A/N: Long chapter alert. This is almost 6,000 words long, fyi. I wrote it in one sitting so...yeah. Kaiba gets to meet Doctor Strange and a few of the Avengers in this. Needless to say, he doesn't take to it too well.
Chapter summary: In which a game is almost played, the Shadows are more sentient and possessive than even the Court realized, a doctor stops the death of another doctor, and Kaiba in not doing so well.
Shadows, Triggers, and Attacks
"And who might you be?"
Kaiba stared at the source of the ice cream spell with open disdain. "Someone who's not amused by your parlor tricks," he said.
The sorcerer arched an eyebrow, his lips twitching upwards at the corner complimenting the mischievous glint in his green eyes. "No? Not even a little?"
Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "I hate repeating myself," he said.
The dark haired sorcerer chuckled. "You would not be the only one," he said stepping forward.
Arrow tensed beside Kaiba, tightening his hold on the feathered bolt knocked to his bowstring. The sorcerer noticed and his smirk grew into a wide smile.
"It seems your companion is a bit -what is the phrase?- ah yes, trigger happy," he said.
"Then he's doing his job," Kaiba replied.
"Are we going to talk or would you prefer to fight?" the sorcerer asked, his form melting away to reveal a tall man, clothed in black and green leather embellished by gold armour and ridiculously outlandish helmet featuring two large, curved horns similar to a ram's.
Kaiba smirked. "Wearing that? Gold is soft and useless," he said. "It's for looks only; hardly useful for battle armor."
"What makes you think you'll be able to lay a hand on me?" the sorcerer asked in genuine curiosity.
"I have no desire to touch something beneath me," Kaiba said coldly. "Remove this spell at once."
"And why should a god," the sorcerer said with obvious amusement, "take orders from a mortal?"
"You are no god," Kaiba said, giving his own wolfish grin. "You are an alien posing as one. If I wanted to deal with gods, I wouldn't have come to you."
The sorcerer drew back, placing a hand over his heart in mock offense. "You wound me. I meant no harm," he said, sweeping a hand out, taking in the chaotic atmosphere around them. "It was just a bit a fun."
"You think this is a game," Kaiba murmured in understanding. "Typical. From your clothes I'd say you're related to the Vikings. You resemble someone I met just the other day."
"Oh?"
"A woman by the name of Sif," Kaiba said noting the sour expression that crossed the sorcerer's face, "and the bitch she was hunting, Lorelei."
"Lorelei?" the sorcerer repeated in surprise that may or may not have been fake. "So she's back under the thumb of Asgard. That didn't take as long as I thought it would."
"You know her?" Arrow demanded, tightening his grip on his bow and stepping up to be even with his Regent. Kaiba glanced sharply at the man, watching him carefully for any sign he would snap.
"Quite well, though not as well as her sister," the sorcerer replied. He grinned. "I take it from your reaction, you two are...acquainted." The vigilante tensed and glared viciously at the sorcerer who grinned like a fox. "I see." He turned back to Kaiba and said, "Was there something you wanted or did you just come here to bother me?"
"Remove the spell you've cast on this place," Kaiba demanded.
"Why?"
"Because if you don't, I'll do it and the damage from my method could be...extensive," the Regent replied shrugging casually. "Normally, I would do it anyway but I figured speaking to someone who has the ability to cast such a powerful spell would be a worthy opponent in words if not actions. However," he lifted an eyebrow and stared at the other sorcerer in disdain, "it seems I miscalculated and overestimated your abilities."
The sorcerer glared. "Do you know who I am?" he hissed.
"I don't bother getting to know those beneath me," Kaiba said sharply.
This clearly did not sit well with the dark sorcerer of Asgard. His eyes became cold green fire like the glow that surrounded his hands. "I am Loki of Asgard, and it is you who are beneath me."
Kaiba threw his head back and laughed. The sound was not of joy or happiness but disdain and dark amusement. It reminded Arrow of when they first spoke in the Watchtower a year ago and it sent chills up his spine. The sound rubbed him the wrong way. He glanced to Kaiba's left and noticed Shaadi gazing at the Regent with a similar look of discomfort.
