School dragged on that day, much to Anzu's surprising delight.
After her surprise one-on-one meeting with Higurashi regarding her true intentions, she arrived at her classroom and the sight of the man she passionately despised greeted her. Seto glanced up at the sound of the door opening and immediately glared at her. She returned his glare with equal disgust before taking her seat silently.
And that was the end of their interaction. She could have done flips down the hall! She hoped the rest of the day would go as smoothly as this had.
It was the summer trimester and the school day was shorter in the summer than they were in Autumn and Spring; but the summer trimester was nearing its end already and they would transition into Autumn in the coming month. Time passed so quickly she could hardly keep up. Even her mother's call into HQ had happened over a month ago by now. Then again, her days overflowed with Kaiba so it was no surprise that days blended together.
With that said, she wasn't in any hurry to get through the day.
She didn't want to go back to her childhood home to finish packing up her life and walking herself over to the police station to have an officer properly escort her to the closest orphanage. More than anything, though, she didn't want to risk Officer Yamashita returning her to her aunt's.
She grimaced. Hell will sooner freeze over before I go back there.
The bell sounded to change classes rang at once and groaned. Speaking of hell….
Higurashi entered the classroom shortly after their history teacher left for his next class. She slammed her books down. "Different change of pace today." She announced, catching all of her students' attention. "I need to have a separate meeting from this class, so today you will conduct solo study. Nosaka." She turned to the class representative. "Please oversee today's self-study. Mazaki, Kaiba. Please follow me. Bring your things."
Anzu grimaced as did Kaiba. They gathered their belongings and walked quietly out of the room, feeling the eyes of their classmates until they closed the door behind them. Higurashi led them down the corridor to the teacher's office and instructed them to take a seat. She brought out her clipboard with a pad of paper secured to it and adjusted her glasses.
"All right, let's make this quick." She began.
"Kaiba-chan," she looked at Anzu, who bristled at the title. "What have you learned about regarding your husband since I gave the assignment?"
"That he's an ass."
She caught Kaiba's steely glare out of the corner of her eye and noticed the corner of Higurashi's mouth twitch in amusement.
"Hilarious, Kaiba-chan." She adjusted her glasses. "Now, how about your honest answer?"
"What makes you think it isn't?"
Her instructor sighed, running her palm over her face. "The more you resist, the longer this will take for you both."
Anzu shrugged. "I don't have anywhere pressing to be."
Kaiba scowled. "You don't. Unlike you, however, I do. So, if you have a brain in there, say your piece and leave so I can do the same."
Anzu glared at him. "And I would care, why?"
"Because he is your husband and you value his time." Higurashi interjected.
Anzu groaned, muttering, "He's not my husband."
"He is according to your graduation requirements."
"Fine!" she conceded. Just pull something out of the air! "Over the past several weeks I have learned that he has a short temper. There, happy?"
Higurashi sighed but nodded. "That's a start, at least." She noted it down on her clipboard.
Kaiba scowled at her. "And you would know that how?"
Anzu just threw a wry look. "Really? We've known each other for how long? I don't need this assignment to help me get a grasp on you." She folded her arms. "I'm confident enough to say that I already have one."
His scowl deepened. "Why the hell have you been watching me so closely?"
She threw her arms out in the air. "It's not a choice! Kaiba, we've traveled together! You may not remember much of me, but hello! I've been there!" She waved her hands at him mockingly, as if seeing her for the first time.
He growled. "Not remember much of you? How can I not I remember your annoying little friendship speeches and verbal pom-poms? You're constantly on the sidelines cheering for your little boyfriend while distracting the other duelist. Tell me, is it the damsel in distress card or the cheerleader card that you use the most for Yuugi to get the upper hand?"
Anzu snarled at him, ready to go for his neck when the sound of scribbling caught her attention. Higurashi was vigorously writing everything they were saying down.
"I see." Their instructor drew their attention to her. "So you've traveled together. Was this an overnight trip?"
They blinked, dumbfounded.
"Kaiba-chan, you said that you both traveled together. Was this an overnight trip?"
Anzu cocked an eyebrow, thrown a little off guard. "That depends, which trip are you referring to?"
Higurashi raised an eyebrow. "Or, so you've traveled together more than once." She noted that down. "Were there any chaperons there?"
"What for?" she asked.
Higurashi just gave her a meaningful look. "Unsupervised teenagers of the opposite sex have a natural curiosity and the tendency to explore each other. If these were unsupervised trips, I will have to report this to the principal."
Kaiba scoffed in disgust and Anzu blushed profusely. "Nothing like that happened!"
"So there was supervision, then?"
