Feb 13 2007: Author's Nonsense: Another chapter of this sorta strange story. Hope people keep enjoying it.

End of Chapter 18:

Kagome fought but couldn't even slow her body from responding to his demands, making her want to cry…someone else was going to use her to hurt the people she cared about…why was it she was always so weak?

Chapter 19: Unforeseen Betrayal

Kaiba had a fairly poor weekend, he'd managed to catch up and finish all of the paperwork that was needed by the end of the next month and gotten another secretary to help manage things but he'd gotten precious little sleep over the two days, fighting with himself to keep his mind off his new 'girl' as it was. He hadn't even been able to go along to pick her up and had to sent Mokuba along with the helicopter so she wouldn't feel totally abandoned.

Not that I should care. Kaiba reminded himself coolly. She's still hiding things from me. Which means I shouldn't just trust her however good a record she might have. Or however attractive I might think she is…

He sighed at his own train of thought and shook his head, tired from the nearly constant work and ready to fall asleep in the chair he doubted he could wait anymore for their return - he would just have to see her in the morning and accompany her to Domino high school. They would be able to talk in the morning and deal with things…he needed to ask her soon just what it was that was going on that had caused her to fail school the year before. He deserved that much knowledge after everything that had happened.

He didn't want to deal with the fact that Bakura had somehow escaped from his prison in the basement but figured he was still to injured to be an open threat - and he had arranged another restraining order for Kagome when he spoke to the police about Nicole and got them to agree to moving her to another school again. There was so much to do and so little time, sometimes he wished he had a time machine and wondered if he would even have enough hours even if he did.

He had just entered his room when he heard the helicopter heading toward the house, too tired to bother to get back up he just continued to lay on his bed, passing out before they'd ever made it inside. He was welcoming the release of unconsciousness for a rare time and he didn't get much of a chance to enjoy it before ice cold water was poured over the top of him and had him shooting from bed with a half-shocked/half-enraged yelp, bloodshot eyes staring at the culprit in disbelief. Kagome was standing with a bucket in one of her hands, a hand on her opposite hip glaring at him.

"What in the hell is wrong with you Higurashi!" he snapped, whatever she was angry about couldn't justify her ruining his rest - and his bed with the icy provocation.

"With me?" she returned harshly. "here I am ditched by you for a weekend and left to rot up in your little castle while you are here just sleeping away when I was told you had a load of work to do. Or am I just some toy that's picked up or discarded whenever you decide you have the inkling or the time?"

"Have you gone insane?" he asked - a little lamely - but he wasn't on top of his game given his current status, shivering a little from the chilled water still clinging to his clothes and skin. "What the hell has gotten into you Kagome?"

He was gaping at her incredulously, still trying to add together just why she was assaulting him so harshly all of a sudden.

"Into me…you are the one that just left me at the mercy of whoever decided to come by." She laughed wildly and walked toward him threateningly with the bucket…and he stepped back once before holding his ground against the much smaller female that had managed to frighten him for a moment. "I guess it's just as well that I hid Mokuba somewhere until you give me what I'm after."

That made the CEO's eyes narrow menacingly, reaching out to grab her arm and make her drop the bucket that could be a weapon, twisting her arm and not releasing despite the pain in her voice.

"What did you do with Mokuba?" the previous groggy uncertainty was replaced with a promise of pain returned for anything that might have happened to his brother. Instantly the stumbling tired boy replaced by the protective older brother that Seto was.

"Something wrong Kaiba?" he noted that Kagome's voice was off somehow then, starting to put together details of her actions. "Did I finally get a few things of yours that you are worried about? I did kidnap your younger brother once before - but make no mistake. He won't escape this time…and this girl was easy enough to control when you didn't leave anyone to protect her."

"Marik…" Kaiba stated flatly, realizing what was happening after the events of his battle city tournament from the previous year. "What do you want from me?"

"I want your god card." Kagome's voice replied for the controlling Marik. "Of course…I could say I want you."

Kagome leaned forward and kissed him, pressing her body close and curling her hands into his hair. Her body moving instantly to what Marik's strings were telling her to do.

