Potential

By RWThunder

Chapter One – Touched

"Seto Kaiba, you idiot!" Yami looked up from his seat beside the hospital bed to see Mai Valentine standing over the young CEO's comatose form. Despite his famed composure, Yami felt himself jump slightly at the sudden sound of her voice interrupting his thoughts.

"How considerate, Mai," The former pharaoh said, smiling benignly up at her. His fellow duelist took the seat opposite his and leaned over the bed to examine the damage.

"How bad is it?" She asked, obviously flustered by concern. Yami sighed and shook his head.

"It's hard to say. The doctors got the bullets out but he's been passed out for hours. He's lost a lot of blood." The Egyptian's fierce eyes softened as he studied the blood-soaked bandages and the IV taped into Seto's hand.

"But the girl who did it…" Mai pressed.

"They have no idea what their relationship was. Only Seto would know. I'm betting she was just a nobody, some crazy fan or the like." Yami leaned back in his chair.

"Or rather, you hope he didn't know her." The blonde smiled mischievously at her companion. Yami instantly became tense and sat forward again.

"Mai I wish you would not speak of such things." He kept still as his soul died a thousand deaths under her scrutiny.

"Come on, Yami, you can talk about it with me. I am your reincarnated mother, after all." She laughed, running her fingers through her blonde locks that so resembled his own. When he remained silent, Mai became serious again, reaching across the bed to cover one his hands with hers. "Yami, hun, why else would you come here?" Yami cursed mentally.

Why had he come? Looking back, it was hard to understand his motives—all of them, at least.

Initially, he'd gone to the hospital as soon as he heard what had happened. Mokuba had called Yugi in a frenzy, claiming that Seto had been injured somehow. The rest of his aibou's friends had spent the next couple minutes caught in a hectic chain of phone calls during which Yami felt the urge to see the ailing CEO.

When he reached the hospital, the chaos caused by the press was such that Yami was able to slip inside the emergency room unnoticed by security and make his way to the room where Seto had just entered out of surgery. According to the nurse, he had been shot five times in the chest by an unnamed assailant and somehow…was still alive.

It had been hard to process Yami's feelings upon hearing this; his history with Seto, for the most part, did not correspond with the emotion he felt upon learning what had befallen the brunette.

After learning what more he could from the hospital staff, Yami had let himself into Seto's room, mentally sending Yugi the raw knowledge of his whereabouts to ensure that he would not be bothered by his hikari's concern.

It had been strange to see Seto in such a way. Upon entering the room, Yami had stood for a good ten minutes, just looking, before he finally cleared his head and sat down. It made him hurt somehow to see his only equal in Duel Monsters in such a state.

Seto Kaiba was proud, bold, and completely untouchable. He had enough money to own Japan and held an impressive monopoly on the Duel Monsters franchise in his grip—he was only eighteen years old.

But the man Yami saw, lying amidst the blood and the white-wash sheets was different. The way he perceived his young acquaintance was quickly beginning to change. The person swathed in bandages was not Yami's arch rival. He was not a threat in any way. He was exposed, disarmed, vulnerable—human.

The image of the high-and-mighty CEO was fading quickly from the spirit's mind to be replaced by a caring brother, a responsible businessman, and more importantly—a fellow human in pain.

Somehow, for Yami, observing Seto's physical injuries opened his mind to the knowledge of the brunette's psychological wounds. For the first time that he could remember, Yami felt guilty. He had known just as much as the next person about Seto Kaiba's tragic childhood and upbringing—and what he knew should have been enough for the proud Egyptian to lower his guard somewhat.

Looking back, Yami saw that the way in which he dealt with Seto Kaiba was normally just as cold and defiant as the way the CEO treated him—only Seto was entitled. Seto's attitude and 'heartless' practices were probably the only things shielding his otherwise broken soul from utter insanity and despair.

When you have five-thousand years alone to yourself, you come to a few revelations. Many of the new morals and ideals Yami had adopted while imprisoned in the puzzle had been shamelessly thrown aside when it came to dealing with Kaiba.

The spirit supposed that in way, he had observed Seto's harsh countenance and antisocial tendencies as a cry for help—a cry that Yami felt powerless to answer. It was a terrible excuse for indulging Seto's misery the way that he did—the way that everyone did. It was almost as though he was aware of the truth about Kaiba, but reluctant to involve himself with the problems therein. It had been a cowardly thing to do.

He, the great and noble pharaoh had been just as hasty as his companions to name Seto a villain and effectively shut him out of his life. The older Kaiba had been boxed and labeled from the day he first introduced himself to Yami; it was this label that corresponded to the personality default the spirit created and had utilized during every encounter with the brunette—until now.

Now Seto was broken, battered, and just as outwardly wounded as he was on the inside. The pain that Yami and the rest of the world had ignored was now visible for all to see. Yami had forced himself to look at each of the five horrible abrasions in turn, hoping in some way to atone for his previous indifference regarding the CEO's well-being.

