WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE…

For a moment, everything in the club seemed to slow. Serenity stared open mouthed at Mai, her expression somewhere between admiration and panic.

"Go on," Mai shouted, tipping her head towards the V.I.P. area. "Get back to Joey. I'll be there in a sec."

Serenity nodded, grateful for the permission to leave. Onlookers were starting to gather, everyone trying to get a better view of the men writhing on the floor. The girl pushed her way through the crush of bodies, bolting towards the stairs as soon as she was free.

Mai watched her go then scanned the crowd around her. People were pulling out their cell phones, holding them up to get the best shot and Mai twisted away, feeling the familiar stab of anxiety. After all she'd done to stay off Corelli's radar, getting caught in someone's Instagram feed was out of the question. Keeping her head down, she stepped over the short man and grabbed Téa's wrist, stopping her mid dance move.

The girl had been so wrapped up in the music that the drama hadn't even registered with her. Now she blinked in surprise as she noticed the two men writhing at her feet. It was clear that Mai was in a hurry though and she found herself being dragged away from the dance floor. As she stumbled to keep up, she cast a wary backwards glance at the gathered crowd, half expecting someone to try and stop them, but everyone seemed more interested in the carnage they had left behind.

"Mai - What did you do?!" she shouted above the ever-pulsing music.

Mai ducked behind a pillar, all but disappearing into the darkness the recess provided. "They deserved it."

Téa stood close to her and the two surveyed the scene. Beyond the circle, everyone in the club seemed content to behave as if nothing had happened but Mai still seemed tense, her eyes flitting between different groups of people.

"Then, what did they do?"

"They tried it on with the wrong girl."

"With you?"

Mai turned to Téa then, her lip twisting with anger. "With Serenity."

Téa's expression darkened. "Is she okay? Where—"

"She went back to the group." Mai nodded towards the mezzanine.

Téa followed her gaze. Serenity, flanked protectively by Joey and Tristan, was relaying her experience to Yugi, Mokuba and...

"Oh my god!" Téa gasped, pointing up at the banister. "Is that Kaiba?!"

"Yes, it's Kaiba." Mai grabbed her arm, pulling it down with a scowl. "He showed up a while back."

Someone from the club security had arrived on the dance floor now and was trying to talk to the two men. They were back on their feet, their faces contorted in what Mai liked to think was a mixture of pain and embarrassment. They waved the security man away, apparently unwilling to talk about what had happened and instead stumbling with awkward steps towards a seating area on the opposite side of the club.

Mai smiled in satisfaction. When she turned back to Téa, she was surprised to find the girl staring at her, hands on hips, her head tilted to the side as if inspecting her.

Mai frowned. "What?"

"You knew Kaiba was here, and you didn't say?"

Mai's frown deepened. "It's not that big a deal." She risked a quick glance up to the V.I. P. area. Whilst the others still crowded around Serenity, Seto was now leaning over the balcony rail, his eyes scanning the dance floor and surrounding areas as if he was searching for something. Mai swallowed, her lips pressing together in a thin line.

"Kaiba?" Téa's voice was incredulous. "Seto Kaiba. At a nightclub?!"

"He's probably just here to see Mokuba or something." She shook her head at Téa. "Honestly, I don't know why you're getting so excited about it."

"Well, if it's not that big a deal, we should go say hi."

She turned to leave but found a hand gripping her arm.

"No."

Téa looked at the hand and back up to Mai. "No?"

"Not yet." Mai loosened her grip. "I want – I mean, I'm waiting for the heat to die down."

"There's no heat, Mai."

"Best to be safe. I mean, I told you about—"

"Manelli."

"Corelli."

"Right. Yeah, I get the need to be cautious, but, truly, no one cares."

She was right, the space where the men had fallen was now filled with people dancing, their only thoughts on the music and the people closest to them. Her eyes flicked back to the mezzanine.

"Are you avoiding him?"

"Who, Corelli?"

"No. Kaiba."

"No! What? No!" Mai's tight laugh quickly died in her throat, but she kept her smile fixed in place as she met Téa's shrewd expression. "I'm not avoiding him. Why would I?"

