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New Domino. June 2055
Kaiba gazed out his bedroom window, looking out over New Domino’s upper enclave. A twisted vastness of black skyscrapers dotted with bright neon colors. Everywhere the eye could see, large hologram screens projected animated signs and advertisements. A woman waving with a seductive smile, a broken down hover car being repaired by several androids giving a thumbs up. An overly cheerful man holding up an expensive bottle of wine. A light rain fell, soaking into the steel and chrome plated corporate hives. A steady stream of cars flew in long stretched traffic lines, their wet, shiny hulls like reflective mirrors of the city’s lights.
“You look great, Nii-Sama!” Mokuba beamed, breaking Kaiba from his near trance-like gaze. The raven-haired teen had a playful bounce to his step as he approached, adjusting the collar of Kaiba’s suit, a sleek black coat accented with a metallic blue tie. He had specifically picked the look out for the evening he had planned for his brother. Kaiba sighed, he knew Mokuba had meant well, but being set up on a surprise date was the last thing he wanted to deal with this evening.
Kaiba pushed the projected screens from his view as Mokuba strode into his office, a smug grin plastered to his face. As the teen broke the news to the frazzled CEO, he hung up on the meeting, dragging his fingers through the screens, scattering the holograms into smoke-like pixels that dissipated into nothingness as quickly as they had been formed. The color had drained from his face and he shook as he locked steely blue eyes with confused gray ones “Mokuba! Why would you do that? I don’t have time to be playing games and running around!”
“You always say that, Seto! So I helped you! I found a really smart woman who I think you’ll really like. Her name is Cleo. She’s into the same stuff you love! I did all the work of setting up the date, and all you have to do is just show up! Isono even booked your favorite restaurant, La Licorne!”
“I don’t care where you booked it! Cancel it! Now!”
“She’s already accepted the invitation! I know you don’t want to hear this, but you just turned thirty-four. Isn’t it time you found someone?” Mokuba took hold of his brother’s trembling hands in his own, entwining their fingers as his expression morphed to one of concern. “Seto. Sometimes, the only difference I can see between you and the androids you built for your labs, is your ability to sleep. Please, at least try to give her a fair chance?” Kaiba glanced away, feeling an odd sensation of guilt welling up in his chest. He pulled his hands away from Mokuba’s, resting one on his shoulder.
“Alright, just this once.”
Mokuba waved enthusiastically at his brother as he left the mansion, Isono in tow. “Have fun Seto! Don’t forget to stop by the Bizarre for a gift!” Kaiba nodded as he got into the passenger’s seat. The sooner he could get all this over with, the better.
The Bizarre was an elegant open air market filled with vendors hawking all sorts of high end goods. From the newest mechanical body upgrades to self-cleaning porcelain plates. The venue was more of an excuse for the city’s social upper crust to come out and play around in a setting more accustomed to the lower enclaves, while acquiring the same goods they could have easily had delivered straight to their diamond encrusted doorsteps. Kaiba turned his lip up in disgust as Isono landed the car. This was the sort of place he despised. A Morally bankrupt cesspool where money was flaunted for the sheer sake of boosting the already over-inflated ego of it’s owner.
The brunette exited the sleek vehicle, ignoring the stares of other shoppers. He was certainly not the only celebrity in the venue tonight, but that wouldn’t stop curious patrons from swarming him with questions and flirty requests for pictures and autographs. Isono’s bright red pulse rifle, tucked into the crook of his arm, managed to keep them at bay. Kaiba strode the black marble walkways, gazing with disinterest at the stalls. He was just about to call the whole stop off when a rather curious sight caught his attention.
“I want to check this one out.” Kaiba commanded, pointing towards a lonely stall, filled nearly to the brim with various flowers, all lovingly arranged into neat bouquets. The tech CEO approached the display with genuine curiosity. The hum of nearby neon signs and overhead traffic filled his ears, downing out his own footsteps as he walked.
From behind the small counter, a young man smiled and waved, beckoning for him to come closer. Kaiba narrowed his eyes. The man wore simple jeans and an oversized black hoodie. Intense violet eyes shone like polished gemstones as he gave the CEO a sloppy grin, his head crowned with a mess of spiked up black hair that faded into crimson tips. Bright golden bangs framed his thin face, casting small jagged shadows on his forehead.
“Well if it isn’t billionaire tech giant Seto Kaiba come to grace my humble stall! Welcome! My name is Atem. Can I interest you in a bouquet of flowers tonight?” The man spoke, his voice smooth like fine honey. Kaiba found himself taken aback, he was rather attractive but there was something that felt… off. He couldn’t put his thumb on it.
