Injustice: The Path to Hell.
Book 2: Darkness in the Light.
Chapter XIV – Limit Break.
"Normal Speech."
'Normal Thought.'
"Demon Speech."
'Demon Thought.'
"Other Speech variants."
Location/Time.
Tuesday 11th November, 14:30.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
Tense.
That was the best way to describe the atmosphere in the car as they drove down the streets. The freak snowstorm had certainly caused a huge impact on the availability to manoeuvre around the city. Most of the cities inhabitants had headed straight inside, escaping the cold weather and heavy snowfall.
However, the city was still alive, especially on the main roads with snowploughs working to clear the main roads and lay grit along it to ensure that there was still some movement here and there.
Sofia herself had remained inside at one of her safe houses, unwilling to head out on the roads while they were packed with people heading home. Now many cars were abandoned at the sides of the roads, only a few going here and there. The snowploughs themselves were still going, but for every inch of the road they cleared, It would be quickly covered in snow once more, fortunately not thick enough to stop her and her convoy from moving.
'Damnit, how could things go so bad.' Sofia wondered to herself, biting the nail of her thumb anxiously as she tapped her foot rapidly against the floor. Her eyes flickered out through the blacked-out, bullet-proof window and onto the snow-covered city. 'I was played from the very beginning, we all were.'
The Church of Blood, the Gotham Crime Families, Maelstrom, they were made out to be a big threat by Talon, something that would turn their attentions away from him. Meanwhile, he worked to secure soldiers from her own men, even turning the mercenaries she had hired against her. And she had been completely blind to it all, believing that her threats were in the Church of Blood, Gotham Crime Families and Maelstrom, they were just a cover.
And she had fallen for it.
Now she was on the run, escaping from the very city she had been so close to ruling. A place her family had been connected to for so long and it was frustrating to be forced to flee this place in defeat. Even more so when she couldn't stop looking over her shoulder.
Talon would be coming for her, she didn't know how or why, but she just knew that Talon wouldn't let her go. He wouldn't allow an enemy like her to live, and she knew he'd be coming.
No doubt, Solomon Grundy, Deadshot and Ravager would be with him. Possibly even those unnatural lookalikes of his and that man called Bronze Tiger who led them. But Sofia wasn't sure, nor did she fancy finding out. So as soon as the roads had begun to clear, people abandoning their cars and rushing home on foot, With the roads cleared, Sofia had decided to get out of the city as quickly as possible, her men broke into various vehicles on the streets, disguising her convoy in plain sight.
She was the only one actually in armoured SUV, her escort vehicles – containing men she knew for sure to be loyal – in a variety of cars and trucks of different colours and shapes. Yet as she studied each of them, Sofia noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. "What is that?" She questioned, picking up movement on a nearby rooftop, a figure clad in a dark red that rushed across the rooftops at speed.
That figure then leapt off the building and plummeted to the ground, one fist smashing into the bonnet of the car in front of them.
Knelt, fist buried into the concrete of the ground, Naruto released a breath as he looked up, gaze locking onto the armoured SUV that had come to a screeching halt a little further away from him. Even as he heard the sound of the car slamming into the ground behind him, Naruto paid it no heed as he looked directly through the blacked-out windows thanks to his enhanced vision and locked onto the faces of those inside.
There were four people, two in the front and two in the back, three of them being men and one a woman, Sofia Falcone. "Sofia." He snarled out, rising to his feet. "Where is he? Where's Talon? Tell me now and I'll make your death quick."
Gunfire ripped through the air and Naruto was riddled with bullets, body jerking as he collapsed to the ground, the aura surrounding him disappearing. Sofia herself, breathing heavily, looked out through the windscreen at the body of Maelstrom.
"Is he dead?" One of her men asked.
"Has to be." Another answered as they all watched three of her men walk towards the body of Maelstrom. The other cars all having come to a stop, men piling out of the cars and having fired upon the hero, their guns now lowered slightly.
'He's not dead. There's no way a hero would be killed that easily.' And in confirmation of her thoughts, the red aura that had surrounded Maelstrom burst to life once more, a single tail swiping out and cutting cleanly through the bodies of the three men. There was a momentary pause from all those watching, all-seeing Naruto rising to his feet as the three men remained standing, but slowly they slumped forwards and the top half of their bodies slid off. The three pairs of top and bottom halves dropped to the ground with a wet slap.
That proved to awaken the guards once more, bullets ripping through the air from dozens of guns and striking Naruto. However, the aura around him flared and the bullets seemingly melted before their eyes.
"Tell me where he is?!" Naruto roared angrily, three tails whipping out and striking at the cars nearby. It cut through the metal with ease and the bodies of the men taking cover behind it didn't put up much resistance either. It was like a hot knife cutting through butter and Sofia watched it all unfold with horror-filled eyes.
Naruto himself glared out at her, slowly began to stalk towards her. He had always been aware of how dangerous his cloak could be, it was why he never rarely used its full power because it was too deadly. Deadshot himself, despite the armour he wore certainly being more effective than Kevlar when dealing with blunt force trauma, wouldn't be able to withstand a tail normally. It was why Naruto would always restrain the power he used, rarely using more than a single tail against most people.
But he was beyond the point of caring, just barely able to keep a lid upon his rage. His aura flared madly, three tails flexing and lashing out randomly as he clenched and unclenched his hands.
"Get miss Sofia out of here!" Her long-time bodyguard and personal servant, Angelo Mirti ordered, stepping out from the passenger seat and pulling out his pistol. He moved around emptying his clip directly at Maelstrom. Meanwhile, Sofia watched from an ever-widening distance as Angelo reloaded his Glock and continued to fire as her driver put the SUV into reverse.
Seeing her pulling away car turning and driving off, Naruto pushed off the ground, quickly closing the distance between him and Angelo and thrust one clawed hand forwards. The soft flesh of his chest couldn't withstand the strike and Naruto's hand burst through his chest, piercing out through the other end. Continuing on, he chucked Angelo off his hand and leapt through the air.
He was like a bullet, the snow beneath his feet dispersing as he careened through the sky before dropping down to the ground. Turning, he tensed his legs, raising his heels off the ground as he spread them wider than shoulder-width.
