Kaiba had just stepped out of the shower when he heard an unfamiliar voice echoing through the walls of the mansion, coming from downstairs.

He hastily threw a towel over his wet hair and rushed to get dressed, keeping his ears pricked.

"Wow! Nice digs!"

The stranger's voice, sounding very annoying.

"No one says that anymore." Mokuba's voice, sounding irritated. "Now wait here and don't touch anything. I'm going to check if he's upstairs."

"Let me go with you!"

Growling to himself, Kaiba hastily made himself presentable and glared at his own pale reflection. Mokuba was always bringing his friends around, but the place was big enough so that they could go entire days without seeing each other. Although this time, it sounded different.

Kaiba yanked his door open and strode hastily down the hall, intent on banishing the stranger from the house.

"Stop following me!" Mokuba hissed, feeling Joey shadow him up the stairs. "I said to stay in the—Seto!"

Mokuba froze, smiling nervously at his older brother, who was towering over him on the step above, wearing a cold smile.

"Who's your friend?" Kaiba asked aggressively, and a glimmer of hope sparked inside him when he recognized the blond man from the beach, many months ago. "Do we know each other?"

Joey gazed apprehensively up at Kaiba standing on the steps above them and mustered the nicest smile he could, trying to hide his anxiety, "What's up dude?"

He received a look of deep suspicion in response, and to his surprise, Kaiba turned and gestured for him to follow.

"Come up," Kaiba said simply, his heart thundering with excitement as his mind raced with questions. It seemed this man was actively looking for him. He was a merman for sure, and Kaiba made sure to keep his thoughts to himself.

He didn't know if this man was dangerous, even though he looked like a real dumbass on the outside.

Joey followed Kaiba down the long hallway, gawking at all the space around them and at all the rooms as they passed. Atem had been right when he said Seto Kaiba lived in his own kingdom on land.

Kaiba heard this thought, and his stomach churned with excitement. This man was sent here by Atem…because that thought had just confirmed it.

Stepping into his room, he made sure to let the merman walk in before him. Joey's eyes widened with wonder as he gazed up at the chandelier glittering high above them.

"That's…amazing," Joey said quietly, his eyes watering at the rainbow flecks of light glinting off the gems above his head. "Ya' chained some jewels together and…hung 'em…."

The door lock clicked, snapping him back to reality, and Joey blinked rapidly, understanding that his only exit had been blocked. A foolish mistake.

"S-So…nice place," Joey stammered nervously, thinking he would stall for time by talking.

Kaiba took an eager step towards him, his face oddly flushed, his blue eyes wide with manic excitement, "Name and rank…now."

Joey opened and closed his mouth in shock. He had been through many scenarios of how this would happen in his mind, but he didn't think that Kaiba would blatantly ask…while sounding extremely fluent in mer-speak as well.

"Uh…I-I don't understand," Joey lied poorly, backing away slowly and looking around the sparsely furnished room for a weapon or an exit. "I dunno what you're talkin' about, buddy."

"Name and fucking rank," Kaiba repeated impatiently, not realizing he hadn't spoken Japanese when he'd first opened his mouth. "And I think I saw something on you…right here." He tapped his chest where he vaguely remembering a tattoo on the man after having seen him naked on the beach.

"I'm a Cadet," Joey lied again, scanning Kaiba's tall form for any Marks, but Kaiba was clothed from head to toe.
Even the shirt he wore covered his neck. How suspicious.

"Oh, so they let cadets into a Chrysalis?" Kaiba asked, raising an eyebrow and sensing the lie. "Highly doubt it. Try again. Better tell the truth."

Joey frowned and mirrored Kaiba's stance, keeping his arms crossed and his feet planted apart as he tried to read his thoughts, but everything was eerily silent.

He suppressed a shiver, thinking Mahad was right.
This Seto Kaiba was most likely a highly-trained Undercover Warrior.
He sure talked like a Pure, arrogant, high-ranking, asshole.
No one had silence in their brains unless they were extremely skilled at masking their thoughts.

Kaiba's spirits soared with triumph when he heard this, and he managed a genuine smile, gesturing for the merman to take a seat on the black leather couch in the middle of the room.

Joey hesitated before lowering himself down onto the plush leather, and he fell silent, feeling defeated. The situation was unpredictable right now, so the best he could do was observe and adapt.

He heard a cork being unstopped and a drink being poured.