“Are these… real?” Kaiba asked, distracting himself from his thoughts, a brow raised as he held up a bundle of roses, red as fresh blood, turning them over in his hand as he gently prodded at a petal with a finger. Atem smiled at him, his eyes aglow with amusement.
“I knew they are quite a rarity these days, but I assure you, all my flowers are real and very much alive.” He spoke, looking over his plants with a loving glance. “You look rather well dressed. Somewhere to be?”
“I'm going on a date tonight.” Kaiba replied, not bothering to hide the loud sigh that followed or the very visible slump of his shoulders. Atem frowned.
“You don’t sound very happy.” The spiky-haired man spoke, rubbing a finger against his chin. Kaiba glanced at him, shrugging.
“I didn’t exactly get a say in the matter. My brother set it all up and only felt inclined to tell me mere hours beforehand.” He replied. Atem nodded, looking thoughtful.
“Well, perhaps this evening isn’t starting out how you’d like, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make this into a night you’ll never forget.” Atem picked up a pink rose, holding it with the same care one might afford a delicate family heirloom of high value. “Maybe you don’t know this, but every flower has a meaning behind it. This rose means desire, a passion to achieve a goal or relationship.” He selected another flower, giving it a small sniff as he presented it to the intrigued CEO. “This one is a tiger lily, the pride of mankind and oneself. Coupled with vast wealth, material or otherwise.”
“Sounds like new age spiritual bullshit.” Kaiba deadpanned, rolling his eyes. Was this Atem fellow going to offer to read his palm next? The smaller man laughed, clearly not bothered by the insult.
“Of course the new spiritual movements will mention such things, but where do you think they got it from? All things have meaning in this world, and the origins of these meanings reach back far beyond the times of monolithic skyscrapers and flying chrome deathtraps.” Atem said, smirking. He held up another set of flowers, handing them off to a rather surprised brunette. “Take these to your date, red roses for love, heliotrope for devotion and yellow tulips for smiles and good-natured times.” Kaiba accepted the bouquet, looking it over when a single blue flower was suddenly thrust into his field of vision with a sense of urgency.
“Monkshood. Keep this one for yourself.” Atem said, the playful tone leaving his voice. Kaiba gave him a bewildered glance.
“What’s this one mean?” He asked. He merely got a smile as a response.
“Don’t worry about it right now Kaiba, take the flowers and go enjoy your date.” Atem spoke, the serious expression still worn clearly on his face. “Perhaps, do not partake in the wine though.”
Kaiba stared at Atem quizzically before he left back to his vehicle.
Isono landed the car in the reserved parking space, quickly jumping out and opening the passenger’s door. Kaiba exited, his designer boots clicking against a polished steel floor inlaid with ornamental brass designs.
La Licorne was a restaurant that did not hesitate to pull all the stops, featuring one of the most lavish venues New Domino had to offer. Gem-encrusted chandeliers floated on their own anti-gravitational systems, casting dim mood lighting down on marble and chrome tables. The high ceiling featured a simulated night sky, depicting a beautiful recreation of colorful auroras. In the very center of the room, surrounded by dining guests, a large fountain featuring a statue of a regal unicorn sat, the graceful beast rearing as water ran from its mouth, cascading into the carved basin below it.
Kaiba was quickly ushered to his table by a sharply dressed host, taking his seat across from Cleo, the woman he knew was his set-up date. She wore an elegant deep blue evening dress, large gems clinging to her thin neck. Long blonde hair was tied up into a neat bun, accented by a decorative clip. She smiled at the brunette, her deep blue eyes glowing slightly, showing her modified vision off.
“Thank you for meeting me, Mr. Kaiba.” Cleo spoke, a warm tone to her voice. She eyed the flowers as he set the bouquet on the table. “Are those real?” She asked.
“They are, and they are for you.” Kaiba spoke, picking the bouquet off the table and presenting them to the blonde. She took them and looked them over, eventually plucking a single blue flower from the bunch.
“Keep this one. It matches your tie.” Cleo reached across the table and tucked the monkshood into the pocket of Kaiba’s suit. “Perfect!” She beamed, clapping her hands together. “Now, shall we have a drink?”
She waved to a waiter, who nodded and left for the kitchen, emerging a few moments later with a hovering tray in tow, two silver silver-plated glasses and a bottle of fine wine perfectly balanced as it followed behind. The man bowed as he presented the prized alcohol, before departing for another table.
