Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Time on a Chain ❯ Chapter 22

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

Time 24

Disclaimer: damnit you know the drill

Authors notes: Things will move pretty quickly from now on this chapter is shorter than I expected but it only takes up about
eight hours.




Seto looked Willow over, she looked like a dream in her tux. He'd thought about a tux but at the last minute decided that he
was going to wear his trade mark trench coat, besides the red lining was bullet proof and he could hide a gun under it.

Willow didn't know that he'd been practicing with building security, perfecting his skills. He was confident that he was going
to be able to take care of some of their attackers. Willow was certain that this was the night, especially as Seto was going to
take care of Weevil.

Joey eyed himself in the mirror. You couldn't see his side arm, Mokuba had insisted on making sure the tailoring was perfect,
so it had been tailored with the harness on. So Joey fiddled with his tie one last time and turned to Mokuba, eyeing him to see
if his lover was ready.

Mokuba was also carrying a gun but if he shot anyone with it Joey just hoped they didn't find out about it until much later, he
didn't have much faith in the little .25 caliber Colt auto. He punched harder than it shot, so it's stopping power wasn't much.

They all gathered in the great room and looked each other over. Willow and Joey saw three people that they loved and vowed
to protect. Mokuba and Seto saw family.

Willow met Joey's eyes with a grim look, this could turn out to be easy, or very messy. She hoped for easy and planned for
messy. Joey just gave her back her own and patted his chest, telling Willow that he was armed and ready.

As she looked Seto and Mokuba over she noticed Mokuba's little semi-auto stuffed into his side pocket. She held out a hand
and wiggled her fingers in a 'give it to me' gesture that couldn't be ignored. She examined the weapon and sneered slightly,
she just hoped he didn't have to use it and said so. Joey smirked behind his back and Willow gave him a 'later for you' look
that made him laugh.

"What?" Seto looked from Joey to Willow, not certain that he liked them exchanging looks like this.

"If you've got a gun, I want to see it now. Mokuba shoots anyone with that pea-shooter and they ever find out about it they'll
smack him in the head. Joey, I want to know what you're carrying too."

So Joey handed his Glock .10mm over and watched as she glanced at it, weighed it in her hand and gave it back. Seto produced
a nickle plated Walther PPK .380 with mother of pearl grips, Willow grimaced and hoped that he didn't need to use it long
distance. Beyond twenty or thirty feet he was in trouble. She might manage thirty yards, if she had time to aim, but in the
situation he would find himself, she had doubts he'd hit anything.

"Look . . . if it comes to a shooting match I don't want either of you trying to do more than protect yourselves. Those pop guns
are ok if you really know what you're doing, but you two haven't had the training I have so I don't trust you beyond three feet
or so. Joey, what ammo are you using?"

Joey managed to look a little shamefaced, but answered rather shortly, "Cop killers. Overkill I'll admit, but they won't go
through. Great stopping power."

Seto looked insulted until Willow pointed out the latest jewelry store raid. There had been more than twenty shots exchanged
at a range of less than ten feet and not one shot had connected on either side. Mokuba nodded, but Seto got stubborn, he was
going to make sure he got his if it came to trouble. Willow noticed his stubborn look and just sighed.

They made their way to the arena just in time for the doors to open. They should have been in place earlier but Willow was
trying to tread the fine line between leaving them open to a controlled attack and making sure that no one on their side got hurt.
She wondered if she was going to be totally grey by the time this was over.

The crowd was all duelists, no one who hadn't qualified as at least Novice was allowed to these functions. Everyone was given
a computer generated number and the duel was odds against evens. Seto made the rules for these Gala duels and they were
simple. Odds and Evens were pitted against each other on a random generated basis and the side that had the most wins got to
take a deck home.

The milling groups of gossiping people didn't cover the ripple of annoyance when a certain person came into the arena. Weevil
Underwood could generate a level of annoyance by just opening his mouth, when he started getting pissy because his 'girl
friends' weren't allowed in the level rose astronomically.

"Let them come in. I doesn't matter unless they try to duel then throw them all out." Seto sneered at Weevil. "I'll speak with
you . . . later." His tone of voice was a threat all on its own, his look was so cold that the security man wished he'd worn a
heavier jacket.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


"Well, it's later . . . Kaiba. What's so important you have to annoy me before a duel?"

Seto turned, this was the absolute worst group of people for them to have this conversation in front of, for Weevil. They were
all older, duelists and industrialists, and sticklers for 'the done thing'. Seto's smirk made Weevil frown even harder.


"'I have some notes here. I'm calling them in."


"You don't have any of my notes." Weevil got a very bad feeling.

"Yes I do. I felt it behooved me to help out a few people. I payed them off for you, but now it's time to anti up. Here, itemized
list, names of original holders, and total. I trust you will make arrangements to pay them off before the end of the evening.
Unless there's a problem.

Weevils' eyes nearly popped out of his head. He'd been spreading the debts around and hadn't had a notion himself of how
much he actually owed.

"I'll . . . have to ask for an extension. I don't . . . "

"Extension? Indeed. Well, you should have thought about what you were doing before you . . . troubled my family. You know
what I'm talking about as well as I do so don't deny it. Willow visited . . . "

"That bitch."

"Is my fiancee. She doesn't like you. I don't like you. Can you pay or not?"

"Not, . . . damn you! I'll need at least a month to come up with that kind of money. Even if Father helps me. You . . ."

