Injustice: The Path to Hell.
Book 2: Darkness in the Light.
Chapter XXV – A New God.
"Normal Speech."
'Normal Thought.'
"Demon Speech."
'Demon Thought.'
"Other Speech Variants."
Location/Time.
Thursday 28th January 2016, 19:50.
New York,
New York City,
Manhattan.
Coming backwards out of the Dark Side Club, Starfire rose up higher into the air, Starbolts gathering around her arms as Caveboy moved back out of the club also. Moving into position on the top of the building was Ravager, broadswords drawn and clutched tightly in both hands. Jesse Quick came to a stop about half a mile up the road, primed and ready for her signal.
There was a scuffle, she could hear it clearly, but then out of the door came the villains they had been struggling against. Copperhead was the first, arms outstretched as he charged towards Caveboy.
Behind him were Weather Wizard and Mirror Master, both rushing out to escape the flames that their last member, Heat Wave fired into the mass of shadows. At that point though, Starfire fired her Starbolts, striking Copperhead in the head, knocking him face-first into the ground, Ravager leaping off the building and down to the ground blade slicing cleanly through Mirror Masters Mirror Gun, taking away one of his most versatile weapons.
Not that they needed to worry as she came straight back up, using her landing to coil her legs tight as she crouched down to absorb the impact of her fall. Then she rocketed back up, knee striking him on the underside of his chin. Starfire didn't need to be close to see or hear what that strike had done to Mirror Master.
The blood splashed through the air, a few teeth as well said enough.
His unconscious body arcing through the air and crumpling to the ground was the nail in the coffin.
Heat Wave and Weather Wizard turned, ready to lash out, but that's when Jesse Quick came bursting towards them. The Starbolts Starfire had used to halt Copperhead were the very signal that Jesse had been waiting for.
Her form was quick, nothing more than a blur to her own eyes, but Jesse's speed dramatically reduced as she came in close. A preventative measure to ensure she didn't accidentally kill the very people she was attempting to disable and one that would have put her in danger, had Weather Wizard and Heat Wave not been facing the opposite direction. They both had experience in fighting speedsters, they were some of the few humans in the world who had seemingly cracked the code on how to handle heroes like them.
As they were though, it proved simple for Jesse to land two quick blows that sent them crumpling to the ground. This is when Aquaqirl came bursting out of the shadows, she and Caveboy both moving rapidly towards the rising Copperhead.
His new form was certainly surprising, something none of them had known him to possess. It was also nothing to ignore either, providing him superhuman strength and durability as well as a tail that he could control at will. He was quite a dangerous foe, enough so that Starfire would not have wanted any of the Titans to face him alone, besides herself and Cyborg.
However, against a team that had spent the last few weeks preparing and had many months of experience working together prior to this, Starfire was hardly concerned about their ability to take him out.
Something they proved masterfully, Caveboy rushing up, the uppercut that Copperhead blocked nothing more than a feint. Something to distract him from Aquagirl's presence, she came flying in with a kick that struck him in his back, just a little above his tail. He gasped out, knocked back down onto one knee, her Atlantean strength nothing to scoff at.
Caveboy used this, drawing his hand free and moving back, a plethora of arrows coming down and exploding against Copperhead, sending him stumbling back, smoke clouding his vision. Caveboy came charging back in, jumping over the wild swipe Copperhead threw to try and keep his foes at bay, slid down his back and wrapped both arms around the large, reptilian man's waist.
With a large heave, the ground actually cracking beneath his feet, Caveboy lifted Copperhead off the ground and fell back in a textbook German Supplex, the villain's head buried deep into the ground.
His body at that point shrunk rapidly, losing its big bulky frame, the reptilian skin returning to nothing more than a suit, arms and legs going limp. "Good work everyone," Starfire noted, floating down to the ground, nothing short of overjoyed with the skill and professionalism her team showcased in this mission.
However, her concerns were far from over, she looked towards the mass of shadows that covered the front entrance of the Dark Side Club. It was a wall that she could not even begin to see through, Raven and the villain she fought against, completely hidden from view.
She knew that Raven had been training hard under Naruto's tutelage and she certainly respected him for what he had done. Everyone who had known Naruto had spoken extremely highly not only of his character but his skill and his work ethic. There were very few that seemed to work as hard as him, push themselves as much as he did and so Starfire knew that he would have helped Raven to the best of his abilities.
Starfire knew that the Raven who had been training under Naruto was stronger than the one she knew better before. That was not only who Naruto was, but also who Raven was. They were two people who always wanted to be strong enough to protect those around them and would strive to reach a level of power in which they could do that.
Raven would settle for nothing less and Naruto would help her every step of the way. Yet Starfire couldn't help but worry and she doubted that she ever would be able to stop worrying.
She cared for Raven and it was only natural that she would be worried when she was in danger. 'Cyborg is in there with her though.' Starfire reminded herself, the rest of the Teen Titans continuing to wait.
Entering in could be dangerous, who knows what was happening inside there and just jumping in headfirst would be extremely dangerous. For now, Raven and Cyborg were the only ones acclimatised to the dark mass of shadows that surrounded them and so, they would be the best bet to deal with the villain inside. If they went in now, they'd be nothing more than a hindrance, needing to acclimatise to their surroundings first before they could do anything to help.
Her own powers may provide her the means to provide help, but again, Starfire had no idea what she would be walking into. Neither Cyborg nor Raven had called for help and the moment they did, she would damn the consequences and run straight in, but for now, she would hang back and wait, trusting in her comrades.
At that moment though, everything changed.
They all heard it first, the screeches that sounded from within the shadows of where Raven and Shade were locked in battle. Then, bursting out from the windows on the floors above, breaking through the roof and the walls, coming straight at them out from the shadows, strange beasts rushed out and into the night.
Each was tall and large, muscular and strong clad in a golden armour of some kind and possessing insect-like wings that protruded out from their backs. Each of them looked almost like insects themselves, all screeching out at them in warning or perhaps a threat, high-tech weapons of unknown origins held in their arms.
