if she hadn't felt anything, laughing in his face, which only increased his coldness.

She got another blow on the spot, a punch, which split open her bottom lip due to the sheer force.

She was far more angry than she was hurt.

"Stop!" Mokuba kept shouting, not really caring any longer.

Naomi couldn't help but spit in the man's face, a mixture of the newly drawn blood as well as her saliva.

He came to attack her again, except this time, in a well-timed jump, Naomi's legs kicked off the ground and wrapped around the guy's neck, strangling him; with a single twist, she threw him to the ground. Even bound, she wasn't to be taken lightly.

But a second of the gang appeared out of nowhere.

"You really don't know how to deal with her, do you, you idiot?" he shouted to the figure on the ground as he planted a knife into Naomi's left shoulder, before just as quickly withdrawing the blade. "There. Now I'm sure she understands."

Naomi held back her cry of pain, despite the extreme burning she felt that was making her squirm in place.

"Oh, it's still such a shame that I had to ruin such beautiful merchandise," he joked, with a laugh that would seen insane to the ear of any intelligent individual.

"You bastard!" shrieked Mokuba, dying of anxiety and with eyes cursing them both to hell. "My brother will kill you guys for that!"

The man who was knocked to the ground, now back on his feet, now approached Naomi once more with a hypocritical smile: he did not let his anger show, now, but he was furious that she had ridiculed him while defending herself.

"Hey, hey, and just when I was beginning to think there wasn't anything between you two, either," he grinned darkly at the young woman.

"That's right. There's not. And definitely not anything concerning you," she admitted, forcing herself to not show any sign that she was uncomfortable.

His eyes were filled with an atrocious hate. She had slightly revealed, indirectly, the true attraction she held for Kaiba.

"And you think he'll kill me for doing this?" he spat as he punched Naomi in the ribs repeatedly, as if she were nothing more than a punching bag.

"No! Stop!" Mokuba was screaming, unable to bear watching her take blows for much longer; the guy was pummeling her and she couldn't do anything to stop him.

Desperately, Mokuba's feet tried to kick the guy, but he had to admit his powerlessness against the man whose beatings seemed to come without end.

Bravely, Naomi prevented herself from giving them the satisfaction of hearing her cry out in pain. But the last couple of blows left her out of breath: she felt as if something had been broken in her body, and the evil was growing.

"You have no right!" Mokuba was shrieking, insane with rage. "STOP!"

"I have to say, twerp… that the lady and I… have some things to sort out," he sneered, content to be taking his revenge, content that they both were victims.

She withstood a new blow without flinching, as if she were born to be martyred or to used to the abuse to make anything of it.

"Leave her alone!" cried Mokuba. "Wait until my brother gets here! I'll watch him strangle you with your own guts!"

But the thugs laughed amongst themselves, as if he had just told a good joke.

. . .

Half of the city had already been scrutinized and Kaiba believed that the big moment was fast approaching. More than two hundred men had searched every nook and cranny. It was just a matter of time.

And time was suddenly even more precious. Something wasn't going right. He knew it, somewhere in the crook of his stomach: a sort of interminable anguish that lodges in the back of your throat and slips slowly downward. He was enraged.

They were soon going to discover that nobody touches members of his family without being punished.

But because the kidnappers hadn't left any updates, he was still left in the dark.

And it had to be at least four good hours since their disappearance.

I have to find them. Fast. Something isn't right…

"Sir?" came a voice from the transmitter. "We might have found something."

"Very good!" Kaiba responded, who, for a short instant, was confident again.

"We think they're probably in a hangar near the docks."

I hope so, with all of my heart.

. . .

The pain in Naomi's breast became more intense as she continued to not show anything. She was grimacing; yet it seemed hidden from their sight.

"Stop it, Mokuba," she murmured.

"My brother will come. I know it. Hold on, Naomi. He's coming." He seemed to let the words glide out of his mouth.

He closed his eyes as if to pray, overflowing with rage at being so helpless, as Naomi hung her head in the moment of respite, trying desperately to not cry out.

I admit, I like you a lot, Mokuba. I even think I'd like to see him now, too.

The boss walked back into the room. This gave Naomi a further bit to breathe.

"What did you do?" he asked to his men, shocked.

It didn't please him, although he tried not to care.

"Uh… boss… we got a little carried away… but she started it!"

"Gah! I know she's not of great utility to us; it's the brat that's important. Still, don't screw them up so badly," he deadpanned in a banal tone as he punched a number into his phone.

