Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Stranger of the Duel ❯ The Final Conflict ( Chapter 25 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh!; I don't even pretend to have that right. There's my wonderful disclaimer.

The Final Conflict

Bakura ran swiftly; he was, of course, knowledgeable of clean getaways. Kaiba's large building loomed ahead of him; he swore under his breath as he noticed the guard outside the side door. How the hell did Cali get past him? Then he remembered her tight black outfit, irresistible long hair, and soft roseate lips and it didn't seem as much of a mystery anymore.

However, Bakura didn't have that advantage (and didn't really want to try and find out if Joe was bisexual paedophile) so he decided to kick him in the head instead. It worked.

***

Cali had found the filing cabinet and successfully picked the lock, and this is how Seto found her. He'd been expecting to just open that one drawer without a hitch, change the file, and head out to bed after a long, long night, but alas; things just didn't work out that way. No, instead, he found Calia Scizoran, his archrival and dying love interest, meddling through confidential Kaiba Corporation files. This could turn interesting.

He stood at the door for a few seconds, watching her rifle through folder after folder of files, frantically searching for the one she needed. Soon enough, though, his game got old and the issue really needed confrontation.

"Let me guess… it's not what I think?"

She whirled around to face him, surprised but not altogether frightened of the consequences.

"Actually, it pretty much is what you think."

"What the hell?" Seto was stunned by this response. What kind of thief admits her crimes? The kind that won't need to pay.

"Yeah, I just need to borrow your VR pod for a while…"

"…and you expect me to just let you take it?"

"No, but that's why I have my buddy right behind you."

It was Kaiba's turn to whirl around in surprise, but he was too late to prevent the kick aimed at his face. He stumbled backwards as Bakura assaulted him, blocking and punching as he became more prepared for the fight. Cali used this time to slide out of the room, knowing that Bakura's strange rage made him about Kaiba's equal in power.

She'd stolen a copy of the schematics and blueprints of the humongous office building she was currently in and found her way to Kaiba's workshop, where she presumed his new virtual reality pod lay in wait for her.

She hacked her way passed the security and ignored the computer's insistent requests for username and password. There it was: Kaiba's beautiful masterpiece, a full-length shell.

Cali planted the codes she'd found previously into the VR pod mainframe, then played around with the language some more, reversing it, altering the hologram projectors to cast into the pod itself.

Her father's suit-clad body stared ahead at the ceiling, not blinking or breathing or moving. It wasn't alive; it was still an image. There was just one more thing she needed to do.

***

Bakura shoved Seto against the wall.

"I don't know what she ever saw in you."

"Nothing, apparently," Seto growled as he attempted to push Bakura off of his shoulders. "She just wanted to get near me to get closer to this VR pod."

"Shut up; that's not true. She's human and she has feelings too."

"Is she?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"First you guys try to convince me she has magic …or …whatever, and now she's a mere mortal like the rest of us?"

Bakura responded with a punch.

"Now listen, she's not stealing your pod; she's not going to take your plans and market them…"

"Yeah right, she-"

"She's trying to bring back her father!"

Seto stopped struggling. What?

"She needs the pod for her plan. I don't know why she came to Domino initially, but I do know that I'm going to go help her. You can just leave her alone."

Bakura dropped him and let him slide to the floor and lean against the wall to think by himself. Rushing down the stairs, Bakura found the workshop and began hacking through the security. He didn't know about all this technological stuff; it took him a lot longer. In fact, he was still trying to guess-and-check the first password when Seto came down to join him.

They didn't speak; Seto just keyed in the digits with one hand briskly and moved on to the next door. They went together, but finally Seto stopped to linger at the door while Bakura continued on to Cali.

She was kneeling next to the pod, gazing at her father's unresponsive form. So many thoughts were rushing through her head; she'd waited so long for this moment. Bakura approached her and touched her shoulder gently, removing his Millennium Ring from around his neck and handing it to her. She took it carefully and held it before her, shaking.

Father, it has been so long since I have last seen you. I have worked so hard to follow in your footsteps, but I fear no one can replace you as the leader of Scizoran Enterprises. In the year that you have been gone I have discovered supernatural entities in the world, and even developed the use of my own. I don't understand how this should work (I don't even know if it will work), or if I will be able to do it, but I wish to bring you back. Return to me, my dear father.

But would you really want me to do this by theft? I have stooped so low for this; a Scizoran never relinquishes honour. I am afraid I am not suited to be a Scizoran, Father; I don't want to tarnish you with my mistakes. Would you even want to return at all? Where are you, Father? Are you happy?

Cali continued to stare at her father's blank face.

What if something happens to mess up? What if I ruin you?

No. I can't do it.

I will leave you to rest in peace.

Cali shook her head slightly to herself, rising. She offered the Ring back to its owner and turned slowly from her father's hologram, staring at her feet as she walked towards the door.

She stopped as she saw Kaiba's shoes, and then allowed her eyes to drift upwards to his face. He saw her now for what she truly was: a lost, lonely girl trying to prove herself to the world. Her eyes, he saw, were filled with grief and sadness; they had always been that way but she just tried too hard to conceal it. She whispered two small words in broken speech to him just before moving on to leave.

"I'm sorry."