To the Victor Go the Spoils
Once again, I've made you all wait far too long. My apologies! Well, I promised things would get more exciting and they will. Not quite yet...but very soon! (I thought I'd get to some of it this chapter, but sometimes things end up writing themselves a bit and it turned out longer than I expected.)
Rating: T for dark themes: insanity, violence, language.
Pairings: Mild Puzzleshipping (on the side), some twisted, one-sided Prideshipping.
Disclaimer: Y'know, I have so little to call my own that suing me really wouldn't gain ya much. ;)
Italics indicate thoughts, emphasis or articles.
"I still think this is a bad idea," Yugi sighed for the umpteenth time, tucking his deck into the small belt pouch he always wore and checking his desk to make sure he didn't leave any cards behind.
Yami rolled his eyes, leaning against the doorway to Yugi's room. "Yugi, Kaiba hasn't bothered either of us in the past couple of weeks. I'm sure it'll be fine."
Yugi faced his other half, frowning. Yes, and that's what worries me. You'd think that after that press conference and all the stories that were written about it, he would've at least tried to rub it in his face… "It's you I'm worried about, not me. Haven't you heard the rumors going around?" Disturbing rumors…he wasn't usually one to believe a bunch of gossip, but these didn't seem to be the gross exaggerations that were the norm.
"Which ones?" Yami asked dryly. "The ones about me plotting to kill Kaiba in his sleep or the ones that still hail me as the King of Games, complete with crown and scepter?"
"Oh stop," Yugi said, amusement quirking his lips into a momentary smile. "I've seen you with a crown and scepter, remember. You looked ridiculous." Yami chuckled, his expression a mix of mock outrage and humor. "But that's not what I meant. I mean the ones about Kaiba. How he's slowly going off the deep end. He's been seen muttering to himself in public, and…well, it's like he has this crazed obsession with you."
He realized that came out sounding more laughable than it really was, and Yami's skeptical expression confirmed it. "Kaiba's been obsessed with beating me for years, Yugi. That's nothing new." Yugi's exasperation must have shown on his face, because he continued, "Aibou…it's just a tournament. A KaibaCorp tournament, yes, but it's been well publicized and tickets for it sold out yesterday. We'll be in public the entire time; he won't be able to do anything with all the fans, press and security that will be there. I'm not even dueling."
Yes, a KaibaCorp tournament hosted by Kaiba, who's out for your blood, and you won't even be on the dueling field. That's a GREAT reason to go, Yugi thought mutinously. "All the more reason for you to stay home," he said, not willing to back down.
Yami raised an eyebrow. "And not support you? Don't be ridiculous. This is the first big tournament where I'm not dueling as your partner…or even a friendly rival, for that matter. You've supported me dozens of times when I've dueled alone; now it's my turn."
Affection for his darker half mixed with his exasperation at his stubbornness. "I appreciate that; I really, really do. But when your safety is at risk…"
To his surprise, Yami laughed outright. "Aibou, considering everything we've been through, I really don't think talking about safety risks is a very valid argument."
Yugi had to laugh in return. He had a point…How many times had they risked their lives for something? Both of them had come dangerously close to death's door more than once. Still… "I just don't want you to get hurt," he said soberly. "Kaiba's dangerous, and he's only gotten worse since the whole kidnapping thing. There's no telling what he could be up to." The thought of Kaiba hurting Yami made his stomach twist unpleasantly.
Yami smiled. He walked up to Yugi, wrapping his arms around his lighter half. Yugi hugged him back fiercely, feeling oddly protective. "And if something happens to you, aibou, while I'm safe here?" Yugi didn't quite have an answer to that. They stayed that way for a moment before breaking apart. "I'll be careful, all right? And I'm going to watch you kick the competition out of the water." That confident smile still made Yugi slightly weak at the knees, though he certainly was not about to tell Yami that little detail.
Putting aside his misgivings, he smiled back and headed for the door. "Thanks. And hey, you never know…I might be the King of Games when we get home."
Yami followed, smirking. "Yes…but be careful. You may have a very short reign."
"In your dreams, Yami."
...
Mokuba paced the KaibaLand Duel Dome security office nervously. In about an hour, the contestants for the afternoon's tournament would show up; it was his job to hand them their laminates, instruct them on security measures and show them their private lounge where they could relax and grab a bite between duels. He'd already checked to make sure the caterers were setting up and had the laminates and security packets in neat stacks on the desk next to him. No big deal; he'd done all this before.
