A/N: Silghtly on the shorter side, but I'm celebratingmy temporary break from school. I have a week off to just work at my job and study my butt of for my two Finals. This is gonna be interesting. I'm seriously tired so I'll edit this again tomorrow when I'm awake. ^_^

Chapter Summary: In which Mai and Shaadi meet the good Doctor, someone else join thise ragtag team of crazies, and Yugi and J'onn meet Murphy's Law.

The Doctor and the Infamous Murphy

Mai was seriously getting annoyed. Her Shadows were nowhere near as powerful as Kaiba's or Shaadi's but even Shaadi was having trouble finding this Strange person. She had finally given up and decided to wander through an open air market close to the park. If they could not find the good doctor, then maybe he could find them.

She and Shaadi actively used their Shadows, reaching, feeling, hoping for the doctor to show up. Naturally, Mai was busy studying a very lovely piece of jewelry when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She waved them away and caressed the necklace. It was steampunk in style with copper feather wings spreading out from an antique analogue clock. The chain was not so interesting, just simple interlocking copper. But the pendent was perfect. She could make it into a choker charm easily.

The tap returned, this time accompanied by a man clearing his throat. She sighed and straightened, turning to see who was bothering her. The man was tall and handsome if a bit odd. His hair was raven black with a streak of snowy white along his brow. His eyes gleamed with ancient wisdom and he wore a long, black robe with a red cloak draped over his shoulders.

"You must be Doctor Strange," Mai said, planting her hands on her hips and taking in the man's appearance.

"I am," the man replied with a quiet smile. "Your companion is a couple tents down if you would accompany me and join him."

Mai pouted and glanced back regretfully at the pendent. She really wanted it. But she knew she did not have the money to buy it. She was running low on cash and the chances of her credit card working here were nigh on zero. Heaving a sigh, she shrugged.

"Might as well," she said.

Together they walked out of the tent and down the aisle. The tent Shaadi stood in had its sides rolled up to allow the breeze to blow through. Colorful clothes, scarves, and hats shifted in the wind. Shaadi was staring at a collection of bright scarves, running his fingers along them gingerly. His strange orange eyes were soft and distant, filled with an emotion Mai immediately recognized.

She grinned an stepped up to her friend. "What colors are you stuck on?" she asked.

Shaadi did not jump at her words, he merely tilted his head thoughtfully. "These two," he said, singling out two scarves. One was a deep, almost midnight blue with gold details and the other was soft yellow tinged with silver filigree.

Mai leaned over to more closely examine to fabric, touching it and comparing the colors and details. "This one," she said, holding out the blue one. "It looks like her eyes."

Mai had to place a finger over her lips to remind herself not to laugh when a faint flush colored the Advisor's cheeks.

"Many thanks," he said, turning to the cashier to pay. When the transaction was complete, he folded the scarf up delicately, tucking it securely in his sleeve before turning to the other two. "Doctor Strange, I presume," he said politely.

"Correct," the mage replied. "Perhaps the park would be a better place to speak, yes?"

Shaadi nodded and the group left the tent to move under the trees in the park. Doctor Strange sat down in one of the benches gesturing for Mai and Shaadi to join him. "You are with the Regent, correct?"

"Yes," Mai said. "And I have to say, you're one hard man to find. Whatever spell you're using to block your presence is very good. I could feel something that gives me shivers but I could not find you."

"Shivers?" Strange asked curiously, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his lap comfortably.

Shaadi nodded. "An object of significant power," he said simply. "I believe it is in your possession since you are the only mage I have met in this world powerful enough to hold it."

"Is that so?"

"I dislike repeating myself," Shaadi said calmly.

Strange chuckled. "I can sympathize with that. Now, if I guess right, you were looking for me. May I ask why?"

"The Regent sent us," Mai said. "I'm personally hoping you can give us a bit more information about what exactly happened. I'm afraid Kaiba wasn't very open about it."

"Kaiba?"

"The Regent," Shaadi said calmly, stuffing his arms into his sleeves.

"Ah. Well, I missed the first half of it, I'm afraid," Strange began. "I arrived when I felt him summon the dragon. I was only just able to stop the attack-"

"You stopped her attack?" Mai said. She whistled and smirked. "No wonder he was pissed."

"Her?"

"The dragon," Mai replied. "She's a she."

"Fascinating," Strange said, rubbing his bearded chin. "Well, after that it seemed things were going well. I had almost convinced your Regent- may I call him Kaiba?"

"It is his name," Mai said with a shrug.

"Kaiba then. I had almost convinced him to come to SHIELD willingly," Strange said. "I would have accompanied him the whole time, of course. SHIELD and I have an agreement. I deal with magic users that cross their path if they can't handle them."

"A sound decision," Shaadi said, closing his eyes peacefully.