"How amusing," Kaiba said, grinning at the Asgardian sorcerer like a snake would a mouse. "Let's test that theory shall we? You like games. Let's play one. If I win, you remove the spell cast on this area and leave. If you win, I'll leave and let you have your fun no strings attached."
Loki cocked an eyebrow and shifted to a more comfortable stance. "I'm intrigued," he said, considering the suggestion. "What game?"
"Did I ever mention I love games?" a new voice interrupted.
Startled, Kaiba, Arrow, Shaadi, and Loki turned to see none other than Iron Man land on the sidewalk nearby. The gold mask lifted revealing a tan face with a black beard and mustache, the same face Kaiba recognized from the SHIELD archives as belonging to Tony Stark of Stark Industries.
"You're intruding, Stark," Loki said snidely. "This has nothing to do with you."
"Actually it does," Iron Man said. "See, this is New York, and you aren't welcome here. Especially since your oh-so-grand entrance earlier."
"You hold grudges?" Loki asked, grinning.
"You threw me out a window," Iron Man said with a deadpan expression. "That's not something I can easily forget."
Arrow glanced sharply at Kaiba who had stiffened at Iron Man's words. His face, however, betrayed absolutely nothing. If the vigilante had not been aware of Kaiba's past and current presence through the Shadows, he would have missed the subtle twitch entirely. As it was, he decided to let things be handled by the locals.
"Regent," he said quietly, "we should leave. It isn't worth it."
Kaiba met Arrow's gaze through the corner of his eye.
"I agree," Shaadi said drawing Kaiba's attention as well. "We have done what was needed," he added in Arabic. "We have found the source of the spell." He met his Regent's eyes with his unsettling golden brown. "Let them handle it from here."
Kaiba Seto was never one to walk away from a challenge, but even he would admit that some things simply were not worth his time and effort. Especially when there were other people who were better equipped to handle the situation at the given time. Besides, he had more important things to worry about like finding Mokuba and the crazy Titan.
He did not speak, he simply stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked away, Arrow and Shaadi falling into step beside him. Unfortunately, they did not get far before-
"Hey! What's the rush?"
"This has nothing to do with us Iron Man," Kaiba said. "Take out your own garbage."
"Aw, come on," the Avenger moaned, followed closely by a hum and streak of green that just missed Kaiba's shoulder.
Arrow whirled with an arrow knocked on his bowstring. Before he could fire it in retaliate however, about five mechanical dogs darted around the corner of a nearby street and began blasting anything in sight. The moment they noticed Kaiba however they howled and charged him.
"It seems they remember you," Shaadi said to his Regent, lifting his hands to cast a Spell.
Kaiba did not answer verbally, but he did grin. Who was he to turn down an opportunity when it presented itself? An as long as the group Of robots acted in tandem as a single unit, the Regent could trick the Shadows into thinking they were one entity to be controlled. Except this time, Kaiba wanted one of them for his own. The chance to study them was incredibly tempting. But first to the group distracted by another target.
"Attack Guidance Armor," he said in hieratic and pointed to Loki. Predictably, the robots halted in their advance noticing a very enticing morsel in green and gold wearing an eye-catching armored chest piece that certainly was not there a moment ago. "Enemy Controller," he shouted, pointing to the robotic dog nearest him. "You stay with me and obey my every command."
Instantly, the pack separated, the majority swarming Iron Man and the Trapped sorcerer Loki. The single robotic dog singled out by Kaiba approached the Regent and obediently sat down facing him waiting further commands.
"Oh, now that's just not fair," Iron Man said, activating his repulsers and taking to the air. "Guys, I need backup over here!" he called into his communicator.
"Kohai, Shaadi" Kaiba said quickly. "Split up. Meet back with Mai and Lantern. If something goes wrong, I'll find you. Go!"
Without waiting for a response, Kaiba turned on his heal and ran down the street parallel to Central Park at top speed. His Shadows felt Arrow running into the park while Shaadi fled down a street perpendicular to it. They could easily Travel away when they stepped into a shadow. Their goal had been to deactivate the spell on this place but it seemed Iron Man and the robots under the control of Kaiba's Trap were doing a sufficient job at keeping the sorcerer distracted from holding the spell. Already a few bicycles, skateboards, and strollers were reforming from their previous ice cream counterparts.
