To the Victor Go the Spoils

I AM REALLY, REALLY SORRY! I've had this chapter finished for a good couple of WEEKS, but got held up by a couple of things...and for that, I apologize! There is good news, however...I have the rest of the story almost completely written. It'll probably take another couple of weeks, but this story will be complete before the end of the year. :) Thanks so much to those of you who reviewed; I really appreciate that you took the time out to comment!

Rating: T for dark themes: insanity, violence, language.

Pairings: Mild Puzzleshipping (on the side), some twisted, one-sided Prideshipping.

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh…I wouldn't have to think about being sued for not having one of these. ;)

Italics indicate thoughts or emphasis.

Seto glared down at the dueling arena from his place in the Executive Box. Gods, it was hot. Hot and stuffy and uncomfortable and hot. He was alone, save for Roland, who was standing near the door. But removing his tie was out of the question. No, no, he was the King of Games and the King of Games had to be perfectly buttoned and in control. Kings must act kingly, kingly and regal and cold and cold and cold…but gods, it was hard to be cold when it was so damned hot.

Of course, he had never had a problem. He had always been the epitome of poise, even when angry. Why the fuck was it so hot? So hot, like fire, like burning fire, but he hated fire, he hated fire…

Fuck. Seto growled under his breath as his brain was bombarded with images. Words. Images and words and images and words and fire. Those red-violet eyes, so calm but burning, aflame with emotion in a face of stone, a face of sharpness, of regality and calm and fire…tinged with yellow, bolts of yellow, lightning and power and lightning and GODS BE DAMNED that fire would never fucking die, never ever, not even when he should have been beaten, should have broken, beaten, broken, lost.

But he did lose. Seto knew that. He knew and knew with every cell in his body that the pharaoh had lost. And that means the fire is mine. MINEmineMINEmineMINE, he is MINE. He would break him. He would. He would, he would. The fire would truly belong to him, truly belong, but only once it was quenched and wet and thrown to the ground and he should have BEEN doused already but goddamnit he wasn't and it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair, the fire wouldn't leave him alone but he didn't want it to…

Wild cheers interrupted his thoughts. Who was dueling anyway? His eyes flicked up to the scoreboard. Ah, yes, it was the semifinals' final duel, the duel that would decide who fought the King of Games. Him. Ice and cold and ice was the new King of Games, and he would show them all who deserved it all, he would show them all that fire was doomed to fail…

"AND THE WINNER OF THE SEMIFINALS HAS BEEN DECIDED!" The booming voice of the announcer reverberated through the stadium, and through his head. "GIVE IT UP FOR YUGI MOTOU!"

WHAT?

Wild cheers. Wild. Screaming. Like him, his mind, his everything.

Sure enough, a platform was lowering a small figure with spiky hair to the ground. Seto's head nearly exploded. Yugi? That worthless other fucking half of HIM, of HIM, is the semifinalist? Outrage mixed with glee mixed with satisfaction. Of course, the protégé of the FORMER King of Games would win everything; he would try to win his precious pharaoh's title back, no doubt, but oh, things were different now…he had ground Yugi into the dirt and Yugi knew it and surely Yugi was afraid of him and the whole world would see him cower and he'd have the matched pair at his feet. Yes, yesyes, that was a good plan.

Where was he, anyway? Azure eyes narrowed, scanning the dueling area. A barely controlled sneer and spike of contempt flickered through him as he spotted a mop of sandy blonde hair bouncing towards his best friend. Of course the stupid dog would be there. Second-rate, second to his friends, but still there, still there and there and fueling the fire, supporting the fire…

There—there! There, there he was. Red-violet eyes alight, first to reach the smaller duelist, grabbing his sickly sweet little partner in a one-armed hug. Seto growled softly; how dare that stupid shrimp hug him like that? How dare he, as if the red-violet eyes were his, as if HE HIMSELF did not own EVERYTHING and everything and EVERYTHING that was Yami's. HE WAS HIS, GODDAMNIT, DON'T YOU DARE FUCKING TOUCH HIM. Gods, he hated that brat, hated how the shrimp touched him, smiled at him, gods be fucking damned, he had NO RIGHT to look at him like that! NO right, no right, NONE; HE BELONGED TO HIM, NOT THE SHRIMP; GODDAMNIT, GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS AWAY FROM MY FIRE.

