I have no idea how security systems or computers in general work. I use computers for Fanfiction, Youtube, gaming and Google. That's it. Well if you can't dazzle them with knowledge baffle them with bull shit. Sounds like a very Joey saying, now that I think about it.
Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh. I'm not making any money. Nuff said
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HIKARI STRONG
Chapter Eighteen
Joey screamed when Red Eyes separated from her, falling to her knees and panting. Red Eyes made a grumbling noise, nudging his master with his nose. Joey gasped and swallowed, finally finding the strength to get to her feet. She pushed sweaty bangs from her face as she and Red Eyes made their way out of the room, stepping over the charred corpse.
Joey's body ached, her chest on fire, her shoulder blades burning. She looked at the nearby doors as Red Eyes nudged her so she wouldn't topple again. There were three doors, one on each side and one across.
"Serenity!" Joey hollered, clutching her chest.
"Joey?" called a small voice. Joey strained to hear, heart palpitating. "Joey where are you?!"
The flames from Joey's battle with Orpheus were spreading. It wouldn't be long until the whole floor went up. "Serenity!"
"I'm in here!" the girl yelled. A loud banging was heard, coming form the room to the left. Joey stumbled over to it, Red Eyes bashing it open with his head. Joey looked about frantically before her eyes fell on the figure in the corner banging the back of her chair against the wall.
"Serenity!" Joey shouted, a huge feeling of elation consuming her. She ran over to her sister and began to untie her.
"Joey!" Serenity gasped, stopping her assault on the wall.
"Hey!" yelled a voice from the door. A couple of guards stood there. "What do you think you're doing?!"
Red Eyes whirled around, roaring before firing his Inferno Fire Blast at the guards. They took off running, Joey figured for back up. She turned to the black dragon and smiled. "Thanks, pal." Red Eyes grunted in return as the blonde went back to freeing her sister. "Don't worry, sis, I'm gonna get you outta here."
"Oh, Joey," Serenity said, her voice now cracking with sobs. "They killed Mom! They killed her right in front of me when they took me!"
Joey bit her lip. She and her mother had never been on good terms, but she never wished the woman any harm. She finished untying Serenity, deciding she would sort out her feelings later. "It'll be okay, Ren. I'll get'cha outta here."
The red-head sniffled. "Oh, Joey," she said as Joey removed her blind-fold. Instantly the younger girl lunged forward, wrapping the blonde in a suffocating hug. "I'm so glad you're okay." Joey didn't hesitated, burying her face in soft auburn hair. Slowly, Serenity pulled away, looking confused. She stared at blonde for a long time. "Joey," she said, a question more than a statement. Her hazel eyes moved over Joey's features, before settling on her brown eyes. "Joey, you're a girl."
Joey brushed some hair out of Serenity's eyes. It warmed her heart to know that her sister wasn't freaked out or disgusted, just confused. "It's a long story, sis," kissing Serenity's forehead and helping her to her feet. "I promise I'll explain everythin' but first I gotta get'cha outta here."
Serenity nodded silently as Joey took the younger girls hand and led the way out. Red Eyes half-flew half-walked at their side, roaring with delight as the found their way to a larger corridor.
Serenity screamed and jumped as another person rammed into Joey, throwing the blonde into the wall. Joey winced, her eyes shutting from the impact. When she opened them she merely saw familiar blue eyes as her attackers lips descended on her in a borderline violent kiss.
When the kiss broke, Seto still hadn't released Joey, not paying attention to his surroundings at the moment. The brunet's eyes narrowed. "If you ever take off like that again, Joey Wheeler," he said in a feral tone, "I will capture you, tie you to my bed, and find unspeakable ways to make you pay." Then he pulled away and Joey found herself sucking in a great deal of air. She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath. Seto looked over, noticing the frightened red-head next to an almost glaring Red Eyes. "You found her then?"
"Yeah, and ya probably scared 'er half ta death!" Joey yelled before grasping her chest in pain. "Did ya have ta tackle me ya possessive bastard!"
Seto's eye narrowed. "You didn't have to run off like an idiot," he told her flatly. He then scowled, noticing Joey's clothes and the shape they were in. His fist clenched. Someone was going to pay dearly. "What happened to you, Pup? Why are you dressed like that?"