Speaking of the robots, Kaiba glanced to his left and noticed the robot he had ordered to his side was obediently bounding next to him matching its speed to the Regent's. It was a selfish desire to take it with him, but Kaiba was intensely interested in the robot. What made it work so well? What was involved in its creation? What made it tick?
Tick?
Kaiba skidded to a stop and stared at the robot in dawning horror. A loud explosion echoed from the direction he came from and he suddenly knew without looking exactly what had caused it. The robot was rigged to explode. Damn! He dropped to his knees and moved his hands expertly around the robot dog's metal surface feeling for an indent or panel of some sort. There, on the belly.
"Lie down," he commanded.
The robot obediently lay down, allowing itself to be rolled onto its side so Kaiba could access the panel on its belly just as another of the robots left behind with their Trapped target exploded. The panel was screwed shut and Kaiba did not have a screwdriver or drill or anything. All he had were his Shadows, his Deck, his knowledge and expertise in machinery and technology, and his refusal to give up what could be his only chance to study these fascinating creations.
Narrowing his eyes, he placed his hands flat on the panel's surface and drew on his Shadows. He could not think of any Spell or Trap in his Deck or that he knew of in general that could fix this. What about Monsters? None that he had he could use. They were all mainly offensive Monsters. Unless he could somehow borrow one of the King's Monsters. But was it worth the time, concentration, and power drain that would require?
The Shadows hissed, feeling their Regent's distress. They prodded the robot experimentally, curious about its uniqueness. It had no sentience, no soul, no driving force except for the commands programmed into it and overridden by their Regent's Spell. Perhaps they could use this to their advantage.
Seizing the opportunity, they rushed through their Regent's body causing him to convulse in shock but they paid him no heed. He was theirs and they would do him no harm. They wanted this thing. It was intriguing, an empty shell waiting for something to animate it. They surged through the metal panel and into the circuitry, wiping the motherboard clean of programmed commands, severing the creator's tenuous control as well as their Regent's binding Spell, and took control.
They found the explosive device deep inside the robot's mechanical body and encased it in their essence. They would not have their new toy destroyed so soon after finding it. It was theirs! The bomb detonated, but the Shadows held firm, containing the blast within their dark confines. Then they took full control of their new puppet and animated it.
Kaiba blinked when the robot twitched then fell back in shock when it stood and stared at him. Seth surged to the surface of his mind and shared his eyes, stunned by the Shadows' actions. The Shadows... They were in control. Never in their life had the two halves of Set's soul ever imagined this was possible. They knew the Shadows were sentient, they would be stupid not to, but not to this extent. They felt the Shadows gaze at them through the red mechanical eyes and felt exposed, adored, worshipped, commanded, and controlled. Together, the Regent and Priest were the Shadows' and the Shadows were theirs.
They felt their hand reach out tentatively for the Shadow possessed robot, feeling the pull of the essence they commanded and were commanded by. It was inescapable, like the gravity of a black hole. Its depths unknown except to those who surrendered to it entirely. Kaiba as the Regent was forever spinning on the edge of the Shadows' gravitational pull, unable to go closer without going too deep and both unable to and not wanting to escape.
He felt like the first time he saw Obelisk as a true god and not just a exceptionally powerful Monster on a card or when he and Seth first held the Millennium Rod in ancient Egypt as High Priest Set. They felt small, young, and insignificant, but also strong, powerful, and beloved. They reached out slowly, afraid the Shadows would reject them, then-
Something smashed into the ground before them just before they were blinded by a brilliant light and deafened by an explosion. Instinctively, their eyes clamped shut and they recoiled into a protective position behind he round object separating them from the Shadows as parts blasted outward from the robot. Then they gasped as the Shadows that had been in possession of the destroyed robot streamed from the robot and back into their Regent causing his body to convulse at the sudden influx of sentience, awareness, and power before returning to the Shadow Realm where they belonged leaving Kaiba and Seth shaking and gasping from the experience.
