A/N: Lots of talking and finally a little clarification of about the Shadow Court. Also, the shadow thing Marik refers to is also a canon bad guy just like the main guy in this. Btw, the main bad guy's identity has been hinted at. Kudos to whoever guesses it.

Laws and Infrastructure

"False descendant of Ra?" Shayera repeated in surprise.

Yuugi and his taller twin did not reply. They merely watched the group before them with cautious interest. The two young men were certainly odd in appearance. They both had black hair spiked up and blonde bangs. Yuugi's bangs fell down to gracefully frame his face. Yami's bangs also framed his face with the exception of several strays which joined the black strands in reaching for the sky. The very tips of both twins' black hair seemed to be dipped in red. Both twins had kohl lining their eyes in a style similar to that lining Marik's eyes.

They both also wore dark, sleeveless shirts and black, leather collars. Gold bands looped over their arms in similar patterns and they both wore a single, gold ankh earring, but the similarities ended there. Yuugi's shirt had large buckles going up the front and his black cargo pants were loose with a gray ankh embroidered along the outside seam at the ankles. His shoes were also black with silver latches around which black ties looped.

Yami's shirt was solid black with a gold clip scrunching the fabric on his left shoulder. A black leather motorcycle jacket was draped over his shoulders like a cape and his black leather pants were tight all the way down. He wore heavier black boots that rose over his ankles.

Yuugi had large, friendly violet eyes a shade or so darker than Marik's and a ready smile on his lips. He held himself with an air of reserved regality that subtly commanded respect if not obedience. Yami, on the other hand, radiated authority that demanded respect. His eyes were narrower than Yuugi's and a deep, wine red. He was taller than Yuugi by an inch or so and hovered close by his twin like a shadow.

Together they painted an intimidating picture that gave even the Justice League pause. Thus, it was Marik who finally stepped forward and spoke. "I don't know about these idiots but I have a bone to pick with you," he said, crossing his arms and leaning on one hip.

"How so?" Yami said, his deep voice reverberating in the room as he followed his twin to the lounge area. Yuugi sat on one of the chairs with a low backrest and crossed his legs comfortably while Yami stood behind him resting strong hands on his shoulders.

Marik eyed the two of them with ill-concealed jealously. "I woke up this morning with my lover gone from my bed, not to mention the entire country of Egypt. Shaadi was kind enough to inform me he was now in Japan at your behest. Either of you care to explain?"

"So it's official then?" Yuugi said with a bright smile. "Congratulations!"

"Ugh, shut it King," Marik groaned. "Why is he in Japan? Why wasn't I told?"

"Shaadi informed me of a certain," he glanced at the Justice League watching them significantly, "meddler who was 'digging where he should not,' as Shaadi put it."

"So what? Bakura and I are not guilty. Whoever stole that dagger was adept at shadows, but it was not us."

"Shadows?" Yuugi asked. "Our Shadows?"

Marik shook his head. "No. Our Shadows dislike this..." Marik's lip raised in a sneer, "thing. Wherever it went, my Shadows avoided it. It was like looking in a mirror and seeing your reflection doing something you aren't."

Yuugi and Yami stared into each other's eyes in silence for several moments before Yuugi dropped his gaze and Yami turned back to Marik. "I believe I understand," Yami said slowly. "We too have felt a similar phenomenon here. Perhaps your robber has come here."

"Bad taste," Marik said with a huff.

"Watch it," Arrow said and Yuugi bit back a smile.

"He called you 'King,'" J'onn said, drawing the twins' gaze. "Why?"

"Because I am the King," Yuugi said. "And he," he nodded to his twin, "is the Pharaoh."

"The Pharaoh? Good," Flash said. "Then you can do something about this creep." He pointed to the blonde Egyptian.

"Creep?" Marik muttered, offended.

"For what reason?" Yami asked, crimson eyes confused.

"Oh, I don't know, for taking over my friend's mind?" Flash said.

Both Yami and Yuugi tensed, focusing their crimson and violet eyes on their Priest, all traces of amusement gone. "Is it true, Marik?" Yuugi asked softly.

Marik nodded stiffly. "He was leaving anyway. I knew he could fly and...I wanted Bakura back. So, I just used my influence to encourage him to take me to Japan before letting him continue back to the other Justice twats."