Joey whipped his head around to see Kaiba making them two drinks, his pale hands wrapping around each glass as he picked them up from the bar counter and brought them over to the couch.

Holding his breath incredulously, Joey couldn't stop staring at Kaiba's pointed claws. They were unmistakably claws.

"Ya' don't keep a nail file handy?" Joey challenged, going for aggression, but Kaiba seemed unfazed by this.

"Drink," Kaiba said amicably, sitting in the lounge chair across from the blond merman and examining his own hands with an air of indifference. "Who the fuck cares if my nails look like this?"

It's weird to humans, that's basic Code, Joey grumbled privately to himself while eyeing the amber liquid in the crystal tumbler sitting on the stone coffee table before him.
He knew what this liquid was.
All the Warriors raved about this after coming back from Shore Duties.
This was Liquor, a coveted drink. The best tasting varieties were very difficult to obtain because they cost a lot of money. He had only managed to try the cheap wine and beer that came in metal cans from the convenience store that Tristan worked at.

This Liquor came in a dark, rounded bottle, which meant it had to be expensive.

"How do I know you didn't poison that?" Joey asked heatedly, his fingers already inching for the glass. He could smell the bittersweet scent coming from it, and it was making his mouth water painfully.

"That'd be a waste," Kaiba scoffed gleefully. "Go ahead. You'll love it."

The plan was to get this merman talking, and what better than to get words flowing with alcohol.

Joey sniffed the dark liquor and took a shallow sip. It stung his lips and slid across his tongue smoothly before burning his throat on the way down with a fire spreading across his chest wonderfully.

"Yeah…it's good," Kaiba smirked, enjoying the merman's blissful expression. "Now, you'll repay me with information."

Joey nodded nervously and took another sip, and another…and another. The drink was so delicious, he couldn't stop tasting it. Every time he drank, his body would grow warm, and he'd feel floaty inside.
This really was magnificent Liquor.

"Hey, pay attention," Kaiba snapped. "I'm talking to you. Name, rank, and who do you report to?"

Joey smiled nervously and set his empty glass down, deciding to tell the truth, but before he could speak, Kaiba rose from his seat to refill his drink. Amazed and slightly suspicious at the stellar service, Joey watched the CEO apprehensively, waiting until he sat back down before he spoke.

"My name is Joey, and I report to Mahad," Joey said tentatively, and to his utmost surprise, Kaiba threw his head back with a delirious laugh.

"HA!" Kaiba cried, almost spilling his drink as his hands shook with excitement. "That guy just can't leave me alone, can he? What the fuck does he want now?"

"We wanna know what your deal is!" Joey said angrily, beginning to despise Kaiba's arrogant behavior. "And it's not fair that you've seen my Mark. Show me yours!"

"No," Kaiba answered simply, setting down his drink and leaning back against his seat with his fingers laced around his knee. "Hey, tell Atem I said, 'hi', won't you? You owe me one for saving your ass—"

"Yeah, thanks for saving my life back there," Joey interrupted, "And I'm not your errand boy or messenger."

Kaiba gave Joey an appraising look as he smiled eagerly, his blue eyes wide with interest, "I'll help you complete your assignment. Would you like that?"

Joey fell silent and didn't bat an eye. Was Seto Kaiba trying to bribe him? Could he be trusted?

"Look," Kaiba sighed, setting his drink down and gazed intently into Joey's face, taking his uncertain thoughts into consideration. "I love Atem—"

"I love him too," Joey answered automatically, and Kaiba's blood boiled.

"No, you don't," Kaiba said nastily, misunderstanding the usage of 'love' in Joey's speech. "If you love him the way I do, then you would tell me where I can find a Chrysalis."

Joey blinked incredulously. "You don't know where the nearest Moon Pool is?"

"Yeah, I don't," Kaiba said plainly, folding his arms with a glare. "I've lost my way."

Joey's breath hitched painfully in his chest, and his heart pounded rapidly. Kaiba had lost his way?

"Then…how are you still alive?" Joey asked gruffly, tightening his grip around the glass and giving it a nervous squeeze. "If you've lost your way, why hasn't your Commander…killed you?"

"Maybe I got to him…. or her, first," Kaiba said with a small smirk, noticing how Joey's fingertips whitened around the glass. This guy was gullible!
Was he really one of Atem's men?
Why would Mahad send a guy like this here?

"Then you've committed Treason and I'm leaving," Joey said frantically, jumping to his feet so quickly, the alcohol splashed out of the glass and onto his pants.

