Injustice: The Path to Hell.
Book 2: Darkness in the Light.
Chapter XXII – Hells Rebellion.
"Normal Speech."
'Normal Thought.'
"Demon Speech."
'Demon Thought.'
"Other Speech variants."
Location/Time.
Thursday 2nd May 2013, 11:45.
Massachusetts,
Salem,
Tower of Fate.
It had been a long while since he had actually set foot within the Tower of Fate. Somewhere nearing four centuries since the last time he had been within its walls. Felt the magic surrounding it, felt like he was within something that was almost alive. The Tower of Fate did not possess a heart nor the ability to think for itself, but there was something about it that made the tower feel alive.
"They're all here," Jason said, striding into a room as the door opened for him of its own volition. The room itself was a complete contrast to the well-furnished and stylish interior that made up the rest of the tower. Instead, it was made entirely of stone, only illuminated by dim candles.
In the centre, floating above the floor was the Lord of Order, Nabu.
"You will have to explain the coming crisis to them. My attention is required elsewhere." Jason frowned at Nabu's words. Not for what they meant for him, but for what it meant that Nabu would have to do.
There was only one thing that could require Nabu's complete attention at this point in time. "He is moving, isn't he?"
"…"
Jason nodded his head in understanding. "I understand." Slowly, as to not further disturb Nabu, he quietly closed the door and left back down the hallway. It was worrying, the current state of things, the consequences of things should they fail far more profound than if the Light had been successful in taking over the heroes of the world.
Yet in a way, things were not as bad as that either.
There was someone moving behind the scenes here on Earth, someone inciting the brewing conflict between Lord Satanus and Lord Neron. Someone who was inciting movement from Tartarus and the Thirteen Princes of Hades, although they should perhaps be referred to as the Twelve Princes of Hades now considering Ixion's death.
Someone was definitely manipulating things behind the scenes and all came down to the being that had attracted Nabu's complete and undivided attention. They too had an interest in Hell and its many paths that led to Earth. The battle between Lord Neron and Lord Satanus was unavoidable at this point, whoever had manipulated things had done a marvellous job at doing it. They had quickly destabilised things to the point that they had no chance to settle things and now could only act to try and limit the damage that would result from it.
Nabu's current predicament was a direct result of this.
'Though on the bright side whoever has done this, did it too quickly that there is a number of openings in his plans.' Jason thought to himself, relieved at the haste with which this mysterious figure or figures had moved resulting in opportunities for them. 'If they had put the same care and attention into meticulously and slowly planning and bringing their aim to fruition like the Light then our numbers would not be enough to stop this from happening.'
As he thought that, he stepped into the waiting room and looked upon those gathered inside. It was an odd bunch, but one that represented the only line of defence they had against the supernatural forces that would target Hell for its own twisted agendas.
He himself, Jason Blood and the Demon that resided within him, Etrigan.
Alan Scott, the first Green Lantern.
John Constantine.
Daniel Cassidy, the Blue Devil.
Boston Brand, the Deadman.
And Naruto Uzumaki, the Maelstrom.
Each was sat within the waiting room with Alan, Boston, Naruto and Daniel engaged in conversation while Constantine sat by himself smoking. Not that surprising, John was a difficult man to deal with, no one could deny that he was powerful nor could one say that he didn't do the right thing. But his personality alienated him from a lot of people as he had a tendency to piss people off.
"I'm glad to see you all here." Jason greeted as he entered fully inside, taking one of the open seats available.
"And why are we here?" Constantine asked stopping any attempt at small talk and jumping straight to the point. He had spent far too much time around some of these people and in places he didn't want to be for as long as he had been forced to. Considering he had been asked here it usually meant something was going down that would be a cause for a number of headaches to come.
Jason sighed. "Very well." He relented upon seeing the curious looks of the others. "War is coming to Hell. Lord Satanus has gathered many rulers of the lower provinces of Hell to his cause and has amassed a large army. He is marching upon the Ninth Circle intent on overthrowing Lord Neron."
"So someone's finally started," John muttered. "About damn time really something like that happened. Don't see how that concerns us though, Hell's always been a hotbed of activity. It's not like Neron will lose to Satanus anyway so it's of no concern to us, just a few fewer Demons to deal with."
Naruto nodded. "I honestly have to agree with him, what's the point in us trying to stop this war which is what I'm assuming you've gathered us here for. This war is surely gonna damage both sides and kill a lot of powerful Demons, surely that helps us out, doesn't it? I mean why not go one step further and take them both out when they're weakened?"
"If only it were that easy," John answered. "Unlike the First of the Fallen and Lucifer. Neron somehow found a way to integrate himself with Hell itself. He takes power from it and so he's basically unbeatable there. It's why he's ruled Hell for so long without anyone daring to challenge him. Satanus is a lot of things, but he ain't stupid. If he's attacking Neron, it means he's got a plan to remove Neron's connection to Hell itself. If he does somehow manage to succeed and kill Neron and then we come and kill Satanus, whose going to rule Hell in their place?"
"Why should anyone rule Hell?" Alan questioned. "Why not let them fight amongst themselves for rulership? History has shown us many times that if you remove a ruler then those next in line will often fight for the throne. Why not do that?"
"Yeah, because the last time that happened it worked out so well for us?" John snarked. "When Lucifer up and left Hell, Demons were battling for rule of the land and guess what, their attention turned to us more. We, humans, are beings of Sin and Demons can take power from that by offering deals. This time in our history was known as the Dark Ages, a time whipped from modern history because of the fact the land was basically dominated by the supernatural world, especially Demons. So no, killing the only two people that actually have the ability and the power to rule Hell is not in our best interest. That's not even taking into account how difficult killing them will actually be."
"Then what are we doing exactly?" Boston asked looking towards Jason.
"As John said, killing the only two Demons that actually have the power to rule Hell is not in our best interest. Hell must always have a ruler, someone who can quell the ambitions of lower Demons. Yet as Naruto pointed out, the most powerful Demons in Hell will be clashing in this battle and many will die or be severely weakened." Jason explained. "That's why we will be sealing away Satanus and Neron."
More than a few shared looks of confusion, unsure of what exactly Jason meant by this. They had already learned that Hell needed a ruler and killing the only two candidates for it would not be the smart move. So why would they be removing the two rulers then?
