Title: Duel Monsters Next Top Model (2/?)
Author: Mishiko Shinsei
Rating: NC-17 (eventually)
Pairing (s): Various
Beta: None
Spoilers: Minor for the series
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Yu-gi-Oh, just the cracked-out stories I write about them.
Summary: Pegasus is crazy. He draws two other crazies with him, Dartz and Siegfried von Schroeder. Together the three make our beloved duelists an offer they can't refuse. Warnings for crack! and slight OOC-ness.
Week minus 1
Dartz smiles at his creation, observing how the man thoroughly absorbs information on all of the technological and engineering advances made in the ten years that he's been dead. Day's prior, the now 21-year-old rightful Kaiba heir had focused on the current state of the business world and it's practices. Just hours after his revival, the aqua-haired genius had demanded the latest computer and it's schematics in order to familiarize himself with current computer technology. A blue and brown eye twinkle, remembering the moment when he understood that Noa Kaiba was just as much a genius as Seto Kaiba.
"And I didn't even have to bribe him once he found out that Seto killed his father," he mumbles to himself. "Though maybe he'd feel differently if I hadn't erased his memories of the virtual world."
It had taken a considerable amount of Atlantean medicine and magic to bring the boy, now man, back to life, but Dartz is sure that it will pay off in the long run.
Suddenly, he realizes something significant that maybe he shouldn't have overlooked; Noa was a boy when he died. How is he going to cope in a man's body with no knowledge of what that may entail? Using the console in front of him, he programs lessons on psychology, sexuality and related topics into Noa's planned curriculum for the next few days.
"Better safe than sorry," he affirms. "I wouldn't want the boy to be caught unawares by raging hormones."
For some reason, though the other stood at over 6 feet tall, he could still only think of him as a boy of 11 or so.
"The son I never had," he whispers to himself, shaking off such sentiment a moment later.
Noa Kaiba was just another means to an end. And once he'd fulfilled his purpose, Dartz would return him to the oblivion from whence he came.
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Yugi is going crazy.
It has only been a week, but not knowing how Anzu is doing is taking its toll on his psyche. Actually, his breakdown is surprising even to him. Sure, he knows that he deeply loves Anzu, but even he had no idea how much he actually needed her. And not just for the lame things such as where everything is put away in their apartment.
His fiancée, who's been one of his closest friends for most of his life, always has a ready smile for him. She always listens to him ramble on about nonsense until he is ready to actually tell her what's on his mind or bothering him. She always finds a way to reassure him without trying simply by touching his arm lightly or randomly calling him in the middle of the day 'to say hi.'
And these last few years, since the summer after graduation, they've been nearly inseparable. Yugi had even followed his love to New York for a year while she took dance classes.
They'd both decided not to go to University once they got back to Japan. Instead, Yugi had taken over management of the game shop so that his grandpa could retire and Anzu had begun her dance career in earnest. They'd gotten an apartment together and Yugi had popped the question just last month.
"We haven't even set a date yet," he whispers miserably.
"Yug'? You okay man?" Jou inquires as he sits down on the sofa next to his best friend.
He'd opted to stay with Yugi that third night following the kidnappings, once it became obvious that his pal wasn't doing too well. Yami had taken over management of the game shop and Honda had taken time away from University to act as an employee in Yami's place.
"Yug'?" Jou places a hand on his friend's shoulder, hoping to offer some comfort.
"I'm okay, Jou," his obviously distraught friend sighs. "I just wish everything would start already so that I don't have to sit around waiting anymore."
Getting up from the couch, the shorter man begins pacing the living room.
"I'd go back to work, but I know that I won't be able to focus because I don't know what's going on with Anzu! Damn it, Jou! Why can't the crazies leave us alone?" he yells in frustration.
"I guess that's part of what makes 'em crazy, Yug'," Jou shrugs.
"Whatever," Yugi snorts angrily. "Let's go out tonight, Jou. And maybe we can stay over at Yami's or Honda's place. I think I'll lose my mind completely if I have to sleep in that empty bed again tonight."
"You got it, bud!" Jou grins, hopping up to grab his jacket and slip on his shoes.
Chatting lightly about nothing in particular, they make their way the seven or eight blocks to the game shop to pick up Honda and Yami for tonight's excursion.
Jou isn't sure if his best friend knows it, but taking care of Yugi, and to a lesser degree working at the game shop and his classes at the local college, are the only things keeping him from going off the deep end about Shizuka.
