Hello everyone, thank you all for the support and reviews.
Regarding this DC verse, I'm planning to use the DCAU.
As there is a proper ending I can put the story in relative alignment.
Oh and I apologise for any grammar errors if there is any. I study UK English, so if any words looks wrong that might explain it.
Please enjoy and review, they are my fuel :)
Chapter 2: The World's Finest Plus One
The Batcave, dark, eerie and mysterious as it has been. The air flowed through the cave with a soft yet haunting sound. The Batmobile was parked and it's powerful engine cooling down. Weapons and gadgets were neatly stored away with a row of uniforms in display cases right next to it.
Uchiha Itachi laid unconscious on a surgery bed on the lower level of the Batcave that was used for medical purposes. He only had his pair of grey pants, and his hair was untied. He was held down with metal restraints on his wrists and ankles. Above him was a scanner prototype.
The Batman on the same level was on a computer, separated from the main Batcomputer that was on the main level. After putting Itachi's thumb on an ink pad and placing his thumbprint on a paper, Batman got the computer to scan and run a check with the thumbprint.
The scanner above Itachi was turned on after a press of a button from the keyboard. A horizontal line of light ran down Itachi's body, the scan was complete. His anatomy was displayed on screen.
"Using the front door? That's a first." Batman said as someone came down to the lower level.
"It was simpler, and Alfred let me in." The Man of Steel said as he descended down, landing behind Batman. He turned to see Itachi on the surgery bed.
"So what happened to him?" Superman asked.
"Most likely its exhaustion. He does not have any injuries on him, nor does he seem to be having any symptoms." Batman answered.
"Are those restraints really necessary? I mean he didn't exactly do anything to show that he's a bad guy." Superman asked.
"We don't know anything about him. We don't know what he is capable of, apart from walking on walls and taking down one assailant according to an eye witness."
"Maybe S.T.A.R Labs can do something?" Superman made a suggestion.
Batman turned and gave him a look. "You of all people should know that your relationship with S.T.A.R Labs is heavily strained as of now."
Superman's eyes trailed down bit, recalling the incident when he was mind-controlled by the Lord of Apokolips to invade Earth. Superman was able to recover from his enslavement, but the public trust was shattered. Thus, Superman had been putting in every effort to regain the trust through time, to become a symbol of hope yet again.
Seeing Superman's affected expression, Batman continued, "We don't know how they'll react if you bring him to them, nor do we know what they intend to do with him if we brought him to them."
"Did you find out who he is?" Superman asked standing beside Batman.
Seeing the results on the computer screen, Batman answered, "No identical records on police database, nor from any hospitals. Odd."
"So he's a foreigner, Japanese. I heard him speaking what I think was Japanese before I caught him from free falling." Superman said.
"There weren't any flights from Japan to Gotham recently." Batman added.
"Illegal immigrant?" Superman asked.
"Why come here to Gotham then?"
"Hmm." Superman brought a hand to his chin with a thinking expression. "Well I guess there's only one way to find out for sure."
Both turned their heads to see the Uchiha. They would have to ask him directly.
"And since I didn't learn Japanese…" Superman said to Batman. The Dark Knight turned to the computer to study Itachi's anatomy.
"His DNA says he is human. Every type of cell in him confirms it." Batman said.
"So how is he able to walk on walls?" Superman asked him.
"I don't know. His sandals he was wearing, if you can call those sandals, does not have any adhesive properties nor any other means to stick to surfaces."
The computer then made a notification, Batman got back on the keyboard.
"What is it?" Superman asked.
"The scanner has been picking up something in his body. Fluctuating activity of some kind flowing in his body. And it's increasing in concentration steadily. Problem is I can't tell what it is. The scanner can't identify it." Batman continued typing on the keyboard. Superman turned and used his x-ray vision on Itachi once again.
"I'm not seeing anything. He looks just like a normal person." Superman said as he turned back to Batman.
"I don't think you can see it." Batman said still typing.
"What are you doing?" Superman asked
"I'm tuning the scanner, if it cannot tell what it is, I'll highlight the fluctuations around his body. Maybe then we'll be able to know what it is." Batman answered.
Now the result was revealed.
"What in the world is that? Cancer growth? Radiation?" Superman asked seeing the image on screen, subtly confused.
"No, it can't be cancer or radiation. The scanner would have picked it up from the start." Batman said. The two had their eyes on what was highlighted in Itachi's body.
"It's scattered all over his body, connecting in every single organ. And these points, it's like…nodes of some kind. This could be some kind of additional circulatory system in his body or something. The question now is, what's it circulating?" Batman made a deduction.
Superman said. "Well this is another question we got to ask him."
Itachi's breathing was slow and deep with the consistent rise and fall of his chest. It was not too long however, till his breathing slowly quickened. His eyes twitched, as did his mouth. His head slowly turned, slowly his eyes opened. His throat felt dry as well.
