The Assassin

Subject: The Assassin Mon Aug 02, 2021 5:24 am

Prologue

“Are you sure this is the only way?”

A brunette, brown-eyed 16 year old female of average height addressed a blonde woman of 27 years old. They were in a large room surrounded by futuristic technology in the year 2455. The blonde nodded and replied,

“Yes, I’m afraid so. If there was another option, I’d be more than happy to welcome it. But all the instruments show that taking this course will result in the best chance for the timeline to be set right and for the heroes to return.”

The brunette sighed sadly and replied, “I-I understand. Still, killing someone… Well, I mean, he isn’t exactly the nicest person from that time, but is he really the cause of so much strife?”

The blonde replied, “Yes. All my calculations have come to this conclusion. He is the cause. He’s the reason that Yugi, Jaden, Yusei, and Yuya no longer exist. Plus, he’s indirectly responsible for the deaths of so many people from different time periods, including Andrew’s.”

The brunette teared up upon hearing Andrew’s name, as Andrew was her little brother who perished when the timelines and universes were split.

The blonde smiled sadly and continued, “Alex, I know it’s hard, and I don’t usually condone the death of an individual. But think of it as sacrificing one to save millions. Also, there’s a very high probability that Andrew will exist again.”

The brunette called Alex nodded sadly and replied, “Ok, Cas. I get it. I can do this mission, and I can get Andy back.”

Cas, as Alex called her, smiled and replied, “You’re the best agent I have. I know things have been really difficult for you. This will set everything right. You have my word.”

Alex replied, “Ok, let’s do this.”

Cas nodded and called for her assistant, requesting that certain items be brought. The assistant arrived shortly after, handing the requested items to Alex. Cas said,

“We’ve packed your belongings and inside your duffel bag, there are clothes from that time period as well as a communication device to keep in contact with me. Once your mission succeeds, I’ll be able to bring you back here. We’ve set everything up for you. You’ll be teleported to your apartment in Domino City, and arrangements have been made for you to attend Domino High as well as an internship at Kaiba Corp. You’ve already been briefed, but do you have any questions before I send you?”

Alex shook her head and replied, “No, I’m good. I’ll admit this won’t be easy, but I know I’m doing it for a greater purpose.”

Cas replied, “It’ll all work out. Now, you know what to do.”

Alex nodded and taking her belongings, she stepped onto a raised metal platform. Meanwhile, Cas stood behind a panel with several buttons. Once Alex calmed herself, Cas pushed the necessary buttons on the panel and a bright yellow light surrounded Alex. Within a few seconds, Alex was teleported away from the room, heading to Domino City during the time when Yugi, Kaiba, and some other important figures from that time period resided.

Once there was no trace of Alex, Cas sighed deeply. The assistant looked to her and asked, “Ma’am, on the risk of sounding impertinent, should you not have told Alex the other option?”

Cas looked back at her assistant and replied, “Perhaps, but that would take a miracle. And it’s not like Alex is suddenly going to fall for him, not with her track record with guys. It’s just better this way and it has a higher chance of success.”

The assistant replied, “I understand, but that’s a tall order. I mean, there’s no way I’d be able to assassinate Seto Kaiba.”

Subject: Re: The Assassin Fri Aug 06, 2021 9:29 am

Okay, this is already a very intriguing prologue. Very Happy

Not much is revealed so far but I am definitely hooked to find out how Alex is going to fair in the different timeline and how Kaiba was the reason that Yugi, Jaden, Yusei and Yuya no longer exist.

I hope the next part comes out soon. Very Happy

Subject: Re: The Assassin Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:28 am

Ok, I have the next chapter ready. I had fun writing it. XD

Chapter 1

It was a Monday morning, and Alex had finished preparing all her items for her first day at Domino High. As she looked at herself in the mirror, wearing the standard female school uniform, she thought,

Geez, this uniform looks ridiculous and the skirt is awfully short. Good thing I’m wearing shorts underneath.

Alex took a deep breath and once she felt that she was mentally ready, she took her backpack and left her apartment. Outside the apartment building she resided in, there was a bus stop, as she would need to take a bus to get to school. The bus soon arrived and after Alex got on and took a seat, she had a little time to think to herself.

I wish I could get this mission over with. But Cas said this is a long-term mission and I can’t afford to make any mistakes.

Alex knew full well what would happen if her mission failed. Even though a part of her was scared of failure, she felt that she had nothing to lose, as she had already lost everyone and everything that mattered to her.

The bus soon arrived at the stop that was closest to Domino High. Alex got off and then walked towards the school grounds. As she did so, she looked around the school grounds, taking in the sights and committing things to memory. She observed the students chatting happily, asking one another about their weekend. No one paid attention to her, and Alex was glad for that.

She entered the school building, trying to go towards the principal’s office to get her schedule. As she walked, someone suddenly ran into her from behind, causing Alex to fall. Fortunately, she landed on her knees rather than face first on the floor. Although she was momentarily thrown off, she quickly recovered and then looked to who had bumped into her. Usually, her first instinct would be to attack without hesitation. However, she had to play the part of a typical high school student, so she had to hold back. As her eyes fell upon the person who bumped into her, that person held out his hand to her and said,

“Hey, there. Sorry to bump into ya.”

Alex smiled and quickly shaking her head, she replied, “It’s ok. You must have been in a hurry.”

She took his hand and got up from the floor. The boy, who was the same age as Alex but with blonde hair and brown eyes but wearing a guy’s uniform, replied,

“Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t want to be late. You must be new. I’d remember someone as beautiful as you.”

Alex blushed a bit and replied, “Um, yeah. The name’s Alex. I’m a transfer student. It’s my first day.”

The boy grinned and replied, “Heh, I hear ya. Name’s Joey. I hope we’re going to be in the same class. You must be on your way to the principal’s.”

Alex nodded and replied, “I am. Can you show me the way? I mean, unless you risk being late.”

Joey replied, “It’s fine. The teach should make an exception for today. Let’s go.”

Alex brushed herself off and then followed Joey as they headed to the principal’s office. The two made a bit of small talk although nothing of much substance. Once they arrived at the principal’s office, Joey waved to Alex and said,

“Here we are. I should go, but you have a good first day, Alex.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Thanks, Joey. Maybe I’ll see you later.”

After Joey hurried off, Alex entered the principal’s office. After Alex introduced herself, the principal welcomed her and then handed her the class schedule. As the principal and Alex left the office to head to the class where Alex would be, Alex thought,

This day has already been a bit eventful. I met Joey Wheeler. I wasn’t expecting that to happen so soon.

Alex and the principal walked for a bit and then they stopped in front of the door to a classroom. The principal looked to Alex and told her to wait. After Alex nodded, the principal knocked on the door and entered the classroom. He then talked to the teacher briefly before he left the classroom. The principal smiled at Alex as he left to return to his office, wishing her a good first day. The teacher then approached Alex and asked her to enter the classroom, which Alex did. Inside the classroom, students were whispering loudly and the teacher had to cough loudly to get them to quiet down. He then turned to Alex and said,

“Would you like to make a brief introduction?”

Alex nodded and replied, “Sure.”

She then turned to the students, who had suddenly gone quiet. She recognized Joey, who grinned at her, and she smiled back. As the students waited, Alex took a breath and said,

“Hello, everyone. My name’s Alexandra Lawrence, but I prefer to be called Alex. I’m here for a year long exchange program, and if it isn’t obvious, I’m from America. I hope to get along with everyone.”

The teacher smiled at Alex and said, “Thank you, Ms. Lawrence. Let’s see where you can sit.”

The teacher looked around the classroom, and Alex noticed that there were a couple of empty desks. Alex briefly looked confused and thought,

Strange. I thought Kaiba was supposed to be in this class. I see Joey, Tristan, Tea, Bakura, Duke, and even Yugi. Cas arranged it, so I’d be in the same class as all of them. Could her intel have been wrong?

The teacher pointed to one of the empty desks and said,

“Why don’t you sit behind Mr. Muto?”

Yugi waved his right hand and Alex nodded, heading towards the empty desk. As she took her seat and took out her things, Yugi quickly turned to her and whispered,

“Nice to meet you.”

Alex smiled and whispered, “Same here.”

Yugi turned back to face the teacher while Alex finished taking out her things. As the teacher was preparing to start his lecture, Seto Kaiba suddenly entered the classroom. Immediately, a lot of the female population sighed happily upon seeing the handsome, multi-billionaire CEO. However, Alex only kept her eyes on her notebook, not realizing that her target was finally present, until the teacher sighed loudly and said,

“We are honored that you have graced us with your presence today, Mr. Kaiba. Do take your seat, if you please.”

Kaiba only grunted in response. Meanwhile, Alex heard his name and finally, she briefly looked up from her notebook. Indeed, there was Seto Kaiba in the front of the classroom, looking like he owned the world and not caring that he had arrived late to class. Finally seeing him in person for the first time, Alex got an idea of her target. He looked intimidating and serious although very handsome. Alex shrugged and thought,

If only I could just eliminate him and get this mission over with. But again, I can’t afford to rush.

As she was about to look back to her notebook, Kaiba suddenly made eye contact with her. Although it was only for a moment, he looked at her, as though accusing her of something. Alex looked confused, not knowing what to make of it. Deciding that it was best not to engage in some sort of staring contest, Alex then looked back to her notebook.

Meanwhile, Kaiba stood there, seeing Alex. He thought,

Why is she here?

As he continued with his thoughts, the teacher glared at Kaiba and said,

“Sometime today, Mr. Kaiba. I’d actually like to do my job.”

Kaiba just grunted and walked over to his usual seat, which was next to Alex’s. Once he was seated, he continued to cast menacing glares at Alex. Although Alex knew that Kaiba was staring at her, she ignored him, figuring that she’d escape first chance she got.

The teacher was able to commence with his lesson, and the morning passed by uneventfully. Once the bell rang to signal that it was time for lunch, Yugi turned to Alex and said,

“Alex, why don’t we go on the roof for lunch? It’s a really nice day.”

Alex tilted her head and asked, “Are we allowed to do that?”

Joey and Tristan approached Yugi, and Joey said,

“Yeah, of course. And we want to get know ya better. What do you say?”

Alex nodded happily and replied, “Sure, I’d like that.”

Alex gathered her things and as she was about to follow Yugi and the others out of the classroom, Kaiba glared at her and whispered,

“I know who you are.”

Joey observed the exchange although he didn’t know what Kaiba said. Although Alex was momentarily thrown off, she then smiled and said,

“Oh, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m Alex, the new exchange student. And you are?”

Joey approached the two and turning to Alex, he said, “Let’s go. You’re wasting your time trying to have a conversation with moneybags here. And Yugi’s waiting.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Oh yes, of course.”

Without sparing Kaiba another glance, Alex followed Joey to the roof of the school building, where Yugi and a few other friends were waiting. As Alex and Joey were getting themselves settled, Joey said,

“Sorry we’re late. Mr. I’m-better-than-the-world was harassing poor Alex. Who does that on their first day?”

Alex replied, “Oh, it wasn’t that bad. But thank you for rescuing me, Joey.”

Joey grinned and replied, “Yeah, no problem.”

Yugi nodded and replied, “It’s ok. Alex, why don’t we introduce ourselves?”

The group of friends each took their turn introducing themselves to Alex. Although Alex already knew who they were from the intel Cas had given her, it was nice to meet them face-to-face.

After the introductions were done, Tea said,

“I’m so happy to finally have a female friend in our group. And I want to hear all about America.”

Alex grinned and replied, “Sure. I’d like that. I’ll try to answer your questions although there may be some things even I don’t know.”

She laughed a bit, and the others laughed as well. Tristan then turned to Alex and said,

“So you mentioned that you’re part of a year-long exchange program. Why Japan?”

Alex shrugged and replied, “Why not? I’ve always been fascinated with Japanese culture and Japan is one of the leading countries in technology. Isn’t that right?”

Duke replied, “That’s true. Does that mean you know what you want to do in the future?”

Alex looked thoughtful and replied, “I’d really like to go into computer science. It might be a bit ambitious for me, but I’d like to go to MIT.”

Yugi looked amazed and replied, “Wow, that’s awesome, Alex.”

Alex replied, “Well, I don’t know if I can do it. My teachers at my old school said that I’m smart and have talent, so I could very well get in. But MIT is a difficult school.”

Joey replied, “You’ll get in. I can see it. A beauty like you with massive brains to boot.”

Alex laughed and replied, “Awww don’t put me on a pedestal. I may not get back down to Earth.”

Alex continued chatting happily with the others throughout lunch period, having been able to come up with a believable cover story beforehand. The truth was that she really did want to go into computer science. Of course, this was before all the crazy events happened that led up to her being where she was right at this moment.

The school bell rang, warning students that classes were about to begin in five minutes. Alex quickly gathered her things, and Yugi said,

“We should head back to class.”

Joey groaned and replied, “Yeah, but I’m not looking forward to it.”

Alex looked curious and replied, “What class is it?”

Tea replied, “English. Most of the class struggles with it although I do ok.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Yeah, I understand. Even Americans struggle with English, and it’s supposedly our native language.”

The group headed back inside and returned to the classroom. As Alex returned to her seat, she glanced at where Kaiba’s seat was. Fortunately, Kaiba was no longer glaring at her, instead absorbed with some work on his tablet. Joey leaned towards Alex’s right ear and whispered,

“I forgot to ask, but what’s the deal with you and moneybags?”

Alex shrugged and whispered, “I have no idea. I’ve never met the guy before today.”

Of course, this was the truth. Alex had lots of intel about Seto Kaiba although today was the first time she met him face-to-face. Joey looked as if he wanted to ask Alex something else when the teacher entered the classroom and said,

“Mr. Wheeler, please save your flirting until after classes are over. Or perhaps you’d like detention?”

Joey quickly bowed to the teacher and replied, “Sorry, teach.”

He then quickly went to his seat. The teacher then said,

“Ok, class. Starting today, we’re going to be focusing on the finer points of Shakespearean English.”

Immediately, most of the class groaned with the exception of Alex, Yugi, Tea, and Kaiba, who just didn’t care. The teacher coughed and continued,

“Yes, I am aware that it’s a difficult subject but an important one. You should appreciate literature, no matter its age. Now, for the particular play, we will be studying Romeo and Juliet.”

Immediately, Alex rolled her eyes although she did so quickly. She thought,

That is so cliché, not to mention that I know the play inside and out.

The teacher turned to Alex and said, “Ms. Lawrence, as I’m aware, you are very familiar with the play, so I’d like to have you help the other students who may struggle with understanding it.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Sure, I can do that.”

The teacher smiled gratefully and then continued the lesson.

The rest of the afternoon classes passed by quickly. Once the final bell rang to signal that classes were over, Joey immediately got up and said,

“Finally!”

Alex laughed and replied, “You really don’t like school that much?”

As students began to leave the classroom, Joey replied, “It’s alright but quite boring. I’d rather duel any day. Say, Alex, do you duel?”

Alex was surprised by the question and replied, “Um, a little although I’m not very good. I used to duel a bit with my friends back in America.”

Yugi added, “That’s cool. We should all duel sometime. I mean, if you want.”

Alex smiled and replied, “I’ll think about it.” She then looked at the time and added,

“Oh, I should get going. Lots of things to do and all that.”

Joey looked disappointed and replied, “Awww, and here I was hoping we could all hang out now that classes are over.”

Alex replied, “I’d like that but just not today. If it’s ok, how about we all get together sometime this weekend? We can talk details more tomorrow.”

Joey replied, “That’s several days away.”

Tea shook her head and replied, “You can wait, Joey, and Alex might have a point. It’d be better for all of us to have fun on the weekend.”

Yugi nodded and replied, “Yup, that’s right.”

Alex gathered her things and getting up, she said, “Ok, I should get going.” She smiled and added,

“Thanks for making me feel welcome. I think I’m going to like it here.”

Alex waved goodbye to Yugi, Joey, and the others and then left the classroom. As she headed to the front entrance, though, she noticed Seto Kaiba standing there. He hadn’t noticed her yet, so she was about to turn around and look for another exit. Suddenly, Kaiba called out,

“You.”

Alex looked Kaiba in the eyes and said, “I have a name. It’s Alex, but I suppose I’m insignificant. Then I wonder why I am honored to be addressed by the great Seto Kaiba.”

Kaiba scowled and replied, “I don’t want to associate myself with anyone that has to do with the geek squad, but we need to talk.”

Alex replied, “Geek squad? If you’re referring to my new friends, that’s not a very nice name for them. They welcomed me, and I’m grateful for that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”

She attempted to leave through the front entrance. However, Kaiba was blocking the way. He evenly replied,

“Not until we talk, little girl.”

Alex replied, “I have better, more important things to do. Please excuse me.”

Again, Alex attempted to leave when Kaiba still wouldn’t let her pass. She quickly looked around and seeing that the coast was clear, she punched Kaiba in the stomach. He cringed from the pain, and Alex took the opportunity to run past the entrance. She ran until it looked like she was in the clear. Alex then slowed down until she was walking and thought,

What a nuisance. What’s his deal?

Meanwhile, Joey had witnessed the exchange in secret, as he wanted to catch up with Alex and ask her something. But as Alex and Kaiba talked, with Alex punching Kaiba and leaving afterwards, Joey couldn’t help but grin. He thought,

Alex is totally awesome.

Subject: Re: The Assassin Thu Aug 12, 2021 1:49 am

Finally got a chance to read the new chapter and I love it as usual. Very Happy

I was totally interested to see why Kaiba said he knew Alex and what he wanted to talk to her about. Too bad she didn't let him. XD I hope they get a chance to talk soon. XD

And one of the things that caught my attention the most was how Joey Wheeler was in-character. His personality differs from the others quite a bit yet you managed to capture his language well and I could imagine him saying and doing the same things. XD

Keep it up. I hope the next chapter comes out soon. Very Happy

Subject: Re: The Assassin Thu Aug 12, 2021 3:54 am

Thanks. ^^

Alex and Kaiba will get future scenes to talk together. She just wasn't ready to confront him at that point. He took her by surprise and all. XD

I remember watching most of the anime episodes, so I have a pretty good idea of Joey's personality. The others are probably going to be more minor characters, but we'll see. ^^

Subject: Re: The Assassin Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:20 am

Next chapter is ready, and yup, I left it on a cliffhanger. XD

Chapter 2

As Alex walked leisurely, opting not to take the bus, she was absorbed in her thoughts although she was observant enough not to accidentally bump into someone. She went over what happened at school, and most of it was what she expected. However, she definitely didn’t expect Kaiba to confront her. She wondered why he would claim that he knows her until a thought suddenly hit her.

Impossible, but does he know about my mission? Have I already been compromised?

Alex didn’t want to consider the possibility, but she had to. She decided that she needed to get back to her apartment as soon as possible and contact Cas. If there was a mole within the organization that she worked for, Alex needed to know and if necessary, she would have to be pulled out of her mission right away.

Just as Alex made this conclusion and began to hurry towards the nearest bus stop, she suddenly heard a noise from a nearby alley. Curiously, Alex turned towards the noise and decided to investigate, making sure not to be noticed. Once Alex got close enough to the source of the noise, she witnessed a heated exchange between a group of burly, muscular teenage boys and a kid with long black hair and purple eyes. Alex recognized the boy, but she made no move yet, curious to see why these guys were ganging up on him. The leader of the gang said,

“Come with us quietly and you won’t be harmed.”

The boy yelled, “If you know who I am, then you know you’re already in big trouble. Big brother will save me.”

The leader laughed and replied, “He’s too busy running his company to help his little runt brother.”

The boy clenched his fists, looking ready to defend himself. Alex observed that the boy had no bodyguards or any other line of defense, which she thought was weird. The leader laughed again and added,

“Looks like he won’t cooperate. Let’s beat him up.”

As the leader and his lackeys were about to move in on the boy, Alex felt anger surging within her. Although she would normally have thought things through, she knew there was no time to come up with a plan. So she whistled loudly and yelled,

“Hey, boys! Isn’t it cowardly to gang up on someone like that?”

The leader looked at Alex with lust in his eyes and said, “Well, well. Change of plan. I’d rather have this one. What do you say, boys? You can all have a turn at her after I’m done.”

His lackeys chuckled in excitement, and Alex looked frightened. She appeared scared of what this gang would do to her just for interfering. The gang saw the fear written all over her face and approached her, like wolves approaching a lone sheep. When the gang was within touching distance, Alex’s face suddenly turned fierce and she raised her fists, swiftly beating up one guy after the other.

Meanwhile, the boy looked on in amazement as he watched Alex beat up the guys who had threatened him and had just threatened her. He wondered,

Who is she?

Alex continued to beat up one guy after the other, saving her most brutal attacks for the leader. Once she was finished, the leader and his lackeys were groaning in pain. Smirking, Alex said,

“If I were you, I’d run and not look back. Oh, and before you threaten me or anyone else like you just did, it’s no exaggeration that I took it easy on you this time. I won’t be so kind next time.”

The leader and his lackeys only groaned in pain, but they slowly got up and then began retreating from the alley. The leader gave Alex one dirty look before he and his gang disappeared into the shadows.

Once Alex and the boy were alone, Alex turned towards him and asked,

“You ok?”

The boy nodded and replied, “Yeah. Thanks for the help.”

Alex smiled and replied, “No problem. I can’t stand idiots like that. How about we go get some ice cream or something? I noticed an ice cream shop on the way. If you don’t have anywhere you need to be right now, of course.”

The boy grinned and replied, “I’d like that.”

Alex waited until the boy was beside her and then the two walked out of the alley and back onto the sidewalk, where there were more people. They headed towards the ice cream shop and went inside. As patrons could sit wherever they wanted, Alex pointed to a corner booth and asked if that was ok. The boy nodded, and the two of them walked towards it and sat down. A waitress then came shortly after, placing two glasses of water on the table. Then she took their orders and left.

