A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay. I had tests, then bunches of homework, and then I got sick. It was not fun. Anywho, I hope this extra long chapter makes up for it. Enjoy~

Chapter summary: In which the gang finally arrives at Olympus and Kaiba shows a side of him that doesn't sit well with the majority.

Olympus and Suggestions

"Well that was a flashy entrance, I must say," Arawn said chuckling. His sharp white teeth gleamed in the moonlight.

"Teleportation tends to be that way," Flash said before vanishing. He reappeared a second later before a mildly startled Arawn. "Just four of you?" Flash asked curiously staring at the small group in front of him.

Arawn was the only one of the group who chuckled. The young man who stood to Arawn's right with mouse brown hair, thin eyebrows, and eyes the shade of indigo smiled. The stranger wore a white and cream ensemble that was similar to Arawn's in style but seemed more formal. A long, forest green cape draped over his shoulders and a golden, filigreed torque looped around his neck. A red scarf loosely draped over his shoulders, a green and gold belt looping his waist twice, and a coronet of twisted oak branches completed his outfit.

"What need have we for an army?" the stranger asked. "Moving an army across jurisdictions is not something that is easily kept hidden even with Arawn's power of concealment."

"Huh," Flash huffed.

The brunette man's eyebrows lifted and his smile became slightly sympathetic. "You do not trust us," he said.

"Yeah, no, not really," Flash replied. He tapped his comm unit and said, "Just the four. Send the group down."

There was another flash of light behind the metahuman heralding the arrival of the Shadow Court and the Justice League. The Court stood to one side of Flash while the League stood on the other. Arawn's grin widened and his blood red eyes narrowed as he studied the Regent's healthy form.

"I see my little gift worked, hm?" the Unseelie said smugly.

"Shut up faerie," Kaiba snapped crisply. Mokuba snickered beside his brother.

The brunette next to Arawn heaved a put upon sigh as the Unseelie cackled. "Oh dear," he muttered. "Arawn, my friend, please do not taunt them." He stepped forward and extended his hand. "I am Pwyll Pen Annwn, Oak King and lord of the Seelie Court," he said smiling. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

Kaiba nodded but it was Yugi who stepped forward and took the Seelie King's hand and shook it. "We have heard about you from our Regent," Yugi said.

"I heard it from Arawn who's hardly a reliable source," Kaiba said.

Arawn just shrugged, unaffected by the insult. Mokuba smiled, Yugi blushed, and Pwyll just shook his head.

"That he may be," the Seelie King agreed, earning him a faintly hurt expression from his Unseelie counterpart. "But he is an honorable friend and a loyal companion. I could not ask for more."

Pwyll turned to the Justice League and offered them a nod. "As I said, I am Pwyll, King of the Seelie Court," he said. "I believe you know or are at least aware of Arawn," he said, gesturing to the white haired Fae dressed in ebony standing next to him, "King of the Unseelie Court and my counterpart in our pantheon." He turned to the two gods dressed in formal tradition Japanese attire standing silently to his left. "This is the Tsukuyomi no Mikoto," Pwyll said gesturing to the serene figure with long lavender hair and dressed in an elegant black and white kimono, "and his brother the Susanoo no Mikoto," he continued, gesturing to armored young man with spiky hair the color of the deepest ocean standing next to the Tsukuyomi with a serious, guarded expression.

"I'm only here because my brother asked me to come," the Susanoo said coldly, crossing his arms across his half bare chest. "If he leaves, so do I, remember that."

"Understandable," J'onn said, nodding in aquiesence. "I am-"

"I'm well aware of who you all are," the Susanoo snapped. "It's hard to exist in this world without at least being aware of the lot of you."

"Bother," the Tsukuyomi whispered, effectively silencing the fierce Shinto god. The Susanoo was clearly unamused but said nothing more. The Tsukuyomi to place his hands delicately at his sides and give the slightest bow. "My brother and I will guide you to where Helios lies within Tartarus but I cannot get you inside or anything else. That is as far as I can go within the leeway of the non-interference laws."

Diana nodded. "I can get my team into Tartarus," she said. "We'll follow you from there."

The Tsukuyomi shook his head. "You misunderstand," he said. "I cannot enter Tartarus."

"Then how the hell will you guide us?" Hawkgirl demanded.

"Watch your language, alien," the Susanoo warned.

