Story Notes;
/Ryou's thoughts to Bakura/
//Bakura's thoughts to Ryou//
…Still no word from inside the factory, and we're entering the twelfth hour sense the standoff. No one knows the condition of the twenty-six hostages inside. Every attempt to enter the building has ended in failure. The strange black dome obscuring the factory has turned back everything from police smoke grenades, to the Justice League, with no visible distinction…
After leaving Cascade Solomon had decided to extend his vacation to spend some quality time with his grandson that didn't involve long-lost sons, shadow games, or giant angry burgers. Of course Solomon was too conscientious to allow Ryou to travel alone so the trip included the Tomb Robber as well.
Solomon had taken the two boys to a charming beach side hotel. It wasn't the right season for tourists, so the price had been decent, and the service exceptional. The water was much too cold for swimming, but they had the beach mostly to themselves. The sun was shining, the breeze was gentle and fragrant; all in all, the perfect day for a picnic.
Ryou was just on his way back with drinks when he noticed two men standing next to (dwarfing) Yugi and Solomon.
They were all too far away for Ryou to make out their faces but it appeared as if the two men were wearing capes. And Tights. Whatever they were discussing couldn't have been good. Solomon's posture was rigid and Yugi was gesturing wildly. Ryou sped up, readjusting his grip on the sodas.
As he got closer, Ryou's first impression was that the two men where Duel Monsters. But neither looked like any he'd seen before. Only when he was close enough to clearly make out the symbols emblazoned on each man's chest (A Black bat on one and a red and yellow S on the other) did it hit him.
The Justice League! THE JUSTICE LEAGUE! Ryou just about fainted. But they wouldn't be here for Bakura. Ryou was sure Yugi would have warned him.
So Ryou took a deep, calming breath, pasted a sickly smile on his face and kept going. He had just about reached them when a third, green skinned man, flew in from the sky and joined the other two. FLEW! Ryou really, really hoped they weren't after Bakura.
//As if merely flying would make them a match for me.// If anything Bakura sounded petulant. Ryou ignored Bakura and tried to catch what was being said.
"…man calling himself Shadi approached us. He told one of our colleagues that the only way to save the hostages was to find Yugi Mouto."
//Not that blasted Priest again!// Bakura complained. //He never can mind his own business.//
"We can explain later." The green man (Martian Manhunter if the news reports were to be believed) said, voice devoid of inflection. "We need to leave now."
Yugi nodded. Solomon just looked resigned. "I'm too old for this." He grumbled, before turning to Batman. "I'll give you what notes I have on what to expect after you get the hostages out." He then addressed the other two heroes. "If you want my blessing you're not going to get it, but if you're asking for parental consent… I don't like it, but you have my permission to go on ahead. I'll join you there once Batman and I have finished."
There was a flash of movement, too fast for his eyes to follow and suddenly Ryou was in the air, having dropped the drinks. He was being carried by Superman! Ryou squeaked in surprise and a little fear when he looked down and saw they were already flying over the water. Flying so quickly the wind was whipping Ryou's long hair into his eyes and mouth and the water below was parting in their wake.
Inside, Bakura was seething.
This alien had grabbed his host without his permission and now had needlessly frightened said host and was taking him only Ra knew where! Needless to say, Bakura was less than pleased.
Ryou relinquished control and in the blink of an eye Bakura had a knife to the alien's throat.
Superman eyed the knife and laughed. "Kid, you're going to hurt yourself with that."
Bakura snarled, irritated at not being taken seriously, wrapped the knife in shadows and lunged at Superman's throat.
Bakura purposefully ignored the hero's jugular, instead slicing lightly just under the alien's jaw.
Clark was so shocked at the sudden pain that he dropped the boy, clamping a hand to his bleeding throat.
Bakura, pleased that he had made his point, summoned Change of Heart. The Monster caught him before he'd fallen three meters.
Clark quickly got over his surprise and glared at Bakura. Ryou squeaked from his soul room.
/Great Bakura, now you've gone and made SUPERMAN man at us. If we weren't in trouble before we certainly are now!/ Ryou wailed.
//Don't be a spoilsport Yadonoushi; it was just some harmless fun.//
/Harmless fun? HARMLESS FUN!? Bakura; Cow-tipping, pick-pocketing, and messing with Yugi's wardrobe count as harmless fun (except for the cows) STABBING SUPERMAN IS DEFINATLY NOT ON THAT LIST!!!/
//Alright, alright. By Ra, it's not like I really hurt him.// Bakura grunted, wincing at the decimals Ryou 'voice' was reaching.
