Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Young Justice.

Beta: Jebest4781 and Chaos-PSD.

Chapter XXVII: Antisocial Pathologies.

Last Time.

"Whatever Gretchen did to him… Removed my seal. The one that protects you all from mind control."

At the same time, Brion finally gets the courage to approach Violet. He apologizes for his behavior, and they hug. Helga, however, does not seem to be pleased with the reconciliation. She immediately sends a text message on her phone

Complications

I need to get my kids out.

Western Mongolia January 22, 12:18 ICT.

Ultra Humanite looked at the text Helga just sent him before typing himself.

Arrangements made.

Be ready. I Will contact you soon.

Hollywood January 21, 19:01 PST.

Gretchen was kneeling in front of a red hologram of Darkseid. "Good news, sire. Tonight I found the Anti-Life Equation." She said as he narrowed his eyes.

Now.

Western Mongolia January 22, 17:20 ICT.

Vandal Savage holding a tablet is standing in the meeting room with the other members of the Light, as Gretchen is finishing explaining how Nightwing, Black Lightning, and the Motherbox slipped through her hands.

Ultra-Humanite then spoke up after Gretchen finished. "You need not concern yourself with Halo, I already have plans for her capture and beyond."

"Ultra-Humanite is not the only one to express interest in the girl," Gretchen said as Vandal looked between the two monitors.

"Securing her is my operation. And per the Light's tradition, that gives me first rights to her." Ultra-Humanite said having Gretchen look to Vandal who stayed silent.

"I see... And what of the Markov's?"

Hollywood January 22, 02:21 PST.

Tara is walking down the street when someone grabs her from behind. She has an immediate flashback to the moment when Henchy kidnapped her. Using her combat skills, Tara breaks free of the person's grip. She then turns to see Deathstroke.

"Slade?"

"Easy Princess," Deathstroke said, raising his hands.

"What are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Deathstroke said walking forward. "I know you haven't reported on everything you know about either Halo or Victor Stone. Explain yourself girl, now!" Tara looks down at that. "Nothing to say? You've gone soft on those people!"

Tara remembers Slade training her and used those same words. "I'm not soft! I haven't reported on either Violet or Victor because they're still developing cases… I'm still gathering intel."

"Heh! I can't tell if you're trying to convince me or yourself." Deathstroke said, putting his hands on his waist. "And I can't decide which is the worst. You think those heroes are harmless. Goody two-shoes who care about you. You've forgotten how much Brion cared when he invited you to London. And then went clubbing while you were being abducted."

"How much your parents cared by doing next to nothing in looking for you. How much Jace cared when she dumped you into Bedlam's Tar. Do you think your new friends are any better? The moment they decide you're out of line. The moment they fear they can't control you, they'll slap an inhibitor collar or a control chip on your neck." Deathstroke finished before taking off his helmet.

"Look, kid, have I ever been anything but straight with you? Tough? Sure for your own good But straight." He said turning her around and placing something in her hand. "So take this, just in case."

In the Hub, Kori, Bruce, Barbara, Tim out of costume wearing a red jacket and black pants and another man stood in Dick's room as he was still unconscious.

The man is a slim Caucasian male, with gray hair and a mustache. He's wearing a three-piece suit, a black jacket, a maroon vest, and a white long-sleeved shirt with a black tie.

This is Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's butler.

"Naruto's healed whatever's done to him, I don't know why he hasn't woke up yet," Helga said as Jefferson, Kaldur out of costume, Megan, ad Naruto stood at the door.

"I don't understand," Jeff said before looking out the others. "I mean Granny's X-Pit was pure torture so why am I fine."

"Maybe Granny did something because we left," Naruto stated.

"Then why not me as well? Why'd she spare me?" Naruto shrugged before speaking.

"I don't know, the only difference between you two is…" Eyes widening, Naruto then looked up to Jeff.

"Is what?" Kaldur asked as Naruto walked over to Jeff.

"Jeff has powers. Granny must want you back under her control for Darkseid's army. This must just be an upgraded version of the control chip. Everyone they've used has all had powers, and killed the ones who didn't have the Meta-Gene… Maybe the Pit has a way to keep someone's Gene from killing them." Naruto explained as Bruce and the others walked out.

"Kaldur, Megan, can I talk to you?"

Los Angeles January 22, 02:24 PST.

Brion is watching Courtney Whitmore interview a new group of superheroes called Infinity, Inc. made up of two women and one man on his phone as he's sitting with Garfield, Forager, Victor, and Violet at a pancake house.

The first woman is dark with her hair pulled in pigtails wearing a red armored cowl with yellow goggles wearing a red armored suit with knee-high boots with the infinity symbol on her chest with 'II' underneath it.

