Injustice: The Path to Hell
Book 2: Darkness in the Light
Chapter V – Learning
"Normal Speech."
'Normal Thought.'
"Demon Speech."
'Demon Thought.'
"Other Speech variants."
Location/Time.
Wednesday 19th August, 19:30.
Rhode Island,
Happy Harbour,
Mount Justice.
Parrying a blow to one side, Naruto ducked under a cross from Superboy before coming up with a swipe that the topless clone leaned back to avoid. Not letting this rare opportunity of space go by, Naruto stepped forwards while simultaneously spinning round as to slam a spinning back kick into Superboy's exposed chest.
However, Superboy was not as exposed as his form might lead one to believe. His training with Naruto, Aqualad, Black Canary and the rest of the team had helped him a great deal in building up his reflexes. So much so, that little openings like these were easy to deal with.
As soon as Naruto's foot came into contact with his chest, both his hands came up and wrapped around the blondes ankle. The two standing there for nary a moment, Superboy's smirk of victory clearly shown as he then swung Naruto around and slammed him onto the floor.
"Fail, Maelstrom." A holographic screen popped up indicating his loss in the simulation.
"Good one." Naruto grunted out, cracking his neck before accepting Superboy's hand, allowing the clone to pull him to his feet. "That puts it at 13-3 in your favour." Naruto said, suppressing his power and returning back to his original or as Wally had coined, his base state.
"You're getting better." Aqualad congratulated as he came up and clasped one hand on Superboy's shoulder.
Superboy, despite his victory still wasn't overly pleased. "Yea, but only because of my powers. No offence Naruto, but not even in that form can you match me in a battle of strength or speed. It was less a victory due to my skill and more down to the difference in our powers."
"None taken." Naruto shrugged. "But don't put yourself down. You're right that the difference in our powers is definitely a reason for my loss. You yourself getting stronger by being exposed to sunlight, but even so, it's obvious to all of us that you're becoming a more skilled fighter. You're sure as hell better than I was at your age." The running gag about Superboy's actual age never failed to get a smile from either of them. "Anyway, I think it's time for you two to go at it, I'm going to rest."
While not as physically taxing on his body anymore, a definite sign that he was getting better at controlling his power, using them still took a physical and mental toll on his body. More so mental than physical now, but even then, trying to concentrate on a fight as well as ignoring the rage that came with his powers was draining.
"Alright, my friend." Aqualad agreed, patting Naruto on the back as he stepped out of the ring leaving Kaldur and Superboy behind while moving to sit down on one of the benches they had brought from the changing rooms. It was shoved to one side and lining it where a few towels and bottles of water.
Picking up one towel, Naruto dried off his sweaty face and rubbed the back of his neck while taking a sip from one of the water bottles. As he did so, he turned back to look at Kaldur and Superboy, watching as the two circled one another cautiously.
"Initiate, combat training. In 3, 2, 1." As soon as the computer finished speaking, both fighters charged at one another. Superboy coming out with a first strike like always, the straight jab avoided easily by Kaldur who ducked underneath, coming up quickly with a jab cross combo. Superboy himself managing to bring back his right hand in time to parry Kaldur's own jab before blocking the cross and ducking underneath the jumping roundhouse kick to the temple.
Weaker than him he maybe, but Superboy had learned not to underestimate Kaldur at all. Even so it didn't stop him from coming right back at Kaldur with a wild cross that Kaldur masterfully dodged with a back handspring.
Meanwhile, Artemis looked on, dressed in casual clothing, hands on her hips as her eyes trailed appreciatively over both boys figures. Her eyes lingering more on Superboy's chest as she did so. "Kaldur's, eh nice, don't you think?" Beside her, Barbara rolled her eyes at her question, it was no lie that Artemis had her eyes set firmly on Superboy. Not for any deep or meaningful way, she just found him attractive.
Luckily for her, Artemis didn't seem too interested in Naruto, she found him attractive for sure, but her gaze was set firmly on Superboy. However, while this meant that she was safe from Artemis's constant attempts to set her up with any other guy in the Cave, M'gann was not so lucky. Her attraction to Superboy evident from the moment they first met and Artemis saw that as a threat.
"Handsome, commanding. You should totally ask him out." Artemis not so subtly suggested, turning to M'gann with her arms crossover over her chest.
M'gann, still naïve as to why Artemis was constantly trying to set her up with other guys, she replied in the same cheerful tone as always, Barbara doubted she could do the same. "He's like a big brother to me. You know who would make the cutest couple?"
The subtle shift in her tone caught both girls by surprise. 'Perhaps not so naïve after all.' Barbara thought, noticing the way the Martian girls lips twisted into a slight smirk.
"You, and Wally~"
The look of sheer disgust that came across on Artemis's face as they all looked to the boy in question to see him stuffing his face with food as always was incredibly funny. So much so that Barbara couldn't stop the giggles from escaping her mouth in time for it to go unnoticed.
Artemis shot her a light glare as Barbara kept her mouth tightly closed, but the smile on her face was clearly seen despite it. "And what about you and Naruto?" Artemis question quickly, hoping to turn this conversation from her and Wally as quickly as possible. "Anything going on there?"
M'gann quickly looked to Barbara with eager excitement, she loved human gossip. "No." Barbara replied with a shake of her head and while M'gann looked disappointed, Artemis let a smirk cross her beautiful face.
"So he's still single, right?" By the suggestive tone in her voice, Barbara knew exactly what Artemis was hinting at. If she wasn't simply doing this out of revenge, Barbara might actually think she was serious, but she knew better. Besides, Naruto had shown no interest in Artemis romantically so she needn't worry about that.
"Fail, Aqualad."
The three girls turned quickly to see Superboy stood dusting his hands off, a happy smile on his face while Aqualad lay there befuddled. "Black Canary taught me that." Superboy admitted, a look proud accomplishment on his face, and why wouldn't he. For the first time since joining the team, someone had finally managed to defeat Kaldur, ending his unbeaten record finally.
Before the rest of the team could congratulate Superboy, Red Tornado descended from the hatch above. And all of them, anxiously watched Red Tornado land and begin walking away. While it had only been a short while since their previous mission, just under two weeks, all were eager for another. Especially those who hadn't performed as well as they had hoped.
