Hey, sorry this chapter didn't come out as well as I might have hoped. And it jumps around between the times a lot. But anyway, here it is. Thank you ohmygodagiantrock for you review (ps, love your name)!
Chapter 11
Kaiba searched through the entire mansion, what seemed like an entire country, and found nothing. He found a few remains of guards, if you could call them remains, but that was all. He reluctantly decided to head back to the site of their old high school, realizing that the helicopter would be returning the next day and the journey back would be about a day's walk. He skulked off the mansion grounds and back over the brick wall. He decided to cut through a portion of the city to get back to the site faster and he set off in that direction.
Kaiba brushed some dust and dirt from his suit and walked confidently into the Kaiba Corporation building. He ignored the city around him and strode to the conference room where he was to meet with his board. He pulled out a pocket watch and checked it; he was right on time, as always, even without paying any special attention to arriving at the right time. He opened both doors wide and walked in. He didn't sit down, instead he just stood at the head of the table. "Good evening." All eyes were trained on him. He scanned the room and found an empty seat. "Where is he?" He narrowed his eyes at the seat and the board looked at the empty seat too.
The sun was setting, and Kaiba needed to find shelter. He began attempting to scan the horizon for anything that would suffice, but couldn't see much from all the rubble. He stared into the sky and then caught a train of dark smoke rising away. He followed it down with his eyes but couldn't find the source. It would only be a slight detour from his path, so he decided to go investigate. He came close to the source as the sun had nearly disappeared and he heard noise. He reached the peak of a sloping hill and stood on top, having found the source. In a clearing below were tents pitched and a fire glowing, with people in blankets gathered around it: a sort of refugee camp. He stood there, watching them mull around, fetching pales of water and comforting and warming children.
A rare spark of hope flared somewhere in Kaiba. Perhaps Mokuba would be here, safe and sound. He quickly stifled the emotion, though. He couldn't allow himself to get his hopes up. Instead, he casually began walking towards the camp. Soon, a thin, frail woman crouching by the fire with a blanket wrapped around her noticed the strange man walking toward the camp. She stood up and scampered off toward a tent and poked her head inside as she gently pushed the man inside, whispering loudly to try and wake him. "Bakura! … Bakura!" The white haired man, white hair still as long and untamed as ever groggily rolled over rubbing his head. "There's someone coming towards the camp." He lazily yawned and reached for the side of the tent, grabbing a shot gun laying there. He took it in his hands and the woman moved to allow him to get out of the tent. He started walking towards the person coming towards them, they couldn't distinguish him in the night.
Kaiba saw the white haired man, though in the dark he didn't know him. He lifted his hands into the air, "I mean no harm, I'm just looking for someone I know." Bakura had his shot gun pointed at the CEO, but he lowered it slightly at the faint recognition of the voice. He stood still for a moment trying to identify it in his memory to no avail. Suddenly it hit him. The shot gun fell to the ground and thudded as it hit the dirt.
"Kaiba?!" Kaiba lowered his arms and took a few steps forward, now his face being illuminated in the light of the fire. "Kaiba!" Bakura was ecstatic and he threw himself at the CEO who had his shoulders raised and was looking oddly at the thin man now wrapped around him.
"Bakura… What are you doing in Domino?" Bakura shook his head and smiled as he pulled away slightly from the CEO.
"I wasn't supposed to be here in Domino. I happened here by mistake. I was supposed to be on a connecting flight through Tokyo, but our flight got diverted from weather. We landed in Domino and were supposed to get a flight back to Tokyo about 30 minutes after the quake. I suppose I've always been unlucky though." Bakura fully dislodged himself from Kaiba only for another figure to fling herself at him. She was crying tears of joy into his shirt and clutching his shirt in her hands. She looked up at him with tear filled eyes.
"Oh Kaiba, it's so wonderful to see you're alive. I could see the Kaiba Corp building collapse when it happened." A few tears fell to the ground and she sniffled through her smile. She spoke quietly, "I thought for sure there would be no survivors." She removed one of her hands from Kaiba to fix a stray lock of hair that had fallen in her face. She looked up at the puzzled CEO softly and smiled sadly. "You don't remember me do you?" He looked puzzled. Bakura chimed in.
"He has a photographic memory, of course he remembers you. You just look different is all."
"He remembered you!"
"I have the exact same hair as I did though. Yours was always neat and brushed, whereas now because of everything it's a mess." He smiled at her. "Mines always been a mess." The woman looked back up at Kaiba, who then figured it out.
"You're Serenity Wheeler." He said it monotonously. But still she nodded furiously as more tears spilled. After a half minute more of crying she relaxed her grip on him and wiped at her tears.
"I'm sorry, I've gotten your shirt all wet and I've bothered you enough." She still held his shirt in her hands but was now standing a bit further away. From the corner of his eye he saw Bakura staring off behind Serenity with a smirk. Kaiba looked over Serenity's shoulder and saw a figure, cloaked in darkness, approaching them.