"I will guide you with my light," the Tsukuyomi replied, holding out a single plain paper talisman. The black symbols painted on the paper glowed before they and the paper they were drawn on morphed into a tiny butterfly made entirely of moonlight which alighted on the Tsukuyomi's extended index finger.

"I am forbidden to directly enter places outside of our jurisdiction such as Tartarus," he said calmly, a slight smily tugging at his lips as he gazed at the tiny butterfly. "But as I will not be entering directly, this is not a violation of the laws."

"But you're coming with us to Olympus," Mokuba pointed out.

"To parlay with Zeus or the interference on my pantheon's jurisdiction," the Tsukuyomi answered, meeting Mokuba's eyes briefly before returning them to Kaiba. "And to watch one who is under my protection."

"You seem really hung up on these interference laws," Green Lantern commented.

"We have to be," Arawn said seriously. "Imagine the insanity if pantheons actively interfered with each other. We learned our lesson long ago."

"What happened?" Arrow asked suspiciously.

Arawn looked away. "It was before my time," he said vaguely.

"What about you?" Marik asked the Susanoo.

The Shinto god of the sea glared at the Egyptian Priest before dismissing him entirely. Marik felt his ire rise at being dismissed so easily, but felt a hand rest on his shoulder and glanced back to see Ishizu shake her head minutely. Before he could ask why, his sister nodded towards to Susanoo and Tsukuyomi indicating he should watch them. Obeying the silent command, Marik glanced back at the two Shinto gods.

The Susanoo stood close to and just in front of the Tsukuyomi, his stormy eyes watching everyone distrustfully. Anyone who so much as stared at the Tsukuyomi too long found themselves on the butt end of his furious gaze. But every time the Shinto god of the sea gazed at his brother, it was with adoration and friendship. Then Marik understood.

"Where's Selene?" Kaiba demanded suddenly.

The Tsukuyomi turned his hand so the moonlight butterfly landed on his palm. Another paper talisman flew through the air to settle between his index and middle fingers and suddenly there was a man and a woman standing next to him where before there had only been the darkness of the forest around them.

The woman had long hair which brushed the ground despite being pinned up in twin buns on either side of her head. It fell like gleaming silver moonlight a few shades lighter than her gray eyes. Her skin was almost deathly pale but flushed with life. Her dress was also long and white. The waistline was high, the ribbon nestled just under her breasts, allowing the gathered fabric to tumble to the ground freely like a trumpet flower. It almost hid the tell-tale bump of her pregnant belly.

The man next to her was dressed in the same manner has Pwyll, but his clothes were less formal in style and more earthy in color. His hair was black and short. But unlike Pwyll's windswept locks, it was cut close to his head and carefully brushed into place. His eyes were midnight blue, a shade or so lighter than Ishizu's, and wary of the newcomers. He stood close to Selene, hovering protectively by her side.

"Titaness," Diana said, bowing respectfully.

Selene reached out and gently guided the Amazoness back to her feet. "Do not bow," she said. "Save my brother first."

"We will, Titaness," Diana replied respectfully. She turned to the man next to Selene and nodded to him respectfully. "You must be Endymion," she said.

"I am," he replied. "I'll be accompanying Selene during this little venture."

"Can you fight?" Mokuba asked doubtfully. "I mean you look good for an old guy, buy you know, I gotta ask."

"I was a warrior in ancient Greece," Endymion replied to the young Keeper. "I have retained those skills throughout the years, yes." His eyes darkened. "That's how I knew about this." He held up a small amulet that sloshed with a thick red liquid. "It took some time and help to get it," he said, nodding to Pwyll with smiled, "but it could help give our side more leverage against Zeus."

"How?" Jounouchi asked, crossing his arms. "'Cause no offense 'r nothin', but I hardly see how a piddly li'le thing like that c'n help us here."

"Is that-?" Diana breathed, her eyes wide with recognition.

"It is," Selene replied, drawing the Amazon's gaze. "I am doing this for my brother, myself, and my unborn child." Her gray eyes grew frigid with fury. "If I have to, I am willing to kill Zeus to protect those I care for."

"Anyone want to fill us in?" Hawkgirl asked, fiddling with her mace and earning a cold glare from the Susanoo for doing so.

"It's Hind's blood," Arawn answered. "Blood from a Golden Hind is one of the few ways to permanently kill a Greek god, Olympian or Titan. The beasts were wiped out by Zeus because of that. Long story short, I had the blood and gave it to Pwyll who eventually gave it to our friend Endymion who will now help us in our struggle against Zeus." He shrugged casually. "It's always amusing how things come full circle."