They were! Other agents were there, without a doubt! She couldn't say that though, so she spared an awkward glance at Kaiba. "I believe that one would be for you."
Kaiba grimaced, but answered. "I have hosted several dueling tournaments through the company. Her little boyfriend, Yuugi Motou, is an exceptionally skilled duelist so he would often qualify for the finals. She would tag along as his cheerleader."
"Boyfriend?" She looked at Anzu. "You have a boyfriend?"
Anzu shook her head. "No. He's my best friend from childhood, but that's it." She smiled, "He's more like a brother to me."
Kaiba snorted. "You'd better tell the King of Games that." He smirked at her. "He probably thinks you two are dating."
She rolled her eyes. "For your information, he knows we're not."
"Oh please, you see the way he clings to you. He's like a little puppy chasing after his master."
She scowled at him, then smirked. "That may be, but that puppy has wiped the floor with your ass every time yet you keep going back for more. So tell me, who's chasing who?"
They glared hotly at each other as Higurashi took more notes. "I see. So you aren't dating Motou, then?"
"No, I'm not."
"Good. Otherwise I would have had to fail you immediately due to an affair." Anzu choked on air and Kaiba threw their instructor a harsh look. "Need I remind you both that you're married, again?"
"Need we remind you that this is nothing more than a school project?" Kaiba hissed.
Higurashi waved her hand dismissively. "Either way, your behavior and treatment of each other affects this score. If you don't honor each other, it's an instant fail."
Anzu felt a rush of anger course through her. "What? So even if I wanted to date someone, I can't for the rest of the school year?!"
Higurashi nodded matter-of-factly. "Did you think I would be lenient?" She removed her glasses and sat back in her chair.
"That's not fair!"
"What's the matter, Mazaki? Am I not enough for you?" He mocked.
"The rule applies to you too, Kaiba."
"Such concepts don't apply to me. I have no romantic prospects in mind, however it would seem my wife does." He smirked and revelled in the disdain she regarded him with.
"Is this true, Kaiba-chan?"
"Of course not!"
"So what is the issue?"
"That I don't have my freedom!"
"Freedom is an illusion, Kaiba-chan." Higurashi set her clipboard aside. "Let me explain something to you. Freedom, true freedom, doesn't exist. You think the choices you make are your own; that whatever decision you made came from here," she pointed at her head, "or here," she placed a hand on her chest, "but it doesn't. Someone else will always have an influence over you. Whether it was your parents, a celebrity on television, a singer, a politician, God - whatever you subscribe to the most, that is where the results of your decisions really come from."
"What the hell are you trying to get at?" Kaiba sneered.
Higurashi glanced at him. "Everything is causal. Someone somewhere at any point in history has influenced you or is pulling the strings in your life. Freedom, real freedom, is a constant unattainable fight." She delivered a steady gaze with her philosophical rant.
Kaiba rolled his eyes at her babble, but Anzu scowled. The message was subtle, but obvious from her new handler, Get over it. She huffed, puffing her cheeks out and crossing her legs indignantly. "Fine. I get it."
Higurashi nodded. "Now that, that's settled. Let's finish this. You're dismissed from school as soon as we're done."
At least there's that! Thought Anzu, suddenly wanting to get through this as fast as possible.
It was another excruciating ten minutes before they gave some decent information. Well, Anzu at least. Kaiba was a different story.
"So you know absolutely nothing about your wife?"
Kaiba's eye twitched with agitation, but continuing to argue semantics would waste more time. "No. I avoid her and everyone else at this institution. All I know is that's she's snarky and a pain to deal with." He felt his face twitch where she slapped him weeks ago. "Literally and figuratively."
"Meaning?"
"I have a nice right hook." She jabbed at him, smirking triumphantly.
Kaiba just shook his head in disgust. "I suppose if I am coerced into dealing with this, it would be preferable if my wife were more feminine."
Anzu scoffed. "Don't be upset just because I can hit harder than you. I workout daily."
"Oh? Doing what? Boxing? How refined."
She thought about it for a moment, then decided with a vague, "It's a home program."
Higurashi took the note. "There, that counts."
Anzu and Kaiba glanced at her. "Seriously?" asked Anzu.
"Yes. And you just barely passed this time." She huffed and scribbled more before walking over to the copier and returning with two pages. "Here, this is for each of you. Keep this with you whenever you're together. Take notes on each other's habits, idiosyncrasies, schedules, I don't care. Just. Do. Something." She sat down in her chair with a thud. "You're dismissed for the day."
"Finally." Kaiba grumbled out, shoving the page into his briefcase without care. They stood to leave. "Hang on Kaiba-chan."