After the waitress left, Alex quickly looked around the shop and noticed that most of the other patrons were staring at them. She felt a bit weirded out by that and turning to the boy, she asked,

“Is it that weird for people here to see an American? You might have been able to tell.”

The boy shook his head and replied, “Nah, that’s not it. They were probably staring at me.”

Alex asked, “Why?” Although she, most likely, already knew the answer, it was still natural to ask.

The boy replied, “I’m Mokuba. Mokuba Kaiba.”

Alex nodded and replied, “I see. It’s nice to meet you, Mokuba, although I wish it was under better circumstances. I’m Alex. My full name is Alexandra Lawrence, but I prefer to be called Alex.”

Mokuba grinned and replied, “Happy to meet you. Thanks for saving me back there. You were amazing.”

Alex smiled and replied, “That was nothing, and those idiots had it coming.”

The waitress returned, placing an ice cream sundae for Mokuba and a fruit parfait for Alex. After the waitress left, Mokuba said,

“Still. Those moves you pulled. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Alex blushed a bit in embarrassment. As an agent, she had been trained in a lot of skills, and fighting off creeps was definitely one of them. Alex simply replied,

“You know, I took a lot of fighting classes back in America. I prefer not to solve problems that way, but it happens.”

Mokuba nodded and took a spoonful of his ice cream while Alex took a spoonful of her parfait. Alex commented,

“After that craziness, sweets are definitely in order.”

Mokuba laughed and replied, “Yeah, yeah.” He looked at her uniform and then asked, “Alex, you go to Domino High?”

Alex nodded and replied, “Today was my first day. I’m an exchange student.”

Mokuba replied, “I see. My brother also goes there. You’ve probably seen him.”

Alex smiled weakly and thought,

Yup, and talked to him, and punched him in the gut.

Mokuba then added, “After we finish eating, let’s drop by Kaiba Corp. Seto will want to thank you for helping me.”

Alex shook her head and replied, “I don’t wish to trouble him, and besides, he and I got off to a rough start.”

Mokuba looked confused and replied, “What do you mean?”

Alex told Mokuba about how Kaiba had confronted her at school and then refused to let her leave. She then added,

“I’m sorry about punching him. I would have preferred not to do so, but he was being relentless and I got a little creeped out.”

Alex thought it might be a good idea to try to get Mokuba on her side, so she told him what happened earlier that day. After Alex finished, Mokuba nodded and replied,

“I understand. Still, you should come with me and I’ll explain things to Seto.”

Alex was about to protest again when Mokuba gave her a sad, pleading look. She couldn’t help but think,

He reminds me of Andy.

Relenting, Alex nodded and replied, “Ok, but just to make sure you get there safe and I won’t stay long. I should get back to my apartment and do some homework, among other things.”

Mokuba grinned and replied, “Ok.”

Alex and Mokuba finished up their desserts, and then Alex went ahead and paid for them. Afterwards, the two of them left the ice cream shop and went back outside. The sidewalks were getting slightly more crowded, so Mokuba reached out to hold Alex’s left hand and said,

“Just so we don’t lose each other.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Of course.”

The two of them walked the sidewalks, heading towards Kaiba Corp. Alex and Mokuba chatted a bit about trivial things, and Alex told Mokuba about how she made friends with Joey and the others. A little after, they arrived at the entrance to Kaiba Corp. headquarters. Mokuba kept hold of Alex’s hand and led the way inside. Alex looked around in fascination as she followed him. She wouldn’t be interning here for another month, according to Cas, but she wanted to get familiar with the surroundings. They entered an elevator and went up to the top floor, where Kaiba’s personal office was. Once they arrived, Mokuba looked at the secretary at the front desk and asked her if Kaiba was busy. The secretary shook her head and replied that he was free, so Mokuba could go in. She looked at Alex and asked,

“Sir, who is this young lady?”

Mokuba smiled and replied, “She’s my friend. She’s with me.”

The secretary nodded and then Mokuba and Alex went on ahead, finally arriving in front of a pair of double doors. Mokuba knocked lightly and said,

“Seto, it’s me. Can I come in?”

From inside the office, Kaiba replied, “It’s fine.”

Mokuba then opened the double doors with his free hand and led the way inside. Alex was hesitant but seeing how Mokuba still had a grip on her hand, she had no choice but to follow him. Once they were inside, Kaiba was finishing up some work at his desk and then he looked up. Immediately, he saw Mokuba and Alex, and worse, they were holding hands. Scowling, he asked,

“What is she doing here?”

Alex sighed inwardly, thinking that this really was a bad idea. Mokuba replied,

“Um, yeah. This is Alex, and I know you already know her, Seto. She helped me out, so I thought I’d bring her here. Maybe you want to thank her?”

Kaiba glared at Alex and asked, “Why, exactly?”

Mokuba gave Alex an apologetic look and turning back to Kaiba, he replied,

“Alex saved my life.”

He then told Kaiba all about what happened back in the alley and how Alex had even treated him to dessert afterwards. All the while, Kaiba continued to glare at Alex, as though he didn’t trust her or thought she had ulterior motives. Once Mokuba was finished, he added,

“I know what happened earlier at school, Seto. But to be fair, you did scare her on her first day and that wasn’t right. You should apologize.”

Kaiba didn’t like how Mokuba was taking Alex’s side and replied, “I see no reason. She’s a part of the geek squad.” It was as though that explanation was enough justification.

Mokuba was about to retort when Alex turned to him and said, “Mokuba, it’s ok. I think your brother is just concerned about you. If I were him, I would be, too.”

She then turned to Kaiba and sweetly added, “I apologize for any trouble I’ve caused. I’ll be leaving.”

As she was about to leave the office, Mokuba didn’t let go of her hand and said, “Wait, sis.”

Alex froze as Mokuba called her “sis.”

Why did he say that? Only Andy ever called me sis.

Alex turned to Mokuba with a sad look in her eyes. Mokuba wasn’t sure what to make of it and added,

“Sorry. That was inappropriate.”

Alex shook her head and replied, “It’s ok. I was just surprised. That’s all.”

Mokuba replied, “At least, let me walk you to the bus station and make sure you get on the bus. You probably have to take the bus back, right? I mean, I’d offer you a ride, but I doubt Seto would like that.”

As if in confirmation, Seto just scowled. It was like his scowl increased in intensity after hearing Mokuba call Alex “sis.” Alex replied,

“I’d prefer to take the bus, anyway. And yeah, I have to get back to my apartment. I have a lot of things to do, and I have to call my guardian tonight. She wants to make sure that I’m ok and all that.”

Mokuba nodded and turning to Kaiba, he said,

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

He then led Alex out of the office and down the elevator to the first floor. Then they went outside to a nearby bus stop and Mokuba apologized for Kaiba’s behavior although Alex simply waved her free hand and said it was ok. Once the bus arrived (Mokuba having let go of Alex’s hand by this point) and Alex was on it, Mokuba waved goodbye and Alex walked back. Mokuba then returned to Kaiba Corp and went up the elevator to Kaiba’s office. Once inside, Mokuba glared at Kaiba and asked,

“Seto, why were you so rude to Alex?”

Kaiba put down the work he had been doing and looking calmly at Mokuba, he replied, “Mokuba, you need to stay away from her.”

Mokuba looked confused and replied, “Why? I don’t understand. Alex saved me from being kidnapped. She even treated me--”

Kaiba interrupted, “Because she plans to kill me.”

Subject: Re: The Assassin Sat Aug 28, 2021 6:22 am

Have the next chapter. It's on the short side, but hopefully, future chapters will be longer. ^^

Chapter 3

Mokuba was speechless as he tried to process Kaiba’s words. What could he possibly mean? Mokuba had to know, so he asked,

“What?”

Kaiba calmly replied, “I said that she plans to kill me. That’s to the point, isn’t it?”

Mokuba replied, “I got that much, but why would you say that? Do you have proof or someone said something?”

Kaiba looked at Mokuba, not knowing what to reply. He didn’t have proof but rather more of a premonition. As he remained silent, Mokuba then continued,

“Seto, I want to believe you, but if you’re only saying that because you don’t like Alex-”

Kaiba interrupted, “Mokuba, that’s not it. This is going to sound crazy, but I ask that you keep an open mind.”

Mokuba looked confused but he nodded and replied, “Of course. You’re my brother, after all.”

Kaiba nodded and after taking a breath, he said, “Do you remember the duel I had with Ishizu, back during the tournament?”

Mokuba nodded and replied, “Yeah, of course. I was surprised when you sacrificed Obelisk for Blue Eyes, but Blue Eyes is your monster and it won you the duel.”

Kaiba replied, “Yes, that’s right.”

Mokuba said, “But what does that have to do with Alex?”

Kaiba replied, “I’m getting to that. The reason I won that duel is that I had a premonition, or maybe it was a memory. I don’t know. It showed me that I could only win by using Blue Eyes. Obelisk wouldn’t work, and you know what happened. Anyway, I’ve been having these dreams, or maybe nightmares. I saw her in them, and every time, she killed me.”

Mokuba looked flabbergasted for a few moments and then finally replied, “Wait. So that’s why you think Alex is going to kill you? Because of a dream?”

Mokuba looked like he was about to burst out laughing although he contained himself for Kaiba’s sake. Kaiba sighed and replied,

“Yes, I know how that sounds, but-”

Mokuba interrupted, “Seto, that is ridiculous. Sure, Alex is strong. I saw how she beat up those guys, but she didn’t kill them. She’s no killer, and even if she were, I know she wouldn’t be able to get the jump on you. It was just a dream.”

Kaiba replied, “Then how do you explain that other dream I had?”

Mokuba replied, “Coincidence? But really, all this because you think Alex is going to kill you. I only talked to her today, but she seems really nice. I’d like to see her again.”

Kaiba frowned and replied, “Mokuba, I don’t want to tell you who you can or can’t see. I couldn’t stop you from hanging out with Yugi and his geek squad. But Alex is another matter. If that dream meant anything, you better stay away from her.”

Mokuba looked annoyed and replied, “Seto, I love you, but you can’t tell me not to see her.” He took a deep breath to calm himself and then added,

“I think you’ve been working yourself too hard. You should get some rest and then you’ll see how ridiculous you’ve been.”

Mokuba got up and added, “I’ll see you at home. Don’t work too late.”

He then left the office, heading downstairs to wait for a ride.

After Mokuba left, Kaiba sighed to himself and rubbed his temples. He thought,

Maybe Mokuba’s right. I don’t usually believe in dreams anyway.

However, that dream he had during Battle City bothered him and it did help him win that duel although he ultimately lost the tournament. Getting an idea, he picked up his phone and made a call. After a few ring tones, the receiver picked up and said,

“Detective Amaro. What can I do for you?”

Kaiba replied, “Sir, I’d like you to gather all the info you can about an Alexandra Lawrence.”

*****************************

A few hours had passed, and it was now evening. Alex had changed into her more casual clothes, had eaten dinner and already finished her homework. Now, it was time to contact Cas, so taking out her communicator, Alex activated it. Soon, Cas’ face appeared as a holographic projection in front of her, and smiling, Cas said,

“Hey, Alex. I’ve been waiting for your call. How was your first day?”

Alex smiled back at Cas and then proceeded to tell her about the events of the day. She didn’t leave out any details, so she even told her about the incidents with Kaiba. Cas listened patiently as Alex told her everything. Once Alex was done, Cas was silent and thoughtful and then she said,

“I see. You definitely had an eventful day. I’m a bit concerned about Kaiba, though.”

Alex nodded and replied, “I know. This is going to sound crazy, but does he know about my mission?”

Cas replied, “Let me look into it.”

Cas’ face disappeared, so that she could look into any possible leaks. Meanwhile, Alex sat still, hoping that Cas would find something. She wasn’t sure if she wanted there to be a mole. On one hand, if there was a mole, Alex wouldn’t be at fault and she’d be pulled out of her mission. On the other hand, she really had enjoyed meeting Joey, Yugi, and the others, and she wanted to spend more time with them. After several more minutes had passed, Cas’ face appeared again before Alex. Alex looked eagerly and asked,

“Did you find anything?”

Cas shook her head and replied, “There’s no leak, Alex. I’ve looked through all the records and made sure that everyone here has been accounted for. I can’t see anything in the historical records to prove that Kaiba knows about your mission. So you should continue, but be careful. Try not to make him suspect you.”

Alex replied, “I know and I really haven’t done anything to make him suspect me. I’m even trying to befriend Mokuba.”

Cas replied, “Yeah, on that. I’m a bit worried for you, Alex.”

Alex looked confused and replied, “Why?”

Cas replied, “I hope you’re only making friends with Mokuba to help with your mission. You know you have to put personal feelings aside.”

Alex frowned slightly. She knew what Cas was hinting at – that perhaps Alex wanted to be friends with Mokuba because he reminds her of Andy. But Alex recovered quickly and replied,

“I know. I’m only to focus on the mission, so I can come home, have Andy back and have a normal life again.”

Cas smiled slightly and replied, “That’s right. You’re doing this for him. I know you can do this, Alex.”

Alex replied, “Thanks, Cas. That’s all the info I have to report for now.”

Cas nodded and replied, “I got it. Just make sure to keep in regular contact with me. If there’s an emergency, you can contact me whenever. And make sure to keep that bracelet with you at all times and review the info on your tablet before you sleep.”

Alex replied, “I know. But Cas, what’s so important about the bracelet?”

Cas replied, “It’ll protect you. You remember reading up on Yugi and the pharaoh that resides in him? And the other important figures?”

Alex nodded and replied, “Of course.”

Cas replied, “You won’t get affected by anything they do if they make a presence. I can’t really explain more than that since it’s more like magic than technology. But that bracelet will protect you.”

Alex replied, “Ok. Umm, but it isn’t made like those other millennium items, right? Because if it was-”

Cas quickly shook her head and replied, “It isn’t. It’s different. It is an ancient item, but it isn’t a millennium item. Let’s just say that it’s a counterbalance to them. I don’t know more than that, but since you haven’t had any adverse reactions since wearing it, you must be meant to have it.”

Alex replied, “Cas, you sounded really cryptic just now.”

Cas sighed and replied, “I’m sorry, Alex. I really can’t explain more than that because I don’t know. Just keep it on you at all times, ok?”

Alex replied, “Of course.”

Cas replied, “Ok. I guess it’s getting late for you, so you should review that info and get some sleep. You’ve got another day tomorrow, but when you make your move, let me know ahead of time.”

Alex replied, “Totally. I’ll plan it out and let you know.”

Cas replied, “Good night then, Alex. Talk to you later.”

Cas’ face then disappeared. Alex took a deep breath and processed everything that Cas had told her. However, it was getting late and Alex needed to read up on the info from her tablet before going to sleep. So putting other things aside, Alex took out her tablet and read up about Kaiba, Yugi, and the others as well as important events that had happened as well as upcoming events during the time she now resided in. Also, she brushed up on her dueling skills. Even though Alex had been instructed not to duel unless it was absolutely necessary, she was told to keep up with her skills in case they were needed.

After Alex was done with her studying, she put all her things away and then proceeded to get ready to sleep. After all, she thought,

I have to get ready for what tomorrow will bring.

Subject: Re: The Assassin Sun Aug 29, 2021 12:18 am

I missed commenting on the previous chapter although I did read it earlier this week. I am definitely happy to see another one come out. Very Happy

The latest chapter is a bit on the uneventful side, although it definitely revealed a little more on how Kaiba suspects that Alex wants to kill him. I loved the part where it included some of the anime's events and blended them in. I would love to see more of that. Very Happy

And I already feel sorry for Mokuba now. He really likes Alex but what would he do if he found out that she really wants to kill his brother. Sad

Looking forward to the next chapter already. ^^

Subject: Re: The Assassin Sun Aug 29, 2021 4:14 am

Thanks for the feedback. The story will definitely have some twists and turns, and hopefully, the next chapter will be more eventful. ^^

Subject: Re: The Assassin Fri Sep 03, 2021 11:33 pm

Just finished writing up this chapter. XD

Chapter 4

Alex arrived at school the next morning, ready for another day. As she walked through the halls towards her classroom, Tea suddenly ran up to her, looking out of breath. Alex looked at her with worry and asked,

“Tea, what’s wrong?”

Tea replied, “A-Alex, I’m glad I found you. Do you know what happened to Joey?”

Alex looked confused and replied, “Joey? I don’t understand.”

Tea replied, “Didn’t Joey talk to you before you left yesterday?”

Alex looked confused, recalling yesterday’s events. She slowly replied, “Not after I left you guys in the classroom. Why?”

Tea furrowed her eyebrows and replied, “Joey’s acting weird. He’s here early, and he never does that unless he wants to duel Yugi.”

Alex replied, “Ok. So let me see if I’m getting this so far. Joey’s already here and he isn’t dueling Yugi? What’s so strange then?”

Tea replied, “Joey’s in this daze, like nothing’s snapping him out of it. I thought it might have had to do with him talking to you. But since he never did, I’m worried.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Ok. Well, let’s just go to class and maybe I can talk to him?”

Tea nodded, agreeing to Alex’s idea. She and Alex walked towards their class and upon entering the room, Alex looked to where Joey was sitting. Joey had this puppy-eyed look, which Alex thought was a little adorable. She looked to Tea, who continued to look worried, and Alex understood why. Yugi and Tristan were trying to talk to Joey, but it was as though Joey wasn’t hearing anything they said. Figuring that a direct approach would be best, Alex walked up to Joey. Smiling at him, she said,

“Good morning, Joey. You ok?”

Hearing Alex’s voice, Joey snapped out of his daze, focusing on Alex’s face. His face lit up upon seeing her and getting up, he grabbed her hands and said,

“Alex! I need to talk to you now.”

Alex looked confused but nodding, she replied, “Ok?”

Joey then dragged Alex out of the classroom and back into the hallway. As he didn’t want Yugi or their other friends to overhear them, Joey took Alex to a part of the hallway where there were very few students who could eavesdrop on their conversation. Joey then said,

“Alex, I just had to tell ya. You are amazing! I mean, the way you told off moneybags yesterday and-”

Alex interrupted, “Joey, stop. Tell me exactly what you think you saw, and try to keep it down. I don’t want to risk people overhearing us.”

Joey nodded, calming down a bit. Then he continued, “I wanted to talk to you after you left yesterday, but I never got the chance. I saw rich boy harassing you and then you punched him. Man, that takes guts. And I got to see it all. I’m never letting him live it down.”

Alex laughed in embarrassment and replied, “Um, Joey. I’m flattered, but I don’t want you to brag about it to Kaiba. Honestly, I didn’t want to resort to violence, but he was being annoying and I didn’t know what else to do. You don’t think he’s going to say anything? Get me into trouble?”

Joey shook his head and replied, “Nah, moneybags will be too embarrassed to say anything. I wouldn’t worry about it. But it’s good to know you can stand up to him.”

Alex replied, “Of course. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Joey grinned and replied, “I can see that for myself. Man, I want to brag about it, but I’ll keep quiet.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Thanks, Joey. I appreciate that. We should head back. Class is about to start.”

Joey nodded, and he and Alex walked back to the classroom, making it just before the homeroom teacher entered. The two of them took their seats, and Tea looked questioningly at Alex. Alex gave her a look to indicate that she’d tell her later, and Tea took the hint. The teacher then entered the room and took attendance. After everyone was accounted for, classes started and the first couple passed by without incident.

Then the math teacher entered, and immediately, most of the class groaned. Alex looked confused and Yugi whispered,

“There’s a test today.”

Alex nodded in understanding. As the teacher passed out test papers, he headed towards Alex to let her know that she could skip taking the test since it was only her first week and she hadn’t known about it. However, before he could say anything, Kaiba said,

“Sir, I know Ms. Lawrence is new, but she shouldn’t be given any special treatment. She should take this test like the rest of us.”

Kaiba had this smug look on his face, which annoyed Alex although she kept a neutral-looking face. Joey then spoke up,

“Moneybags, when are you going to stop harassing Alex? What has she done to you other than…?”

Alex looked at Joey, silently warning him not to mention the punching incident. Joey looked embarrassed and stopped talking. Kaiba then looked to the teacher and added,

“Sir, I just want to see for myself how smart Ms. Lawrence is. Surely, there’s no harm in that. The test doesn’t even have to count as a grade for her, if you’re concerned for her sake.”

The teacher looked conflicted, not knowing what to do. Kaiba added, “Oh, and I bet she’ll do terribly, let alone that she won’t pass your challenge.”

At that, Alex calmly replied, “Oh? What challenge would that be, if you would please enlighten me?”

Kaiba replied, “Acing one of his tests. You get an automatic top grade if you do that, not to mention getting out of homework for the rest of the semester. Even I haven’t done that, so no way a little girl like you could.”

Alex was about to reply when the teacher said, “That’s enough, Mr. Kaiba. Stop right there, or I’ll have to give you detention.”

Kaiba scoffed and replied, “Oh? For being right?”

The teacher was about to reply again when Alex said, “Sir, I’ll take the test, and I want it to count.”

The teacher looked concerned and replied, “Are you sure, Ms. Lawrence? My tests are extremely difficult, so unfortunately, Mr. Kaiba was not exaggerating.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Bring it on.”

The teacher sighed and handed a test paper to Alex. He then continued to pass out test papers to the rest of the class, and Joey looked at Alex, as though he wanted to ask if she was sure. Alex smiled at him, letting him know that she wouldn’t let Kaiba get to her. Joey just nodded, turning back towards the teacher.

Once the teacher finished passing out the papers, he then announced that the test would begin now. Immediately, Alex looked to her test paper, briefly glancing at it. She raised an eyebrow and thought,

This is challenging?