"Kaiba!" he said. "We have something that belongs to you and most importantly- "

"Seto!" Mokuba screamed, knowing he was speaking to his brother.

"… something that I believe holds your interest," the boss finished.

Kaiba felt the anger take control for what had to be the thousandth time.

"If you do them any harm, you will have to answer to me personally!"

"Oops!" the boss taunted. "I'm afraid you'll find neither one in perfect condition. But rest assured, they're alive."

Kaiba felt glued to the seat of his helicopter as if he weighed a ton.

Neither one in perfect condition? What's that supposed to mean?

"If you dare touch a hair on either of their heads, I will kill you. Pitilessly," he threatened gravely.

"Well, my friend, isn't the most important thing that they're alive?"

A long shiver of horror rocked Kaiba's body.

"Seto!" wailed Mokuba again. "Nao- "

But one of the thugs wrapped his hand around his mouth.

Nao… mi?

Kaiba clenched his fist, threatening to crush the phone with the sheer strength of the action.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba shouted, as if he thought he could hear him.

"We're having technical difficulties… I'll call you back in a moment," the boss said as he ended the call.

. . .

Neither one in perfect condition…

"Find them immediately! That's an order!" he roared at his men, hoping to accelerate the search under the weight of his threats alone.

. . .

"Naomi…" Mokuba sighed, giving her a concerned look.

Blood was still flowing from the wound in her shoulder. Visibly, she was weakening as she continued to lose more of it.

She raised her head to look at him. His face was burdened with as much fatigue as hate, bruised by the repeated strikes.

"Don't say anything more, Naomi. I can't stand to watch them hurt you. Please."

She didn't respond; she merely lowered her eyes, accepting his terms.

He didn't have anything in common with his brother's spite. So much so, in fact, she asked herself how he could possibly live with such a pompous being. Mokuba was practically Seto's antithesis: warm, enthusiastic, spontaneous, sensible… and defenseless.

And she knew that. There. Without a doubt. What Kaiba had protected up until then with so much zeal.

I'm trained for this, Mokuba. I went to the right school. Don't worry.

But she wouldn't tell him that.

His complaints were sincere in their compassion. She wouldn't permit herself to give him other things to worry about; maternal instinct, maybe?

Of course, he was practically grown up. But as fragile as an infant.

Yes, she knew that: Kaiba already did.

I'm not counting on seeing you again, Seto. This wasn't in my plans. But, honestly, I hope Mokuba's right. And you'll come soon. I can't hold on much longer.

. . .

"I want proof they're okay," Kaiba growled, succeeding somewhat abnormally in keeping his sangfroid.

"You already heard your little brother, I think," said the boss. "For what happened to your… delicious little girlfriend…"

My delicious little girlfriend?

"She's not my girlfriend," Kaiba said, trying to diminish the danger that Naomi was facing.

"Come now, Mr. Kaiba. Don't play games with me!"

"This isn't a game," Kaiba responded in a glacial voice.

Not again, you dirty vermin.

"Who cares. You wouldn't risk the life of this precious young woman, as innocent as you say she is, would you?"

Grrr… you're going to pay for all of this, bastard.

"What do you want? Let's get to the point: stop beating around the bush."

The man stopped laughing.

"Hm – very simple. Kaiba Corp for your little brother."

Kaiba gasped.

"Is this a joke?"
"I never joke when it comes to business, Mr. Kaiba. What's more, I'm giving you until the end of this afternoon to get everything in order; that's three good hours. After which time…"

He stopped.

"After which time..?" Kaiba hardly dared ask.

"I will not care any longer for one of their lives. Your choice."

Naomi

He hadn't said it, but Kaiba had rapidly deduced that they wouldn't take out Mokuba because he was their best token of exchange. Without him – nothing.

"I'll call you back in an hour, Mr. Kaiba."

Then a click ending the call from the other phone.

Bastard! Bastard!

Kaiba was breathing nervously, prey to a hatred on the point of spiraling beyond his control.

"Where are you?" he demanded into the helicopter's radio.

"We're verifying all the hangars, sir. There's only five left."

"Go faster!"

Was he or was he not going to flinch, give over that company for which he had fought so hard?

He would never sacrifice Mokuba. Then again, he could always take him back, sooner or later.

But Naomi? A pure foreigner, whom he barely knew a month before?

Sure, he owed her one. Maybe two, since the night she entered his life, helping to dispose of his assailants. That wasn't counting the unexpected aid she had given Mokuba against the kidnappers, causing them to abort their first plan.

