Anguish; it was the only thing she could feel then. The sounds of the sirens, the murmuring from the spectators, the questions from the police, and the swift arrival of the local news crew layered upon each other and drove her to insanity. The guilt weighed in on her like a yoke with ten-ton dumbbells on each side. She wanted to leave, to get away from this horrible scene and hide from everyone's eyes, but the medical attendant kept her in place as he tended to her physical state, attempting to keep her calm.
His attempts, though valiant, were futile. She was dizzy from the noise of the growing crowd, and her sobs stuffed up her sinuses and gave her a pounding headache. The turmoil within her caused her stomach to twist sickeningly, making her nauseous, adding to already broken state.
Yuugi, Jounouchi, and Honda stood by her, but made it a point to avoid trying to speak to her until she had calmed down. They refused to leave her side, feeling a little guilty that they put her in danger because she spotted them in their undercover investigation, which delayed her from continuing on her way put her in harm's way of the car. Jounouchi in particular was feeling immensely guilty from being so hot headed and accusing the driver of being reckless without knowing the details. And for the driver to have been Anzu's mother… it made him feel worse just thinking about it.
"Excuse me," came an official, yet familiar voice. "Anzu Mazaki?"
Anzu barely looked up to make out who was speaking to her. "O-officer Yamashita?" She sobbed through her words as her father's colleague and friend bowed in greeting.
"Yes, Anzu, it's me. I beg your pardon, but I must get your statement."
Anzu was deathly afraid of that. She never was a very good liar, so she was afraid that she would blab about everything that had happened. "I… I can't…"
Yamashita looked at her kindly. "I know it's hard for you, but we do need your statement so we can file this away appropriately."
Anzu nodded slowly as she forced herself to refrain from choking on the knot in her throat. "I-Is my father coming?" She asked hesitantly as the medic left to grab some more supplies to continue the examination of her physical state.
Yamashita looked at her uncertainly. "I'm not sure, to be honest. He wasn't at the station this morning and I haven't heard from him all day."
The pain in her heart only grew from this news. She knew her father wasn't going to be in the office today as he wanted to spend some final, private moments with his wife before she left his side for an undetermined amount of time; but the fact that he wasn't here now where his presence was pivotal for her sanity caused her to doubt her mother's survival even more. Maybe… maybe he hates me because of… mom… the thought made her stomach lurch and she covered her mouth as she felt the bile breach the back of her throat. The stress was making her sick.
Yamashita as well as Yuugi, Jounouchi, and Honda reached for Anzu to try and calm her down. "Are you all right, Anzu?!" cried Yuugi.
Am I all right? Am I ALL RIGHT?! OF COURSE NOT! Anzu wanted to scream at her childhood friend, but the twisting sensation in the pit of her stomach caused by her guilty conscience and the threat of whatever she last ate waiting for the right moment to shoot out from the back of her mouth rendered her silent. She couldn't even look at anyone right now.
Yamashita sighed, "We can do this another time Anzu, when you're feeling better." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Just… I'm sorry. Know that I wish you the best." With his condolences given, he walked off towards the medic, specifically requesting that he check and recheck her physical health, before heading back over to the scene of the accident. The scene of the crime, thought Anzu bitterly.
The medic settled back beside Anzu, shooing her friends away for the moment. "Please, give her some space so she can breathe." He placed a strong, yet gentle hand on her shoulder. "Now, Miss Mazaki, I'm going to need you to take a deep breath for me." Anzu, glanced up at him, nervous to attempt the feat as she felt still on the verge of revealing the contents of her stomach. The medic, however, said, "It will help you relax. Several deep breaths should help you regain control over yourself again."
Hesitantly, Anzu inhaled deeply, wincing as she felt the bile at the back of her tongue, yet she exhaled, the tension in her body ebbed just a bit and she felt the bile recede from her throat. She took in a few more just to make sure she had calmed down enough for her to finish her exam. She sighed, somewhat relieved that she wouldn't have to suffer through the burning sensation of vomit. Though, with what just happened, she suddenly felt that should be the least of her worries. If anything, she should have deserved to suffer through whatever she had to in order to repent of her sins that day.
Her friends sighed in relief as she seemed to overcome the momentary bout of sickness as the medic rubbed her back soothingly. "That's it. Now, I know this is difficult for you, but you have to try to remain calm. You need to be as calm as you can possibly in order for you to pull through these events. Otherwise, your dad will be extremely worried about you."
Anzu's face fell as she felt her stomach beginning to churn again. "Dad…"
"Peach!" The familiar voice calling her by her childhood nickname yanked her eyes from up from the ground and on to the worried expression of her father's face. "Oh my… Peach!"
Anzu, leapt from the back of the fire truck and ran straight into her father's strong arms, crying out for his presence. "Dad! Where were you?!" she sobbed out. The intense pressure of the loneliness she felt of her father abandoning her due to her mother's death at her hands lifted from her shoulders, like chains snapping and releasing her from her prison. "I thought… I thought…" She couldn't finish, her sobs overtook her once again.
