Same italics and disclaimers as before.
Chapter 53: Unhallowed Ground
Deep within the bowels of a hellish dimension was a small island of onyx rock in the middle of a giant lake of bubbling, boiling lava. On the tiny island was a cube made of intertwining barbs and bars, forming a distinct cell of sharp thorns and spikes. On the floor of the cell, Raven was sprawled, her body rising and falling with petrified breathing. Her cloak was ripped and she was covered in various cuts and bruises.
Leaning against her cell was a hunched figure in a ragged, black cloak, glaring mournfully over continuous movement of the lava. Raven's breathing slowly became less labored and she picked her head up off the ground. Her skin was stained with ash and her eyes were bloodshot. She tried to speak, but her mouth was drier than a desert. "Don't force yourself to speak until you're ready," said her hooded jailor, "The human body isn't designed to inhale this much sulfur. But then again, you're not entirely human, are you."
Raven stared at him and her mouth gapped several times before her vocal chords found traction. "Y-you…w-why?" she managed. She tried to continue, but whatever fluid had moistened her throat was gone now and speech was lost to her.
"It's alright," said the figure gently, "I know what you were trying to say. You recognize me and you're wondering why my, ah, 'partner' and I are working for your father." The figure paused, but looked up to the roof of the dimension, a cavernous ceiling covered in spiked stalagmites and scurrying demons. As his head lifted, his hood fell down, revealing his face. His rich red hair was long and tangled, but a thick streak of pure white was still prominent and stretched from his roots to his tips. His face would have been handsome, but it was marred by an ugly scowl and weary eyes.
Raven found tiny water molecules in her throat once more. "Jason…Blood," she panted.
"Yes," he said calmly, "Merlin's personal demon, traitor of Camelot and all that nonsense." He took a deep breath of the burning air and released a pent up sigh. "I really wish I didn't have to do this to you, Raven. I don't know anything about you, but you seem like a nice enough person. You don't…nobody deserves what's happening to you, what's going to happen to you."
Raven groaned and rolled over onto her back. "The visions," she whispered, her lungs slowly adapting to the scorched atmosphere, "The visions."
"Ah, yes," Blood winced, "Trigon told me that being closer to him will make your hallucinations more powerful. 'Like the worst possible acid trip', as Harm put it."
Raven gasped as her vision suddenly swirled with pain and she suddenly found herself facing Naruto. A thick javelin made of stone and pain impaled him through the heart. Raven slowly looked down and screamed when she saw his blood on her hands. None of it was real, of course, but her scream was.
Blood sighed and pulled his cloak a little tighter around himself. "I'm sorry," he said, "Truly, I am. But you need to see these things. You need to be ready." Blood turned to kneel before the cage. "I need you to be the portal you're destined to be. I've spent twenty years in this hell, tricked by the Sentinels of Magic into surrendering my fate." Blood's face became hard and he glared at Raven. "I will reclaim my fate," he stated firmly, "I will return to Earth. I will find the Helmet of Fate, the anchor of the Lord of Order. And when I destroy it, if my calculations are correct, the resulting mystic backlash will separate me from the demon inside of me. Merlin turned me into what I am to punish me for betraying King Arthur. But I have spent nearly a millennium playing host to that wretched creature! A Millennium!" Blood stood up, his voice rising and his eyes burning as he glared angrily at Raven's writhing form. "My punishment is over!" he hissed, "And if I must throw in with Trigon to end my torment, than so be it!"
Raven snapped out of her delusions and rolled over to stare through fluttering lids at Jason. "W-whatever…helps you…s-sleep."
Blood roared and punched the side of the cage, making it rattle dangerously. He snorted thick clouds of smoke from his nostrils and took a calming step back. "You are to young to understand," he reasoned, "My pain is leagues ahead of your own. Perhaps if you live long enough, you'll understand why I'm doing this."
"I understand," spat Raven, trying to muster her strength, "You're just…a bitter…antiquated…geezer. You ever…meet…Dr. Occult? You could've…been brothers."
Blood smirked. "Occult," he muttered, "That scoundrel. I'll admit, I was sorry to hear he died, but such is the way of mortals."
"So that's it," grimaced Raven, "You've lived so long…you've forgotten what it means…to be human."
"You're not wrong," admitted Blood calmly, "I have forgotten what it is to be human. But not because I've lived so long." He crouched down to Raven's level and looked at her between the bars. "It's because I've lived in pain for so long."
"Semantics," Raven murmured, "Just admit it. You…gave up on being human."
Blood stared hard at her for a few moments, long enough for her to wonder if he would enter her cage and kill her right then and there. But instead he grunting and turning away, leaning against her cage as he had before. "If you keep thinking like that," he muttered, "Than it's going to be a long process."
Raven stared at him, her heart suddenly skipping a beat in fear. "Pr-process?"
"Yes," said Blood quietly as a fresh wave of hallucinations overcame Raven's grip on reality, "Process."
. . .
Cassie glared across the Watchtower's main hall at Asami. She was talking with Tye, Ed, and Virgil, the old runaway crew. Asami wasn't smiling, but it looked like Virgil had just told a joke as Ed and Tye were yukking it up. Unconsciously, Cassie reached up to her neck and twisted the strands of hair Asami had cut in their fight between her fingers.
Wonder Woman walked up behind her with a sigh. "Well, that could have gone worse," she muttered. She looked her protégé up and down with a frown. "Did you get hit by a truck or something? What happened?"
"Nothing," said Cassie quickly, "I,uh, lost a fight with Asami." Her eyes widened and she clapped a hand to her mouth. She glanced down and groaned internally when she saw that her golden lasso had gotten caught around her wrist without her noticing, mystically compelling her to tell the truth.
"That's not nothing," said Wonder Woman seriously, "In times of crisis, the last thing we need is infighting."
"Really? That's your biggest concern?" Cassie grunted and turned to her mentor, "I lost. Big time. She wiped the floor with me. She's never had formal training and she's been meditating in the mountains for two months and she kicked my butt."
