Naruto and Marvel belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Disney respectively.
AN: Special thanks to Meneldur for helping to beta the story and giving me plenty of ideas.
Chapter XIII: The Witch and the Queen
It had been weird, looking at his reflection on the window. Thankfully, every day, the more Naruto stared the less shocking it became. But there was still a bit of disbelief at what he was seeing. His face had become sharper, with almost all traces of baby fat gone. Since coming to the Institute, he'd already been growing taller, especially compared to his previously shorter size, but after the incident he'd shot up a couple more inches overnight, putting him above Ororo and Jean despite being younger than both of them.
Not that Naruto was complaining, despite the stares and questions he'd gotten at school. Why would he complain about looking like he'd jumped two years in growth? There was no sign of him stopping, either, even if he'd been forced to up his training so that the muscles could keep up. The only one who had any objections was Kitty making several comments of needing to catch up and the difficulties of kissing while both were standing up.
Speaking of Kitty…
Naruto looked away from the mirror towards the bed after zipping the uniform that had to be made for his new body. Kitty was still sleeping soundly, having replaced his body with a pillow for her to hug. A smile tugged at his lips when he rested his hand on her hair.
It seemed like such a silly thing to make him smile, running his fingers through Kitty's hair. Nevertheless, he found himself constantly doing it, and Kitty always let him. Her brown tresses were soft and straight thanks to the care she put into it every morning, yet sometimes they formed into natural curls at night. It was but one of the many joys he'd discovered since she became his girlfriend.
"Good morning," he whispered into her ear, his nose catching wisps of her flowery perfume.
Kitty mumbled under her breath and hugged the pillow closer. "Don't leave," she said without opening her eyes, "it's Saturday."
It was tempting, so very tempting, to take the pillow's place again and go back to holding her. That was another one of the little joys: holding her. Not saying anything, just holding her to reassure himself that she was real and that he was loved. 'I have a girlfriend!' he thought with joy. Several times in the past he had fantasized about such a relationship. Hoped for it; dreamed of it. Few times did he visualize how it would be.
He'd had very little time to train. His locker at school had little pink paper hearts snuck into it every morning. He'd been relentlessly teased by his friends and classmates. His wallet was much skinnier as a result of taking her to dinner and movies every other night, and his lips had gone sore from too much kissing.
It had been the best week of his life.
"Can't stay," Naruto finally responded. "Logan's away this morning and I'm in charge of evaluating the new students."
Kitty groaned. "Why did you agree to train the X-Babies on a Saturday morning?" She yawned and snuggled deeper into the covers. "It's not like they're going to be in the heart of danger or anything."
"The Professor is calling the team the 'New Mutants', and they're supposed to be our backup in case anything happens. Better to have them than not." He passed his fingers through her hair for a final time and gave her lips a quick kiss. "I'll make it up to you with a date tonight."
Kitty moaned appreciatively. "Remember that we have a team meeting after breakfast." After a yawn, she hugged the pillow tighter and went silent.
Naruto went door to door, knocking to see if the new students were up. Xi'an, or "Shan," as most had taken to calling her, was already up and dressed. Rahne and Roberto were also ready. He was about to knock on Dani Moonstar's door when he looked out the window and saw she was already outside. Sam Guthrie and Amara Aquilla were still sleeping but woke up and dressed with no complaints. He had to knock several times on Jubilee and Bobby Drake's doors until, bleary-eyed and grumbling, they stepped out into the field as the orange sky heralded the sun's rise.
Professor Xavier explained that the New Mutants team were supposed to be a team for trainees, to be used as a last resort in case of an emergency. Naruto understood. In war, the shinobi that took to the front lines were jōnin and chūnin, but even academy students were still supposed to help as the last line of defense.
He looked at the newcomers: innocent, tired, and grumpy, and yet all very eager. Chief among them was Bobby Drake.
"When are we going on missions?" said Bobby while the rest of the group started murmuring. "Can we pick our own codenames? I choose 'Iceman'."
Naruto held his hand up. "Whoa! Who said anything about going on missions? And what makes you think that I'm the one authorized to do that?"
They all murmured to each other uncertainly until Jubilee raised her voice. "Well you're the leader, no?" The rest of the group nodded. "The rest of the team was always talking about you while you were asleep. Refused to train or go out on anything other than recruitment missions until you recovered."
"Did they?" Naruto shook his head. "I'm not the leader – Scott is. But that's beside the point. You are not going anywhere until you go through the same training that we all had to go through." He smirked and pointed at the Institute grounds. "For starters, let's see how fit you all are. Ten laps around the grounds. If you hurry, it should take you around thirty minutes."
"Ten laps? That's na' so bad," said Rahne while most of the group groaned.
Naruto laughed. "You can't turn into a wolf this time." Rahne's groan joined the rest. He then turned towards Bobby. "Except you. You're doing fifteen."
"Whoa! Why only me?" asked Bobby.
"Well, let's see how gung-ho you are next about being an X-Man." Approaching Bobby with a fake smile, Naruto patted him on the back and whispered into his ear. "Maybe that will remind you to not hit on my girl next time." He turned to the rest of the team with a stopwatch in hand. "On my mark… three… two… one… start!"
Roberto was by far the most fit of the group, barely breaking a sweat as he ran ahead of the others. He had bragged about being the star player of his school soccer team in Brazil. Behind him was Rahne, eagerly trying to catch up with Roberto, with Sam and Amara trailing not far behind. Dani was trying to catch up with an angry face at being in the middle. Shan looked tired, but said nothing. In contrast, Jubilee whined every now and again until she finally finished, sweat-drenched and panting, in last place.
"Alright, that's enough," he said to Bobby as he finished his twelfth lap, enough for the message to sink through… hopefully.
The sun was now a dim orange ball on the horizon, warming their bodies from the morning chill as they caught their breath and drank some water. Mouth-watering smells wafted from inside the mansion and more than one stomach grumbled loudly.
Naruto chuckled. It was the perfect moment for another lesson.
"Why do we need to do this?" snapped Dani. "We came here to be able to control our powers. What does this have to do with anything."
"For one, many of your powers have to do with how good your stamina is. Even if you never join the X-Men, a healthy body makes a healthy mind, and that makes a healthy mutant that is able to control his or her powers."
Dani glared at the ground. Sighing, Naruto fished a little silver bell and shook it in front of the students.
"Now, for your second test." The little bell's ring almost lost in the howling wind. "You all think these training sessions are annoying, right? Alright, so here's the deal – if you manage to take this bell from me in less than an hour, then you'll be exempt from all training sessions." He tied the bell around his waist. "Deal?"
They came to Naruto as he expected them to. One at a time, each trying to find an opportune moment for themselves, and only for themselves. Hungry, they all made mistakes, some worse than others. Roberto and Bobby were the most eager, and the first to fall. Others were more strategic and hid in the woods. Still, alone and isolated, it didn't take long for him to ambush them.
The one that surprised him with guerrilla tactics was Dani. When her telepathy failed, she resorted to traps she must have learned thanks to her heritage. Unfortunately for her, they were more than likely meant for animals, not experienced shinobi.
"Nice try, Dani," he commended as he pinned her down. "But your body and your mind are still weak." She glared at him until she was released. "You have a lot of potential, if you train, but only if you train."
Dani continued to glare even as she nodded and looked at the ground. They exited the woods to see the rest of the defeated team, all of them with crestfallen faces. Unnoticed to the New Mutants, the Professor had wheeled himself out of the Mansion to study all of them.
Naruto held up the bell with a grin. "Looks like nobody wins today."
"No fair. You can't expect us to defeat the strongest of the team!" protested Jubilee and the others nodded in agreement.
