A/N: We finally get to know the main enemy's name. Yay~
Reply to Guest's anonymous review: Yeah, that would be cool. You don't like who? The main enemy is from the YGO side and revealed in this chapter.
Introspections and Terror
"Damn it Oliver!" John Diggle exclaimed, lowering his gun. "You scared the shit out of me. Can't you knock at least once?"
Oliver smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, pal. I would've, I just didn't think I'd be back here so soon."
John nodded in grudging forgiveness, but still held his gun at the ready. "Kaiba I know, but you're a new face," he said to Yuugi. "Got a name?"
"Motou Yuugi," Yuugi replied, reaching out to shake the ex-military man's hand.
Diggle took the offered hand and holstered his gun. "So, care to fill me in on what the hell just happened?"
"Here or downtown?" Oliver asked, moving over to the computers on the far side where Felicity sat typing away at flying speeds, eyes glued to the two computer monitors in front of her.
"Both would be nice."
"The news is already posting about the attack," Felicity said, glancing over her shoulder and jumping when he realized Oliver had leaned over her chair so their faces were right next to each other. She blushed and focused back on the screens. "There are several photos up, but none of them are clear. Most of them were likely taken by cell phones. There are a couple videos from the few news cameras that were there but, again, most of the footage is blurred because the cameramen were moving."
"They won't be up for long," Kaiba said.
"I bet they will," Felicity countered. "The media's eating this up. Not to mention the views the videos have so far."
"They should be down within a few minutes or so," Kaiba said simply.
"Do I want to know?" Diggle asked, eyebrows raised incredulously.
"Kaiba has an A.I. that's apparently a hacker," Oliver answered.
Kaiba glared at the vigilante. "He's not an A.I."
"Okay, then what is he?"
"He was Gozaboro's son. His consciousness was uploaded into a supercomputer and now inhabits the KaibaCorp systems," he said with a shrug. "It was before my time."
Felicity stared at Kaiba in mixed shock and disgust. "Who would do something like that?"
"A sick bastard more interested in money than lives," Kaiba replied.
"Apparently," Felicity muttered, turning back to her computer. She refreshed the webpage and blinked when she noticed several of the videos were now blocked due to copyright purposes or removed by user. "What?"
Kaiba smirked. "He's fast."
Diggle whistled. "What I wouldn't give for that kind of security."
Kaiba glanced at him. "You have it."
"Excuse me?" Diggle said, eyeing Kaiba incredulously.
"He means," Yuugi said, "that because Oliver is now a member of the Shadow Kingdom he, and by extension you both," he nodded to Felicity, "are now under our protection."
"The Shadow what now?" the blonde woman asked, straightening her glasses.
"The Shadow Kingdom," Yuugi repeated, smiling. "Anyone who can use Shadow magic like Oliver can are under our protection. And since you are essentially his family, you get the same protection."
"What about our families?" Felicity asked.
"Not the same thing," Kaiba said. "They are protected by not knowing you have your powers." He met Oliver's gaze evenly. "You cannot tell anyone you have Shadow magic."
"I don't think that'll be a problem," he replied. "However," green eyes hardened, "if Thea and Walter are threatened, I will use it. Even if it reveals my power. They are as much my family as John and Felicity."
Kaiba studied his protégé closely before smirking. Yuugi simply grinned. "He really is like you, Kaiba," Yuugi said in Japanese.
Kaiba merely pushed his hands into his pockets and straightened, a smirk still on his lips. He twitched when no fabric met his hands and glanced down before remembering he had left his trench coat behind with Mokuba. He sighed in mild frustration. It felt weird without his trench coat billowing behind him. Speaking of which...
"How is Mokuba?" he asked Yuugi.
"He was still asleep when I left but," Yuugi's eyes glazed for a moment before clearing, "he's awake now. Yami says he's not happy you're gone."
Kaiba sighed through his nose. "I was hoping to be back when he woke up."