Despite these sudden arrivals though, Starfire and the Teen Titans were quick to act. Arrowette and Starfire both unleashed long-range attacks, Starbolts and arrows smashing into the monsters. All the while Jesse Quick, Caveboy and Ravager moved up close, using their respective skills and powers to take them out as best as they could. Aquagirl herself fell back, using her magic to reach out to nearby fire hydrants, the water inside responding to her call and bursting out, coalescing around her, taking the form of tentacles.
Yet their quick reactions while impressive did not change the fact that they had no idea what these creatures were or how powerful they could be. A fact that became highlighted very early on when Caveboy rushed in, smashing his fist into one of them.
A blow from Caveboy was nothing to ignore, certainly nothing on the level of an Atlantean or a Tamarean like Starfire, but not even an enhanced human like Rose could pack as much strength as Caveboy. His heritage as a caveman, one who had been exposed to a meteorite before being frozen in the ice had given him unique abilities and powers.
Minor telepathy being one, but his most used and noticeable power was his strength.
But that blow did next to nothing to the monster, a dull ringing sounded throughout as his fist bounced off the armour they wore, a light dent forming from where his fist had landed. The creature itself just looked down at the blow, looking almost confused before going to strike.
Caveboy though did not halt, reacting quickly to avoid the strike, though he too came under assault from all sides. The sheer number of monsters started to quickly overwhelm him. But Caveboy was not the only one struggling, everyone was, including Starfire.
Ravager possessed sharp blades forged from one of the finest smiths in the world, a mixture of a series of incredibly durable and strong metals to create blades with a razor-sharp edge. Her skills and enhancements on top of that made Ravager a dangerous combatant in close quarters, yet her blade skimmed off their armour, sometimes not even leaving a chip in it. She, much like Caveboy doing everything she could to not get taken out instantly.
Jesse Quick burst around rapidly, landing a plethora of blows on dozens of monsters in a split second, yet they did nothing. She occasionally rushing in to get Caveboy, Arrowette and Ravager out of danger, relocating them just in time. But that was about it, very few of the beasts she struck seemed to be affected by her blows. The only time she actually seemed to take a few out was when she barrelled right into them at full speeds, but very few were stood on the ground, those that were surrounding her allies.
Aquagirl used her water tentacles to smack them around, grabbing some and holding them, but more and more just kept piling on, outnumbering the number of tentacles that she had under her control. Arrowette was in a similar situation, rapidly running out of arrows as she ducked and rolled on the rooftop, avoiding the encroaching monsters.
Starfire herself doing the best of the lot struggled immensely, the creatures possessing enough intelligence to recognise her as a major threat and swarming her from all sides. Her Starbolts struck out rapidly, faster than Starfire had needed to produce them in the past, mixing it with punches and kicks to defeat her foes.
While she was killing each enemy that approached, her Starbolts vaporising those they struck, her kicks bisecting them and punches putting wholes into their bodies, more and more came to replace those she killed. For every one that died to her blows, dozens replaced them.
'But they are inconsistent.' Starfire noted, blasting one monster approaching her back, while landing a spinning back kick into another, knocking it back into a group that dropped them from the sky. 'Some are capable of taking my blows with seemingly little struggle, but others, I do not even have to use a great deal of strength.' It was the same for the Teen Titans, some of them being beaten by Caveboy and Ravager, killed by the explosive arrows of Arrowette and incapable of withstanding the blows of Jesse Quick.
But they were lost in the dozens that swarmed them all.
Even though those thoughts came to her mind, putting her at ease a little, Starfire could not ignore the current situation any further. Things had gotten wildly out of hand, while she had prepared for unforeseen factors changing the outcome, something like this was beyond what she or the others had prepared for. At this point, continuing on without backup would only cause more problems than they would solve as it could potentially put them all at risk.
In fact, all of New York could be at risk if things continued on this path.
Though Starfire would have liked her first mission as the official leader of the Teen Titans to go off without a hitch, this was not a time for her pride to get in the way of what was right. "Maelstrom, rendezvous on our location."
"I'm on my way." Naruto's response was instant, he having no doubt been waiting for her call, ready and waiting in case the worst-case scenario came about. "If you can lure them towards the river, with numbers like those, dealing with them in your current situation will take much longer to do and is much harder. I have something that will be able to take out a huge portion in short order."
"I'll do my best," Starfire replied.
Thursday 28th January 2016, 20:00.
New York,
New York City,
Manhattan.
During his time as a Teen Titan, Bunker was not unfamiliar with the concept of death. As a hero, he had faced it many times and seen it even more. There were times that as a hero, he had been unable to prevent people from dying, all because he was too slow, too inexperienced, too reckless, and too weak.
It was a harsh fact that Bunker had been faced with too many times for his liking.
Harsher still, when he was the one that came close to death.
For him, it was easier to brush aside the deaths of innocents, as wrong as that sounded, it was the way his mind rationalised things. It did not mean he was unaffected by it, it infuriated him beyond belief, and weighed upon him heavily. He could recount vividly, everybody he had seen, every person he had failed to save and all the events leading up to it.
The reason though it was easier for him to brush aside their deaths was that in every single instance, Bunker had done everything he could to save them. There was not one single moment in which he had not given his all.
He had simply been too weak to do anything and so he threw himself into becoming stronger, ensuring that such an outcome would not happen again. However, when it was him on the other end, the one that had come close to dying, that hit him harder. The knowledge that it could have been the end of everything, all the things he wanted to see and do, suddenly gone, hit him hard.
Because each and every time, he was left questioning why he didn't just quit when he had the chance? Why didn't he stop being a hero and go out to live his life the way he wanted? Why couldn't he be with the people he loved and live a normal life? Why did he have to risk his life for people that often cursed him for not doing enough?
People that stood on the side-lines, not in his shoes shouldn't have the right to judge him. Not when they didn't know what it was like to have his powers, the understanding that he could become something much worse if he so chose. Yet they couldn't be grateful for the fact that he did good with them. They couldn't be grateful when he risked his life time and time again to save the same ungrateful assholes.