After a moment, Kaiba blinked back to reality, his eyesight shot from the darkness that had traveled through him so suddenly and powerfully. After a moment, the light faded to a more tolerable level as his pupils adjusted for the brightness and he noticed why he had not been seriously injured or hurt by the explosion. A large, circular metal object had embedded itself between him and the obliterated robot.
He scrambled up to his knees and stared at the ruined remains of the robot and cursed colorfully. The explosive device inside the thing had been deactivated. He felt it through the Shadows. How had it exploded? What caused it? What-
"Hey! You alright?"
Kaiba looked up and was surprised to see a black man hovering in the air on a pair of mechanical wings attached to what looked suspiciously like a type of jet pack land about a dozen or so feet away from him. His eyes flickered to the right and saw another man, this one caucasian and wearing a blue leather uniform with a pullover mask much like the Flash's. Movement on his left revealed Iron Man in all his hot rod red and gold glory land nearby. They were all just close enough to make Kaiba feel boxed in but be far enough away for Kaiba to successfully dodge an attack should he need to.
He reached out with his Shadows and was relieved to feel Shaadi and Arrow in close proximity to Mai and what he assumed to be Lantern. He cautiously stood and extended his Shadows once more, this time seeking an escape route. Unfortunately, it was still morning and the shadows cast by the trees in the park were no longer nearly long enough to be in easy reach from the side of the street Kaiba current stood on. That only left his personal shadow and the round shadow cast by the shield that protected him from the blast as the current options for a quick getaway. Neither were preferable but nevertheless workable.
"Why destroy it?" he demanded.
"Uh, you mean you're welcome?" Iron Man said snidely.
"Hardly," Kaiba snapped. "The device had been deactivated and the robot was firmly under my control." Indirectly. "You destroyed what was in essence mine."
"You mean you managed to gain full control over it and keep it from exploding on its own?" the man in the blue leather uniform whom Kaiba assumed owned the shield at his feet said if the design on the shield and the man's uniform were anything to go by.
"Thanks to your friend," Kaiba said glaring at Iron Man once more, "no."
"Sorry 'bout that," the man with the impressive mechanical wings said. "That was my bad actually. The others were goners and that was the only one that hadn't gone off yet. I chose to blast it before it blew up in your face. Cap over there," he nodded to the shield owner, "threw his shield to protect you from the explosion."
It was certainly annoying, but in a way it did make sense. Kaiba was not above scientific objectivity when he needd to be. It helped as both the CEO of a multi-million dollar corporation and as the Regent. These men had been operating on what they knew from the facts available to them and reacted accordingly. It was a logical move. Pity it was the wrong one.
Kaiba soothed his frayed Shadows who were not at all happy about loosing their potential new toy. While doing so, he noted with interest how they hissed and stayed clear of the man referred to as 'Cap.' Curious, he forced his Shadows to reach out and brush Cap's presence only to hiss himself and step back. Damn him! He was almost as bright as Superman, perhaps even more so. He would never touch the Shadows even though he was human. The Shadows rejected his glow. Even Yugi would likely not accept him.
"You alright?" Cap asked.
Kaiba soothed his stinging Shadows gently, replying slowly. "Yes." He huffed. "Although this isn't exactly the way I would have preferred to meet."
"Coulson."
Kaiba smirked and turned back to Iron Man. "What about him?"
"You said you spoke to him in person," the obnoxiously colored mechanical man said seriously.
"I did," Kaiba acknowledge. "We had the same enemy. A bitch named Lorelei."
"Never heard of her."
"I'm sure your Thor has," Kaiba said. "We worked with a friend of his, an Asgardian named Sif."
"I read about her," the dark man with the mechanical wings said. "Fine woman from what I read."
"She was fair and honorable," Kaiba agreed, feeling Seth distantly echo his sentiments, too busy focusing on Iron Man.
Wondering why his Ba seemed interested in the man other than for his fascinating mechanical suit, Kaiba reached out with his Shadows and hesitated when he could not feel the man's presence immediately. He turned to Iron Man fully and focused his Shadows on the man, probing him gently for any presence.
Suddenly, he realized he was feeling it, it was just...different. It felt mechanical and pulsed at a steady beat that could only be mechanical in nature. The man's soul was definitely present as was his shadow. But his heart, there was something wrong with his heart.
