Kyoufu Garden
There was something missing in the card that he held in his pocket at the moment. Something he felt critical... But not so that he could be bothered to care about it too much. It couldn't be too much after all... The card looked, for all appearances, 'normal' didn't it? Completely normal... Well, save the calm expression in place of course, after all, how many held a peaceful expression when being spiritually imprisoned... But given the actions before sealing, he wasn't surprised that such an expression had come into place. After all... For 'Kaiba-dear', 'imprisonment' hadn't been something to fear so much as something to accept, had it.
There was something missing there though. The card seemed to lack something, something vital, but for each 'something' that came to mind it proved to be there, safely in place... Interesting... How very... Interesting. Pegasus turned his attention back to the duel arena below, watching as the second of the semi-final matches began. Keith Howard versus Katsuya Jonouchi... The man smirked, single eye narrowed with interest as he watched. He couldn't glean their thoughts from this distance of course... Even if he could, he would prefer not to in this case. It would ruin the surprise, the 'meat' of the duel after all... Though while he was not interested in their thoughts... Base emotions were another.
After all, he could snatch at their top most feelings at the very least, see the details of the board that most could not, even up close. Things such as Jonouchi's incredible come back during his duel, a comeback that should have otherwise been impossible with the difference in deck strength, strategy, experience... Champion of the USA versus two week playing amateur, who had only made eighth in the regionals of Tokyo! Against an entire country's worth of ability such skills were child's play, literally! Then again, the man thought with distaste, watching the duel below with a slight frown. Keith had come back a ruined man, hadn't he... After his defeat, according to rumor, he had turned to alcohol and drugs both... And when the vices proved expensive he turned to gambling in a pathetic attempt to pay the debts. And as Keith himself said from below... To feel true fear was to stand at the gates of hell themselves, as he had in that time... And there was no place closer.
What thoughts they had, even without the words to guide them. What interesting and enlightening thoughts he could see. On the American's side there was despair, revenge, and a killer's intent that had only been beaten out by the 'dear' woman in his card... Her anger, at least, had been somewhat understandable however. He had her brother after all; and given her drive, her desire to atone to that one boy, he could see why she had been so restless until the end. Keith had none of this however, nothing even remotely close to it. Only a mad, unbridled desire to see his end, to bring about the death of the one who had, in his opinion, destroyed his life.
The other one however... The 'jailers dog', with the keys to his guardian's possessions in his grip. A tight hold that matched his resolve on the field now, the hope and trust that filled him to the brim. Another point in the duel and these emotions were joined by awe, and shock... Pegasus narrowed his eye, a small smirk appearing on his face as the blond sent a glance to the side rather than the board with the summoning of his Red-Eyes. Interesting... He himself couldn't see anything of course, but wasn't this interesting... The number of emotions running high would almost make him wonder if someone the boy cared about was on the field now... If someone on the field had actually died, was actually at a risk... Actually fighting for him even...
"Hnhnhnhnhn..." He chuckled, eye narrowing with mirth as he continued to observe the fight below. Such an interesting duel, the match between light and darkness. This battle of chance and belief against sheer raw power. The man crossed his arms, continuing to watch the battle unfold before him on the field. Like a ping-pong ball, the balance of power went back and forth, back and forth... From the light to the darkness, from will, determination and faith to rage, strategy, and vengeance. Abruptly however, his eye narrowed, honing in on the older of the competitors. Hold on... Now what was that... Keith didn't draw a card there... Yet he had another in his hand, a card that had been played on the field just then.
...Cheating..! The eye narrowed further, Pegasus expression souring at the sight. From the wrist, during moments where he'd brought it up with his other hand to rub his shoulder... There! The man's hand was brought down, slightly cupped as it hovered over his deck in a drawing motion. Faking a draw... Not once but twice. He didn't want to bring it up now of course... It would be better to see how the dear 'hound' of the Kaiba house made out with this situation really, this 'miracle draw'. Would he still manage to make a comeback, as he had with the first draw... Even so...
A few moves passed, and the cheat earned his first dose of 'Karma'; despite the foul play Jonouchi had turned the duel around completely to bring about its end... The duel board cleared, and as the American slunk away he found himself responding with a small applause. Wonderful! Simply wonderful, how much of a comeback an amateur could make, turning his opponent's cards against him... A small smirk appeared on his face as cheers erupted below, and again he crossed his arms. Interesting, so very interesting... Those emotions he felt rush from the blond amid the celebration... In addition to the elation and success...
Could one of them be... More than simply concern and triumph? Muted conversation began from below, and as a single bond of trust was felt the man watched his would be opponent hold the Honor card high. So the blond had forfeited then... Handing over his card back to its rightful owner, returning the honor of the King's 'right'... It seemed that a battle between these two wouldn't happen... He stared down, silent as a single message came through his mind scan. Two phrases, thought so strongly, so powerfully they reached across even the boundaries of his own ability. These thoughts were meant for his eyes and ears. 'Now Pegasus,' Yugi seemed to shout, a deep and determined frown in place as he addressed his desired opponent. 'Now is the time we fight!'
Well... The smirk on his face grew, and within a split second his decision was made. The CEO turned to his guards, smirk dropping to a more professional and neutral stare. "Prepare the north study for a guest," he told the leftmost one, watching as the man left without question in response to the English spoken command. If those below understood him, aside from Crocketts he'd be surprised... First year of high-school in Japan was hardly much for English education after all, which certainly helped with 'privacy' for the moment. And privacy would be important now, wouldn't it... After all, now that the 'dog' had given up his right to fight, he had also given up his right to the keys he held. Now, he thought as he looked to his second guard. For the next task. "Tamaki," he asked, the second man turning with a nod. "Prepare my duel stage..."
"W-... But Mr. Pegasus," he protested, turning to the man with wide eyes, an expression plainly obvious even behind darkened shades. "S-Sir... The duel between Katsuya Jonouchi and Yugi Muto hasn't even happened yet... The championship isn't-"
Complete? It wasn't a problem... "They don't need to fight," he stated calmly, eye closed partially over almost lazily. Pegasus looked back down on the two boys, smiling oddly as he again gleaned the top most emotions from their mind. Such intense feeling down there... The guard behind him momentarily stopped his protest, the American continuing when he noticed the silence. "A duel between those two," he stated, eye narrowing further in seeming mirth, "Would be completely pointless..."
He could see it, literally see it in their eyes. The bond of trust that connected them both, materializing almost physically between the two, a cord of gold stronger than steel itself... And by taking the wishes of the blond, the wishes of his friend, Yugi's strength and resolve had become even stronger, strengthening that bond...
And in return, the blond's defenses were turned to something else, his focus having turned to that bond and seemingly nothing more. Jonouchi's resolve to fight had been turned toward a different cause, something else but he was relaxed now... And with that in mind he would take the time originally intended for a duel between the two and use it for something worthwhile. "It's strange," the man said with a small laugh, hands resting on the ledge as he continued to stare downward. "But at this moment, I feel like facing this 'other Yugi' head on..." As the king of the Duelist Kingdom, 'defending' his title so to speak... Of course, before that, he would have to deal with something... Else. "Very well Yugi-boy," he said almost quietly, likely only just audible by those below as his tone raised above his previous self-mutterings. "We will hold the final battle of the Duelist Kingdom! But first," he added, turning his eye on Jonouchi for just a brief moment as the smirk grew. Suspicion was more than evident now... For good reason, he supposed. "It's almost noon," he trailed off, sending a glance to his assistant at the side as the man pulled out his radio. Good... The message was being passed. "A break for lunch will be held, to give those who have lost an opportunity to gather their things... And for you," he added, turning his eye on his soon to be opponent, "To prepare your deck for our final match..."
Such anger they had... Such intense rage and grit determination to see his end. Hnhnhnhnhn... He gave Crocketts a wave, his guard's radio made instructions being enough to continue the rest. Complimentary 'cheese and crackers' for the guests while they waited... That would be enough, in addition to the water. A little something more in his study though he decided, moving past the chair to leave for the hall. After all, it was lunch time... Perhaps a main dish of shrimp and steak, that should appeal to his guest's interests... If old wives would have the belief be that the heart was through the stomach, than how about the weak points of the mind? Of the soul..? A calm smile came over his face as he walked, arms held crossed behind him. Such a thrill he had though... He was almost trembling with excitement for his duel, and that wouldn't even be ready for an hour!
Of course, he thought with a smile, just how long had it been that these feelings had been stirred up to a challenge? Since he could feel legitimately excited about a duel... Eager to face a truly worthy opponent... He turned the corner, before pausing with a frown. "Hehehehehe..." Pegasus blinked, eyebrows raising slightly as rough chuckling came from down the hall. Now... He knew that voice. Hard to miss after all, when the rest of the people in the building were either mostly silent guards or younger competitors in his tournament. The man stared ahead, watching as in the distance the familiar flag-printed bandanna of his 'third place' finalist came into view. Stumbling along the side of the hallway Keith walked, slowly, drunkenly... Madly he'd hazard to say even. "Hehehe heh... Hehehe... Pegasus," he said with a wide grin, eyes blocked by the sunglasses that somehow still clung to his face. The man was stooped over in a slouch as he moved, slowly but steadily down the hall. Light gleamed off the edge of his knife as it dragged along the wall, a long thin line digging into the plaster as it was dragged over and above each vase nestled at the side. Well... At least those were still intact... He rather liked jasmine flowers. Nonetheless, the walls... He'd probably have to have at least three halls re-plastered now. "We finally meet, face to face..."
The guard beside him instantly tensed, moving for his gun. "Bandit Keith," he shouted in shock, moving to step forward only to be blocked by Pegasus's arm. "W-What... S-Sir..."
"Stop," he said calmly, eye never once moving from Keith's stumbling form. He would deal with this himself... All the damage done would need to be paid for somehow after all. Tamaki turned, raising an eyebrow as his boss smiled oddly. "There's no need for a weapon, Tamaki..." No need... The man turned back to Keith, smile still in place as he took a step forward. His guard was putting his gun down slightly, still nervous about what might happen... He expected as much, but either way no shots would be fired. "Now," he began, hands moving to fold over at his front. "You wanted to talk, 'Bandit Keith'..?"
Keith's grin grew, and he brought the knife up before him as it gleamed in the light around him. "Hehehe... I'm going to say it... Just once Pegasus..." He fingered the blade, sunglasses falling slightly askew on his face as his target continued to stare. True, he knew what he was demanding... But for the moment, he'd listen nonetheless. Judy got now... "Just once... Give me that prize, right now!"