It was a low stance, one reminiscent of a wrestlers stance and it was in that moment Sofia's SUV slammed bonnet first into him and Naruto grunted out. At first, he was driven back, feet leaving deep grooves into the ground. But slowly, Naruto was able to shift his footing just enough that eventually the car slowly began to grind to a halt. Growling in effort, Naruto dug his feet further and further into the ground till eventually, the car came to a stop.
Even as the tires squealed against the floor, smoke rising off the ground as the tires rapidly spun in an attempt to drive over Naruto. However, Naruto wouldn't budge, holding the car to a standstill with grit and determination.
But what Naruto forgot at that moment as he glared out at Sofia, was the effect his cloak was having upon the car. It melted the bonnet till it eventually reached the engine and that set off a chain reaction. Suddenly it exploded and threw Naruto back, his body skidding across the ground as he let out a groan.
Shaking his head, Naruto looked at the burning wreck that was Sofia's car and let out a growl. 'Damnit!' Rising to his feet he looked around and found nothing left. 'Damnit!' He smashed one fist into the ground and glared at it in anger. More so with himself for letting this opportunity slip him by. 'How could I be so stupid? How could I let my only lead to Talon slip by?'
He had gone back to the place in which Hank had been held hostage, but Talon, Deadshot and Grundy were nowhere to be seen. They were gone and so he had later gone to the main roads, hoping to find Sofia there. It had taken time to do so, but he eventually managed to do so when he noticed people stealing cars upon the main road he took a hunch and made a move. Worst-case scenario, he stopped a few robbers, but it had worked out for the better as he had found who he was looking for.
But that had resulted in Sofia's death before he could learn the location of Talon.
Tuesday 11th November, 15:00.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
Coming to a stop at the edge of the roof, Talon looked down at the kneeling figure of Naruto with a smirk upon his face. Everything was falling into place; Sofia was dead and now Naruto was alone and exposed. Jason Blood and Alan Scott were too busy fending off the hordes of Demons in the Gotham city centre. They meanwhile were on the outskirts of the city so they wouldn't be able to provide any meaningful assistance anytime soon.
Wildcat was another problem, but he had taken Hank to get aid and while currently searching the city for Naruto, wouldn't be of much help himself. Certainly, a skilled fighter, but he was old, and his body wasn't what it used to be. Not only that, but he was still in the East End searching there.
As for the Justice League and the team of young heroes that had been causing problems for the Light since their plans were first put into place, well they were still dealing with the ice fortresses.
Naruto was well and truly alone.
And as he looked down, Talon looked across the rooftops to see a muscular, black-skinned man clad in a yellow and black, tiger-striped suit with a leather jacket over the top stand on the rooftop.
"Bronze Tiger, distract him while our men move into position," Talon ordered over the radio and at that moment, Bronze Tiger began scaling the side of the building. But he was not alone, with him, the Undead Talon also leapt off the building and Talon watched as Naruto shot into action.
As a fight erupted down below, Talon turned to where Deadshot and Grundy flanked him, a little ways behind them, Ravager was leant against the side of the building, arms crossed. Separated from them all, Klarion sat on the edge of the wall, stroking the cat in his lap and being unusually silent as he looked down at Naruto.
"They're here." Shrugging it off, Talon looked back down at the street below where Naruto was fighting off the Undead Talons and Bronze Tiger. But his gaze then trailed to where he could see men clad in red glowing weapons stepping out from nearby alleyways.
"Witch Boy," Talon spoke. "Time to close us off from the rest of the world."
Tuesday 11th November, 15:05.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
Exhaling slowly, Naruto took this momentary breather to study his opponents. They were slower than him, an expected outcome considering he was utilising all three tails of his powers. Furthermore, they were weaker than he was giving him the advantage in terms of physicality. But as he studied his opponents more carefully, Naruto felt his lips twist into a frown.
'Talon, so you found your undead once more.' He thought and at that moment burst forwards. To any ordinary onlooker,it looked like Naruto simply rushed through the group of a dozen assailants. But to those with more attuned instincts and more attuned eyesight to high-speed projectiles, they could quite easily see the movements of Naruto's body as he rushed through them. Powerful, sharp and precise punches and kicks slammed into each of the black-clad figures and flung them to one side.
But just as they were sent flying, half a dozen more descended upon him from above. Yet Naruto's senses were sharp and his tail cut through the air, striking at the Undead Talons and knocking them out of the sky.
This momentary respite didn't accomplish much as he was quickly under assault from another man. Neither as fast nor as undead as the Talons, but far more skilled and brutal. His body was clad fully in leather which Naruto figured out after a few engagements were heavily armoured as to allow them prolonged contact.
Even with finding himself overwhelmed in terms of skill, Naruto was hardly on the back foot. He was the one forcing his opponent back, no strike even capable of breaching his cloak as he swung wildly around unending to block or avoid any strikes and so, could focus entirely on attacking. "You're good," Naruto noted but the figure was silent and unresponsive, a bead of sweat trailing down the black man's brow as he struggled to dodge Naruto's speedy attacks.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Naruto instinctively moved his tails to protect his rear. Behind him, the Talons that rushed him, claws pressing into the cloak found their strike completely blocked and Bronze Tiger frowned at the sight.
Said frown became more pronounced when the tails pushed back, throwing the Talons once more through the air. 'This is easier than I thought it would be.' Naruto thought to himself, finally gaining the upper hand he needs against his more tricky opponent as he landed a glancing blow against his cheek.
Even then, a glancing blow from Naruto with his cloak was effective as the skin bubbled and a hissed from the toxic properties of the cloak. This momentary distracted Bronze Tiger, leaving him completely exposed to the tail swipe that threw him back, slamming into a car on the other end of the street.
With that assailant dealt with, Naruto then turned his attention to the Undead Talon that was surrounding him from all sides. "Is this it?" He growled out with a smirk, rising to his full height. "Do you intend to hide forever Talon? Afraid to face me when I'm no longer holding back? Didn't you call me pathetic for not killing, but where are you now?"
The taunt when unanswered and Naruto clicked his teeth in annoyance.