Kaiba blinked rapidly, watching Joey make a hasty exit, attempting to pry the locked door open with both hands, his forehead beaded with sweat.

"You don't get to leave until I say so," Kaiba said coldly, slipping his hand into his pocket for his phone, making sure the digital lock was still active. "Sit down…Warrior, or whatever your name is."

Growing increasingly more panicked, Joey's eyes darted around the room for another exit. A tall window behind a steel desk, but the drop downward looked too far.

There was another door leading to somewhere, and Joey darted inside without a second thought. He tripped down a small flight of steps before he managed to scramble back up and slam the door shut while panting anxiously.

His breaths echoed thinly in the spacious room, and Joey gaped at the luxurious marble walls and the shiny tiled floors. This was…a bathroom, but it was the biggest most lavish bathroom he'd ever seen.

Black marble steps led upwards into an inlaid tub in the far back, and the glass ceiling curved upwards like an enormous protective bubble above his head.

The shower was boxed off with more textured panes of glass, and everything sparkled when the sun shone down from above.

Mid-gape, Joey winced when a loud banging erupted from the other side of the door.

"Open up!" Kaiba demanded furiously, not wanting to break his own bathroom door down to get in. "There's no way out from there unless you can jump up through the ceiling. Come out, and we'll talk."

"No! Nope!" Joey cried, seeing his own startled reflection in the long silver mirror above a stone sink. "I got nothin' to say to you."

"Fine, then you'll listen to me talk," Kaiba fumed, giving the door handle another angry rattle. "I don't want to hurt you. I saved your fucking life, didn't I?"

There was no answer.

"I want to see him because he can't come up to see me," Kaiba said plainly, aiming to ask for a Chrysalis location again. "I know about his so-called punishment, and I admit it's my fault. I can't wait a whole century. I want to see him today."

More silence.

Kaiba waited for an answer, and when none came, lost his temper. "Come out, or I'll break the door down," he hissed, leaning against the door, listening intently.

On the other side, Joey was holding his breath, listening to Kaiba's heartbeats through the door. They were rapid, but even and steady. There was truth in his words….

Come the fuck out. I want to talk about Atem.

Joey jumped in surprise and clapped his hands over one of his ears, wincing. That was unnecessarily loud.

"I'll show you my Mark," Kaiba called, thinking this would his last attempt before he really did break the door. "I'll show it to you, but you'd have to come out to see it."

There was a soft rustle, and to Kaiba's relief, Joey peeked out from behind the door, his brown eyes wide with curiosity.

"Ya promise?" Joey asked gruffly, and Kaiba nodded stiffly, stepping back to let Joey emerge slowly from the bathroom. He backed away along the wall, aiming for the other door.

"It's locked," Kaiba said, exasperated, but the blond merman ignored him and chose to stand with his back against the door, looking like a trapped animal.

"Fine, another show of good faith. I unlock the door…and you stay," Kaiba said slowly, holding his hands up defensively. He needed this merman to be his friend, or at least like him a little bit. If he kept making enemies with all the mermen on land, he would never reach Atem.

The room had also grown incredibly quiet because Joey was now hiding his thoughts too.

"Fine," Joey sniffed, crossing his arms firmly and giving Kaiba a glare. "Do it then, rich boy."

"Don't fucking call me names," Kaiba muttered as he slipped his phone out and gave the screen a tap.

Joey heard the door lock click open, and he tensed, ready to run outside at the first sign of danger. He watched Kaiba put the phone away and rest his hands at the hem of his shirt.

"Yeah, take your shirt off," Joey challenged angrily. "Go on, do it. I'm waitin'."

Kaiba seemed to change his mind, and his pale hands went to the cloth around his neck. "This will do," the CEO said as he rolled down the fabric of his turtleneck and turned around slowly.

Joey narrowed his eyes before widening them again in shock when he saw the faint white outlines of a delicate lotus flower encircled by a crescent moon. His heart slowed into terrified pound his chest.

That was no ordinary Mark.
That was a Brand.

"H-Holy Suijin's Staff," Joey breathed, blinking rapidly and taking a daring step closer for a better look. "Wait, lemme see all of it. That can't be."

Kaiba stood very still and didn't move, listening to Joey's footsteps grow steadily closer. He felt a slight tug as Joey gingerly lowered the collar of his turtleneck further to stare.