"Do not blame me for your ruin. If you didn't have it to repay, you shouldn't have gambled it."

Seto felt society close in behind him, the older men all looked uncomfortable and one just got up and walked away. He gave
Weevil an ugly sneer, handed the notes to General Carhardt, who was old school military, and asked him to verify the amount.
The general started glancing through the papers adding roughly in his head. When he verified the amount saying that it was as
good as it got without an adding machine Seto turned to Weevil with an inquiring look.

"Did I hear you say you could pay up at the end of the evening?"

Weevil looked like his Ultimate Great Moth had bitten him. Everyone knew that he couldn't come up with that kind of money
on such short notice. They also knew Seto was ruining him, unfortunately for Weevil no one cared much.

Willow drifted up to stand behind Seto and eye Weevil, she'd never actually seen him. The dim light of his bedroom,
illuminated by the moon, had only given her the vaguest idea of exactly what he looked like. She tugged at Seto's sleeve and
whispered in his ear, "In good light he doesn't look like that much. This little pest caused us all that trouble? Son of a bitch. I'll
swat him for you, love."

Seto smiled down at her and patted her hand.

"I've got him on the run now. The people who're after us will hear about him being broke and stop hunting us. They'll know
they aren't going to get payed. You know mercenaries don't do anything on the cuff."

"Yes and some of them may have wasted time and money on this job. They'll be after him for that. He may not survive at all.
I'm so sad."

Seto smirked at her and waited for Weevil to finish his own ruin, which he did with a vengeance.

"I'll get you, Kaiba, and that damn whore boyfriend of yours too. That bitch is crazy, she broke into my house and threatened
me. My people will take care of you and I won't even have to pay them. You'll get your money by the end of the month. I'll
sell my house and you'll get it, may you never enjoy a penny of it. You . . . you " Weevil ended stammering and breathing
heavily.

Willow looked and the General with a rather blank, girly look on her face. He smiled back in a fatherly manner.

"Do I look like the kind of person who would threaten someone? Do you know what he's talking about?" her plaintive tone of
voice and blank look, were intended to make her look innocent. It worked on most of the men.

She felt Seto's ribs vibrate slightly. He was laughing deep in his chest.

"No, Sweetheart, you don't look like that kind of person at all." Seto turned to Weevil and snarled "This is my fiancee. I'm not
sure who you are referring to. If it is Joseph Wheeler, he's my ward. I'm sure you know more of that than I like. Your father
was one of his . . . " Seto shut up. He'd said enough to give everyone an idea of what had been going on but not enough to
cause Joey trouble. Or at least more than his sexual orientation was going to give anyway.

Another of the men who'd stuck around put in his opinion. Turning his shoulder to Weevil he remarked, "Well, I'm sorry for
the young man, I've heard some very unpleasant things about him. All from some member of the Underwood family and I
can't help but wonder how they would know such things if they didn't indulge in those perversions themselves. You send that
young man to me, I'll see want I can do about a job for him."

"Thank you, Mr. Suzuki. That is very kind of you. But Joey is a very accomplished artist. His first gallery opening is across the
lobby from here. You should go over and take a look. He specializes in original anime art and card design. But his murals are
something to see and his portraiture is first rate."

Joey sauntered up just then, with Mokuba on his arm.

"I been sneezing. You talking about me? I hope it's something good."

Joey eyed Weevil who looked like he'd swallowed something the wrong way. Mokuba made a point of turning to talk to
Willow, giving Weevil the 'cut direct' by refusing to even look at him.

Weevil snarled, then proceeded to take one foot out of his mouth and insert the other.

"You see that fag and his butt buddy? How can you let them contaminate society like that?"

Joey clenched his fists and started toward Weevil. Mokuba just held his arm and kept him from making the wrong kind of
scene.

"No Joey, ignore him. We don't associate with his kind. We may be queer but at least we pay our debts on time and don't
annoy the servants. We're not supercilious, ignorant and judgmental, as well as crooked, reneging, sly and sneaky."

Joey just grinned at Mokuba, shrugged, and handed him one of the two glasses of ginger ale he'd snagged from a tray.

"Ok Lover, if that's what you want, that's what you get. Here."

Willow followed the exchanges with jaundiced eyes, she was going to get Weevil for that fag crack and she let him know it.
Her icy glare would have frozen a penguin. The men standing around weren't happy either, this was one of the things that
polite society just ignored.

"Master Underwood, I don't know what you were told and I don't care. As long as they are discrete, don't force their attentions
on the unwilling, and act in a fairly socially acceptable manner other wise, it's none of our business who they are having
intercourse with. You're not doing your case any good."

"I'll . . . I'll . . . you can't do this to me. I'm Weevil Underwood. I'm an important person. I'm the bug duelist. You, you're not
worth the sweat off my. . ."

"Underwood! Lady's present! Damnit, Boy, your family has always been common. You act badly at best and totally
unacceptably at worst." His cold 'excuse me' was addressed rather pointedly to Seto.

The general turned to Willow and offered her his arm, after a look at Seto who nodded she took it and walked off with him.

"I'm sorry about that young lady. That kind of thing isn't appropriate for someone like you."

Willow smiled at him and murmured, "I'm a lot more used to that kind of thing than you'd think."

"I don't need to think, you appear to be a nice young lady. Keeping up appearances is very necessary to the smooth running of
society. You know that side arm is too large for your jacket."

