Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Time on a Chain ❯ Chapter 17

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Time on a Chain 19

Joey watched Willow watch Seto and Seto watch Willow. Neither had any idea that they were being watched.

Willow was fighting her training for all she was worth even thought she had no idea what she was doing. He thought that her meditation wasn't as good for her as she seemed to think it was.

"Oi, Wills. What ya meditatin' on? I don't know much about it, but isn't it supposed to make you feel good, or at least not mess ya up?"

"Yes it's supposed to make me feel . . . no, actually it's supposed to help me suppress feeling and emotions . . . Joey. I know you think I'm crazy, so do I, but I don't want to be crazy."

"Wills, ya gotta stop that meditation now. I know that you think you're doing yourself good but . . . well when was the last time ya felt happy."

"I don't remember. I was happy once. I remember being happy but I don't remember exactly when . . . I was little. "

Joey rubbed the back of his neck. This question could get him hurt very badly if Willow reacted the wrong way.

"How many people have ya killed? Ballpark?"

Willow just considered for a moment.

"I'm not sure. A lot. Why?"

"How do ya feel about that? Just think about it for a sec."

Joey swallowed bile and hoped for the best all he wanted to do was forget the whole thing but he couldn't in good conscience let this go. Much as he wanted to.

"I don't feel. Why should I? It was a job, nothing more, nothing less."

"Because if ya don't feel, you're only half alive. Why don't you want to feel? It don't make sense."

"If I feel I can't do my job. It hurts too much. My controls, the people I answer to, want me to do the job and . . . well. I don't want to be retrained, I did it once and that was enough. Hey! I don't have to worry about that now, do I?"

"Right! So, first ya learn to feel. It hurts because ya know it's wrong. Pain is the coin you pay for pleasure." At Willows odd look, Joey explained. "Look, how do you know you're happy? Because you've been sad. You know you're glad because you've been guilty. Like that. Each emotion has its counterpart. You can't have one without the other. I'd rather cry a river of tears than never love. I'd rather feel pain than be numb. You're cut off from your emotions because your Sensai knew that you couldn't do what they wanted you to if you felt anything. You're not the kind who should do what you did. You're too honorable, you would feel wrong if you let yourself feel at all."

Willow shuddered then stilled herself. She had to think and think clearly.

"Joey go away. I need to meditate on this. I won't use the technique to suppress emotions, I promise, but I need to be alone. "

"Ok."

Joey gave Willow a doubtful look, but she seemed to be thinking about what he wanted her too. She had a funny, blank look on her face, he hoped she understood what he'd tried to tell her. He didn't think he'd done a very good job of it but he'd done his best.

Willow sat and meditated, then she just thought. Everything she'd been told for years was collapsing around her ears and she found that she didn't care. She wanted to quit, she wanted to stay here with Seto and Joey and Mokuba. And she decided she was going to do what she wanted to for once. She'd spied, assassinated, and fought her way through more assignments than she wanted to think about. She had no idea of why she'd done most of what she had. They ordered, she obeyed. Always thinking it was for the greater good. Well now she was going to watch out for number one, as Joey would say. It was her turn and she was going to take it and hold on with both hands.

Seto walked in on a weeping, shaking, sodden mess, gathering Willow into his arms he just rocked her. He didn't know what had happened but he'd get to the bottom of it soon enough. For now all he wanted to do was comfort her like she'd comforted him when he needed it most.

"Hush Willow, what's wrong. Tell me and I'll fix it. I'll fix it, so help me I will."

Willow just held onto Seto, she felt like a fool but she couldn't seem to quit crying.

"Seto. I don't want to keep up the way I am but I don't know how to change it. I'm tired of not feeling. I might as well be dead. I want to stay here with you guys."

Seto felt a warm glow start in the pit of his stomach. She wanted to stay with him.

"Well, if you want to stay, you will. No one can make you do anything you don't want to. Between my money and computer skills and your . . . er . . . talents. No one can mess with us." Seto kissed the top of Willow's head. "You don't feel because you've been taught to suppress them so you could do their jobs for them. I'm very shielded because Gozaburo used my feelings against me. Joey and Mokuba aren't messed up, much. And I intend to keep it that way. What do you say? Partners?"