He shook his head, sighing as the man made his demands... So low he'd fallen, so very low... "Dear me," he muttered, speaking clearly despite the apparent 'danger' before him. "To see the old 'Prize King' like this," Pegasus continued, crossing his arms once again. Nothing but darkness in Keith Howard's mind... Despair and vengeance and a combination of hate that he quite honestly wasn't in the mood to deal with. "It's no wonder," he continued with a smile, "That you lost to a mere boy who had never come into a tournament until just now..."
"Just shut the fuck up," Keith roared, the man's grip on his weapon tightening as he moved forward. Glasses clattered to the ground and bloodshot eyes stared forward, eliciting little if any sort of reaction from Pegasus in response. "Shut the fuck up and fork over the cash before I slit your damn throat!"
Tsk tsk tsk... So impatient... The smile disappeared, Pegasus' eye narrowing in annoyance. No manners whatsoever... He didn't even attend the dinner the night before. "Yes, well," he muttered dismissively, shaking his head. Talking time was over... He was on a schedule after all. "I don't think I'll be doing that just yet... I must say though," he continued plainly, "I'm very glad we had this little chat," For the situation he was in, Pegasus' voice was dangerously calm, as was his posture as he stood before his former one-time opponent. "According to the Kingdom's regulations you must be punished after all... I saw what you did during the match Keith," he said coldly, voice devoid of the former cheer and 'kind' natures. "Did you honestly think you could cheat... In front of me? Moving not one, but two cards from your wristband to your hand..." The clicking sound from before came again as he shook his head, the man before him merely laughing in response. Really... "Not at all a show of good play..."
"Hah! So what," Keith growled, his own grin still wide and evident on his face. "You think I give a flying fuck about the match? My rules," he shouted, waving his knife with a laugh. "My plan... All legal by my fucking standards!" So was that how it was? Pity.
There was nothing more in this man's mind, and nothing remotely useful nor even resembling a thought. "Dear me," he muttered, ignoring the mad ravings before him. Such a pity that a prideful champion could fall so low... A true pity, a disgrace to the flag he wore across his brow. "It seems to me that you lost your mind as a duelist when I defeated you in America..." He continued to shake his head, eye 'glowing' behind his hair as his mood darkened. Well now... Cheaters deserved at least one 'small' chance didn't they? And Keith had claimed that the escape from hell was through him... "Are you ready," he asked, voice low as he stared down the man before him. Perhaps if he was lucky he'd pull his way out of this hell, and escape death again. Shadows seeped from the hall around them, swirling angrily at the command of his eye. Across from him Keith was staring with wide eyes, knife clattering to the ground as the Pegasus pointed forward. "PENALTY GAME!"
The man before him tensed considerably, mouth hanging open in a silent scream. Shadows wrapped around the man's wrist, and those who could see them looked toward the appendage in question. Keith and Pegasus were both silent, one in horror the other in mere distaste. To look at Hell, he had asked? To have a gun to your head, just as Keith had gestured on the board below. And as that same gesture was made, Keith's face couldn't have been more terrified, fingers curling into the iconic 'shoot' position. A barrel to a gun twisted out from his palm, veins bulging and moving to the sides as a series of bullets appeared to glimmer within each one. His middle finger moved foward slightly, as though to hold a trigger, and from his index finger there came a small hole. His thumb clicked back, like the safety of a gun, and as the American's middle finger pulled in, panicked whimpers coming through the air...
-BANG!-
As he walked silently down the hall, shadows pulling inward he could hear the thoughts of the guard behind him. What happened... Why had the would be attacker simply collapsed, as though dead? Was that blood trickling down the side, pooling around his skull? Or was it merely an illusion?
Only he knew, and that was all that mattered. Best to shake the man out of his stupor however. "The arena, Tamaki," he said curtly, the guard behind him giving a nervous cough and turning to his employer. "I will contact you when I have finished with my other guest..."
There was only silence in response for a short while, before a small and nervous 'Yes sir, Mr. Pegasus,' was received as an answer. The men both moved down the hall in silence, passing through the main path as an eerie calm settled over them. The hall they came to split in two, one to the stairs and one to the next hall... With that they took their separate ways, the guard moving toward where the Arena controls would be located and the American coming toward the study he had asked Crocketts to prepare for 'meeting'. Such an annoyance... He would have to have someone dispose of Keith's corpse later on, though for now it wouldn't hurt to leave him there. Even so... Perhaps his next guest would prove more interesting conversation, or at least a more interesting form of thought. Coming toward the door, he watched as Crocketts moved from where he had stood vigil in front of the entrance. He had been making sure his 'guest' remained in place... Personally, Pegasus decided mentally, Crocketts would have been taken out rather quickly if the 'dog' had truly decided to make a move. Even so, he appreciated the effort.
"Mr. Pegasus," Crocketts said with a nod, bowing his head and stepping to the side. "As requested, Katsuya Jonouchi has not left the room since entering. The windows have been monitored in case he attempts to escape, but so far, there has been no sign of an attempt." There was a short silence, and the man continued as his boss reached for the door. He was wondering why they needed to monitor the boy so heavily... Well, he never did tell anyone who really had the key after all. "In addition," his assistant stated, frowning slightly as he pulled something from his pocket, "There's something our men spotted on the old security feeds of Mr. Kaiba's bedroom." Pausing again for a moment, he handed his boss a single slip of paper before bowing his head. "We thought you might find it... Interesting," the man decided with a small cough, "...In regards to what we deciphered from this clip..."
Pegasus skimmed the sheet just briefly, pocketing the note and turning the handle to the room with a small smile. It was always good to have someone who could read lips on hand when looking into these tapes. This would make things very interesting... "Well done Crocketts," he stated calmly, opening the door quietly. So the 'hound' did know its task... Among other things. Interesting. "If you could make sure the arena is prepared," the man continued with a slight frown, "I asked Tamaki to do so, but in light of recent events I'm not completely sure he's... Up to the task." Pegasus paused for a moment, before stepping into the room. "Be sure that everything is perfect, alright~," he asked with a small smile, turning to his assistant for one last moment. "And by the way," he added, Crocketts nodding in response. "Be sure to patch that feed to the Tokushima screen in the room... I'm sure we can find the... Answer to our little problem!~" With a curt nod from his assistant, Pegasus walked into the room, quietly shutting the door behind him as an onslaught of suspicion and anger came from the guest in the room.
Really, such an upsetting mood... To be expected of course, but nonetheless! Why, even the food was untouched! He shook his head slightly, turning the lock to the door before moving back to look at the blond teen standing before him. A blank frown... And an active attempt to hide his thoughts, very interesting, if not more intelligent than he would expect from the boy. "So," he began, moving to take a seat at the side as he switched back to the Japanese language. "How about we chat..."
"Doggy-boy..."
Pegasus hadn't looked at him when he started speaking, but he had long since turned around to see his scowl with those words. Again with that name... Stop calling him a god damned dog... Katsuya narrowed his eyes, gaze following Pegasus as the man sat before him on the couch. He was silent only for a moment, not even looking at the blond as his back turned to the blond. However, as Katsuya took a few steps around the couch, watching as Pegasus crossed his legs before him the man spoke. "Now now," Pegasus said with a smile, taking a glass from the table and pouring himself something that looked to be wine. "You don't need to get angry about it..." Angry about- Of course, the name...
The blond tensed, before gritting his teeth. Only two seconds into 'conversation' and already he was pulling that? Tch! "Why shouldn' I be angry," he muttered, watching his 'host' take a sip from the glass, two meals of steak and shrimp steaming on the coffee table in the middle. "Yer flipping through my head like a book right now!"
Pegasus sighed, shaking his head. "Well, I suppose I could call you 'Katsuya-boy'," he said with a smile, the blond tensing in response. Like that was any better than 'dog'! Using his first name... They weren't on those kind of terms by a longshot! The man before him merely continued to smile slightly, leaning back against his couch. "Hah... And to think," he muttered, 'tsk' noises coming around the room for a few moments. "I had all this food prepared just for you~! In fact," he continued as he gestured to the coffee table with an eerie smile, "I heard this was your 'favorite'..." Oh, so the food was leverage then? Well screw that... "Of course," Pegasus continued, taking another sip of his wine, "I suppose I've been rude as well..." He laughed, grabbing an empty glass from the table in the place of his own and holding it out to the teen. "I didn't even offer you anything! You must be exhausted after all, coming all this way... You didn't even have the strength for the finals," he said lowly, 'guest' swallowing in response. "You should gather your strength... Care for some shrimp, or maybe a bit of wine to drink?"
Gh... Like hell he was taking anything from this guy... "Tch..." Katsuya stepped back slightly, narrowing his eyes and not even bothering to spare a glance at the food. Yea, it smelled great but knowing his luck it was poisoned... Not to mention, he had a feeling the others weren't getting this kind of treatment. "I ain't hungry," he muttered, shaking his head slightly. Stomach said otherwise of course, particularly with the looks of the steak on the table but... Either way! If the others were probably hungry, then he would stay that way! "And b'sides," he added with a scowl, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind as he fixed Pegasus with a glare. "'M pretty sure I ain't legally able t' drink in any country let alone Japan righ' now..."
The man across from him merely chuckled in response, replacing the glass on the table before him as the remaining food and wine was left untouched. "If you say so," he said quietly, before a wide grin came into place. "Well... We have a lot to talk about," he began, clapping his hands together. "Please, take a seat 'doggy-boy', I can't wait to get started!~" Yea, he bet he couldn't...
He swallowed, gritting his teeth as he stood with his back to the fireplace and continued to glare at his 'host'. Names aside... Let's just not do that now. "I don' think I will," he said with a frown, shaking his head as he swallowed. Definitely not saying anything... Or thinking anything really. Besides, he told himself with another nervous swallow, Pegasus couldn't possibly stall the entire day, he had to face Yugi in less than an h-
"Oh, I'm not pressed for time," Pegasus stated calmly, stopping the blond's thoughts in their tracks. What..? "The duel will begin when I wish for it to after all..." Briefly, his eye held a solid gaze in the teen's own, 'guest' growing slightly pale. Don't look at him... Don't... As Pegasus merely smirked in response, the man's gaze quickly flicked down to the pendant around his neck. "My my," he muttered, grin fading into a smirk as Katsuya followed the stare. "An interesting necklace you have there 'doggy-boy'..." Gh- Necklace? The blond tensed, the small 'box' pendant hanging innocently around his neck before his eyes. S-Shit... It wasn't tucked in..! "The shape on its cover," Pegasus continued almost 'off handedly', smirk shrinking even more as it became increasingly menacing in appearance. "It almost looks like a certain key I've been looking for..."