Back in her time, this math level would be a breeze for her, so of course, she already knew all the material like the back of her hand. Still, she had to be careful, in case the test proved to be tricky but wasn’t obvious. She quickly answered the questions, making sure to show her work, and she made sure not to miss anything, including filling out her name and today’s date. Then she triple checked her work and quickly looked at the time. There was still a lot of time left before the class would be over, but there was nothing else Alex could do. As quietly as she could, Alex got up from her seat, taking her test paper and handing it to the teacher. The teacher raised an eyebrow and quietly said,

“Done already, Ms. Lawrence?”

Alex nodded and replied, “Yup. I even triple checked. You can grade it right now if you want.”

Meanwhile, Kaiba, Joey, and a few other students briefly stopped to witness the exchange between Alex and the teacher. Kaiba especially was curious, as he had learned a few interesting facts about Alex after talking to Detective Amaro.

The teacher nodded, taking out a red pen and grading Alex’s paper. As he went down the questions, his eyes widened with amazement, and Alex stood nearby, watching with curiosity. The teacher finally finished grading, and he looked to Alex and quietly said,

“I believe congratulations are in order, Ms. Lawrence. You are the first to ace one of my exams. Of course, you’ll receive top marks and get out of all the work for the rest of the semester.”

Joey overheard the teacher’s comments and immediately shouted, “Go, Alex!”

The teacher glared at Joey and said, “Mr. Wheeler. Do refrain from shouting.”

Joey looked embarrassed and quietly replied, “Sorry, teach.” However, he couldn’t help grinning at Alex, and Alex blushed a bit. The teacher then turned his attention back to Alex and said,

“You can return to your seat.”

Alex nodded and as she walked back to her seat, she looked at Kaiba, who was gritting his teeth in frustration. She couldn’t help but let out a tiny smirk at him before she resumed her neutral-looking face and took her seat.

Soon afterwards, the test was over and then there was one more morning class before lunch, which went by without incident. As soon as the bell rang to indicate the beginning of lunch period, Yugi turned to Alex and said,

“Want to have lunch with us again?”

Alex grinned and replied, “Of course.”

Joey rushed up to Alex and said, “I’m starving.”

Alex laughed softly and replied, “I understand. Let’s go then.”

She took her things and fortunately, Kaiba didn’t stop her. Joey was worried that Kaiba was going to harass Alex again although that didn’t happen.

Alex, Joey, and the others went to the rooftop to have lunch. After they got settled, Joey turned to Alex and immediately said,

“You are awesome! And don’t ya deny it.”

Tristan grinned and replied, “Joey’s right. How did you ace that test?”

Alex shrugged and replied, “It wasn’t hard to me. I know that sounds like I’m bragging, but I’m not. I just looked over the test carefully, made sure to fill everything out, didn’t trip up on anything. The usual, really.”

Yugi replied, “That makes sense, but I’m surprised you already knew that material. Did you take advanced math classes back in America?”

Alex nodded and replied, “You could say that. The material was pretty easy for me. I’m surprised I’m the first to ace these exams, though. I thought, for sure, that Kaiba would have beaten me to it.”

Joey smirked and replied, “You’d think. Man, you know how to put moneybags in his place.”

Alex blushed and replied, “That really wasn’t the point, but I have to admit that it felt good. I prefer avoiding confrontation, though.”

Bakura replied, “Yeah. I don’t get why he keeps bothering you.”

Joey replied, “It’s obvious. He’s jealous.”

Alex replied, “What? Jealous of me? Why?”

Joey replied, “You’re new, you’re beautiful, you’re smart, you have a way better personality. You’re just better than moneybags in every way.”

Alex blushed deeply and replied, “Thanks, I suppose. But we should eat. We only have so much time for lunch.”

Alex felt a little uncomfortable that the conversation was dragging for as long as it was. Tea then said,

“That’s true. We should eat.”

The others took the hint as well.

********************************

Meanwhile, Kaiba was staring out the window, thinking over what had happened earlier. He wanted to test Alex, based on one of the things that Detective Amaro had found out about her.

Sir, it’ll take me a few more days before I can give you a comprehensive report, but here’s what I have so far. Ms. Lawrence seems to be clean. She doesn’t have any criminal record, and she’s been reported to have a genius-level IQ. It might even be higher than yours, sir. It’s a little strange that she doesn’t appear to have any social media, but it isn’t impossible.

As I said, it’ll take me a few more days and I’ll give you a more complete report then.

That’s why Kaiba had taunted Alex into taking the math exam earlier. Truthfully, he hadn’t expected her to ace it, but when she did, he couldn’t help feeling annoyed. However, it did confirm about Alex being a genius. His interest in her grew although he still couldn’t help disliking her.

As lunchtime was ending, students were returning to their classrooms, and Kaiba watched as Alex returned with Yugi and the geek squad. Alex was chatting happily with Joey although Kaiba couldn’t make out their conversation. Alex suddenly laughed at something Joey said, and for some reason, that irritated Kaiba. As they got close enough, Kaiba called out,

“So the mutt has found his master?”

The smile on Joey’s face vanished, replaced by an irritated look. Joey clenched his fists, ready to make some sort of comeback. Alex reached out to touch Joey’s arm and said,

“Hey, ignore him. He’s obviously trying to get a rise out of you. Besides, I like puppies.”

Alex gave this cute look and Joey blushed. He replied, “Really? Then you can be my master anytime.”

Alex blushed in surprise and coughing, Yugi replied,

“Um, you two? Class is about to start.”

Alex nodded and quickly took her seat. Joey did the same, and other students took their seats. The English teacher entered the classroom soon after, and afternoon classes proceeded without incident. Alex acted the role of student, paying attention to the lessons. However, she should have been a little more on guard, as Kaiba cast furtive glances at her. Sometimes, they would portray his irritation towards her, but other times, they would reveal more of curiosity.

Once classes ended for the day, students gathered their things and began to leave the classroom. Joey got up and approaching Alex and the others, he said,

“That was exhausting.”

Alex replied, “School can be tough, but it’s worth it. If not for the classes themselves, at least for the friends you make.”

Kaiba overheard Alex’s comment, scoffed, and muttered, “Stupid friendship comment.”

Alex chose to ignore Kaiba’s comment and turning back to Joey, she commented,

“I thought I heard something, but it must have been my imagination. Anyway, our plans for this weekend are set, right?”

During lunchtime, Alex and the others had talked about plans to spend this Saturday today. Joey offered to give Alex a tour of Domino City, and the others chimed in, ready to assist. Alex smiled and readily accepted.

Joey grinned and replied, “Yup, and I’m looking forward to it. You’re going to have the best tour guides ever.”

Alex replied, “I know I will. I’d like to get a proper tour. I only know of a few places so far.”

Tea nodded and replied, “I understand. We’ll make sure you properly get to see the city. Oh, and call me later, ok?”

Alex nodded, knowing that Tea was referring to the Joey incident. She then got up and said,

“I should get going.”

Joey replied, “I’ll walk you out, ok?”

Joey didn’t want Kaiba to harass Alex again, so he figured there would be no incidents if he were to accompany her. Alex nodded, understanding Joey’s intention, and she replied,

“Sure.”

She turned to the others and said, “I’ll talk to you all tomorrow.”

Alex and Joey then left the classroom to head towards the school’s front entrance. Although Alex had hoped he wouldn’t be there, unfortunately, for her, Kaiba was blocking the way and he was anticipating her arrival although he hadn’t expected Joey to accompany her. Immediately, Kaiba said,

“Why’s the mutt here?”

Joey replied, “I’m tired of you harassing Alex. You take things too far, Kaiba.”

Kaiba ignored Joey and looking at Alex, he said, “I just wanted to bring up one thing and then you can go.”

As Joey was with her this time, Alex figured that Kaiba wouldn’t say anything too threatening. She looked back at him and evenly asked,

“What is it?”

Kaiba replied, “Stay away from Mokuba.”

Alex couldn’t help but let out a laugh and replied, “Really? That’s what you wanted to say? You aren’t his keeper. He can do what he wants, but you really ought to be a better brother to him.”

Joey looked confused and asked, “Uh, what happened?”

Alex turned to Joey and replied, “I’ll explain later.”

Kaiba angrily replied, “And what do you mean by that?”

Alex turned back to Kaiba and replied, “If you really cared about Mokuba, you’d have taught him how to defend himself. He wouldn’t have had to deal with that attempted kidnapping if he’d been able to fight them off.”

Joey replied, “What? Mokuba was kidnapped?”

Alex replied, “Attempted, but I stopped it.”

Joey nodded, and turning to Kaiba, he smirked and replied, “See? More proof that Alex’s a good person and you ought to leave her alone.”

Kaiba replied, “Stay out of this, mutt.” He then turned to Alex and said, “You know nothing about Mokuba or me, and I certainly don’t need advice from a little girl who couldn’t even save her own brother.”

Hearing Kaiba’s latter words, Alex felt her heart beat fast, as Kaiba caught her off guard. She knew Cas put as accurate info about Alex as possible although she had to wonder exactly what Kaiba knew about the circumstances that led to Andy’s disappearance. At any rate, Alex was having trouble keeping her composure and knew she needed to leave. Fortunately, Joey spoke up with,

“Moneybags! That’s a low blow, even for you. Resorting to insults just because Alex has one-upped you every…”

Joey trailed off, as he glanced at Alex and saw a lone tear trail down her right cheek. Alex herself hadn’t even realized that she was crying. Forgetting everything, Joey approached her and asked,

“Hey, you ok?”

It was then Alex snapped out of it, coming to her senses. She quickly smiled at Joey and replied,

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Um, I should go.”

She then turned to Kaiba and added, “Congratulations. Perhaps you’ll have the decency to stop bothering me now.”

Then Alex walked quickly out of the school, not knowing that Joey was tearing into Kaiba. Alex felt her emotions in turmoil as she walked faster, just wanting to get away as fast as possible. The one thought that ran through her mind was,

I’m going to eliminate Kaiba, no matter what.

Subject: Re: The Assassin Sat Sep 04, 2021 6:21 am

Love the new chapter and I think this one was definitely full of interesting events. I loved the part when Kaiba revealed to Alex how he knew about her little brother although I am curious to know how he found that out. XD And poor Alex. That must have hurt. :'(

Joey definitely looks interested in her and I want to see how this will shape later on. Keep the chapters coming, please. XD

Subject: Re: The Assassin Sat Sep 04, 2021 6:56 am

Thanks. It'll get revealed in a future chapter how Kaiba knows about Alex's brother. I think the next chapter will have a few days time skip since the story would drag on if I do each day. XD

And yeah, originally, Joey was going to be more of a minor character, but then I got this idea since I know that he and Kaiba had this rivalry/animosity thing going on. ^^

Subject: Re: The Assassin Wed Sep 08, 2021 5:15 am

I have the next chapter ready. It's on the longer side since I had quite a few ideas going through my head. XD

Chapter 5

A few days had passed since Alex’s last run in with Kaiba. Since that confrontation, Alex decided to ignore Kaiba, pretending that he didn’t exist. Although Joey wanted to tell the others what had happened, Alex asked him not to. She didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for her, so Joey respected her wishes and kept quiet although he would keep giving Kaiba death glares at every opportunity.

It was now a Saturday morning, and Alex was waiting for Joey and the others to show her around the city. As she waited, she remembered the conversation she had with Cas a few nights ago.

Alex asked, “Cas, what does Kaiba know about Andy? I know you put out info about me.”

Cas replied, “Wait, Alex. What happened?”

Alex told Cas about how Kaiba had confronted her after school. After Cas understood, she replied,

“Oh, Alex, I’m sorry. I promise I didn’t give out the truth about Andy’s disappearance. It would have been too crazy to believe. I just put out that Andy was caught in a building fire, but his body was never recovered. That’s it.”

Alex replied, “I see. It’s good that Kaiba doesn’t know the actual truth, but he crossed a line. But I guess that’ll make eliminating him that much easier.”

“Alex! Hey, Alex!”

Alex snapped out of her thoughts, turning towards the direction of the voice who called out to her. She smiled at who was approaching her and replied,

“Hey, Joey.”

Joey ran towards Alex and finally stopped in front of her, looking out of breath. He smiled and said,

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting, and you look great.”

Alex was wearing a light blue dress with short sleeves and a skirt that went down to the knees as well as leggings and light blue shoes with a slight heel. Also, she was wearing her usual bracelet. She blushed a bit and replied,

“Thanks. You look great, too.”

Joey grinned and replied, “Heh, I just threw this on. Let’s get going, ok?”

Alex replied, “But what about the others?”

Joey replied, “Yeah, about that. They called me before I left.”

Joey recalled the numerous phone conversations he had that morning. Tea called to say that Yugi’s grandpa needed help at the shop, so Yugi had to stay and help and Tea offered to help out. Then Tristan called to say that Duke’s shop had some sort of special promotion going on, so Duke had to take care of that and Tristan was helping him. Finally, Bakura called to say that something personal had come up, so he couldn’t make it, either. After Joey told all this to Alex, Alex said,

“I see. Well, I suppose these things happen.”

Joey replied, “Yeah, but I’m here and I’d never bail on ya.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Thanks. Since it’s just us two, we should get going. I want to see as much of the city as possible.”

Joey nodded and he led the way, showing Alex some shops and such in Domino City. As the two of them walked, he asked,

“You don’t need to see Kaiba Corp, do you?”

Alex shook her head and replied, “Nah, Mokuba showed it to me the other day. And since it’s the weekend, I won’t see you-know-who’s face. It’ll be nice to have a moron-free weekend.”

Joey laughed and replied, “You said it.”

The two of them continued to walk, and a little later, Alex noticed the duel disk that Joey was carrying on his left arm. She pointed to it and asked,

“Hey, Joey. What’s that?”

Of course, Alex knew that it was a duel disk, but she thought it would sound natural to ask and feign ignorance since during this time, duel disks were still a new item. Joey replied,

“Oh, this? It’s a duel disk. I got it during Battle City. You might have heard about it?”

Alex nodded and replied, “Yup, of course. It was a really big deal, even back home. I heard that you were one of the finalists? You must be a really awesome duelist.”

Joey grinned and replied, “Yeah. Yugi says I’m getting better. But…”

The smile faded from Joey’s face. Alex looked concerned and replied, “But what?”

Joey replied, “There’s still someone I have to beat. Forget it.”

Alex replied, “Who?”

Then it suddenly occurred to her, and Alex added,

“Ahh, you mean he-who-must-not-be-named?”

Joey gave a small smile and replied, “Yeah, him.”

Alex looked thoughtful and replied, “I understand. You know, there is a way to defeat him. I mean, Yugi has done it, right?”

Joey replied, “True, but Yugi is a special case. It’s hard to explain.”

Alex replied, “Perhaps, but I’ve learned that everyone has a weakness. So I’m sure you can find his as well. I can help if you want.”

Joey cheered up and replied, “I’d like that. But let’s stop talking about him. Today is all about you.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Ok. Let’s make the most of today.”

Joey grinned and feeling better, he took Alex’s hand and showed her around the city. They went to various places, and they stopped by Duke’s shop. Alex noticed the group of cheerleaders who were promoting the shop and couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. She looked to Joey and asked,

“Is this kind of promotion normal around here?”

Joey shrugged and replied, “It’s Duke’s thing. But they just fawn all over him.”

Alex replied, “Well, they’re more eye candy than anything else. But I have a feeling you prefer someone of substance over style.”

Joey blushed and replied, “Yeah, that’s true.”

He looked deeply at Alex for a few moments, and Alex couldn’t help blushing. The two of them quickly looked away and then entered the shop to say hello to Duke and Tristan. However, as the shop was busy, neither of them could talk long, so Alex and Joey left the shop soon afterwards.

Once they were outside and away from the crowds, Alex said,

“It was good to see Duke and Tristan, but I’m glad to be out of there.”

Joey replied, “Same here.”

The two of them continued the tour, and soon, it was about time for lunch. As Joey was about to suggest a place they could eat, suddenly, they heard a voice call out to them,

“Joey! Alex!”

Alex and Joey turned towards the direction of the voice and saw Mokuba running towards them. Alex noticed as well that Kaiba was a few steps behind Mokuba, not eager to meet up with them. Joey noticed Kaiba as well although he chose not to comment. He smiled at Mokuba and said,

“Hey, Mokuba. What are you doing here?”

Mokuba replied, “Seto and I had some things to take care of… Wait, are you two on a date?”

Mokuba couldn’t help teasing Alex and Joey, and immediately, at the same time, Alex and Joey replied,

“No!”

The two of them looked at each other and let out a laugh. Alex replied,

“I know it looks like it, but everyone else bailed on us. Go figure.”

Joey added, “Yeah, that’s right. I’m just showing Alex around.”

Mokuba replied, “Ahh ok. Oh, I have an idea. Seto and I were about to have lunch. How about you two join us?”

Neither Alex nor Joey liked the idea, and they looked at each other, silently in agreement. Alex turned to Mokuba and said,

“That’s really nice of you, Mokuba, but it’s not a good idea.”

Mokuba replied, “Why? Maybe you and Seto-”

Alex interrupted, “That’s exactly why. I like you, but I really don’t want anything to do with your brother. Oh, I almost forgot.”

She opened up her purse, took a small notepad and pen, and wrote something on it. Then she handed a piece of paper to Mokuba and said,

“Listen. You’re your own person and you can make your own decisions without anyone’s interference. It’s just a suggestion, but if you’d like, I’d be happy to give you self-defense lessons. You can freely walk about on your own and all.”

Alex had given Mokuba her phone number and email address. Looking at it, Mokuba said,

“Thanks, Alex. I’ll think about it.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Ok. You don’t need to have lessons from me, but I think you should have someone teach you these things. That’s just my two cents.”

Joey commented, “Alex is wise, smart, and beautiful.”

Alex playfully replied, “Stop, you. Anyway, we should get going.”

Joey replied, “True. See you, Mokuba.”

Joey and Alex waved goodbye to Mokuba, and then the two set off again. Mokuba then hurried back to Kaiba and said,

“Seto, what did you do to Alex?”

Kaiba replied, “What makes you think I did anything?”

Kaiba had been far enough away from the others that he could make out their conversation although he decided not to intervene. Mokuba replied,

“I may not be as smart as you, but I’m your brother. You must have done something.”

Alex and Joey were just about to be out of vision, and Kaiba walked quickly, as to not lose sight of the two. Hurrying after Kaiba, Mokuba asked,

“Seto, what are you doing? We’re supposed to go the other way.”

Kaiba continued to walk after Alex and Joey but far enough so that neither of them would spot him. Alex and Joey then entered a fast food place, and that’s when Kaiba stopped walking. Mokuba caught up to him and said,

“Are you following them?”

Kaiba grabbed Mokuba’s hand and quickly entered a secluded bookshop that was just opposite of where the fast food place was. As there weren’t any customers around and the owner was nowhere to be seen, it was an ideal place to have a private conversation. Mokuba faced Kaiba and said,

“Seto, what’s going on? And you didn’t answer my question.”

Kaiba replied, “You want to know what I did to Alex, right?”

He then told Mokuba about confronting Alex the other day. Mokuba listened and was a little sad to hear what happened. Mokuba replied,

“I get it. But how do you know about Alex’s brother?”

Kaiba replied, “I had someone run a background check on her.”

Mokuba looked shocked and replied, “What? You were that suspicious of her?”

Kaiba replied, “I was. But you were right.”

Kaiba recalled what Detective Amaro had told him.

Sir, I finished running my background check on Ms. Lawrence. There really is nothing suspect about her. Truthfully, her story is tragic. She lost her parents years ago and then lost her brother in that fire. As I said, it’s a little unusual that she has no social media, but her guardian must be strict about that. She’s completely clean.

Mokuba said, “Alex is a good person. I knew it.”

Kaiba sighed and replied, “That really was just a dream.”

Although Kaiba continued to have dreams about Alex, they were no longer of her killing him. They changed to more unusual ones, and Kaiba had no idea what to make of them.

Mokuba nodded and replied, “I know you feel bad. But knowing you, you won’t admit it. I think you should apologize to Alex, especially since you attacked her using her brother.”

Kaiba replied, “You’re right.”

Mokuba looked surprised and replied, “What? You’re agreeing with me?”

Kaiba replied, “I can admit when I’m wrong. But I don’t think Alex wants anything to do with me anymore. She pretends that I don’t exist.”

Mokuba frowned and replied, “I’ll think of something.”

Alex and Joey left the fast food place and headed out again. Kaiba noticed them and immediately said,

“Hurry. We can’t lose them.”

Mokuba replied, “Wait, Seto.”

He hurried, following Kaiba, who was following Alex and Joey although he kept his distance. Alex and Joey ended up in front of a movie theater, and Joey bought two tickets for them to see an action flick. After the two entered the movie theater, Kaiba turned to Mokuba and said,

“Get two tickets for that movie.”

Mokuba sighed and replied, “Seto, you do realize that this is stalking, right?”

Kaiba replied, “Please just do it, Mokuba.”

Mokuba nodded and approached the ticket seller, buying two tickets to the same movie that Alex and Joey were about to watch. After getting the tickets, he returned to Kaiba and said,

“Got them.”

Kaiba nodded and the two of them entered the movie theater. Once they entered the room where the movie was showing, Kaiba picked seats a few rows behind where Alex and Joey were sitting.

Meanwhile, Alex and Joey were watching the movie, sharing a bucket of popcorn. Alex’s eyes would light up every once in a while over a car explosion or fight scene, and Joey would cast occasional glances at Alex, his eyes full of amazement.

After the movie ended, they left the theater, but as Kaiba and Mokuba had left just before the movie ended, neither Alex nor Joey saw them. However, they weren’t aware that the brothers were nearby but hiding so that they couldn’t be seen. As Alex and Joey headed towards their next destination, which was Yugi’s grandpa’s card shop, Joey grinned and said,

“Nothing about you should surprise me by now. But man, I never thought you’d choose an action flick.”

Alex teasingly replied, “Oh, were you expecting a more romantic comedy?”

Joey replied, “That’s what Tea would have picked. But you’re Alex and I much prefer you.”