Willow took up her place, tucked under Seto's left arm, snuggled up to his ribs next to his heart. She liked it there, and she'd kill anyone who tried to separate them.

She'd seen him through a hideous withdrawal from prescription pills and now he was offering her what she realized was her heart's desire.

She was messed up badly and she now realized that. She'd always suspected that something was wrong with her and worried about it some. Now she not only knew she was right but she knew what was wrong and why. How to fix it was another matter.

"Seto?"

"Yes, Tenshi?"

Willow did a double take. {Shinigami, yeah. Tenshi? He's worse off than I thought.}

"I need to ask you a lot of questions. I'm tired of reacting instead of acting. We need to sit down and figure out who's threatening you and why. Then we need a plan of action. You're a corporate executive, get some of your people to do a search and find out who you've offended lately. Do you own anything really popular, something someone would envy?

"I'd be really worried if you owned something like that Duel Monsters System. That disk thing?

"That could cause all kinds of trouble. It's a real money maker and industrial espionage doesn't seem to work on that system, I'm not sure why. They wanted me to try to steal the software but that's not one of the things I do. Unless it's military contract stuff . . . "

Willow trailed off as she saw Seto's face. He looked like he'd swallowed something sour.

"Tenshi, I do own Duel Monsters lock, stock, and barrel. Cards and all. You were asked to steal the software for my systems? Why? What could you do . . . "

Seto stopped talking as his brain took over. There were several applications that the system could be used for, satellite targeting came to mind for one.

"Seto? . . . Are you very rich? I . . . "

Willow looked hesitant, almost as if she was afraid to hear the answer.

"Yeah. I'm really rich. My personal fortune is the equivalent of several small countries gross worth. Why? I can show you a financial statement if you'd like." Seto saw the tear that trickled down her cheek. "What? Why are you crying?"

Willow shook her head. She'd known he was rich but not that rich. And now she knew why she was supposed to protect him.

"I . . . You . . . " Willow took a deep breath and organized her thoughts. "You don't need a crazy, violent psycho like me. You could have any girl you want. What do you want with me?"

"Willow! Tenshi! You're the only girl I've ever met that isn't: one, scared of me, two; doesn't want my money more than me, three: isn't going to put up with my shit. And four: is as ruthless in your own way as I am. Don't go away from me, please."

Seto felt like falling on his knees, he was so afraid that she'd leave he wanted to do something drastic.

Willow pulled away from Seto and eyed him for a second.

"Ok. I won't. I don't want to wind up chained to your bed or something."

Seto smirked at Willow, kissed the tip of her nose and mumbled, "Don't go giving me ideas. Kinky!"

"You perv!"

"Yup."

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Mokuba listened to Seto as he told him and Joey what Willow wanted. He could do that and Joey was going to help too.

"Joey, I'm going to get you a carry permit and you will stay with Mokuba anytime he's not here in the apartment. We're going after whoever this is with a vengeance. Willow is going to get to her contact and get her to meet somewhere neutral. I'm going to search Kaiba Corp. computer systems for any sighs of tampering or attempted espionage. Mokuba you coordinate us.
We'll root out whoever it is and deal with them. Ok, break up and get started."


Willow called her contact who agreed to meet with her in their old squat in the park. She arrived in a chaffered limousine.

Willow grabbed the stocky woman by the neck and pinned her up against the wall of the alcove she'd spent so much time in.

"Don't bother looking for those snipers. They're taking naps right now. I want to know what you know. And I'm not trading anything for it."

Willow shook the woman sightly and let up on her grip enough that the woman had enough breath to answer her.

"I don't know much. All I can tell you is it's some guy named Underwood."

"That's not all you know. Tell all."

"I don't know anything else."

Willow took Ofukuro's hand in hers. She bent the little finger under and then squeezed, hard. The soft snap made the woman flinch.

"Ofukuro! I'm impressed. Most people would have screamed. What else do you know?"

"Only that he wants to ruin Kaiba for some reason, he wants his business and his reputation."

"Why"

"I don't know"

Snap! Willow broke the ring finger.

"I don't know! I swear I'd tell you if I did."