"Excuse me."
Blinking back, Kaiba noticed the man Cap had begun approaching him, probably hoping to retrieve his shield. Kaiba refused to step back even as his Shadows clamped onto him and tried to sneak away from the man's light.
"Sorry," Cap said. "Didn't mean to startle you. You just looked," he shrugged awkwardly, "a little lost."
"Considering I have yet to know your names other than what I saw briefly in the SHIELD archives, I think you owe me that much," Kaiba said.
"Oh, we owe you?" the dark man said in disbelief.
"I found the source of this ridiculously childish spell, distracted him long enough for you to arrive, and informed you of your supposedly lost comrade's continued existence, and you still won't tell me your names," Kaiba said simply, lifting an eyebrow.
"Well when you put it that way," the man said, "I'm Falcon. That's Captain America," he said pointing to the man Cap retrieving his shield, "and you've met Iron Man."
"Tony Stark," Kaiba said. "Yes, the idiot who wouldn't stop talking while I was busy."
"You were ignoring me," Stark said.
"I do that to annoying people," Kaiba said, and Falcon snorted.
"Annoying?!"
"Stark," the captain said, "please?" Iron Man grumbled but stopped talking. "I'm Steve Rogers," the captain said, extending his hand in a friendly manner.
Kaiba instinctively leaned back, eyeing the hand suspiciously. "I would rather not," he said. "I'm busy and you have a city to clean up." He turned and began walking away. He probably would not get far, but it was the attempt that mattered.
"Wait," Rogers called, running up to keep pace with Kaiba. "Look, I'm sorry about destroying the robot, but we do need to talk."
"You are," Kaiba said.
"I mean SHIELD needs to talk to you," he said, stepping in front of Kaiba. "You hacked into their systems. You broke the law."
"And you are blinding and should be dead but you're not," Kaiba said. "There are exceptions to almost everything, Captain. Now move."
"I won't ask you again," Rogers said, stepping sideways to block Kaiba's path. "Come with us, please."
"That's not a question, that's a command," Kaiba said, narrowing his eyes. His Shadows felt Falcon and Iron Man crowding behind him. Thankfully, they were not in his shadow yet so he still had a lot resort escape route. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to use it. "You do not command me," Kaiba continued. "Nor will you ever command me. Step aside."
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Rogers said. "We have to take you to SHIELD."
"You and your archer and Middle Eastern friend too if we can find them," Iron Man added. "We know you were at the Park Grill and Bar earlier. Should we check there again?"
A tendril of Shadow brushed Kaiba's senses, inquiring as to his location. He recognized Mai's smokey presence and latched onto it firmly. He tugged it, warning her. "Is that a threat?" Kaiba asked calmly, drawing his Shadows to him. "Because if it is, I will react accordingly."
"You hacked in SHIELD's databases and while I'm personally impressed and don't really hold a grudge," Iron Man said, "the Cap's right. Especially with what you know of Coulson which is what I'm mostly interested in, anyway."
"I will say this one last time," Kaiba said. "As I told Coulson, I have no business with you, your people, or this world. It can burn for all I care. All I want is what's mine. Once I have it, I'll leave."
"What do you want?" Cap asked.
"Something which I'm now fairly certain you don't have," Kaiba said. "If you're so interested in knowing, why don't you ask Coulson yourself."
"And how do we know he knows?" Falcon asked.
Kaiba smirked but did not look away from Captain America. "You don't."
"Look, if you'll just come with us we can-"
Threat!
The thought was just as much Seth's and Kaiba's as it was the Shadows'. The Regent reacted instantly to the warning, whirling in place and casting the Attack Guidance Barrier moments before something struck it and rebounded for the ground nearby. Without pausing to see see the impact, Kaiba felt Kisara lash out in his mind and accepted her desire to be summoned without hesitation. He doubted it would be too much of a surprise after the things he had seen in this world over the past couple days.
"Blue Eyes White Dragon!" he cried, his voice almost drowned out by the distinctive roar of his precious Monster as she materialized above him and took to the sky. "Attack with Burst Stream of Destruction!"