Anzu paused and Kaiba, hearing his name, also came to a halt. "Yes?"
Higurashi stood, placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered something into Anzu's ear that Kaiba couldn't make out. Anzu gasped and took a step back, her expression tinged with wariness but nodded. She left the room promptly after that and disappeared down the hall as Higurashi returned to her seat.
Kaiba lingered, "What was that about?"
Higurashi ignored him for a moment before answering, "Why don't you ask her yourself?" With that, she gathered her things and returned to her classroom for the remaining half hour of class, leaving Kaiba to scowl at her retreating form.
"Why would I ask her anything?" He scoffed, pulling out his phone to call his driver to pick him up earlier than expected.
He meandered down the hall, taking his time as it would be about fifteen minutes before the limo arrived. He changed out of his school shoes for his business shoes and exited through the front doors, surprised to see her standing there with her back turned.
He frowned. She should have been long gone by now. She usually was.
As he got closer, he noticed that she seemed tense. Really tense. Even as he approached her, she didn't bother to glance his way, even though he sensed that she was aware of him.
"What are you lingering here for?" He sneered. "Don't you have some home workout to get to?" He mocked.
She didn't answer.
"Ignoring me now, Mazaki? How childish."
He proceeded forward, but ran into something rigid. He looked down to see her blocking his way with her arm. He scowled at her. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Careful." She said curtly, never taking her eyes off the front gate of the school. "There's someone here that shouldn't be."
"What are you talking about?"
She glanced at him with her intense glare before training her eyes back on the entrance. She wasn't joking.
And he wasn't one to take a supposed threat to his safety lightly.
"How do you know?"
She paused for a moment. "Higurashi informed me just before I left."
Kaiba's scowl set firmly on his face. "And she didn't bother to mention an intruder to everyone else, why?"
"Because this is personal, and since she hasn't set foot within the school, there's nothing the administration can do."
"If this is personal, then it has nothing to do with me. Now out of my way, I'm waiting for my car." He stepped around her, but she blocked him again. "Mazaki!" He shouted.
"Look, I don't like you and you don't like me, but I'm not about to anyone's safety on account of the woman outside of those gates." She fastened him with a strict gaze over her shoulder. "This is not a joke and I'm playing around just to annoy you."
Kaiba clenched his teeth, "Then why don't go settle it yourself right now?"
"Not until you are out of the way!" She snapped at him. "I don't know if she has a weapon and I don't want you getting caught in the crossfires if she is! There will be hell to pay if you get hurt!"
Kaiba was straight up confused at that point. "What the hell does that mean?" Just then his limo pulled up and his driver exited the car. "Whatever," he scoffed. "My ride's here so you don't have to play bodyguard anymore."
"Seto!" cried a familiar voice. Kaiba and Anzu's head snapped up to see Mokuba leaping out of the limo. "School ended early for me, too, and- Oh, Anzu! What's up?"
Shit! Thought Anzu.
"Get back in the car!" She cried.
"What?" It was too late. Mokuba was already halfway to them when Rei stumbled forward from around the corners out of the afternoon shadows. Her hair was even more disheveled from that morning and her clothes were a mess, as if she had walked here and tripped into dirt multiple times. Her face was sallow from the lack of rest and scrapes with dried blood blotted her arms and face. Her eyes were bloodshot and bulging; she looked manic.
"Dammit," She cursed and quickly grabbed Mokuba and put him behind her.
"Who's the crazy lady?" asked Mokuba, half joking half concerned.
"My aunt, unfortunately." She sneered. "Geez, this just can't get any better."
Kaiba was done the melodramatic situation before it even began. "Then go settle this by talking to your crazy aunt and leave us be. Come on, Mokuba." He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and urged him forward, walking passed Anzu forcefully.
When they crossed the exit Rei reached out and grabbed Mokuba by the sleeve. "Young man, have you seen my niece? She ran away from home this morning and I've been looking for her everywhere. I came here to see if she was on campus, but they won't let me in."
Mokuba examined the frazzled woman and felt something was extremely off. "'I'm sorry; do I know you?"
"No, but perhaps you know her? She looks just like my twin sister, so she looks like me," she muttered.
Mokuba wrinkled his nose in discomfort. Now that he got a clearer look at her, she did look like Anzu - an insane version of her.
"Unhand my brother ma'am." Kaiba ordered coldly.
She looked up at Kaiba, as if seeing him for the first time. Her eyes widened, realizing who he was. "You… you're that Kaiba she told me she had a project with." She grabbed onto him desperately. "You must know where she is! Tell me!"
Kaiba shook her off, disgusted. "Get off me! Mazaki! Get your aunt under control." He barked.