"I'm confused," Naruto responded. "We can't kill them, but we can seal them away? Isn't that effectively just removing the two possible rulers like we established is something we shouldn't do?"
"Yes, if we didn't have a third option," Jason replied. "You see, Satanus has somehow gained the support of Hades and therefore, the remaining Princes of Hades have all pledged their support to Satanus in his endeavour to claim Hell. However, amongst the Princes, one sent a messenger to Daniel during his most recent visit with his protégé."
Upon seeing the gazes directed towards him, Daniel shifted in his seat, clearing his throat lightly. "It's as Jason said. I was approached by a Demon known as Belyllioth. She is a servant of the now most powerful of the Princes, Dalkriig-Hath. He wishes to be free of his oath to Hades and wants to use this opportunity to claim Hell for himself. In return, he has already agreed to sign a number of contracts and swear numerous oaths that will severely limit his influence upon Earth."
There was a pause, more than a few recognising how big of a bargain this was. If they did this, they could effectively remove the King of Hell from Earth almost entirely and do the same for thousands of Demons that lived beneath him. Yet one person didn't share their sentiments and openly laughed.
That was John.
"Dalkriig-Hath? That cunt?" Then he laughed uproariously once more. "Please tell me you're joking?"
Glances were shared between them all, Alan looking to John imploringly. "Is there a problem with Dalkriig-Hath?"
Naruto himself let out a sigh, while he didn't know much about Hell, he had been told many times that even the Thirteen Princes were nothing there. "He's one of the Thirteen Princes, the strongest now that Ixion's dead." He spoke up before John could open his mouth, things were tense enough already without him making things worse. "But in Hell, that doesn't mean anything. It's an empty title and Dalkriig is weak."
"A matter of opinion, I'm sure," Alan said, though it was more of a question than a statement.
"No, Naruto's right," Daniel spoke up. "The difference between a Demon of Hell and a Demon of Tartarus would be like comparing a small-time criminal from Metropolis to one from Gotham. The difference is monumental and while the analogy isn't perfect, you get the picture."
Alan nodded his head. "So, what other options do we have?" Everyone turned to Jason who said nothing, just crossing his arms over his chest.
"There are other options, aren't there?" Boston questioned.
"Unfortunately, no," Jason answered. "Lord Satanus' sister, Lady Blaze has done a very good job in securing the support of the Demons that could rise up. Not only that, but considering the hunting of many powerful Demons over the years, he now stands as the second most powerful Demon in Hell. As greedy as Demons are, none except for Dalkriig-Hath have the desire to take the throne for themselves."
"So, we have nothing then? Except your stupid plan to put Dalriig-fucking-Hath upon the throne of Hell." John spoke up.
Jason frowned lightly. "Nabu and I have a plan in mind. We know for a fact that Lord Satanus is intending to launch his attack upon the Ninth Circle within half a year at the most. In that time, Dalkriig has intentions to kill the other Princes as to improve his position amongst Lord Satanus' forces." Here, Jason looked towards Naruto and Daniel. "We've already agreed that in good faith, you two will be helping him."
"Woh woh woh." Naruto waved his hands and shook his head. "What? You're asking me to help him hunt down the Princes? Wait, before all that, what will Hades' reaction be to all this considering it's taking place in his realm?"
"Dalkriig has already told us and sworn a few oaths that Hades doesn't care. So, please do a good job and help him secure Tartarus. Not only will that give us fewer problems there to look out for in the future." Jason told him, both Naruto and Daniel sharing a look then affirming it with a nod. "Once that's all done, we simply sit back and wait till the civil war begins. When it does, we do nothing until the connection between Neron and Hell is severed."
"And when it is?" Boston asked.
"When it does, John and I shall wait till Neron and Satanus and his closest confidants are sufficiently weakened before we step in," John grunted in displeasure. "In the meantime, it will be up to the rest of you to identify and kill every Demon that is stronger than Dalkrigg. We need to make sure that every Demon who could possibly pose a threat to Dalkriig is gone."
Once more, everyone shared looks like the weight of Jason's words settled upon them.
Sunday 7th July 2013, 03:00.
Tartarus,
Location Unknown.
Slouching down against the rock, Naruto leaned his head against it as he looked up to the sky above. It was peaceful around here with the Demons having long since abandoned it. That and miles of land surrounding this singular rock formation that he was resting upon.
Slowly his eyes flickered shut, breath evening out and just as his body began to relax, he heard footsteps. "I told you, it's secure." He called out, opening his eyes to see Blue Devil walking towards him, trident held in one hand. Daniel resting it against the trident before joining him sat upon the ground. "Demon's don't come here anymore, they know better than that now."
"So, where do you meet them exactly?" Daniel chortled lightly. "Or do you just go hunting for them?"
"The more powerful and smarter ones, they usually wait beyond the wall of bodies I use to mark my territory." The look Daniel gave made Naruto smile. "Don't act surprised. We both know that Demons only respond to threats when you say them in a language they know. That's the only language they know, took me longer than I would have liked to realise that. Would have made my earlier visits here so much easier."
"True." Daniel conceded.
"You still have Eddie on watch though." Naruto pointed out.
"Someone has to make sure that we know Dalkriig-Haths envoy is coming before they reach us. Rather not be caught unawares." Naruto shrugged, understanding why. "But that's not why you're asking, is it? You don't think he's ready."
The blonde looked at him pointedly. "Can you look me in the eye and tell me that he's ready?"
"Naruto, do you know why you've made so much more progress than any of your peers? Why, especially in the most recent months after your release from Cadmus and then your time in Tartarus that your progress has skyrocketed?" Naruto said nothing, his face saying it all. "Fact is, you weren't coddled and contrary to this, you actively put yourself in the most dangerous situations in order to save your teammates."
"In those situations, you weren't being protected and took on the role of the protector, placing yourself in very dangerous situations." Daniel continued. "You forced yourself to grow and adapt."
Nodding his head, Naruto looked back out across the horizon. "And you're trying to do the same for Eddie?"
"To a lesser extent, but yes," Daniel replied, both seeing a flash of light above them and almost moments later, a line appeared before them, Eddie stepping out from it.
