Injustice: The Path to Hell.
Book 2: Darkness in the Light.
Chapter XXIV – Rescued.
"Normal Speech."
'Normal Thought.'
"Demon Speech."
'Demon Thought.'
"Other Speech Variants."
Location/Time.
Merry Christmas everyone, hope you all enjoy this chapter and have an Happy Chirstmas and New Year!
Saturday 8th December 2014, 12:00.
Second Circle,
Err.
She was being attacked.
That alone was enough to enrage Lady Blaze, she did not handle being attacked lightly. Her brother may be dead and she may be a Demon, but she was still Lady Blaze, the ruler of the Second Circle of Hell. Not even Dalkriig-Hath the new ruler of Hell dares take the Second Circle from her.
After all, the Demons under command may not be the strongest, but they were fanatically loyal. The Second Circle was the Circle of Lust, attracting all those to it like a moth to the flame.
It was one massive pleasure centre that catered to every fantasy the mind could conjure. No matter how tame and sweet, nor how depraved and cruel. Somewhere within the province of Err, the pleasure city of Hell, it could be found. But above all that, the moment someone partook in the pleasures her province provided, they could never leave. Many power Demons who had wandered up or down, each who would have been sure to be scooped up by Lord Neron, her brother or any other power-hungry Demon for their armies, all ended up here.
Many times, Demons from above and below attempted to take the Circle of Lust for their own, all ended up failing. Not because of her brother, but because of every inhabitant within the Second Circle.
The moment an invader came, all she needed to do was give a simple command and all stopped what they were doing. Each Demon rushed forwards naked as the day they were born and swarmed the invaders. All had been driven mad with pleasure and she controlled them with ease, they were but an extension of her will, broken down and made into puppets.
Every army and invader that came to her domain with intentions of taking it from her met with the same fate; decimation.
So why is it that she was being personally attacked, forced to defend herself with her own power? Why were her forces destroyed? Why was her greatest prize being slowly taken from her grasp piece by piece?
She had been close, the boy was young and inexperienced, but he was determined and stubborn. Even weakened and vulnerable, he resisted her valiantly, constantly fighting against the control she held over him. But in the end, he was unable to resist and began to fall under her sway, yet Lady Blaze knew from experience that it was not enough.
To truly gain control of someone, especially those that could grow to become stronger than you, one had to break their minds completely. Tear apart everything that made them who they were and slowly rebuild it into the perfect little tool, loyal only to her.
Pain was a half-measure and not a very good one either. It could be resisted, fought against and eventually, the body could become numb to it. Pleasure on the other hand, that was a far more terrifying experience, one couldn't ignore or resist that forever. Eventually, they'd give in and well, Lady Blaze had gotten very good at breaking people this way.
Naruto, a young and inexperienced child, while more stubborn than anyone she had encountered before, had not been able to fully resist her. She was, after all, highly motivated to get him under her control, more so than any who had come before him.
That vision, that image, it had lit a fire within her.
A fire that burned through her even now and fuelled her spells as they struck out at her aggressors. Even with her army gone, so long as she had Naruto under her control, none of it mattered. With him, Lady Blaze would be unstoppable and she would not stop, not now, not ever.
Saturday 8th, December 2014, 13:00.
Second Circle,
Err.
Releasing a Starbolt into the direction of the oncoming tail that swung down towards her, Koriand'r flew backwards and took stock of the current situation. Kyle Rayner flew down past her, green constructs raining down upon the ground, a red blur masterfully weaving in and around them, leaping up into the air.
Kyle struggled to bring himself to a halt, a hasty shield formed that shattered upon impact with the punch that struck against it. However, it provided him enough time to create some distance as Naruto fell back to the ground.
Down below, Damage charged in, fist drawn back and power gathered around it in a light glow. He timed it just perfectly so that as Naruto landed upon the ground, he hit him.
Or would have.
Naruto at that moment, stabbed three tails into the ground, manoeuvring his body around to avoid the strike and charge in. Damage who was mid-strike was completely exposed to the roundhouse kick that slammed into his side, catapulting him across the ground.
He was saved from Naruto's pursuit as Amy Allen came down with a shout, double hammer strike smashing into the ground, causing it to explode outwards. Yet the smoke was dispersed moments later revealing the blonde's foot striking against the side of Bombshell's face, driving her face into the earth below.
'He is far more powerful than his report indicated.' Koriand'r, operating under her new, chosen nickname of Starfire thought to herself with a frown. 'Even with us all operating under the commands of Jason Blood, we cannot land a strike. His powers and combat experience are far beyond our own.'
Starfire knew of him and even remembered Naruto from the time she first arrived upon Earth, fleeing from the Gordonians sent to chase after her. He had been pivotal in their victory that day, the elements of fire and wind bending to his will easily, destroying vast swathes of Gordonians faster than anyone. Starfire had known at that moment he was strong, but according to the report, he had grown even stronger.
Yet the powers he used here and the ones she saw were vastly different. Contrary to Blood's initial belief, Naruto did not come at them with his magic, but with his demonic powers from the outset.
He hit hard and he hit fast, tails lashing out in long sweeping motions faster than the speed of sound. It took all they had to avoid them, often leaving them exposed for when Naruto rushed in on all fours. They were completely overwhelmed by the sheer ferocity and power that the mind-controlled hero possessed.
Koriand'r unleashed another dozen Starbolts, expecting them to be intercepted as all previous ones had. Except, the tails that usually acted as both an offensive and a defensive tool, didn't move, not until it was too late.
There had been a pause, a break in Naruto's otherwise constant whirlwind of motion and all had noticed it. 'Now's the time!' All of them thought at the same, and suddenly their assault picked up.
