"...Big Brother? Do you want me to..." His brother was hesitant. Kaiba nearly laughed. He was falling through the Shadow Realm with a failing suit surrounded by Duel Monsters and Mokuba was worried about sparing his feelings? His brother was too nice for his own good.

"It's okay, Mokuba. Say what you need to." His own voice sounded foreign. It was soft, caring even. So unlike the business ready tone he was so accustomed to. He wasn't sure even if he was the one speaking. From the little screen in the corner, he could tell that Mokuba was surprised too. Thankfully, his words seemed to do the trick.

"Do you want me to phone Agent Wheeler? I know you two were close..." Kaiba froze. He'd forgotten that Mokuba wouldn't have known. After getting sucked under the propellor, his comm link to his brother had been one of the many, many systems to go offline. He wouldn't have heard the news that followed. And, by the time he he had gotten his equipment back together, he had totally forgotten.

Well, that exactly wasn't true. In fact, it had been the exact opposite. He had thought of nothing but the agent's death since seeing Joey's mutilated corpse in the medical wing. The entire time he had been fighting, the image of the blood-caked pale mouth that would never again sass him, never again break into a goofy grin, never again meet his lips in a kiss had always been there. But the thought of telling Mokuba had completely slipped his mind.

Mokuba left off there, perhaps noticing his brother's sudden stiffness, but Kaiba knew exactly what he meant. He nearly laughed. Mokuba was a lot more observant than he let on. Then again... He had never been very good at keeping secrets from his little brother.

They had done it. Kaibaland was officially fully operational. "Great job, big brother!" Mokuba shouted into his headset. Kaiba winced. Sometimes, it seemed the kid forgot that he had a direct link to Kaiba's ear, and most definitely didn't need to shout to be heard. Even so, it was nice to hear Mokuba excited. After the close scrapes they'd recently gotten into, his brother deserved a break. They both did.

"All the systems seem to be coming online," the brunette commented. The interface in his helmet was rapidly relaying new information, telling him of fluctuating power levels and possible program bugs.

"Yeah! It's lighting up like Christmas, only with more… You!" Kaiba bit back a snicker at that comment.

"Heh, sure thing, Mokuba. I should be back at KaibaCorp in five minutes." As he arched upwards, his backup boosters engaged, propelling him forward as he weaved between buildings. The new theme park was quickly far behind him. "Make that three." He saw Mokuba nod in the corner of his screen.

"Gotcha. By the way, Joey's here." Kaiba snorted.

"Hurry and lock the doors."

"'Ey!" A deeper voice came over the call, and Agent Wheeler shoved into view of the camera. Kaiba couldn't hold back his smirk as the blonde glared at him. It was so easy to push his buttons. "Watch it, Rich Boy. Now hurry up and get ya ass back 'ere. I got somethin' I need ta ask ya." The CEO rolled his eyes.

"I don't answer to you, Agent."

"And ya'd rather have Director Valentine show up at ya doorstep?"

The brunette stayed silent.

"Dat's what I thought." Kaiba growled as he landed on the balcony, annoyed at already being stumped. Not that he wouldn't have time to get back at him later. This was only one of many verbal battles the two had engaged in; the war was still anyone's to win.

"Big brother!" Mokuba's voice echoed as he heard it through both the intercom and his own ears. His brother was already running outside to greet him. The brunette gave a small smile as he gave his suit a command.

"Deactivate." With a hiss, the gleaming metal encasing his body began to separate, then fold in on itself. First the helmet, a draconic maw with glowing blue eyes, lifted off his face, and backwards like a hood. It separated into panels that slid against his shoulders. The arms and legs detached next, each segment seamlessly slipping into his core. Even the massive silver wings (which were more for aesthetics than actual functional) had their place, each chrome feather finding its niche. Soon, he was able to remove the suit from his chest entirely, folding into a box the size of a briefcase. Only the arc reactor in his chest was left, the one reminder that Seto Kaiba was indeed the hero, Blue Eyes.

The second he set the suit down, Mokuba was on top of him. He leapt onto Seto and clamped around his torso with such force that the wind was knocked from his chest. His "brotherly" hug nearly floored the CEO.

"Careful, Mokuba," he warned with a gasp, ignoring Agent Wheeler's amused snickers.

"Oh!" The boy quickly let go and scrambled to the floor. "Sorry Seto!" At least he had the decency to look sheepish. "I didn't mean to-" Joey walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hate ta interrupt da lovefest, but I really need ta talk ta Kaiba. Alone." Mokuba bit his lip, but nodded. He ran back inside, most likely headed to his room. Joey looked back to Kaiba, smirking.

"How long before he hacks da security system?" Kaiba gave a rare laugh.

"At that speed? I'd say one minute, seventeen seconds."

"Plenty of time den," Joey replied. He grabbed the lapels of the business man's jacket (even under his suit, Kaiba liked to look official) and pulled him into a kiss. Kaiba easily returned it, the feeling of the agent leaning against him far from out of the ordinary.

"Were you really so eager to see me, Mutt?" Kaiba murmured, hands locking around Joey's waist. He knew he was going to anger the agent with the "loving" nickname, but didn't expect Joey to huff and push him away. Kaiba internally scowled. He hadn't really wanted the other man to let him go.

"Really, Kaiba? Ya just had ta ruin da moment. But, unfortunately, I am here on business." He ran a hand through his hair and began straightening his own dress shirt, ridding it of any "post-makeout wrinkles." "Whaddya know about da Avengers Initiative?"

He remembered the following conversation clearly. He'd already known about the Avengers Initiative, having hacked S.H.I.E.L.D's systems many times before. He was, however, surprised to be hearing about it officially.

I thought I didn't qualify. 'Volatile, self-obsessed, doesn't play well with others.' A general heartless bastard.

Joey had laughed at him then.

It helps when ya have a super-star agent on ya side. Besides, ya are all dose tings. Well, not heartless. He had touched the glowing circle, tracing the ring embedded in Kaiba's chest. Guess dis proves dat, huh.

Mokuba was the only other person to say something like that to him.

And now, once again, here was his little brother, willing to step aside for his happiness. God, he didn't deserve him... For all either of them knew, this would be the last conversation Kaiba would ever have, and Mokuba was offering to give it to Joey. He wondered, if talking to Joey had been possible, whom he would have chosen. He couldn't imagine the pain of having to pick. But for now, a different pain welled in him, pricking the backs of his eyes. If he wasn't Seto Kaiba, he would have said he was getting emotional.

"No thanks, Mokie," he replied, the long forgotten pet name easily sliding off his tongue. "We can talk." His voice was calm. Too calm. Like this was a situation he was okay with, like this was something that he had accepted. And in a way, it was.

"Besides, I have an inkling that I will be seeing Agent Wheeler very soon."