"Fine then, if you won't come out, then I'll tear your undead to pieces and then I'll find you myself." Just as Naruto went to blitz the Talons, he froze when he heard a click. It was clearly heard over the quiet streets and that's when he saw a red barrier fall down into place around him. Spreading out across a full block, possibly two and then stopping and disappearing. "What?"
And that's when he not only heard but picked up the sound of movement. Men bursting out of nearby alleyways clad in a metal suit that glowed red. 'These? That's Apokoliptian tech?!' Before Naruto had even a moment to moved the ground beneath him sank down and Naruto suddenly engulfed up to his waist in what had once been oiled concrete and was now like quicksand.
'But how'd they get their hands on that?' He thought, watching as another thug stepped forwards, a glowing exoskeleton suit wrapped around him and a turret sprouting from his chest.
He had read the reports that Connor had submitted after encountering a group called the Forever People and their team up to stop a group of criminals called the Intergang and their attempt to rob the Metropolis Federal Reserve. Connor had detailed much of what he had learned but had gone into even more detail about what he had seen the technology of the Intergang did and its unique features,
Naruto in his time as a hero had spent a great deal of time not only training but gaining knowledge. One thing he had learned the hard way from his time as Black Hood was that despite watching the news regularly, especially its coverage on heroes. The information released to the public and what actually was going on behind the scenes were two very different things.
That lack of knowledge had cost him dearly and on top of attempting to gain control of his powers and lead a team of young heroes, Naruto had also been doing heavy research into the various heroes and villains all across the globe. Sometimes spending entire nights reading dossiers compiled by the Justice League on all foes and allies they had met in their tenure and even the tenure of the Justice Society and the All-Star Squadron.
Thanks to his enhancements from the serum, Naruto was quite easily able to memorise and recall such information and so, he recognised instantly what was about to come his way. "No, you don't." He growled and forced his tails up from the ground just in time to intervene and destroy the discs sent his way from the turret.
Then, with a grunt, Naruto pushed its aura to its absolute limit. It was a little technique Naruto had been working on with Jason Blood and with some input from Alan Scott that worked on simply expanding his aura outwardly to its absolute limits. A very simple but highly effective use of his powers that Naruto had a natural talent and liking towards, he never really liked hugely fancy attacks and the closest he had come was his clones. No, Naruto much preferred simpler tactics like these.
Even so, his actions caused the quicksand-like substance surrounding him to be pushed out and then upwards into the sky obscuring him from sight. Talon himself leaning forwards from his position on the roof, watching with an attentive and curious gaze.
'Well, well, well, looks like you have many abilities up your sleeves Naruto.' Talon praised and smirked. 'Comparing you now to what you were like when facing Black Adam, is impossible. You have come far, very far.'
And that's when four figures came bursting out of the smoke and Talon couldn't stop his eyes widening at what he witnessed. While he had seen the CCTV footage that showed Naruto creating clones from his cloak, they had been grotesque, monstrous beings that really couldn't be considered clones. But now, Talon could actually call them human-like.
They were slim, muscular and resembled Naruto in body shape though still possessed no discernible features, instead just being composed purely of condensed red energy. However, they were distinctly different and looked far more stable and effective.
They moved with speed and headed in four different locations, each targeting a specific location in particular. The appearance of four opponents instead of the one that had originally been here catching many by surprise and therefore, could not react in time. This gave Naruto and his clones all the advantage they needed and they struck.
While no longer possessing his cloak and only being in his Tailless Form, Naruto was still leagues stronger and faster than a normal human. In fact, as Naruto had learned, each new tail unlocked, it subsequently increased the power of his previous forms in turn. Whereas before, Naruto had only been about two times stronger in Tailless Form in comparison to his base state. Naruto was nearing three times stronger, not as high as would be expected, but considering he's already impressive speed and strength, as well as comparing it to his opponents, it was an insurmountable difference.
Not to mention that Naruto was arguably the most skilled he had been in his life. So it was no wonder he tore through his opponents with ease. He was like a whirlwind, a natural storm that tore through the ranks of thugs in a fashion that did his moniker justice.
A single punch to the sternum threw one man back, smashing through the glass of a nearby store in an unconscious heap. Continuing around with the momentum, Naruto slammed a spinning hock-kick into the face of another, jaw breaking and neck-snapping upon contact. Yet he didn't stop there, flowing round and landing a tornado kick that struck three men across the face, throwing them all through the air in broken heaps.
He landed with a light spin, heel never striking the ground and his eyes roamed his surroundings. The location of his opponents was documented and to the human eye, Naruto had barely been in contact with the ground for a moment before he was off once more. Fists and feet lashing out in powerful strikes that dealt crushing blows.
It was a sight replicated with near perfection and synergy by his clones.
And despite the destruction and discord he had thrown the Apokoliptian armed thugs into, it was hard to believe that it had been mere seconds. But that was when the Undead Talon burst into action once more and just as Naruto had expected, they came directly for him, completely ignoring his clones.
Even so, it took a moment for him to recover even if he was expecting them. They weren't as numerous, but they were certainly faster and far more skilled and Naruto himself was no longer protected by his cloak.
Furthermore, as Naruto back-pedalled rapidly, putting some distance between him and the ever chasing Talons, he brushed one hand against his cheek where blood dribbled down from a still open cut. 'It's not healing?' Coming to a stop, he stepped forward and slammed a powerful front kick into the lead Talon with such force that it flew back, knocking over a few more of its compatriots on its way.
But he quickly came under assault from the remainder of his assailants yet Naruto dodged all their strikes as best as he could, a few swipes sneaking through his guard and leaving shallow cuts on his skin. Cuts that did not heal.
Seeing that it wasn't just a fluke and summarising that something was coating the claws of the Talon that enabled them to negate his healing factor, Naruto focused purely on dodging and parrying blows. Much like he had done numerous times in his two vs one spars against Dove and Hawk under the tutelage of Wildcat, he used the momentum of his enemies to direct their attacks at their allies. While not as effective against the undead like the Talon who didn't feel pain, it still provided him breathing room with which to continue dodging strikes.