But wait…what was this? Didn't HE know? Not pushing away, not broken, not beaten. The former King of Games, grinning like an absolute idiot, looking proud as a peacock as the crowd cheered the midget's name. You'd think he won the stupid thing himself, goddamnit, how the fuck can a fucking idiot like that call himself royalty? Royalty was cold and controlled and cold. Yes, go on, pharaoh, show the world what a fucking farce you are…

Vaguely, he could hear the announcer shout to the crowd that Yugi Motou would be facing Seto Kaiba, unbeaten King of Games, in one final duel. He stood, smirking, as thousands of pairs of eyes blinked towards him. This was what he deserved; this was what he had wanted.

Then two sets of violet eyes met his. One set held coolness, a crystal-sharp challenge. The other set held fire. Gods, so much fire…passion and anger and calm and confidence and pride and happiness and fire. And golden, regal fire it was…But that cool crystal, that was the one who dared touch what was his. He would pay, just like last time, he would pay and pay and pay until he was ground to the ground for touching what was his and his and his alone.

"Sir?" Roland had stepped tentatively to his side. Seto looked at him. "You'd better go downstairs, sir. The break is for half an hour, and I know you need to…prepare yourself."

Ah, yes. The break before the final match. All the duelists would be in the Duelists' Lounge, no doubt grabbing at all the food they could get their hands on. Perhaps he could have a chat with his opponent. Or…him. He was his, he belonged to him, and no fucking SHRIMP could make him think otherwise. It was high time he learned the REAL order of things.

It was high time he learned that Seto Kaiba was not a ruler known for mercy.

...

Yugi's cheeks were starting to hurt from grinning so much, but he didn't care. Congratulating his opponent on a duel well fought, he made his way into the Duelists' Lounge, Yami and Joey by his side. Yami in particular was just as excited as he was; the look on his face when Yugi descended from the platform was worth more than all the titles and trophies in the world.

Things couldn't have gone better. They'd seen neither hide nor hair of Kaiba until the opening ceremony before the competition, and that had been only from a distance. He'd sat in the fancy Executive Box high in the stadium, only once or twice glancing in their direction. Perfectly buttoned up, not a hair out of place, just like normal. While he knew perfectly well that beneath the surface, Kaiba was anything but normal, the lack of threats, muttering or creepily obsessive looks reassured him. Maybe things would be just fine after all.

"Aw MAN, Yug, when he had that trap combo on ya, I thought you were a GONER," Joey was saying for the third time. "But then…aw MAN, I STILL don't know exactly what ya did!"

Yami and Yugi laughed. "It was a brilliant move, aibou," his other half said, beaming proudly. "You'll have Kaiba beaten in no time if you keep this up!"

Pride swelled within him; he thought he could burst with happiness. "Thanks, Yami," he said, positively glowing.

"MAN, I'M STARVIN'," his best friend declared. "C'mon, guys, the food's gonna be GONE by the time we get there! WALK FASTER!" He playfully grabbed Yugi's wrist and tugged him in the direction of the Lounge. "Yo. Food. NOW."

Yami laughed again. "Actually, I need to use the bathroom," he said, heading for a different exit. "You two go ahead without me; I won't be long."

"Wait, royalty actually goes to the little boys' room?" Joey gasped in mock surprise.

Yami smirked over his shoulder. "Actually, we go to the BIG boys' room. Too bad you don't qualify."

Yugi nearly doubled over laughing as Joey sputtered, trying to come up with a witty response. Failing that, he faked a glower at his very unsympathetic best friend. "Oh come on, ya shrimp, or I'll eat YOU."

...

Yami made his way down the polished hallway in high spirits, heading for the men's room. He was so proud of his hikari, and more than impressed with some of the strategies he'd come up with. He'd have to ask him how he thought up that last one; that was ingenious, and had gotten him a comeback that culminated in a round defeat for his opponent.

Things were certainly going better than he'd expected. Despite his reassurances to Yugi, he'd expected Kaiba to threaten him again, at the very least. But it seemed the billionaire was keeping himself under tight control, and he'd barely seen the CEO at all.