“I hope you don’t mind, I picked the wine out before you arrived.” Cleo said as she uncorked the bottle. “Château Lafite Rothschild. 2028 vintage. A perfect, full bodied red wine.” The blonde expertly poured a glass for Kaiba, passing it to him. “Do try it, it’s simply divine.”
Kaiba accepted the glass, but hesitated. Atem had said to not partake in the wine. The brunette shrugged, perhaps the odd vendor was just one of those purists that couldn’t stand alcohol.
He took a small sip. Cleo was right, the red wine had wonderful notes of various fruits, finishing into something he could describe as almost spicy. He nodded his approval. “This is a very fine wine, you have good taste.” He said, almost surprising himself with how easy the compliment had come out.
Cleo brought her hand to her mouth and giggled. “Do have some more, the taste simply gets better with each sip.” The CEO nodded and took a second sip, it really did taste better than the last, but what was that odd aftertaste?
Kaiba gasped, suddenly feeling extremely dizzy. What was happening? Was it the wine? He looked over at Cleo with alarm, his vision distorted and swimming as he gripped the edges of the table, trying to stabilize himself. He heard a man shout and felt hands grip his shoulders before everything went completely black.
Kaiba awoke, slowly coming to his senses as he fought off the dizzy haze that was clouding his mind. He shook his head, trying to make sense of what had just happened. He had been in La Licorne, and the “date” had clearly been a set-up. One so clever that it had fooled not only Mokuba, but himself as well. Now he was tied to a chair in god-knows-where.
“Wonderful.” He thought to himself, looking around. He was in some sort of dirty warehouse, probably in the lower enclave. It would be a lot harder for authorities to track him down in the city’s filthy underbelly. Large fluorescent lights hummed deafeningly overhead, almost drowning out the footsteps of an approaching figure. It was Cleo. The con-artist had ditched her fancy evening gown, having changed into dark baggy pants and a tank top. An energy rifle was holstered to her belt. She gave the bound CEO a smug, victorious grin.
“Wow, I can’t believe how easy you were to capture, Seto Kaiba.” Cleo sneered, tilting the bound CEO’s chin up with a finger, forcing him to look her in the eyes. He glared at her.
“I knew there was something I didn’t like about you.” He growled, struggling against his bonds. “If you think you can hold me for ransom and try to get my corporation to pay out the nose to get me back, guess again.” The brunette let a smug grin creep up on his face and Cleo faltered slightly, clearly taken aback by his words. “Tell you what, you let me go, and I won’t completely ruin your life by suing you for every last yen you own.” Cleo’s surprise quickly morphed to anger. In one fluid motion, she reached out and struck Kaiba against his cheek, leaving an angry red mark.
“You think this is about money!? No, you stupid jerk, this is about revenge!” The blonde raged, seething with anger. “Three years ago, you ruined my life, and now I intend to ruin yours!” Kaiba furrowed his brow, staring incredulously at the woman.
“Ruined your life? I’ve never even met you!” He retorted. Cleo gasped, placing a hand to her chest.
“You trash my life’s work and don’t even have the courtesy to remember who I am? I should have known!” She pulled an extra chair near Kaiba and took a seat. “Three years ago, you held an open house, looking for new talent to hire for Kaiba Corp. I showed up, little Ms. Cleo Huntington, ready to blow the competition away.” The blonde shifted in her seat, crossing her legs as she continued. “I had created a new program for Duel Monsters. The Duel Companion.”
“Oh, you were the one with the Duel Companions pitch.” Kaiba deadpanned, his expression shifting to one of boredom. “It was terrible and completely useless, my original opinion on it still stan-”
“Shut up!” Cleo snapped, interrupting the CEO. “It would have changed the game as we knew it! You just didn’t want to give me a chance!” The blonde sneered as she pulled the gun from its strap, pointing it directly at Kaiba's forehead. “Now I’m not giving you one either.” Kaiba flinched as the barrel of the energy rifle nearly collided with his forehead. He shut his mouth, trying his best to maintain an air of level headedness despite his disadvantage.
“Oh how the mighty have fallen, but people like you are beyond saving. Any last words before I kill you?” She laughed, pushing the barrel so it was firmly against the CEO’s skin. Kaiba clenched his eyes shut. There was no way anyone would find him in time down here. He was doomed, all because he decided to drink the damn wine. He heard the first click of the trigger as the gun began to charge up, the second one would mean death.
Suddenly, the sound of a metal door banging on its hinges filled the room, startling both Cleo and Kaiba. In a flash, the woman was knocked away from the CEO, landing hard on her back, gasping loudly as her breath was knocked from her lungs. With her immediate threat out of the way, Kaiba swung his attention towards the new figure that had entered the room. He had rounded back and was approaching his chair.