After the first incident, they had waited a mere hour before news had reached them about Wayne Tech coming under attack. In response, Maelstrom had ordered Aqualad, Robin, and Artemis to go stop them leaving him, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Batgirl and Superboy behind. Like they had expected, they had come under attack by the three assassins – which had later been identified as Cheshire, Black Spider and Hook – again.
This time, despite having fewer numbers, they had performed much better. Miss Martian taking out Hook relatively quickly while Kid Flash took care of a Black Spider. Batgirl, herself keeping a Cheshire busy long enough for them to receive news that the Fog has been taken care of. Robin having downloaded the virus Roquette had finished directly into the Fog through Wayne Techs computers.
All the while Aqualad and Artemis took care of Professor Ojo and the Assassins acting as his escort. The mission had been a success and everything worked out in the end.
However, they were now all eager for another.
"Do you have a mission for us?" Wally asked as he rushed in front of Red Tornado.
"Mission assignments are Batman's responsibility." Red a Tornado replied monotonously.
Still not deterred, Wally continued, the rest of the team grouping up together behind him. "Yea well, the Batman is with Robin doing the whole dynamic duo thing in Gotham, but you're heading somewhere, right? Hot date or, eh, a mission?" He questioned, Aqualad himself taking a more diplomatic approach.
"If we can be of help?" He left it open-ended on purpose, trusting Red Tornado to understand not only what he meant, but that they were ready. Red Tornado seemed to consider it for a few moments, before eventually turning to open up the holographic computer. The rest of the team, forming up to look curiously at what he was going to give them.
An aged man in a well-dressed suit holding a cane appeared before them. "This is Kent Nelson. A friend." The android clarified. "He is hundred and six years old."
"Guy doesn't look a day over ninety." Wally whispered, going ignored by the vast majority of those present.
Red Tornado was one such individual. "And he has been missing for three days. Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society, the precursor to your Justice League." Over the image of Kent Nelson, a man clad in a black and gold outfit took shape.
The image of this man seemed to spark realisation in Aqualad, a measure of awe in his voice as he spoke. "Of course, Nelson was Earths sorcerer supreme. He was Doctor Fate!" Naruto himself turned back to look at the image of Kent Nelson, or Doctor Fate as he now knew him as in a new light.
Magic was not something he had encountered properly yet and something he was quite glad for. From what Barbara he had read about some of the Justice League's enemies who used magic, they were dangerous threats that could not be underestimated.
While most of the team seemed to share Naruto's sentiments, Wally did not. "Pfft, more like Doctor Fake. Guy knows a little advanced science and Dumbledore's it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes."
And once again, Red Tornado either didn't hear or choose to ignore Wally. "Kent may simply be on one of his...walkabouts. But he is caretaker to the Helmet of Fate, the source of the Doctors mystic might and its unwise to leave such power unguarded."
"He's like the great sorcerer priests and priestess of Mars. I would be honoured to help find him." M'gann volunteered happily, in equal awe or Doctor Fate as Aqualad and much like Naruto and the others had expected, Wally instantly volunteered as well, suddenly changing his tune about magic.
Ignoring him, Naruto walked forwards. "Take this, it's the key to the Tower of Faith." Red Tornado explained, presenting the key that Naruto took.
Wednesday 19th August, 20:20.
Massachusetts,
Salem.
The ride on the Bio-ship to the location of the Tower of Fate had been done in relative silence. There had of course been Wally flirting as usual, even talking about his love to magic for all to hear. Naruto was starting to suspect that most of his time was spent talking rather than using his skills or mind for better things. And considering Wally had recreated the Flash's experiment that gave him access to the Speed Force as he had come to know it as, Wally was more interested in other things despite being incredibly smart.
In a way, it was a good thing. It showed that unlike most young heroes, Wally was relatively normal if a bit over the top in some cases. Unlike most of them, Wally was perhaps the only normal one amongst them, which was ironic considering he could break the sound barrier in his sneakers, or so he boasted anyway.
Turning away from Wally, Naruto instead turned to look out the window, his eyes catching Barbara rolling her eyes along with Artemis. The two, despite having gotten off to a rough start in the beginning, for reasons unknown to him, they had started to get along really well. In fact, most of the team seemed to have gotten closer, with their of course being little cliques in the wider group.
There was of course, the three girls Barbara, Artemis and M'gann. The three talking about whatever they talked about, Naruto had no clue and he doubted he wanted to know. He'd been subjected to some of what he had later come to know was called, 'Girl Talk' by a young Barbara when they were twelve. He did not want to go down that route again, ever.
Then there was Wally and Dick. The two of them seemed to feed off one another. Dick making Wally a little more mature in some cases, and actually show his intelligence when they talked about science occasionally. But on the downside, Wally would also make Dick more immature. Which was strange for Naruto considering he had only seen the mature, young hero side that was Robin. To see Dick act like an immature fourteen-year-old was a strange experience, one that he was still getting used to.
Then finally, there was him Kaldur and Superboy.
Superboy had originally just being outsider, only ever really interacting with grunts and just ignoring everyone around him. Of course, that all changed after the Amazo incident and had started training more often with them all. Considering Kaldur and Naruto were the only ones that could at least spar with him and make him work for a victory, it had led to the three developing a close bond.
Kaldur and Naruto having developed a bond the moment the two met. Both having a more mature outlook than most due to their upbringings and environments, plus they shared a similar work ethic. Which considering they were the only two outside of Barbara and Dick who trained at the beginning of this team's foundation, their friendship was unsurprising.
Even so, despite this closer bond, there were still problems. One of which was his and Barbara relationship. They had always been close and while their friendship had suffered a great deal over the course of his tenure as Black Hood, they were starting to make headway again.
They were nowhere near as close as when they were younger, but they were getting their slowly. However, there were moments as one would expect where the two found things a little too awkward and so, like today things were a little tense between them.
It had all started when Naruto learned Barbars was staying at the Cave instead of going out on patrol with Robin and Batman. He had of course asked why and Barbara had explained she wanted to spend the day in the Cave with everyone else. This had led to him, perhaps wrongfully stating she should have gone with them, which in turn led Barbara to believe he wanted rid of her.
Things like this moment of miscommunication had led to a few tense and awkward moments between the two.
