A/N: Today was the last day of school for the semester. YUSH! Now I just have a paper due Wednesday, an Italian Final this Friday 7-10 p.m., and a Geospatial Analysis Final next Monday then I'm FREE!

The next chapter is the meeting, I promise. I got sidetracked and the character demanded short scenes for themselves. Gotta love character developement. Meh... *shrugs* See y'all tomorrow, hopefully. When I'm not writing the paper that's due Wednesday. ^^; It's become like the Hunger Games as far as study rooms in the library and MLC (study building on campus) are concerned. I've honestly heard people are literally giving away study rooms to the group with the hiest bid. No joke. Finals is serious at UGA. *shudders*

Chapter 55 summary: In which quick explanations are given, it may or may not be a date, Mokuba worries, and Kaiba asks a burning question.


Rest Before Explanations

"Detective Quentin," Arrow said in greeting.

The detective studied the vigilante carefully. "I heard you got the guy," he said.

Arrow nodded hesitantly. "In a manner speaking."

"He's dead, isn't he?"

"Obliterated is more like," Arrow said, glancing over his shoulder back the way he came.

"You know," the detective said, "there is such a thing as 'due process.'"

Arrow nodded. "I know," he said. "But in this case, he was put on trial and sentenced, just not by a court you're familiar with."

"But a court you are familiar with," Quentin countered. He watched the vigilante closely, noticing the way he shifted self-consciously.

"I'm becoming familiar with them, yes," Arrow confirmed.

Quentin nodded. "Will this court," he paused significantly at the word, "be causing trouble?"

"No," Arrow said firmly. "Not unless someone else acts first."

"You talk about them as if they're like the Justice League, over there," Quentin said. He noticed Arrow's subtle glance over his shoulder and nodded. "They are, aren't they? Okay, I'll bite. What are they like and do they have a name? Why haven't I heard of them before?"

"You have," Arrow countered. "You just don't realize it."

"I'll ask again, are they going to cause problems?"

The vigilante shook his head definitively. "No. Like I said, they only act when threatened or if someone steps out of line."

"Who?"

"One of their own," Arrow said. "They don't bother with anyone outside their own unless they have to."

Detective Quentin nodded thoughtfully, filing the information away for later contemplation. "So, other than that, I assume things're done here?" Arrow nodded and Quentin bit his lip. "You know, it's going to be difficult explaining to the press what the hell happened in there. You do realize the spectacle you made."

Arrow groaned. "I'll let them handle it," he said, staring specifically at Batman and Superman. "They're good with the press, I hear."

Quentin snorted. "Was that an attempt at humor?"

Arrow shrugged. "Too much?"

Snorting, Quentin shook his head. "Go on, get out of here. I'll give you a five minute head start before I call everyone back."

"Thanks," Arrow said before disappearing into the park foliage. He waited until he was a safe distance away before contacting Diggle again. "Where are you?" he asked.

"In the car," came the reply. "I got you a change of clothes, just we planned. Where to?"

Arrow grinned and headed for a small service parking lot where Diggle sat in the rumbling car. "Home," he said. "I'm getting Walter if he can come. He's already in on it. Might as well explain everything."

"What about Felicity?"

Arrow opened the car door and slid into the cab, glad the windows were tinted as he to work stripping and putting on every day clothes. "She deserves to know but I don't want the media to see us together and get the wrong idea."

"Wrong idea?" Diggle asked sarcastically, "You mean you two aren't dating?" Oliver gave a tired glare at his best friend in the rear view mirror. Diggle just smiled. "Just ask. If she can't come, she can't come. End of story. If she can, good. Besides, if the media sees you and Felicity together, so what? Remember, you said you were bringing Walter too if you could. And I'm guessing Kaiba and the goth twins'll be there as well."

Oliver snorted. "Goth twins?" he asked incredulously.

Diggle shrugged. "It fits."

It did, which was probably why it was so amusing. "I'll ask, but if she can't come that's the end of it."

"And either way, I'll get the whole story of what happened back there?" Diggle asked seriously.

Forest green met dark brown in the rear view mirror seriously. "Yes. I promise."

Diggle nodded. "Alright then. By the way, don't you want to make reservations?"

The rich boy turned vigilante smiled as he pulled out his phone.


The moment they got back to the hotel room, Kaiba walked right up to the bed and collapsed on it, falling asleep almost immediately. He was exhausted, physically, mentally, and spiritually and needed to replenish at least a little bit of his energy reserves in order to deal with the rest of the day. He was definitely sleeping in tomorrow. No exceptions.

