Chapter One: American on the windowsill

Name: Kaiba Seto

Age: 70

Birth date: October 25, 1990

Current Residence: Japan (city withheld)

Origin: Tokyo, Japan

Living Family: Kaiba Mokuba (Brother); Jounouchi Katsuya (Master & Mate)

Parents: Same and Lain Chimata (Biological- dead); Gozaburo Kaiba (Adopted- dead)

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Blue

Height: 186 cm (Six ft, one in.)

Weight: 65 Kg (143 lbs.)

Identifying Marks: Three small scars on left side of the neck; White scar across stomach

Begin Entry

Well, here you go Mokuba.  I hope you're happy, because I haven't a clue why you want me to write this.  I had practically nothing to do with any of it; you were far more involved than I was.  But if you insist…

I suppose it would sound clichéd to say that it was a dark and stormy night.  Actually, it wasn't stormy at all and dark seems a little redundant as it was night.  Isn't that the definition of night?  When the sun does not shine and it's dark?  Hold on a second and I'll look it up.  Here: night (nīt), n. [AS. neaht, niht.] 1. The time from dusk to dawn, when no light of the sun is visible. And so on, and so forth.

But I digress.  From the beginning, again.

The day everything began, as I remember it, --God, what a pathetic beginning--wasn't special.  It wasn't my birthday.  It wasn't the anniversary of my biological parents passing.  It wasn't the day my adopted father kicked the bucket.  Nothing special.  It was just a normal Thursday evening.  Or maybe it was a Friday?  Jou thinks it was a Friday.  I'll go with that, since I can't remember anymore.  I suppose give anything fifty years and you'll forget details like that.

At any rate, I was typing on the computer, filling out forms and checking a few financial reports, while you were watching the news.  In theory, so was I, but I didn't really pay attention, unless you said something about one of the stories. 

You said something.

"Hey, Seto?"

"Hn?"

"What do you think about the murders?"

"What murders?"

"Haven't you heard?  Within the past three weeks there have been twenty murders in the Tokyo area."

"So?  Perhaps it's gang violence or a minor war between drug lords.  It's not like our murder rate is zero."

"But all the victims were found with at least one set of puncture wounds and the bodies were drained of blood!  The police think it's some sort of serial murder or strange new cult!  But some people think that it's a string of vampire murders!  Vampires, Seto, vampires!"  You grinned, as you stood up on the sofa and began to bounce around.  Flapping your arms wildly, you pushed his top jaw out so your incisors rested in front of your bottom lip.  "I'm Dracula!"

"You're hyper.  Now, sit down before I throw out all the soda in the house.  I mean it, Mokuba.  Stop jumping on the sofa, or I'll disconnect your Playstation Three for the next week."  I frowned.

"You're no fun."  You huffed as you jumped one last time and flopped down onto the sofa.  "But really.  Isn't it exciting?  Vampires!"

"Mokuba, please act your age.  There's no such thing as vampires, and you know it."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"And, of course, you know everything about everything."  You laughed while rolling your eyes.

"Naturally."  I smirked.  We sat in silence for a few more minutes and the phone rang.  Walking over to the TV, you tensed and waited for the phone to ring.  It rang.  Running forward to gather speed, you vaulted over the back of the sofa and slid down the tiled hallway, grabbing the phone as you passed.  I made a note to myself to decrease your sugar intake and speak with your doctor about sedatives.

There was a muffled thump and then I could hear an equally muffled conversation between you and the person on the other end.  I decided I had worked enough for the night and shut down my laptop.  Getting up, I walked over to turn off the television and turned just as you re-entered the room.

"Seto?"  You asked as you walked into the room, rubbing your left knee.  "That was Yugi.  Can I go over to his house?  He invited me to spend the night."

"How do you plan on getting there?"

"Uh, walk?  It isn't even a mile to his place."  You shrugged.  "Well?  Can I?  Can I?  Can I?  Please?  Please, please, please?!"

"You're like an eager puppy, Mokuba."

"Please?"  You begged, hugging me around my waist.

"Oh all right.  Go get your stuff and I'll walk you."

I was a little worried about you, I'll admit.  I didn't think anything would happen on our little 'excursion' and I may not have thought that vampires existed, but it was late and dead bodies are dead bodies no matter how you look at it.

We made it to Yugi's house without much trouble. 

Well, it wasn't really a house, if you'll remember.  At the time, Yugi lived over a store in the downtown area.  Yugi owned and ran the store after his grandfather had willed it to him.  Beats me how your friend managed the shop and school (not that I really should be talking), but his grades weren't spectacular either way.  Ryou and Honda, two of yours and Yugi's friends were already there. 