Katsuya grabbed the pendant, growling under his breath with those words. Yea, he bet it looked similar! "Yea? And y' ain't getting anywhere near it," he spat, eyes narrowed as he stuffed it back under his shirt. Really figured that it would end up outside his shirt in the earlier search... Either way, he was still protecting it. Pegasus wasn't coming anywhere near this box... Not even a foot!
Chuckling continued from the chair, causing the blond to grow still paler. "Just as expected from the guardian of the Kaiba family," Pegasus said with a smile, shaking his head. 'Guardian'? That was a new title... "But alas, it seems you failed anyways..." Gh- Failed... As Katsuya tensed further, the man merely continued to smile. "It must be devastating, 'Doggy-boy'! To take such an important position in the home only for it all to fall apart! Ah..." Pegasus shook his head, an apparent expression of despair on his face. Don't talk about that... Don't talk about that so lightly... "Such an important task," the man before him continued, seemingly oblivious to the reaction he was receiving in response. "To hold those lives in your hands... It really doesn't suit you..."
The blond's knuckles cracked, fists tightly clenched as he stood there. Just shut up... Shut the hell up..! Where did he get off, telling him this when he was the cause? Taking Mokuba's soul, and Seto-ch- He narrowed his eyes, keeping silent as he mentally corrected himself. Kaiba's soul... Kaiba's... Pegasus could read minds, Pegasus could read minds, Pegasus could fucking read minds, and he couldn't forget that! Not if he was going to get out of this. "Stop callin' me a dog, Pegasus," he bit out in a pathetic attempt to change the subject, taking a small step back as his 'host' took another sip of wine. What did he want... He wanted the key of course, he knew that, but why did Pegasus pull him out here for that? He could have just gone off to his room, take his soul before anyone was even aware...
Again, Pegasus chuckled, tapping the side of the side-table beside him as a small keypad appeared. Hn! Here came some more silent conversation he guessed... "Why indeed," Pegasus muttered, the glass of wine replaced once more on the table. "Why did you forfeit," he asked lowly, an odd glint appearing in his eye, Katsuya narrowing his eyes in response. "Why did you take my offer to join my tournament only to give in so easily," he continued, tapping the keys beside him quietly. "You were so close," the man almost whispered, his guest merely tightening his jaw at the words. "So very very close Doggy-boy..." Stop calling him a... Damn it! Forget it! He obviously didn't care about what he thought anyways! "It almost makes me wonder," he muttered, pushing one final key on the pad before folding his hands before him, "If there was a more... Personal motive for things..."
Personal..? The portrait behind him crackled, and Katsuya turned with narrowed eyes as what appeared to be a security feed replaced an image of the Tokushima coastline. Black and grainy white with grey, one person on a chair, another on a be- Hang on... This was... He swallowed, Pegasus silent behind him as the blond attempted to curb his thoughts. He knew what this was...Shit... For all he wanted he couldn't ignore what was right there..! The feed from Seto's bedroom was silent of course... Completely quiet, for observation and privacy purposes, and even then, 'observation' was only something that the board of directors had managed to implement. This feed though... The time stamp on the side read '10:17 PM', which he could remember gleaning from the clock as he waited for 'thirteen minutes later' to roll around. The date and month were also burned into his mind, and as he watched the feed he only dimly heard the voice behind him, "An interesting thing we found," Pegasus stated as the image of Seto's comatose form lay before them on the screen, his 'on screen counterpart' merely sitting quietly at the side. Though it was a four-poster bed, the curtains drawn apart still allowed a clear view up to the woman's neck, even with the blanket in place. And of course, given that nothing else was covered, everything other than Seto herself was clearly visible... Including... "This feed," the man behind him asked, Katsuya swallowing back a growl, "It came from your shift... Did it not?"
Yea... His shift, but it didn't take a genius to notice that the person on shift was a good deal smaller in build than every one else on security staff! Another swallow, and the room fell silent again for just a moment. Wide eyes watched as the grainy version of himself sat on the chair, lips moving silently in speech as he mentally cursed himself. Shit... Shit... He even figured this could happen, why the hell did he have to be right! (He was never right damn it...) "I wonder," Pegasus continued, voice barely more of a whisper as it floated by his ear, despite the man having never moved from his spot. "Just what were you saying that night..?" Get out of his head... Just get out..!
He could remember word for word what he said that night as his on-screen counterpart opened and closed his mouth. His words to the one that lay on that bed, the promise he'd made... '...I know,' he'd said quietly, holding confidence in the privacy of the room, the silence in his last shift. 'You'll probably do everything in your power to slaughter me when yah wake up...' Each word he'd thought hidden from view of the camera had been perfectly visible, having no other thoughts than his failure... No other thoughts other than getting Mokuba back from Pegasus... 'But I'm only lettin' yah do that after I've done that myself...'
Get out of his head. Pegasus had gone silent as the blond watched the feed, likely busy gaining a clear script from Katsuya's mind. 'Mokuba's gone...' He knew he was there... This itching, invasive feeling at the back of his skull... Get out of his head... 'Snatched off from school without me ev'n noticin'...' Get out of his head! 'But I know who did it... An' I'm goin' after him with all I've got...' GET OUT OF HIS HEAD! 'But for his sake,' Get... 'I want you tah get better!' Out of... 'I want yah t' wake up f'r him,' His... 'Even if he ain't here, got it?' HEAD!
"You care so much for them Doggy-boy," Pegasus said from behind. The man had come up behind him, face far to close to him for comfort. "Keeping a faithful vigil by your employer's side, just what were you saying," he asked, Katsuya turning his eyes back with a nervous shudder. "Perhaps it was a promise..?" 'Perhaps' his ass, he knew damn well..! "A pity how that turned out..."
The blond jerked back taking a number of steps away and moving to the other side of the couch. Wide eyes and a flushed face turned to Pegasus, watching as the man continued to look toward the screen. "Gh... Stop flippin' through my head damn it!" The version of himself on screen was still talking... He'd leaned in closer to the one on the bed, the time-stamp hitting '10:26'... Not too close, but it was enough that his head was partially obscured by the bed's cover. "You already have me where y' want don't yah," he continued, grinding his teeth. "After all, I ain't in yer tournament anymore..!" He was long gone from that... He'd literally handed his rights to Yugi, so why was Pegasus bothering with all this!
Pegasus gave a mock sigh, shaking his head as he crossed his arms and turned back to the blond. "No," he said with a small smile, eye narrowing. "No you aren't... And such a pity too! I would have loved to see you face off against dear Yugi-boy... Hnhnhnhnhn..." Yea, he bet he'd have enjoyed watching that, the bastard... The man turned back to the screens, Katsuya as well following his gaze. His on screen self had leaned over the bed... This was... The part where... "My," Pegasus said, the blond swallowing nervously as the words came to mind. He had to reign in his thoughts, he had to... But he couldn't..!
'Please don' kill me f'r this...'
The rest was left to imagination, but thanks to what he knew...
The man before him turned back with a narrowed and almost sadistic smirk, a shadow appearing to come over his face. "How close to her you are... How very close..."
...Her... He said... Wide and fearful eyes turned back on the man, Katsuya's face paling as he continued to back up toward the door. He had to get out of here, and fast... Pegasus knew... He fucking knew that she was...
The American chuckled, arms crossed behind his back as the screen clicked off seemingly automatically. "Ahh... Young love," he said with a seemingly nostalgic sigh, shaking his head. Briefly, a genuine expression of sentimentality appeared on the man's face, before being replaced by the same dark smirk as before. "How wonderful it is... Hnhnhnhnhn..." The blood continued to drain from his face as Pegasus turned on him, eye narrowed to match his amused smirk. "Really Doggy-boy," he asked with a frown, shaking his head. "Did you think I wouldn't know who I was working with..?"
He grit his teeth, growling. Like hell he needed to even answer that if his head was an open book right now... He didn't think that this kind of crap would happen! The blond brought his hands behind him, back pressed against the door as he stared his 'host' down. Door was locked... Pegasus probably had the key... Not to mention everything else apparently...
Pegasus again shook his head, turning his back to the teen for a moment. "I did try to be polite," he said quietly, gesturing to the likely cold food on the coffee table. "All that work for nothing, it's clear you were tired... But," he continued, picking his glass of wine from the table with a sigh, "It would seem that you and Kaiba-dear are more alike than I thought... Tsk tsk tsk," the man muttered, smile vanishing as he moved back from the table. "Refusing a host is never polite you know... I had all this food prepared for you, even allowed your dear friends a place to sleep..."
The teen snorted, a wry and forced smirk on his face. "Hah! Yea," he muttered under his breath, "Some host you are... Didn' even have a bar 'f soap in th' bathroom, let alone las' night's 'supper'! Ended up chasin' a guy away from my bedroom!" And not just any guy either, fucking Bandit Keith who stole his card...
"Oh... You must forgive me for that," Pegasus said with a mock cry, bringing a hand to his head. "But it's not my fault.. I only thought you wouldn't have the time for such things, that people would hold a sense of privacy! Besides," he continued, a dangerously eerie smile returning to his face. "It would only be for a day after all... You really ought to be more considerate, 'doggy-boy'~." The man placed his glass of wine on the side table, pulling something out of his pocket and twirling it in his fingers. "I have your dear 'Seri-chan' after all..."
Gh..! Katsuya tensed, hands gripping the door knob behind him as his eyes grew wide once again. So he'd gotten that out of his head too then..? Hah... Haha... Damn it... A low growl came from his throat, jaw viced tightly closed as he narrowed his eyes in rage. "You... Don' bring that inteh this... Don't even think of it..."
He shook his head, fingering the card in his grip. "Whaaaat~? Oh, but Doggy-boy," he 'protested', the smirk still in place as he held the card's face toward the blond. An eerily calm expression was on the card, eyes closed in an expression that almost mimicked sleep... Hang on... Did her eyes just... "You love her don't you," Pegasus asked, pulling the card back into his crossed arms. "You would do anything for her," he continued, a low chuckle grating against Katsuya's ears. "And yet she knows nothing of this... Can't even remember," he added as a seeming afterthought, the blond biting down on his lip to keep from shouting.
