Seto Kaiba had never been nervous for a meeting. Anxiety or nervousness didn't appear in his dictionary; not now, not ever. He sat behind his massive desk, fingers laced together as usual. For once, Mokuba wasn't with him in the office. At this time of hour Kaiba had send his younger brother to bed, promising him that he wouldn't turn in late either. Kaiba hadn't realized how much he had scared Mokuba by launching the Blue Eyes from Yllsen Volta V without prior announcement. Rebecca had told him how Mokuba had gone berserk, fearing for his brother's fate after the planet had exploded. Kaiba had apologized profusely to the both of them. It had never been his intention to scare his brother and he knew he owed him a big one. To think that Kaiba himself had made a narrow escape thanks to Otogi… he had to be knocked out, to break him free from his trance, as mesmerized as he was by the God of Sun Dragon, Ra. He knew Malik Ishtar carried the God Card, but he sincerely doubted he was the one to have summoned the God. Kaiba was convinced it hadn't been Bakura either, so that left only one possibility… a low beep disrupted his thoughts and a vidscreen appeared in front of him, showing Rebecca.
"Your appointment has arrived," she announced dryly. Kaiba didn't know how traumatized his secretary was, but she had accepted the generous financial compensation and without further ado she had returned the next morning to the office, resuming her job. Kaiba always rewarded loyalty, but his thoughts or concerns weren't about Rebecca.
"Let them in," he said, trying to avoid sounding greedy. The doors to his office slid open and Kaiba straightened himself, standing up from his chair. He wanted answers and he wasn't going to allow his visitors to leave before he knew everything he wanted to know. As before, Ishizu Ishtar was accompanied by a tall man whose name was Rishid, or so Kaiba had learned. She walked up to him, unperturbed, her eyes piercing over the veil she was wearing, covering the bottom half of her face. "Kaiba," she said without addressing him with a respectful title, "you summoned us."
She was right. After the events on Yllsen Volta V, he had contacted her as soon as he had set foot in his headquarters and ordered her to come over right away, regardless of whatever business she was involved in. That she had answered so quickly, was only proof for him that she knew more about what was going on.
"You told me before that I was going to have to fight a man," he said brusquely. He turned the vidscreen towards her and tapped it a few times to call up the image he wanted: the exact moment when the Pharaoh had looked straight into the camera. Ishizu's eyes went wide when she saw the image and even the stoic Rishid looked taken aback. "This is that man?" Kaiba asked, even though their reactions told him more than enough.
"You have found him," Ishizu whispered, followed by a ferocious shiver. "How…"
"He found me, actually," Kaiba said. "Though I don't think he was looking for me. He entered my research facility, together with your brother."
"Malik..! He is in his presence already?" Ishizu gasped, but recovered quickly. "Kaiba, please… can you show me if… there was someone else close to the Pharaoh? Very close?"
"You mean him?" Kaiba pulled up another picture, a still from the footage showing Atemu and Yuugi on their way to the sickbay. Ishizu closed her eyes briefly.
"We should have known, sister," Rishid suddenly spoke, taking Kaiba by surprise. The man usually said nothing, and he referred to Ishizu as 'sister'? Interesting...
"Yes, we should. After waiting for so long…" her voice trailed off. "He looks so innocent, so young."
For a moment Kaiba thought she was talking about the Pharaoh, but he noticed her eyes were focused on Yuugi in the picture.
"Why are you so worried about him?" he asked.
"Because I fear for his life," Ishizu answered. She averted her eyes and walked over to the seating arrangement in the spacious office. She sat down gracefully on the divan, ironing out her long robe and folding her hands in her lap. Rishid came to stand behind her, arms folded in front of his chest, ready to come to her aid. Kaiba left the vidscreen up and went over to take a seat across of her.
"Give me the answers I want," he demanded, "without talking in riddles, without going in circles. I don't have to tell you that you know more, I know you know more. If you want to leave this office again, you better tell me everything, Ishizu."