"Mazaki…" she repeated softly and turned, seeing her niece glaring at her. "Anzu…" she stepped closer to Anzu, while continuing to grasp Kaiba's uniform. Her face contorted into bitter relief. "There you are, brat. I had a feeling you'd be here; always the perfect child." She extended a trembling hand. "School's out now; it's time to go home."
Anzu grimaced, something was terribly wrong. Her aunt was clearly troubled, hence her stringent personality, but this went beyond the alcohol she was drinking last night.
Anzu shook her head. "No, Aunt Rei. You already made it clear to me I am not welcomed in your home and I don't wish to impose on you any longer."
Mokuba's ears perked during their conversation. She's living with her aunt? What about her parents?
"You can't do this!" cried Rei, throwing her hand through the air erratically. "I promised your mother, my sister, that if anything happened to her and your father that I would take you in! You can't make me break that."
"I'm not; you opened your home to me and took me in. Unfortunately, you and my cousins made it clear that you despise me and in the short twenty-four hours I had been there I have been abused and assaulted. I refuse to stay under a roof where I have enemies."
Rei's face darkened. "You have nowhere else to go, brat. You'll end up on the street."
Anzu shrugged, "There's always a place to go if you're not picky."
"So what?!" She yelled. "You're just going to abandon your family just like your father?!"
"My father NEVER abandoned his family!"
She cackled. "He left you to go on the run didn't he? He's nothing but a disappointing coward who let my sister to die and his daughter to fend for herself."
Anzu bit her tongue harshly, trying to keep herself under control. Her aunt wasn't in her right mind and she didn't want to make any rash decisions. Especially as she continued to cling to Kaiba.
Kaiba watched the dramatic scene, suddenly feeling that this whole thing could take a turn for the worse at any moment. He silently and slowly pulled Mokuba forward into the limo and shut the door.
"Seto!" Mokuba's cry was muffled through the door. Kaiba just raised a finger to his lips to tell him to be silent.
Anzu noticed the act which went unnoticed by Rei. Good, at least Mokuba's out of the way.
She sighed. "Look, I don't know what's going on with my father," a blatant lie, "but this is between us, Aunt Rei. Please let my classmate go?" She nodded towards Rei's grasp on Kaiba's sleeve. "Let's talk this out together."
Rei looked, apparently she had forgotten that she had grabbed onto the young man, who looked down at her scathingly. Rei frowned at him and released him. "What sort of look is that to give your elders, boy. Get away from me."
Kaiba felt anger flare through him and wanted to tell this crazy woman off, but Anzu immediately grabbed the attention from him, "Thank you; shall we go? I have no intention of going back with you, but we can try to sort things out." She invited.
Kaiba turned to get into the waiting limo when he heard Rei chuckle darkly. "Sort things out? No… as I feared you're too much like your father. I debated about what to do with you when I found you but I see I'm left with no choice now. I'm here," she reached into her blouse, "to end this…. And to erase the last bit of his blood from existence!" She pulled out a sheathed short sword and charged at Anzu, unsheathing her weapon and sloppily lunging at her.
Kaiba's eyes widened in shock, watching the scene unfold as she attacked Anzu. "Mazaki!" He cried out.
"Anzu!" Mokuba yelled from the car.
"Stay back!" Anzu demanded, dodging Rei's sloppy attack with ease. "Just get out of here!"
Mokuba was out of the car by this point, "No! Seto, help her!" Kaiba grunted, obviously he would. He was a jerk, but he wouldn't leave someone defenseless behind.
But, was she?
As soon as Rei rushed and lunged at her niece, Anzu immediately swung her backpack off of her shoulders and blocked Rei's attack. The blade was sharp, but not sharp enough to pass through the contents of her bag.
Ah crap, my homework…
She slammed her palm against her aunt's chin in a forward thrust, forcing her to release her weapon. She then grabbed her by her shoulder blade and flipped her over to the ground and twisting her arm against her back to restrain her. "I don't want to hurt you, Rei." Anzu said coolly, pressing into her aunt's back. She cried out hysterically.
"No!" Tears began streaming down her face. "That man has taken everything from me! My husband, my sister, and now my niece!" She sobbed. Anzu bit her lip. She recognized that agony… she was wallowing in it herself just last month when she felt responsible for her mother's death. That feeling of watching as one's world fell apart piece by piece. She pitied her aunt; but her decision was firm.
She sighed and looked up at the Kaiba brothers who gaped in awe. "Kaiba, I hate to ask this, but could you please call the police? I shouldn't let go of her."
Kaiba nodded and pulled out his phone. "Mokuba, get in the car."
