Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Summoning Death ❯ Chapter One: A Resourceful Shinigami Or Duo Gets Around ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned by its creator, Kabuki Takahashi and it's respective anime companies. I'm borrowing the characters and ideas for a nonprofit fan fiction written solely for the enjoyment of myself, and hopefully others.

All rights and privileges to Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. The characters of these works are used WITHOUT permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit.

Author's Notes: To fully understand this fan fic, which is part of a much larger arc, I highly suggest that you read Animom's "KP Duty" and the first two chapters of the follow up "Coming Clean". This story, which I am blessed that she allowed me to play in her richly written AU arc about what really happened when Seto Kaiba lost his soul to Pegasus. This is a story about recovery and coming to terms with oneself after the unthinkable happens.

Again, I cannot stress how good these stories are and I am unable to find the words to fully convey my feelings on this subject.

Summoning Death

Chapter One: A Resourceful Shinigami Or Duo Gets Around

By: Elf

Duo Maxwell was very well acquainted with illusions. It was part of being a Death. One got used to them and it became pretty easy to spot one at twenty paces.

Seto Kaiba was a master illusionist. In fact, he was so damned good that he appeared to be calm, cool, arrogant, and collected.

Duo knew better.

He could sense that the poor boy was in turmoil from the way he answered, "Vengeance" and, the final nail in the coffin, the way Seto had jumped when Duo laid a hand on his shoulder. Most people didn't jump when you touched them. Not like that anyway. They might give you a Death Glare and shove you away, ignore the fact that you exist, or playfully cuddle closer to you.

Then there was the fact that Seto Kaiba was very much like one Heero Yuy.

There was the obvious physical resemblance of the fathomless dark blue eyes, dark brown hair, and sharp, almost delicate features. Hell, their voices even sounded enough alike to make Duo do a double take. Except Heero wasn't as tall or disturbed.

Duo sighed as he continued to follow Seto. He was lucky that he didn't have to jog to keep up with each stride of those long legs, but he had a feeling that he was going to need a compass to get out of this place. Or, better yet, a GPS.

The mansion was huge and reeked of money. Normally, if the money had been inherited, Duo would of gave a spoiled rich brat the One Finger Salute and went back to his dimension. However, Duo got the distinct impression that Seto Kaiba had payed for his fortune in blood.

Still, that didn't make Duo feel any better about being surrounded by so much wealth.

So, he turned his attention to the tall brunet ahead of him. Handsome, strong, defiantly intelligent and hurting. Duo also noticed the way that the ends of his hair brushed against his neck as he walked. The quick, measured stride and the grace that Seto carried himself with. He also had a nice ass if Duo said so himself.

Seto turned to face him, his arms folded defensively across his chest. Duo noticed that his dark brown hair fell into those keen eyes. He found himself itching to brush it away from Seto's face, as he once had with Heero.

Seto said, "Since I can't get rid of you and you are my responsibility, you can stay here at the manor. If you need anything, the help is always on call and the guest rooms are down the main hall on the right."

"I think I can take care of myself," Duo replied with a mocking grin and crossing his arms over his chest in imitation of Seto. He saw the frustration flash through the blue eyes and almost smiled. Instead, he leaned against one of the many pillars and watched the other teen.

Seto frowned as he stated, "Whatever. Just don't get in anyone's way."

"Aww, what's the fun in that?" Duo retorted as Seto began to walk up the main set of stairs, leaving Duo alone.

Duo pushed his bangs out of his eyes and whispered, "You could use a little fun, Seto, that's for damned sure."

Resolving himself, he went to go find the guest quarters with a grin.

******

Duo looked up at the vast ceiling above him. The bed underneath him was soft and comfortable. He figured that the comforter was probably stuffed with goose down as well as the pillows.

He shifted uncomfortably none the less.

The place was too fancy. It was also a symbol. A symbol of something that Duo couldn't grasp.

Or rather, didn't want to grasp.

Money did not bring happiness.

Power did not bring happiness.

It brought upon things like anger and a sense of foreboding that someone would take everything from you. Duo sighed as he looked up at the ceiling again. Seto Kaiba was probably worse off than Quatre Winner. Except he didn't blame everything on himself like little Quatre did.

Thank God.

Duo knew that he couldn't handle an anti-social worry wort with a guilt complex. Now, an anti-social victim was something else. Despite Seto's illusions, he had the look of a victim to him.

The way he had jumped away from Duo's hand had been proof enough of that.

Duo sighed as he rolled onto his stomach, clutching the pillow tightly. He needed to find out what had happened to Seto. He knew that normal people didn't cry for Vengeance like Seto had.

So, what happened? How can I help him? He needs help, that's damned obvious, but how do I help him?