"Do I want to know how you got it?" Kaiba asked intrigued.

"I killed a Golden Hind back in the day," Arawn said with a dismissive wave. "It was worth a lot."

"It was endangered," Anzu said, planting her hands on her hips angrily.

"It was male," Arawn said. "There were no more females. And besides," he added darkly, "I had more important things to worry about at the time than the cruelty of helping along the destruction of a creature which was already destined to disappear."

"Monster," Anzu grumbled.

"Anzu," Yugi chastised gently. "It was a long time ago."

Kaiba remained silent, glancing at Ishizu who shook her head minutely. "Enough of this," he muttered. He turned to Arawn and said, "We're ready to get this over with if you are."

"But of course," the Unseelie said with a cheeky grin. "Selene, if you would, my dear."

The Titaness nodded. "Olympus is slightly out of faze with this dimension. That's why no can reach it even if they climb the mountain. Once I transport us to that dimension, Zeus will know I'm nearby. We'll have to move quickly."

"Don't worry," Ryou said suddenly. "We'll take care of that part when we get there."

"Then we find Ares," Kaiba said, a dark smile on his face. "I plan on getting a little something with him.

Yugi blinked in surprise. "Really?" he gasped. He paused thoughtfully, listening to Yami's voice only he could hear and nodded. "We could use him if this works," he admitted. "You have free reign."

Kaiba scoffed. "As if I needed your permission."

Yugi laughed together. "Of course not.

The Tsukuyomi approached the Amazoness and held out his hand with the moonlight butterfly. "I will know if you have found and retrieved Helios," he said. "I will inform Selene. She may be able to help you escape but I cannot. Do not let anyone slay this shikigami. I cannot make another and send it to you in time."

"Understood," Diana said, holding out her own hand for the butterfly to land on her palm.

"Shikigami?" Mokuba asked, standing on his toes to see the glowing butterfly.

"And I'm gone," Flash said. "Keep in touch." Then he vanished in the light of the teleport, returning to the Watchtower.

"No one move," Selene said, holding out her arms in supplication.

Her body began to glow with a soft, silver light that slowly enveloped the group. When it faded, the forest around them was different. The colors were sharper, less muted, and the very air felt heavy and ancient.

"Sanctuary in the Sky," Ryou said, his voice carrying through the heavy air as he tossed his Field Spell card out.

The change was immediate. The air around them shifted, first darkening as the Shadows advanced, encompassing the land, then lightening as the Field Spell took hold. The image on the card grew until it the landscape around them vanished briefly, replaced by an almost identical copy. But this Field Spell felt darker even though it appeared brighter. Olympus, far above them, gleamed with heavenly light, but that light felt darker, colder than it should be.

"Perfect," Ryou purred in a voice that made Arrow uncomfortable.

The vigilante glanced at the Scribe and saw the heavy storm in the desert night and knew this was Thief, not the Scribe. He fought down the urge to step closer to the Regent, instinctively seeking the reassuring Balance as the Dark Shadows surrounded him.

"Eh, Nii-sama's Mountain is cooler," Mokuba said. Kaiba's lips twitched but otherwise made no outward sign of his approval.

"Most impressive," Arawn crowed, taking in the expansive Field Spell with great interest.

Pwyll seemed impressed as well, but his manner was less calm than his friend. He seemed tense, unnerved by something. The Tsukuyomi gazed around him with a mild expression while the Susanoo looked distinctly surprised.

Selene placed one hand over her heart and the other over her belly as she looked around her in shock. "What have you done to this place?" she gasped. "It's the same but…"

"Nothing really," Bakura said, speaking through Ryou's body.

Arrow watched the Thief carefully, his fingers itching to hold his bow.

"It's just a Field Spell," Bakura continued. "Think of it as a rug slipping under feet separating the real Olympus with this one. Anyone and everyone I desire to be here, will be here. Anyone not invited, will be unable to get here."

"And Zeus?" Endymion asked, placing a hand on Selene's shoulder.

"Here," Bakura replied. "Unfortunately. Luckily, he hasn't moved since I cast this Spell." He nodded up to the mountain's summit. "He's up there sitting with several other people, his fellow Olympians I presume."

"And Ares?" Kaiba demanded.