Alex blushed and replied, “You know how to flatter a girl, Joey. But thanks. I prefer action movies. I guess that comes as a surprise to a lot of guys. Does that make me unattractive?”

Joey shook his head and replied, “Nah. You’re just amazing, but I’m sure lots of guys back in America say that.”

Alex shook her head and replied, “Not really. Guys back home tend to prefer girly girls. I’m considered a freak.”

Joey replied, “Those guys are idiots. Any guy would be lucky to be with you.”

Joey gazed meaningfully into Alex’s eyes, and Alex blushed deeply. Meanwhile, Kaiba and Mokuba were close enough that they could overhear their conversation. Kaiba’s hands were balled in fists, and there was this feeling inside him that he couldn’t explain. Mokuba noticed and although he had a guess, he chose not to say anything.

Alex and Joey continued their walk, and Alex commented,

“I hope Yugi’s grandpa’s shop isn’t too busy. I don’t want to deal with crowds again.”

Joey replied, “Not a fan of them, huh?”

Alex replied, “Sort of. I kind of had a near death experience with one years ago. Oh, nothing to do with what he brought up the other day.”

Joey replied, “I understand. Gramps’ shop does well enough, but it never gets crowded. He doesn’t run special promotions or anything like that.”

Alex smiled and replied, “That’s good. I can’t wait to see Yugi and Tea.”

Joey nodded happily, and the two of them walked towards the card shop. They arrived at the shop and upon entering, they saw Yugi’s grandpa behind the counter, and Yugi and Tea looked to be busy cleaning and organizing inventory. Joey waved and said,

“Hey, Gramps, Yugi, Tea.”

Solomon Muto looked at Alex and Joey and said, “Welcome, and who is this lovely lady?”

Yugi said, “This is Alex. I mentioned about her to you the other day.”

Solomon nodded and replied, “Ahh yes, the exchange student.” He looked at Alex and smiling, he said,

“Welcome to my shop, Alex. I’m Yugi’s grandpa.”

Alex replied, “Hello, Mr. Muto. It’s a pleasure to meet you. You have a really cool shop here.”

Solomon smiled and replied, “Thanks, and call me Gramps. Do you like duel monsters, Alex?”

Alex replied, “They’re cool. I understand the game well enough, anyway.”

Solomon nodded and replied, “I’ll leave you kids to it then. I have some things to take care of in the back. Oh, and Alex, if there’s anything you’d like to buy, let Yugi know.”

Alex replied, “Thanks, Gramps.”

After Solomon went towards the back of the shop, the others were left alone. Tea looked towards Alex and Joey and asked,

“So how have you enjoyed the city?”

Alex replied, “It’s been great. Joey’s a wonderful guide.”

Joey grinned and replied, “Only because I have such a wonderful girl with me.”

Tea was about to making a comment when Yugi suddenly shouted,

“Hey, Kaiba!”

He waved in a friendly manner to where he saw Kaiba and Mokuba standing right outside the door. Alex turned to them and for a moment, she narrowed her eyes. She thought to herself,

Please don’t tell me he’s been following us this entire time.

Mokuba looked uncomfortable at having been caught, giving Alex and Joey an apologetic look. Joey said,

“What are you doing here, moneybags?”

Kaiba kept his composure and replied, “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m here to challenge Yugi to a duel.”

Although Alex was skeptical, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes over such a petty request. She looked at Tea and whispered,

“Is he always like this?”

Tea whispered, “When it comes to challenging Yugi, or rather, the other one.”

Alex looked confused and replied, “Huh?”

Yugi replied, “Kaiba, I’m busy. I have no time to duel you.”

Kaiba scoffed and replied, “Oh, so you’re going to be a coward and refuse? You know he would accept.”

Yugi was about to reply when Tea said,

“It’s ok. I can look after the shop while you duel Kaiba. It probably won’t take that long?”

Yugi replied, “You sure?”

Tea nodded and replied, “Yup.”

Yugi sighed and replied, “Ok, let’s go outside.” He then grabbed his duel disk and deck and followed Kaiba outside, and Mokuba followed the two of them. Joey then turned to Alex and said,

“I want to watch them, but I get it if you’d rather stay here.”

Alex shook her head and replied, “I’ll watch with you. I must admit that I’m curious. I’ve never seen a live duel.” She turned to Tea and said,

“I guess we’ll be going then. Please say bye to Gramps for us, and it was nice to meet him.”

Tea replied, “No problem. See you at school.”

Alex then followed Joey outside, where Kaiba and Yugi were about ready to duel. Alex noticed that Yugi looked different and guessed that this Yugi must be the pharaoh. Still, to feign ignorance, Alex turned to Joey and said,

“Is it just me or does Yugi look different?”

Joey replied, “It isn’t Yugi. Well, it is, but it isn’t. It’s complicated, but I’ll explain later.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Ok.”

The two of them and Mokuba watched as Yugi and Kaiba began their duel. There were a few onlookers as well, who were recording the duel on their phones. Alex watched with interest, as she learned about how Yugi and Kaiba dueled. Joey muttered,

“I’d love to put him in his place.”

Alex overheard the comment and replied, “You can, and I know you weren’t talking about Yugi just now. It would be weird to make such a comment about a friend.”

Joey laughed a bit in embarrassment and replied, “That’s true. But did you really mean that just now? About me putting him in his place?”

Alex replied, “Of course. As I said, everyone has a weakness, and he’s no exception. Let’s watch the duel and take notes.”

Joey nodded, and he and Alex watched the duel. Yugi, or rather, the pharaoh defeated Kaiba, using his signature dark magician along with dark magician girl and a few spell cards. Alex thought it was amazing to watch, considering that Kaiba had his blue eyes white dragon, which should have technically defeated dark magician.

After the duel ended, Kaiba turned to Mokuba and said, “Let’s go, Mokuba. I still have some work to do.”

Mokuba nodded and replied, “Ok.” He waved goodbye to the others before following Kaiba.

Joey ran up to Yugi and said, “Congrats, Yug.”

Yugi replied, “Thanks, Joey.”

Alex noticed that Yugi’s voice was now a little deeper, which confirmed in her mind that it was the pharaoh who had taken over Yugi’s body. Alex commented,

“Yeah, that duel was awesome.”

The pharaoh smiled and that’s when he noticed Alex’s bracelet. He looked a little surprised and asked,

“May I ask where you got that bracelet?”

Alex looked curiously at the bracelet on her wrist and replied, “My guardian gave it to me, just before I left home. She said it would protect me. She’s a bit into the supernatural.”

She laughed a bit, and the pharaoh replied, “I see.”

Joey replied, “It’s getting late, so I’ll walk you back to your place.”

Alex replied, “I’d like that.”

The pharaoh replied, “See you around.”

Yugi then turned back into his usual self, returning to the shop. Meanwhile, Alex and Joey walked together, heading towards Alex’s apartment. Joey commented,

“I wish this day didn’t have to end. It’s been fun.”

Alex replied, “I’ve had a lot of fun, too. Oh, I just had a brilliant idea!”

She looked excited, and Joey couldn’t help but be curious. He asked, “What is it?”

Alex replied, “As my way of thanking you for today, how about I cook dinner for you? At the same time, I figured out how you can defeat Kaiba.”

Joey looked interested and replied, “Really? I don’t need to go home right away, and if you have an idea…”

Alex grinned and replied, “I do. I mean, you’ll have to trust me and all.”

Joey replied, “I do. I trust you completely.”

Alex happily replied, “Then let’s do it.”

She and Joey then headed back to Alex’s apartment to have dinner and to begin formulating a strategy.

Subject: Re: The Assassin Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:15 am

This was an interesting chapter and it's nice to see Yami make an appearance. Looks like Joey and Alex are getting closer and closer and I can totally see romance in the air between them. XD

Can't wait to see what happens next. ^^

Subject: Re: The Assassin Mon Sep 20, 2021 5:55 am

I have the next chapter. It's definitely more on the shorter side this time. XD

Chapter 6

Alex was sitting by herself in a small, out-of-the-way coffee shop, sipping her coffee and reading a book while enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon. She couldn’t help but smile as she recalled spending time with Joey yesterday evening. The two of them had dinner and then sat in the living room afterwards. They talked about a lot of things from dueling strategies to their friends to just getting to know one another. Alex blushed a bit and thought,

Joey’s a great guy. Any girl would be lucky to be with him.

As she was about to take another sip of her coffee, her eyes momentarily left her book, looking at the coffee shop’s entrance. That’s when the last person she wanted to see appeared.

Ok, someone up there must really hate me. Is it too much to ask to have one day of no Kaiba?

However, Kaiba hadn’t seen Alex yet, so Alex quickly returned her attention to her book. She lifted it up enough so that it would cover her face.

Ok, Alex. Keep it together. He’s probably just going to get coffee and then leave. He won’t even notice you. But if he does, then resume Operation Ignore.

For a few minutes, it seemed like Alex’s hopes would come true. She resumed reading her book and was so absorbed in the story that she didn’t notice that Kaiba had taken a seat near her. He smirked and said,

“Ms. Lawrence, what a surprise to see you here.”

Alex kept her eyes on her book although she couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She thought,

Yup, someone up there really does hate me. Just stay calm, ignore him, and he’ll go away.

Thus, Alex ignored Kaiba’s comment, not bothering to give him the satisfaction of a reply. Kaiba frowned a bit and thought,

I don’t know what to make of this girl. But I’m not going to let her ignore me.

He then said, “I’m surprised to see that you don’t have your dog with you.”

Alex felt annoyed as Kaiba took a jab at Joey but stayed calm, continuing to not say anything. Kaiba got annoyed as Alex continued to ignore him and thought,

Even now, she’s still like this? I just want to talk to her.

An elderly lady, the owner of the coffee shop, approached Kaiba and handed him a mug of coffee. She smiled warmly at him and said,

“Mr. Kaiba, it’s a pleasure to see you again. You’re always welcome here.”

Kaiba replied, “You offer the best coffee in the city. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.”

The lady replied, “Why, thank you. Oh, I see that you’re talking to your friend. I’ll leave you two alone then.”

Alex thought,

Kaiba’s definitely not my friend. But it’s interesting to learn that he comes here for coffee. I can see why, though.

She reached out to where her mug was, her eyes not leaving the page of her book, when she suddenly felt a hand grab it. That’s when she finally had to look towards who was holding her hand, and yes, it was Kaiba. He glared at her and said,

“I don’t like being ignored.”

Alex smiled and replied, “You should be fortunate that was all I was doing. But you’ve got my attention now, so if you would please let go of my hand.”

Kaiba let go of Alex’s hand, and then Alex said,

“Ok, let’s get this over with. What do you want? I’ll hazard a guess. Perhaps you want to take another jab at me. The comment about my brother was pretty bad, though, but I’m sure you can do much worse.”

Alex’s eyes reflected some anger although the rest of her body remained calm. However, there was also a bit of sadness as she recalled what had happened a few days ago. Kaiba sighed inwardly and quietly replied,

“I’m sorry about that.”

His apology came so suddenly and quietly that Alex almost didn’t catch it. She replied,

“What? I didn’t quite hear that.”

Kaiba spoke up a little louder and said, “I said I’m sorry. That was uncalled for, bringing up your brother, even if you do get under my skin.”

Alex sarcastically replied, “And you were doing so well apologizing. I was just about to totally forgive you, too.”

She paused and added, “I know you don’t want my advice, but if you ever want to improve your social skills, here’s a tip. When it comes to apologizing, make it totally sincere and not a backhanded compliment.”

Alex finished up the rest of her coffee and then began putting her book away in her bag, preparing to leave. Kaiba noticed and asked,

“Where are you going?”

Alex replied, “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m finished with my coffee. I’d order another, but I am on a budget, so I’ll be on my way. It was a pleasure seeing you.”

Alex finished gathering her things and was about to get up when Kaiba grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to her seat. The move was so sudden that it caught Alex off-guard. Alex glared at Kaiba and asked,

“Now what do you want?”

Kaiba turned his eyes away from Alex although he still kept a hold of her arm to prevent her from leaving. He waved for the coffee shop owner and once the owner approached, he said,

“I’d like to order another coffee for Ms. Lawrence. The same one she just had, and I’ll take care of her bill.”

The owner looked surprised but nodded and went to prepare another mug of coffee. Once the owner was out of earshot, Alex said,

“I don’t need your charity.”

Kaiba replied, “Just accept that I’m trying to do something nice for you, for Mokuba’s sake.”

Alex sighed to herself and relented although she didn’t say anything, not wanting to give Kaiba total satisfaction that he won. Kaiba knew that he’d won, though, and smirked although he didn’t let go of her arm. The two of them just sat there in awkward silence for a few minutes until the coffee shop owner returned with a fresh mug of coffee for Alex. After she left, Alex finally said,

“Um, you can let go of my arm now.”

Kaiba was surprised that he hadn’t noticed that he’d held onto her and immediately let go. He didn’t say anything, though, and Alex felt annoyed by the silence. After taking a sip of her coffee, she said,

“Out of politeness, I’ll thank you now for the coffee. But once I’m finished, I will be taking my leave. I have other things to do today.”

Kaiba replied, “I didn’t want to only apologize to you.”

He was silent after, which prompted Alex to reply,

“Yes? What else did you want? As long as it isn’t another insult or attack, that is.”

Kaiba bluntly replied, “You interest me.”

Alex almost spit out the coffee she had taken another sip of and had to take a minute to recover. Then she replied,

“What? I think I misheard or something.”

Kaiba smirked and replied, “You’re interesting. I want to know more about you.”

Alex replied, “At least, you’re direct. I can respect that. But don’t you already know everything you need to know about me? I’m sure you did a background check on me.”

Kaiba replied, “I won’t deny that, but a background check can only tell you so much.”

Alex replied, “That’s true. So, what do you want to know? It’ll be easier if you ask and I answer although I have the right to refuse to answer.”

Kaiba nodded, seeming to accept Alex’s condition. He then asked, “I know you’re a genius, but why are you still in high school? At least, you should be in university, if not already a graduate.”

Alex shrugged and replied, “You wouldn’t get it, but I like having a normal life. But wouldn’t the same be said of you? You’re a genius, too, from what I’ve heard.”

Kaiba replied, “It’s complicated.”

Alex didn’t pry further, satisfied with his answer. He then commented,

“You should work at Kaiba Corp someday.”

Alex almost let out that she would be interning there soon but chose not to say anything, wanting to keep it a surprise. So she just shrugged again and replied,

“If the job offer is good, perhaps I’ll consider it.”

Kaiba then asked, “What’s with you and Wheeler?”

Alex raised an eyebrow and replied, “Excuse me? I don’t understand why you’re asking that question. Also, it’s a pretty broad one, so I don’t know how to answer you.”

Kaiba replied, “Of all the company you could keep close to you. If it was Yugi, I’d get it although Gardner would see you as a rival.”

Alex replied, “Ok? Seriously, what’s up with this line of questioning? I honestly don’t get why you dislike Joey so much. He’s a really great guy.”

Kaiba looked annoyed although Alex thought she detected something else showing on Kaiba’s face. He took a moment to calm down and replied,

“So you like Wheeler? You seem smart and sensible. You can do much better.”

Alex studied Kaiba’s face for a minute and then had a guess as to what he was actually feeling. However, it was beyond disbelief for Alex. Still, she wanted to take this opportunity and decided to test out her hypothesis. She let out a dreamy smile and appearing to be lost in her thoughts, she replied,

“You wouldn’t get it. Joey’s wonderful. He’s been sweet and kind to me, and he’s all around awesome. He accepts me for myself. There’s no one better.”

She had this faraway look in her eyes although she couldn’t help taking a quick glance to see Kaiba’s reaction. It was difficult to read his face although it appeared that her suspicions were confirmed. Kaiba simply replied,

“I suppose I’ll just have to prove you wrong. I accept your challenge.”

Alex looked confused and replied, “What? I didn’t challenge you to anything.”

Kaiba replied, “You just made a claim that no guy is better for you than Wheeler. But I can easily prove you wrong.”

He leaned in close to Alex’s face and they were so close that it looked like they were about to kiss. Alex suddenly scooted back and said,

“Ok, way too close and this conversation is getting much too weird for me.”

She finished up her coffee and getting up, she said,

“Now, I am leaving for real this time and don’t follow me. Because you know that’s stalking. Thank you for the coffee and company, Mr. Kaiba, and perhaps I shall see you in school.”

She gathered her things and then left the coffee shop, leaving Kaiba alone with his thoughts. Alex had to get out of there because something inside her felt confused.

I don’t get him. First, he detests me, but now he suddenly wants to get to know me? And what was that just now?

Alex’s cheeks were red and she decided to head back to her apartment, hoping to get some peace and quiet.

Subject: Re: The Assassin Mon Sep 27, 2021 4:27 am

I have the next chapter ready as well. ^^

Chapter 7

It was Monday morning, and that meant that Alex had to go to school again and maintain her usual routine. However, she felt a stir of emotions from all the events that had happened over the weekend and still wasn’t able to process them all. On top of it, her nightmares began to reappear, disturbing her sleep. Despite that, she was able to make it to school and was walking in the hallway when Joey spotted her and waved happily at her. He called out,

“Hey, Alex!”

Alex smiled at Joey and replied, “Morning, Joey. How was the rest of your weekend, especially that strategic planning?”

Joey grinned and replied, “I’m getting there. Changed out a few cards and rethought my dueling strategy. Your advice is helping.”

On Saturday evening, Alex had given Joey her thoughts about the duel between the pharaoh and Kaiba, specifically pointing out a flaw in Kaiba’s dueling strategy. She then gave Joey some general advice on how to improve his deck and his strategy. She thought,

Of course, I had to be careful not to accidentally reveal how powerful monsters could be summoned after fusions. I can’t disturb the course of events on that front.

Alex let out of a bit of a yawn as she and Joey entered the classroom, and looking worried, Joey asked,

“Hey, you ok? You look like you didn’t get enough sleep.”

Alex smiled a bit and replied, “I’m ok. I’ll try to make up for it tonight.”

Joey nodded although he felt like Alex was holding something back. Yugi and the others saw the two of them enter, and as they took seats, Tristan asked,

“So how was your date?”

Joey looked annoyed and replied, “How many times do I need to tell ya? It wasn’t a date.”

Alex nodded and added, “That’s right, and besides, the rest of you bailed on us. I get why but still.”

Yugi looked embarrassed and replied, “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. Grandpa really needed help, but I’m glad you two were able to stop by.”

Alex replied, “Same here. Gramps is cool.”

The group continued to talk happily for a while while all the other students arrived, including Kaiba. The homeroom teacher then entered, and morning classes started up. While part of Alex’s mind was focused on the lessons, the other part was preoccupied with what Kaiba had said to her on Sunday.

I suppose I’ll just have to prove you wrong. I accept your challenge.

Alex thought to herself,

What did he mean by that? And why does that make me curious? I should be focusing on finding his weak spots, so I can make a plan to eliminate him. I can’t forget my objective.

As the bell rang to indicate that it was time for lunch, Alex let out a deep sigh. As most of the students got up to hang out with their friends, the only person who had noticed Alex sighing was Kaiba. He looked at her with curiosity in his eyes and thought,

I wonder what’s got her so disturbed. Wait. Why am I even thinking about her? She’s not a threat anymore.

Like most of the other students, Alex got up and took out her packed lunch as well as an extra one. As Yugi and the others went up ahead towards the roof, Joey stayed behind to wait for Alex. Alex approached him and said,

“Ok, I’m all set and I have your lunch, too. You did make sure not to buy anything before getting here, right?”

Joey grinned and replied, “Nope, didn’t forget. But you really didn’t need to make lunch for old me.”

Alex smiled and replied, “I wanted to, especially after you complimented my cooking the other night. I made something simple this time, but if you ever want something specific, let me know.”

Joey nodded enthusiastically and replied, “Sure. Well, let’s not keep the others waiting.”

Alex and Joey left the classroom, unaware that Kaiba had listened in on their conversation. He couldn’t rationalize it, but when he heard about Alex making lunch for Joey, he thought,

Special treatment for that mutt?

His mind wandered, which was unlike him, and he couldn’t help imagining Alex making lunch for him and the two of them arguing although there wouldn’t actually be any animosity behind it. It would almost be enjoyable. Kaiba thought,

What’s wrong with me?

In the past, Kaiba had his fair share of female admirers try to win him over with food and flirtations, but he easily dismissed them. After a while, those admirers gave up, so Kaiba was finally able to have some peace. He had never been interested in anyone, only wanting to be the best at dueling, which including defeating the pharaoh. However, it seemed like with Alex’s arrival, things were starting to get shaken up.

Kaiba shook his head and decided to busy himself with work to take his mind off of his unusual thoughts. The rest of lunch went by smoothly, and Alex and the others returned to the classroom and took their seats. The English teacher then entered the classroom and announced,

“Ok, continuing our topic of study, you’ll be working in groups of three for the next two weeks. Each group will have a specific scene from Romeo and Juliet that you’ll need to act out and perform before the class.”

The teacher continued to explain the assignment and how much it would be worth. Then the teacher split the class into groups of three. Alex, Joey, and Kaiba ended up being in a group of three. As students split up into their groups to begin working on their assignment, Joey looked at Alex and said,

“I’m glad we’re together.”

Alex grinned and replied, “Because I know the material like the back of my hand?”

Joey laughed and replied, “That, but more because I like ya.”

Alex looked surprised and blushed a bit. Realizing that he might have given Alex the wrong idea, he added,

“I just meant that it’s good to work with a friend.”

Alex laughed and replied, “Of course.”

Kaiba coughed and said, “If you two are done with your flirting, we have work to do.”

Joey was about to reply when Alex touched his arm and shook her head, silently telling him not to rise to the bait. Joey nodded, and then Alex said,

“Ok, let’s see here.”