"Unfortunately," Strange said, "Iron Man made a remark that was...less than kind." He pressed a finger to his temple and massaged it. "I think it may have... Well, Kaiba did not take it well and he- actually, I'm not sure what he did." The sorcerer leaned forward, eyes sparkling in avid interest. "What was that? It was not teleportation or a transportation spell I'm familiar with."

"Shadow Travel," Shaadi said, opening his eyes. "We can travel through the Shadows as we see fit. What he did was foolish but, given the situation as he described it, a necessary evil."

"How was it foolish?"

"He used his own shadow," the Advisor said. "Using one's own shadow to Travel is dangerous. The slightest change in the light's brightness, direction, or any outside influence could disrupt the synchronization and potentially kill the Traveler. The Traveler and their shadow match perfectly but to fall directly into it..." He trailed off shaking his head.

"If the light moved," Mai said, "Kaiba could have landed on the ground and hit his head or fallen half into the shadow and the part of him that missed could have been severed."

Strange hummed. "I am familiar with the dangers of spellcasting," he said slowly, "so something like that is not new to me. However, the type of magic you use is. But there is something more pressing I wish to discuss."

"And that would be?"

"Right before he left, Kaiba seemed to be in some sort of pain," he said slowly. "I felt a sense of foreboding just before the color drained from his face and he seemed to wince. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was being attacked." Sharp eyes glanced at the two people before him seeking any sign of confirmation or denial.

"It was an attack of sorts," Mai said.

Shaadi cocked his head slightly. "It is the...what we hope to be the unintended consequences of the actions of a handful of foolish people back on our world. I cannot say more without his permission, but I can say it is becoming more serious faster than we anticipated."

"It involved his soul."

Shaadi's and Mai's eyes widened in shock. "How can you know that?" the Egyptian demanded.

"Suffice it to say I have a connection with souls at the moment," he said. He quickly held up his hands defensively. "I never use it for anything. I am merely aware of such things occurring."

"What the people are doing is causing Kaiba's soul to be ripped from him," Mai said seriously. Shaadi gazed sidelong at her which she studiously ignored. Kaiba was her Regent and she would sooner loose her Shadows than betray him or let him hurt himself with his own stupidity as long as she could do something about it. "He's fighting it but each time it hits, it's stronger than before. We can't predict when the attacks will happen, only that they will and that they're steadily getting worse."

Doctor Strange appear positively stunned. "I did not know such a thing was possible without..." His eyes narrowed and he rubbed his chin in deep thought. "You are from another reality," he said abruptly after a moment. "Is there an object there that has the ability to steal souls?"

"Several," Mai said.

"Though they no longer exist as such," Shaadi said. "They were banished to a place where they can do no harm save what is commanded of them by a select few."

"And these items," Strange said slowly, watching them carefully, "were they stones of some kind?"

"No," Mai said, lifting an eyebrow curiously. "They were gold."

"How many?"

"Seven in all," Shaadi said. He blinked slowly. "They were banished as I said and are not the cause of this."

"You're sure?"

"Very," Shaadi said, nodding. "Souls can still be taken by other means, but it is often punishable by death."

"I see," Strange murmured seriously. "Then if what you say is true and your Regent is vulnerable, it would be best if he stayed away from my home for the time being."

"Why?" Mai asked.

"You too have an item which can steal souls, do you not?" Shaadi said. Strange did not answer but the Advisor was undeterred. "That would explain what Kaiba described as a 'cache of souls.'"

Strange stiffened. "A what?"

Shaadi gazed directly at Strange who did not flinch from his eerily colored eyes. "Before we Traveled to this city," he said, "Kaiba sensed a cache of souls here as well as a place blocked from his senses. He could also sense his brother although it was faint and difficult to discern. He is investigating the place his powers cannot reach right now."

"A place his powers can't reach?" Strange echoed thoughtfully. "Do you know generally where this place is?"

"I believe it is north and east of here," Shaadi said. "Not far but beyond the city. I, too, can sense it and it disturbs me but I trust the Regent and his comapnion to take care of themselves."

"So he isn't alone."

Mai snorted. "As if we would let him given the state he's in," she said snidely. "Not to mention the way he's behaved these past couple days. I almost want to spank him. Spoiled brat."

The doctor snorted, quickly covering his mouth in an attempt to smother his laughter. "That would be a sight to see," he managed, a smile still tugging at his lips. "I am curious, however. What is Kaiba the Regent of?"

Mai glanced at Shaadi who shrugged. "The man Coulson is already aware of this," he said, "and if he knows the odds are high that the Avengers and possibly even SHIELD know as well."

Mai nodded. "He's the Regent of the Shadows."

"The shadows?" Strange asked intrigued. "As in the ones cast my the sun or a light source of some kind?"

