Seto (Part 1)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves the Day)

When they finally exited, a familiar presence was seen coming toward them. Outside of a huge van, came Shizuka and Kaiba.

Shizuka and Kaiba seemed . . . different. ///Jounouchi: Nothing happened, Jounouchi. Get it out of your head. It's fine. They are just allies right now. That's right, allies. Nothing more./// Besides, he had more than them on his mind.

"Katsuya." Shizuka came over and hugged him. "I knew you were here, I could feel it."

"We popped the bubble around Domino City," Seto Kaiba told them. "We can't get many. They turn up too fast, and Shizuka has to be refreshed to make a direct hit."

"Do you have duel cards?" Yuugi preferred to ask him instead.

"Well? Nice manners," Kaiba complained. "And people say I have no manners."

"Do you have duel cards?!" Yuugi asked him more strongly, his hands becoming fists. "Are you ready for the fight of your life with strong cards?"

"I always am," Kaiba answered. "Why?"

"You'll need the strongest cards you've got to win this," Atem said as he pulled out a holster from his side. "If you are missing any, then we will find a way to get them to you."

"Ah, so it sounds like you know what the game actually is now?" Kaiba commented. "Well then, what is it?"

Yuugi and Atem were quiet at first.

So quiet.

Then, with some slight tears in his eyes, Yuugi wiped them away and then retold them.

Retold them what the gods game would be.

Kaiba listened. Intently. "Mokuba. My brother has been put into this? Take him out now!"

"The decision was made," Atem answered. "The Ishtars, Mokuba, and Maximillion Pegasus' girlfriend."

Kaiba squeezed his hands. "That's my brother. My brother, and I have to manage Honda instead?"

"Honda is a good guy," Jounouchi reminded him. "Set will play a card if someone goes after him."

"Mokuba is on the enemy's side!" Kaiba grabbed Shizuka's hand. "You let the enemy take my brother into this game, none of you tried to stop it at all. Did you?"

"Seto." Shizuka hung onto his hand back. "I'm sorry."

Seto? ///Jounouchi: Why the heck is she calling him Seto? No. No way, nothing happened. Being friendly. He's gonna hate that though. He's gonna hate it.///

"I tried," Bandit King opened his mouth. "Ryou Bakura told him Mokuba was working for me, which made him an ally." Bandit King looked toward Atem and Yuugi. "He originally wanted to use Hikaru, Yuugi's newest son, but do you know what Atem said?"

Yuugi went straight over to his son and picked him up.

Kaiba didn't dwell for long on it. "Three days. I will get my own cards ready. Come, Shizuka."

"We all need to head toward Ultimate Cards," Jounouchi said to him. "We are on the same team."

"Atem said that Yuugi would be distracted," Bandit King said, finishing up his thought. "He said taking Mokuba though would make you focus. Have you lost any focus, Kaiba? Has your little romping around Shizuka made things harder?"

"Hey. Don't talk like that," Jounouchi warned him.

---

His brother. They were going to use his little brother in that game, and Jounouchi's concern at the moment? Had nothing to do with Mokuba. Not one damn thing. Just like them all. Only their own family matters! Only theirs.

Kaiba looked over toward Shizuka.

He blamed the apocalypse alcohol they were enjoying, along with celebrating the takedown of Set. He had last placed her in bed after the fight with Set so she could recover. He celebrated a little more himself. After that, he remembered her getting up a little while later.

With the power they had, things were looking up. Then, one thing led to another. Then, he woke up next to her in his bed.

They were both a little alarmed, but her especially. He explained alcohol and success probably led to things and she could let it go. As much as he liked teasing Jounouchi, he didn't want to anger her.

After all, she had the Blue Eyes White Dragon. She needed to feel safe and in control. He couldn't treat her like his other dates that ended like that.

He wasn't losing the dragon because of that.

Shizuka was much less used to it. She made him promise never to tell Jounouchi, no matter what, or she would leave.

After he agreed, she started to call him Seto.

The girl could call him whatever she wanted to call him. He didn't care. As long as she stayed beside him.

It was a simple, trifle of a thing. The name. Seemed fine. Yet it was clearly eating at Jounouchi.

Not one single terrible thing (about her) had left his mouth. He knew nothing about what happened between them. ///Seto: He's already fixated on me more than my own brother's situation because of stupid names!///

Well. "Mokuba is as good a sacrifice to any of you. Forget even suggesting something else," he started on them. "No. Let's use an innocent kid that had never killed anyone! Let's just put him in the hot seat. What do you think, Shizuka?"

"I think asking me won't change much, Seto," she answered. "I'm sorry."