"Shh, Peach, shh. It's all right." He stroked the back of her hair as he whispered into her ear. "Everything will be all right. I promise."
She clenched onto his shoulders and the guilt shot itself through her heart again. That's what mom said too…. "H-how can you say that!" she whispered tightly, her throat crouching in on her esophagus again. "She's gone!"
She felt her father tighten his embrace around her, "I know, Peach. I know… but we'll see her again. It won't be for a while, but we'll see her again." She heard his voice falter as he spoke but she couldn't look up at him; she'd crumble into a pile of guilt and misery if she saw him crying.
"Mazaki!" cried Yamashita from a distance.
Konami looked up to see his friend approaching him and his broken daughter. "Yamashita? You're covering the scene?"
Yamashita nodded. "I am. When you both are able to, please let me know when I can pull you aside for a few questions. I hate to have to do this, but I have to go by the book on this one. There could be some suspicion of foul play."
The color nearly drained from Anzu's face as she clung on to her father's shoulders with dear life. "Foul play?" She heard her father ask, confusion apparent in his voice. "What do you mean by that?"
Yamashita sighed, "Well, as you can see, this car was in good condition, it could practically be considered new. However, after pulling the car out of the water and searching it, we saw that the ignition was rigged to fail, causing the driver to lose control over the steering and the brakes." His brow furrowed as he lowered his voice. "Mazaki… I recognize the car… Is this… Is this your wife's car?"
Anzu gulped as Konami hesitated to answer. "...I haven't seen the car yet, Yamashita. I can't answer that…"
Yamashita eyed Konami for a moment, before motioning him over to the scene. Konami guided Anzu over to the car, an arm protectively over her shoulders. "This is the car. The make is a Mazda, year 2006, model Kabura." He looked at Konami and Anzu, "Ani was the only one I knew who ever owned a Kabura, the North American sportscar concept for Mazda. It was given to her as a gift from a very wealthy, international client out of gratitude for her performance in court." Konami visibly gulped as Yamashita seemed to tense. "It is her's, isn't it?"
"..What's the plate number?" He asked. When Yamashita read back numbers, Konami fists clenched into a tight ball. "...It's her's…".
Yamashita's hands covered his mouth as he let out a small curse. "Why, Ani?" Anzu flinched at the tense atmosphere emanating from Yamashita, the frustration grating on her thinned out nerves. "Who could have done such a thing!"
Konami held onto Anzu tighter, as if protecting her from unintentional accusations. "You are sure this was foul play?" He asked seriously.
Yamashita shook his head. "No, it is only speculation. The car, though it is still almost as good as new, is older. Almost eight years to be exact, so it is possible that the ignition gave out on its own. We'll have to do a thorough investigation of the car before we can call it homicide or a tragic accident." He looked directly into Konami's eyes. "She didn't have any enemies did she?"
Konami didn't refute the possibility. "She is a lawyer, Yamashita. Albeit a highly respected lawyer, but a lawyer nonetheless. And lawyer's make countless allies and enemies. I couldn't say that she doesn't have enemies, but I also couldn't say that those on the end of her convictions weren't bound to be her allies at the end of the day."
"This is true. Ani was always determined in her line of work. She saved a lot of families and businesses, while at the same time locking away those who would seek to harm those families."
Anzu couldn't help but think of Gozaburo Kaiba and the KCSP at that moment. Breaking families up and destroying happiness of others just for the sake of one person's safety while remaining in obscurity. The need to punch something suddenly surged through her as the anger associated with it made her blood boil. If anything bad happened to my mom, it's because of them, not me. If it weren't for them, this never would have had to happen and I would be home with both of my parents by now, rather than discussing… this.
"Whether this was an accident or it was foul play, we have to get to the bottom of this! I will not rest until I know justice has been properly served!" Declared Konami.
"Well, that's another thing." Yamashita, ran his hands through his hair. "We haven't found her body yet."
This news struck Anzu like a bolt of lightning. She looked up at Yamashita intently. "What did you say?"
Yamashita was a little taken aback, but continued. "We've been searching for several hours now, but we haven't been able to find any trace of her body. Which presents a few possibilities. One, her body was snatched by the murderer. Two, she is alive, but injured somewhere."
"What do you think her chances of survival were?" Asked Anzu hopefully; maybe there was a ray of hope here after all.
However, Yamashita shook his head. "As much as I want to believe it, the chances of her surviving a crash as hard as that into the railing on the bridge then being sent into a headlong dive into the water below with the airbag deployed, are slim to none. Airbags don't stay deployed forever, but since it was already deployed after her initial crash, she would have been pinned against her chair as she fell. There was no way she was moving, whether she was conscious or not."
Anzu's countenance fell as she remember her mother's closed, motionless eyes. "Her… her eyes were closed. She must have been unconscious…." The rising hope she felt, crashed to the bottom of her stomach again. This really was turning out to be a horrible situation.