His eyes took in the sight of the dark Batcave, the stalactites far above him. And a small colony of bats hanging upside down from the top.
"W-Where am I?" Itachi thought. He tried to lift his hands, only to feel the restraints. He lifted his head up. "Last thing I remember…those two. The half bat, half man. And the man who could fly."
He tried to lift his hands and legs, but again to no avail. Taking a deep breath, he made one more attempt lifting his hands, and the metal restraints gave some way a bit creating sounds of metal screeching. But it was not enough to slip through them.
"(Stand down. Now.)" Batman commanded as he appeared, his voice firm and austere. Itachi turned his head to see the Dark Knight at a distance, beside him was the Man of Steel levitating with arms crossed.
"(I have questions, and I want answers. Who are you?)" Batman asked sternly.
"(Uchiha…Itachi.)" Itachi answered through fatigued breaths. Seeing the two's unaffected expression despite hearing his infamous name, Itachi was confused. "Don't they know who I am? Just where am I? Far away from Konohagakure? The Land of Fire? The Elemental Nations?"
"(Who are you?)" He threw the question back at them.
"Batman." The Dark Knight said.
"Superman." The Man of Steel said as well, understanding that they were giving introduction in names. Batman looked up the name in the computer, but no results came up.
"(W-Where am I?)" Itachi asked Superman.
"Look I don't speak Japanese Uchiha." Superman said. "His first name is Itachi Superman." Batman corrected him.
"(I do not understand what he was saying, apart from hearing my name. Are you the only one who can speak my language Batman?)" Itachi asked Batman. "(Where am I? Why did you bring me here? Is this a cave of some sort? A bat cave?)"
"(You passed out from exhaustion. It's been a few hours. Now tell me, what are you doing here in Gotham City? And how are you able to walk on walls?)" Batman asked.
"(I am a Shinobi. Any Shinobi can do that.)" Itachi answered. "(And where is Gotham City?)"
"Shinobi?" Superman heard the word. "So what he's a ninja of some kind?"
"So he says." Batman said to Superman. "(You do not know where Gotham City is, the city that you were in.)"
Itachi shook his head. "(I don't know where Gotham City is, I don't know how I ended up in that alley. I don't know who you two are apart from your names which you've just told me.)"
"He says he doesn't know how ended up where he was earlier. He doesn't know anything." Batman explained to Superman.
"His heartbeat is not lying." Superman said.
Batman then asked the question. "(Where are you from?)"
"(The Elemental Nations. In the country the Land of Fire, in Konohagakure.)" Itachi gave the honest answer.
Batman's eyes narrowed. "(And where exactly is that?)"
Itachi was silent to that, he honestly didn't know how to respond to that. "(I…don't know. I've never been anywhere out and further than the Elemental Nations.)"
"He says he's from a village called Village hidden in the leaves. In a country called Land of Fire, in a continent called the Elemental nations." Batman told Superman what the Uchiha said.
"Which I'm pretty sure does not exist on Earth." Superman stated the obvious. "Maybe he's actually not from Earth, just like yours truly." Superman gave a suggestion.
"He's human according to his DNA." Batman reminded him.
"There's probably more to it." Superman added.
Itachi's mind went back to what the Sage said.
His mind raced. "You've lived your life as a traitor throughout your life. Now you shall live free in the next, as a paragon. What did he mean by next life? Pass on the truth of Ninshu to this troubled world? I did die, I know I did. This is a next life, this is not my world."
"(Batman.)" Itachi called to him. "(Can you remove these restraints? I mean no harm to you both.)" Itachi said.
Batman stepped forward. "(Why should we trust you?)" He said, with his authoritative voice.
Itachi gave his answer. "(Because you two are the only people that I can trust right now. Both of you saved me from the brink of death. I owe you both. And I've nowhere else to go, nor anyone else to turn to now.)"
Batman did not really expected this answer. "What did Itachi say?" Superman asked him. Batman then gave the entire conversation translated.
"What are you waiting for? Let him go. He's not a prisoner Batman, he hasn't done anything to prove he's hostile." Superman persuaded Batman. Despite some reluctance Batman finally did so, pushing a key from the keyboard.
The restraints became unlocked, Itachi got out of the surgery bed, his feet landing on the cold floor. "(Thank you.)"
As Itachi was still shirtless and shoeless, Superman said, "Uh maybe I'll go get him some clothes." And he flew to the upper levels of the Batcave and into Wayne Manor before Batman could say anything.
About a few moments later Superman returned now with a black zip-up hoodie, a red t-shirt and a pair of sneakers.
"These are the only things I just manged to find first." Superman said, Batman just gave him an irritated look.
Tossing them to Itachi, the Uchiha quickly put them on. Now Itachi was wearing his new hoodie, his new red t-shirt, his old grey pants and his new sneakers.
Now Superman, Batman and Itachi stood together. The World's Finest Plus One. Although the height difference between Itachi and the other two was very apparent.