It was his brother who was making him nervous. His brother, and two duelists whom he hadn't heard from in a couple of weeks.
He had known Seto wouldn't take well to the press coverage of the conference. When he'd come down to breakfast the day afterward and glanced at his brother's customary stack of newspapers, he'd nearly choked at the headlines. They were far too biased in the former pharaoh's favor; he'd known Seto would have flipped. So he'd casually grabbed all but the financial papers and hidden them from his brother's view, hoping to keep the disastrous articles from reaching his ears.
Unfortunately, it seemed that KaibaCorp's sizeable PR department had handed him the news anyway. And it hadn't gone over well.
Seto had gotten progressively worse since that day. Mokuba wasn't sure if Seto actually lived in reality anymore. He'd heard him muttering incoherently to himself more than once…and in public a couple of times. His brother – the epitome of cool self-control! – muttering to himself, so disheveled it almost looked like he'd been fighting, sometimes stopping cold to stare at a picture of Yami in a newspaper or magazine (the news about Seto claiming the King of Games title still hadn't worn off)…it was like he was possessed. Or obsessed. Obsessed and out of his mind.
It scared Mokuba more than anything to see him like this, because there was no telling what his brother would do anymore. Especially to Yami or Yugi if he saw them again. And both were showing up at the tournament today.
Which was why he was nervously waiting for Roland to arrive. There were some things he needed to go over with their head of security that Seto couldn't know about.
He sighed to himself, considering the risks involved for his two friends. Only Yugi was dueling; since the winner of the semi-finals would face Seto himself, and Yami had given his word not to attempt to regain his former title, he hadn't registered. However, he was still being given a laminate. It just wouldn't be right to exclude one of the world's best and most famous duelists from the Duelists' Lounge simply because he'd lost his title to Seto.
Besides…Seto hadn't actually won the title fair and square, anyway. And given his recent history with the two, Mokuba was not inclined to separate them and make them easier targets. Not with his brother nearby, his sanity hanging by a thread and all of his ire focused on the "former" King of Games.
The door to the office opened. Mokuba stopped pacing and heaved a sigh of relief when Roland stepped into the room. "Hi, Roland," he managed a smile. "Glad to see you made it."
"You said it was important, sir," the older man said, looking at him with a measure of concern in his eyes.
"It is," Mokuba took a breath. "Roland, I'm pretty sure you know what I'm worried about."
He nodded. "Your brother has a lot of the staff nervous, sir," he said. "I've actually doubled the usual amount of security, though many of them are in plain clothes."
A weight seemed to lift off his shoulders, and Mokuba smiled in relief. Roland was perceptive and was usually a step or two ahead of both Mokuba and Seto when it came to security of any kind. "Great job," he said. "That was one of the things I wanted to suggest."
The bodyguard nodded in acknowledgement. "And the others?"
Mokuba considered his next words. "I need you to keep a close eye on Yugi and Yami," he said. "Not because they'd do anything, but…well, you've seen Seto lately," he swallowed nervously. "He…he's obsessed with Yami. At least I think he is. And Roland…Yugi…" he paused, unsure of how to phrase what he wanted to say properly.
The older man, however, understood. "Yugi was kidnapped and assaulted at the hands of your brother." Mokuba nodded sadly. "So you want to make sure he and the King of Games are safe from Mr. Kaiba's…erratic behavior."
Mokuba decided not to correct Roland on the 'King of Games' thing. They both knew the truth. "If you could spare a couple pairs of eyes," he said. "I know they can take care of themselves. But…I'd just feel a lot better if there was someone keeping an eye on them in case Seto goes nuts."
Roland thought for a moment. "I can put two men on the job," he said. "They'll be put with the guards stationed in and near the Duelists' Lounge so it won't look suspicious." After a couple of experiences with rabid fans, guards were stationed near the duelists at most tournaments these days. An extra pair wouldn't look out of place at all…and in the state he was in, Seto probably wouldn't even notice.
"That sounds great. Thanks, Roland," he said. "Let's hope nothing happens."
"Indeed, sir," he responded gravely.
...
Yugi approached the KaibaLand Duel Dome with some apprehension, Yami beside him. They didn't need to report to the duelists' area for another 15 minutes, but Yugi knew Mokuba would already be ready with their passes. The younger Kaiba was exceptionally brilliant in his own right; it was a shame he didn't often get recognized for it. Yugi didn't know too many other twelve-year-olds who could handle the responsibilities Mokuba was often designated to.