Get out of his head damn it... Stop taking all of his thoughts and memories and using them like this..! Stop it... Just stop... "It must be depressing," Pegasus muttered, smirk fading to a more 'serious' expression as he stared his guest down. "All you did, and she wasn't even awake to know... And when she woke up, almost in answer to those last words you left her..." Pegasus shook his head, eye shutting momentarily before he fixed him with a cold stare once more. "How did you feel," he asked, "When she stepped out of that helicopter and the first thing she acknowledged was Yugi-boy? Your 'best friend'?"
Katsuya growled, eyes narrowing once again. "Gh... You can't prove that," he shouted, a small bit of blood catching in his throat from his bitten lip. Why would Seto look at him anyways, she pretty much detested him! He'd almost broken into her house, saw her naked, got a job and a room at said house from it instead of a bullet in his skull... She hadn't actually forgotten, that was just a theory, it was just... "You don' know anythin' abou' that!" And it was pretty much expected that she'd address the guy who put her in a coma first! He didn't know anything about this... Nothing...
"Hnhnhnhnhn... Do I," he asked, spinning Seto's card in his fingers as a smirk returned to his face. "It seemed very obvious to me, during our duel..." Gh... Don't talk about that... Don't... "That's right," Pegasus continued in mock surprise, eye wide as he brought a hand to his face. "You didn't get to see that match, did you 'Doggy-boy'! You really should have~," he said, the shock and innocent cheer vanishing back into a dark smirk. "It was wonderfully played," he continued, before giving another mock sigh and shaking his head. "Such a pity she had to lose the way she did..."
Shut up... Blood was seeping out of his tongue as his teeth clamped on it but he didn't move. Hands continued to work the lock behind him as he glared, arms shaking in his anger. Just a few more clicks... Just a few more and he'd be out...
Pegasus was walking toward him, and as a hand grabbed his chin the blond almost dropped his picks. "Gh-!" W-What the hell!
"Now," the man said, other arm reaching for the blond's own and pulling back roughly as a few metal tools clattered to the ground.
"Ack-!"
Shit... There went... Pegasus' eye narrowed, a frown in place. Damn... For someone who was 'worried about his health' throwing duel disks, he had a fucking strong grip..! Gh... "You didn't think I hadn't noticed that did you?"
He grit his teeth, forcing a smile on his face. Blood was dripping from the side of his mouth... Tongue was filled with a coppery taste, and if he didn't think it'd damn the others he'd have put that to good use and spat in this guy's face. "Well," he said, choking back on his nerves as Pegasus gave no apparent reaction to the mental comment, "I'd kinda hoped..."
Pegasus smirked, clapping his hand along the boy's face before holding Seto's card before him. "Did you now..." Gh- He tensed, completely motionless until the hand moved away. Don't... Don't touch him! "Tell me 'Doggy-boy'," he asked the card's visage catching Katsuya's eye and holding it completely. Those eyes... They'd been closed before, but was one of them maybe... Open now? Like a wink? (Or was that just him...) "What do you think would happen if I tore this card..."
Tore it..? His eyes widened, moving from the card to the one holding it. With Bakura it'd been figurines... 'I know the breaking point of my figurines,' the 'dark' Bakura had said as the spikes dug into their skulls on the board, bodies trembling in the pressure. If the figurines had broken they'd have died... So if the card was torn, didn't that mean... "N...No... That'll..." If her soul was... Was in there then... She would...
The smirk grew, and Pegasus moved back to replace the card in his pocket and give Katsuya some 'space'. "Right on the mark Doggy-boy~," he said almost cheerfully, waving one of his hands through the air with a laugh. "If I were to tear this card even slightly," the man continued, childish grin returning to the smirk once more, "Kaiba-dear's soul might not just make it out..." Gh... Then... Why bother with this..! Was it her or the key then? Or her instead of Yugi even? "Now, I'm not going to offer to release her," the man continued lowly, his guest 'growling' across from him. "That would be foolish~! Not to mention 'Doggy-boy'," he stated with a short laugh. "A terrible lie... As would threatening to kill your precious 'Seto-chan'," the man added calmly. Gh... Then what the hell was he going to do? If she wasn't on the line then why bother mentioning her... Why drag her into this..! Pegasus' smirk faded into a seemingly honest smile, the man crossing his arms as those thoughts came to mind. Katsuya stared, eyes narrowing into slits at the expression as his 'host's tone quieted somewhat. "However I will give you one chance, one offer 'Doggy-boy'... After all," he said with a light 'shrug', sighing. "I myself have someone I would do the same for..."
Someone was actually in a relationship with this guy? Hah! He snorted, eyes drifting down to where his tools had fallen before looking back at his 'host'. No chance of getting those back any time soon he guessed... Still. 'Someone' else? Psh... "Yea, I bet! Who th' hell would wanna hang around someone like you," he spat, moving further back from the man. "Scannin' people's brains an puttin' their souls in tapes an' cards... Real charmin' I bet!" Like hell this guy was telling the truth! Come on... Give him some overly happy, exaggerated 'oh well~' and just finish this... He was good as gone wasn't he? And the longer this took, the longer the others would have to wait... If it took to long... He shook it from mind, waiting for the answer. Come on... Come-
He frowned as silence settled over the room, his 'hosts' voice just as quiet as it had been before. "...Yes... Why wasn't the answer as snarky as he expected? "Yes that's..." Pegasus trailed off, eye staring off at the side before speaking again. "I suppose that is true... Nonetheless," he continued, tone darkening as a shadowed glint appeared in his eye, the chill in the room returning yet again. "That's not for you to decide, boy..." Just 'boy'? No 'doggy' this time? ...Oh hell that voice was creeping him out now. "Not when you know your fate..." Shit... Chuckling filled the room again, and the man began to pace around the couch as Katsuya stared. "You have something I want after all," he stated, the lack over-the-top cheer serving to further creep him out. "Something I need," he continued calmly. "The key around your neck- I'll take it regardless of what you say... But I'm going to offer you a deal..."
Katsuya grit his teeth, spitting what remained of the blood in his mouth on the ground. "You c'n blow it out yer ass Pegasus... I don' care what you offer, I-"
"You'll refuse it? Really," he said, shaking his head, an exaggerated expression of disappointment clearly visible. "You shouldn't be so quick to reject my offer Doggy-boy~! I haven't even explained... Hnhnhnhnhn..." Pegasus stopped walking, the couch sitting between he and the blond as he crossed his arms yet again. The card was again in his hands, Katsuya noted, frowning. And it looked different again... Both eyes were half open, staring blankly forward, but that wasn't all either. Beside the name at the top, where it had simply held the kanji of Seto's name, a few question marks had appeared... And the particle 'To'. Katsuya stared, wide and livid eyes narrowing slightly with confusion as he swallowed. What the hell... "I can seal a soul into any object after all... Even if it's already occupied..." Already occupied! What the hell was he getting at here... "The soul is eternal," Pegasus continued, expression of neutrality only marred by the shadow over his eye. "Ageless and never dying... I could give you the chance to see your dear 'Seto' again," he offered, voice little more than a whisper as his guest stared, eyes widening as the message became clear. "Have you join her in this card rather than banish you to an eternity of solitude... If you'll just give me the key without questions." Forever with...
Tch! He growled, drawing back even further from the man as he made his way back toward the door. 'Forever' with Seto-chan huh? And what about Mokuba..? Or even Seto's own nerves on the subject? (He'd admit it himself, his chances were... Pretty damn low.) Besides... 'Soul imprisonment' wasn't on his list of ways to go out! "Forget about it," he snarled, hands moving in front of him in a poor attempt at defense as they closed into fists. Wouldn't do anything for his soul but... The hell he wouldn't at least try to slam him one in the end. "Y' mind as well jus' take my soul now if that's what yer' gonna try!"
Pegasus' eye narrowed, and the card was instantly replaced in his pocket. "I suppose I tried," he said exasperatingly, shrugging with a mock sigh. "I'm not even sure why I bothered with such an attempt! Just look at what you did to my carpet," he shouted, gesturing to the small bloodstain that was seeping into the floor. Oh hey... Must have happened when he shouted at Pegasus earlier. Oh well... "Do you have any idea how long that will take to clean! Really Doggy-boy... How very inconsiderate..." A new card was procured from his pocket, Katsuya tensing in response as the CEO again gained a dark gleam in his eyes. The man's hair seemed to part to reveal the false one in his skull, bright gold shining in the light of the room. Shit... Blank card, question marks like the one on Seto's... Here it came... "It looks as though I'll just have to be rid of you now... Pity," he muttered, fingers tracing the card slightly before he looked back to his 'guest'. "I had been thinking of letting you leave in one piece..."
Here it came... He swallowed, shutting his eyes and wincing as he waited for the 'inevitable'. The feeling of weakness that was already washing over him like a wet sheet, making it hard for him to breathe and for a moment, he frowned. This... He choked, shaking his head and staring at the ground with a frown. This wasn't like when Bakura's 'other' just switched him over into a figurine, with the sudden black out he'd had. Where all he'd felt was a brief instant of some sort of pull, and then nothing. This was... Different. This... He coughed, collapsing on himself as one hand limply gripped the door knob at the side. This... "Gh... Hah... Kch! Hah... Hah..." What was this... Weary eyes looked up at Pegasus' hand, and he could see something slowly appearing... What the hell was this, was he just sort of pulling him in slow, like siphoning gas? "Hah... hah...Gkh..." What was...
The blond closed his eyes, hand falling to his side as he continued to struggle for breath. This was it... He was dead now... Yugi... He'd better not lose that key damn it-
"Oh," Pegasus muttered in evident disappointment, Katsuya looking up through his exhaustion to glare at the man. The man's expression was visibly faded into honest depressed surprise, and at the sight he had to force a triumphant grin on his face. Hah... Yea, that's right... "So you don't have it," the man continued with a frown, earning no more than a weak laugh from his soon to be captive. "You gave it to him... Hnhnhnhnhn... Such a surprise!" Yea... Go ahead and laugh now, but he still 'won' this round... And thanks to earlier deals, Yugi was untouchable, so there! Hahahaha... Haha... hah... Pegasus' voice continued to fade in and out, Katsuya breathing heavily as he continued to tire. Damn... This was taking an awful long time... What was taking so long...
