A/N: This chapter's a bit on the short side and I apologize for that, but it was necessary. I could just tell the next chapter was going to end up one the long side because I think we all know how much these guys talk on their own. Get them all together and just...no, not tonight. I can't handle all these bags of cats. Not to mention, hw is coming back full force as are my class final projects. ^^;
Side note for anyone not in the know: Pre-gaming is used to refer to drinking alcohol before going to the bar(s) to do so. This can both save money and allow groups to party in private homes/apartments/etc before going out to party. I should know. My neighbors two floors above me are avid pre-gamers. I can hear their music and voices two floors down. If it happens again, I'm gonna call the cops on them for violating the city noise ordinance, distracting me while I'm studying, and generally driving me nuts.
Pre-Gaming
Yuugi recognized the Field Spell for what it was and thus knew who had cast it. And of course, because he knew, so did Yami. The two Shadow monarchs immediately began scanning the skies for their Regent, spotting him a split second before they heard the Blue Eyes White Dragon's unique bellow. The powerful beast dove towards them, falling through the sky at speed for several seconds before back-winging and landing delicately on the ridge between the Justice League and Yuugi's group.
"Kaiba!" Yuugi cried, pushing through the crowd of people and rushing over to the dragon. "You're alright! You had us worried."
Kaiba snorted. "As if something like that could stop me. Where's your infamous faith, Yuugi?"
Shaadi slid to the ground as quickly as he could, a little pale after his adventure. Yuugi felt sorry for his friend. Shaadi had never been much of one for heights to begin with. Gentle violet eyes darted over to Oliver, who slid off the dragon next. The vigilante landed easily on the ground with a practiced grace. Yuugi nodded to the vigilante.
"Oliver, I'm assuming," he said. "I've never seen you in your Arrow uniform before."
Oliver paused and looked down at himself in surprise. Kaiba hopped down next to him and held his hands out for Mokuba to jump into. Oliver tapped Kaiba's shoulder once Mokuba was securely in his older brother's arms.
"Mind telling me, why I'm wearing this?" Oliver asked.
Kaiba glanced down at Oliver mildly. "You've been like that since I woke up. Why?"
"You have been wearing that since you summoned your weapons during the Shadow Game," Shaadi said. "I did not mention it because I thought you knew."
Yuugi nodded. Something similar had happened to him and his friends during Zorc's infamous Memory World MORPG. He felt Yami step up next to him and unconsciously tilted his body towards his other half. Yuugi watched Oliver who finally noticed Walter and Diggle, nodding to them. Diggle shook his head in relief while Walter stared at the white dragon in awe.
"Magnificent," Walter murmured.
Kaiba turned to Walter in surprise, smiling softly after a moment. "She is indeed."
"She?"
Kaiba nodded and the dragon crooned in agreement.
"As glad as I am for your safe return," Yami said gravely, breaking into the conversation, "I'm afraid we still have a pressing matter to deal with." He glanced significantly at the Justice League on the other side of the ridge.
Everyone followed Yami's gaze as the weight of the situation began to sink in. The members of the Justice League wore expressions varying from shock to defensive. Only Wonder Woman seemed unmoved. But then, she was an Amazon princess and was probably used to sights far stranger than this from her own Greek pantheon. Not surprisingly, she was the first to speak.
"Where is Green Arrow?" she demanded.
"Why do you want to know?" Kaiba replied, setting Mokuba down beside and slightly behind him.
"Easy, Kaiba," Oliver said, stepping out from behind the white dragon and placing a hand on his Regent's shoulder. "Let me take care of this."
Kaiba turned his blue gaze to Oliver, studying him closely. Finally, he sighed. "Fine. But if they attack, I won't hold back."
"I don't expect you to," Oliver said, already walking towards the League. He did not stop walking until he was face to face with Batman and punched him. "The hell you think you're doing in me city, Rodent?" he demanded. "I thought I told you specifically to stay out of Starling City. You lost your rights to come here when you refused to help out when this whole thing started. And the rest of you," he turned to the rest of his comrades, "Flash and J'onn aside, I don't remember giving any of you permission to be here either. My city, my rules, remember?"
"If I recall. You gave me permission to be here," Hawkgirl said, twirling her mace.
"After you were already here without my permission to begin with, on the understanding you would only get involved if something happened," Oliver replied.
"Something did happen," Green Lantern said. "Several things actually. One of which included you getting attacked by Shadow Thief." Lantern's glowing green eyes narrowed. "Hawkgirl and I have a score to settle with him."
"As do I," Kaiba said. "But then, I also have a score to settle with that glowing Boy Scout over there." Blue eyes burned proverbial holes into Superman's outrageous uniform.
Oliver snickered. "Glad to know I'm not only one who calls him that."