"They're here."
Sunday 7th July 2013, 04:00.
Tartarus,
Location Unknown.
Laughter.
All around dozens of Demons erupted into fully belly laughter as they gathered around the throne of Dalkriig-Hath as they looked down upon the three people below. All around them was an open plain within a colosseum bustling with Demons of all shapes and sizes. In the centre of which stood Naruto, Daniel and Eddie.
"Keep your calm." Naruto reminded the two beside him. The last thing they needed at this time was to cause serious problems, especially when something as important as this was on the line. Right now, the things they were going to be doing meant the possibility of removing a vast portion of demonic influence upon Earth. If Dalkriig-Hath effectively executed the coup d'état then he would be seated on the throne of Hell, ruling over the Demons that existed.
With all the contracts and oaths he had to swear, the number of Demons capable of slipping through the rifts and arriving upon Earth. The little warning he provided was less of a reminder for himself and Daniel, and more as a reminder for the hot-headed Eddie.
The laughter was getting to him and both of them could see it in the young man. All the Demons and Dalkriig-Hath had been doing since their arrival was mocking them. It was a test, a test to see how much they could take before breaking. Just like how Naruto had to endure the never-ending assault of Demons that came his way. Demons were all about tests, no matter what form they came in.
This one seemed to be getting to Eddie by the clenching of his fists and gritting of his teeth.
"You really are an amusing bunch of children," Dalkriig muttered, smile wide upon his face. "Tell me something, are you really that desperate? You must be if Nabu and Jason Blood have accepted my offer."
"Enough," Daniel spoke up, cutting through the noise as he slammed the butt of his trident upon the floor.
All went silent as the reverberation echoed throughout, all recognising the Trident of Lucifer. Not the Trident of Lucifer Morningstar, but the trident of the First of the Fallen, the ruler of Hell that predated the Lucifer Morningstar. The original ruler that the Thirteen Princes had served before fleeing to Tartarus after his defeat. The ruler that none had seen or heard from since his defeat.
"We didn't come here to endure insults. So, let us get down to the business of this deal of ours." He stepped forward, even Dalkriig-Hath having gone silent and seemingly shrunk away upon feeling the power of the trident wash over him.
However, Dalkriig-Hath recovered and shifted in his seat, trying to hide the momentary show of fear that came over him. Fear not of Blue Devil, but of what the trident represented. "Very well, then what are your terms?" The reaction that Dalkriig-Hath had of the trident caught the attention of many. Not just Naruto, Daniel and Eddie, but from the many Demons in the colosseum and even the Demon beside him, the one who had escorted them here in the first place.
"They're simple. We have a timeline of a maximum of six months, we want you to make sure that we get those full six months."
"And how exactly do you propose we do that?"
"Simple, you draw out your conquest of the Thirteen Princes. We both know that you want to improve your standing among Lord Satanus' army, it puts you in a better position to take over when the dust settles. So, your conquest of Tartarus will draw his attention and he'll withhold his assault to ensure that this is finished in time before he attacks, though not too long." Dalkriig-Hath leaned back, nodding his head in agreement.
He then waved his hand. "Carry on."
"Our terms are that you have to deal with ten of the Thirteen Princes, we'll deal with two and you draw it out for five months at the minimum."
"That's outrageous!" Dalkriig-Hath roared out as he slammed his fist upon the armrest of his throne. "Our agreement was that you help me conquer Tartarus, not leave me to do most of the work."
Daniel nodded his head. "True, but we also didn't agree to do all the work, which is exactly what you were going to do, wasn't it?" The silence his words received in response said more than words. "However, we will get the ball rolling by taking out the two strongest of the Thirteen. You come up and sweep in, taking over and then focus your attention on the others."
There was a pause, all waiting to see Dalkriig's response.
The man in question frowned deeply. "The two strongest?" He questioned and Daniel nodded his head. Dalkriig then looked towards the Demon beside him, Belyllioth who also nodded her head. "Fine then, I'll accept your terms."
Sunday 14th July 2013, 06:45.
Tartarus,
Location Unknown.
An explosion ripped through the air, a powerful rush of warm air surging across the land as fire burst to life. Demons cried out, body parts ripped off and flung through the sky. Up above, a portal opened up and Naruto dropped through, diving towards the ground.
Thrusting his fist forwards, he released a sustained stream of fire that crashed against the ground like a wave. More Demons caught within its crossfire, those in its direct epicentre eviscerated while those outside of it erupted into flames.
Bursting through the flames, Blue Devil swung his trident round, wide sweeping slashes that cut through dozens in a single dash. Above him, Kid Devil flipped over, mouth opening and releasing a concentrated blast of flames that upon contacting the ground exploded outwards. As he landed, he quickly spun, sweeping the legs out of a nearby Demon that was cut in half by a slash of wind from Naruto as he dashed towards the small Demon that clashed against Blue Devil.
Both seemed equally matched in terms of speed and strength, but the Demon that the demonic Hero fought against seemed to have the slight advantage in experience while also having some skill in magic.
Not breaking his stride, Naruto sent a burst of magic through the ground, it rippling outwards and bursting up towards the Demon in spikes intent to skewer him. The Demon turned and swiped his hand, summoning a barrier that blocked the strikes, Blue Devil capitalising and swinging his trident down and cut through his chest.
It wasn't massively deep, but it also wasn't shallow.
Naruto continued to close in as the Demon back-pedalled, flames bursting towards Blue Devil who summoned a shield to block the desperate attack. Naruto crossed both hands over his shoulders before taking a step forward and swinging them round with a shout. Sharpened blades of wind rushed forth that the Demon summoned a second shield however it didn't hold up.
Once again, two crisscrossed cuts opened up forming a star upon the Demons chest.
Up above, Kid Devil dropped out, another wave of flames rushing out and engulfing the Demon who roared out in pain. A burst of magic came out from his body and dispersing the flames and continued out, smashing into Kid Devil and knocking him back. Blue Devil swung his trident around and cut through the wave saving himself while Naruto summoned a wall of earth to form upon around him.
As the only one unimpeded, Blue Devil rushed forwards, attacking the scorched and scarred Demon, trident thrusting towards him. The Demon smacked his hands together, catching the trident as he skidded back from the force.
