Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Nor do I own Batman. I just noticed that Kaiba is a lot like Bruce Wayne, and decided to run with this story. So sue me (on second thought please don't)!

Author's Note: This is what we've all been waiting for… the fashionably late Yugi finally appears… I'm so excited that I'm literally bouncing while writing this :P

The room was dark. A telephone was ringing.

Through the dusty pane of the single huge window set high in one wall, the urban decay of South Domino was clearly visible. Fire-gutted husks of buildings, mounds of fallen masonry, and unidentified debris combined to create a war-zone effect under the smog-hazed moon. Old newspapers blew like tumbleweed past graffiti-covered walls, collected in boarded-up storefronts. Sirens wailed in the distance, while on the other side often window, inside the room, the telephone jangled urgently.

There was the sound of someone fumbling with a key in the rusted keyhole, then the door swung open and a small, boyish figure scurried inside. "Ow!" An ankle collided with a footstool. A round of cursing followed as the slight figure searched the top of a cluttered table for the phone. "Ah!" The jangling noise cut off as the receiver was yanked from its cradle. "Yeah?"

The figure listened for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, it's me, chief. Slug and me was just out gettin' somethin' ta eat."

A second shape loomed in the doorway, as broad and towering as the first had been diminutive. A massive hand closed over a switch inside the door. The next moment the room was flooded with yellow light. "Hey, Birdy," rumbled the huge man in the doorway. "Was it the tele-"

"Hsst - shuddup!" The small woman covered the mouthpiece of the phone with a bony hand and glared at her giant companion. "I got the chief on the line." She uncovered the receiver and nodded earnestly. Her voice was high and piping. "Yeah, chief, I know, but we was hungry. You know Slug's appetite. No, chief, it won't happen again. Right. The rally's tomorrow night. It's all in place. Right. We know what ta do, chief - you can count on us. Uh, have a nice night-" She pulled the phone away from her ear with a grimace as a loud click sounded from the earpiece, then gingerly reseated it on its base.

Birdy ran her fingers through her short brown hair and turned to the hulking man. He was carrying a large white bag decorated with red lettering under his arm. "The chief says we're all set for tomorrow night." A sinister grin split her thin face. "We're supposed ta add a little pep ta the rally."

"Heh." Slug moved ponderously to the table and set down the package. "Sounds like fun." He opened the top of the white sack and peered inside, licking his lips in anticipation. "Which you want, Birdy- a wing or a drumstick?"

~*(KC)*~

Roland gave a small sigh and set aside his duster. Forty-five more seconds and he would have been able to complete his task. He descended the stepladder reluctantly, his eye on the antique cuckoo clock. Whoever was ringing the front doorbell was quiet insistent, however, and it wouldn't do for Master Seto to be disturbed. As Roland exited the upstairs gallery, he glanced over his shoulder just in time to see a miniature doorway fly open in the face of the clock. A tiny painted bird popped out and called mockingly to him. He could almost see the thin layer of dust on the cuckoo's small round head. Roland sighed again and continued on his way.

The butler reached out to make a minute adjustment to a portrait of Seto Kaiba's great-grandfather as he started down the winding stair, used his sleeve to eradicate a thumbprint located halfway down the polished mahogany banister, and paused to smooth out a tiny wrinkle in the Turkish rug at the base of the steps.

He swung back the huge front door and nodded politely. "Good evening, sir," he said to the man who waited there. "May I help you?"

"You sure can, Pops." The stranger's words were distorted by what appeared to be a world-class wad of chewing tobacco. He was a large man, dressed in gray coveralls, with the broad-shouldered look of a linebacker. He was carrying a clipboard in his grimy hands, and he wore a blue baseball cap with the emblem of the Domino Knights pulled low over his straw-colored hair. A small photo ID was pinned to the front of his rumpled uniform. "Your name Kaiba?" He scratched the side of his rather prominent nose. "Seto Kaiba?"

"No, sir. I am his butler. How may I help you?"

"Butler!" The man stopped chewing to gape incredulously at Roland. "Jeez, I didn't know they still made them animals." He flashed a gap-toothed grin. "No offense, Pops. Look - I'm with the gas company. We gotta problem with one of the mains in this area." He tilted the clipboard in Roland's direction for a few seconds. "Kaiba Manor, right? We gotta have access to the basement. Chances are, we're gonna have to do some major excavating."

