Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Seto's Wish Alternate World Conclusion ❯ C20 Un-digging One’s Grave ( Chapter 20 )

Mokuba A/N: The following was written by Clarity2199. Edited by yamisgirl

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C20 Un-digging One's Grave

 

Kaiba appeared in the next universe, and without even looking around....he all ready knew this world was different. For some reason, he appeared sitting on the floor. And stranger still......he had on what appeared to be some kind of collar and leash.

 

`What in the world.....?' he began to think, as he looked over his surroundings. Immediately, before even checking out the room.....he found what appeared to be his target. Sitting in a comfortable living room chair was Noah. He was looking over the paper with a bored expression on his face.....the noise of the TV was in the background.

 

`Am I here? Did I make it?' he wondered. If Noah was angry for beating him, he'd certainly want revenge. And chaining him with a leash and collar and sticking him to the floor would definitely be considered a punishment for such a `crime'. But there was something wrong with that equation. If he took over the Seto of that world, and that world's Seto was still back in his world.....then how would Noah be able to capture and chain him?

 

But then.....if this wasn't the world he was looking for, then what exactly was going on?

 

“Getting restless, pet?” Noah voice asked. Kaiba turned to see Noah suddenly watching him from the corner of his eye, now with a cocky smirk smeared on his face. “Don't make me have to punish you again.” he muttered, turning back to his paper. “Filthy mongrel, I still can't understand how father would think you could ever challenge me. What an insult.”

 

Kaiba's confused look instantly became a defiant glare. `We'll see who challenges who.' Kaiba thought, as he stood and proceeded in starting to unbuckle the collar.

 

Noah immediately looked displeased, and yanked on Kaiba's collar in anger, as his other hand reached for what looked like a small whip. “Bad dog! Sit, as your master commands you!”

 

Kaiba grabbed at the leash, harshly yanking against Noah's hold. Just then, Kaiba realized something else was wrong. His strength didn't seem to be nearly as strong as it should. He should have caused that spoiled little punk to be launched right out of that chair. But instead, merely pulling away from Noah's grip was a difficulty in itself. Also.....shouldn't he be taller?? The whole room seemed larger around him.

 

`No! It can't be!' Kaiba thought, and suddenly looked over himself. Sure enough.....he wasn't the correct age. Kaiba appeared to be more like 13 than 17. He had shrunk by four years!

 

He was so distracted by the drastic change in himself, that he didn't see it coming until it hit. Noah had lashed against the back of his head, causing him to drop to his knees. Noah smirked evilly at him, muttering calmly. “What a bad dog you've been. I thought I all ready broke you of those nasty habits, by now. I guess it's time to give you another lesson in humility.”

 

Noah stood, grabbing the leash tight and yanked. “Let's go......it's punishment time.”

 

How could this have happened to him in this world? Why would any version of him willingly endure this? Kaiba thought through the scenarios of his own past, trying to add Noah into the mix to figure out why he would let himself get hurt. The only answer he could come up with.......was Mokuba.

 

Perhaps with Noah here, Mokuba was in even greater danger in the mansion. And the only way to protect him was to endure this kid's torture. But if that was true, then where was Mokuba? He wanted to know, but he was concerned about asking. During this time in his own past, Kaiba was trying to pretend Mokuba meant nothing to him, resulting in eventually convincing his own self. But if he asked where Mokuba was, he'd be proving that he cared. That would mean he'd have to find out, himself. This would mean subduing his capture.

 

Kaiba played along for the moment, and loyally followed until he found the best possibility to strike.

 

Noah took him to a room and opened a door that simply horrified him. There was a bed with shackles on it, and all around it were items for both torture and pleasure. The bed had a mix of bloodstains and seamen. Kaiba new one thing for sure.......whatever Noah had planned, he was definitely `not' going to chain him to that.

 

“Let's go, Seto. Up on the bed.” he commanded as if he was commanding a dog. “And take off those clothes.” Noah then laughed. “What a convenient time to fight me, too.....and I was starting to get bored.”

 

“Well, then.....allow me to help entertain you.” Kaiba hissed coldly. He instantly dropped to the floor, doing a sweeping maneuver at Noah's ankles.

 

Noah immediately dropped to the floor, seeming totally shocked by Kaiba's actions. Before Noah could respond to his sudden fall, Kaiba used the chain leash and wrapped it around Noah's throat, pulling it tight and threatening to strangle him to death.