The entire room of board members looked to the door as it slowly opened and the black haired man slipped in. Kaiba narrowed his eyes like daggers at him as he awkwardly took his seat, looking guilty. "You're late." The man nodded in apology and Kaiba began speaking. "I'll be blunt with all of you. I'm taking Kaiba Corporation out of Domino City." There was a small uproar among the board, which was quickly silenced by one of Kaiba's glares of death. "This is not up for debate! I am informing you to give you the choice, you can leave Domino City with the company if you please, or you can stay in this town. The choice is all of yours to make. But Kaiba Corporation is leaving. Now. I am going to leave to continue the work involved with moving the company. You all have a week to decide." With that he walked to the door and exited, the man who was late rose and followed him. They walked down the hallway together.
"Where'd you disappear to this morning?" Kaiba didn't answer to the shorter man. "I went to your office a few times during the day today. You weren't there any of them."
"I went to visit some people. Unfortunately the bridge was blown up and I didn't make it over to the satellite."
"Were you over there during that?!" The CEO nodded and looked at the concerned face of the man next to him before rolling his eyes. "Oh relax. I wasn't actually on the bridge or anything, I was still in Neo Domino. Besides, we both know I've been in more dangerous situation than an explosion on some bridge." The shorter bit his lip.
"I'm happy you decided to leave."
"Seto!" Kaiba's eyes widened and he gently moved Serenity to the side before running to the man in front of him. He hugged him tight and didn't let go.
"Mokuba." The two brothers stood holding each other by the fire.
"Seto… You, you were in the building, and I saw it collapse." Kaiba gently stroked the younger's hair, about the length and style now of Bakura's.
"I got out on a helicopter before Mokuba. And it's coming back tomorrow. I'll get you out of here." Kaiba felt new tears penetrating his shirt, this time higher up than Serenity's; Mokuba was taller than she was and his tears soaked into the man's shoulder. He finally let the relief flow through him and allowed himself to be engulfed in it. He found Mokuba. They would be alright.
"I know, Mokuba. You've wanted us to leave for a long time." Mokuba chuckled. "What?"
"Nah, it's just. I'm normally the optimistic one. You know, the one with faith in humanity and all." Kaiba continued walking, him face didn't change. "But I'm the one who said Domino was hopeless and we should leave. And you were the one who thought it still had a shot."
"I never had faith in the people of the city, Mokuba. I thought maybe it could be saved though… But with the direction things are going, I realized time and resources would be better spent elsewhere."
"So who were you visiting?"
"I'm still am going to go to the satellite. It will just be a little more difficult now."
"But, going there's illegal now."
"That's why it's a little more difficult."
"Well, how do you plan on going about that?"
"There's a lot of black market trade between Neo Domino and the satellite. I'll find a boat or something."
"Can't you just take your own boat and pay off anyone who tries to stop you?" He shook his head.
"There's a monopoly over the illegal transport between the regions. They shoot at any other boats in the area."
"Seto, this sounds dangerous. Why are you going to the satellite? You never told me who you were visiting."
"Serenity Wheeler."
"Why?"
"I need to give her a chance to leave this place while it's still possible… I owe her that much."
After an eternity the brothers separated and Kaiba looked into Mokuba's eyes softly. "We're going to be alright Mokuba." He turned towards Serenity and Bakura. "We'll all be okay. Us four will get on the helicopter and get out of here." He saw Serenity's concerned face. "Don't worry Serenity. We'll just get supplies and come searching for the others." She looked at him hopefully.
"Have you seen any of them?" He stood silent for a long while. Contemplating whether or not to tell the truth. He knew how upset they'd be that he left Yugi, Duke, and Joey. But if they found them, they would find out anyway. He decided that he didn't care much if they were upset. But if he said he'd seen them, these 3 would likely be reluctant to leave, even if it were only for a short time to get supplies.
"No, I haven't." He'd tell them, but he didn't have to now. Bakura took a step towards him.
"Why did you hesitate?" Kaiba really had to think quickly on his feet, this time he did so better.
"I found Solomon Moto dead." The group looked horror stricken. More tears began falling from Serenity's face.
"I didn't know he was still alive. Shame to go like this." Bakura spoke quietly as he looked at the ground.
"He lived a good, long life. We need to focus on saving your friends." Serenity sniffled and nodded gently. "The helicopter should be getting me around noon tomorrow, at the site where the high school used to be. We can sleep now and we'll need to leave before sunrise to get there."
"What about the others?... At this camp, I mean." Serenity had wide eyes and looked around at the other little pitched tents as she stroked her own hair nervously.
"I can't have the helicopter drop off supplies, it will attract too much attention here."
"So, are we going to carry stuff here?"
"We'll bring what we can, but it won't be much. It's half a day's walk here." Another tear fell down Serenity's face.
"What about the children? Can we take them with us to the helicopter?" Kaiba held the same dark, serious glare as always. He stood silently, considering.
"How many are there?"
"Two."
"How old are they?"
"5 and 6. A boy and a girl."
"Yes, I suppose they can come." Serenity smiled brightly at the CEO. "If we have to bring them with us, we'll have to leave earlier to make it on time. Get some rest."
"Kaiba, don't you need to sleep."
"Bakura, I've never gotten a lot of sleep. Why should anything be different now?"
Again, I never intend to put any shipping in this, but if you interpret it that way, that's up to you. I like to leave shipping up for interpretation :)
Also, I'm pretty sure that reunion scene came out really awkwardly. I wasn't sure how to write it, as you could probably tell :) I don't know, hopefully it wasn't all bad though. Anyway, thanks for reading :)