"So, Wally?" Artemis spoke up, breaking him from his train of thought. "When did you realise your honest affinity for sorcery." While his and Barbara's relationship had problems, it had nothing on the relationship between Wally and Artemis. The two having constantly being at each other's throats, using sarcasm and other biting remarks to get a rise out of the other. It had led to a few complications and altercations here and there.
"Well, I, I don't like to brag." The deadpan look he received from a number of looks spoke more than words ever could. If there was one thing Wally always liked to do, it was brag. "But before I became Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself."
The looks he shot M'gann, hoping to see if she was paying attention to him was pathetic, something the others also thought as they looked away. Superboy had kept his eyes shut throughout the entire, thing, no doubt trying not to pay attention.
Thankfully, before Wally could open his mouth again, they had arrived. "We've reached Tornados coordinates, but -"
"Nothing's there." Supberboy finished M'gann's sentence, opening his eyes for the first time since getting on the Bio-Ship.
"Take us down." Aqualad ordered, M'gann placing the ship down in an abandoned carpark.
As the team got up out of their seats, making their way out, Naruto moved forwards stopping Wally from leaving. "Hey man, what's the big deal?" He asked hotly, glaring up at Naruto who had stopped him from staring at M'gann's, Barbara's and even Artemis's arse as they made their way off the ship.
"Wally, I don't care about whether you believe in magic or not. But right now, just for the remainder of this trip, stop with the bullshit. You can continue to spout off all your beliefs in magic all you want after we're done, but I and many others are getting tired of hearing your bullshit. So, stop. That's an order." The speedster looked ready to argue, as he always did when Naruto gave him an order outside of a mission.
But decided against it when he saw the others looking their way.
With a frown and a grunt of displeasure, Wally walked past Naruto, making sure to knock shoulders with him in order to further show his annoyance.
"Everything alright?" Kaldur asked as Naruto came down the stairs, the Bio-Ship closing up behind them into a ball as his gaze turned from Naruto to the sulking Wally.
"It's fine, just had a few words with Wally and it went about as well as you can expect." Kaldur nodded his head, seeing Wally's irritation clearly, as did everyone else. "So what'd you think of this?" He asked, indicating to the open area in front of them.
"This is the location Tornado gave us, I do not believe he would send us to the wrong place."
"So, what then?" Superboy asked, coming up to them with his arms crossed over his chest.
Kaldur remained silent for a few moments, his mind playing over all possible scenarios. Only one came to mind. "It's highly possible that the Tower of Fate is covered in an illusion or barrier of some kind that hides it from our senses. There are many enchantments like that in Atlantis."
"Would you be able to tell if there was?" Naruto asked, having recognised the unsure tone in which Kaldur shared his theory.
Kaldur shook his head. "No, my skills in magic are limited as I focused mostly on my martial skills and offensive magic in order to enhanced my fighting capabilities. We were only taught the basics of illusions and how to break them. That would not be applicable here."
"If it's under an illusion, shouldn't we be able to touch it if its right there."
"Possibly." Kaldur agreed with a nod of his head, though a frown still remained firmly on his face. "But even then, I am not too sure. Doctor Fate is a master of the mystic arts. Even Queen Mera, the most powerful and gifted sorceress in Atlantis is no match for his skills. It may very well be that it will not work."
Superboy shrugged. "Worth a shot." He said, directing it to Naruto in particular who agreed.
"Wally, run around the area see if you can find the Tower, we believe it might be under some kind of mystic barrier or illusion. If it is, we might be able to find it still." As Wally shot off, Naruto released a sigh. "Let's just hope this works, I don't like it out here."
"What'd you mean?" Superboy asked, unsure as to why Naruto seemed on edge. While not as powerful as their mentors, each member was a skilled and powerful person that could give anyone but the most powerful pose for thought. It'd take more than a simple group of thugs to be a threat.
So why did he seem so on edge.
"Don't you feel like something is watching us?" Naruto asked, his gaze scanning their surroundings, catching sight of a ginger cat disappearing into an alleyway but dismissing it straight away. Superboy did the same, watching and looking for the sign of anyone spying on them, but found nothing.
"It's just your imagination." He dismissed and while still unnerved, Naruto nodded his head. Shaking it off as simple paranoia when Wally arrived with a skid.
"Nothing, this isn't simple camouflage." He informed, Artemis answering straight after.
"So, what do you think? Adaptive Microelectronics combined with phase shifting?" She posed, the phrase and meaning of what she said going directly over his head. By the shrug Superboy gave when Naruto looked at him questioningly, he too was in a similar situation.
Wally however, seemed to understand. "Absolutely." But as soon as he noticed M'gann and Barbara walking up towards them, the former having being using her Telekinesis to try and find the Tower, with Barbara accompanying her, he quickly changed his tune. "Not! Clearly mystic powers are at work here." The deadpan way in which he finished his sentence told them all that he did not believe a thing he just said.
Naruto himself, shaking his head in annoyance. Despite his best efforts, Wally still seemed set in his ways and like most of them, was too stubborn to change.
While the rest of them just stared at Wally in a deadpan fashion, even M'gann seemingly having picked up on his lack of faith, Kaldur was not paying attention. His mind had been focused on trying to figure out how the Tower was hidden as well as how to get around it.
It seemed that in this time, he had figured out a possible solution.
"A test of faith." He muttered, turning to Naruto. "Pass me the key, I think I might have figured out a way to get in the Tower?"
"How?" Wally scoffed. "We can't even find the Tower."
"Are you sure?" Barbara asked.
"Only one way to find out." Seeing that Kaldur was serious, Naruto pulled out the key from his pocket and handed it to Kaldur who inspected it shortly.
Making his way past them, Kaldur approached the open space before them. He took a moment to look up at the night sky before once again looking directly in front of him. Raising his hand, he pushed the key forwards and before their very eyes, the front part of the key seemed to disappear, the tell-tale sound of it being fitted into a lock sounding in their ears.
Then, forming from around the key, an aged wooden door appeared, the image growing and spreading to reveal a large, stone tower. Each of them looking on in shocked awe at the display before them.
Twisting the key in place, Kaldur pushed open the door and they all entered inside, the door closing behind them on its own. And yet, suddenly they found themselves in a chamber, no way out in sight and the door they had entered through mysteriously having disappeared.