Superman remained unmoved. "You cast a spell on me."
Kaiba narrowed his eyes and Blue Eyes White Dragon growled deep in her throat. "You got in my way," Kaiba hissed. "You weren't supposed to be there at all. I told you specifically to stay away. You blind my senses. If I hadn't been able to cast Ring of Defense in time, I would've been out for the count leaving both myself and my kohai vulnerable to attack."
Yuugi's eyes grew round. He had forgotten that. Ring of Destruction was a Trap that inflicted damage on both parties equal to the target's attack points. Kaiba was powerful, but he was not invulnerable. Both Yuugi and Kaiba knew Superman could withstand much more physical abuse than Kaiba could alone. If Kaiba had not been able to summon Ring of Defense, then Kaiba would have suffered the same damage as Superman and probably would have lost his life in the process.
With no one able to fight back, the Shadow Thief would have run free. Oliver was still learning how to use his Shadows and had been especially affected by Shadow Thief's sickening presence. He could barely move when Yuugi had arrived and that was after Shadow Thief had left. Oliver would not have been able to defend himself had Kaiba fallen. All of this would have happened simply because Superman had ignored Kaiba's command and interfered.
"That still leaves us with questions that need to be answered," Batman said, refusing to rub his swelling cheek where Oliver had punched him.
"Like what?" Jounouchi demanded, finally untangling himself from Wonder Woman's lasso with some effort. He pulled his Deck out from his pocket and slid it into the slot on his Duel Disk. He grinned when he heard the sequence activate and readied himself to duel just in case. He could feel Flame Swordsman and Red Eyes Black Dragon rumble in the back of his mind, ready to join the fight should they be summoned.
"How about where on earth are we?" Walter asked.
"Not on Earth," Bakura said, crossing his arms. "This is the Field Spell Mountain, if I'm not mistaken." He glanced at Kaiba who smirked in satisfaction. "It's a part of the Shadow Realm."
"And how did we get here?" Diggle asked, lowering his weapon but not holstering it.
"I brought you here," Kaiba said.
"How?"
Bakura sighed in annoyance so Ryou explained. "Basically, the Shadow Realm exists in every reality and dimension in space. In many ways, it holds space and time together, unseen but with visible effects. A Field Spell pulls a part of the Shadow Realm over the current reality the Shadow user who plays it exists in as well as anyone he or she sees fit to include. The best explanation would be the Field Spell slips under our feet separating us from Earth and puts us all in a separate but related space. Much like the way saran wrap covers a plate of food."
"There are two of them?" Green Lantern murmured, staring at Bakura and Ryou in surprise.
"Oh yes, that's right. We never got to speak face to face," Bakura said, leering. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Bakura, former tomb robber now Thief of the Dark Triad of the Shadow Court."
"And I'm Ryou," Ryou said with a small smile, waving in a friendly manner. "I'm the Scribe of the Dark Triad."
"Tomb Robber?" Wonder Woman murmured in disgust.
"Are you twins or are you like the Pharaoh and the King?" Hawkgirl asked.
"Well, considering Marik and I are interested in fucking the shit out of him soon," -Ryou eeped and slapped his hands over his bright red face staring in horrified shock at Bakura who was pointing directly to him- "I'm glad to say we aren't related. Minus the simple fact that I'm his former incarnation."
"I...did not need to hear that," Lantern said, rubbing his face in embarrassment.
Bakura merely shrugged. "You asked."
"Former incarnation?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Yes. Long story short, I was possessed, died, Ryou was born, reunited with my spirit and we've been inseparable ever since." Bakura grinned and looped and arm around Ryou's neck.
" Although I don't remember it going that smoothly, that...is true, I suppose," Yuugi said awkwardly.
"In a very non-detailed, non-violent sorta way," Jounouchi agreed.
"Any more stupid questions?" Kaiba asked.
"How about why you brought us here in the first place," Hawkgirl said, hefting her mace.
"Or, how about we play a game," Yami said, stepping forward.
"Yami, no," Yuugi said, grabbing his other half's arm. "No Games."
"As hesitant as I am to admit it, I agree with Yuugi this time. I just got out of a Shadow Game and I'm not overly eager to get involved in another so soon if I can avoid it," Kaiba said.
"I hear your opinions, and know your hearts," Yami said, bowing his head. "But, if we are to work together on this instead of fighting amongst ourselves when we have the same enemy, it will only be detrimental to all parties involved except the enemy. The last thing we need is a fight we don't need to weaken us when we need to be strong. This could very well be what he wants. As long as we're fighting each other, he can do whatever he wants unchecked."
"Yeah, but still," Jounouchi said,scratching his head with the hand not wearing his Duel Disk. "I'n't that a bit extreme? I mean-"
"What're the rules?" Oliver asked, gaining several startled looks from both the Shadow Court's side and the Justice League's side.