Yuugi gazed at him sympathetically and would have spoken if a loud ringtone had not blared startling everyone in the room. Oliver pulled out his cell phone and answered, "Oliver. Wait, wait, slow down, Thea. ...Yeah, I'm fine. I got away." He glanced at Kaiba significantly who nodded. "Don't worry. Diggle's with me. Yes, I'm heading home right now. Yeah, I'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Yes, I promise. Tell Walter not to worry. See you in a bit."
He hung up and turned to his bodyguard and sometimes fellow vigilante. "Sorry to ask but-"
"Don't," Diggle said. "I don't mind. In fact, I want you to get some downtime." Dark eyes met sharp blue and open violet. "If another one of those...incidents happens-"
"Incident?" Yuugi asked, confused.
"You mean Shadow Games?" Kaiba said, eyes hard.
"Yes," Diggle said. "If another Shadow Game happens-"
"We'll let you know," Yuugi said, earning him a sharp glare from his Regent. "This is your city Oliver," he said, gazing at Oliver. "Anything that happens here is your business."
"Thanks," Arrow said. He placed a hand on Felicity's shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly before walking towards the back exit.
"What about them?" Diggle asked, indicating the two Japanese men still standing in the Arrow Cave.
Oliver glanced back and considered a moment. Yuugi beat him to it. "I can go back to the hotel," he said. "I'll fill the others in on what happened. What about you Kaiba?"
The CEO considered thoughtfully. "I'll make another sweep of the city for the time being," he said after a moment. "If anything happens, I'll let you know," he said to Oliver. "Otherwise, don't be surprised if you suddenly have guests later this evening."
Oliver snorted. "What, a party?" he joked. "Am I invited."
"You're hosting."
Oliver smiled and shook his head as he walked away. Diggle waited until he saw Kaiba and Yuugi vanish in a whirl of darkness. "That the magic you were talking about?" he asked his charge.
"Yep," Oliver replied.
"Cool stuff," Felicity chimed from her spot by the computers.
Oliver laughed.
Kaiba appeared next to Yuugi in the hotel suite but ignored everyone present except for the boy with messy black hair holding his rumpled purple trench coat in his arms standing between Fuguta and Roland. He knelt and let the boy run into his arms and held him close.
"Good afternoon Ni-sama," Mokuba said happily to his brother.
"Good afternoon, Mokuba," Kaiba said, smiling.
"Well, what d'ya know? It does smile," an obnoxious voice chimed in sending Kaiba's hackles flaring.
Blue eyes glared at Jounouchi hard as he stood. He only looked away when he felt an insistent tugging on his shirt. Mokuba was smiling and handing him his trench coat. Kaiba took the coat wordlessly after mussing his little brother's hair and swept it on, reveling in the familiar feeling it gave him.
"What happened?" another voice asked.
"One of your enemies attacked my kohai," Kaiba said, adjusting his sleeves. He met the red and gold suited hero's eyes.
"Arrow?" the bird woman exclaimed. "Is he-"
"Fine," he said, cutting her off. "He's with his family right now." He placed a hand on Mokuba's shoulder, assuring himself of his little brother's presence before looking over at the Pharaoh.
Yami was embracing Yuugi and whispering to him in hieratic. It was too quiet for Kaiba to pick up but he could guess their meaning. "Pharaoh," he said in Japanese, gaining Yami's attention. "Superman showed up."
"What?"
"He got in my way and took my Ring of Destruction Trap head-on."
Crimson eyes widened, glancing down to meet his other's half gaze in surprise. Yuugi nodded, confirming the unspoken question. This could cause problems for them.
"I'm going out," Kaiba said. He had no desire to watch his fellow monarchy flirt.
"Again?" Mokuba asked, gazing up at him in disappointment.
Kaiba gave Mokuba's shoulder a squeeze. "Not alone." He met dark gray eyes and Mokuba's face burst into a smile.
"Keep in contact," Yami said.
Kaiba nodded before jolting and pulling out his phone. He scanned the message from Noa and narrowed his eyes. "Pharaoh," he said in hieratic. Both Yami and Yuugi turned to him. "Something's up in the Watchtower." He glanced meaningfully at Shayera, Flash, and J'onn. "Keep your guard up."