I have to say that I should have sensed something was messing with those two already.  They moved with a fighter's grace.  They never stumbled or tripped.  They never knocked anything over and their reflexes were great.  Funny, I usually hate mysteries, but I had never investigated them.  I took it for granted that Honda was a fighter.  He always had a bruise or cut from a street fight and Ryou was always suffering from the wounds inflicted by bullies, but street fighting and bullies shouldn't have been problems for fighters with their… prowess.  Hn, how naive we all were.

So, there I was, standing in the game shop, reminding you to get more than two hours of sleep because we had a meeting with your English tutor, Ms. Smith, the next day.  Your friends looked on with knowing smiles, and there was a knock at the door.  Ryou hopped off the counter to get the door, but Yugi just called out for the person to come in.

At that point, I think all our lives officially began to suck.

The door opened and three (or maybe four?) men walked in.  They weren't old, but they weren't your age either.  I guess they were about my age, but they didn't 'feel' like it.  They exuded this air that people with bigger, better and faster cars radiate.  It was this sort of power that told you that getting in their way would be the biggest and last mistake you would make in your life.  The tallest one stepped forward and looked around the small shop.

"Come on, Keith."  One of the other men sighed, as he glanced back at the door.  He reached up and rubbed his right ear, pulling on the dangling earring.  "Let's just leave it.  Yami isn't going to be very happy with all this shit you're pulling."

"Hum, a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, ne?  A funny place to find two hunters, but I'm sure we can make due.  We could smell the two of you all the way down the street, so we decided to come check it out.  All those humans don't give us much of a fight.  Do you boys think you can do better?"  The man laughed, blatantly ignoring his friend who was looking more and more annoyed each second. 

"Keith."  The man growled but, after a moment, the annoyed man shrugged and leaned against the wall, evidently not willing to participate, but unwilling to leave.  I turned to watch the others in the room and pulled you a bit closer.  I shot a glance at Ryou and Honda who were both looking a bit nervous.

"Ryou, I didn't bring anything."  Honda whispered to the small albino boy.

"Neither did I."

"The clans won't be happy with us."

"On the bright side, we won't have to deal with them."  Ryou laughed faintly, as he took a defensive position and cautiously stepped towards the other group.

"Yeah, we'll both be dead."  Honda sighed as he moved to support Ryou.  "Yugi, call Otogi!  We're going to need some weapons and back up."

"Otogi?  Weapons?  But why?"  Yugi asked, looking confused.  "What's going on?"

"DO IT!"  Honda bellowed as he ran at the leader.  Ryou leapt over the leader's head and executed a series of quick blows that took down one of the other men, while Honda engaged the leader.  The leader suddenly threw Honda through the glass door and approached us.  He reached for you and I threw a punch at him, while twisting so that you were behind me.  Another man came to help his friend and Ryou started towards us, while kicking at the annoyed man.  Knocking Ryou's leg out of the way, the man grabbed Ryou's right arm and quickly twisted it.  I swear you could have heard Ryou's scream a block away.

"FUCKING VAMP!"  Ryou screamed as he clutched his right arm.

"Be glad I only broke you damn arm, hunter."  The man snorted.  "Keith, I'm leaving.  This carnage disgusts me.  You're on your own against Yami, too."

"Aw, shut your hole."  The leader snorted as he and his friend finally managed to pull you away from me.  My captor swept my legs out from under me as he held my hands behind my back and I found my face slammed into the floor.  My vision darkened as a form sat down on my back and I felt a hand ripping at my hair as my head was lifted up.  I could see the leader, Keith, clutching you to his chest.

"What… What are you?"  You asked as you struggled against Keith.

"A nightmare.  A child of the dark."  My captor laughed.

"A vampire.  And I can smell your blood, boy."  Keith grinned as he licked your neck.

"Let… LET HIM GO, YOU BASTARD!"  I cried as I struggled.

"Oh-ho!  It's a feisty one, Keith."  My captor giggled, before slamming my head into the ground again.  I could hear my brain shift as my head was brought up sharply to look at you and Keith.

"STOP!"  I could faintly hear you shout and I watched as you bent your head and roughly bit Keith on the arm.

"YOU FUCKING PUNK!"  Keith shouted as he grabbed you by the shirt and slammed your body into a wall twice.  You went limp, and Keith let you slid to the ground.  I whispered your name, but I knew you wouldn't respond when I saw the blood on your dark hair.

"Shit!"  My captor cried suddenly.  "There's another couple of those assholes coming.  Come on, Keith.  Let's go."

"Hn.  Fine.  You two are a pair of lucky buggers."  Keith grunted and he left with his friends.  Picking myself up, I crawled over to you and gently hit your cheeks, while checking your neck for a pulse.