Mokuba watched his brother stagger over to the bed worriedly. He had seen Seto exhausted before but not from something as basic as a Judgment Game. Granted, that had been no ordinary Judgment Game. Nevertheless, the lifeless way Seto moved reminded the younger Kaiba of the many times Seto had lost his soul. Those were not memories Mokuba enjoyed reliving. He hurried after his big brother and climbed onto the bed next to him. He did not need to sleep, but he wanted to be close to Seto just in case.

The soft thump behind him drew Mokuba's attention. Helios stood awkwardly in the doorway looking unsure. The Titan shifted under Mokuba's gaze. "I'll be in the common area if you need me," he said and walked out to sit in the chair by the window. The sunlight flooded the space where he was sitting, soothing him and replenishing his powers.

Mokuba turned to Roland and Fuguta who took up their usual places on either side of the bed. Mokuba smiled, comforted by the bodyguards' presence and curled up next to his brother. His smile grew when Seto tilted his head ever so slightly in his direction, aware of Mokuba's presence and offering comfort even in sleep. Dark gray eyes sparkled happily before closing for a quick nap. One of the Isono cousins would wake them when it was time to leave.


Kaiba opened his eyes to find himself standing in his soul room. After a quick look around, his blue eyes settled on the still sleeping form on the futon. He strode up to it and settled down on the futon next to Seth. A remembered breeze blew through the open window causing the small handmade wind chime to tinkle softly. Kaiba leaned back against the wall close to the pile of pillows in the corner and relaxed.

It was over. Well, mostly. His thoughts kept returning to Helios's words. He was a god. But did Helios mean Kaiba was a god when Set had been briefly fully reborn in his body during the Judgment Game? The time during which his soul has fused and he had literally become Set had been a confounding mesh of euphoria and terror. It felt absolutely amazing but at the same time it hurt. It burned like fire and froze like ice while filling him with a level of glory he had never experienced before. He had no idea whether he wanted to experience that again or not.

"You're worried," a soft voice that was and was not Kaiba's said.

Kaiba sighed through his nose letting his eyes close. "I had no idea," he said.

Seth breathed a laugh. "Even tired you have a sharp tongue. I suppose that's something you and I have in common."

"You're implying there's more to the list," Kaiba said.

Seth shrugged. "I suppose you could count our faces, perhaps the eyes-"

"The eyes are part of the face," Kaiba interrupted.

Seth snickered. "Really? I had no idea. Are you certain?"

Kaiba clicked his tongue. "Too formal."

Seth's smile softened. "Still?"

Kaiba opened his eyes and gazed down at his other half. Seth still looked awful but nowhere near as bad as he had the last time Kaiba had seen him. The color was beginning to return to Seth's cheeks and he looked healthier than before. His eyes were not as haunted either. They were warmer.

"Thank you, by the way," Seth said. "You did not have to do that."

Kaiba snorted. "As if I was going to let you die."

Seth's eyes dropped and he rolled his head on the pillow to look out the window into the remembered night sky. "You've kept it night outside since you brought me here," he said softly. Kaiba remained silent watching Seth's face in the moonlight, waiting for him to continue. "Why did you save me?" Seth asked. "You've made it abundantly clear that you only tolerate my presence because you have to. So why?"

Kaiba reached out, grasping Seth's chin and forcing the half soul to look at him. Seth's eyes were startled by the move but he said nothing, waiting for the answer to his question. Kaiba narrowed his eyes dangerously and spoke in a soft voice that brooked no argument. "Because you're mine and no one takes what's mine away from me without my permission. Not even you."

Seth's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "But...I was protecting you. If I had done nothing we both would have died," he said in confusion. "I'm a Ba, and this is not my body but yours. In this case it is my job to prote-"

"Shut up," Kaiba hissed, clamping his hand over Seth's mouth effectively silencing him. "I'll say this one last time and hopefully it'll get through that thick head of yours."

He leaned down so he was very much in Seth's personal spaced, glaring hard into Seth's surprised eyes. But true to the character they both were now and had been in the past, Seth's eyes darkened in an answering challenge and he refused to shrink back from the glare or attempt to move away from the person invading his space. He met Kaiba's glare with one of his own which was still quite potent even given his weakened state. Kaiba smirked, impressed.

"You are mine," he said slowly and succinctly. He wanted to be as clear as possible. "Nothing and no one, not even you, are allowed to take that away from me. It's also not your job to protect me. I can protect myself. Is that clear?"

Seth lifted a sardonic eyebrow from behind Kaiba's silencing hand. Kaiba just smirked. "Nice try. I happen to know you can talk without your mouth."

/But that is tedious,/ Seth replied through their shared mental link. /We are already in your soul room. Why would we need to speak like this?/

"Because I won't let you run that mouth of yours until you understand," Kaiba said sternly. "Now, do you?"