But Mokuba didn't listen. Anzu's composure stunned him as she easily handled her aunt's attack without getting scratched. "Stay back, Mokuba."
Mokuba stopped walking. He hadn't realized that he was walking towards her. "Go back to the limo. Everything's fine." She said kindly; though her arms were growing tired. She looked down at her aunt, who had settled down. "I will release you if you promise to not do anything rash."
Rei glanced at her niece then turned away, shameful tears staining her face. Anzu sighed; "Very well. I'll hold you here until the police arrive."
Thankfully, it wasn't a long wait. There was a nearby patrol, and they were on the scene in less than ten minutes. Unfortunately, school had already let out by then so a steady stream of students came rushing out to see what the commotion was about.
"Move along; there's nothing to see here. Unless you're staying for club activities go straight home." Directed the officers.
A familiar voice addressed Anzu, and she looked up. "Officer Yamashita," she acknowledged.
He sighed, massaging the temples of his brow. "What on Earth is happening…." He sounded dejected and Anzu couldn't blame him. First his best friend's wife gets into a fatal car accident, his best friend flees after being accused of first degree murder, and now the legal guardian he entrusted his friend's daughter to was mentally unstable. "Tell me the story…."
Anzu explained the situation and watched as the weight settled further onto his shoulders. "Are there any witnesses to verify?"
Anzu gestured silently over to the Kaiba brothers, who were still there.
Yamashita groaned, realizing that he would have to take a statement from the infamous siblings. He bowed towards Kaiba and Mokuba. "Forgive me Mister Kaiba. Do you mind if I take your statement regarding the situation? It won't be but a moment."
Kaiba didn't want to linger any further than they already had. They apprehended the offender; the officers were here, his brother was safe and so was he. He didn't want ties to this story in the media so he shook his head. "I don't wish to be involved in this incident, officer. You understand."
Officer Yamashita sighed, but nodded.
Mokuba bristled. "Seriously, Seto?"
Kaiba ignored him. "Let's go Mokuba." He tried directing Mokuba into the car, but he refused.
"No; I'm not leaving until I make sure that Anzu is okay."
Kaiba grumbled. "Now is not the time, Mokuba. The longer we stay the more press we'll attract and soon this story will be all over the news."
"You're putting your privacy over her safety?" Mokuba couldn't believe his ears. His brother hadn't been this cold to someone in a very long time. "I can't believe-"
Anzu placed a gentle hand on Mokuba's shoulder and he looked up to see her smiling kindly down at him. She shook her head, "It's okay, Mokuba. I'd rather not let this story get much crazier either. As you can see, I'm unharmed and my aunt is okay, too." She looked back to see an officer holding Rei steadily and escorting her to the back seat of the car in handcuffs. "Well, at least I hope she will be." She sighed and turned back to him. "Go on home. Okay? Get out of this crazy mess. I'm sorry you ended up getting involved." She gently nudged him forward, but he resisted.
"What about you, though?"
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Your aunt said that you were staying with her. Will you go back to her house?"
Anzu wanted to laugh out loud at the ridiculous idea, but she shook her head instead. "No. It will be hard enough back there and my cousins are old enough to figure out what to do on their own. I'll head over to my old house and start getting some affairs in order."
"Affairs?"
"It's a long story kid." She ruffled his hair.
"Mokuba, we need to leave." Kaiba stated impatiently.
"Hold on a second," Mokuba said to her before turning to his brother. "Seto, can't we give her a ride to her place?"
"Absolutely not."
"But Seto-"
"She just endangered innocent bystanders by allowing that unstable woman follow her here," He bit coldly. "Do you think I will allow you anywhere her house after something like this? We don't know if she has anymore psychos in her family looking for her and we will not stay to find out." He glowered at the young woman who held her hand on his brother's shoulder. "It would do you well to get away from her and never allow her to touch you again."
Anzu frowned, but released her hold on Mokuba. She didn't like it, but Kaiba had a point. She endangered them and she was sure she would hear about it from the higher ups later that night. In fact, she would probably hear from them in the next-
"No." Mokuba said defiantly.
"Mokuba, now is not the time to be rebellious." Kaiba chastised.
"I beg to differ, big brother." Mokuba crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to budge. "She just fought off an assailant without getting us caught in the crossfires."
"She let that woman follow her."
"No, that woman tracked her down."
"Same thing."
"No, it's not."
"She wouldn't have come here if she wasn't here."
"Yes, she would have. And if she didn't find Anzu here, she would have walked off to find her elsewhere."
"And she would have put other people in danger instead of us."
"That's speculation."
"It's a probability."