Meanwhile, his clones continued to make short work of the Apokoliptian armed thugs. Or at least they were as that all changed when one of his clones saw a shadow engulfing it and reflexively leapt to one side, avoiding the car that had been thrown at him by Grundy.
Grundy roared his presence to the world, but most ignored it entirely. However, Naruto was forced to divert his attention away from the Talons swarming him as he felt the connection he had with one of his clones being severed, an influx of power surging with him.
Summoning his cloak reflexively, a single tail sprouting to life and blocking the claw strikes, Naruto turned to see where the clone that had died once was. And there, walking towards him was Talon, Bronze Tiger at his side.
Clicking his teeth in annoyance, Naruto used his tail to cut the Talons horizontally across the middle before turning to his approaching attackers, a wordless command travelling down the link he shared with his clones to return to him. They did so, landing at his side and after placing one hand on his back, melted away in a red mist that was absorbed back into his body.
"So this is where you've been hiding, huh?" Naruto questioned, once again noticing the lull that had befallen his surroundings. Fighting had ceased, the thugs moving into position to surround Naruto in a semicircle as the Talons repaired themselves at his feet. Those that did retreat backs few steps to stand behind Talon. "A bit dramatic isn't it? Surrounding me like this?"
"Well, as heroes and villains, we are masters of theatrics, are we not?" Talon returned, arms spread almost mockingly. "Tell me Naruto, how does it feel to know that you failed Don?" Those words made Naruto grit his teeth in anger muscles bugling as he took a step forwards. His aura flared angrily tails lashing out and cutting through the stone of the building behind him.
"Don't speak his name!" Naruto snarled. "You don't have the right!"
Talon chuckled far from terrified by the sight. "And you do? Was it not you who allowed Hank to be captured by toying with Grundy? Was it not you who allowed Don to go down into the basement alone?" As Naruto's frame tensed angrily, Talon smirked and extended one hand out to him. "Allow me to make this clear, Naruto. Today is the day you die, take heart in the fact that it will end quicker than the little Doves. It is more than you deserve."
"Oh yeah," Naruto muttered quietly, balling his hands into a fist. "You think I give a shit! Fuck you!" Raising his hands above his head, Naruto brought them down in a hammerhead strike that caused large cracks to burst and spread out all the area, the already weakened building behind Naruto crumbling down, throwing smoke and debris into the air. But then the real strength of the blow struck and the ground ruptured and crated, a loud boom sounding off.
This strength and the damage it caused knocked many of them off balance.
Yet this was all overshadowed by the wave of sound that rushed out to them. So strong that it picked even Grundy off his feet and threw him back, the others themselves stood no chance. It shook all of Gotham and echoed throughout the city. It was such a physical force that all the smoke surrounding the area was dispersed, loose rocks ripped up thrown out like high-speed projectiles that crumpled cars and crushed the human body into bloody splatters.
"▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅!"
Tuesday 11th November, 15:30.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
"▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅!"
As soon as that sound reached him, Ted knew that something bad was happening. He recognised the sound, had been present on many occasions in Naruto's spars against Jason Blood and Etrigan the Demon. He had personally seen the power that Naruto possessed and had become quite familiar with his roar, a roar that upon being mixed with the demonic energy laying with the blonde, was more like a destructive wave reminiscent of his former protégé, Black Canary's power.
Though it sounded more animalistic and filled with rage compared to the Canary Cry that Dinah Lance used. However it was still destructive and if Naruto accessed more and more of his powers, could possibly surpass even the Canary Cry in destructiveness.
"Naruto?" He uttered urgently and despite having paused upon hearing that roar, quickly burst off once more as he sprinted down the streets. Naruto was in danger that much he knew, but Ted also knew that Naruto was incredibly capable despite his young age. However, there was someone else that required his immediate attention.
Finding aid for Hank was difficult, the journey to Gotham General Hospital was once such an easy journey, yet due to the thick blanket of snow had become treacherous and trying. Ted despite having trained heavily in recent days with Naruto, Hank and Don, his body beginning to regain vestiges of his former fitness and glory, it had been slow going.
The human body had limits after all and that been no more clear to Ted at that moment when he held the dying body of one of his students. Yet even as his lungs burned and muscles screamed in agony, all Ted had been able to feel was the warm blood of Hank spilling onto his back and his cold body pressed against his own. All he had been able to think of was the other dying protégé, Dove waiting for him.
And so Wildcat had preserved till he had arrived at the hospital and handed Hank – no longer in his Hawk attire – over to the staff before setting out once more. He had saved one, now he would save the other.
But as Wildcat rounded the corner, he slowed to a halt at what greeted him. He knew that this was the area in which Don and Hank had been, had committed it to his memory fully. But above all else, he could see the hand peeking out from the thick blanket of snow. His steps slowed into a walk as he closed the distance between him and where Don lay.
Collapsing to his knees, Ted wiped away the snow from the face of a young man and grit his teeth, fist slamming into the ground in anger at the sight that greeted him. Eyes closed, lips blue and skin pale, lay the body of Donald Hall.
'I'm sorry, Don. If only I had been stronger.' Ted grieved, head bowed.
"▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅!"
Once again the sound of Naruto's roar cut through the air, jerking Wildcat from his stupor and with a set jaw, he pressed down on one of the horns on his mask. It beeped and Ted then went to work digging out the body of Dove.
He would not leave the boy here in the snow and would get him somewhere safe, Jason Blood's home only being a block away from here which was no doubt where Don had been heading in the first place. Then Wildcat would set out to aid Naruto, help would no doubt be on the way as the distress beacon he had activated would be picked up by the Justice League.
But he just couldn't leave Don here, not like this.
Tuesday 11th November, 15:45.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
Stumbling forwards as he felt numerous strikes dig into the aura at his back, Naruto's tails spun round, cutting through the Undead Talons that had snuck up behind him in his momentary lapse of judgement. However, he was barely given a moment to recover as Solomon Grundy was upon him.