Thursday 22nd January 2015, 14:45.
Rhode Island,
Happy Harbour,
Mount Justice.
It was hard to believe really, though, in a way, Naruto knew he shouldn't be too surprised. Death was always part of who he was, part of his life and the world around him. People lived and people died, it was a cycle and Naruto knew that better than most. He had seen and dealt death to many, he understood that it was an unavoidable fate.
Heroes, it was their duty to try and stop people from dying, to save them when no one else could, even at the cost of his own life.
Naruto could count the number of times he had selflessly saved people on one hand. The first time was when he first met Jason Todd and battled against Killer Croc. His injuries from facing off against the Undead Talons and Alton Carver had not yet fully recovered. Yet he selflessly went in and fought against Killer Croc, just to buy Jason those few precious moments that would allow him to get to safety.
Dying had never been on his mind, but Naruto subconsciously had known it was a very real possibility, that much he realised now.
Then there was his refusal to kill Rose, he preparing to fight Slade who he knew would not hesitate to kill both of them, or so he had thought at the time. But knowing what he did now, Naruto knew that he was never at any risk of dying. However, at the time Naruto had not known that and was fully prepared to give his life to kill Slade and save Rose, even if she hated him for it.
Throughout his time with Young Justice, there were only two times he had selflessly sacrificed himself for his team. The first against the Injustice League when knowing and recognising the weaknesses of his own teammates, Naruto personally fought against Black Adam. In that fight alone, Naruto had more near-death encounters than he had done in a long time. After that was the moment within the simulation, where he led a team consisting of him, Aqualad and Superboy to draw all attention away from the infiltration team.
The final moment came from his battle against the Justice League when he fought against Hawkman, Hawkgirl and Aquaman. All the while having powerhouses all around him clashing. The possibility of death had always been in the back of his mind, surrounded him constantly.
He had known that death was a possibility on all those occasions and was prepared for it all the same.
It was startling to him that out of his entire 'hero' career, the number of heroic moments he had was very small in comparison. Both as Black Hood and as Marauder, he couldn't really be called a hero, that much Naruto realised now.
Especially as he looked upon the hologram of Jason Todd.
He had known that Jason would eventually meet a crossroad, one in which he would either be forced to leave the world of heroism behind for good or never be able to leave it behind. Naruto had tried to convince him to leave it for good, Jason had refused.
'He found that crossroad.' Naruto remembered the words Batman told him was Jason's last words before his death. Jason had always been hot-headed and perhaps, Batman had simply reached the limit, or maybe he realised what everyone else had already known. Jason was Batman's way of replacing Dick Grayson and perhaps because he felt guilty, or due to him trying to make amends, Batman relieved him of his duties as Robin.
That's when Jason said those words when he reached that crossroad.
Except, just as he was on the path to leaving heroism behind, it was the actions of his mother, the woman Jason Todd had realised was his real mother. The one who should have loved and protected him, that Jason was forced back into the world of heroes and villains once more.
Yet it was only for a short time.
A short time in which he was brutally beaten by the Joker. And yet, despite this all being the actions of his selfish mother, Jason still threw himself onto the bomb in an attempt to save her. Ultimately to paid back with both of them dying anyway.
Naruto clenched his fists, eyes flashing a dangerous red as he tried to quell his feelings of rage. What made it even worse, the Joker was nowhere to be found, still out there somewhere in the world.
'Good, that means I can find and kill him myself.' Naruto knew that the moment the Joker was found by any other hero, he would be put behind bars, out of his reach. That Naruto could not stand the thought, nor could he allow. He would go out there, find the Joker and then kill him, making sure that no one else had to suffer at his wretched hands again.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, Naruto took a calming breath and turned on his heels. The rage within him still burned, but he wouldn't allow it to control him. He would be in control of it, just as he had spent all this time training for.
Naruto smirked. 'Besides, I don't need my powers to kill the Joker.' He reminded himself, making his way through the corridors of Mount Justice and to the main area where the team would usually be training. Though it was empty today, the team was out on a mission, one of many with the rising activity from the criminal world, the Light seemingly resurfacing and making waves in the world.
Their most recent attempt was to revive the alien weapon, Tiamat.
Tula the Aquagirl had died in the process of its defeat and since then the team had gone through a massive restructuring. Zatanna and Rocket had accepted invitations to join the Justice League, Donna Troy heading out to go solo. As for Garth and Kaldur, well the former returned to Atlantis, the latter had seemingly disappeared.
No one could find him anywhere.
Dick Grayson, operating under the new name, Nightwing had returned to take leadership of the team, on top of overseeing the Teen Titans as well.
"Access Granted, A-0-6, Starfire." Squinting slightly as the Zeta-Tube within Mount Justice glowed brightly, Naruto watched as Starfire stepped out, momentarily pausing to look around the cave. Then her eyes fell to him and she smiled, waving her hand as she moved towards him.
"Naruto, hello." She greeted.
"Koryander? Right?" Naruto tried to pronounce her name, not a hundred percent sure on how to properly say it.
He must have not been correct as she gave a small amused smile. "Koriand'r, but please call me Starfire. I much prefer going by that than my own name." Unsurely, Naruto nodded his head.
"Right, sorry, Starfire, nice to meet you." He greeted, shaking her hand. "Though I suppose this isn't our first meeting, nor our second."
"No, I suppose it is not."
Unsure on what to say next, Naruto just coughed lightly. It was awkward, seeing her after what happened with him in Hell, knowing that he had tried to kill her under the orders of the Demon. He honestly wondered what she thought of him, what all those who tried to save him thought of him.