As before, she wasn't impressed with his threatening tone of voice. Her eyes held a neutral gaze, albeit mixed with slight disturbance; she didn't show any signs of fear, anger, or intimidation.
"I do not have all the answers, Kaiba," she said. "My family comes first, and I will do everything and anything to protect them. I offered you five million genz to retrieve… to get my brother back, with the promise that he wouldn't be harmed."
"He hasn't been harmed," Kaiba said. "I'll even allow you to see the footage yourself."
"You have not lied to me before," Ishizu said, "so I trust your word. Our family, our tribe, has an excessively dark and violent past. We are bound to our core to that man, the Pharaoh."
"His name is Atemu," Kaiba said.
"Neferkheperu sa-Atem Necrophades," Ishizu said. "The King who gambled away his life."
She stared at Kaiba, her gaze unwavering. "The King who gambled away the world."
After another night of good sleep, Jounouchi felt so much better. The muscle pain had dissipated almost entirely and he was glad he could move without having pain shooting through his body. Honda felt better too and today they decided to go to the docks, as they hadn't gotten around to go there yesterday. After a hearty breakfast, Jounouchi noticed his stride was almost back to its usual confidence; he was glad his mobility had returned.
"I took a look at a few prospective ships," Honda said, walking next to him. "We don't have a lot of choice, unfortunately. The current market is slow."
"We can always go to Wremmoor," Jounouchi said. "Besides, Kaiba asked me to deliver designs for a new ship ASAP, so he can give the orders to start constructing it."
"Even so, constructing from scratch will take at least six months, if not an entire year," Honda pointed out. "If we're going to be out of commission for so long, who will cover my bills?"
"You've made enough to have at least some savings by now," Jounouchi snorted. Kaiba not only rewarded loyalty very well, but also results. The prize money for apprehending a bounty could run very high, in this risky business… and Jounouchi hadn't forgotten about the outrageous reward Kaiba had promised him for apprehending the Pharaoh.
"Yeah, I know." Honda picked up the pace. "Anyway, the Cyber Commander looks like the best choice for now. It's the fastest around for its build and design, and it offers more space."
Jounouchi didn't respond. He knew he had sacrificed a lot of comfort to shave off the weight and size of the Time Wizard, all in favor of speed and agility. They entered the docks, an area bustling with activities. Ibistapola was one of the three tag-free planets in this known galaxy and was driven by the huge black market. Ships docked to unload goods of questionable origins, either stolen or counterfeit, all to be sold at the right price. Anything and everything could be bought here, as long as you left your conscience at the door.
"I want to take a look first."
"Sure, it's docked…"
"No, not the Cyber Commander. The Time Wizard."
"Jounouchi, man, there's nothing left of it…"
"I want to see it myself."
Honda shrugged awkwardly. "This way, then." He went ahead to the docks in the far northeastern corner. Jounouchi swallowed. It was the scrap yard - but what else did he expect? He knew how badly damaged his ship was. Honda didn't understand how much the ship meant to him: his own design, his own… everything. He swallowed once more when he saw the wreck with his own eyes. The damage was so heavy that he could barely recognize the ship; like a titan had picked the Time Wizard up and crumpled it like a paper cup. It was hard to imagine that he had come out of this alive, with so little injury.
"Let's just go, man," Honda said after a while.
Jounouchi nodded slowly. There was nothing left for him here. Silently, he said his goodbyes to the ship and they turned around to leave.
"The Cyber Commander is at dock five," Honda resumed the conversation. "We can…" His voice trailed off and he followed the direction Jounouchi was looking into, frowning. Honda frowned as well. In the distance, he could see the cargo freighter that had almost cost them their lives. The long arch on the backside of the ship caught the sunlight and reflected it; they both squinted. The October was surrounded by two cranes, one of them lifting a battery pack the size of two humans stacked together.
"Do you want to go over there?" Honda asked, cautiously.