Laughing, Naruto shook the bell again. "You didn't need to defeat me, only take the bell. Alone, none of you could have done it… but if you had worked together as a team?"
Amara frowned. "That wouldn't make sense. There was only one bell. The rules said that only one could win."
"For a team, there is only one objective," stated Naruto. "There was only one bell, but you are only one team. The moment I told you the reward, all of you thought only of themselves, instead of sticking together, and using your powers to complement one another. If you cannot work together, you can never be part of the X-Men."
All humor vanished from his face. "What if you were in a situation where an enemy was chasing you and you could escape? Would you take the chance only for yourself? Or would you return to fight for your comrades?" Loosening the front of his uniform, he showed them the faded scar on his shoulder.
"Remember this – If you don't complete your objective you will fail, but abandoning your comrades will make you lower than trash. You are a team now – act like it."
Silence reigned over the grounds as one by one, they all looked at each other and nodded. The seriousness of the occasion was broken only when Naruto's stomach shook with a deafening grumble.
He grinned sheepishly at the team. "Well, then. Training's done for today. Hit the showers and get some breakfast. You have the rest of the day to yourselves. You'll need it when Logan comes back. And remember, if you need any help at all, you can come to me." They all rose and thanked him, greeting the Professor as they hurried inside, each a smidge wiser than they'd been at dawn.
"A wise lesson," said Professor Xavier with a small, sincere smile. "Thank you for teaching it."
Naruto chuckled. "Thank Kakashi-sensei. Those were his teachings."
Xavier chuckled. "Each generation passes their teachings to the next, so that they can be refined. His teachings are your teachings. We all stand on the shoulders of those that come before."
His room had been mostly cleaned when he returned. By Kitty, undoubtedly. Usually, she was very messy with her own room and her cleaning could use some work compared to his. She was trying, though, and that's what mattered. After a quick shower, Naruto dressed in comfortable clothes and flickered towards the dining hall.
Breakfast had become a loud affair with the New Mutants around. They all swarmed the trays filled with food and talked as they ate. Laughter, groans, and gasps filled the kitchen at the same time. Yet the moment that Kitty gave him a peck on the cheek and sat beside him, Naruto's eyes and ears were solely focused on her.
"Where do you want to go tonight?" she asked as she laid her head on his shoulder.
Naruto thought about it for a moment. Last week they had hit just about every restaurant of note in Main Street and gone to see a couple of movies in the local cinema. "Let's walk around the town and see if there's something to do."
Kitty nodded with a smile. "Totally."
After breakfast the new students began to enjoy their free day. Jubilee said she was going to the arcade, dragging Rahne with her, while Bobby and Sam wanted to introduce Roberto to baseball. Amara and Shan went to the library. Not a single word left Dani's mouth as she disappeared into the woods. The team, however, had a meeting.
One by one, they filed into the room, sitting in their respective places with Professor Xavier at the head of the table. Only Wolverine's seat remained empty. All remained silent until Professor Xavier coughed.
"As you can see, we have a large batch of new students with us, and that makes all of you the elders now. I expect that all of you will set an example for the future generations. Cerebro detects more mutants every day and soon enough, we will not be able to maintain our anonymity. The big factor is if we introduce ourselves as friends like I wish for, or as enemies as envisioned by Magneto."
Kurt snorted. "Well, with Magneto dead we no longer have to worry about the latter."
Professor Xavier narrowed his eyes. "Kurt, if there's anything I've learned from personal experience, it's that people like Magneto do not die so easily. You saw the escape pods before the asteroid was destroyed, did you not? There is no question that he was in one of them. He is hiding, licking his wounds, but very much alive."
Smiles fell and silence resumed as the team was left to ponder. With another cough, Professor Xavier resumed.
"I understand that many of you wish to return to normality, and I also understand that sometimes I ask much of you. Even so, I must ask you to continue your training as the X-Men. There are still many challenges ahead of us."
All nodded in tandem. Scott did so slowly, and then stood up straight, stiff as a wooden board. "Professor… I wish to resign my leadership." Several mouths dropped, including Naruto's. Professor Xavier raised his eyebrows.
Before Professor Xavier could ask the obvious question, Scott answered. "A leader needs to be healthy in body and in mind. I focused too much on the former that when the time to act came, I lacked in the latter." The words came through gritted teeth. Naruto imagined that it must be a hard thing to admit to not just the team, but to himself.
"I cannot, in good conscience, lead the team as I am now. I need time to… think about things – to reflect and work on my own issues. That's why I believe that another should lead the X-Men in my place. Thank you and I apologize." He sat down a lot calmer than he'd risen.
Professor Xavier closed his eyes for several seconds. "I understand Scott. Though that does leave us with a position to be filled." Naruto saw the Professor's eyes shift from Scott to Ororo, then to him, then to Jean, and then back to him again.
He took action as soon as he realized what Professor Xavier was thinking of. Standing up, he proclaimed, "Obviously it should be Storm!" Everybody stared at him like he'd grown a second head. Still, he merely grinned in response. "I mean it's the only logical choice."
Kitty was the first to agree with him. "Yeah! 'Roro should be the one." Kurt followed suit and then Rogue nodded. Jean finally placed her hand on the still shocked Ororo and smiled at her. Scott, for his part, looked satisfied with the seemingly unanimous decision.
The Professor looked at Ororo. "It seems that your teammates have decided for you. Will you take this responsibility?"
Uneasiness was not something that was often seen in Ororo. Naruto mainly saw it when she got into closed spaces. Today was one of the few exceptions where he could see it clear as day, but still, she nodded after giving all of the team a long glance.
"If the team believes me capable of this task, then I will," she said simply. A round of cheers came from the team as she sat down again.
"Very well. That concludes our meeting. Enjoy the weekend." Conversations erupted as they left the meeting room. Naruto was about to go with Kitty but a psychic nudge made him stop.
"Naruto," called Professor Xavier. "I was wondering if you could help me with something. It won't take all your day, and I would be most thankful. We will be back before the sun sets."
Naruto sent a short look at Kitty's eyes and nodded, then returned his gaze to Professor Xavier. "Alright." He left for his bedroom to gather his wallet and a coat. As he closed the door, he turned to see Rogue standing in front of him.
"Hey," she muttered with a smile. "Ah was wonderin' if you could help me with some trainin' tonight."
Scratching the back of his head, Naruto gave an uneasy smile. "Sorry. I promised Kitty I would take her out again tonight."
Rogue looked at the ground and her shoulders slumped a little despite the smile. "Oh… that's fine. Guess Ah'll ask someone else. See you later?" she asked with an even less cheery tone.
"Sure! When I have time!" responded Naruto and waved her goodbye. Just as he was about to flicker to the garage, he saw Ororo leave her room and walk to him.
"The Professor was going to choose you. I could see it, and you could see it," she said emotionlessly. "Why did you nominate me?"
Thinking quickly, Naruto grinned. "You are the most qualified."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Hey, you're smarter than me, calmer than me, and don't rush into things like I do."
Ororo gave him a small smile. "There are things more important than that. Charisma, for one. Another would be courage. And of course, there's initiative. All of those come natural to you. When Magneto attacked, it was you who took charge, not I. None of us doubted your orders even for a second. Could you say the same for me?"
"I think you'll make a great leader if you're given the chance."
"I see… and am I to assume that this has nothing to do with your nighttime activities?"
Naruto twitched slightly. That was one of the reasons he didn't want the leadership. "Of course not. Why would you say that?" The words barely convinced himself.
She gave him a weird smirk. "Then I believe it won't be a problem for you to assist me with my new position as my second in command?"
With a breath, Naruto nodded. "I'll help you however I can, boss."