"Twats?" Shayera muttered, glaring through her feathered mask.

Yuugi's eyes saddened. "You know the penalty for that crime. Why did you not try to contact us? We would have helped you."

Marik crossed his arms. "I can do things myself."

Yuugi frowned as Yami stepped away from his place behind the chair and moved to stand in front of his Priest. As the head of the Dark Triad, it was the Pharaoh's duty to enact penalties for those who's powers were Dark leaning. Marik took a deep breath and forced himself to relax under his Pharaoh's gaze. He nodded when he felt he was ready to receive his punishment.

"Marik Ishtar, called Priest of the Dark," the Pharaoh intoned in hieratic. "You have broken the law of the Shadow Court. You stand accused of forcing your mind onto another's, controlling them without their consent. What do you say to this?"

"I stand guilty," Marik replied in the same language.

"As you say," the Pharaoh said. "Your penalty will be the sealing of your Shadows until such time as you repent or another Shadow monarch repeals this."

Marik's face was emotionless as two fingers touched his forehead. He struggled to remain standing still and resist the overpowering urge to run, to fight back, to weep as his Shadows were cut off from him. He felt deaf, blind, and mute and it took him a moment to realize he was shaking. Tears blurred his sight but he refused to give in and cry at the loss. It felt like part of his soul had been cut off and locked away behind strong doors, which in a way it had.

He blinked when warm hands took his gently and saw Yuugi's heartfelt gaze. He swallowed at the tender smile his King gave him.

"Don't worry, Marik," Yuugi said kindly in hieratic. "It won't last forever. You have suffered too much to warrant that. I will have the seal removed within two days' time. You have my word." He stood on his toes and placed a brief kiss on his Priest's forehead. "I want you to know I would have done the same thing had I been in your shoes and Yami had been taken from me." For some reason, that made Marik's lips quirk. "Go rest. We'll wake you if anything happens."

Marik nodded. But instead of leaving right away, he knelt and kissed Yuugi's fingers. "Thank you," he said in Arabic. Then he stood and, back straight with renewed hope, strode to the couch and lay on it facing away from the audience.

"I am sorry you had to witness that," Yuugi said softly, drawing his guests' attention away from Marik and back to himself.

"What did you do to him?" Arrow asked, warily hefting his bow.

"I sealed his Shadows away from him," Yami said, his forehead scrunched in worry. "It is not something I enjoy doing, but the law is clear as is the penalty for breaking it. Even those in the Shadow Court are bound by the law. The same punishment that would be given for a crime committed by a lesser Shadow user would also be enacted upon a member of the Court. Even Yuugi, Kaiba, and I stand bound by those laws and punishments."

"Should we ever try to shirk our duties or give ourselves a punishment unequal to the crime," Yuugi said, "the Shadows themselves will rebel and enact their own justice." A pale hand reached out and took hold of the Pharaoh's, offering what comfort could be given. "The act of enacting a punishment is a form of Shadow magic called a Penalty Game. The rules of Shadow Games are strictly enforced by the Shadows themselves with the punishment dealt evenly to all involved no matter the person's standing in power, both magical or otherwise."

"Anyone who cheats in a Shadow Game is forced to forfeit and submit to a Penalty Game whether the original Game is finished or not," Yami said, squeezing Yuugi's hand and returning to his side. "Breaking the law of the Shadow Court is equivalent to cheating in a Shadow Game." Crimson eyes lifted to stare unwaveringly at the Justice League. "The difference is the Shadow Court must enact a Penalty Game instead of the Shadows."

"What's the difference between the..." Shayera hesitated, "the Shadow Court dictating the penalties instead of the Shadows doing it?"

"The difference is we understand and offer mercy," Yuugi said. "The Shadows do not comprehend this concept. For instance, had Marik's punishment been left up to the Shadows, he would likely have been forced to go insane and cause more harm To both himself and others. Because Yami cast the Penalty Game, I was able to step in and offer mercy."

"That is what you are," J'onn said, as if thinking aloud. "You are mercy to...Yami's punishment."

Yuugi's lips twitched as he sat down. "In a way, yes, I suppose that's one way to look at it."

J'onn glanced at Marik's back in thought. "Will his mind recover?"