"Eh, where'd the door go?" Superboy voiced, all of them looking around to try and find the door in question.
But their attention was soon grabbed by the sight of Kent Nelson appearing in front of them. Yet there was something strange about him, not only did he have golden glow surrounding his body, but he was also quite obviously not material.
"Greetings, you've entered with a key, but the Tower does not recognise you. Please state your purpose and intent." The image of Kent spoke, not looking at any of them in particular, until he did. His eyes focusing in on Naruto and glowing, suddenly the blonde found himself frozen in place. His arms locking up at his side.
"W-what the, I cahhhh!" Naruto cried out, scrunching his eyes up tight as an excruciating amount of pain rushed through his head. This shout, causing all his teammates to turn and look at him in shock, unable to comprehend what was going on.
"What's going on, Naruto?" Barbara cried out, rushing to Naruto to try and help him, only for him to be unable to hear her as he seemed to slump. "Naruto?!" She called his name once more, only to once again receive no reply.
"What's the meaning of this?" Kaldur demanded, turning to the spectral image of Kent, who watched on impassively.
"The Tower has restrained him, a security measure put in place for all those entering the Tower with demonic blood flowing through their veins." Kent explained. "State your purpose and intent?" Kent repeated once more.
"We were-"
Wally had other ideas, while he was a little concerned as to why Naruto seemed to suddenly cry out in pain before collapsing into unconsciousness. Well, not really collapse considering he was still standing, held in place by the restraining 'spell' from the Tower, it was obvious that they had just had to answer the question. And he could do that, save their leader and possibly score some points with M'gann, a win all round for him.
"We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate!" He exclaimed piously.
For the first time since arriving, the spectral image seemed to show emotion, disappointment before he disappeared, leaving Wally standing there awkwardly with his arms outstretched.
There was a moment in which, Kaldur, Superboy, Wally and Artemis looked around unsurely. Wondering as to what had happened and whether something else would happen. Then, suddenly there was the sound of cracking, a sense of foreboding filling them before the ground opened up beneath them.
Perhaps for a single moment, Wally felt a measure of regret fill him as the blast of heat coming off the lava at the bottom struck him. 'I should have kept my mouth shut.' That was the only thought going through his mind before gravity seemed to take hold of them all, each of them plummeting down at high speeds, each screaming in terror as they fell.
Barbara herself, despite the momentary feeling of weightlessness followed by the terror of falling, quickly recovered when she saw the still unconscious Naruto, the restraining spell seemingly having being removed if his flapping arms and legs were anything to go by, fall faster than her.
Manoeuvring her body so that it was streamline, Barbara made sure to angle herself in Naruto's direction. Her newly repositioned body allowed her to cut through the air much quicker, meeting with less resistance in order to reach Naruto quicker.
It worked, and as she closed in, outstretched both hands gripping hold of one of Naruto's wrists and pulling him close to her, wrapping both legs around his waist and one arm under his armpit. With her free arm she fumbled around in her utility belt, she always carrying it on her for situations just like this as Batman had taught her and pulled out a grappling gun.
Taking aim for the edge of the pit, she fired.
It missed the opening of the pit, they having fallen too far down for the cable to reach, but the hook did manage to securely embed itself into some rock so that when the line became taut, it remained firmly where it was under hers and Naruto's combined weight.
"Is everyone alright?" Barbara called out, taking a moment to secure her grip on Naruto who had slipped a bit further down her body so that his head was now resting on her breasts. And she would firmly deny that the redness on her cheeks had anything to do with intimate position and was entirely down to the heat of the lava below.
"We're okay, I think." Artemis replied from where she was holding onto Kaldur as well as the grappling gun. Even from this distance Barbara could see the strain in her arm and hear the grimace in her voice, it was obvious she would not be able to hold that for long. "What about everyone else?"
"Having trouble, maintaining altitude." M'gann gasped out over the mental link, Barbara, Artemis and the barely conscious Kaldur looking to see her carrying Wally as they slowly descended to the lava despite her best efforts. Further down, Superboy could be seen clinging to wall mere inches above the lava. "I'm so hot." She said aloud this time, wiping her head of sweat.
Wally like usual, couldn't tell that this wasn't the time for him to be flirting. "You certainly are."
Wally?!" Artemis cried out disbelievingly. Kaldur beside her looking up to Barbara and the unconscious Naruto.
"How is he?" He asked, weakness filling him as a result of his unique physiology, much like M'gann's.
Barbara turned to Naruto, taking note of his even breathing also noting the occasional grimace and tensing of his muscles. "Unconscious." She shouted back, looking round to try and find anything they could use, an ledge or something along those lines. "We need to find a way out of this."
At this moment, M'gann seemed to have a moment of realisation. "Hello, Megan. We never truly answered the question." She explained. "Red Tornado sent us, to see if Mr. Nelson, and the Helmet were safe."
Silence except for the bubbling lava below was all the answer they got and for a few tense moments, they wondered if this was still wrong.
However, they each breathed a sigh of relief when two doors slid over the vat of lava, providing them with a safe landing spot. Each of them landing with some measure of relief, Superboy himself moving over to help lower Naruto down onto the platform as Barbara lowered down.
"This platform, it should be red hot?" Kaldur noted, crunching down to place both hands on it. "But, it's cool to the touch."
However, he was interrupted from his musings by Artemis's outraged cry of, "Enough!" The archer shoving Wally away from Megan. "Your little impress Megan at all costs nearly got us all barbecued."
"When did this become my fault?" Wally shot back.
"The moment you lied to that, whatever it was and called yourself a true believer." She mocked, Wally looking like he swallowed a particularly sour lemon.
She wasn't the only one who had something to say, Superboy himself stepping forward. "Especially when Naruto told you to stop lying. Actually, I think he ordered you to stop."
"How did..." Wally stopped when he realised who exactly he was talking to because of course Superboy heard that. While he hadn't been in the ship when it happened, having been the first to get off. He had clearly heard what Naruto had said.
"And you still continued on with it?" Artemis scoffed, her anger only growing bigger by the second. "What the hells wrong with you?"
"Wally, you need to get your head out of your ass." Barbara snapped, pushing past Artemis and getting right up in Wallys face. "This world doesn't revolve around you as much as you'd like to think that. And as much as you like to think your gods gift to earth, guess what, that makes you no better than those jocks you complain about. Actually, I think at this moment, it make you worse considering they didn't nearly get us killed because of your pathetic attempts to get laid."