The same Naomi that wanted to get away from him, which he wouldn't allow due to pure egotism.

It's dangerous to train in these parts, she had told him.

He had never realized how right she was.

Maybe she had shown him what women call, amongst themselves, to be their 'sixth sense': an almost infallible instinct. Yes. Maybe that was exactly why she took so much trouble to push him away in self-defense.

The injustice burned him. Atrocious remorse was ripping his soul apart.

Yes. Even for Naomi, he would give his company.

. . .

"By the way," started the brute as he approached his victim once more.

"Leave her alone, you piece of shit!" Mokuba ordered him, living in a nightmare.

Naomi had greatly weakened even though she was trying desperately to cope, driven by a mysterious and incredible force. And she was cold.

"…I noticed," he said, "that you limp slightly. Were you born that way? Oh, no. I doubt that the great Seto Kaiba would have given so much attention to a vulgar little chronic cripple like you."

Naomi sighed, mockingly.

"You're really frustrated, you know that?" she yelled with disgust. "Always wanting what others have, but you can never get your hands on, right?"

She was insulting him again.

"You never thought about buying a punching bag or doing yoga? It helps."

"No, Naomi," Mokuba begged in fright, correctly supposing that he would attack her again: he definitely seemed to want to.

Angrily, he punched her in the face.

Naomi's head recoiled, then roughly struck the man's forearm on the rebound, spraying Mokuba with a jet of blood.

"Damn creep!" he cried, trembling in rage and averting his eyes, unable of taking it any longer.

"SETO! Where are you?" Mokuba wailed, from the deepest fathoms of his soul.

Naomi spat on the ground, slightly more than stunned.

But the man wanted to take out his feelings on Mokuba now. He moved to slap him, but she reacted:

"You really are a sorry excuse for a human," she murmured, trying to lure him away from Mokuba.

Oddly, he turned back around and seized her chin violently, lifting her up and then staring at her.

"And the sorry excuse for a human says that he's through with you, not only will Kaiba not look at you in the same way, he won't look at you at all. He'll have nothing but disgust left for the slut you really are."

"Don't listen to him, Naomi!" shouted Mokuba, as if encouraging her. "My brother wouldn't!"

"Oh, but he will…. once I'm through with her," the brute sneered, letting his eyes trail down her body.

Naomi seemed to have suddenly stopped, silent and motionless, as if he had just struck a nerve.

Slut? What does he… no. Never! He wouldn't touch me…

Did she give a damn what Kaiba thought of her right now? Maybe.

More than likely yes.

Hadn't she become his playground, his creature, hating that anyone else would touch – or even look – at her?

Hadn't she become entirely and exclusively his, body and soul?

She couldn't look at him in the face any longer if she were dirtied by fingers other than his. It was crazy how she was trembling, from cold or from fear, she didn't even know what anymore. Not any more than she knew why she mentally de-clothed him at the wrong times.

The man stayed calm, grabbing Naomi's thigh in his hands as if he had detected the bullet wound.

She flinched, nervous.

"Looks like you have a little weakness here," he snickered as he pressed down, hard.

. . .

"Sir! We've found them!"

"Are you sure?" said Kaiba, holding his breath.

"Yes, sir."

"On my way."

. . .

Using his knife, he ripped open a part of her pants, leaving a short, shallow scratch on the tender skin where he hadn't bothered to look.

"Oh. I see," he said as he saw the bandage, which he ripped off to unveil the wound so fresh it hadn't yet made a scar.

Naomi was overpowered by a very unpleasant shiver all along her spine as she imagined what he might be readying to make her undergo.

All her muscles clenched, hard, as if preparing to deal with the pain she soon felt as he violently squeezed his fingers around the wound, stretching the skin in all directions, tearing apart the stitches.

Although she tried to stifle a loud groan, the pain was so unbearable that she lost consciousness.

"You bastard!" Mokuba repeated, whipping his head away due to a sudden influx of nausea. "My brother will teach you!"

"Stupid little shit. My brother this, my brother that. Where is your brother?"

. . .

More than seventy-five men, armed up past the teeth, were encircling the building by the time that Kaiba arrived, ravenous to see what he might find inside.

"I am warning you: I will not tolerate error," he warned them, perhaps more threatening than he had been to the gang boss.

"No, sir!"

With a wave of his hand, he gave the signal for all of the men to prepare to enter and a dozen snipers stationed on nearby rooftops to get ready.