"Yes and no," Mai said. She waved a hand absently as she spoke. "Those shadows too but their not sentient. The Shadows Kaiba rules are sentient."

"Interesting," the sorcerer murmured. "Are these Shadows unique to your world?"

"Not at all," Shaadi said. "They exist in every world and every universe. They dwell in the Shadow Realm which acts as a bond holding the many realities together. Naturally, some Shadows exist tin he many interconnected realities as well."

"Kinda like a tree," Mai said. "The Shadow Realm is the tree and the Shadows in the many realities are like roots, holding the realities together."

"Yggdrasil you mean?" Strange said.

Mai blinked. "The what now?"

"Yggdrasil," Strange repeated. "The Norse Tree of Life."

"Not Norse," Mai said derisively. "Definitely not Norse."

"Indeed," Shaadi said, the faintest hint of disdain in his voice. "We are not brutes like them."

"You're aware of Asgard then?" the sorcerer asked.

"Of the one in our world yes," Shaadi said nodding. "Though admittedly, not until recently."

Strange opened his mouth to speak once more when thunder rumbled in the distance. He abruptly stopped and stared fixedly at the sky to the northeast before groaning. "Speak of the devil," he grumbled.

"What is it?" Mai asked, standing and moving to stand by the sorcerer hoping to see what he was looking at.

Strange sighed. "Remember when we first met?"

"You mean when we were so rudely interrupted?" Mai asked sarcastically. "How could I forget. I'm gonna need a chiropractor when I get back because of that, by the way."

"It would seem someone from Asgard is arriving by Bifrost once more," the Doctor said seriously. Shaadi stood as well and joined him gazing northeast as he continued to speak. "Judging by the thunder, I'd say it was Thor."

"Well, at least he didn't slam us to the ground this time," Mai said.

"Yes," Shaadi said, orange eyes narrowed. "But the Regent is in that direction and I doubt he or Green Lantern are aware of Thor's arrival."

"And what about-" Mai stiffened when she felt her Shadows be tugged insistently by Arrow. "Speak of the devil indeed," she murmured, tugging Arrow's Shadows back in acknowledgement.

"What is it?" Doctor Strange asked, turning to her.

"Arrow wants us," she answered. "He was supposed to speak to the Avengers."

"Then it's possible he's aware of Thor's arrival since Thor is a member of the Avengers," Shaadi said.

"Think you can let Kaiba know, dear?" Mai asked. "I'll head over to Arrow to calm him down."

"I would like to accompany you," Strange said, drawing the Sorceress's violet gaze. "I'm curious about your powers."

Mai studied him for a moment before shrugging. "Fine by me," she said. "But I'm in charge which means no backseat driving," she said, waving her index finger like a mother would to an errant child.

"I will join you shortly," Shaadi said, closing his eyes to focus on sending a message to Kaiba.

"Whatever you say, hon," Mai said. Without waiting for a reply, she caught the good Doctor's hand and vanished into Shadows.

It only took a moment to pinpoint Arrow's location. He was standing on the balcony of the Avengers Tower, naturally. She was forced to materialize in a corner that was still covered in the shadow cast by the roof, dragging Doctor Strange out into the sunlight behind her. The Sorcerer Supreme was blinking in amazement.

"That was rush," he said, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Isn't it though?" Mai said, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she walked up to Arrow who was staring at the storm building in the northeast. She felt his Shadows acknowledge her and she returned the gesture before following his gaze, humming appreciatively at the cumulonimbus cloud. "Nice storm," she commented.

"It's growing faster than a normal storm," Arrow said. "I'm sincerely hoping it's Thor and not," he glanced over her shoulder, "you-know-who."

"Voldemort?" Mai teased. "Sweetheart, he has no creativity," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "He couldn't do something like this if it killed him. No taste at all."

Arrow's lips quirked up before his gaze was drawn to the glass doors of the Tower where the Avengers were coming out to join them. "Oh, this'll be fun," he mumbled.

"Who're your friends?" Stark called. He noticed Mai and whistled. "Hello gorgeous," he said gallantly, holding out his hand. "And who are you?"

Mai gave him a once over before snorting. "Not interested," she said. "Although," she added, glancing at the red-headed woman standing near a jittery mouse of a man, "whatever you use on your hair, I would love to know."

The woman smirked. "Shampoo and conditioner," she said.

Mai cackled. "Oh, I think I like you." She stepped forward and extended her hand. "Name's Mai," she said. "I'm the Sorceress of our little ragtag gang here."

"Natasha," the woman replied after a moment, taking Mai's hand.

"She totally just ignored me," Stark said.

"Face it dude," Barton said. "You've been friendzoned."

Arrow snorted, looking down to hide his grin. He looked up to see the Sorcerer staring at him and met the man's gaze evenly. "I remember you," he said. "The only one who didn't attack my Regent."