Bakura grinned in a way that was distinctly not like Ryou. "Near the summit by himself," he said. "Won't be alone for long though. Someone's approaching him."
"How long?"

"Ten minutes, give or take."

"How do you know this?" the Susanoo breathed.

"My Field Spell," Bakura said with a shrug. "I allowed them here. I know where they are if I focus."

Selene studied the Thief in the Scribe's body distrustfully but nodded. She then turned Wonder Woman and her team. "I will send you to the entrance of Tartarus then you will be on your own save for the Tsukuyomi's guide," she said.

Diana bowed her head. "Understood."

"Stand close," the Titaness said.

"Wait," Kaiba said. He knelt his little brother, placing his hands on Mokuba's shoulders. He looked Mokuba directly in the eyes and took a deep breath before speaking in Japanese. "I need you to go with them."

"Nii-sama?!" Mokuba exclaimed, already shaking his head in adamant rejection of the idea.

"Mokuba, think of Helios," Kaiba pressed. "He would want someone he knows and trusts to be with him when they find him." Mokuba hesitated. "He trusts you. I trust you. I need you to represent me. Can you do that?" Doubt still clouded his little brother's eyes so Kaiba gave one last push. "For me?" he asked, leaning close to whisper, "Mokie," in Mokuba's ear.

He knew he won when he felt Mokuba's shoulders droop. He leaned back and saw mild annoyance mixed with frustrated warring on his little brother's face. Dark gray eyes met Kaiba's blue in depressed acquiescence. Kaiba knew he would be getting an earful about this later, but all he cared about was that he won this small victory. He loved his brother and knew in his heart of hearts that Mokuba would love him no matter what, but there were some things about himself he never wanted Mokuba to see or even dream about.

He stood and nudged Mokuba towards the Amazon. "Take him with you," he said. "Helios is comfortable with him and will probably need something to ground him when you find him," he said, cutting off Wonder Woman's automatic rejection.

"I have no objections," J'onn said, surprising the group. "I understand your reasoning."

Something in the alien's eerie yellow eyes made Kaiba's hackles rise. He instinctively glared at the Martian. "Telepath," he muttered.

"We'll keep him safe," Shayera said, drawing her mace.

"I'll hold you to that pet bird," Kaiba said.

"We'll hold ourselves to that," Green Lantern said.

Outnumbered, Wonder Woman grudgingly nodded. "Fine."

Selene hesitated only a moment before activating her power sending Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, the Manhunter, and Mokuba to Tartarus. When they were gone, her power faded. "Why would you send your brother, a child, to that place?" she asked.

"Because he'll be safer there than he would be here," Kaiba answered.

He glanced back at Arrow who narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly. The vigilante too understood the things an older sibling would do to protect their baby brother or sister. Some things were better left to the shadows hiding the skeletons in the closet. Love may be unconditional, but that did not mean it did not change.

"We've got it from here," Yugi said, changing the subject. He took the hands of the two Shadow Court members closest to him. "Grab someone's hand near you and whatever you do, don't let go. Ryou?"

The vigilante felt Bakura's Shadow signature fade, replaced by Ryou's desert night. "Locked," he said. "Ready?" he asked the King. Yugi nodded. "Then let's go."

The Shadows enveloped the entire group as Ryou cast his awareness across his Field Spell, locked onto Ares's presence, and pulled them all as close as he dared. He had no desire to face Ares directly; not when his Regent clearly had something sinister planned for the Greek god of war. Bakura chuckled in Ryou's mind.

:The Regent may be the Balance, but he has his moments of darkness,: Bakura said. :Sometimes I even feel proud of him.:

They appeared in a copse of trees near a wide field of flowers and grass. Ares appeared frustrated with something. He was clutching his sword in a ready position and turning cautious circles as if waiting for an attacker to approach.

:Well, well,: Bakura said, intrigued. :It seems our little god of war is more than just brawn after all.:

:You think he senses the Field Spell?: Ryou asked curiously.

:It looks like it.:

"Paranoid much?" Honda asked softly.

"My thoughts exactly," Jounouchi said.

"Good," Kaiba said. "He's mine."

"Don't go too far," Ishizu warned. "That power is perilously close to mind control." Arrow looked sharply over at the Priestess then his Regent, disconcerted. "Shadi or I will step in if we feel you go too far."

"They'll stop you," Mai said. "I'll smack you."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and vanished in a whirl of Shadows that rose up from the ground. Endymion gasped and Arawn released a low whistle, impressed.

