Well…here we are. Even though Seto is my original anime love, somehow I find myself writing AUs where something terrible happens to him!

This is based on anime canon. In the Virtual World arc, we learned that during Seto's plan to take over Kaiba Corp, he blamed Mokuba for leaking information. At first, this just makes it seem like Seto is a world-class bastard who treats his little brother poorly, but eventually we learn that Seto also blamed Mokuba to show that he was not part of Seto's plan. In the event that Seto could not take control of Kaiba Corp, he reasoned that Mokuba would be safe. (Are these spoilers? I mean, those episodes aired almost 15 years ago.)

So what happens if Seto doesn't successfully take over Kaiba Corp? I wanted to explore how things might change. At the end, I'll talk about a few specific things that I think would be different.

—

Kaiba Seto was a failure.

Well, that's not even accurate.

He was no longer a Kaiba. The lawyers were very clear about that.

In fact, he was lucky Gozaburo hadn't ordered him to be left for dead in the countryside. No, in one last act of kindness, Gozaburo had spared his life. And despite his threats, he wouldn't be saddled with a load of debt (he had fulfilled the terms of the IOU he was forced to sign, at least).

But none of that mattered, because he was a failure.

"Takahashi," one of the social workers called. "My office, please."

Seto sighed and pulled himself to his feet. Maybe Gozaburo would have done him a favor by murdering him.

—

"As agreed," Seto began. "It has been one year since our agreement. I have called you here to discuss something important."

"It's useless, Seto. I know your plans. I know you intend to rebel against me," Gozaburo reclined in his chair. "But you know that it's useless. You only hold 49% of Kaiba Corporation's stocks. I have 51% and I have no intentions of handing over my position as president."

"I have more than you think," Seto steeled himself as he lied. Maybe it wasn't a lie, though. Maybe…

"You don't hold the majority of shares," Gozaburo sneered.

"I have 49%," Seto answered. His palms were sweaty and yet his body felt cold.

"I suppose all the time I spent tutoring you must have been wasted. 49% isn't a majority," Gozaburo taunted.

Seto waited. What was he waiting for? A knock at the door, and Mokuba to appear, announcing his 2% of the company was for Seto after all? But the doors were soundproof. There was no way Mokuba could be eavesdropping. Still, everything would change if Mokuba appeared…He knew he had been cruel to Mokuba over the last month. He knew he should have told him the plan. But that was his contingency plan; if he failed to overthrow Gozaburo, Mokuba would be innocent. Mokuba could keep the Kaiba name.

"But I suppose it doesn't matter. You don't even hold 49%."

"What?" Seto shouted, forgetting everything else.

Gozaburo nodded at someone behind Seto. Daimon walked from his position with the other directors to Gozaburo's side of the room. He sneered at Seto, who felt his heart stop beating.

"Did you really think you could convince my board of directors to betray me? You're not fit to run this company! You think I don't know about your plans? Changing Kaiba Corporation into a gaming company?" Gozaburo laughed and Seto felt the eyes of the other four directors turn on him and his face burned. Maybe he hadn't told them exactly what he wanted to do, but he still knew what was best for the company. Gozaburo spoke to the bodyguards standing directly behind him.

"Guards, remove this boy," Gozaburo commanded, gesturing at Seto. "I've never seen him before in my life. He's a nobody and he has no place here."

—

Even though Seto felt his life had ended that day, when he was carried from the meeting room by two giant security guards, his body refused to agree. He had been thrown into a car and immediately driven back to the same orphanage where he had been abandoned by his relatives. This time, he was left with even less than he had before- not even a suitcase, just the clothes on his back.

He couldn't even bring his Duel Monsters cards.

He knows he should have felt embarrassed as he was once again looked over by the social workers and shown to his bed. He did, however, feel a pang of something as his bed was labelled with a name card. Takahashi Seto. But otherwise, he felt empty.

Mokuba…

—

Still, Seto had to do something until he died. He was transferred to the local junior high and immediately began classes. He was ahead in all of his studies, of course, and found that he could put in the bare minimum effort and still succeed. Quite the opposite of his other life, as he liked to think of it.

His other life, almost as if he had finished a book and picked up a new one. Well, not a new book. A used one, with dogeared pages and stains on the cover. A book that told a story he thought he had read before but couldn't remember the ending of.

But he was still a good student, quiet, but efficient.

Life went on.

—

"Congratulations, Seto," the social worker told him when high school exam results came in. "I see you were accepted to Domino High."

Seto nodded. It was the farthest high school from the orphanage that he was eligible to attend.

"I know that you are already aware of this, but once you turn sixteen you will be able to leave this home and live on your own. Is that something you would like to do?" Seto nodded again. "Great, well…once you start high school, you should look for a job. I know that's unusual, and Domino High has strict rules regarding students having jobs, but I'm sure we can work something out, given your circumstances.

"Now…have you given any thought as to what you will be doing after high school?"

Seto almost laughed. He could almost see it; himself as the president of Kaiba Corporation, leading his (yes, his) company to a future where games were accessible to all children. He would build amusement parks all around the world and tour them with Mokuba.

Would Mokuba become the president someday? Certainly Gozaburo would be in charge for another decade or two. Was he already training Mokuba to replace him? Mokuba knew of his dream to convert Kaiba Corporation from producing weapons to gaming technology and build amusement parks. Would Mokuba want to do the same?