"Good. Run along now. Best not to keep the Professor waiting." She walked towards her greenhouse, giving him a last look before disappearing into a corner. Naruto closed his eyes and flickered to the garage.
The Professor led Naruto towards one of the vehicles and asked him to drive. Naruto did so with some apprehension. He didn't really like driving, or cars in general, yet he knew that not all had his speed, and in case of an emergency he would have to drive if he was the only one capable of. Better to have the skills than not. He still didn't have a license, but the Professor told him not to worry about it.
Following the directions, Naruto hit the gas and drove out of the Mansion and towards the outskirts of the town. "What is this all about?" he asked when the silence started to bother him.
"A recruitment mission," Professor Xavier answered simply.
"Huh? That's it? That's not that hard. Why me?" He looked in the mirror to see Professor Xavier purse his lips.
"Yes… well. This recruitment mission is a little harder than the rest. That's why I chose you out of everyone. Naruto, I have come to realize that you have a way with people. Hopefully you will be able to help me with the young mutant I wish to rescue."
"Rescue?" asked Naruto. Professor Xavier answered with silence and as soon as they reached their destination, Naruto realized why.
The building was almost completely gray, at least the parts that were not being slowly conquered by nature. A lot of statues and engravings were already unrecognizable, save for one at the entrance, by the black iron gates: "Salem Center Mental Health Institute."
"Oh," breathed Naruto as he saw a couple of guards opening the gates for them. "I see the problem. Who is he?"
"She," corrected Professor Xavier as he exited the car and sat on the wheelchair. He nodded to the guards and wheeled himself to a man in a white lab coat. "Good morning, Dr. Brown. Is Wanda available for today's session?"
The doctor nodded uneasily. "She just finished taking her meds. I'll bring her to you. Please, my assistant will show the way." He gave a brief look at Naruto. "Is he…?"
"Naruto is an apprentice of mine. I believe his presence will aid Wanda. I have full confidence in him."
Dr. Bowers shrugged. "As you wish, Professor. Any problem and we will be there to pacify the patient." He called for a younger man to lead them inside the building.
The inside was just as drab as the outside. Identical doors covered the walls, some occupied, most empty. Every now and again, a shout or scream shattered the monotony, followed by silent, white clothed nurses wheeling carts filled with pills or food. Eventually, the man opened one of the doors to a room that held only a metal table, a couple of chairs, and nothing else.
"Take a seat. I'm going to go and help with Wanda." He closed the door behind him.
Naruto took his seat facing the door, at Professor Xavier's side. "Who is she?"
The Professor took a deep breath. "Wanda Maximoff. Of all the mutants I have seen, only a few I would count as having unlimited potential. There's you, Jean, Ororo… and then there's Wanda."
"Why is she here?"
"She was brought here when she was only a child… by her father. Her powers were too erratic, and he would not have trusted me with her. It is only thanks to Cerebro that I managed to find her."
Naruto frowned. Who would be heartless enough to put their children in a place like this? "Who is –?"
"Erik Lehnsherr," his eyes pierced into Naruto's, "Magneto."
Naruto's mouth opened wide, first from shock, then to respond. His words were cut off by the door squeaking open. Dr. Brown's assistant walked in with a shorter figure in tow. She looked to be around his age. Curly auburn hair reached halfway down her back, slightly frazzled and greasy. Her skin was an unhealthy shade of white that looked as if it hadn't had the sun touch it in years. When she raised her head, he saw dark bags that circled a pair of lifeless green eyes. Despite all that, Naruto thought she was beautiful.
"Hello Wanda," The Professor greeted confidently, trying to put as much cheer in his voice as possible. "How have you been this week?"
Wanda shrugged. "The same as always." She looked at her seat and the Professor with half-lidded eyes. When she looked at him, however, life seemed to enter the pair of green orbs for a few moments. Silently, she sat on the seat and Dr. Bower's assistant left without a word.
"We are going to try something different today, Wanda." The Professor looked at him. "This is Naruto, a friend of mine, and hopefully a friend for you. I think it's nice to meet someone your age, is it not?"
Naruto made a smile and waved. "Hey!"
Wanda studied him emotionlessly. "Hello," she muttered with a voice to match the dull grey walls.
To Naruto's surprise, Professor Xavier wheeled himself out of the room. "Well then, I suppose it's better for me to leave you alone for the next half hour. That way you get to know each other better without an old man like myself in the way." He gave Naruto a subtle nod and then shut the door behind him.
The room was silent for a few moments. Naruto waited to see if Wanda would react, but she merely stared at the table in silence. Tired of waiting, he clapped his hands together. "It's great to meet you!" He offered his hand. "Name's Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."
Wanda looked at the hand and did nothing else.
Sighing internally, Naruto began to talk to her about anything that might get a reaction. Minutes flew by as he told her about the Xavier Institute and all of the people in there. When he started to talk about Kitty, he wasn't able to stop.
"I never thought I'd have a girlfriend, you know? When I was growing up, all the girls said I was useless and ugly. When I came to the Institute, it was like starting all over again. It all seemed bad at first until I started to meet the other students. They're all like you and me, you know? Anyway, I ended up convincing Kitty to join the Institute and we started to get closer. At first, I pushed her away because I didn't want to hurt her, but after we fought against Magneto –"
Wanda's eyes snapped wide open, lifeless green erupting into twin pools of emerald fury. "Magneto?!" She gripped the edges of the table with her hands until her knuckles went completely white. Naruto swore he even saw the metal start to contort a little around her fingers. "What do you know about Magneto?!"
Naruto raised a pacifying hand. "Calm down." It took several moments for Wanda to stop shaking. She was still stiff as a tree, with hateful eyes.
"Magneto attacked the Institute with his team. There was Mystique, Avalanche, Toad, Blob, and a guy called Pietro… who I guess is your brother?" Wanda gave a single, angry nod. "He kidnapped the team except for me and took them to space. I followed them with a spaceship and rescued them, then fought against him. We ended in a draw but I managed to escape before the base blew up."
"Blew up?" asked Wanda. "Then… do you mean…?"
Shaking his head, Naruto answered, "He's still alive. At least Professor Xavier thinks he and Mystique still are. I remember seeing two escape pods shoot out of the asteroid before it exploded."
"Good!" growled Wanda. "He's mine to kill!"
A chill travelled across Naruto's spine. He had heard those words before and knew quite well how much it could destroy a person. More than that, he'd felt those words just a week ago… when he'd thought he lost everything… when he felt only the need to obliterate anything that hurt him. Hastily, he thought of a way to change the subject.
"So… how's life around here?" he asked with an uneasy smile.
Wanda snorted. "Terrible. That's a pretty dumb question. Everybody thinks you're insane. They make me swallow pills all the time. All I do is sit in a dark room and… do nothing."
Naruto laughed. "To be honest, if I were in this place, I'm pretty sure I'd go insane as well." Wanda did not get the joke, or did not find it funny. "Well… if talking about here makes you uncomfortable, why don't you talk about what you want to do when you get out?"
Confusion struck her emotionless face. "Get out? What are you talking about?"
"You're not thinking of staying here forever, are you? What do you want to do when you get out?"
Wanda frowned. "Never thought of it. It's all the same in here. Every day. Same rooms, same food, same pills. I just think that's how it's going to be forever. Six years now. Magneto put me here. I'll always be angry at him – that'll never change. How can they expect me to just forget it?"