That's what made it harder for him to be on the receiving end of a near-death experience because all those distracting thoughts came to his mind.
Now was no different.
With a shout, Bunker let his powers burst out, purple bricks of telekinetic energy exploding outwards from all around his body. The strange monsters that had been swarming all bursting off him, carried in the wave of bricks that he produced.
But more came and even worse, so did she.
Bernadeth, one of Darkseid's Female Furies as she called herself, moved with such grace and elegance that to Bunker it appeared inhumane. Even as he summoned powerful fists that smashed into the beasts, sturdy walls to block them, he never once kept her out of his sights.
Individual bricks shot out like bullets that she ducked and weaved between, rapidly closing in on him in the corridor, the walls around them having broken apart. An action Bunker had taken on as to give him some more breathing room. Though unfortunately, it also enabled more of those beasts to come flooding in.
Still, he was still holding on, battling against the horde of monsters and the one that led them. The fact that he was losing was not lost on him, especially when Bernadeth's leg smashed right through a wall he created and into his side.
Even with the wall having slowed down the momentum and in turn, the force of that kick, he could still feel a few of his ribs crack under the weight of the blow. He violently ripped off his feet and sent careening down the makeshift corridor; the beasts hot on his tails.
Out of all the times in the past, this was by far the closest he had come to death and he hated it. Bunker hated feeling like this as he flew limply through the air, unable to slow his momentum thanks to the blinding pain that gripped his body. He had just revealed to his long-time boyfriend who he really was, that he wasn't just Miquel Barragan, but also the Teen Titan, Bunker.
It was a moment that really signified a change in their relationship.
Miquel loved him and he was someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Funny that at this moment, he realised that he wanted that more than anything. Revealing who he was, was a showcase of the trust he held for him. That this wasn't just some fling to him, that this was real.
Now that he slammed into the ground, breath bursting from his lungs as those same beasts came all around him, Miquel realised he wanted more than that. He didn't want to die here, not like this, not when there was so much more that he wanted, no had to do.
Gritting his teeth, Bunker willed his powers to life once more, fighting through the pain. There was no way he dying in a place like this, no way he was going to give up so pathetically. Even if it was the last thing he did, he would make sure to get a good hit on this woman.
As he continued to fight against the beasts, Bernadeth took a moment to watch, a brief inkling of surprise showing on her face as she watched Bunker fight. He had shown tenacity from the outset of this fight and yet, there was a new determination and drive about him at this moment. His powers were more pronounced, constructs seemingly more powerful and darker in colour.
It caught her by surprise, she had expected little from a member of the Teen Titans. Unlike the Young Justice, they showed little promise and she had dismissed them entirely as threats to her masters' desires for this planet. The only threats she had worried about were the Justice League and Young Justice.
However, it seemed she had made an egregious misjudgement, something she would have to rectify by removing them from the equation entirely. At least this way, so long as the Teen Titans no longer existed, there would be no unforeseen threat to Darkseid.
From what she knew, the only ones of note amongst the Teen Titans were the Tamarean, Starfire, the human that had been blessed by the Father Box, Cyborg and the daughter of the Demon, Trigon. They were the only ones she had reported to Granny Goodness, but as they were now, inexperienced and weak, they would prove little threat to their plans.
However, the others were useless, or so she had thought.
As they were now, yes.
But if they proved tenacious and possessed hidden potential like Bunker, then perhaps they could prove to be a dangerous threat, one made even more so by their previous distinction as a nonfactor. Removing them was in her best interests and Bernadeth had little thought in her mind that they would prove much of a challenge.
The one across from her, Bunker, was exhausted and injured.
Arrowette, Ravager and Caveboy; too weak.
Jesse Quick; too slow.
Raven; too inexperienced.
Cyborg and Starfire were the only threats.
But again, all of the Teen Titans suffered the same flaw, they were too weak.
Moving forwards, Bernadeth readied her dagger, preparing to finish off Bunker in a single moment. Only for the wall to her right to burst wide open, Cyborg rushing her at speeds that caught her off guard, metal fist socking her across the face.
Stumbling, Bernadeth spun around, preparing to defend herself, only to be stuck on the underside of her chin by a powerful uppercut. An uppercut that turned to a grab, Cyborg with the same hand gripping the sides of her jaw and flipping her in the air. His other hand coming round and smashing into sternum as he drove into the ground, it exploding beneath their feet.
"Guys, we've got an unknown threat here, Bunker's injured badly." Cyborg reported as he opened fire upon the beasts that were swarming towards him, making his way towards Bunker. "Raven's on her own, Starfire, she might need back up."
As he moved on, helping Bunker fight off the Parademons, Bernadeth laid their stunned. That was unexpected to her, the strength Cyborg possessed was again, beyond her expectations.
'Perhaps I have been too lax in my studying of the Teen Titans.' On her part, it had been a long time since she paid much attention to their actions, even though they operated in the same city. The information she had was mostly out of date and as she realised in that moment, not entirely accurate. 'I was right, eliminating them now is the best option. Better that than returning a disappointment.'
Rising to her feet, mostly unharmed behind a little scuff on the side of her cheek, Bernadeth looked to see Cyborg propping Bunker up. The injuries the hero had suffered were catching up to him and that was good news for her, it made killing Cyborg all the easier, especially if he had to protect his ally.
Mentally recalling the Parademons on the corridor back to her, Bernadeth watched both heroes turn to study her warily.
"I don't think me getting out of here is going to be an easy option." Bunker noted humourlessly.
Cyborg shook his head. "Nor do I." Both took a moment to look around, studying their surroundings, but their initial perceptions were correct. As of right now, Bunker had two options, make a break for the exit right behind Bernadeth or escaping into the shadowy fight between Raven and Shade.
Both were incredibly dangerous options, but one was infinitely less so.
One arm shifting into his signature noise cannon, Cyborg moved in front of Bunker. "We're going to rush them." He whispered quietly. "Stay behind me and when we get to the other side, make a break for the door."