He had a bad feeling about this tournament. Or maybe it was just nerves; now that he was actually here, he was feeling a bit jittery. He never was one for huge crowds. They made him nervous, and nervousness made him lose his concentration far more easily.
Yami seemed to sense his mood and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Keep breathing," he said reassuringly. "You'll be fine."
"Easy for you to say," he muttered, though he was half-kidding. Up ahead, he saw a short figure with a mop of black hair wave at them. He waved back.
"Hi, Mokuba," he smiled at the younger Kaiba, who was standing near a small table stacked with laminates and brochures. He looked slightly stressed, but otherwise happy to see them. "Busy already?"
"Actually, you two are the first to arrive," he said, flipping through the stack of passes to find their names. "Yami, I made sure you got a pass, even though you aren't dueling. Wouldn't do for the King of Games to not have one just because he wasn't dueling!" He laughed a bit, but it sounded slightly strained.
"Former King of Games," Yami corrected automatically; he'd had to do that a lot lately.
Mokuba looked up at them, his expression both nervous and stressed. "Yes, well…" he trailed off. Yugi understood. All three of them knew what had really happened.
"It's good to see you again," Yami continued smoothly. "I do apologize for not staying in touch."
Yugi nodded. "We figured Kaiba wouldn't be too pleased to hear you talking to us," he added.
Mokuba suddenly looked sad. "No, he really wouldn't've," he mumbled, looking down. "He's been…strange." Yugi felt for him. If the rumors were true, Kaiba was losing his sanity more and more by the day. It couldn't be easy for his brother to watch. He placed a hand on the younger Kaiba's shoulder in silent comfort.
Yami spoke up. "He hasn't hurt you, has he?" he asked, concern on his features. That was Yami, always worrying about everyone else. Then again, he himself was the same way.
Mokuba looked up at the former pharaoh. "No, he hasn't, he said quietly. "But I keep out of his way. It's like he's no longer himself; no one knows what he'll do. Actually," he added, as though a thought had struck him, "if you notice a couple of security guys watching you, don't get nervous. I want to make sure you two are going to be safe."
Yugi was touched. That was really thoughtful of him, he thought. I never did thank him for trying to help get me out of Kaiba's basement… "Thanks a lot, Mokuba," he said, smiling at the younger boy.
"I'm sure things will be fine," Yami added. "But it means a lot."
"I hope so, too," the younger Kaiba said. A couple of duelists walked up behind them, and Mokuba handed Yugi and Yami their passes and security packets. "You two know the drill; just go through that door and to your left and you'll see signs for the Duelists' Lounge. Best of luck, Yugi," he smiled.
They'd barely gotten to the door when they heard a shout. "Oy, Yug! Yams!"
They turned, seeing Joey waving enthusiastically as he waited for Mokuba to find a pass. "You know, I do hate that nickname," Yami commented wearily, and Yugi burst out laughing, the tension draining from his shoulders. Yami had tried unsuccessfully to get Joey to stop calling him that, but the blond cheerfully persisted. Uncharacteristically, the King of Games had finally given up the fight.
He grinned at his best friend as he ran to catch up to them. "Hey Joey! I didn't know you were dueling, too!"
"'Course I am!" he grinned. "Someone's gotta give ya a real fight. And keep ya out of trouble, o'course." Yami raised an eyebrow, looking amused. Joey pointedly ignored him. "Nervous, Yug?" he asked.
"A bit," he said. "You know how I am with big crowds."
"Meanin' you're just afraid of facin' me," Joey fake-leered at him as they walked inside. "Good, 'cause you're goin' down!"
Yugi and Yami both laughed, following the dim hallway to the airy Duelists' Lounge. Having Joey with them made Yugi feel a bit better.
Maybe he was worrying too much. If things went their way, they'd only see Kaiba at the beginning and end of the tournament, and he was sure to keep himself in check in public.
Still, he was going to keep a sharp eye out around his other half, whether he liked it or not.
Yes, I know Yami's nickname is slightly reminiscent of potatoes, but I figure Joey'd be the kind of person to stick something like that on him. ^_~
So! It may not look like it to you guys, but we're on the home stretch of this little fic. The excitement is going to happen soon! Hopefully it won't take me so long between updates next time. Thanks so much to all of you who have stuck with this story and left me such nice reviews!