Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ All It Takes ❯ All it Takes ( Chapter 1 )

All It Takes

 

“Mmm, my pizza,” Joey Wheeler mumbled rolling over in his sleep his teeth sinking into the soft fabric of his pillow. “No, marshmallow…” His peaceful sleep was shattered by the harsh ringing of the telephone on the floor next to him. Startled he jolted upright his eyes searching for danger only to just realize that he must have fallen out of bed. Then the telephone rang again causing him to jump a little before he picked it up and shoved his blond bangs out of his eyes.

“'Low?” He muttered trying to rub the sleep from his eyes with the heels of his hands as he cradled the phone between his shoulder and ear. No one responded at the other end of the phone but he could sense that there was someone there, “Hello?” His voice was husky from sleep and carried a note of agitation because he had been having a good dream and was not happy with being disturbed by a prank phone call.

“Don't hang up.” A weary voice commanded just as Joey was about to end the call, the person sounded as if the weight of the world rested on their shoulders, but despite that they were in charge.

“Who is this?” Joey asked cautiously trying to place the person, it was obviously male, it wasn't Yugi or Yami, Bakura would never call, same with Kaiba. That left Ryou, Tristan and Duke, but it didn't sound like them either, so who was it?

“Promise not to hang up.” The person insisted his tone still neutral and weary.

“Yeah, I promise not to hang up.” Joey gave his word not really even thinking of keeping it if it was some wacko, “Who are you?”

“Seto,” the guy replied and instantly the fog of sleep that had been clouding Joey's half awake brain cleared leaving him wide awake.

“Kaiba?” Joey breathed into the mouthpiece shock coursing through him as he wondered why in the world Kaiba would be calling him.

“Yup, the one and only,” he (Kaiba) said wryly his voice scornful.

“Well, why are you calling? It's like the middle of the night!” The blond couldn't keep irritation from creeping into his voice from being woken up this late at night.

“It's only one-thirty in the morning,” the brunette stated his tone matter-of-fact. “Most days I would still be at Kaiba Corp right now.”

“You're side-stepping the question money-bags.” Joey pointed out before yawning loudly and leaning against his bed.

“What's the point?” Seto questioned without preamble throwing Joey off balance with the sheer randomness of it.

“Whaddya mean? What's the point? What's the point to what?” Confusion was evident in Wheeler's voice, “Kaiba, you're not making any sense!”

“What's the point to living?” Kaiba elaborated by adding two words to his previous question shaking the younger of the two to his core. Silence reigned while Joey sat there on the cold floor of his bedroom struggling to figure out what to say and how to say it. The question was a loaded one with a lot hanging in the balance, what he said would matter to a certain degree to the older of the two.

“Where are you?” The elder Wheeler fought to keep his voice calm as the millions of possibilities assaulted him; Kaiba could be standing on a bridge ready to jump for all he knew. He could have already taken a deadly poison, overdosed, slit his wrists or hired someone to come and off himself, there could be a noose around his neck and his feet on a stool. He might be sitting in his car with it turned on and the garage door shut, the possibilities were endless.

“At home, why?” The CEO informed him causing his classmate to relax a little but still worry about the absence of emotion in his rival's tone; it was like he was dead inside.

“Ahh, just wondering,” Joey answered no doubt in his mind that The Seto Kaiba was suicidal at the moment and a danger to himself so he had to be handled carefully.

“No need to worry, I'm not on a bridge or anything.” Kaiba told him a dry, twisted humor lacing his voice keeping Joey from breathing a silent sigh of relief. “I'm at my house, up in my room with a loaded semi-automatic handgun with a silencer on the end.” The blood that had been pumping a mile a minute through Joey's veins froze as Seto revealed this before draining from his face leaving him an alarming pasty white.

`This has to be a dream! No, a nightmare!' Joey thought to himself, `The real Kaiba would never call me and tell me this!! Kaiba was always telling me and the gang he had everything he could possibly want or need! Yeah he never seems like he's ecstatic or deliriously happy but, it's Kaiba! He never really shows discontent with anything except my stupidity and his failure to beat Yami. He loves Mokuba, he would never do anything like this to him, but here he is telling me he has a gun, a loaded one.

“Where's Mokuba?” Joey queried for he couldn't even imagine the agony of walking in on a sibling killing themselves or finding them dead. It was a horror he never wanted to face or have his sister face, something like this would crush the younger Kaiba. Heck, just burying Seto would destroy him totally and completely. After a few moments filled only with the sound of their breathing Joey quietly urged the other on with a simple, “Kaiba?”

“Mokuba is over at Yugi's,” Seto forced out. “We had a fight, I came home late again and Mokuba was upset because I had told him that I would be home for dinner. He said-” He broke off, emotion, for the first time that night choking him cutting off what he was going to say. There was a lengthy pause in which Wheeler could hear Kaiba drawing deep breaths to try and keep himself under control.

