A/N - If you've ever come across my writing before, you may recognise this as a re-working of an older story called The Lift and, like that one, takes place a few years after Battle City. I was always proud of The Lift as being my first long-form story but, as the (many) years have passed, I have been clear on the parts that, if I were to write it now, I would change. And so, finally, I did re-write it! This is the result and, far from being a minor tweak, I found the story took some major detours!
If you're completely new to my writing, welcome! This first chapter sets the scene for a lot of the snarky banter that is to come. You don't see many Seto / Mai fics but, trust me, they make such a fun pair! I hope you enjoy it :)
ARRIVALS
Mai Valentine stopped at the corner of William and Cedar Street and stared up at the shining glass monolith of an office building in front of her. That the offices were impressively large was to be expected, but it was the sudden rush of memories that came from seeing the familiar KC logo that caused her stomach to twist uncomfortably. Somewhere up there were her friends, or at least a group of people who she'd once considered to be friends. Nothing had really happened to change that, except the passage of time and a distance, both physical and emotional, that she could only blame herself for.
But she was determined to put that right. Today. No more putting things off. Afterall, she could really do with having some friends right about now and they were bound to forgive her for pushing them away. They forgave everyone, didn't they? She just needed to get to them. Somehow.
She frowned as she considered her options. It wasn't that she had imagined sneaking into the tournament without a ticket would be easy - she'd expected tight security. But the sheer number of photographers and film crews crowding the street among the cheering fans was a problem she hadn't anticipated. No tournament since Battle City had drawn this much media attention, and getting caught on camera was out of the question.
She was about to admit defeat, turn around and head back to her apartment when she noticed movement off to the left of the main entrance. A man in a beige uniform jacket had emerged from a nondescript metal door and was standing, staring at the crowds as he lit a cigarette.
An eruption of cheers from the crowds accompanied the arrival of a sleek black limousine which had just pulled to a stop directly beneath a large statue of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. From her vantage point, Mai could just make out the tall figure that emerged from the car. He raised one hand high into the air with theatrical elegance and the fans went wild. She rolled her eyes, but the beige-suited man was clearly more impressed as he moved forwards, standing on tiptoe to get a better look.
Mai smiled. With the man's attention momentarily given over to the spectacle that was Seto Kaiba, she knew she had the opportunity she needed. Without giving it any more thought, she pushed away from the wall and weaved between cars to cross the street.
She circled around the worker, approaching the door behind him. Opening it, she slid quickly through the gap and kicked aside the empty cigarette packet that had been used as a wedge. As the latch clicked into place, she turned to find herself staring down a flight of concrete steps. She descended quickly, being careful not to let the heels of her boots hit the floor. At the bottom was another metal door which she opened, poking her head out to establish her surroundings.
It was an underground car park. To the left, she could see a spiral ramp, security guards flanking it on each side. Ahead of her she could see a small office with glass windows on three sides. Beyond that she could see what she needed: a small foyer with a bank of three elevators.
She checked the office again. Inside, sat an older man in a familiar beige uniform. Mai ducked down and crept behind a row of executive cars, pausing at each gap. She weaved her way between the vehicles until she found herself staring across an expanse of tarmac. The elevators were in full view of the office and, she realised, her stomach sinking, the number displays were all in high double figures. If she was going to do this, she would have to get across the gap, press the buttons and then wait. She had been lucky so far, but even she doubted she could get away with that.
As she slumped against a concrete pillar contemplating her next move, she heard a muffled sound of banging. She froze, and then smiled. Her smoker friend must have just discovered he'd been locked out. She risked a quick peek at the man in the office who was squinting as he scanned the car park. Mai held her breath, her pulse quickening as he muttered irritably and stomped off toward the sound.
As she listened to his footsteps echoing up the stairs, Mai took her opportunity, breaking her cover and racing to the elevator bay. She cast a quick glance behind her as she pressed all three buttons, her heart thudding painfully as she watched for any movement.
The ping of the middle elevator arriving flooded her with relief. She pushed herself in before the doors had fully opened and immediately pressed the highest number on the button keypad. Then she waited. Staring out across the expanse of the car park, her mind resented every drawn out second that the elevator didn't move into action. She saw the handle of the stairwell door start to turn just as the electronic voice announced that it was "going up".