Yuugi frowned in confusion. "His mind?"

"I has suffered much-"

"Stop," Yami said, eyes glittering dangerously. "You value privacy, telepath. Allow Marik that courtesy as well."

J'onn blinked. "I apologize."

Flash raised his hand. "I have a question: What language were you speaking?"

Yuugi smiled. "A language that has not been spoken aloud for centuries if not longer."

"I have heard that language spoken before," J'onn said. "Kaiba spoke it."

"When was this?" Yuugi asked, placing a pale hand over the identical one resting on his shoulder.

J'onn lifted his head to meet the curious violet eyes. "The man who was saved when Kaiba stepped into a dome of darkness heard it. I heard it in a man's memories."

Yami tilted his head in thought. "It is a language that allows us to channel power in a more direct way than our usual methods," Yami said. "We are also unable to lie when speaking that particular tongue."

"Because lying is a form of cheating," Arrow said, beginning to understand.

"You catch on quick, fledgling," Yami said sending a sly grin in the vigilante's direction. "I hope you end up under my jurisdiction when your powers decide your orientation."

"Orientation?" Arrow asked.

"He won't Yami," Yuugi said, earning a raised eyebrow from his darker twin. "I'll explain if you could all sit down." Yuugi smiled in a genuinely friendly manner and gestured to the bench and chairs nearby. "Honestly, watching you all just stand there awkwardly is a little odd. Not to mention I try not to look up to people more than I have to." He chuckled and even Yami smiled, red eyes gazing fondly down at his twin.

"You guys are seriously close, huh?" Flash said, pulling up a chair and sitting on it backwards so his legs straddled the chair back. He rested his arms on the top of the chair back and watched the dark twins interact.

Yami snorted. "You could say that." he shared a secretive smile with Yuugi.

"You can sit on the bench if you want Hawkgirl," Yuugi said, nodding to the bench by the window. "It won't cramp your wings."

Shayera sat gratefully on the bench, allowing her folded wings to brush the floor behind her. J'onn sat next to her while Arrow sat on the windowsill. When everyone was situated, Yuugi smiled up at Yami. Something seemed to pass between them because Yami barked a laugh before controlling himself.

"You are telepathic," J'onn said, eyes widening slightly.

"We are," Yami replied.

"Then why does Kaiba hate telepaths so much if he likes you?" Arrow asked, surreptitiously checking his watch. He really should call Diggle and let him know where he was.

"Like is one way to describe Kaiba's views of us." Yami smirked. "Our method of telepathy is different from yours J'onn," he continued. "We can only speak to each other." He brushed the back of his hand against Yuugi's chin earning him a fond hum as Yuugi tilted his head into the touch. "We can speak to Kaiba and our fellow Courtiers if they are within range and are strong enough to hear us and reply. But it is more of an exchange of emotions that translate into words our minds can comprehend than the more literal telepathy you use. However, Kaiba is the exception. We can speak to each other in words simply because of who and what we are."

"And what are you?" Shayera asked, eyeing the two suspiciously.

"As I said before," Yuugi said. "I am the King and he," he nodded to Yami, "is the Pharaoh."

"But the King of what? The Pharaoh of what?" Flash demanded in exasperation. "I mean, no offense dude, but there hasn't been a Pharaoh for years."

"My title of King grew from the title I earned by winning Kaiba's Battle City Tournaments. It's a title I now share with Yami." Violet eyes darkened. "But I don't think that's what you mean."

"Not really, though I am curious about the tournament title too," Flash admitted.

"King of Games," Yuugi said simply. "I, now we," he gestured to Yami, "are the King of Games. That is the title we earned in the tournaments. My full title, known only to those in the Shadow Court, those under my rule, with few exceptions, is King of the Shadow Realm and the Earthbound Shadow Kingdom." Yuugi blushed. "It's a bit too formal for me. Not to mention, it's a mouthful so you understand why I rarely use it."

"Kingdom, as in a literal kingdom?" Flash asked, impressed.

"Yes and no," Yami said, taking over. "It's all rather complicated and would take too long to explain. It's also not really your business. However, yes we do have a kingdom, it's just not limited by something as basic as national borders. Put simply, all those who use Shadow magic, no matter what power level, are in our kingdom and thus under our jurisdiction." He stared directly at Arrow as he said this.

