Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. Title: Sow and Reap Author: Serena J Rating: R for use of the f-word and some sexual content Genre(s): Romance, Angst Pairing(s): Primary Seto/Joey/Atemu Spoilers: none Beta: Mishiko Disclaimer: Just the words, not the folks. Summary: When Seto takes an impromptu vacation, he turns everyone's life upside down. Chapter 5: He Is My Brother. Chapter 5 Life was better after that. The six of us were together almost constantly. Joey and Ryou were almost as close as my shadow most days, and Honda and Anzu were only a step back from that. Mutou was a childhood friend of Honda's and spent almost as much time with us. Mutou was a strange boy with wide eyes, spiked tri-colored hair and an air of both innocence and sadness - which he hid most of the time under an onslaught of deliberate cheer. The old Seto would have found Mutou's constantly cheerful disposition irritating, but now he didn't seem so annoying. Maybe it was because I saw something in life to be cheerful about. A few weeks later, Ryou began spending time away from us. Finally he confessed and introduced us to Otogi Ryuji, whom he'd met at a dueling tournament. Otogi was a little older, but was already blind in love with Ryou. It was a hot Saturday afternoon near the end of the semester when the walls fell in. We were all at the condo, sitting around allegedly dueling, but mostly wasting time. The condo community's transformer had blown taking everyone's central air conditioning with it. The windows were open but there was no breeze and we were wearing as little as possible to remain decently covered. Joey was sitting in my lap, Anzu was in Honda's, Ryou was playing his koto while Otogi was trying to cuddle with him on the futon, and Mutou was teasing the rest of us relentlessly. There was a knock at my door, which shocked all of us since everyone was already there. "Maintenance?" Anzu guessed. "I'll see." Ryou got up and got the door. He rushed back a minute later. "Kaiba-san! Kaiba-sama is here to see you." "What?" I replied, stunned. "Oh dear." Anzu got up and rushed out. We hadn't been expecting anyone and her t-shirt and shorts were far more revealing than she would want my father to see. "He's waiting in the den, sir." I stood up. I was wearing a pair of cut off shorts that were bad fashion but Joey's favorites. "Did he say what he wanted?" "No sir. I think," Ryou hesitated, "Kaiba-san, I think he may be...unwell." Ryou had never seen my father drink before. I nodded. "You all may stay here. I doubt this should take long." In the den, Father was waiting impatiently. "This is how you treat guests? Make them wait while you finish your little orgy?" He had been drinking, but was not as intoxicated as I had feared. I bowed deeply. "How have you been, Father?" "As if you care about my health!" He smacked me. "I wouldn't be seeing this in the papers if you gave a damn about my health!" He flung a newspaper article at me. It had a picture of Ryou, Joey and me at a tournament. I had just won another top duelist trophy and Ryou and Joey were both kissing my cheeks. A reporter had asked me which of them was my boyfriend and I said they both were. It was a joke but the press spread the story like wild fire. Oddly, sales went up that week. But seeing me happy wasn't enough to sell Father. "Your disgusting perverted behavior! It's bad enough you do it here! But I have to see it in print too?" He slapped me again, harder. "I provided you with a suitable creature to use - who is this American mutt you've been seen with?" "His name is Joseph Wheeler." I said calmly. "We're in love." The next two hits came in rapid succession - one on my face and one on my shoulder. "Don't you discuss love, pervert!" He grabbed me by the throat. "You don't have the right." I was saved from being choked to death by Anzu bursting in. "Seto! Seto, it's - forgive me, I'm so sorry - but it's Mokuba!" she was waving the wireless landline at me. It was roughly 2am in Paris. Mokuba never called after lights out and never called on the weekend. I took the phone. "What's wrong Mokuba? Why aren't you in bed?" "Seto?" He sounded scared. "It's me, it's ok What happened?" "Some man took me -" The receiver abruptly changed hands. Father asked me what was going on, but I motioned him quiet. Then I indicated that he should pick up the other line. "Kaiba." A rough, somewhat distorted voice spoke. "Yes. Who is this?" "You aren't Gozaburo." "No. This is Kaiba Seto." "I don't want you. Where's your father?" "If he were available, I'm sure he would have taken the call. You were routed to me." "You'll wish he'd been there if I kill this brat." Father snapped his fingers at Anzu and mimed paper and pen. "You have my attention. Who are you and what do you want?" "Twenty million. US." "By when?" "Three days." "Not possible." "On day four, I can get twice that in Thailand. Three times if I tell them whose son they're selling on the open market." I had no blood, no nerves, no nothing. Someone had kidnapped Mokuba and was going to sell him into prostitution. "You are presuming that we want him enough to pay that much." "I don't really care since I make my money regardless of who pays." "Let me speak to him again." "He's alive." "Who are you?" The voice just laughed. "Where should I take the money?" "I'll call you back in two days." The line cut. "A cell phone in Egypt." Father said, hanging up his cell. "We've got the number. The physical location could be within two miles of the tower." I didn't ask how he got the information so quickly. I should have known he had tapped my landlines. "I have connections in Thailand. It would almost be easier to let them sell him and bring him home from there. I'll work from that side. You find the security hole in France." "Has to be in the school administration. Or here, in ours." I thought about it. "Maybe a dozen people know both who he is and where he was. They all need to be questioned." Father's security chief entered the den. "Kaiba-sama, we are ready." Father looked at me. It was a very, very hard look. Mokuba had been kidnapped. Two of my employees had clearance to know how to do that. Four of my friends could have found out. I walked out to the living room where my friends and my security were in a standoff. These are my friends. These are my lovers. He is my brother. "Take them." I said. "They are not suspects, but question them." Bakura and Mazaki went quietly; they understood why. Honda, Mutou, and Otogi resisted some. Joey fought. I watched, sick, as one of the guards' tased him. Then I called my driver; I needed to catch a flight to Paris.