"Mokuba?"  I whispered as Yugi cautiously came into the room and another boy helped Honda stagger into the shop.  "Come on, Mokuba.  Wake up."

"Umm… Se'?"

"Mokuba!  Hey!  Keep your eyes open."  I begged, but your eyes were already closing. 

"Is he alive?"  Yugi asked, and I shot him a glare.

"Don't just stand there, idiot!  Call a damn ambulance!  What the hell are you thinking?"  I hissed.

"Kaiba?" Ryou asked as he knelt next to me.  I turned to my gaze to him as Yugi ran off to the phone in his kitchen.  "What are you going to tell the doctors?"

"You'll be there, I'm sure you'll hear me."

"I'm not going to the hospital.  Neither is Honda."  Ryou sighed, brushing his white hair out of his face with his left hand.  "There would be certain questions we can't answer.  I'm asking you to tell the doctors that there was a street brawl and Mokuba was caught in it.  Don't tell the doctors about Keith and the other vampires, please?"

"Vampires?"

"That's what they were."  Ryou nodded, before looking up.  I could hear the sound of sirens approaching and Ryou stood up.  "I have to go.  Forgot about the attack."

I have to admit that the next hour was a complete blur.  Just a mess of lights, sounds, places, words and ideas.  I was told to sign papers and I ran down halls chasing after you as the hospital rushed to get you stabilized.  I was pushed in and out of rooms, given orders and forbidden to see you.  I saw the staff running, carrying tubes and wires.  Faces of doctors, other patients, nurses, volunteers and families ran past me in all different directions.  My only certain, steady, clear thought was that you had to pull through.

And then the doctor came to see me, as I sat outside shock trauma, waiting to be allowed in to see you.

"Kaiba Seto?"

"Yes?"  I asked, standing up.

"Come with me."  The doctor sighed and he led the way down a hall.  We finally reached a small room, just off the shock trauma wing and I looked in to see you lying on a bed.  You had two IVs and you were hooked up to a breathing apparatus.  "He need a few stitches to his head, but we managed to stop most of the external bleeding."

"When will he wake up?"  I asked, and I could feel the relief flooding me.  I had always thought it was a bad way to talk about it, but the feeling does just pour into you and cover you completely.

"He won't."

The feeling left just as soon as it had come.

"What?"

"There's massive internal bleeding and the hit caused severe brain damage.  Even if your brother were to wake up, he'd be nothing like he was before." 1

I didn't understand him.  The words were swirling around my head and I tried to grab them and understand them, but they always slipped through my fingers.

"I don't understand.  Talk in smaller words.  What's the bottom line?!"  I cried, wrenching my eyes away from your sleeping form.

"He's dying."

I think I screamed, but no one came running, so maybe I was only screaming in my head.

"You liar."

"I don't lie, Mr. Kaiba."  The doctor frowned.

"You have to be lying.  He's going to wake up and then we're going home.  So take your death sentence and shove it!"  I snarled at him.  "Now leave me alone.  I want to be alone with my brother."

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba."  The doctor sighed before he left.  I pulled a chair over and sat down next to you, before I reached out and touched your hand.  It was cold.  Rubbing your fingers, I squeezed them and tried to get a bit of circulation in them.

"Fuck, Mokuba.  You shouldn't be here, do you hear me?"  I whispered, as I closed my eyes.  "You should be at home.  I mean, I'm pretty worthless, aren't I?  I should have protected you.  I was right there, damn it!  Right there!  And I did nothing.  I mean… SHIT!"

I could feel a few hot, burning tears well up against my eyes and I wiped them away quickly, angry with myself for shedding them.

"Damn it, Mokuba.  Wake up!  Wake up right now, do you hear me?!  I am your brother, and you'd better do as I say!"  I shouted at you.  "Didn't you always say I get what I want?  Well, I want you to wake up!  Didn't you always say you'd help me get what I want?  I need you to wake up, damn it!  Didn't we always say that we'd be there for each other?  Well… I'm here.  Where the fuck are you?  Huh?  Where are you?!  WHERE, YOU STUPID BASTARD?!"

I bit my lip, running out of angry words to yell at both of us.

"And… and if you dare use any of those curse words… I'll take away your PS3."  I smiled faintly.

Let me now take a moment to point out that if you should hear a knock at a second floor window… at least take a look.  I say this based solely on my own personal experience and the theory that if your visitor has the time and dedication to climb up there, you should at least give them a chance.