That's easy, I have to figure this boy out so I can. To do that I have to do a little digging.

Duo grinned as he managed to find a comfortable notch in the over-stuffed mattress. But, he's gotta trust me first. To do that, he's gotta get to know me.

******

Duo heard the door open to the room. Automatically, without moving, he looked over to the French window, deciding that running out into the court yard would be the best route of escape. He hadn't been armed when suddenly summoned here, but he could throw a pillow for enough of a diversion to abscond.

He lowered his eyes, peering through his hair, and looked back over to see the blue clad figure standing in the doorway. At closer inspection, Duo recognized the tall, slender form to be Seto. Relaxing his body enough to appear that he was still asleep, Duo rolled over onto his back and closed his eyes, preparing to go back to sleep.

It's too early to think, Duo thought drowsily as he curled his hand over his bare chest, having removed his shirt the night before.

After a few moments, he could still hear soft breathing in the room that wasn't his own. Opening his eyes slightly, making sure to keep them covered by his bangs, he saw Seto standing silhouetted in the pale pink light. He couldn't see the expression on Seto's face, but his body seemed tense and ill at ease.

Keeping relaxed, he waited.

Seto moved a few more steps closer to the bed, watching him. Duo saw the long fingered hand hover towards him. He wondered if Seto was going to go directly for his hair or the tiny scar on his nose, like Heero use to do.

Seto drew back suddenly and shoved his hand into his pocket. Duo closed his eyes as he heard Seto exit the room and shut the door behind him. Confused, Duo drifted back asleep.

After all, it was too damned early to think.

******

Sunlight filtered through the French window, finally drawing Duo out of his sleep. He yawned as he sat up, looking out the window to see the sun high into the sky. He stretched and reached for his shirt, realizing that he was going to need some clothing.

Ha, I can convince Seto to take me shopping. Unless he wants me to run around naked, the living embodiment of Death thought as he found a brush on the night stand. He grinned as he unbraided his hair, combed it out, and braided it again.

Maybe Seto needed a good fling to get whatever it was out of his system. Or maybe he just needed a friend to be there for him. Or maybe someone who wouldn't judge him on previous actions. Or maybe a combination of all of the above.

Still, Duo thought it was a little odd that Seto had come into his room this morning. He hadn't said anything, but he had stood there long enough for Duo to sense him. He could sense his warmth and the turmoil he carried with him. It was so strong that Duo hadn't gone back to sleep until the other teen left.

Seto had been watching him.

Not leering, because one could feel the difference between watching and leering. The impression that Duo had gotten was that Seto was looking at him with a sort of fascination and the desire to see if he was real.

And Relena said I didn't have any depth, Duo thought viciously as he opened the French window.

He breathed in the fresh air from the courtyard as the sun filtered through the trees. He looked around the massive grounds and took note of the helicopter pad and the huge garage. He made note to explore there as well as the house.

"Well, let's get going," he chirped happily to himself as he walked out of the bedroom.

******

Duo decided to explore the helicopter pad first. He figured there might be a pilot or a mechanic on duty that he could ask questions to. And his assumptions had been confirmed when he heard dark rock music accompanied by a haunting voice.

He saw a couple of different helicopters there, ranging from smaller Dragonflies to larger passenger choppers. Each chopper bore a huge KC logo on them in, bright blue against a white back ground. On closer inspection, the KC had Kaiba Corp written in smaller letters under it. Duo whistled as he inspected one of the choppers.

"Okay, get the fuck away from my Dragonfly or I'll kick your ass," a female voice boomed behind him in English.

Duo was amused to turn around to see a short, compact girl only a few years older than he was holding a large screwdriver threateningly. She repeated her threat in Japanese, with barely a hint of an American accent. He grinned at her as he looked her over.

She had golden-brown hair pulled back into a haphazard ponytail and hazel eyes. She had a round, almost pixie like face. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a grey T-shirt that read Graduate of Transylvania University that had bats etched around it. He also noticed the round moonstone pendent around her neck and the heightened sense of awareness she was giving off.

He replied in English, "Blessed Be."

"You're Mr. Kaiba's visitor," hazel eyes flicked over him, "You fit the description," the young woman replied as she lowered the screwdriver, "I'm Brasher, one of the pilots."

Duo shrugged and said, "Hey, it's not every day that a cute girl assaults me with a screwdriver."

"I'm not cute, but thanks anyway. Mr. Kaiba said we're to assist you in anyway we can," Brasher replied as she pushed strands of her hair away from her face. Duo grinned at the way she went from huntress to hostess so quickly and easily.

He asked, "So, Seto talked to you?"

"Naw, just sent us an E-mail. Still, you don't know how good it is to speak in English," she replied as she motioned for him to follow her.