Willow jerked around to look at him sharply

"No now, don't do that. It doesn't look good. You don't want to embarrass Kaiba, do you? No one but me will even notice. I
only did because I have had to make sure to wear my harness when I have my jackets tailored. See to it next time, ok? Just a
friendly warning from one ex-special forces to another. Hmmmm?"

Willow couldn't help smiling at him, he really did look like all he wanted to do was help. She glanced back at Seto and, seeing
that he was still sniping at Weevil, settled in with the man for an exchange of shop talk that relieved her mind about him and
his about her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Seto pinched a button on his collar and spoke into it. It looked a little odd until everyone realized that it had a micro transmitter
in it. He was talking to security.

"Please send someone to me. Mr. Underwood is ready to leave. He needs an escort out. Thank you."

Security turned up almost immediately telling Seto that hey had been keeping an eye on all the Underwoods. They scooped him
up, figuratively speaking, and frogmarched him out, with him causing exactly the sort of scene that guaranteed his social ruin,
and that of his family as well. His shouting attracted all kinds of attention, mostly to the fact that he was being thrown out for
some reason.

His father didn't make things any better he started a little scene of his own. Snapping and snarling at security that his son
wasn't the sort of person that was just evicted from any party which got him tossed out too. The rest of the family bowed their
heads and left as quietly as possible. Hopefully for the hinterlands of Australia or America; or somewhere else not Japan.

Joey laughed softly and addressed a man that was looking very uncomfortable and trying to slip away into the crowd.

"I think you'd better go too. Don't think I don't recognize you. Mo' will drop a word here and there tonight. Thank Seto for
your life. He's my guardian now and he wouldn't like it if I shot someone at one of his gala events. Ya know?" Joey very
discreetly opened his jacket just enough that the man could see what was hidden by that very careful tailoring.

The man got himself out of the party, and out of society. He knew no one would say anything, but also that they wouldn't
invite him to their functions so his business was effectively ruined. As a high profile stock broker a lack of social contacts put
him in the ranks of the unemployed.

Seto glared around, daring anyone to say anything. No one even turned a hair. They weren't about to offend Kaiba and most
really didn't want anything to do with someone who'd 'taken advantage' of even a willing minor. And Joey had made sure that
everyone knew that he hadn't been willing, his expression had made sure of that.

Seto spent some time escorting Joey around and introducing him to various Very Important People. Joey was careful of his
accent and, just being his own charming self, impressed most of the people he met as a polite, respectable and respectful young
man. He got several complements from older ladies, who had always seemed to like him, and some rather uncomfortable looks
from younger men, which he fended off with puzzled looks of his own. All in all it went quite well.

"Wheeler, Joseph. Your number is called. Please come to the arena. Wheeler, Joseph. You have five minutes."

Joey pinched Seto's arm gently. "You comin'?"

"Oh, I wouldn't miss this for the world. You know who your opponent is?"

"Not a clue. Who?"

"Devlin. Where's Willow? I want her to see this."

"I'm here and Mo' too. Who's this Devlin when he's at home and do I need to put him on the watch list."

"He's a business rival of mine. Does that dice game and runs a chain of game shops, so we're kind of ambivalent about him
but he's no danger. I just don't like him. I don't like his business practices. And he insulted Joey some years ago and I find I
can't forgive him for that."

Joey looked around. He couldn't believe that Yugi wasn't here.

"Where's Yugi? I would have thought that he would be here for sure."

Seto sighed, he'd never get over the idea that Yugi Muto was Joey's best friend. What they saw in each other was beyond him,
but if Joey liked him that much, whatever.

"I'm sorry. He's not here. He's still on tour. I talked to Taylor yesterday and forgot to let you know that he had to leave for a
show last night. But I'm kind of glad. It puts' him out of danger and, Yami or not, he doesn't need to be involved. It's too
dangerous, and makes too many people for Willow to try to keep track of."

"Damn, I'd really like him to see that I'm ok. He worried about me but I did the best I could to keep him completely out of that
mess. He'd only have gotten me and, maybe himself, beaten to a pulp. My ol' man couldn't stand him, said he's a sissy. Which
he's actually not. No sissy could duel like he can. Better get going or I'll miss last call and forfeit."

Mokuba made a face at Seto, which got him a sharp look from a newly arrived Willow. Seto patted the hand she put on his arm
and gave her a 'later' look that let her know it wasn't important.

Mokuba hated any reference to Joey's condition when they'd found him. It actually gave him nightmares. What if they hadn't
been there, what if . . . he shuddered, gaining him a pointed look from Joey.

"Koi, don't worry about it. Water under the bridge and over the damn down stream. I'm good. I'll never get over it entirely, but
life is better than I ever imagined it could be. So don't look like that. It breaks my heart."

"Sorry, I don't mean to be a downer but some times I'd just like to . . . "

"Oh, don't worry about that. With Willow and Seto's help we'll get most of them eventually. You'll see. I may forgive but I
don't forget and I won't let them get away with it. Now smile for me and let me get my head into dueling. I want to make a
good show, especially after that humiliating trouncing from Willow."

Willow smiled at Joey, he'd made enough of a fuss, in a genial way, that she was sure that he hadn't let her win. She felt bad
about it, but still, she'd beaten one of the three best duelists in the world, which made her feel pretty damn good.