"You don't forget," answered Naruto. "You never forget. Those wounds always leave a scar that never heals. And yet you must go on, because if you obsess over it, the pain will only get worse." He took a breath of stale air. "I had a friend once. His own brother hurt him deeply. At first it seemed as though he was going to get over it. We tried to make him forget… and yet he never did. When I tried to stop him," he showed her the scar over his shoulder, Wanda's let out a silent gasp, "he did this to me. Vengeance only made him hurt the few remaining people that still cared for him."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't feel sorry for me – feel sorry for him." He took her cold hand with his own. "Listen to me. I want to help you, I really do. I will help you, and I will get you out of here… but please don't go down the path he chose. The scars you'll get will tear your soul apart."
She didn't answer him, only stared at the floor. At least she didn't look as sad anymore. After a brief look at his watch to see that the time was almost up, Naruto rose from the chair and walked to the door.
"Pasta."
Naruto turned around just as his hand grabbed the door's handle. "Pasta?" He walked back to his seat.
She slowly nodded, still looking at the ground. "It's my favorite. The doctors won't let me have it. They say it's not good for me." Finally, her green eyes met his. The shadow of a smile formed on her lips as she licked them. "If I get out of here, that's the first thing I'm getting." Her eyes then focused on the window. "And the parks. I loved going to the parks. Sometimes they let me out into the courtyard for a few minutes… it's not the same. And books… I miss books."
Naruto grinned. "When I get you out of here, I'll buy you all the pasta you want and we'll eat at the park. We can even pass through the library to buy you a book before that. That's a promise."
Wanda looked at the ground again. "You can't. I've tried everything and they still think I'm insane. They'll never let me go."
"Two months," declared Naruto with his best smile. "You're getting out in two months at most. Hopefully sooner, but I promise you that you'll be eating pasta by June."
"You –"
Grabbing her hand, Naruto looked straight into her eyes. "If they don't let you out in two months… then I'm going to come at night and sneak you out," he whispered. "Believe me – I'm a ninja."
A sharp knock signaled the end of the session. Naruto stood up and walked towards the door. Before he could get there, Wanda's hand snatched his. Her grip was desperate.
"Two months?" she whispered.
Naruto nodded. "Two months. I promise." The door opened. He looked at Professor Xavier, waiting for him. "I'll be back again next week."
For Jean Grey, the last week had been… interesting. It had really started with the link she shared with Naruto. When they were awake, the changes were barely noticeable. They didn't read each other's minds easily, but she always knew where Naruto was, and with just the merest of effort, could even know what emotion he was feeling, even if she didn't know the reason. They could talk far more easily as well.
But it was in her dreams that the real changes came through, when her mind was more vulnerable. Before, Jean would often find herself slipping into her teammate's minds. Now, it was only Naruto's. His dreams and memories were like an open book. Jean had little doubt that it was the same for him with her own mind.
It was taking some time to get used to it, yet a part that she had been trying to suppress couldn't help but be intrigued by it. Her time with the Sage and then Naruto telling them all his story didn't even really begin to cover it. She saw more of his world, the brutality of it, and yet the simplistic beauty. Tears sprang from her eyes when she saw the deaths of Haku and Zabuza. Her heart raced when she witnessed Naruto's battle with Gaara, and finally, the fight with Sasuke, his best friend.
Murmurs from a nearby table broke her musings. Usually, that was the table where she sat, with all the other members of the soccer team. Not anymore. Jean was sure if she tried to sit with them now, they all would get up and leave. She had Duncan to thank for that.
"Strange seeing you sit by yourself."
Jean turned around to see Ororo just before she sat beside her. Her heart quickened as she heard murmurs erupt again. She didn't need to read their minds to know what it was all about: they were talking about her.
'Thank you for your concern, Ororo, but right now is probably not the best time,' she thought to herself, despite the warm feeling that at least her best friend had not abandoned her yet. "I just thought if I have some time for myself, it would be easier to study for the tests."
Ororo did not seem to buy it. "Is there anything that you want to talk about?"
Shaking her head, Jean tried to ignore the murmurs. "Nothing that really matters."
"It matters to me, now that Naruto and Professor Xavier have decided to make me the team leader. One of my new responsibilities is to make sure you are all well, physically and emotionally."
Jean breathed deeply and closed her eyes. "You know that feeling when you're about to go on a hike and realize that there's a pointy little rock in your boot? At first you think it's fine, even tolerable to a point. The hike has started and you're committed, so you ignore it the best you can. Then, it starts to hurt your foot more and more as you go on, until it becomes the only thing you're thinking about. Halfway through the hike you finally give up and untie your boot to get rid of the blasted thing. It feels liberating when you walk again and you laugh at what a fool you were for not getting rid of it earlier. Duncan Matthews is that annoying little rock in your boot. And God knows that my foot has been hurting for a long time."
Ororo's usually restrained mood broke for just a moment to give a small laugh, followed by a serious stare. "Are you sure you are alright? Breaking up with Duncan is one thing, but it seems that it's not that's broken up. You haven't gone to soccer practice the last couple of days."
Pursing her lips, Jean looked at the soccer team's table. They were staring at her until she stared back, then guiltily looked away while whispering among themselves. "Yeah… it sucks, but it can't be helped."
"What happened?"
Hotness spread across Jean's body. "It's… embarrassing." Ororo's hand settled on her shoulders and the whispering from the other table resumed even more furiously than before.
"I won't force you to tell me, but I'm always willing to lend an ear."
It took a moment of internal debate whether to tell her or not. "Well… Duncan has been complaining for a while that I'm not… physically receptive." Ororo tightened her face. "I figured he would understand that I wanted to wait. Guess I didn't realize how much of an ass he could be. Then he starts accusing me of spending too much time with the team… and spending too much time with you."
Ororo frowned. "We are friends."
Jean shook her head. "Not like that. The day after I broke up with him, he started to spread rumors… rumors that you and I are… close." Her cheeks began to burn. "Intimately close."
It took a moment for Ororo to catch what she was saying. First, she frowned, then her eyes widened, and finally she slightly opened her mouth to mutter an, "Oh…." Gently, she removed her hand from Jean's shoulder. "Quite the vicious rumor."
"Can't believe I never saw how much of a jerk he was."
"Better late than never," replied Ororo. Her eye caught another table and she smiled. "At least there's good news in other places." Jean followed her gaze to see Naruto and Kitty sitting by a tree, textbooks forgotten in favor of each other.
There was a small flash of jealousy inside Jean as she looked at her two besotted teammates. Immature as Naruto was, she knew that someone as foolishly noble as him would never treat Kitty the same way that Duncan had treated her.
Not that it wasn't evident to the naked eye. He practically treated her like a princess: constant gifts, taking her out to dates, and never missing any of her recitals. Perhaps it was just the emotions of a recently cemented relationship and Naruto would become as much of a jerk as Duncan. Somehow, Jean doubted it.
"It seems our Kitten has finally convinced him to take the tests."
Jean nodded. That was one of the better things that had come out of the relationship. Hopefully, Kitty would be able to keep Naruto a little more grounded than he usually was. It would be a herculean effort, knowing Naruto, but having him go to university would be a great first step.
"Hey, ya'll," came another voice that Jean recognized as Rogue. "Mind if Ah join?"
"Of course," replied Ororo.
Jean pretended to go back to her studying. However, she couldn't help but sneak looks every now and then at Rogue. Along with Kitty, Rogue had been attracted to Naruto. The reason was very clear, considering he was the only person Rogue could touch without being rendered into a coma. 'When life gives you lemons,' mused Jean.
Rogue had reacted to their teammates' new relationship unexpectedly. There was sadness, albeit very subtle, and it was hard to miss the longing gazes she sent at Naruto and Kitty when she thought nobody was looking. Aside from that, though, she mostly seemed as normal as before. Rogue wanted Naruto, but Kitty was her best friend. It was a dilemma Jean would never wish to be in.