He frowned slightly to himself. There was, however, the slight exchange after Yugi's win was announced. He'd looked up at Kaiba's booth to see the CEO giving his aibou a look that was predatory and full of hatred…and another emotion he couldn't quite place…which didn't make any sense, since he was the one Kaiba hated so much.

Whatever the case may be, he thought to himself, I warned him that if he laid a FINGER on Yugi after what he put him through, there would be hell to pay. And there will. Ra damn me to an afterlife of suffering if I let him hurt my hikari EVER again.

He took care of business quickly, wanting to return to the Lounge as fast as possible. Not that he doubted security could handle a crazed Kaiba, but he still felt the need to protect his partner himself. He supposed it was a leftover of the old connection they had shared.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice a tall figure following him back down the hallway. Until…

"Well, well," a soft, sickeningly familiar voice breathed, practically into his ear, which made him jump. "If it isn't his royal highness, crownless and among the rabble."

He should have known things were going way too well to last. He turned and looked up, keeping his expression calm and neutral, meeting bloodshot sky-blue eyes. "Yes, I do mingle every so often," he said with a not-so-subtle hint of sarcasm. Perhaps he should be more cautious, but the fact that Kaiba was here meant that he was not threatening Yugi. And Yami intended to keep things that way. "But I must say, I'm not used to such…enthusiastic greetings from you. What do you want?"

A snicker. No, that wasn't right…it was almost a giggle. If you could ever say that Seto Kaiba giggled. Kaiba's expression twisted into a disturbing leer, his eyes burning with a kind of crazed passion. "You."

Yami wasn't quite sure what to make of his answer. "…Come again?" He definitely didn't like the look on his face. If he didn't know better, he'd think he was implying…but did he know better now? More than one person had warned him how unstable Kaiba had become.

"Heh," Kaiba stepped forward, the leer not leaving his face as his eyes bored into Yami's own. "It seems you've forgotten the terms of our agreement."

The terms? Yami was perplexed; the terms had been perfectly clear, and he'd adhered to all of them. He raised an eyebrow in skepticism, warily watching as Seto took another step forward, bringing him uncomfortably close and causing Yami to look up farther. Gods, being short has so many disadvantages, he thought irritably, backing up a step.

"Oh don't think you can get away that easily," Seto all but purred, smirking nastily. "When I win, I win everything. Your title. Your cards. Your glory. And that means, I win you."

Oh dear gods, he thought, both suppressing a shudder and bristling at the insult. Yugi had been right; Kaiba was obsessed. Swallowing the revulsion that wormed its way up his throat, he glowered up at the crazed CEO and said, "You're out of your mind. The terms were clear, I accepted them, and adhered to them. It's over." He turned to walk away.

The reaction was instantaneous. A hand grabbed his jacket, and before he could even move, he was slammed against the wall, Kaiba's fist clutching the collar of his jacket. He brought his face to within an inch of Yami's, who recoiled back instinctively.

"The fuck it's over," Kaiba snarled, his face an ugly mask of anger. "You're mine, you fucking pharaoh, MINE," he shoved him harder against the wall; Yami tried to keep calm, looking for a way to break free, "and I will fucking break you like you deserve," his other hand came up and fisted itself in Yami's hair; he resisted the urge to wince, concentrating on finding Seto's weak point, "Broken, that's what you should be, fucking broken, but no, no, no you're not yet, you're not…But I'll do it, I will, I'll fucking crush you…"

He shifted and Yami saw his chance. Snarling, half in fear, half in fury, he brought his knee up sharply, right between Kaiba's legs. The grip on his hair and collar loosened as the CEO grunted in pain, and Yami broke free, shoving him to the side as hard as he could. He whirled to face a doubled-over Kaiba, backing up, not wanting to turn his back on him again. "I will NEVER belong to you," he growled, half-shaken and half-insulted. "Never. You're fucking insane, and I'll be damned if I let you threaten me or my hikari any longer." Almost there, almost to the corner. Once he got there, he could turn and run, but he would NOT run away while Kaiba could see him.

Blue eyes shot up to meet angered red-violet, and it seemed like something snapped. With a roar, Seto Kaiba dove forward. Yami jumped backward, but he wasn't quite fast enough. A vice-like grip closed on his arm and yanked. He reacted instinctively: he twisted, pulling in the other direction. Seto lost his balance and stumbled, and Yami brought his free hand into a fist, punching him in the eye as hard as he could. The grip loosened again, and he wrenched his arm free, only to get caught again as the taller man lunged for his wrist.