"And they say I'm dramatic," the Unseelie muttered.

Ares had no idea what exactly set him on edge, but something was not right. He could feel it. Everything seemed darker, more dangerous. Normally, he would have reveled in the feeling, but this was different. There was no battle nearby, no threats that he knew of other than Zeus's bad temper.

The thought of the self-proclaimed king of the gods left a bad taste in Ares's mouth. Ares had successfully tracked down Helios all on his own. He was not necessarily surprised to learn the damn Titan had holed up with Set and his posse but he was disappointed. It made capturing Helios that much more difficult. Sneaking into Japan unnoticed by the Shinto pantheon was considered a nigh impossible task and if he had been caught, which was practically guaranteed, his punishment would have been severe. Damn xenophobes.

So he had waited and waited and waited until finally Set left Japan and took Helios with him. The pantheons of the Americas, particularly North America, were completely different from the others in the words. Spirits and elementals and spirit animals and creatures he did not even want to think about haunted the North American region. He heard stories about wendigos. There was no way in Hades he wanted to meet one of those unprepared.

Then he caught a break when he met that half crazed reality traversing sniper who called himself Paradox. It had been an accident, but it was one he did not regret. It seemed both Ares and this Paradox character had an extreme dislike for Set. So they struck a deal. They would work together until Helios was in Ares's capable hands.

It worked. Granted the whole bomb issue had been Paradox's idea. It was not how Ares preferred to work but it had worked. Ares never like strategizing. He left that to the likes of Athena. Give him a blood soaked battlefield with berserkers and he was in his element. Then the confusion of watching Set struck right between the eyes by Paradox's bullet, only to vanish in thin air as if he had never been there. The resulting chaos from the bomb explosions had drawn out the real Set who had been struck but Helios, stupid Helios, had tried to save that boy.

And vanished. Then Paradox had gone and told Ares he could travel through realities. Realities! Alternate realities. Alternate timelines. All out of his jurisdiction. But Paradox seemed unbothered by that fact and reminded Ares that because it was an alternate reality, who was to say Ares was interfering with another pantheon? And how could the offended pantheon get back at him if he returned to his home reality? Apparently traversing realities was something only a select few such as Paradox could do.

That still left some questions unanswered such as how by Hades did Helios get tossed into another reality if Ares was absolutely certain that was out of the Titan's list of abilities? But he shelved those questions for later. He had successfully captured Helios in another reality! That had not been easy by any means. And then Paradox had been honorable enough to respect their deal and return Ares and his prize to Greece in their home reality before leaving.

Ares had presented a currently dead Helios to Zeus. But was Ares rewarded for his ability? Was he praised for his prowess? No. None of the above. Zeus had lectured Ares like an errant child, dismissed the notion of alternate realities, and had the Titan thrown into Tartarus. Ares had not been rewarded or praised or received anything other than the lecture of disappointment from an absent, uncaring parent.

Was there nothing Ares could do to earn Zeus's praise? It seemed not. Ares would always be the bloodthirsty war god. Or he would be as long as Zeus was in power. Zeus had grown old and senile. His decisions had never been wise ones but lately he had been playing it safe, never taking risks, never doing anything to encourage the believers they still had or build their belief base. All he had done was sit on his throne and brood.

Athena, the goddess of wisdom, distrusted Zeus. She even challenged him. The older Olympians had outgrown their usefulness. It was about time for the new blood to take over. But that was easier said than done.

And now with this strange darkness perverting his home, Ares could not think straight. Had Zeus found out about Ares's treasonous thoughts? Was he going to be punished?
Ares felt something stir behind him and whirled around, sword raised defensively to face his opponent. However, the moment he saw his opponent he stilled.

"Set!?" he gasped. "What by Hades are you doing up here? You can't be here. This is Olympus. This is our territory. You're interfering."

"You attacked me and mine, stole a protected refugee from my watch, and very nearly murdered my brother and my fellow monarchy," Set hissed coldly. "Did you really think I would let that stand unchallenged?"

"I never directly attacked your pantheon or touched you while you were in Japan," Ares countered. "I never interfered."

Set's grin was like a steel blade. "I never said anything about my pantheon," he said. "I said you attacked me and mine. You attacked me personally, causing harm to my brother, indirectly caused me harm, and took Helios from under my protection."

"It was pathetic protection," Ares said derisively.