'Not that I'm looking for a relationship right now. I'd rather not think about them after Duncan. School, Jean. Think about that scholarship and your future. Dr. Jean Grey – it has a nice ring to it.' Jean smiled as an image of her receiving an ESU diploma replaced any frustrations she might have.
"Are you alright, Rogue?" asked Ororo, and Jean wanted to roll her eyes. Her best friend was taking her new position a little too seriously.
Rogue shrugged. "Same as always." It was clear that she didn't want to continue further.
Ororo, however, prodded further. "Are you sure? If you want to talk about it…"
Rogue sent a brief look towards Naruto and Kitty and let out a breath. "There ain't much to talk about. It is what it is. Just have to wait and soon Ah'll get my chance."
Now Jean raised an eyebrow. "Your chance. Are you going to interfere?" This was exactly why she had been against dating inside the team. Things like this would guarantee conflict that they didn't need. Their enemies were enough of a threat without having to worry about their own allies.
Raising a defensive hand, Rogue said, "Ah'm not gonna sabotage anythin'." Both Jean and Ororo sent her questioning looks. "Look… Kitty's my best friend, Ah'm not gonna do anythin' to hurt her or Naruto… but," she took a deep breath, "even though she's my friend, Kitty's a princess – a privileged daddy's girl. And if there's one thing Ah've learned from girls like her it's that they don't know what they've got till it's gone."
"Kitty wants to domesticate Naruto – turn him into somethin' he's not. Naruto's not gonna wear a suit and tie, go to work from nine to five and return home for apple pie. That just ain't the kinda guy Naruto is. He ain't normal. Kitty wants normal. One day, both of them will come to that realization and Ah think she'll be the one to end it. Ah'm not gonna interfere until then. Ah'll just wait and see, then I can keep her as a friend when she finds a guy that'll fit in that white picket fence house she wants. Ah'm not normal. Ah can't be normal… just like Naruto."
Jean pondered Rogue's for a bit and came to a realization. Her own bad experiences with Duncan had caused her to only be concerned with the thought of Naruto breaking Kitty's heart and not the other way around.
Memories of only a few weeks ago came flooding back, of Naruto's childhood, and the words of the Sage: when love is rejected, that's when a person truly learns to hate. She watched Naruto kiss Kitty again, this time, with worry.
'For all our sakes, you better know what you're doing, Kitty Pryde.'
When Naruto had called Tony Stark to accept his offer, he had expected to go in through the front door, not the roof window. He imagined that it was more to keep Naruto's identity a secret. After all, it had been just a couple of weeks since he'd announced to the world that he was Iron Man. If suddenly one of the vigilantes was linked to high-tech Stark gear, people would start asking questions.
The heavy metal door hissed open the moment he stood in front of it. "Come in!" called a voice a familiar voice from inside.
Tony Stark sat in the middle of a large workshop that was even larger than Reed Richard's. Computers were everywhere, and far more expensive looking than the ones he'd been taught to use at school. Speakers that surrounded the room blared rock music which Tony was humming to while screwing a nail into a metal arm.
"Just a sec!" yelled Tony and then wheeled his chair to a computer. "Jarvis, run test number twelve." Tony put the arm on himself and a humming noise started to emit from it, getting louder with every second, reaching a fever pitch as Tony braced himself… then it stopped. "Huh. Will you look at that? Succe –"
A flash erupted from the hand's palm and it launched back halfway across the room into a messy table. He emerged with a groan. "Well, looks like titanium's not a good choice. File that in the notes, will you, Jarvis?"
"Understood, sir. I will remind you that it's time for lunch. Shall I order the kitchen to make your nutritionist approved meal?"
"Nope, that's taken care of."
"Sir, I will remind you that your calorie intake is –"
"Jarvis, don't nag. I already pay Pepper for that."
Finally, he seemed to take notice of Naruto. "Sorry about that, kid. New experiments," he said, walking to a door further inside the building. It led to a larger room, with glass windows that oversaw a large part of the city. Every piece of furniture looked new, and extremely expensive. It was a stark contrast to the brown bags of fast food that he rushed at.
"Catch!" yelled Tony as he flung him one of the bags. "Figured you'd be hungry. I always was at your age." He bit into a burger. "Now that I think about, I guess that never went away." He grabbed another thing… a metal suitcase that he also threw at him. "Open it," he said, going to the bar and pouring himself a glass.
The suit looked to be the same as the one he grabbed during the attack a month ago. Mostly black and covering his entire body. Though Naruto knew there were probably a lot of secrets hidden inside.
"I made some improvements to it. Thermal vision, built-in radio communications, high tear resistance, an integrated gas-mask, weather insulation, made it waterproof, and, of course, perfectly eye-catching for the ladies." Tony smirked. "And that's just some of the early stuff. I still think I can improve it further if you give me feedback."
Naruto nodded and closed the case again. "So… what's the deal?"
Tony took a large glug of his alcoholic drink. "Would you believe that I'm doing it out of the kindness of my shrapnel-surrounded heart?"
"No," deadpanned Naruto.
"You're sharp, kid. I like you." He finished his drink and poured himself another glass. "You and your friends are helpful to me. After I left the weapons business some other people filled that gap – with a rather subpar product, I might add – and I've had more than one of these organizations attacking my interests. It's likely that they may have been behind the attack that you helped stop."
Naruto was still not convinced. "But why come to us? You and your suit are probably enough."
"Aside from the fact that I don't want to turn the city into a warzone? I'm a busy man, kid. There's a lot more happening in the world that isn't just in this city, and unlike here, they don't have men in tights to beat up Scarface wannabees. Just this week, I intercepted uranium going to Iran, some warlords in Africa from getting some of my old weapons, and stopped a civil war in Southeast Asia. I'm probably violating around a hundred different foreign policy laws, but they don't really apply when it comes to me. I can change laws if I want."
Frowning, Naruto asked. "Do you have the power to do that? No offense, but you're only the owner of a company. You have more money than anyone else, but you're not in government."
"Tell me, who do you think is the most powerful person in America?"
Naruto thought about it for only a moment. "The President is the most powerful person, I'd say." It was the closest thing that America had to a Hokage. A leader of the nation, and the military.
Tony gave a single dry chuckle. "Alright, kiddo. I'm going to give you a little lesson in power. Let's go to the roof terrace." Naruto followed him. Outside, it was as chilly as should be expected from the tallest building in the city. Tony didn't seem to mind. "Have you ever gone to Europe? Maybe the Middle East? Have you seen the old towns where the castles still stand? They're the tallest, biggest and most well-built structures of the towns where the kings used to live."
"I haven't seen one myself, but I know what a castle is."
The billionaire pointed at the city. "Do you see that? Right there?" Naruto didn't know what he was supposed to see among the concrete forest. "That's the city hall." He pointed at another place. "That place right there? The UN Headquarters. And that place? That's the county courthouse. I know that you can barely see them. I certainly couldn't point them out if I didn't know where they were from memory. Nobody that visited the city would even know where they were."
He smirked. "But… you know what every person sees when they enter the city? When they look outside their window? When they emerge from the subway? When they eat out at a restaurant? When they get married? Every day as they are born, grow, live, and die?" He pointed at the sign atop the tower, where the words "STARK" were proudly emblazoned, the tallest point in the city. "That's what they see."
It was a drastic change from Konoha. While the rich certainly had power, the village and the nation were still beheld to age-old restrictions of power. The daimyo were at the top and the shinobi right behind them. No matter how much money a person had, they couldn't rise above their status.