Yami smiled. "It's simple. Each side takes turns asking questions that the other side must answer honestly. If the answer in unknown or nonexistent, then the question is rendered moot and the answering side may take their turn to ask."
Oliver nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds reasonable." Green eyes met crimson evenly. "And if someone lies?"
"Then the Shadows will judge them," Yami said seriously.
"That hardly sounds fair," Superman said. "Why must the liar be judged by your powers and not ours? We hardly understand what your powers are let alone how they work."
"A fair point," Diggle said. "I can't say I'm fond of unknown judgements myself."
"Nor am I," Walter said.
"Then I suggest only Shadow users and Justice League members be subject to the Game," Shaadi said, speaking up finally. "The Justice League will ask a question we of the Shadow Court must answer truthfully. Then we ask the Justice League a question they must answer truthfully. And to keep a fair balance of power," he said, pale brown eyes glancing to Oliver, "I propose Oliver act as the mediator between both parties seeing as he is both a Shadow user and a member of the Justice League."
"I'll settle for that," Flash said, nodding.
"As will I," Wonder Woman said.
J'onn and Green Lantern nodded as did Bakura and Ryou. Yuugi, however, hesitated before joining the others in agreement. He had no desire to bring harm on anyone if he could avoid it. But he could see Yami's arguement and Shaadi's changes to the Game's setup did make it fair for everyone. Finally, he sighed in defeat.
Oliver spoke up first. "What about Walter and Diggle? And the bodyguards Isono?"
"Bodyguards Isono?" Jounouchi muttered, snickering Even Mokuba grinned, smiling and waving to the two loyal bodyguards.
"They will keep us in check," Kaiba said, slowly warming to the idea. "Kohai," he said to Oliver, "you will act as the mediator with Walter and Diggle as your advisers. It will be your job to make sure the questions asked stay appropriate and on topic and do not drift too far into personal subjects. Fuguta and Roland will enforce your decisions and prevent any outbursts from either side."
"What about your dragon?" Superman asked, nodding to the Blue Eyes White Dragon still perched comfortably on the ridge.
The Blue Eyes White Dragon rumbled deep in her throat, lowering her head so it came even with Kaiba's. The two stared into each other's eyes for several moments before Kaiba's face grew vaguely pained. "I will dismiss her if I must," Kaiba said reluctantly. "But I would rather not." He sighed gustily. "Besides, even if I did dismiss her, she would still summon herself back here if she felt I was in danger."
"Why would you be in danger?" Batman asked, voice hard. "Do you plan on lying to us?"
Kaiba narrowed his eyes and glared hard at the cowled superhero. "Some answers I know but cannot speak for reasons that are my own. Should you try to force me to speak, I'm not sure what will happen. If Blue Eyes decides to summon herself in my defense, I cannot and will not stop her."
"That doesn't seem fair," Walter said. "You can summon a beast in your defense but the Justice League cannot."
"No, we can," Wonder Woman said, calmly looping her lasso back to her belt. "If I am attacked by someone like Kaiba, then my goddess has given her word to come to my defense."
"Why me?" Kaiba asked curiously.
"Has the Game begun?" Wonder Woman asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge. Kaiba's eyes darkened and his lips pulled upwards, accepting the challenge.
Walter nodded. "Very well. Then two teams of six. Kaiba, Yuugi, Yami, Bakura, Ryou, Mokuba, and...I'm sorry, but I seem to have trouble pronouncing your name," he said to the blonde Shadow user.
"Jounouchi," Jounouchi said. "You can call me Joey if it helps."
Walter smiled. "Joey it is then. All of you will be on one side. Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, J'onn, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, and Flash, you will all be on the other side. Each team will only ask one question. Not one question per person, but one question per team per turn. Is that clear?"
Oliver nodded with everyone else. "Fine by me." He looked around. "Be nice to sit down for this though. I get the feeling this may take a while."
Bakura grinned. "I hear the ground is good at supporting weight, or so I've been told. You should try using it sometime, I hear it works wonders."
"No need to be snarky about it," Oliver grumbled.
"Wait. Aren't you going to dismiss your dragon?" Flash asked Kaiba.
Kaiba winced and glanced at Kisara. He truly did not want her comforting presence to leave; but in order for the Shadow Game to be fair, she had no choice but to do so. The Regent nodded reluctantly. Kisara crooned and nuzzled him affectionately, assuring him she understood and held no ill will, before shimmering out of existence. Mokuba took his brother's hand in silent physical support while Kisara took up her usual residence in Kaiba's mind. She would observe the Game as she usually did and act if she deemed it necessary.
"Now that everyone is ready," the Pharaoh said. "Game Start."