Death and Beyond
Thursday 28th of January 2010
Author's Note: Hello everyone! I know, I'm extremely late with my update; exactly one year right! I became 17 last year on that very date and today, I just became 18. I'm extremely sorry for this. I've begun my last year of high school and I don't have to tell you how much work it is. Without annoying you furthermore, here is the chapter for you.
Disclaimer: No, not yet. I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters. If I did, you think I'd let that manga/anime end like this…
Chapter Two: Taking up the case!
She was getting tired of it all. Sunbathing for the umpteenth time since one week, the brunette looked at the children building sandcastles by the use of their buckets and mini-shovel, eating ice-creams occasionally, making their parents act as ponies; the great life… for kids that was. Decidedly, it was absolutely not the place and surely not the way she had wanted to spend her holidays.
'Ah, there is the sunlight, the sea-breeze and all… the crap with it!'
Getting up, she assembled her things; sunscreen cream, sunglasses, towel, and well all the usual things that people normally brought with them upon going to spend an afternoon on the beach… but for the seventeen year-old brunette, the main motive was to kill boredom.
Busy cursing the hundreds of gods she ever heard of and her school as well as teachers, the blue-eyed girl realised that her mobile phone was winking at her, at least the green light kept flashing on and off making it obvious that someone was calling her. Ending her string of blasted irritation, she pressed on the proper button and placed the phone near the right side of her face, supporting the device with her shoulder while she continued to gather her things.
"Hello." She plainly spoke.
"Téa? Where are you?" In came the agitated voice she did not want to hear for the moment since the only thing he would do was to reprimand her of going anywhere without informing him.
"Uncle Tob—"
"No Téa, no excuse, I know I gave you the green signal to spend your holidays as you would like but that does not mean I don't have a say in whatever you decide…"
She was really not paying attention. Indeed she decided that she would spend her day at the beach, on her free—
'Isn't it supposed to be like this actually, that I don't inform anyone when I am my own mistress? Free-will, my foot!'
"…I've got a suggestion for you and… some bad news as well, unfortunately. Come back, now if possible, alright?" Her uncle ended with a soft click without giving Téa the chance to say anything at all.
Téa Gardner was a cheerful young girl and a very inspired dancer on top of that. She had been living with her uncle Tobias Gardner ever since her own parents died. That was when she was around a three-year old little girl. The only parent she had ever got to know and love is her father's brother; her uncle Toby. Attending the prestigious school of arts that Juilliard was, Téa left no stone unturned to express her deepest passion; dancing.
She grew up in New York but knows almost everything about Japan, where her origins were. Uncle Toby told her everything she had wanted to know and from her older friend Ishizu, who had frequent trips to-and-fro Japan, she had got lots of traditional items present in the country of the rising sun.
Téa ran a hand through her shoulder-length chocolate-coloured hair. She was about to grab her bag when her phone rang once again. Thinking it was her uncle again, she did not bother looking at the number before taking the call.
"Téa, you are forgetting your towel again."
Téa stopped dead in her gathering session and frantically looked around for a certain tanned-skin blond and considering her current surrounding, it was easier said than done. Not that she could not see any blond who has been kissed by the sun; the fact was how to spot the one who was on the phone with her.
"Marik, just where are you and why are you spying on me?" She took hold of her towel. He was right; she always did forget her towel on the beach.
"Behind you." He stated in her ear, causing her to brusquely drop her bag onto her feet. She clutched one of them and fell onto the sandy carpet beneath her.
"And you call yourself a dancer?" He offered her a hand, which she refused to grasp. "Your loss."
"I don't need your help, Marik. You can just drop dead!" And with those kind words, Téa Gardner's attempt to hoist herself up ended up into a good demonstration of what the specialty of an ostrich is.
"Trying to take the lead, little dancer?" Marik asked, as he hauled Téa(against her will) onto her feet.
It was futile to say that Téa was speechless, embarrassed and angry at the same time. The first feeling was due to the fact that Marik was right, the second one was because anybody watching them at that moment(and there were many) would think they were a thing and thirdly, if anyone can get on her nerves, it was the brother of her best-friend.
"Your uncle wants to have a word with us and my sister hasn't phoned me since last week. I think that's what the talk is going to be about."
Téa did not say a single word. She kept mum all the time. Her mood was off and she did not was to be pissed off anymore by her childhood friend. Marik, on the other hand, was kindly carrying his companion's bag to his car. The drive back home was wordless with Marik whistling tunes at times.
"Why so silent, Téa?" He finally asked.
