Shadow Justice

14: Greetings, Meetings, and Siblings

The group appeared a good ten feet from the lake's edge. The towering  buildings of Starling City glittered across the park and through the  tangled branches of the trees. Marik sighed when he felt his Shadows  respond to him more readily. Whatever had been obstructing his access to  them was gone now. He glanced at Kaiba and was amused to see the  Shadows reaction to having their Regent back within their easy reach  where he belonged. Judging from Kaiba's reaction, it was difficult to  tell which was more relieved to have the connection renewed, Kaiba or  the Shadows.

Kaiba had literally almost fallen to his knees with  the force of the Shadows latching onto him and wrapping around him like a  long lost lover, seeking to balance the Dark and Light with his  balancing presence. They filled the Regent's senses, temporarily  blinding him to anything else. He let his unseeing eyes close and  cleared his thoughts to fight back against the raging mass of Shadows  struggling to welcome their Regent back all at the same time. The rush  of ecstasy was so intense, he staggered, only just catching himself as  his balance wavered due to the loss of his vision.

Kaiba felt his  head fall back and sighed allowing the Shadows to assure themselves of  his well being for a good minute before clamping down on his connection  and regaining control of himself. The Shadows obediently, if  reluctantly, retreated. However, they remained connected to him more  closely than usual. They would not let him leave them or sever their  connection with him completely for a good while after this. While it was  annoying, it was also nice to be needed and wanted as much as the  Shadows needed and wanted him.

His sight finally returned and he  took in the scene around him in more detail. Or he would have if a pair  of golden eyes had not filled his vision. Kaiba did not flinch back but  he did gave the other person a healthy glare. "What do you want  telepath?"

The golden eyes blinked. "So those are the Shadows," the alien whispered. "They are...more sentient than I thought."

Kaiba grinned. "Would you like to meet them personally?"

J'onn leaned back. "I would rather you did not."

"Then get out of my face and let me find my brother," Kaiba commanded, face stern.

"Mokuba?" Marik said. "I thought he was in Japan."

"He's here now so shut up, lunatic Priest."

Marik bristled, pushing his pale blonde hair over his tanned shoulder dismissively. "Rude."

Arrow  watched the exchange with interest. He felt something just on the edge  of his senses tug at him like a child grabbing the corner of his shirt  begging for attention. It increased when Kaiba did that...worship pose  thing before easing off again. Now it was back, but it was less of a tug  and more of a stretching sensation. Arrow felt like his hand was  reaching out, fingers feeling around a surface in search of something.  Was this the power Kaiba was talking about?

He felt something  deliberately touch whatever he was feeling and caught the sly grin Kaiba  shot him. So it was the magic. Curious, he tried to focus his mind and  imitate the reaching sensation. He gasped when he realized he could feel  the other Justice League members standing around him like blobs of  energy. Marik was a dark entity he did not necessarily feel comfortable  around and Kaiba felt like the horizon between the glimmering red of a  setting sun and the dark shroud of night. He tried reaching further but  felt a headache grow behind his eyes.

"Don't push yourself, Arrow," a voice said.

Blinking  back his sight, Arrow turned to the speaker. Marik was watching him  curiously. "If you push too far too soon you could get lost," the  Egyptian youth said.