Jounouchi groaned. "I really hate it when you do that."
"Do what?" Shayera asked.
Jounouchi slumped onto the bench next to her. "Talk like that. I never un'erstand it and I always get this feeling I'm missing somethin' importan'."
"You don't speak that language?" J'onn asked curiously, stepping closer to the group.
"Nope. Just those three," he said.
"Actually, Shaadi can speak some," Yami corrected. "Looping his arms around Yuugi casually.
"As can my sister and I," Marik added, replacing his Deck in his pocket.
"So this language is not imperative to the use of magic?" J'onn asked.
"No," Mokuba said. "It just sounds cool."
Kaiba rolled his eyes tolerantly and walked to the door, Mokuba and his bodyguards following at his heels. He knew the layout of Starling City from the Shadows at night, but he wanted to get better idea of the place during the day.
"Unless, you plan on paying for the room," he called over his shoulder, "I suggest you get out. Oh, and by the way Yuugi," he added, pointing to his the area under his right eye, "I suggest you check a mirror." He closed the door behind him, cutting off Jounouchi's yelling and Yuugi's squeak of embarrassment
"Where are we going, Ni-sama?" Mokuba asked in Japanese.
"Nowhere in particular," Kaiba said, pressing the button for the elevator. "For now, I'm just taking a look around."
"Then can we get some ice cream while 'looking around'?" Mokuba asked, unleashing the full power of his adorable, baby brother eyes he knew his big brother could never resist.
Predictably, Kaiba flinched at the big, watery eyes, his rejection dying on his tongue. Sighing in defeat, he nodded. They both knew Mokuba always won these little victories but neither regretted it. Fuguta said nothing but shared a knowing look with his cousin Roland. They both knew this little outing would be dominated by Mokuba.
Yami smiled in exasperation at Jounouchi's ranting as he watch Yuugi run off to the bathroom to fix the smudged kohl. He had not mentioned it before because he honestly found it adorable. Sighing, he turned to the League. "I agree with Kaiba. It is rude and counter productive staying in here. What were you doing before Kaiba brought you here?"
"Before or after we caught mister rich kid doing magic?" Flash asked retorically.
Yami smirked. "Point. Then might I suggest we follow Kaiba's example and explore the city. I assume you can keep yourselves busy Flash and Shayera."
"I will accompany you," J'onn said, shifting into the form of tall, well-built black man in a suit. "If that is acceptable."
The Shadow users in the room stared at the Martian in open fascination. Marik leaned close to study the new form while Jounouchi actually poked the alien.
"Okay," the blonde said. "I'm impressed."
"As am I," Yami said, leaning close. "That's an intriguing ability."
"Thank you," J'onn replied watching Marik calmly.
Flash stretched. "Alright. I'm off to check in with the rest of the gang. Shayera, you wanna keep an eye from the sky?"
Hawkgirl nodded. "I can do that. Although," she turned back to the room, "I suggest we leave separately to avoid attention."
"I agree," Yuugi said, returning from the bathroom with his kohl freshly redone. "Marik-kun, Jounouchi-kun, can come with me and Yami. J'onn," he said, turning to the alien and starting in surprise when he saw the strange man present. "Ah...is that?"
"It is Aibou," Yami said, leaning close to his other half.
"Aibou?" J'onn asked curiously.
Yuugi just shrugged and smiled. "You lead the way, J'onn."
They left in two groups, the two remaining Justice League members taking the stairs to keep out of sight while the regular if eclectic looking group took the elevator.
"Anyone have any preferences for an endpoint to our wanderings?" Marik asked, eyes flickering everywhere, on edge now that he could not rely on his Shadows for information on his surroundings.
"Not in particular," Yami said. "Although, I hear there's a museum in town."
"Pharaoh, I practically live in a museum," Marik groaned. "How 'bout we not."
"What about the aquarium?" Jounouchi said, pointing to a brochure lying on a counter.
"Fine by me," Yuugi said, taking hold of Yami's hand.