"I rather doubt that, sir." Roland looked down his narrow nose at the man. "Our gas lines were replaced quite recently by a private contractor, with all the work cleared through the city zoning board. The chance of any serious problem with them seems overwhelmingly minute."

"Yeah, well, that's for me to figger out, ain't it?" The big-shouldered man took a determined step into the foyer. His heavy boots were caked in grayish mud. "Let's suppose you just lead me to the basement and let me take a look around."

Roland stepped back as the man strode into the house. "If you wish, Master Yugi - though I daresay you'd be more comfortable if you removed those cumbersome boots." He made a small bow in the direction of the main hallway. "If you wish to pay your respects to Master Seto on the way, you can find him in the Batcave."

The big man froze in astonishment. Then turned to the butler with a sigh. Raising a handkerchief to his mouth, he spat out a giant wad of purple bubble gum.

"It's never gonna happen, is it, Roland?" Without the chewing gum, his voice sounded clearer and much younger. "I'm never gonna put one over on you." He reached up and pulled the baseball cap off with his right hand, then removed the tangle of blond hair with his left. He gave his own head of tri-colored hair a defeated shake.

"No, Master Yugi, you never will," Roland said matter-of-factly. He closed the massive door and extended his hands as the young man began peeling off the rest of his disguise. Following the cap and wig came a nose and cheekbones a pair of blue-gray contact lenses, false teeth, some padded shoulders, and an artificial paunch. Last to be removed was the pair of extremely built-up boots.

"There is some orangeade in the kitchen," the butler offered. "I shall join you as soon as I deposited your accoutrements in the nearest airtight container."

"Thanks, Roland." The dispirited youth, now wearing a tank top and a pair of brightly patterned shorts, padded barefoot down the long hallway.

~*(KC)*~

"I stuck the rest of my stuff out of sight behind the front hedge," Yugi Mutou said. "Remind me to go bring it in before it gets rained on or anything." He pushed his high wooden stool back from the kitchen table and teetered expertly on two legs.

"I have already retrieved your luggage, Master Yugi, and taken it to your bedroom." Roland set a tray bearing an ice-filled glass and a large pitcher of orange liquid on the table. "It seemed logical that you would have secreted it somewhere in the vicinity of the front door."

"Is there anything you can't figure out, Roland?" Yugi asked ruefully. He stretched out a thin wiry arm and poured himself a glass of orangeade. "We oughtta take a trip to Las Vegas someday. We'd clean up big-time."

"I approve of gambling for profit no more than Master Seto does," Roland retorted primly. "I prefer to earn my pay with honest labor."

"And earn it you do, Roland," came a deep voice from the kitchen doorway. "In every way from exemplary cooking and cleaning to keeping the house free of bogus gas men. Seto Kaiba entered the kitchen and gave Yugi a soft kiss on the back of his neck. "Nice try, Yugi. How was merry old England?"

"Yo, Seto!" Yugi took a long sip of his drink and beamed up at the older man. "Joey and I had a totally great time - although I think my roommate the touchdown king was a little bummed when he told people he was a quarterback and they looked at him like he'd said he was vice-chancellor of Neptune. Our British history professor, Miss Sullivan, took us to the Stonehenge for our last class. Have you ever scoped that spot?" He shook his head in wonderment. "It was awesome, man - it blew me away!"

Roland produced a second tall glass and set it on the table in front of Seto. "A pity you didn't take advantage of your stay in that country to practice the language," he observed with a small sniff."

"Practice the… Roland, they speak English over-" Yugi paused, his face reddening as Seto gave a soft chuckle and gently rubbed his shoulder against his boyfriend's. "Oh, I get it. Very funny, old bean."

Roland shook his head in despair. "Master Seto, I shall be in the upstairs gallery if you require anything. I would be most grateful if you would refrain from summoning me either just before or just after the hour strikes." He gave Yugi a glance of mock severity as he lifted his feather duster and exited the room. "Old bean, indeed."

"So what's been going on here on the home front? And how's the old rib cage?" Yugi asked Seto when they were alone in the kitchen. "Roland told me about your run-in with Two-Face in his last phone call. Any leads yet?"

"None to speak of. I came across a matchbook recently that looked promising, but the address on it was for a building that burned down last year."