“You ok Kaiba?” Joey's question was tentative and instantly he regretted asking it for who could possibly be ok if they had a loaded gun.

“No.” The brunette stated, “No, I'm not. I have a gun and the only thing I can think to do with it is to use it in aiding me paint the wall with my brains!” His voice was harsh and biting, “I'm going to die anyway, it is better this way, to be able to choose when I'm going to go and it will save Mokuba a lot of pain.” Abruptly Joey found it hard to breathe as anger swamped every one of his senses; the pounding of his heartbeat thundering in his ears nearly deafened him. The fact that Kaiba thought it better for his younger brother to find him dead with his brains blown out disturbed him and caused fury to bubble like lava in his veins. Gritting his teeth he clenched his fists his short nails cutting into his palms drawing blood.

“So you think it will save Mokuba pain to come home and find his brother's BRAINS BLOWN OUT!?!” Joey started out softly his voice quivering from the effort of not yelling but he lost it as he got to brother breaking out to a loud bellow. Breathing hard he tried to continue more quietly but found it near impossible. “Just like it would save you pain to come home from work to find Mokuba hanging dead from the ceiling?!”

“That-” Kaiba started but Joey mowed right over him.

“Oh, I'm sure you're right! I was thinking the exact same thing! I would looove to come home and find Serenity with her wrists cut open TO SAVE ME PAIN!!” The venom in his tone made up for when he didn't use volume to get his point across.

“I knew a pup like you wouldn't understand,” the elder of the two dismissed instantly defensive.

“Well then, explain away! I'm dying to hear!” Joey snapped back slamming the ball into Kaiba's court leaving it up to him to decide what to do.

“Do you know what a neurologist is?” Seto demanded his voice deadly soft.

“Yeah, a brain doctor,” the blond replied wondering where this conversation was going, what the hell did brain doctors have to do with anything?

“Approximately two months ago I went to see my doctor because I was experiencing frequent and persistent headaches along with nausea. He told me it was due to stress and lack of sleep therefore he prescribed me stronger medicine for them and told me to cut down on work and to get more sleep. I obliged him but when about a month had passed and things had gotten worse not better I went back, the headaches would wake me up and I vomited at least once a day. He was concerned about this so he scheduled me an appointment for me to have an MRI and a CT scan, which would take place a week later.

“A few days pass after the examines and I get a call telling me that my results are in and that I needed to come in and talk to the neurologist about them, so I make another appointment. I go in and they tell me I have a brain tumor, a brain tumor! I am then told that since they are not sure if it's malignant or not they need to do a few more tests. About a week after that they pull me back in and tell me that sorry my test results were lost and that they needed to do them again. Today they inform me that yes it is malignant and due to its position it is impossible for surgery, maybe chemo or radiation will work.” Kaiba finished his monologue leaving Wheeler stunned.

“You're dying?” Joey whispered unable to believe what he was hearing.

`It's impossible!! Kaiba is never sick, he has never missed a day of school, he was sometimes late but never out!' Joey exclaimed inside his head.

“Don't sound too overjoyed, this way I'll be out of everyone's way not wracking up hospital bills in the hospital. Mokuba won't have to watch me wither and waste away right in front of him and this pain, this awful pain will finally end. Even assholes like me have to die sooner or later.” He sounded awful and even though Joey was in denial that this was even happening, he reacted to the fact that someone was in need, it didn't matter who.

“But you said you could go through radiation treatments or chemo, why don't you try those first?” Joey inquired, “They work for a lot of people, why not you?”

“Kid, you don't seem to get it, the brain tumor was just the determining factor for this decision, there are many more reasons contributing.” Joey could just picture Kaiba shaking his head once his cerulean eyes slightly mocking, “My life is just one tragedy after another, the only good thing I had, was Mokuba.”

“Had? Mokuba's still alive, you're still brothers,” the blond pointed out.

“Contrary to his wishes,” Kaiba said quietly. “He told me that I was never around anymore….” He trailed off, “He said I loved Kaiba Corp more than him and-” he cut off to draw a deep calming breath. “And he wished either Yami or Yugi was his brother, he'd rather have a brother who could laugh and have fun.” All the emotion was draining from his voice as if he was trying to shut a door to protect himself from the outside world. “I can see where he's coming from…”

“People say things they don't mean when they're angry or upset, it sounds to me that Mokuba was just upset.” Joey tried to reason it out but he was having a difficult time imagining Mokuba saying anything like that to his older brother.