The next woman also has dark skin with thick long blonde hair pulled in a ponytail down to her lower back. She's wearing a yellow helmet with a purple visor and purple lipstick wearing a yellow bodysuit that's sleeveless on her right arm and knee-high boots with the same symbol on her chest.

The man is Caucasian and bald with a red visor connected with a purple band wearing a purple bodysuit with knee-high boots and the same symbol on his chest.

"This Infinity Inc. is poaching on our turf!" Brion said as Garfield shrugged.

"Take it as a compliment. We've inspired them and they inspire others."

"And that's a good thing right?" Violet asked as they ate before Garfield spoke up while standing.

"Yes, now, about Granny, she's got serious Apokoliptan tech, and we gotta take her down!"

Later, back at the hub, Naruto was sitting on the couch before the Outsiders walked in as Jeff looked to see the others talking. Jeff thinks back to when Batman retired from the Justice League; Dick recruited him for the Team; the moment when he turned down Batman's offer to join his team; and when he and Dick were rescued by the Bat-drone and Gretchen's house.

Suddenly, he approaches the group as they exit the kitchen. "You're all working together!"

"What?" Naruto asked as Jeff explained everything that's happened since Bruce 'quit' the League up to now has been planned by the group because of certain things not panning out. "How the hell did you figure all that out? Because the Bat Jet helped us out earlier? You do know Dick is Bruce's adopted son, right? And that Barbara was helping me out saving you right?"

"That the League helped us break up a ring? I am in the League and Gar gave me that intel first. Of course, I would get the League's help because we had to hit every single one at once or the kids would have been sent to space and Lex would have just used that as a 'The League needed to get our approval so that wouldn't have happened' thing."

Naruto finished as Helga secretly put a mind control chip on Tara and Brion and had them go outside in the elevator before taking Violet out with her as well.

"But they-"

"Look, should they have done it? Maybe, maybe not has it been working?"

"Aren't you mad they used us?" Jeff asked as Naruto shrugged.

"Mad I wasn't in on it sure, but mad at them doing it? I can't be. I did the same with having Kaldur fake betraying us and faking Stephanie's death a few years ago. You are forgetting I was a ninja! The stuff you see in movies is fake. We did this kind of stuff on a regular base, hell, we had a whole group that dealt with this stuff so it wouldn't be traced back to our village."

"We lied, stole from allied/friendly villages, even attacked or sabotaged them if we were on the opposite side on a mission. A diplomat from a village pretended to want a peace treaty with mine so he could steal a 2-year-old girl for his village. Her father killed the man while he was doing it and to keep us from going to war, we had to send one of our own to theirs to be executed."

That got shocked looks from the group. "Yeah they tried kidnapping one of our own, but when stopping it, we were in the wrong. So, ninja movies don't portray us real well, at least for my dimension. It's the same for Westerns. Most of the killing wasn't because of an evil guy. Most just happened because somebody got drunk."

Apokolips January 22, 11:57 UTC.

Darkseid stood on a platform looking out at the lava that covered the land he was facing before a Boom Tube opened and Vandal walked out. He then turns to stare at his partner for a moment.

Hollywood January 22, 03:02 PST.

Victor and Fred sat on the couch as Jeff was in the kitchen yelling at Kaldur and Bruce while Naruto was telepathically talking to Megan and finding out Diana was a part of it as well.

"Didn't we feel enough of this mode when Stephanie faked her death?" Garfield asked Barbara and Tim.

"That was all on me and her Gar, they had nothing to do with it. And I still stand by what I did." Naruto suddenly spoke out before continuing with Megan."

"I bet Superman or Wonder Woman sure wouldn't approve."

Barbara then looked up at that. "Uh, Diana's part of this."

Beast Boy turned Tim. "And Cassie doesn't know? You never told her?"

Tim looks away at that before Naruto speaks up. "Again Gar, it seems Diana told him not to don't put blame on them, it's Kaldur's, M'gann's, Bruce's and Diana's fault here. Do you really think those they chose for their team could say no to them? Two being founding members and two being the leaders of the League? It's probably why they didn't ask me, they knew I had a spine to say no to them." Naruto said as Megan looked hurt at that.

"Well, I'm not wrong, am I? Even knowing I wasn't going to be asked, would you still have said no to Batman? Would Diana?" She kept quiet about that, having him close his eyes. "I thought so."

Garfield then looked to the others. "So, your little secret society of superheroes orchestrated events in Brooklyn, Maine?"

Barbara raised her hands at that. "No, the Brooklyn War Bugs and the Reach ship were real threats. We just kinda teed it up for you guys."

"We didn't need that! Look what we accomplished in Dublin! What? You're saying Dublin was teed up, too? But the girl and her dad?"