They all checked in at the arena were issued decks and took their places in the line. Seto thought that the draw had been
random but Willow knew better. She'd fudged the draw slightly, making sure that they had time to do what they wanted to but
not enough to affect which side they were on. So Joey and Mokuba were even and she and Seto were odd.

"Did you fudge the draw?" Seto gave her a warning look.

"Not that much, only enough to make sure we dueled at the end of the evening. Makes it nice, in a way, everyone else has
already dueled; except for Devlin, you, me, Mokuba, and Joey. And that ass Weevil, so some one is going to have to take up
the slack and I think the official is coming over to see if you'll do the honors, so you'll be dueling on both sides, I think."

And she was right, only that he would be dueling twice on their side instead. She was looking forward to watching Seto work,
he'd only dueled three times that she'd seen, he'd refused a lot saying he didn't enjoy whipping eggs, whatever that meant.

Joey took Devlin out in a hard-fought match that ended only because Joey 'decked' Duke, the look on his face was priceless.
They'd both managed to get some of the more powerful cards onto the field and had slugged it out for over thirty minutes. The
look on Duke's face when he started to draw and didn't have a card was priceless. He conceded with good grace, however, and
came over to shake Joey's hand. Slapping him on the shoulder, he invited him to come see him at the game shop.

Joey flinched slightly, he would never feel comfortable around Devlin and certainly wouldn't put himself in a position where
they were alone. In a crowd he didn't have to talk to him too much and could put aside the almost irresistible impulse to tear
him a new one. Joey was not generally vengeful but it had felt good to beat Devlin, even if only at cards.

"Joey, I thought we were friends now. I know you still feel the sting of my stupid . . . umm . . . why is she looking at me like
that?"

Joey caught a good look at Willow, who'd been filled in by Mokuba, and smiled. "Hey, down girl. I'll handle him if he needs
it."

"She's my guardians' fiancee. She's a little protective, so don't mess with her. She's a lot more dangerous than she looks."

"Who the hell is your guardian? I heard something about you having problems with your Dad, but just hints. Look, if you need
help call me, I'll help you gladly. Make up for being an ass. Y'know?"

Seto stepped in, he didn't like Devlin no matter what, and had always let him know it, but he didn't want a scene here. Joey
didn't need the social repercussions

"He's my ward. Wanna make something of it?"

"No. Just . . . he's had enough grief in life. Don't give him anymore. Ok?"

Seto nodded, Willow eyed Devlin for a moment, then quit fingering the knife strapped to her left forearm and Mokuba just
smiled happily. He was all for Devlin and Joey not having a vendetta.

"Mokuba you're up. Sorry little guy! It's against Willow."

Mokuba groaned, "Oh man, I am soo toast. Just stick a fork in me, I'm done already."

Devlin looked at Seto with a frown of incomprehension, Seto took great delight in informing him that . . .

"Willow's frown girl. She's an intermediate. Made level in three days. She beat Joey."

"Damn . . . I want to watch this."

Mokuba hid his face in Joey's chest. "No you don't. She's gonna roll me up like a cheep rug."

"No I won't. More like a very expensive one. Come on take your ass whoopin' like a man."

It wasn't quite as bad as that but Mokuba got shut down, showing that he wasn't good at using an unfamiliar deck. Willow
was used to making decisions on the fly and had an intimate acquaintance with impromptu arrangements of the life and death
kind, so dueling with a strange deck didn't seem to make her in the least nervous. She gracefully accepted the congratulations
of the onlookers and returned to Seto's side, slipping her arm around his waist.

Seto couldn't help grinning like a loon which made Devlin so nervous that he took off with a 'later'.

Joey hugged Mokuba wrapping one long arm around his slender shoulders in a companionable gesture.

"Don't feel bad, Mo'. I don't know many duelists that could do better with a strange deck."

"Yeah except you, Willow, Seto, Duke, Yugi . . . do I need to go on?"

"No, but you've mentioned all the people in the world that wouldn't have trouble with a strange deck. Everyone else here is
struggling, but when they duel each other it doesn't look so bad. Seto, I don't know that this was such a good idea."

"It was good, no one is complaining except for Mo'. Whinny brat, isn't he?" Seto's fond smile made Mokuba stick his tongue
out.

"Well ok. Look, you're up next . . . against . . . I don't know that guy. You ever seen him?"

Seto eyed his opponent and shook his head. "I don't think it makes much difference, I think the man has ceded the match
without a card drawn. Joey, would you go see . . . "

"Match surrendered to Kaiba Seto." The loud speaker repeated the announcement, then announced that, since both duelists
who were supposed to duel Seto, had ceded their matches, the odds had won.

"Damnit, I didn't get to duel once. I hate it when that happens. Only fools who don't know what they are doing will challenge
me, people who do know they don't have a chance and won't duel. I'm going to retire I swear I am."

Seto pouted, Willow couldn't help but snicker. "What . . ."

"You're pouting!"

"Yes I am, damnit. I get to pout if I want. I wanted a good duel, but the only one's who are worth it won't fight, or isn't
someone I should duel. Only Muto is worth it."

"Hey! What about me?"

"You're my ward. How would it look if I beat you?"

"What if I beat you?"

"Even worse. Shit!"

Willow started giggling and couldn't stop, it was just cute, Seto pouting because he couldn't find anyone to duel.