"I want to take a look, but avoid contact." Jounouchi gauged the surrounding buildings. "Let's get on the roof over there."
"Sure."
They made their way over to the building, a common warehouse that was closed for the day. Jounouchi picked the lock and overrode the alarm: a simple security system that was laughably old. Honda located the stairs and from there they reached the top floor. The roof was easy accessible through a hatch that didn't even have a lock on it; but as there was no stock whatsoever in the warehouse, no burglar would be interested in breaking and entering. Jounouchi walked up to the edge of the roof. Honda took an old-fashioned pair of binoculars out of his bag and stared through the optical device. He growled.
"I don't believe it," he said, his voice low. "I shot that guy straight through the leg. He's barely limping!"
"Let me see." Jounouchi took the binoculars from Honda and adjusted his vision. He spotted Marik, reduced to a very small person from this distance, but he was unmistakably recognizable. "Unreal. I don't see Bakura or Ryou, though."
"Did Kaiba give any orders about his employee?"
Collateral damage. "I don't think Ryou Bakura is high on Kaiba's priority list."
"He should know better," Honda said. "He hired him as a special assistant, right? I think Ryou's the best person to figure out what's going on, with all that Ancient Egyptian stuff."
Sometimes Jounouchi had to remind himself that Honda could display great insight and intelligence when he wanted to. "You'd think?"
"Yeah. Otogi got a lot of information from his notes, remember? And that for a guy who hasn't been officially accepted into Earth Studies yet! He could fit all the pieces of this puzzle together."
"Our focus is Malik Ishtar," Jounouchi said, curtly. He hadn't told Honda of the excessive bounty Kaiba had put on Atemu's head. It was extremely selfish, but he wanted to keep this bounty to himself. The Pharaoh could solve all his problems, if he didn't go around creating more trouble than anyone could handle.
"We can arrange a kidnapping," Honda said. "The docks are free and easily accessible, plenty of exits, plenty of opportunities. They're walking around without a care in the world, completely caught up with the ship's repairs."
"I'm not sure, I don't think it's as easy as that," Jounouchi said. "I'd like to use Yuugi to gather more information before we make a move." He didn't like the thought of that, which surprised him. He had used many other people to gather information before, why did it feel like he was… hurting Yuugi if he did the same to him? Just because Yuugi was kind and nice and they had 'bonded' over a couple of hamburgers?
"I'll study the patterns," Honda said. He was a good observer, even though he lacked the strategic and tactical insight of both Jounouchi and Otogi's. "Let them think they're safe for now."
"Good plan." Jounouchi understood the other's frustration. Through his binoculars, he could still see Marik Ishtar walking around, not sporting one obvious scar or bruise from the EMETS weapon. Who the hell are you? What the hell are you?
"Mou hitori no boku?"
"Yes?"
Yuugi smiled as Atemu turned his head towards him, the golden bang sliding over his cheek. As usual, Yuugi lifted up his hand to brush away the wayward strands, tucking it behind Atemu's ear. In the same movement, he pulled up the bed sheet a little higher, covering up his bare shoulders. Yuugi scooted a little closer, his hand sliding to Atemu's neck, while he kept his other hand against his chest.
"Shouldn't we be helping out with the ship's repairs?"
Atemu pressed a kiss to his forehead. "You always think of others, aibou. Do not worry. We are both not technical enough to help out and besides, Marik would scream his head off if we even touched his precious October."
"He build this all himself, didn't he?"
"He did." Atemu pressed a finger against Yuugi's lips, following the curve of his cupid's bow. "As the architect and builder of his ship, he does not like other people touching it."
"I see. A painter wouldn't like anyone to meddle with his painting either."
"I guess you could say that. How do you feel, aibou?"
Yuugi blushed. His entire body was still glowing. "You're so wonderful, mou hitori no boku."
"No, you are." Atemu cupped his cheek. "You give me life, aibou."