But why would he? As far as he knew, Seto abandoned him. Seto never had a chance to explain why he blamed Mokuba for foiling his plan. Why would Mokuba still be loyal to him when Seto had failed in his duty? He had sworn to be Mokuba's father, but had become a nobody.

A useless nobody like him couldn't protect his brother! He could have fought, he could have punched and kicked and bitten and screamed until he was allowed to see Mokuba one last time. That was what he wanted to do. See Mokuba and explain himself. There were no classes on that in college. What if he continued working on his Solid Vision technology? It was meant for gaming, and here Gozaburo was using it for war. What if he worked for another gaming company though, and made something better than what Gozaburo had? If he found a way to become the best, that would surely catch his former father's attention. See, you don't have to sell yourself out, he could say to Mokuba at some fancy dinner celebrating Kaiba Corporation's purchase of something else that Seto had designed. Mokuba would understand what Seto did and respect him for it.

"I'm going to study game design."

—

On his first day at Domino High School, Seto donned a uniform that had been purchased for him secondhand, carried a backpack that already had a hole at the bottom, and rode the train for an hour to make it on time.

His goal was to survive with good enough marks to make it into a college where he could study game development. He didn't recognize anyone from middle school, but he hadn't exactly made an effort to make friends while he was there. The people in his class treated him well enough, but he didn't have time to socialize. He took a job working at a grocery store near the orphanage, far from school. He mostly worked on weekends and the occasional weeknight, due to an agreement with the school. His boss was impressed by his work ethic; he was always on time and never left early. He did what he was asked with no complaints. After all, he had lived through much worse.

Part of Seto knew that this wasn't what normal fifteen-year-olds did. Then again, even in other versions of his life, he wouldn't have been normal. He could have been living with his brother and father after his mother's death, or he could have been living with Gozaburo and training to become the president of a company.

But some part of him still craved normality, so he would quietly observe the other students in his class as they gossiped and socialized. One group in particular caught his eye- they always seemed to be playing Duel Monsters. Seto eventually caught their names: there was Yuugi, who was friendly to everyone; Jounouchi, who apparently had a paper route in the morning; Honda, and Anzu, neither of whom seemed to care for dueling.

During breaks, Seto would watch as Yuugi taught the others Duel Monsters. Others would gather around their desks as Yuugi and Jounouchi (and occasionally Anzu) would duel. Yuugi won almost every time, and Seto almost asked him for a battle once or twice.

But Seto had given up Duel Monsters long ago.

One particular day, Seto overheard Jounouchi complaining that he had lost yet again.

"How'd you get so good?" Jounouchi moaned.

"I'm not much better, Jounouchi-kun," Yuugi said bashfully. "My Grandpa taught me how to duel- he's the real pro! He gets all kinds of cool cards at his game shop."

"Your grandfather owns a game shop?" Jounouchi asked, suddenly interested.

"Yeah! Maybe if we go, we can convince Jii-chan to show us his super rare card!" Yuugi said. Seto wasn't part of their conversation, but he was curious. What were the odds…? He waited for Yuugi to excuse himself to the bathroom, and when he did Seto silently followed him out.

"Mutou-kun," he said as soon as he heard the bathroom door opening. Yuugi jumped, obviously not expecting someone to be waiting for him.

"Takahashi-kun, you scared me!" Yuugi laughed. "Did you need something?"

"Yes. I heard you talking earlier about your family's game shop. Even though I was not part of your conversation, could I come with your friends to see it today?"

"Sure!" Yuugi smiled at him. "I would love for you to come with us!"

Seto nodded. "Thank you. I will see you when the final bell rings, then."

After school, Seto stayed behind for Yuugi and his friends.

"Ah, Takahashi-kun is going to come to the game shop with us!" Yuugi told his friends when he saw Seto waiting by the door. They all greeted him. Seto nodded politely.

He followed the group as they left. They chatted casually about the day, but Seto wasn't listening. He knew there was no point in coming; there was no chance Yuugi's grandfather had the card he was looking for. There were only four in the world…

When they arrived, an old man greeted them. Seto noticed his eyes were the same shape and color as Yuugi's- this must be his grandfather.

"Ah, you brought friends with you today!" Yuugi's grandfather said.

"Yeah!" Yuugi said. "Can you show us your rare card? Everyone wants to see it!"

"Hm, my rare card?" Yuugi's grandfather considered.

"Please?" Yuugi begged.

"Please show us!" Jounouchi said with a bow.

"Please," Seto said quietly, also bowing.

Yuugi's grandfather laughed. "Sure, just this one time." He reached behind the counter for a small box. "Here it is!" He gently lifted the card from inside.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Seto inhaled sharply. He had never seen it in real life- it had been a card that he wanted when he still played Duel Monsters, but he knew as well as anyone that only four had ever been produced. It truly was a beautiful card; the illustration seemed to glow even in the low light of indoors.

Deep down, though, he still thought the one Mokuba had drawn for him years ago was more beautiful.

When he was living under Gozaburo, he had no time for anything fun. All of his time was devoted to his studies, and worse yet, he was rarely allowed to see Mokuba. He kept his head above water, barely, knowing that all of it was to create a better life for his brother, even if it cost him his own happiness. There were times when it hadn't seemed worth it, like he would rather be back in the orphanage. And yet one night, Mokuba somehow managed to sneak Seto's Duel Monsters deck to him, with a hand-drawn Blue Eyes White Dragon card added in. The sight of that card, with its lopsided body and messy hiragana reminded Seto that all of this was for Mokuba, the only person in the world who mattered.