Wonder Woman blinked. "You're afraid," she realized, "You don't like the idea that there are people more powerful than you, especially people your own age, or even younger than you."
Cassie looked away. "Yes," she blinked and groaned in exasperation, unhooking her lasso from her wrist, "I mean no."
"The lasso doesn't lie," said Wonder Woman calmly, "At least now you know how Mr. McGuffin felt."
"I want to train," said Cassie suddenly, "On Themiscyra, with the other Amazons. Hey!" She looked all over herself until she noticed that Wonder Woman's golden lasso was tucked subtly around her ankle. With an angry grunt, Cassie kicked it away.
Wonder Woman recoiled her lasso with a small smile. "If you wanted to see Themiscyra, all you had to do was ask."
Cassie glared at her. "I'm from man's world," she muttered, "I don't belong on Themiscyra."
Wonder Woman blinked before laughing out loud. "Cassie, honey, you're the daughter of Zeus. You belong anywhere you want."
. . .
Asami bit her tongue and stared out into space as her former teammates laughed at Virgil's story. Although, she reasoned, they still were her teammates. Tye and Ed were still part of Akatsuki and Virgil had joined the team, the only one who had truly left was Asami. But could she really be blamed for it? She'd been in a serious relationship, her first ever. She'd fallen in love for the first time and it ended in pure tragedy. Jin…
She blinked quickly to hold back tears. She didn't want to cry, it would make the soot around her eyes run. Asami had never been much into makeup, but the ash and soot that had accumulated over her face and skin over the last two months were signs of her hard work, of her dedication to Lady Matatabi. They were the spoils of her training, and she wore them with pride.
Apparently, it was Tye's turn to tell a story. "So I'm holding this girl, fighting a giant gorilla, and avoiding a bunch of old-timey biplanes. I have a monkey's paw in my back pocket and half a fire truck hanging off my big toe. And just when I get to the bottom of the Hover Dam, that's when I realize I left the oven on at home." Asami heard her friends laugh, but did not join them. She didn't know why it was funny. In truth, it probably wasn't. The boys were likely just so desperate to find a silver lining that they'd laugh at anything. She went back to looking at the stars, reviewing her last lessons from Matatabi.
"Yo, Asami," Virgil said with a frown, "You good?"
Asami blinked and turned back to him. "Huh?"
"Are you okay?"
"Fine, why?"
Tye and Virgil exchanged a pointed glance. "Well," said Ed slowly, "Ms. Martian has been trying to get your attention for a few minutes."
Asami turned to face M'gann, who was standing behind her with a grim smile. "Nice of you to join us," she said, cocking an eyebrow.
"My apologies," said Asami quickly, "I was…lost."
"Believe me, I know the feeling," sighed M'gann, "Can we talk for a minute?"
"Of course." Asami followed M'gann out of the Watchtower's main hall and into the winding hallways leading to the barracks.
"You'll be staying here for the time being," explained M'gann, showing Asami her small cabin. It was about the size of a single dorm room and had a small porthole that looked out over Earth below. "Some of the others are staying on Infinity Island, but I figured you wouldn't want to go there."
"Thank you," said Asami sincerely, "Where are you staying?"
"Naruto and I have an apartment in L.A.," she said, "So if you ever need us, we're just a Zeta Tube away." Asami nodded and M'gann started to leave, but she stopped at the door. "Asami," she said gently, "I mean it. If you need to talk…I know how hard it can be to take sometimes. I-"
"Thank you, Ms. Martian," said Asami, somewhat stiffly, "I think I need to get some rest. It's been a, what is the word, hectic afternoon." M'gann nodded and left Asami to her new room and her thoughts.
Slowly, Asami shifted onto her bed and rolled onto her stomach. From there, she could gaze directly out of the porthole. Eventually, she found sleep, soothed by the gentle hum of the Watchtower, the cathartic view from her room, and the wet feel of her tear-soaked pillow.
. . .
Naruto sat alone in the war room. The meeting had been over for an hour. In it, he had briefed the collected heroes on the events of the last day, the dangers Madara posed, and instructions in case anyone encountered him. He managed to keep it vague and avoided any questions that were too specific. The younger heroes seemed to be satisfied with his presentation, but he had felt the eyes of the senior members of the League digging into him throughout the meeting.
"Of course, the real question isn't if they're ready," noted Kurama, "It's if we are." Naruto didn't reply and continued to look out into space. "Well, kit? Are we ready for what Madara's bringing to the table?"
I don't know, sighed Naruto internally, But right now we're at an extreme disadvantage. We need Raven's powers over souls to win this fight.
"We can have Zatanna talk to the Sentinels of Magic," Kurama suggested, "Maybe they have some kind of spell that could replicate Raven's abilities."
It's a start. Did you feel it?
"Yup. That little kid we used to fight next to on the team has a little bundle of joy in the oven."
Makes me feel old just thinking about it, Naruto allowed himself a smile, Remember when Joker kidnapped M'gann and Z helped me get her back?
"That was over five years ago," Kurama mused, "Yeah, I remember it. By the way, we're getting company." Seconds later, the doors to the war room swung open, letting in Black Canary, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman.
"So," said Black Canary as she sat next to Naruto, "Do you actually plan on letting us in on your info? Or are we just going by guesswork here?"
"I've told you what you need to know," said Naruto calmly.
"And you seem to think that's all we should know," said Superman with an angry grunt, "You've told us about what Madara can do, and we've already seen the destruction he can cause, but we need to know what he's going to do."
"He's going to try to break me," Naruto said, folding his arms, "I told you as much during the meeting."
"But what does that entail?" asked Wonder Woman, "Why has he singled you out?"
"That doesn't matter," said Batman, drawing looks of confusion and amazement from the other Leaguers, "If he's going to try to break you, will he succeed?"
"Wait," sighed Superman, rubbing his temples, "I'm already lost."
"Ah," Black Canary nodded, "I see. Whatever Madara does doesn't matter because Naruto knows what's coming and trusts us to be able to handle it."