Soon Seto, Joey and Mokuba were laughing too. It was just funny as hell. Seto called a halt to it by stating that if they all
thought it was so funny he'd just have to whip the pants off them all

Then it was time for them to go collect their prizes. Each person who'd dueled, win or lose, got a limited edition card; the
winners got a full deck of new cards. Joey looked it over carefully and, with Willow Seto and Mokuba leaning over his
shoulders, sorted it into a deck he liked. Willow took her cards and made up a deck of her own. She'd noticed that the
complete issue was eighty cards; twenty five monster, twenty five monster/effect, fifteen magic, and fifteen trap. She liked a
small deck; even smaller that Joey's fifty, and Seto used everything with an attack of over fifteen hundred, Mokuba didn't
seem to know what he wanted.

"I don't think you duel enough Mo'. I'm gonna spend a significant amount of time whipping you until you get a handle on
what kind of deck you're good with." Joey patted Mokuba on the shoulder, then grumbled, "Come on, we need to get
something to eat and then head for that damn gallery opening."

Willow snagged drinks off a tray and Mokuba simply relieved a server of a whole tray of Hors d'oeuvres
and they retreated to a seating area where they proceeded to polish off the food and the drinks like the young people they were.

After filling up on unrecognizable food stuffs on crackers, they wandered around in a group, socializing with the remaining
socialites and listening to the comments on the new cards and especially on the plight of the Underwood family. The consensus
was that everyone had only tolerated them because they thought everyone else liked them, the relief was almost palpable

Just as they were beginning to make the rounds for the second time Mr. Sam showed up and asked if they would mind showing
up in the gallery for at least a little while.

Joey turned white and gripped Mokuba's arm so tightly that he grimaced in pain.

Mokuba patted his hand and sighed, he wasn't sure if Joey was going to be able to do this. Every time he even though of the
reaction of people to his art, he looked slightly sick. He took that shaking, sweating hand in his and held it, rubbing his thumb
across the swollen knuckles. How hands like a boxers could turn out such beauty never failed to amaze him.

"Mo' I'm gonna die. I feel sick. Man, how'd I let ya talk me inta 'dis. I'm a fuckn' street brat. I'm no artist. Shit!" Joey rested
his chin on Mokuba's shoulder, Mokuba could only hold him, patting his bright hair and whispering to him softly.

Seto closed in on Joey from the other side and Willow stood in front of him. They closed in around him, letting him feel the
heat of their bodies and their support. He pressed Mokuba's hand to his forehead, then straightened his shoulders and walked
like one doomed to the lobby. He crossed the lobby into the show room and blinked, Mokuba bumped into him from behind.
Seto guided Willow around the staring couple and stared himself.

The gallery was full to bursting. People milled, babbled, stared, and milled some more.

Mr. Thopmkins, who'd preceded them to the gallery, pounced on the group, sorting them out with a ruthless 'no clumping up,
makes it look like he needs protection.'

Joey found himself settled in a niche in the display at about the half way point. There were servers drifting around with the
obligatory trays of snacks and drinks and Joey saw how the traffic was kept flowing, when too many people gathered at anyone
point the food went away, forcing them to either 'starve' or move on.

Wondering what he was supposed to be doing, Joey took a glass and sipped. {Ugh! Champagne} his face made a server slip up
behind him and nearly get herself hurt. Joey's start told her not to do that again, but she competently replaced his glass with
another one.

"Don't drink? Here. It's ginger ale. Looks like champagne, put this around the stem so the servers know you're dry."

Joey thanked her quietly and sipped again. Much better, he didn't want a muzzy head. He was having enough trouble dealing
with this as it was, and if they had trouble later he didn't want alcohol to interfere with his reaction time.

Seto moved through the crowd greeting people he knew and answering questions, while Willow 'hung' on his arm trying to
look harmless and ladylike. She partially succeeded, not the harmless part, but she did look very ladylike. Her slight frown
made Seto nervous and made strangers wonder if her feet hurt or something.

Mokuba stood near Joey, obviously ready to run interference if Joey wound up out of his social depth. He watched his lover as
he struggled to stay calm, answer questions about his art, and whatever else they asked.

When it happened, it wasn't as bad as they'd all feared. Joey was talking to a young woman about one of his paintings and an
older man came up and started dragging her away saying, "You don't want anything to do with that street whore. He's not what
you should socialize with."

Joey managed to get in between them and the exit. He looked the man over and said softly, "How do you know I was a whore
if you weren't one of my customers. And if you were a customer, you would know I wasn't willing. Think about it."

The man looked ashamed and the woman started asking some very uncomfortable questions. Joey smiled nastily. This was
working out better than he thought it would. This was the other thing he feared but it looked like the few he knew were going
to avoid him like poison.

Seto came around just in time to ask Joey what was up and be told that an old customer had come by to pay his respects. Seto
eyed the man and decided that he was financially dead, his sneer let the man know it too.

"Well . . . that little fiasco aside, you're doing quite well. How do you feel?"

"Like . . . like Willow's stalking me with intent. If I think about it too much, I'm gonna hurl. I'd rather someone was shootin'
at me."

Joey ran a shaking hand through his hair, which he'd done quite a bit from the looks of his bangs. He knew if he didn't get
himself under control he wasn't going to be good for anything if they needed to fight off any kind of attack.

Willow came over with some tea. She handed the cups around and found out what all the tables were for, they were good
places to put empty or unwanted glasses and plates. The servers circulating around were constantly picking them up and taking
them away. Seto accepted a cup with a raised eyebrow, one sip and he nearly choked. He'd been expecting 'real' tea but this
was herbal and tasted odd.