She looked at the worksheets the teacher had given them and after a couple of minutes, she said,

“It’s a lot of work but doable. We should make sure we have a good grasp of the material first and then we can tackle these questions. We can deal with the scene stuff later.”

Joey nodded, readily agreeing with Alex’s idea. However, Kaiba replied,

“Who made you the leader?”

Joey replied, “It’s obvious that it has to be Alex. She knows the most about this unless you’re suddenly claiming to be an expert.”

Kaiba was about to reply when Alex sighed and said, “He has a point.” She turned to Kaiba and said,

“I apologize for asserting my authority. If you have a better suggestion, we’re all ears.”

Alex gave Kaiba a look, as though daring him to come up with a better idea. However, Kaiba had to admit to himself that Alex’s plan was a good one. He simply grunted and said,

“Whatever. Do what you want.”

Alex smirked and replied, “Thank you. We know how busy you are, so Joey and I will handle this. We’ll let you know when we need your help.”

She then turned back to Joey, wanting to work on the assignment. Kaiba was about to protest again when he remembered that he just told Alex that she could do whatever she wanted, so he stayed quiet.

Meanwhile, Alex turned to Joey and said, “Ok. Let’s read our assigned scene and answer the questions while we’re at it. We should get the questions done first, so we’ll have time to deal with the scene acting.”

Joey nodded and replied, “Sure. But man, Shakespeare is hard.”

Alex smiled sympathetically and replied, “It is. I mean, it’s in English, but it’s old English. You see the footnotes there? It helps to translate the material into modern language.”

Joey nodded, and he and Alex leaned in close as they read the passage together and tackled the questions. Kaiba watched as the two of them worked together, and for some reason, there was this anger burning inside him. Alex and Joey continued to work well together on the assignment, neither of them aware of Kaiba watching them, let alone how he was feeling. Joey commented,

“You really know your stuff, Alex.”

Alex happily replied, “Thanks, Joey. Don’t you worry about this. I’ll make sure we ace this assignment, and ask me any questions, ok?”

Joey grinned and replied, “Sure will.”

The bell rang to indicate that class was over. After the teacher gave some final instructions and indicated that the group work would continue tomorrow, everyone returned to their usual seats. As Alex took her seat, Kaiba glared at her and Alex couldn’t help but ask,

“What? Did I commit some sort of crime or something?”

Kaiba muttered, “Nothing.”

Alex looked confused and baffled by Kaiba’s behavior although she didn’t say anything about it. Fortunately, the rest of the afternoon classes passed by without incident and once the final bell rang to indicate that school was over for the day, Joey stood up and said,

“Yes, finally!”

Alex couldn’t help laughing a bit and replied, “I know how you feel but we only got through Monday.”

Joey groaned and his enthusiasm deflating a bit, he replied, “Don’t remind me.”

Alex shook her head in amusement and went about to gather her things. Once she was done, she got up and said,

“I’ll get going. I should probably take a nap or something.”

As if on cue, she yawned, and Joey was reminded of their conversation that morning. He looked at her with concern and said,

“Hey, you gonna be ok getting home? I can walk with you.”

Alex shook her head and replied, “You’re sweet, but I’ll be ok. There won’t be any problems. I just have to make sure to get enough sleep tonight.”

Joey replied, “Ok, but if you have any problems, you know how to reach me.”

Alex replied, “I do.”

She turned to the others and said, “I’ll be heading off.”

Yugi replied, “Ok, and be careful, Alex. It sounds like you need some sleep.”

Alex smiled and replied, “I will.”

She got her bag and waved goodbye to the others. As she walked down the hallway and towards the front doors of the school, she looked out a window and noticed that it started to rain heavily. She groaned to herself and thought,

Great, and I didn’t bring an umbrella.

She wondered if there was a way she could get back to her apartment without getting soaked. There was one way although Alex wanted to avoid it if possible. She continued to walk towards the front doors and saw Kaiba standing there. She groaned to herself and thought,

Ok, no way I can do that while he’s there. Well, I can’t have any witnesses.

Alex thought about either waiting until Kaiba left or looking for another exit. As she pondered over what to do, Kaiba turned to her and said,

“I’ll give you a ride.”

Alex looked surprised and replied, “What?”

Kaiba sighed and replied, “I said I’ll give you a ride, and no, I’m not being charitable.”

Alex smiled and replied, “That’s nice of you to offer, but I’ll risk getting drenched.”

Alex’s stubborn nature was getting the better of her, and as she was about to walk out the doors, Kaiba grabbed her arm and said,

“Please.”

Alex replied, “Why are you being nice to me?”

Alex couldn’t help but be slightly suspicious as to Kaiba’s motives. Kaiba replied, “For one, if you get sick and can’t come to school, I’ll have to do your work and get the mutt to cooperate. And two, Mokuba would be upset if you got sick.”

Alex rolled her eyes over Kaiba’s first reason but as she heard the other reason, her heart couldn’t help but soften. She took a breath and replied, “Fine, but just this once.”

Kaiba smirked, which didn’t escape Alex’s notice. She commented,

“A wise person once said that it’s ok to lose some battles. So I don’t mind too much losing this one.”

Kaiba raised an eyebrow but didn’t make any comment. A few minutes later, a black limo pulled up and the driver got out, carrying an umbrella as well as a spare one. He saw Kaiba and Alex and said,

“Sir, I apologize for the tardiness. There was a bit of traffic after I picked up Mr. Mokuba from school.”

Kaiba waved his hand and replied, “It’s fine. We’re going to drop off Ms. Lawrence at her apartment before going to Kaiba Corp.”

The driver nodded and turning to Alex, he said, “Where’s your apartment, miss?”

Alex gave the driver her address and asked if he knew where it was. The driver nodded, commenting that he was familiar with the area. He then gave Kaiba the spare umbrella before he headed back to the limo. Kaiba then opened up the umbrella and said,

“Let’s go.”

Alex nodded, and the two of them headed towards the limo, where Kaiba opened the door and told Alex to get inside before he got inside as well. Unknown to either of them, Joey had watched the exchange and clenched his fists. He wanted to help out Alex, as he saw that it was raining. However, Kaiba had beaten him to the punch, but he noticed that Alex had put up some resistance to the idea before finally giving in.

Meanwhile, as the limo headed away from school and towards the area where Alex’s apartment was, Mokuba was surprised to see Alex. He smiled at her and said, “Hey, Alex. It’s good to see you.”

Alex smiled warmly and replied, “It’s good to see you, too, Mokuba.”

Mokuba replied, “Did Seto offer to give you a ride back?”

Alex nodded and replied, “Yeah, although I really would have been fine on my own.”

Mokuba shook his head and replied, “Don’t be ridiculous. Even with an umbrella, these storms are terrible sometimes.”

Alex replied, “I can definitely see that. I had no idea. It’s never that bad back home. Well, it depends where in America.”

Mokuba nodded, and then Kaiba looked to him and asked how school was. The two brothers then chatted about their day, and Alex half-listened while she looked out the window. She felt sleepy but tried her best to stay awake. She couldn’t help but envy their relationship, as it reminded her of how things were long ago between her and Andy. She missed her brother greatly, and the pain of his absence still lingered inside her. A tear slid down her cheek although she didn’t bother to brush it away. Mokuba noticed and asked,

“Hey, Alex, you ok?”

Alex snapped out of her thoughts and smiling quickly, she replied, “Yeah, I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep well last night. But no worries. I’ll catch up tonight.”

Mokuba nodded and replied, “Ok.”

Kaiba glanced at Alex and inwardly worried about her although he didn’t say anything. Soon, the driver pulled up in front of Alex’s apartment building. He looked at Alex and said, “We’re here, miss.”

Alex smiled gratefully at the driver and said, “Thank you, sir.”

She turned to Mokuba and said, “It was good to see you again, Mokuba, and call me sometime if you’d like.”

Then she turned to where Kaiba was sitting although she noticed that the limo door was already open and Kaiba was right outside, holding an umbrella. Kaiba said,

“I’m walking you to your apartment. That’s all.”

Alex shrugged and carrying her bag, she got out of the limo. Then she walked with Kaiba as they headed inside her apartment building and upstairs until they reached the door to her apartment. Once they arrived in front of her door, Alex turned to Kaiba and said,

“Thank you. You really didn’t need to go through this trouble. I’ll make sure to carry an umbrella next time.”

Kaiba replied, “It’s fine. Just get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Ok. Um, see you tomorrow.”

She opened the door to her apartment and entered, closing the door behind her. Once she was safely inside, she fell to her knees on the floor and sighed, completely exhausted. She thought,

I really don’t understand him. And he’s just making things more difficult for me.

Kaiba took one last glance at Alex’s door before going downstairs and heading back outside towards the limo. He couldn’t help feeling a little frustrated and thought,

What am I doing?

Subject: Re: The Assassin Mon Sep 27, 2021 7:22 pm

Love the two new chapters, and I am totally interested in Kaiba's developing feelings for Alex and how this will affect her and her mission, especially that she seems to be interested somehow too. XD Of course, not to mention the love trainge between him and Joey.

Keep the new chapters coming. I love reading them as they go out. Very Happy

Subject: Re: The Assassin Sun Oct 03, 2021 4:22 am

Thanks. I'm glad you're liking the chapters I posted. I have the next chapter ready, so I'll post it now. ^^

Chapter 8

Despite Alex’s best efforts to catch up on sleep, her nightmares continued to haunt her, not allowing her to rest properly. It affected her condition, ultimately leading up to her current predicament.

It was Wednesday during lunch period. Normally, Alex would have spent it with Joey, Yugi, and the others. However, she wanted to do a bit of studying in the library although she made sure to give Joey his lunch first. As she was studying, Alex noticed that Kaiba was sitting nearby, studying as well. Alex wasn’t too surprised to see him there since she figured he was the studious type. However, Kaiba was surprised to see Alex although he didn’t provoke her over why she wasn’t hanging out with Joey. Instead, he would cast occasional glances at Alex, noticing that she was doing her best to stay awake while studying. He wondered if she still wasn’t getting enough sleep but didn’t know how to approach the topic without setting her off.

Alex soon finished up her studying and noticing the time, she quickly gathered her things. However, as she stood up to leave, her feet suddenly felt wobbly and it was like she was about to fall down. Suddenly, though, she felt two strong arms surround her and when Alex looked up to see who had prevented her from falling, she noticed Kaiba holding her. He had this scowl on his face and said,

“What’s wrong with you, Ms. Lawrence?”

Alex glared at Kaiba and replied, “I’m fine. You can let go now. I don’t need your help.”

Kaiba ignored Alex’s request and instead, he touched her forehead, which was hot. He frowned and replied,

“You’re burning up. I’m taking you to the nurse’s office.”

Alex replied, “I said I’m fine, and we have classes.”

Kaiba replied, “Classes can wait, and stop being stubborn. I’m taking you to the office, even if I have to carry you over my shoulder.”

Alex’s cheeks heated up over Kaiba’s latter words and replied, “Ok, fine. No need to go through such extremes. But let go of me. I’m perfectly capable of walking.”

Kaiba slowly let go of Alex and said, “I’m walking with you, just in case.”

Alex nodded and got her bag. Then she walked with Kaiba as they left the library and headed to the nurse’s office. As afternoon classes had just started, the hallways were empty. As the two of them walked, Kaiba quietly asked,

“Are you still not getting enough sleep?”

Although Alex would have preferred not to reply, at the moment, she felt too tired to put up any sort of resistance. Thus, she nodded and replied,

“Yeah, but it’s not my fault. It just keeps happening, and I can’t make them go away.”

Kaiba replied, “What?”

Alex realized that she might have said too much and quickly replied, “Nothing.”

Kaiba let out an exasperated sigh and replied, “Really? If you’re worried I’m going to laugh at you, I won’t. I can be a decent person at times.”

Alex let out a bit of a smile and replied, “Yeah, I can see that.” She took a breath and replied, “I’m having nightmares of losing Andy. That’s it. Go ahead and tell me that’s stupid to lose sleep over.”

Kaiba stopped walking suddenly, which made Alex stop walking, too. He looked at her and said,

“That isn’t stupid. Losing family is always hard. How long have you had those nightmares?”

Alex looked thoughtful and replied, “Ever since Andy died. They come and go. I’ve been having them recently again.”

Kaiba nodded and he resumed walking, and Alex followed suit. As they continued to walk, Kaiba thought,

This is my fault, but I can fix it.

The two of them made it to the nurse’s office, where the nurse on duty was sitting. She looked at the two of them and asked,

“What happened?”

Kaiba replied, “Ms. Lawrence nearly collapsed, and she has a fever. I think it’s best that she go home for the day.”

The nurse furrowed her eyebrows and after a moment, she replied, “Probably.” She looked at Alex and asked,

“Are you experiencing any other unusual symptoms?”

Alex shook her head and replied, “No, ma’am. I’ve probably been pushing myself too much.”

The nurse nodded and replied, “I understand. I agree with Mr. Kaiba. You should go home and get lots of rest. In the meantime, you can rest here.”

She turned to Kaiba and said, “I’ll let the teacher know about Ms. Lawrence’s condition.”

Kaiba nodded and replied, “Of course. I’ll escort Ms. Lawrence back to her place myself.”

The nurse nodded and then left the office. Meanwhile, Kaiba took out his phone to call for his driver to pick them up. After he was done, Alex said,

“There’s no need for this. I can just take the bus.”

Kaiba frowned and replied, “It’s too late. Plus, I’m not leaving you to fend for yourself.”

Alex suddenly thought of something and asked, “What about our work?”

Kaiba laughed at that and replied, “Really? You’re worried about our group project at a time like this?”

Alex shrugged and replied, “If nothing else, I’d like to think I’m a good student.”

Kaiba shook his head and replied, “I’ll take care of it.”

Alex replied, “I’m sorry. I know you didn’t want to have to deal with it, and then I had to get myself sick.”

Kaiba replied, “I don’t blame you. These things happen.”

Alex was surprised to hear that, rather expecting a reply over how inconvenienced Kaiba would be. However, she didn’t say anything, deciding to rest up. After several more minutes passed, the nurse returned and said,

“I’ve let the teacher know the situation although Mr. Wheeler put up quite a fuss.”

Kaiba smirked over hearing Joey’s name mentioned while Alex couldn’t help sighing. She noticed how protective Joey was over her yesterday, and when she asked him about it, he only said that he thought Kaiba was up to no good and it couldn’t hurt to have another pair of eyes on the lookout. A couple of minutes later, Kaiba’s phone rang and Kaiba picked it up. It was the driver, who was waiting outside. Kaiba turned to Alex and said,

“Our ride’s here. I assume you can walk.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Of course.”

As if to prove her words, Alex got to her feet and took her bag. She turned to the nurse and said,

“Thank you for letting me rest here.”

The nurse smiled and replied, “Get better soon.”

Together, Alex and Kaiba left the nurse’s office and headed towards the entrance. Alex remained silent although normally, she would have put up some resistance over Kaiba taking her back. Kaiba realized this and said,

“You must really be unwell.”

Alex replied, “Obviously, but I’ll get better soon. I never go down without a fight.”

Kaiba smirked and replied, “Obviously.”

The two of them reached the entrance and there, the driver was waiting. Once they reached the limo, Kaiba held open the door for Alex, and she slid in, with Kaiba following. Kaiba then told the driver to head towards Alex’s place, and the driver nodded. During the ride, Alex yawned and had trouble staying awake. She felt herself about to fall to the side at one point, but Kaiba noticed and quickly held Alex so that her head was resting on his shoulder. It felt warm and comfortable, and Alex found herself soon falling asleep.

As Kaiba held Alex and felt her sleeping by his shoulder, he looked at her and thought,

Remarkable. She looks so beautiful asleep… Ok, what am I thinking?

As there wasn’t much traffic at that time of day, the driver soon reached the building to Alex’s apartment. Alex began to slowly wake up, unaware of how she had slept although she did feel slightly better. She looked outside and said,

“Oh, we’re here.”

Kaiba nodded and after telling the driver to wait for him, Kaiba got out of the limo first. Alex followed after. As she was about to go up the stairs, though, Kaiba suddenly scooped her up in his arms. Alex couldn’t help glaring at Kaiba and asked,

“What are you doing?”

Kaiba replied, “What does it look like? You’re going to trip on those stairs in your condition, so I’m carrying you.”

Alex angrily replied, “I’m not some damsel-in-distress. I just didn’t get enough sleep.”

Kaiba replied, “I know. If you were a damsel, that would make me your prince, and I’m not your prince.” He quietly added, “At least, not yet.”

Alex couldn’t hear Kaiba’s latter words and asked, “What?”

Kaiba quickly replied, “Nothing.”

He continued to carry Alex until they reached the door to her apartment. Alex then reached into her bag to take out her keys and unlocked the door. Kaiba then opened it and carried her inside, placing her on the sofa. Once Alex was comfortably situated, she looked at Kaiba and said,

“Thank you. I hope I wasn’t too heavy for you.”

Kaiba smirked and replied, “Light as a feather, or maybe I’m just incredibly strong.”

Alex rolled her eyes and replied, “Of course you’d say that.”

Kaiba then asked, “Are you going to be ok?”

Alex replied, “No worries. I’ll have to figure out a way to catch up on some sleep although I do feel a little bit better than earlier. I wonder why.”

Kaiba replied, “I’ll go then. I’ll have Mokuba drop by later to check up on you.”

Alex smiled a bit upon hearing Mokuba being mentioned and replied, “I’d like that.”

Kaiba replied, “Get some sleep and make sure to lock the door.”

Alex nodded, and Kaiba then left the apartment. Alex got up and made sure to lock the door afterwards. She then returned to the sofa and closed her eyes, hoping to get a little sleep.

Meanwhile, Kaiba got back to the limo and told the driver to head to Kaiba Corp, figuring that there was no point in returning to school for the day. He had an idea of how Alex could regain some sleep although a part of him wondered why he was so concerned about her.

It’s probably just guilt. She started having those nightmares shortly after I brought up her brother. But urgh. Wanting to be her prince? How ridiculous is that?

**************************

A couple of hours later, Alex woke up, feeling a little better and more refreshed than earlier. When Alex had fallen asleep earlier, she thought about Kaiba and how he had gone out of his way to look after her. Then, her sleep was peaceful and undisturbed. Alex wondered why she was able to sleep better although she didn’t question it too much, just grateful to have gotten any.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Remembering what Kaiba told her about Mokuba dropping by, Alex thought that it might be him. However, once she reached the door, unlocked and opened it, she was surprised to see Joey standing outside. He looked like he had run all the way over, and concern etched all over her face, Alex asked,

“Joey, what happened? Are you ok?”

She stepped aside to let him in, and Joey immediately entered. He looked frantically around the apartment and asked, “Where is he? If he’s hurt you in any way, I’ll-”

Alex interrupted, “Joey, slow down. I assume you’re talking about Kaiba. He’s not here. He dropped me off and then left. He didn’t hurt me.”

Alex decided to not tell Joey about how Kaiba had carried her. She didn’t want him any more upset than he already was. She smiled and asked,

“Were you really that worried about me?”

Joey looked at Alex and replied, “Of course. When you weren’t in class, I knew something must have happened, and then the nurse mentioned about you being with Kaiba and… Yeah, I freaked out.”

Alex smiled apologetically and replied, “I’m sorry. I hope you know I wouldn’t have willingly gone with him. He was just so insistent and I was feeling too out of it to fight back much.”

Joey calmed down and replied, “I know. There’s no way you’d want to hang out with him.”

Alex laughed a bit and replied, “Yeah. I’m sorry to trouble you like this.”

Joey shook his head and replied, “Nah, you have nothing to be sorry for. I just wish I’d known how bad it was. Maybe I can stay with ya and make sure you get better?”

Alex replied, “You don’t have to do that. I feel a little better than earlier. I was able to catch up on a bit of sleep. Oh, but I am a little concerned about our project. I feel bad for leaving you to deal with it.”

Joey replied, “It’s not your fault. We finished up all the questions, so it’s only the scene stuff left. You are gonna be better in time to do that, right? I mean, I don’t want to have to do that scene with moneybags.”

Alex laughed as she imagined the scene that Joey was referring to. She teased, “I wonder who’d end up being Juliet. I can’t believe you two are still arguing over that role, though. It’s so silly. Of course, I could just do a one-person play and that would settle things.”

Joey frowned and replied, “No way. That isn’t fair on you. But I don’t get why Kaiba’s making a big deal over it. He’s never been concerned about grades.”

Alex shrugged and replied, “Beats me. I hope I can return to school tomorrow and then we can get that settled. We need time to rehearse that scene, and the more time we waste arguing over roles, the less time we have to practice.”

Joey sighed and replied, “Yeah. I’m sorry if I’m making things more difficult, but I don’t want moneybags near you. I know you can take care of yourself, but I feel like he’s up to no good.”

Alex decided that it was time to change topics, so she asked, “Anyway, how goes your dueling strategy?”

Joey grinned and replied, “I’m all done. I’m ready to put phase two of our plan in action. We should do it tomorrow during lunch. Of course, that’s assuming you’re all better.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll be back tomorrow, and I can’t wait to see you duel.”

Joey replied, “I promise you that I’m going to wipe the floor with moneybags.”

Alex laughed and replied, “I’m looking forward to it.”

Joey got up and said, “If you really don’t need me to help out, I’ll go. Heh, I got here all worked up, but you cheered me up. You’re amazing, Alex.”

Alex blushed and replied, “Thanks, Joey. I don’t want to keep you, but I’ll see you tomorrow. Of course, I’ll call if anything comes up.”

Joey gave a thumbs up and then left Alex’s apartment. As Alex was about to lock the door, there was another knock. Wondering if Joey had forgotten something, Alex opened the door again, only to see Mokuba outside with what appeared to be a huge box in his hands. Alex smiled and said,

“Hey, Mokuba. Come on in. Do you need any help?”

Mokuba entered the apartment and replied, “Hey, Alex. I’m good. Can I set this down anywhere?”