"And he doesn't want to talk about it because, whatever it is, might weaken his resolve and distract him from dealing with Madara," said Wonder Woman, "An interesting strategy, one that might even work for once."
Superman glared at the three other Leaguers and grit his teeth. "But we don't-"
"Relax, Clark," said Batman firmly, "You're a hero, not a soldier."
"I can't believe you're defending this!" said Superman in wonderment, staring at Batman, "Weren't you the one who said that Naruto would doom us if he didn't share his knowledge."
"I did," said Batman calmly, "But if this war ultimately comes down to Naruto being sound of mind, then we have to do all we can to accommodate him. I'm no stranger to psychological trauma, so if that's Madara's game, then we need to play it."
Superman looked around helplessly and sighed as he sank into his seat. "Let the record show I think this is a terrible idea."
"Noted," said Black Canary.
"There is something else," said Naruto suddenly, "But it must not leave this room."
"Don't compromise for us," growled Batman.
"No," Naruto was firm, "I'm going to need your help to do this anyway." He leaned forwards and the heroes matched him. "I can't tell you Madara's exact plan until it unfolds," he said softly, "But he's going to make a mistake. A huge one. In his attempt to break my willpower, he's going to give us the opportunity to match his power."
Wonder Woman frowned. "Last time Madara attacked, you told us he was a brilliant strategist and tactician. If his mistake is so glaring, how could he make it?"
"Because Madara's motivated by revenge," said Naruto grimly, "He suffers from his clan's Curse of Hatred, which has caused him to overlook this flaw in his plan. Make no mistake, he hasn't doomed himself, he's just given us an opportunity, a fighting chance."
"A chance is all we need," said Batman, "And you're sure Madara won't catch his mistake?"
"Right now, his main goal is to cause me as much anguish and pain as possible," said Naruto, "To get this chance, I'm going to have to…" He stopped and took a deep, stabilizing breath. "I'm going to have to tough it out," he said simply.
"Understood," said Batman as he stood, "We're done here."
"Yes," Naruto stood up as well. The two exchanged a look and a brief nod before heading for the door.
"There is anther problem," said Batman quietly as they walked, "Your team in Metropolis now has warrants on them. I'm no stranger to dodging public opinion, but as part of the Justice League's charter, you need to handle this situation."
"Yeah," sighed Naruto, "I'll think of something. Maybe a press conference or official statement."
"Incoming!" snapped Kurama suddenly. Naruto stepped to the side just as Wally skidded to an abrupt halt where he had been standing.
"Yo!" he panted, "'Sup?"
"Wally?" Black Canary stood with a frown, "How did you get here? You're not affiliated with us anymore."
"I wiped your Zeta Tube account personally," said Batman.
"Emergency," said Wally, clutching his chest, "Whew! Haven't run…that fast in a while…Naruto, it's Dr. Fate. He's back."
. . .
Someone had the bright idea to go down to the Watchtower's rec room to vent on some arcade games. It was a good idea, but the team was too somber to find any fun in the games. Jaime stood in front of an old fighting game, tapping the joystick and buttons mechanically. Bart suddenly appeared next to him. "Hey man!" he said, "How you doing?"
"Fine," said Jaime coldly.
"Really?" Bart glanced at the screen, "'Cause it looks like you're about to get your butt handed to you by a demon spirit warrior king or whatever."
Jaime snarled and put his hand on the old machine. His armor morphed and filled into the machine, making the screen flicker before Jaime's health bar suddenly refilled. "No!" cried the villain with a static-filled screech, "Blue Beetle has defeated me!" He collapsed in a pool of his own blood and Jaime stepped away from the machine.
Bart raised an eyebrow. "Well at least now I know how you always beat me."
"I always beat you because I'm better," said Jaime, walking towards a pinball machine.
"Sooo," said Bart cautiously, "Out of curiosity, and totally feel free to shut this down, just a thought, but does your new hatred of arcade games and 1980s' programming come from the fact that Raven's missing or…" Bart let the question hang, but Jaime didn't dignify it with a response. Bart watched Jaime flip the bumpers for a few minutes before crossing his arms and letting out a very long, drawn out sigh. "Look, I'm sure Naruto is gonna look for her, okay? She's practically his little sister. He won't let her just disappear."
"You sure about that?" muttered Jaime, tilting the table slightly.
"See!" snapped Bart, "You cheat! Like, all the time!"
"Shut up," said Jaime with a growl that somehow managed to silence Bart.
. . .
Naruto shoved open the doors to the Watchtower's medical bay, the League's senior members and Wally behind him. Artemis was sitting by a medical cot where Dr. Fate lay, numerous tubes coming in and out of his body. Zatanna stood over him, her eyes closed as she murmured a healing chant.
"He hasn't said anything since we brought him here," said Artemis nervously, standing up as the heroes approached, "He's barely breathing."
Naruto knelt by Fate and put his hand on the gilded helmet. "And he definitely mentioned Apokolips?"
"That's what we heard," said Wally grimly, "Please tell me that he didn't mean, like, the actual apocalypse, right? The end of the world?"
"Nope," sighed Superman grimly, "Way, way worse."
"Oh, good," muttered Wally, "For a second there, I was worried."
Naruto stood up and took a step back to stand next to Batman. "If Madara was hiding on Apokolips all this time, he might have made some very powerful friends."
"Friends we're not at all prepared to deal with," agreed Batman.
"Which is why we have friends of our own," said Superman, "I'll grab Superboy and Adam Strange. We can Zeta to New Genesis for backup and to warn them that he might be on the move."
Naruto scowled. "I don't like the idea of some of our heaviest hitters leaving while Madara's on the loose."
"The League has plenty of other powerhouses to step up to bat," Superman assured him.
Batman grimaced. "Do me a favor," he said, "Take Blue Beetle with you. His relationship with Raven might make him a liability while she's missing."
"You'll have to take Bart then too," said Wally, "He won't let Beetle go off world alone."
"And I bet Alana will want to go with Strange," Artemis said.