Duo grinned and said, "I take it you're not from here then."

"Nope, I hail from the US of A, American, born and bred," she retorted with a half grin as they reached a desk. There was a small CD stereo system and the music had gotten louder as they had approached the desk. Her hand went out to it and she absently said, "Let me turn this off."

Duo reached over and caught her thick wrist. She looked up at him and he said, "It's cool. I like it."

She brightened as she looked him over. Brasher leaned on her desk and Duo took a quick glance at it. There was a PC there with a modem hook up, a phone, a few nuts and bolts lying around, and a photo of her hugging a massive dog tapped to the monitor. He let go of her wrist and shoved his hands into his pockets.

She asked, "So, are you a Duelist? Are you here to Duel Mr. Kaiba?"

"A what?" Duo asked, thinking of Wufei and Treize with rapiers. Sword fighting just hadn't been his style. He preferred to settle things with a nice Glock or, better yet, a .44 Magnum.

Brasher chuckled, rolled her eyes, and answered, "Come on, don't tell me that you haven't heard of Duel Monsters."

"Duel Monsters?" Duo echoed in bewilderment.

Brasher chuckled and opened a drawer up. She handed him a deck of cards. As he thumbed through the unusual deck, she said, "That's a Duel Monsters deck."

Duo nodded at well drawn fantasy creatures that ranged from elves, to dragons, stone walls, to more high tech, mech oriented things. Each creature had a certain attack and defense strength, while some were "effect" monsters. There were also spells and enchantment cards too.

He handed the deck back to her. He said, "Pretty cool. But what does this have to do with the price of tea in China?"

Brasher retorted, "Have you been living under a rock? Kaiba Corporation, maker of the Holographic Dueling Arenas, computer technology, the lead producer of holographic technology in the world? Seto Kaiba was the guy who invented half of the stuff that Kaiba Corp produces."

"Oh, yeah," Duo managed with a wiry chuckle.

Brasher rolled her eyes and picked up a bolt from the desk and fiddled with it. She asked, "So, why the hell are you here?"

"Forward, aren't you?" Duo replied with a grin.

Brasher shrugged and replied, "That's why I'm a pilot and not a secretary. Besides, most corporate guests don't go poking their noses at the pilots."

Duo smiled at that. He said, "Sorry, babe, but I just wanna know more about your boss."

"What, are you some child prodigy too?" Brasher retorted as she dropped the bolt down at her desk and picked up a pen. She started spinning it awkwardly around pudgy fingers.

Duo leaned on the desk and replied, "Something like that."

"Himmhum, of course you are," she snorted as she sat down at the desk and looked up at him.

He smiled and leaned closer. He said, "Well, thanks. I guess I'll leave you alone now." He started to walk away from her. "Merry part and meet again."

"Hey, Duo, wait," Brasher called out to him.

Duo grinned to himself and thought, Gotcha, little witch.

"Yes?"

She asked, "What do you want to know?"

"What's the most important thing I need to know about dealing with Seto?" he asked, watching her expression.

Brasher crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at him. She grinned for a moment and said, "I think that Mr. Kaiba could use a friend."

"Brasher, you read my mind," Duo replied as he walked out of the hanger, now needing to find a computer. He turned back to her and asked, "Hey, Brasher, is there a computer I can use anywhere? I need to look up something on the Net."

******

Kaiba Corp, run by Seto Kaiba . . . Child prodigy, inventor of the holographic Duel Arenas . . . Former Duel Monsters World Champion: beaten by one Yugi Moto, winner of the Duelist Kingdom tournament held by one Pegasus J. Crawford, the former head of Industrial Illusions, ( current whereabouts unknown).

Still, don't tell me that he's so bitter because he lost a damn card game.

Okay, lets try finding out about this Pegasus J. Crawford guy.

The screen flashed before Duo's eyes as he continued to type. Brasher had gone home for the afternoon, leaving Duo alone with the computer. So, he was doing some digging. He reached over and turned the CD player up, listening to the 21st century band Tool.

You know, I could get used to it here, Duo thought distantly as he started a new search on Industrial Illusions, the creator of Duel Monsters. Still, he had always had a fondness for the 21st century where one could wear leather and eat cows without being booed at and called a murder. He also was fascinated with the culture of the world at that time and was pleased as hell to be in a dimension where it was that time.

Duo studied the photo of Pegasus on the screen. Pretty guy, but I don't like him. Indeed, under that silver hair and delicate features, there was something about his half grin that Duo didn't like. It was down right cruel actually. Lucifer was the most beautiful of all the angels . . .

Then there was the fleck of gold visible through that long hair where his eye should of been. Duo wished he could enlarge the image to see what the hell it was.