Yugi's face darkened as Seto pulled out a stool next to his. "I think what happened to Ryou Bakura is really lousy. I mean, he was one of you best friends." He shuddered. "You think you know someone real well, then suddenly something happens and they turn into a total stranger. Makes you wonder…"

"I'm going to make sure Ryou gets the help he needs," Seto said with determination. "But in the meantime, there's another matter that needs our attention." He shot the younger man a rather seductive look. "Unless, of course you've got a case of jet lag and would rather turn in early."

"Are you kidding?" Yugi leaned closer to the blue-eyed man with a soft smile. "It's been months. I've been aching for some action."

Seto pressed his forehead to rest against Yugi's and pointed to the door. "Then let's get to it," he said, "but then we haveanother batty issue to deal with."

~*(KC)*~

The man who stood beneath the Batcave's vaulted room, several hours later, was tall, with the look of a prizefighter gone to seed. His lank hair was blond, and pale stubble blurred his jaw line. An old scar crossed on cheekbone. He lifted a false blond mustache and applied it carefully to his upper lip. "There." He adjusted the collar of his threadbare jacket and moved into the light. "How do I look?"

"Seedy. Nondescript." The younger man who stood watching him wore a dramatic costume of red and green, with a short black cape and a domino mask to cover his eyes. He gave a small sigh. "Why does this stuff always look so much more convincing on you than on me?"

The big man set a gray cap on his head and gave it a slight tilt to the left. "They key is to not deviate too much from your true appearance, Robin. Mix the real with the false. Your aim is to go unnoticed, if at all possible." He ran his fingers down the scarred cheekbone. "And if people do notice you, give them something easy to remember - a scar or some other obvious feature, to prevent them from taking the time to recall what you really look like."

Robin stood in front of the tall man with a look of frustration. He reached out to tilt the gray hat to the other side. "But, Seto-"

"Matches." The man pulled a slender kitchen match from a side pocket and stuck it in the corner of his mouth. "Matches Malone."

"Okay - Matches. I still don't see why I can't be in on this. If you don't want me to come along, will you at least wear a transceiver?" He wore a concerned expression on his face as he held up a tiny black device shaped like the wing of a bat. "Then I can monitor your movements from here, in case-"

"No. Too easy to detect." Matches gave the cap a tug to the left.

"Look." Robin faced the older man squarely. "I've been looking forward to some action all the way from Piccadilly Circus. School's over. Summertime's here. I might as well be up at Domino State sleeping through summer classes, as sitting here on my butt in the Batcave while you go out and make the streets safe for democracy." He reached out and gave the cap another pat to the right. "There has to be something I can do."

"There is." Matches restored the cap to its original position and stepped back. "Do you make public appearances?"

"Public…?" Robin looked confused for a moment. Then his face lit up with a smile. "Absolutely!" he said.

~*(KC)*~

A large crowd had gathered in the square that fronted the Domino police headquarters. Supporters of the commissioner milled about on the wide steps, placards that proclaimed his innocence held high. At the top of the steps was a hastily constructed podium wired with microphones. A large banner had been hung above the podium. It read: MAHADO GORDON DESERVES BAIL!

Spotlights illuminated the scene as the official start time approached. Vivian Wong and her television crew vied with other representatives of local TV news to conduct interviews with the participants before the program commenced.

"Is there a reason for the small turnout of uniformed officers?" Vivian asked Domino mayor. "We'd been led to expect a much larger show of support from the commissioner's own men and women."

"And you'll be seeing one shortly, Vivian," he assured her smoothly/ "Deputy Commissioner Yami's informed me that the bulk of our hardworking officers are on the other side of town attending to a sudden rash of bomb threats targeting the new venetian blind factory. As soon as it's been verified that there's nothing behind the threats, they'll be on their way back in force to join the rally." He raised his eyebrows. "Obviously the work of some criminals who'd rather not see Commissioner Mahado exonerated!"

Yami Mason was the first speaker. The deputy commissioner opened the rally to rousing cheers, delivering an eloquent testimonial to the commissioner's ongoing contribution to law enforcement in the city. Behind the podium several other guest speakers awaited their turns, including the mayor, Officer Renee Montoya, and Detective Tristan Taylor.

"After all Mahado Gordon has done for Domino City, the least this city can do for him is grant him bail!" Yami concluded, pounding the podium with his fist.

The crowd shouted their approval.