In any case, I heard a knock at the window and I looked up to see a tall blond boy standing with only his toes on the shallow windowsill.  His hair was long and rather unkempt so that it hung in his face, obscuring his brown eyes.  He wasn't wearing much to keep out the fall winds; just a thin green jacket, a white T-shirt and a pair of rather old jeans.  His shoes were also old and falling apart, but he didn't seem to notice.  Perhaps his socks were abnormally thick.  He wasn't anything out of the ordinary really.  Turning the manual lock, I slid the window open and the boy managed to turn and sit down so that he was sitting on the sill with his back was pressed against the window frame.

"Hey."  The boy greeted me in heavily accented Japanese.  I decided he was an American, or had American roots, but my English wasn't good enough for me to speak to him in that.

"Hello."  I nodded back.

"Kaiba Seto, right?"  The boy asked, before extending his hand cautiously so he wouldn't fall off the sill.  I took the offered hand and shook it.  " Jounouchi Katsuya, call me Jou for short.  Everyone else does."

"Do you… want something?"

"Heard about your brother.  Tough shit to happen to a kid."

"Huh?"

"He was attacked, right?  Oh hell, it'd better be you.  I mean, I followed you here and I heard the doctor talking…" Jou trailed off, thinking to himself.

"My brother was attacked."  I sighed, trying to stop the kid from hurting himself.  "That's not on the official report though.  How'd you know?"

"Well, of course it's not on the report.  Not with two hunters as witnesses.  They like to keep this all hush-hush and shit.  Must be driving them up the fucking wall that they can't keep the murders under wraps."  Jou laughed to himself.

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Kid brother was attacked by a vampire right?"

"I… Who are you?"

"I told you.  I'm Jounouchi Katsuya.  Oh, I'm a vampire, too.  My master was there and asked me to check on you lot."  Jou let out a breath and we watched as the white mist blew away in the wind.  "Look, I've got an offer for you.  I'm a vampire."

"You mentioned."

"I can save your brother."

"What?  How?"  I asked, suddenly desperate.  "Where?  How much?"

"It's free, but… I'll need to take him away for a bit."  Jou admitted.

"What are you going to do?"

"Change him.  Into a vampire."

"Hell no.  I won't turn my brother over to become a bastardized… FREAK… like you!  He'd never accept it!  He might as well be dead!"  I snarled, as I turned away from the window and looked at you, biting my lip.  And when I looked down at you, I couldn't help but notice how still you were, barely breathing really.

I looked at the floor, not wanting to se how pale your skin was.  I hated it, the way your skin looked so dead.  It sickened me.  You weren't moving at all, nothing like your normal self.  You were never still, even when you slept.  I remembered how, when we were at the orphanage, you'd always hog the blankets and the bed.  You were… are… so alive.  I fucking hated it.  I hated the entire situation.  I hated that I was helpless and I hated that you were leaving me.  I needed you, still need you, and I knew it.

"Well… If you're sure…."  Jou began as he slid up the glass, trying to stand.

"Jou… if you change him, will he be like he was… before the attack?"

"For the most part, yes.  The external and internal bleeding will heal itself and so will the brain damage.  It'll be like he was never attacked, only he'll be a vampire."

"How long will you need him for?"  I asked softly, my decision already made.

"I'll only need him for a week, maybe two."  Jou shrugged.

"It's a deal."  I sighed, as I beckoned him inside.

"Uh, I can't."  Jou sighed.  "Just hand him out to me."

I looked at him oddly, but I reminded myself that if I didn't listen to this stranger, you would die for certain. 

"Can I come?"  I asked, touching your hand softly.

"Sure, but I'm going to be in a rush.  Changing is one thing, but we need him as a witness.  Plus, he's still a kid.  We're going to need to… what's the word?  Ah, educate.  We need to educate him, which is what I need the week or two for.  Come if you can keep up with me."  Jou grinned.

Nodding to show I understood, I pulled a couple plugs, unhooked you and brushed your hair out of your face, before handing you over to Jou.

'For him.  For Mokuba.  For Mokuba.  I'm doing this for Mokuba.'  I repeated to myself silently, over and over again.

"Take care of him."  I told him, my voice promising painful death if he disobeyed.

"No prob, Kaiba."  Jou grinned as he pulled your unconscious form to his chest.  Then, leaping high into the air, Jou flipped over and plummeted to the ground.

"MOKUBA!"  I screamed, as I leaned out the window, but as I searched for you and the stranger, I couldn't see anything.  At that moment, I thought I had lost you forever.

AN: When Seto talks about the second floor, that's the third floor for all us Americans.  The general way of counting in Europe is ground floor, first floor, etc. instead of first/ground floor, second floor, etc.  I'm not so sure about Japan, but I'm assuming it's the same.