Inheritance Duel - Ch 2

Inheritance Duel

Chapter Two:

Gekko knocked on the door to his brother's room. They were all dressed in their finest black suits. Gekko didn't know Richie and Depre even owned suits, but they had managed to find some and dress up. They were all ready to go -except for Yako.

On the day they received the news that their beloved adopted father, Maximilian Pegasus had died, Yako locked himself away in his room and hadn't come out since. Today was the day of the funeral and Gekko wanted his twin there. Not just for himself and his own emotional support, but because he knew that Yako would regret not going for the rest of his life.

“Richie and Depre are already downstairs.” He called through the door. “The car's waiting.”

Gekko paused, hoping to hear some kind of reply from his brother. Even something as soul-crushing as a 'go away, Gekko!' so that he would at least know that his brother was alive and hadn't starved himself to death out of grief. Gekko didn't much like the idea of having to mourn his brother while also mourning their adopted father.

“This is our last chance to say good-bye.” He called through the door, trying one final time to coax Yako out. “You don't want to miss it, do you?”

He waited again.

When Gekko was sure that his brother wasn't going to respond, he heaved a sigh and turned away. That was when the door opened slowly. Gekko spun around to see his brother shamble out of his room.

Yako was wearing an Italian cut suit in funeral black, but that was about the only neat thing about him. The top three buttons of the shirt were left unbuttoned, the shirt hanging open revealing just how pale his chest was. His hair was messy and slightly tangled, as if he hadn't combed -or even washed- it in days. There were dark circles under his eyes to show how little sleep he'd been getting. He looked like a train wreck.

“Sorry, I... I was designing cards.” He said by way of explanation.

For half a second, Gekko felt a flash of frustration with his twin. Their father just passed away, today was his funeral, and he was coming up with new children's trading cards. But the anger was there and gone in a flash, most likely a result of his own grief. Yako was probably just deflecting. Coping with their loss in his own way. Gekko wrapped one arm around the other man's shoulders. “C'mon, the others are waiting for us. Mullet Guy's already got the car ready.”

“Mullet Guy?” Yako asked, somewhat subdued. “Where's Croquet?”

Here Gekko hesitated. None of them had seen James since he left home over fifteen years ago, forsaking the family business of trading cards and other children's games in favor of hunting, capturing, and battling wild creatures with elemental abilities beyond what is natural for a normal animal. It was pretty clear to all of them that he wanted nothing to do with the family or their business. But both Croquet, and Pegasus' attorney had insisted that James be notified and -if at all possible- brought home. If not in time for the funeral, then at least to settle affairs and accounts. He was, after all, Maximilian Pegasus' only natural born son. The only child to come from Cecelia before her death. Even if there was bad blood between father and son, even if Pegasus did blame James for Cecelia's death, and James resented their father for the way he was treated growing up... Pegasus would still want to leave the man something.

So, Croquet left to find James.

But Gekko didn't tell Yako any of this. He didn't want to add to his twin's anxieties. Instead, he said, “Don't worry about it. He's looking after our father's interests.”

The other man look skeptically at his brother. It was clear, even though the fog of emotions he was going though that his twin was hiding something. But Yako chose not to comment. He just didn't have the energy today. If it wasn't for the funeral, he wouldn't have even gotten up from the drafting table to shower.

They made their way down to the car and climbed into the backseat with Richie and Depre. They all looked varying shades of somber and subdued, though, none looked quite as bad as Yako. It was pretty clear to all four of them just who was taking Pegasus' death the hardest.

The service was exactly what one would expect from an eccentric trillionaire like Maximilian Pegasus. There was the open casket, lined with shiny white silk-satin, the body dressed in Pegasus' finest suit and made-up to look like he was just sleeping peacefully. A person couldn't even tell that his left eye-socket was empty under the closed eye-lid, unless they were looking really hard. But, in addition to the shiny silks, fine suit, and expert makeup, the casket was surrounded by a halo of models and figurines of his favorites cartoon characters, trading cards, and cartoon-themed cards. The Toon World card was tucked between his hands, his signature card to be buried with him.