 

Noah struggled to keep breathing, the look of shock and pure fear in his eyes. “Sit still a minute.” Kaiba commanded, still trying to get used to the higher voice coming from his mouth. “Otherwise, I'll make sure you never move again.” he added.

 

Kaiba tried to unlatch the collar once again, but Noah didn't listen and started to lash around. “How dare you!” Noah choked out. “Wait till father hears this......then we'll both teach you a lesson! No one does this to me, especially some mongrel like you!”

 

“Hmph......I guess I was just a little more challenging than you anticipated.” Kaiba smirked, and then tightened the chain, causing Noah to suddenly stop. “Do you want to die?” Kaiba hissed. “Do you think I won't do it? You think by killing you, my life would become worst than it is, now? Last chance before your `father' loses a son and decides to count on me as his new heir.”

 

Noah froze perfectly still, suddenly.....the fear in him growing even more. Never did Noah think that his so-called `dog' would even figure out such a possibility. It gave Kaiba the time to finish removing the collar.

 

“My father would never accept you as an heir.....never in a million years.” Noah spat, but didn't struggle in fear that his own pet might consider actually killing him.

 

Kaiba looked over the interesting torture devices, and grabbed an item off the counter. “Fortunately for you, Noah.....I don't have time to deal with nobodies. There's someone far more important for me to focus on, right now.”

 

Before Noah could say another word, Kaiba hit him in the back of the head hard with the blunt item, causing Noah to become unconscious.

 

Removing the leash around Noah's neck, Kaiba dragged Noah up onto the bed and shackled him in. That alone was a difficult task for someone now the size of a child. Taking in a few breaths to recover, he heard Noah moaning, all ready beginning to wake up.

 

“Oh.....my head. What.....?” Noah began to say, and realized where he was. “How `dare' you put me here? Father will never let you get away with this! Father! Father! Security!!” Noah began to cry out.

 

“Oh, shut up!” Kaiba snapped, grabbing a strange rubber ball with a string on it, and shoving it in Noah's mouth, then tying it around his head so he couldn't spit it out. Kaiba gave a cocky smirk down at Noah, saying, “You know.....I think this placement suits you perfectly.”

 

Noah thrashed around, trying to say something, but all that was heard was the quiet muffles because of the ball in his mouth. Kaiba took this moment to laugh arrogantly down at him, but new he had little time to stick around. So, he left Noah and closed the door, sneaking down the hall.

 

.......Kaiba went straight to the security room.

 

Once he was sure there was no one inside, he snuck in and locked the door. Kaiba then tapped into the security computer, controlling the cameras of the mansion in order to find Mokuba. Yet, he was nowhere to be found.

 

`Where is he?' he thought, worried. Maybe they killed him. If Mokuba was killed by them, then he was certain at his age, he wouldn't have the will left to care or resist any torture done to him.....his life would be over.

 

In frustration, he used the computer to tap into police files to find Mokuba's information. All ready, the security cameras were showing that the guards had found Noah, and were starting to untie him. It wouldn't be long before they looked for him here. His time was limited.

 

Mokuba was found.....he was not dead. And.......he also wasn't adopted. `What? He's still there!' Kaiba realized. Yet, seeing how Noah was alive and torturing his younger self the way they were......he weighed if Mokuba not being here was good or bad.

 

But Mokuba was still at the orphanage. What about all those bullies picking on him, all the time? Kaiba was no longer there to protect him, anymore.

 

The idea brought such anger to Kaiba, he pounded against the computer keyboard. “How could he leave him there?! I promised him I would not leave him behind!” he snapped out loud.

 

Just then, the door handle wiggled, and a guard said. “It's locked! He must be in here!”

 

Kaiba looked up from the monitor, glaring at the door. There were no other ways to get out of this room, except for that door. There were heating ducts, but they were hardly big enough to fit someone like him, even if he was smaller. That meant his only way out was through the guards, or from his device.

 

Kaiba pulled out the box, considering if he should leave. This was clearly not the world he was meant to be in, and he still had to find the other Mokuba, after all. But as Kaiba looked up at the door hearing them trying to force it open, he decided against the idea of leaving. He refused to run away from a fight, and in this universe he definitely had something to fight for. There was another Mokuba that needed saving, here. How could he abandon him, just to help another Mokuba? He had to at least make sure this Mokuba was okay, first.

 

The guards slammed against the door, which was difficult to break open since it was made for security purposes.

 

Noah irritably snapped, “Why don't you just shoot the door-knob and destroy the lock?”

 

“Because the security doors don't work that way here.” a guard answered.

 

Another muttered, “This isn't the movies, kid.”