'Hey...' Couldn't he just sleep and be over with...? Just close his eyes and wait until he hopefully woke up... 'Hey..' And shit, he was even starting to hear voices again, wasn't the duel monsters stuff enough..? Couldn't he just...
'HEY!' Eyes shot open from where they had closed, and with a loud bang Pegasus stumbled back from him. The again blank card fluttered to the ground, Katsuya hurriedly shuffling back with wide eyes as a misted figure erupted between he and Pegasus. 'What the hell do you think you're doing Mutt,' a familiar voice screeched, target grabbing the lock-picks from the ground as his hand fumbled over them in his flight. Hands unconsciously gripping the picks he stared, eyes wide as the shouts continued. 'DIDN'T YOU PROMISE ME,' she roared, bright and hazed light blocking him from Pegasus as he continued to stare. 'THAT YOU WOULD RETURN MY BROTHER UNHARMED!'
S-Se... Was this... He pulled himself to his feet, back pressed against the door as the same legless form of the girl he'd seen in his 'dream' appeared before him. "W-What... What the hell..."
"My my," Pegasus was muttering, apparently recovering as the light receded to the 'ghost's form. "Isn't this interesting..?" 'Seto' turned, fixing the man with a glare before looking back at Katsuya. The light was intensifying again... But was it just him, or was it being pulled away from him...
'What are you waiting for,' she growled, the blond tensing in response as the spectre continued to glare. 'I'm not letting you go back on your word MUTT!' He continued to stare, before the light flared and a blinded shout of surprise came from the other in the room. Ack... His eyes..! 'GO!'
What the hell was this..! He turned to the door, thoughts racing as he gave up on lock-picking and slammed his arm down on the knob. What the hell was this! One solid slam was all it took and the knob was snapped off, Katsuya pulling the lock from the door in a panic. He couldn't hear anything. Not Pegasus' mutterings of seeming amusement in the face of an angered shard of soul, the shouts of the soul herself, nor the thundering footsteps from the right of the hall as he flung the door open and bolted. Nothing... Not even... "YOU," came a guard's shout, Katsuya paying it no mind as he fled. Get out of there... That was all he could do, just get out of there... "GET BACK HERE!"
Run... Run... He had to get out of here! In the back of his mind as he ran, he could see 'little Seto' staring down Pegasus... Eyes narrowed, a wry and vicious smirk on her face. Pegasus himself had long since recovered from the blinding light, and was now approaching the ghost with a legitimately curious expression in place. The smirk grew... And then...
"Heh... Here's your last piece, Crawford..." More light.
Then nothing.
Footsteps continued to thunder down the hall, and Katsuya shook the image from mind as he continued to barrel through the house. The blond's shoes skidded against the carpet as he turned a corner, the teen narrowly avoiding tripping over his own feet as the shoes laces slapped against his legs. Run... Keep running... Another corner was turned, and despite his fear the blond chanced a look back before smirking. Three very angry, and very large guards were about... Oh... 8-10 meters behind him? Hah! No big deal right? He'd been in situations like this befo-
-Bzwsh!-
-CRACK- He ducked, eyes wide as a vase directly to his left shattered to pieces. Feet skidded over shattered porcelain and waterlogged anemone flowers as he picked up speed, a few strands of hair falling to the ground behind him. Fuck... Oh FUCK, they were firing at him! "Haaaahhh shit!" He stumbled as another bullet flew past his ear, turning another corner and tripping as a loose shoe managed to clatter to the ground behind him. Damn it, he'd gotten away from Pegasus and jumped right into something even worse! Turning yet another corner, the blond continued to breath raggedly as shouts sounded behind him. Glass was stuck in his remaining shoe, and what slight shards stuck to the laces bit at his bare left foot. Still he ran, barely keeping from falling as he continued. He couldn't run much longer... He needed to find a spot to hide... Anywhere... Somewhere...
There. How he knew there was an open door there he didn't know, but as the door shut behind him he turned the lock and moved off to the center of the room. He'd only had a few seconds around that corner before the others would follow after, and the fact that this door was there... He turned his attention from the door he'd backed away from, staring. Two doors... There were two doors in this room, which was large and empty in an almost ballroom like fashion. Hell, knowing Pegasus it was a ballroom... A stage at one side, enormous and elaborate stained glass windows in the ceiling... He shook himself, looking back to the other door and moving toward it to open it. Like hell he knew why there were two doors in here but who cared if it got him away from the bullets? There wasn't any time to stare at the scenery... Those morons would probably realize he'd headed elsewhere once they hit a long stretch of hallway after all. Cautiously poking his head out, he glanced down both ends of what was apparently a dark and blocked off hall. Not a single light in there, save from whatever the comparatively well illuminated room behind him gave it. Ok... Ok... No one in sight...
He slowly walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him with a click. Alright... Calm down... He was somewhat in the clear now, somewhat... It was completely dark in here now, the only thing allowing him to find his way around being his thankfully well honed night vision; night shift sure seemed to be coming in handy lately... "Hah... Hah... Hah... Hah..." Katsuya fell to his knees as he took a few steps into the hall, shaking his head as the events of the past few minutes caught up to him. "Hah... God..." Back in the room... What the hell was that! He was dying there... He was sure of it, he was sure... And then, right when he'd been so sure it was the end... The 'eye' from the night before came to mind, eerie voice echoing through his head. 'There was a piece missing...' He swallowed, fingering the lock picks that were still gripped in his hands and staring at the dark wall across from him. 'Let me take it...' He'd thought last night was a dream... He could have sworn... But back there, with Pegasus... He shook his head, picks hanging limply in his fingers as he attempted to figure out what happened. How the hell had all that happened...
All he could hear now though was 'Seto'... 'Didn't you promise?' The lock picks were jammed back in his pockets, Katsuya standing up slowly and staring at the floor with a worried scowl. Yea, he'd promised but what could he do? If he moved an inch in the wrong spot... Lights out, thanks for trying. He bit his lip, shaking his head. Rephrase that... To hell if that wasn't worth the risk after all, but the fact was, if he didn't watch it... Fists clenched he felt his way down the hall, looking for another door as his arm moved above and around various flowers and vases lined along the sides. He needed to move, to get out of there... Pegasus knew he didn't have the key now, he was probably on his way to duel Yugi now... Honda and Bakura had never showed up, which probably meant they were still looking for Mokuba and Kaiba... He couldn't just sit around and-
"Ow!" He hissed, pulling his hand back as his fingers brushed against a rather thorny set of plants on the side. Shit, what the hell kind of plant was that, a thistle? "Damn it..." Bleeding... He sucked his finger a moment, flicking it in the air in an attempt to east the sting. "Ow... Sssss... Shit, you'd think he'd get rid 'f th' thorns..." He held the bleeding finger under his arm for a moment, before moving out into the center of the tall and continuing on his way. Alright... Well, hopefully that thorn wasn't anything poisonous... He continued down the hall, steady un-even thumping of socks and shoes pounding through his head before coming to the next door. Light was coming from under it... Quietly he opened the door a crack, and with a cautious look around the corner pulled back inside the dark hall instantly. Shit! Someone was there... He only saw one but... He slowly poked his head back out, biting his lip as the guard stood across from him, back turned not two feet away. Looking elsewhere down the hall there was no one else... All the same though, this wasn't personal like with Saruwatari. Hell, how would he get out of this one...
He pulled back inside, frowning. Something told him the other hall wouldn't be any different, if there even was another hall at the opposite end of this one... So how to get rid of this mook without getting a gun pulled on him then? He stared down at his mis-matched feet, looking at his single shoe for a moment. Huh... How the hell was he going to get that shoe ba- Katsuya blinked, before smirking. Hehehe... Here was an idea... He needed to get this guy out cold somehow didn't he? Katsuya poked his head back out the door, biting his lip as a loose plan came to mind. This guy would probably notice if he walked up behind him with a big ol' vase to knock him out after all... But there was no way he'd get him 'quietly' and in one shot from the back! But if he cut off any possible noise...
Katsuya took off his other shoe, quietly placing it on the ground before taking his sock. Alright... First, make sure there weren't any shards of glass in there either, lest he cut the guy's throat... Much as he didn't want to lose his shoes, his jacket wouldn't really work for this... Too thick, and his cards and picks were in there. Knowing his luck, the picks would impale the guy's neck. Besides, bare feet were quieter, now that both his shoes were gone (How the hell would he replace those?)... He slowly pushed the door open, ignoring the slight creak as he approached the guard. Alright... The sock was gripped tightly in both his hands, the blond cautiously toeing over to where the guard was staring at a portrait. Closer... Closer... The man before him tensed, as did the one behind him. Shit. "What the..."
Oh fuck. The guard turned, Katsuya dropping the sock and charging the man in an instant. "Hn!" Elbow slammed hard into the man's stomach, guard chocking at the sudden blow. Well, there went the quiet way. As the guard collapsed wheezing for air he continued to move, hurriedly slamming his palm up against the man's throat just as he began recovering. Wheezing breaths came through the air, and before the guard could react further Katsuya grabbed the man tightly around the neck to change his positioning to behind him. Swiftly the blond reached around the guard's side, feeling around for the weapons holster at his side. Come on come on... Ahah! As the guard struggled, Katsuya pulled out the gun and grinned, holding it out and watching the man pale considerably. "Heh... I'll be takin' this," he said quietly, tightening his grip on the man in his arms. He gripped the gun firmly, adjusting his grip and moving to drag the man to the side, back into the dark hallway he'd left before. "Now then," he grunted, the guard currently holding stock still lest he get himself shot as his captor attempted to carry the man off into the dark. "Hold still f'r a moment," he continued, moving his second arm back to the man's head now that they were where he wanted to be. Pitch black, door mostly shut behind them... No one was coming in here, he decided, taking a seat on the ground with his arms still tightly wrapped around the guard's neck. "This'll only take a sec..."