They struggled. They fought, one trying to overpower, the other trying to out-maneuver, in a dance of dangerous violence. Yami was sweating, concentrating on the fight, trying to maneuver them towards the exit.

He was strong. He knew it. However, facing a man nearly twice his height made manipulating their struggle a lot harder. And while Kaiba had surely lost his sanity, some part of him remembered how to fight. His grip remained cemented around Yami's right wrist, his other hand blocking most of his blows. Still, he kept fighting. He wouldn't give up, not here, not now, not ever…and he was getting close to the exit, much closer…

Suddenly, Kaiba was behind him, his arm snaking around Yami's neck in a chokehold. Yami stopped struggling as he tried to find his footing.

A snicker right by his ear sent a shiver down his spine. Gods, he was insane. He had to get away from him now. "Looks like the little pharaoh is caught," Seto sneered. Yami shifted slightly. Maybe, just maybe… "I win…Yami."

Yami reached up with his one free hand and grabbed a handful of Kaiba's hair. He bent double, pulling as hard as he could…and the crazed billionaire stumbled sideways and crashed into the floor, his head smacking the ground.

His intent had been to throw the CEO over his shoulder, but whatever worked, he would take. Wrenching free, he ran down the hall, hoping fervently that he would find help through the doors. There was no way he could finish this alone.

...

Four plates of food later, Yugi was wondering if Joey had indeed eaten his weight in food.

"Joey, come on," he laughed, watching as his best friend polished off the last of his fries. "You're going to get sick if you keep that up."

"No way, man," Joey licked his fingers and grinned. "I feel like I could run a marathon or somethin'!" He leaned back into his chair. "But right now, I think I'll just relax."

The other duelists in the Lounge had similar ideas, it seemed. The spacious, airy room was full of the quiet chatter that came after a good meal, provided by the excellent caterers that Mokuba had arranged for. Plush chairs and couches upholstered in creamy leather surrounded low coffee tables, dotting the dark blue carpet, and one wall was made entirely of glass, giving those inside a view of the dueling area. Having dueled in the KaibaLand Dome more times than he could count, Yugi had become more than familiar with the area, but every so often, it was nice to sit back and appreciate the taste and comfort. The Kaibas certainly knew how to treat their guests well.

Yugi glanced at his watch and frowned. Fifteen minutes remained of the half-hour break, and he had seen neither hide nor hair of his other half. The plate of food he'd saved for him had gotten cold, sitting on a table nearby.

It wasn't like Yami to take this long. Even if he had met someone he knew on the way back, he should have returned by now. Yugi bit his lip. He was probably worrying too much; Yami often got stopped by fans or acquaintances, even down in the private area of the Dome.

Yugi looked around. His fellow duelists were all chatting with each other, wandering from group to group. A few waves occasionally were sent his way, and he returned them. A few sore losers were complaining, but most were going over some of the previous duels or exchanging tips. Everything seemed to be normal. Even Kaiba was…was…

…not in the room.

That was odd. Kaiba always came to the Lounge before the finals began, whether or not he was actually dueling. He wasn't particularly sociable, but he was always there.

Come to think of it, Yugi hadn't seen him come into the room at all.

He swallowed hard, feeling very nervous. He had to be jumping to conclusions. Calm down, he told himself. Just because Kaiba isn't here and Yami isn't back yet doesn't mean that something's happened. You're acting paranoid.

"Yug?" Joey tapped him on the shoulder, looking concerned. "You okay?"

To hell with looking paranoid. He knew Joey would understand. "Joey," he said quietly, "You haven't seen Kaiba here at all, have you?"

Joey stared at him for a moment. "Y'know," he said slowly, "I haven't heard one mutt comment all day. That's effin' weird. He's always here insultin' us by now."

"That's what I was thinking," Yugi said. His stomach was churning now. "And Yami hasn't been back since he left for the bathroom…"

"…So you're thinkin' that Kaiba's gotten to him?" Joey frowned. "It ain't like you to jump to conclusions like this, Yug. Yeah, it's weird, but you know how Yami is. He's probably got five girls surroundin' him right now. And hey, you know those fans of his would kill anyone who tried to hurt him." He smiled to show his humor, but Yugi could see that his mind was starting to turn in the same direction as his own.