. . .

"Leave her alone!" Mokuba growled, seeing the man detach Naomi, who was still unconscious, and drag her closer towards himself.

"I have the right to have a little fun, don't I?"

"Don't you touch her!" Mokuba threatened, furious, writhing wildly like an overgrown Tasmanian devil.

It looked to him like Naomi was bleeding from everywhere.

The man continued to laugh as he moved for another door, a bit further away.

"Oh, I get it now, virgin. You must want to see her…?"

Mokuba stared at him with the most disgust and contempt he could muster.

Words failed him.

The door closed, and he was still laughing cynically.

Mokuba heard a long wail of anguish, and tears sprang to his eyes.

. . .

The men were ready to enter when Kaiba raised his gaze slightly.

Mokuba?

He had heard what appeared to him to be a low humming, but he could recognize it anywhere.

He groaned, angrily. Mokuba was in danger.

. . .

The doors shattered onto the boss and two of his men, who tried to flee, in vain, at the sight of them.

"So… what if we negotiated face to face?" Kaiba snarled, menacing with all of his might.

. . .

Naomi awoke to the strange sensation of sliding across the floor, then the feeling from her head that she was face-down upon it.

Her fists were still tied, but her arms were free.

She must use the small bit of energy that remained whenever possible: and that was a definite. But shaken and dazed, she preferred to keep quiet for the moment, and not unnecessarily provoke him.

"Oh, I'm so very happy you've awoken, my sweet. I would have hated for the party to have started without you."

Just the right moment. What she had been waiting for. Because she didn't have any other choice but to fight, again, especially if this was going to be her last time.

"I'm warning you… I can get a bit rough. I like to hear my bitches cry…"

Never.

She shivered, terrified and exhausted.

It might happen, she thought.

Over her dead body.

. . .

Seto…

In no time, Kaiba met back up with his men in the main area of the hangar where Mokuba was hanging.

Soon the attackers were out for the count, and the two brothers found themselves face to face.

"You okay, Mokuba?"

He was horrified by the blood on his brother's clothes. But he understood just as quickly that it wasn't his.

Beside him hung another rope, from which hung a metal bar, now elevated and dangling a tad below ceiling level. And on the ground, small pools of blood were scattered around the floor.

He correctly surmised that this was the place where Naomi was, a few minutes or a few hours earlier. He didn't know anymore. But he was seeing red: and he trembled as much from disgust as from terror.

They hurt her.

Frenetically, he looked around for her, both sickened and more anxious than ever.

. . .

With the energy of the desperate, Naomi struck a solid blow into the man's shin, and he crumpled to the floor.

She went to get up, despite all of the suffering her body was enduring, and then he was riding her back, tearing wildly at her hair.

"You dirty whore!"

Suddenly, he shoved her face into the ground, causing it slam hard against the tile. She tried to resist, lessen the impact – but he was far too strong.

Or, she was just too weak.

. . .

"Where?" Kaiba panicked. "Tell me! Where?"

Furiously, Mokuba bobbed his head at the door.

"Don't worry about me! He wants to make out with- "

Mokuba suddenly hushed, lowering his head at the mental image and trembling in fright. He didn't need to finish his sentence. Seto understood everything.

How could that dog dare to imagine placing so much as a finger on her?

His entire face froze over, and he was a demonic being born straight from hell, ready to eradicate all life for miles, and tear out the man's bowels with his teeth alone.

. . .

Naomi thought her face must have turned to mush – she didn't feel anything any longer, not even pain.

Holding her again by the hair, he picked her off the ground, as if she weighed no more than a feather, when the door flew open with a bang! to reveal an immense, terrifying shadow.

Her violator, caught unawares, had the immediate reflex to use her as a shield, brandishing a knife against her throat.

And he began to laugh, uproariously, particularly once he saw Kaiba stop in shock.

"Your bitch, Kaiba. I've gone and made a little beauty outta her, haven't I?"

And it was upon this horrible vision that he discovered her again: blood streaming out of her, and between the hands of some wretched bastard.

Nothing remained of the magnificent creature he so ardently desired. Though the atrophied expression, he could barely see her look at him.

Kaiba staggered backwards, seized with the will to both kill him and vomit simultaneously.

Too late. Too late… he repeated to himself, half-hysteric, on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Stand back!" shouted the man, certain he had the upper hand against Kaiba.

The look Kaiba gave him was saturated with blood and vengeance. He looked like the solitary, ferocious wolf he had been his entire life: but this time, his search for blood was real.