"If you're looking for Dick, he's out on a mission with the rest of Young Justice, he won't be back for a few more days at the minimum." They were, according to what Barbara had told him, raiding a few Light safehouses across Europe. Trying to uncover what they could about possible future plans as to avoid another repeat of the past two events.
Twice now the Light had come close to success.
Twice in which the Justice League and all the heroes of the world had almost failed to stop them.
Twice was too many in the eyes of them all.
They would not allow a third time to happen again.
"I am actually here to meet you," Starfire said, Naruto blinking in surprise. "I first spoke with Jason Blood under the suggestion of Richard. But he directed me towards you." She then turned, activating the holographic control system and bringing up a small file and a picture of a young, gothic-looking girl.
"Rachel Roth. Sixteen. Half-Demon." Naruto read the first few lines aloud before releasing a low sigh. "I see, that's why you're here. Well, honestly, I know it might not be what you want to hear, but go back to Jason. He's far more knowledgeable about Demons than I am. Killing and fighting them, sure I'm your guy. But anything other than that, then I'm afraid you've got the wrong guy for the job."
Starfire frowned in response. "Jason said that you would understand more about learning to control demonic powers than anyone. More so than he due to the nature of how you gained your powers."
"Yeah, well the way I learned to control my powers isn't something I would recommend for other people. I don't even like it and it's what I've been doing for the last couple of years now. Trust me, this, Rachel is not going to want to do what I did, trust me on that." Naruto stressed.
"How so?"
Naruto rose a brow but nonetheless explained his reasoning. "My powers are linked to my rage, they not only respond to it but enhance it further. I tried a lot of things, meditation, martial arts, drugs and a lot of other things to see which would work quicker. However, I stuck to the route that worked for me best, losing control. It's not a pretty or easy thing to do, losing control and then waking up with no memory as to what you could have possibly done."
It had felt like waking up after getting blackout drunk the night before while feeling like you had been hit by a car. A killer headache, body aching all over, lethargic, nauseous and a whole host of other afflictions that made one feel like a mess.
"By losing control, my body subconsciously understood bit by bit, understood and was able to control that level of rage. It was slow, painful, crude and cruel, but it worked." Naruto continued, shaking his head. "Trust me when I tell you, the last thing Rachel needs is every trauma and mental wound being ripped wide open because if her powers are anything like mine, even by the tiniest margin, that's exactly what will happen."
"What do you mean by mental wound being ripped wide open?" Starfire asked.
"I mean that every traumatic event, say every nightmare, every horrifying sight and memory you've experienced is replayed in your mind. While your body is going berserk, all that goes on around you constantly, feeding you further in a continuous cycle of rage that you can't escape from on your own unless someone knocks you out or kills you." Naruto described plainly, trying to stress how much he did not want another person to go through that. "Like I said, go back to Jason and see if he can offer you some other advice because I'm not the answer to your problems, or hers."
With those words, Naruto gave a small apologetic smile and made his way towards the Zeta-Tube. But before he could move past Starfire, she placed one hand upon her shoulder and quickly Naruto's hand shot up, smacking her hand away before wrapping it around her throat.
It did little to her, Starfire was simply surprised by his quick reaction rather than the feeling of his hand fruitlessly tightening around her throat. But just as Naruto realised what he had done, he quickly recoiled away, head ducking away in embarrassment and shame.
"I-I-I'm sorry." He apologised, turning back away.
"I know what it is like." Even as Starfire spoke up, her tone sympathetic, Naruto didn't stop. "To not be in control of your own actions, to be a slave to someone else. Unable to deny their every whim and cruel act. I know what you are going through."
"Access Granted, B-0-7, Maelstrom."
Friday 23rd January 2015, 07:30.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
It was good to have Naruto back, it had been so long since she had seen him. Over a year since the last time he visited and she didn't know much as to the details for his late return. In her last contact with Naruto, he explained that he would be spending six months of time dedicated purely to training preparation for a situation in Hell itself.
Had she been a little worried and upset that he would be gone for so long? Yes. However, Barbara knew how important this was to Naruto, how important it was for him to get stronger.
She knew him better than anyone and she knew that he would never be able to forgive himself if he didn't take this training seriously. Naruto would never blame her for stopping him if she raised concern about him being gone for so long. But just because he wouldn't blame her, didn't mean that she wouldn't blame herself. That was precisely why despite the upsetting news that he would be gone for so long, Barbara only encouraged him to do it.
He wasn't doing this for himself, Naruto wasn't that type of person. No, that wasn't the type of person that Naruto was. Everything he did, Naruto did it to make sure that he wouldn't lose anyone else.
An equally selfish and selfless drive that pushed the blonde to strive for new heights.
However, six months went by and yet, Naruto never returned. Instead, a few weeks later, she received a visit from Jason Blood who explained that there was a problem. During the problem, the entryways to Hell were being blocked, Naruto had pushed them all through just in time before they closed entirely.
Yet that meant Naruto was stuck within Hell.
Barbara had felt a multitude of emotions, fear most prevalent amongst them. Deep down though, Barbara knew Naruto would survive, that he would come back. He was too stubborn to die, that's what she kept telling herself.
It was that thought alone that kept her going through those months, the knowledge that Naruto was stuck within Hell driving her mad. She even spoke with Zatanna, tried to convince her to just show her an image of Hell, just in hopes that Barbara could lay eyes upon Naruto.
Yet whoever was blocking Hell had stopped Zatanna also.
