Disclaimers: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!. I'd be rich if I did. :) Oh, and no Hellsing, either. And no Metropolis. ):
Back again, back again, and just as quickly (I'm a guerilla writer!).
So, I'm gonna go for it here- the strict character development angle. Hope it's everything you guys want!
Chapter Six- Das Ubermench
Kaiba sat in the back seat of the car, staring out the window and thinking. He was starting to feel a little anxious around Jou; somewhat exited. And at the same time… he felt something wasn't quite right, wasn't quite…there. There was something off about him, but Kaiba just couldn't place his finger on it.
The car turned. A tower shot up in front of them from the distance, a Titan's hand reaching for the heavens above to drag itself out of it's prison. The Titans arm, and at the top, the Titan's hand. The Brain-pan of KaibaCorp, and where he would spend most of his time in life. When he wasn't with his little brother, at school, or killing fakes and investigating gruesome crime scenes. He probably needed a few new hobbies, other than obsessively playing Duel Monsters and hunting down and killing copies of other worldly, supposedly non-existent beings and cooperating with covert organizations older than Jesus.
What fun.
The car pulled into the parking garage behind the building; it was dull compared to the shiny tower of reflective glass and industrial steel. A poured-concrete building that looked like it could have been hauled from a city in the middle of siberia. It was just like parking garages everywhere- functional above all.
Kaiba stepped out of the car, trench coat swishing around his ankles and holding a heavy-looking aluminum briefcase in his hand. He walked purposefully towards the exit, to the back door of the building, and looked to his right. Rainclouds gathered over the setting sun, casting an ominous shadow over the city. Wind swept through the streets and alleys, chilly blades slicing through cold static. Winter was drawing to a close, and the seasonal beast that it was seemed angry. It would hibernate for summer, sleeping out the heat and sometimes sticky humidity in it's cold, reclusive cave, before emerging once more and consuming half of the world; drawing it into it's cold, frosty belly.
The doors at the back of the tower led into a smaller space, a secondary lobby. The elevator to the subterranean lab complex and his office was on the left here, and the general elevator to the right (To the entire staff, though, they were both standard, run-of-the-mill elevators).
Into the elevator on the left and up to his office to check the news and attend to company business, which had not been done lately due to hunting and his blood-induced rage.
His office looked normal from the elevator; the cleaning crew had tidied up while he was at school. His secretary and put the papers in order, the computer monitor was off, and books were re-shelved perfectly. The coffee maker had a new pot, and the vase he had ended up smashing was replaced.
Walking up to the oak-paneled desk, he could see the faint scratch marks he made when he dug his nails into the desk. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Why, in the name of all that's holy (His throat seemed to lurch at the thought), did he even bother to come to his office that day? He could have done all the work just as easily from home, and he probably wouldn't have torn his home apart.
A shrill beep interrupted his thoughts, coming from the phone. He picked up the receiver, pressing a blue button.
"Yes?"
"There's a Katsuya Jonouchi here at the desk sir,"
He was back... Dammit, why would he even bother? Kaiba frowned at his realization- He was serious about the job. Good Lord.
"What does he want?"
"A job interview, sir."
"Tell him to fill out an application first."
"He's doing so right now, sir. He insisted that I page you for a job interview immediately, though."
"Tell him the application has to be processed first."
How did he even get down here so quickly?"
"I did, sir, but he still requested-"
"Then send him back home when he's done. Tell him to leave his phone number and we'll call him when the application is processed for an interview."
"Yessir."
He set the handset down, pulling over a manilla file and taking out papers to read through and sign.
A request for the green-light on a nanites project for the local hospital- explorative technology to save money on surgeries.
"S. Kaiba" Was scribbled along the bottom.
More funding for the development of a new Duel Disk and software. He checked the current budget and what was used- they were far over the limit, but the development was going along well.
Another scribbled signature.
Why had Jonouchi even applied? He had said that if he wanted to 'get to know him better' (And the implications of that stretched even deeper beyond what Kaiba cared to think about right now), and Kaiba had told him to apply for a job, yes... But he didn't think that the blond would actually take the suggestion seriously.
Something about telecommunications... the military...
A hastily scribbles signature.
The phrase "Get to know you better" kept rattling around in his head, Jonouchi's voice reverberating against his skull. Everyone else seemed to not care; Batchi would talk to him occasionally, backing off when he was unresponsive, and pretty much everyone else seemed to just avoid him. And these were people he had spent his whole (recent) high school career with. Jonouchi had hardly been at the school a month or so (Another scribble), and he was trying to "Get to know him better"... something about it didn't seem right. It wasn't deeper, hidden implications that you would only spot if you wanted to; it was the readiness, the openness of it... It seemed to open. Mokuba would tell him he was just over thinking.