Much as he didn't want to knock someone out by strangulation... This was pretty much his best bet for now. Better than smashing the guy's skull against the wall and bringing in more guards at least. The gun clattered to the ground as he tightened his grip, the guard abruptly bringing his hands up in a panic. Wheezing sounds coming out of the man's mouth became silent gasps for air, Katsuya forcing his eyes shut and turning away as he held his grip firm. Airway was cut off... For ten seconds... Twenty seconds... Forty... The man continued to scratch at his arms, Katsuya not moving despite the throes of strangulation the guard was going through. 120... 150... The struggling died down somewhat, becoming feeble slaps against the air but still his arms held firm. 200... 300... The movement stopped, and after a few more seconds he slowly let go and moved out from behind the man. Hah... Hah... Ok... He swallowed, putting an ear to the guy's chest with a swallow. Sure he'd knocked him out, but... He bit his lip, wincing as he listened for a few moments... Please don't be dead, please don't be dead, please don't be-
"Hah... Ah... Hah..." The blond moved away as movement started up in the guard's lungs again, sighing in relief. Ahhh thank god for that... Aside from Hirutani he wasn't a murderer. Now then. He swallowed, searching the man's suit for the radio before dumping it in a nearby vase and listening to a few feeble crackles. Turning to the door again, he quietly poked his head out with narrowed eyes. Time to get out of here.
Back out in the hall there was no one... Looking back at the guard, he moved back to snatch the security card on the guy before heading out and shutting the door behind him. Never knew when the card would come in handy after all; lots of card-accessed doors in private places after all, so if anyone was behind that sort of door... He shook himself, walking down the hall as light streamed through the windows at the side. Now that he was officially 'shoot on sight' material, he mind as well figure out how to get things fixed... If Honda was looking, then why the hell shouldn't he? Hell, Bakura could be looking even... Katsuya looked around, the hall, quietly stepping out in his bare feet and trailing his hand along the side of the wall. Silence... That guard was obviously the only one there, and thank god for that... But how long would that last?
Again, he shook that thought off. He'd just have to keep an eye our really... For now, his eyes had nothing to do but look around the hall however. The entire cream coloured hall was adorned with portraits, each one depicting either an unknown human being or simply a piece of western scenery that had been painted on a thick oil canvas. Lights from the ceiling came from small but otherwise immensely powerful 'mini-chandeliers', overpowered by the sunlight from the windows beside him, and against his feet the red plush carpet almost conformed to each footprint completely. Eyes narrowed as he slowly walked the hall, looking around in confusion before turning down to a path that was completely devoid of windows. This place... He frowned, hand trailing against the wall again as he walked. Why did it feel familiar...
Fingertips brushed against a vase of flowers and he turned, frowning. Huh... Were all these flowers some kind of 'map', a way for Pegasus to keep from getting lost in his own house..? Each hall had a different set from what he'd seen... For this one, vases of enormous blue hydrangeas filled the hallway, and as he looked at the large bundles had to pause his walk for a moment. These flowers... The smelled familiar, looked familiar too... But where had he seen them..?
Katsuya turned back down the hall, continuing his slow walk and shaking his head. Forget it... He had to continue with his 'job'. Much as he would like to go faster so that he didn't end up stopping for things like that, he couldn't run either... Wanted to run of course, definitely wanted to run, but between all that went on earlier and what he'd just done to that guard he was exhausted. He wanted to run but... Well, he just couldn't right now! Besides, he assured himself, silently padding along the blood red carpet. If he bolted past a corner, what would happen if he was stuck dealing with another guard? That sure as hell would suck... Particularly since it would be likely that the guard would have the advantage that round. Hah... The lighting started to dim, a few lightbulbs flickering as he glared upward. Seriously..? Come on, was Pegasus so cheap he crapped out on lighting too? Those bulbs shouldn't be doing that..!
The blond shook his head, turning around the corner to check for more people and continuing down on his way. Whatever... Not like he should really expect much from this guy (Though he had to say, the steak and shrimp was a damned low blow.)... If there wasn't any soap or food, why not cop out on lighting too? Sheesh... More silence... The vases beside him were filled with mixed flowers now, a collection of snapdragons and seemingly marbled roses. Red and white... Who the hell knew what colour they were he decided, continuing down the hall. Damn it, why the hell did all this feel so familiar... The lights in the next hall were completely out, Katsuya not even bothering to check for a guard upon entering it. There was obviously no one in here after all... Guards weren't posted in dark hallways, only dark rooms; and even then, that was only if something in there was sleeping and still under a heavy need for protection.
Continuing into this hallway, he found himself staring at the sides again as he walked. Vases of tulips lined the sides, and still he couldn't shake the feeling he'd been there before. Familiar... It was so familiar, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd been here before..! He couldn't have been here though... It was impossible! And what was with these flowers... Even in the dark he could tell that they came in all colours, reds, oranges, whites...
Yellows... He tensed, freezing as he came to the end of the hall and turning away to face the 'exit'. Wait... This hall split into four here... But the flowers around him, he'd definitely seen them before..! This wasn't just a 'feeling', he knew... Taking a hesitant step forward, he looked down the next hallway with wide eyes, taking a confident turn to the left and swallowing. These hallways... Right down to his damn bare feet he dreamed this! After his duel with Seto! All of it... Which meant...
The next hall was roses. He tore down the next hall, the blurred forms of rose filled vases passing his eyes as he charged. This hallway... There was something here, a panel wasn't there? A loose slat with a tunnel to a dungeon. So where-
Katsuya skidded to a stop, frowning as he turned to a nearby vase. He wasn't sure what made him stop... The burst of speed he'd hit, he shouldn't have been paying the side any mind, but something here... He moved closer to the vase, lifting one of the flowers up and frowning. The other ones were filled with roses, right to the brim with fully bloomed flowers that smelled strong and fresh. But this one... He didn't know what flower this was. It looked like the roses in a way, but looking close the petals were withering, falling... The center of the flower was different, same with the leaves and stems, and the scent differed completely...
He grabbed the vase and pedestal without giving it anymore thought, heaving it away from the wall with a grunt. This was it... He didn't know how he knew, or how the hell he could get dreams like that but this was it... "Ghn... Ghaaa..." The water sloshed in the vase as the pillar was dropped, and he stooped back down the examine the wall with narrowed eyes. Hands ran along the sides, feeling around for something, anything that was out of place on the otherwise smooth plaster. Though anything below the vases seemed uniform and flat, there was something here, something... "Come on," he muttered under his breath, giving a slight knock on the wall to check for a 'hollow point'. "Come on..." Knock knock... Ahah! Briefly his eyes widened, before a grin came on his face. "Yes!" A crack in the wall... And a spot where the 'thud' was a little more echoed! Fingers dug into the side, pulling tightly against the entrance with a loud creak. Bits of dust entered the air as it pulled out, Katsuya stumbling back slightly as the thick wood 'door' fell into his arms. Gh- He turned, head peering around the vases a moment in the darkness.
Did anyone hear that...? He swallowed, counting down as he held his grip on the plank of wood in his hands. Two seconds... Four... Six... Ten... He sighed, silently laughing to himself. Hahaha... Ahhh... Good... Nothing. Pulling the 'door' off to the side and setting it to rest against a nearby pedestal, he looked at the square entry way he'd found and bit his lip. As with the dream, it was small. He'd be ducking in before he could stand. Honestly, he didn't know what he expected to find in here... Given his 'dream', probably Mokuba but all the same...
Pegasus was the one who showed up in that dream, and that was just damn creepy to tell the truth... There was no telling what was in there really, nothing at all. Nonetheless he steeled himself, crawling through the hole and paying, for the most part, no mind to the cold stone under his feet. To the wet and musty wall he trailed his hand along for a moment, nor the uneven ceiling his head scratched against as he moved. The dungeon at least was lit... Thick wax candles hung along the walls, and the stagnant air was less smoke filled than he'd figure for an enclosed dungeon. There was probably a vent around there or something then, given the otherwise breathable air hanging around well melted candles... His hand hand trailed along the side of the rock and dirt walls, the blond looking around hesitantly in case there was anyone else 'awake' down there. He didn't see anyone so far... Nothing but empty cells as he walked, a few chains hanging under barred 'windows' in an enclosed room. His hand was now brushing against cold and rusted cage bars as opposed to rock now, but all the same the scenery was the same.
Nothing but dirt, rock, cold air and- He froze, coming to the end of the room and stopping in his tracks. And that. "Holy shit..." There they were, in the same 'end of the hall' prison cell as had been in his 'dream'. Arms held limp above their head by chains, head slumped over in silence as they sat partially on their knees... Dirt caked over skin and hair from the scummy ceiling and walls, and with wide eyes he stumbled over to grip the cell door for a closer look. Their clothes were covered in filth as well... Whoever had locked them in here wasn't too careful, probably even angry. Why even bother locking someone without a soul down here anyways, how could they run? Maybe he should have expected this... Didn't change his surprise, that was for sure, but even so he felt he should have expected it. He should have... And looking at the blank blue eyes that were staring toward his feet, frozen in the defeated position they'd been left in prior 'imprisonment' he found himself choking on his words.
"S... Seto-chan..?"
AN: JONOUCHI DID YOU JUST STRANGLE SOMEONE? ...
YES. (Still alive though, we checked~) (You can probably tell I enjoy fight scenes. )
And so we have the first half of the Duelist Kingdom 'Finale'. Though when I say finale, I mean 'Climax', because there will still be a cool down chapter if the next half of the action takes too long. Oh MAH though... The sheer insanity/creepy/camp that is Pegasus! I had too much fun writing that scene, I really did. Anyways.
Thinking of using as many pairs of chapters for the Legendary Heroes arc as there is episodes... Basically six chapters. Or should I just roll with it and pray it doesn't get out of hand? Asking you guys really, but the fact is that if I get Duelist Kingdom under wraps before Halloween... Well, Legendary Heroes either happens before or after Christmas, but if I don't know before I start, then I might end up writing Christmas... In January. ACK. Hence why, even if I get this wrapped up by halloween, I might end up rolling into Christmas anyways... Christmas isn't just some 'filler chapter' after all, there's going to be a bit of story around it! Anyways...
In other news, poll results!
Current Poll:
Time to decide the identity of Seto's past incarnation! So far our results are...
Female Crossdressing Set - 10 (Two Anonymous)
Obviously Female Priestess Set - 5 (Two Anonymous)
Canon; Male Set - 2
Holy crap guys, crossdressing is double the number of the Priestess. WOW.
And now...
Anonymous Review Responses
Three this time! First off, Wafflekid, your vote has been recorded above!
Next... Iona! Duels involving Jou are always fun. Granted, if you look at the opponent you can normally predict the outcome.. (Damn it Siegfried.) Either way! Definitely more 'variance' there… I mean. I always wonder why the anime diverged from the manga with the finals to set Jou up for a fall against Yugi. Seriously… WE… WE KNOW YUGI'S GONNA WIN THE FINALS GUYS DON'T PUT HIM AGAINST JONOUCHI.