"You… saw… Anzu? You saw your mom's face?" asked Konami, in slight shock.
Anzu felt the weight settle on her shoulders again as she nodded. "I saw as the car tipped and fell into the water with mom still pinned against the seat."
"Why didn't you call me?" He asked sharply.
Anzu winced. "I… couldn't…. I couldn't even think straight…." She released her father and put her face in her hands, the shame eating away at her.
Konami's face seemed to tense with agitation and disbelief with his daughter's reactions. "Go home." He said sternly.
Anzu's head shot up to look at him. "W...what?"
"I said, 'go home'." He sounded almost angry with her. "Straight home."
"B-but dad I-"
"Just leave!" He demanded, turning from her.
Anzu was taken aback by her father's anger, feeling it cut deep into her heart. Did he really believe that she caused her mother's actual death? The pain heaved itself upon her mercilessly, making her dizzy and sick once again. Without waiting, she ran from the scene towards her home, by passing Yamashita, the medic, and her friends who had been awkwardly standing on the sidelines, completely forgotten amongst the drama.
The scenery passed in a watery blur as she sprinted as fast as she could away from the turmoil she had caused. She ran into bystanders and knocked into a few people, causing her to stumble but she never stopped running. Once she was home, she headed straight to her room and landed on her bed, crying hysterically. She couldn't face her dad, the feeling of being a murderer with the blood of her mother on her hands drove her nearly to insanity. She was very positive now that her mother had died in that crash. She fell down onto her bed and buried her face into her pillow, screaming until she was sure her lungs were bleeding. WHAT HAVE I DONE? She thought over and over again. She wept louder with every thought and ended up crying all afternoon and late into the evening.
The day carried on past 8:30 in the evening as she continued crying. She hadn't been disturbed all day; she was pretty sure someone came by and it was probably her friends or the media to ask what she saw and how she felt, but she didn't care. Even now she was too involved with her hysterics to hear the knock at her bedroom door.
When she didn't answer the door, her father walked into her room and cautiously approached his shattered daughter, placing a gentle hand on her back.
Anzu gasped; she wasn't expecting anyone to touch her. She looked up through her tears to her father's countenance. She backed away from him, the shame claiming her in full force under his gaze. She didn't know what to say; what could she say? The dreadful suspicion that he blamed her for her mother's death clawed mercilessly at her gut. In her head she recalled her mother's lifeless face, stained with blood atop the deployed airbag before falling off the bridge. It caused her puffy red eyes to sting painfully, trying to pour out the tears that had ran themselves dry.
Konami sat on his daughter's bed, silently evaluating her condition before speaking. "You're blaming yourself unnecessarily, Peach."
Anzu looked sharply at him, not fully comprehending what he meant by that.
With a slight exasperated sigh, he continued, "Your mother isn't dead."
His words stirred a strange concoction of emotions within her. It tumbled over itself, and confused her, daring her to feel hopeful, yet foolish for the thought. In the end, frustrated anger surfaced. "How… can you say that? How can you say that!" She gripped his shirt with tight fists. Wasn't he just accusing her on the bridge? "You didn't see her! You didn't see the blood on her face! You didn't see how she was pinned between the airbag and the seat! You didn't see the car tumble into the water! You didn't see, so how can you say that?!" She cried, sobbing once again.
Konami's eyes were full with compassion and pity for his daughter for having to go through this turmoil. "Peach…"
Anzu shook her head. "There's nothing you can say… that will make me feel differently…." She barely managed above a slow whisper. "It's done dad… and I can't reverse it…." She wanted to give in to her guilt. She wanted to take full responsibility with the proper repercussions that went along with something as horrifying as premeditated murder.
Konami's spirit flared at his daughter's submission to a false truth. He grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her, gaining her attention. "Do not talk like that!" He said sternly. "You have not done anything, except get your mother to headquarters with a solid alibi. That is it. You haven't murdered your mother Anzu!"
The doubt in Anzu was relentless, however. She knew her dad would never lie to her, but she couldn't deny what her own two eyes saw. She hung her head once again, refusing to look at him. "Sorry, dad…."
"Anzu Mazaki!" shouted her father, "You are forgetting your mother! She made a promise to you! Has she ever broken that promise to you?"
"No… but…."
"No 'buts', Anzu. This is your mother. She has sacrificed for you, fought for you, and has gone through a number of life or death situations just to be there for you when you needed her, despite what her responsibilities were to this dreadful organization. You've always come first for her and for me, so don't belittle those promises with doubt!"
The added layer of guilt was almost too much for her to handle. She wanted to believe in his words with all her heart, and maybe some foolish part of her heart did hope that her mother was alive after this horrifying day; but the logical portion of her mind argued against the possibility with tormenting facts. The conflict within her was too powerful, she couldn't even speak.