Alex replied, “The living room will be fine.”

She led the way to the living room, and Mokuba set down the box on the floor. He then stretched his arms a bit and said,

“Seto told me what happened, and he asked me to drop by. How are you feeling?”

Alex replied, “Better. I was able to get a bit more sleep in.”

Mokuba replied, “That’s good. Oh, yeah. Seto asked me to give this to you as well.”

He gestured towards the box and curious, Alex approached it and opened the lid. Inside, she noticed some candles as well as something else that surprised her. Mokuba commented,

“These should help you to sleep well, but Seto said that if you still can’t sleep, he’ll think of something else.”

Alex replied, “Well, I understand about the candles. I heard that certain scents can lull a person to sleep well. Um, but this?”

She took out a medium-sized blue eyes white dragon plushie. Mokuba laughed a bit and replied,

“Yeah, I was wondering about that, too, but brother insisted. Is it too weird?”

Alex smiled and replied, “No. I love it, actually. I have a fondness for plushies, so I suppose it’s perfect. Please thank him for me.”

Mokuba happily replied, “I will. Oh, and a couple of people are going to drop by in a bit to deliver dinner for you. Seto insisted that you take it easy and get plenty of sleep tonight.”

Alex blushed a bit and replied, “I see.”

She didn’t know what to make of all these gestures of kindness and fell silent. Mokuba wondered what Alex was thinking and asked,

“Is it too much?”

Alex quickly shook her head and replied, “That’s not it. I suppose I’m just not used to all this, and umm…”

Mokuba asked, “Yeah?”

Alex replied, “Your brother isn’t what I expected, and that has me confused.”

Mokuba replied, “People misunderstand him, so I get it. But he’s a great brother and a good person.”

Alex nodded although she didn’t say anything. Mokuba looked at her and asked, “Do you think you and Seto could be friends?”

Alex was surprised by the question. She didn’t know how to answer him. Obviously, she didn’t want to become friends with someone who’s supposed to be her target. On the other hand, Kaiba had been nothing but kind to her lately, which was a sign that perhaps he wasn’t an entirely bad person. As Alex didn’t immediately reply, Mokuba added,

“Sorry if that came out of nowhere. I’d just really like it if you two could become friends.”

Alex turned to Mokuba and smiling a bit, she replied, “I’m open to the possibility. I can’t promise anything more beyond that for now.”

Mokuba nodded, looking satisfied with Alex’s reply. A little later, there was a knock at Alex’s door and Mokuba went ahead and opened it, figuring that it was the catering service to deliver dinner for Alex. Indeed, there were a couple of people carrying pots and such, and Mokuba gestured for them to set dinner up in the kitchen. Alex waited in the living room, absorbed in her thoughts. Once the catering people finished setting up the table, they left. Mokuba approached Alex and said,

“Ok, dinner’s all set. They said that you can store any leftovers in the fridge and you can put the empty pots outside the door and call them to let them know. They left their number.”

Mokuba handed Alex a business card for the catering service. Alex nodded and replied, “Thanks. You should stay and have dinner with me.”

Mokuba shook his head and replied, “Nah, I’m good. I should get back home, but you take it easy and get better. Oh, and I’ll call you tomorrow to see how you’re doing.”

Alex smiled and replied, “I’d like that.” She got up and saw Mokuba to the door. After Mokuba left, Alex turned her attention to the food laid out in the kitchen. There was some hot chicken soup along with some bread rolls and a few other side dishes. Alex smiled and feeling hungry, she went ahead and had dinner.

A few hours later, everything was all cleaned up, and Alex was ready to go to sleep. She had set up the candles in her room, and she held the blue eyes plushie in her arms. She was dressed in her sleepwear and was resting in bed. Although a part of her was still confused, at the moment, she decided that getting some sleep and getting better were more important. So she let go of any conflicting feelings for now and upon closing her eyes, her final thoughts before finally falling asleep were of Kaiba.

Subject: Re: The Assassin Sat Oct 09, 2021 12:01 am

I have the next chapter ready, too. ^^

Chapter 9

The next morning, Alex arrived at school, feeling a lot better and more refreshed. She had gotten plenty of sleep, and her dreams were only happy and peaceful although she couldn’t recall what they were about. As she walked in the hallway, heading towards the classroom, Joey saw her and ran up to her. He grinned and said,

“Hey, Alex. I’m glad you’re here and ya look better.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Thanks. It’s amazing what plenty of sleep can do. So today’s the day, right?”

Joey nodded and replied, “Yup, that’s right. You’ll help me put the plan in action?”

Alex replied, “Of course. I expect that he’ll refuse your request, so that’s where I’ll come in. But you’ll have to finish lunch a little early.”

Joey replied, “That’s fine. It’ll be worth it.”

Alex and Joey walked in the hallway and entered the classroom. Yugi and the others were sitting close to each other, and Alex noticed that Kaiba had arrived early. She gave him a small smile, as her way of silently thanking him for his help yesterday. Kaiba turned his head away quickly in response, but there was a faint blush on his cheeks, which Alex thought was unlike him. This didn’t go unnoticed by Joey, but just when he was about to say something, Yugi said,

“Good morning, you two. You’re looking a lot better, Alex.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Thanks, Yugi. Looks like all I needed was some good sleep.”

Yugi nodded and then Tristan said, “Man, you should have seen Joey yesterday. He flipped out when you weren’t in class and-”

Tristan was interrupted when Joey started to choke Tristan by the neck, and Alex shook her head. Tea said,

“Those two. But it’s good to see you’re feeling better, Alex.”

Alex replied, “Yup. I’m all good to go.”

Alex chatted with the others a little more and then took her seat. After she took out her books and such, she glanced at Kaiba, who continued to avoid her gaze. She wanted to find a way to thank him for looking after her and being so kind and attentive. She had an idea although it would have to wait until after school was over.

Morning classes flew by without disruption, and then it was time for lunch. Alex joined Joey and the others on the rooftop as usual, while Kaiba stayed behind in the classroom. She happily joined the others in their chatter, and Joey quickly finished his lunch. He then got up and said,

“Have some stuff to take care of, so I’m gonna go.”

Duke replied, “What stuff?”

However, Joey didn’t reply and simply went back inside the building. Bakura then asked, “What was that about?”

Alex replied, “It’s a surprise, but you’ll soon find out.”

Lunch was soon over, and Alex and the others headed back inside. As the group got into the classroom, Joey was already seated at his desk. Alex passed by him, and Joey shook his head although he didn’t say anything. She nodded, expecting that result. Then, Alex took her seat, and the class waited for the English teacher.

As English class began, students resumed being in their groups, and of course, Alex, Joey, and Kaiba were in their usual group. Unfortunately, for Alex, Joey and Kaiba kept arguing over acting a particular role. She sighed and said,

“Listen, I don’t get why I can’t just do a one-person performance. You two know I can do it, and our grade won’t suffer.”

Joey replied, “You just got better, and doing that will make you tired.”

Kaiba added, “For once, Wheeler’s right, and I’m not going to have my grade all depending on you.”

Alex replied, “Wow, the world must be ending. You two actually agree on something.”

Tea overheard Alex’s comment from nearby and laughed quietly.

Alex added, “If this isn’t settled by tomorrow, I’m doing the one-person play and that’s final. We can’t waste next week arguing over this when we should be putting in time to practice.”

She looked at Joey and said, “Well, it’s not like you two would just settle this with a duel or whatever.”

Joey replied, “I’d have no problem with that, but moneybags just refused to duel me.”

Alex glanced at Kaiba before returning her attention to Joey and replied, “Really? That’s unfortunate. I mean, I would have loved to watch you two go at it. I know how awesome a duelist you are, Joey.”

She gave him a cute smile, which made Joey blush. Joey knew that Alex was just going along with the plan they had discussed beforehand although he couldn’t help but feel that it was more than flattery. He gazed deeply into Alex’s eyes and replied,

“I’d do anything for you.”

Kaiba was displeased, watching Alex and Joey go at it. Figuring out a way to stop their flirting, he coughed and said,

“Fine. Then we’ll settle this with a duel.”

Alex looked at Kaiba and replied, “What? I was just joking about that.”

Kaiba looked back at Alex and replied, “Really? But your idea is a good one.”

He looked at Joey and said, “We’ll settle this with a duel. Whoever wins gets to be with Alex.”

Alex replied, “What?”

Kaiba looked annoyed and replied, “For the group project, obviously. What did you think?”

Alex waved her right hand and replied, “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” She looked at Joey and asked, “What do you think? I’d rather still do the one-person play, but-”

Joey looked at Kaiba and replied, “You’re on. Tomorrow afternoon then.”

Alex sighed to herself and shook her head. On one hand, Joey finally got Kaiba to accept his challenge although Alex helped a bit with that. On the other hand, it annoyed her that they were going to duel over something silly. She thought,

I don’t understand guys sometimes.

The rest of classes proceeded smoothly after that, and once the bell rang to signal that school was over for the day, students began to file out of the room. Alex gathered her things and quickly joined the others. Joey turned to her and grinning, he said,

“Thanks, Alex. I couldn’t have done it without ya.”

Alex replied, “No worries. At least, you’ll finally get your duel. I can’t wait to see you in action tomorrow.”

Tristan commented, “So that’s what you two were up to.”

Alex shrugged and replied, “I just want Joey to have his chance to shine, and I’ve wanted to see him duel for myself.”

Bakura commented, “It’ll be quite interesting, to say the least.”

Alex nodded and looking at the time, she said, “Ahh, I got to run. I have some things to take care of, but I’ll see you all tomorrow?”

Tea replied, “Yup. Take care, Alex, and have a good one.”

Alex replied, “You, too.” She then waved goodbye to the others and hurried out of the classroom and out of the building, wanting to take the bus back to her apartment.

*****************************

About an hour and a half later, Alex was in her kitchen, having just opened the oven door and taking out some freshly baked cookies and brownies. As she was plating them and letting them cool, her phone rang. She briefly checked the caller ID and smiling, she answered,

“Hey, Mokuba.”

Mokuba replied, “Hey, Alex. How are you feeling?”

Alex replied, “Like a new person. I don’t remember the last time I slept that well.”

Mokuba replied, “That’s great.”

Alex replied, “Ahh yeah, I’m happy you called. I wanted to ask you something.”

Mokuba replied, “Shoot.”

Alex replied, “How late does your brother work? I wanted to drop something off as a thank you, but I don’t want to bother him, so yeah.”

Mokuba replied, “He tends to work really late, even on a weekday.”

Alex replied, “Ahh good. In that case, would it be alright if I dropped by your place to give you the gift? It won’t take long.”

Mokuba replied, “No problem, but I have a better idea. Why don’t you come over for dinner? Better yet, I’ll have Roland pick you up and take you to our place.”

Alex replied, “Roland?”

Mokuba replied, “He’s like our assistant of sorts.”

Alex replied, “I see. I don’t know. I feel like I’d be imposing and all…”

Mokuba replied, “No way. In fact, I want the company. Seto works so late almost every day and I never get to see him. It gets lonely here by myself.”

Alex couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Mokuba, so deciding not to put up further resistance, she replied, “Ok, I guess it couldn’t hurt but only dinner. I have homework to do, so I can’t stay long.”

Mokuba groaned and replied, “Urgh, don’t remind me. But ok. Roland will knock on your door once he gets to your apartment.”

Alex replied, “Ok. I’ll see you in a little while then.”

Alex hung up then and went into her room, deciding to change into a light blue dress with black leggings. She kept her bracelet on and had on a necklace, too. Then she put up her hair in a ponytail tied up with a light blue ribbon. Once she was done getting dressed, she went back to the kitchen and took out a small picnic basket. She put the plates of cookies and brownies in the basket, making sure that they had cooled down first and were securely wrapped. She had just finished doing all that when there was a knock at her door. Knowing who it probably was, Alex walked to the door. She looked through the peephole just to be sure and asked,

“Who is it?”

Outside the door, it was Roland and he replied, “Hello, miss. I’m Roland. Mr. Mokuba asked me to pick you up.”

Alex opened the door and hurriedly got her picnic basket. She then took a light black jacket and put it on her. Then she said,

“Ok, I’m ready.”

Roland nodded and led the way out, with Alex following after making sure she locked her door. Alex was led to a black limo and once inside, Roland started it up, heading towards Kaiba’s mansion. Along the way, Alex couldn’t help but think,

This is my third time in this limo although knowing Kaiba, I’m sure he has more than one. I’ll never get used to such luxury.

She continued to absorb herself in her musings, and Roland continued to drive all the way to the mansion. It was a bit of a distance, but fortunately, traffic wasn’t too terrible. Once they were within viewing distance of the mansion, Roland said,

“We’re almost here, miss.”

Alex nodded and she looked out the window. Of course, it was her first time seeing the Kaiba mansion, and she couldn’t help but admire how magnificent it was. In the future, there were still the wealthy although wealth was more distributed among the masses, so there weren’t nearly as many impoverished poor. However, that didn’t mean that life in the future was idyllic, as Alex personally witnessed for herself.

Roland stopped the limo once it was within the grounds of the mansion and they were right outside its front doors. He then stepped out the limo and opening the door for Alex, he said, “We’re here, miss.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Thank you, and call me Alex.”

Roland nodded and replied, “As you wish, Ms. Alex.”

Alex shook her head and replied, “I suppose that’ll do.”

She then followed Roland as they entered the front doors of the mansion, and once inside, Mokuba ran up to her and excitedly said, “Alex, you’re here!”

Alex grinned and replied, “Yup.”

Mokuba replied, “Can I take your jacket?”

Alex nodded and she shrugged out of her jacket, handing it to Mokuba, who put in a coat closet. He then took her free hand and said,

“The cooks are almost done with dinner. I hope you like pasta.”

Alex grinned and replied, “I love it. Oh, where should I drop this?”

She indicated towards her picnic basket. Mokuba sniffed it and asked, “Alex, did you make sweets?”

Alex replied, “Just some cookies and brownies. Nothing special, really. Ahh, but maybe this was a bad call. Kaiba probably hates sweets.”

Mokuba replied, “I don’t know, actually. He doesn’t eat them often, but he may be ok with them. Can I see?”

Alex nodded and replied, “Sure, although they’re really for him. But if he says he doesn’t want them, you’re more than happy to have them.”

Mokuba grinned and he took a look at the plates of brownies and cookies. He was especially impressed with the cookies, which had the design of a blue eyes white dragon on them. He commented,

“Wow, they’re great and you must be an artist.”

Alex shook her head and replied, “Not really, but I love to cook and I especially love to bake. Anyway, where should I put this? I don’t want to risk anyone accidentally eating them before he gets to try them. Well, if he wants to, that is.”

Mokuba replied, “You can put them in his office. I’ll lead the way.”

Alex held onto Mokuba’s hand as he led the way upstairs to the second floor and down the hallway to Kaiba’s office. She took a brief look around, finding nothing out of the ordinary. She noticed a small table at the side and putting the basket on it, she said,

“I hope this is ok? You can return the basket whenever.”

Mokuba replied, “Sure. You must be hungry. I am, so we should go have dinner.”

Alex smiled and nodding, she followed Mokuba as they left Kaiba’s office and headed down the hallway again, this time towards Mokuba’s room. There, dinner was being set up and such. Alex asked,

“Do you usually eat in your room, Mokuba?”

Mokuba nodded and replied, “Yeah, when Seto isn’t here. The dining room is too big and it’s too noisy eating in the kitchen. I thought about the kitchen, maybe, but I want to talk to you where we’d have some privacy.”

Alex nodded and replied, “I understand. Your room is nice.”

She looked around, noticing how warm and comforting the room felt. Mokuba smiled and replied, “Thanks. Well, let’s eat.”

Alex smiled and she took a free seat after Mokuba had sat down. He gestured for her to eat first, so she did so. After taking a bite, she commented,

“Your cooks are talented. My cooking pales in comparison.”

Mokuba replied, “I don’t know about that. I haven’t actually eaten anything you’ve made yet, but I think your cooking would be really good.”

Alex looked thoughtful and asked, “Mokuba, you said that you eat alone a lot?”

Mokuba replied, “Yeah. I mean, I understand why Seto has to work a lot, but sometimes, I wish he’d just come home at a normal time.”

Alex nodded and replied, “I get it. It must be difficult for him running a company. But does he not have other people to help out, so he can have somewhat of a normal life?”

Mokuba replied, “He used to, but those people betrayed him. It’s a long story, but basically, Seto handles almost everything now.”

Alex replied, “I see. That is unfortunate. Still, he should find some people to help out, so he can be home with you more often. Well, I have an idea. Why don’t you come over to my place whenever you want and you can eat with me?”

Mokuba replied, “I’d like that, but it wouldn’t bother you?”

Alex shook her head and replied, “Not at all. I think of you like a little brother, if it isn’t obvious by now. Oh, and if you’d like, I can even help out with homework and all that although I’m sure you have tutors who already help with that.”

Mokuba replied, “I do, but I think I’d get better help from you. Seto told me that you’re a genius.”

Alex blushed a bit and replied, “He said that?”

Mokuba nodded and replied, “Yeah. He’s really impressed by how smart you are. But if you ask him, he’ll never admit it.”

Alex laughed a bit and replied, “Yeah, I can see that. But yeah, think about it anyway. I’d love the company.”

Mokuba nodded, and the two of them continued to eat dinner, chatting happily away about various topics and such. Alex was a little concerned that Mokuba seemed to lack friends his own age, and she wondered why. She had her guesses although she felt that it was best not to pry too much into the matter for now.

The two of them soon finished their dinner and then just sat around, talking for a little longer. Mokuba commented,

“Seto was really worried about you, but you look a lot better.”

Alex smiled and replied, “I feel a lot better. I must have looked terrible yesterday.”

Mokuba shook his head and replied, “Nah, but you definitely looked like you needed sleep. I hope you’ll get to sleep well tonight, too, but let us know if you have problems, ok?”

Alex nodded and replied, “Sure.” She noticed the time and said, “Oh, I should get going. I have homework to do, and I promised Cas that I’d call her tonight before I go to sleep.”

Mokuba replied, “Cas?”

Alex replied, “My guardian. I don’t have any living relatives, so Cas took me in. She’s really nice. She’s more like an older sister than a parent, really.”

Mokuba replied, “I see. I’ll get Roland to take you back to your apartment. It’s dark out and it wouldn’t be a good idea to walk alone at this time.”

Alex nodded and she got up, following Mokuba as they left his room and went downstairs to find Roland. However, at the entrance, Mokuba noticed that Kaiba had returned a little early and smiling, he ran up to him and said,

“Hey, brother. Welcome back. You finished up early?”

Kaiba nodded and replied, “Yeah. I was able to get into the office a little earlier than usual and caught up on work.”

He then noticed Alex with Mokuba, and Alex noticed him, too. The two locked eyes with one another although neither said anything. Alex didn’t know what to say to him, as she had hoped to avoid seeing him until tomorrow. Meanwhile, Kaiba was surprised to see Alex at his home although he was inwardly glad, too, as he wanted to talk to her alone. Noticing the silence, Mokuba said,

“Alex came by to drop off a thank you gift.”

Snapping out of it, Alex nodded and replied, “That’s right. It’s not much, really. Mokuba told me to put it in your office, so whenever you want it. Then he asked me to stay for dinner, and I couldn’t say no.”

She looked at Mokuba, and he grinned at her. She then turned her attention back to Kaiba and said,

“I’m heading out now, so I won’t be a bother.”

Kaiba replied, “Wait. I’ll take you back to your apartment.”

Alex replied, “But you just got here. Aren’t you tired?”

Kaiba replied, “It’s fine.” He then gave this look that silently said that he wanted to talk to her alone.

Alex recognized it although she had no clue as to why. She shrugged and replied, “Ok. I’ll just get my jacket and then we can get going.”

Mokuba nodded and he quickly got Alex’s jacket. Alex thanked him and then put it on. Kaiba then said,

“Let’s go. I’ll drive.”

Alex nodded and waving bye to Mokuba, she said, “Thanks for inviting me, and let’s talk again soon.”

Mokuba happily replied, “Night, Alex.”

Kaiba led the way out and Alex followed. Outside, there was a ferrari parked right outside. Alex couldn’t help but think,

Of course, he drives, and he drives such a car, too.

Kaiba opened the passenger side door and Alex quickly got in, putting on the seat belt. Then Kaiba got in the driver’s side, and he sped off, heading away from the mansion and towards the area where Alex’s apartment was. During the drive, Kaiba said,

“Thanks for keeping Mokuba company.”

Alex was surprised to hear the compliment but replied, “No problem. It’s pretty hard saying no to Mokuba.”

Kaiba replied, “Heh, it is.” He paused and then added, “I have no problem with you dropping by whenever you want.”

Again, Alex was surprised and replied, “Really?”

Kaiba replied, “Yeah. I can see how much Mokuba likes you, and I’m not going to stand in his way. If I can tolerate Yugi and his dweeb squad, I can certainly tolerate you.”

Alex rolled her eyes and replied, “Of course.”

Despite the backhanded compliment, Alex was kind of glad for it. There was this silence between them although Kaiba really wanted to ask Alex something else. Alex looked at him and replied, “Is there anything else?”

Kaiba replied,

“Just one thing. I want to know why you’re helping Wheeler.”

Alex was surprised by the question and replied, “Huh? What do you mean?”

Kaiba replied, “Don’t act dumb. I could tell you were helping Wheeler. I didn’t realize it then, but I know you had a hand in it.”

Alex shrugged and replied, “So what if I did? I really do want to see Joey duel, and if it had to take that for him to get one, so be it.”

Kaiba replied, “You know that he won’t win, definitely not against me.”

Alex replied, “Then you have nothing to worry about.”

Kaiba replied, “Who says I’m worried?”

Alex replied, “If you’re not worried, you wouldn’t have brought it up in the first place. By bringing it up, you are subconsciously worried that you might lose. Would it be that big of a deal?”