Jounouchi was impressed by the card, especially once he saw its attack and defense. Honda and Anzu didn't seem to care, but Seto could hardly breathe.

"Can I hold it?" Seto whispered.

Yuugi's grandfather eyed him, probably trying to decide why this unfamiliar boy in a too-short uniform with tarnished buttons would be interested in his card. "Alright," he finally said.

The second Seto's fingertips touched the edges of the card, he felt strange. It was like his chest might burst, like his heart might explode.

He felt alive.

For a second, he saw himself riding a real Blue-Eyes through the night with Mokuba holding on to his waist. He saw himself playing Duel Monsters using his own technology on top of a skyscraper. He saw himself, victorious, smiling at Mokuba while Mokuba looked proudly back at him. "That's my nii-sama!" Mokuba would cheer.

A second later, he ran.

—

Seto felt a thrill as he dashed through the door of the Kame Game Shop, still delicately holding the card. He was sure Yuugi and his friends were shouting after him, but he didn't care.

This card was the most important thing in the world to him at the moment.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon, the card that reminded him that he had something to live for. He finally had it! This was what he had worked so hard for!

But what could he do with it?

He didn't duel anymore. He couldn't go and show Mokuba. Even if he could, what would it mean? It's not like he earned this card, he had swiped it from some old man! If he somehow managed to get to Mokuba, why would he care? Seto had betrayed him and abandoned him. They were no longer a family.

Seto slowed down and finally stopped. He figured he was about a mile away from the game shop, and the others could probably find him if they looked. What did he expect? Even if he managed to get back to the orphanage, he would see Yuugi the next day at school. Yuugi didn't seem like the type to rat on him to the principal, but he heard that Jounouchi and Honda used to be in a gang. Seto may have had some martial arts training, but he hadn't practiced in years and wouldn't last in a fight.

So he sat on a park bench and waited.

—

He sensed Yuugi's presence before he saw him. When Yuugi stepped in front of him, it almost seemed like he was taller, more menacing than he normally was, but it must have been a trick of the light. When he looked at Yuugi, he was still short with huge, innocent eyes.

"I didn't do anything with it," Seto volunteered. He still held the card by the edges and he held it up to show Yuugi that it was still in mint condition. He had been staring at it while he waited.

"I think you should come with me," Yuugi responded. He had a strange look on his face, but at least he didn't seem mad. Seto stood immediately and followed Yuugi. They walked in silence to the Kame Game Shop, which now had a "closed" sign on the door. Yuugi walked through the door and led him through the back and up some stairs.

When they reached the top, Yuugi's grandfather was sitting on a couch in what must be their living room, waiting.

Seto handed the card to him. "I'm very sorry, Mutou-san," Seto said as he sank to his knees. "I didn't harm your card, but I know it's very valuable. I'll repay you in any way you like." He bowed, his forehead almost touching the floor.

"Get up," Yuugi's grandfather said after a pause. "Have a seat on the couch with me." Seto did. Yuugi sat in an armchair nearby as he watched.

"I never caught your name," Yuugi's grandfather said.

"Takahashi Seto," Seto responded dully.

"And what were going to do with my card, Takahashi-kun? Do you duel?"

"No."

"Were you going to sell it?"

Seto blushed, knowing how ragged he must look, especially after running and getting sweaty in his school clothes. "Yes. I was going to sell it and buy a new uniform for myself. And new shoes for my brother. His classmates always tease him because he has holes in his shoes." Seto was surprised how easily the lie came to him.

Yuugi's grandfather raised his eyebrows. "Let's try that again," he said.

"What?" Seto was surprised he hadn't bought it.

"I've been playing games all my life. I can tell when someone is bluffing," he said with a wink. Then after a pause, "Plus, I raised Yuugi."

"Jii-chan!" Yuugi protested from his chair.

"So, what were you going to do with my card?"

Seto stared at his hands clasped tightly in his lap. "I don't know what I would have done with it," he admitted. Yuugi's grandfather looked surprised.

"Then why…?" Yuugi asked.

Seto looked up at both of them. Really all he wanted to do was go back to the orphanage, get in bed, fall asleep, and never wake up. He suddenly felt exhausted. He rubbed his eyes. "I did want it for my brother, that was true," Seto started. "But I wasn't going to sell it. I don't even know what I would have done, like I said."

"Does your brother duel?" Yuugi's grandfather asked.

Seto shook his head. "No. But when we were younger, I did. I didn't have good cards, but both of us knew about the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. I wanted one, even though they were rare. Once…" Seto trailed off. He certainly wasn't going to tell them that he was a Kaiba for three years of his life. Neither of them would believe it. "…I was having a hard time in school, and my brother made one for me to tell me that he believed in me. That I would one day be worthy of owning one. He inspired me to keep going, even though I didn't think I could."

Both Yuugi and his grandfather stared at Seto. Seto hated the pity in their eyes. He used to be somebody, a Kaiba, and no one pitied him. Even with his sad story about losing his parents and caring for his brother, he was a success. No one cared where you came from when you had power.

But now? He was a useless nobody. Some people felt bad for them, but most people didn't care. Seto thought the pity was almost worse.