Barbara would not deny it, she nearly went mad with worry. Her new job at Wayne Enterprises was nearly lost, Lucius Fox forcing her to take time off to gather her wits about her. Even Jim Gordon, under the belief that Naruto was serving in the military and currently MIA had barely been able to calm her down.
That was until Naruto finally returned. 'He came back.' Barbara thought in relief, but the smile on her lips was small and showing little in the way of joy. 'But he's not the same.'
Everyone had noticed it, not just her.
Naruto acted the part, almost convincing many that there was nothing wrong with him. It was just those moments, those little cracks that appeared at times, each one showcasing just how badly something inside of Naruto had been torn apart. Whatever happened, it struck a deep chord within Naruto, changed and warped him.
Rolling over to the other side, Barbara looked out across the empty bed, the smile slipping into a small frown. It was cold, no warmth from a body that should have been laid beside her, even the sheets and pillows looked untouched.
In those times that Naruto would take a break from his training, Barbara loved every moment. There were times when both went out as Batgirl and Maelstrom, but they were few and far in between. The two of them spent their time together, like a proper couple in the early days of their relationship.
Passionate.
Full of desire.
Filled with a yearning for one another, to be close to one another at all times.
Yet they also went out, just walked around the cities, went to restaurants. Sat comfortably on the sofa and watched the TV. They even went out, bought a new apartment, one for just the two of them. Even spent one of his breaks purely dedicated to decorating it.
They were less a teenage couple bumbling through life and relationships. Instead, their relationship was much deeper, still holding that youthful desire for another, but also calmer. Barbara loved those moments, waking up wrapped in his arms, the warmth of his body making the rest of the room feel cold. She loved those fleeting times when he was up before her, his imprint of warmth still upon the sheets and pillows, the smell of food wafting into her room.
She loved all those simple moments.
Barbara also wouldn't deny that when Naruto was training, she loved to wake up with a full bed to her own. No snoring nor body obstructing her long morning stretch that spanned across the entire bed.
However, the novelty of that wore off quickly and she couldn't wait for him to come back, to experience it all over again.
Naruto was back and yet; it was like he wasn't even here.
He was here, yet Barbara had never felt more alone.
Whereas before they came to bed together, often locked at the hips in a passionate embrace that lasted well into the early hours of the morning. Now she came to bed alone. Whereas before she would wake to a warm body at her side or a warm imprint upon the bed. Now she woke up to neither.
He was here, but not here.
'Something happened in Hell. Something serious. Perhaps he simply can't unwind?' Even though the thought came to her mind, Barbara wasn't convinced. Certainly, Naruto had raised his troubles about slipping back into reality when he came back from his time in Tartarus. He had also made it no secret that Hell was by many accounts much worse so it made sense that he would have even more trouble slipping back into the normality of the real world.
But that wasn't it.
There was something fundamentally wrong with Naruto, something inside of him that was broken. Passing moments showed it was still there, hidden inside, but they were rare. Something had happened, something that broke a part of who Naruto was.
It scared her.
The thought that Naruto was broken and she was lost for answers as to what or how she could help him. She was scared that by not being able to do anything, she was going to lose him forever.
Wednesday 28th January 2015, 17:50.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
Trudging along the rooftop, Naruto ignored the strong wind that rushed by, continuing to walk along the ledge overlooking a large drop below. The city was bustling, as usual, everyone going about their daily lives, from up here, it all looked peaceful.
Hard to believe this was the worst city in the world.
A dystopian city filled with crime that never seemed to have a light at the end of the road. A city that seemed hopeless and completely lost. No matter how many heroes came, no matter how hard they fought, the criminal element always seemed to adapt and grow stronger. It was unlike any other city in the world and to Naruto, he found that comforting in a way.
He was a Gothamite and much like the city, he grew and adapted. He kept striving forwards no matter what came his way, always striving towards some unforeseen goal, some unknown light at the end of a never-ending tunnel.
"You're not going to jump, are you?" Coming to a stop at one of the corners, Naruto looked over his shoulder to see Nightwing leaned against the side of the entrance, arms crossed and a smile upon his face. "Because I don't think a fall from this height will kill you. It'll just be extremely painful."
"I'll heal." Naruto shrugged, dropping backwards off the edge and properly onto the roof. "I didn't think you'd be back so soon."
Dick shrugged. "To be honest, neither did I." He said, pushing off the wall and walking towards him. "The team have gotten much stronger. Some new heroes are making their marks, starting to make me feel old now."
"If you're old, then what does that make me?" Naruto asked, leaning back against the ledge, head falling back as to face the sky above. Beside him, Dick leaned forwards, arms resting atop the ledge and looked down at the city below. "Everything's so different to how it was. Life was much simpler when I was just Naruto."
"It's the same for me," Dick replied. "Becoming Robin made me see just what was happening beneath everyone's noses. The truth of the world everyone did their best to ignore because they were too afraid to face it. Sometimes I wish I could go back to that, to just being one of the Flying Graysons." Deep down though, Dick knew that his life wouldn't have been much different to what it was now, only the side he was on would change.
One of the main reasons that led to the splitting of him and Batman was when Dick learned the truth of Haly's Circus. It was a circus that went across America performing to the people, but it was also the recruitment grounds for the Court of Owls. Talented young children were selected and mysteriously died in a freak accident, except they were not dead, they were in fact alive and being trained to be the next Talon. Batman had never said it openly, but the files Dick found suggested that Batman believed not only was Haly's Circus preparing to hand him over to the Court but that his parents were completely aware of this and actively trained him for the task.
After all, the Talon who took in Alton Carver was none other than his grandfather, William Cobb. It, plus many other factors all led to being too much for Dick to handle and he left, setting out on his own, forming the Teen Titans and eventually taking on his new mantle of Nightwing.