To the side, Naruto shifted the wall into numerous spikes that began to fall to the ground before a gust of wind sent them flying towards the Demon, Blue Devil diving to the ground just as they struck the Demon. They didn't dig him into very deep, most bouncing off his hardened skin, but they knocked him back a few steps each time.
Kid Devil coming up from behind and shoulder checked the Demon to the ground directly at the feet of his master, Blue Devil. He had already raised his trident in the air and begun swinging it down directly towards his head.
It struck the ground and erupted outwards.
However, the Demon was still alive, a deep cut upon his face that was bleeding profusely. He was frustrated and angry, being attacked so blatantly in his citadel of power. The rage he felt was unending and he vowed that the moment he got out of this he would get revenge. It was obvious by the way in which Dalkriig-Hath had easily capitalised on the destabilisation of his brother's land after his death was proof they were working for him.
He didn't know how he had managed to convince them but he had.
Blue Devil was a well-known figure amongst the Thirteen for no reason other than the fact that he wielded the Trident of Lucifer, the First of the Fallen. Before even Lucifer Morningstar, favoured son of God rebelled against his father, there were three others.
The original Satan, the one who went by the First of the Fallen. First of the three to be created and the one that ruled Hell before Lucifer Morningstar came along and forced him out. However, there were two others created, the Second of the Fallen and the Third. Two beings of equal standing that officially stood opposed to the First, ensuring that there was no ruler of Hell. But unofficially, the Three were allied together in opposition of God with the First ruling Hell.
That was until Lucifer Morningstar came along and defeated the First before then defeating the other two as well.
Then there was the unnamed half-breed who had been hunting in their lands for over a year now. Skilled but one that many like himself had viewed as not much of a threat, yet one that still needed to be watched for future prospects. After all, the child was growing rapidly in strength by constantly exposing himself to danger.
And the final member of this group was Blue Devil's protégé, young and hungry to get stronger and someone that was doing so at a steady rate.
Looking through the smoke that clouded his vision, he saw Blue Devil and Kid Devil also looking through it towards him. The distance though between them was significant and he was confident that he could escape.
'Except one thing, where's the other one.' And at that moment he felt something appear behind him, the Demon turned only to feel something sharp cut through his neck, wind rustling through his hair. Slowly the world tilted around him as he watched the form of Naruto begin to plummet to the ground with the rest of his body following him.
Landing in a crouch, Naruto stood up as Daniel and Eddie came up beside him. "That's the second one." Eddie pointed out, nudging the head of the dead Demon at his feet. "So we're done, aren't we?"
"Yep." Naruto nodded his head.
"Our task was to kill two of the Thirteen and we've done that. Belyllioth will be moving in with Dalkriig-Hath's forces soon, so we best leave. Not just this place, but Tartarus all together." It would be turbulent for many months now, but with Dalkriig-Hath now officially the strongest of the Thirteen Princes, not only individually but also holding the largest land and the largest force.
War was coming and it was best they stood far away from it until the situation in Hel.
"Guess I'm returning to the Titans then. You coming too, Naruto?" Eddie asked and Naruto shook his head.
"Jason said he wanted to speak to me about a new training ground, Nabu's busy at this point with whoever's trying to move in on Hell," Naruto explained.
Eddie looked at him. "More training? Do you ever rest?"
Daniel chuckled. "Naruto doesn't ever rest."
Despite the dig at him, Naruto couldn't help but smile. It was true, he never stopped because he couldn't let himself do that. He had promised himself and Barbara that if he was going to train with Nabu then he would give himself to it, one hundred percent. Was it easy? Not in the slightest bit as the leader of the Young Justice and then when he left, he was working with Hank and Don.
In those situations, he always tried to put himself in the most dangerous position possible. He tried to fight the strongest, to make himself their target and take their attention away from the rest of the team and put it onto himself.
That was just who he was.
Sunday 14th July 2013, 13:35.
Massachusetts,
Salem,
Tower of Fate.
It had been a tiring few days.
The Thirteen had been someone Naruto had avoided for so long and for good reason. They were powerful and if it wasn't for Daniel and Eddie, he would never have been able to lay a scratch on even one of them.
The weirdest thing was that the power difference between them was so vast. Comparing Ixion to Dalkriig-Hath was like comparing a mountain to a molehill. Even though Dalkriig-Hath had not been showcasing his power and simply relaxed, Naruto had gotten good at being able to get a read on people and their threats. He had gotten an even better understanding of how to judge the level of power of those magically inclined.
Ixion was on an entirely different level compared to Dalkriig-Hath. However, with Ixion dead that left an opening for Dalkriig-Hath to take the top spot, but the biggest problem he faced was that he couldn't just force his will on the others. For you see, Ixion if he had so desired, could have forced all of the Thirteen to bend to his will through sheer force, he simply didn't have a desire to do so. Dalkriig-Hath on the other hand didn't have the ability to do so, his army wasn't the largest nor did he have the overwhelming power that Ixion had.
That was where they had come in, led by Belyllioth, Dalkriig-Haths second-in-command and had attacked the two biggest threats to his rule. The first was the strongest of the remaining twelve of the Thirteen behind Dalkriig-Hath. Defeating him had been difficult and required the help of Belyllioth to achieve that victory.
The fact that she possessed power rivalling one of the more powerful of the Thirteen made things much easier for them. With him gone, that made Dalkriig-Hath an overwhelming force to contend with.
After them, came the second of the Thirteen on their list. Not the strongest, but one possessing the largest army of Demons under his command. Defeating him had been much simpler though still not easy. However, with him out of the way Dalkriig-Hath shouldn't have much problem taking over the rest of Tartarus.
The biggest concern was whether he could draw out the war long enough to give them time to prepare. 'He better hold up his end of the bargain.' Naruto thought to himself as he walked down the corridor. 'For his sake because I'm not ready and if he screws us over, I'll make sure to put him down in the ground with the rest of the Thirteen.'
As much as he didn't like to admit it, Naruto knew that he wasn't strong enough. Even after everything he had done, everything he had put himself through, the enemies he was facing only seemed to be getting stronger.
It was frustrating.
But at the end of the day, just like he had always told himself, anything worth anything wasn't without challenge. His life had always been one challenge after another and he doubted that would ever change.