There was a moment of silence, everyone seemingly shocked by Barbara rant, even the girl herself seemed a little surprised. However, instead of apologising or saying anything more – because she still had plenty to say, – she instead spun on her heel and returned to check up on Naruto's condition.
The rest of the team remaining silent for a few moments before they eventually recovered.
Thursday 27th August, 12:00.
Rhode Island,
Happy Harbour,
Mount Justice.
Groaning tiredly, Naruto tightened the towel around his waist as he stepped out into the steamy bathroom. Moving over to the sink, he wiped off the steam with one hand and rubbed one hand along his jawline, feeling the small hairs beginning to grow forming a thin layer of stubble.
Opening the cupboard, Naruto pulled out some shaving cream and a razor before beginning to shave down the stubble. It didn't take long, no more than a minute or two, but it was long enough to think over what had happened in the previous week.
After he had fallen unconscious, according to Barbara, Wally had been his usual self and further dug them into a hole. Quite literally when the floor had crumbled underneath their feet leaving them plummeting to a vat of lava. Luckily, he had been saved by Barbara and Megan had correctly answered the question saving their lives. From there, after a brief but apparently enjoyable argument between Barbara and Wally, Kaldur had taken charge with them entering through what was apparently a pocket dimension within the Tower.
According to Superboy, it was he that carried the unconscious Naruto throughout the snowy pocket dimension before they came across a floating cane. Wally and Artemis grabbing hold of it at the same time and it flew off, dragging them away with it.
It all accumulated in a fight between known criminal and magic phony, Abra Kadabra and the Lord of Chaos, Klarion the Witch Boy. With the latter disappearing to apparently fight Wally and Doctor Fate on the roof of the Tower. Wally had been unusually tight-lipped about what had happened after the fight had ended, only saying that after a quick chat with Kent in the Helmet, he was brought down to where everyone else.
All the while, he had been blissfully unconscious, unaware of all this happening around him.
Placing the razor on the sink, Naruto turned the tap on, cupping some water in his hands and washed off the remnants of the shaving cream from his face. As he looked up to make sure his face was clean, he tensed up in shock when he noticed blood red eyes staring back at him. His left hand which he had used to stroke his newly shaved cheek was revealed to have sharp claws on it and a malicious smirk came upon his face revealing sharp fangs.
Looking down at his arms, Naruto saw nothing, no claws. Clenching his fists, he opened them once more to see the same sight, nothing. Looking up, the image he saw was gone and Naruto leaned forwards to try and get a closer look.
Nothing happened and it was only when he heard Barbara call out his name, that Naruto moved away. "Naruto! You in here?"
"Yeah, just give me a minute." He replied, pulling on a pair of boxers, shorts and a simple plain T-shirt. Entering out he saw Barbara stood in the doorway waiting. "What'd you need?"
"Batman's looking for you." She said and Naruto sighed, not looking forward to what would probably be an interrogation.
"Alright, where is he?"
"Conference room." Nodding his head, Naruto made to leave but Barbara stopped him, moving in front of him. "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.
Naruto smiled at her concern. "I'm fine, it was just the Tower acting defensively, nothing to worry about." Despite his words, Barbara didn't look convinced but released a sigh and let him go. She didn't know, why yet she just knew there was something more to it than the Tower of Fate acting defensively. After revealing their true intent to aid the Tower, it had been incredibly helpful besides the one incident with the cane. Even then, that seemed to work in the favour of the Tower more than them.
Yet Naruto had not awoken from his unconsciousness. In fact, the way in which he had grimaced, it seemed like he was still fighting against something mentally.
However, she didn't push it, right now she was just glad he seemed to be okay.
Thursday 27th August, 12:05.
Rhode Island,
Happy Harbour,
Mount Justice.
"You wanted to see me?" Naruto questioned as he entered the conference room to find Kaldur stood engaged in conversation with a slightly middle-aged man with red hair with streaks of white showing that he was getting on in his years. Batman sat to one side at the conference table, which Naruto realised had rarely been used at all.
"Yes." Batman indicated to the man who had stopped his conversation with Kaldur to study Naruto more closely, eventually nodding to himself as if confirming what he was looking for. "This is-"
"I can introduce myself, Bruce." The man interjected pleasantly, moving forwards and presenting one hand to Naruto. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Naruto Uzumaki, I am Jason Blood."
"Nice to meet you." Naruto greeted in turn before smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but why are you here?" Jason just smiled in turn, showing that he took no offence and indicated for Naruto to sit down at the table.
"I'm here to talk to you about your powers." Here, Jason looked towards Kaldur and Batman. "If you wouldn't mind, I believe this would be best done in private. Plus, I know you also have something else you can both be doing."
"Why? What's happening?" Naruto questioned, looking to Kaldur and Batman questioningly.
"The team is getting another mission." Kaldur answered.
"Why wasn't I informed?" This time, Naruto's directed the question to Batman.
The caped crusader in question, remaining stoic and blank faced. "You aren't going."
Naruto didn't like this at all and looked ready to argue until Kaldur placed one hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, my friend. We will be fine and I do believe that remaining here will be better for you and the team in the long run." Kaldur said, his tone and words having a calming effect on Naruto who understood what the Atlantean was hinting at.
Naruto's powers were strong and could prove to give the team an additional powerhouse. However, they were currently a source of major concern considering Naruto had only managed to a basic measure of control over his powers. While that in of itself was strong, nearly doubling his physical abilities compared to what they were before, it was nowhere near enough to close the gap between him and the likes of Kaldur and Superboy.
However, from what Naruto had described of his powers, they had all come to the agreement that there was probably more there to access and that Naruto was only scratching the surface.
But like they said, Naruto had only recently gained full control of the initial transformation. Which was impressive, allowing him to use that form in combat without suffering any side effects, it took him a long while to do so. If he gained more power and it took an equal amount of time to gain control, his powers could prove to be useless when they were most needed.
"Alright." Naruto relented with a sigh and with that, Kaldur and Batman left, leaving Naruto and Jason in the room.
"So, shall we begin?" Jason asked.