A name he took upon after hearing a story from Superman, the only person Batman truly saw as a friend amongst all the people in the world. A story of a man who was cast out of his family, who dreamt of justice and helping the weak. He was a man who dreamed of proving to his family that he was better than they thought he was. A Kryptonian who used his talents and skills to help those who couldn't help themselves, someone who was called Nightwing.
It all resonated with Dick because this Nightwing sounded exactly like him. Perhaps it was made up, or perhaps it had been edited, Dick didn't care. Whether the story was true or not, to him, he would make Nightwing real.
He wasn't the Boy Wonder, he wasn't Robin, he wasn't Batman's sidekick.
He was Nightwing.
"Why are you here, Dick?" Naruto spoke up, breaking Dick from his thoughts. "Surely not to talk about the good old days."
Smiling slightly, Dick shook his head. "Nothing of the sort, the good old days haven't passed me by just yet, old-timer. I came to ask what you're going to do from now on?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, do you intend to stay with Barbara?" Naruto stood up fully, looking at him with a raised brow.
"What are you getting at Dick? Speak plainly."
Sighing, Dick looked to Naruto. "I know the look Naruto, I know what to look for in someone who's gone through something similar as me. For you, it was Lady Blaze." The mention of her name made Naruto flinch. "For me, it was the vigilante, Tarantula."
Naruto had no idea how to respond to that statement. He wanted to say something, his mouth opening but the words just wouldn't come out. Dick noticed this and just smiled, nodding his head.
"Yeah, fucked up, isn't it. Hard to forget sometimes that women aren't the only victims of it. They usually are because, I don't know, guess because they're easier targets. I don't really know if that's the case or not." Dick's laugh lacked any humour to it. "Either way, we've gone through something similar, though not to your extent."
Looking down at his hands, Dick could see them shaking slightly. He had worked hard, trying to overcome what happened and he had done well, worked hard but it was neither easy nor complete. Overcoming that wasn't something that could be done overnight no matter who you were and Dick was still affected by it. But it was obvious to him that Naruto was doing exactly what he did in the beginning, bottling it up.
Instead of confronting what happened and trying to overcome it, Naruto was pretending like it never happened. In doing so, he was only making things worse.
"My only advice for this Naruto is to tell her." The look he received from the blonde told Dick that would not be happening anytime soon. "If not, tell her you need some time to yourself. Get help or just go out there and try to deal with this yourself. Believe me Naruto, if you don't, all it'll end up doing is tearing you two apart."
There was something in his tone, something in Dick's face that made Naruto's glare soften. "You and Zatanna?"
"It's complicated." Dick replied.
That was putting it lightly, a serious understatement as to the state of their relationship. The feelings he held for her were as strong as ever, she still held feelings for him. But after what happened, Dick had convinced himself he was okay and that he could handle it on his own. Tried to do just that and instead, only got progressively worse. First distancing himself from Zatanna, making her feel more and more isolated as he in turn became more undone.
Then he started lashing out.
It started off with just a gradual brutality towards criminal, going closer to that line. This spiralled into verbally lashing out at Zatanna when she confronted him and it just continued.
By not seeking help, by not dealing with what happened, Dick had had started down a slippery slope which nearly spiralled out of control. It took Zatanna ending things with him to awake Dick to just what he was doing and by that point, things had already gone too far.
He made changes in himself, seeking help from people around him like Black Canary and even Starfire leading to a brief romance between the two. Though that was short lived, his mind filled with guilt towards his actions towards Zatanna. The relationship between he and Starfire only became more strained when crime within Blüdhaven grew ever lager and then his return to Young Justice after Aqualads departure.
All of this led to him breaking things off.
Since then, despite initial trouble, he opened up to the truth about what happened to him to Zatanna. Their relationship was still fragile and it had been an on-and-off relationship since.
"Naruto, I don't know what to call our relationship. Acquaintances? Teammates? Colleagues? Friends? But I sure as hell respect you and I'd like to think you respect me as well." Dick wondered.
Naruto nodded his head. "I've always respected you." Naruto replied firmly, Dick smiling slightly.
"Then in that case, please listen to me seriously. I'm not saying this out of pity or for any personal gain. I'm saying this as a fellow victim and as someone who respects you. Perhaps it's because our relationship isn't deep that I can do this. I'm gonna tell you what you need to hear, not what you want." That was the one thing Dick had needed, but he had not received. Not because no one could offer it, but because he didn't care to listen.
Truly the stubbornness of heroes could be their greatest weapon but also the cause of their undoing. Just as it had nearly been his.
"You're going to distance yourself from her, you already are doing. All you want is to tell her, to open up to her about everything that happened. You want so desperately to be with her, but every time you go to speak, all you feel is shame and disgust at yourself for what happened." It was common amongst victims to feel this way. "You convince yourself that you can deal with this on your own, but at the same time, when being with her, being close with her all that pops into your mind is what happened to you."
Naruto was silent, never saying a word as he listened to Dick's words. The coldness that gripped his being, the cold sweat that slowly erupted upon his brow. All of it came about as Dick listed the truth.
"You'll spiral Naruto, slowly at first but then you'll reach a point where it's a sudden drop. At that point it's too late. And they won't figure it out either, because as smart as they are, the last thing that ever pops into their mind is that the reason for your distance is because of what really happened." Dick said. "They can't fathom the idea that you went through that and they weren't able to do anything and so, they convince themselves that they're the ones at fault."
That's what had happened between he and Zatanna. But to make things worse, instead of telling her the truth, Dick let her believe she was the one at fault.