Depre, Richie, and Gekko all gave beautiful speeches, full of pretty words. They talked about what a good man he was. How selfless he was to take in four orphans and raise them as his own sons. How big of an impact he made on their lives. That he would live on in their hearts and in their memories... the standard eulogy garbage. Yako didn't speak. He hadn't prepared anything ahead of time, and even if he had, he wasn't in a mood to get up in front of a crowd of board members, investors, rival business men, and gold-digging well-wishers and share his deeper feelings about a man they barely knew or even cared about beyond his checkbook. Besides, he had a bitch of a headache building behind his eye and he just wanted to go home and get back to designing his new cards.

Finally, the service was ended and they could bury the body.

All four of them served as casket bearers.

They laid him to rest next to his beloved Cecelia. All his efforts, plans, and schemes to regain his late love were all for naught, but they were reunited now in death finally. Together forever.

They sprinkled freshly turned soil over the casket, symbolically burying their father. It was actually the cemetery attendants that filled in the hole.

After the service, a reception was held at the Industrial Illusions complex.

Members of the board, game developers, and representatives of rival companies rubbing elbows with Pegasus' survivors, trying to guess which of the four of them would take over control of the company now that Maximilian was gone. By the end of the event, all of them were in as foul and anti-social a mood as Yako had been from the onset. Yako, for his part, had a splitting head ache, so bad one eye was bloodshot and looked to be swelling. Gekko helped him to the car, the pair of them leaving the reception early. Let Richie and Depre handle the buzzards. Yako was clearly unwell and Gekko needed to look out for his brother.

“The will reading's scheduled for tomorrow.” Gekko said, by way of making conversation. He did not mention that the reading was contingent upon all parties named in the will being in attendance. If one of them were absent -or refused to show up- the reading could not take place. It was one of the stipulations Pegasus made. If James didn't come home, and hear his final wishes, then no one would get anything. That was why Croquet left in such a hurry. But, considering Yako's delicate state, it probably wasn't wise to mention that detail yet. “Father will most likely leave the company to you.”

“Hn.” Was all the response Gekko got.

“I know. I don't care about the money either.” Gekko took his brother's hand in his, hoping the contact would offer some comfort. “But maybe we'll get some closure.”

…

The will reading was held in one of the conference rooms of Industrial Illusions.

Or rather, it was supposed to.

Instead, Yako and Gekko Tenma, Richie Merced, and Depre Scott all sat at the conference table, their arms crossed over their chest, drumming their fingers on their arms in frustration, or taping their feet with impatience. The poor attorney in charge of Pegasus' will sat at the head of the table, his eyes flicked between the four brothers and the conference room door. His glances expectant, even hopeful toward the latter, and apologetic -even fearful- towards the former.

“Why haven't we started yet?” Yako demanded after the silence had dragged on long enough.

The attorney dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief disguised as a pocket square. “Not all beneficiaries named are present.”

Yako looked down the length of the table at all his adopted siblings. Every orphan child Maximilian Pegasus adopted, took into his home, and raised as his own. “Richie, Depre, my brother, and me. Who's missing?”

Once again dabbing at the nervous sweat on his balding head, the poor attorney informed them all. “James Pegasus is also named as a beneficiary in the late Mr. Pegasus' will. I- I cannot begin until he's here.”

“Jim?”

“Jamie?”

“Baby-Jay?”

Sure, James was Pegasus' natural born son, his only biological child. But James left fifteen years ago, running off to traipse around dank woods and though mud looking for monsters to shove in his pockets. None of them had seen him in a decade and a half. They were pretty sure he and Pegasus hadn't even spoken in that time. What could be so important that their father would insist on bequeathing it to him? On the one child who made it abundantly clear that he wanted nothing to do with the family, their money, or their father.