"Speaking of Raven," Black Canary turned to Naruto, "What are your plans to find her?"
"Constantine has some backwater connections I'll look into first," said Naruto, a grimace fluttering across his face, "I'll post one of mine at the Tower of Fate. If Raven's powers spike again, the Tower will sense it and we might be able to pinpoint her location."
There was a subtle cough behind them and Naurto turned to see Hiruzen standing behind him, looking fidgety and stressed. "Naruto," he said sharply, "We have…a development."
Naruto nodded to the Leaguers and stepped away. "Let me know when he wakes," he said, motioning to the motionless Dr. Fate, "I have a few questions left."
"I'll be gone for a few days," sighed Wonder Woman, "I'm introducing Cassandra to my people."
Batman grunted before a beep in his cowl drew his attention. "Yo Bats," said Hanabi through the communicator, "The Riddler took Gotham docks hostage with a potential bomb threat five minutes ago. Just thought you'd want to know."
"I'm needed," Batman announced as he marched away.
"Aaaaannnnd he's gone," sighed Superman, "What's the bet this time? A week before he shows his face again? Two weeks?"
"$5 on a week," sighed Black Canary, rubbing her temples, "And $10 says I go crazy before he gets back."
Superman put a hand on her shoulder. "Go home, Dinah," he said with a small smile, "You and Ollie deserve some R&R. As for you two," he turned to Wally and Artemis, "I believe you have a wedding to plan?"
Wally took Artemis's hand and they shared a grin. "That poor priest," he said, "We just kinda left him in the middle of all that, didn't we?"
"We had an unconscious superhero between our shoulders," said Artemis with a smirk, "I'm sure her understands. And hopefully won't cancel our reservation."
"The lord works in mysterious ways," said Wally with a shrug as they left the med bay.
Wonder Woman folded her arms as they left. "So that's it then? We're splitting up for now?"
"For now," agreed Superman, "But the League can protect the Earth without us for a little while."
. . .
Harm walked over lava as easily as one might walk on pavement. He had become accustomed to the searing heat, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. With a calm grin, he shoved his hands in his pockets as he approached Raven's small cage and island. She was moaning in agony and her cheeks were streaked with tears of bitter guilt. As Harm approached her island, she rolled onto her knees and hugged herself, fighting off a severe case of jitters. Blood was leaning against her cage. "Harm," he greeted simply.
"Blood," replied Harm with a sneer, "How's she doing?"
Blood glanced back into the cell and grunted. "I feel like our Lord Trigon made me his daughter's jailor as punishment not only to her, but to me as well."
"Trust that feeling," said Harm, peering between the bars of the cage, "Hey little birdie, remember me?"
Raven slowly lifted her head to glare at him. Her amethyst eyes were glassy and shattered. "You," she murmured, her voice weak but biting, "Naruto told me…your story…sister killer."
"Tch," snorted Harm, "Sounds like your mentor left out a few details. Like that he did this to me." He raised his magmatic hands and flexed his fingers for Raven to see.
"What's wrong?" she sneered, "Can't…take your…own medicine?"
Harm cocked his head to the side. "Still spirited? Wow, kudos to you little birdie." Before Raven could react, Harm's hand shot into her cell and wrapped itself around her wrist. She screamed as his handprint burned deeply into her skin. The pain was incredibly intense, like her very bones were on fire. Blood grimaced as Raven screeched. Harm grinned and tightened his grip briefly before letting her go. "You see that?" he said, motioning to the deep scarlet burn in Raven's skin. She pulled it close to her tried not to break down as she stared at her maimed arm. "That's the kind of burn that rappers wish they come up with. You know third degree burns? That's like an eight degree right there." Raven's arm was shaking. Where Harm had touched her, her skin was literally melting. "Yup, that's one permanent mark right there," said Harm with a fake yawn, "So every time you think about being uppity or mentioning my sister again, just take a quick look at your arm and think about how much you want that same handprint plastered all over your pretty little face."
Raven took deep, gasping breaths before she leaned over and threw up. Harm laughed, but Blood closed his eyes with a wince. "Aesthtics…are pointless," panted Raven, glowering at Harm, "Physical…appearance…doesn't matter."
Harm stopped laughing and stared at her. "You're a weird little birdie, aren't you."
Blood cleared his throat. "Do you truly think it wise to permanently scar Lord Trigon's gem?"
"Who do you think gave me permission?" said Harm. He looked over at Blood and frowned at the former knight's scowl. "What's wrong?" he asked, "Can't stomach a little torture?"
"I'm no sadist," grunted Blood.
"And I'm no torturer," said Harm with a smirk, "I'm a herald."
Blood glanced at him. "A herald?"
"For me," snapped a deep, booming voice that reeked of evil and malice. Blood lifted his head and glared into a giant, sulfurous cloud that slowly approached them.
"Lord Trigon," he said calmly, bowing slightly to his master.
The cloud shifted over Raven's cage and she peered up at it. "Harm," it intoned softly, "If you're going to mutilate my daughter, at least wait until after she has served her purpose."
"Yes master," Harm bowed lowly, "My deepest apologies." The cloud drifted lower and Raven closed her eyes tightly as it engulfed her cage and surrounded her body.
"Prrrrrriiiiiiidddde," a voice whispered in her ear, "It is so good to finally meet you, child."
Raven gasped as he body was racked with spasms and horrific visions of battle, war, and death. She fell forwards and pressed her face against the bars of her cage. She muttered a single, damning word between her terrified lips. "Father!"
. . .
Naruto rubbed his chin and bit his lip. "So that's how it is," he said softly.
"I'm sorry," murmured Hiruzen.
"For what?" sighed Naruto, "You didn't do anything wrong, Hiruzen." Naruto gazed out through the stars and deep into space. "Serling," her murmured, "You remember when the three of us met for the first time?"
Hiruzen though for a moment. "You were defending her," he recalled, "The League of Shadows were using her fog nanobots and she was uploading a virus into them. Chesire and a few other assassins were sent to kill her and Aunt Hanabi and I came along for the ride to fight you."