"If you can't tell Barbara the truth, tell her you need some time to yourself." Dick rested one hand upon Naruto's shoulder. "She'll give it to you and in the meantime, even if it's just with me. I can't guarantee to always be available nor the best person to speak with, but if I am, I'll be more than willing to listen. Just please, speak to someone."
As Dick left, Naruto remained in silence, slowly looking up towards the sky.
He really didn't know what to do.
Monday 2nd February, 2015, 13:15.
Massachusetts,
Salem,
Tower of Fate.
At the end of the day, he hadn't done anything Dick had said. 'You fucking arrogant asshole.' Naruto cursed himself, head dropping into his hands, fingers curling into balls, tuffs of blonde hair sticking out from between his fingers.
He had listened to everything Dick had said, even considered it for a moment. But then, continued to just carry on as he had. Now that had backfired spectacularly, everything seemingly imploding around him and the only one to blame was himself.
"Raise your head, Naruto." Jason said, placing one hand upon his shoulders. "You're not to blame for this."
Naruto scoffed. "I wish I could believe that, truly." Looking over his shoulder, Naruto frowned. "But we both know that's not true. I was the one who allowed myself to be manipulated. I was the one who went to Hell and confronted Dalkriig-Hath. I was the one who didn't deal with what happened and allowed myself to get goaded by him. I was the one that lost control and killed him and Belyllioth, leaving Hell without a ruler. So please, tell me how none of this is not my fault?"
Jason had no idea how to respond, not because he couldn't but because there were a lot of ways in which he could argue that statement. Usually when things went wrong in people's lives, they looked to blame everyone other than themselves. Naruto was the complete opposite, blaming himself.
In most cases it was a matter of trying to convince someone that they were the problem which was difficult in of itself. How does one convince someone that they're not the problem though?
"Naruto, at the end of the day, things are not all bad." Jason decided it was best to do nothing for the time being. "We already knew that it was a matter of time before Dalkriig-Hath started to look for someone else to take the throne. While he may be the most powerful Demon in Hell currently, that's not always going to be the case. Not to mention that there are plenty of Demons on Earth and outside of Hell that are much stronger than him. One day, someone was going to come along and take him out and the contracts we had would have expired."
"Then what was the point in doing all this in the first place?" Naruto retorted angrily.
"To buy us time." Jason bluntly replied, voice calm. "Make no mistake, for centuries Sorcerers like John Constantine have hunted and killed Demons. I myself have been doing so for much longer. Yet despite all that, the demonic presence upon Earth has been steadily increasing, not declining."
It was only a matter of time before Earth became overrun becoming much like it was during the Dark Ages. Rampant with Magic and Demons, a truly horrifying and terrifying time in mankind's history. One that almost saw Earth's destruction. He had lived through that period once, his bond with Etrigan volatile and distrusting. Surviving through that had been nearly impossible. Jason did not want to liv through that again, nor did he want to subject innocent people to it either.
However, in spite of their best efforts, they were still on their way to bring about a second Dark Age. "They come through rifts, or portals that vary in size and stability. The larger and more stable, the greater quantity and quality of Demons can come through. We know of all the largest and midsized rifts, even a few smaller ones. But we have been unable to do anything about them because of the Demons that come through on a daily basis."
Attempts had been made in the past, many, many attempts. Each had ended in failure because Lord Neron or Demon Lords had sensed these actions and sought to stop them. Hordes of Demons were unleashed and usually killed if not forced those attempting to close the rifts.
"With Dalkriig-Hath controlling Hell and our knowledge of these rifts. He is ensuring no Demon can enter through them allowing us to close them on our end without interruption." Any Demon that by some chance managed to enter these rifts, they would in essence, walk down a corridor with the door at the far end locked. Eventually, over many years, these rifts would be closed permanently without the lack of demonic activity to sustain them.
They fed off it after all.
Every Demon that entered through, no matter how weak or strong, fed the rift unknowingly allowing it grow in size and stability. Without those Demons passing through, the adverse would happen, the rift destabilising and growing smaller until it eventually became non-existent.
"Already, thanks to this, we have closed over three quarters of those rifts that we are aware of." Jason stated the fact that looking back upon it, would have seemed impossible centuries ago. "Sorcerers, other Demons, Covens and cults of all kind on Earth, they're still going about their business unaware of this. The number of Demons upon Earth is rapidly declining and now, the number of Demons passing through from Hell to Earth is but a fraction of what it once was."
Which meant that in the future, any new Demon that discovered or created a portal leading to Earth would be instantly spotted. Demons that passed through right now were protected by the large blanket of pre-existing demonic activity upon Earth. As things were going though, in a few years that would no longer be the case.
"But this means nothing now." Naruto noted, shoulders slumping further as he realised the consequences of his actions. "Dalkriig-Hath is dead and now there is no ruler of Hell. And when there is one, he won't honour the original agreement."
Jason released a low breath. "You're right." He cut straight to the point. "Which is why we have gone to plan B, one of us shall become the ruler of Hell."
Naruto looked bemused. "You can't possibly mean Etrigan."
"Heavens no." Jason actually chuckled at the thought. "I trust Etrigan as we are now. But if he were to become King of Hell, I wouldn't be able to say the same. No, Daniel has agreed to become the ruler of Hell."
"Daniel? That doesn't make any sense, you'd be sending him to die! He's weaker than Dalkriig-Hath! That's basically asking for other Demons to take over!"