Joey rose a brow before remembering she was dressed like some Roman concubine, not to mention the blood and bruises she was covered in. "I'm fine, Seto," Joey reassured. "He didn't get the chance ta..." she trailed off, looking back at Serenity. Joey definitely wasn't discussing that in front of her. "I'll tell ya later but we need to get outta here."
Seto made a growling noise before pulling Joey in another intense kiss, as if to project the message of 'you're mine, dammit! Mine!' "We will discuss this later," he informed Joey, backing away and leading the way out of the corridor, his Blue Eyes close to his side. Joey looked at Serenity, who looked like she might blow a gasket in her brain.
"That's an even longer story," Joey told her, taking the younger girls hand gently. "I'll explain everything later, I promise." She gave Serenity's hand a squeeze before following after Seto and Blue Eyes, Red Eyes hot on their tail.
"Joey!" Duke called to them as Seto, Joey and Serenity came running in, the dragons fading away with a sparkle for the moment. "Serenity! Thank God you're okay!"
Joey almost smiled until she saw the still figure laying on the ground, his mutilated jacket now wrapped tightly around his waist. "Tristan!" She rushed to his side, kneeling beside him. She noticed how tightly Duke held Tristan's hand, his green eyes watery and blood-shot.
"Oh, no," Serenity whispered, putting a hand over her mouth.
"I tried to move him." Duke said, his voice cracking. "But...but he's such a big guy. He's nothing but height and muscle." Duke rubbed his eyes. "He's...he's still alive but...we need to get him to a hospital and I can't lift him by myself and-,"
"You're incompetent as always, Devlin," Seto said before kneeling down and picking Tristan up gently, the pointy-haired brunet's arm falling limp on his shoulders. Duke took Tristan's other side.
"Joey!" called a chipper voice. Yugi came barreling in, tackling the blonde to the ground.
"Easy, Yug'," Joey said wincing, pushing the boy off.
"Oh, sorry," Yugi said. He then looked up, his eyes filled with horror. "Oh gods, Tristan!"
"Can we please just get out of here?!" Seto yelled as they gathered together. Joey narrowed her eyes at him as she got to her feet.
"We have to destroy this place, Kaiba," Yami said, adjusting the small boy who was now hitching a ride on his back. "There's a beacon of some sort that is opening the Shadow Realm as we speak."
"Why the fuck is it always the fucking Shadow Realm!" Joey raged.
"Joey!" Serenity said in a scolding voice. "There's a little boy here!"
"Oh," the blonde said sheepishly. "Who is the little tyke anyway?"
"Oh," Yami said, glancing at the child. "This is Jaden."
"What are you running a day care now?" Seto asked impatiently. Yami narrowed his eyes.
"There you are!" yelled Ryou as he and Bakura entered the room, a mob of people rushing behind them to the exit. He frowned when he looked at the scene. "What on earth did I miss?"
"What happened to Shark-head?" Bakura asked with far less tact. Seto threw him an angry glare and Bakura rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll ask later."
"We have to destroy that beacon, Kaiba!" Yami demanded of the CEO. "If the Shadow Realm opens we will have countless amounts of evil to contend with!"
"Fine!" Seto snapped, pressing the button on his collar. "Mokuba!"
"No need to yell, Seto, sheesh," Mokuba answered. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes. We're leaving now. But we need this place blown sky-high."
"Is this really how we deal with everything, big bro?"
"Just do it, Mokuba!"
"Okay, okay!" There was pause before the younger Kaiba spoke again. "I hacked the security mainframe and managed to throw in a self-destruct sequence. There's just one problem." Another pause. "I can't get it to completely go through. You'll have to find the mainframe and set it off manually. I'm sending the schematics of the castle to your phone now."
Seto took out his phone, staring at for a moment. There was a long pause before he sighed and looked at Bakura. "Grab him," he commanded, indicating Tristan.
Bakura frowned. "You could be nicer about it, Priest." He answered, but took Tristan from him regardless.
"Where are ya goin'?" Joey asked.
"To find the mainframe," Seto replied flatly.
"I'll come with ya," Joey said, pushing back an anxious Serenity.
Seto turned to her, his face impassive. "No."
"Look, Seto, I ain't good with technology," Joey insisted. "But ya gonna someone ta keep a look out in case there are more guards."
"I can handle it, Wheeler," Seto replied, his eyes narrowing. "Now get out. I have to do this now."
Joey glared. She didn't like Seto's attitude. Was it because she took off? Because she had been captured? "Moneybags, I ain't lettin' ya go by yerself."