 

“Who are you calling kid? I'm your superior! You better get that opened......your jobs are on the line, here!” Noah snapped, cracking his whip at the ground.

 

Both guards finally slammed the door opened, and looked in shock to see all the security computers fizzling and popping. One of the machines at that moment literally exploded.

 

“Shit!” one of them cried, as they moved over to try and save anything left salvageable, before it too became destroyed. From right beside the door, Kaiba suddenly rushed out, pushing them into the chaotic fray then turned to run.....getting whipped in the face as he tried to leave.

 

“Going somewhere?” Noah asked, coldly.

 

Kaiba showed no fear, though. If anything, he became irritated by the mark Noah left, which quickly changed to anger. Noah's hard look of superiority started to crumble, as he realized his pet wasn't going to back down.

 

Kaiba charged at him, grabbing the whip and punching him straight in the face. Noah screamed in pain, clutching at his face and began to cry, like the child he was.

 

But before he could go any further, there were two other securities that came from both ways, leaping on him to pin him down.

 

They finally succeeded in subduing Kaiba, but only after kneeing one guard in the balls and the other straight in the face. “We got him, sir.” one of them managed to choke out, as the other two guards finally pealed themselves from the security room with burn marks all over them.

 

Noah wiped the tears from his eyes, saying in between sobs, “I'll make you pay for this! No one does this to me, and gets away with this. When I'm through with you, I'll have you begging for the way I treated you before!”

 

This looked bad. Kaiba wasn't anticipating getting caught, or having to endure any of Noah's torture. And the guards were careful enough to even handcuff him to make sure he didn't do any more damage. Now, what was he going to do? He couldn't even use the box to escape, if he wanted to.

 

“What is going on here??!!” a familiar voice suddenly roared. Great......now it was getting even worst.

 

“Father!” Noah cried out happily, and ran to his father crying on his leg. “Oh, father......Seto was so terrible! He attacked me like a rabid animal, and chained me to his bed! And then he destroyed the security room, and attacked your guards!”

 

Gozaburo looked over the security room, then at the guards, and finally down at Kaiba, who was glaring defiantly up at him without a care in the world. Gozaburo asked, “Are you responsible for this, boy?”

 

“Hope I didn't damage your little toy computer's too much, Gozaburo.” Kaiba smirked. “Your little brat kid was boring me, so I had to occupy my time some other way.”

 

“So, you're bored....are you?” Gozaburo asked. He immediately turned to his son, stating, “I thought you've been challenging him, Noah. Instead, he seems to be wiping the floor with you.....including your face! And stop sniveling on my leg! Be a man, for a change!”

 

Noah looked surprised, as his father sounded like he was taking Kaiba's side. “But.....I have so been challenging! He's never done this before! He has to be punished, father! No one is allowed to step on a Kaiba, like that!”

 

“No one should be able to. And yet......look what he's done to you!” Gozaburo snapped. He then turned back to Seto, saying, “Not bad, for a street rat. It's about time you started to show some balls, again. You earned some rest.”

 

There was a momentary twinge of pride that rushed through Kaiba, hearing those words from Gozaburo. But those feelings were quickly squashed. Old habits die-hard. Even now, he was still used to the twisted game between him and Gozaburo.

 

Gozaburo then looked at the guards, saying, “Take him to one of the guest rooms and let him rest there, away from Noah. I'm going to have a talk with my son.”

 

“Yes, sir.” the guard said.

 

“But, father!” Noah pouted, and followed Gozaburo like a loyal pup.

 

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`Who would have thought that Gozaburo would play the hero?' Kaiba thought, realizing Gozaburo had probably saved his ass from his son's fate. Maybe he could use that as an advantage to play the father against his son.

 

Yet, Kaiba felt no surprise that Gozaburo would reward him for defeating his guards and his own son, instead of punish him. And the reward of rest was all too familiar. `I guess some things don't change, no matter what world you're in.' he thought.

 

Kaiba's eyes suddenly glanced at the shadow, which moved passed the light under his door. That was no surprise, either. Gozaburo assigned a guard to watch his room and ensure there were no further attempts to roam the halls. He was sure it probably frustrated his stepfather to no end, knowing that Kaiba was wandering the mansion and yet......didn't know his purpose.

 

Kaiba grinned in satisfaction. The plan of detonating the security cameras had multiple advantages for him. First, it posed as a distraction to get through the guards. That almost succeeded without a clincher.....but still turned out much better than it could have. Kaiba counted it as a win.

