tempestuously | [Fanfiction--YGO] Equivalent Trade {experiment for now}

Warnings: FMA-YGO fusion, language, violence, bastardization of alchemy, bastardization of FMA character roles. Possibly more warnings to come if I decide to stick with this.

Author's Notes: Don't mock me. This is an attempt that I'm not even sure I'll follow through.
Kaiba's half-and-half jerk in this and I'm still debating whether or not I want to keep his Japanese insults. For now, they're staying. If you care, 'make inu' means pathetic dog or something like that. Same with Japanese articles, though mostly only Yugi uses them and once this gets going, he won't be around much. Also because I'm American, I will be writing the names in their American form (first name, last name) because the other version just looks weird in English.
And yes, this is still my FMA-YGO fusion so the next part will deal more with plot. This was just for finding character. Fanfiction is murder on the Nayami. MURDER.

Equivalent Trade: Missing Pt 1

Seto Kaiba rested on a bench in the center of the museum, flipping through a business magazine as he tried his best to ignore the Egyptian displays all around him. They weren't as bothersome as they could have been. No more ancient tablets that toyed with his mind and poisoned it with visions that had to come from spending too much time around that damn Yugi Mutou. No, this exhibit didn't even drag up the sarcophagi or the shriveled, mummified remains that some obsessed team escavated from buried tombs in far-off lands. The attraction of the month was just a collection of Egyptian jewelry recovered from the burial halls and borrowed from some more prestigious institution. From what Seto could tell, the articles had no relation to the intrusive Ishtars, who had first forced all this mythical nonsense upon him, otherwise even Mokuba's persistant whining wouldn't have been able to bring him here.

Of course, Mokuba wouldn't have known about the exhibit if it wasn't for a surprise phonecall from a certain too-friendly duelist. He and the other noise-makers had wanted to know if the Kaibas wanted to join them at the opening day ceremonies. A guest speaker was supposed to show up to speak about the history of the exhibit. Apparently, Yugi and the group thought things had changed since the events with Doma. He had cooperated with them then because his corporation was in jeopardy and monsters, even hallographic ones, running amok, stood in his plans of working on the ravamped KaibaLand. Those misguided children interpreted his actions as a sign that he was willing to accept them into his life. To make friends, as Yugi and that girl companion of his were always rambling on about.

What a hassle.

But Mokuba enjoyed their company, especially Yugi's. Maybe he still admired him for all the times that Yugi had helped them out of ugly situations. He seemed to think that Yugi's presence had helped his brother. Seto disregarded the notion entirely. All the changes he had worked at for the past year were driven by his desire to make things up to Mokuba, nothing else. Yugi was only useful in restating the obvious, reminding Seto of problems he was already well aware of. Though, the reminders weren't *completely* unnecessary, as Seto was wont to let so many things (like revenge) occupy his mind that he ignored other, more important things (like keeping a promise). Still, the cheery boy was more of a nuisance than anything, especially when he slipped into his other mindset, that self-righteous King of Games.

"When do you think the others will get here, nii-sama?" a bouncy voice asked near Seto's ear, freeing him from his thoughts. Mokuba's smile beamed up him from above the bench; the boy was leaning over it.

"With luck, they won't." Seto glanced at his watch. "They're late anyway. Why don't you just grab one of those headsets and get started on the audio tour?"

Mokuba frowned slightly. "But they sounded really excited about coming here. I wonder where they are."

"They probably found some cat in a tree and are all cheering on Yugi as he retrieves it."

"I don't think Yugi's too good at climbing trees." Mokuba laughed.

"Yeah, he might strangle himself on that ridiculous chain he's always wearing." Hey, he was starting to like this possibility.

"Ya know, I was gonna say somethin' nice about how considerate you were to show up with your BUSY schedule and all, but forget it," a familiar tone drawled from the hallway.

"Uh, you just said it, Jounouchi," another voice put in. It was probably that other brown-haired thug that Yugi dragged around, the one who usually made the attempts to bring sanity back to the loudmouthed Jounouchi.

Seto turned another page and pretended to be deeply engaged in reading.

"Guys!" Mokuba jumped up from the bench and made a mad dash toward the group. Then he put on his best imitation of his brother's darkened expression. "Where were you? We've been waiting an hour. Nii-sama has lots to do. His trip to America is this Friday." He suddenly looked up and ran his eyes over the small group. "Where's Anzu?"

Yugi looked nervous. "She's with Otogi-kun." He looked down, his fingers scrambling over the golden puzzle dangling from his neck. "They're looking for Bakura-kun. Nobody's seen him since yesterday."

"You're afraid his darker half has something to do with this?" Mokuba asked, ignoring Seto's scoff.