It was just too much of a coincidence. And things had been going almost too smoothly so far. He'd promised himself he'd keep an eye out around his other half, and he intended to hold himself to it.

"All the same, I think I'm going to go look for him," he said, putting his own plate down and rising.

Joey sighed. "All right, man. I'll follow ya in a few. Just gotta throw this crap away," he gestured to the pile of empty plates in front of him.

Yugi nodded and headed for the hallway. If something had happened to him, or even if he'd gotten stopped by a fan, he'd probably be somewhere between here and the bathrooms, and that was as good a place to start as any.

The halls were quiet. They were usually pretty quiet, since the Lounge area was restricted to duelists and security only, but it set his nerves on edge. No noise meant that Yami was not nearby.

Around one corner. He realized he was tip-toeing and nearly started laughing; though, whether out of humor or nerves, he couldn't quite tell. Come on, he thought, This isn't a library, and it isn't a sneak attack. Relax. He took a breath and kept going.

Another corner. One end led to the dueling arena. He glanced at the windowed double doors before starting down the other side. Then, he stopped short, running back to the doors; he could've sworn he saw a streak of red and black hair rush by.

He peeked into the arena. No, nothing…it must've been a figment of his imagination. He was far too edgy; he had to calm down.

Suddenly, he saw Kaiba burst through an exit further down, running at full speed. But at what? His eyes followed the CEO's gaze and he gasped.

Yami. Running towards the wrong end of the arena, away from the Lounge. Away from Kaiba…who was gaining on him and gaining fast.

Anger coursed through him; anger at Kaiba for harassing his other half yet again, and anger at himself for not staying with Yami in the first place.

There was no time to run for help or call security. Yami needed him. Now.

He shoved open the doors and ran at full speed. Hang on, he thought, adrenaline rushing through his veins. I'm coming.

...

Yami couldn't tell whether Kaiba was behind him or still in the hall. The pounding of his feet and the sound of his ragged breathing were all he could hear. He'd reached the arena, thank Ra. Being out in the open made him feel much better about his chances should Kaiba jump him again; it also made the chances of finding a security guard much higher, and he needed help. He knew it; he couldn't overpower that deranged psycho in the hallway. But he had to make sure Yugi was safe. For all he knew, Kaiba had gone for him instead. Gods, Yugi couldn't get hurt again, he just couldn't…

Suddenly, he realized he was running the wrong way. The Duelists' Lounge was to the left around the dueling platforms, not the right. He slowed a bit, wondering whether to just loop around the platforms or turn around.

Footsteps. Behind him. And a voice. "Lost, pharaoh?" Oh gods, he thought, speeding up again.

Laughter. Insane laughter that rang through the vast chamber. "You cannot run forever, King of Games," Kaiba crowed. Was he getting closer? "You're mine, you fucking pharaoh, MINE, GODDAMNIT, MINEMINEMINE, and I'll catch you, I'll catch you catch you eventually!"

"Fuck you, Kaiba," he growled over his shoulder. Yugi was his partner, but he belonged to no one, especially not a demented, crazed Seto Kaiba. He should fight; he should teach him that once and for all—

A great weight slammed into his back, knocking him flat on his face. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see; he struggled violently, trying to push himself up, trying to crawl away from whatever was on top of him. An arm encircled his chest, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Checkmate," Kaiba sneered into his ear. "For you, and for your precious fucking hikari."

Yami growled, kicking with all his strength, mentally shouting in victory when his heel connected with what had to be Kaiba's shin. The arm loosened and he rolled, jumping to his feet.

"Think again," he snapped. He was angry now, truly furious, and he would take Kaiba down for the last time. For himself and for Yugi and all the trouble he'd caused over the past few weeks.

The lanky CEO climbed to his feet and he shifted his weight, preparing to fight. "Don't you dare touch him again," he snarled. And before Seto had a chance to blink, he launched himself forward, attacking with all his strength, forcing him backwards.