“Atem?” He spoke, his voice almost trembling as he addressed the spiky-haired man. Atem nodded.
“Didn’t I tell you not to partake in the wine?!” Atem yelled as he began untying the ropes that kept Kaiba bound. “I see you don’t like to listen.” The CEO felt his cheeks heat up, simply nodding as the other man pulled the final rope off his body. “Get up, we’re leaving.” Kaiba stood up looking over at Atem, still lost as to how he could have known his whereabouts. Unless…
“Oh no you’re not!”
Kaiba froze as Cleo suddenly lurched to her feet, still a bit unsteady from her fall. She pointed her gun at the brunette. “I’m not letting you out of here alive!” Without any hesitation, she fired the pulse rifle, stumbling to her knees from the kickback. Kaiba could only watch in horror as the energized bullet missed it’s mark of the CEO and struck Atem, quickly tearing through his shoulder.
The smaller man cried out in pain and collapsed, curling up onto the floor as blood pooled near the wound. Cleo stared at him, before snapping her attention back up at Kaiba. “Just die!” She screamed, aiming her gun once again for the brunette's head.
Atem’s body suddenly burst into a thick, dark smog. Reforming into something completely different. A beast Kaiba had never seen beyond mere hologram projections now stood before him, something he had been certain could not logically exist.
A unicorn.
The mythic being had the head and body of a horse, with the legs of a stag and the tail of a lion. A single, long horn protruded from his forehead. His jaw was parted, revealing two large tusks that stuck up from his lower jaw, and over his lips. The beast’s fur was a deep sooty gray, with the ridiculous spiky hair now serving as an equally spiky mane. The bloody wound was gone. With an unearthly screech, the unicorn reared up, his bright purple horn glowing with bright hues of blue. A bolt of lightning-like energy shot from the tip, striking Cleo straight in the chest. She collapsed, the gun falling from her grip and sliding across the floor, coming to a rest as Kaiba's feet.
The unicorn paced around Cleo’s form. Once content that she wasn’t moving, he returned his attention back to the tech CEO. "I knocked her out and removed all traces of tonight's events in her mind. She well never remember that she captured you. In fact, she probably won't even remember you exist after this."
Kaiba stared, dumbfounded by what he was seeing. “Atem, you’re a… unicorn?” He barely rasped out, as though his own voice couldn’t believe what it was being compelled to speak. The dark beast nodded, slowly approaching the startled CEO, his hooves making soft clicking sounds as he crossed the chipped asphalt ground.
“So I am.” Atem replied, stopping short of Kaiba. He looked him over. “I am glad you are unharmed.”
“Why did you save me?” Kaiba blurted, still not sure if he could believe what he was seeing. The unicorn gave what the brunette could only figure was a shrug.
“I knew you would be in danger, I could just feel it. You had an ill fortune hovering all over you when you came to my stall. I couldn’t simply send you to your doom.” The unicorn motioned with his horn towards the flower in the tattered pocket of Kaiba’s suit. “I enchanted that flower, Monkshood is the symbol of warning, and ill omen. When I passed it off to you, I made sure its magic would warn me if you lost consciousness, which you did. Rather quickly.”
“It was strong stuff.” Kaiba said, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He looked over towards Cleo. “I’ll have the authorities deal with her.” He gave the unconscious woman a look of disdain. The unicorn nodded.
Hesitantly, Kaiba brought a hand up towards Atem’s muzzle, gently resting his palm on it. The beast locked his amethyst eyes with deep cobalt. “Thanks for saving my life.” Kaiba said, willing a small smile to grace his features. Slowly, he moved in closer and embraced the unicorn, hugging the silky fur on his neck. "Well, you were right earlier, this is a night I will never forget. I owe you."
In one fluid motion, Atem shifted back to his human disguise, returning Kaiba's embrace. "You don't owe me, I was just wanted you to be safe." He replied, giving Kaiba that same sloppy grin he had greeted him with earlier.
Kaiba blushed, before an idea suddenly sprang to his mind. "I insist, you saved my life. I always pay back a debt." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the tattered restaurant reservation. "I think La Licorne would be happy to honor my reservation for tomorrow night, given how disastrous tonight was. What do you think?" He asked.
Atem beamed happily, reaching up and pressing his lips to the brunette's. Kaiba startled slightly, before cupping the back of Atem's head, holding the kiss until they needed to part.
"I'd say its a date." Atem winked.