"You have signed your death warrant," he whispered, overcome by a devastating hatred. "Whatever happens, you will not leave here alive."

I promise, Naomi.

And more than all of the others combined, he would keep this one.

His fists had curled so tightly he had no doubt that even bone could not pierce them.

Naomi threatened him silently, trying to drag herself off the ground. Her body did not respond; it had become so soft she could no longer stand.

It was humiliating to be reduced to this helpless state. Because Kaiba was there to see her, and she knew her life depended on him now.

If she had been happy, even relieved to see it happen, it still hurt, deep within her. She would have wanted, a million times over, that it could have been somebody else. Anybody but him.

"Whatever you do… you will never leave!" Kaiba reaffirmed.

The man hesitated for a long time, trying to evaluate the validity of Kaiba's words. Of course he could see the rage flaming in the pupils of Kaiba's eyes. He also understood that he would be no match against them all. But Kaiba's reaction – he understood he didn't have just a simple hostage in his hands.

So he clung to her more aggressively, focusing on the fact that Kaiba could not hurt him if she stayed between them.

Come on, Naomi! One last time. Please! Kaiba begged her, silently.

He understood the pitiful state she was in, but he was hoping for a miracle. Because he would not risk her life: even if he would never accept letting the bastard leave….

Roland came to move forward, as disgusted as any of the men in the hangar, but the man yanked Naomi against him again.

Naomi… just a distraction… a little… eensy-weensy… I'm waiting for… I know you can hear me, Naomi.

Kaiba did not let his bloodthirsty stare wander off of the man.

Despite her lack of strength, understanding that they were in a dilemma Kaiba could not escape, nor want to escape, Naomi slowly, without sudden movements, raised her hands once more.

She understood he wouldn't risk her life. Or what was left of it.

Yeah, Naomi… that's it!... you can do it!... a tiny little effort… then-!

Then what? She's going to go to bed as if nothing ever happened?

You're an idiot.

No… I only want to get out of here with you, Naomi.

"You creep! Let her go!" Mokuba shouted, passionately, shaking his fist in the air.

It was him who gave the kickoff when he surged into the room, distracting everybody except for his brother – whose attention was riveted to his adversary's slightest movements. This was no time to be distracted: he only had one chance, and he couldn't screw up.

In a final burst, and taking advantage of the distraction that Mokuba had caused, Naomi managed to grab the hand that held the knife and push it away from her throat, at the same time head-butting him in the face. Then she sank to the floor.

Her attacker, stunned by the blow, bent to pick her up but Kaiba, was waiting for nothing short of this opportunity, flew upon him in a flurry of blows. Nothing could calm the fury he was unleashing upon him so rapidly.

His men hesitated a moment to lend a hand to rescuing the young woman lying in her own blood on the floor. Only Mokuba had dared so far as to crouch beside her.

As if they all had the same thought at the same time, Kaiba stopped. Naomi…

He hadn't yet finished with this dipshit, though.

In a single, fluid movement, he threw himself to his knees upon the ground, where he delicately lifted Naomi into his arms, also sweetly staring into her bloodied face.

He was sick. So sick he had to furiously fight to hold back the tears beginning to appear in his otherwise beautifully polar-blue eyes.

Wasn't he the great Seto Kaiba? The one who could never show any sign of weakness?

"Naomi…" he called to her, very low.

I'm here, Naomi…

Her eyes partially opened, and she was completely out of it.

Yet, a very small grin wrinkled her face. A grin which filled Kaiba with misery, and tore his heart in two.

I'm so sorry, Seto. I tried to be as strong as… you…

"Se…to…" she breathed before her eyes closed again.

"Yeah…"

Naomi…

Had she been hoping for it, too?

In a rush, he saw himself in his limousine, when he had just won his bet.

I don't wish her any harm. I will not do her any harm. ANY harm…

Instinctively, he brought her against himself, trembling in rage and suffering.

He had ceased to keep his word.

It's dangerous to train in these parts.

"Sir… we'll take care of her," said a nurse, who apparently had just walked in.

But Kaiba could not get himself to let go. He was frozen to the bone.

"Sir," he repeated, "she needs urgent care."

Mokuba lightly placed his hand on his brother's arm, himself uncertain of his possible reaction.

Kaiba soon pulled himself together, just as soon as he had loosened his grip enough so as to let them take her away, away from him.

He stared at his hands and only saw blood. Again and forever, her blood. Hers.

And it was, again and forever, his fault. His.