“Just get on with it!” Yako snarled. “You can give Jamie whatever pittance Father left for him later.”

The attorney dabbed at his forehead again. “The instructions explicitly state that all parties named as beneficiaries must be present.”

Yako growled, low in the back of his throat. That headache from the funeral was back again. A pounding behind one eye, making his eye seem red and bloodshot, almost swollen. It made the attorney more nervous. He dabbed at his sweat again. “Ahem. Well. Unfortunately-”

To his great relief, the door to the conference room was thrown open with a violent bang.

All eyes turned to see Croquet enter with the Hair Guy, whom was carrying a disgruntled and protesting James over one shoulder.

None of them had seen their adopted brother in fifteen years, but James looked even more like Pegasus than he had when he was younger. The hair was blue, not silver, but it was the same style and almost the same length. His eyes were wider than Pegasus' were, more like Cecelia's had been, but the high forehead and thin brows above the eyes were all Pegasus. He was wearing some kind of uniform they didn't recognize. Mostly white, white pants, and white shirt over a black undershirt, black gloves and boots, and a bold red letter R on his chest. Presumably that R meant something in pokemon Trainer circles. To Pegasus' adopted sons it was just a random letter.

The Hair Guy threw James down none too gently in one of the vacant chairs, then moved to bar the door and prevent James from any possible escape.

From behind the Hair Guy a woman wearing a similar uniform to James' (but a more feminine variation) tried to force her way in. “Hey! What's the big idea!”

Any relief the poor attorney might have felt at the last heir's sudden arrival evaporated to be replaced by a fresh layer of anxiety at the new source of hostility. “I'm afraid this is a private matter.” He tried to sooth. Glad there was a long conference table and a large, muscular bodyguard between himself and the angry woman.

“Anything anyone has to say to me, they can say in front of Jessie!” James informed the room.

“See! He says I can come in!” She echoed, and squeezed past the Hair Guy, slipping one leg between Hair Guy's bulky body and the door frame.

One long leg in a thigh-high black boot, followed by the other, long legs topped by a skin-tight mini-skirt. Christ Almighty! That woman was all legs! Above the too-tiny-to-be-called-a-skirt skirt was bare exposed skin. From her naval to just under her breasts, too wide an area to be considered just a mid-rift. Creamy alabaster skin, with just the lightest sun kiss of a tan indicating time spent outdoors. The white uniform shirt with its red R was split a bit higher than James' was, exposing the black undershirt, and drawing attention to the swell of her breast. It made her neck seem all the more thin and long. A heart shaped face with full red lips, a delicate button nose, high cheek bones and blue eyes. All crowned by a dramatic swoop of scarlet-crimson hair, curving behind her back like the loop of the R on her chest.

She couldn't possibly be James' woman. She was too hot for him.

With her came a strange cat-like creature, presumably one of her or James' pokemon that they'd brought with them from the monster regions. Both woman and cat-creature paused to turn and stick their tongues out at the Hair Guy. She took up a seat next to the one James was thrown at and helped him situate himself in the seat with a little more dignity. The cat-monster jumped up on the table between them.

James looked around the room. There was Croquet, and Hair Guy, all four of the orphans his father adopted and he was forced to call 'brothers', and his father's attorney. There was no sign of Maximilian Pegasus himself. Crossing his arms over his chest, James glared at everyone in the room. “What's this even about?” He demanded. “If father was going to send his thugs to kidnap me and my partner from half-way across the world, he could at least show up to explain why!”

This was met with a stony silence.

The grim expressions on the faces of his 'brothers' did not go unnoticed. “What? What is it?”

“He's dead, Jim. You heartless idiot.” Richie finally explained, since no one else in the room seemed willing to. One would have thought Croquet would have at least said something while on the way here.

This time it was James' turn to pause.