Set's eyes narrowed and his smile sharpened viciously. "By attacking me personally, you interfered with another pantheon. Your mistake was only ever thinking of me as Set of the Egyptian pantheon. But first and foremost, I am Kaiba Seto, CEO of Kaiba Corporations, Japanese citizen, and staunch believer in the traditional Japanese culture. I feel pride for my country of origin which most certainly is not Egypt. As long as I am not acting as Set, I am protected by the Japanese pantheon. You interfered, not me."

Ares paled visibly. "You're lying."

Set's eyes burned furiously. "I never lie."

Ares hesitated only a moment before leaping at Set, only to cut through nothing. Unable to stop his forward momentum after not meeting the expected resistance, Ares stumbled. He quickly gathered his wits and spun around, ready to attack and receive a counter attack. But instead, he was greeted by the grinning visage of Set doubled. Standing next to Set was an exact replica of Set with the exact same grin on his face.

"What kind of spell is this?" Ares demanded.

Set did not answer, he just stared steadily at Ares with his cold blue eyes. Answer. Answer what? Did he ask a question? Blue. What was going on? Why was Set not attacking? Why wasn't he talking? Who talking? Blue. This was ridiculous. This whole situation was ridiculous. Blue. Why couldn't he think straight? Everything seemed foggy. None of this would have happened if Zeus had not been a prick.

Zeus.

Yes. Zeus. It was all Zeus's fault. Blue. He was so confused. It didn't make sense. It never made sense. Ice. Zeus was just a cold hearted bastard who couldn't find it in him to care about his real children, just the whores he fucked. His head was fogged with power and corruption. Blue. It wasn't Ares, it was Zeus. Zeus was mad. Zeus never made sense. Zeus was ridiculous. Zeus was all talk, never attacking when threatened like a soldier. Blue. Zeus caused all of this. Zeus questioned Ares's word. Zeus resisted change. Zeus made a mess of everything. Zeus never answered for his crimes.

Zeus did not deserve the throne.

"No he doesn't."

Zeus was a coward.

"Yes, he is."

Zeus was obsessed with power.

"Power is toxic."

Zeus never cared for him.

"Never."

Zeus needed to change.

"Yes. Or…"

Zeus needed to leave.

"Yes."

Zeus needed to be replaced.

"By you?"

No. There was no battlefield on the throne.

"But he needs to be replaced."

Yes.

"Zeus."

Yes.

"Zeus caused this."

Yes.

"You blame him."

Yes.

"Are you a man?"

Yes!

"Then deal with Zeus like a man."

Yes.

"Face him."

Yes.

"I hate him too."

Yes?

"Let's defeat him."

Yes?

"Let's make him suffer."

Yes.

"For everything he did to you."

Yes.

"Make him suffer."

Yes.

"Make him pay."

Yes!

"Who is the enemy?"

Him.

"Name him."

Zeus.

"Again."

Zeus.

"Again."

Zeus!

"Again."

Zeus!

"Who is the enemy?"

Zeus!

"Then, let's deal with him."

Yes.

"Let's get Zeus."

Yes!

"Let's make him pay."

Yes!

Kaiba stepped back and relaxed his hold. "He's mine," he said.

"That was easier than I expected," Seth said, leaning close to his Ka.

"He was already confused," Kaiba said, "and angry. I just used those against him. The fact he was angry at Zeus was just a plus."

"What have you done to him?"

Kaiba and Seth both turned to see Selene staring at them in horror. Neither Seth nor Kaibaspoke. Instead, Kaiba drew a card and whispered the name of the Trap and was greeted by an exact copy of himself. The Trap wearing Kaiba's face glanced at the entranced Ares and morphed into Ares's form.

The Cloned Ares lifted its hands, studying them with interest, gaging the new attack and defense points it had received as well as any and all special abilities the real Ares may have had, adapting to them and relaxing into its new skin. When it was finished, it lifted its head and nodded to Kaiba, indicating it was ready for a command. Kaiba grinned.

"Osiris, damn it, what was that?!" Arrow demanded.

"The reason why Set gained the moniker 'god of chaos,'" Kaiba said, meeting Arrow's eyes. "Instead of forcing my way into someone's mind, bending them to my will, and manipulating them like a puppet, I use what they already have and turn it to my advantage. I brought chaos and confusion upon the enemy, turning them on each other from the inside.""