No… Kagome thought inside the shell that had become her form. Please don't do this… Kaiba…it's not really me…

Kaiba pushed her away and she was a little relieved that he wouldn't take advantage of her like that…struggling without any leeway against what had been done to her. It was stronger than any other spell she'd been forced to fight through.

"Stop it Marik." Kaiba growled. "Where is Mokuba? And release Kagome."

Kaiba knows about this sort of spell? Kagome thought from where she could only helplessly watch. Just what all has he been through…

"I don't think you are in the position to be demanding anything." It didn't help the young duelist's temper that the psycho was using Kagome's voice to taunt him. "I want your god card but I have to duel you for it so we'll take this one step at a time. You duel me and I'll give you your brother back. You beat me and I'll release your precious 'girl'. If I win you give me your Obelisk the Tormentor god card…it all sounds fair."

"And what happens to Kagome if you win?" Kaiba asked suspiciously. Clever enough to pick up on what the man was implying.

"Then I keep her in my employ indefinitely." her voice laughed cheerfully at him and she spun in place gracefully. "It's not as if you'd willingly hurt her after you had such tender scenes with her so recently."

"I see, and if I refuse to play your little game?"

"Then I lose the key to your little brother's cell." he replied with a smirk on his puppets face. "Though if you want Kagome back, you need to bet more than Obelisk. It's only fair as I'm already giving you back your brother for the duel. You didn't think I'd just be generous and put up both of them for one thing?"

"What do you want?" he snapped with irritation. "Get on with it you sick lunatic."

"Well you of course." the answer was almost chilling - even for the CEO - though he didn't show any of it. Instead just watching his familiar yet alien opponent with veiled worry and more open hatred. He didn't hide his anathema for the holder of the millennium rod. "Don't wait too long to reply, you can't actually know where I'm keeping Mokuba - but I'll give you the hint that he won't last a particularly long time if you don't get the key from me soon."

"Fine." Kaiba snapped. "I agree…to all of your conditions. None of them matter as you won't possibly win. You lost the tournament at battle city and you'll lose to me now. You don't even have your god card to use against me this time."

"Keep trying to convince yourself." a small shrug lifted and lowered Kagome's shoulders and she held a key toward him. "Your meat locker in the kitchen. You might want to hurry…wouldn't want your little brother to get frostbite. I guess I'll have to follow you to a suitable playing field as well - this girl doesn't even carry a duel disk. You might be decent at duel monsters but your girlfriend lost within five turns. Guess you couldn't take the time to teach her while you were here busy sleeping as opposed to working like she was told."

"Shut the hell up." he snapped, resisting the urge to hurt Kagome's body at the continual mocking that Marik was giving him. He snatched the key and ran toward where he was told Mokuba was, he knew that Kagome's body wouldn't leave as long as the duel was promised and he had to save the younger Kaiba.

The black haired boy was shivering violently when Seto slammed the door open, coughing with his breath visible in the below freezing degree room where he'd been stashed without a coat or even a long sleeved shirt. He ran over and picked him up, dashing him back out of the chilled meat locker and kicking it shut as he carried him toward his bedroom.

"S…s…s…se…t.t.t.t.to." the boy's teeth were chattering so much he could barely get out the single word before he forced himself to swallow and tried really hard to stop the shivering some so he could speak easier. "Th..there'ssss some…some..thi…thing w..wr…wrong w…wi..with. Ka…go…me. S…sh….she…she…"

"Shhhhh." he held the frigid body against him as he rushed to the door, kicking open his younger brothers door and moving him to the bed. "I know Mokuba. I am going to fix it all. Will you be okay? Can you feel all your fingers and toes?"

The boy nodded, hugging the blankets tight as Kaiba tucked him into his normal one and put three more over him. "B…but…she…her deck."

Seto shook his head, putting a hand over the younger boy's mouth. "Just rest Mokuba…I can fix it. It'll be fine. It's not really Kagome. I'll explain it to you later."