He didn't even bother going over the rest of the papers, putting the signed ones back in the folder and slamming it shut a little more viciously than he probably should have.
Sitting there and lost in complicated, yarn-like tangles of thinking, he didn't notice when the paging button on the phone beeped, or when the elevator doors opened and out stepped Jonouchi, for the second time that week.
He didn't notice until the blond walked right up to his desk and pulled over a chair, sitting down with a determined look on his face and putting the filled out application on the desk in front of him.
"Are you going to hire me or not?"
[Earlier; Domino City Public Bus System]
Jonouchi fished out a menial bit of yen from the lint-laden bottom of his pocket, putting it in the change box at the front of the bus. He quickly made his way to a seat near the back, holding his schoolbag in his lap and looking out the window. There were dark clouds gathering out above the city. The feeling of anxiety curled tighter and twisted in the pit of his stomach, making him want to throw up.
A few more people filled up the seats, chattering and listening to MP3's and reading... He felt that small, glutinous part of his brain kick in again. There was blood, yes, lots of it...
But not now! Not now! He shook the thoughts out of his head. Now he needed to focus on Kaiba. At least Kaiba. But not the voice. No, blood could wait. He signed, leaning his head against the window. He couldn't think of anything to do during the bus ride across the city, so he searched his brain...
There it was, the bus stop. Brownstones were all around them, stretching up three, four, five stories. Kids played soccer and hop-scotch and soldier and house and tag and pirates on the street, laughing and shouting their delight at winning and displeasure at losing. Joey wanted to join them... really, really wanted to. Especially pirates. Pirates was fun to play. He was just about ot tell his mom when the bus came, and he was, sadly, pulled on board.
He blinked a few times. Where had that come from?
He was where "Joey" was... thinking up that little scene, he felt oddly comfortable.
It felt right.
The thoughts were still filtering through his head when he looked out the window and saw KaibaCorp Tower just a block away. Pulling his stuff behind him, he ran out to the pavement and down to the building.
Up the steps, and into the lobby.
There was the secretary, same as the last time he was here. He walked up to the desk.
"Um... Hi-"
"No, sir, Mr. Kaiba is not willing to speak with any 'associates' today." The secretary said, not even bothering to look up from some Memo's.
"No, that's okay, I just want a job and an interview."
The lady gave him an almost disbelieving look, before turning around in he swivel chair and opening a file cabinet. She put the form down on the counter and handed him a pen.
"Fill this out, and we'll process it and phone you for an interview in a week or so."
Jonouchi wrote his name, age, and birthday (He thought it was) Into the individual spaces.
"Look, can you talk to Mr. Kaiba and tell him I want an interview?"
"The application must be processed first, sir-"
"Look, I'm sure if you just talk ot him-"
"Okay, Okay. Very well, sir. I will ask Mr. Kaiba for an immediate interview," She said, picking up the handset.
Jonouchi smiled to himself and finished filling out the application, barely hearing the secretary talk to Kaiba over the system.
"Mr. Kaiba said to send you back home. Leave your phone number and we'll call you when we process your application. Have a nice day, sir."
She turned back to her work as jou finished the form.
He sat there a moment, looking at the elevator. Just six feet or so... why not?
He grabbed the paper and edged over towards it. The secretary didn't even notice. He pushed the "Up" button. The doors slid open with a faint 'ding' when the box got there. He looked over to see if the secretary noticed. Still good.
Into the elevator, press the button, and up he went. He looked around the elevator, whistling over the faint music.
He wondered why nobody ever seemed to be here when he was. Before he could finish musing, the doors slid open.
Kaiba sat at his desk, the complete opposite of the least time that Jonouchi saw him. Calm, almost lost in thought, pensive. He walked up to the desk, pulling over a chair for guests. Putting the application on the desk before him, he tried his best to put on a determined face and said;
"Are you going to hire me or not?"
Kaiba seemed to jolt a bit, blinking before really noticing him. Man, he must have been really out of it.
"Jonouchi, what are you doing here?"
"Hire me. Give me a job. Pay me to work for you. I've got an application, here's the interview."
Kaiba sighed, giving him an unamused look, like he was an aggravating child.
"We have to process the application first, Jonouchi. Put the information in the computer system, set a date, and call you for an interview. Until then, go home, rest, and think about what you're going to say if you get an interview."
"Whad'you mean-"
"Go home."