"Good enough?" Kaiba asked quietly, letting the fold of cloth return to its original position around his neck, and he turned to face Joey, who was wearing a dumbfounded look on his face.

"That's…a real Branded Mark…you're real, are you real?" Joey stammered, backing up nervously again and shaking his head fervently. "Holy shit. They said…that after the Eruption, you all died off on land, or were killed, but you…oh man, you're as old as me! Or younger! You must've been a baby when they sent you up here!"

"We're not all dead," Kaiba said, sinking comfortably into the lie. There was still the old man from the retirement home.

"Retirement home?" Joey echoed, hearing this thought, and his eyes widened knowingly. "So…only two of ya are alive? Out of your entire pod of 200 people, it's you and him?!"

"Never mind. He's probably dead," Kaiba lied aggressively, allowing himself to feel a rush of triumph. "Chrysalis location, now."

"I can't…tell you that," Joey said weakly, his legs losing feeling the longer he stood rooted to the spot with shock and awe. "U-Unless you're dyin', but you look f-fine."

"I am dying. I'm drying out, and I'm vomiting every few weeks," Kaiba listed his symptoms with a lazy eye-roll. "And I need to see Atem."

Joey bent over and forced himself to take several deep breaths, feeling slightly dizzy. Mahad was right, and Seto Kaiba was an Undercover Warrior. Kaiba himself had just listed all the symptoms of shore sickness, which meant that his own Assignment had been completed.
He had successfully discovered Kaiba's true identity and his pod name.

"I can't tell you the location of a Moon Pool," Joey said firmly, straightening up and managing to glance briefly into Kaiba's cold blue eyes. "I haven't broken my pact, but I'll report back to Mahad and see if we can help ya', okay?"

"Don't give me that bullshit," Kaiba raged, feeling as if the rug had been yanked out from under his feet. "That fool Mahad doesn't give a flying shit about me. Report back all you want, but don't think for a second that anyone will want to 'help'. You've grounded your own king for a century. You're all fucked up."

"Hey!" Joey's temper flared just as quickly in retaliation. "Don't lump me in with the rich snobs who make all the decisions in the royal family! I'm not even from that Hemisphere."

"Well, you're not helping me, so I see you as part of the problem," Kaiba sneered, leaning heavily on the leverage and respect the tattoo seemed to give him. "Either help me in some way or get the fuck out."

Joey fell eerily silent, and he lowered his head to stare at the floor, his mind racing.

His instructions from Mahad were to find out if Kaiba was an Undercover Warrior by befriending him.
The situation here was unfolding backwards.
He had found out Kaiba was a warrior the moment he'd walked into the house and being friends with this foul-mouthed man seemed like a challenge.

"I'm going to say 'please'," Kaiba said dully, pressing a hand to his forehead as he felt a headache coming on strong. "Please fucking help me reach Atem. I'm tired of sending that damn purple octopus. I bet he got lost on the way back here because I haven't heard from him since—"

"You hijacked a Messenger? A Royal Messenger or a Standard one? How'd you get it past the front gates?" Joey asked incredulously, "You're turning into a criminal!"

"Or, I'm just really resourceful, and your rules are stupid and easily broken," Kaiba shot back furiously through clenched teeth. "Help…me…find...a…damn…Chrysalis."

"And…your Merspeak is better than mine, even though you've spent your whole life with legs," Joey fumed, curling his fists at his sides, understanding why Atem was so fascinated with Kaiba. "The only way I can help is by tellin' you that Mahad is the only Warrior who has broken his pact. So, like I said, I'll report back—"

"Tell me the pact, word for word," Kaiba said instantly, his energy returning in a rush, and he walked to his desk to pry his laptop open. "Speak while I write it down. Now."

Joey tilted his head curiously to the side, slightly intrigued that both Atem and Kaiba displayed the same demanding reaction upon hearing this.

"Uhh…"

" 'Uh' is a great word to start with. This must be a weak-ass contract," Kaiba said viciously, his fingers trembling with anticipation. " 'Uh' what?"

"I'm thinkin'!" Joey cried defensively, trying to compose himself long enough to figure out if it was a good idea to tell Kaiba anything at all. "I dunno if I can—"

"You want to help Atem get out of his century-long punishment?" Kaiba cut across Joey rudely with a determined glint in his eyes. "Then you'll help me, and I'll help him. And you might get promoted in the process. Sound fun? Now speak."