Konami sighed after the silence persisted between them long enough to end the conversation. He kissed his emotionally broken daughter and walked to the door to give her some air. "Just think about it Anzu. It's late, and you need your rest. Try going to school tomorrow if you can. You need the distraction after today," he said as kindly as he could, restraining as much of the frustration he was feeling as possible before closing the door behind him.
Without bothering to get dressed for bed or taking a shower, Anzu reached over to her lamp on her nightstand and turned it off, falling face first into her pillows and crying, pleading for the mercy of a dreamless sleep.
Yuugi, Jounouchi, and Honda walked down the corridors of their school the next day, an awkward silence between them. They were thinking about what they should say to Anzu. After she had ran away from the scene of the accident yesterday, they had been lost spirits. How were they supposed to comfort her? They had never felt the pain of losing someone they love. The three boys exchanged looks, transferring the same thought that they had to each other: Would she even be at school today?
They walked into their classroom and looked toward Anzu's empty seat. They sighed, but whether it was one of disappointment or relief they weren't entirely sure, but it was unanimous agreement that they hoped she would not come to school today. They knew she needed to be left alone with her father so they could mourn the loss of a beloved family member.
They set their stuff down before gravitating towards Anzu's desk. Yuugi placed a shaky hand on the tabletop before speaking. "You guys think she'll come to school today?"
Their silence was enough of an answer for him. Of course she wouldn't come. I wouldn't come if that happened to Jii-chan. Yuugi looked up at the clock, a minute until school began. Yuugi sighed before walking back to his desk and took out his notebook and started writing his name and date at the top corner, getting ready to start class. For once, Honda and Jounouchi followed suit. They sent each other a remorseful glance before departing to their own desks.
Kaiba watched from behind the cover of his novel as the geek squad gathered around their friend's empty desk and wondered what had them so disturbed. If it wasn't for his recent confrontation with their cheerleader yesterday, he wouldn't even be giving them the time of day right now, but he had picked up on the whispers from the other students that mentioned Anzu's name. Phrases like: "Did you guys see the news last night? Poor Mazaki!", "I can't believe it happened to her! Do you think she'll show up at school?", and "Not only was it her mother that was in danger, but so was Mazaki herself. Nearly hit by a car! Can you believe it?"
The last one caught his attention. He scoffed mentally. It was just like that girl to be careless and klutzy in the middle of a busy intersection. "You know? I heard that it was her mother that was in the car that nearly ran her over!" This made Kaiba put his book down. Obviously he hadn't seen the news last night. He was too involved in a meeting that had quickly drained his energy, and IQ.
Then, the bell suddenly rang and Kaiba immediately snapped out of his thoughts and continued on with his reading. He'd been concerned with the daily gossip for far too long already and he didn't want the lack of intelligence to reach his brain if he continued to pry. The teacher walked in and cleared his throat before telling the class to take their seats so he could take attendance. He called out the names in alphabetical order and stopped when he had gotten to Anzu's name. He hesitated before saying her name.
" ...Mazaki-san?"
Silence, just as he had expected, but being a creature of habit he called out of her full name. "Mazaki Anzu?"
Yuugi raised his hand tentatively and the teacher called on him. "Excuse me, but I don't think Mazaki-san will be coming in today…."
The teacher nodded, not pressing for details. He already knew. "Right. I will mark her-"
He was interrupted with the slow swoosh of the door. He dropped his pencil when he looked to see who was standing there. "Mazaki-san!" The entire class immediately stopped talking and doing whatever it was that they were doing and looked up to see Anzu standing in the doorway. Even Kaiba lowered his book some to look over at her inquisitively.
Anzu was looking down at the ground, her eyes downcast and hidden behind her bangs. She was slumped over and looked pale, even her hair lacked any life. "I'm sorry, Yamata-sensei..." her voice was raspy and low, almost a whisper.
Yamata looked at the broken girl standing in the doorway, disbelieving that she actually came to class.
Anzu took slow, unsteady steps into the classroom and murmured to her teacher and classmates, "Forgive me…. I'm afraid I'm late." She bowed slightly before continuing over to her desk, her feet shuffling on the tile, much like she had done yesterday. She felt three pairs of eyes staring intently at her while others merely looked on. When she was finally at her desk, she jerkily removed her backpack from her back and let it fall to the ground. After that, she unceremoniously plopped into her seat and just sat in a humped over fashion for a minute or two before digging out her materials for class.
The whole class sat in an astonished silence, questions popping up in their heads like daisies. The teacher gulped, not knowing whether he should continue on with the attendance, hesitant to break the stunned silence in the room.
Anzu almost suffocated from the stillness of the room, the stuffy air comprised of curiosity and sympathy thickening with discomfort. Insisting that things try to continue as normal -which she would lack from that day forward- she quietly spoke, "Yamata-sensei…. I'm sure you haven't finished attendance yet…."
Yamata dropped his pencil onto his desk again when heard Anzu address him. "Oh... o-of course. So, uh, Okino-san?" He continued with the attendance and, once he was finished, hesitantly began the lesson.