"I understand that stealing your card doesn't make me worthy of having it," Seto continued. "I'm sorry, Mutou-san."

"Does your brother live with you?" Yuugi asked suddenly.

"Yuugi!" His grandfather scolded, but the question didn't bother Seto.

"No. I haven't seen him in two years," he answered.

Yuugi's grandfather studied him, as if he was seeing into his heart. "Well, you're right," he finally said. "Stealing a card does not make you worthy of owning it. But, no harm was done. I forgive you. No hard feelings, alright?" Seto nodded, suddenly unable to speak. He realized it must be getting late, and if he didn't get back to the orphanage in time, he would miss dinner.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused, Mutou-san," Seto said as he stood up. "But I should be going."

"Alright, I suppose it is getting late," Yuugi's grandfather said. "I'm sure I'll see you again."

Seto nodded. "Thank you for forgiving me." He turned to leave.

"Takahashi-kun," Sugoroku called. Seto stopped. "I think I should tell you, but I don't duel anymore either. I keep that card not because of its power, but because it was a gift from a dear friend."

"Thank you, jii-san. Goodbye," Seto called as he started down the stairs.

Yuugi followed him down to the game shop. "See you at school tomorrow, Seto-kun!" Yuugi said as he locked the front door.

"Bye, Yuugi-kun."

—

To Seto's surprise, Yuugi was friendly to him at school the next day. He hoped Yuugi hadn't told his friends about everything Seto said, because Anzu greeted him the next morning. Would she feel sorry for him now, too? Jounouchi and Honda eyed him suspiciously whenever Yuugi spoke to him, but otherwise ignored him.

School continued the same, but during late October, Seto's 16th birthday came. It mostly passed unnoticed, though one of the social workers at the orphanage pulled him into his office to discuss his plans for the future again. The orphanage was crowded, and though he didn't want to force Seto into something he wasn't ready for, he was happy to help Seto find a new living arrangement, he could even help him find financial aid, if he wanted it.

Normally Seto would have found the meddling annoying, but he was ready to leave the orphanage once and for all. This time, he wouldn't be able to come back.

So one cold Sunday in early November, Seto moved his one sad suitcase into his new apartment. The only furniture was a futon and a dresser that had been donated. Not much else changed, he still worked at the grocery store and attended school. Seto never considered if he would be lonely, and it's not as if he missed the other children at the orphanage, but living alone made it that much more obvious that his brother was somewhere else. True, Mokuba probably never had to worry about if the meat in the fridge would spoil before dinner, or if he was suddenly going to find himself without heat, but maybe he missed Seto too.

Life went on.

—

In December, people all over the city buzzed with the news of Gozaburo's death. A heart attack, they said.

"But who will replace him?"

"Well, I heard he has a son. That's who will be the next president."

"How old is his son, anyway? 13? 14?"

Mokuba turned 11 in July, Seto thought angrily as he heard two older men discussing his younger brother's future as if they were chatting about the weather.

It seemed that the whole city shut down for the funeral. Seto lingered in a department store long enough to watch some of the live coverage on TV. Normally he wouldn't care about some businessman's funeral, but he watched anxiously, looking for Mokuba.

There! Mokuba was there, standing next to the casket. The dutiful son, grieving his father. His third parent to die, Seto thought sadly. Mokuba wouldn't remember their mother's funeral; he was just a baby. At their father's funeral, he bounced wildly from being inconsolably sad to thrilled all the adults were doting on him. He had still been too young to understand the gravity of the situation.

Seto had been too. (He just didn't know it at the time.)

Seto thought Mokuba looked too thin. He should have been eating more. Why weren't they feeding him? His hair was shorter, too. Seto wondered whose decision that had been. Mokuba always liked having longer hair.

The news of Gozaburo's death dominated the news for about a week. Seto gathered as much as he could from newspapers: obviously Mokuba was too young to run the business, so Daimon, one of the board of directors, would likely be named the president.

Life went on for everyone else, and Seto realized he hadn't heard anything about Kaiba Corp for a while, but he found an abandoned newspaper at a bus stop in March and decided to flip through for any news. After scanning a few pages, he found it. Tucked away in the business section, barely filling a column of the page:

KAIBA CORP HEIR KIDNAPPED!

Seto read the headline a few times. He didn't feel anything. Mokuba wasn't his family anymore, but someone had kidnapped him. His body went cold, just as it had on the day Gozaburp kicked him out of the family. Seto barely made it off the sidewalk before he threw up into a bush.

—

Seto could think of nothing else for the next few weeks. He read as much as he could from newspapers, even staying late at school one afternoon to use the school's computers for research. What he found was this: Industrial Illusions, a gaming company, wanted Kaiba Corp's Solid Vision technology for Duel Monsters. The president, Pegasus J. Crawford, a man not much older than Seto, had been in negotiations with Kaiba Corp's board of directors for the rights. Pegasus wasn't getting what he wanted, so he made a final offer: give me what I want or I will take something of yours. Which, of course, meant Mokuba. Even though none of the board of directors cared about him. Why would Pegasus think his little brother would make a good bargaining chip?

Seto thought about this all the time. Why Mokuba? What did he have to do with this? Of course, he was Gozaburo's son, but with Gozaburo dead, he had no other family to advocate for him. No one would miss him.

"…and it's hosted by Industrial Illusions!" Yuugi was saying one day during lunch. Seto's head whipped around so fast the girl sitting next to him jumped.