Naruto nodded. "How's Jade these days?" he asked, "How's Roy and Lian?"
"They're good," said Hiruzen conversationally, "I saw them last week for lunch. Jade and Roy are thinking about having another kid."
"Good for them," sighed Naruto, "Good for them."
Hiruzen nodded slowly and paused before continuing. "They won't come back," he said softly, "You know that, right? They're happy now. And just because Wally and Artemis came with Dr. Fate, that doesn't mean they're getting back into the game either."
"I know," said Naruto, leaning against the window, "You know, when I first started doing this hero thing, I was seventeen. I lived with my team, I led them on missions, and I made sure we all got out alive so we could see this point in our lives. Now I'm twenty-two and half my old team is already retired." He folded his arms. "I spent so much time making sure they got to this point that I never really considered what they'd do afterwards."
"They're human, Naruto," said Hiruzen quietly, "We are Shinobi. We are bred to fight our whole lives and eventually die. They were born for a different purpose. They get tired of the fight. They outgrow it and move on. We don't get that luxury."
Naruto shot him a snide smile. "You sound almost jealous there, Hiruzen."
"Nah," said Hiruzen with a grin, "I'm not even twenty and I've been one of the most wanted assassins in the world, and one of the world's greatest heroes. I've traveled between dimensions, and seen things not even the Sage of the Six Paths himself could have imagined. You think I'm gonna give that up? Get tired of the fight? Never."
"Glad to hear you say that," said Naruto calmly, "Because I've got a mission for you." Hiruzen nodded. "Because of your interference, Platinum isn't leaving Chicago, which means she wasn't able to break up an Akatsuki recruitment drive in Coast City."
"You want me to break it up for her?"
"No, the rally ended an hour ago," said Naruto, "But I now have a list of names of super-powered, or otherwise willing, individuals willing to fight with us."
"Untrained vigilantes," said Hiruzen automatically, "You can't really want them to join Akatsuki, do you? What about that group in Gotham? They blew our sting operation!"
"Untrained, untested, and overall underqualified," agreed Naruto, "Which is where you come in." He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small tablet, which he handed to Hiruzen.
Hiruzen looked over the names and profiles on the tablet. "You can't be serious," he said, "You want an army?"
"No," said Naruto firmly, "We tried fighting Madara with an army during the 4th Great Ninja War, and he tore us to pieces. No, I want the future."
"That makes no sense," muttered Hiruzen, "But okay, fine." He started to walk away, but was suddenly overcome by a fit of giggles.
Naruto glanced back at him. "You good?"
"Yeah," Hiruzen pinched the sleeve of his robes, "I was just thinking. Akatsuki was one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in our world. And now, we're holding up their legacy."
Naruto chuckled. "Lemme tell you something, Hiruzen," he said, "The real reason I named us after the Akatsuki was because I always thought those robes they wore looked awesome."
Hiruzen flashed his robes. "You weren't wrong," he said as he walked away.
In Naruto's mind, Kurama growled, pawing nervously at the ground. "I can't sense Raven," he murmured, "Even in space, I can't feel her. I don't know if she's even in this dimension anymore."
I know, Naruto looked back into space, Etrigan's working for Trigon. He hurt Isobu. Thoughts?
"He hurt my nephew," growled Kurama, "He doesn't get to walk away without paying for that."
He was supposed to be on a deep cover mission for Dr. Fate in the underworld. Why would he betray us?
"No idea. Maybe he got tired of it. Maybe the forces of evil got to him." Naruto stepped away from the window and headed towards the Zeta Tubes. "Where are you going?"
Chicago, replied Naruto as the Tube activated, I have to get Platinum back.
. . .
On a distant planet lightyears away from Earth, a small, golden portal opened atop a giant, gleaming tower. Adam Strange and Alanna stepped out first followed by Superman and Conner. Conner breathed in deeply and grinned. "Why does this place always smell like-"
"Ma's cookies?" finished Superman with a smile, "No idea, but I'm not complaining."
Jaime and Bart stepped out last and Strange closed the portal. "Whoa," murmured Jaime, looking across the futuristic landscape. Hundreds of silver and golden towers peppered the skyline for miles around them in every direction. Flying, personal vehicles flittered in between them. Jaime looked over the side of the tower and gulped. "Wow, we are really high up. What is this place called again?"
"New Genesis," Bart reminded him, "In my timeline, they tried to intervene after the Reach took over Earth."
Conner glanced back at them. "And how'd that end?"
Bart grimaced. "Badly."
"The New Gods are a race of scientists and engineers," said Superman, looking around, "War is not their forte."
Conner winced. "With, ah, exceptions."
Adam looked at him and blinked. "Exceptions?"
Superman suddenly lifted his head. "Scatter!" he shouted. The group simultaneously leapt away from each other as a tall man in a red suit and a silver helmet flew into the tower they were on, propelled through the air by a rocket harness of sorts. Jaime flew away but made a hard turn, his hands turning into sonic cannons. The attacker ricocheted off the tower's metal side and he made a fancy flip through the air. Superman flew in front of him and they exchanged a glare. "Orion," greeted Superman in a slow, soothing tone, "We're not here to fight."
The man growled, revealing sharp canines. "I have nothing but respect for you, Son of Krypton," he groveled, "But your brother was warned about what I would do to him if he dared to return."
Conner was clinging to the side of the building, clawing his way back to stable footing. "It was a mistake!" he shouted, "I swear! I didn't know she was a spy!"
The attacker, Orion, rounded on him and pointed accusingly. "And yet, you allowed her onto New Genesis! She stood in the presence of High Father! Learned his secrets and practices! Had she been allowed to return to her wretched home," Orion shook and gripped his harness, his face growing progressively redder, "HAD SHE LEFT THE PLANET, SHE COULD HAVE DESTROYED THE PEACE WE FOUGHT FOR GENERATIONS TO ACHIEVE, YOU SANCTIMONIOUS, INTERFEERING-"
"Mother Box!" snapped Superman.