He glared each of his brother's down. Searching their faces for any indication that this was just another farce. After all, his father had had people important to him fake their deaths in order to draw James back before. He had Croquet do it in order to prompt James to return to the Kanto manor and trap him with nuptials to Jessebelle -that he just barely managed to escape. Yako, Gekko, Richie, and Depre all looked grim-faced, and somber. Certainly how one would expect people to look after losing someone important to them. Still, Pegasus had pulled crap like this before...

“I don't believe you.”

“This is his will reading, you rotten little pissant!” Yako snarled at him, banging a fist on the table. He stood, the action so sudden it sent his chair rolling away to impact the wall behind him. The outburst did nothing for his headache, and Yako bent over, propping one fist on the table for support, the other hand covering his pounding eye.

Gekko wrapped both arms around his twin, cradling the other man's head. He looked up at Croquet. “My brother has been unwell since the funeral. Could we please get some aspirin, at least until this is finished.” To James he said, “Look, we're all very tired. Things have been difficult for all of us since Duelist Kingdom. All the bad blood between you and our father, can you please just put it aside so we can get this over with? I'm sure he named Yako the new head of I2, so you'll be free to go back to the monster regions and stumble through the woods looking for beasts to shove in your pockets -or whatever it is you Trainers do.”

James grit his teeth as he stood, refusing to confront his 'brothers' sitting down. “Geki, the Perfect son, still your brother's peace-keeper, I see.” To Yako he said, “And you, how do you like still being kept by your brother well into your twenties? When are you gonna grow up and be your own man already?”

Yako snarled again. Glaring at James from between his brother's arms, that one blood-shot, swollen eye fixed on him.

Richie and Depre also stood, glaring across the table at their adopted brother.

“Hey, now!” Richie growled. “That was uncalled for, Jim. Can't you see Yako's having a difficult time with this? Just because you might not have cared about our father doesn't mean we didn't. I'm honestly amazed he even kept you in the will at all -as ungrateful as you are. Clearly, Father was a better man than you.”

“Clearly?” James scoffed. “He was such a great man that when he found some street kid had boosted the tires off his car, instead of having him arrested and pressing charges, he adopts him. A heart-warning tale of humanitarianism.” His eyebrows came down as his eyes narrowed at his adopted brother. “Did you ever ask him what he was even doing in that part of town? Did you ever wonder what would bring a member of the one percent down to a back-alley in the barrio? He was buying stolen artifacts. Things looted from protected sites, or boosted from cultural museums. How do you think he managed to fill his house with so much authentic Egyptian crap? He was nothing but a well-dress criminal.”

(Not that James, himself, was any better. Always trying to steal a child's pikachu. But They didn't need to know that, and he liked taking the moral high ground with his 'brothers'.)

Richie sputtered. It had honestly never occurred to him before.

“You need to back the fuck up!” Depre came around the table to give James a rough shove right in the R on his chest. “You don't get to run away and not talk to anyone for fifteen years, then come back and insult our father the day after his funeral!”

“Ah, Depre.” He smirked, not phased by the shove even as Jessie reached a hand out to steady him. “Always angry and looking for a reason to fight. Did I upset you? Are you gonna hit me like when we were kids? I must say, after fifteen years of being bitten, swallowed, stepped on, squeezed, electrocuted, and sent blasting off through the air, an old fashioned punch in the face would make me feel so nostalgic!”

“Why, you...”

“Great come-back.” James' smirk widened. “You really put me in my place.”

“Hey! What's the meaning of all this!” James' woman also stood. “You people kidnap us! You bring us here against our will! And for what? So you can all stand around and insult James!? What's the big idea!?”

“I'm sorry, who are you again?” Gekko asked, as polite as he could manage given the circumstances.

She rounded on him, the only brother in the room who hadn't explicitly insulted her partner falling under her disarmingly terrifying glare. “I'm his partner!”

“So... you're... what?” Gekko rolled his hand, as if urging for a further explanation. “His wife? His girlfriend? His business partner? His training partner?”

“Do you have any idea what this even means!?” She pointed to the red R on her chest.

All four of James' adopted brothers blinked at her.