"What about them?" Seto asked loudly, crossing the room in a few strides to stand near Yuugi. Somehow, Yuugi didn't seem bothered that he had inserted himself in the conversation.

"Oh, do you know Industrial Illusions? The company that produces Duel Monsters? Well, they're hosting a tournament on the company president's private island." Yuugi explained.

"Pegasus?" Seto hissed.

"Yeah, him," Yuugi nodded. "I'm hoping I get invited! I think you would need to be nationally ranked, but Jii-chan might be able to get an invitation because he sells Duel Monster cards."

A tournament? On Pegasus's island? Is that where he's keeping Mokuba?

"You think you can handle a tournament, Takahashi?" Jounouchi challenged. "Do you even duel?"

"Shut up," Seto muttered. "It's not like you've been invited, either." Jounouchi growled.

Maybe it was time for Seto to pick up games again.

—

As the Duelist Kingdom tournament drew closer, Seto began collecting cards. He now knew a little more about magic and trap cards, but didn't have a lot of time to practice. He almost asked Yuugi to trade cards a few times, but got embarrassed at the last minute. Then, the week before the tournament started, something about Yuugi changed. He acted more subdued and he gained an air of urgency when he talked about the tournament.

Friday, hours before the boat to Pegasus' private island would leave, Seto decided it was now or never.

"Yuugi-kun," he said, after school ended. Yuugi looked up at him; he looked exhausted but smiled at Seto.

"Ah, Seto-kun," he greeted. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes," Seto said. "I was hoping to go to your grandfather's shop. I'm looking for a few cards."

Yuugi blinked, looking sad suddenly. "Well, you're welcome to come to the shop. But my grandfather isn't well right now."

Seto felt a pang of guilt. He knew it couldn't be related to anything he had done, but he still felt guilty for running off with the old man's treasured card. "Oh? I'm sorry to hear that, Yuugi-kun."

Yuugi's expression darkened. "It's okay. I'll win this tournament and save him," he said, more to himself than to Seto. Seto blinked. Could Pegasus have done something to Yuugi's grandfather as well?

"In that case, good luck in the tournament. I'll see you there," Seto said, walking away.

"Wait!" Yuugi called. "You're going to Duelist Kingdom?"

Not officially, Seto thought. "Yes."

—

When Seto left school, he headed to the grocery store. One last shift before saving Mokuba. The evening seemed to last forever, but at least his boss let him take some snacks for his weekend away. His boss had two teenage sons who liked Duel Monsters, so he didn't seem surprised when Seto told him why he wouldn't be working that weekend.

Finally, he headed back to his apartment. It was time to change out of his work uniform and leave. Everything he needed for the weekend would fit easily in his backpack- water, food, maybe a clean shirt. But as he approached his apartment, he saw something taped to the door.

But I paid rent already, Seto thought. God, that's the last thing he needed. Even though Seto had no intention of actually participating in the tournament, he still thought of ways he could leave the island with the cash prize.

It was a plain white envelope. Something from the mail? But there was no address or name. He could feel something inside, smaller but thicker than a piece of paper. He opened it.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon fell out.

Seto looked around frantically, as if he would see a hidden camera from a game show. Yuugi? How would he have found Seto's apartment? Was this a trick? But there wasn't time to dwell on it. He had to save his brother.

Maybe he could be the kind of person who deserved to use this card, after all.

—

Finding the ship was easy. Finding other duelists was easy.

The hard part was finding someone small enough for Seto to take down without difficulty. He would have to knock them out in one blow and take their ticket for the tournament before they could call out for help. He stood behind a shipping container and watched the duelists walk by.

Finally, he spotted a skinny kid who must have been at least a foot shorter than him. He had a bowl cut and glasses; Seto was pretty confident he could manage to take this kid easily. Seto pulled a knit cap over his hair and shrugged out of the windbreaker he was wearing. He crept up behind the kid and quickly grabbed him by the throat. One hand went over the kid's mouth while he dragged him by the neck and threw him against a wall.

The kid struggled a bit, but Seto was strong enough to hold him. "Sorry," he said to the kid. "But I need this more than you." He then slammed the kid's head against the wall, knocking him out cold. Seto then dragged the body over to an alley created by the large shipping containers and quickly searched through the kid's pockets until he found it: a glove, some star-shaped tokens, and two entry cards.

"Sorry," he said again. I'm coming, Mokuba.

—

On the ship to the tournament, Seto easily spotted Yuugi, and somehow Jounouchi. He wasn't invited, Seto thought bitterly. You weren't, either, he reminded himself. Still, he didn't really want to see them. He felt his deck in his windbreaker pocket.

He wanted to ask Yuugi about it, because surely this had to be the Blue-Eyes White Dragon that belonged to his grandfather. But at the same time, if he mentioned it, maybe Yuugi would change his mind and take it back. And still, he didn't want to hear the sympathy in Yuugi's voice as he told him to use it. "Go on, Seto-kun, you can borrow it. Maybe this will be your lucky break!" Yuugi might say.

As if him saving Mokuba was going to be luck.

So he stayed hidden for most of the evening, camouflaged by the crowds of teenage boys like him, excited for a weekend away from home, and chores, and annoying little sisters. Still, it got exhausting after a while, especially when the other duelists asked him about himself. He could only listen to the same conversation so many times:

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Isn't this cool? Hey, what are you going to do with the prize money?"