"Mou hitori no boku…" Yuugi lowered his head a little, even though he didn't want to lose Atemu's touch. "I… I don't know what to do. I love being with you, and… doing the things we do, being together like this… but…Anzu…"
Atemu shifted his position and covered Yuugi's body with his own, knowing how protected and safe it made Yuugi feel. He put his hands on either side of Yuugi's face, thumbs gently caressing the skin. He pressed a kiss to his lips. "Aibou, we belong together," he said, his voice smooth and suave. He didn't look him straight in the eyes, though. "What we share, is something more than just a bond. You feel it yourself too, aibou, do you not?"
Yuugi nodded as he softly moaned from the kisses. Atemu had no difficulties showering his Other with love, as he truly felt affection for Yuugi. But his needs were direr and greater than just affection, and it annoyed him that his Other was still thinking of his fiancée. That damn girl..! He had worked so hard to pry them apart, to sever their connection. He had used all his tricks, but he still hadn't managed to separate them fully! Bakura was right: this was an exceptionally strong Other, who still refused at a subconscious level to leave everything behind and follow Atemu unconditionally. He never had trouble like this before to get his Other to side with him. It was a game, a dark and complicated game, and the unpredictability added a new aspect to it. It kept him sharp, it kept him focused.
"You know what we share," Atemu continued, pressing kisses here and there. "Transcending bonds, connecting us on a level that only those who share the same soul, can understand."
Yuugi writhed a little, unable to withstand the onslaught of kisses and attention. He moved his arms around Atemu's shoulders, touching him, fingers splayed.
"I know," he admitted. "I… mou hitori no boku…"
"Do you not love me?" Atemu said, his right hand stroking Yuugi's side. "Do you think I am not good enough for you?"
"No, no, not at all!" Yuugi almost shot upwards, shocked at the thought he might've upset the other. "Never, mou hitori no boku!"
"Never what?" Atemu asked, mercilessly. He kept Yuugi in place, all but wrestling him back into the pillows. "Aibou, you are breaking my heart!"
"Mou hitori no boku, no!" Yuugi clamped his arms around him, as if he could melt into him, clinging, holding on him for dear life. "I would never think such a thing! I love you! I love you!"
"Then why do you hesitate..?" Atemu nipped at his earlobe. "Why do you value your fiancée over me?"
"I don't," Yuugi protested, but his mind was immediately flooded with doubt. Anzu had been a part of his life for so long, they had been talking about marriage just before he left. She was always there, in the back of his mind, the love of his life, yet he was doing everything with Atemu what a couple would do and he liked it, he more than just liked it…and he didn't want Atemu to leave him. But Anzu was there, even if she was disappearing into the background, she never left. Her kind face, her warm smile, her devotion, her love…
"Maybe I should stop," Atemu said as Yuugi fell silent, "and leave." He abruptly moved away. Yuugi's horrified shriek and his frantic scrambling to grab his arm, trying to pull him back, stroke the Pharaoh's ego. Yuugi clamped his arms around his waist and pulled Atemu back onto the bed. With a rolling motion, Yuugi worked himself on top of Atemu, surprising the Pharaoh, yet not unwelcome.
"Never leave me," Yuugi said. "Forgive me, mou hitori no boku… I was wrong…"
"I would never think such a thing," Atemu said, turning his head away just a little.
"No! Please, mou hitori no boku, look at me." Yuugi leaned into him. He brushed the other's cheek with his lips, not used to take any initiative. "You have to believe me. I love you, I really do."
Atemu turned his head back, looking at Yuugi. "Are you sure?"
Yuugi nodded. Anzu drifted more and more into the background. This wasn't Vertregg 12. This wasn't the Game Shop. This wasn't his life. "Yes, mou hitori no boku."
"Aibou." Atemu spread his arms on the mattress. "Look at me. I am vulnerable, I am naked. You are the one in command. You can do anything to me that you want. But please, if I may ask of you… do not break my heart."