Opening up the door, he saw Jason standing by the fire, a glass of whiskey in his hand. "I see you're making yourself comfortable at your new home," Naruto noted as he stepped in Jason turning to him. "Nabu still kept busy?"
"The being trying to move in on Hell is powerful and Nabu has his hands full just trying to keep him distracted." That statement alone was a testament to how dangerous this situation was if a being that powerful was making a move upon Hell. "I'm just lucky that Nabu has made arrangements to cater for you for five years and with you not around it gives me plenty of food."
Naruto laughed openly at that, Jason moving to pour a second glass of whiskey for him. "So, what exactly is this new training ground?" Naruto asked, moving forwards to take a seat on one of the available armchairs as Jason handed him the drink.
"I asked Alan Scott to speak with his former fiancé, Sam Zhao," Jason explained, Naruto raising a brow in confusion at the name. It sounded male and he was surprised to learn of Alan's sexual inclination if that was the case, not that he would judge. "He's come back, we've managed to get you a new tutor, someone who can help you advance your abilities with wind even further."
"Sam Zhao? Is that?" Jason nodded his head, Naruto doing the same in understanding. "Okay, well where exactly will I be training then? Here?"
"No, you'll be going with Sam to an unnamed realm that's inhabited by only a handful of beings. All of which hold a unique connection to wind and can help you expand your abilities with said element further than you could ever imagine."
Naruto scoffed. "I'm surprised that there are some realms that are unnamed, I thought someone would have named them all by now."
"People have tried." Jason chuckled. "But some people don't like their realms being named for them and well, beings like these aren't ones most want to mess with."
"It seems like that's a common thing nowadays."
"You're just realising that now?" Jason questioned disbelievingly, Naruto shaking his head. "The world is vast, Naruto. Your bubble was burst the moment you became Black Hood. Then again when you became Maelstrom and now once more. The world has always been like this, it's never changed, but you have. Your eyes are being opened to the truth of what's around you and there's nothing you can do to change that."
"I've just got to adapt." Jason raised his glass in agreement, both of them taking a sip after they did. "So, who are these beings then or am I going to have to guess?"
"They're known as the representatives of an elemental force called the White, the Parliament of Vapors."
Thursday 30th January 2014, 05:00.
Hell,
Eighth Circle,
Tenth Bolgia.
It echoed across the land, the sound of millions marching towards a common goal. A beautiful sound and an even more beautiful sight.
Standing upon the edge of the cliff, Satanus smiled in satisfaction as he looked down upon the view laid out before him. In one hand, he held a long staff, a curved blade upon the edge looking like a crescent moon and in the other, a helmet with two curved horns.
"Finally, brother." A red-skinned demon dressed in a presumptuous outfit moved to stand by his side. "After all this time, we finally get to take our rightful place as rulers of Hell and then we can take our revenge against our father."
Satanus nodded his head. "Yes, and sooner than we expected."
"Thanks to your little friend, we now have more powerful allies." Both Lord Satanus and Lady Blaze turned to look at the Demons moving towards them.
A flaming man sat upon a bear, the Rider of the North, Balam.
A black-skinned man possessing black wings, the Demon of the Night Sky, Hurmizah.
A horned beast with a body made of faces, the Harvester of Stillborn Souls, Pharyngula.
A red-skinned Demon with a flaming pentagram upon his chest, the Champion of Six, Sabbac.
And finally, the new ruler of Tartarus, Dalkriig-Hath.
Each was powerful in their own right and now they worked for him. "I see your preparations are in place. Now the fun begins." Rising from the ground, Zetsu took form and stared out over the army of Demons marching towards the portal in the distance.
"And what of yours?"
"The Akatsuki are in position, as soon as your army strikes, so will we. And when we do, we shall give you the greatest advantage of all." Lord Satanus smiled as he listened to those words. "When we do, the rest will be up to you."
"Don't worry, everything shall work as we intended. Lord Neron shall die and I shall ascend to the throne. When I do, I shall open a way for your father to get around the protections that surround Earth and stop him from conquering it, so long as he leaves Hell for me." Lord Satanus replied, Zetsu bowing his head to the more powerful Demon.
"Then shall we begin?"
Thursday 30th January 2014, 07:00.
Massachusetts,
Salem,
Tower of Fate.
"So, today's the day," Eddie asked, looking around anxiously.
Clasping his hands together, Naruto leaned back and looked out across the room. Everyone here that was part of their mission was all gathered and it was tense. They all knew what was at stake and what was required of them, all going through their own routines to get themselves in the right mindset.
Constantine was smoking in the corner.
Jason was drinking whiskey as he stood by the fire.
Alan was at his side, ring upon the hand that he used to hold his glass.
Daniel was polishing his trident upon one of the armchairs.
Boston was walking back and forth, arms clasped behind his head.
Eddie was sitting upon a chair, foot-tapping nervously upon the ground as he looked around at everyone.
He, was much like the first four, calm as he reclined upon the chair. Nervous energy like this was something he was used to; he knew how to handle it and what to do in order to stop himself from letting it consume him.
"Yes, is it," Boston replied, coming to a stop and also taking a seat, much like Eddie tapping his foot. "Just a matter of waiting now."
"For how long?"
Jason turned away from the fire, one hand going into his pocket to fish out his pocket watch. "Dalkriig-Hath will be sending us a message when it's time for us to move. First though, we need to wait until Lord Satanus has moved upon Pandemonia and has removed the catalyst that allows Lord Neron to draw power from Hell. Once that is done, then we will strike."
"Are we gonna go over the plan once more?" Naruto asked. "Make sure that we're all aware of what we need to be doing so there are no mistakes?"
"I suppose that would be wise." Jason agreed, finishing off the last bit of his whiskey before placing the glass down on the table. "Eddie, your job will be support, nothing more." Those words made the teenager in question frown. "Your teleportation skill will help us massively in getting people out of a tight spot. When someone looks to be getting overwhelmed, it's your job to get them out. On top of that, open portals that'll put them in the position to do the most damage."