"Did you see Kujaku Mai is here? She's so hot!"

"I heard Insector Haga was invited! And Dinosaur Ryuuzaki!"

"That's so awesome! Hey, has anyone actually seen Haga?"

It got old. So Seto walked out to the deck of the ship and listened to the waves splash against the hull. It was soothing, though he didn't even realize he was nervous. Why wouldn't he be? This would be his only chance to save Mokuba, when Mokuba might not even be on the island. And besides, Mokuba wouldn't even have been kidnapped if Seto hadn't messed up and failed in his plan to take over Kaiba Corp. If Seto has still been a member of the Kaiba family, he would have protected Mokuba. Mokuba was only in trouble because he had messed up when he was fourteen. What fourteen-year-old could organize a plan to take over an international company, anyway?

"Oi, Takahashi," Jounouchi called, interrupting Seto's thoughts. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" Seto countered, but without any real fire. Jounouchi and Yuugi walked up to Seto and gazed out at the dark ocean.

"I didn't know you dueled," Jounouchi said. "But I guess I should have known when I saw you take off with that Blue-Eyes."

"Jounouchi-kun," Yuugi warned. Seto flushed, still ashamed of what he'd done. That alone almost gave him the courage to ask Yuugi about the card he'd received, but Yuugi continued before he could. "I'm here because Pegasus did something to my Grandpa. He says he took his soul, and I don't know if that's true, but this is the only chance I have at saving him. Pegasus wants to duel me for some reason, and now my Grandpa is in trouble. I don't know what your reasons are for coming, but I hope you get what you need."

Seto was stunned. Yuugi's words encouraged him to speak. "Pegasus kidnapped my brother," Seto started. Yuugi and Jounouchi both stared at him, but he looked straight ahead at the ocean. "It's because of me that no one was around to protect my brother, and even though I let him down in the past, I'm the only one that cares enough to help him." Seto finally looked at them, and he thought he saw something soften in Jounouchi's gaze.

"You mentioned your brother before," Yuugi said softly. "But what would Pegasus want with him?"

Would they believe him? No. But Seto knew that lying wouldn't help him. After all, he had lied to Mokuba and look at where it landed him. Seto took a deep breath. "My brother is Kaiba Mokuba. I think Pegasus wants to use him to convince Kaiba Corporation to give him the technology he wants."

Yuugi and Jounouchi just blinked. "Uh…You're related to the Kaibas?" Jounouchi asked doubtfully. Yuugi looked skeptical.

"Not by blood," he explained. "My brother and I were adopted by Kaiba Gozaburo when I was ten. He was training me to be the next president of Kaiba Corp, but I was miserable. So I decided to try and seize power from him. I failed, and he kicked me out of the family. I lost everything. But my brother was allowed to stay, since he didn't know of my plan."

Jounouchi still looked like he didn't believe him, but Yuugi was nodding. "That must have been terrible, Seto-kun." Seto hated that Yuugi felt sorry for him, but Yuugi was right: it was terrible.

"No one else knows that. I expect both of you to keep quiet about all of this," Seto warned them. "I'm not here to participate in the tournament. I am here to rescue my brother. And if either of you stands in my way, I will do everything I can to defeat you."

Jounouchi held up his hands nervously. "Hey, don't worry, we all have our reasons for being here," he said. "Good luck."

Seto nodded and Jounouchi and Yuugi before he walked away. Only a few more hours.

—

When the ship disembarked, Seto followed the other duelists to the entrance of Pegasus's castle. Pegasus himself appeared and greeted them, but Seto didn't hear any of it over his anger.

After the tournament started, Seto snuck into the woods near the castle. Even though he now had a powerful card in his deck, he didn't have time to try and duel his way in. He waited in the woods an hour or so, then tousled his hair and rubbed some dirt onto his pants.

Here goes nothing. "Hey! Help me!" Seto yelled as he limped up to the man guarding the castle. The man stared at him as he hobbled up the stairs.

"What's wrong with you?" said the guard. He had brown hair and sunglasses.

"Please! I need to see a doctor, I fell and hurt my ankle in the woods," Seto begged. The guard stared at him. "Come on, I know you have to have some kind of doctor here!"

The guard sighed. "You're lucky it's not time for the finals yet," he said. He opened the door and Seto limped after him. He led Seto from the grand entrance hall of the castle, past a stage with an extravagant dueling table, down into a stone passageway. Suddenly, the man's earpiece beeped. "What?" he barked. "Fine," he turned to Seto. "There's an infirmary in this hall. Next door on the right. I expect to see you leaving the castle in an hour."

Seto nodded. "Yeah, thanks man!" For once, something went better than he planned. As soon as the guard left the passage, Seto bolted down the opposite direction. The hall had few doors and no windows, but would fork into two or three other halls from time to time. Seto considered that Mokuba must be held in one of the towers, which were on the west side of the castle. Seto considered his options and decided to stay to the left of the passages.

Finally, Seto found a staircase. He walked carefully up, as the stairs spiraled around. Yes, this was definitely a tower. It kept going, and going, until finally Seto emerged in an alcove. There was a door with a comically large lock on it.

Unfortunately, there was another guard sitting in front of it. This one seemed surprised that someone made it up to him, because he didn't react for a few seconds.

"I, uh, got lost," Seto explained. The guard, who had dark green hair and a thin mustache leapt up from his seat.