He grinned to himself as he found a pack of disks in Brasher's desk along with some various quartz crystals. He stuck the disk in the drive, wincing at the fact that he was actually using something that belonged in a museum. He saved the jpeg to disk and continued his search.

Industrial Illusions tried to take over Kaiba Corp?

Wait a second . . . Pegasus almost had Kaiba Corp, but why? Why would a game company want a technological company? And I don't think it's about the holograms either.

Duo continued to dig, his fingers flying across the keyboard like a dervish. As an afterthought, he reached over and hit the replay button on the CD player, humming along with the ambient rock. His eyes narrowed as he came across an interesting news clipping.

Seto was missing during the ending half of this tournament thing, and his little brother was missing since it began. That's an interesting little fact. They were both gone for this Duelist Kingdom thing.

The screen flashed: Lost Modem Connection, would you like to reconnect?

"Fuck," Duo hissed as he logged off the computer, clearing the cache, making sure to cover his tracks. He frowned at the ancient machine, well, ancient to him anyway. He sighed, "I'm going to need something a bit more advanced if I wanna keep this up."

So, he left the hanger and started to walk back his room. On the way back, he cut through the courtyard because it was faster than walking that insanely long path. He kept watch for anyone looking for him, especially Seto himself.

He grinned as he noticed an even rise in the grass, perfectly square. It was something that a normal person would of easily missed, but then Duo was far from normal. He knew a secret passageway when he saw one.

He lifted up the grass and his grin broadened as he saw the stainless steel trap door. He gave a quick scan and lifted the door up. He scurried down into the dark pathway before him and closed the trap door above him.

Duo pushed a button on his watch as he was engulfed in darkness. A light came out of the watch, giving the sleek passage an eerie feel. He actually didn't need the light to see, but he was still adjusting to the whole Death thing and preferred to use methods he was familiar with than shows of power.

Whistling, Duo walked down the armored passageway and wondered what could be so important to keep hidden and locked up. He stopped when he came to a door and a retina scan. Duo ignored the voice asking for a retina scan and proceeded to pull the panel off of the circuit, sending sparks flying as he did.

He grit his teeth as he proceeded to do a very sloppy wiring job, but it had the desired result. The door slid open and Duo walked in. He shut the door behind him, listening to the metallic clinging sound as he did.

"You're not Seto Kaiba," a sarcastic female voice called out behind him.

Duo spun around as he saw the massive computer system before him. "Jackpot."

"How did you manage to get in here?" the AI system asked again, her tone becoming patronizing and threatening at the same time.

Duo held out his hands to the now flashing screen and answered, "I'm Duo Maxwell, nice to meet you."

"You shouldn't have been able to get in here," the AI scolded.

Duo sat down at the chair in front of the computer and proceeded to type. He replied, "Impressive Artificial Intelligence Seto has set up. Hell, even where I come from you'd be damned impressive."

"I will call security on you," the computer warned.

Duo grinned as he typed, "No you won't. Query: E-mails addressed from and by Seto Kaiba."

"You are not authorized to have that information," the AI retorted crossly, "And no upstart of a hacker will be able to get into my system."

Duo confidently replied, "Just wait a few minutes, baby, and you'll see who you're dealing with." He continued to type codes to break into the heavy security system before him. A frown crossed his features as he thought, Damn, this guy would be able to teach Heero a few things about hacking. Shit. He's got defenses on his defenses! "I guess I gotta try something else then," he mused aloud as he rested his chin on his hand.

He tried a different path and was rewarded with a huge, silvery-blue dragon roaring across the screen, blowing white lighting in his direction. Duo blinked as the image fizzled into silver static as Seto's voice taunted, "Did you really think you could get in here? Pathetic."

Duo grinned and asked, "Can you do that again? That was pretty damned cool."

"I'm not here for your amusement. You may have been able to disable my abilities to call upon security, but you won't get any information that you want," the sassy voice snapped at him.

Duo lifted his fingers from the keys and said, "Query: Pegasus J. Crawford."

An image of the man flashed upon the screen as the computer began an insulting torrent about the head of Industrial Illusions. Duo said, "Could you freeze the comments and give me a close up of the dude's face?"

"An odd request, but sure," the computer replied as a larger image of Pegasus' face appeared on the screen.

Duo leaned closer as he thoughtfully inspected the face before him. His eyes widened as he gripped the console and looked at the half-hidden left eye. Instead of a twin of the amber brown eye on it's right, there was a golden eye there.

Magic, that's a magic artifact, Duo pondered as he tapped his foot against the ground. He felt it kick something and looked down to see a copy of The Hobbit at his feet. Not giving the book a second glance, he continued to study the Eye.