Kaiba suddenly pulled up on a curb and Alex commented, “Wait. We’re nowhere near my place.”

Kaiba replied, “I know. But I’d rather not get into an accident while I’m about to say this.” He paused and then staring straight into Alex’s eyes, he added, “Losing against Yugi is one thing, but losing against Wheeler is another.”

Alex looked back at Kaiba and replied, “Because they’re on different levels?”

Kaiba replied, “Yugi is a worthy opponent, but Joey is nothing.”

Alex raised an eyebrow and replied, “Wow, you really are worried. I feel like it’s no big deal, and there’s more to life than dueling.”

Kaiba narrowed his eyes and replied, “You think I’m obsessed?”

Alex shrugged her shoulders and replied, “Perhaps just a bit. There are bigger things to worry about.” Her thoughts wandered and indeed, she thought about Andy, about all the people who disappeared from her time, about the numerous parallel worlds that were created and caused major breaks in the timeline. Those were definitely bigger problems to consider, Alex thought. Then, Alex thought,

At least, I’m dealing with this Kaiba rather than the one who continued to have unresolved issues with the pharaoh.

Kaiba took a breath and then started up the car again, heading towards Alex’s apartment. He muttered,

“I won’t lose, so be prepared to spend lots of time with me.”

Alex replied, “If you say so.”

They arrived outside Alex’s apartment building. Alex unbuckled her seat belt and turning to Kaiba, she said,

“Thanks for the ride, and I am looking forward to that duel tomorrow.”

Alex got out of the car and after giving Kaiba one more look, she headed inside her apartment building. Meanwhile, Kaiba drove off, thinking to himself,

Yeah, I won’t lose, and I’ll have her all to myself.

Subject: Re: The Assassin Sat Oct 16, 2021 5:12 pm

Love the latest chapters. ^^ The love feelings between Kaiba and Alex are quickly developing and I find that quite interesting because I wonder how that will affect Alex and her motivation to finish the mission. Will she able to think of harming Kaiba now, let alone killing him?

This is quite interesting. Keep it up and I can't wait for the next chapter. ^^

Subject: Re: The Assassin Mon Oct 18, 2021 10:44 pm

Thanks for the feedback. I just finished writing up and editing the latest chapter. It's definitely on the shorter side, but I'm curious to hear thoughts. ^^

Chapter 10

It was early Friday afternoon, and Alex and the others had just finished classes for the week. They passed by uneventfully, for the most part, although Joey and Kaiba kept giving each other death glares. Alex would sigh inwardly and have passing thoughts about how ridiculous guys could be at times.

Anyway, Alex was with Joey and the others shortly after the final bell rang. Joey grinned at her and asked,

“You’re gonna watch me beat moneybags, right?”

Alex grinned back and replied, “Of course. I want to go back to my apartment first and change, but I’ll definitely be there. I’m curious to see what strategy you’ve come up with.”

Joey replied, “Ya gonna love it.”

Alex, Joey and their friends continued to talk for a bit, and then Alex said,

“Ok, I’ll go, but don’t worry. I’ll be there.”

Yugi smiled and replied, “We’ll see you in a bit, Alex.”

Alex waved goodbye to Joey, Yugi, and the others and then hurried out of the building to take the bus and head to her apartment.

***************************

About an hour and a half later, Alex left her apartment and took the bus, having changed out of her uniform and into a dark green dress with black leggings and matching shoes. As she sat in her seat, heading towards where Joey and Kaiba were to have their duel, Alex was thinking to herself.

I believe in Joey. I know he can win. I want him to prove Kaiba wrong. Joey is a worthy opponent. Besides, the thought of spending alone time with Kaiba unsettles me.

Alex couldn’t figure out why she had that latter thought. She thought that perhaps it was because she knew that she shouldn’t get too close to Kaiba. He was just a target, after all, and Alex knew that previous agents who became too personally involved ended up terminated. It rarely happened, but still. She shook her head and thought,

Joey will win, and I’ll get my mind back on track.

The bus made its stop, and Alex got off. She walked over to the location of the duel and there, she saw Joey and Kaiba getting ready. There was also a bit of a crowd forming, which made Alex uneasy. Joey looked towards where Alex was standing, and she simply waved at him although she didn’t approach him. Although he was standing a bit far off, Joey noticed the look of uneasiness written on Alex’s face. Remembering what Alex told him about her fear of crowds, he nodded towards her and briefly talked to Yugi. Then, he and Yugi walked over towards where Alex was. Kaiba noticed this and yelled,

“Where are you going, Wheeler?”

Joey yelled, “Be right back.”

Joey and Yugi made their way to where Alex was. As soon as they made their way to her, Alex smiled and said,

“Hey, you two. I would have walked towards you all, but-”

Joey interrupted, “I remember. I hope it’s ok I told Yugi about your deal with crowds.”

Yugi added, “Joey explained it to me. We can watch the duel from a nearby building. If you’re ok with heights.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Sure. High places don’t bother me.” She looked at Joey and added,

“Thanks for thinking about me. I know you should be focusing on your duel and not worry about me.”

Joey grinned and replied, “You’re awesome, Alex, and I wouldn’t have gotten this duel without ya. It’s the least I could do.”

Alex blushed a bit and replied, “Thanks. Ok, I guess Yugi and I should hightail it, but I just wanted to wish you good luck. I know you can win. You have our friends behind you.”

She looked towards where Tristan, Tea, Bakura, and Duke were and waved at them. Then she returned her attention to Joey and continued,

“Also, I believe in you and most importantly, believe in yourself. Umm, there’s just one other thing. I mean, I know you don’t need anything else, but…”

Alex looked down at her feet, a rare case of shyness overcoming her. Joey looked at her with concern and asked,

“Hey, you ok?”

Alex quickly looked up and deciding to go with her instincts, she reached up to give him a quick peck on his right cheek. She then said,

“For extra good luck.”

Joey blushed deeply and was speechless. Yugi looked at him and asked, “Uhh, Joey? Are you there?”

Joey quickly snapped out of it and replied, “Yeah, I’m fine.” He then looked at Alex and said, “Now I really have to win.”

Alex nodded happily and replied, “Yup, you do. We’ll be watching.”

She then looked at Yugi and said, “Lead the way.”

Yugi nodded and then he and Alex walked away from Joey and the crowd, while Joey slowly walked back to where Kaiba was.

Meanwhile, Kaiba had watched the whole exchange. Of course, he couldn’t hear what they talked about although he had a pretty good idea. Then, he saw Alex kiss Joey on the cheek, and it was like he had been struck by lightning. Logically, he knew that it shouldn’t have bothered him, but for some reason, he felt this anger inside. Mokuba had watched the exchange, too, and seeing Kaiba rendered speechless, he asked,

“Uh, Seto? You ok?”

Kaiba snapped out of it and replied, “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m ready to win.”

However, his fists were clenched, and Mokuba noticed. Mokuba replied, “That’s great, but you need to calm down. I saw that just now, but I think Alex was just wishing Joey good luck because they’re friends. We all know you’re going to win.”

Kaiba looked at Mokuba and replied, “That’s right. Wheeler won’t be around her for much longer.”

Mokuba looked a little worried upon hearing Kaiba’s comment although he decided not to say anything. Kaiba then saw Joey returning and said,

“Ready to get crushed?”

Joey replied, “I should be asking you that.”

***********************

Alex and Yugi made it to the roof of a nearby building, where they had a really good top down view of the duel. Joey and Kaiba had just started their duel, and Alex watched with interest and a bit of nervousness. She glanced at Yugi and noticed that he had changed into the pharaoh. Wondering why he suddenly decided to appear, Alex couldn’t help but ask,

“Um, you’re him, aren’t you? Joey explained it to me.”

Yami replied, “That’s right. I was curious to watch this duel although I have another reason.”

Alex replied, “That must be the case since I heard that you usually only appear when there’s a duel.”

Yami replied, “Do you remember when I asked you about your bracelet last time?”

Alex glanced at her bracelet before returning her attention to the duel on the ground and replied, “Yeah, I remember. What about it?”

Yami replied, “I cannot say, but it feels like something from a long forgotten memory.”

Alex replied, “I heard that you’re missing pieces of it. Like, you don’t know who you are, but when there’s a duel and there’s a lot at stake, you show up.”

Yami smiled and replied, “Yes, I suppose that’s right. With your permission, I wish to ask a few contacts about your bracelet. It may be connected to my past.”

Alex thought about Yami’s request. To be honest, she was curious about the bracelet, too, although she hadn’t put that much thought into it. She nodded and replied,

“Sure, I have no issues with it. Why don’t I send a couple of pictures of it later to Yugi’s email? I don’t know much about it myself, but I would like to find out.”

Yami replied, “Thank you, Alex. Also, I may wish to talk to you every now and then although I will ask for Yugi’s permission first.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Sure, I’d like that. It’d be nice to have more friends.”

Yami nodded, and then the two of them paid attention to the duel happening on the ground. Joey had summoned his Red Eyes Black Dragon as well as a female knight in the guise of a small child. However, Kaiba had just destroyed Red Eyes with his Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Yami commented, “Joey’s hanging in there, but Kaiba looks to have the advantage. He no longer has Jinzo and his Red Eyes just got destroyed.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Yeah, but I believe Joey has something up his sleeve. He won’t throw in the towel. I like that about him.”

Alex blushed a bit, and this didn’t go unnoticed by Yami. He replied, “That is true. Joey is a great duelist and a worthy opponent as well as a good friend. I had his Red Eyes for a while during Battle City, but Joey won it back afterwards.”

Alex replied, “That’s proof that Joey is a great duelist. I don’t get why Kaiba refuses to acknowledge him.”

Yami replied, “Kaiba is Kaiba. He only sees me as a rival, and I don’t know what’ll get him to change that.”

Alex nodded although she didn’t make any further comment. The duel continued and there seemed to be a pivotal point taking place.

Meanwhile, Kaiba smirked at Joey and said, “Just give up now, Wheeler, and save yourself the humiliation.”

Joey scoffed and replied, “Never. You think you have me beat, but I have ya just where I want ya.” He then summoned Time Wizard and had it use its effect to age the female child knight to that of a young teenage girl. Then, he said,

“But that’s not all.”

Joey activated Call of the Haunted to bring back Red Eyes. Next, he used polymerization to fuse Red Eyes and the female knight to make a new fusion monster. Then, he activated the spell card Premature Burial to bring back Jinzo. Finally, he looked at Kaiba and said,

“There. Jinzo’s back, making all your trap cards useless. And with my new fusion monster, the best of me and an awesome girl, it’s more powerful than your blue eyes. Attack!”

Joey’s fusion monster attacked Kaiba’s Blue Eyes, destroying it. Then, Jinzo attacked Kaiba’s life points directly, putting him at zero. The duel was over, and the crowd was rendered speechless for a few moments. Then, there was shouting and excitement as the people were amazed at what happened.

Back on the roof, Alex and Yami watched the end of the duel, and Alex said,

“Joey did it. I knew he could. He’s really something.”

Yami nodded and replied, “I cannot disagree. He actually beat Kaiba.”

Alex smiled and replied, “He did.”

Of course, Alex was happy that Joey won although a small part of her couldn’t help but feel a little sad for Kaiba. Sure, Kaiba was arrogant and egotistical, and Alex felt that a loss would be good for his humility. However, she thought,

Why do I feel sad for him? I mean, it’s not like I wanted to spend more time with him.

Alex snapped out of her thoughts when Yugi said,

“Hey, Alex. We’re heading back to my place to celebrate.”

Alex looked at Yugi, who had returned to his usual self. She replied, “Welcome back, Yugi, and that sounds great. Let’s go.”

Deciding to leave her lingering thoughts alone for now, Alex left with Yugi, heading towards the game shop to celebrate with Joey and the others.

Subject: Re: The Assassin Sun Oct 24, 2021 10:23 pm

I felt like writing another chapter, so here it is. XD

Chapter 11

A projection of Cas appeared before Alex, and she said, “Thanks for reporting in. But I must admit that I’m concerned about how things are going.”

Alex looked confused and replied, “What do you mean, exactly?”

Cas replied, “First, this rivalry between Joey and Kaiba. I’m not necessarily saying that in itself is bad, but your actions are having a sort of ripple effect.”

Alex furrowed her eyebrows and replied, “Please explain.”

Cas replied, “You’ve sided with Joey, so that has consequences. I’m referring in particular to Mai Valentine.”

Alex looked surprised and replied, “Wait a minute. Are you saying that Joey and Mai end up becoming a thing? If I remember correctly, we never knew for sure. There were only rumors.”

Cas sighed and replied, “Yeah, I know. I’m not saying that for sure, and it might not have anything to do with you. But from what I’ve been seeing, Mai is currently feeling some insecurities. She heard about the duel between Joey and Kaiba, and there were reports about you kissing Joey-”

Alex interrupted, “But it was just a peck on the cheek! I was only wishing him good luck!”

Cas replied, “I know, Alex. But you know how rumors can be. There’s word going around that you’re Joey’s girlfriend although I’m sure they’ll die down. That’s not the only problem, though.”

Alex took a deep breath and then replied, “Ok, give it to me.”

Cas replied, “I don’t understand what you’re doing. You have a perfect opportunity to get closer to Kaiba. It’s obvious he’s taken an interest in you, but you want to back away? Why?”

Alex replied, “You told me that it isn’t a good idea for agents to get too close to their targets. I was worried that if I got too close to Kaiba, I wouldn’t be able to complete this mission, and Andy is everything to me.”

Cas replied, “I understand that, but I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me. Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter too much. I have to trust you to make the best decisions there. Putting that matter aside, there is one more thing.”

Alex replied, “What is it?”

Cas replied, “This business with the pharaoh. I hope I don’t need to be too concerned about it.”

Alex glanced at her bracelet and then replied, “Ok, I understand. I think he genuinely just wants to look into it, and I am curious about this thing, too. Besides, you don’t know much about it, either, right? And if any harm comes to me, the bracelet will protect me.”

Cas nodded and replied, “Yes, that’s true. The pharaoh isn’t a bad being. I suppose he’s simply curious, but do be careful that you not reveal your true identity to him. I think he’s very perceptive.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Yeah, I get that feeling, too. Don’t worry, Cas. I promise I’ll be careful.”

“Alex? Earth to Alex? You there?”

Alex snapped out of her thoughts as she heard Joey call out to her. The two of them were at her apartment on a Saturday afternoon and going over the material for their scene rehearsal as well as some additional homework that Joey had brought over, at Alex’s insistence. Alex smiled at Joey and replied,

“Sorry about that. Where were we?”

Joey looked at her with concern and replied, “You ok? You getting enough sleep?”

Alex quickly nodded and replied, “Yeah, I haven’t had trouble sleeping again. I was just thinking about some random stuff. Let’s get back to practicing our lines.”

Joey nodded and quickly grabbed a cookie from the plate that Alex placed on the coffee table. After munching on it, he commented,

“These cookies are great.”

Alex grinned and replied, “Glad you like them. They’re in honor of your victory.”

Joey grinned back and replied, “I can tell. I love this Red Eyes design you did here. I’m surprised you don’t want to become an artist instead.”

Alex shrugged and replied, “I can be creative when it comes to cooking, but my actual art skills are terrible. Besides, I feel like I understand how technology works more.”

Joey nodded and replied, “Yeah, I can get that.” He finished off his cookie and then said, “So I think I understand these lines better now. I have to picture being in love with Juliet, like love at first sight. That’s weird.”

Alex laughed a bit and replied, “Yeah, I agree. Personally, I don’t believe in love at first sight, so at times, I feel like the whole play is unrealistic. I wouldn’t kill myself upon seeing the person I love dead. I doubt he’d want me to do that.”

Joey replied, “Same here.” He looked a little thoughtful and then asked, “Alex, how do I get myself more in this role? As you said, it’s unrealistic and I can’t ever imagine myself falling for a girl like Juliet.”

Alex replied, “I can understand that. Let’s see.” She looked thoughtful for a minute and then continued,

“Instead of imagining me as Juliet, picture me as the woman you would fall in love with. It doesn’t have to be love at first sight or anything. It helps if you imagine that it’s just the two of us and no one else. I know we have to perform this in front of the class, and that can be a little nerve-wracking.”

Joey smiled knowingly and replied, “Yeah, I can definitely do that.”

He gazed a bit meaningfully into Alex’s eyes, and Alex could feel her cheeks heating up. She coughed a bit and then said,

“Ok, uh, let’s practice then. We should make sure we can read the lines well.”

Joey nodded, and he and Alex practiced their lines for their scene. Occasionally, Alex would point out particular lines where she felt needed improvement. Joey would take notes and then practice them again, improving. After some time practicing, Alex finally said,

“I think that’s really good. You’re doing much better, Joey. You won’t have any problems with the expressive part of the lines. You just need to get them memorized now, but we have until Friday, so it’s all good. And we’ll continue to have rehearsals until then.”

Joey grinned and replied, “Sounds great.”

Alex stretched her arms and replied, “How about we take a break before I help you tackle homework? Do you want anything to drink?”

Joey replied, “A soda.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Ok, be right back.”

She got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen. She took out a bottle of soda and poured some into a glass. Then she poured herself another cup of coffee from the coffee pot. Then she returned to the living room, handing the soda over to Joey. Joey took it and said,

“Thanks, Alex.”

Alex replied, “No problem.” She took a sip of her coffee, enjoying its warmth, while Joey took a gulp of soda. As there was a bit of quiet, Joey felt like now was as good a time as any, so he said,

“Hey, Alex. Before we start this homework, there’s something I want to ask you.”

Alex looked curiously at Joey and asked, “Sure, what is it?”

Joey placed his glass on the coffee table, which prompted Alex to place her cup on the table, too. He then looked directly at Alex and said,

“I know we’re really busy with this whole school project thing, but I was wondering. Um, after we’re all done with it, we should have some free time, so yeah. I, uh, wanted to know if you’d-”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, interrupting the conversation. As Alex wasn’t expecting any other guests, she commented, “I wonder who that could be.” She looked apologetically at Joey and said,

“I’m sorry. Hold that thought? I’ll see who it is. It shouldn’t take long.”

Joey let out a breath and nodded. Alex got up, approached the door and opened it. Upon seeing who her unexpected visitor was, she looked surprised and said,

“Kaiba? What an unexpected surprise.”

Kaiba smirked and replied, “Yes, I know it’s always a pleasure when I make a presence.”

Alex rolled her eyes and replied, “Please.”

Joey heard the two of them and turning in their direction, he called out, “Moneybags, what are you doing here? You lost, remember?”

Kaiba looked briefly at Joey and replied, “I’m not here for you.” He then turned his attention back to Alex and replied, “I’m here for her.”

Alex replied, “What do you mean?”

He thrust the basket that Alex had left at the mansion the other day and said, “I wanted to return this to you.”

Alex took the basket and replied, “Oh, um, thanks. I told Mokuba that he could return it whenever, but I wasn’t expecting you to do so.”

Kaiba replied, “I was going to pass by here. Also, we need to talk.”

Alex looked curious and replied, “Ok, but does it have to be now? I’m about to help Joey with his homework.”

Joey added, “That’s right. Three’s a crowd.”

Kaiba scoffed and replied, “I can wait here until you two are done.”

Alex looked uneasy but nodding, she replied, “Ok. Well, come on in.” She stepped aside to let Kaiba inside. She then asked, “Do you want anything to drink?”

Kaiba replied, “Coffee will be fine.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Ok. Just take a seat in the living room, and um, please try to be civil. The last thing I need is the neighbors complaining.”

Kaiba scoffed but headed to the living room, taking a seat in an armchair. Joey glared at him, but neither he nor Kaiba talked. Meanwhile, Alex was in the kitchen, making a fresh pot of coffee. She took out a tray, placed a plate of Blue Eyes cookies on it and then waited until the coffee was done before taking out a cup and pouring coffee into it. She then carried the tray into the living room and set the coffee and plate of cookies in front of Kaiba, commenting,

“I assume you prefer your coffee black but let me know if I’m wrong.”

Kaiba replied, “Black is fine.”

Alex nodded and then took her seat on the sofa next to Joey. She looked apologetically at him although she didn’t say anything, figuring that Joey already heard about Kaiba insisting on staying. Remembering their conversation, Alex asked, “Ahh yeah, what did you want to ask me?”

Joey replied, “Um, it can wait.” He glanced at Kaiba, knowing that there was no way he could ask his question now.

Alex tilted her head and replied, “If you say so. Anyway, you still have homework to finish, right?”

Joey replied, “Yeah. I’m having trouble with these math problems.”

Kaiba let out a grunt, and overhearing it, Joey asked, “Man, what is your problem?”

Kaiba replied, “You can’t even do simple homework without help.”

Joey was about to reply when Alex said, “Kaiba, I asked Joey to bring his homework over. I figured that since he and I would be rehearsing our lines, I could help him with his homework while we’re at it. I’m sure he’s capable of doing it on his own, but it never hurts to have help.”

Kaiba glared at Alex and replied, “There are some things better off without your help.”

Alex raised an eyebrow and replied, “What do you mean by that?”

Kaiba replied, “Hmpf, I was going to save it until after the mutt left, but since you started it. I know you helped him win yesterday.”

Alex replied, “What are you talking about?”

Kaiba angrily replied, “You told him.” He glared angrily at Joey for a moment before continuing, “You told him how to defeat me in a duel.”

Joey replied, “What? You really can’t just give me credit where it’s due.”

Alex felt a little angry herself and added, “Joey’s right. I didn’t help him with his strategy, which was brilliant, by the way.” She looked at Joey, giving him a brief smile, and then she turned back towards Kaiba with her angry look and continued,

“He figured it all out. I knew he could. I only helped him get that duel with you, so if you want to blame me for anything, blame me for that. But it’s only a duel, not the end of the world. You can learn from your defeat.”