"But-"
"Home."
"Kaiba-"
"Home. Now, Jonouchi. This will be processed, we will call you, you will be interviewed. Now go home."
Jonouchi sat there for a moment before getting up.
"...Fine, fine. Okay. See you later."
He waved a bit and walked back to the elevator, ignoring the shouts of the secretary when she saw him walk out of the elevator.
Out the front door and back into the sunlight, back home.
[-_-_-_-]
When Jonouchi got back to his home (That's what _ _ _ _ _ _ told him to call it), he found his way to the kitchen, which was really the portal to the whole rest of the complex (House), and was immediately enveloped in a hug and a flurry of silk-black hair.
"My god, where were you? It's almost five! That's too late to come home from school, even for a club meeting, so don't feed me that bull!" Sadie hugged him, squeezing his shoulders and rib cage until he felt his spine would pop in two.
"I-I'm okay... I'm okay; I just- went to apply for a job, y'know," Jonouchi managed to squeeze this out, despite not really being able to breathe well. "Can you let go, you're hurting me..."
Sadie quickly released him, pushing him out to arms length with a sympathetic smile one her face.
"Sorry. I keep forgetting what you are."
Jonouchi's eyes widened a slight bit at this, his eyebrows furrowing.
"What I am? What am I, then?"
"Oh- oh, nothing you absolutely need to know, it's just... you're important. You're instrumental, special. Because of that, you're... fragile, I guess."
"Oh... Okay."
Sadie frowned after that, though. A normal, concerned _ _ _ _ _ _ again.
"But a job? You got applied for a job?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Kaibacorp."
The look on her face would have been priceless otherwise, like she had stumbles in on a surprise party or something pleasant (Or not so much) that merited a slow reaction at first.
"You applied for a job at kaibacorp?"
"Yes... did I do something wrong?"
"...I don't know."
She let go of his shoulders and turned around, walking ot the door, and stopped when she was just outside of it.
"Jonouchi? Can you go to your room for a little bit, please?"
"Am I-"
"No. It's just... there's something I need to take care of. To talk about."
"You could always talk to me."
"It's not something I would discuss with you... It's a more private thing. You're not in trouble, Jonouchi. I just need you to be alone for a little while, okay?"
"...Okay, sure."
Sure, _ _ _!
Jonouchi watched as Sadie walked down the hallway, disappearing around the corner.
With a sigh, he walked to his room, looking at the white walls and wondering what _ _ _ _ _ _ was so uncomfortable about all of the sudden. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he had done something wrong.
[-_-_-_-]
"He applied for a job, Bertrand! A job! With Kaibacorp, nonetheless! Kaibacorp! Oh my god..."
Sadie had her face in her hands, sighing. Bertrand stood in front of her, pensive.
"We could use this to our advantage. Kaiba is a collaborator with the Paladin organization, a willing pawn for them. With Jonouchi at Kaibacorp, we could use him for so much, exercise his true potential far beyond what we have so far!"
"But I don't feel comfortable with him near Kaiba! Kaiba is a nothing but a killer, you know that! And he's smart. He'll find out that Jonouchi is one of the Fakes, and the new model we've created, he'll kill him and hand him over to that pink-haired brat and her so-called scientists to dissect! They'll cut him open, they'll reverse- engineer him, they'll-"
"Stop worrying, stop worrying," Bertrand put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "They won't find out. He is perfect. A human, as far as they're concerned."
"But with no heartbeat! The employees, they're required to have a physical done! The doctor will know! Even those resurrected shells you create have a heartbeat!"
She paused for a moment, taking deep breaths, calming herself.
"You have to put down Phone Numbers. We don't even have one of those!"
[KaibaCorp Tower- 15th Floor]
Kaiba sat at his desk, reading the application before he sent it back down to the secretary.
Name (Last, First): Jonouchi, Katsuya
Age: 16
Applying for the Position of: Anything
-Personal Information-
Birthday(mm/dd/yy): 10/09/10
Address: 516 LionCourt Road
City: Domino, Japan
Zip Code: 30159
Phone Number: (803)D555009
Social Security Number:
The blond really didn't know how to fill out a basic application. But that wasn't what really bothered him.
On the "Birthday" Line... 10-9-10. October tenth, two thousand and ten. That was just last year. It was January first now, barely two months after the date. Two months. Two. How could he be 16? Obviously, there was something off. Maybe something big.
He picked up the black industrial-looking phone on his desk. He had an idea of who he could call.
He dialed the number.
"Sì! Chi è? Chi sono voi? Che cosa volete?"