"It would be." Jason agreed. "However, I have agreed to accompany him. I, and by extension Etrigan will be acting as advisors and enforcers." While Jason may not trust Etrigan as King of Hell, he trusted that Etrigan would be amused by the situation enough to play along for a few years. The Demon had kept at his current role for many centuries, a few years serving as an enforcer for Blue Devil acting as King of Hell would be well within his limits.
Though not forever.
"We also have some of the best Sorcerers helping overlook and producing a tool that will allow Blue Devil to steal Demons powers and add it to his own." Hardly a revolutionary tool, similar ones had popped up many times across the centuries. The biggest problem was the fact that a lot of power was lost in the transference and they were usually unstable. "In theory, it should also be able to draw power from Hell as well."
They however, had an advantage that previous versions didn't. Theirs was being crafted by perhaps some of the most powerful and gifted Sorcerers to ever live. Blue Devil may not be strong enough now, but in a few years, it would be a different story. It was Jason's job to make sure that Etrigan didn't learn of this until it was too late.
As much as he trusted Etrigan with their shared life, trusting the Demon with Earth and everyone else's life was a different manner. Especially not when the position for King of Hell, the position that had led to Etrigan being sealed away within side of him in the first place would no doubt entice him eventually. Blue Devil had to become strong enough that when that time came, Etrigan wouldn't dare raise his head in rebellion.
"Then why didn't we do that in the first place; instead of putting Dalkriig-Hath in charge in the first place?!" Naruto argued, rising to his feet as he glared out at Jason. "You've already admitted that you knew he would try to replace himself eventually. So why didn't we just put Daniel on the throne in the first place!"
"Because it's a life sentence, Naruto."
That was all Jason said before Naruto collapsed back. It was not that no one hadn't thought of it before, they had, it was just the fact that it was dismissed. Why? Because the moment Daniel took the throne he would have to remain there. He would have to fight rebellions, make sure powerful Demons kept their heads down and defend against invaders, Demon-like beings from other worlds.
Daniel couldn't leave that throne until they had secured Earth, purge it all of the Demons residing within it. They had to seal off all the rifts and Daniel would have to keep hold of the throne to ensure all the rifts fully dissipated and while he could speed up that process by cutting them off on his end. That would only cause further dissention from the Demons in Hell.
Anyone that took the throne of Hell, especially on their side would be condemning themselves to a life of constant battling. That's why none of them had chosen to pursue this path initially, despite considering it momentarily.
"Then let me help." Naruto pleaded, no begged. "Let me make amends."
Naruto understood all of this, that Daniel was paying for the consequences of his actions. "I can't." Jason replied firmly. "You're mentally unstable, the chances of you causing more problems in your state is too high."
It was harsh, but Jason knew Naruto wouldn't listen to pity or meaningless platitudes. "How can you help others when you can't even help yourself, Naruto?" Jason pressed. "How can people trust you, when you can't even trust yourself? You want to help people Naruto, make amends for your actions, then help yourself first."
Was it wrong to make Naruto blame himself further for this event? Yes, Jason knew that very well. Yet he also knew it was the only way Naruto would ever force himself to face what happened.
Monday 2nd February 2015, 13:15.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Barbara asked, a smile upon her face.
The two of them were stood a few meters away from their apartment building, it was raining and the two had taken comfort under a shelter. 'How cliché.' Naruto thought to himself sardonically, as he looked towards Barbara. Her smile was present, despite being soaked by the rain and she still looked beautiful.
He knew what he was going to say was going to hurt her, something he didn't want to do. But Dick was right, he had already made others pay for the consequences of his actions, Naruto couldn't do that to anyone else, least of all Barbara. Even if he forced everyone around him to pay for his lack of healing, the one person he couldn't force to pay for it was Barbara.
Not anymore than she already had been doing.
Nor could he drag her any further into his problems. The Akatsuki were still out there and had every intention of hunting him down, even into Tartarus itself. They wouldn't stop coming for him and Naruto needed to take the fight to them. If he did, Barbara would never leave his side, she'd be there right next to him.
That was something Naruto couldn't allow, not when it put her at so much risk. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her because of this. So he'd let her down easy.
"I think we both know that things haven't been right," Naruto said, voice rising a few times when cars drove by nearly drowning out the sound of his voice. However, Barbara heard him clearly, her beautiful smile dipping lightly, but she thought to keep it there.
She nodded her head, taking his hands in hers and it killed him inside that the contact alone made him tense up. He tried not to let it show, but the slackening of her grasp before she took her hands away told him he hadn't done a good job. "We can still work through it though, right? I love you, Naruto."
"I know," Naruto replied quickly. "And I love you, more than you can ever know. But..."
There was a moment, the words almost slipping from his mouth, just like he wanted them to. He needed to tell her the truth, he needed her to know what happened to him as to explain why he was acting the way he was. Naruto needed her to know that it wasn't her that was at fault.
But even though he had prepared himself to say it, the moment he went to say the truth his throat seemed to clamp up. Nausea hit him hard, making Naruto shake, skin paling rapidly as his heart began to pound heavily.
Barbara recognised it all, noticed the tell-tale signs of a panic attack. The fact that it was happening to Naruto of all people made her instantly move to comfort and put him at ease. Yet that only seemed to worsen it, Naruto rapidly backpedalling out from under the cover and into the rain. She tried hard to not feel hurt, she knew deep down that something was truly wrong with Naruto, that something serious had happened that had scarred him deeply.
The way he recoiled from her though, the disgust and revulsion to her touch made it difficult not to be hurt. "P-p-please, j-just give me a-a-a mo-moment." Naruto stuttered out, moving forwards carefully and bracing one hand against the wall.