As a shinobi of Konoha, money meant little to him: just something to keep him clothed, fed, and with a roof over his head while he reached towards his real goal of becoming Hokage. Power as a shinobi was what defined you as a ninja. Money was for the civilians, and it could do very little to stop a kunai. Those who did not have power, bought it; the shinobi took care of the rest.
On Earth, military or political strength did not get you to the top of a country, or even a city. Money did. Money meant more than power. Tony Stark was admired, not because he could grow a forest with chakra, or summon water from thin air, but because his name, plastered on neon lights, shined through the night on top of the tallest tower in the city.
Naruto stayed silent as he watched the city, pondering the fact. "Thanks for the suit. Is that all? I need to go."
"One more thing." Tony fished into his pockets and pulled out a cellphone. It looked far more advanced than anything he'd seen in stores. "New prototype. It'll be hitting store shelves next year. My number is already in there, as well as that phone's. If you need an appointment, call Happy. Good luck, kid."
Flashing Tony a thumbs up, Naruto jumped from the rooftop and gently glided towards his next stop, in a little house in Queens. When he arrived, he flew besides the window to Peter's room and knocked on it.
"Naruto!?" asked Peter with a scandalized voice. "When did you learn to fly?"
He shrugged. "Last week."
Peter glanced around the neighborhood furtively and then pulled him inside. "Where have you been? We've been looking after you for days. Hell, I think even Double D was worried for a second."
"It's not my fault. I was wounded, but now I'm back in business, better than ever," responded Naruto. "How's it been going? Anything new?"
"It's been back to kicking around small-timers since you no longer have been able to get us information. But all of that's changing. Daredevil said he met up with an informant that told him of some special places. We scheduled to hit them all at once. If you're really back in business, then it'll be easier."
Naruto nodded eagerly. "When are we meeting up?"
"Tomorrow night. Hell's Kitchen, near that warehouse we met Daredevil for the first time."
"I'll be there." Naruto opened the window again.
"And Naruto?" interrupted Peter. Naruto looked behind him as he was about to jump into the air. "No flying in my neighborhood."
"Laaaaaame."
Naruto dropped to the grass just as the street lights turned on. He slowly walked a block away, looking for a place to buy something to eat. One burger was not enough for him. He jumped away, eager to leave the suburbs behind until some unusual sounds made him stop.
The sounds were shouts. Angry shouts from a rough male voice, and two female voices in the background. Some neighbors peered out of the windows to shake their heads or sigh, but other than that, they acted like this was a common occurrence. The shouts got louder with each passing second, and when they reached a fever pitch, the front door slammed open and out strode a red-haired girl carrying a suitcase. Inside, the man continued to scream unabated at the other female.
Something about the dark shade of her hair kickstarted Naruto's brain. He had seen that color before, for only a brief moment, long enough to remember a name. "Mary Jane?"
Her head snapped to him, furrowing her brows until realization dawned on her. "Naruto?" He nodded with a sheepish smile. She grinned in return. "Wow! Did two years go by, or what?"
They both had a laugh that was quickly smothered by the increasing volume of the argument inside the house. Mary Jane's smile dropped as she gave a brief glance to it, but it returned when she grabbed his arm and pulled him away. "Come on, let's get out of here."
"Where are you going?" he asked as the screams lost themselves in the distance.
Mary Jane and smirked. "To my aunt's. I've already started moving there a long time ago." She pointed at her suitcase. "This is the last of my stuff. I need a place that's a little more supportive of my endeavors." She dropped his arm. "You don't have to come if you're busy though. I can take care of myself. It's only half an hour's walk."
Naruto took a look at the neighborhood. It wasn't as rough as what he was used to seeing in the big city, but it still left him concerned. Violence had been slowly rising and he couldn't help but feel guilty that it was because he, Daredevil, Spider-Man were prodding the hornet's nest. "I'll come with you. Sorry, I just don't feel like letting someone walk alone this time of night. I was looking around for something to eat, anyway."
She laughed. "A date? Well, aren't you a gentleman!" Grabbing his arm again, she began to walk through the now thankfully silent streets.
He shook his head vigorously. "No… not like that. I… uh… I have a girlfriend." The grin was automatic as he thought of Kitty. She was probably already going to sleep on his bed.
Mary Jane snickered. "Figures. All the gentlemen are already taken. I'm not looking for a boyfriend, anyway. No man could ever handle Mary Jane Watson. But they can always watch if they want. I'm going to audition for a play next week. My first big chance as an actress."
"Actress? I thought you said you wanted to be a designer?"
"Actress, designer, model, and so much more – I'm going to be the full set, tiger. My name's going to be in every magazine and my face in every billboard in the world. Just you wait and see." Her perfectly white teeth almost shone in the darkness. It was as if the fight in her house hadn't happened at all.
Naruto remembered the same enthusiasm he had for being Hokage. "I don't doubt that you will. As long as people work hard for what they want every day and never give up, they will get it."
"Finally, someone that gets me!" She stopped and pointed to a house. "That's my aunt's place. Thanks for the company, Naruto."
For his part, Naruto finally studied his surroundings. It didn't take him long to see that the house Mary Jane was walking to was right next to Peter Parker's! 'That's one hell of a coincidence!' But there was something else… a car, slowly inching closer with its lights turned off. Was it following him… or Mary Jane? Or was he just being paranoid?
"Hey, Mary Jane?" he called before she managed to get in. He took out a piece of paper and a pen and began to write on it "Here's my cell phone number. If you need help with anything, don't hesitate to call me."
She smirked. "My, Mr. Uzumaki. Are you sure you aren't trying to ask me on a date? I thought you were a loyal gentleman."
Naruto sighed. "Just… if you ever need any help."
Apparently, she understood that he was being serious. "I told you that I can take care of myself," she declared, taking the piece of paper, "but it never hurts to have someone at your back." She grabbed his pencil and made her own note. "I don't have a cell phone yet, but here's my aunt's number, if you ever want to talk. Don't be a stranger, tiger." Mary Jane took out a key from behind a potted plant and used it to open the door. She blew him a kiss and then closed it.
As soon as the door closed, Naruto walked away coolly until he found a large apartment complex. After turning the corner, he jumped to the roof of the building and observed the car. It resumed its movement, slowly and still with its lights off. He was expecting it to follow him around the corner, so he narrowed his eyes when it stopped two houses away from Mary Jane's house.
A man opened the passenger seat and lit a cigarette while the car turned on its lights and moved on. His look, his stance, and the way he subtly looked for any onlookers told Naruto everything he needed to know. Those were the actions of a criminal. He walked normally, stopping just for a few minutes in front of the house. Then, after the light in the upper story went dark, he took out a notepad and a pen, scribbled something and continued forward. The car returned and he got into it, then sped away into the night.
'They were not following me,' thought Naruto. 'What would those men want with Mary Jane?' He waited until the car left for good, and then stayed for half an hour more just for good measure. Even when he finally left, he couldn't help the knot of worry that was strangling his throat.
Mike took a final drag of his cigarette before flicking it out his car window. Normally, a bored cop in the city would have bitched to him about it for littering and given him a fine… up until he told those cops who his boss was. But this was not the city, and there was no-one around to see it.
It had been several days since the blonde idiot had stopped meeting him. His boss didn't like that. The blonde idiot was useful. The blonde idiot was making sure that Wilson Fisk's rivals were being weakened for an eventual takeover. There were still many uses for the blonde idiot before he was properly disposed of along his do-gooder friends.
So when the blonde idiot stopped coming for more targets, Wilson Fisk had demanded that Mike find him again. It was futile. For an entire week, Mike had been trying to find the Maelstrom and he had come up with nothing. However, Wilson Fisk had given him an order, and when Wilson Fisk gave you an order, it better be followed unless you wanted to end up as his sparring partner for an entire week.