"You better kick her ass for me." Bunker retorted nonplussed at having to leave but even he could acknowledge how bad of a state he was in currently. He'd only get in the way and hold Cyborg back, it was better for him to get outside and get someone else to help Cyborg.
"Have I ever?"
Chuckling lightly, Bunker winced at the pain from his ribs. "Be careful, that dagger of hers, it can cut through anything. Not even my telekinetic bricks could stop it. And she's insanely strong, broke through my constructs like they were nothing. She's stronger than you."
Cyborg frowned at that, looking upon Bernadeth with increased wariness. He had already been wary to see her get to her feet so quickly after the combo he unleashed on her, but what Bunker said only made him more concerned. Bunker was by no means a slouch, his telekinetic bricks were incredibly durable and the darker their pigmentation, the more durable they were, Cyborg knew that from experience.
Bunker had been training closely with the Green Lanterns, especially John Stewart, a man whose constructs were acknowledged by Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner and even Alan Scott to be the most intricate and durable of all of them. Under his tutelage, Bunker had seen a massive improvement in his own construct creation to the point he could withstand a few energy blasts from the newest Green Lantern of Earth, Kyle Rayner, a guy whose talents had been recognised as the greatest of them all.
The fact that Bernadeth had broken them with ease said a great deal about her threat level and it made Cyborg anxious. That put her on a level equal to if not greater than Doctor Light and Cyborg was uncertain of being able to beat him on the villain's worst day, even when he was at his best.
Looking down to his feet, Cyborg noticed Persuader's Atomic Axe and then looked to the dagger Bernadeth held in her hand. If that dagger could cut through anything, then perhaps an axe that could also cut through anything was the only thing that could cancel it out. Or at the very least ensure mutual destruction.
She noticed his glance and quickly pointed towards the two of them. "Parademons, crush them! Glory to Darkseid!" She ordered, voice reverent and taking on an almost fanatical tint towards the end.
Both Cyborg and Bunker tensed, the former moving forwards, a single step smashing into the ground and throwing the Atomic Axe into the air. Grasping it in his right hand, Cyborg levelled his left arm out to the oncoming horde of Parademons, his favoured White Noise Canon taking shape as he fired it out onto his opponents.
The front runners were instantly taken down, Cyborg charging forwards as a wave of purple bricks rushed past his sides firing out like projectiles that struck more of the oncoming Parademons. Cyborg himself swinging the Atomic Axe down and completely bisecting one in half and then swinging it back up, cutting through another as he lined his White Noise Canon back up for another shot.
Out from his shoulders, two turrets formed each releasing smaller, concentrated laser blasts that while not nearly as destructive as his White Noise Canon, still took out the oncoming Parademons.
Then he met Bernadeth once more, Atomic Axe clashing against her blade, both hyper-sharpened edges grinding against one another. Yet neither blade emerged victorious, Cyborg smirking at the sight. Though that smirk turned into a frown as Bernadeth began to push against him, Cyborg found himself getting slowly pushed further and further back.
She truly was strong.
Stronger than him.
Stronger than even Starfire.
'No matter.' He told himself, laser canons continuing to unload lasers into the horde of Parademons, Bunker helping as best as he could in his exhausted state. 'Even if I can't beat her in a contest of strength, so long as I can get her away from Bunker, he'll be able to get out to safety.'
From his side, two smaller metallic limbs formed, striking Bernadeth in the midsection as Cyclops moved away, using that moment of inattention to his advantage. With some distance, he aimed his White Noise Canon and fired, hitting Bernadeth at point-blank range.
There was no way she was walking away from that without something to show for it.
As she was flung back, smashing through walls and god knows what else, Cyclops rushed into the horde of Parademons, White Noise Canon and Atomic Axe swinging through the air and taking out as many Parademons as he could. Bunker, lagging behind as he watched the senior Titan prove his position as one of the strongest heroes of their generation.
Thursday 28th January 2016, 20:05.
New York,
New York City,
Manhattan.
There was something so calming about watching the horde of monsters come rushing towards him. Starfire and the Teen Titans doing their job as bait perfectly as they led them all towards him. Strange that one of the first times he truly felt comfortable in this world was when he was about to face off against a horde of monsters.
It was like being in Tartarus all over again.
Constantly looking over his shoulder and fighting for his life.
Truly, a funny thing...not.
As he stood on the top of one of the towers of Brooklyn Bridge, Naruto watched the horde of monsters grow closer, approaching the water. "Time to get to work then." Cracking his neck, Naruto stretched out his hand, feeling his fingers crack, the magic within his body rising in preparation for what was to come, reflected in the brilliant white glow of his eyes.
As Jesse Quick rushed across the water, Starfire flying above it, the other Titans rushing across Brooklyn Bridge, Naruto began to raise his hands up, they pushing against an unseen force, veins pulsing and muscles straining against the weight.
Tendrils of water rose up from the East River, acting almost like tentacles that wrapped and snared the monsters in their grasp. Just half a dozen at first, then a few dozen in the span of a few seconds till there was nearly a hundred. Each of them wrapped and snared around the monsters until they were each fully submerged within their own little bubble of water.
Naruto groaned out, a bead of sweat beginning to form on his brow, teeth grit in concentration. Slowly, his feet shifted, taking a much wider stance as his hands began to circle around one another.
The bubbles each containing their own little monsters within also began to move, forming together into one giant sphere that floated next to Brooklyn Bridge. It was not an easy thing to do, water had been one of Naruto's slowest elements to master, no more so than Earth or Fire, but unlike them, there was not an abundance of water within Tartarus. As a result, water had been the one element Naruto had not seen much progress in and acts like these were very taxing upon him, physically and mentally.
"Now! Aquagirl!" He groaned out, Aquagirl down below, nodding her head, stance squaring as she thrust her hand out, forcing every ounce of magic she had left into the sphere, helping to hold its shape.
But when Naruto lowered one hand, the weight of the sphere was almost crushing, Aquagirl, quickly dropped to one knee as she strained heavily against the force of the sphere. She grunted out, arms shaking violently as blood began to fall from her nose, one eye scrunched up in deep concentration.