"(What is this?)" Batman asked Itachi as both saw the image of his 'additional circulatory system' on the computer. Itachi inside was being a little awed by the computer. He had seen computers before when he was still an ANBU in Konohagakure, but they look completely ancient compared to this technological wonder. He wondered just much has technology advanced in this world.
Now Itachi realised what he was looking at.
"(That's my chakra pathway system.)" He said to the both of them.
"(Chakra pathway system?)" Batman asked. "Chakra?" Superman raised an eyebrow. Batman knew what chakra was, but he suspected that Itachi's definition of chakra is different with his.
"(Yes. How you managed to map this out is beyond me. But why did you do it?)" Itachi said, a little suspicious now.
"(I was checking if you were suffering from any ailments. So far there's nothing.)" Batman said, "(But here's my next question. What is chakra?)"
Itachi's face was stoic, although there was a hint of confusion, but he reminded himself, this was not his world.
Nevertheless, he tried to explain what chakra was in its basics, being a form of life energy and what would happened should one run out of it.
Batman's eyes narrowed, and relayed to information to Superman. Hearing this, Superman just had a confused but not too worried face.
Superman then said, "You know since neither of us have whatever he was talking about inside of us, and wherever he came from might not be from this Earth-"
"You're pretty eager to settle with that conclusion aren't you?" Batman interrupted him.
"(It'd be nice if I could actually understand what you two are saying. Especially since I'm right here next to you two.)" Itachi said, catching their attention.
"(You know Superman doesn't speak Japanese.)" Batman said to him.
"(Japanese?)"
"(That's the name of your language. Or do they have a different name for it where you're from?)"
Itachi just kept silent, not sure of how to answer to that question.
"Ask him where his family is. They've got to be worried." Superman said. Batman asked Itachi the question.
"(They're…gone. They're all gone.)" Itachi answered, his stoic expression slightly slipping but still intact.
"They're gone, that's what he said." Batman told Superman, leading to a sorrow look on his face. Batman still had a suspicious look on his face.
"(Wait here. Don't touch anything.)" Batman said to Itachi, not leaving any room for question. He gestured Superman to follow him, out of ear reach from Itachi. Superman gave a gentle pat on Itachi's shoulder while giving a smile before joining Batman.
"I don't like this." Batman bluntly stated.
"Always the cynical, can't help it can you?" Superman shot back.
"He claims to be from a place that is obviously not from around here. He does not know how he got to Gotham City. He speaks Japanese, but he's not aware that the language is named as such. Then there's that chakra of his. None of this is adding up."
"Look, what I'm seeing here is a kid, without any family, without any idea where he is and without any place to stay. Why don't you cut the kid some slack?" Superman said.
"It's not just that. It's his sudden appearance, along with the things that has happened of late." Batman said.
"What do you mean?"
"Over the past few months there's been breaches in our global deep space monitoring network. And not a single evidence behind it."
"And no one's claimed responsibility?"
"No, there's more to this than meets the eye."
"You're not seriously thinking that Itachi has something to do with it do you?"
"You were the one who gave the suggestion that he's not from Earth despite having human DNA. Maybe he's actually like you, from the stars. Maybe he's actually from a place on Earth we've never heard of. Or maybe it's something else. Things are not making any sense at all." Batman explained.
"Well now what?" Superman asked.
"There's one thing he hasn't told us yet." Batman answered.
"And what's that?"
Batman turned and went up to Itachi. Superman followed. The two stood in front of Itachi, and Itachi was not exactly comfortable with this supposed confrontation.
"(Who are you?)" Batman asked the Uchiha.
Itachi said, "(I have told you, my name-)"
"(I think you know exactly what I am asking for here.)" Batman cut him off mid-sentence, his cold and strict. "(I want the whole truth, no matter how ugly it is. Who are you really?)"
Itachi's eyes narrowed, his brows furrowed a little, he was not liking this at all. Finally he let out a sigh.
"(I do not think I am actually from this world, this reality, this plane of existence. The ugly truth? For most of my life I hid the truth, hoping that if things were kept in the dark it would have been safer for the things I held dear.)" Itachi closed his eyes. "(But then my actions betrayed me, I've made the mistake of not being truthful to what I held precious from the start, thus I stood as a failure. But perhaps in this world, I should start with the truth, I do not wish to make the same mistake to the people whom I'm indebted to. And if I'm to be judged because of the truth, then so be it. The truth will set me free nevertheless."
He opened his eyes. "(Who am I really? I shall show you.)" His onyx eyes turned red with three tomoe. Batman and Superman gazed in question at the eyes.
Sharingan.
"(I will show you everything.)"
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, hope I've done it well.
And yes I'm making Itachi show the truth right at the start. I felt that he learned about what would happen if he kept the truth hidden after Sasuke and all.
His past May still bite him in the future, and be used against him. We'll have to see.
Thank you for reading this chapter, hope to see you in the next one.