A/N: Another update so fast is indeed unusual but I simply had to write this chapter while I was inspired seeing as this week will probably be jam packed with school work, homework, quizzes, and stress overload. So I'm treating y'all today. Consider it my gift and an apology for not updating my other fics in a timely manner. I'm crashing now since it's 1:00 and I have class at 9:05 tomorrow followed by work. Ugh!
Arrival in Starling City
Kaiba Seto flipped the page of James Clavell's The Shogun before glancing out the window of the plane. It had been a grueling 10 hour flight but at last they were on final approach to Portland International Airport. Once they landed and made it through security, Kaiba planned on taking a short cut to Starling City alone while his entourage followed. That way, whatever attention his arrival gathered would be focused on them and he could slip away in the Shadows without a hitch. He wanted to see what he could of Starling City before he officially arrived and his movements were watched.
Officially, he was going to Starling City to promote his newest virtual reality and holographic technology. Unofficially, he was there to investigate the unauthorized Shadow Games. If there was someone out there who could utilize the Shadows to the extent the Court could without the Court's knowledge, that could cause more than a few problems. Every time someone like that appeared, souls were ripped out, lives were lost, and general madness and chaos reigned. It was a nuisance.
He watched the lights from the city fast approaching the height of the wingtips as they prepared to land. Setting his book aside, Kaiba stood and entered the cockpit, taking a seat in the jump seat And strapping in. He wanted to watch the pilots' landing procedures for this particular runway partially out of curiosity, partially out of need. If he had to make a return trip here in his Blue Eyes White Jet, he intended to be able to make the approach and landing alone.
The landing was as smooth as to be expected and Kaiba took the chance to glance out the side of the windshield to the city of Portland. It was a rare clear night and the young CEO could see the sparkling buildings twinkle on the skyline mingling with the brighter lights from the closer airport facilities in between. The Columbia River absorbed most of the faint lights from the airport and the Vancouver suburbs across the state line in Washington state.
He waited patiently until the plane was come to a full stop on the tarmac before unbuckling and exiting the cockpit. He waited for the air stewardess to open the airplane door, nodded to her, and leaned out into the cool night air. The stairs were being driven up to the door so he stepped back to give them room to secure it before walking down to meet the dark SUV parked nearby. Several men in suits stood in the vicinity watching him and the surroundings. He knew a couple of them by name but the rest only by face and reputation. Consequently, he did not trust them.
Kaiba caught himself before looking for Isono Roland, his chief bodyguard and right hand man. He missed the man in his own way but was glad Roland had remained behind to watch Mokuba. Instead, Kaiba turned to Fuguta, the brunette Japanese bodyguard standing loyally at his left and nodded approvingly. Casting a glance at the other suits by the SUV, Kaiba spoke in Japanese.
"I believe you understand the importance of this trip so I won't patronize you," he began. "But I will be taking my leave the moment I get the chance. I'll meet you in the hotel room early tomorrow morning. Text me the room number but otherwise, no contact unless absolutely necessary, understood?"
The stern bodyguard nodded. "Yes sir. I can already tell you the hotel and room number. It's The Haven in downtown Starling City, room 1402."
Kaiba raised an eyebrow, lips twitching up in a smirk of approval. "Good. I'll be there by five tomorrow morning. I expect you up when I get there. I'll text you if plans change."
"Of course," Fuguta replied, stern but secretly proud. He may not have been as close to the young CEO as his cousin Roland, but he was still ridiculously loyal to Kaiba. The man would gladly take a bullet for Kaiba Seto without a second thought and consider it an honor. The fact he was one of the precious few who was aware of Kaiba's place as the Regent of the Shadow Court was proof enough of his CEO's trust. Trust was not something Kaiba threw about heedlessly. He kept it close; only giving it to those who proved themselves absolutely loyal to him and him alone. Isono Fuguta planned on seeing that loyalty through to the end to prove that trust was not misplaced.
He kept a close watch on the other suits around him, all of them were carrying weapons although only a handful had more than one gun. He himself wore a shoulder holster with a .9 mil in each holster by under his shoulders and a backup on his ankle. He was a bit frustrated about not getting the chance to sweep the vehicle for bugs, bombs, and other unpleasantness but settled with sitting just close enough to his boss as to not interfere with his personal space but still keep him within close reach. The quick glance of sharp blue eyes and twitch of stern lips showed him the young master had not missed the subtle movement and approved of it.
Security was not pleasant but a necessary hazard. However, Fuguta could not help but marvel at the seeming stupidity of the airport security. They all seemed like stuck up pigs bloated by self-importance and entitlement. Well, he knew several good uses for fat pigs, almost all of which included eating somewhere down the line. When they finally escaped the bureaucratic insanity, Fuguta escorted his young master back to the pick-up area near the parking deck where their vehicle waited.
Without warning, Kaiba slipped to the side, Fuguta close behind. He was a little annoyed at the delay in response from the other men. Apparently, he would have to work on their skills if they were surprised by such a simple move as this. He followed the young master to a secluded corner of the airport terminal parking lot and met Fuguta's eyes. Isono Fuguta nodded and saluted. Again, the slight lip twitch, then Kaiba ducked behind a truck and vanished in a subtle whirl of shadows.