Thankfully, Mike had already been preparing for it. The blonde idiot was not so idiotic that he told Mike his real name, but he was enough of an idiot that he didn't care to erase his tracks much. After following him for a few nights, Mike had figured out that the Maelstrom was coming every night from outside town. After that, Mike had to figure out where the Maelstrom went. There were no sightings of him upstate, so Mike figured he would be living in one of the small towns just outside the city.
He stepped out of the car as he arrived at the sixth town he'd stopped through that day. "Salem Center" read the sign at the start of Main Street. His mother would have called the place quaint; Mike preferred to call it boring.
Stopping by the diner to grab something to eat, Mike perked an ear to any rumor. Hearsay may be bullshit, but it usually led to something, and something was better than he had now.
A name kept coming up every now and again. A private school that was meant for extraordinarily talented children. Xavier's Institute was its name. What talents these privileged little snots had, Mike did not know, but at least it was worth checking out.
It didn't take him long to find the place, removed from the town as it was. The place was a bloody palace! Taking out some binoculars from the trunk, Mike found a good spot on a hill and looked on, trying to find a blonde, spiky haired idiot inside the place.
There were none, but he did see a dark-skinned woman come out and Mike zoomed in, feeling his pants straining a bit when he saw her. After her came another young woman with red hair, just as gorgeous as her friend. There were more students about, younger, and less interesting than the two beauties. 'Goddamn, if Ranshakov knew about this place, he would have it raided in a day!'
"I swear, you stupid blonde idiot, if you live in this place, I will shoot you myself when Fisk orders it. High and mighty, living in the lap of luxury and see these women every day while we slobs have to fight for a decent living."
After a few minutes, Mike dropped the binoculars and looked at his watch. He was wasting time now and the only blonde guy in the school was too lanky and short-haired to be the idiot. Still, he raised his binoculars one more time to see the redhead.
Mike blinked… the redhead was flying. He dropped the binoculars, rubbed his eyes, and then looked again. The redhead was still flying… and the dark-skinned woman was flying alongside her. Spying around a little bit more, he saw the privileged snots start doing other things. One of them made ice out thin air, another turned into a wolf, and yet another one walked through the walls!
'Whether or not the blonde idiot lives here,' thought Mike, 'the boss will want to know about this.'
The cold wind bit across his face, an unpleasant combination when combined with the humidity and even then, it was a blessing compared to the stench of trash and shit. He quickly put the mask back on. As gimmicky as it was, it did a good job of blocking both the cold and the smell. The heat detection feature was not needed, for his Sharingan was better than any technology when it came to spotting his comrades.
"Hey guys," greeted Naruto, stumbling as he landed. He was still getting used to flying. "Sorry for the absence. I was in a hospital bed."
The oldest member of the group nodded. "We've had to make due without your informant. Thankfully, I managed to get one of my own."
"Who was this contact?" asked Spider-Man.
Daredevil delayed his answer. "Young woman. Didn't tell me her name. Dark hair, dressed in black, wearing a pair of red shades, talked in a very monotone voice. That's all I saw. It's sketchy, I know, but her info has been on point. All of the places she mentioned were filled with criminals… although, I arrived late to one."
"One of the guys from the other boroughs?" asked Naruto. He'd heard of a guy named Luke Cage that was running around, but never saw him.
Daredevil shook his head. "No… this person was different. It was an absolute massacre. There was not a single survivor. Twenty men, all filled with more bullet holes than a shooting range dummy. I've never seen anything like it."
Naruto frowned, he knew that Daredevil had a no-killing rule, and frankly, he never felt the need to kill. This person, on the other hand, seemed to be making it a point to kill.
"But let's cut to the chase," declared Daredevil. "There's three places I managed to get for tonight. One of them is a warehouse a couple of blocks from here. The other is an apartment building. I think my abilities are better suited for the apartment. That leaves the warehouse and the third place."
"What's the third place?" questioned Naruto.
Daredevil exhaled loudly and pointed his head towards the other side of the street. "Aphrodite's Palace," read the bright neon signs, and the billboard advertised scantily clad women dancing on a pole.
Spider-Man coughed. "A strip club?!"
"A gentlemen's club," corrected Daredevil. "But yes, it's what you think it is. One of the most prestigious in the city, and if rumor is to be believed, owned by the Maggia."
"Wait, wait!" shouted Spider-Man. "You're the adult here, right? And you still want us to go into the strip club?"
"Yes," responded Daredevil.
Spider-Man raised his hands. "Alright! Sheesh! Well at least we can safely scratch off 'social services' as your real occupation." He pointed a thumb at Naruto. "So, I guess it's his job, right?"
"What!"
"Hey man, I'm not the one that shot up almost three inches in just a week. You'll pass as an adult a lot better than I will."
"I can't go to a strip club!" protested Naruto. He pointed at Daredevil. "Spider-Man's right! You're the adult so you should be the one to go, while we got to the apartment and the warehouse!"
Daredevil shook his head. "It can't be me."
"Why?"
Pointing at the guards outside the club, Daredevil explained. "Those guys are going to check who you are very thoroughly. I won't say much, but trust me that if any of them see what's underneath this mask, they'll reject me without a second's hesitation. It has to be you."
"B-But I can't," insisted Naruto. Then, quietly, he added, "I have a girlfriend."
Daredevil grabbed a change of clothes and gave them to Naruto. "You're not in there to see women. You're in there to get info. You're not cheating on your girlfriend," he assured and then walked away. "We'll meet tomorrow to gather our findings."
After Daredevil disappeared into the night, Spider-Man turned to him. "Who is it? Kitty or Rogue?"
"Kitty," responded Naruto and smiled despite himself. He pointed at Spider-Man. "She can never know I came here. Is that clear?"
"Crystal."
"Good. Now, you go off and beat a few baddies for me." Naruto waited until he was alone and then changed, sealing his suit inside a scroll. He dropped to the concrete floor and walked half-heartedly into the club.
"License," demanded the guard.
'Sorry to break the rules, Professor,' he thought as he invaded the guard's mind. A second later, he opened the door without a word and Naruto entered inside.
It was hard to see with the different colored lights, even harder to hear with the booming music. But the hardest thing to do was to ignore the scantily clad women that walked about, teasing the patrons for an expensive drink. He ignored the woman dancing on the pole and made a beeline for the bar. 'Kitty's prettier than you, and she doesn't like me because of money,' he thought every time a woman tried to talk to him.
He attempted to start a conversation with a few of the patrons and was quickly shrugged off. Some were too drunk to talk straight, others completely uninterested in anything that wasn't the dancing women. Naruto sighed and sat down.
'This is hopeless.'
"What a spectacular performance by Candy! Give her a round of applause, gentlemen," came the voice from the speakers as the pink-haired stripper left the main stage, collecting the green bills that had been thrown her direction. Few patrons paid the announcer any mind aside from a few cheers and muted applause. "Now then, for our next beautiful lady, Aphrodite's Palace proudly presents… the White Queen!"
Naruto let go of his guilt enough to watch the spectacle. White Queen was an appropriate name. The figure that came in was wearing a white fur-lined coat and a jeweled white mask that covered the upper part of her face. Her hair was a very pale blonde, almost the same color as her clothing. Jeers came from the crowd of men, calling for her to strip.
Slowly, the White Queen raised a gloved hand to the mask and, with a smirk on her blue painted lips, ripped it off to reveal a pair of cerulean eyes. The crowd cheered as the White Queen then untied the clasp of the heavy coat.