Kaiba was cursing at him now, cursing and flailing, blocking some of his punches but caught far too off-guard. "I will not," he continued, punctuating every other word with a blow, "be part of your twisted game. You own nothing. And I'll be damned before I EVER let myself or Yugi be ruled by the likes of you."

Kaiba's head snapped up, and Yami saw the insanity and obsession flare up in his eyes, the uncontrolled rage that twisted the normally stoic face into the visage of a monster. A monster that had finally broken its bounds.

"YOU BELONG TO ME,"he thundered, lunging at the smaller duelist and throwing him off balance. "YOU'RE MINE, I FUCKING WON, I FUCKING WON EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING." Yami could barely tell whose fists were whose now; they were brawling like drunken thugs in a bar, not caring for finesse or honor, just flat-out trying to beat each other down. "I WILL BREAK YOU, I'LL FUCKING BREAK YOU I WILL I WILL, THAT FUCKING FIRE WILL DIE, THE COLDANDICE AND COLD WILL FUCKING BREAK YOU AND YOU'LL BE MINEMINEMINEMINE…"

A kick. Kaiba stumbled. Twisted. Yami felt his breath leave his lungs as something slammed into his stomach. Then his head. Stumbling blindly, trying desperately to regain control; he had to recover, he needed time…

A grip on his arm, and his back slammed against one of the dueling platforms, his head connecting so hard, he saw stars; a shadow blocked the light shining in his eyes. Kaiba. He growled, ready to start again.

"You will be mine," he snarled, quietly this time. "I will fucking break you into a million fucking pieces, until you scream for mercy." One hand closed around Yami's throat and squeezed lightly. Gods, he was insane. His eyes burned with hatred and obsession; they were frightening. Yami felt his lungs struggle to take a deep breath. "But I don't show mercy," his voice was softer now. "You'll be cowering on the ground, a fucking shell, and no one wants a broken fucking toy and then I'll have won and won and won and you'll be fucking finished. That fire…" his other hand reached up, shaking, stroking Yami's cheekbone and making him shudder; it was getting a lot harder to breathe. "That fire…that fire will be mine…broken and cold and burnt out and mine…cold at last…lost at last…"

Yami clutched at the hand squeezing his windpipe, trying to draw it away. "I…" he gasped, glaring into Kaiba's face, determined to defy him to the end, "will NEVER…belong to you."

Kaiba raised his hand and Yami felt the force of the slap ring through his skull. "Yes you will…" he whispered hoarsely. "My little fire…submit," he commanded. "Submit and I'll let you go…no one will touch that worthless fucking shrimp of yours, just submit…" The hand tightened.

Yami gasped as his airways tightened further. He managed to look back up. And spat in the taller man's face, trying to wrench his hand away from his throat.

But Kaiba was too fast. He snarled, and lifted Yami off the floor, slamming him back into the wall so hard, his ears rang.

"If you won't be mine," he said, the crazed fire sharpening to a deadly glare. "Then you'll be dead." Both hands snaked around his throat, crushing his windpipe. His body reacted, panicking as it lost its air supply, and he struggled, feet flailing a foot above the ground, fingers clawing at the hands around his neck.

There was a rushing in his ears. Kaiba was sneering at him, saying something, but he could barely make out the words. The stars popping into his vision were exploding; he had no control of his body, trying frantically to free itself from the clutch of death. He couldn't breathe; oh gods, he couldn't breathe and he could feel himself losing the fight; it was getting harder and harder to fight back. But he had to, he had to, for his freedom, for Yugi…

Yugi, he thought, his thoughts slow and muddled. His hikari's smiling face swam before his eyes, those beautiful amethyst eyes softly gazing into his own. I tried so hard to protect you, aibou…

Yugi said nothing, just smiled gently.

His vision darkened. The illusion slowly faded. Aibou…stay with me…stay…

His mind unraveled. He no longer knew which way was up or down. As though from a distance, he felt his struggles slow.

Yami…Yami...

His name…his aibou was calling his name…was he…

Yami!

Darkness took him.

I know, I'm really mean to leave it there. DON'T HURT ME PLEASE! *ducks and hides*

Thanks, as always, to Toxic Hathor for being lovely and beta-ing this for me, in the midst of her intense med school schedule. :)

Next chapter: The exciting conclusion!