The crowd of students began to build up around them and Anzu saw some reporters park their car and head over in their direction. Crap. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Officer Yamashita, please look after my aunt for me!" She pushed Mokuba forward towards the waiting limo. "You have my phone number so call me when you need me!" Before Yamashita could respond, Anzu shoved both Mokuba and Kaiba into the awaiting limo and shut the door behind her.
"Get the hell out of my limo, Mazaki!"
"Chauffeur, please get us out of here and drop me off at my house?" She looked at Mokuba for permission while asking and Mokuba nodded.
"Do as she says, Akira." stated Mokuba, and the limo pulled away. Anzu gave the driver the location of her house as they left school grounds.
"What are you doing?" Demanded Kaiba.
"Just trying to get us out of here, Kaiba!" She scowled. "Reporters showed up! Did you want to linger around for a press conference?!"
"And you jumped into my car, why?"
"I just told you I was trying to get out of there, too."
"Lay off her, Seto!" Mokuba interjected.
"Not now, Mokuba."
"No, now!" he demanded. "Look, I don't know what is going on between you two but I don't care! Anzu needs our help and we will help her right now and image be damned! Would you rather be titled a heartless CEO or a benevolent one?"
Kaiba scowled. "If we were not around at all, they couldn't have linked us in the first place."
"Everyone in the city knows you attend that high school so they would have mentioned your name anyway." Mokuba said pointedly.
He had a point.
Kaiba threw his hands in the air in exaggerated defeat. "Fine! But the moment we are outside your place I'm kicking you out."
"Fine!" Anzu exclaimed, clicking her tongue and leaning back into her seat. A tense moment of silence settled among them. Anzu and Kaiba were already at each other's throats figuratively; now they were within close confines. It was amazing they weren't biting and tearing at each other like vicious animals, like a dragon versus a tiger.
The only one who would brave that kind of situation with little concern of either party's wrath was the raven-haired teen sitting between the two raging beasts.
"So, what happened back there, Anzu?" Mokuba asked carefully.
Anzu emitted a soft grunt from her throat as she looked at the young body. "Like I said, it's a long story, Mokuba." She sighed, feeling drained.
"But, why did your aunt attack you like that?" He asked.
She paused, looking for a way to explain properly a complicated issue without getting into the details. "She's hurt." She gave him a half smile, "And unfortunately I'm caught in the crossfires of that."
"Caught in the crossfires?" he repeated.
"Yeah…. I'd elaborate but," the limo pulled around the corner into a familiar neighborhood, "this is my stop already." The car came to a halt and Anzu grabbed her damaged backpack and opened the door. "Thanks for the ride." She said and exited, closing the door behind her.
She looked up at her house, feeling the emptiness in it. Still, it held memories of warmth and love so she couldn't help but feel a sense of welcome. It was only a day, but it felt like a year. She walked up the steps to her front door when she heard a door open and close behind her. She turned to see both Kaiba and Mokuba following her, Kaiba far behind his brother.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"You jump into my car uninvited, get my brother and I involved in your family squabble, and provide us with the flaccid lead in of 'caught in the crossfires'. Considering what you took, we deserve a proper explanation." Kaiba vented, his arms crossed with dissatisfaction on his face.
The heck? He wants to know? Anzu cocked an eyebrow and looked down at Mokuba, who was just shaking his head. "He means: we've got time to listen."
She chuckled and regarded them for a moment before reaching for her house keys. "Very well. The limo will be conspicuous, but other than that you guys can stay as long as you like."
"We don't plan on staying, Mazaki. We just want answers."
Anzu rolled her eyes as she unlocked her door and pushed it open. "Whatever." She replied. "There are slippers right by the door." She hung her backpack up, pulling out her cellphone, and changing out of her street shoes. "Close the door behind you, I'll go make some tea. Any preferences?" She walked ahead and disappeared into the kitchen.
"No, anything you have is fine." Mokuba called, changing out of his street shoes and into a pair of teal slippers.
Kaiba snorted disdainfully. "I doubt she'll have anything of quality here." He removed his shoes, but didn't put on slippers. He wouldn't dare wear something of someone else's.
Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Can you be nice to her? Like, for once?"
"I am not nice, Mokuba. And she has given me no cause to extend courtesy towards her." Kaiba retorted.
"Ugh, honestly." He grumbled.
Anzu came out with an apron draped over her school uniform. "The living room is this way." She fastened the straps around her waist as she guided them to the couch and chairs in the room.
"The tea will be ready in a moment." She gathered her hair and pulled it up into a quick ponytail. "The water is heating now. Would you like some milk in your tea?" She asked.
Mokuba nodded, "Yes, please!"