Fully revealed, Naruto saw one of the most gorgeous women he'd ever seen. A tight corset that barely held her breasts perfectly accentuated her waist. She was wearing no pants, only lingerie that barely covered her womanhood, and a pair of high-heeled boots that went up to her thighs. Every man in the crowd stopped talking, hypnotized by the White Queen as she grabbed the pole and started her dance.
Her moves were meant to entice, just like every other dancer in the club, and yet there was a certain dignity to the way she swayed her hips and thrust her ass. She didn't even seem to notice the insane amount of money that the men were throwing her way, as if she were above it and above the crowd ogling and screaming for her.
Naruto was ashamed of how long he kept staring at her. He forced his eyes to remember the joy of Kitty's smile, his hands to recall the softness of her hair, his eyes to hear the delight of her laugh, and his lips to feel the warmth of her kiss. 'Kitty's my girlfriend. I love her and she loves me back. I will never cheat on her.' He tore his eyes away from the White Queen and remembered why he had come here.
Unfortunately, every single man paid no attention to any question he may have had, and any action that might hint at illegal activity stopped as the woman danced. Even the barkeeper wasn't serving drinks, not that anyone was ordering them. Kami, he even saw most of the girls staring at the White Queen with lust in their eyes.
Taking advantage of the situation, Naruto activated his Sharingan to see any chakra signatures that might be in other rooms. Nothing. No exchange of money, no secret meeting, no shady dealing. Naruto imagined that even the owner of the place was too busy staring at the White Queen to do anything else. A quick glance back at her and Naruto saw that she was now playing with a white leather crop.
Sighing, Naruto snatched a beer from under the distracted barkeeper's nose, went over to an empty table in one of the corners where nobody would bother him, and took out a small notepad and pencil to write down any person that might be of interest. He noted a couple of men with scars, and one with a bulge at the side of his coat that might hint to a weapon.
Bored, he followed their eyes, even if he already knew what they were looking at, but what surprised him was that when he looked at the White Queen again, he saw that those icy blue eyes were staring back at him. With his heart in his throat, Naruto looked back to his notes. 'It's your imagination. She wasn't looking at you.'
Thankfully, the song ended, and the White Queen left the stage without taking any of the money. The activity resumed as another woman took the pole.
Naruto resumed his surveillance, and found it to be just as fruitless as before. He had no doubt that some of the men were criminals. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if all of them were. However, it seemed as though this place was just to relax away from the daily illegal activities. Disappointed, he scribbled a few details of the more suspicious individuals and took a swig of the beer. It tasted terrible and had no effect on him.
"You were not staring."
Naruto stiffened, his eyes tearing away from the group of men and to the voice at his side. It was the White Queen, standing beside his table, with one hand on her hip and the other holding a colorful drink.
"What?" he managed to gasp out.
She smirked. "Is this seat taken, darling?" The White Queen didn't wait for an answer. She sat down… on top of him. Naruto's mouth went dry as he felt her ass on his thigh, her legs resting on his other thigh and her arm laid on his shoulder.
"You were not staring," she repeated, taking an elegant sip of her drink. "Everybody else was staring. Drooling like dogs and howling like pre-evolutionary primates… not you." After setting her drink down, she ran her hand across his chest. "Even now, you are in control of yourself. Any other man in your place would have tried to kiss me, or put his unwashed hands on me. What is it? Am I not beautiful enough for you?"
Naruto swallowed the dryness out of his throat. "Y-You are beautiful. It has nothing to do with you, so don't be offended."
The White Queen hummed with amusement. "It's a little hard to not be offended. A woman like myself prides herself on her beauty. I like it when I'm noticed, and desired, even if all of these plebeians are not worthy of my attention."
Once again Naruto couldn't help but notice the difference with which she spoke. Her words were so unlike the rough slang used by other women of the Red-Light District. She carried them with a dignified accent, and her 'r's sounded soft, almost non-existent. Even as she sat on his lap and drank her beverage the same way other strippers sat, she did so with elegance.
Trying to find a way out of the conversation and back to his mission, Naruto shrugged. "I guess I'm not feeling it today. Better if I just leave."
She held his chest and traced a finger on his chin, nudging him to look at her. "Well… if you're not feeling well, then I can help you. Maybe a private dance will cheer you up. What do you say?"
"I… don't have the money. Not for someone as beautiful as you," he said, and for once he was not lying. Most of his money was being spent on Kitty. 'I'm sorry for being here, Kitty.'
But even then, the White Queen didn't leave. "For you, darling, there will be no charge." As gracefully as she had sat down, she stood up, hand still holding onto him, pulling him to the private rooms.
Naruto thought of resisting, until he realized that doing so would arouse suspicion. None of these men would refuse a free private dance with the White Queen. So, with a racing heart and a mental apology to Kitty, he followed her. The room she chose was probably the best in the establishment, so much that it even had a guard in front of it. The White Queen merely gave the burly man a look and he bumbled away.
Naruto sat on the couch and watched as she began to dance again, and this time, he dared not look away. Guiltily, his eyes feasted on her flesh as she swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the music, taking off her cape and even undoing her boots to reveal her miles long succulent legs.
After a couple of minutes, she got closer, placing both hands beside his head and leaning forward, bringing her mouth to his ear. "You can ignore the 'no touching' rule, darling. I'll make an exception, just for you."
'I have to play along… I'm sorry, Kitty.' Her legs were tantalizingly smooth, and completely devoid of imperfections. Trembling hands travelled up her thighs, resting on her waist. All the while, she continued her sensual dance, climbing on top of him, her legs teasing his, inching closer between his legs.
She kept on going until the song was over… then she slowed down. Her head settled on his chest… and he heard her start to cry. Slowly at first, and then full-on sobbing. Naruto reflexively held her close to try and comfort her, even though he had absolutely no idea what was happening.
"What's wrong?" he finally asked.
The White Queen's mouth trembled. "No… you can't help me… forget it and leave." She tried to get up, but Naruto held on.
"Tell me. I can help you," assured Naruto. His heart was now racing again, but for different reasons. It looked as if coming to the strip club might be of use after all!
"I… I…" she mumbled, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm being forced into this… and I can't do anything about it!"
"Who?" Naruto asked eagerly. "Is it the Russians? The Mexicans? The Irish? The Maggia? Who?"
She shook her head; her breathing was a mess. "No… nobody knows about him. That's why he's so powerful. The police can't touch him. The government can't touch him. Even the vigilantes haven't been able to touch him. He… keeps me for himself… but I hate him! I want to be free of him!" She sobbed again.
"Who?" Naruto asked again. How could such a powerful criminal have escaped them for so long without them knowing?
The White Queen looked around nervously, and then placed her lips next to his ear whispering frantically. "His name… is Wilson Fisk. He… he's a monster! Please… please save me from him!" She held onto him tightly, crying her eyes out.
Naruto nodded. Whatever the case, he had to save her. "I will help you. Believe me, I will. Tell me everything you know and I will help you. Can you do that for me, White Queen?"
Then, the White Queen stopped crying. "Of course. Anything you need. Names, places, anything." Her lips slowly curled into a smile… a dangerous smile. "And by the way, darling… you may call me Emma."
XXX
AN: Before anybody complains about Mary Jane not having a cellphone, remember that the year in the story is 2003 and cellphones were not seen as much a necessity as they are today, especially for teenagers. In 2005, one third of American adults still didn't own one, and in 2003, less than 40 percent of American teens had cellphones. A lot of households (particularly low income) didn't have cellphones or internet or computers to the extent at which they have today.
Hope you all liked the chapter. I'll be going back to my main story to write a few chapters since we got two for this one, but don't worry, I won't be abandoning it. Leave a review if you enjoyed the story.
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Until next time!
The Metal Sage