"I think you should leave," he said.

Seto thought for a second. This guy must be trained in hand-to-hand combat, and possibly had a gun, but it's not like Seto was going to give up. "No," he said quietly. "Sorry about this."

Before the guard had a chance to say anything else, Seto grabbed the guard's head and brought his face down onto Seto's raised knee. Seto hadn't practiced that move in a while, but the guy seemed to be bleeding quite a lot and Seto's knee didn't hurt too much, so he guess he must have done it right. There was a key sitting on the ground next to where the guy had been sitting, so Seto grabbed it. Sure enough, it unlocked the door. Seto pushed it open.

It was a small circular room, with a nightstand, a chair, and a bed.

A bed with Mokuba sitting on it.

"Mokuba," Seto breathed as he sank to his knees. "Mokuba."

Mokuba's eyes narrowed, then widened. He stood up. He had grown a bit. His hair was short, almost buzzed, and he looked thin. But his eyes were still the same gray. Seto would recognize him anywhere. "Seto?" he asked cautiously. He took a step towards Seto.

"Yeah, it's me," Seto couldn't speak louder than a whisper. Mokuba kept walking towards him. "Mokuba, I-"

He was cut off by Mokuba's knee slamming into his face.

Just like he had done to the guard outside, he realized as he sank backwards, unconscious.

—

When Seto woke up, he found he was still in the circular room. Mokuba was still there with him, but now the guard from outside the room (with a heavily swollen nose) was in there too.

And Pegasus.

"Oh, you're awake!" Pegasus cheered when Seto stirred. "Oh, what a mess! Clean him up," Pegasus said to the guard, who grunted and began wiping the blood of Seto's face. He wasn't exactly gentle, but Seto didn't blame him. Seto noticed that Mokuba was eyeing him suspiciously.

"Well, Seto-boy, I have to applaud you for getting this far," Pegasus said cheerfully. "Would you like to tell me why?"

Seto realized he hadn't told Pegasus his name, but didn't question it. "I came to rescue my brother," he said boldly. Mokuba recoiled at his words and Seto couldn't help feeling hurt.

"Oh? Mokuba is your brother? Kaiba Mokuba?" Pegasus gasped, but Seto couldn't help but feel like he was faking it.

"Yes, he is," Seto said as he rose to his feet. "I'm the only one who cares about him, and I'm here to bring him back."

Mokuba bristled. "You don't care about me!" Mokuba shouted. "You blamed me for your plan not working! But it was your own fault!"

"Mokuba, I…" Seto started. How could he explain it to Mokuba, who had been stewing in his hurt for two years? "I did everything I could. I wanted to be free of Gozaburo, and I had to make it seem like you were interfering. That was, if I failed-"

"And you did!" Mokuba spat.

"-Then you wouldn't be kicked out of the family. Just me," Seto said. "I'm sorry."

Mokuba still looked angry. Pegasus, however, looked thrilled. "Oh, what a mess," he lamented, barely concealing his glee. "Two brothers, separated by their cruel father, one forced to live in an orphanage where he once had his little brother as his only friend! The other, abandoned by his nii-sama who swore to protect him!" Pegasus sighed dramatically. What? How did he know any of that? Seto thought.

The guard shifted. "What do you want me to do, Pegasus-sama? Throw him out?"

"Oh, definitely," Pegasus answered. "Yes, send him back on the next boat. I'll take your stolen gauntlet and star chips." Shit, how did he know that? The guard immediately grabbed Seto by the shoulder.

"Wait!" Seto cried. Mokuba's anger, the pain in his nose, the fact that he failed again came crashing down on him. He inhaled, though it sounded more like a sob. The guard actually stopped. "Mokuba, I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't be your father. I'm sorry I broke my promise," Seto was finding it hard to breathe. "I don't know what Gozaburo told you about that day, but I swear, I only wanted to protect you. And my actions are the reason why he only sent me back to the orphanage, and not you. It doesn't matter to me that we're not family anymore. You're still my little brother."

The guard raised his eyebrows, but Pegasus watched with mild interest. Mokuba's expression was blank. "Seto," Mokuba breathed.

"Well, how touching!" Pegasus exclaimed. "Now, before we send you back to that sad life of yours, I have to commend you on your Solid Vision system."

Seto blinked. "How did you know it was mine?"

"Please, you think I believed that caveman Gozaburo created it? The patents all say his name, but I know it's yours," Pegasus said. "You know English, right? Come to California after you graduate high school. I'm sure we can find something for you at Industrial Illusions. Here, take my card."

Pegasus slipped the business card in Seto's pants pocket, and before Seto could respond, the guard forced him out the door and down the stairs.

Life went on.

—

Yuugi, a completely unknown competitor, somehow made it to the Duelist Kingdom finals. Jounouchi, who was even less recognizable, somehow made it too. No one could have expected that Yuugi would ruthlessly beat Kujaku Mai, or that Bandit Keith would be disqualified due to cheating, and that two best friends would face off in the semifinals.

Yuugi won, and faced Pegasus. In the end, if you asked Yuugi how he did it, he would humbly say that he fought his best and believed in his cards.