Water was difficult to manipulate for many reasons, but in situations like this, even more so. It constantly moved, threatening to break apart and it took the practitioners immense will to fight against that current and hold the shape. Something that Aquagirl felt the full might of in a single instance, though she had possessed an idea of what it would feel like, the crushing force that pressed down upon her completely blow those expectations out of the water.
However, as Naruto shared an equal burden of the sphere in one hand, the other began to spark to life, lightning bursting to life between his fingertips. Thrusting them forwards, Naruto watched the arc of lightning rush across the air, striking against the sphere of water.
All the beasts caught within side it screeching out in a horrific symphony of sound that made a few wince and turn away. The lightning arching across the water, striking against the armoured bugs, frying them from inside out with the force of magical lightning that Naruto put a little too much magic behind, more than he had intended to.
Lightning was a relatively new thing for him, he had even less practise in it than water which was to say very little. But it was something that Doctor Fate had suggested as a potential precision-based attack that he currently did not possess. Fire and Earth were elements Naruto used for mass destruction. Immense waves of flames or controlled pillars were aimed to completely eviscerate whatever was in its path. Or powerful spires of earth, the complete reshaping of the ground beneath his feet, all things that were hardly subtle in the slightest.
But Naruto did not need for them to be subtle and while he certainly had the control necessary to be so, it was far better for mass destruction.
Water was already something Naruto had little practise in and was, much like earth and fire, something Naruto used rarely for precision-based uses, more for large pieces such as just what he had done. Even his most favoured and developed element, wind was similar and while he did have precision-based techniques with wind, Naruto from his time in Tartarus had little need for such subtle pieces of magic.
He needed techniques that could cause massive destruction, wide-area attacks that could decimate hordes of Demons. That's what he had needed and that's what he had developed and while his time amongst the Parliament of Vapors had helped Naruto to develop subtle pieces of wind-based magic and transfer it over to fire and earth with varying levels of success, it again, was just not who Naruto was. His time in Tartarus had led to him instinctually going for and developing vast, destructive pieces of magic rather than subtle.
However, a new element like lightning and even to some extent, water could give him more precision-based magic that would make him a much more well-rounded fighter. At least, that was the hope.
'I definitely need to work on that much more.' Naruto thought to himself with a frown, watching as the monsters fell from the sky, the water along with them splashing into the East River below. 'But it's definitely nowhere near as wide-scale as any of my other elements.'
As strange as that was, it did bring a smile to his face.
However, he was far from done and Naruto turned to look at Manhattan with a frown. While he and Aquagirl had remained upon Brooklyn Bridge, dealing with the trapped beasts. The other Titans after luring them here and had already begun to make their way back towards the Dark Side club, Ravager, Arrowette and Caveboy still within view while Jesse Quick and Starfire were nowhere to be seen.
There were still beasts out there, but the majority were gone and that seemed to the most of them. All that was left was clean-up duty and Naruto saw the trail of sparks, that zipped through the streets and up the side of buildings, Jesse Quick was already working on that.
Dropping off the edge of the tower, Naruto gave a little burst of wind to slow his descent, landing in a crouch beside the young woman who was on her knees panting for air. "Aquagirl, return to the Tower." He ordered, noting her state of complete exhaustion. "You've done enough for tonight."
With those parting words, Naruto thrusts his fists down and bursts off into the air, carried by the wind that he manipulated around him. As he drew closer in to the city, reaching the beasts out of Jesse Quick's reach, he turned from usual flight to his more combative ariel combat.
Using his fists and feet to fire outbursts of winds that rapidly and sharply resulted in changes of direction that was unsurpassed by any other form of flight. A true combat-oriented form of flight that upon coming into contact with them also packed a serious punch behind it. Enough that those few remaining began to rapidly fall out of the sky as he made his way through Manhattan.
Thursday 28th January 2016, 20:05.
New York,
New York City,
Manhattan.
Raven had never experienced anything on such a scale as what she was battling against right now, not when it came to shadows. She had always trusted in them, used them with such confidence because they were hers, not her father's. That was something she had developed that did not belong to her father, something she had created from her own power and used to grow into the Raven she was today, a Teen Titan.
However, what she was fighting against, this Shade was beyond anything she had experienced before. What he did with shadows, how he controlled them and seemed to be a part of them, was on a completely different level to her.
The two of them were stood in the restaurant-bar area of the Dark Side Club, completely surrounded by darkness, unable to see anything around them, not even their own bodies. Yet, the two could clearly see one another and sense their presence through the shadows around them.
Subtly, the two tried to manipulate that shared connection, trying to make it feel like they were behind the other person. That was what Raven tried at the very least, and she thought it had worked until Shade had chuckled, amused by her display. He then used that same connection, ripped it from her grasp and made it seem like he completely surrounded her, his voice echoing from all around her like dozens of people were talking all at once.
Raven tried to throw out constructs of shadows, avian beasts, talons and pure blasts of shadows, only for a stalwart shield of the same element to stand firm in their path. Each of her attacks smashed against them uselessly, until they didn't. Not because Raven broke through the shield, but because his shield of shadows swallowed her own attacks.
Then Raven found herself under attack by the very same spells she threw at him.
He had manipulated the shadows around him and thrown her own attacks back at her. Her own shield held firm, Raven having taken Naruto's lessons to heart, her initial, opening salvo being weak, a probing strike to see how he would respond. The shield she conjured was only slightly stronger, but enough to withstand the assault.
Then he had attacked her.
And he just kept attacking.
Raven tried her best, continuing to unleash avian-like attacks and shadowy blasts all around her. But she could not pinpoint his location, the words he spoke continuing to echo all around her. His own attacks, first just simple blast that while strong, were easy to predict and sense coming, shifting then to dangerous beasts.
Beasts made purely of shadows, just like her avian attacks.
He was skilled, obviously.
Powerful too.
Raven would be a fool not to recognise that fact and there was one thing Raven was confident in and that was the fact she was no fool. However, she had been confident that perhaps while still holding back, just continuing to test her, there wasn't much else to it. 'Perhaps,' she had thought, 'he lacks imagination.'