"I won't." Yuugi nuzzled his neck. "It would kill me to see you hurt."
"Do not hurt me, then," Atemu whispered, his striking red eyes half-lidded. "Make love to me, aibou."
Yuugi blushed furiously. "I… I can't. I'm…" he searched for the right words. "I'm afraid of disappointing you," he said. "I'm not as experienced as you."
"Anything you do, will be more than fine with me." Atemu put his hand on Yuugi's arm, pulling him a little closer again. "Kiss me. Touch me. I will guide you."
"Yes," Yuugi answered, with obvious relief in his voice. "I will follow you everywhere, mou hitori no boku." Too engrossed with touching and kissing him, Yuugi didn't realize how he lost himself, until older bonds melted away, replaced by nothing else but an increasing dependence on the other. Atemu tilted his head back, a smug smile tugging at his lips. Finally. Your body, mind and soul are finally mine, aibou.
"Hand me the technodrill."
Ryou looked at the impressive amount of equipment stalled out in front of him on the moveable cart. He just kept staring at the dozens of complicated objects, not knowing which one to pick.
"The third from the right," Marik said gruffly. Ryou grabbed the tool that looked like an ancient corkscrew mixed with a knife and handed it over. He enjoyed being outside, taking in some fresh air instead of spending time onboard the October. Strange, how he used to be quite reclusive and now he basked in the hustle and bustle of the crowded spaceport, helping out Marik as best as he could.
"How long is it going to take?" he asked.
Marik reached for a bunch of wires, connected them together and attached the terminal ends to a device unknown to Ryou. He put it back behind a large panel and fastened it with the drill. "That does it for the pressostatic condensing control," he said. "Now we can fill up our water tanks and cooling units again." He handed the drill back to Ryou. "To answer your question: I guess a short week. I burned out six of eight engines, and not even on Ibistapola they have six battery packs that size on hand."
"A week, huh." Ryou wasn't sure what he should do. One of these days he had to contact Kaiba, or at least HRM to let them know he was alive and doing all right.
"The pliers," Marik said. That was easy. Ryou hovered over the tools and chose the right one, handing it over to the other. He was rewarded with a crooked grin. "You're not as useless as your namesake."
"Bakura?" It still felt incredibly weird that the one who looked so much like him, used his surname as a general name. Ryou hadn't dared to ask Bakura about his first name, if he had one to begin with. "Why do you hate him so much?"
"Technically I don't hate him," Marik said. "He just annoys the fuck out of me. Due to his last stint, not that he ever was trustworthy, he'll be forever on the bottom of my priority list."
"But you know him well," Ryou said. Marik looked up, his pupil-less eyes not freaking him out anymore.
"Better than I like to admit." Marik pulled out a string of cables and weaved them together, capping them off with a plastic end. It was all abracadabra to Ryou, but to Marik, as the builder of the ship, it was as clear as day.
"You shouldn't be standing on your leg for too long," Ryou said, even though he knew the other wouldn't listen, let alone obey. "You're still recovering from a laser gun shot wound, you know."
Marik looked over his shoulder. "You shouldn't be meddling with things that aren't your business," he said, without any aggravation in his voice. "Look. There's someone coming for you."
Ryou turned around, just in time to see a man in a dark blue overall approaching him.
"October?" the man asked.
"Yes?" Ryou noticed the man's nametag of a delivery service.
"I've got a holomessage for a Yuugi Mutou," the man said. "Sign here, please?"
Ryou wrote his name on the screen and received a small disk from the delivery guy. "Thank you." As soon as the man was gone, Ryou focused back on Marik, who was biting through the cables with his bare teeth. He sighed and rolled his eyes.
"I'll take this to Yuugi," Ryou said, waving the disk close to his face.
"If you see the Pharaoh, tell him to get his scrawny ass over here," Marik said. "Now run, errand boy."
Chapter 24 | Chapter 26 |