Mokuba knew how his brother felt about the group's claim that Yugi and Bakura were both possessed by other personalities. In Yugi's case, the persona was mostly amiable, although sometimes harsh with Seto. Mokuba liked to think it was because of the similarity of their natures, both intelligent, intensely competitive, and insanely protective of those close to them. He wasn't certain he believed Yugi's notion that Yugi (or rather his other personality) and Seto were connected through some ancient past, but at times he could sense some inexplicable bond between the two. Whether it was related to the Egyptian fantasy Seto denounced, Mokuba couldn't yet tell.

Unlike Yugi's other half, however, Bakura's was much more vicious. They had seen him duel Yugi aboard the battle ship during the Battle City finals. He hadn't seem anything like the shy but friendly boy Mokuba had first met outside the gates of Pegasus' castle, the time that Yugi and his friends had helped Seto rescue him. The Bakura that fought Yugi, using Dark Sanctuary to summon up frightening ghosts to corrupt Yugi's monsters, all the while taunting him and threatening him with much more than the loss of the duel, couldn't be the same Bakura that befriended Yugi and the others.

"We don't know yet," Yugi responded, shutting his eyes for a moment. "The Millenium Ring is also gone."

"So that's why you're late."

Yugi nodded. "We were wondering if the tracking devices Kaiba-kun used during the tournament are still working."

"I have better things to do with my time than stalk you idiots," Seto muttered from behind his magazine.

"So that's a no?" Jounouchi asked.

Seto lowered the magazine and turned to Jounouchi. "Yes, make inu, that translates to no."

"Kaiba," Jounouchi growled, but Yugi grabbed his arm.

"We don't have time to fight, Jounouchi-kun. If Kaiba-kun can't help us, we should go find Anzu and Otogi-kun."

"He's got a lotta nerve, actin' like an asshole when he knows our buddy's missin'."

"It's not my problem if you can't keep track of your pep squad. I didn't install trackers into my duelings disks for monitoring strays. They were enforcing the rules during the tournament." He stood up and took Mokuba's wrist. "Now, since you obviously have other things to attend to, Mokuba and I will continue our visit." He turned to Mokuba. "Unless you'd rather go home. This crap is boring anyway."

"Are you sure we can't help them, nii-sama?"

Seto looked at his brother, trying hard not to sound irritated. "What do you expect me to do, Mokuba? Dominio's a huge city and their friends are always getting misplaced, especially that brain-dead Jounouchi."

"I'm seriously gonna break your face!" Jounouchi yelled, pulling back his fist.

Yugi caught him by the waist. "Jounouchi-kun!"

"Don't act like he doesn't deserve it, Yugi!"

Mokuba peered back at Jounouchi and then met Seto's eyes. "They're our friends, nii-sama. And they're always helping us. Can't we just..."

"Since when are they our..." Seto started, his voice loud and snappish. Mokuba's mournful eyes gazed back at him.

Damn it, this was turning out to be an even shittier day than he expected, even knowing he was going to have to spend time with Yugi and friends. He should have told Mokuba he was too busy from the start. Only Mokuba would have used that against him, aruging that Seto never went out lately, too fixated on his blueprints and financial plans. And school since that was back in session. He really needed his weekends to get things done. But no, he wasted them by getting involved into whatever disaster Yugi and his friends had stumbled onto this week. It was so much easier back when he reclusive, although a bit psychotic and maybe a touch homocidal.

Seto glared at Yugi. "I'm not going to let you ditch my brother just because you're having some missing person crisis. He's been waiting all week for this, and if he wants to spend time with you"--for some baffling reason--"he's going to do it, even if it's during this stupid hide-and-seek game."

"Nii-sama?" Mokuba looked bewildered.

"We'll take my car, but I better not hear another word about dark halves, reincarnations, or any of that other mindless drivel you're always spouting. Got it?"

Yugi blinked in stupor, along with Jounouchi and Honda. "Um...sure thing, Kaiba-kun. Uh, thanks?"

Seto stalked toward the main entrance. "Let's go. I'd like to use some of my day for actual purposes. And, Yugi," He paused at the door and glanced over his shoulder, giving an unsettling smirk. "Just be glad that these museum passes were free."
---
Extra Notes: I have no clue why Kaiba would allow Mokuba to hang with Yugi, knowing the ideas he puts into his head, but for the purpose of this story, he's adjusting...or trying. As to talking about the price of the exhibit, Kaiba naturally has plenty of money, he's just being an ass. If I decide that this isn't a waste of my time, I might bring in Bakura and Yami in the next section. I wrote Kaiba too nice, I know. *cries*