He had sat in that room for three hours—alone save for the nurses who routinely came to check on Seto or change his IV. During that time, most of Yami's cemented opinions and feelings concerning the young duelist had been destroyed, leaving the former pharaoh in a state of mental insecurity. He felt above all a burning sense of guilt and the knowledge that, for the moment, the confidence that had forged his being had abandoned him.

It was then that Mai arrived.

"Yugi says to tell you that Mokuba is almost through with the police and the press—everyone will be coming over soon." She got up and moved to the chair situated beside Yami, who had his eyes cast downward.

"Why aren't you with them?" He asked off-handedly, grateful that she could be here when he was feeling so vulnerable.

"Yugi told me you were here. I had a hunch that you'd be mentally berating yourself so I came as fast as I could—you can hide yourself from everyone else and probably even Yugi—but not from me." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Mai, I must tell you that it's becoming difficult to suppress my childhood affections for you. You must forgive me—I know better than anyone the difference between a person and their reincarnation." Yami replied, summoning what he hoped was a convincing smile.

"That's sweet, hun, and you should know that I feel the same way, but you're changing the subject—and you haven't answered my question." She said, giving him a hard look.

"What question?"

"Why are you here? This is Seto Kaiba lying there, right? Your supposed nemesis that you claim to feel nothing for?" She prompted.

"He's just a human, Mai, a living thing in pain." Yami answered coolly.

"Don't spit that love-for-humanity bullshit at me." The blonde retorted.

"It's not a lie."

"It's not the full truth, either." Their eyes locked.

"Mai, he was shot five times…" Yami said softly.

"And?" His fellow duelist gestured for him to continue.

"Anyone with a heart would be concerned." He finished simply.

"Concerned? The whole world is concerned—he's Seto Kaiba! But, not counting the media and the press, the whole world is not here at the hospital, are they? But you are, Yami. I'm guessing you've been here for hours. Enough games, what's going on?" The tone of her voice danced gracefully through the restrained inflections of anger straight into a genuine kindness that had Yami's heart pounding.

"Please, Yami, you have to open up to someone. It doesn't have to be me, but right now I don't trust you to approach someone yourself. You feel something for Seto, don't you? And I was only half-kidding about the reincarnated motherly love thing." Yami laughed.

"You remember more than I do, Mai." He said almost wistfully.

"Yeah, Isis showed me a ton of what happened, I really…hey—stop changing the subject!" She shoved him playfully before crossing her legs and waiting expectantly for the crash.

"I'm so selfish, Mai," Yami said quietly. "I chose to take the convenient road when it came to knowing Kaiba—I picked the way that was easiest for me because I was afraid of facing the pain he's been through and breaking through the walls that he hides behind."

"Hun, that's the path that everyone took—excluding Mokuba, that is, but they're brothers, Yami. It's only natural for us to make decisions that benefit ourselves first foremost, it's healthy—it's normal, Yami, and it's not necessarily bad." There was a pause as Yami breathed deeply, attempting to calm himself. Mai sighed.

"Yami, you are one of the most independent, upstanding, righteous people that I know—I don't need to tell you not to be guilty for sparing yourself a lot of needless stress on Kaiba's behalf. You have no obligations to him."

"I realize that and believe me, I know that you should never neglect yourself because of someone else but in Seto's case, it's just not acceptable for me to do that. I had to come here Mai, I knew it as soon as I heard. I feel like I've been running from this guilt for a long time but…I don't know where it came from. And yes, I've been here with him for three hours." He sighed and Mai chuckled softly.

"You're crazy, Yami."

"I like to call it tenderness, Mai." The Egyptian replied.

"And I call it love."

"What did you say…?" Just then, the door burst open and a tearful Mokuba threw himself into a chair beside his older brother's bed.

"What did they say? Have they said anything yet? The reporters asked if he was dying, I didn't know what to tell them…" His voice was shaking. Mai stood and wordlessly made her way over to the younger Kaiba, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"It's okay, they got the bullets out, I think he's just resting now." She gave Yami a quick look, exposing her fear for the brunette's life in a flash of concern and disparity. Then, she concentrated on Mokuba, soothing the youth to the best of her abilities.

"Come on, your brother's really tough, I doubt ten bullets would be enough to take him out—he only took five." She said jokingly, wiping away the raven-haired boy's tears with her handkerchief. "See that?" The blonde gestured to a small device located near Seto's head emitting a steady beeping sound. "That's his pulse—still going strong. Don't worry, kid, Seto's not going anywhere."

Mokuba gave her a watery smile and leaned his head against her shoulder, exhaling heavily. Then, he looked up and caught the spirit's gaze.

"Hey, Yami," he said, cracking a smile. The corner of the Egyptian's mouth twitched upward in response, his eyes softening as he looked back at Seto's younger brother.