She roared in pleasure and unleashed a blazing blue and white stream of crackling energy at her lover and master's attacker. For a split second, Kaiba caught a glimpse of the person who attacked him before he was blinded by his beloved's attack. The target was a humanoid with a metal covering his body and wearing a green hooded cape. The person tried dodging but Kaiba would not allow that.
"Shadow Spell!" he called in hieratic and chains made of pure Shadows extended from all directions and looped around the person, holding him in place and weakening him so Kisara's attack would strike true.
"Stop! Stop! We don't do this!" Rogers yelled.
But it was too late. The brilliant beam of destructive power struck the bound target, or it seemed to. When the blast dissipated, the target was still dangling from the Spell chains but someone else hovered in between it and Kisara. Kisara roared in fury, a feeling Kaiba could not help but feel as well. How dare someone block his attack. Who would dare?
The person had black hair, streaked with white and wore a red cape with a high collar and was currently levitating in the air so effortlessly it made Kaiba jealous. The man's sharp eyes focused on Kaiba and he slowly descended to the ground and approached the Regent.
"How dare you attack someone with such power in this city," the man said.
"How dare you stop me, you pathetic excuse for a mage," Kaiba hissed, the fury of a halted attack still blazing through his Shadows and burning his nerves. "Wait," he murmured, studying the approaching man with narrowed eyes, "you're the mage who tried to keep me from coming here."
"So it is you," the man said. "I could not be sure what happened to you after the Bifrost broke our communication."
"Strange, you know?" Rogers asked, still reeling from the vicious attack unleashed by such deceptively young man.
"Relax Rogers," the mage, Strange, said. "I know him, not well admittedly. But I do him. We spoke briefly when he first arrived here."
"So," Kaiba said, crossing his arms to prevent himself from giving into the urge to lash out in his leashed fury, "this is 'the city' you were referring to."
"It is," Strange said, coming to a stop several steps from Kaiba. "And I would appreciate it if you called back your summon. She is indeed beautiful but her presence is a beacon to others of your presence here which is not exactly something I think you want."
Kaiba paused thoughtfully. He knew other Shadows users could track Shadow magic. Who was to say other magic could be at least alerted by the surge of power required to summon a Monster. After all, the man, Strange, had certainly shown up at a distinctly annoying time. It was definitely a convenient coincident, if Kaiba believed in coincidences anymore.
He tucked his hands in his pockets and huffed. "Fine, but he," he glared at the green garbed metal man still held by his Shadow chains and yelling curses and promises of destruction, "will pay for attacking me from behind like a coward."
"It was not you I was attacking, mage," the man hollared imperiously. Kaiba arched an eyebrow at the man's manner. "It was that imbecile Iron Man."
"Then your aim needs work," Iron Man yelled back.
"Agreed," Kaiba said.
"I do not support the senseless murder of others," Strange said seriously. "Nor do I endorse torture."
"Your friend Coulson did not either," Kaiba said, glancing at the superheroes standing behind him. "Normally, I would agree, but there are some circumstances where I acknowledge the need for such."
"There is never a good reason for torture," the Captain said earnestly. "There are always other ways."
Kaiba turned slowly and gazed at the Captain steadily, gauging him. He was impressed by what he saw. The man was a soldier through and through. But it seemed he also had the heart of a saint. Why must Kaiba keep running into people like him?
"There are always exceptions," Kaiba said seriously before turning away and facing Strange once more.
Kisara growled, crouching low so her wings covered her lover and her intelligent blue eyes could continue to glare at the man who dared attack the one she loved more than life itself. She crooned, vibrating Kaiba's Shadows and drawing a small smile to his lips.
"I will withdraw my power on the understanding that I am free to go where I wish and do as I please," Kaiba said.
"But SHIELD-"
"Understandable," Strange interrupted Falcon's words. "From your perspective. But look at it from ours. Someone of great power with no clear allegiances appears in the city at the same time a spell of this magnitude is cast and Doom attacks."
"Doom?"
"I am Doctor Doom, mage," the man dangling from the chains above called furiously. "And I demand you release me at once."
Kaiba gazed at the man steadily for a moment, then grinned. The Shadow chains vanished and Doom suddenly tumbled to the ground below before vanishing. Kaiba blinked in surprise and Strange lifted his eyebrow at him. The look made the Regent snicker.