Willow examined the woman for a minute. She believed her so she just walked away without looking back.

The woman called Ofukuro held her broken fingers, just glad that fingers were all she'd broken.
{She's what we made her. Damn, what fools we were}

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Willow smiled at the driver and thanked him for driving her. He touched his cap and thought he'd never seen such a quiet, well mannered young lady. If someone had told him what she'd just done he would have called them a liar straight to their face.

Willow chewed her lip and wondered who the hell Underwood was and why he was causing so much trouble, then she shrugged. He wouldn't be causing trouble much longer and she also had a Doctor to take care of.

"Driver? Take me to the Random Clinic."

"Yes Miss. . . . Miss? I hope I'm not being importunate . . . "

Willow interrupted the Driver, saying, "I'm fine, thank you. I just need to see a doctor about a prescription."

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Seto sat up on the couch, his program wasn't finished running yet so he was just lazing around waiting for it

"Joey you call me?"

"Yeah, lunch is ready. Come eat it before it gets cold."

Joey put plates on the bar, one for each of the boys.

"Willow not back yet? I'd like to know what she's up to that she wouldn't tell me about. At least she went in a limo. Not that she needs a bodyguard to take care of her but I really don't want to have to go get her like I did you. Her driving is criminal."

"Na. Just psychotically aggressive. And she didn't tell ya what she's up to so you wouldn't have to lie if the cops ask ya what she's up to."

Seto eyed the food on his plate in surprise. Joey was turning out to be a first class cook. It was amazing what he came up with.

"Joey I don't want you doing all the work cooking. We'll hire a cook and stuff."

"No, we won't. I'll do it. I check every can, bottle, jar, and package for tampering before I use it. I've sent several things back. And we don't need someone we don't know feeding us. Too much chance of . . . Well a ringer for lack. . . ."

Seto held up his hand in a soothing gesture.

"Joey, don't bust a gasket, you're right. I never thought of something like that. Just don't let your home work slide. I don't want you in a different class from me."

Joey hollered for Mokuba again then smirked at Seto

"Don't worry about that. All I've got to finish are the art requirements and that won't take me long if I can just settle down to it. All this stuff has me jumpy. I'm havin' trouble workin' but I should be ok in a while, I just need to settle my nerves."

Mokuba plopped himself down on the stool next to Seto and demanded to know exactly what they knew about where Willow was.

When they both said they didn't know where she was he turned on the TV and said, "That has her foot prints all over it. She just has a flair for stirring up shit. I swear!"

The announcer was talking about how someone had gone into the office of a well-known society doctor, one who had a bad reputation for over prescribing his patients, and stabbed a small dagger through his hand and a prescription pad pinning him to his desk.

The prescription had been damning. It had been for a very strong opiate. The chart also pinned to the desk had shown that the patient had no need for such a drug. The scandal was going to rock the entire clinic to its foundation.

"Tadima!"

"Willow, I'm gonna . . . "

"Nn. I am."

"What?! What did I do?"

"Come to my office. Now! I want to yell at you."

Willow grinned at Seto completely unrepentantly. But she started to follow him into the office. She wanted to talk to him.

Mokuba stopped her with a hand on her arm, one of the three people who could do that without losing said hand.

"Willow, make up your mind. You can't jerk him around like this."

"Mo' I'm not sure what you mean, Just spit it out."

"Do you love Seto? If you do, let him know. If you don't, quit, go away."

"Do I? Yeah, I do. But what could he want with me. I'll stay around until . . . "

Mokuba shook his head so hard his hair flew out like a halo.

"NO! If you love him, you'll stay here. You aren't going to break his heart. He couldn't stand it. If you take off after admitting you love him, I'll hunt you down myself."

Willow wrapped her braid around her hand and chewed on the tasseled end. She had thought long and hard. She loved Seto, she'd do anything he asked of her. But she still couldn't really see what he wanted with her, his earlier declaration aside.