Ryou shoved a sulking Bakura back into his soul room.
"Uh, sorry about that." Ryou shrank back into Change of Heart's embrace as Superman's glare intensified. It was hard not to be intimidated knowing the Kryptonian could bend steel beams with his bare hands.
J'onn J'onzz finally caught up to them then, carrying Yugi with the utmost care. Or rather, carrying Yami.
Yami rolled his eyes.
"Can't take that blasted Tomb Robber anywhere." He muttered.
"If we could continue?" The Martian Manhunter said levelly. "We need to reach the factory with all haste."
"Ryou, it's faster to let them fly us there. Our monster won't be able to move as quickly. "Wasn't Bakura listening to the explanation?"
"What explanation?" Ryou complained. "I see you talking to some guys in tights and all of a sudden one of them grabs me without so much as a by-your-leave. How did you expect Bakura to react?" Yami's cheeks flushed.
Ryou knew the Pharaoh had been distracted by the disturbances echoing out from the Shadow Realm. Bakura had been more than a little twitchy too. But Yami never forgot to take Bakura into account. He must be more worried by these events than any of the others had thought.
//Set damn it all! Of course the little Pharaoh is worried, hikari! Don't you feel it? The shadows are pulsing.//
Superman's glare was now directed to encompass Yami as well.
"What exactly is going on?" The Man of Steel was not pleased. Yami sighed in exasperation. When it came to Bakura, Yami often felt more like a babysitter than anything. The Pharaoh looked up at the Martian.
"It might be best if you took Ryou. If you show Bakura the proper respect it shouldn't offend his delicate sensibilities," Yami sneered. Ryou thought Yugi's other half had been spending too much time with Kaiba lately. "I'll explain things to…" here the Pharaoh paused, red eyes flashing as he took in the Kryptonian. "…Super Man?" He said the hero's name as if confused by it.
J'onn nodded and carefully handed Yami to a now wary Superman. J'onn then approached Ryou and bowed as gracefully as if he wasn't standing in midair.
"If you would allow me." J'onn asked politely.
"Finally! An alien with manners!" Bakura exclaimed, taking over abruptly. He allowed J'onn to take him from Change of Heart and then dismissed the monster. They then set off again, J'onn quickly falling behind. Superman now eyed Yami with disapproval, blood still dripping down his neck.
Yami glared right back at him, annoyed.
"Isn't your friend a little young to be carrying knives?" Superman said, going into full-blown boy scout mode. Yami snorted.
"We are shadow mages, it would be foolish to go unprotected." Superman looked at Yami in disbelief.
"You're children." Clark was outraged. When he first saw Yugi and Solomon Mouto on the beach, not a half-hour ago, he'd thought Solomon was the one they'd been instructed to find. Bruce however, had known immediately and had addressed Yugi from the start. When Clark realized the Gothic looking, less than five feet tall child was the one they needed to get into the factory he'd been reluctant to proceed. But time was of the essence, Solomon had given his permission and as long as the kids were kept as far as possible from any conceivable danger from the dome, Superman shouldn't have any need to worry for their safety. Now Clark was beginning to rethink his position. Yami laughed condescendingly.
"We may be young, but we are not children." Despite the fact that Yami was being carried bridal style by a man nearly three times his size he held himself with regal dignity.
"How do you expect to get us through the dome?" Superman changed the subject, suddenly uncomfortable and making a mental note not to let either of the kids out of his sight. "It sent back everything we threw at it." Yami's smile was all teeth.
"It is a Shadow Game. You and your colleagues won't be going in at all. Bakura and I will be the only one's to enter."
"WHAT!" Clark took a deep breath to calm himself, but children in danger was never something he could take lightly. "If you think any of us would let you go in at all, let alone by yourselves…" Yami cut him off.
"You won't have a choice. Only those who walk the path of shadows may enter into a closed shadow game once the game has begun."
"Game? This is not a game! There are hostages in that factory!" Superman was genuinely angry. Yami gave the hero a level look, no longer irritated. For a moment, the Man of Steel had reminded him of Joey, furiously trying to defend his friends. Likely Superman knew one or more of the hostages.
"It is a game." Yami informed him. It the alien had friends inside the factory that was now ground zero for a shadow game, he deserved to know the truth. "And the stakes are much higher than you realize. The loser of a shadow game forfeits their soul." Superman went quiet and the rest of the trip was passed in silence.