Joey glared mutely at Kaiba for a moment, quietly gathering his own thoughts.
It should be fine.
Kaiba was a Warrior who had lost his way.
So it should be in his best interest to help Seto Kaiba return to the ocean.
Maybe this was why Atem cared so much for Kaiba. The mer-king had probably seen Kaiba behaving like a crazed man and decided to help but had gotten himself in trouble instead.

Joey took a deep breath and began to recite, ""I, Jounouchi Katsuya—"

"Shitty name, but continue," Kaiba said carelessly, not bothering to ask for the correct spelling of Joey's name.

Joey balled his fist angrily at his sides and flushed red, deciding to ignore the insult and continue.

"I...swear on my blood, that as a Warrior, I will protect the mer-population with my life. I will be an upstanding citizen, and I will use the Chrysalis only when necessary, while keeping the locations a secret to any being who seeks its powers. I will withstand any torture, threats, and blackmail, because as a Warrior, it is my duty to protect what is sacred to me as a merperson, and to the people I love."

Kaiba stopped typing and went back to re-read the statement twice.
Shit.
He needed a mer-lawyer or something to get out of this one.

"There's one the guard says too, and it's different from mine," Joey said in a rush, trying to deter Kaiba from cracking the Chrysalis barriers. "You'll put us all in danger if you bypass this illegally. And not all the guards are merpeople, as you know."

"Well, if that fucker Mahad can do it, then so can I," Kaiba grit his teeth and felt his jaw ache. "Anything else?"

"Maybe…try another colony's Pool?" Joey offered unhelpfully. "Or hey, stay on land, because you've got all this…cool stuff!" He pointed energetically at the set of wide screen TVs, nodding happily.

"You've got four screens! Can me and Tristan have one?"

"Me…and Tristan," Kaiba repeated dully, eyeing Joey with disdain. "Your partner?"

"My Pod Mate, yeah," Joey replied, his eyes swiveling around Kaiba's room in search of more interesting treasures. "Hey, got some food? What do ya eat here? Same stuff as all the other humans? Or is like, rich food?"

A bubble of laughter forced its way up his throat and Kaiba placed a hand over his mouth to cover his smile.
He had been wrong to think that this guy was useless.
Maybe Mahad was the idiot, sending this guy up here.
He was learning so much every time Joey opened his mouth.

It was time to throw himself headfirst into a forced friendship with this dumbass and reach Atem in the process.

"Yeah," Kaiba said lightly, shutting his laptop carefully with a smile. "Tell me all your favorite foods, and I'll show you…the rich versions."

He stood fluidly and walked over to the door, holding it open graciously for Joey, unable to contain his excitement, so he smiled again. "And you can have the TV. We'll bring it over to your place after we get some food."

"Yesssss," Joey pumped his fist triumphantly and dashed out the door, positively electrified.

Kaiba followed him slowly, seeing Mokuba walk out of his room at the end of the hall with a relieved grimace on his face.

"How'd it go?" Mokuba asked nonchalantly, directing this question towards Joey, who was bounding down the grand staircase four steps at a time.

"Good! Let's eat!" Joey called back, his voice echoing loudly through the whole house, and Kaiba paused mid-step in front of his brother, managing to give Mokuba a half-smile.

"So, you guys are friends now?" Mokuba asked knowingly, folding his arms across his chest and eyeing his older brother carefully. "Why do you like him? He's annoying and stupid."

"He was probably trained to be persistent and annoying," Kaiba answered quickly, and Mokuba shook his head in exasperation.

"Yeah, like a dog," Mokuba said coldly, walking back into his room. "Glad you can take him off my hands. He needs to be fed every two hours."

The door slammed, and Kaiba silently thanked his brother for being so perceptive.

He hurried down the stairs to join Joey in the kitchen, trying to keep his heart from pounding too loudly with excitement.
Joey was the way to Atem.
He was sure of it.

"What is it, my boy?" Solomon asked warmly as Atem came floating up to him wearing a sorrowful expression.

"Grandfather," Atem began, intent on buttering the old man up to say 'yes' to his request. "I'm…lonely. My friends have left for shore, and I fear even Mana is growing tired of me."

"Understandable," the old man said, nodding and continuing on his way towards the infirmary. "Come, let's watch some eggs hatch. That's a good way to pass the time, watching young ones come into the world."

Atem nodded silently and stuck resolutely by Solomon's side, giving him a small smile. "To ease my loneliness, I'd like some more friends."