"Aquarium?" Yami asked, tilting his head in curiosity.
Marik cackled. "Yes, that's right. The ancient one has never set foot in an aquarium before. Too much water. Careful King, he might drown."
Yuugi just laughed and let his other half argue with Marik. He turned to J'onn who followed at a more sedate pace. "You know," he said quietly, "you can talk to us. We don't bite."
"Debatable," Marik hollered.
Yuugi blushed bright red but somehow held his smile in place. "Do you have a preference?"
J'onn shook his head. "I do not. I do not come to Starling City often as it is not my city. However, I would be interested in seeing this...aquarium."
Yuugi's smile was blinding. "Then the aquarium it is."
"Did I ever mention how much I hate sharks? I really shoulda said. I hate sharks. I really hate sharks. I really, really, really hate sharks. I can't even begin to describe how much I hate sharks."
Marik ignored the blonde idiot's rambling in favor of pressing himself against the window of the huge tube they currently stood in. The tube snaked its way through a giant tank of salt water fish, including sharks, that swam freely above and around them. The only light came from the top of the tank and along the floor of the tube.
For the first time since his Shadows had been cut off from him, he felt himself beginning to relax. He could never fully let his guard down; it simply was not in his nature. But he could distract himself to a point. Unfortunately, his thoughts kept drifting back to the reason he was here and had his Shadows stripped from him in the first place.
Bakura Ryou.
The idiot thief and his yadonoushi were always on his thoughts. Ever since he and Bakura had actually decided to begin a physical relationship, they had been virtually inseparable. The mayhem they had caused had often resulted in Ishizu chasing after the two of them with a switch.
Ryou, with his disarming innocence, could often talk his way out of Ishizu's punishments. The boy had a sharp mind that Marik had come to admire and was surprisingly not as innocent as he made himself out to be. Perhaps it was not so surprising considering he was a member of the Dark Triad along with Bakura and Marik.
At first, Bakura had been hesitant about Marik's interest in his yadonoushi, understandably so. But after a stern talking to, he had begun to warm up to the idea of including his other half in his and Marik's more adventurous endeavors. But luck had not been on their side. The night Marik and Bakura had planned on approaching Ryou with an invitation to join them in a threesome, that damned Shadow Thief had intervened.
It irked Marik that he never ended up getting what he wanted. He was reminded of his distance from Bakura and Ryou every time he saw Yami and Yuugi together. It caused a surge of jealousy he rarely felt to burn him up inside. The fact Yuugi had told him straight up that he would have done the same thing had their positions been switched was a small comfort. He still wanted his lover back, both of them.
He swore the Shadow Thief would pay for causing this. And to whoever was playing all of these Games and keeping the Court here, he hoped they something to pray to because he would be sure they never got the chance if he ever got his hands on them.
J'onn watched the fish, large and small, swim around the tube in mild interest. But however interesting these creatures were, the disguised Martian found his eyes were continually drawn those of the Shadow Court with him. The differences in demeanor were unique and fascinated him.
Marik brooded with serious eyes. Jounouchi was a bundle of energy who it seemed could not keep still for any given period of time. It was easy to see how Marik answered to the darker Pharaoh and Jounouchi to the less intimidating Yuugi. Which brought to mind...
J'onn watched the interactions between the King and Pharaoh curiously. They two young men appeared to be twin brothers but their mannerisms were not those normally found between siblings. Rather, they resembled lovers. But if they were lovers, than were they siblings as well?
He shook his head. For some reason, the idea of those two being blood relative felt wrong. It just...did not seem to fit them. When he looked at the two monarchs,he could not fight the niggling feeling in the back of his mind that he was actually seeing one person. Why he felt this way was currently beyond him, but it ignited his interest more so than the strange sea creatures surrounding him.
And it was only because he was staring at the two did he notice their sudden change in demeanor from soft and almost playfully affectionate, to alert and aware. Their eyes darkened and their bodies tensed as if readying for battle. Behind him, he heard Jounouchi's ranting fade away. He turned to see the other two Shadow users' reactions. The blonde had a distinctly focused expression on his face as if he was trying to read something from a distance while Marik's eyes darted between Jounouchi and the monarchy in confused annoyance.