Yuugi glanced at Jounouchi who glanced at Honda who glanced back at Yuugi, all of them in shock to see Anzu at school. All of their eyes fell on her figure: she was still slumped over in her chair and seemed to be writing aimlessly on the paper. Yuugi ripped off a corner of his paper and wrote something on it before crumbling it up and tossing it onto the surface of her desk gently. He didn't know if she saw the note at first because she made no acknowledgement of its existence on her desk, but then he saw her hand come up to the top of her desk and slowly take the crumbled up piece of paper.
Anzu tried to focus on her work, but she just couldn't. The events from yesterday stung at the forefront of her mind, the immutable guilt refused to leave her at peace. She didn't feel like she could look anyone in the eyes. The trauma was too great for her, and yet here she was at school, at her father's insistence. This was absolutely the last place she wanted to be, where her fellow classmates would bother her with questions and gossip; making inferences they had no right to make. She honestly didn't know if she could take the full day.
Anzu was too wrapped up in her thoughts to notice that a little ball of paper had made its way onto her desk. Abandoning her notes, she trepidatiously reached for the paper ball, picking it up between her thumb and forefinger. She assumed it was a note from the boys and opened it slowly. It was from Yuugi:
Anzu! I can't believe that you're in school! We thought- that you would have stayed home with your dad to mourn your mother's death and take care of any injuries that you could have gotten from the accident.
Anzu wanted to crumble the note back up and toss it out the window. Yuugi was so kind and caring... her best friend was always right there beside her, and yet…. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she put her head in her hands and allowed herself to shed a few. She wasn't deserving of his kindness. Not only did her mother suffer at the cost of her hands, but she used her best friends as tools to witness such a crime. Not to mention the pain she put her father through... the shame was almost too much to bear.
She wanted to go home. There was absolutely no reason for her to be here.
For the rest of the day, Anzu made it a point to avoid her friends' questions and comments about her presence at school. She had already heard enough whispers from nearby classmates and each speculation they made grated on her nerves. Despite her mental state, she somehow made it through to the lunch period. Every student left the classroom, heading to the cafeteria to enjoy their meals, except for Anzu, Yuugi, Honda, Jounouchi, and Kaiba.
Yuugi, Honda, and Jounouchi walked over to Anzu, extremely hesitant to speak to her. She hadn't acknowledged them, or anybody for that matter, all day. It was understandable, but they were her friends and they were concerned for her well being. But what was there to say to her? How do you console someone who had just lost their mother? It was an awkward feeling and position to be in as her best friends. And being present at the scene didn't exactly soothe their minds either... especially Jounouchi. The things he said had only served to make her angry at him and he wasn't sure if she had forgiven him at all.
Anzu's head was still in her arms on her desk, a strange sense of déjà vu washing over her. The familiar shuffling of feet on the ground grew louder until she could smell the telltale scent of Honda's cologne. She grimaced; she didn't want their pity. Pitying a person never amounted to anything. Not to mention that their condolences wouldn't mean anything if they didn't empathize with her. Without them knowing what it felt like, their words were just noise in the air. So, before they could come any nearer, she decided to grab her bag, stand up, and start heading out of the room. She was going to the bathroom, she knew they wouldn't follow her there because she had already gave them the excuse of her being on her period and that was reason enough to leave her alone.
"Hey Anzu-" Yuugi started, but Anzu just ignored him. She didn't want to talk to anybody, and she made that clear with her departure.
Jounouchi and Honda tried getting her attention, but she still ignored their calls. She disappeared out the door. She got about halfway down the hall when she heard a set of footsteps behind her. She growing even more annoyed with her dear friends and was about to address them when she heard a singular voice call her name... this one made her stop. She didn't look at him when she responded, "What do you want Kaiba?" she asked weakly.
He merely strode up behind and looked at her slumped figure. "I think you have some explaining to do." He watched as she turned and gazed up at him. "I keep hearing the annoying whispers floating about our classroom. I hear events but not details; I'm demanding details. What has gotten into you?"
Anzu's unfocused stare remained on the floor. It took her a few moments to speak, "When did you get home last night?"
Kaiba narrowed his eyes, her depressed attitude irking his already piqued curiosity. "Why would you want to know? Suddenly interested in my private schedule Mazaki? Do you plan on stalking me?" A smirk tugged at his lips, baiting her to try and provoke an irritated response from her.
Anzu couldn't help but feel the inner twinge of humor at the irony of his statement. "No, I was just asking because I'm sure it was all over the news."
He cocked an eyebrow. "The only time I watch the news is when my company is in the public eye. Otherwise, what goes on in this pathetic city doesn't really pique my interest."
"Oh…" was her simple response before setting back on towards her destination.
Kaiba's feathers seemed ruffled at her departure, not having received an answer from her. He was about to demand her attention when she paused and said, softly, "I…I lost my mother yesterday…" she bit back hot tears and tried swallowing the lump that had built itself up in her throat. "If… if you want to know more go talk to those three in the classroom… I-I really…." feeling the tears cascading down her cheeks, she took off to the bathroom, her sentence left hanging in the air.