 

The second reason was that it hid the trail of what Kaiba was looking for.....keeping everyone in the dark on his need to find his brother. That went perfectly. The damage was too great, and all the machines would need to be replaced....he made sure of it. Gozaburo would never figure out if he was looking for anything except to keep track of the people in the house.

 

The last thing was because the security was down for at least a day; he wouldn't have to worry about the cameras keeping track of him when he got out again. And he indeed planned on escaping. He had to go see his brother, and at least let him know he was not forgotten.

 

Sleep was tempting to take, since Kaiba's child body was so tired.....obviously getting little sleep from Noah's constant abuse. But he couldn't let himself sleep; otherwise he'd lose his chance.

 

Kaiba moved to the window, looking down. There were the usual guards watching the perimeter. But once darkness had come, which was soon......they would have little chance to see him slip out. Plus, they were more concentrated on anyone trying to break in, not out.

 

So, Kaiba allowed himself to rest until it got dark. He then tied his sheets together and slipped out the window. The sheets were still not long enough, making himself have to drop hard into the bushes and roll out of them. He was scratched up pretty bad from it, but it saved him from breaking anything.

 

From the ground, he knew an easy path to get through the guards......he knew the emergency routes like the back of his hand.

 

Once Kaiba was out, he ran as fast as he could until he finally made it to the orphanage, he knew all too well. Out of breath and gasping for air, he took a minute to recover before now trying to break-in.

 

The back way was the easiest way in; because they left the door open all the time to dump their garbage and ship out their dirty laundry. He also remembered this from his own past. Once he was in, he dodged passed janitors and social workers to the kid's rooms. He slipped inside and quickly found his bed.

 

“Mokuba.” he whispered, relieved that he didn't look nearly as bad as he feared he might.

 

Mokuba's eyes began to open, and then rubbed them as he thought he was having a dream. “S-Seto....? Is that really you?”

 

“Keep it down.” Kaiba smiled. “Someone's gonna find out, otherwise.”

 

“But......how did you get in here?” Mokuba whispered.

 

Kaiba answered, “I escaped Gozaburo's house to see you.”

 

Mokuba smiled sadly. “Well, at least one of us got a good......what happened to you?”

 

Even in the dark, he could see the various cuts and bruises, and a nasty red mark across his face. “What?” Kaiba asked. “Oh, I landed in one of the bushes to break my fall. It's nothing.”

 

“A bush did `that'?” Mokuba asked, outlining the long red mark. Kaiba immediately realized that mark wasn't from a bush. Noah was more careless than Gozaburo, and didn't worry as much about the abuse marks that he left on him......which included when he whipped him, either.

 

“That's nothing.” Kaiba muttered, looking away.

 

Mokuba quickly began to realize, and said, “Your adoptive parents aren't very nice people......are they?”

 

Kaiba looked down. He wanted to lie to Mokuba so he wouldn't worry, but telling him he had a wonderful life wouldn't help matters, either. It was better to let him know the truth, then to lead Mokuba to believe he abandoned him to have his happy home without him. “No......they're not.” he admitted.

 

“Why don't you run away?” Mokuba suggested. “Then they'll probably end up putting you back in foster care. But at least you won't be hurt from them.”

 

“Relax.” Kaiba smirked, looking over at Mokuba. “It's nothing I can't handle. I have a plan. When I get old enough, I'm going to make their company mine. Then I'll have the power to do anything I want. And the first thing I'll do is find you. No matter where you are, I'll come and get you. But I'm afraid you're going to have to hold out, until then. Can you do that, Mokuba?”

 

“Sure, big brother......no matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you.” Mokuba smiled.

 

“Thanks, kiddo.” Kaiba smiled back. “No matter how long it takes, I promise I'll find you and bring us back together. You're `my' responsibility.”

 

Mokuba held him tight, as they hugged each other......happy to be with his brother again, as short a time as it was. He was also happy to know that Seto didn't abandon him. He never stopped trying to be with him.

 

Kaiba now understood what this version of him had to do. He couldn't allow Mokuba to be in Gozaburo's house, yet. With his own reality where their stepfather was the only true enemy, Kaiba could handle him. He could play the lightning rod to all the abuse that came. But with Noah in the house, things got more complicated. Even if he could convince Noah that Mokuba meant nothing, all that spoiled brat had to do is get bored, and he'd still end up probably hurting Mokuba. He couldn't risk that.