Jaime blinked. "Mother Box?" He looked closely at Orion and saw a small, glowing block on his belt. His Scarab shifted his vision and he was able to see the sub-sonic frequencies that the box let out, tiny pings every few seconds. As the waves passed over Orion's helmet, his heart rate and body temperature lowered, soothing his rising rage.
"My apologies," said Orion after a few moments, "My attempts to free myself from my dependence on Mother Box are clearly making no progress."
Adam Strange and Alanna looked at each other grimly, hovering besides each other on their rocket packs. "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," he said.
Alanna stared at him. "Who's Toto?"
"Um, hello?" Jaime looked down and grinned. Bart was being carried bride-style by a man in an outfit that could only be described as flamboyant. It was red with ornate, yellow designs on it and black trimming. The suit itself was skin tight and, while it covered his face, it melded to his visage, letting his facial features show through the costume. He wore a high-collar, green cape and thick, green gloves.
"Looked like you needed a hand," said the man with a smirk as he rose to the others' height. He flew on two silver disks that jetted under his feet.
Orion grunted as the man deposited Bart next to Conner atop the tower. "Scott," he muttered, "We were just talking about your wife."
. . .
Eddie leaned back in his swivel chair. The warehouse he'd chosen as his waterfront base was a bit musty, but his allergies really only worked themselves up in the spring, so he considered himself safe. Before him stretched a myriad of computer screens that observed cameras all over Gotham City.
"Riddle me this," he said into a microphone in front of him, twirling his signature question mark cane, "When is a door not a door?" After a few seconds of no response, he grinned and laced his fingers. "It feels like drowning, doesn't it?" he said softly, "When the answer is at the edge of your cortex but you just can't seem to grasp it?" There was still no response, so Eddie sighed. "Answer: when it's ajar. Here's an easy one. What runs around a city but never moves?" Still, there was no reply. But Eddie didn't mind. Proving his intellectual superiority made him feel, well, superior. "No?" he teased, "Answer: a wall."
Finally, there was a response. "What do you want, Nigma?" asked the woman at the other end of the line.
Eddie giggled to himself. "I'm in charge so I'll ask the questions!" he chuckled, "Try to keep up, won't you? Riddle me this: what belongs to you but others use it more?"
"Your name," said the woman succinctly.
"Huh?" Eddie glared at the microphone and leaned forwards, "You've heard that one before."
"No. I have Google. Like the rest of the world," said the woman coldly.
Eddie clucked his tongue. "Not very nice of you, Waller," he said, "You know, I think your lack of civility stems from the fact that in the last two days I learned more about your organization than any federal spy ever could. Including," Eddie grinned and picked his teeth with his pinky finger, "Your biggest funders I wonder what the Akatsuki would think if I were to tell them the Light was bankrolling the D.E.O.?"
"They'll never know," said Waller confidently, "And the next time you see an Akatsuki member will be when they join your rotting corpse in my backyard."
"I'll let them know you said that," said Eddie with a grin, opening up a web browser on one of his many screens, "What else should I tell them? Where you're hiding Project Match? Or maybe I'll let the New York Times know the truth about Queen Bee's Markovian genocide? And I'm sure the Justice League would be very interested to know what Luthor's really digging up in his African archelogical digs."
"I'm sure they'd also be interested in your tiny, shriveled little-"
"Language!" Eddie sighed and pushed himself away from the microphone, "Why do you talk to me like this, Waller?" he asked, "You know I control the situation, so rudeness really gets you nowhere."
"I don't know about that," said Waller, "It kept you babbling long enough to pinpoint your position."
Eddie's heart quickened and he blinked. "P-position?" A grenade sized explosion tore open the roof of the warehouse and Eddie yelped. He dove for cover under his desk as special ops soldiers fell into the room from cables. They leveled their laser-sighted guns on Eddie's prostrate form and one of them raised a hand to his ear.
"We have eyes on the target," he announced, "Put your hands in the air and stand up!"
"Take him out," said Waller from the speakers as Eddie reluctantly stood up from under the desk, "Make it hurt."
"Riddle me this," he muttered angrily, "Why didn't I quit while I was ahead?" Suddenly, his computer monitors began to flicker. Eddie's eyes widened and he quickly ran through the possible outcomes of the following scenarios. Finding one he preferred, he backed away as the D.E.O. troopers moved forwards to apprehend him.
The lights themselves flickered and eventually died, making the soldiers chitter nervously. "What's going on?" demanded Waller, "Report!"
"Riddler's mine," said a firm voice from the pitch darkness. Every heart in the room skipped a beat and the soldiers raised their weapons.
"Switch to night vision!" shouted one of them, "Secure the perimeter!" One of the soldiers lifted his hand to flick on his goggles, but his shaking fingers knocked it off his head. With a curse, he knelt down and picked it up, quickly slipping it back over his eyes. He turned them on and the world became green. He looked around and gasped. All he comrades were now scattered around the room in various states of consciousness, none of them making any discernable sound. In the middle of the room stood the unmistakable cowled figure of Gotham's Dark Knight.
Batman looked up at the remaining guard and scowled. That was all it took for the soldier to drop his gun and hold his hands up in surrender. With the soldier neutralized, Batman could move onto the Riddler. Eddie quaked slightly at Batman's approach, but put on a brave face. Until Batman grabbed him by the lapels and slammed him against the wall. Then he peed his pants a little. "Where's the bomb, Nigma!" snarled Batman, "Where'd you hide it!"
Despite his crippling fear, Eddie managed to grin nervously. "I-I dunno," he said truthfully, "I gave it to a mutual friend."
. . .
On the other end of the line, Amanda Waller heard every word. She collapsed into her own chair and grunted. With a moment's thought, she pressed a few buttons on her control panel and drew up a small phone. "Code Black," she said into it, "Assemble Task Force X. Authorization code Waller Romeo India Papa. We have another suicide mission."
. . .
Naruto bit his lip as he looked down upon the Earth from the Watchtower. Ready?