Stepping to one side avoiding the wild overhead strike by a hair's breadth, Naruto picked up movement from both sides. Again ignoring the opening presented to him, Naruto back-pedalled rapidly, just as the Undead Talon that had converged on him collided in a massive heap, one is later thrown to the side by Solomon Grundy as he gave chase. Naruto himself leapt through the air just in time to avoid his feet being enveloped by the quicksand that formed under his feet.
But as soon as he landed, Naruto was forced to manoeuvre his right arm to cover his stomach as a blow by Bronze Tiger struck, his hands in a red glowing symbol that seemed to be the source of their mysterious ability to weaken his aura upon contact. The two then engaged in a quick back and forth, Naruto taking the offensive due to his greater speed and strength only to have to abandon his assault just as he was about to land a killing blow as he was attacked from a different angle.
A boom sounded as Grundy's fist smashed into his aura, throwing him off his feet and sending him through the air. Yet Naruto had long since gotten used to this feeling and went with the momentum, gracefully flipped through the air as his gaze studied his surroundings.
It was a good job he did as he picked up dozens of red disks rushing towards his location and in defence, Naruto's tails sought them out in the air. Numerous tiny explosion filling the sky as the blonde destroyed them in quick succession. But he wasn't even allowed this moment to breathe as Grundy was upon him once more. Again Naruto dodged the strike with ease, stepping in close to land a left hook to the zombie's abdomen followed by a jab-cross-jab combination finished off with a spinning back-kick that knocked Grundy to the ground.
This reprieve offered him very little as he was already being swarmed from all sides once more. Disks, quicksand as well the Talons and Bronze Tiger. And much like he had been making use of repeatedly throughout the course of this fight, Naruto pushed his aura out to its limits in an explosive wave followed by a roar to the ground.
A defensive combination that served to cause the ground underneath him to explode outwards in a circular fashion. All those caught in its grasp carried along and thrown back into heaps all over the ruined city block and Naruto used this opportunity to his advantage. Leaping to his right, clawed fingers digging into the stone walls for leverage as he rushed his way up the building. His gaze never waved from the sight of Talon stood watching the events calmly on from his position there, hands clasped behind his back and a smirk upon his face.
Yet just as he began to close in, a muffled bang reached his ears and before he had a chance to recognise it for what it was, Naruto was struck. Luckily his aura formed in time to protect him, but the bullet that struck his head distracted Naruto enough for his grip to come loose and fall to the ground, crashing onto the roof of a car and crushing it under his weight.
Growling, he looked around and stared at the figure who had fired, Deadshot. "It's starting to feel personal now." He groaned out, not caring if he was heard or not, more just speaking to himself than anyone in particular. As he rolled off the hood of the car, Naruto gripped hold of the top and waited for the lumbering footsteps of Grundy to grow closer. Then he spun around, swinging the car like a bat and smashing it directly into Grundy.
"▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅!"
A roar soon followed throwing back the Talons that had closed in. It was a constant action and one that was beginning to even get on Naruto's nerves as he glared up at the figure above him, his shadow casting down upon him. He rarely moved, only coming to action when Naruto used his clones, targeting and destroying them and forcing Naruto to act solo. Eventually, Naruto had stopped using clones altogether, it was an exhausting move to use and this battle was going to be one of attrition.
This left Naruto to fight solo against twenty Undead Talons, Solomon Grundy, Bronze Tiger and the few dozen remaining thugs armed with Apokoliptian tech. Naruto was too busy most times trying to keep the undead off him to focus on eliminating the latter. So he had tried to take out Talon, knowing that if he did so, the person controlling the Undead Talons would be gone and therefore, they would be taken out of the equation as well. However, any attempt to do so was met by heavy resistance by Deadshot.
Sure he couldn't harm him, but his modified rifle fired bullets at speeds far surpassing the usual bullet speed. While they couldn't hurt him on account of his aura, they could certainly distract him enough that Grundy or someone else would come along and force Naruto to abandon his chase against Talon.
'It doesn't help that any attempt to escape means I run into the barrier and I'm teleported back to the centre of the block.' As Naruto once again engaged Bronze Tiger in a fight, the far more skilled fighter only just managing to dodge Naruto's strike thanks to Deadshot providing covering fire from a distance. 'Wait!'
Feeling an idea begin to form, Naruto smiled under his mask and tanked a bullet from Deadshot. Gritting his teeth as he did, he followed up with a powerful strike that slammed into Bronze Tigers stomach, the only thing stopping it from being crushed being the armour surrounding it. However, it threw the man back and gave Naruto just enough room to use his superior speed to burst off.
Hands and feet bounded against the ground, his streamlined positioning allowing him to move with even greater speed as he reached the edge of the barrier surrounding their battlefield. Most of the outer edges were pristine, Naruto having attempted to escape early on in the fight. None of his opponents had given chase, just waiting and at the time, Naruto had wondered why. However, as he had come to learn that as soon as he passed through the shimmering barrier, he found himself not on the other side, but back in the middle surrounded on all sides by enemies.
But this time, Naruto had a plan and he intended to use this to his advantage. So just as he closed in on the barrier, instead of passing through he skidded to a stop, turned and waited.
Tuesday 11th November, 16:05.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
It was silent.
A deafening silence that left Rose reeling as she looked down at the shaking fists. She was torn, unsure of herself and what decision she should make. Both options that came to mind were something she desired to choose yet she had done nothing except take the easiest and worst decision, doing nothing.
She could hear it all the way from over here, the sound of battle. She had seen Naruto fight with everything he had against overwhelming odds. Outnumbered, overpowered and surrounded yet instead of giving he preserved. He fought and fought, pushing himself harder and harder. Naruto was laying everything down on the line, no longer simply seeking revenge, but also trying to survive.
Rose should have expected this really, Naruto was never one to give up. Which beggared the question as to why she was stood there, unable and unwilling to do anything to raise a hand to help him? She knew that if their situations were reversed, Naruto would not even hesitate for a second to leap into the fray and fight alongside her.
That was who he was.
But it wasn't who she was and that had never been more clear than this moment. This had been her final test to prove that she was a worthy successor to her father, to prove that she was worthy to be his daughter, to call herself a Wilson and to hold the mantle of her deceased brother, Ravager. She should have expected that her father would not make it easy and that's what it had appeared like at first.