The boy glanced at him with a little frustration but then nodded, believing in his older brother more than anyone alive. "G…Go. I' I'll bbe f.f.fi.fine."

Seto nodded to him seriously and headed back out to face the grinning face of the woman that he'd been so unsure of being attracted too until moments before. He wasn't so much confused about it when he knew that Marik was in control of her body. The distorted sweet smile making him almost sick to his stomach - everyone around him that he cared about always fell prey to his enemies and all the well he meant they had to suffer before he managed to save them. He knew that Mokuba was tough enough that he would be fine - but he couldn't begin to predict what effect the dark power Marik would leave on her once he won her freedom.

"All done tucking in your little brother…I guess he was right. He did keep saying that Seto wouldn't let me get away with this - and asking just what was wrong with me all of a sudden. I wonder how the boy will take your girlfriend now that she told him she was only after you for the money and that he had been a tool to pull her closer…" it was all the more insulting that her pure voice had been corrupted with his insanity and control…she shrugged with the same infuriating grin. "Shall we get on with this duel then? I want that card sometime soon."

"Fine, follow me." He managed to keep the rage out of his voice, lowering it to a more minor annoyance.

Kagome still fought but with little avail, she couldn't so much as make her body blink or move as she struggled against the walls that he'd erected in her own brain…crying to herself though her body refused to show the pain she wanted to let out. Am I really this useless? I'm just making things worse on him…like always. I wish he wouldn't just duel him like this…I don't want him to lose his mind for me…

"Aw, it's so cute." she cringed in her mind at her own cruel tone. "Your girlfriend is worried about you Seto. She says you shouldn't risk yourself for her…that's she just useless and well…if she hadn't been such a help to me I'd have to agree some to her worthlessness. Here it comes down to you trying to save her and she won't even muster the willpower to believe in you. What a philanthropist you are, being so kind as to defend such a pathetic girl as this."

Kaiba didn't answer, he knew he'd finally lose what little of a grasp he had on his temper if he replied to the harsh words. Instead he turned the lights on in the basement where he had a full duel disk field set up with the most advanced of his creations. It was another wonderful sentiment to what the genius was capable of; but he didn't pause to admire his own work, moving over to the small elevator that would take him up to his position…waiting wordlessly for Marik to accomplish the same.

"Not responding to my bait anymore?" there was a small pout and the puppet body moved over to take up the opposite position to Kaiba, drawing out the augmented deck he'd built with Kagome's and his many rare cards. "Just as well sense the game will be beginning soon. I'll offer you the same generosity I did your woman and let you choose who will take the first move. Aren't I considerate?"

"Just play the game. I want to get Kagome back not listen to your mindless banter." Kaiba replied coolly, suddenly more confident as he took place in his element. "I will go first. I draw my card. I will place two cards face down. Then I will lay this creature in face down defense mode. Make your move Marik."

"Predictable…" Marik laughed a bit at him. "pity I don't have my sister's gifts or this would be even easier. First I will play Partial Demon Guardian, even though it's a six star monster if I have no other cards in play I can special summon it to the field. Then I will summon a monster in face down defense mode. Next I'll equip the Partial Demon Guardian with an Axe of Despair, raising it's attack power of 2200 to 3200. I will lay two cards face down and attack your face down monster card." He announced, his own deeper voice seemed to take more of a set voice in Kagome now that they had started to duel - as if his control was being more heavily influenced all of a sudden.

"You manage to kill my giant germ, activating it's ability. Removing 500 of your life points and summoning the two other giant germs from my deck to the field in face up attack mode." Kaiba announced for the card as it turned up. The first card shattering, but two more taking it's place.

"Perfectly fine with me." A small shrug. "Make your next move."

Kaiba drew his next card without a snide remark, though smiled as she saw his favorite card. "I sacrifice my remaining Giant Germs to summon my Blue-Eyes White-Dragon."

"I figure you think that's clever…even if my monster's attack is higher you have some trick up your sleeve? Hate to tell you but I activate the trap card: Chain Disappearance." He waved to make the card reveal itself. "This card removed the summoned monsters along with all copies of the monster from the rest of the game."