"(Sigh) The girl was M'gann. Her dad was Bruce." Barbara said with a sigh.

Garfield then telepathically spoke to Megan. "M'gann, you did that to me?!"

"Gar, I'm handling this!" Naruto said looking down at his brother-in-law.

Garfield then looks back at Barbara and Tim. "I cannot believe this! The whole point of the Outsiders is to be in the open! Give kids something that's theirs. You guys corrupted that!"

"Look, you may not like our methods, and maybe we did go too far. But you've secretly and knowingly coordinated the Outsiders with the Team and the League."

"That's different."

"Not very," Barbara said as she looked up and continued. "You wanted to go head-to-head with Lex and Granny in public. We were going head-to-head with the Light behind the scenes. And we did it in a way that allowed you to preserve your integrity. So now you're mad at us for it?"

"(Sigh) Condiment King?"

"(Sigh) All yours."

Unknown Location.

Helga escorts Violet into a laboratory with a special chair for her to sit in. She assures Violet that her mentor will be along shortly. Violet sits and notices that Helga is grabbing a needle and a bag of morphine. Suddenly, she remembers something. But before she can react, Ultra-Humanite enters the room with Gretchen.

Violet rises, ready to fight. Gretchen readily commands Overlord to create a cerebral-leash which is placed over Violet's eyes like a VR goggle. Helga claims that she has fulfilled her end of the bargain and now wants to depart with Brion and Tara. Ultra-Humanite acknowledges that she will get what she is owed when they are good and ready.

Helga argues that they had an agreement. Gretchen steps in to say that there has been a change of plans. She asks Helga if she is curious to know what they are going to do with Violet. Surprisingly, Helga is. Satisfied, Gretchen commands Overlord to bring them into the X-Pit.

Gretchen explains that she uses the Pit for discipline and correcting Darkseid's soldiers and prepares their brains for reprogramming. She shoves Violet outside of their protective cube. Violet begins to scream in pain and, as Gretchen expects, her healing aura automatically kicks in. Gretchen commands Overlord to scan Violet and confirm her suspicions. After the scan, Gretchen is convinced that Violet is the key to the Anti-Life Equation.

Hollywood January 22, 03:16 PST.

Bruce was on the balcony getting some air before Barbara rolled out. "We were trying to protect them. We were trying to protect them all."

"And if we were wrong? Would you want to be protected that way?"

"I wouldn't need to be."

"Well… Maybe they don't either. I know Naruto doesn't, we should have at least brought him in."

"You heard him, he wouldn't join," Bruce said, having Barbara sigh.

"No, he said he had the spine to stand up to you. It isn't a coincidence that everyone you asked to join outside of Diana, have looked up to you since they were teens or younger? To follow your order without question?"

"The mission-"

"Whose mission, Bruce? The mission or your mission?" Barbara asked before wheeling away.

Unknown Location, X-Pit.

Helga asks about the 'Anti-Life Equation'. Gretchen explains that it is a formula of life without free will. But in order to work, the formula must be tested. Before Helga can react, Gretchen shoves her out of their protective cube. Helga begins to scream with pain. Violet then uses her healing aura to reduce the pain. Gretchen takes it as another sign that Violet's organics are the connection to Anti-Life.

For her final test, Gretchen asks Helga if she has any secrets that she would like to share. Helga tries to resist but eventually confesses that she only wanted to protect Brion and Tara because they are her 'creations'. She explains that Baron Bedlam had first abducted Tara and brought her to Helga's lab. She had Tara tarred and the girl that resurfaced was not Markov's daughter but her very own meta-human.

But when Baron Bedlam stole her new 'daughter', Helga vowed revenge. She manipulated Brion into getting himself tested for the Meta-Gene and eventually turning meta-active, thus also making him her 'son'. Helga also confesses that Gabrielle Daou was also a specimen. She admitted that Gabrielle didn't have the Meta-Gene so Helga tried to kill her with an overdose of morphine.

When Helga found out that Gabrielle had survived and seemingly gained meta-abilities, she believed that her original results were false and that Gabrielle had been born again... As her 'daughter', Violet. And that once Brion and Violet were rescued by the Team, Helga was afraid of losing them as she had lost Tara.

She continued explaining that she seduced Jeff in order to stay close to her 'children' and hopefully find Tara as well. But once she learned about the Motherbox inside Violet, she began to suspect that Violet might not actually be her creation. To make sure, she analyzed a sample of Violet's hair and discovered that she was not actually meta-human, only a corpse possessed by a machine.

Helga could not bear such a creature dating her 'son', Brion. So in order to separate them, she lied to Violet by saying that she was dying in order to cause a rift between her and Brion. But she knew the ruse couldn't go on forever, so she contacted Ultra-Humanite and offered Violet in exchange for an exit for herself along with Brion and Tara, setting them up in a place where they could be together and create more meta-humans for their family.

