Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Fraudulant Shadows ❯ Of His Remembrance ( Chapter 3 )

Fraudulent Shadows

Chapter 3

Of His Remembrance

Warnings: Flashback

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Jeto approached the office doors and grasped one of the handles. "Of course, it's your decision father. I can't tell you how you should choose the heir of your company. It's not in my obligations. I'm just one of your sons."

Seto and Destin watched as the neko departed from them. Destin turned back to his father with a small smile. "I don't really understand any of this, dad, so I'm not going to ask. Nevertheless, I think Jeto is right. Aurora really didn't have any interest in becoming heir of Kaiba Corp." He looked away from his father to stare at the statue of the Blue Eyes White Dragon in the far corner of the room. "I used to hear him at night, mumbling about how he failed you and he could never live up to your expectations."

Seto's eyes narrowed a look of intent concentration. "I see. Well, I'll take care of that later. Why don't you go play, Destin? I need to take care of some paper work."

Destin winced from his father's words. It felt like the man didn't even reconsider his own son's thoughts. He sighed as he turned to walk out of the office.

The CEO waited for his last son to leave before he stood up and stared out of his office window to the empty streets below.

Bast stepped into the room quietly, not certain if his advisor heard him. Until he reached the middle of the office, he remained absolutely still; in fear, he would interrupt Seto's train of thought.

"Bast? Do you agree with them? Please be truthful." Apparently, that train was still going, but charging recklessly toward a dead end.

The younger man blinked, as if the CEO was talking to him for the first time since he was hired. "I…don't know. All I know is what your children know. Aurora doesn't want to become head of Kaiba Corp. Maybe…he's just too young to realize how important the corporation is to you and how much it will be to him in the future. That's the way I see it, sir," Bast murmured. It felt like he was thinking out loud on accident, but Seto did ask what he thought of the situation.

The train started to slow now, heeding the warnings that were fast approaching and took another track to avoid the collision. He sighed in concern. "I think he'll change his mind tomorrow."

"Tomorrow…sir?" Bast asked, as if his leader had finally snapped. What would make an eighteen-year-old prodigy change his mind about becoming head of Kaiba Corp. in less than a day?

Seto nodded. "Yes. Because…tomorrow, my beloved will return from the past."

Bast frowned. However, it wasn't from annoyance, sorrow, or envy, it was from doubt. "Do you mean, Joey Wheeler?"

Kaiba nodded slowly. "Yes. After nineteen long years, I'll be able to hold him again."

"Sir…think about this for a moment," Bast started. "Do you obviously assume that Joey won't think differently about you or this world when he comes back? He may commit suicide, like so many others have before him that have returned."

That's when the train derailed; making sure the passengers felt the deadly clash between metal and earth. Seto grinded his teeth together, his eyes dilated from aggravation and fear. "No! I'll make sure he has a place here in this world. That's the only reason the people that have returned from their hyperbolic state have committed suicide. They couldn't find their place in this new humanity. It'll be different for him though. He's still young…and…strong willed. Always has been." He turned to stare at his subordinate with remorse. "What's to make him change, Bast? What?!"

Bast staggered. His supervisor's outburst stunned him. "H-he would…be confused. It would be easy to brainwash someone his age in this era. And, when he finds out that he has children, as old as him, he'll be even more perplexed. It'll drive him insane, sir!"

"Shut up, Bast!" Seto lifted his hand up for silence. A soft weeping came from the already broken CEO. "He can't remain in that machine forever. He'll have to return someday. I'm not going to wait until I'm dead either!" He collapsed into his recliner and buried his face into the palms of his hands. "I'll help him through this. He's an immediate learner. I won't leave his side until he knows that he belongs here with me and his sons."

* * *

"Don't worry, Seto. I'll be back. I promise." Joey guaranteed as he hugged Seto around the neck and gave him a soft kiss.

Seto gave him a forlorn look. "When are you coming back home?"

Joey giggled. "I'll be back tomorrow, and then you can have your way with me."

The CEO blushed to the comment. He snorted as he looked away with closed eyes, ignoring the others' snickering and whispering. "I…I hope you have fun, Joey,"he grumbled.

The blonde teen smiled up at his lover and broke away. He then turned to his other friends and waved goodbye. "Take good care of my baby," he joked.

Serenity laughed as she looked over at the blushing CEO. "We will big brother. Be safe now." She waved back at her brother and Ryou. "Ryou, you be careful. People are getting out of work now."

"Yeah, I know. I'll be very cautious,"Ryou reassured with a small nod.

Ryou and Joey both piled into the green viperand pulled away from their group of friends.

Yugi looked up at his tall friendwhen the others had left to go home."Don't worry, Seto. He'll come back tomorrow, ashe said. Until then, why don't you do something at work? That'll keep your mind preoccupied."