"You'd like me to find you some new friends?" Solomon asked, genuinely surprised. "I thought you didn't like that at all. What changed, Atem?"

"I'm lonely," Atem repeated as they floated to a stop by the closed doors of the infirmary. "I would like to release two mermaids from Confinement. Mai and Anzu. They are in the same cave, so it should be fine, right?"

Solomon frowned sympathetically and rested a hand on Atem's shoulder. "That is not our decision. You must speak to a Counselor or a Dungeon Master. I wish you luck, my boy, you have my blessing. A millennium is too long to be sitting around doing nothing anyway. Free your friends from Confinement and come to me if you need my seal."

"Thank you," Atem breathed a grateful sigh of relief and gave his grandfather's hand a squeeze. "I'll go now."

Without waiting another heartbeat, Atem swam away rapidly, his heart soaring with joy. Now to find the resident Dungeon Master.

He powered through the water but was stopped by Mahad, who peered curiously into his face, noticing the king's drastic change in mood.

"My King," Mahad said deeply, smiling and bowing. "May I accompany you anywhere today? You seem to be in high spirits."

"Who is our resident Dungeon Master?" Atem asked in a rush. "I have Solomon's blessing to free two of my mermaid friends from Confinement."

"That is…a hard task, even for one with your status, your highness," Mahad said slowly with a frown creeping across his brow. "We will go together, and let's see if we can plead for their case. It will depend on how long the ladies have been serving time, and how forgiving the Dungeon Master is."

Atem nodded fervently and let Mahad lead the way out through the palace gates, smiling politely at the few groups of people mingling around. The people turned to wave and smile back at him, so Atem waved warmly in return, feeling happier than he'd ever been in the past few moons.

Kaiba gripped the steering wheel tightly and did his best to ignore Joey's incessant chatter. The blond merman was also changing the radio channels every few seconds, and it was beginning to cause a pounding headache to build behind his ears.

"Just a bit further…" Joey said happily, trailing his fingers over Kaiba's narrow dashboard and tapping another button on the radio again. "Man, my car doesn't have this! Tristan bought one that was bare bones! Do all cars come with this kind of tech—"

"I need specific instructions, not just 'a bit further'," Kaiba hissed, slowing the down to park along the deserted freeway.

They had been driving along the narrow road above the water's edge, and Joey had claimed he had 'presents from Atem' stashed somewhere along the rocks, so Kaiba had immediately agreed to drive them to the spot.
But the sun was setting, and it was getting dark.
Either Joey was lost, or he was just stringing him along for fun.

Joey poked his head up, gazing around excitedly and the appreciating how the roofless car gave him a full view of the sky above them.

"Hey! Focus!" Kaiba clicked his nails irritably against the edge of his steering wheel, his impatience rising. "You're acting like you've never been in a car before."

"Not these kinds of cars," Joey grumbled, sitting back down and pointing at a dip in the land a few feet below them. "There! That's where it is. Now how do we get down there from here?"

Kaiba sighed and craned his neck over the edge of the windshield, seeing Joey pointing at a cluster of rocks on the beach. It looked identical to nearly every other section of the beach they had since passed, and Kaiba lost his temper.

"Seriously?" Kaiba fumed. "You couldn't have told me at the exit back there, so we could've parked the damn car and walked?"

"I'm sorry, dude!" Joey scratched the back of his head apologetically. "I dunno! You asked me to show ya, so I did! Wanna double check?"

"What?" Kaiba growled, and before he could react, Joey grabbed one of his hands off the steering wheel and held it tightly. Suddenly, a series of images flashed through his mind; glittering rooftops covered in bits of glass, seaweed, and multicolored seashells, followed by a long stretch of water hugging a wall of jagged rocks, then at the surface, a clear beach, with smooth sand, and a small cluster of rocks. Underneath the rocks, a small hole was dug out.…

Kaiba blinked rapidly, and the highway road appeared before him again, and his heart thudded excitedly.
Wow.
That was his first glance at what Atem's home looked like.
It was…beautiful.

"That's what you care about?" Joey asked incredulously, shaking his head. "Mahad was wrong about you. He thinks you're out to kill us, but you're not too bad, Kaiba, not too bad."

"Why would I want to kill anyone?" Kaiba raged, wondering what lies Mahad was spewing about him underwater. "I saved your life, and hell, I released Atem when I wanted to fucking keep him. Look at me now, paying the price for my own stupidity."