"Hey, baby, any games registered in this household?" Duo asked idly as he reached down and picked up the book. He wasn't a big Tolken fan, but he knew where the whole Sword and Sorcery genera came from. He wondered why Seto had it.

The AI answered, "Yes. User name: Mokuba."

"Can you show me giff and jepg images that Seto Kaiba has stored on the hard drive?" Duo asked, this carrying weight on his mind.

She answered, "Yes."

Duo looked through various pictures of dragons and charts. He sighed as he continued his search. He doesn't have any porn saved. He did a double take and frowned. Yep, no naked people to be found here.

"Why wouldn't a sixteen year old boy have porn?" Duo asked to himself, thinking of his own great collection stashed away on his own computer. Hell, even Heero had a few choice scanned manga images hidden on his laptop.

So, I've got an anti-social genius who likes to read fantasy novels, was missing during a big Duel Monsters tournament, this Pegasus guy with the magic eye after his company, and yet he has no porn. He jumped at being touched . . .

Duo had begun to pace the room. He said to himself, "Something's wrong here."

"Anything else you would like me to look up for you?" the AI asked politely.

Duo grinned and replied, "I thought you didn't like me."

"Well, you asked nicely, something that most people don't do," she answered.

Duo laughed, "Thanks, babe. I guess you can do whatever you do now, but what's the quickest way back to the house?"

"Follow the hallway. It takes you directly past the Duelist Arena, which leads up to the mansion," she answered politely.

Duo gave her a tiny salute and replied, "Thanks again, lady."

******

"Fuck!" Duo exclaimed at the huge elfin warrior towering above him, holding his sword threateningly. He looked back down at the console and tried to switch the image. There was a loud bellow as the elf disintegrated and a huge, hulking lizard man dressed in armor arrived in his place, gnashing sharp fangs and claws.

He let out another surprised screech as he backed away from the hologram. He held the rails of the Dueling Platform tightly as he looked up at the realistic composition before him. The holographic technology was more advanced than any he'd ever seen, which was pretty damned impressive.

He didn't know what this was when he had been Summoned here last night, but he had sensed that it was a place that Seto felt both confidant and comfortable at. Now Duo knew why. He realized if he was a top card player and inventor, then he'd be pretty damned happy in an arena that he created for his favorite game.

Still, he couldn't help but to open the system up and see how it worked.

And now he regretted that decision because he had a twelve foot tall alligator man growling at him and brandishing sharp objects.

Duo chuckled nervously as he put the panel back together and sighed in relief as the lizard dude faded away. He wiped a few beads of sweat off of his forehead and decided that he'd leave the holographs to the experts. He started to climb down the platform when a young voice called out, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Duo leapt down the platform to see a little boy looking up at him. He couldn't help but grin at the kid's wild mop of long, black hair as he fondly remembered himself as a child. The kid glared up at him with sharp grey eyes that reminded him a bit of Seto.

Duo waved cheerfully and said, "Hi, I'm Duo."

"Who are you and what are you doing down here? What where you doing up there? If my brother found out you were doing something . . ." the kid broke off, giving him a threatening glare.

Duo grinned and replied, "Seto knows I'm here. After all, he brought me here."

The kid looked at him warily. Duo put his hands in his pockets as he realized that he was talking to Seto's little brother. He asked, "You're Mokuba, aren't you?"

"Yeah, still, why would my big brother bring you here? Are you a Duelist too?" Mokuba asked, still looking at him doubtfully.

Duo shook his head and answered, "No, but I am really hungry. I say we find the kitchen and get us a snack."

"Seto doesn't like me ruining my appetite," Mokuba admitted carefully.

Duo bent down so he was at the little boy's eye level. He winked and replied, "Well, he doesn't have to know, does he? Besides, wanna see something really cool?"

Mokuba lifted an eyebrow doubtfully at him and slowly replied, "Okay."

******

"Do it again!" Mokuba cheered, clapping his hands as he watched in awe.

Duo smirked as he spun the butchering knife in his hands. He looked at the center of the carving board he had hung on the wall. There was a paring knife and a steak knife embedded into the wooden plank from where Duo had already thrown.

Duo winked at Mokuba, tossed the knife in the air, spun around and caught it. With his back turned, he launched the blade into the cutting board. It hit and Duo spun around to see with satisfaction that the knife was embedded into the board, vibrating slightly from the impact.

Mokuba crowed, "That was just so cool! How did you do that? Would you teach me?"

Duo grinned as he walked over and plucked the parring knife out of the board. He walked back to the counter where Mokuba was sitting and picked up an apple. He quartered it and cut the seeds out, giving Mokuba half.

As he did, he answered, "Well, a friend of mine has a sister who is a knife thrower for a circus. She's got wicked aim and taught me a couple of things." He leaned over to Mokuba and added, "She was really pretty too."