In a battle such as this, between two wizards or those with powers similar to it, the outcome of the battle was not purely determined by power. There were so many factors that came into play and imagination was one of them. So long as they could imagine it, conceive it, there theoretically should be no limit to what they could do with their shadows.
Raven had never considered the idea of her shadows swallowing attacks and effectively, spitting them back out at another place. The idea had never crossed her mind until she sensed Shade doing exactly that to her. Even now, Raven was not only forced to defend against Shade's shadowy constructs but her own, all of which assaulted her from all sides, he was able to pinpoint her exact location while she was effectively blind.
It was battles like these that really reinforced the knowledge of just how much she still had to do in order to grow. No matter how powerful she became, she could still be beaten by someone more experienced and prepared than her, Naruto had proven that many times before. He had never even come close to using his full power, in fact, the power he did use, was always less than her own, he purposefully holding back.
Yet, despite that, Raven had not even been able to land a single hit.
Each and every time she was soundly beaten without Naruto even for a moment, going on the offensive. But as disheartening as those moments had been, Raven was thankful for them now as she fought against Shade. Because even though she was being overwhelmed, Raven never once let her emotions get the better of her, just continuing to keep a cool head and regulate the amount of magic she was using.
Constantly scouring the surroundings, ensuring her shields were strong while her attacks were weak. Hoping that an open would present itself for her to capitalise upon and if not, still have enough power to retreat.
But that was when she learned that the very thing Shade had been holding back, that little niggling sensation at the back of her mind was far worse than she could have imagined. "I congratulate you, young lady. I am truly impressed with the fortitude you have shown, and the calm, level-headedness you have retained. Your powers are also, truly impressive for one so young, I am truly impressed. Enough so that I shall overlook the rudeness you showed by intruding upon my realm."
That's when it came, the constructs Shade unleashed shifting into something that nearly overwhelmed Raven in an instant. No longer were they mindless beasts formed of shadows that rushed out at her. Large animals and monstrous beings of myth, all directed by Shade's will, all extensions of him.
These beasts were intelligent, sentient.
Each and every one of them connected to the shadows just as she and Shade were, but they all answered him. "Allow me to introduce you to the denizens of the Dark Zone, or the Shadowlands as it is commonly referred to." Shade's cultured voice echoed, Raven, coming under assault from all sides, she forced down onto one knee as she focused everything upon her shields that nearly shattered. "I am afraid, young lady, though I have forgiven your rudeness, I am a patron of this here club and we are on opposite sides. So, I do hope you will not bear any hard feelings towards me for what is to come next?"
Grunting under the weight, Raven pushed more and more of her magic outwards into her shield straining as the shadow beasts hammered away at them. But just as Shade finished his speech, Raven found herself subjected to another voice, one that she was intimately familiar with.
"Are you going to allow this mere mortal to defeat a daughter of Trigon?" The words of her father rang in her head, Raven gritting her teeth as she felt the shard of his soul begin to shift, just as he always did when she struggled in a fight. He came to her, taunted her, mocked her, and pretended to offer advice and aid when he only came to cause problems.
Not that she would expect anything less from him.
He probably found more amusement out in her struggles because he knew, that as a result of her sealing him away, she had caused these very problems. All Trigon had to do, was wait till something came along that would be too far beyond Raven's limits and then he would be free.
Raven knew it.
Trigon knew it.
Even Starfire knew it.
'Shut up.' She retorted, struggling to withstand Shade's never-ending assault.
But Trigon just chuckled in the back of her mind, watching as she futilely tried to defend and hold off against the superior shadow manipulator. The strange monsters Shade summoned all smashing against her shield with shadow attacks of their own. Raven was beset from all sides and beginning to get overwhelmed, metaphorical cracks beginning to form in her shield as it wavered and weakened.
The monsters and Shade could sense that and their attacks increased in frequency.
"I could kill them quite easily, end this embarrassment in an instant." Trigon offered, Raven gritting her teeth. "I won't even touch your friends. Just give me control and it will all be over."
Raven scoffed. 'A tempting offer, but I will have to refuse, father.' She spat out. 'You say that you won't touch my friends, but we both know that's a lie. The moment I give you control, you'll kill him and then everyone else, all just to prove a point. I don't need your help.'
"Foolish girl!" Trigon raged, Raven wavering as she felt Trigon's anger rush over her, her constructs on the verge of collapsing. "I offer you my aid and you throw it back in my face! I am Trigon, I am power! I shall no longer be contained and you are no longer prepared! I shall take over your body, kill all that you love and return to my place!"
Raven groaned out, the jewel upon her head shining with a light that actually helped beat back the shadows a little. However, while it provided momentary relief from Shade and his shadow attacks, all it opened was another avenue she had to defend herself from. This time from the very being she had been trapped within the jewel that provided her relief and she almost lost.
Had it not been for the arrival of Starfire, solar energy burst out from her hands casting light in the Dark Side Club, burning through the shadow monsters that Shade directed towards her. "Raven, I shall handle this, you must hold strong," Starfire told her, more and more Starbolts bursting from her hand as Shade looked on with a frown, the shadows behind him darkening. From them, more and more beasts, quadrupedal, tripodal and bipedal of all shapes and sizes rushed out.
Yet Starfire faced them all with calm indifference, prepared and ready.
Her unique powers of solar manipulation gave her the advantage here, the Starbolts burning through the shadows, destroying them in a single strike. She had not expected this to be so easy, but Starfire could not think upon that any further, recognising that Raven needed to focus all her efforts on restraining her father before he could escape.
They had been in full health when they last thought of him and while they were stronger now, they were also in varying states of exhaustion. Even then, they had been defeated, if it had not been Raven sealing Trigon away they would have all died that day. If he escaped now, Starfire did not know if they would be able to stop him, perhaps not even Naruto would be able to do anything, so great was Trigon's power.
But before Starfire could even get close, something else took place.