"Yea, let's do this." Naruto asked, coming across a little irritated but Jason didn't take it to heart. It was obvious to him that the young man was focused on the information about the mission. Still, he needed Naruto's focused on him for this to work.
Keeping an amicable smile on his face, Jason began. "To start things off, can I ask what you know about Demons?"
"Demons?" Naruto asked unsurely, caught flat footed by the surprise question. "Are you saying my powers are linked to Demons?"
"Most definitely." Jason replies bluntly. "But could you humour me and answer the question?"
"Right, sorry." Naruto apologised. "So, Demons? Not much, and I doubt what I know about them is actually real considering it's based off fantasy films and whatnot. But I guess, they're powerful and evil beings focused on destruction?"
"That is for the most part, correct. For you see, Demons are malevolent beings that usually inhabit the many layers of Hell. They're either Fallen Angels or something called, Hellions. These are Demons either created by already existing Demons, or mortal souls that after their torment become so. Many, like you said are mostly focused on pure destruction and many lack much in the way of intelligence." Jason described, Naruto's listening enraptured.
The whole aspect of Demons and Hell was a little strange, as much as he had grown to accept that the world was larger and much crazier than he had imagined, it was still taking some getting used to. Demons was apparently one of the many things he would have to prepare for in the future.
"However, not all Demons are Hellions and Fallen Angels. You see, there are many of beings that you could call, inter-dimensional beings that have earned the title of Demon. So, the term Demon has a very broad spectrum, but the vast majority of the Demons you will encounter will come from Hell." Jason finished his explanation.
"So, Demons are real, they're hellbent on destruction and lack any real intelligence?" Naruto briefly summarised, a little unsurely as he did so.
"Not entirely, the vast majority do lack intelligence, making up for that with power. But you'll find that the stronger a Demon is, the more intelligent it also is." Naruto nodded his head to show that he understood what Jason saying.
"So, my powers belong to a Demons?"
Jason paused, looking a little unsure before shaking his head. "Not in the aspect of say, you encountering a Demon and gained a portion of its power, nor are you possessed by a Demon and therefore, gained access to its powers. The power you have, is demonic in essence, but it is entirely yours."
"How can that be?"
Here Jason once again took a moment before eventually answering. "There is no other way to put this, Naruto. By your lack of knowledge on Demons as a whole, I can quite clearly tell that you were unaware of this. However, you are not entirely human. You are what the Japanese call, a Hanyou, or Half-Demon."
"Half-Demon?" Naruto repeated, his eyes going wide in shock. "How? How am I? How do you know this? How can you tell? Who are you?" Towards the end, the shock of the revelation seemed to wear off as he started to demand answers from Jason.
"Because Naruto, I have a lot of experience with Demons." Jason started. "My own...unique situation allows me to sense Demons around me. While you're not entirely Demon, you're not entirely human either. That is why you have access to these powers, it's all but impossible for a human to use a Demons powers without one of three things happening."
Here, Jason raised one hand up, one finger extended.
"The first, is if you make a deal with a Demon. You reach out for a Demon, express your desire and why you need that power and the Demon, if finding you worthy will gift you a portion of their power in return for anything they so desire. In most cases, the soul of the human they make a deal with. What many of those humans do not know is, that the power of the Demon they are using is slowly killing them, like a cancerous tumour."
Another finger was raised.
"The second, is by being possessed by a Demon. This could be for any number of reasons. The Demons body could have been destroyed and so seeks out a host to use until it can reclaim a more suitable body, or it could be because the Demon was sealed inside a host by a Wizard."
Naruto raised a brow when he heard the subtle sound of bitterness when Jason mentioned the last bit. However, Jason continued on before he could ask about it.
"The third and final one, is by being a Demon yourself or," he indicated to Naruto. "A half-Demon."
Naruto remained silent, trying to fully understand and come to terms with the information he had been given. It was a lot to come to terms with. Not only did he learn that Demons were real, but also that he was a half-demon himself. How was one meant to deal with that sudden revelation?
Realising the internal struggle within the young man, Jason reached forward and placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder. "I apologise, Naruto. I understand that this must be a lot to understand."
"It's alright." Naruto shook his head. "I'm thankful that you're not trying to hide this from me."
"Even so, this is a lot to come to terms with. I too, know what it feels like to suddenly have your whole world tipped on its head. To suddenly realise that everything you knew about the world and more importantly, yourself was not entirely true."
"How?" Naruto asked imploringly and Jason hesitated for a few moments.
"My situation, is the second option from the list I described. Residing within me, is a powerful Demon, known as Etrigan." Jason explained. "It has gifted me with many things, one of which is an incredibly long life, sometimes I wonder if I am actually immortal. But, despite what many would deem as a gift worth any measure of sacrifice. For me, it is a curse."
Jason crowned sadly, the memory of a beautiful young woman and a young girl running happily through lush green fields. The sound of a child's laughter tittering through his mind.
"Many centuries ago, my wife and child were killed. I was the only survivor and I had no clue who killed them or how they died. One day we were playing in the fields and doing work on the farm I owned and the next, they were dead. It was only later, that I discovered it was me who killed them. Well, not entirely me but it was an after effects of Etrigan being fused with me. The explosion of power killing them instantly." Jason described sadly.
"I'm sorry." Naruto didn't know what else to say, how would one respond to this sudden take?
"Don't be, I over my long life have come to terms. And while I spent many years trying to find a way to separate myself from Etrigan, we have come to a term of sort. I now dedicate myself to keeping the world safe from Demons, though I do also occasionally deal with common thugs here and there."
Jason paused.
"What I am trying to say, Naruto." He said firmly. "Is that you may feel disheartened, scared or even horrified at learning the truth of your powers and yourself. However, it is not your blood that makes you who you are. It is the decision you make that shape who you and the path upon which you walk. Your powers, are strong and so long as you believe in yourself and the path upon which you walk, they will serve you well."
Seeing Naruto still silent, looking at the floor in thought, Jason reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small black card.
"I prepared this just in case." He placed the card on the table, Naruto sparing a brief glance at it. "If you have any questions or desire any help in learning more about your powers, ring this number. I doubt I will be much help, the source of our powers is different, but I can assure you that I will give you all the aid that I can."