If I sound ranty, it's because that's been bugging me. Sorry!
And oooooh, I hope that my differences didn't pull you for a complete loop then! Because trust me a lot of the complete non-canon (As opposed to 'slight non-canon', such as conversations during duels or before duels… Mai and Jou's conversation before the match counts as one of those.), is very… Very action centric as opposed to 'card game centric'. Probably the inner action buff in me. …Actually it's definitely that.
I hope not to disappoint you with the Legendary Heroes arc then Iona! Off we go to another chapter!
Hey again Cynical Gamer! And HOLY MOTHER OF… Your review… It… It's HUGE! *stares at it in awe* (So beautiful...)
Man… I wish I could write reviews like this. No need to thank me for the response by the way; I make sure to respond to all my reviews! Prove that I read them, appreciated them (I really really do!), and more importantly to answer questions. Like yours!
Seeing monster corpses definitely doesn't help his situation with Pegasus, though at least Pegasus didn't find out about that… Good thing about things like that, you tend to block them from mind… Which means the mind-readers don't find them in the initial sweep.
It's still a giant mind-screw though. Heeee~. And hey, no problems with 'joining late' as you say; I don't expect everyone who reads my fanfic to be reading it from when it started off, I come across complete or long-underway fanfics all the time myself!
Small things like that always do tend to create an interesting domino effect… Thanks for the compliment in regards to pulling off said effect though, I was worried about it when I first started this fanfic! And yea… The tournament… I always wondered about that. He was kinda caught in the anime, but it turns out it wasn't gloves so much as stars that were needed... So he got off relatively scott free. That or Pegasus just did not care, and given Keith's appearance… (Not to mention people not even competing...)
I will draw that then! I actually have a sketch made up, the eye is proving slightly difficult to piece together though… But yes. 'Here is a giant monster, how do you escape?' 'I FUCKING JUMP THROUGH IT THAT'S HOW' '…Ok Jou… O… Okay…' Good thing Kaiba won't remember all this...
It is something, rest assured. Something very very big actually, though I'm obviously saying no more on that. He's seeing every card as a tablet technically; think of the tablets that you see during the Millennium Game arc when a monster is being summoned. That's what he's seeing effectively. And you will get a big reveal… Somewhat. It's a little less of a 'HUGE' reveal so much as a few smaller ones. As for that soul piece… Well… *points up*
This tends to be the case in a lot of anime with a single hero and a 'band of tagalongs' really (In terms of supernatural ability or Anti-Heroisim at least.)… Sad but true, but obviously something that the early manga avoided somewhat. Granted it generally involved Honda either showing up 'occasionally' (He wasn't a regular character for a few chapters actually.) and Anzu being taken hostage… (Damn it.) Nonetheless- Yay character focus! Helps that the one whose point of view its from ends up on the sidelines a few times himself.
And here's your update… Mwahahahaha! Enjoy your Pegasus. (Hopefully not out of character here... It felt in character, but all the same, with what I did before, his evil-ness was ramped up a bit more than the manga and anime I think... Hn... )
Usagi's Manga & Japan Guide/Corner
The section that's having a few troubles with the pen tool, but when it's done oooooooh will it be worth it.
Today's chapter title literally means 'Fear Garden'. Specifically, 'Kyoufu' (or 'Terror', 'Fear', etc.) comes from the combination of the verb to be afraid (Or terrible, or enormous... Don't ask.) ('Osore', in this case 'Kyou') and... the adjective 'scary' (Kowai, in this case 'Fu'). (Scary + Scary = More scary.) This isn't me being 'weeaboo'-ish though... Otherwise my nit-picky Japanese knowledge would make me put a 'No' there, for 'Garden OF Fear'. Rather, it's the title of a song by the vocaloid Rin (Which is technically called 'Kyoufu Gaaden'); in it, she talks about her garden... Of... Hands and arms. Human. Hands and arms. Hihhhh... (Oddly enough, I don't actually like the song. HAHAHAHA. Ohhhh...)
Needless to say, the song has about nothing to do with the fanfic really, but at the same time, the creepy part and the copious amounts of flowers making their appearance here made me decide otherwise. Pegasus' house has enough plants there that it mind as well be 'Fear Garden' after all... (And to think, I had originally used those flowers as a way to put more description into the scenery! HOW FAR WE'VE COME~)
On a completely different note, to get the word 'Dinosaur' in Japanese, you combine the above 'Kyou' with 'Ryuu', or 'Dragon'. Meaning that 'Dinosaur' in a literal translation is 'Terrible' or 'Frightening Dragon'. (Not too far from where Dinosaur comes from in our language; 'Terrible Lizard'.)
Supposedly, (At least from what Pegasus says in the manga when he says 'I'm going to read both their minds…') the table for the duels (More than ten meters away by the way, if the height shown in the manga says anything.) isn't out of range… Which would mean the Duel Disks wouldn't have worked.
And yet Pegasus has a legitimate fear/distaste for them. So… My conclusion? The distance affects the clarity, like shouting. Hence why he only grabs the emotions when he 'reads' Keith and Jonouchi's minds… Given that he really does just say all that about Keith and Jonouchi in terms of 'Hope + Trust VS Despair + Revenge', I'm gonna say I'm at least close on it.
When Pegasus calls Jonouchi the 'jailer's dog', he references the not-so-common (But certainly memorable) position of the 'Prison Dog'. You know, the one that always has the keys and sits outside the jail cell... And just won't give up the damn keys? Ironically, this is the reason why Pegasus calls him a dog; he's holding Mokuba and Seto's safe key, and he's not letting go! (Least he appeared to...)
You'd think Pegasus could see the 'reality' on the board... But the fact is, the reason why Jonouchi can see all this isn't something unique to the Millennium Items. If those with items can't actually summon those monsters to reality, or just don't really feel close... They won't see it. Why is Jonouchi an exception to the 'close' and 'summoning' rule? Don't worry! You'll find out! As it is...
Pegasus cannot see the Duel Monsters, but he can 'feel' their power. This translates into the energy akin to dueling really... Not to mention everything else concerning the items, and for that reason, he's completely unaware of the fact that any surges of power on the board aren't because of the eye.
Yugi? He can see his monsters. My proof for this? In the chapter that he prepares to face off against Pegasus, he holds his deck close... And all of his monsters appear before him. While he's asking his deck for help by the way. This is more of the 'heart of the cards' deal really, not to mention the fact that... He knows the realm of those spirits exists. Though he can see his monsters however, the gore doesn't go beyond what everyone else sees in the holograms. Doesn't mean it doesn't affect him... It's just not quite as horrific as watching your monster dissolve in a pool of acid, or maybe get shot through the neck.
Bakura, rather, 'Yami Bakura', can very much see everything on the board. I doubt he really cares though...
As for anyone else with items, not too sure. Mostly because this deal with seeing the monsters and all that isn't centered on the items... Ironically, Yugi's 'heart of the cards' would be closer(Though sadly inaccurate to the same extent in this case.). I'll leave you to your theories now...
High-school in Japan (And I've probably said this before) starts at Grade 10... To be specific on schooling over there, Elementary school is from Kindergarten to grade 6, Middle school from grades 7 to 9, and Highschool the remaining 10 through 12. Just to clear you up on the 'first year of highschool' business.
You know what that means? It means this entire fanfic will take place over the course of three years. WHOO!
I appear to be very good at giving one-appearance-only characters names. It helps things make sense when other people talk to them you see.
Pegasus' reference of 'Old Wives' refers to the phrase 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach'. Obviously not an 'old wives tale' (As those are just completely false stories in terms of folklore.), but really, who coined this term? Not like we know really...
It's actually a proverb. SILLY PEGASUS. He probably knows this too. Oh well. (I don't know where said proverb came from, I can't find where it came from soooo...)
Originally, Keith gets to Pegasus right after he leaves the room/balcony/whatever. Holy shit, how fast did Keith stumble on up there? (He's got the crazy stumble down pat I tell you!)
When Pegasus says a 'tournament', he refers to the 'final stages' in the fanfic's case; though technically, this standard tournament format is the same for standard regional and national tournaments, quite unlike the first half of the Duelist Kingdom. Now, since Jonouchi came in eighth in Tokyo, and they only took the champion of each region… Well, there's a heavy chance that he's anywhere from Eighth to near dead last in all the second to tenth place players. Just don't tell him that, because it means that at the very worst he's 403rd in all of Japan... And that number, while fairly high compared to the population of the country, still has the 'Triple Digit Depression' effect.
It should be noted that in the manga, he said 'first tournament'; which is accurate to the manga, as Jonouchi... Really was fresh off the playground so-to-speak. As for the anime... I can't actually recall what he said. (Fear not guys, I'm consulting the anime from 'Legendary Heroes' on; it's just that since I knew I wouldn't be able to access the anime for a good chunk of Duelist Kingdom...)
I like to believe that Pegasus is at least slightly patriotic. Enough to realize that Keith is making a bad name for Americans everywhere in any case... More than can be even remotely excused. By a long shot.
Jonouchi is actually right to guess that he's not legally of drinking age… In countries that bother enforcing the law at least. Specifically, the lowest age is 16; thank-you Germany. And of course, thanks to recent age-revealing rules for the fanfic, Jonouchi is currently fifteen... Though Pegasus probably has his island out of the country or something insane like that, or something... Who the heck knows.
As for why Pegasus is even offering... Well, it's his house, no one's going to be saying anything (Why should they/Who would bother?), and wine is the more... 'Regal' of drinks, more 'business'-like than say offering the guy some punch. Plus, Pegasus is under the impression that he's going to be snatching this guy's soul in a few minutes, so hey! Let's toast to that shall we?
Why is Jonouchi making such a big deal out of a box that doesn't have the key? Well, when Pegasus gets to it, he'll find out that it's empty... Something Jonouchi was (At least until he figured he was dead, thanks to final moment thoughts) trying to prevent for as long as possible. Ironically, this 'you can't get this box' works in his favor, as, what with the reason why being so obvious to him that he doesn't even think about it, all Pegasus picks up is that the box is important... Leading him to believe (at first) that the key is in there.
As you've probably noticed, for the sake of the fanfic, any portrait that isn't of European or American origin is real, whereas all of Pegasus' Japan related imagery is fake. Well isn't that handy.