Shade was struck from behind by something, he and it rolling across the ground in a mass of shadows, that eventually subsided to reveal the unconscious villain and Cyborg who while conscious, was barely hanging on. Starfire then looked to the wall he had come through, the shadows retreating and dispersing, no longer under the command of a master, revealing a huge hole in the wall.
Out from it, a woman stepped out, a few cuts upon her body and a bruise upon her cheek. But for all intents and purposes, she looked relatively unharmed as she stepped through the hole in a dignified manner.
However, Starfire knew there was something dangerous about the woman, just from the way she held herself, the way she looked and scanned her surroundings. This was a woman with experience and training in fighting, someone who was not afraid to get their hands dirty.
'She must be the unknown threat that Cyborg mentioned before he went silent.' The fact that Cyborg had shut off his radio just to focus entirely on fighting this woman said a great deal about her threat level. Even against the Clock King, Persuader and Dreadbolt, Cyborg had continued to stay online and coordinate with her. There were very few people who forced Cyborg to focus his entire attention upon them and they were the truly dangerous ones. 'And I have to make sure that Raven does not become distracted.'
If something disturbed Raven at this point, it could result in Trigon escaping and then they would have not one, but two overwhelming foes to go up against. That thought alone made Starfire wonder if perhaps now was the time to admit that things had gotten far worse than she had ever imagined they could become and whether it was time to call in the Justice League.
As Bernadeth took a few steps forwards, studying the room around her, she soon focused upon the floating figure of Raven who was sitting in a meditative stance. Her form was clad in magic, all of which she could sense was being used to restrain something of great power. Though it held little in comparison to her Lord, Darkseid, it was certainly impressive.
But she could not think upon it for long as Starfire rocketed towards her, Bernadeth tackled off the ground and driven through the remnants of the walls behind her and out into the back alley of the Dark Side Club. There she managed to land an elbow that loosened Starfire's grip, Bernadeth spinning and grabbing her by the back of her neck, the two dropping to the ground where she drove Starfire's head straight into the ground.
It exploded outwards, cratering under the force.
Yet, Starfire regained herself quickly, using a surprising amount of strength that threw Bernadeth's hand back, Starfire firing off a Starbolt at her stomach. It made the servant of Darkseid grunt out, feeling her skin singe slightly, but she recovered masterfully, parrying the follow-up strikes with ease and landing a clean jab that sent Starfire stumbling back.
Bernadeth didn't use this opening, recognising it for the feint it was, Starfire having wanted her to close the gap and waiting to use that to her advantage. Instead, Bernadeth stalked forwards, Starfire gritting her teeth in frustration, firing off the Starbolt she had prepared to use as a counter instead as an opening.
It was a strike meant to be a distraction, though one Starfire knew would not be all that effective as proven when Bernadeth masterfully dodged with a slight shift of her head. That's when she rushed in close, meeting Starfire's charge with her own, Bernadeth leading with a powerful cross to the body, one that Starfire prepared herself to block and land a counterstrike. Except, once again, Bernadeth proved to be far more skilful and experienced in hand-to-hand combat, the cross being a feint, one that Starfire fell for.
Rapidly, Bernadeth shot up, a hook swinging around with such speed that all Starfire could do to prepare herself for it was to tense up her neck muscles and move her head in the opposite direction. It worked, Starfire still conscious as she was flung through the walls of the deli to her left, but as she pushed herself to her feet, shaking her head to try and rid herself of the explosion of pain that erupted across her face, it left her disadvantaged.
A desperate Starbolt was avoided as Bernadeth gripped her wrist, redirecting the energy strike to the side, blasting apart the roof. Starfire was then pulled up to her feet, only to be struck with a front kick that threw her back into the counter, it was still hot, no doubt the people owning it having fled into the backroom in a panic once the fighting next door began.
Bernadeth came in, Starfire at least having some time to prepare herself, ducking and spinning under the strike like Nightwing had taught her to do and pushing Bernadeth into and throwing the deli counter. She managed to land a few good straight crosses to her opponent's jaw before Bernadeth leaned her head to one side, wrapping her in an overhook clinch that she used as an opening to land a devastating knee to Starfire's gut.
The strike drove the wind out of her, Starfire stumbling back as Bernadeth released her. She then gripped her by the air and with clinical brutality, landed a series of devastating blows to her face, each one making her knees come closer and closer to touching the ground, before finishing the job with a swift spinning hook kick to the temple, one that threw Starfire out onto the streets once more.
It was plain and simple to Starfire that despite being almost equals in physicality, the difference in experience and skill had been the deciding factor in this fight. Starfire was by no means untrained, she having been trained by the Warlords of Okaara, the chief generals of the Citadellians armed forces, their elite black ops soldiers. She had also trained extensively with Donna Troy, Cyborg, Nightwing, Ravager and many others.
However, Bernadeth was just something else entirely.
Starfire did not know who she was or where she had come from, but she was clearly no stranger to combat and was one of the most skilled fighters she had come across. Clinical, precise, calm, calculated but also, brutal and savage. A basic and simple fighting style honed to absolute perfection.
Something the rest of the Teen Titans learned the hard way when they came to Starfire's aid.
Jesse Quick was the first to learn this lesson.
She rushed in, catching Bernadeth off-guard with her speed as she landed a series of quick straight blows to the face. Bernadeth's face wiped to one side, feet spreading apart to retain a stable footing, only to be knocked in the other direction by another blow a mere fraction of a second later.
However, she clearly had some experience with speedsters as she smashed her foot into the ground with such force it broke apart, debris launched into the air that Jesse was forced to manoeuvre through. Hopping from one slab of concrete to the next, directly towards Bernadeth who ripped her out of the air by the throat and with one hand drove her into the floor with such force she did not move again.
Enraged by this, Ravager and Caveboy closed in, Arrowette drawing and unleashing two explosive arrows. A standard tactic for the trio, but one that Bernadeth predicted, having studied the tactics of the Green Arrow in the past.
Considered a lesser threat though he may be, Bernadeth had still studied all members of the Justice League extensively.