With that said, Jason stepped out of the room leaving Naruto in silence. His gaze firmly locked on the ground with his hands clasped in front of him. "Gah." He hissed out, shooting upright to see his blood dribbling down from the back of each hand, the wounds caused by his claws digging into the flesh healing soon after.
But the main cause of concern for him was not the sudden appearance of his powers despite not consciously activating them. No, it was the mocking laughter ringing through his mind.
The same laughter that was haunting his dreams every night.
His head dropped into his hands as Naruto gripped his hair tightly. 'What's wrong with me?'
Thursday 27 August, 12:45.
Rhode Island,
Happy Harbour,
Mount Justice.
Walking down the corridor of Mount Justice, Jason was deep in thought about his previous conversation with Naruto. The boy was troubled, that much had been obvious. He hid it well, but his past in Gotham and his experiences had scarred the boy deeply. Which in a normal case, would be a worrying thought.
But in his case, everyone needed to be much more careful.
The powers he had were dangerous and linked directly to his negative emotions, most Demonic powers were. The fact he had managed to gain some measure of control was impressive in of itself and spoke well of the boy's determination and work ethic. There was no talent in Demonic powers, to gain control and to use the properly was all about hard work and determination.
Jason was impressed of the progress Naruto had made on his own without even being aware of where his powers came from. But he was also worried.
Like he had said, Naruto was scarred by his past experiences and those scars ran deep. They were a source of deep anger, hatred, rage and many more emotions, none of them good. This did not bode well for anyone as it meant that learning to use his powers would be that much more difficult.
'He will have a long hill to climb before he gains complete control. Especially with the depth and potency of the power at his disposal.' That was another thing that worried Jason, the boy's power in of itself was perhaps the most terrifying.
Everything from the depth, the potency and the sheer level of rage that surrounded that power was perhaps, on a level he had never seen before. Throughout his centuries of existence, Jason had never come across a power as potent as Naruto's.
Combine that with Naruto's emotional instability, then you had a recipe for chaos.
"Can you help him?" Broken from his thoughts, Jason turned to see Batman coming up the corridor towards him.
"It's difficult to say." Jason admitted the two coming to a stop in front of one another. "The boy's power, is unlike anything I've ever felt. The thing that worries me more is that even though he didn't say it, just sitting across from him then, even Etrigan was, well nervous."
Batman was silent, as the two carried on walking down the corridor.
The very idea of a Demon as powerful as Etrigan being nervous, was strange. But it also showed just how powerful Naruto could become if he gained access to his powers. 'Etrigan has shown strength capable of matching Superman's at one point in time and with his magic and Demonic powers, he's capable of harming Clark despite no longer being as strong as him. Even so, Etrigan being nervous of him, does that mean Naruto is more powerful than Etrigan.'
"I know what you're thinking, Bruce. But I doubt Naruto is capable of beating Etrigan, even if he gains full control of his powers."
Batman said nothing, only looking to Jason questioningly.
"You remember the story I told you, of Golgotha? He was Etrigan's son and a much more powerful Demon than his father. Yet, when the two inhabited my body, it was not Golgotha that emerged victorious, but Etrigan." Jason explained. "Combat as you know, is not about pure power and while this is less obvious the more powerful you become, at the end of that day, just like with normal humans. When two Demons fight, experience with combat and one's own powers will give them an edge over someone with more power. This was the case between Golgotha and Etrigan and between Etrigan and Naruto. Powerful he would be, Naruto doesn't have the centuries of experience to draw from that Etrigan does."
Batman nodded his head stiffly.
"Though I must admit, even I'm wary of seeing how powerful Naruto could become. I've encountered a lot of Demons in my time, but none have had a power with such a potency. I doubt that even I could use that power without killing myself in the process. The fact that Naruto can, is a testament of his heritage. Then again, one can expect no less from an Uzumaki."
"What do you mean?" Batman asked, turning to face Jason fully, the two coming to a halt once more.
Jason took note of the demanding tone and instead of being irritated, he instead smiled. "I must admit, you're desire to know everything can be annoying to most. But I find it highly amusing when you act like a petulant child when you don't know something."
Batman said nothing, only remaining silent and Jason sighed.
"Very well." He relented. "I did not come here simply to help young Naruto with his problem. I came here because I was curious to see whether Naruto truly was an Uzumaki or not. They are after all, an extinct clan, or should be."
Jason paused.
"You see, when I first learned of my predicament, I spent a great deal of time studying the Occult and Demons, mostly the latter. I studied every scroll, text, book and ancient tablet pertaining to Demons that I could and do you know what each one would always mention?"
"The Uzumaki's." Batman stated, it was not a question.
"Correct. The Uzumaki Clan were an ancient, infamous, dangerous and extremely powerful family of Demon Hunters. The best in the business so to speak. Humans hunting Demons, at that point in time it was seen as impossible, even sorcerers were wary of fighting Demons so when a Japanese Family started doing it and succeeding, they earned quite a lot of attention."
Jason chuckled, just imagining some stuck-up sorcerer that believed himself the strongest getting shown up by a family of what was generally considered, a backwater community.
"Of course, after the Church and Christianity started expanding their influence, the Uzumaki were one of the first to be hunted down to near extinction. Those children deemed too young to have been 'influenced by Satan' were raised in Christian orphanages. So, the Uzumaki faded into obscurity. After that there was no mention of them, except one. A young girl named Mito Uzumaki, about three centuries after the Uzumaki were defeated, she was the last recorded and only sighted member of the once prestigious clan."
"Just one sighting?" Batman questioned, finding that hard to believe and Jason shared his sentiments.
"I see you share my disbelief as well. While accurate information in that time period is scarce in the non-magical community, in the magical community information is in abundance. A family like the Uzumaki suddenly fading into nothing is strange, especially considering their former fame and accomplishments. I didn't think much of it at first, until you asked me to come see a young boy named, Naruto Uzumaki. That's where my suspicions really came to light."
"You believe someone has been hunting the Uzumaki?"
Jason shook his head. "Not just hunting, I believe they've been erasing all records of the Uzumaki clan after they were hunted down by the Church. Someone or something has been cultivating a line of Uzumaki and keeping them secret from the world. I'd be careful, Bruce. If I'm right, we may be stepping on toes that should not be stepped on."
"You have an idea of who could be behind this?"