"So, I answer to you?" Arrow said incredulously. "I don't bow to anyone."

Yami considered the vigilante for a moment. No one saw anything happen but Arrow jumped, scrambling off the windowsill to stand near Flash, an arrow knocked to his bowstring. Shayera stood as well.

"What did you do?" she demanded.

Yami did not answer. Instead, he leaned back, a look of realization on his face. He turned to Yuugi who was watching the scene calmly. "You knew," he said simply.

"I did."

"Knew what?" Arrow asked, wary of the two people in front of him. Whatever he had felt had been dark, so dark as to be oppressive.

"That you were too light to ever fall under Yami's jurisdiction," Yuugi said. "What you felt were Yami's Shadows. He is the Pharaoh and the head of the Dark Triad. He rules those who's powers are oriented towards the darker side of Shadow magic." He glanced at the Egyptian youth still curled on the couch. "Marik is one of the three members of the Pharaoh's Triad."

"Who are the others?" J'onn asked.

"You'll find out if it ever becomes important," Yami said. Crimson eyes met violet. "Is he yours then?"

Yuugi shook his head. "No." Yuugi gazed at Arrow steadily. "He is too Dark for me."

"Wait, too dark? Too light? Not dark enough? What?"

Yuugi actually laughed. "I like you, Flash. You remind me of my Knight."

Flash hesitated. "Your what now?"

"My Knight. You'll meet him later. He's out grocery shopping I believe." Yuugi gained a long suffering look. "Of he was last time I checked. He's probably found an arcade and got distracted."

"Don't act like you don't want to join him," Yami chided gently.

Yuugi groaned childishly and sank back into the chair miserably. "I would much rather be there than here. I haven't played a video game in ages." Yami had the decency to look embarrassed. "I wasn't scolding you, Yami."

Yami just huffed but allowed his hand to be caressed.

"Back on topic: light? Dark? Yeah?"

"Everything is fast for you, isn't it?" Yami said, grinning. "Yuugi is the head of the Light Triad, the opposite of my Dark Triad. Arrow, Your Shadows are too light for me to rule but too dark for Yuugi to rule so you must fall under the Regent's jurisdiction."

"The Regent?" Arrow parroted.

"Wait, hold up," Flash said, waving his hands. "I thought there was only a regent when the king or queen or whoever was too young to rule or couldn't rule due to whatever reason."

"Traditionally, yes," Yuugi replied, pushing himself up. "But we work as a Triumvirate. Three orientations, three triads, three rulers. I am the King, head of the Light Triad, and directly responsible for those who's Shadows are oriented towards the Light. Yami is the Pharaoh, head of the Dark Triad and directly responsible for those who's Shadows are dark oriented. The Regent is the head of the Triad of the Balance, or the Neutral Triad as it's more commonly called." Yuugi grinned. "Fewer words. He's directly responsible for those who's Shadows are a careful balance of both Dark and Light."

"And I would fall under the Regent's jurisdiction?" Arrow clarified.

Yuugi nodded. "He's already claimed you as his."

"Claimed?" Arrow balked. "I'm not owned by anyone."

Yuugi grimaced. "That's not what I meant. English is not my first language so I sometimes use the wrong words. I meant, he's already declared you to be under his rule."

"How's he done that if we haven't met him yet?" Shayera asked.

J'onn tilted his head thoughtfully. "We have met him."

Yami grinned. "Telepath or not, I think I like you."

"We have?" Flash asked, turning to J'onn in surprise.

The Martian blinked. "The reason Maik was punished by you," gold eyes focused on Yami, "and not Kaiba or Yuugi was because he was under your jurisdiction, correct?" Yami nodded. "Then only the head of Arrow's Shadow orientation could punish him for Shadow crimes."

"Unless the crime was great enough to warrant a full Judgement Game requiring all three of the Inner Court to attend," Yami said nodding.

J'onn nodded. "I see."

"See what?" Flash pressed.

J'onn met crimson eyes evenly. "The Regent is Seto Kaiba, is it not?"

Yami's grin darkened to something more dangerous but proud nonetheless. "I do like you."

"Careful, Yami, you'll make me jealous," Yuugi teased. Yami merely chuckled.