"Wheeler, you don't let me do anything," Seto told the blonde.
"What da hell is yer problem?" Joey yelled.
"Drop it, Wheeler." Seto said with a glared of his own.
This time Joey stomped up to Seto, grabbing him by the collar. "Is this some ego-trip for ya?! Ya tryin' ta be the big tough guy ya always are and save us poor lowlifes?"
Seto grabbed Joey's hands from himself. "Stop it, Joey."
"Oh, now I'm Joey again? For a minute there, I thought ya were gonna go back ta callin' me Mutt!"
"Are you really always this much of an oblivious fool?!"
"Are ya always this much of an asshole? Oh, wait, I already know da answer!"
Seto finally snapped. "If I do this it will give me one minute and twenty seconds to get out. The security mainframe is in the basement. It will take me two minutes to get from here to there!"
Joey stared at Seto for a moment, her brain trying to grasp the brunet meaning. "What are ya sayin'?"
Seto was impatient. This needed to be done now. But his pup needed to understand. "Figure it out, Pup." He pulled away from Joey, stalking away. She watched him go a few steps, before the gears in her head finally clicked.
"No," Joey called after Seto, running back to him. "No, ya can't do that, Seto!"
"Maybe there's another way," Yugi suggested.
Seto glance at Yugi for a moment before locking eyes with Joey. "You know that there isn't."
"Seto!" Joey protested.
"Get her out of here!" Seto shouted over his shoulder making his way out of the room.
"Seto! Stop! Don't do this!" Joey shouted, struggling against Ryou and Yugi. "Seto please come back!"
"Joey come on!" Yugi told his friend reluctantly.
Tears were burning Joey's eyes as the other two hikaris pulled her back. She screamed out for Seto over and over, being drug from the castle every step of the way.
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Seto found the mainframe momentarily, the glow of the screens the only light in the entire basement. He checked his phone before typing in a few buttons into the computer. He glanced at his phone again. He'd already cut off the communicator in his collar. There were only two other people besides his brother who had cell phones on the outside, one would try to come for him, and he couldn't risk that. He typed a text message to the other person, someone who was with his younger brother, but wouldn't do anything to stop him.
Mokuba, he thought, I hope you forgive me.
Seto had never been one to think impossible things. The logic was all there. He'd done the math in his head. Sure, he would try to make it out - rolling over and accepting death definitely went against his nature - but he wasn't delusional. He knew what the odds were.
"T minus one minute twenty seconds to detonation," rang the computers robotic voice.
Seto reread the text message and hit send.
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"Seto?" Mokuba said, putting his hand to his headset. "Seto?!" He still heard no response.
Tea bit her lip as she stood behind Mokuba's chair. A hand reach over and squeezed hers. It was Marik. Their eyes locked, and Tea could see the same worries etched on his face.
Suddenly, her cell phone vibrated. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the pink device. She didn't know the number, but it didn't take much to know who the message was from.
[Tell Mokuba and the Pup I love them, even if I never showed it. Tell them I'm sorry
SK]
Tea put a hand over her mouth, looking up at Mokuba. The poor boy looked so frightened. Tea's heart broke as he called to his brother over and over.
"Seto?! Seto?!"
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"T minus ten seconds to detonation."
"I know you fucking Glados imitation!" Seto huffed as he ran as fast as he could down the corridor. He was making better time than he hoped. Maybe he would actually make it?
"Six"
He remembered this hallway. It led to the entry hall.
"Five"
Had it been this long before?
"Four"
He thought about Mokuba's laugh. His smile. How he looked at Seto with eternal adoration.
"Three"
He imagined finally beating Yami and Yugi in a duel
"Two"
He thought of Joey...
"One"
Seto braced himself.
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The group looked on in anticipation, watching the blackness in the sky only increase in size, waiting for Seto to come running out of the castle. Yugi and Ryou were holding Joey. Duke and Bakura laid an unconscious Tristan on the ground, Duke continuing to hold him. Yami felt Jaden's grip tightened on him, a whimper escaping the scared child. A strange silence hung in the air. The calm before the storm.
The roar of the explosion made them all jump, fire, smoke and debris flying out. They took a few steps back, even though they were a good ways from the danger zone. Another blast went off seconds later, filling the sky with flames.
It took the other two hikaris and both darks to hold a hysterical Joey from rushing into the destruction.
"SETO!"
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OMG I'm a real jerk...