“That doesn't stop it from being any less true,” Seto stated. “I'm always absorbed in my work, and my need to best Yami I never think of what Mokuba wants. He just wanted to have dinner with me tonight but I let him down yet again, I sat in that doctor's office not paying attention as he talked at me when I could have been eating dinner with him. It wasn't like I didn't know that, I knew it was going to be malignant and I just knew there was no hope for me, but I kind of hoped my last day would have been nice.

“How many times have you and your friends called me heartless? I knew it was true long before you ever said it to my face. I'm an empty shell of a person, everything is completely and totally dead inside of me, there is nothing left for me in this world except pain and agony. I have no friends, only enemies, there is no one to turn to, to talk about what is happening, that yet again is my own fault, no one else's. I put up this ten foot tall wall all around me and my emotions to try and protect myself and Mokuba; he was the only one I let in. After awhile it got harder and harder for Mokuba to reach me and I began to feel more and more alone because I couldn't tell him anything without tainting his innocence.

“Every time I fall asleep I wake up dripping in sweat, screams caught in my throat, but there is no one I can call out to. Mokuba wouldn't be able to handle it, even if I confessed a sliver of what I had done, placed a fragment of my burden on him he would crumble, he would recoil from me unable to look at me again. I'm not who he thinks I am, I'm not the perfect role model that he wants me to be, he's better off following Yami who at least has a shred of honesty and goodness in him unlike me. I am a twisted, heartless creature, nothing but ugliness resides in me, I'm more like Gozuburo than any of us realize.”

“Kaiba, can you picture Mokuba in your mind?” Joey asked softly, “Just close your eyes and remember all the time at Duelist Kingdom, you sacrificed your soul to try and get him back. Do you recall the look on his face when he found you after it was over? He was so happy, you both pulled out your lockets…how could he not love you? It was practically radiating from him, whenever he's with us all he ever talks about is you and Kaiba Corp and all the wonderful things you are doing. Mokuba was just distressed about not being able to spend a lot of time with you; he didn't mean what he said.”

“I don't know what to do,” Kaiba admitted after a short pause his voice raw with emotion. “I just want it to end.”

“Look, you first asked me what the point of living was, if you give me a minute I will tell you. It's to love with your whole heart, to be able to find the one who will cherish you for who you are and what you want to be not what they want you to be. You live to be able to hold those you care for close to you and watch them when they don't think you are. When you live you are able to go up against challenges and come out on top shaking your fist saying, “Take that, I did it.” The point is to hear your younger sibling call out, “Big Brother!” and hug you tight making you wonder at their innocence. Family…love…helping others…the challenges…just making it through so you say you did…those are causes for living.” Joey told Kaiba his voice soft, “Tomorrow is a new day, there is so much to live for, like mopping the floor up with people in Duel Monsters, laughing so hard your sides hurt and you pull a muscle. You have to learn to not sweat the petty things, you have to brush them off and keep on going.”

“It sounds so simple…” Kaiba trailed off longing in his voice.

“It is and it isn't, it depends on how you handle it,” Wheeler shrugged. “Hey listen, I have this thing my sister gave me to keep my spirits up when we were younger. It's called: The Facts of Life, the very first one on the list is the one you need to always remember the most. The first one is: At least 5 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.”

“That's a fact of life?” Seto questioned as if grasping at straws.

“Yup, as is: A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone even if they don't like you.” Joey read that one thinking about how nice Kaiba might actually look if he did smile, like the kind of smiles he smiled for Mokuba.

“God, I'm so screwed up! I don't know what to do! I don't who to turn to!” Kaiba exclaimed and Joey heard a clunk noise as the gun hit the floor.

“Hear me out Kaiba, what you need to do is take the gun and put it in a drawer then lock the drawer and throw the key out the window into your vast yard. Once that is done go to sleep, don't think about anything, just sleep, tomorrow is a new day. You will feel different. If you don't then go and talk to someone, obviously you know my number; my cell is 573-9270, if you don't want to talk to me talk to anyone, Mokuba, a shrink or call a hotline.” Joey advised his elder rival.

“I think I can handle that,” Kaiba murmured more to himself than to the blond.

“If you need me again don't be afraid to call, but it might take a couple rings, I sleep like a log.” Joey tried to be light as they ended the conversation, “Bye.”

“Bye.” There was a click and Joey was left there wondering what was going to happen to the elder Kaiba, was he going to be ok? After about a half an hour of brain numbing thought process Joey fell back to sleep on the hardwood floor of his room his dreams troubled.

The Next Day in School

 

“Ah, Yami, can I talk to you?” Joey Wheeler approached the spirit that had inhabited his best bud's body for a while but now had a separate body of his own.

“Sure Joey, what do you need?” The shorter teen's crimson eyes were inquisitive yet piercing as they watched the taller one.

“I was just wondering, have you heard anything about how Mokuba is?” The blond asked trying desperately to sound nonchalant.