Jounouchi squinted. "Is that...?"
"Kaiba!" Yami snapped.
Before J'onn or Marik could ask for clarification, the two monarchs and Jounouchi ran out of the tube to find a place that was dark with fewer people
Mokuba sat on the patio chair kicking his legs happily as he licked the drips of ice cold rainbow sherbet from his ice cream cone. His big brother sat next to him in a much more controlled pose. Seto sat with his back straight and legs crossed comfortably while calmly scooping spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream with controlled movements. So typical of big brother. Everything he did was calm and controlled.
Mokuba did not have to look to know Fuguta and Roland were standing nearby watching them. It did make them stand out, unfortunately, but it was a necessity considering the number of times people had tried to harm the two brothers. The Isono cousins refused to settle for anything less. And while it was annoying knowing everything he did was being observed, Mokuba was glad he could finally spend time with his brother other than in Seto's office.
The relaxing atmosphere of the park was a drastic contrast to the somewhat tense air that permeated the actual city proper. The recent Shadow Games had put people on edge. Mokuba glanced at his brother and could see that same sense of alertness radiating off of Seto. Whatever was happening in this city was definitely not good.
Well, at least Seto had him with him. Mokuba grinned around his mouthful of cold creamy goodness. As long as Mokuba was nearby, Seto was balanced and at least somewhat relaxed. That and spending time with his beloved big brother were all that mattered.
Unfortunately, Mokuba was so deeply involved in his daydreaming and ice cream cone that did not notice the subtle changes his big brother was experiencing. But then, not many people would notice Kaiba's subtle mannerisms. Few ever did with the exception of Mokuba, the Inner Court, Roland, and Fuguta.
It started simple enough. Kaiba was thinking back on his interactions with Lex Luthor earlier that day before the Shadow Thief made his unwelcome appearance. He Still could not quite figure out why the man would be interested in buying shares in KaibaCorp, or why he felt compelled to ask him in person. Perhaps, he had not received the initial rejection of his request in the mail and was hoping a more direct approach would work. It would not. No one owned a share in KaibaCorp with Kaiba Seto's expressed permission and endorsement. And the only ones endorsed by the ornery CEO were the other members of the Shadow Court as well as a few of their close friends and family members.
Kaiba pulled his spoon free of his mouth, staring absently at the ducks swimming on the lake ahead of him when he first felt the brush against his Shadows. He made no visible move revealing he had been aware of the touch except for the subtle hardening of his eyes. He kept his Shadow senses firmly under his control, refusing to give in to the urge to seek out whoever touched him. Instead, he kept them at the same level they had been and waited for the brush to return.
When it did, he snapped out with his senses and snagged the Shadow tendril with his own and yanked. He sent a not-so-polite query through the Shadow connection, demanding to know the other Shadow user's identity. The response was not what he expected.
:Still as shrewd as ever, Seth.:
Blue eyes widened in dawning horror. It took all of Kaiba's self control not to scream and run for the nearest safe place like Seth's memories were all but begging him to do. He was Kaiba Seto, damn it. No one intimidated him. He may not have the ability to speak in clear words through the Shadows like this other user, but he could get the point across clearly enough. Whoever this user was, he obviously knew things he had no business knowing and enjoyed causing Kaiba's to almost have a heart attack.
Seth kept insisting he drop the connection and retreat, not wanting to suffer as they had in the past. A very strong part of Kaiba agreed with this sentiment wholeheartedly, but another part refused to surrender. Especially when he was still not entirely sure who this was. Seth hissed in disagreement; that he did know who this was he simply refused to believe it. Maybe this was true, but the fact still remained. Kaiba Seto did not back down from a fight.
He repeated his query, this time with more force behind it demanding to know the other's identity. He accompanied this demand with a harsh tug on the foreign Shadows. The response he received this time very nearly made him throw up from the flood of shear, unadulterated fear that welled from both Seth and his own soul.