Mokuba grinned and asked, "You know someone that's in a circus?"

"Well, so was my friend," Duo answered easily as he saw an image of Trowa in his mind, half of his face covered by his tawny hair and one dark green eye visible. Trowa also happened to be happily involved with gentle, sweet Quatre. And Heero with Relena, and Wufei finally has a purpose. Everyone except Mr. Maxwell, the God of Death, Duo thought darkly as he turned back to Mokuba.

He grinned brightly as he stabbed a slice of apple with the knife and began to chew on it. As he ate, he continued, "Yeah, he use to work with the lions. He was also Cathy's target practice."

"Did she ever miss, Duo?" Mokuba asked, his eyes wide.

Duo shook his head and flippantly answered, "Naw. Cathy wouldn't do that to Trowa, besides, she was too good at it."

"Can you do anything else like that?" Mokuba asked.

Duo shrugged and replied, "You'll just have to see."

Mokuba pouted for a moment before continuing to eat his half of the apple. Duo grinned at the little boy, thinking how different he was from Seto. He and the kid had bonded instantly over food and the fact that Duo could nail a knife into a carving board and juggle fruit.

Gotta thank Catharine and Trowa next time I see them.

They sat in silence for a few minutes as Duo carved up another apple to eat. Mokuba commented, "Seto used to do this for me all the time, but he doesn't anymore."

Duo looked at the little boy thoughtfully as Mokuba continued, "He use to cook when he wasn't too busy at work, but ever since Duelist Kingdom he's been really distant. He still makes time for me, but . . ." Mokuba shrugged, ending the confession abruptly.

Duo stroked the boy's wild hair, reminded of himself at that age. He lowered his head down so that he was eye level with Mokuba. He asked, "Got any good video games?"

Mokuba grinned up at him and chirped, "You bet! Wanna play?"

"Of course. Let's blow some stuff up," Duo replied jovially as Mokuba grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him out of the kitchen.

******

"That's just wrong," Duo snapped as he pointed at the TV screen. He glared at the mech before him as he continued to wiggle the joystick on the controller, making it do a gleeful dance of destruction.

Mokuba looked up from his controller and asked, "What's wrong?"

"First off, that type of machine wouldn't be able to pull off that kind of maneuver. It's too heavy. It's design would make it tip over and fall," Duo growled as he tried to "pilot" the unsatisfactory mobile suit to destroy their common enemy.

Mokuba blinked as he continued to blow up enemy tanks. He said, "It's just a game."

"Still, it's not done right. And look at your fighter kid, there's no way in hell it would be able to transform that quickly from fighter to mech and be able to shoot out that many rounds so quickly. And mine. Shit, I've seen sports cars with better reaction time," Duo snapped as he easily destroyed another mech.

He continued on his tirade, "And one shot and they're dead. Mechs can take a lot of damage, Mokuba. And we're not even hitting them in really vital spots. They'd be able to keep moving and beat our ass. Now DIE!"

The two were both shouting threats as the final "boss" approached them. Mokuba exclaimed, "You're not gonna get me this time! Die!"

"The God of Death is back from Hell!" Duo shouted as he rapidly pressed on various buttons to invoke all the "secret" weapons that his mech supposedly had. Within minutes, the enemy was defeated. Mokuba and Duo's characters were proclaimed war heroes and a lengthy video played on the screen.

The two celebrated with a high five. Mokuba laughed and said, "Wow, that game's a whole lot easier when you have a partner."

"A partner with experience, little buddy," Duo retorted as he shifted his weight on the carpet.

Mokuba asked, "Wanna play Resident Evil?"

"Hopefully, that's not a mech game," Duo replied as the boy dug through a box full of Playstation 2 games.

Mokuba shook his head and answered, "No, you blow up zombies."

"Sounds like fun. More senseless violence," Duo said as he sat up.

Mokuba nodded and replied, "Yeah, and it's really scary too. First time I played it, I had nightmares," he lowered his voice in a conspiring whisper, "Seto doesn't like me playing it this late. Says I'm too young."

"Ohh, sounds cool, plus, what Seto doesn't know isn't going to hurt you," Duo assured with a wink, causing Mokuba to grin as he triumphantly held up the game.

As the game loaded, Mokuba asked, "So, how do you know so much about mechs?"

"I'm a pilot," Duo answered truthfully, "I know what stuff would work and what wouldn't. And that game was wrong on so many levels."

Mokuba looked out the window with a sigh. He grabbed his controller and said, "Seto's late again."

"Working?" Duo asked.

The little boy nodded as he looked sadly out the window. "Yeah, working. He's been doing that a lot lately," Mokuba sighed forlornly, curling his knees up to his chest.