"Mo', I'm so fucked up I'll never be normal. I'll always be a psycho. I'll learn to control it better and soon, I think. But he deserves . . . "

Mokuba slapped her so hard her cheek stung. He stuck his face in hers and dressed her down good. Ending, "Seto doesn't need normal, where did you get the idea that normal is even good. He needs someone like . . . no, not like. . . he needs you, only you. You make him happy and you're not scared when he has one of his fits. You . . . damnit! I can't explain it. Just you don't go away, you hear me."

Willow rubbed her cheek, grinning. This was why she loved them all so much, they weren't scared of her.

"Ok, Ok, ease off. I'll stay. I don't want Mokuba the Mauler to come after me."

Willow slipped into the office still rubbing her cheek.

"What the hell happened to you. Who dared to hit you! I'll tear Joey a new . . "

Willow grinned at Seto, saying, "It was Mo'. We had a few words. It's nothing. I'll get him back don't worry."

At Seto' worried expression she snickered.

"I know where he's ticklish and he's going to regret this. But you didn't call me in here to talk about Mo'. I need to tell you something. And I don't want you to interrupt me or I'll loose my nerve and that . . . well."

Seto reached out and rescued Willows braid, she'd been wringing it like a wet shirt. He smoothed it then wrapped the end around his wrist twice. {That ought to keep her from running out on me.}

"Seto? I'm scared. I'm crazy as a junk yard rat and twice as mean. I have no social skills at all. And my first reaction to being touched is to kill. Except when it's you or Joey or Mokuba. But I . . . well. . . that is to say . . . damnit!"

Seto sorted through the various expressions that flitted across her face. She'd shown more expressions in the last ten seconds than he'd seen on her face in a week.

"In other words you want to tell me something but . . "

"Seto do you love me? If you do why?"

Seto threaded his fingers through the base of Willow's braid and pinned her against the wall. She just looked up at him blinking. When he bent his head to hers, she raised her chin and swallowed hard. Seto pressed his lips to hers and kissed her till she was gasping, when she opened her mouth, he pounced and thrust his tongue into her mouth. Her response was everything he hoped it would be.

"I should leave. I should go away. I should . . . well, I should . But I'm not gonna. The man woman or child that tries to separate us is so dead."

"Good. I'll help you dispose of the body. If you think I'd let the best thing ever to happen to me get away, you really are crazy.... and yes! I love you! I don't know exactly why. Don't analyze it to pieces, we just do. So live with it, and me. Please, koi?

"Ok. Joined at the hip. I warn ya, I'm also a jealous bitch. You're mine. Mine. Do you hear me?"

"Oh yeah, but it swings both ways. You're mine too. Kiss!"

So Willow did. When Joey and Mokuba knocked at the door quite a bit later they answered red faced and giggling. Mokuba nearly had a heart attack and Joey started laughing too. The sight of Seto the CEO and Willow the Assassin giggling like little kids was just priceless.

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"Joey what the hell are you doing?"

"Cleanin' the bathroom. What the hell does it look like I'm doin'?"

Joey stripped off the rubber gloves and picked up a wet wash cloth, running it over his face and neck, then wiping his hands and arms. Then he poked Seto in the belly and said, "Look we gotta talk.."

Seto lead him down to the great room, settling on a love seat, he motioned Joey to sit. Joey plopped on to the couch and got comfortable, Seto wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"Seto, I'm takin' over the house chores. I'm not slackin' off on my school work but I'm gonna do this too. And I ain't takin' no arguments."

"Ok. Your language skills have gone out the window. Talk to me."

Seto knew it was important when Joey started talking like a street punk. He'd been imitating Seto and Mokuba, trying to improve his speech. But when he got upset, he reverted.

"We don't know who's after you yet. So I'm taking over all the house work and cooking chores until further notice. We don't need strangers in the apartment. We don't know who they are and I don't want to trust even your security checks. It's easier for me to do the work and a lot safer. It's just too easy to slip in a ringer. "

Seto blinked at Joey for a second.. He was so used to servants and chiefs and whatnot that he hadn't thought of that.

Willow, who'd been leaning against the wall in the hall leading to the office, walked over to Seto and poked him until he moved over for her.

"Move! Lummox, why do you make me scoot you?"

Seto caught her hand and tucked it under his shirt.

"‘Cause I like for you to touch me. Anything to get you to. "

Joey covered his eyes with both hands.