"Where did he-?"
"It's alright Falcon," Strange said calmly. "I merely sent him back to his home. He won't be causing anymore trouble for a while. Now," he said clasping his hands before him, "as I was saying, you must see this from our point of view. While I understand you attacked in defense, the force with which you attacked was significant."
"Don't forget about Coulson," Stark said, cutting of the sorcerer who shook his head tolerantly.
"At least accompany us to either my home or SHIELD," he said. He raised his hands, palms out placatingly when it appeared Kaiba would reject. "You will not be treated as a criminal, you have my word on that."
"What?"
"And who are you to be giving such promises?" Kaiba asked.
"I am Doctor Stephen Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth," the sorcerer replied calmly. His voice belayed no pride or arrogance in the declaration. In contrast, there was a hint of sadness there which intrigued Kaiba. "It is my sworn duty to protect this world from travelers from other dimensions such as yourself."
"Myself?" Kaiba echoed. It seemed the good Doctor was not aware Kaiba and his group were from another reality and not an alternate dimension. That could be useful. "I see."
A twitch in the Shadows alerted him to Arrow's arrival on a nearby rooftop and mentally cursed the man. Loyalty was one thing, but he disobeyed a direct order to return to Mai and the others. Unless they sent the vigilante after the Regent. For some reason that thought both warmed Kaiba's heart as well as annoyed him. It was nice to be watched over but there was no need to be overprotective mother hens. He was perfectly fi-
An unexpected rush of uneasiness and uncertainty filled him, raising his hackles and covering his skin in gooseflesh. He silently cursed and bit back the feeling. He could not afford to have an episode in the middle of this. Seth shuddered violently and barricaded himself in Kaiba's soul room, curling in a ball as the pull of something neither of them wanted nor knew how to fight tugged on the both of them. Kisara growled and crouched close to the ground, lowering her head so it was even with her lover's and crooned steadily. The sound helped take the edge off the attack giving Kaiba enough strength to shrug casually.
Doctor Strange obviously noticed something was happening from the crinkling at the corners of his eyes but he made no mention of it aloud. Instead, he said quite calmly, "Your friends are welcome as well, of course."
"Yeah, all two of them," Iron Man added.
Kaiba felt his shoulders tense and as an all too familiar feeling drained him of his energy. Any feeling of interest or amusement in the situation vanished. No one could understand the feeling. Not Kisara with her gorgeous scales and soothing croons, Seth, with his intimate connection to Kaiba, no one. The distraction served to bring up the terrible sensation of an oncoming attack and Kaiba would be damned if he let these despicable people witness his moment of weakness.
"Iron Man!" Doctor Strange said sharply. "That's quite enough."
Too late.
"Rejected," Kaiba said simply, before crossing his arms in the manner of the mummified pharaohs of old, closed his eyes, and fell backwards into his shadow cast across the ground from the morning sunlight.
He heard cries of surprise before the welcoming silence and soothing lukewarm of the Shadows. Kisara returned to his Deck the moment she felt Kaiba merge with the Shadows. She encased Kaiba's Shadow enshrouded body with her own blazing presence and Seth emerged from Kaiba's soul room to cling to his Ka as the attack hit them more intensely than it ever had before.
Electricity zinged through Kaiba's nerves making his skin simultaneously burn and freeze with unending pain. His body, had it been a truly solid manifestation within this Shadowed world between, would have convulsed and his throat would have screamed itself raw. As it was, sound and physical materials were lost in this place allowing Kaiba to suffer in privacy.
The Shadows caressed their Regent, desiring to end his pain but unable to do so. They would not loose their chaotic ruler. So they held their Regent in their dark clutches, refusing any attempt to pull him back. As long as their Regent was here, he was protected and hidden. They would let nothing steal their Regent from them.
Nothing.
They swore to him long ago he was theirs and they were his. They never broke their oaths and they would not let anyone, not even their Regent, try.
When the attack passed, the Shadows lashed out to the nearest Shadow user and yanked the stunned human into their embrace before forcefully sending all of them to their Advisor and Sorceress. Perhaps they or the human who wielded the green light could help their Regent where they no longer could.