“Oh yes,” the crimson eyes darkened almost swirling with barely contained rage. “He showed up last night in hysterics over something Kaiba had done! I swear, that coldhearted self-absorbed snob does not deserve Mokuba not one iota!! The young one doesn't want to ever return to that façade of a home and I can't blame him!”

“Uh…” Joey wasn't sure how to proceed, there was no way he could agree after what he had heard last night but Yami was positively radiating hatred and anger so he couldn't exactly disagree. “Maybe they just had a fight?”

“Just a fight? Just a fight doesn't make someone never want to return home!” Yami snarled.

“Well you're not exactly his guardian, maybe it was over a boundary thing like he couldn't do something? Or maybe they just misunderstood each other? It happens you know, siblings say things they don't mean and then it escalates.” Joey tried to get Yami to see what he was getting at but he was too wrapped up in his self-righteous anger.

“Does it matter?” Yami demanded, “I don't-” He was interrupted by Bakura walking by and slapping him on the back of the head with a handheld shocking device. “One minute Joey…”

“Don't worry, Yugi!” Joey walked over to his best bud glancing back at Kaiba's empty desk worriedly.

“Yeah?” Yugi looked up his big violet eyes innocent as he shuffled his deck.

“Can I ask you a favor?” Joey queried wincing as he heard Bakura, Marik and Malik ganging up on Yami on the other side of the room.

“What kind of favor?” His friend asked tilting his head to the side.

“When you get home can you tell Mokuba that he needs to go home? It is important he goes home and talks to Kaiba.” Joey questioned his eyes urging Yugi to say yes.

“I don't know…Yami wants him to stay…” Yugi was hesitant.

“Please Yugi,” Joey begged. “It's really important!!”

“Well…ok…I'll try…” Yugi promised albeit reluctantly but he said so.

“Class please take your seats!” The teacher called and the students hurried to their desks whispering and giggling amongst themselves, but still Kaiba wasn't there. Twenty minutes passed and Joey was starting to get really nervous, he couldn't concentrate, his gaze glued to the door.

Then suddenly the door opened and there was Kaiba, but he didn't look anything like the Kaiba they were used to seeing. He was wearing a pair of faded and well worn jeans with a t-shirt over a turtle-neck; over the whole ensemble was a heavy winter coat and on his feet was a pair of scuffed up old sneakers. All the people in the class who had turned to see who was coming in were all staring at him blatantly their mouths hanging open. He looked absolutely awful; there were dark shadows under his eyes, his skin was a pale and pasty hue emphasizing the bright blue of his bloodshot eyes. Even his hair was off kilter, not a stand of it was in place, and it looked like he had run his fingers through it one to many times after just waking up.

“Mr. Kaiba-” The teacher began to chastise him but he just walked past her his weary gaze fixed on one thing his stride confident but relaxed as he approached his destination.

“Kaiba,” Joey whispered still trying to absorb the appearance of the other teenager in front of him.

“I just wanted to say thank you for everything.” The young CEO said clearly in a normal tone of voice that was heard in every corner of the room. “You were right when you said that tomorrow is a new day.” From his coat pocket where his right hand had been resting he withdrew an envelope and placed in front of the one that had stopped him from making a devastating mistake.

“Any time Kaiba,” Joey replied sincerely placing his hand on the envelope a beautiful smile on his lips. With a short nod the brunette turned on his heel and exited the room leaving all of them in a stupor of surprise. After a few moments of silence the students began to talk amongst themselves as the teacher tried to compose himself and Joey opened his letter.

 

Dear Joey,

 

I sit here at my desk penning you this note after a hard night, but now as I sit here and look out the window I know that you were right, it's a new day, a fresh start. I'm so extremely in debt to you I don't know how I will ever repay you, I can just imagine you as I write averting your eyes as you blush and swipe at your nose with your thumb. I'm not saying that all of my problems have disappeared or lessened in magnitude for me but they seem to be more manageable now that I know that there is someone out there who will listen. Last night when I loaded my gun and prepared myself to eat it something in the back of my head told me that it wasn't right, to call someone. To call you. After I punched in your number and you picked up I almost hung up but that same something made me talk to you.

Today I'm going to give you this and pull Mokuba from school and tell him what happened and what I'm going to do. I have decided to go in for treatment, hopefully it will work, and I'm also planning on seeking some professional help for my other problems. There is another issue that I would like to discuss with you if I ever find the time but right now does not seem right. If you ever need anything, I will be more than happy to assist you.

 

Yours Truly,

Seto Kaiba

 

Joey looked up from his letter and neatly folded it before sliding it back into the envelope knowing that everything was going to be ok. It was going to be difficult in the beginning, but it was going to be just fine.