"So, you haven't seen much of your brother have you?" Duo gently pressed, ruffling the unruly hair on the boy's head.

Mokuba shook his head and answered, "Nope. He hasn't even Dueled since . . ."

"Since what?" Duo pressed gently, "Duelist Kingdom?"

Mokuba nodded and answered, "And the VR game."

"VR game?" Duo asked with a frown.

Mokuba nodded as he explained, "Seto was working on a virtual reality game, kinda like an RPG like Final Fantasy, before Yugi beat him in their Duel. When he left to save me at Duelist Kingdom, the losers that help run Kaiba Corp said that they finished it. They don't like the fact that my big brother runs the company better than our stepfather did and they've been trying to get rid of him forever."

"It was a trap," Duo guessed, causing Mokuba to nod, confirming his suspicions.

Mokuba went on, "Yeah, I told him it was a trap, but he seemed so determined to play it, to prove them wrong."

"What happened?" Duo asked as he chose his character for the game.

Mokuba gave a nervous smile and answered, "I got Yugi and his friends to help my big brother. He was really angry about it, but we beat them."

"So, who's this Yugi guy? I know he's like a hot shot Duelist and stuff," Duo pressed, cracking his knuckles together.

Mokuba grinned and answered, "Yugi's really cool. He saved us, you know. He's got this magic puzzle and this spirit and everything!"

Duo's mouth dropped open. "Woah, magic puzzle and spirit. That's . . . wow."

Mokuba looked him over doubtfully. Mokuba crossed his arms and stated, "I knew that you're Death. I found the spell on my brother's computer. He summoned you here."

Duo managed to compose himself enough to say, "You're a smart kid."

Mokuba shrugged and replied, "I looked at his files before I found you down in the Arena. I don't stay at friends houses, but Seto sent me to Yugi's last night."

"So you wanted to know why," Duo said with a grin as Mokuba nodded. Clever kid.

Mokuba went on, "Seto's been acting kinda weird lately too."

"He has?" Duo asked, not wanting to give what he had already found out away.

"But you gotta help my big brother. He'd be really upset if I asked Yugi, but since he called you here, he wouldn't mind as much," Mokuba pleaded, peering up with wide violet-grey eyes.

If Duo hadn't already made that decision, the little boy's expression would of done it for him. He looked into the boy's wide eyes and promised, "That's what I'm planning to do Mokuba. I just need to know some more about your brother so I can do that."

"So, what do you wanna know? His favorite card is the Blue Eyes White Dragon. He has three of them in his deck and there were only four made. He's really smart and he may act really mean, but he's the best guy in the world," Mokuba rambled off.

Duo held up a hand and chuckled, "Kiddo, let's just take this from the beginning. What happened during Duelist Kingdom?"

"Pegasus had this magic Eye," Mokuba began, looking at Duo as if he'd doubt him.

Duo touched under his left eye and asked, "Was it gold?"

"You saw it?" Mokuba asked hopefully.

Duo nodded and confirmed, "Yeah. I was thinking it was magical."

"He used it to take our souls," Mokuba confessed, wrapping his arms around his body to keep from shivering. Duo grasped the kid's shoulder reassuringly.

He said, "That bastard. Soul separation is one of the worst things someone can pull magically." He protectively wrapped an arm around the boy as he toyed with the idea of rescinding his decision not to pull Vengeance.

Mokuba went on, "He wanted my brother's company, and tried to use me to give it to him. Seto tried to Duel him, but he lost."

"How did he lose?" Duo prompted, rocking the boy back and forth without realizing it.

Mokuba met his eyes and answered, "Pegasus could read people's minds. That was the only way he was able to beat my big brother! He tried to save me, but he couldn't because Pegasus cheated!"

"So what happened?" Duo asked as he gently stroked Mokuba's wild hair, prompting him to continue.

Mokuba bit his lip before answering, "He took Seto's soul too and they beat him up. Yugi defeated Pegasus using his Puzzle and Pegasus set us free."

"Hopefully Yugi used his Puzzle for something other than keeping Peggy from reading his mind," Duo replied as he let go of the boy. He started to amuse himself of all the different ways he could kill Pegasus.

Mokuba looked up at Duo and said, "He got sick. Pegasus did. No one knows why, but he's gone."

"Freaky. So, you said that your brother was beat up?" Duo asked, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Mokuba nodded and proclaimed, "But no one can beat up my brother! He's a black belt and everything. The only reason that they could was because he didn't have a soul."

"Easy, kid. I'm sure that Seto's a badass," Duo said soothingly.

Mokuba looked up pleadingly at him and begged, "Please help him, Duo, please! Seto needs a friend, and you're Death! No one can beat you."