"Why do you keep calling him Seto?" Jounouchi's brilliant reply.

Yep, he knew it. ///Seto: Maybe I can't change the past, but I can still torture his future./// "Great job, Pharoah. That's the right decision in all cases, save the innocent babies instead of the ones that are almost reaching adulthood. Oh, wait? Didn't Mokuba have a better chance of living back in Ancient Egypt? Babies died all the time. It's apparent your Pharoah values haven't followed over with you."

"I will not answer that," Atem said. "Seto Kaiba. If anything happens, when we win, it will be reversed. Mokuba will be alive and fine."

"Then so would Yuugi's." Unfair. "Some magical baby gained more notoriety I guess."

"He isn't magical! He's not a god or anything," Yuugi revealed. "He was already there."

Oh? "Anzu already was pregnant? So, the gods had to have her push your mistake out first before they could move on with their plan? Not surprising. You give everyone problems in some way. It seems to be a gift of yours."

"Kaiba," Atem gave him a warning. "I know that you are upset about your brother."

"My brother was chosen as a sacrificial lamb. You better be telling me that my role is somehow to protect him!" Kaiba had a feeling it hadn't been though.

"Seto can protect his younger brother with me," Shizuka offered. "Somehow. There must be a reason for our power."

"He's protecting Honda," Jounouchi noted as he walked over to her with his own kid. "I'm protecting Mai, so Kaiba needs to follow the rules."

Kaiba watched Atem hand him a piece of paper.

"They are already memorized," he said to Kaiba. "The rules are important, and must be followed completely."

Kaiba looked over the rules. ///Seto: I am supposed to protect Honda of all people?/// "Why do I have to protect that loser?"

"Maybe because you use my sister like your weapon," Jounouchi pointed out, "and Honda is dating my sister."

"Seto already knows that," Shizuka said to Jounouchi. "You don't have to point it out so hard."

"Point it out so hard?" Jounouchi stared at her. "It's the truth. Sure he's gone right now, but . . . but we are going to win. Then, he'll come back and be dating you. Again."

Shizuka gave Jounouchi a funny look. "Katsuya, you never liked me dating Honda in the first place. Why are you so insistent about it now?"

"Because Honda is better, leaps and bounds better, circles and spheres better than Kaiba! So stop calling him Seto!"

Extreme. ///Seto: Wow. I did manage to get under his skin with nothing but a name./// "As long as at the end of this game, Mokuba is safe." Kaiba stared more at the papers.

"We have to win this." Yuugi finally spoke again. "Then, Anzu will be able to come back."

"I hope that happens," Shizuka said to Yuugi. "For you, Seto, and everyone else."

"So you conveniently don't share Honda's name?" Jounouchi was almost vicious in his approach.

"You know why. She was trying to make Yuugi and I feel better. Although not needed, she does that," Kaiba continued. "Of course, it wouldn't be as selfless if she added her own hope of Honda. You are her brother, Jounouchi. You should know that."

"Of course I know that, but you shouldn't!" As Jounouchi yelled that, Mana started to cry. He tried to soothe her.

"Jounouchi." Atem's voice had changed to that no nonsense tone of his he usually reserved simply for Kaiba. "Many lives are at stake. Although we shall try for a pacifist way, to even accomplish these attacks, innocents will be in the way. In buildings, on sidewalks, and we won't be able to help. This matter? Is serious. In several ways, we will each be committing murder."

Mmm. The Pharoah was laying it out truthfully. Jounouchi looked a little less confident now.

"We'll do our best though," Jounouchi answered.

"We will, but nevertheless, I fear no matter how careful we are? Innocent lives will be lost. Zorc will see to that. Therefore, why I know we will win, and that Mokuba will be in safe hands no matter what." Atem almost glared at Jounouchi. "Can you at least pretend his brother Mokuba is worth more attention than Kaiba's relationship with Shizuka right now?"

"Look!" Jounouchi shot right back at him. "I'm not taking this whole thing lightly! Not only is Mai's life wrapped up in this, her eternal soul is too! If I don't get this right, Mana won't ever have her mom, in life or in death!" He glared at Kaiba. "All I can do is protect what little family I have." Jounouchi looked toward Shizuka. "Did Set come after you, and did Kaiba get bitten to help fight?"

Shizuka seemed a little stunned by all the words. "Yes."

"Then? How you feel?" Jounouchi asked her. "You okay? You don't feel sick or nothing?" Shizuka shook her head, she was fine. "Okay. Then why you calling him Seto instead of Seto Kaiba? Why isn't he calling you Shizuka Kawai?"

"Shizuka Kawai." Now Kaiba would. "I'd like to talk to you privately for a moment."