"I was wondering, Marik. Where can Ishizu be at this moment?" The moment she had heard Marik sighed, Téa knew she should not have asked such a thing. Ishizu and Marik were siblings, and really close to each other. If Téa was missing her so much, she mused upon how Ishizu's absence might be affecting Marik constantly. Instead of replying, Marik stopped the car causing Téa to gaze at him questioningly.
"We're here." He indicated the grand residence and the girl nodded. They got out and proceeded to the main hall, where they knew Tobias was awaiting their presences.
As soon as he caught glimpse of his niece and the brother of his best agent, Mr. Gardner smiled warmly. "Téa, there you are! Marik, it's always a pleasure!" He said shaking the hand of the younger man. After the casual gesture, Marik corrected his shriveled appearance, tidied up his sandy-blond hair which was almost going haywire.
His movement caused Téa to snicker and Marik fixed her with a frosty look, his violet eyes contracting. Deciding to change the atmosphere, Téa nudged her uncle and asked him what he dreaded her ever asking.
"You were speaking of a suggestion. What is it?"
"Oh, that! You always said that you wanted to go on a mission and test your aptitudes as a secret agent. I thought that the next case that I get, I'll dump it on you for you to start your initiations. After all, four months of holidays is simply too long to carry on dancing. What do you think?"
He gave Téa a look that said I-know-it's-what-you-actually-want.
Both men present watched as Téa's eyes grew up into saucers and how she squealed with joy, jumping around into a clichéd series of jumping and hugging her uncle.
"Oh thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! I love you, uncle." She squeezed her uncle so tight that he coughed out his words, "I knew it'd please you."
"Now uncle, I-" She did not have time to finish her sentence that the breast-pocket of Tobias vibrated and rang.
"Yes. Hello, Tobias Gardner speaking."
He heard a great intake of breath being taken at the other end of the line before someone answered. "Mr Gardner, It's Mokuba. Mokuba Kaiba."
"Mr. Gardner, I need your service."
"What can I do for you?" Tobias said as he went a little farther from Téa and Marik who were eyeing him curiously.
After what had been like ten long minutes, Tobias came back to the other occupants of the room, flipping closed his mobile phone.
"Is it a new case?" Téa asked.
Tobias nodded.
"Then, it's mine!"
Tobias watched his niece in horror.
"No, Téa! This cannot be a case for you."
Téa protested, "But you said-"
"I know what I said Téa but this is too dangerous. I did not mean this kind of case. Ishizu was working for Seto Kaiba and she's gone missing."
Marik listened to everything attentively but not Téa, she only wanted to start off with that case her uncle had just got and nothing else.
"And Seto Kaiba is dead. His brother requested that I send him an agent to investigate on his brother's death. He is sure there has been foul play. And this kind of mission is very dangerous, Téa. The kid brother of Seto Kaiba, who is only fourteen, has absolutely no idea of how imminent the danger is for him."
"Exactly! Exactly uncle! Seto Kaiba's little brother. How can you forget about him?" Marik stared at Téa, pondering over her state of mind. Tobias had the same expression pasted on his face.
"The poor kid must feel so lonely. You have no heart uncle. Only a young girl such as myself can understand her fragile state and the tender heart of this child. But you, you think only about the benefit of your agency."
If Téa was good at dancing, she was even better at coaxing her uncle to give in to her demands, through innocent pleading and manipulations. Marik just rolled his eyes. Tobias's confidence, on the over hand, was cracking up.
"And even I wish to know about Ishizu. If she worked for Kaiba, then surely, we'll trace her there, shan't we?"
That caught Marik's attention. "Please, uncle? Please?"
A cute little pout and eyes on the verge of flooding, were all that it took to totally shatter Tobias's solid confidence. He sighed defeated. "Alright, you can go but not without listening to me firstly."
Téa was extremely happy. She was going on her first case. She had no idea of whom Seto Kaiba was or what kind of a person Mokuba Kaiba was going to be. She simply knew that she'd put her heart and soul in the mission that was bestowed upon her. She was going to solve the mystery and find Ishizu.
"Japan, here I come."
End Notes: Ah, it's over! The second chapter, I mean. Was it short? I bet you never thought I was going to introduce Marik as a good friend of Téa's. Hehe, that's my plot. Oh, don't worry, soon, Téa will meet the ghostly Kaiba. Drop me a review, criticism or inspirational and forget about flaming. If you flame, I'll light the 18 candles on my birthday cake with that. That's all for now; my rambling and this story. Till then; Ciao! Tell me what you think.
Minou1992