"Alan, Naruto, Daniel, Boston." The four in question looked up. "Your job will be to take out every Demon that could pose a threat to Dalkriig-Hath. If this is to work, we can't have Dalkriig-Hath dying before he has a chance to cement himself as the new ruler of Hell. Daniel, Naruto, it will be your job to recognise them along with those already identified by Dalkriig-Hath and his general, Belyllioth."
'Eliminate his competition.' Naruto thought to himself, nodding his head confidently towards Daniel who returned it.
John released the smoke he had been building up. "Just remember, stay away from the main brawl, it's out of your league. Deal with the sister, Lady Blaze. That bitch is a tricky one, but she's not all that strong, she's more on your level."
"He's right." Jason cut in, noticing the looks of annoyance shot Constantine's way. "Lord Satanus and Neron are two beings that could take on the entire Justice League alone and win. Even Etrigan and Constantine can't do that, their job will be to simply wait until both have weakened each other enough for us to finish them off. We doubt Lord Satanus will go alone though, he'll have back up, so it's our job to not interfere until they're dead."
"Or weakened." Constantine snarked though said nothing more.
Ignoring it, Jason looked towards Alan. "Etrigan and John shall be the main force. However, the rest of you shall be the vanguard, Alan, you'll lead them."
"So, we wait."
As soon as those words were spoken, the rotary phone upon a stand began to ring. All turned to look towards it, then shared glances between each other. "Well, that didn't last long." Constantine scoffed, everyone, getting to their feet.
Eddie though looked around in bemusement. "Wait." He called, no one paying him any attention as they left the room, preparing themselves to head out. "Is no one going to address how Demons rang a rotary phone? No? Just me? Okay, just me and I'm talking to myself. Great."
Thursday 30th January 2014, 10:30.
Ninth Circle of Hell,
Lake of Cocytus.
"Finally," Zetsu muttered in awe as he walked forwards, the Akatsuki around him looking upon the statue before them with varying reactions ranging from equal amounts of awe, excitement, boredom and even fear as they looked upon the hulking statue before them.
A statue that took the shape of a humanoid entity with numerous protrusions coming out from its back. It possessed nine eyes, each the size of a man with one that peeked out from behind a blindfold. Hand and feet were shackled in chains, its mouth gagged by a scroll. All in all, it was a monstrously large figure.
"What is this?" Orochimaru questioned, moving up closer to the statue.
Zetsu's smile grew even further. "This is the secret to Lord Neron's connection to Hell. But above all else, this is the secret weapon once held by the great Demon, Trigon. This is the body of the beast that has been called many names. Trihexa. 666. The Dragon of Apocalypse. This Demon is the crowning achievement of the Uzumaki Clan. Their last hunt." Zetsu proclaimed. 'While Hell may be the path to Earth my father could use. That was never the aim, this always was.'
"Break its shackles," God ordered from his side.
"Is that wise?" Kakuzu questioned, cautiously looking upon the hulking fight.
God was unperturbed, looking upon the beast with indifference. "Then it shall know pain for a second time."
Saturday 1st February, 2014, 13:00.
Ninth Circle,
Ptolomaea.
The rebellion led by Lord Satanus had begun two days ago and had met with frightening progress. Lord Neron had suspected and even prepared for the assault, but what he had not prepared for was the loss of his connection to Hell that allowed him to draw power from it.
When Lord Satanus' army invaded the Ninth Circle of Hell, it was met with heavy resistance from Lord Neron's forces. Even outnumbered as they were, the armies of Lord Neron, bolstered by magical aid from the King of Hell managed to not only match the forces of Lord Satanus but beat them back. Within two hours of battle, Lord Neron was no longer defending the Ninth Circle, he was now invading the Eighth Circle.
An hour later, everything changed.
Lord Neron's connection to Hell was cut off and that shock left him scrambling. A scramble that allowed Lord Satanus to drive his armies out of the Eighth Circle and once again invade the Ninth.
Without support from Lord Neron, his forces were quickly driven back abandoning the First Round, Caina. A day later, the Second Round, Anterona fell also after a brutal day of combat that saw thousands of dead decorating the ground, rivers of blood flowing like a river. However, Lord Neron soon recovered and despite lacking that connection to draw power from Hell, he still possessed vast powers of his own.
Powers that surpassed all Demons residing within Hell.
With his support, his armies rallied and in the Third Round of Ptolomaea the bloodiest conflict was taking place.
"Jesus Christ." Boston cursed as he looked down upon the ground below from the cliff he stood upon. Around him, the rest of his allies came up, all bearing witness to the sight unfolding before their very eyes. As far as the eye could see and even beyond, hundreds of thousands of Demons clashed in a battle of such proportions it almost defied reality.
It was a sight you had to see to believe.
In the distance, Lord Satanus, a huge towering being bigger than even the tallest mountain fought against a being almost appearing as a dot in comparison to him. Numerous other dots swirl around Lord Satanus and converge on a single one.
"How long are we waiting for?" Naruto asked, looking towards Jason Blood and John Constantine, the two most knowledgeable on their current predicament. "They've been fighting for hours and it's destructive. Surely, they should be reaching a limit soon, right?"
John shook his head. "Any other Demon? Yes." He replied. "But these aren't ordinary Demons. They can fight like this for days and still keep going."
"So, we're waiting for days more still?" Eddie asked.
"No, we'll be going in now," Jason spoke up, listening to the advice being shared to him by Etrigan. He was just as surprised as everyone was at the decision, but over the many years he had coexisted with Etrigan, he had grown to trust him. Out of all of them, Etrigan knew more about the intricacies of Demons than anyone. As a result, Jason trusted him to make the best decision on when to get involved, especially when it would be him doing the battling.
A powerful Demon he was, but Etrigan rarely entered battles he knew were a lost cause. The only times in which he did was when his pride was on the line or when he had no choice.
"Alan, take charge and deal with the eradication of Demons that could pose a threat. John..."
John released a deep sigh of frustration. "Yeah, I get it." He muttered, rubbing his brow and swiping his hand down, a portal forming before him. "Just get your ass over there quickly cos' if you don't, I'm leaving." With those parting words, John stepped into the portal and it closed up behind him.
"Good luck, gentlemen." Jason nodded his head, his body morphing before their very eyes, Etrigan appearing in his place.