Téa shrugged. "You tell me."

"What? That doesn't even—"

"All that time you spent together in the elevator…"

"Nearly dying!" Mai pointed out, holding up her arm where the strip of black material was starting to unwind. She grabbed at the loose end and tried to neaten it up again. "I got electrocuted, remember?"

"And he took care of you."

Mai gave up on the material, roughly tying a messy knot around her arm. She felt the pain of it mingle with her frustration as she glared at Téa. "Nothing happened."

Téa's eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief. "I didn't say it did."

"No. Good. Because it didn't."

"Okay. Then let's go and join him."

Mai huffed out a breath. "Fine. But you'd better not start talking like this in front of the others." She took a step in the direction of the stairs but stopped again, pointing a sharp finger in Téa's direction. "And you can wipe that look off your face too. You think you're so insightful, but you—"

"You really think he's just here to see Mokuba?"

Mai opened her mouth but found herself struggling to find an answer. Téa held her friend's gaze for a moment before smiling and pushing past her.

0oooo0

In the V.I.P. area at the top of the stairs, the rest of the group were unhappily acting out the dictionary definition of 'awkward'. Yugi had tried to keep the conversation going with a story of their visit to the Statue of Liberty the previous day. However, as most of the group had been present on the trip, and Mokuba had already heard about it from Serenity earlier in the evening, Seto was the only one for whom the conversation stood any hope of being entertaining. His stony-faced demeanour, however, made it clear that he wasn't playing the game.

"And then we went on this tour, and we got to see the original torch that the statue used to carry," Yugi ploughed, determined to fill the silence.

"Really?" Mokuba's forced interest was little compensation for his brother's obvious disdain and there was a palpable release of tension when Téa called out a greeting, her arrival a welcome release from their social torment.

"Hey!" Joey called out as she joined them, Mai trailing along behind her. "There you are! Where did you get to?"

Téa swung round and pulled Mai forward. "We wanted to lay low until everyone got over Mai's little vigilante bit."

"Yeah, about that." Joey's expression was serious. "Thanks Mai."

Mai waved a hand. "Oh, it was absolutely my pleasure."

"It was quite something."

Mai stiffened, her eyes snapping to Seto. He was regarding her, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Kaiba!" Téa was the first to break the silence that had settled on the startled group. "It's a surprise to see you here!"

Seto gave her a curt nod. "Gardner."

"So, what brings you to—"

"Drinks!" Mai stepped between the two, desperate to divert the conversation. "Anyone want a drink?"

Téa kept her gaze steady.

"Mokuba invited me."

"My round!" Mai prompted as everyone's attention seemed to be drawn to the conversation. She pushed herself in front of Joey.

He blinked at her, as if her offer had only just filtered through. "I should be getting you a drink," he countered.

"That's the only reason?" Téa had stepped closer to him, her voice cutting through the music.

Seto raised an eyebrow at the interrogation. "You think there might be another?"

"You tell me…"

"No!" Mai waved her hands like a magician's assistant, desperate to divert the audience's attention. "It's your last night, let me treat you."

Tristan shrugged. "I won't say no."

"Thanks Mai," Joey said again.

"Let me help with the order."

Mai spun round at Seto's voice. He was looking at her over Téa's shoulder, his smile visible despite the tightness of his jawline. She stared at him, her skin heating as she pushed down the tangled mess of emotions his dark eyes stirred in her. In her periphery, she could sense that her friends were waiting for her response. She took a breath.

"You already have a drink."

At her pointed look, cold mortification coiled through Seto's veins. His fingers tightened around the glass he was still holding, and despite knowing he hadn't taken a sip, he still found himself glancing down, half-hoping he would find it empty. He stared at the glass for a long moment, drawing in a slow breath before raising his head.

Mai, having quickly taken some drinks orders, was already on her way to the bar leaving behind the rest of the group who were all, his traitorous brother among them, watching him with a keen interest.

Seto scowled as he contemplated his next move. Then, raising his glass to his lips, he drank down his second whisky in one gulp. Gritting his teeth against the burning sensation, he slammed the glass down on the table and stalked off after Mai.