:Oh my son, how could you ever forget me.:
Kaiba never noticed the spoon slip from his shaking fingers or hear Mokuba calling him or feel his bodyguards' hands touching him. His mind was only stuck repeating one name over and over as shock froze his system. He was losing his balance. He had to get a hold of himself. There was no way he could be alive. It was impossible. It could not be.
Then why did hear that voice that haunted his dreams since the return of his memories laughing? Why did the Shadows he now released, to terrified to even touch them, feel like his had? It was not... It could not...
He felt Yami and Yuugi reach out to him in worry and flinched away, yanking his Shadows back into himself, clamping down on them to the point it hurt. He did not want to be found. Not by the Pharaoh, not by the King, and especially not by him. If that meant shutting himself off from the Shadows for now, then that was a tolerable price to pay.
Something filled his vision and he blinked, jerking back in fear before recognizing Mokuba's face. His little brother was speaking to him, calling him, asking him if he was alright. He felt hands on his shoulders and immediately recognized them as Roland's. Fuguta crouched by Mokuba's side. But Kaiba payed them no mind, focusing his entire self on Mokuba. He needed to balance himself and for that he needed Mokuba.
Young hands rested on his cheeks and gray eyes met his steadily, offering him something to cling to, something to center himself with, something to remind him that he was Kaiba Seto living in the here and now and not Seth living in Ancient Egypt. Kaiba shivered as his muscles he had not even realized he had clenched began relaxing one by one.
Finally, he was able to speak, but all he could say was Mokuba's name, whispered in a breathless and wavering voice. But it was enough for those large gray eyes to soften and the hands holding his face to pull him into an embrace. Hesitantly, he returned the embrace, clinging to his Keeper tighter than he could remember doing in a long time.
Seth's terror ebbed, fading back into the depths of Kaiba's mind to settle in a tight knot that would not go away. He knew who the other Shadow user was. He knew. But believing it was another thing entirely.
As the terror subsided, his mind began slowly working again. He knew it would be wisest to stop shielding himself and allow the Pharaoh and the King to come to him and help him deal with this. They also needed to know the culprit's identity. But Kaiba also felt the need to find solace in his own orientation. Mokuba anchored, keeping him from drifting too far to either side of the Shadowy spectrum, but he still wanted the feel a Shadow user who answered to his orientation. It was a selfish desire that would serve both to comfort his nerves and assure him of his self-control and balance. He could not loose himself.
Normally, simply holding Court with his own Triad would work. Shaadi, Ishizu, and Mai were steady neutral presences. But holding Court meant touching the Shadows and revealing himself which was not something Kaiba wanted to attempt at the moment. Plus, Shaadi and Ishizu were on the other side of the planet and Mai was not in Starling City yet. That left only one neutral leaning Shadow user in the vicinity.
"Ni-sama," he heard close to his ear, Mokuba's voice muffled by his clothes. "It's okay, Ni-sama. I'm here. It's okay."
"I...I need to..." Damn it, he should not be stuttering. The panic attack was over, he had to get control of himself. He deliberately cleared his throat. "I need to speak to my kohai," he said, taking pride in having a steady voice.
Mokuba leaned back to stare at him questioningly. After a moment, gray eyes hardened in understanding. "Do you want to Travel or-"
"No," Kaiba said, cutting Mokuba off abruptly. Shadow Traveling would mean opening up his Shadow senses, and he was not quite ready for that yet. "We can take the car."
Mokuba nodded. "Roland, can you call the car, please?" he asked.
"Yes, Kaiba-sama," Kaiba heard Roland reply followed by retreating steps. He heard Fuguta take up his place behind the older Kaiba and for once, that was not a comfort. Standing, Kaiba made his way to the access road leading to the parking lot. The wait was not more than five minutes and the drive could not have been more than fifteen minutes, but it felt like an eternity for Kaiba. He never once let go of Mokuba, using him as an anchor to prevent another panic attack.
That name, that accursed name still reeled in his head, causing Seth's memories to tremble, leaking a steady stream of terror into his own mind.
Ahknadin.