As everyone on their team squinted as Etrigan took off, dust and wind obscured their view for a moment. Naruto remained calm, all of it seemingly parting around him as if something was in its way. Untouched by this, he moved forwards to the edge and stood right upon the edge.
"I guess I'll get this party started." He said, both hands extending outwards, palms facing the sky as they made circular motions. Upon the top of them, wind coalesced around the top forming miniature tornados.
Smirking, Naruto flung his hands out and those miniature tornados grew rapidly into full-grown disasters that upon striking the ground, ripped it up cleanly. Both possessed the power of an F5 tornado, the winds sharpened blades that shredded everything it touched into pieces.
Turning around, Naruto gave a two-finger salute and dropped off the cliff and as he fell, remembered his training. The Parliament of Vapors was a truly wondrous group with an understanding of wind that far surpassed anything Naruto had seen or imagined. They had taught him many things and he had expanded his abilities with the wind to a level beyond anything he imagined that he could have achieved.
As he approached the ground, Naruto was suddenly flung up and soared through the sky. The wind pushed up from the ground and pushed against his back. Setting his sights and gathering his magic in his hands, Naruto released two concentrated streams of fire from them.
Behind him, Alan Scott shot off the cliff, dozens of constructs forming from his ring and shooting out, tearing through droves of Demons as a few that could fly were swatted out of the way by a large hammer. Above him, a portal opened and out dropped, Deadman, Blue Devil and Kid Devil, the latter unleashing a powerful wave of flames from his mouth. The former upon landing quickly disappeared from view.
However, a large Demon that had been tearing swathes of Demons apart, all belonging to Lord Satanus, suddenly turned around and swiped at his comrades. The huge sweeping arms tore up the ground and sent dozens of broken bodies flying through the air.
Using that Demon as a springboard, Blue Devil leapt through the air with a roar, landing miles away as he swung his trident down. It struck the ground and exploded outwards; all the magic gathered at the end was released in one go. All the Demons in the near vicinity were reduced to nothing but ash.
"You learned to fly?" Alan questioned, pulling up alongside Naruto, both releasing a range of attacks upon the Demons down below.
"Yeah. Group nine o'clock, ten meters." Naruto pointed out; a cannon made of green energy releasing a beam that engulfed the Demons. Each of them was powerful and required a sustained blast for over half a minute before being killed. If they had survived this battle, they would have proved to be a serious threat to Dalkriig-Haths rule. "Sam and the Vapors helped me out a great deal."
Alan nodded his head, watching as Naruto swiped his hand, a razor-sharp blade of wind cutting a deep trench along the ground. All Demons within its path cut down, though a powerful shield erected from one to block the path of the blade.
It was a powerful Demon, one that was suddenly crushed by a much stronger one, the one possessed by Boston Brand.
"How was he? Sam?"
Naruto smiled. "He was fine." Quickly, both came to a stop with Alan summoning a shield to block the magical beam that exploded against him. "But I think that's a topic for another time."
"Agreed." Alan nodded his head, both turning to see where the beam had come from to see a large Demon lumbering towards them. All the Demons beneath it scrambled to get out of its way. "Seems this is a foe we need to be careful of."
"He is," Naruto confirmed, cutting off his flight and dropping to the ground, cushioning his landing safely as a rush of wind lessened his speed. Flying was still not his forte, he couldn't turn very quickly and it was instead more of a long arching bend. It was not pretty nor very practical in a battle and so he abandoned it altogether. Especially when he looked up at the Demon lumbering towards him, Alan Scott preparing to face off against him.
"Naruto, behind you!" Alan shouted out, quickly unleashing a powerful beam of energy that struck out against the Demons own attack.
The blonde in question looked over his shoulder, noticing the Demons swarming towards him. Rising up onto the toes of his front leg, Naruto spun around, his other leg lashing out in a high kick.
A kick that sent a wall of wind rushing forth and striking them all.
Each Demon struck the wall becoming all most frozen in mid-air for a moment before being flung back. Continuing his spin, Naruto placed his foot back on the ground, bringing his momentum to a stop as he looked to see Alan engaged in a brutal conflict against the Demon.
Both were fighting from a distance, unleashing powerful blasts of energy and conjuring shields in the path of one another. Alan even created constructs in the forms of grotesque monsters of equal size to the hulking form of the Demon to provide that extra bit of muscle. The Demon however was not only powerful but skilled, fending off these constructs while continuing to keep Alan at bay.
This battle would not be easy.
But Naruto was far from concerned about that as he rushed forwards. Abandoning the need to fly, Naruto reverted to his more battle oriented, bastardised version of flight. Utilising powerful blasts of wind to sharply and suddenly change his direction as he shot through the sky.
Not as fast as flight, but far more controlled and therefore, better used in combat.
Launching himself through the air, Naruto aimed and unleashed a powerful stream of flames that rushed towards the Demon. It responded a shield erecting in the path of the flames who parted around it.
A bright glow coming from behind the wall was all the warning Naruto needed as he rocketed towards the ground. It was done just in time as a beam of magical energy pierced through the wall of flames and would have killed him in a single shot. However, as Naruto landed on the ground, it seemed to burst outwards, the force of his landing seemingly too much for it to handle, having the effect of knocking the Demon off-balance.
Seemingly.
It was actually purposefully, Naruto releasing a large amount of magic into the ground upon impact, not only breaking the ground to cushion his landing. But gaining the added bonus of knocking the Demon off-balance allowing one of the large constructs now in the shape of a giant formless humanoid to hammer down upon it.
However, it was but a temporary rest for both Naruto and Alan, vast swarms of Demons rushing towards them like a horde. Shifting his stance, Naruto smiled and waited for them all to come directly towards him. When they drew in close, that's when he attacked.
Saturday 1st February, 2014, 14:00.
Ninth Circle,
Lake Cocytus.
This was beyond anything she had expected or anticipated. She knew, better than anyone how strong Lord Neron was, after all, information collection was her forte. War and battle were more her brother's area of expertise and was the reason the two had accomplished what they had.
On the Second Circle of Hell, in her castle, Err she was the Queen. Demons of all variety entered her dominion for all the pleasures she provided them. Demons both loyal and disloyal to Lord Neron came, but never the man herself. However, she didn't need him to visit her palace of pleasures because those that did gave her an idea of the power Lord Neron possessed.