Sure it was a mission in Gotham, but Rose had seen this as a chance to prove herself to Naruto. To show just how far she had grown and that she no longer needed his protection like she once had. However, things were never so simple and Rose knew that better now than she had ever done before.
Whether intentional or not, her father had intended to bring her into conflict with Naruto as her final test and now was in the perfect situation for which she could prove herself to Slade. By either doing nothing and allowing Naruto to die, or to actively join and aid in his defeat. Currently, she had chosen the former, but there was another option, one in which she abandoned her father and fought to protect Naruto as he had once fought to protect her.
And it was that which tore her apart inside.
Rose didn't know which one to choose and as she watched Naruto appear, in the middle of the street, no doubt having gone through the barrier, he immediately came under fire from Deadshot. As she witnessed this, Rose's fists clenched even tighter, nails piercing her skin and blood beginning to dribble through her fingers.
She watched it all from her position behind Deadshot, her position to act as his guard should Naruto target the mercenary sharpshooter. Rose watched as Naruto focused purely on Talon, tails whipping out behind him to cut through those remaining thugs, their bubbling bodies dropping to the ground in numerous bloody pieces. The tails themselves also acting to protect Naruto from a few bullets fired by Deadshot, though by the way he jerked repeatedly, it was only a fraction that was stopped.
And as Rose witnessed she turned away once more, teeth biting in her lip this time. 'Damnit! Why?!' She raged internally.
"▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅!"
Naruto's roar pierced through the battlefield and Rose could hear the anger there. The anguish of losing a friend and yet, all Rose could hear was a roar that matched her own internal pain. There were only two paths here, save Naruto, or watch him die. To do the former would mean abandoning her father and everything she had worked so hard for over these difficult months. The other would mean abandoning someone she considered her greatest friend and more.
How could she make such a decision?
Yet as she witnessed Naruto's tails whipping around, slicing through the building that Talon was on and forcing the assassin to plummet to the ground. She also picked up on movement in the distance, the Undead Talons were coming and they were moving quick. Very soon Naruto would be surrounded and this time, the tactic he just tried would not work again.
The barrier surrounding the place as she had been told was one that worked purely to contain Demons to a singular area. For those like them, non-Demons they could leave and enter freely so long as the creator of the barrier so desired. Naruto had made a good, quick minute decision to use the barriers own strength against them and yet, because of her indecisiveness it was all going to be for nothing.
Rose, don't do this! Please, I don't want to fight you!
He's trying to split us apart and I'm not going to give him what he wants, are you?!
I won't do it. I won't kill her.
Because Rose, despite her flaws is a good person that you have manipulated and abused. You said that you know me, then you should know that I won't ever kill someone I care about.
'Damnit!' Rose cursed, tears gathering in her eyes as she watched Naruto fire his tails towards Talon in an attempt to skewer him, only for the assassin to dodge them by a hair's breadth. And from a distance, the Undead Talons continued to close in, Bronze Tiger and Solomon Grundy not too far behind.
And in one fluid motion, Rose drew her sword and stalked towards Deadshot who had continually fired at Naruto. He must have picked up the sound of her movement because he rolled to one side, Rose's overhead slash embedding into the brick wall he had been bracing his gone against.
"So you've made your choice then?" Deadshot pointed out, the modified gun dropped from his hands as he raised his arms, the gun barrels connected upon them levelled at her. Roughly pulling her blade free, Rose turned to him fully. She never said a word but with a shout she charged forward as Deadshot dashed backwards, bullets firing towards her charging figure.
Tuesday 11th November, 16:15.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
As Talon contorted his body around his tails, intent on piercing through him, Naruto switched his stance and burst forwards. Just as Talon landed upon the ground, the blond was upon him, fist drawn back ready to strike and it was perfectly timed, there was no way Talon as skilled as he was, would be able to react in time to the strike. A crushing blow that with perfect form, incredible momentum and overwhelming power would be a killing blow.
Even with his enhanced physical state – he moved too quick compared to how he had before and Naruto had noticed, - Talon wouldn't survive such a blow. But in that single instance where he thought that not only would he kill his former mentor and in turn, take out the largest source of his problems, the Undead Talon. Except, that was not that case as Talon, completely eclipsing his previous speed, raised his guard, blocking the strike.
For a moment, the two remained locked, glaring out at one another. It was in that instance where Naruto noticed something strange, the eyes staring back at him through the Owl mask, was red with slitted pupils. Eyes that caused Naruto's own to widen in shock before a shockwave rang out, Talon was thrown back and smashing into and through a nearby building.
'That was? How?' So shocked by what he had witnessed, Naruto didn't even react when Solomon Grundy landed beside him, having leapt through the air to close the distance between them. Both of his large hands were lifted in their air, fingers clasped together as he swung it down.
"Naruto!" It was Rose's cry that broke through the fog of shock that had clouded his mind but by that point, it was too late. Grundy's fists collided with the top of his head with power surpassing anything Grundy had utilised before. In Naruto's distracted state of mind, he had allowed the zombie to gather all his power into a single crushing blow and it all smashed into him with devastating force.
He was thrown headfirst into the ground his face upon impact resulting in the aura around him dispelling into flakes of red energy. And then the aftershocks followed, the ground already crated and heavily damaged exploded outwards that when the dust settled, revealed Naruto laid upon his chest within a two-story deep crater that stretched out for over an entire city block. Yet, Grundy was not finished, drawing his fist backs and one after another smashing them into Naruto's unmoving back.
Each strike rang out with a sharp boom that shook the surroundings and deepened the crater upon which they stood and yet Naruto remained unmoving. Up above, both Rose and Floyd finally managed to get to safety, the building they had been on previously having crumbled into ruin as a result of Grundy's strike and now both stood watching the beatdown taking place below.
Rose herself, upon seeing leapt into action, sliding down the slope and rushing towards Grundy but at that moment, Bronze Tiger and the Undead Talon appeared. She would like to say that she put up a fight, that she managed to get a few good hits in, but to be honest, the most she accomplished was knocking aside two undead before being disarmed by Bronze Tiger. Then she was just pinned, two undead holding her down, their claws digging into the flesh of her arms and making Rose grit her bloody teeth.