"I'm gonna help him, chill kiddo. I promise. Still, thanks for the info," Duo replied. He affectionately ruffled Mokuba's hair and whispered, "But I'm gonna need your help. Your brother's going to be a hard one to crack."

"Anything," Mokuba promised with a nod.

Duo grinned and replied, "Good. Now, what sort of pizza do you like?"

"Anything with pineapples, but Seto thinks pineapples on pizza is gross," Mokuba answered with a grimace.

Duo stood up and grinned. He said, "Well then, we'll just have to order a large ham and pineapple pizza and what does he like?"

"Pepperoni," Mokuba answered as he rolled his eyes.

Duo winked and said, "Well, then the second large shall be a large bacon, extra cheese, and hamburger pizza."

"Seto doesn't like bacon either," Mokuba sighed.

Duo leaned down and replied, "Well, he's just going to have to get over that isn't he?"

"Get over what?"

Both turned to see Seto Kaiba leaning against the doorway, a long blue duster folded over one arm while he still wore his school uniform. He glared at Duo, who snorted and proceeded to grin cheekily at him. Mokuba grinned, gave a cry of, "Big brother!" and rushed over to him.

Duo crossed his arms and answered, "Yourself."

Seto's eyes narrowed as he looked Duo over. He said, "You're still here."

"And the prize for observation goes to Seto Kaiba," Duo taunted with a broad smile.

Seto hugged Mokuba and asked, "How was your day?"

"It was okay," he looked over at Duo and asked, "Who's gonna place the order?"

Duo shrugged and answered, "Well, since I don't know the area and the phone number, I say it's up to you Big Guy."

"So ordering what we talked about?" Mokuba asked as he detached from his brother and headed to the doorway.

Duo gave him the thumbs up and answered, "Yep. Now, I'm starving, so hurry up."

"Got it!" Mokuba chirped as he ran out of the room.

Seto watched his little brother scamper away before turning his attention back to Duo. Duo smirked as he said, "Mokuba knows what I am. Amazing what you can find on the Internet, isn't it?"

Seto clenched his fist as he looked Duo over and hissed, "You're still here."

The blue eyes narrowed as he looked Duo over. Duo continued, "Great kid you've got there. It must be a real bitch: raising a kid, running a company, going to school, and being a genius all at the same time."

Seto looked at him as if Duo had finally said something worthwhile. Seto coldly stated, "So, I take it that you've done your research."

"Some of it at least," Duo replied as he took a step closer to the taller teen.

Seto asked, "What where you doing with Mokuba?"

"Playing video games, nothing big," Duo answered with a shrug.

Seto's eyes widened as he looked Duo over. The distasteful mask quickly reformed, but Duo took note. Seto replied, "He shouldn't be so trusting."

"Maybe he's compensating for his brother," Duo retorted as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

Ignoring the barb, Seto said, "Mokuba seems to have warmed up to you."

"I have that effect on people," Duo retorted flippantly, tossing his braid over his shoulder.

The arrogant mask softened just a bit. Seto asked, "What were you two talking about?"

"Ordering pizza. Your refrigerator stock sucks, pal. It's a wonder your little brother is doing so well," Duo answered as he moved closer to Seto, casually wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He felt Seto stiffen as Duo began to direct him out of the study.

As they walked, Seto kept stealing tiny, almost fearful glances at Duo's hand on his shoulder. Duo continued, "Plus, unless you want me running around naked, I need to go shopping."

Seto stopped and pushed Duo's arm off. He folded his arms across his chest. He asked, "What?"

"Now, I can understand perfectly if you want me dancing around bare assed naked, I am pretty hot, but I'm not that much of an exhibitionist," Duo answered, enjoying Seto's wide eyed look as he added, "Most of the time anyway. For you I think I'll make an exception."

Seto stood frozen, his eyes wide. He managed, "What the hell?"

Duo threw his arms out to the side and gave Seto a little twirl. He groaned, "Don't tell me you didn't notice what a wonderful specimen I am."

"Actually, no, I didn't notice. Nothing impressive from where I'm standing," Seto retorted with a snide grin.

As the taller boy began to walk away, Duo asked, "Then why were you in my room this morning?"

Seto stopped, paused, then turned around to face Duo. He answered, "To make sure that you hadn't destroyed something."

He started to walk away again. Duo called out, "Well, you stayed there a damn long time just to make sure I wasn't being destructive!"

Seto didn't look back, but he did stiffen for an instant.

Gotcha, Blue Eyes, Duo thought with a dark chuckle as he followed Seto, And I've just begun. By the time I'm done with you, you'll be a whole other person. Even though you'll still be a raging asshole, but maybe a different one.

To Be Continued.