"Not an exact guess, but I have a number of Demons and other beings under suspicion. The Uzumaki made a lot of enemies and caught a lot of people's eyes, it's not hard to believe that they want to use the Uzumaki for their own agenda. I will contact you when I have narrowed down the list even further, but I repeat, be careful. Each being on my list are at a level that I doubt even the League could handle." Jason warned and left, Batman remaining behind silently.
He was not one to dismiss Jason's wanting lightly. Especially when Jason seemed this wary about the possible threat hiding in the shadows.
Thursday 27 August, 13:00.
Rhode Island,
Happy Harbour,
Mount Justice.
"So, this is where you are?" Halting his last punch, Naruto turned around to see Batgirl moving towards him slowly. She was still clad in her Batgirl outfit, her mask pulled back and she was walking with a slight limp.
"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly, moving away from the bag and went to go to her, but she waved him off. "What happened?"
Barbara frowned at the memory. "We got our ass handed to us." It was meant to be a simple mission given by Batman to give Aqualad some more experience in leading the team so that should anything happen to Naruto, there would be someone capable of stepping up and taking his place. It wasn't the first mission that they had received like this, but it was the first to go as badly as this one had.
The mission in of itself, shouldn't have even needed the entire team. Clayface was a powerful villain for sure, yet she and Robin alone would be more than enough. So, what should have been a routine mission of putting down a criminal on the loose, elevating some of the burden from the members of the Justice League, had instead turned into a one complete mess.
For some reason, Kaldur had seemed completely distracted, the order he gave were varying in between excellent or terrible. This resulted in them not properly functioning as a team and always get in the way of one another.
They won of course, but not without suffering a few more bruises than they should have, Barbara telling as much to Naruto who listened on with a frown.
"You're serious?" He questioned disbelievingly, he'd known Kaldur for a short time, a couple of months however, that was more than enough time for him to understand that Kaldur was not one to make huge mistakes more than once. And if he did, he always seemed to be able to pull through in the end.
This time it seemed that he hadn't and it was only through Barbara taking charge that they actually won.
"Yeah." Barbara nodded her head. "Kaldur's getting benched, Batman's all but ordered him to return to Atlantis and cool off."
"Jesus." Naruto muttered in shock.
Barbara shared his sentiments entirely; she was just as shocked that someone like Kaldur had made so many mistakes to the point that Batman of all people had benched him. It was a shock for sure and one that the entire team would no doubt be feeling.
"So, what did Batman want?" Barbara eventually asked, turning the conversation away from the disaster that was the last mission. "I saw Jason Blood leaving the Cave, did you talk with him?
Naruto nodded his head. "Gave me a business card and told me to talk with him if I needed any tips on how to control my powers. But the gist of it is that I'm on my own."
Barbara looked at him unquestioningly, if Naruto's powers were demonic, surely Jason Blood would be able to help him.
Naruto noticed the look and elaborated. "Basically, he said that the source of our powers is different so he won't be able to help me control my powers."
"So, what worked for him won't work for you?"
"Pretty much, yea." Naruto shrugged.
"Well, that sucks." Barbara said with a frown.
"Tell me about it."
So here we are, the next chapter of Injustice, getting a bit more spare time recently, still not sure if I'll be able to get a definite schedule yet, but who knows. Anyway, the Uzumaki clan have been introduced as a family of Demon Hunters. But this is not the only bit of lore and characters from the Narutoverse that'll be included in this story. I'll be including more, but it will take time to introduce them in a more fluid way rather than just throwing them in there for the sake of it.
This is the same with Naruto's powers and the history behind them and the Uzumaki clan. Information will be introduced in a way that hopefully makes sense in the context of the story.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed and now let's get onto the questions:
MonkeyDGarby: I won't be including her in the Harem, but she will be very important to Naruto nonetheless. As for her abuse, don't worry that won't always be the case, she will eventually strike out on her own.
Yakuza2010: Yes he will, Naruto will make friends outside of the team and he will be checking in with the East End eventually. Not straight away of course, but he will be making a return there every now and again. Naruto will learn new skills, but it will take time, his powers as said in this chapter are very difficult to control and the progress he makes will be slow.
This is for a reason, I want to make his powers and skills something that feel earned. A lot of stories tend to just have the MC gain a new power, maybe spend a few chapters learning to use said power, then master it and suddenly do all this cool shit with it. But that's not really how it should go, not only with powers but fighting skill, unless you're a genius, which Naruto isn't. Naruto will work hard for sure, but it will still take time for him to learn to use his powers properly and while he will learn new skills, it will take time.
As you saw in Book 1, I'm not afraid to make Naruto get his ass kicked time and time again and that's not going to change. If Naruto doesn't stand a chance at beating an enemy then I'm not going to do some ass pull shit and make him win. That cheapens all future fights, I'm going to try and avoid plot armour as much as I can.
As for weapons, not really, in fact as he develops his powers you'll see him rely less and less on weapons as they don't become as useful to him. He will meet Deathstroke and Rose again, yes and there will be some measure of distrust shared by a few League members based on his background, but they won't make it obvious.
SandaKagami: Thank you very much, glad to to see that you realised that Naruto's defeats in Book 1 (which I know there were many) helped to mould Naruto into the leader he is now. And yeah, Superboy is one of those characters who will be going through serious changes much earlier than in canon as a result of Naruto's influence. Same as the entire team, Naruto influences on the Young Justice series will mainly be seen through the characters around him rather than on the overall events of the series.
tamagat: No, Deathstroke won't be dying for a very long time.
Sage4600: Naruto's powers are very similar and also very different to his canon counterpart, but he will not be gaining the powers of the other Tailed Beasts as he gains control of his powers. Just know that there is a lot yet to be seen about his powers so they may seem underpowered and weak right now, but trust me, there's far more than meets the eye that will be unfolded over the course of the story.
Vizard890: As you can see, Kushina's ancestry is very special and one of the key plot points later on. There's still more to learn about the Uzumaki clan as for Jiraiya, he will be making an appearance much later on in the story. Is he around right now? Yes, just not on Earth nor is he an alien. But he is alive right now.
Bladewolf101: No, as hot as Cheshire is, that won't be happening.
Anyway, hope that clears up any questions you might have had and if not please let me know and I'll answer them as best as I can. See you next time.