Kaiba just stared after her, this new found information resounding in his mind. He watched her disappear around the corner before heading back to the classroom. Inside, he saw the "geek squad" conversing amongst themselves. He leaned against the doorway and said, "So are you going to inform me or will I have to find another source?"
They looked over at him, cross expressions on their faces. "Excuse me?" asked Yuugi, feeling caught off guard being addressed so rudely.
Kaiba thrust his hands into his pockets and sauntered over. "I refuse to repeat myself. Mazaki's mother is dead? Since when and how?"
The three of them just stared at him incredulously. "What do you mean 'since when'? Don't you watch the news Kaiba?" asked Honda, quite put off by their classmate's attitude.
"What goes on in this annoying little town doesn't concern me enough to give the news the time of day." Retorted Kaiba. "I have more pressing issues to deal with than to be concerned with the lives of others that don't affect my own."
"Then why are you even asking?" asked Honda. "If it doesn't matter to you, why the interest?"
Kaiba's cold eyes glared at him, "For confirmation of what I know. Mazaki almost got hit by a car her mother was driving and from that accident her mother is dead."
Yuugi spoke up, "Well that would be accurate. But again, if you know, why are you asking Kaiba?"
"Isn't it obvious? Sane people do not almost hit their children in a car and kill themselves in the process. Her mother must have either been high or drunk while she driving."
Yuugi grew red with anger and Honda was about ready to holler at him when Jounouchi spoke with a surprisingly calm tone, "You know what Kaiba? I really can't believe you." He approached him, a hardened look in his eyes. "You're really something. You are the damn richest and smartest kid in school and yet you can't even conjure up the decency to respect the dead."
Kaiba just looked down on Jounouchi. "I don't live my life by pleasing others mutt. I should think that you were aware of that by now."
"Yeah, you're right Kaiba. I do know that by now. And I used to think that you actually had some class. But I can see that I was wrong." Kaiba glared at Jounouchi. "Don't give me that ice. It's one thing to insult us, but to insult someone you have never even laid eyes on before is just disgusting. You don't even know how she died you moron."
"Like I care. If she's a user then it was probably an overdose—" Kaiba was interrupted by a swift punch at his jaw. The jab caught him off guard and he staggered back a bit. "What the-"
"You're such ignorant jerk." Jounouchi glared up at the towering man with the now bruised jaw. "For your information, Ani Mazaki was an upstanding lawyer in her community and a role model to her daughter. She's fought against major corporations for the sake of low income families and always did her best to help the misfortunate. She lived to help others and always did it with a smile on her face! To call her a druggie or an alcoholic is a disgrace to everything she has done and her family!" Jounouchi headed towards the exit, with Yuugi and Honda in tow. "Here's some advice for you Kaiba: apologize to Anzu. If you've never done a decent thing in your life before, start now." With that, the trio exited the room for the rest of the lunch period.
Kaiba merely watched them leave the classroom. He huffed before going back to his seat, the edge of frustration beginning to eat at the edge of his ego. He reached for his laptop and prepared himself to get to work, but he couldn't concentrate. He growled in frustration and slammed his laptop shut.
He didn't need to listen to that mutt. He didn't owe anybody an apology. So what if he assumed the worst of someone he hadn't even met before? People do it to him all the time and he doesn't give a crap about it! What did it matter if he disrespected the dead? It didn't mean anything to him.
He leaned back in his chair and subconsciously gripped the necklace hanging about his neck. He lifted it up and opened it. He allowed a small, rare smile to grace his lips as he gazed upon his younger brother's picture. Mokuba didn't know it, but he resembled their mother so much… Same eyes and same hair. Their mother was kind and very loving. Even though he didn't get to know her very well because of their parents' untimely death, he knew that she was a strong individual who was able to carry even the heaviest of burdens on her shoulders with a smile.
In the orphanage he remembered how Mokuba was teased for looking so much like a girl and how the other kids verbally abused him saying that their mother died to get away from them. He remembered throwing every single one of those bad-mouthing kids into the dirt face first with his fists. He gripped the locket at the memory. He briefly made the connection between his situation and Anzu's. He tried to brush it away but couldn't. He clutched the locket in frustration, he really hated relating to other people. It was as if it brought them a lever closer to him.
He refused. There was no way he was going to apologize to Mazaki. He'd rather get punched again by the mutt. He was not going to degrade himself by apologizing to the only female on the face of this planet that was actually able to get under his skin.
He looked at the picture of his younger brother again and sighed. He knew Mokuba was fond of Anzu and even though he'd never admit it to anyone, he wouldn't stand it if Mokuba was disappointed in him for something he did. He closed his eyes and tried to ward off the thoughts, only to see the flash of beautiful woman with raven hair, grey eyes, and a warm smile behind his eyelids.