“Your- your boobs?” Depre asked.

Both her hands balled into fist. “Unbelievable! James! Lets teach these guy to prepare for trouble!”

He hesitated. Looking from between his teammate and his brothers, as if unsure what he should do. Then his eyebrows came down as he came to a decision. He pulled a rose, seemingly from out of nowhere, and stood back to back with his partner. “And make it double!”

“To protect the world from devastation!” She thrust one hand out, fingers splayed.

“To unite all people within our nation!” James mirrored her pose, also extending his arm and spreading his fingers. Standing back-to-back the image was a wonderful example of symmetry.

Everyone else in the room stood there, at a bit of a loss as to what it was they were actually seeing here. What was happening? Were they doing a bit? Now was not an appropriate time to be doing a bit.

“To denounce the evils of truth and love!” She put one booted foot up on the table, leaning forward, and rested an arm on her knee.

“To extend our reach to the stars above!” As with before, James emulated her pose.

“Jessie!” She shouted.

“James!” He threw his stupid rose on the table.

“So, she's your performing arts partner.” Richie cut them off mid-routine. Apparently, a room full of people all in their twenties or older weren't as intimidated as a trio of ten-year-old twerps.

The poor attorney cleared his throat, drawing attention back to him. He wiped his forehead once again with his sweat-stained handkerchief, and tapped his folder of papers on the table. “If- if we could put a pin in the dramatic improve routines and stirring up of old grudges, please. After I'm done reading this, I still have to preside over your Duels. This is going to be a long affair and you all are just making it longer.”

There was a beat in which no one said anything. Just stared at the lawyer as if they'd forgotten he was even there.

Then one of Jessie's pokeballs popped open of its own accord. “WOBBUFFET!”

Both Trainers wilted in defeat.

“Did he say 'Duels'?” James muttered, asking no one in particular as he pulled his seat back up to the table.

“What? Are you deaf too now?” Depre spat back.

“Shut-up, Depre! Nobody was talking to you!” James was ready to jumped back to his feet if the other man wanted to fight. He wasn't the wimpy little kid who hid in the attic and let his growlithe do all the fighting for him anymore. After over a decade of rough and tumble survivalist lifestyle, nefarious plots and schemes, being physically tested by how own pokemon, and blown sky high by his opponent's pokemon, James was pretty confident he could take his adopted brother in a fight.

“All of you shut-up!” Croquet reappeared with the aspirin and a glass of water for Yako. He made sure the younger man took it before rounding on everyone else. “It was Master Pegasus' last wish that you all be here, and hear this together! You can at least try to put your petty squabbles aside for a couple hours and let his attorney read the damn paper! If for no other reason than to respect your father's memory.”

All four adopted brothers exchanged a look, taking a silent consensus. For Pegasus, they could sit quiet and tolerate James' presence for a little while. Then all four pairs of eyes turned to glare at the aforementioned pokemon Trainer, as if daring him to be the petty one and continue to fight and argue with them and disrespect their father's memory.

Well, James was just reflecting a couple moments ago how rarely he got to take the high road in his line of work. So, fine. If the others were gonna try and play nice until the document was read, then he would to. Like hell was he gonna let them think they were better than him! Crossing his arms over his chest, he pointedly looked away from the other four. “Fine. Whatever.”

That finally settled, the first expression of true relief he'd had that day crossed the attorney's face. This ordeal was almost over. “I, Maximilian Crawford Pegasus, presently of Industrial Illusions, Sanfran City, Sanfran Region, declare that this is my Last Will and Testament. I revoke all prior Wills and Codicils.”

As with any legal will, the first part was all garbage. Information that was required to be included in the document and recited during the reading, but not actually pertinent to the parties gathered. Finally, they got to what everyone wanted to know.

“To my son, James, I leave my diary.” Read the attorney. “In the hopes that he read it and know all the things I could never say to him in life. A little late, but perhaps this could bridge the gap between us.”