Satisfied with the results, Gretchen orders Overlord to take them out of the Pit. Once out, Helga and Violet both fall to the floor, panting. Gretchen mocks Helga by saying that she knew that her words would make her children despise her forever but she just kept right on talking. Both Brion and Tara are glaring at Helga, seething.

"I suppose you hate me for that?" Gretchen asked the doctor who looked up.

"Yes."

"But would you do anything for me?"

"… Yes..."

Gretchen explains she was going to take Violet to Darkseid only for Humanite to say she was overstepping her bounds for the Light only for her to dismiss the gorilla. Suddenly, Tara jumps into action. She removes the control chip from Brion's neck. She reveals another chip, attached to her palm remembering it was what Deathstroke gave her.

They attacked only for Ultra-Humanite to create a Boom Tube for him and Helga as Gretchen used Violet to take her out with one as well.

Hollywood January 22, 05:03 PST.

The next morning, Jeff has just finished lashing out at Dick. He prepares to leave and starts looking for Helga. Gar explains that she left with Violet and the Markov's last night. Jeff doesn't blame Helga for taking them away before Brion and Tara return by the elevator. Jeff doesn't like the looks on either of their faces.

Western Mongolia January 23, 09:09 ICT.

The Light is in another council, minus Gretchen. Deathstroke finishes explaining that he gave Tara the antidote chip so that she could convincingly escape on their own, once Helga had captured them. Ultra-Humanite admits that the Light was never going to honor their agreement with Helga, but reveals that she still doesn't know that indicating that she may still be of some use. He also explains to Vandal Savage that he now sees why Darkseid persuaded him to give Violet to Gretchen. Now that he has the "Key to the Anti-Life Equation" the galactic balance of power will shift irrevocably. Hearing this news, Savage becomes enraged and crushes his tablet in his bare hands.

Hollywood January 22, 05:11 PST.

Back at the Hub, Brion and Tara have just finished explaining to Jeff what they had just experienced. Jeff is sitting on the couch in denial over Helga's betrayal. Feeling like he has been backstabbed by everyone, Jeff leaves.

"I was getting a weird feeling from her after we found out that Violet was just merged with a Motherbox." The others looked to Naruto who shrugged. "What? I just thought it was Victor due to his anger at the time as I never saw them separately after that. That's the reason I had the Red's here to watch out for her."

"I thought it was to protect us from an attack," Garfield said as Naruto glanced at him.

"Not really, you all have my kunai to call me plus I was here for a few hours every day. When I still felt negative emotions when you brought us here I brought them up to speed and kept an eye on Helga and Victor since he didn't have control over his Fatherbox limbs. Since they didn't need sleep they were a perfect choice."

"We were a little hurt. He didn't really need us as Red Tornado did for you back in the day," Torpedo said walking in.

"But, we accepted his reasoning to stay here." Inferno followed after her brother walking in from the kitchen."

"Why didn't you do anything before?" Bruce asked as Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I thought it was Vic at first I was feeling the negative emotion from. Plus Jeff was sleeping with her, I doubt He would listen to me and would warn her or accidentally tell her I thought she was up to something and that would make her take them sooner when we weren't here or in the middle of the night."

The Orphanage January 22, 16:16 UTC.

"Here she is, as promised. The missing variable in the Anti-Life Equation. You'll find her a very well-behaved child." Gretchen said motioning to Halo as another Gretchen stood in front of her wearing the Apokoliptan armor.

Granny Goodness just smiled at her other-self. "Just as I prefer."

Hollywood January 22, 05:19 PST.

Tara walked out on the balcony talking to Deathstroke on her phone. "You were right about the heroes. They betray each other at every turn. They cannot be trusted. So, what do you need me to do?"

To Be Continued.

A/N: Thanks for reading and let me know of any mistakes.

Beta: Jebest4781 and Chaos-PSD.

OK, the exposition parts on the Light area was because I just wanted to get past that as fast as I could due to mind control being my #1 most hated plot so I'll probably do something like this for any future stories that have the mind control plot for an ep.

And this is why I was wondering about Helga earlier as we don't know if she got the Anti-Life fixed or not.

And for Naruto's part in finding out, I tried to make it a he was upset he was left out and M'gann and possibly Diana (As we don't know why she agreed to do it since she was against some decisions they did like the Dublin MONQI mission) and M'gann didn't want to say no to/disappoint Batman rather than doing that to Naruto (Or Conner for canon.)

Well, we are winding down on the season and I'll give my thoughts on the last Ch for season 3 as anything I can think of to say is about the season as a whole/on the last ep.

Nothing else to say.

Talk To You Later,

Lone Wolf Out.