Kaiba had to wince slightly as his blue eyes disappeared and the chain drew itself through his holographic deck, pulling the other two powerful dragons away with it. The CEO just set his lip and set another two cards face down before ending his turn.

"Now then, one your last turns, I give myself ten turns at most before I annihilate you….I figure I'll keep being generous." Marik mocked through Kagome. "Wonderful draw…your girl seems rather good at having the luck I need. First I'll use Mystical Space Typhoon to wipe one of your trap or magic cards from the field, then I'll sacrifice my face down monster to summon the Mystical Monk card."

"Activating my Trap Hole card." Kaiba interrupted him, watching the strange purple clad fellow disappear as soon as he'd gotten to the field.

"Fine with me. You still have a completely open field for me. I'll have my monster attack your life points directly." another motion dropped Kaiba's life points to 800. "I lay another card face down and it seems to me you have one turn left."

The mocking laughter was more a bother than something the CEO took seriously, but his nearly cleared field and the overpowering monster facing him was something that would worry most duelists, nonetheless he'd come back from far worse circumstances and drew his card without much concern on his face…

End Chapter

Yay this chapter takes me over 60,000 words! Woot for me! Hurray! Happy times and such! It's a good good thing to have it at that. I've reached the next search level that way - which might get me some extra readers - another Yay. Now to go pass out as it's 4 AM - tired. snooze

-Aura

To my reviewers:

Dark Demon2210 - Here you go…moving it along for ya!

Oribe Junpei - Wow - so many reviews - all the attention helped inspire me to keep the fiction going really. I didn't want to for a long time cause so many people didn't seem to be reading it - but recently it's seemed to just gotten a jump in people following the fiction. It actually makes me really happy cause I do really like the the Kaiba/Kagome pairing a lot. Though I think I lost some readers for beating on Bakura - sheepish.

Tashio - Sesshomaru might show up again later…not sure if it was a small cameo only or not - I'm also still writing a Kagome/Sesshomaru fiction so I don't wanna use the Demon Lord a lot. I hope you keep reading and enjoying this fic.

Kage Otome - Marik does - I like to dislike him as a bad guy really. Well…yes he was angry…as far as her breaking free of his control - you'll have to wait and see what happens ;) giggle

Chaotic Rei - I've suddenly gotten a much larger following which makes me really want to start working on the fiction again - which is great cause I like it. Yes, Kagome does tend to be a victim - but that happens in InuYasha to her all the time too… And I like readers that are all into it and analyze stuff - sometimes I get all into detail when I write and give hints early on for later stuff that's gonna happen - though I haven't done that too much with this fiction. I didn't expect it to get super popular really - I was about to give up on it until recently. Thank you for your wonderful review.

Larkagurl2 - Well thank you for the suggestions but I really doubt I'll put in Shippou - unless I figure out a way to put him in without taking away from everything else going on at that time. For now I really just don't see him in it…I can't say that won't change but I don't want you to get your hopes up. I do however, hope that you keep reading anyway and don't judge me to harshly for it.

Chibes - Because I like the name Anzu better than the name Tea (which when I read it I think of it more like tea (as in green tea) instead of te-ah…) I liked Joey and Tristan better than their Japanese counterparts so I left them the same. It's just personal preference.

Saphira1204 - I'm sorry if I used some cards wrong…I actually had to look up most of Marik's deck on Wikipedia but didn't sit and research all the details of all the cards this time. Think of it like the show - where they cheat every single duel! Heh. Yeah…think of it like that, makes it easier on me.

Viper - Yeah I figured Kagome would never win her first duel. I actually thought about having Marik own her by the third turn but then decided to lengthen it to five. Yes, Seto was -mad- to say the least.

Lady Akina - I don't know if Marik will be killed - as he could be anywhere controlling her with the rod and all. Hope you keep reading!

Kurama'sFoxyMiko - Nice to know people are into my fiction. Updated already heh…hope you keep liking it.

Cowgirlkitten2000 - Updated. Glad you like it and hope you keep reading.