She held her breath as the doors finally closed.
As soon as the elevator was in motion she exhaled, holding her hand to her chest to settle her thudding heart. There had to be easier ways to reconnect with friends than this, she thought with a rueful smile.
Then the elevator announced it had reached the ground floor, and she felt it come to a stop with a renewed sense of alarm.
As the doors slid open, she pushed herself into the corner lowering her head to keep her face averted behind a veil of hair. There was a lot of noise and commotion on the ground floor, and the person who stepped into the elevator did so whilst still talking to someone outside. Recognising the voice, she glanced up, seeing the hem of a long white coat. The man reached out to select the duelling floor on the number pad.
The doors closed and Mai stood awkwardly, hardly daring to breathe as the man checked his hair in the reflective metal. As his focus shifted, he caught her eye in the reflection.
He turned sharply to face her.
"Hey, Kaiba," Mai said, giving him what she would have described as a winning smile.
He looked her up and down. "You."
"You're probably surprised to see me here," she hedged, her mind working through a range of excuses she might convincingly use.
"I am," he said, turning and pushing one of the floor buttons on the display, "and not pleasantly."
The elevator came to a smooth halt, the doors opening onto a bland office area.
Mai's smile faltered as she shifted her gaze between him and the empty workspace. "What's this?" she asked.
"Your stop." He stood to one side indicating for her to leave with a gesture that could almost have been considered polite.
"What?"
When she didn't immediately move, he sighed irritably. "Go on," he said, repeating the gesture a little less politely.
"Why would…" Her open-mouthed confusion transformed into a wide grin. "Wait, you're going up to make your big entrance, aren't you? To kick off the tournament?" It was her turn to look him up and down appraisingly. "What's today's massive ego show, Kaiba? Swooping in on the back of a dragon? Holographic dancing girls?"
His face remained impassive. "You'll get to see for yourself in the highlights show," he said, "but what I'm not doing is arriving alongside some random cheerleader."
Mai's smile disappeared in an instant and her eyes widened. "Cheerleader?!"
He smiled at her outrage but then the elevator doors began to close again, knocking into his shoulder and causing him to stumble forward awkwardly. He regained his balance and the pair locked eyes.
"I haven't got all day, Valentine."
She shook her head with a rueful smile. "You know what, Kaiba—" she started, but her words were cut short by a noise, an explosive boom that she felt as well as heard. She cried out as she was thrown backwards against the far wall, instinctively shielding her face as the mirror to the side of her shattered. When she dared to open her eyes, she saw the office area was in chaos - broken ceiling panels raining down, filling the air with debris.
And then it was disappearing from view.
"The doors!" she cried, leaping forward to stop them from closing.
Seto did the same, grabbing one of the doors as she held back the other. The gap was just about wide enough to slide through but as they paused, each looking to the other to see who would go first, the elevator dropped. Mai yelped, losing her grip. Seto held on, staring grimly at the office beyond the narrow gap. The floor was now at waist height and, even as he pulled both doors apart once more, the elevator dropped another inch.
"Do you think we can...?" She reached a hand out to place it on the grey office carpet in front of her.
The elevator dropped another few inches and Mai snatched her hand back, her breath catching in her throat.
She looked at the number display. "We're fifty-four floors up! What if we – this thing has safety stuff right? Like brakes?"
The elevator jolted again and, above them, they could hear the tortured groan of twisting metal. Mai blinked as a thin line of dust drifted down onto her upturned face. Seto stepped backwards into a corner, giving her a quick glance. She took his implied instruction and pressed herself against the opposite wall, feeling the sharp sting of wood and glass shards as they dug into her back. A moment later there was a noise like a whip and a cable sliced through the centre of the confined space with an explosion of roof panels. Mai screamed and Seto held his arm up defensively as the destruction fell about them.
The elevator dropped and Mai gritted her teeth at the sensation. She gripped the wall with splayed fingers, her legs straining to push her body backwards into the corner. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable impact.
But then the floor jolted again, and a high-pitched screeching noise filled the air. The brake mechanisms kicked in with a cloying smell of burning metal, and the elevator began to shudder wildly.
Mai could feel them slowing, and she took in a gasp of air. She glanced at Seto, and he returned her look – and then the elevator hit the bottom of the shaft.