All the while forced to watch Grundy continue to pummel away at Naruto's unmoving body.
"That's enough, Grundy." Rose's head whipped around, the deep glare on her face showcasing her murderous intent and all of it directed to the figure who had orchestrated this entire event, Talon himself. The assassin despite taking a blow from Naruto had walked away relatively unscathed. His mask was broken in places, revealing a single blood red-eye and a corner on the right side of his mouth that when he spoke revealed fangs. The clothing upon where Naruto's tails and cloak had come into contact was also damaged, burnt away but other than, nothing. "We don't want to kill him just yet."
And as Talon strolled down towards them, Grundy picked up the body of Naruto allowing her to see that while still conscious, he was on the very cusp of unconsciousness. That single blow had been devastating upon its own, enough to overwhelm Naruto's aura – though his distracted state of mind had also weakened the aura – and the resulting blows had only further damaged him.
Coming to a stop before the body of his former protégé, Talon looked on with a smirk. "Shocking, isn't it Naruto?"Talon pointed out, Grundy holding the blonde up by his hair. "I felt the same way when I was offered this but I could hardly refuse when I witnessed your powers firsthand. I admit it's not as developed as yours, barely a fraction of what you have. But as you can see," Talon indicated to the assortment of villains all gathered around. "I have ways to overcome that disparity. Though I'm quite confident in my own abilities, I'm not sure I could beat you one on one, but who knows. I certainly am not willing to risk my revenge based on that fact."
Talon reached out, claws digging into the skin of Naruto's cheeks that healed soon after. "Don't touch him!" Rose shouted, thrashing around in the grip of the Undead Talon, breaking free from one and was about to break free from the other only to be kicked across the face by Bronze Tiger. The blow rocked Rose who collapsed to the ground, her vision going blurry as a result of the strike.
"Ah yes, Rose Wilson, daughter of Deathstroke the Terminator. I'm sure your father will be disappointed in the decision you made. Then again, I imagine you're used to disappointing dear old daddy Wilson." Talon mocked, dismissing her entirely and turning back to Naruto.
"Fuck you, you cunt!"
"She sounds just like you," Talon said to Naruto, amusement clear in his tone.
Reaching up, he removed one glove and after flexing his hands, claws flashed out of his fingers. Then with a smirk, he grabbed hold of Naruto by the back of his neck and slammed his right hand into the blonde's stomach. There was a gasp and Talon could feel blood splatter onto his back.
"I've been waiting for this day for a very long while, Naruto," Alton whispered. "You see, there's no escape from this place. The League are too busy dealing with the Ice Fortresses to be any of help to you. Jason Blood, Alan Scott? They're too busy dealing with the Demons we summoned. Wildcat? He can't enter this barrier unless we permit him? Hawk? Dove? Well, I don't think we need to worry about them anymore do we?"
Those words got a reaction, a low growl that sounded in Talons' ears, but in response, he dug his hand in Naruto's stomach, piercing through a lung and ripping his small and large intensified.
"This won't be enough to kill you, but your healing ability has weaknesses. Your head. Your brain. And…" In that instance, Talons hand reached further up Naruto's chest and clasped around the blondes most vital organ. "Your heart. Without them, you will die. You can't leave here, you're outnumbered, overpowered and surrounded. We still have two hours before the Justice League can be free to give you any meaningful aid. There selfless ways and the need to be accepted by the public will mean, you will be a secondary priority. You've lost, Naruto."
"F-fuck you." Naruto spat out defiantly and Talon pulled his hand free, ripping out Naruto's intensities along with it, they dropping onto the floor with steamy wafting off them.
"I won't kill you just yet, Naruto. As I said, there are still two hours left, I'll take my time and enjoy this, I'll break every bone in your body. I'll tear apart every one of your organs and feed them to you. And you can do nothing because you're unable to do anything," Talon proclaimed viciously and sauntered towards Naruto once more.
'Is this it then?' Naruto questioned. 'Is this how far I come? After everything I've done, is this all I can do? What did I expect? An orphan like me who just threw himself into every conflict that came his way without thought as to how I would win, what did expect was going to happen?'
Yet as his eyes trailed to the ground, he noticed the sight of Rose and he froze. Images flashed through his mind of their time together and he knew that as soon as they were done with him, she would be next. But the images didn't stop there, flashes of Kaldur, Connor, Hank, Don and Jim and Barbara filled his mind and Naruto grit his teeth.
'I can't let it end here!' And at that moment Naruto's aura returned, three tails lashing out and striking against Grundy, throwing the undead zombie back, even the feeling of his scalp being ripped out didn't even faze Naruto as he released an Earth-shaking roar to the world. "I won't let it end here!"
Then, without even a moment to give his enemies a chance to come to terms with what happened, Naruto blitzed forwards. He was nought but a blur that even Talon could barely keep up with, tails lashing out and slamming into the Undead Talons and Bronze Tiger, throwing each of them back. But his target was the man it had been from the beginning.
It was a head-on charge and that was what Talon was preparing himself for. Only at the last moment, Naruto's speed increase even further and there was only a single red blur that Talons' eyes trailed after and there, coming from his right was Naruto. Talon leaned back, going parallel to the ground in order to avoid the right cross that would have sent him flying. It was an instinctual move that left him completely exposed and Naruto capitalised with a powerful swing of its leg.
It lacked any measure of technique or finesse, just a straight sidekick, almost lazy in appearance yet packed enough force that Talon was rag-dolled across the ground.
"▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅!"
Behind him Solomon Grundy descended, flanked by the entirely of the Undead Talon. The latter of which managed to avoid the tails Naruto lashed out with, but Grundy was unable to do so and was once again thrown back. However, even as the Talons converged on Naruto from all sides, he manoeuvred around them with ease.
Tails whipping out and deflecting the bullets that Deadshot fired his way while Naruto dodged, parried and blocked the strikes the Undead Talons sent his way. All the while responding with powerful bone-breaking strikes of his own.