He had to be strong, everyone knew that.
When the First, Second and Third of the Fallen fell, it was because a more powerful being ascended to the throne, Lucifer Morningstar. Rebellions were scarce, all fearful of his power and might.
Then he left.
He was not forced out, was not killed, he just left, having grown bored. What followed was a turbulent area as every power-hungry Demon within Hell fought for the throne. Out of them all, only one emerged victorious, Lord Neron.
To have accomplished that, he had to be strong, there was no denying that. But just how strong was always a point of contention because all knew of his ability to draw power from Hell. Many wondered if the secret behind his power was always that connection and that was how he had won.
They had operated under the belief that Lord Neron had won the throne of Hell through his own power and then discovered how to take power from it. A safety precaution they had taken to make sure they didn't underestimate their enemy and lose everything.
However, what she was seeing was beyond anything she had expected. After all this time, Lady Blaze began to wonder if the power he exerted, or at least the vast majority was always his. If so, then he was more powerful than she had ever imagined as even without his connection to Hell anymore, without the ability to draw upon its power, he was supposed to be weak and reeling.
But he wasn't.
'I suppose I should be lucky that Asmodel and the other servants of Neron have been distracted by other heroes.'Despite those thoughts though, Lady Blaze was far from relieved.
In fact, as she watched Lord Neron battle against her brother and the other powerful Demons he had gathered at his side; alone. It only further cemented how dangerous Lord Neron was and how much they had underestimated. They had been prepared to face Lord Neron and all his servants at once, including the Mother of Demons, Lilith.
Swiping her hand to the side, Lady Blaze watched a number of Demons get cut in half. Fighting was never something she had enjoyed, but she wasn't weak by any stretch of the meaning.
She just didn't like to dirty her hands and preferred for others to do it for her.
As she looked out across the battle erupting before her eyes, Lady Blaze then turned away and looked to the even larger and vaster one before her. But her gaze was focused towards where the Demon Asmodel was battling against two figures.
Figures that weren't Demons.
'Oh.' She murmured, a smile growing upon her face as her worries lessened. Perhaps one of her greatest flaws was how her attention span would always deviate quite easily. As she watched the figure of the man clad in an orange and black outfit, wind, fire and earth bending to his will. 'I'll leave Neron to my brother, I have my eye on something a little more interesting.'
So, another chapter done and with it, the war in Hell begins. Lord Satanus has gathered many allies to his side with the aid of Zetsu, his army outnumbering Lord Neron's. However, John and Etrigan have arrived to wreck the party and are intending to kill them all allowing Dalkriig-Hath to ascend to the throne.
Speaking of which, Naruto, Blue Devil and Kid Devil help Dalkriig-Hath take out two of the Thirteen Princes of Hades ensuring that he will be able to conquer all of Tartarus. Hades himself has remained silent thanks to the gifts that Zetsu provided and allowed Dalkriig-Hath to take over without much trouble. Naruto himself has gone on to train with the Parliament of Vapors, including Sam Zhao who in Earth 2 is the fiance of Alan Scott.
I'm doing a mix of Alan's backstories. Back during the time of World War 2 and the height of the Justice Society, Alan did have a wife and family. It was only afterwards and with the world becoming more accepting of homosexuality that he came out as gay.
Finally, the connection that Lord Neron shares with Hell that lets him draw power from it has been revealed to be the Gedo Mazo statue which was Zetsu's aim all along. For what reason is currently unknown.
Anyway, now that's out of the way, let's get on with the questions:
Sultan Asil Arslan-Hiatus: He's accepting of Fate because he wants to get stronger. It's similar to how Naruto was willing to work with Deathstroke and Jason Blood. Bad experiences and outcomes aside, Naruto can't deny how helpful working for Talon and Deathstroke was and so willingly went along with Jason Blood and Wildcat. By that point he's equal in terms of good and bad experiences with coaches. Doctor Fate is a lot of things, powerful being one of them and so, Naruto is willing to work with him for that reason.
As for not mentioning it, I'm not completely sure. It wasn't brought up within canon, so I never knew why. I guess maybe because Giovanni sacrificed himself and in order to not besmirch that sacrifice, context behind why aside, they never brought it up. Not a hundred percent sure why though.
Sly Dragneel: Right now, she's just here. I can't say for sure when the breakup will happen, but it will do.
Alexander443: Yes, the Akatsuki have already captured the other Biju however, for reasons that haven't been fully explored just yet, the Akatsuki haven't been able to capture Naruto.
Anisuculenticate: The fate of Neron is something I will not be revealing just yet. Kryptonite is present and has already been introduced previously. As for types of Kryptonite, I'm not completely sure. The Green and the Swamp Thing are present and will be making an appearance in the future.
pathless-sage: I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far. As for the combat skill, I do apologise, I don't think I've explained it properly. So basically, in terms of skill, Naruto is on par with Batman but the thing that gives Batman the advantage is experience. Yes, if Naruto was to use his powers he would win, but in terms of combat alone (no powers), Batman will have the win. That's what I was trying to say.
It's also not that I'm trying to make Naruto weak, but more that I'm just not nerfing DC characters to make Naruto shine. However, Naruto hasn't really had any encounters with the less powerful members of the JL in terms of fighting against them. So, I don't quite understand what you mean. Unless you're talking about Hawkgirl, Hawkman and Aquaman. In which case, again it's not me making Naruto weak, but me not nerfing those characters to make Naruto strong.
Also, I think you might have misunderstood what I was saying. As you might know, I've made a few statements on how canon Naruto would rank in the DC Universe. People have incorrectly assumed that I wasn't taking into account Bayron Mode Naruto as well as the powers he showed in the Last as well as Boruto. That's wrong, I have taken into account all of that and my answer still remains the same, Naruto is on the level of a nameless Lantern Corp grunt. The fact is, Bayron Mode Naruto is as strong as Naruto will ever be because he is no longer the main character, Boruto is. Therefore, Naruto has been nerfed as to give Boruto chance to shine. Bayron is Naruto's limit, that's what I was saying. In Injustice, Naruto is very much the MC.
If you have any more questions, please let me know and I'll answer them as best as I can.