 

With Mokuba at the orphanage, there might be bullies and mean social workers, but they didn't offer near the abuse that Noah did. It's the best Kaiba could do. The only part Kaiba wasn't sure of was if the Seto of this world was letting himself be abused to buy his time and strike when the time was right.......or if he had given up. He hoped more than anything that wasn't the case. Mokuba depended on Kaiba being strong and making it through this. Maybe it would work out, eventually. But he still had another Mokuba to save.

 

“I have to go.” Kaiba said, sadly. He didn't want to.....but he had to. If Gozaburo caught wind that he was doing all this for Mokuba, which could be used against him. Maybe Gozaburo would even change his mind and adopt Mokuba too, in order to use him as a tool against Kaiba.

 

“I'll miss you, big brother.” Mokuba said, and handed him a picture he had under his pillow. “It's not much, but I drew it today thinking of you.”

 

The picture was all too familiar......a homemade BEWD picture, just like the one Mokuba made from his world. “Thank you.” Kaiba smiled. “I'll keep with me, always.”

 

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Kaiba managed to escape the orphanage the same way he got in, and ran all the way back to the mansion. Before he could even get to the secret path, a black car pulled over and some Kaiba security got out. “Where've you been, punk? Trying to escape? I'm afraid Gozaburo wants to have a word with you.”

 

Kaiba relaxed and let them take him back to his stepfather. He knew a punishment would come from this one, and would probably lose a lot more sleep, as well. But he didn't care, anymore. In fact, he was now more confident than ever that the Kaiba of this world would do what he had to. Thanks to Mokuba, this Kaiba now had a constant reminder of his brother......the little homemade BEWD. If this Kaiba had given up before, he was sure this would boost his hopes, once again. That little picture would be the key to Gozaburo's and Noah's eventual downfall.

 

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“You're like some feral animal.” Gozaburo snapped at him. “Do you think you'd get away with escaping, without us finding you? Where do you think you could go?”

 

“You misunderstand.” Kaiba standing…standing tall and defiant. “I wasn't running away from you. I was simply testing your security. And from what I can tell.......it's pretty flawed.”

 

Kaiba then laughed. “In one night, I toppled your security viewers, and was able to go wherever I wanted without you or your pathetic guards being able to stop me. And from you, step father......I was expecting a better challenge.”

 

“This was some kind of test for you?” Gozaburo snapped. “What is this about? Noah told me you had a focus on someone else, besides him? And who exactly were you aiming for?”

 

Kaiba might have slipped up by saying that to Noah, but he made up for it rather quickly. “Who do you think? Why should I waste my time with a little fish, when my focus should be on the main catch? I was trying to get your attention.”

 

Gozaburo's interest was peaked. “And you wanted my attention, why?”

 

“Face it; Gozaburo.....your future heir to Kaiba Corp is pathetic. Is Noah what you really want to be running your company? By the time he's done, he'll be running it to the ground.” Kaiba said.

 

“And you think a street rat like you could do better? Why? Because you know how to destroy things?” Gozaburo asked, snidely.

 

Kaiba smirked. “Hmph......well, this company `is' about destruction, isn't it? Somehow, I don't think sitting around being pampered all day is going to prepare anyone for that.” Kaiba then grinned coldly, saying, “Why don't you make it a game? How better to challenge your son, then letting him know if he doesn't shape up, he could lose everything. And if I win this game......I become the next heir.”

 

“Hmmm...” Gozaburo muttered. He then laughed, which echoed throughout the room. “I gotta admit, punk.....you certainly got balls. I don't know where you found them lately, but if that's what you want to try to do.....be my guest. I accept your challenge. But I'll warn you now, Seto......when you lose, even after you hit 18, you'll have to be Noah's personal slave for the rest of your life. Got it?”

 

`I won't lose.' Kaiba thought, confidently. “Agreed.” he said, adding on another obligation to the Kaiba of this world, without him even knowing it, yet.

 

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Kaiba was sent into another guest room, which had a locked security window and now 2 security guards outside the door. He had impressed Gozaburo to get that extra sleep, after all. `Good......you're gonna need it.' he thought to himself, pulling out the little box.

 

The Kaiba of this world wouldn't realize the bet and his meeting with Mokuba until later on. But he would find out soon enough. To any normal kid, the deal he made was probably pure hell. But for himself......he was certain these two things would be a blessing that would ensure he would not give up and keep fighting. He gave Seto hope to stop this madness happening to him, and offered him a chance to get his brother back. That would be enough.

 

`Good luck.' he thought to himself, even though he didn't believe in luck. He reshaped the box once again, going to the next universe.