But really, Yuugi didn't remember much of his duel. It felt like every time he blinked, a different set of monsters were on the field. Pegasus must have used some kind of magic, because Yuugi felt like he was in a dream the whole time. Still, his disjointed mind must have stopped Pegasus from using the magic that took his Grandpa's soul. But it really wouldn't have mattered- not even being able to read Yuugi's mind could have stopped him from drawing the fifth piece of Exodia, right when he had given up hope.

It was the first time anyone had successfully summoned Exodia the Forbidden One. But Yuugi believed in his cards, so it happened.

Mutou Sugoroku woke up in the hospital that same day.

Life went on.

—

Seto found himself at Kame Game Shop about a week after the end of Duelist Kingdom. Even though his plan to rescue Mokuba had failed, Seto read in the newspaper recently hat Mokuba had been returned safely to the Kaiba home. He knew that Yuugi's grandfather was home from the hospital, and spring was here. Things were going alright.

"Good afternoon, Seto-kun," Sugoroku greeted him when he entered the store.

"Good afternoon," Seto nodded. "I need to return something to you," he said. He presented the envelope containing the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Sugoroku opened the envelope. He seemed confused for a second. "Oh, right," he said. "Yuugi mentioned…well, it doesn't matter. You know, I think you should keep it."

Seto wasn't sure if he heard correctly. "What?" He exclaimed. "But…I didn't even duel with it."

"I don't duel with it, either," Sugoroku reminded him. "It clearly means a lot to you. Keep it."

"But you said it was a gift from a friend," Seto said. He was stunned.

"Yes," Sugoroku said. "But really, my memories with my friend are more precious than this card. He would understand, I assure you." Seto was still unconvinced, but Sugoroku handed the card back to him. "This card means a lot to you. Hopefully it will remind you of the good times with your little brother."

Seto had a lump in his throat. "Thank you," he managed.

—

Two years later, Seto contacted Pegasus. Half of his expected Pegasus to have forgotten who he was, but to his surprise, Seto received a one-way ticket to San Francisco in the mail a few days later. He would be leaving right after graduation.

Somehow word got around to Yuugi, who congratulated him. Yuugi had grown up quite a bit over the years, and he no longer wore his ridiculous gold pendant. Even though he never admitted to it, and Seto never asked how or why he did it, he still felt grateful to Yuugi for leaving him the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. It was mainly symbolic, Seto never really took up dueling again, but having the card around did indeed remind him of when Mokuba was the most important thing in his life.

And he still saw Mokuba in the news from time to time, and he still hoped that one day he could see Mokuba in person, but it didn't hurt as much as it used to.

The weeks passed quickly, and then Seto found himself at the airport. He had closed the lease on his apartment, packed all of his belongings into a suitcase; once again he would be leaving his old life behind, but this time he truly did think he might be headed for something better.

For the first time since he held the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Seto felt hopeful. He felt alive.

"Now boarding…" Seto heard on the loudspeaker. He gathered his bag and lined up at the gate.

Life did indeed go on.

—

Well. I feel bad for exploring all the ways Seto would be a different character if Mokuba hadn't come through for him, but there you have it. (For the record, I don't think Mokuba purposely withheld his shares from Seto, but Gozaburo made sure he stayed away from the meeting.) And, I like to think that eventually, Mokuba does contact Seto and the establish some kind of relationship.

1. I had to think of a new surname for Seto. Honestly, I found a like of common Japanese surnames. Takahashi was #3 on the list, which I thought was appropriate.

2. Seto's personality would be hugely different. Yes, a lot of what made him…uh, the Kaiba Seto we're all familiar with happened before Gozaburo's death, but I think failure (and returning to the orphanage) would take away just about all of his pride and bravado. He's obviously a lot less ridiculous here.

2a. There could be an alternate version of this (AAU?) where Seto is in debt for the rest of his life. That's something Gozaburo threatens at the meeting, but I don't think I could be that mean.

3. Seto doesn't rip the BEWD. In the anime, he destroys it because he already has 3 and the 4th would be an "enemy." But this time, he doesn't have anything. He's still drawn to it, for lots of reasons, but he's not going to rip it up.

4. I don't think Seto and Jounouchi would really trust each other, but this time, Seto really doesn't have an upper hand over Jounouchi. He's smarter, but not necessarily stronger, and definitely not richer. At least Jounouchi has some contact with his sister!

5. Seto wasn't at DK for the most part, but it would still be different. Seto and Yuugi don't duel before reaching Pegasus's castle. That's the duel that made Yuugi completely aware of Atem's presence. He'll still figure it out, just not until later. I think that would cause him to defeat Mai more soundly, because she could have easily won in their duel.

5a. Yes, Seto knocked out Haga and stole his stuff.

5b. Fugata and Isono are Pegasus's guards. They're not in any of the Gozaburo flashbacks, so I assume Seto hired them after his takeover. Also, some of Gozaburo's security ends up working for Pegasus. That never happens if Seto doesn't take over (and fire everyone).

6. Rebecca still comes to collect the BEWD for her grandfather, but Sugoroku just doesn't have it. Atem was the one who gave it to Seto, and Yuugi doesn't find out until later.

7. Battle City? Yes, I still think Yuugi would collect all of the Millenium Items, and a lot of that starts in Battle City. There may be some tournament where he meets Malik, but it wouldn't be hosted by Kaiba Corp. Maybe less people would end up in the hospital? Seto may regain some memories of himself as the Priest, but his rivalry with Yuugi would not really exist. Isis decides to not involve Seto. (I have mixed feelings about that part, though.)