"Alright," Joey held his hands up defensively. "Don't shoot the messenger. I'm only sayin' what I heard. Let's get down there. Can we leave the car here and climb down?"

Kaiba shut the engine off with a tired sigh and nodded. They got out of the car and peered over the edge of the metal railing, and Kaiba suppressed a tiny shiver.

Was Joey really suggesting they hop this railing like idiots and hurdle down the sloping cliffside to their deaths below?

"Get back in the car, we're driving to the beachfront," Kaiba said coldly, tapping his keys, but Joey gave him a round-eyed look, asking, "Ya' don't wanna slide down with me? Your claws are much longer than mine…I'm the one riskin' it if you wanna talk about danger."

"Slide down?" Kaiba repeated, unable to hide his surprise. What else was he going to learn today?

"Yeah! Like…we do in Training. Or wait, did you even complete any Training?" Joey scrunched his face up as he tried to recall what he knew about hatchlings being sent to shore. "Nah, you would've been a little boy. You're right. Never mind. We'll drive down."

"No, go ahead. We can slide down," Kaiba said, flashing Joey a challenging half-grin. "I learn fast. You first, I'll follow. If we break anything, we heal fast anyway. After you."

Joey shrugged and swung a leg over the thick metal railing with ease, "'Kay, watch and learn!"

Kaiba blinked, and Joey was gone.
He had leapt over the metal railing with an energetic whoop! and disappeared.

Racing to the edge, Kaiba peered down, hearing Joey's cheerful shouts echoing up from below. He was letting gravity drag him down the side of the cliff while he hung on with one clawed hand, leaving a trail of rock debris and dust blooming behind him.

Amazed, Kaiba scanned the highway behind him, and then back down at the sloping rock below. He saw Joey reach the bottom and expertly hop off the top of the rocks and land on his feet in the sand.

"C'mon! It's fun!" Joey called, waving both his arms energetically. Just make sure to keep your feet down, and don't let go. The trick is…no hesitation!

No hesitation…right, Kaiba growled to himself, swinging his long legs over the metal railing and gazing down at the rocks sticking straight up from the bottom. Dying had to be harder than this.
Or maybe dying was this easy.
This was nothing.
This was suicidal.
This was simple.
This was fucking insane.

"Scaredy cat!" Joey taunted, making a face up at the CEO after hearing his thoughts trail thinly down from above. "Cowaaarrrd!"

Spurred on by the insult, Kaiba let a more familiar emotion consume him—rage, and he jumped off the edge without another thought, making sure to keep his palm tight against the cliff's wall. The magnificent sound of crumbling rocks filled his ears, and the bottoms of his feet burned white hot the faster as he tore downwards through the air at a frightening speed.

The wind whipped his hair painfully into his eyes, and the salty tang of the ocean air growing closer made his head rush.

Before he knew it, his heels hit something solid, and Kaiba glanced down, relieved and amazed to see that he had landed at the bottom without a scratch. A couple of towering rocks were in his way, but he climbed those easily and landed in the soft sand beside Joey, who gave him a crushing hug.

"You're good!" Joey crowed, thumping Kaiba on the back excitedly. "You're like a natural. Ya' know, the first time Tristan did it, he scraped his nose off! And Duke, he almost lost a finger—"

"Great," Kaiba said aggressively, shoving Joey away and wondering if he would ever meet these other people the merman was always talking about. "Where's your stash?"

"Should be along here," Joey said, smiling, and he dashed off down the beach.

Kaiba followed automatically, sprinting after Joey with long strides. Something was rubbing into the bottoms of his feet, so he slowed down to check, startled to see the entire bottom of his shoes had disappeared.

It had been worn off by the sheer speed of his slide downhill.

"Damn it!" Kaiba cursed, slipping his shoes off and holding it up for closer inspection. He could see the entire ocean's horizon line through the bottoms of his brand-name shoes.

"Whassa matter?" Joey called while climbing up a rounded rock, and Kaiba held his footwear up over his head, shooting a furious response back in his mind.

Lost the bottom of my favorite shoes from that little stunt. I'll bill you later.

I can't afford nothin' you wear, Joey retaliated heartily, standing at the top of the rock and gazing down into the foamy water. I'mma jump and come back up with the loot. You wait here, kay?

Wait! Kaiba rushed over to the rock and leaned against the side, catching his breath. Leave your clothes. I'm not having your soaking wet ass ruining my leather seats.