On a nearby rooftop, Robin prepared to make his entrance. He had decided on an abbreviated acrobatic routine to get the crowd's attention - something exciting without being too flashy. After all, he was representing both himself and Batman at this shindig. He licked the palm of his hand and smoothed down a particularly defiant cowlick. Then he tightened his utility belt and drew his green gloves. "Show time," he murmured under his breath. He lifted his grappling gun and aimed at the grotesque head of a gargoyle high on police HG. His finger was tightening on the trigger when the crowd suddenly broke into a clamor of whistles and excited exclamations.

"Hey, look!"

"It's him!"

"Look up there!"

"He's really here!"

"Huh?" Robin scanned the crowd in surprise. They were looking away from him, at something that was happening on the other side of the square. As Robin's jaw dropped in amazement, a familiar gray-and-black figure swung into the spotlight beams and crossed the square on a slender cable. A forward tuck and roll ended with a perfect landing on top of police headquarters. Robin blinked. The billowing cape blurred the silhouette of the newcomer, who stood in a dramatic pose with legs spread and fists on thighs.

The onlookers gawked and pointed. "Hurray for Batman!" someone cried. "I knew he'd come!"

"He knows Mahado's innocent," a woman shouted from the middle of the throng. "That's good enough for me!" came a response from another quarter. Others cheered their agreement.

"Seto?" Robin squinted up in puzzlement from his vantage point. "What in-"

On the speaker's podium, Detective Tristan Taylor looked up at the dramatic figure with a sneer of disgust. He rubbed his recently shaved chin and gnawed on his trademark toothpick. "Grandstandin' psycho!" he muttered.

There was a burst of enthusiastic applause as the costumed figure swung away from the searchlights and disappeared into the night. Once outside public view, the caped interloper swooped behind the headquarters building, released the slender line with a double somersault, and came lightly to ground in an empty alley alongside the building.

"Touchdown…" murmured a soft voice as the figure straightened. In the light from a nearby streetlamp, it was obvious that there was something a bit odd about the heroic silhouette.

Reaching up and under the billowing cape, Mana Gordon tugged wads of padding loose from the shoulders of the makeshift costume. Then she bent down to detach several inches of lifts from the bottom of high black boots. She stood up and smiled with satisfaction at the faint cheers still audible from the onlookers on the other side of the building. "And the crowd goes wild!" she said to herself.

Mana ran lightly to a nearby parked car and reached for the door handle. She stopped in mid-motion when she heard the wild screeching of automobile tires. She wheeled around and dashed to the corner of the building, staring wide-eyed at what she saw.

The crowd in the square was scattering, the guests behind the podium milling about in confusion, as a battered-looking blue sedan whipped out of a side street and hurtled directly toward the speakers' platform.

Mana's gaze darted back to the car as the front passenger window opened and a machine-gun barrel extended menacingly. The gun opened fire as the sedan zoomed past the podium, bullets raking the gaily decorated platform. The guest speakers scattered in panic. Screams mingled with the shouts of officers as gunfire shattered one often giant spotlights. The other light was knocked off balance by a stray bullet. It began to revolve fitfully, causing a weird strobe effect that lit the square like the nightmare sequence from a low-budget movie.

Mana bit her bottom lip. Taking a deep breath, she raced out of the alley and launched herself into a series of forward handsprings.

The car had begun to fishtail widely at the edge of the panicked crowd, its brakes and tires shrieking as its driver fought for control. The driver gunned the engine and headed out of the square.

Mana used her momentum of her last handspring to leap high into the air. She snagged the huge banner hanging above the square and brought it fluttering down with her, an eerie sight in the strobing spotlight. Mana landed heavily on the pavement and sprawled forward on all fours. The banner continued to fall, draping itself across the windshield of the fleeing sedan. The car swerved blindly and crashed into a fire hydrant on the corner. Water erupted in a tall geyser.

Robin had fired his batline at the appearance of the sedan. He had been about to make his move when he saw the false Batman leap for the banner. Now he swung down into the square and landed between the wrecked car and the black-and-gray clad figure. He squinted through the flickering light and the spray of water, then trotted over toward the winded-looking caped figure. "Hey!"

Mana looked around and saw the young man in the green and red costume heading her way. She wobbled to her feet and turned to run.

"Wait!" Robin lunged forward, his outstretched hand seized the back of the newcomer's cowl. The black fabric ripped under his fingers and a shock off medium-length blond hair tumbled out. "Hey!" Robin halted, stunned, as Mana pulled free and raced out of the square. "A girl?" he said.