"Hello, Mokuba." There was a brief peaceful silence during which Yami felt himself resonating with Seto's other mourners more than ever before. Then, once again, the door was practically knocked off of its hinges.

"Mokuba, is he okay?" Anzu rushed inside the small room followed by Yugi, Ryou, and an exasperated Bakura.

"Shit, this freak knew how to shoot." The tomb robber commented, leaning down to examine the wounds. Ryou yanked him back, rolling his eyes.

"You'll have to excuse him, Mokuba," the albino said gently. Mokuba surprised them all with a small laugh, looking at Bakura almost appreciatively—as if he was glad someone had broken the ice. Yami could understand how he felt. A grave situation such as this had Mokuba under a lot of stress—a joke placed strategically here and there could do a lot to lift the pressure he was feeling.

"The kid agrees with me," Bakura said defiantly, earning a light smack on the head from his scandalized hikari. Rubbing his head, he suddenly looked straight at Yami.

"So, who did it?" The former pharaoh unconsciously sat up straighter, an instinct that had survived a millennia specifically for dealing with the tomb robber.

"I know absolutely nothing about his assailant, only that it was a woman. As to their motives…I am as ignorant as you are." Suddenly, Yugi was standing beside his darker half.

"Have you been here this whole time?" He asked quietly as the others shared their speculations. Yami nodded, smiling tenderly at his liberator.

"Yes, aibou."

"I'm sorry we couldn't get here sooner, somehow there were a billion things Mokuba had to do before he could come here; the world is without pity, my yami." He paused. "He's been a wreck." Yugi took the empty seat beside his guardian. "Then again, I suppose none of us had anything to worry about with you here, watching over him like this." The violet-eyed duelist smiled admiringly at his darkness.

"My abilities apply only to the living, my hikari, I am powerless to save anyone who has fallen into the clutches of death." Yami answered plainly.

"I know, I'm just glad someone was here with him. Has he been unconscious the whole time?" Yugi leaned against his other half, letting his stress slowly dissipate.

"Yes, completely. His pulse is strong, however, and his aura has lost none of its radiance. I think he'll be alright." Yugi gave Yami a strange smile before turning back to their friends.

"For Mokuba's sake, I hope you're right. Seto is all that he has." Yugi sighed.

"I'm betting it was a stalker," Bakura said.

"Maybe they were drunk…?"

"It was a terrorist attack." Yami observed the conversation, somehow more aware of the sound of Seto's pulse than anything else. Time passed. He knew he was removed from the moment but he didn't care. He had a lot to think about.

"What I want to know is how they got to him." Mai chimed in. "Isn't Kaiba always with bodyguards or something?" She directed this question at Mokuba, who had been staring wordlessly at his brother.

"Well, nii-sama is usually in the limo when he travels—and that's pretty safe. Isono is a very capable gunman, as well as an excellent driver." The younger Kaiba replied.

"Why wasn't he in the limo?" Anzu pressed. Mokuba shook his head.

"I wish I knew. I mean, the fact that he wasn't in the limo shouldn't have lead to this—it's good for him to get out once in awhile." Anzu nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, at least until some psycho with a gun shows up." Bakura muttered.

"Kura," Ryou hissed. "If I have to smack you one more time…"

--

The conversation was cut off (a few smacks later) by Seto's nurse who insisted that they had to leave him in peace. Also, with everything returning to normal due to the absence of reporters, the hospital staff began insisting that visiting hours were long over.

In the end, despite his sincere desire to use his millennium item, Yami was persuaded to leave the building and let Yugi drive him home. On his way down to the car, however, he was intercepted by none other than Ryou's yami.

"Hey, pharaoh," He said leaning against a column in the parking garage.

"Tomb robber," Yami acknowledged, walking past him.

"Awfully antisocial today, aren't you?" Yami stopped.

"Did you want to say something to me?" He asked coldly, already in a polluted mood due to concern and frustration.

"Only that you're being a lot less subtle than you think." Bakura replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Yami demanded, not meeting the albino's knowing eyes.

"It takes something really serious and meaningful to get you to act like you did today." The keeper of the millennium ring caught Yami's gaze and held it. "Where was the attention you lavish on your hikari? Where was that practiced mask you wear when you're around us? Where were you during the conversation and--" He paused. "Where oh where was that expression of false hatred you use whenever you look at Kaiba—which you were doing the whole time."

"Shut the fuck up." Yami snarled, narrowing his eyes dangerously. Bakura smirked.

"Does it scare you that much?" He asked, cocking his head to one side.

"Does what scare me?" The former pharaoh hissed.

"That I know." The albino answered simply.

"Know what?" The spirit shot back.

"You don't know?"

"Shut up!" The tomb robber laughed but cut himself off when Yami began walking away again.

"You can't hide your feelings, Yami!" Bakura shouted after him. "And you shouldn't have to…"

--

The S/Y song I used to write this chapter was "Touched' by "VAST"