Are you fucking serious? Joey rolled his eyes, exasperated, but he obliged and quickly stripped off his clothes, tossing them down and making sure they landed obnoxiously on top of Kaiba's head.

Growling furiously, Kaiba yanked the clothes off his face and threw them aside, intent on teasing Joey about his nakedness, but the merman had already dived down with a splash and disappeared.

Sighing, Kaiba sat down in the sand and shut his eyes, feeling a familiar wave of nausea bubbling up in his chest. Shit. He felt like vomiting for the first time in a very long time.
Maybe the cliff slide was overexertion.

Leaning over on all fours, Kaiba gasped for air as his vision turned green, and then white, before he felt bile rising quickly in his throat. He threw up in the sand, and then he leaned back on his heels, wiping his mouth gingerly with the back of his hand, his ears ringing unpleasantly.

His bile had a slightly greenish tinge and was slimy, looking exactly like Atem's vomit the day of his release.

Shiiiit.

"What? What is it? You okay?" Joey clambered up over the rock with the seaweed sack dripping wet over his bare shoulder, and he glanced down, seeing Kaiba hastily sweeping sand over a puddle of sick that had a greenish tinge.

"…. Oh…" Joey set the sack down heavily, his stomach churning with pity. "Did you just…? Was that…? That was blood. You had blood in your spew."

"Shut up," Kaiba snapped, his head spinning violently with a headache. "Just, shut up. Did you get it?"

"Yeah… I got it," Joey lowered the sack full of glass containers gingerly into the sand before he hopped down and picked his clothes up. "Hey…you okay? You're not gonna croak at the wheel on the way back, are ya'? I didn't come all the way over here just to die in a car accident."

"I said shut up," Kaiba repeated, his humiliation rising higher and higher. He took several deep breaths, eyeing the bundle of glass containers in the woven seaweed sack, and his heart soared with triumph.

"Is that what I think it is?" Kaiba composed himself quickly and stood up to dust the sand off his pants.
Atem sure knew how to deliver.
There had to be at least fifty jars of semen in the bulging sack.

"Yeah, it's full of…whatever gross game you and Atem are playing," Joey said, eyeing Kaiba carefully with a hint of fear in his soft brown eyes. "You're dying."

"No, really?" Kaiba rolled his eyes sarcastically. "You think?"

There was a tense silence, and Joey nervously dried his hair off with his shirt before he put it back on.

"You fucking idiot," Kaiba raged, pointing at Joey's wet shirt and coughing weakly. "I said to keep the clothes dry!"

"I'll be dry by the time we get back up there!" Joey cried hastily, his irritation rising. "Ya don't look good enough to climb back up."

"I'm fine," Kaiba breathed, but bright spots colored the edges of his vision. "I can stand. I'm fine."

"No…you're gonna fall over any second. I know it," Joey said quietly, shaking his head. "One time, a Cadet pushed herself so much, she threw up the way you just did…and few moons later, we never saw her again."

"You're saying I'm going to die, I get it," Kaiba hissed, fully fed up with the naysaying. "My salvation is in the jars. The answer is there, I just have to find it."

Joey frowned skeptically and remained silent.

"Here," Kaiba tossed Joey the car keys. "Climb up and drive back the way we came. There's a small parking lot at the bottom. I'll meet you up there with the jars. There's no way I'm letting you take these up the side of a cliff unsecured."

Joey shook his head tiredly and accepted the keys from Kaiba. "You really are somethin' ya know?"

"I'm helping myself because no one cares," Kaiba fumed, glaring at Joey. "So anytime you want to tell me about the location of the Chrysalis, I'm listening."

"You know the answer to that one, buddy," Joey said simply, and he walked off down the beach, trying to ignore the painful heartbeats in his chest.

He fully understood where Atem was coming from when the king said he wanted to help Seto Kaiba; this was what he meant.

Sighing, Joey tucked the keys in his pocket and hopped over the tall rocks, giving Kaiba one last look over his shoulder before he dug his claws into the cliffside and began to climb.

Kaiba knelt on one knee, still trying to make the spots in his vision go away. His entire body ached, and he felt like shit, but he knew that he was the winner today.

Today, he had learned so much through Joey, and if this kept up, the Chrysalis would be in sight.

Author's note:

packed chapter.
Joey and Kaiba = the unlikely pair.
Atem attempts to free anzu and mai while Kaiba's condition continues to worsen.

edited by:taedae

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-Ugli