"Will you two get a room! No, never mind you got two of them. Wills, I swear you two . . . "

"Shut up. You're just jealous. "

"Who me? Jealous? Na, I'm gay. Or at least Bi."

Seto leered at Joey and remarked, "Well you better be a one person man or I'm gonna turn you over to Willow. "

"Never mind that now. I didn't tell you everything I did while I was out because I wanted to check my intel a little. I found out who put out the contract on you. Seto, it's on you and Muto. What do you know about Weevil Underwood?

"Weasel Underpants? Geeze! Dat little creep. I'll beat the snot outta ‘im. I'll pound ‘im til..."

"Joey! Shut the hell up! Underwood is a lot more dangerous than you think. Why, Willow, did you find out why?"

"Something to do with losing a match to you."

"That don't make sense. I whipped his ass myself. More than once."

Willow rubbed her neck, she didn't know anything about this card game and so she was stumped.

"I don't know anything about that. All I know is, my source is unimpeachable. And he said Underwood was nuts and was after anyone who had beaten him in a duel at some charity thing."

Seto thought back. He remembered, "Damn! Wheeler, you weren't invited to this thing. It was a charity ball and duel. We all got the same deck and dueled by drawing lots for opponents. Whoever lost had to donate a prearranged amount for every life point their opponent had left. There were three rounds. I beat him, then Yugi did. He refused to play the third round. He never got to my life points at all and Yugi had 7800 left. Cost him a bundle."

"Well. Underwood and his bugs . . . squashed again. I know he's not all there but that's just stupid. If he couldn't afford it all he had to do was say so."

"Wheeler it was a debt of honor and even, or especially, Underwood wouldn't renege. It's just not done."

Joey shrugged

"I'm just common street trash, so I don't know about some of that sh-stuff, but I know enough about that ‘debt of honor, I'm holier than thou' crap to guess that he may have just about ruined himself to pay off a charity. And he's crazy enough to blame his opponents."

Willow thought that through to it's completion, made plans, and starred at Joey, who looked uncomfortable until she blinked and then reached over to pat his shoulder.

"Joey? Ever do any B & E? I mean real stuff, not just daddy throwing you through a window and telling you to hand out stuff."

"No, I never did. But I know how. I . . . well, I used to sneak out as much as I could until Pops started chainin' me to the bed at night."

Seto made a sour face and sighed. "Joey, damnit! I swear if I had know what was going on I'd have . . . "

Joey shook his head at Seto, "What? Tell me one thing that you could have done." At Seto's arrested look, Joey continued, "Yeah? You had plenty of troubles of your own. Forget it. It's over and I'm ok. Sorta'"

Mokuba, who had been listening with half an ear, said, "Yeah, the best revenge is living well. Look at this Seto, Underwood has markers on the open market. Bookies are selling them at half face value or less."

Seto grinned at Willow, who smirked back, Joey looked from one to the other and shivered, what ever they had thought of he wanted in on it big time. No one was allowed to try to harm his family, he turned junk yard real quick.

"What? What have you thought of? Tell all."

Joey jumped on Seto, wriggling his fingers in his face. One of the little known facts about Seto Kaiba was that, now that he wasn't numb, he was very ticklish.

Seto yelped and Mokuba jumped on him too. Willow grabbed him around the neck and Mokuba sat on his legs, Joey tickled him til he was begging for mercy and gasping for breath.

"NO! Off, you heathens! I'll dock your allowance. Let me up. I can't breath. Off . . . off . . . Gack."

Willow pulled Seto's head back and stopped his complaints by kissing the daylights out of him. ‘

"Well Mo' I guess I'll go make lunch. We won't get any sense out of them for a while. "

Joey climbed off the pile and sat back on the couch. Mokuba joined him and snuggled up close. {Why won't he kiss me? I'd like it.}

Seto pushed Willow off gently, sat on the couch and settled her on his lap.

"Gimme'"

Seto reached out for Mokuba's notebook, he looked over the display and grunted. Underwood was overextended by a factor of ten. He owed more than he could pay in ten years even if he payed every penny he had coming in. Willow whispered in his ear, making him shiver.