"And you, Kaiba?" She asked cordially. Kaiba tossed her a cold look before shaking his head. "Very well. I'll be out in a few moments." She disappeared again and left them in silence.
It felt strange to be sitting in an ordinary house for the Kaiba brothers. They had grown used to opulence and luxury over the past eight years and had forgotten what an average family home looked like.
Curious to see more, Mokuba stood from his seat and began to walk around, looking at ornaments and decorations adorning the walls and shelves. He saw some pictures of Anzu as a little girl, smiling bright and happy with two adults encompassing her. She looked identical to the woman holding her but her eyes belonged to the man embracing the both of them. Must be her parents, he thought wistfully. He didn't have any family pictures at the mansion and anything of their birth parents was lost long ago. It was just him and his brother, now. Had been that way for ten years.
He continued looking around at the pictures and saw several medals and trophies that Anzu earned over the years. He also saw some certificates and awards granted to her parents for their outstanding work in their fields. But for all the accolades they had, they were far outweighed by the amount of family pictures that decorated their living room. They were a loving, happy family.
Mokuba picked up a recent picture of them, examining it. "Is this what a normal home is like?" He asked out loud.
Kaiba looked up and saw Mokuba staring longingly at the family photo in his hands. Kaiba glanced away, knowing that no matter how hard he worked or sacrificed, he couldn't give his brother the experience of a normal family. They were Kaiba's - there was nothing normal about being a Kaiba.
"Thank you for waiting," Anzu came gliding in the room with a quiet grace that surprised both Kaiba and Mokuba, considering the circumstances.
She poured the hot water into three traditional tea cups each holding diffusers of fresh green tea leaves. She had cut and prepared some sandwiches while the water boiled and divvied them out between the brothers and herself. She poured milk into Mokuba's cup until he stopped her and took her own seat once she situated them.
"Now," she took a tentative sip from her cup. "If you want an explanation, give me a place to start. Unfortunately, the grudge my aunt holds against my father goes back a few years."
"She holds a grudge?" asked Mokuba, who was cooling his tea by blowing on it.
Anzu nodded. "Yes, unfortunately."
"Seems like quite the grudge if she tried to kill you over it." Kaiba stated.
"Seto!" Mokuba cringed at his lack of tact.
But Anzu shook her head. "No, he's right. She really went too far this time."
"And you seem awfully calm for someone who was just attacked." He pointed out. "Taking some self-defense courses as of late, Mazaki?"
Anzu smirked, stood, and approached the display case that Mokuba had passed earlier. She grabbed a medal and dangled it in front of Kaiba's face. He grabbed it, reading the wording.
Anzu Mazaki
Regional Champion
MMA - Khali - Judo - Karate
It was about two years old.
"Whoa," said Mokuba. "Seriously? When did you have time for that?"
She smirked, "Home workout."
Kaiba looked at her skeptically. "You become a regional champion of various martial arts by studying at home?"
Anzu shrugged his doubt off. "I have instructors, but I rarely get instruction by them at their gyms." She retrieved her medallion from Kaiba and replaced it back in the display case. There were at least eight more like it surrounding it.
"And how, pray tell, do you train if you don't go see them often?"
She bit her lip. "My father was an excellent sparring partner. He was studying long before I was." She sighed, looking painfully down at the photo of her parents.
Mokuba elbowed his brother for his lack of sensitivity.
Kaiba cleared his throat, avoiding his brother's disapproving gaze. "Right. So, this grudge?"
Anzu, too, cleared her throat. "Right," her voice sounded tight. "Well, my father's… a police officer. A good one. And, well, my uncle ended up getting wrapped up in some shady business, but really he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." She faced them. "Unfortunately, my father was forced to arrest my uncle based on circumstantial evidence and they scheduled a hearing to take place shortly after the arrest, but…." she sighed, "my uncle vanished."
Kaiba cocked an eyebrow. "Vanished?"
"As in… shadow realm vanished or just disappeared vanished?" Asked Mokuba.
Kaiba looked at him disapprovingly and Anzu couldn't help but giggle. "What? Like that isn't a valid possibility!" He defended himself.
Anzu smiled at him, "Thankfully this was long before that; but it doesn't change the fact that he disappeared. We thought he might turn up after shortly afterwards, but he didn't."
"So he ran."
Anzu shook her head. "No, there was no reason for him to run."
"Are you saying he was innocent?"
"That's what the evidence said."
"Even though he was arrested based on circumstantial findings?"
Anzu shrugged. "I was young at the time so unfortunately I don't remember all the details. I remember my aunt begging my father to free him and he said that his hands were tied until the jury reached a verdict. Apparently he disappeared the day of his trial; he even met with his lawyer to discuss their statements and evidence the day before. They were confident that the ruling would be in his favor." She hugged her waist. "And then he just…. Vanished."