"And your identical twin?" Arawn asked, bolding stepping forward past the disconcerted vigilante to stand directly in front of Seth. "You must be Seth." He chuckled when Kaiba glanced at him sharply. "I was on your balcony watching you for a while before you noticed me, Set," he chastened teasingly. "So, is this another shape-changer like this one?" he asked, pointing to the Clone Ares.

"No," Kaiba replied. "He's my other half."

"Other half?" Arawn asked, lifting an eyebrow suggestively. "Lover you mean?"

Kaiba's face flushed red, but nowhere near as bright or pronounced as Seth's face did. "No," he said shortly.

Mai snickered and practically skipped up to join Arawn. "You thought so too?" she asked the Fae.

"Sorceress," Kaiba warned.

"The blush is a dead giveaway, isn't it," Mai continued, heedless of the warning.

"Oh yes, indeed," Arawn agreed enthusiastically.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Jounouchi exclaimed frantically, drawing everyone's attention. "Is no one going to point out that what just happened here broke the laws of the Shadow Court?"

"Yeah," Anzu said. "That sure as hell looked like mindcontrol to me," she said, glaring hatefully at Kaiba.

"It was not," Shadi said mildly, his hands tucked comfortably in his sleeves. "It was no different than hypnotism, the power of suggestion, something humans do every day whether deliberately or not."

"But-"

"I would have stopped him had he broken the rules," Yugi said, startling the group silent. "It's a power Set used often in Ancient Egypt in the defense of our kingdom and the Pharaoh. Mind control can force somone to go against their very nature by subverting their consciousness and, sometimes, even their soul. That's why it's forbidden."

Ishizu nodded. "What the Regent did is a type of hypnotism. He can never force his victims to go against their nature. If he gives them a command that goes against everything that person believes in and something they would never do no matter the reason, than that command will go ignored."

Shadi nodded. "Indeed." He tilted his head slightly, gazing at the bespelled Ares thoughtfully. "Although, I was under the impression you were unable or simply refused to use that particular power."

"I can," Kaiba said curtly, avoiding his Court's eyes in favor of studying his captive Ares. "I simply choose not to consciously use it unless I have no other choice."

"Consciously use it?" Pwyll murmured, glancing at Arawn who met his gaze evenly.

"Well, well," Ryou purred in a voice that the Court knew belonged to the Thief, not the Scribe. "You're darker than I gave you credit for Regent. That's a clever little trick you have there."

"Burn in Ra's flames, Thief," Kaiba said dismissively, ignoring Bakura's laughter.

"Alright, alright, great," Marik said. "So it didn't break the rules. That still doesn't explain what you plan on doing with your new toy over there. Or why you used the Cloning Trap either."

"Cloning?" Arrow asked.

"Yeah," Honda said. "One of Kaiba's favorite Traps. He doesn't use it often outside Duel Monsters because it's powerful."

"It takes the form of an enemy Monster," Ishizu explained, "or in this case, an enemy and receives all of the stats formerly belonging to that enemy. Then that cloned Monster or enemy serves its maseter until either it's destroyed or until its target is destroyed. Whichever comes first."

"What have you done to Ares?" Selene demanded, pushing past the Tsukuyomi, Endymion grabbing her arm and preventing her from approaching Set.

"Nothing," Kaiba said, turning back to his bespelled captive. "But we needed to trade Ares for Helios. That was always the plan."

"You plan on giving Zeus the Ares you created in place of the real one," the Tsukuyomi said softly. Kaiba glanced at the Shinto moon god over his shoulder, listening. The Tsukuyomi met his eyes and said, "And keeping the real Ares for yourself."

"Until I give him to the Justice League to pay for his crimes, yes," Kaiba said.

"But if you traded Ares in to Zeus, you wouldn't have gotten him back," the Susanoo said, a sly slime tugging the corner of his lips. "A contingency plan."

"Another contingency plan," the Tsukuyomi said. "The first is the retrieval of Helios from Tartarus despite the trade for him."

"I get what I want," Kaiba said. "One way or another." He turned back to his captive and glared at its now blank eyes. "The fact he hurt my brother just makes this that much more entertaining for me."

"Yes, well, I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I suggest we leave unless we want to get caught," Ryou said. "I did say someone was approaching Ares's position."

"Cloning," Kaiba commanded in hieratic, "remain here. From this moment, you are Ares, the Olympian god of war, is that understood?" The Clone Ares nodded. "Good."

"Move your ass, Regent," Bakura snapped through Ryou's mouth.