For a brief moment, he wondered if recovering was even possible.

His eyes glazed over.

Shout. Kill. The animal instinct had won control.

"Mokuba… come with me."

He had scores to settle, to be sure.

The two walked into the other room, there where Naomi and Mokuba had been held prisoner for so long.

Nobody had moved: they were waiting for orders.

Only Naomi had left, carried out on a stretcher.

The kidnappers were encircled by a silent pack of men whose eyes remorselessly damned them.

"Tell me, Mokuba, who…" Seto murmured, growing quiet but who still had a glance full of acrimony which lingered on every single one of them.

Naturally, he didn't forget – nor would he ever – the bastard who had just chastised him so thoroughly, daring to laugh in his face. And it would end with him.

But he was looking among them for the one who would hold his tongue and would be entitled to all of his fury. He wanted the head of every guilty man. Of every single one who had dared to touch her.

"That one!" cried Mokuba, pointing at one of them with his finger.

He knew his brother enough to have guessed what he had in mind. And perhaps under different circumstances he would have objected to his brother's violent intentions. Yet he understood – as he felt it personally – all the repugnance his brother felt and trained upon the lot of them.

Whispering, he explained to Seto the scene when the knife was planted in her shoulder when she was trying to defend herself. Calmly and deeply, Kaiba breathed, and advanced towards the guilty.

As he went, he took a knife out of the sheath of one of his guards, who, while showing a most surprised expression, preferred to lower his eyes and let him take it.

Everyone held their breath.

"So… you think she understood something?" he asked the man, kicking him in the stomach and causing him to crumple to the ground. The man was terribly panicked.

Kaiba kept calm, and bent downwards.

"So… let's see. Was it like this?" he said, taking the knife and thrusting it into the man's own left shoulder.

The man screamed in pain.

"Mr. Kaiba!" yelled one of the policemen.

But the stern look the officer earned obliged him to keep silent. Nobody would dare obstruct the justice Kaiba was serving.

There was no longer anywhere inside him he could give to the human being who until then had been on the backburner inside of him. No. All of his life he had been told that he was pitiless. And it would doubtless be this moment he chose to prove how pitiless he could be.

"Or maybe it was like this," Kaiba said again, plunging the weapon directly into his other shoulder, almost like asking an existential question, and trying at the same time to answer it.

"Stop! Have pity!" cried the man torn by the blade.

A devilish grin flashed across Kaiba's face, followed by a sigh of disgust.

Pity? Is he fucking serious?

"You like that?" he asked, pressing the knife deeper into his victim. "So. You know something?"

Mokuba was speechless. He had never felt such ire, such fury, from his brother before. Common sense was begging him to try and intervene. But his heart, also, was shrieking for vengeance for all of the unnecessary cruelty he had seen.

Kaiba spat on the man, his easy prey.

"You're a pussy. And you know what?" he asked, his voice dripping with glee. "I bet you didn't even hear a sound escape from her mouth. Am I wrong?"

The guy didn't respond, completely horrified, trying to feel his shoulders with his hands while in an impossible pursuit to find an escape route, rolling around in vain on the floor.

Kaiba stood, still towering, and immobilized him by placing his foot on one of the wounded shoulders.

"Answer me!" he roared, shoving down energetically on the bleeding limb.

"No! You're right! She didn't say anything!" whimpered the criminal.

Slowly, Kaiba moved again, and his feet paused before the head of the gang, the same one who was behind it all.

He was paralyzed in fear.

"But… I didn't do anything… I didn't- " he tried defending himself.

"I told you, you piece of shit, that if anything happened to them, you would answer to me personally."

"But I never – aggghhh!" He was cut off when he received a forceful punch in the mandible.

Had he listened, Kaiba would have shot them all on the spot, finally settling his case. But what true vengeance could he have pulled from that?

Languorously, he finally moved, more determined than ever, towards Naomi's attacker, bringing his eyes of the deepest black to his.

Of course he hadn't forgotten. Of course he would never forget.

The thug was skittish, fearing the worst.

But Kaiba had once again mastered himself.

"Your agony will be very long and extremely painful. You will beg for death to come," Kaiba whispered into his ear, as if divulging a great secret.

Strangely, the man shivered.

Yeah, tremble, you piece of shit.

Because you will be the case in point that confirms MY set of rules…

He would understand the true meaning of the word:

TORTURE

I was supposed to do Chapter 9 tomorrow... we'll see... hopefully this will sate appetites for the coming week!