His eyes shot open as he groaned profusely. This wasn't going to leave him at peace until he actually apologized would it?
The distinct discomfort of twisting knots in his stomach was his answer.
The last period of the day finally rolled around and Anzu prayed that the class would end quickly. She wanted to get home and away from all of the sympathetic looks and comments she was receiving from her classmates. She appreciated their condolences, but was exhausted from their pity. She knew they meant well, but it too overwhelming, and the guilt she had been feeling had yet to subside. She really just wanted to go home.
Unfortunately, luck was against her; not only did the class seem to drag on longer than usual, but she still had to survey the Kaiba brothers. Though her responsibility to them didn't matter much to her at that moment, she was still obligated to carry out her assignment. She had already forgone carrying out her assignment yesterday because of her mother's accident; she had no choice but to "make-up" for it today.
For what felt like the first time all day, she looked up from her desk and glanced around the room, her eyes lingering on the sight of her friends. They seemed to be deeply involved with the lesson; even Honda and Jounouchi.
For a fleeting moment she was genuinely surprised. The only times she had ever seen Jounouchi and Honda focused was when food, fighting or duel monsters was involved. She wondered very briefly of what had caused them to focus so intently on the lesson, before returning her gaze to her hands on her desk. She sighed and set her forehead on her hands as she waited for the day to be over.
A searing pain ripped through her body as something heavy crashed into her, forcing her to the cold hard ground. She landed with a painful thud, writhing uncomfortably on the ground. Her eyes shot open, momentarily blinded from the sudden change from darkness to light. Her eyes darted back and forth, desperately trying to pinpoint the cause of her pain. She sat up slowly, her arms trembling as pain shot through her, originating from her ribs. Instinctively she grasped her ribs, a warm, sticky substance greeted her fingers. She looked down to see fingers coated in a mixture of blood and… oil?
Panic and dread filled her senses as she found the source of the oil: a car was precariously hanging just above her on a guard rail, threatening to fall over the edge at the slightest movement. She cautiously dragged herself from beneath the car, agonizingly relieving herself of the heat of the exhaust.
She crawled away, the cool air soothing her throbbing head. She distanced herself far enough to safely lean against the rail she was by. Groaning, she painstakingly looked over at the car… it was a candy apple red Mazda, but the shade of the car looked more like blood. Her heart throbbed more painfully as familiarity set in.
She recognized the flower stickers on the shattered windows, the pine air freshener now fallen on the dashboard, and even the sound of the broken horn. Her blood ran cold as her fearful eyes fell upon the bleeding profile of her mother. She struggled to her feet, clumsily flopping over as she tried to get closer to the car.
She fell to the ground as she stepped forward, crying out her for her mom. She saw her mother faintly twitch and shift her eyes over to her daughter. Chills ran down her spine as her lifeless eyes gazed upon her. Anzu struggled to reach her mother, but her body was much too weak to move. She watched in chilled horror as the car tipped over the edge and plummeted to the water below.
Anzu screamed in anguish as she watched the scene unfold before. This wasn't how the plan was supposed to go! She sobbed into the concrete she was sprawled out on. She looked down at the blood on her hands and felt the bile build in the back of her throat; she was guilty of her mother's blood now.
She heard faint whispers and the shuffling of feet. She looked around and found that numerous amounts of shadow figures had surrounded her, whispers and pointed eyes gossiping about the scene before them. Their muffled accusations and half baked ideas flooded her ears, causing blood to leak from them. She covered her ears, desperately trying to block out the murmurs. She cried out, begging for all of this to end.
Then, a name pierced the crowd, her name. The cry was like a needle shooting through her, sharp and painful; but it silenced the crowd. She heard her name again, familiarity striking her senses. She looked around and watched as the crowd disappeared, leaving behind a lone figure: a towering, intimidating figure with cold cobalt eyes. The figure called her name again and she winced, fear taking overtaking her.
Before she could blink, the figure charged. Time was distorted as it raced towards her. At first she thought it would collide into her until its form changed from that of a towering human being to the dreadful shape of a large dragon with piercing blue eyes. She screamed as she watched its mouth open wide enough to engulf her, only to hear her name being called once again…
"MAZAKI!" a loud voice rang throughout the now empty classroom.
Anzu shot up out of her chair, trembling violently. She panted heavily, trying to calm her racing heart. I'm okay… she thought as she touched her cheeks to make sure she was back in reality. She wiped her eyes as they relaxed from the sudden jolt from darkness to light and looked around to see who had been calling her name. She looked up into the same pair of two cold cobalt eyes from her nightmare, "It's about time you woke up. I have an important meeting to get to and you're wasting my time."
She sighed and looked around and saw that they were the only two left in the classroom. She looked away from him, still shaken from her dream. "Why are you still here then?"
He looked down at her. "I have something to say and you're going to listen to me."
An exasperated sigh escaped her lips. "Oh? Why's that?"
Kaiba just glared at her. "I said so that's why."