He took some calming breaths, closing his eyes and after a few moments, he seemed to calm down. However, Barbara could still see the paleness of his skin and the slight shaking of his hand. He may be trying to act otherwise, but he was far from being calm let alone alright.
"I. There's something I want to tell you."
"Don't," Barbara stated firmly, shocking Naruto. "I don't know what it is that happened to you Naruto, but I know it's serious. You can't tell me what it is without nearly having a panic attack. So please, don't force yourself to say it."
"You deserve the truth," Naruto murmured angrily, his anger directed at himself and not at her. "You deserve to know that the reason I'm like this, has nothing to do with you and that I'm trying to overcome it. But, it's just so hard."
His voice broke towards the end of that, Barbara listening to it all. She didn't need to be a genius to know what was coming next and tears slowly began to form making her vision glossy. That tone, the words he was saying, anyone with even an ounce of knowledge on relationships knew what was coming next. They just weren't what she expected from Naruto, something like this was not what she had ever expected to happen with them.
They were meant to grow old together, get married and have a family.
That was what Barbara had always dreamed of when it came to her relationship with Naruto. He was her first and only crush, the only person that truly understood her. How could it end like this?
"I just need some time to myself, just to overcome...this." Naruto jerked his hands, indicating to himself. But despite that, Barbara knew it was not simply a matter of taking time to overcome what happened to him, this was it. "Will you give me that?"
Barbara wanted to say no, say that she would be there for him and do everything she could to help him no matter what it was. But her biggest mistake was looking into his eyes, by now she should have known better than to do that and even through the tearful gaze, she found them. She should have held strong, yet the emotions she was reflected within them, the vulnerability he showed her.
Barbara caved.
She didn't remember saying yes, perhaps she never did. To her, it was all just a blur because all that she remembered from that point on was that small smile he gave her. Nothing in comparison to the big smiles he used to give, nothing compared to the small genuine ones he always had when looking at her. Just a small smile, that said so much and so little at the same time.
Then he was gone, Barbara remaining under that shelter and watching him leave through the rain.
Just staring at his back as he moved further away from her right up until the moment he disappeared from view. The moment he did, the floodgates opened and tears fell down freely, her breathing short and struggling as the shock of it all caught up to her.
So, another chapter done and with it, the Time Skip Arc is officially over and done with. That makes Book 2, 24 chapters (250,000+ words) long compared to the 18 of Book 1 (150,000+ words). Which again, is just crazy to me, I never imagined I would get this far or that the story would unfold in the way it has.
Ultimately though, I think this is a good place to end it even if it is shorter than usual. I know a lot of you were very excited to see a controlled Naruto vs the heroes, but honestly it would serve no purpose. As you'll see later on, while nearly all of Naruto's have grown massively over the course of the year, one has deteriorated majorly for reason that will be explained as the story progresses. This is not done to nerf Naruto in anyway shape or form, in fact it was never intended initially, I actually had a scene for Naruto in Book 2 were this would have played a major role planned out. But that's going to have to be changed as a result of the in the moment creative decision I made.
Though if you remember some of my earlier author notes, you know that tends to happen a lot with me. New ideas pop in my mind and the characters tend to write themselves. I am simply a vessel for them to write their own stories so to speak. However, for those of you worried about me potentially nerfing Naruto, don't be. Even without that skill, Naruto's overall progress has made him more powerful than pre-time skip Naruto a hundredfold. I'm talking Aquaman level and for those of you who know how powerful his comic book counterpart is, you know that is not weak in the slightest.
Anyway, we have finished 3 of 4 arcs in this Book, YJ season 2 the final arc of this book. For those of you who might be confused, yes there were initially only 3 arcs for this book, but I decided to split YJ season 1 into two arcs. The first being YJ Season 1 going all the way up to the simulation episode. Then everything that follows with Naruto returning to Gotham and interacting with Hawk and Dove, all the way to the final clash between the JS and JL is the new arc. This one I call the Gotham Gang War Arc.
So out of 41 total arcs for this story and 10 books, we are at the final stage of Book 2 and about to begin arc 9. Yeah, there's still a LONG way to go before this story is reaching its completion and I hope to see it to the end with you all with me.
Now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the questions:
Sultan Asil Arslan-Hiatus: She's not as powerful as Martian Manhunter, but still incrediby skilled and one of the most powerful telepaths around.
pathless-sage: The power of other Tailed Beasts will becoming around in the future, I have one arc that centres around this. As for Rachel? Well, she's around but will be making an official appearance next chapter.
RandoFox: Harem's a thing its NarutoxBatgirlxStarfirexSupergirl. And I suppose it's due to the limitations of animation, though that's not as bad as it is anymore. If it happens, it will be off-screen and not brought to light. In your head canon, you can think she does or doesn't it's up to you.
guardianx15: It's a sigil spell that's listed on his wiki page, so if that's not the case then that's my mistake. I haven't read a huge amount of Constantine comics so I don't know the full scope of his powers and so on so I have relied upon fan pages and wikis for that info. The Supergirl and the harem though are still going ahead, don't worry.
Lord Suryansh: It was Yami Naruto. Yes, he will train in other elemental forces, they will play a huge role in one of Naruto's canon power-ups. It's not that he can't but due to having just fought a long and difficult battle, Naruto was mentally and physically fatigued so when Lady Blaze came along, he was at his most vulnerable.
Anisuculenticate: Jason Blood, in the distant future? Yes, a lot of people are going to die and death will be a very real thing in this story and permanent. Brother Blood, not for Naruto but the Church of Blood isn't dead so it's still around yet Naruto won't interact with them.
Hope that clears up any questions you had and if not, please don't be afraid to ask.