Croquet placed a battered looking book with reddish-brown stains splattered on the cover in front of him. James stared at the cover, he recognized the book, he'd seen his father writing in it while ignoring him often enough. The reddish-brown stains were new though. Too red to be coffee. Too brown to be wine. And they weren't really in a spill pattern so much as a splatter, or a spray. James bolted to his feet the moment he realized what they were, nearly stumbling over his own chair as he backed away from the book on the table. “Is that blood!?”

There was a beat of silence.

Then, Yako, his head still in his hands fixed James with that one swollen eye. “When I find the man who killed father, I am going to make them wish they'd never been born.”

Well, damn. Okay. So, the old man had been murdered. Amazingly, James was not surprised.

Jessie took his hand in hers, thinking now would be a good time to start giving some of that support Croquet mentioned he might need in the helicopter. Regardless of what his relationship with the man was, to hear that your father was not only dead but that he had been murdered. It would be hard for anyone to process. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

James looked down at their joined hands, then at her. He offered her a gentle smile and sat back down. Honestly, if she hadn't been here, he would have told Inkay to cover the whole room in ink and stormed out when Depre shoved him. But he wanted to look strong for her. He wanted her to think he was strong, not just some pampered rich boy she had to drag around, but an equal partner worthy of her. James wanted Jessie to think he was worthy.

The attorney cleared his throat. What happened to Pegasus at Duelist Kingdom was a tragedy, to be sure. But that wasn't what they were here for today. Today was to settle accounts and made sure each of Pegasus' heirs got their due.

Each man was granted a sizable chunk of the fortune to spend as they pleased. In addition to that, each brother was also given some sort of property. The townhouse in Domino City went to Yako. The summer home went to Gekko. The lake house to Richie. Depre got one of the yachts. And the manor in Kanto went to James. The main house in Sanfran, as well as the Duelist Kingdom island would go to the one who took over the company.

Then they finally got down to what was to be done with the company. Industrial Illusions. The family business.

“The successor to ownership of Industrial Illusions and my chair as CEO shall be decided by Duel.” Read the attorney, surprising everyone in the room. To think someone as responsible and as carful a planner as Maximilian Pegasus would leave something as important as who takes over the company after him to be decided by something as mundane as a children's card game! “My five sons, Yako Tenma, Gekko Tenma, Richie Merced, Depre Scott, and James Pegasus shall Duel each other at the popular Duel Monsters game that I created, and the winner shall inherit my empire.”

A stunned silence fell over the table.

“It doesn't really say that!” Richie shook his head. “He has to have left it to Yako. He cares the most about the company! Hell! Father was already grooming him to take it over!”

“Let me see that!” Depre stood from the table, walking around to the head where the attorney sat, and yanked the document out of the older man's hands. He scrutinized the page for several moments before his expression fell. “It really says that.”

The lawyer pulled the will back out of Depre's hands. He cleared his throat and continued to read. “The Duels shall be presided over by my attorney whom shall declare my heir when a winner emerges. Any whom have a stake in the company and wish to witness may come and watch, but the only ones allowed to participate are those listed. Tell that-” a pause to uncomfortably clear his throat “-tell that little upstart Kaiba-boy that these are rules he can't screw.”

The attorney finished and set the papers down.

Well, now James understood what he meant when he said he still had to watch their Duels.

“So, that's it then.” He scoffed. “You four get to play card games to inherit the company. Great way to run a business, guys! Have fun with that.” James stood to leave, scooping up his father's diary as he headed for the door. “Thanks for the book, there's a table at Rocket Headquarters with a wobbly leg I've been meaning to fix.”

Jessie stood to follow him, this cat-like-monster hopping onto her shoulder.

“I'd say it was nice seeing you all again, but it really wasn't.” James gave a wave from over his shoulder, not even looking back. “Have a bad life.”

“Yeah, go ahead and leave, Baby-Jay.” Depre shouted after him. “Its what you're best at!”

…