"What are you talking about, Yugi?" Seto asked softly. "Joeywasmy work. I wouldn't have it any other way." He kept his eyes on the green viper, slowly driving away into the city, its red taillightsdisappearing among the other taillights.

The small teen laughed. "Well, I'm sure one of the guys would love to substitute for him." A faint blush rose to his cheeks. He wasn't really suggestinghimself, but that's how Seto took it.

"Don't you already have a boyfriend?" Seto asked as he bent down to Yugi's level. "And he's waiting at home for you right now?"

Yugi blinked at the CEO. "I don't mean me...I…meant like Alister. He has a crush on you...ya know?"

Seto smirked. "Yes, he does, and he's very attractive. However,I'm not about to go behind my puppy's back because I'm desperate. I think I can hold out on my own."

Yugi gave him an awkward grin. "Well, if you change your mind. You'll know where he is."

"Isn't he living with you and Raphael right now, until he can find a place of his own?"Seto asked.

The tri-haired teen smiled. "Yep! He thinks he already found a place, but he as to make sure it's up for sale."

Seto nodded. "Well, tell him I said hi and I wish him luck."

Yugi nodded. "Will do."

As they both parted their ways, a loud chorus of honks, screams, and sirens erupted into the city.

Seto looked up when he was part way across the street to his limo.

Yugi had also stopped to look where the noise was coming from.

It was an awful sound; a heart-rending resonance of something that you would hear from a horror movie, or an attack from Godzilla.

People started gathering out of their homes to stand in the middle of the streetand watchedas a heavy wave of smoke liftedinto the clear blue sky,like a lingering monsterdevouring the light source that reminded the populace that there was still days in Domino City.

Seto stumbled a few steps forward. He knew; he just had to know that Joey and Ryou were involved. A thick, sickening churning in his stomach reminded him of the instincts he still had when his little brother was always in trouble. However, this time it was Joey. A tormenting fear gnawed at his brain, telling him that Joey would never be there again to hold or kiss him. He was gone…for good. "J-Joey?" The CEO muttered.

Yugi peered at the brunet, his eyes widening in apprehension. He also had that sickening reaction. Something he never wanted to witness again after Atemu had returned to his past. Never again would Yugisee him. Never again would Yugisee...them. "Seto?" He asked, fear dripping into his tone.

Seto took a few more steps forward and then broke out into a run. Yugi quickly followed after him.

* * *

"And it all started with a truck driver falling asleep at the wheel," Seto whispered, his face still concealed by his hands.

"Excuse me, sir?" Bast responded. He was sure he heard something about a driver, all started, and falling asleep. "Are you talking about the accident nineteen years ago?" Bast still remembered that disaster himself. He was only six years old when it happened and it took place right below his apartment window. "At least they saved all of them; even if most of them were time frozen." He never knew about Ryou, no one did.

Seto mentally grimaced from Bast's comment. If only his assistant about one of his friends that didn't make it in the crash. "Not all of them survived, Bast."

"What do you mean, sir? It was even on the news that all of them survived. Yeah, there was one that was a miracle, and that he should have died…" Bast started.

The CEO cut him off. "He's the one that died. Remember what I told you about yamis?" He asked as he straightened up and sat back into his seat.

Bast nodded. "You're telling me that Ryou's yami…"

"Ryou Bakura…wasn't the same Ryou Bakura we know today. He used to be so calm, gentle, and loving. Ever since that accident, he changed. His second soul took over," Seto murmured. "His second soul is a menace to the people around him. He owns a cult of vicious killers and thieves. He would never dirty his own hands with blood. That's why his name stays clear from police records. All his flunkies either die before they say who Bakura is, or just go straight to prison. It really doesn't matter to them, because they're loyal. I thought…that maybe…he would change too after Ryou's death. Gawd, how wrong I was!"

"I thought…you and Bakura were friends," Bast stated.

Seto nodded. "He is. He's my furtive security, in payment for what he did to Joey. I try to tell him it wasn't his fault, but he won't take no for answer." He chuckled softly. "I guess in a way, he has changed, just not the way I intended." He remained silent for a moment and then looked up at Bast. "Don't you have a duel to go to?"

Bast appeared irked after he realized that he did have a battle he needed to attend. "Yeah, I do! I better get there now!" He quickly ran out of the office pass the other baffled employees that were wondering what just sped like a bat out of hell down the hallway.

Seto laughed. "Now I need to take care of other business." He pressed a white knob on his intercom and waited for a response.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba?" A young man asked from the small box.

Seto stood up and made his way around to the front of his desk, holding his hands behind his back. "Tai, have Mr. Ryou Bakura retrieve Joey Wheeler in the morning, would you?"

The boy cheerily replied. "Yes, sir!"

"Great! Thank you!" Seto approached his office doors, locked them, and then retreated to a private room located behind a wall beside his desk.

To Be Continued

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A/N: What the in the world did I do to have my account deleted on AFF.net? I want to kick someone's ass for that one! >.<