Joey replied, “Yeah, that’s right! Just take it like a man.”

Kaiba was about to say something when Alex’s phone suddenly rang. Alex looked at the caller ID and said,

“I have to take this. Try not to kill each other.”

She took her phone and went into the kitchen to take the call. She tapped on the receiver button and said,

“Hey, Yugi. You’re a lifesaver.”

On the other end, Yugi replied, “What do you mean?”

Alex replied, “It’s a long story. Anyway, I assume this isn’t a social call?”

Yugi replied, “You’d be right. He would talk to you directly, but he’s uncomfortable around technology, so I’m talking for him.”

Alex let out a smile and replied, “Yeah, I can see that. What does he want to talk about?”

Yugi replied, “He says that he found out a little information about your bracelet and wants to meet up. Would tomorrow afternoon be ok?”

Alex replied, “Sure. I’m free then. Should we meet somewhere?”

Yugi replied, “There’s a quiet cafe near the game shop. Would that work?”

Alex replied, “Totally.”

Yugi replied, “Ok then. Actually, why don’t you drop by the game shop and then we can walk over to the cafe? It’ll be easier than giving you the address and maybe risking you losing your way.”

Alex let out a laugh and replied, “I’m pretty good with directions, but I suppose it’s better to be safe. That works for me. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon then.”

She hung up the phone and looked at it for a minute. She looked forward to what the pharaoh wanted to tell her when she remembered that she still had guests in her living room. After sighing to herself, she went back to the living room and sat again on the sofa. Joey said,

“Welcome back. Who was that?”

Alex smiled and replied, “It was Yugi. He just wanted to talk for a bit.”

She figured that it was best that no one else know about their conversation for now. Although Joey accepted Alex’s reply, Kaiba was skeptical. Nevertheless, he masked his feelings with a look of indifference.

Suddenly, feeling a bit of exhaustion overcoming her, Alex turned to Joey and asked, “Would it be ok if we called it a day? I feel bad about it since I asked you to bring your homework here and all, but I’m feeling a little tired.”

Joey nodded and replied, “Yeah, of course. I’ll see you on Monday?”

Alex smiled and replied, “Totally.”

Joey replied, “One thing. Can I grab the rest of these Red Eyes?”

Alex laughed and replied, “Sure. They are for you, after all. Let me just wrap them up.”

She grabbed the plate of Red Eyes cookies and went into the kitchen to put them in a small box and wrap them up. Having quickly finished, she returned to the living room, gave the box to Joey and said,

“Here you go.”

Joey grinned and replied, “Thanks, Alex.” He grabbed the rest of his things and getting up, he said,

“I’ll be going then.”

He and Alex walked towards the door although Kaiba remained seated. Joey noticed this and asked,

“Moneybags, aren’t ya leaving? You’re not gonna bother Alex, are you?”

Kaiba scoffed and replied, “I don’t answer to you, but I still need to talk to her.”

Alex sighed and looking at Joey, she replied, “It’s ok, Joey. It shouldn’t take long, and you know I can always chase Kaiba out of here if I have to.”

Joey grinned and replied, “That I know, but call me if there’s any trouble.”

Alex nodded and replied, “I will. I’ll see you on Monday. Have a good rest of the weekend.”

As Joey stepped out of the door, Alex waved goodbye to him until he was out of sight. Then she closed the door and returned to the living room, where Kaiba was waiting. She collapsed on the sofa and said,

“Ok, let’s get this over with. I am way too exhausted.”

Kaiba replied, “At least, you didn’t kiss the mutt this time.”

Alex glared at Kaiba and thought,

What is everyone’s deal? It was just one kiss and a peck on the cheek!

She then replied, “Oh, you think that kiss contains superpowers or something? Or could it be…? But nah, that would be beneath you.”

Kaiba replied, “What?”

Alex replied, “For a moment, I entertained the idea of you being jealous, but you don’t get jealous. I doubt you’re even capable of that feeling, let alone feeling anything along the lines of love. Well, aside from familial love since I’m not even that low to suggest otherwise.”

Kaiba got up angrily and approached Alex until he was towering over her so that she had no means of escape. He glared right at her, and their eyes were locked in some sort of battle. Kaiba replied, “Is that what you think of me?”

Alex replied, “I doubt you can prove me wrong.”

Kaiba replied, “You keep on challenging me, but I don’t mind. You’re worth fighting for.”

Alex looked startled and replied, “What?! Please tell me you were making a really bad joke just now.”

Kaiba smirked and backing off, he replied, “I don’t make jokes. You can fight this, even run away all you like. But in the end, we both know who you’ll choose.”

Alex shook her head and replied, “Whatever. Was that what you wanted to talk about? Because if that’s it, then you should go. I am really tired, and you two certainly contributed to that.”

Kaiba replied, “One more thing. What did you and little Yugi really talk about?”

Alex was exasperated and replied, “It’s none of your business. It was purely a social call and nothing that concerns you.”

Kaiba scoffed and replied, “I see. In the case, I will leave, Ms. Lawrence.”

Kaiba walked towards the door and Alex followed to make sure that he would leave. She commented,

“You know, I’m surprised you didn’t make more of a fuss over the duel or the school project.”

As Kaiba was about to walk out the door, he looked back at Alex and said, “Those were just battles, and I can take losing them. But I’m going to win this war.”

He smirked at Alex and then walked away from her until he was finally out of her sight. Alex then closed her door and locked it. Stomping towards the living room, she collapsed face first onto the sofa and then groaned,

“What an arrogant jerk.”

Subject: Re: The Assassin Sun Oct 31, 2021 5:05 am

Happy Halloween! I have another chapter ready. ^^

Chapter 12

It was early Sunday afternoon, and Alex had just finished getting ready. She put on a light purple dress that went down to her knees along with black stockings. Also, she had on her usual bracelet as well as a necklace that she kept on her at all times. Then she styled her hair into twintails, giving her a very cute appearance overall. Once she felt satisfied, she left her apartment and took the bus until it stopped near Yugi’s grandpa’s game shop. After she get off, she saw Yugi waiting outside for her. She waved happily at him and said,

“Hey, Yugi. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”

Yugi shook his head and replied, “Not at all. You look great. Let’s get going.”

Alex replied, “Lead the way.”

Alex and Yugi walked side by side as they headed towards the cafe near the game shop. The two of them made a bit of small talk and soon, they arrived. Yugi led the way towards a booth at the back, and Alex observed that the cafe was really quiet. There were only a couple of patrons as well as a few staff, so it was the perfect place to have a private conversation.

After the two of them sat down and placed their orders (with Yugi insisting that Alex get some dessert in addition to coffee), Yugi said,

“Ok, I think he’s ready to talk, but do me a favor?”

Alex nodded and replied, “Sure, what is it?”

Yugi replied, “Make sure he actually eats what I ordered.”

Alex laughed and replied, “Ok, I’ll do my best.”

Yugi smiled and then made the switch. Fortunately, no one else was watching, so they didn’t notice that there was anything amiss. Once Yami made an appearance, Alex smiled and said,

“Hey, you. I heard that you wanted to talk to me.”

Yami smiled and replied, “I do, but Yugi says we should wait for our orders to be brought first.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Yeah, that’s a good idea. We don’t want anyone overhearing us, and it shouldn’t take long.”

Soon after Alex replied, a waitress came over, placing their orders on the table along with the bill. After she left, Yami looked at Yugi’s order and asked,

“He expects me to eat this?”

Alex looked at the slice of chocolate cake and the fruit juice in front of Yami and laughed a bit. Then she replied,

“It is on the sweet side, but it looks good. I would have ordered milk to balance the chocolate cake, but that’s just me.”

As for Alex, she ordered her usual black coffee along with a slice of strawberry cheesecake. Yami looked at Alex’s order and commented,

“Your order is more sensible.”

Alex replied, “I don’t know about that. I like black coffee, mainly for the caffeine. As for the cheesecake, well, let’s just say that I haven’t had any for quite a while now and it was too tempting to keep resisting. But anyway, let’s take care of the matter at hand first, ok?”

Yami replied, “That’s right.” He took a sip of fruit juice and then continued, “So I had an acquaintance of mine from Egypt look into your bracelet after you sent the photos to Yugi.”

Alex curiously asked, “Who is this acquaintance of yours, if I’m not being nosy?”

Yami replied, “Ishizu Ishtar. Her family is acquainted with ancient Egyptian history, and she was the one who told me that I was once a pharaoh.”

Alex widened her eyes in amazement and replied, “That’s really cool, and I can totally see that.”

Yami nodded and replied, “Ishizu told me that your bracelet isn’t a millenium item.”

Of course, Alex already knew that, but she pretended to look surprised and replied, “What’s a millenium item?”

Yami replied, “It’s difficult to explain, but the basic idea is that they’re ancient Egyptian items infused with magical powers. You see this?”

He indicated to the millenium puzzle around his neck, and Alex nodded. He then said, “It’s a millenium item. I woke up after Yugi assembled all the pieces of this puzzle.”

Alex nodded and replied, “I see. I assume there are other such items, too?”

Yami replied, “Yes, that’s right. You’ve been fortunate not to have witnessed more of their power firsthand, but some of them can be very dangerous, especially in the wrong hands. It’s obvious when you see one.”

Alex replied, “Ok. So my bracelet isn’t a millenium item. Then, what is it?”

Yami recalled what Ishizu had told him and replied, “Based on the markings, Ishizu believes the bracelet originates from ancient Greece.”

Alex looked carefully at her bracelet, taking note of the symbols on it. They looked vaguely familiar to her although she had no idea why. Alex replied, “I can kind of see that. But if this bracelet is originally from ancient Greece and from what you told me, you’re from ancient Egypt, how is this bracelet familiar to you?”

Yami replied, “That’s what I don’t understand. Unfortunately, Ishizu couldn’t tell me more than that. We know a little more than before, but it isn’t much.”

Alex replied, “It’s better than nothing. I guess we can try looking into it some more.”

Yami replied, “I concur. Ishizu told me that if she finds out anything more, she’ll let me know right away, and of course, I will let you know, too.”

Alex replied, “Thanks. Now then, since I believe we’ve gotten all the important talk out of the way, I have to get you to eat that.”

She pointed at the chocolate cake. Yami groaned and commented, “I’d rather not. It looks a bit too sweet.”

Alex laughed and replied, “You can never have too many sweets, but I agree it’s a bit much. I take it that you’re not a fan of sweet stuff?”

Yami replied, “I don’t recall consuming a lot of it, so I’m probably not.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Just take it slow then, and we can order milk or coffee for you if you find it too sweet. It’s a good idea to balance sweet stuff.”

Although Yami was still somewhat reluctant, he finally got to eating the cake, while Alex took bites of her strawberry cheesecake and sips of her coffee. Suddenly, as though remembering something, Yami asked,

“Yugi wanted to know, but why did you make that comment yesterday?”

Alex paused and replied, “Oh, that. Yeah, yesterday was crazy.”

She looked around, making sure that nobody would overhear them. Then she continued, “I think it’s ok to tell you both. It might become a bit of gossip if some other people heard about it, and I’d rather have things quiet.”

She then talked about how she and Joey were at her apartment and then how Kaiba had come over and what happened after. However, she left out the part about Kaiba confronting her alone afterwards. Yami listened carefully and after Alex was done, he took a few minutes to think it over. Then he said,

“Yugi says he doesn’t know what to make of that, other than it’s obvious that Joey and Kaiba hate each other.”

Alex nodded and replied, “Yeah, I got that much.”

Yami replied, “Not that I’m an expert on people, but I can tell you this much. It’s no secret that Joey likes you and that you like him.”

Alex blushed a bit and replied, “Oh. I guess we kind of made that obvious?”

Yami smiled and replied, “True, but it’s ok. We’re your friends and we would be happy to see you two together. But…”

He frowned a bit, which prompted Alex to ask,

“What is it?”

Yami replied, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear that Kaiba might like you, too, but he’s too stubborn to say it to your face.”

Alex looked shocked and replied, “What? Are you certain?”

She thought over Yami’s words for a couple of minutes. Inwardly, she had to admit that if she weren’t the center of attention, she would agree with Yami’s assessment. Yami continued,

“It’s a case of where two people like each other, but the third person likes one of those two.”

Alex sighed and replied, “Maybe, but it doesn’t make any sense. I mean, I’m not that kind of girl.”

Yami replied, “Well, I’m probably wrong. Even now, I don’t interact much with people unless it’s in a duel. I guess I’m making an exception here because of your bracelet.”

Alex nodded and replied, “I understand. I just hope that those two will bury the hatchet soon. I really don’t want to be in the middle of more arguments. I’m totally not worth it.”

She took a bite of her cheesecake, and some whipped cream was on the side of her lips. Yami noticed and said,

“Oh, let me get that for you.”

He took a napkin and carefully wiped off the whipped cream from Alex’s face. Unfortunately, the timing was bad, as the door to the cafe opened and Kaiba just happened to approach the premises. Immediately, he saw Alex and Yami, and without thinking, he stomped over to them and asked,

“What are you two doing?”

Yami immediately moved away from Alex, and the two of them looked at Kaiba. Alex had this annoyed look on her face and replied,

“Oh, it’s you. It’s not like I’m not allowed to hang out with other people on my own time.”

Kaiba glared at Alex and replied, “You didn’t answer my question.”

Yami replied, “Calm down, Kaiba. Alex got some whipped cream on her face, and I was just helping her to clean it off.”

Alex nodded and replied, “That’s right although I wonder what you were thinking. You have this tendency to overreact.”

Kaiba replied angrily, “I do not over-”

Alex’s phone suddenly vibrated in her purse, and she said, “Oh, I should check this.”

She took out her phone, careful not to let the others see the incoming text message.

Hey, Alex. Can we talk alone at the park? It’s important. Seto doesn’t know about this.

Obviously, the message was from Mokuba, and from what Alex gathered, Mokuba didn’t want Kaiba to know of their meeting. She quickly sent a message back to Mokuba and then put her phone away. Turning to Yami, she said,

“Something has come up. We’re finished here, right? And you’ll let me know if you find out any more info?”

Yami nodded and replied, “Yes, of course. If you have something important to do, please don’t let me delay you. Yugi says he’ll take care of the bill, and he insists since he invited you.”

Alex smiled and replied, “Ok, thank you. I guess we’ll talk again later.”

She got up and looking at Kaiba, she added, “Pleasure seeing you again, and I’d appreciate it if you don’t follow me.”

She then walked out of the cafe and hailed a cab, requesting to be taken to Domino Park.

Kaiba was about to leave the cafe when Yami said,

“Wait, Kaiba. We need to talk, and Alex did just say not to follow her, or have you become her stalker?”

Kaiba took a seat across from Yami and replied, “I wasn’t stalking her. I just happened to pass by and noticed you two in here. I don’t even bother frequenting this establishment.”

Yami replied, “It wasn’t a serious question. You don’t seem like the type, but you really need to stop lying to yourself.”

Kaiba replied, “Excuse me?”

Yami replied, “Just tell her that you like her. Dueling isn’t the only thing I’m perceptive at.”

Kaiba scoffed and replied, “I don’t like her. She’s a curiosity, nothing more.”

Yami smiled and replied, “Well, if that’s the case, I’ll be supporting Joey all the way. Good to see you again, Kaiba.”

He gave one more knowing smile to Kaiba before changing back. Yugi laughed awkwardly and said,

“Ok, I’m gonna go.”

He hurriedly took the bill, went to the counter to pay and then left. As Kaiba was alone and he had no business being in the cafe, he soon left as well.

*******************

Meanwhile, Alex had made it to the park, and she saw Mokuba sitting on the bench. Roland was standing next to him, most likely looking out for any would-be attackers. Alex waved happily at Mokuba and said,

“Hey, Mokuba. I got here as soon as I could, and it’s good to see you again, Mr. Roland.”

Roland nodded and replied, “It’s good to see you, too, Ms. Alex.”

Mokuba smiled and replied, “Hey, Alex. I hope you weren’t too busy?”

Alex took a seat next to Mokuba on the bench and replied, “Nah. Just got finished talking to a friend. Your message sounded kind of urgent. What’s up?”

Mokuba nodded and then he turned to Roland, asking if he could stand a bit farther away. Roland nodded, understanding that Mokuba wished to have a private conversation with Alex. Mokuba then turned his attention back to Alex and said,

“I’m worried about Seto. I’ve noticed this for a while now although I haven’t said anything.”

Alex replied, “What? Is he sick or something?”

Mokuba quickly shook his head and replied, “Nothing like that. It’s more like, urgh. How do I put it? Ever since that duel the other day, he’s been acting really strange.”

Alex had her guesses as to where Mokuba was going with this conversation, but deciding to let Mokuba express his thoughts, she replied, “Ok. How has he been acting strange?”

Mokuba replied, “I don’t think Seto will tell me, but I think he likes you. I mean, he really likes you and he wants you.”

Alex’s eyes widened in surprise and her first thought was,

First, Yami says this and now Mokuba? There’s just no way. It’s not possible.

Alex gently replied, “Are you sure, Mokuba? Maybe you’re just reading too much into Kaiba’s behavior.”

Mokuba replied, “I may be a kid and I’m not a genius like you or Seto, but I’m not stupid. I’ve been observing him and I’ve noticed how he talks about you and how he gets angry if Joey is near you.”

Alex replied, “But isn’t that just because he doesn’t like Joey? That has nothing to do with me.”

Mokuba shook his head and replied, “If it was just that, he’d brush it off. But Seto is expressing anger and it isn’t over a duel. I think he isn’t even aware of how he feels about you, but I’m worried about how he might behave. So I thought you should know.”

Alex replied, “You wanted to look out for me? That’s really sweet, but I can take care of myself. Besides, I don’t think your brother likes me like that.”

Mokuba replied, “Why do you think that?”

Alex replied, “Just look at me, Mokuba. I mean, really look at me.”

Mokuba did as Alex requested and then he replied, “Ok, I still don’t get it.”

Alex replied, “I’m not the kind of girl guys typically like. Joey’s an exception, but he and I have gotten to know each other. As for your brother, I don’t think I’m the kind of girl he’d like. He’s better off staying away.”

Mokuba looked a bit thoughtful and then replied, “Alex, why do you think Seto wouldn’t like you?”

Alex replied, “I guess you’re old enough to understand these things. I’m sure he has a type. Think about it. He’s extremely wealthy, handsome and smart. Lots of women would want him, and I’m sure he’d rather go for a superficial, supermodel type. Not like that’s what I’d ever want to become. I’d never respect myself again if I reduced myself that low.”

Mokuba looked surprised to hear Alex’s reply and replied, “Wait. You really think Seto is into that type? That might be true for many guys in his position, but he does his own thing. So if he likes you, he likes you, and that’s that. Besides, the only time I’ve ever seen him hang out with that type is for Kaiba Corp’s charity events, and that’s only for publicity. Besides, you’d make a way better sister-in-law.”

Alex coughed loudly and had to take a minute to recover. After taking a deep breath, she replied, “Ok, you’re definitely jumping the gun here. I don’t have any such goals in mind. I just want a normal, simple life.”

Of course, Alex didn’t add the part about having that with Andy but only after eliminating Kaiba.

Alex continued, “So I think for everyone’s sake, it’s best if Kaiba stays away from me. Besides, even if I were to entertain the thought of him liking me, I’ll never know if it’s because he truly likes me or he just wants to make Joey lose at something. Yeah, I’m stupid for not having realized it sooner.”

Mokuba replied, “What?”

Alex smiled sadly at Mokuba and replied, “There’s no way Kaiba really likes me. He just wants to beat Joey, and if that means taking me away from him, he’ll try his best. But I won’t let him. Joey’s a good guy and he doesn’t deserve that.”

Mokuba replied, “Alex, stop. I know Seto has a reputation, but he isn’t like that and I’m not just saying that because I’m his brother. He’s a really good person, but he’s very awkward. It doesn’t help that our stepfather messed him up lots.”

Alex looked curiously at Mokuba and asked, “What do you mean?”

Mokuba sighed and replied, “I might have said too much, and I don’t think I should be the one to tell you.”

Understanding what Mokuba meant, Alex nodded and replied, “I understand. Kaiba would have to tell me, but I doubt that will ever happen. It’s ok. There are some things better left unsaid.”

Instinctively, her right hand reached out to touch her necklace, which Mokuba noticed but chose not to comment on.

Mokuba then said, “I know I’m going to sound biased, but I think you should give Seto a chance. You two might hit it off, and I think you’d be really good for him.”

Alex sighed and replied, “I don’t know. Can we not talk about this anymore, please?”

Mokuba noticed that Alex started to look a little upset, so he replied, “Ok. I’m sorry if I pushed too much.”

Alex shook her head and replied, “It’s ok. You’re being a good brother, and I hope he knows how lucky he is to have you.”

She smiled sadly at Mokuba, and Mokuba reached out to gently squeeze Alex’s hand. He then said, “It’s getting late, so how about we drop you off at your place? And don’t say no.”

Alex cheered up a bit at hearing Mokuba being assertive and replied, “Ok.”

Mokuba and Alex got up from the bench, and following Roland, they left the park.

Subject: Re: The Assassin Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:23 pm

Love the new chapters. Very Happy

The relationship between Alex and Kaiba is getting more and more interesting. XD It is pretty obvious that Kaiba likes her and maybe inwardly admits it at least, but Alex's feelings towards him are still a bit mysterious to me.

And Alex's bracelet seems to be another mystery. Can't wait to see the next chapters and see how events unfold Very Happy

Subject: Re: The Assassin Wed Nov 03, 2021 5:18 am

Thanks for the feedback. There's definitely some mystery going on, and it will be explained in way later chapters. As for Alex, let's just say that her feelings towards Kaiba are conflicted. XD

Ahh, and I made a very minor edit to the prologue since a way later chapter will be confusing, otherwise. I'm trying to fit this story in regards to the YuGiOh anime series and popular theories. ^^