So, she masterfully caught the arrows and lazily throw them back at the approaching Ravager and Caveboy, both barely avoiding the explosions by the skin of their teeth. Bernadeth then turned, dealing with Cyborg who had recovered slightly from his earlier beatdown. He knew full well of her skill and just how big of a gap was between them, but he didn't let that stop him.
Opening upon with a blast from his White Noise Canon, Cyborg closed the gap with a basic jab-cross-hook combo that Bernadeth bobbed and weaved through easily, not that he expected any less. Cyborg then stepped to one side, just barely avoiding her straight jab as he then came up with a powerful uppercut, arm shifting and growing in size making it impossible for anyone to dodge this close.
Bernadeth however had seen this before from their earlier engagement, she took the blow, but had already been in the process of jumping backwards, mitigating the damage.
As she flipped through the air, Bernadeth landed, already seeing Ravager and Caveboy coming at her from the sides, Cyborg from the front. So, once she landed in a crouch, Bernadeth burst forwards, a powerful front kick smashing into Cyborg's guard with enough force to knock him back. Which is exactly when Ravager came in, her broadswords swinging round at her ankles, Caveboy leaping in from behind, both hands clasped together over his head as he swung them down in a deadly hammer strike.
Yet, Bernadeth jumped over the swords, spinning around as she did, to land a roundhouse kick into Caveboy's exposed sternum. He was flung back, back smashing into a car that crumpled under the force of his momentum.
Landing back upon the ground, Bernadeth came round with another spinning hook kick that Ravager just barely dodged, rolling underneath the strike as Cyborg came charging in. A few rounds from his faster firing but weaker laser canon, Bernadeth weaving between them and met his charge head-on.
Flipping over his punch, Bernadeth grabbed Cyborg's face in one hand, dragging him up with her and as she landed, swung him down, driving him straight into the ground. She then used his body as a weapon to strike at Ravager, throwing the two of them to one side.
That left just Arrowette who looked on completely in shock, bow dropping slightly as she looked upon the bodies of her friends in shock, not quite able to comprehend what she had just witnessed. This woman had single-handedly beaten down both of their heavy hitters and another two of their most skilled fighters in an instant.
It was in that instant though, that moment when Arrowette realised that she was the only one left. Bunker and Aquaqirl were out, having already been heavily injured and exhausted respectively, Raven was dealing with some sort of crisis, Arrowette wasn't sure what was going on there. Now, the four members, the two strongest and the two most skilled members all defeated at the hands of a single person leaving just her.
'I'm so fucked.' Arrowette thought to herself, bow and arrows were forgotten as she remained there on her knees, still in the same position she had been ready to unleash arrows as support until she witnessed one of the worst one-sided beatdowns in her life. All the while Bernadeth walked towards her, forever closing the gap between them bit by bit.
Just as Bernadeth came close though, Arrowette noticed something rushing towards them both, passing over the unconscious bodies of the Teen Titans and closing in upon the two of them. Quickly, Arrowette drove an arrow into the ground, preparing herself as Bernadeth spun round, just in time to raise a hasty guard that was quickly broken apart by the kick that smashed into, the force behind it aided by the pressurised blast of wind that rushed out throwing her back.
Bernadeth had little time to actually raise the guard, let alone prepare herself for the force behind it. As a result, she was flung through the air, smashing into the ground with little in the way of grace.
Rolling to her knees, Bernadeth's eyes widened when she saw the fist coming right toward her, completely helpless to do anything to mitigate the force or block it in any way. It smashed into her face, another pressurised blast of wind released directly upon impact with seamless timing that maximised the amount of damage it did, once more throwing Bernadeth down the street.
This time though, her aggressor did not wait for her to land, he instead rushed up underneath her and landed a powerful kick to her lower spine. Then spinning around, bringing down a deadly axe kick down into her arching stomach, both strikes met with the same bursts of wind that launched her directly into the ground, just as quickly as she had come off it.
She was saved from an immediate follow-up thanks to the smokescreen her landing created, the destruction her body caused being her saving grace. However, the smoke was quickly dispersed, the figure of the mysterious hero, Maelstrom rushing down towards her.
But by that point, Bernadeth had already pulled out a strange metallic box, it glowing, an echoing ping sounding as a strange golden portal opened up beneath her. Naruto saw this and hastily thrust both hands forwards, powerful gusts of wind ripping out and flinging him backwards, Naruto watched as Bernadeth disappeared into the portal, it closing soon after.
Rising to his feet from where he had landed in a crouch, Naruto looked upon where Bernadeth had been with a frown.
So, another chapter done and with it, Bernadeth and the Female Furies are kind of established as a more credible threat than they are in comics. For the most part, besides Big Barda, the Female Furies don't have many feats despite supposedly being one of Darkseid's elite units. At the same time, we see the Teen Titans abilities and a bit of an insight into how Naruto kind of ranks in the world. Bernadeth wrecked the TT, but got manhandled by Naruto.
Other than that though, there wasn't much from Naruto this chapter and that's purposeful. DC is a big world with hundreds of characters, especially villains. Naruto can't be everywhere at once and involved in every conflict. Some of these conflicts are major moments that will completely reshape the lay of the DC universe and so need to be explored. In the future, I'm warning you all now, there will be chapters where Naruto never makes an appearance. Hell, they'll be entire arcs where he only has brief cameos.
He is the main character of this story, but ultimately, in order to progress this story and establish future arcs, these story threads need to be explored properly, not just brushed over in a conversation between characters. Some of these arcs Naruto won't be a major player, but will effect arcs in which he is. If you don't like the idea of that, then I highly suggest you either prepare yourself for that to happen or stop reading now. This is just a taster of what future chapters could be like in those arcs, though don't worry, it won't be for a while.
Anyway, let's get on with the questions:
Stonepotrice: Darkseid will be making an appearance in the future, kind of have to consider his impact upon the DC universe. It's like writing a massive Marve story and not including Thanos, it doesn't work. Darkseid is a major player and will definitely be one of the biggest threats Naruto will ever fight.
If you have any questions, theories or ideas you'd like to share, please let me know and I'll gladly answer as best as I can.