Rose was unable to believe what she was seeing. Physically, Naruto was only slightly faster and stronger than he had been previously, it was not enough of a distance to have being this devastating. Yet that's exactly how it appeared because whereas before Naruto struggled to keep up with this many moments, not he was handling them all with ease.
His movements were graceful, fluid and measured. Not a single wasted move as each step flowed into a dodge while simultaneously blocking and striking another opponent, all from three different directions. He was not only completely overpowering them, but Naruto was also completely outclassing them and that's when it clicked for Rose. This was not down to an increase in physical strength, this was something much rarer.
The Peak Performance Zone or as commonly referred to as the Zone. A state of hyper-focus where an athlete becomes completely immersed in the act they are doing. When everything from their technique to the contractions of their muscles, to the timing of their actions and their awareness of their surroundings, is so perfect that they themselves reach the absolute peak of their ability. A state in which a mother with no prior history in weight lifting can lift a car to save their child. Or when an elite level athlete becomes a one-man team.
This is the Zone.
A state that defined what made a mediocre hero and a great hero. No matter how powerful you were, without skill, you would reach a limit. The Peak Performance Zone was a state in which all strived to achieve and heroes were no different.
It was what made heroes like Batman, someone who should at most, be a lower-tier hero, one of the most dangerous forces in the world. It was what made heroes like Superman able to hold back their powers to such a degree they could appear as only slightly above average to living Gods in the next. It was what made groups such as the Justice League symbols of overwhelming power.
And now Naruto had stepped through that door and begun a journey to even greater heights than ever before.
So here we are, another chapter is done and with it, Naruto has been ambushed and surpassed his limits. We have at most, maybe one chapter possibly less before the finale begins.
Now I just want to clarify that Naruto's ability in this chapter is a momentary one-time incident. By this I mean that much like Ravager explained, Naruto has entered something called the Zone (you may recognise it from Kuroko no Basket), however, it is more scientifically called the Peak Performance Zone. It is a real state of mind where everything goes perfect physically and mentally, hence you reach the absolute peak of your performance.
Naruto reached this state (we've already seen it once before during the Naruto's and Batgirl fight when he was under the influence of the Fear Toxin) and it allowed him to become an exponentially better fighter, even capable of utilising his powers to an even higher degree than ever before. For example's sake, Batman is an individual who routinely and consistently enters the Zone, enabling him to fight the way he does. Naruto for the first time, by entering the Zone has gained full control of his Three Tailed form. But the Zone is not a consistent thing and fighting with the same skill will not be possible straight away. Will it happen again in the future? Yes, but not right away because if the Zone was easy to use, athletes all the time would use it.
Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and now, let's get onto the questions:
Yohnos: Oh yeah, but that's because Talon generally wanted Naruto to join him. Sure, he manipulated Naruto, but he did so simply by telling the truth and like I said, he wanted Naruto to join him. So, when Naruto not only fought against him (which in Talon's eyes was a betrayal), he also defeated Talon. Alton can't let that go unpunished and he wants revenge for someone he views as having betrayed him.
I. P. Frealy: Hopefully this chapter answers that request. Naruto no longer hesitates to kill, but he's careful not to kill just everyone. As Jason said, when he was Black Hood, Naruto started to kill people that didn't deserve to be killed, people who had no intention of hurting and only stole to feed their families. He regrets those actions and while he will kill if necessary, he won't do it all the time.
Alexander4443: Naruto and Barbara will break up eventually. Their friendship will repair but will lead to a relationship between Naruto and Starfire. I want each relationship to feel natural and Barbara as she is now, would not in any way agree to a three-way relationship. That will change in the future, but there won't be a proper harem for a while because it wouldn't work at this point in time. That will change in the future with a proper Naruto/Barbara/Starfire/Supergirl relationship, but it won't be instant.
Mthatha SA: Yeah, I struggled with writing the previous chapter. Some parts of it just didn't go the way I wanted it to and I wasn't getting anywhere with it. So I decided to just write what I could and submit it because otherwise, you'd have been waiting for months cos that's the way it was heading. This chapter is hopefully much better as I certainly enjoyed writing this much more than the previous one.
K1LL1NG9OKE: Sorry, Rose won't be added to the harem despite having feelings for him. Naruto only views her in a purely platonic way and her feelings for Naruto aren't love, they're just a childhood crush sort of thing.
Lord Suryanash: Yes, Dawn Granger will be making an appearance, she already has the powers of the Dove by this point in time as revealed by Don at the party. And no, it won't do all it does is act similar to the seal Naruto had in canon. It filters Demonic energy into his magic basically providing him with a limitless source of magic so long as he uses it correctly. He can still exhaust himself if he uses too much magic too quickly kind of like when you do sprinting. But if he paces himself (like a long-distance runner) he can do a lot over a long period of time.
Yes, there will be. And while Rose will eventually join the side of the heroes, Naruto won't be forming his own team that I intend at this point in time. Tbh I intend to form a new team later on, but Naruto while a leading member, will not be the leader. It'll be kind of like the Batman and Superman action. Superman is the de facto leader and figurehead that everyone follows, but really Batman is the one to make the decisions. Something similar will happen, but that could still change.
SpiralPotat451: Understandable, I didn't expect one straight away, just wanted to show my appreciation for reviews like that as they are the best ones to read. They always serve to give me a huge source of inspiration which hopefully you can tell by this chapter.
Yakuza2010: Actually, the power vacuum in Gotham will be pretty stable for a while. All the big players are either in Gotham or dead. That means there will be a brief and well-earned period of peace that Gotham hasn't seen for many years. Maelstrom will have officially brought a greater period of peace to Gotham than Black Hood ever did. Floyd is certainly grateful, yes and he likes Naruto, but as he says, what he does isn't personal it's business. Therefore, unlike Rose who abandoned her contract to save Naruto, don't expect a similar thing from Deadshot.
Doubt it, I don't have any more intended Barbara and Killer Frost interactions as of yet so it could change. As for his team, Naruto doesn't really have one. He, Dove and Hawk was teaming up mostly because they were in the area, but Naruto has dedicated most of his time to training rather than fighting crime. As for YJ and a clash, not really. There will be a few problems here and there, but most will be understanding of why he did what he did.