"Fuguta-san," exclaimed one of the newer bodyguards running up to his side. "Where did Kaiba-sama go?" he asked in rapid Japanese.
"Don't worry," Fuguta said calming in Japanese. "He decided to take his own method of travel. He'll meet us at the hotel."
"But-"
"We are the decoy," Fuguta continued. "He needs some time to himself. He'll be there. Now, to Starling City."
The initial rush of euphoria when the Shadows engulfed him faded as Kaiba was suddenly suspended in a sea of writhing black. Tendrils reached out to him, curling around him, caressing him. The Shadows had missed their Regent. Kaiba Seto may no longer be High Priest Seth or the wielder of the Millennium Rod, but both had left their irreplaceable mark on him and the Shadows felt that, bowing to his authority. It truly was a rush of sheer power.
Where the Pharaoh, Yami, was the calm, fearsome darkness that ripped a door off its hinges and the King, Yuugi, was the gentle knock that just happened to break the doorknob, Kaiba was the wild, untamable power that obliterated the house entirely. He would submit to no one but his Pharaoh and his King, and they only to each other. They were the Triumvirate of the Shadows. Separate, their power was impressive, together they were undefeatable.
He calmed himself, forcing back the urge to simply release his Shadows and let them mingle with the local Shadows like they desperately wanted to, and focused on his destination. He had studied several photographs of Starling City in the hopes of gaining enough familiarity with it in order to travel through the Shadows directly there. The particular image he focused on right now was the view from a particular building. Once he got there, then he could travel through the Shadows of the city freely, within reason of course.
Once he was absolutely certain he had the image in his head down to the minute details, he summoned the Shadows commanding them to take him there. They obeyed readily, like children eager to make their master happy. When he next opened his eyes, he was standing on the apex of the roof of the Starling City Aquarium. Only his acute senses, quick reflexes, and connection to the Shadows kept him from toppling down to the ground below. He glared at the Shadows which withdrew slightly in apologetic submission before returning to hold their master Securely. Taking a deep breath the steady himself, Kaiba called on the Shadows once more to cloak him, shading him from light and the casual observer. The last thing he needed was to be distracted during something like this.
Once cloaked to his satisfaction, Kaiba turned his attention to the sparkling city around him. Honestly, it looked just like any other high rise city: sprawling, glowing, dark, and full of Shadows. From his perch, he stretched out his senses through the Shadows and felt the ebb and flow of the city's pulse. He noted where the Shadows concentrated and where they avoided as well as monitored the area for anyone reaching for or sensitive to the Shadows.
He almost passed over an area in a less reputable part of the city that had an unusual flux of shadows, both the sentient kind rippling in from the Shadow Realm and the regular, harmless shadows. But then he felt a slight tug on the Shadows and instantly whipped his attention back to the location. He felt through the area, almost giving his consciousness over to the Shadows entirely as he sought out the one who managed to brush the Shadows. It was not a strong touch, just enough to get his attention. Perhaps a Shadow Duelist just coming into their powers?
The building whoever it was in turned out to be an abandoned warehouse with a lively, thriving club on the inside complete with pounding music, crowds of young people, alcohol, drugs on occasion, and of course the cliché sex in the bathrooms. Kaiba sneered. How low class. Bored and no longer feeling anyone remotely capable of touching the Shadows, Kaiba once again withdrew.
He kept up the subtle surveillance until about 4:45 in the morning when he began to feel the beginnings of exhaustion and hunger. Using the Shadows was, while indeed euphoric, tiresome and draining. It was a form of spiritual magic that utilized the soul as a power source and thus could not be continually used. The user, no matter how powerful, was forced to often step back and take a break before attempting to manipulate the Shadows again after a particularly long period of use. At least the Shadows liked Kaiba and saw him as one of their masters instead of another regular user who could readily be devoured by the darkness they embodied.
Returning to his body, Kaiba took a deep breath and stretched his back, relishing the pops he felt and heard. He crouched down to give his stiff legs a break before standing once more and focusing on the hotel he would be staying in. Fuguta had said The Haven, room 1402. He drew on the Shadows once more seeking out the hotel, finding it nestled in a nice business district, then slithered through the dark rooms until he reached the top floor, level 14, and entered room 1402. Only then did he close his eyes and let gravity take hold.
He felt his body fall backwards, the air rushing past his face giving the illusion of flying before the Shadows caught him as he knew they would. He was once again surrounded by the cool warmth of the Shadows for mere moments before feeling the sensation of falling again. He didn't even open his eyes, just let gravity yank him down to what should be, and luckily was, the bed beneath his back.
He heard Fuguta jump up and rush over to him, opening his eyes then. He groaned when he felt a large hand press against his forehead worriedly. He was a bit warm, he conceded. Perhaps he pushed a little too hard after a long flight, jet lag, Shadow Travel, and then an intense study of an entire city all in one day and night.
"I'm fine, Fuguta," he grumbled, waving away the man's hands. "Just get me an apple and let me sleep."
He was expecting to wait for room service but he should have known better. Fuguta had apparently already ordered food for him, used to his antics. Kaiba's lips twitched in satisfaction. The cool, smoothe skin of the apple was pressed into his hand and he nibbled it tiredly until there was nothing left but the core. The last thing he remembered was setting the core down on his chest and closing his eyes to rest, then nothing until later that day.