Kaiba sighed. He didn't have time for her short temper, or her Italian. Japanese would be quicker for him, and that was all he wanted.
"Romanorum. Look, I don't have time for this, I have something I need your help with."
"Ah, Kaiba, twit! Che cosa mi volete fare, huh? Costruisca un razzo? Guida alzate il Yamamoto? Che cosa?"
"Can you please quit the Italian for a moment? I just meed you to look up this one person."
"No, spiacente e chi mi volete guardare su?"
"His name is Jonouchi Katsuya."
"Che cosa ha fatto?"
"Applied for a job."
"Oh. Quello è! Non ha rubato una certa sorgente senza fine di energia nucleare? Ha fatto domanda per appena un job, voi twit! Quello non è un crimine e quello non è degno del mio mio tempo prezioso, capisca?"
"Then listen to this; He put his age down at 16 but his date of birth was only about two months ago. Does that merit any of your precious time now, twit?"
"… giusto. L'approvazione, quella ha potuto valere la pena di guardare in. Inviimi le informazioni sopra una tassa di dati e vederò che cosa posso fare"
"Okay. Thank you."
"Grazie? Il grande Seto Kaiba, twit fra i twits, ha detto appena vi ringrazia? Che cosa è la conclusione del mondo?"
"Ha-ha, very funny. Hurry up, get me the information, and I won't bother telling you where you can shove all your crap, Capisca, voi twit?"
And with that, he hung up the phone. Setting the application inside, he made a mental note to send it back down sometime later. He needed a security update, though. He had finished working on an Eternity Code encryption for the Terminal Room, around the files concerning information about the lab complex that, according to the blueprints in city hall, didn't exist. If there was anything below the Kaibacorp building, it could be dirt or some ancient native american burial ground for all the city cared. He logged into the information, checking access logs first.
Normal, normal, normal. All normal, except... There, just yesterday, during the lunch break. Nobody would be in the Terminal Room. And nobody would be accessing the blueprint files, either. He felt furious. Someone Hacked. Walked right into the terminal, and hacked it! Into secret blueprints protected by a partial eternity code! Te fact that they got past it meant that they not only new what it was, but had the same thing, or better. And there was a pass to the Lab Complex set up, key card and all. Someone had compromised the system. His system. And might have put his company and employees in danger. That did not sit well with him. Whomever did this would regret it.
He stood up, closing out of the window and walked hurriedly to the elevator. Pressing the "Lobby" Button twice, he felt the contraption lower him. Down, down, down, until the doors dinged open. Out into the hallway. The fluorescents didn't seem as bright this time. The steel doors. hand, eye, voice. The lightning tubes powered down in an instant, and the pneumatic seals released. The steel doors slid open.
[End Part 6]
Cliffie for your viewing pleasure. ; )
Who dares to incur Kaiba's wrath? :P
Also note that "Das Ubermensch" means "The Superman," even though the title has nothing to do with the chapter itself, contrary to what I planned. :P
Here are the translations for the Italian parts (Please remember that these are rough, Direct translations, the grammar and such will probably be incredibly off)
"Sì! Chi è? Chi sono voi? Che cosa volete?"="Yes? Who is? Who you are? What you want"
"Ah, Kaiba, twit! Che cosa mi volete fare, huh? Costruisca un razzo? Guida alzate il Yamamoto? Che cosa?"= "Ah, Kaiba, you twit! What do you want me to do, huh? Construct a rocket? Help you raise the Yamamoto? What?"
"No, spiacente e chi mi volete guardare su?"= "No, and who you want me to look up?"
"Che cosa ha fatto?"= "What did he do?"
"Oh. Quello è! Non ha rubato una certa sorgente senza fine di energia nucleare? Ha fatto domanda per appena un job, voi twit! Quello non è un crimine e quello non è degno del mio mio tempo prezioso, capisca?"= "Oh. Is that all? He hasn't stolen an endless nuclear energy source? It's hardly suspicious to apply for a job, you twit! That is not a crime and that is not worthy of my precious time, understand!"
"… giusto. L'approvazione, quella ha potuto valere la pena di guardare in. Inviimi le informazioni sopra una tassa di dati e vederò che cosa posso fare"= ...Okay. Fine, I'll look into it. Send the information over a data charge and I'll see what I can do."
"Grazie? Il grande Seto Kaiba, twit fra i twits, ha detto appena vi ringrazia? Che cosa è la conclusione del mondo?"= "Thank you?" The great Seto Kaiba, Twit among Twits, has said Thank You to me? Is the world coming to an end!"