Seth nodded and waited patiently for Kaiba to remove his hand, freeing his mouth. "I do," he said allowed, eyes dimming. "Though not for long, I fear," he added. "My soul room is gone." He winced at the memory and the lost feeling that was tugging at him.

Kaiba sat up and leaned back against the wooden wall and crossed his arms and legs comfortably. "You can use mine," he said simply.

Seth blinked in surprise. "But it's yours," he said. "Only one soul can permanently inhabit a single soul room at a time."

"There would only be one soul," Kaiba countered, closing his eyes and resting his head against the wall. "As you're so fond of reminding me, we're two halves of one soul. So essentially only one soul would be inhabiting this soul room."

Seth was stunned. He rolled over and forced himself up so his arms propped up his body and stared at Kaiba in shock. If Kaiba heard him move, he gave no indication of it. Seth shifted closer and placed a hand on Kaiba's knee causing sharp blue eyes to open and pin him with their gaze.

"Why?" Seth whispered. "Why are you doing this? You have done nothing but express your dislike for me since we were finally able to communicate directly. Why the sudden change?"

For several tense seconds, neither half soul broke the silence. Then Kaiba huffed. "Let's just say I got tired of arguing with you."

"I doubt that," Seth said with a snort. "We're too much alike. We both enjoy a good opponent to spar with both verbally and physically."

Kaiba smirked. "Fine." His face became serious. "Maybe the more important question here is why you took the entire Penalty Game on yourself."

Seth shook his head. "You would have died if I had done nothing. We both would have died."

"And you thought your death alone was acceptable?" Kaiba demanded, fighting the slow burning fury.

"You had already made it abundantly clear you neither wanted nor needed me," Sether parried easily. "You are my Ka, however much you want to deny it. As your Ba, it is my duty to protect you."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed coldly. "Is that all?" he demanded.

Seth sat back on his folded legs in a visible withdrawal. "No," he whispered. "I care for you. You are my other half, how could I not?" He looked away to the open window once more. "You tried banishing me yourself but you were unable to do so. I thought I could, to borrow the phrase, kill two birds with one stone. By taking the Penalty Game entirely on myself, I could save your life and you would be rid of me."

Kaiba fumed. He snatched Seth's chin and yanked the half soul close, nearly causing Seth to loose his balance and tumble to the mattress. Unearthly blue eyes met their counterparts in equal parts shock and confusion. It only served to stoke Kaiba's fury.

"You bastard," Kaiba hissed causing Seth to swallow under the weight of the furious gaze. "I promised to give you a day as my Ba and you try to abandon your post before the day is up?" Seth's eyes clouded in confusion which just made Kaiba more frustrated. He tightened his grip on Seth's chin earning him a wince. "Did the words I said earlier mean nothing to you? You are mine." Seth's eyes grew round. "I don't let what's mine out of my possession, ever. No one and nothing is an exception to that rule, not even you."

Seth blinked in shock. Not knowing how to reply, he simply nodded, wilting when Kaiba's glare hardened before the vice grip on his chin left. Sitting up, Seth rubbed his aching jaw and stared at Kaiba in renewed interest. Kaiba met his gaze evenly before snorting and closing his eyes to rest against the wall. Seth sighed in frustration as his lips fought the urge to twitch up in a sardonic smile.

"So," he said. "I hear there will be a meeting soon," he said. Kaiba did not deign to respond so Seth continued. "If you do not mind, I would like the be present."

"How?" Kaiba asked.

"The same way the Pharaoh does," Seth replied earning him a startled look.

"You can do that?" Kaiba demanded, intrigued.

Seth shrugged. "I have never tried to do so outside of our minds, the Court, or the Shadow Realm before but it will be worth a try at least." He slid back down on the futon, propping himself up on his forearms and kicking his feet up casually. "It will take energy and it will not last very long, but I believe I can do it. So long as you will allow it, that is," he added, glancing hopefully up at Kaiba through his bangs.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and made an annoyed sound. "You really need to work on not speaking so formally. It's annoying."

Seth smirked. "Is that a yes?"

"Is that sarcasm?"

"You tell me," Seth said, grinning unrepentantly.

Kaiba's lips twitched up in a dark grin. "Fine. But don't tire yourself out," he said. "The last thing I need is you falling asleep on me."

Seth bowed his head to hide his humor. "Very well."

Kaiba groaned. "Stop being so formal."

Seth snickered. "Impossible. Besides, even if it was possible," he lifted his eyes playfully, "I enjoy annoying you too much to stop."

Kaiba twitched, casting a half-hearted glare at the Ba. "Idiot," he mumbled.