"When I get my hands on that asshole…" Jou grumbles under his breath, thinking what he'd like to do to that silver-haired fop.
"What'd you say, Jou?" Yugi inquires as they walk up to the door of the game shop.
"Nothin', Yug'," he waves his friend off casually. "Just grumbling about having to work tomorrow afternoon."
Yugi laughs, lifting Jou's spirits since his tri-colored friend has been just this side of morose for the past week.
"Just tell Yami the truth; that you need the time off to look after me and keep yourself from running down the street screaming. I'm sure he'll let you out of it."
"Yugi…" Jou trails.
'So he did know,' he muses.
"Listen Jou," he smiles lightly at his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I know that you're going just as crazy as I am about Shizuka, so it's doubly great that you're doing all you can to support me."
"Just doin' what any best friend would do," Jou shrugs looking away timidly.
"Are you two going to kiss now? I thought you were engaged, shrimp," Kaiba interrupts gruffly behind them.
"Kaiba…"Jou growls, turning to give the arrogant brunet a piece of his mind. Instead, he swallows his words with a startled gasp, echoed by Yugi behind him.
Kaiba looks, in a word, awful.
His eyes are bloodshot, black-rimmed holes on a pale face, his hair is a wind-blown mess and even his normally immaculate attire is more disheveled than usual.
"They got Mokuba, too," Yami concludes from the shops doorway.
"And killed two of his friends and severely injured his bodyguards to do it," Kaiba adds.
Not wanting anyone on the street to see the powerful CEO in such a state, Jou grabs the taller man's arm and swiftly drags him into the shop.
"Don't touch me, Mutt!" Kaiba protests, pulling his arm away and stumbling lightly into a display.
Even Honda's eyes widen in surprise at the obviously debilitated man's state as Yami quickly flips the 'Open' sign to 'Closed' and locks the shop's front door.
"Please tell me that you didn't drive over here like that," Yugi frowns.
"Like what? I'm fine! I just came to find out if you'd been forced into Pegasus's stupid modeling contest too, that's all," he snarls.
"Kaiba, when's the last time you slept," Yami prods.
"It doesn't matter, I'm fine," the brunet shakes his head, sending him wobbling back into the same display.
"Friends don't let friends drive in their sleep," Jou mumbles, setting himself between Kaiba and the front door.
"So now you losers are resorting to kidnapping too, huh?" Kaiba's sneer loses a lot of its power as he stumbles once again on his way to the door.
"Sit," Yami orders, pulling the quickly crashing CEO by the back of his still flawless white trench through the game shop and onto the couch in the living area.
The mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted brunet is out before his butt hits the cushions.
"I can't believe he even made it here," Honda murmurs in shock as Jou and Yami arrange Kaiba on the couch in a more comfortable position than his passed out sprawl.
"So I guess we're in tonight, Yug', " Jou exhales as Yami disappears to find a blanket.
"I guess so. Pizza okay with you guys?" Yugi suggests.
"Sure, why not?" Yami replies as he re-enters carrying a light blanket. "We should probably make sure that we have enough for Kaiba when he wakes up. Something tells me that sleeping isn't the only thing he's neglected to do since Mokuba's been gone."
"Yeah, you're probably right about that," Jou snorts. Anything else he wants to say is cut off when Yami tosses him Seto's car keys.
"Y-Yami, what…?" the blonde stammers.
"You're the best driver of the four of us. We can't leave Kaiba's car on the street overnight. Take Yugi with you and park it in their garage," Yami delegates.
"Oh, man. If you do anything to that car…" Honda trails off meaningfully.
"Huh! Tell me about it," Jou laughs humorlessly as he and Yugi head out.
Swallowing a bit of apprehension, Jou slides into the driver's seat of the black Mercedes-Benz SL550 convertible as Yugi slides into the passenger side. Turning on the car, Jou just sits for a few minutes, enjoying the purr of the 8-cylendar engine and the plush leather seats.
"Fuck, this is a nice car," he breathes after a few moments.
"Yes it is," Yugi whispers appreciatively beside him.
With utmost care, Jou drives the beautiful and expensive machine back to Yugi's apartment building and parks it far away from any other cars and parking traffic. Creatively taking up three lanes near the back of the garage, Jou and Yugi then scramble to find a car cover after putting up the top and locking and alarming the car.
Nervously they walk back to the game shop, hoping that Kaiba won't have their hides for touching his prize when he wakes up.