Oh but Jonouchi! He was telling the truth about feeling for your situation! Pegasus, while the source of Jou's problem here, can't help but relate to the whole 'love' issue. While Jonouchi's interest in Kaiba is obviously completely unknown to the woman (Unlike between Cynthia and Pegasus), the situation of 'just out of reach' is still there… So hey, why not offer an eternity together, and actually roll with it?
Or would he have? We will never know…
The particle 'To' in Japanese (Which is of course, the hiragana 'To') is used in the same way as the word 'and'. So really... You could say that 'to' means 'and' in those cases. More accurate would be saying that 'to' is the same as the '' symbol though, as it's used this way in math as well...
Oddly enough, though he says 'young love', Pegasus is only 25... VERY young when you think about all the stuff that happens. Particularily when Yakou and Gekko Tenma show up... If we assume that Yu-Gi-Oh R happens right after Battle City, the furthest from Duelist Kingdom we can get is about a year and maybe a half. The youngest I would say those two are is 16-17 (And 16 is pushing it..)... Which means that Pegasus is only 8-9 years older than them.
But... They're his adopted sons! HEH? Oh well... We'll deal with that when the time comes!
If you think little Seto's 'soul fragment' appearing in a rage is from the 'power of love' so to speak, think again and think hard; this is a lot closer (as intended) to a 'ghostly obsession'... Namely that the last thing Jonouchi said to Kaiba as a whole (So to speak) was that he'd come back alive and with her brother... And if she's gonna 'die' so to speak, or even just force her way out for anything, it's going to be about Mokuba.
I checked guys, you can bust a door open this way. Pegasus likely has solid wood doors, which require a lot of force to break down of course, but not too much; putting all his power behind it like that (with adrenalin on his side no less), and striking what is actually one of the weaker points of the door (The knob and lock), means that it's actually fairly easy to break through to the lock. And as the lock is built into the door here (as with most indoor locks), that means that knocking the knob off gives him access to the lock itself. Which means it's just a matter of pull from the wall and push.
As for the lock-picks he had on hand, Jonouchi's actually picked a lock in the manga before interestingly enough; I figure that when going on a possible 'dungeon rescue mission', he would have brought them. And given that they obviously weren't searched for weapons... Not to mention it's easy to stick those in a pencil case.
'Crawford'? Hnh? Well, Pegasus actually got a name change in the dub; he wasn't originally 'Maximillion J. Pegasus' guys; he was Pegasus J. Crawford. Why they couldn't stand the fact that his first name was Pegasus, I'm not sure… In any case, how did the little Seto figure out this? She's two feet away from the rest of her soul guys, come on. (To be more specific on that, The proximity basically made 'little Seto' more of a soul than a 'soul fragment'. YAY. Not enough to actually make it 'Kaiba's soul' obviously, but enough to get some residual memory on the man standing in front of her.
Jonouchi's not gonna figure out what happened, but I can tell you so that your heads feel a little less sore; The shard of Kaiba was basically stuck in Jonouchi's head (He really did jump into a 'dream' guys. Funny what your head does on autopilot.)… When Pegasus started pulling out Jou's soul however, it kinda opened a window for her. Bringing in an interesting case of 'PSH! Only I can torment this guy!', which involves her only temporarily distracting Pegasus/attacking Pegasus/over all just attempting SOMETHING against Pegasus.
Because hey, a piece of soul just jumped out and started talking, that tends to be a little distracting you know? (Enough that Jonouchi's soul actually recoiled and got slammed back into his body, haha!)
While I explain Jonouchi's 'elaborate' (Not really) knock-out plan, I found out how the neck strike works. It… It's not that it doesn't work guys, it's that it's more likely to be fatal than briefly effective if pulled off. See, striking there strikes an artery called the 'Carotid Sinus'… Hitting it sends strong impulses down the nerve there (as said), which leads to a terminal cardiac arrest. As in, stopped heart guys. This is likely in part due to the fact that it helps regulate your blood pressure… And… Your heart rate. YEAAAAAA Good thing Jou didn't end up on the end of a working one!
As for the rest of the 'plan'. The fact is, if you find a completely silent door somewhere, you have an overly obsessed janitor. Jonouchi could get his head out sure… But not all of him, not without triggering a loud door sound that would have that guard on his ass faster than possible. The fact is, he doesn't have time for a brawl, and he knows it; unlike his 'semi-immunity' before, with Saruwatari, if he makes too much noise he'll likely end up with a bullet through his skull. Back then, he was at least protected by the fact that Pegasus had Jonouchi in the tournament. Now? He's fair game to shoot in the side and drag off. So yea... He was kinda trying to go the sneaky approach here (He was originally going to strangle/gag the guard using his sock.)
A note on the specifics of what Jonouchi did? When someone gets a good solid shot to the solar plexus, the muscles of the diaphragm will spasm uncontrollably making it… Well, to put it lightly, very hard to breathe. Safer than a blow to the back of the head... (Which, conveniently enough for Jonouchi, was only jossed because the guard saw through his 'strangle you with my socks plan'. Yea, he was originally going to slam him in the back of the skull 'volley ball' style.) And definitely safer than the neck strike… But still serious in that it can cause organ and nerve damage. (It's also known as getting the wind knocked out of you.) And then of course, he basically held on until the guy conked out... (This will definitely give that guy some brain damage. Not as bad as slamming him in the skull, but that will be one POUNDING headache when he wakes up.) Doesn't really help that he crushed the guy's throat with a palm strike before that.
Layman's term for the solar plexus? Took a while to find, as believe it or not, solar plexus really is the first thing that comes to most minds when they see the move in action, and technically is 'layman's terms'. Because… They're so used to it being stated as such. The solar plexus is technically called the 'Celicac Plexus'. YAY SCIENCE.
By the way, that guard isn't being super-cautious when he stops moving after Jonouchi's tossed the gun away (At least not until strangulation kicks in). He's being smart; it doesn't actually take much strength to snap a neck in that position, which is kinda why Jonouchi took it (Though he definitely won't be snapping his neck.); it means the guard won't struggle too much... Er... At least until air stops coming into the lungs.
Spoilers concerning earlier actions with Saruwatari by the way; the fact that he was knocked out for a bit implies serious damage to the head, and while he woke up soon afterward (Really soon), meaning that it's not fatal (He's still going in for a concussion), it does render him cursed with a bit of amnesia concerning the fact…
Which means he completely forgot the attack, and anything within ten minutes of it. (Of course, when he was briefed by the magic of security cameras his mood soured but… Oh well.)
Holy crap symbolism! First, early on in the chapter we have Pegasus' Jasmine flowers; these are said to attract wealth, and really are rather beautiful white flowers. Go figure.
Anemone flowers carry with them the message 'Take care of yourself'. Isn't that nice...
Hydrangea's symbolically refer to a 'thank you' for understanding, but alternatively they refer to frigidity, or heartlessness. Red and white roses bunched together represent unity (And just unity), whereas snapdragons can imply presumption, or deception (Also a gracious lady, but that's not the case right now. Though Kaiba should definitely be grateful after all this.).
Tulips have many meanings depending on their colour, but in general refer to fame and charity… The yellow tulips near the end, where Katsuya puts two and two together however, specifically symbolize hopeless love.
Lastly we have the Begonia, sitting among the bouquet of fully blooming roses (It's too dark for Katsuya to see the colour, unlike with the tulips… As yellow is a pretty unique shade in the dark compared to white-red. Plus there's no intended colour here, as begonia don't have specific colours that symbolize one thing or the other.). A large amount of roses in full bloom like that represent gratitude… Begonia on the other hand are a sure sign of danger! Also, while the roses are in full bloom, the bouquet of begonia are withered… A bouquet of any withered flower signifies a rejected love, sadly.
Why is there a single vase of begonia there when Pegasus so clearly went through all that trouble with the other flowers? Because he gets silly with telling his guards where the hidden dungeon is. Begonia do look… Somewhat like roses. Obviously not enough to pass off, but at a glance in the dark it's easy to ignore. (Kaiba's in there because Pegasus made a handy guess that someone would be sneaking around his house that night.
...He was right.)
On a last note...
Finally, the dream makes sense. Almost. Mostly. Doesn't really need to be explained though right?
Fan Art and Sketches
In which Usagi spams you with her self-promoted and made fanart, proving once more that drawing fem!Kaiba comes far too easy for her! Same as usual, remove the spaces, there's your link!
Now, for now, I'm working on the 'Durarara Chain'... So that's really all I have for you. The image I'm linking out is obviously 'WIP' for that reason, with the original credits line behind it as a sort of positioning guide (No tracing for Usagi!), and is definitely not completely inked... Otherwise the background image wouldn't be there. So far? Kaiba, Jonouchi, and Mai are all inked up! The rest are all sketched, and you'll notice that I have notes along the side to fix things... Like my horrendous use of perspective on Ishizu's leg, the gap between her hands and Rishid/Odion's feet (Not to mention Malik's as an extra), annnnd poor Yugi's skewed neck length due to the positioning of his head. D'OH.
Not shown in this picture so far is Yami Bakura, who will actually show up if I end up getting the sketch too look right when I get there. All depends really.
'Durarara Chain' - http : /i5. photobucket. com/ albums/ y153/ natasha_unos_1/ YGO% 20Fanfic% 20-% 20Skin/ DurararaChain. jpg - Complete with decidedly neutral (Probably slightly happy) Kaiba (The sketch and the ink are merging over each other due to how I saved this for you; it looks like she's smiling, but she's not.), very much happy Jonouchi, questioning Mai (Probably asking why the hell Jou is grinning that much. IT CAN'T BE GOOD FOLKS!), the likely bored Rishid, a plotting Malik, annoyed and very ticked Ishizu to support the two, while balancing Rebecca and Mokuba both on her other leg... (Gotta hand it to her for the balance.)
Followed by Honda, whose been used for babysitting it looks like, Otogi who's... Probably just wondering why the hell he's there, then a flustered Ryuzaki (Very hard to do, I'm sure... We all know what Ryuzaki acts like normally.), holding Shizuka... Who knows what she's saying, but she's either annoyed or just saying something that made Ryuzaki blush for once (Positioning doesn't help his case.). We then have Anzu just chilling there and being cool, the clearly nervous Bakura beneath her... and at the bottom the Yami-Yugi double! Whew! Have fun guys. (Yami Bakura will sort of sit between the Yugi pair and Bakura in a more 'reaching' pose than his 'better half'... He won't be 'super imposed' over Bakura though, I just haven't increased the space between the people at the bottom yet.)
And with that, we're all done for today...
See you next chapter~!