"What the hell is this shit. It tastes like . . . "

"Don't say it! It's valerian, mint, cat nip, and lavender. It'll calm Joey's stomach and nerves, he's about to jump out of his skin.
I don't think this is very good for him. I'm not sure why."

Seto made a face, not at the tea but at his thoughts. "We never thought about the possibility of Joey running into old customers.
And he did." Seto pointed to the man that Joey had talked to "I think he was one. Joey nearly passed out when he saw him and
told me an old customer came by to pay respects. I will ruin him!"

"Don't bother, he's a dead man. I'll catch up to . . . damnit! I can't. I have to stay here incase something happens."

Mokuba, who'd been right there through the whole thing but let Joey handle it, piped up with, "He won't last long. I know his
wife, and that daughter of his will tell her everything. I hope you don't ruin his company. His wife will need the money and his
daughter has been running it for years anyway. Just let nature take its course in this case. I'll drop a word in her ear. See you."

He wended his way to the daughter and they could see her frown deepening as he talked animatedly, gesturing and nodding.
The smirk he showed behind her back as she left let them know that he'd accomplished whatever it was he'd intended and it
wasn't good for the older man. As he returned to them, he snagged a glass from the nearest tray and took a sip, Joey eyed him
closely but when Mokuba offered him some he turned it down. Mokuba was old enough to make his own decisions good or
bad. If he got drunk, Joey would just kick his ass.

"Joey, I know you don't want any, but if you take a sip, I think you might like it. It's not just champagne, it has orange juice
too. It's called a mimosa. . . ." Joey shook his head again and turned to shake hands with a man. "Ok. Be stubborn. If you don't
like it, you don't. Here love, eat this. You haven't eaten anything in hours."

Joey accepted the toast point with some brown stuff smeared on it. The man he was making conversation with took a piece
from the proffered tray and munched appreciatively.

"Very good. Only the finest for any Kaiba function. Pate de Fouix Gras and caviar."

Joey eyed the toast Pate . . . that was liver of some sort. He shrugged, it didn't taste bad so he finished the hors d'oeuvre and
reached for another.

"Did you really paint all those murals? Some of them are a little disturbing. As a psychiatrist I'd have to say that whoever
painted those has undergone some pretty awful abuse or has a very vivid imagination.

Joey smiled at the kindly man and murmured, "How about a bit of both."

"Therapy could help. I can give you a number if you'd like."

"Seto made arrangements for me. Thank you for your concern. My therapist was the one who encouraged me to paint the
murals. I call them brain dumps. Sometimes I don't even know what I'm going to paint until I'm done. If you want to buy one
of them just ask the receptionist, she'll make arrangements.

The psychiatrist smiled. "You're a very brave young man to put such personal things on the market."

"You're a shrink. Tell me that any normal person would believe that some of that stuff is real. Think about it."

"You're right. It's a shame too. Well my wife is giving me the evil eye. Seems I've been monopolizing your time for long
enough."

They shook hands again and Joey reached out to Mokuba for some moral support.

Mokuba took the proffered hand and held it for a minute, then made way for another of the visitors who wanted to gush at Joey
about how fascinating it must be to be able to paint anything you wanted to blah blah blah. Joey smiled at appropriate places
and grunted once or twice. Seto watched from the sidelines and had to admit that Joey was good at public relations. He didn't
get angry when people asked him uncomfortable questions he just turned them aside or signaled Willow or Mokuba to draw
the person off.

Willow leaned against Seto groaning softly. This society business was hard, there had been several occasions when all she
wanted to do was chop off some stupid persons head. The only thing restraining her was; one, it would make an unholy mess
and; two, she couldn't hide the body.

"Tired, Koi? This ought to be over soon. The show closes in about an hour."

"Not tired so much as bored and frustrated. To bad I can't kill a couple of these people."

"Killing them won't do any good. The other idiots won't learn a thing."

"But I'll feel so much better."

Willow felt the draft at the same time Seto did. She signaled Joey who immediately put Mokuba behind him and blocked him
in. Nothing happened so they stood down and went back to socializing with the patrons. Joey kept Mokuba close and Willow
stayed close to Seto.

The last patron was seen to the door and the doors locked, the foyer doors had been locked forty five minutes ago. Seto yawned
and stretched. Joey and Willow were consulting with Mr. Thompkins about what to do with the left over art work. And
Mokuba was raiding the trays one last time. When the attack came it was almost an anticlimax to the evening.

The first shot took Seto in the right chest right on the heaviest part of his pectoral. It knocked him to the floor, bruised but
otherwise unhurt. He rolled toward Mokuba and scooped him under the tail of his coat. Mokuba didn't fight him, in fact he
helped, scrambling on the slick floor for purchase and trying to drag his pistol out of the pocket he'd tucked it into. The
hammer hung in the seam of the pocked and he had to rip it to get it out.

Joey spared one glance for Seto and Mokuba, then, seeing that Seto had Mokuba under his coat, turned and started returning
fire, retreating toward the lobby to draw the assassins out into the open. Willow had her big .50 cal. out and was picking targets
in the rafters. The men she shot dropped and stayed down, she was taking no prisoners. As Joey drew the men out, Seto tried to
help by targeting anything he could see. Willow flinched as a bullet hit her in the leg. It was small caliber and when she found
out who'd shot her she was going to have words with them. She braced herself and started for the nearest of the assassins
who'd managed to get into the middle of them. There was no way to shoot him without endangering either Joey or Seto.