"Why can't we just Zeta? It'd be much faster. And far less work."
Because I need to perfect this jutsu. It'll be a big help in defeating Madara. Naruto clapped his hands together and spread his legs. "Hiraishin! Fifth Step!" His body shook and his world became darkness. After a moment, the darkness faded and he landed hard on the roof of the Wayne Tower in Chicago. He blinked hard, fighting off the temporary blindness. His stomach rolled angrily in his body and he fought the urge to throw up. His muscles spasmed and he nearly fell off the roof, propelled by his uncontrollable legs. A hand caught him by the shoulder and pulled him back onto solid ground, holding him steady until he could fully regain his footing. "Thanks," he muttered as his stomach returned to normal.
"Don't mention it," replied Platinum, "I figured you'd teleport here. I've been waiting a couple hours. Hiruzen told you?"
Naruto stood up and cracked his neck. "Would've been better to hear it from you."
"Well, you didn't," Platinum said looking away.
Naruto smirked slightly. "I always thought that it was Serling who was so sardonic," he said, "Now I know you just inherited her wit."
"Yeah," said Platinum, "Inherited."
They stood together awkwardly for a few moments before Naruto cleared his throat. "Care to show me the new projects you and Magnus cooked up?"
Platinum slowly nodded and led Naruto into the building, down to the labs she shared with Magnus. Will had gone home for the day, the stress caused by Hiruzen's earlier attack taking it's toll on him. He'd left Corporal Clank in charge and the Metal Men were already working on repairing the damage from the attack. "He did a number on this place, didn't he?" Naruto peered up at the holes in the ceiling as a humanoid figure made of uneven, red colored nanobites. Naruto cocked his head to the side. "It looks like you."
"They're based on me," Platinum nodded, "But they each have new features and programmings. When Will thought them up, he compared them to your Bijuu. They're designed for rescue and recovery, not combat."
Naurto glanced at her. "Are they…like you?"
"They have some of the most advanced processing systems and base software created by man," sighed Platinum, "But no, they're not self-aware A.I.. That one's Mercury. The yellow one is Gold, the one above him is Tin, and the one there is Iron. Lead's the big one."
Corporal Blank noticed Platinum reenter the labs with Naruto and stood up. "At ease," she ordered and he sat down.
Naruto looked over Blank and raised an eyebrow. "And you must be Project OMAC."
"Corporal Buddy Blank," he introduced himself with a slight gulp, "And, ah, I know who you are."
Naruto smiled slightly. Platinum clasped her hands behind her back. "We had some initial drawbacks integrating the nanobites with organic tissue, but Corporal Blank's body adjusted nicely after the operation. We have a few more tests to run before we try syncing him with Brother Eye."
Naruto looked back at her. "Brother Eye?"
Platinum stepped next to a computer and hit a few buttons while Corporal Blank left the lab to monitor the Metal Men. The screen showed a solar-powered satellite rotating above the Earth. "It's an top-of-the-line Wayne Tech satellite," she explained, "Mr. Wayne himself finalized this project."
"What exactly does it do?"
"A little bit of everything," Platinum said, "But it's main function is metahuman monitoring. Mr. Wayne partnered with the Justice League's M.A.F. organization to isolate the metagene the Reach left behind. Brother Eye will help us find, help, and keep track of the hundreds of metahumans the Reach created. With Brother Eye, they'll be able to live normal lives and not be burdened or controlled by their powers."
Naruto frowned. And it'll also help Bats keep a very close eye on the metahuman population.
"Yeah, pretty sketchy when you know who's who," agreed Kurama.
"How does that tie into OMAC?" Naruto asked aloud.
Platinum allowed herself a weak smile. "That's my brain child. Brother Eye is equipped with a homing camera and radiation beam. By fluctuating the charge of the polarized-"
"English, Platinum, English."
"Sorry. Long story short, it can shoot a laser. The laser itself is pretty much useless, at most it can emit a low-level radiation, less than you'd find in your average banana. But I believe that radiation can be absorbed by the nanobots in Corporal Blank and converted into pure, physical energy."
Naruto arched an eyebrow. "So a super-soldier? A bit cliché, no?"
Platinum rolled her metallic eyes. "Please, give me some credit. It's only a last resort move. In theory, it can boost Corporal Blank's physical strength a dozen times over, but only for about ten minutes before the nanobots become overloaded. When they shut down inside his body, they'll weigh him down and, depending on where they are, might kill him. On top of that, the laser knocks out Brother Eye for a little over an hour." Naruto nodded thoughtfully and Platinum slowly narrowed her eyes. "Fluctuating heart rate, dodgy eyes, and strained facial expressions," she noted, "All signs that you really don't care about what I'm saying."
"Of course I don't," said Naruto calmly, "But it's really cathartic to sound smart, isn't it."
Platinum looked away. "I guess," she admitted. She paused for a few seconds before folding her arms and looking at the floor. "So what exactly did Hiruzen tell you?"
"That Serling was dead and that you had developed your own intelligence," said Naruto, "Truthfully, I'm disappointed I didn't pick up on this myself. I knew Serling for years, I should have noticed that you were different. Not that that's a bad thing."
Platinum grunted. "What makes you so sure? My mind is a product of her death."
"Mothers die sometimes during childbirth," said Naruto sadly.
"So that's how you see her? As my mother?"
Naruto shrugged. "I don't know much about computers."
Platinum sighed and held herself tighter. "And did…and did Hiruzen tell you how I…proved my own existence?"
Naruto pasued. "Yes," he said slowly, "An interesting way to prove yourself, but effective apparently."
Platinum leaned against a counter and slowly sank to the floor. "I didn't kiss him to prove myself."
"Oh?" Naruto looked at her in confusion for a few moments before his eyes suddenly widened in realization, "Oh!" He knelt down and joined Platinum on the floor. "Wow," he said in amazement, "I mean…wow. Just wow."
"I guess it's a trade off," said Platinum with a sad grin, "I get to skip puberty, but my relationships fail before they even start."