Seto set to work, buying up every marker he could find on the open market. He payed two thirds of face value. As word got around the phone started ringing. Joey answered the first call and made the caller wait.

When he asked Seto if he'd buy the markers offered, Seto told him to pay 2/3 and make arrangements to pay cash at the door. Then he told Joey to keep on the phones as word was going around that he was buying up markers.

By five o clock that evening there were no more offers of markers and Joey made a few calls to people he hated to even talk to but he found out that there were no more out to be bought. Seto owned every marker Underwood had.

"I've got that little bastard by the short hairs now. Joey, there's about three more deliveries to take. I know I've told you every time you go to the door to be careful. Security is right there but you need to watch out for yourself."

"Yeah, you got me that carry so I'm ‘packin' as Mo' would say. And" Joey produced a butterfly from somewhere and flicked it open, "no one want's t' mess wit a street punk wit one a' dees."

"Jesus, Wheeler. You'll scare Willow. Where did you get that thing . . . I thought the switch blade was bad but that . . . that's a real pig sticker."

Seto felt his blood run cold, Joey had a look on his face that made Willow look like Madonna.

"NO one . . . and I mean no one messes with my family. I ain't got nothin t' lose if somethin' happens t' ya."

"Calm down Joey. If they get past me you can have them."

Willow didn't look like Madonna just then she looked like Shinigami, all she needed was a target.

Mokuba shivered, he was really creeped out. Joey and Willow both looked like they wanted to do Underwood by slow torture and Seto wasn't much better. He couldn't understand why Seto wanted all those markers, they were bad, Underwood couldn't afford to pay half of them.

"Seto? Now that everyone is through with the pissing display. What do you want with all those markers and, Willow, why did you ask Joey if he was good at B & E and what's that."

Willow looked at Seto, giving him the nod to start with his explanation, she'd like to hear it to.

"I'm going to call them in. Preferably some where fairly public. If he can't come up with the money with in 24 hours he'll be publicly humiliated. It's one of those high society things. It comes under the heading of ‘just not done'. It will ruin him socially, quiet a few of the men his father does business with are real sticklers about gambling debts and when they find out that Weevil is ‘Rowing in the River Tick', they'll really turn up their noses at the whole family."

Joey choked on a laugh. This was really going to be good; he wanted to be there when Seto called in the markers and said so in no uncertain terms.

"Sure but you'll have to wear a tux" Seto turned to Willow. "Now, B&E is breaking and entering. So what the hell are you up to and what do you need with Joey. If you get caught..."

Willow put her hand firmly over Seto's mouth.

"Use that for kissing, koi. I know more about B&E than is good for Underwood. I'm going to go have a little talk with the ‘Bug man'. I need Joey for a look out, the snot still lives at home with his parents, so I have to worry about servants, and maybe his valet, walking in on me. So Joey come's along to make sure I don't have to hurt someone."

Seto pouted, yes he did! He didn't see why he couldn't be look out. How hard could that be? So he asked.

"Seto, here, walk across the room with out tripping over anything or making any noise."

Seto tried and failed. He could have done it if she hadn't turned the lights out on him half way across the room. Then she had Joey do the same thing from where he was sitting. He slipped across the room like a ghost. He never even messed the pile of the carpet.

"Damn! You're really good. I can see why your Pop chained you up. If he was drunk, he'd really be up a creek. I'm glad I got him for you."

"Yeah, I don't think I ever thanked you for that. I really appreciate the turn about. I owe you."

"No, just looking out for my own. You'll do the same for me some day. Forget it."

Seto looked from one to the other, he wasn't sure he even wanted to know exactly what they were talking about. Mokuba on the other hand just smiled a sharky smile of his own. Joey had told him about the whole thing. He owed Willow too.

"Seto, can you get me the floor plan of the Underwood estate? I need to know which room is Weevils. And the security system, I need to see the schematics of that. And dogs, are there dogs?
Night watchmen? Wire on the walls? You know what I need, will you get it for me?"

Seto just plopped her onto the couch and headed for his office, mumbling. It took him less than an hour to get everything she needed.

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Next chapers B&E and Underwood gets a real nasty surprise at a night club.