Drawing her sword, she cut him down without a qualm and looked for the next victim. Blood for her blade. But there were no
more, Joey had drawn the rest of their attackers out into the lobby and was finishing them off with his fists, his Glock still
gripped in his right hand. As she limped into the open, she saw the last of his attackers club him with part of a brass stanchion.
He went down and hit his head on the floor hard, she could hear it crack. She snatched out a throwing pin and, snapping it into
a flat trajectory throw, stuck it in the mans' throat. He went down, death rattle gurgling in a throat filled with blood.

"Ok. It's all over. Come out. Seto, call your security. I don't think they stayed around like they were supposed to."

Seto got on the radio and was told that half the team was down. Willow's prediction had come true. The caterers had blocked
the rear door open to take out their gear and the assassins had just walked in, attacked security and them at the same time and
there had been two running battles on at once, security had gotten the worst of theirs. But they still needed medical aid. Seto
grabbed a table cloth, held out a hand to Willow, and was handed a knife.

"Mo' see to Joey. He's knocked out hit his head on the floor after that guy clubbed him Seto get some kind of field dressing on
this leg. I won't bleed out but I don't want to track blood all over the place it'll scare the tourists. What about you, I saw you go
down."

"It's nothing, just a bruise."

Seto started ripping up the table cloth and managed to bind a thick pad of it over the bleeding hole in her thigh. Then they both
went to see to Joey.

He was laying on the floor with his head in Mokuba's lap, not that he knew, he was out cold. The possibility of a concussion
was now a probability. Willow checked him out carefully, fending off Seto's attempts to get her to lie down.

"Seto get offa me. The hole in my leg is nothing. It was small caliber and the pressure dressing has stopped the bleeding. If
Joey is still unconscious when the ambulance comes we're in deep shit. This isn't good. He's been hit in the head twice."

Willow gently rolled him over checking for any other injuries. He had a big lump on the back of his head and another smaller
one on the side. She hadn't seen what exactly had happened, she'd been too busy getting an overview, all she'd seen was the
man hitting Joey and Joey hitting the floor, so she needed to check for any other wounds.

Mokuba was doing the best he could to hold back tears, Joey didn't need a sodden mess, he needed a lover who was going to
be there and able to see that he was taken proper care of. Seto was snarling into his radio again and he wasn't pleased at all.
The security men were trying to sort out their own wounded and hadn't understood that they had injuries too. Now there
weren't any ambulances available. They'd all been dismissed back to the hospital.

"Wheeler is down, unconscious and Kenshin is shot. No one else is hurt, but if I don't see an ambulance in about a minute
you're all fired. No excuses! Ambulance, now!"

The medics arrived in short order, the security head had called the hospital and requested more before Seto had jumped him.
When they ran to Seto he just gestured to Willow and Joey, a quick check of Willow told them that she would wait, the only
thing to do for Joey was get him to the hospital. They both were loaded into the same ambulance, when Seto tried to go with
them the attendants carefully explained that there just wasn't room.

XXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx

Seto arrived at the hospital still on the phone. He entered the emergency room, glared around, found Willow and went straight
to her. Mokuba nearly attacked the Administrator that met him, his frustration making him sharp.

"I'm his lover and . . . damnit . . . I don't care what the 'rules' say. I'm the closest thing he has to a family and if you don't
want trouble with me you will tell me what is going on and I mean now!"

"See here, young man, we don't give out information to just any one. You don't have any . . . "

"It doesn't make any difference, I'm Kaiba Mokuba. You'll either tell me what I want to know or answer to my brother not to
mention me. I don't want trouble I want information and I'm going to get it. I'll call whoever I have to and you won't like the
results."

Seto loomed up just then and demanded information, showing papers that proved he had the right. When the administrator
started to give him grief, he snarled, "My fiancee is in one room and my ward in another, I don't need this. You will tell my
brother what he wants to know. Mokuba, I know it is hard on you but I need to get back to Willow. Find out about Joey. Come
tell us. She won't rest until she knows and they want to get her into surgery as soon as possible. She's got a bullet in her thigh .
. . damnit to hell!"

Seto ran a hand through his hair, he wanted to be with Willow and needed to see Joey as well.

Willow was awake and aware times whatever it was that meant pissed as hell. She had a dinky in her leg and an unconscious
friend, Seto was nearly hysterical, and Mokuba wasn't much better. She got a nurse and simply told her, "Find out about Joey
Wheeler or I'll go find him myself. I'm used to being cut, shot, stabbed, and whatnot so don't think that a pill in the leg is
going to do much to keep me from doing exactly what I want. You don't want me wandering around the emergency room
bleeding like a stuck pig. Go find out, come back, I'm not getting operated on until I know about Wheeler. Shit and check out
Seto, I think he took one in the chest."

The nurse decided that it would be a lot easier if she just did what Willow wanted. So she went to see about Joey. She came
back told Willow that he was still out with a bad concussion and would probably not come to for several hours yet. This was
not good and Willow told the surgeon that she would wait until Joey was out of danger before she had her surgery. Seto started
to fight with her about it, but the doctor took all the wind out of his sails by simply telling Willow that if she didn't have it
soon, she'd get an infection. That shut her up quickly, she agreed to the operation with ill grace and let them give her the
aesthetic.