"Woman, if you don't mind!" the fleeing figure retorted over her shoulder.

On the sidelines, Vivian Wong snatched a video camera from a member of her crew and lifted it to her eye. She aimed it carefully at the fleeing Mana and began to film, a smile of delight on her lips.

Camouflaged by the fountaining water and the chaotic light show, two figures had exited the wrecked sedan. The driver was barely half the size of the mountainous man who carried the machine gun. Both were wearing colorful ski masks pulled down over their faces. The smaller thug pointed at the running figure in black and gray. "Get 'er!" came the command in a high, piping voice. The giant swung around and fired a hail of bullets at Mana. The startled gymnast did a quick back flip, narrowly avoiding the gunfire. The huge man lowered his weapon in surprise.

"Again!" the diminutive driver yelled. Her companion lifted the machine gun just as a boomerang object shaped like a batwing came whirling out of nowhere to knock it out of his fist. He turned to see another costumed figure charging toward him, a second batarang upraised in the green-gloved hand.

"Back off!" Robin announced. "The lady's with me."

The hoodlums turned to stare at each other, then the giant stooped and gathered his small confederate into his arms. He lumbered off in the opposite direction, covering the distance with surprising swiftness for one so large. Robin hesitated for a second, then sprinted back over to the black-and-gray-costumed stranger. She was standing at the corner of the building hands on her thighs and head bent as she caught her breath.

"Are you crazy?" he young man exclaimed as he reached her side. "What are you trying to do? You're lucky you didn't get killed!"

"What do I need a union card to do back flips in this town?" Mana looked up to see the giant hoodlum escaping into the distance with his small burden. "Come on!" she shouted. "They're getting away!" She took off in pursuit.

Robin stared at her perplexed. "This is nuts," he declared. Then he turned and ran after her.

The big man headed toward the alley with Mana on his heels. Without slowing her pursuit, she reached out and grabbed a lid down from a nearby garbage can. She took aim and hurled the lid down the alley like an oversized Frisbee. The metal disk struck the man just below the knees, and he went down like a felled redwood, his small passenger leaped to safety seconds before she would have been crushed by his bulk. The giant lay in the refuse, the wind knocked out of him. His accomplice hovered at his side for a few seconds, the raced off.

Mana reached the big man just as he was rolling ponderously over onto his back. Squatting down she yanked the ski mask from his face. The fall had left a fresh bruise on one cheek. Mana was memorizing his blunt features when the giant hoodlum lifted one of his legs, and knocked her violently aside. She gave a cry of surprise as she landed with a crash and clattered amid a cluster o garbage cans. The giant climbed to his feet and lumbered away into the darkness.

Mana found herself in a pile of garbage and debris. "Yuck." Brushing trash from her arms and legs, she rose shakily and started to walk back in the direction of the square. The annoying young man in red and green was nowhere in sight. She paused uncertainly as police sirens began to sound in the distance. Reaching a quick decision, she turned and retraced her steps into the shadows of the alley.

~*(KC)*~

On the far side of the police headquarters, the smaller of the two hoods darted around a corner and spied an empty auto trailer rumbling down the street. She raced toward it, leaping onto the end of the trailer bed at the last moment. She flattened out on the heaving surface and held on for dear life as the truck drove on.

Robin had decided to circle the building and ambush the fugitives. He dashed around the opposite corner a few moments and came to a halt. He scanned the empty street, turned, and ran back the way he had come. The alley was also deserted.

"Great. I lose the crooks and the girl." Blowing out his cheeks in exasperation, he kneeled to retrieve the fallen garbage can lid and replaced it on an open container. He searched the nearest rooftop for a likely protrusion and brought out his grappling gun. He fired the gun, and a grapple with a thin line attached to it wrapped itself around a sturdy-looking air vent. "They must've had a membership drive while I was away," Robin muttered to himself as he made a final survey of the alley, "'cause I sure don't remember a 'Batgirl' in our little club…" He pressed a button and the line grew taunt.

Author's Note: Yay! Remember people comments are what keep me going (that and Yugi, but that's not important) so please review and tell me what you think. The more reviews the faster the next chappie will be up :D

Also... this is the LONGEST chapter I have EVER written it's over 4,000 words O.o

Cazuuki