Naruto ran a hand through his hair. "Honestly, I thought you and Dr. Magnus had a thing going."
"He and Serling did," Platinum sighed, "But he stopped hitting on me when he realized it wasn't Serling he was talking to."
"Mmm," Naruto rubbed his chin, "Well are you sure Hiruzen doesn't feel the same way? He gets awfully defensive of you."
"He gets defensive of my work. Or of Serling. He…I don't know what he thinks of me. I don't know what I think of me."
"Which makes me the only one completely certain for once," said Naruto, standing up, "You've been working with Akatsuki and I for months after Serling died. I know you care about saving lives and that you love your work and work hard at it. I know you're a great organizer and you're a pro at keeping things punctual."
Platinum glared at him. "So I'm a glorified secretary?"
"No," Naruto offered her his hand, "You're my right-hand man. So to speak." Platinum turned her head away, but Naruto could sense her slight smile. With a reluctant groan, she took Naruto's hand and he helped her to her feet.
"So now what?" she asked.
"I need to spin public opinion," said Naruto, "And I think I have an idea."
. . .
Naruto Hiraishined back to the apartment and, for the first time that day, realized just how exhausted he was. His body felt like he'd torn it apart in training, he needed food. The refrigerator yielded to him a few fruits, but nothing sweet or microwavable. He heard the door open and close as he ate and M'gann walked in behind him. "Well," she said with a sigh, "That was a long day."
"Yeah," agreed Naruto with a mouthful of apple, "We're gonna need more than ramen to fix this one, huh?"
He went to their bedroom and got into a pair of pajamas while M'gann watched television in the living room. He joined her shortly and they managed to force a few laughs at the bad jokes of a low-budget sitcom. M'gann put her arm around Naruto and grimaced. "Wow! Those are some tight knots."
Naruto threw his arm around her shoulders and grinned. "Look who's talking?"
They paused for a second and looked into each other's eyes. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" asked M'gann.
"Yes!" said Naruto, "Ramen?"
"No, but good guess. I was thinking massage contest."
Naruto snorted. "No fair! Your density shifting can just unravel my muscles!"
"Now look who's talking!" giggled M'gann, "Your Sharingan can show you where I'm most tense!"
"So we both give each other excellent massages?"
"Well we knew that."
Naruto chuckled and leaned back on the couch. M'gann smiled as she snuggled into him. "I'm happy," said Naruto softly, "Even with Madara back, we can still love each other."
"Not even he could stop how I feel about you," said M'gann softly, resting her head on Naruto's shoulder, "He scares me."
"He scares me too," sighed Naruto, "And I'm the one person who's not supposed to be afraid of him."
M'gann hummed slightly. "You know what you need?" she whispered.
"Ramen?"
"A distraction," M'gann suddenly turned over and swung her legs over Naruto's lap.
Naruto half-groaned, half-laughed. "Not tonight, honey!" he pleaded, "I'm bone tired!"
"Aaww!" M'gann pouted.
"Oh don't give me the face!" Naruto pleaded. Too late. M'gann's face curled into a look of pure want and adorable wishing, like a child asking its parent for a gift. "No!" he declared firmly, despite the wide smile across his face, "I'm just too tired."
"Fine," sighed M'gann as she climbed off Naruto. She stood up and walked towards the bedroom, swaying her hips as she walked. Naruto bit his thumb to resist his moan of desire. M'gann stopped in the doorway and looked back with a sly grin. "But can we still have that massage contest?"
Naruto bit his lip. Um, Kurama? Listen, I hate to ask, but could I possibly-
"Shut up," sighed Kurama, "It's pathetic listening to you ask for favors."
Naruto paused. Sooooooo?
"Fine, but you owe me."
Naruto grinned as he felt a sudden rush of demonic chakra enter his body, filling him with a new found strength and motivation. "Coming, babe!" he cheered as he ran towards the bedroom.
. . .
On Infinity Island, Ronnie, Tuppence, Tommy, and Kate were lounging in the living room. Tuppence and Kate were cuddling together, watching a cartoon on the television. Tommy was watching the show without really paying attention, grinding away with a pair of hundred-pound dumbbells like it was nothing. Ronnie was lazily juggling fireballs on the couch. "Well, if we have to drop off the radar," he said calmly, "An island paradise isn't the worst place to hide out."
"Eh, it gets a little overrated after while," grumbled Tommy, "It takes you a month to do everything on the island and another month to get bored of all of it."
There was a hum beneath their feet and Ronnie dropped his fireballs in surprise. "Woops!" he gasped as he stomped out the fires.
"The Zeta Tubes!" said Tuppence, crawling off the couch. Tommy dropped his weights and they made the floor shake again as they all rose. They collectively made their way down to the Zeta Tube room where Hiruzen was stepping out of an active Tube.
"Yo," greeted Tommy, "So how mad was Naruto that we messed up?"
"You got played by a criminal mastermind," said Hirzuen dryly, not lifting his eyes from a tablet in his hands, "He's mad at Luthor for taking you out of the field for a while, not at you for falling for his trick." He glanced up at them and grinned. "But that doesn't mean you get to lounge on your butts until this tides over."
Kate folded her arms. "We can't exactly go on missions from the island and Oracle handles central command. What can we do?"
Hiruzen tapped a few numbers into the Zeta Tube and it activated again. "As the saying goes, those who can, do. Those who can't," a few people slowly stepped out of the Zeta Tube and Ronnie stepped back in apprehension.
Stephanie peeked out of the Zeta Tube. "Whoa," she muttered, "So this is Akatsuki's HQ, huh?"
"I thought it would be bigger," said Helena as she came in behind her.
Rex came through next. He took a deep breath and grinned. "Whoa! We're near the ocean, right? There's so much sodium in the oxygen!" Tara meekly came followed him and bit her nails as she looked around and more people came in behind her.
Hiruzen grinned at the stunned expressions on the heroes and the curious looks on the new recruits. "Teach," he finished.
. . .
Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming!