Then a group closed in on Seto and took him off to the next room to examine him, they found a huge bruise, took X-rays which
showed no broken ribs and were shrugged off as a nuisance. Seto went to Joey's room to wait for news of Willow or Joey. He
found Mokuba seated by Joey's bed sodden and miserable. They settled down to wait.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


"Son of a bitch! She's coming out of it again! I've given her the strongest anesthetic there is."

"Get her under and keep her there. I've almost got it but . . . "

"Doc. Just cut the damn thing out and get it over with."

Willow sounded muzzy and she couldn't help smiling a little as the doctor and the anesthesiologist gaped at her in dismay.
She'd done this before and knew once she was awake she was going to stay that way.

The doctor did as she asked, after the anesthesiologist explained to him that, in this case, it was more dangerous to try to put
her under again than it was to just continue the operation. So the whole operating room staff watched as the doctor dug the
bullet out of Willow's leg and stitched her up, while she told him dirty jokes and bitched about his stitchery.

When he dropped the bullet into her hand she sighed.

"Oh shit. Seto's gonna have a fit." She'd hoped against hope that one of the assassins had been using a pop gun for some
obscure reason, but not a chance. The only .380 she'd seen had been in Seto's hand. And the bullet proved it. Seto had been
using copper jacketed ammo, why she didn't have a clue but there in her hand was a deformed, copper jacketed .380 auto
round "Fuck"

"Doc, you get to show this to him and explain what it is. I want to go to Joey Wheeler's room. No! Don't argue with me. I
won't get any rest anywhere else. Seto and Mokuba will be there and they'll see that I have anything I want. I'm not going to
do anything stupid. I don't need to"

They wheeled Willow into Joey's room and Seto nearly fell on her neck he was so glad to see her. Mokuba looked up at her
from where he was laying on the foot of Joey's bed and smile wanly. At least she was ok. They still didn't know about Joey
and wouldn't until he came too.

"How are his vitals?"

"They're good. Heart rate strong and regular; respirations good too; blood pressure slightly elevated but not too high. He just
won't wake up."

Willow eyed Joey, she felt drowsy and slightly sick but other than that, not too bad. She'd lost some blood but not enough to
need more than one transfusion. She was still hooked up to an IV of Ringers. The whole staff was watching her but she was
more interested in Joey than their rubbernecking.

Mokuba took Willow's chart off the end of her bed and read it. He looked at her for a second and sighed.

"Trust you to come out of anesthetic in the middle of an operation. You're incredible. And sick."

"I'm not sick. I'm fine. The anesthetic made me goofy but it'll wear completely off in a few more minutes. Seto, could you get
me some water? I'm thirsty."

Seto was trying to get his head around the fact that she wasn't supposed to be awake yet. And he was having a hard time with
it.

"You mean to tell me that you were awake during your operation?"

"Sure, at least the last part of it. Why?"

"I'll have someone's head on a plate"

"Don't bother, they tried. I've done it before. At least I learned better than to try to do it myself, although I have before. I don't
think it would have been easy as the hole is in the side of my leg."

Seto looked sick and was glad to go talk to the doctor until he heard what the man had to say. Dropping the bullet into Seto's
hand, he remarked that Seto needed to fire the idiot because he couldn't shoot worth shit.

"That little pop gun only did a little damage to the muscle of her thigh, but whoever was shooting that thing should have been
more careful of ricochets."

Seto stared at a the bullet with horror. It was his.

"Oh, god . . .oh, Willow. I . . . I'm so sorry . I . ." Seto broke down completely. This was worse than anything that had ever
happened to him.

"Seto, don't distress yourself so much. "

Seto carefully gathered Willow up in his arms and burried his face in her hair. He sobbed as if his heart was shattered. Willow
patted his arm and whispered to him softly.

"Seto, stop . . . sshh . . . koi . . . hush. . .don't do that."

He finally got himself together and dried his eyes. Willow smiled at him gently, he looked so young, so hurt and confused. Not
at all like he usualy did. The composed, collected CEO had turned into a tired, afraid, teen aged boy. She'd deal with it, not
that she was complaining much, after all she loved him as much as he loved her.

"Seto, if you don't get yourself together, you're not going to be much use to me or Joey. Mokuba, get him some tissues and get
me a soda. I'll watch Joey. Go, go, you need to move around some."

Mokuba did as Willow asked, heading out to the hall confident that Willow, despite her condition would take care of Joey,
Seto just sighed and watched as he left.

"You know I . . "

"Seto, if you say one word to me about punishment I'll . . . I'm too tired to argue about it now. Just. . . not now."

Seto gave up for now, Willow was showing the strain, he was feeling sick and he needed to be strong for them all. Just as he
was getting ready to go out of his mind completely, Mokuba came back with sodas for them all and they settled down to wait
on Joey. Seto carefully slid behind Willow, putting his arms around her and settling her against his shoulder, she put her head
down and watched Joey and Mokuba from under her eyelashes and rested.

They stayed that way for almost four hours, with a nurse coming in every thirty minutes to check Joey's vitals. When he finally
came too they were delighted until . . .

"Mo' turn on the lights. I can't see in this darkness."

Joey turned his head towards the sound of Mokuba's soft cry. The lights were on.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx


Remarks: Walther dosn't make a .380 like that but if you have Seto's money you can get anything special made even a piece
of s*** like this.