"I had no reason to," the sorcerer said holding out a hand. "Doctor Stephen Strange. You must be Arrow."

"I am," the vigilante replied. Thunder rumbled again, this time louder and closer drawing everyone's attention. Something inside the vigilante trembled not in fear but in discomfort. "I don't like this."

"SHIELD just confirmed Bifrost activity," the Captain said.

"It's Thor," Doctor Strange said. "He should be here shortly."

"Where's Shaadi?" Arrow asked.

"Behind you."

It was only a miracle Arrow did not jump at the voice belonging to the person who most certainly had not been standing behind him a second ago. Instead, he stared straight ahead only tilting his head to acknowledge the Advisor's presence.

"I really need to know how you do that," Stark muttered.

"The Regent is aware of Thor's arrival," Shaadi said, stepping up to stand next to Arrow. "He's ordered us to stand by and take no action unless we need to."

"Don't attack unless attacked first," Arrow muttered. "And if the Bastard shows up?"

"I did not ask," Shaadi said. "But I will take his presence as an attack."

Mai grinned. "As will I."

"At least we're all agreed on that," Arrow said.

"Bastard?" Bruce asked.

"The guy who caused this mess in the first place," Arrow said.

"That's his name?"

"It's what we're calling him."

"Sounds legit," Barton said.

Arrow's lips twitched and he glanced at Barton. "I think we'll get along just fine."

"Great," Stark said, throwing his hands up. "You're Katniss," he said, pointing to Barton, "and you're Legolas," he added, pointing to Arrow.

"I will kill you," Arrow said bluntly.

"I called dibs first, buddy," Barton said, glaring at the billionaire.

"Share?" Arrow asked.

"70/30."

"60/40?"

"Done."

The archers shook on it and the deal was made.

Mai snickered. "Careful boys," she said. "I may have to record this and post it on Youtube."

Lightning split the sky followed by thunder and the heavy boots on the balcony nearby. Thor had arrived.

"Who the hell are you?"

Yugi blinked in confusion from the rush of humping realities and looked over to the person lying in the hospital bed in surprise. A young woman was lying there staring at him and a camouflaged J'onn in shock.

"Ano, sorry, wrong room," he said awkwardly, waving his hands quickly in the universal gesture for enough. He grabbed J'onn's hand and together they booked it out of the hospital room. Once in the hallway, they walked more slowly, making their way towards the exit.

"I guess when traveling between realities, we end up in the exact same place as we started just in the other reality's version of it," he mused aloud.

"So it would seem," J'onn said, taking in the sights. "How will we find Pegasus?"

"It shouldn't be too hard," Yugi said. "I just need a computer."

They stepped outside into the bustling city and were greeted by a video billboard showing Pegasus and Duel Monsters cards announcing his presence in Domino City for a convention of some sort.

"Or we could just see that," Yugi said grinning sheepishly. "I forgot how full of himself he was."

"If you know where he is, I can get us in around his security," J'onn said.

"That may not be necessary," Yugi said. "This way!"

He grabbed J'onn's hand and ran over to the bus stop just as a bus pulled up and dropped a couple coins in the slot for both himself and J'onn. Thankfully, the ride was not a long one; the bus was stuffed with people. Many were cosplayers, others were definitely not native to Japan. Perhaps this convention was more popular than he first realized. And his presence did not go unnoticed.

"Hey!" someone shouted. "Aren't you Yugi Mutou?"

Yugi stiffened. "Ah..."

"You are!"

The bus stopped and Yugi was out the door as fast as he could, J'onn on his heels. They were standing in the main square of Domino City that served as both a park and outdoor amphitheater. Platforms were being set up as was a stage, sound systems, and stage lights. Were those KaibaCorp Duel systems?

"Yugi-boy! Is that you?"

Well, this was turning out to be an easier mission than he'd originally thought. Naturally, Murphy's Law decided to kick in right then in the form of over eager fans all but tackling the poor, height challenged King of Duelists to the ground. J'onn blinked in surprise and confusion, unsure whether to help the young King or not.

Unfortunately for Yugi, the extent of Murphy's Law went beyond just the over-excited crowd, a befuddled alien, and a flamboyant Pegasus. Kaiba, still chasing his brother, knew the moment his fellow monarchs traveled into another reality. The shift in the presence of the Light and Dark was almost insignificant but the fact remained that Yugi and Yami had done it while Kaiba was gone and had not bothered to give him any warning at all. The Regent was not happy about it, not at all.

Green Lantern could only dodge when a fist suddenly planted itself in the tree in front of him. While he did not know what caused the Regent to lash out so suddenly in such a way, he knew his job had just gotten that much more complicated.

"Lord give me strength," he muttered under his breath.