Anzu managed a weak glare at him. She may be out of sorts for the day, but that didn't mean he could talk to her like that. "Honestly Kaiba, do you really think that's going to get me to stay?" She reached for her bag before she stood up from her desk, trembling slightly as she did. "I really have to go right now, and apparently so do you, so if you'll excuse me." She walked away from him towards the door, but before she could even reach it a tight grip wrapped itself around her wrist. She winced as she turned to see a scowling countenance chastising her behavior.
Those frustrated blue eyes caused Anzu's blood to freeze; her nightmare fresh in her mind. Willing her heart to be still, she balled her hand into a tight fist, and ripped her wrist out of his grip. "What is the matter with you, Kaiba?" She took in deep breaths to calm herself. She needed to regain her composure. She didn't want to be seen as weak in front of him right now. Her problems were none of his concern. "Just leave me alone like you normally do. It's not like you have anything important to say to me." She tried to leave the room again but Kaiba pulled her back into the room and pinned her against the wall so she couldn't walk away from him.
A steely look glared down at her. "Woman don't you disregard me like that again!" His breath was hot against her, burning her eyes. "You think I want to waste my time here with you? Believe me I have more pressing matters to attend to, but, dang it, Mokuba would never look at me the same again if I didn't do this!"
She narrowed her eyes inquisitively. What in the world did Mokuba have to do with anything?
He released her arms and stepped back. "Look, I'm only going to say this once so listen carefully. I always expect and assume the worst of people because I have yet to see sincere good will come out of others. In the corporate world, goodwill is nothing but a show; competitions to see who can get the biggest write off by the end of the year. Your mother is no exception. I assumed the worst of her, but after researching her background I found that I was wrong." Anzu widened her eyes; that's the second time Kaiba has ever admitted that he was wrong! The first being the final duel between Yuugi and Atem… "From what I understand, your mother was an upstanding citizen and fighter. Thus, because she is no longer with us, I apologize for defaming her."
Anzu frowned at that. "Defaming her? What did you say?"
"That only an addict would kill themselves and crash into their child," Kaiba stated. "I'm not convinced of her innocence, but there is circumstantial evidence that she was a good person at times."
A volcanic eruption suddenly went off in her chest, sending lava coursing through her veins. Apology? Thatwas an apology? Her hands shook as the rage built up within her! She tightened her fists again, struggling to calm herself before she did something she would regret later. "You're unbelievable…" She refused to look at him. "Have no consideration for others? No respect? Do you not have even half the decency of a common human being?"
"Look Mazaki, I don't owe you this apology, but seeing as I cannot talk to the dead you will just have to suffice and accept it."
Something snapped inside her; the guilt, the frustration, the pain, the terror and sadness sprung from her eyes in hot tears. Before she realized what she was doing, Anzu had let her open palm fly at his cheek, a definite clap of skin colliding with skin echoed in the room. "You heartless piece of crap!" Her palm tingled as she saw a red mark presenting itself on the side of his face.
His voice was ice, "And to think I actually went out of my way to apologize to someone as worthless as you."
"Apology?! How dare you offer those words to me! How inept are you that you can't even offer someone a decent apology!" She was hysterical and she knew it, but she didn't care. All of the tension she had felt from the previous twelve hours poured mercilessly out in torrents down her face, her voice practically screaming at the top of her lungs.
Kaiba groaned and rolled his eyes at her dramatic reaction. "I knew this was a waste of my time."
Her heart ached as she felt the need to crumble to the floor and just cry and let the pain ebb, but her pride and the responsibility of defending her mother refused to give in. "You're such a cold, heartless jerk! I don't know how Mokuba deals with you!"
Kaiba threw his hand around her mouth, his voice as cold as ice: "How dare you! Don't speak of things that don't concern you."
Anzu slapped his hand away from her mouth and shoved him away from her. "Pot calling the kettle black Kaiba," she growled out. "You have no right to judge or assume the worst of people you do not know. You may have gone through your share of pain and suffering, but that doesn't give you the license to-to slander others!" She pushed past him and hurried to the door before he could catch her again. "Consider your 'apology' rejected!" She exited the door and sprinted to the end of the hall and out of the building.
Her blood continued to boil as her body quaked with rage. How dare he… how dare he... So what if he was Seto Kaiba! So what if she wasn't supposed to lay a hand on him! So what! She didn't care anymore! He was a jerk and he got what he deserved!
She heard the doors to the school open and shut. She shrank back further into the shadows as she saw the man she currently despised emerge from the building. She glared daggers at his back while he slid into his black limo… if only looks could kill….
She faintly picked up the soft sound of grass being crushed behind her. Oh no, she thought as she swung around to defend herself. Her reaction was a moment too late; she turned around just in time for a ninja-clad figure to jab about 500 volts of electric shock into her waist. She collapsed to the ground, twitching uncontrollably. Midst the pain that coursed through her body she felt a hand grab her neck and firmly squeeze, depriving her of oxygen. Within seconds she passed out.