Kaiba and Mokuba listened attentively.
"That seriously sounds like some shadow realm heist."
"Mokuba."
"Well, it does!"
Anzu nodded. "He's not wrong, though." She looked down at the pictures of her and her family. "I won't lie, when everything started happening with Atem and the millennium items I thought just maybe this was exactly what happened with my uncle. But it ended up not being the case since Yuugi's grandfather hadn't given Yuugi the millennium until high school and Bakura only transferred to Domino two years ago." She cast her eyes down to the floor for a moment. "Ever since then, my aunt blamed my father for not getting him out of jail immediately. For not pulling strings and 'doing the family a favor'."
"Was there always tension like this in your family?" asked Kaiba.
It surprised Anzu to hear an actual question come out of his mouth instead of ridicule. She regarded him for a moment, then answered, "Not really. My aunt had always been overprotective of her twin sister, but when she married and had my cousins, she finally started accepting my father. Then her husband gets spirited away under my father's watch and she blames him for everything now." She sighed. "So, that's the story."
"But why did she take it out on you?" Mokuba asked.
"Because I'm the closest thing she has to my father right now." She felt her throat close up. "When my mother… died, last month... telling my aunt was the hardest part. Not only was it an emotional train wreck, but she just lost it. She blamed my father for her accident, even though he had nothing to do with it."
Anzu sighed. "But there's no pleasing bitter people. What happened to my uncle and my mother were tragedies, but my father doesn't deserve her hatred. She's hurt, I understand that, and she's been lonely for a very long time, struggling to take care of two boys and maintaining her own sanity at the same time. To be honest, I'm surprised she held out this long."
"Why do you think she did?" he asked again.
She smiled at him. "My mother. She promised my mother that if anything happened to either of my parents that she would take care of me. And promises, in my family, are akin to sworn oaths. To break a promise is tantamount to murder."
"Sounds extreme for an average family." Kaiba noted.
Anzu nodded. "You're not wrong. But that's how it's always been. I've never broken a promise in my life, and I don't make them lightly either." She took her seat and sipped her tea. "Now, I believe I have answered your question. Is there anything else you would have of me?"
Mokuba cocked his head. "You sure are acting weird."
She smiled at him. "Am I?"
"Yeah! You let us in so easily, even though you and Seto seem to be furious with each other." He glanced at his brother frowning at him.
That's astute of him. Anzu contemplated how she would address his observation without giving away the fact that she had to treat him and his brother like kings in her own home. She couldn't share the full truth, but she could give a partial one.
"Ah, yes. You have my mother to thank for that." She sipped her tea. "She believed that no matter the situation or relationship, always treat your guests well and be a proper host. Once you crossed that threshold you automatically entered a truce. So, no, we're not on amicable terms, but I won't dishonor my mother's memory."
Mokuba listened in awe. "Your mother sounds like she was amazing."
Anzu's emotions surged, and she gave him a watery smile. "She was," her voice cracked a bit as she replied.
Kaiba cleared his throat, interrupting the moment. "What are your plans, now? You said you have some affairs to attend to."
Anzu also cleared her throat to speak. "That's right. I need to look at the deed of the house and my parents' will. If the house is in their name and they've willed it to me, I can probably continue to live here. I'll need a part-time job to make ends meet, but there aren't any loans on the house so I don't have to worry about that." She finished sipping her tea.
"What if it isn't?" asked Mokuba.
Anzu paused for a moment, then smiled at him. "I guess I'll end up being officially escorted to an orphanage until I can provide for myself."
"An orphanage!" Mokuba cried. "But you're graduating this year!"
Anzu shrugged. "That's just how it goes. I don't have any other family. I'm pretty much on my own right now and I have to prepare for that."
"Again, you sound awfully calm about that." Kaiba retorted. "Most teenagers would be scared out of their mind and dreading the thought of being away from home."
She folded her arms across her chest and fixed him with a stare. "And freaking out would help, how?"
Kaiba regarded her composure, then nodded. "You have a point. Well then," he stood from his seat. "We won't keep you from your business." Kaiba looked at Mokuba, who had a near frantic expression on his face. "Let's go Mokuba. I have to get to the office and Mazaki has to get on with the next stage in her life." He looked down at Anzu who regarded him with the same look he gave her. He nodded, a sign that he wished her luck but that nothing had changed between them once he was out of her house. She nodded back.
He walked over to the entryway when he heard his brother suddenly blurt out, "Would you be my tutor?!"