When shit hits the fan, Batman usually has a plan for it. Hell, he had even gamed the apocalypse. If tomorrow the Justice League went rogue, he got it sorted out. Trap Superman in a room inundated with ionising radiation and the sucker could do nothing but squirm. If Plan A fails, use fear toxin laced with Kryptonite on the big guy. If that fails too, deploy tactical nukes and go Old Testament on Superman. Sure, a city would be wiped out and millions of lives would be lost, but the planet would be safe from a man who could raze everything to hell on a whim.

Call him paranoid, but Batman wasn't going to leave everything to chances.

However, what happened just a few days ago made Batman realised that, even if he had made contingencies for the sky falling or the earth splitting, it would still not be enough. The showdown at Metropolis showed him just that.

Batman was never a man of delusion. There was something out there – an unstoppable force – that could bring the world down to its knees. How the hell could he stop a man who could bring about judgement day with a snap of his fingers? His right hand had not stopped shaking since their fight. Well, calling it a fight was too far-fetched. It was a one-sided beat down. Flash was still recovering from his broken femur. Green Lantern had lost his powers. Shazam was suffering seizures; most likely PTSD. Superman had gone into hiding. Wonder Woman was kidnapped.

"Can you believe it?" Cyborg plopped down on the seat beside Batman with a bucket of popcorn in his hands. "I analysed the data you gave me and guess what? Out of twenty-six million and eight thousand simulations, do you want to strike a guess as to how many times did we come out as the victors?"

Batman grimaced.

"One. Only one, goddamn it."

"You sound like you have given up."

Drawing out a long sigh, Cyborg scratched his scalp. "Look, we have gone through this. Supes have left town. Probably jerking off in his Fortress of Solitude. Wonder Woman went missing. Flash's doctors told him that he might never be able to run again. Shazam locks himself in his room and refuses to talk to anyone. Let's not talk about Green Lantern; poor fool lost his powers and dignity. I hate to say this, but the Justice League is done."

"The Justice League has faced worst odds."

"Really?" Cyborg scoffed. "Last I checked, that man was a walking extinction event."

"Most of our enemies are walking extinction events. Why would this be any different?"

"When was the last time we got our asses handed to us? I mean… the whole team's asses getting ripped apart, chewed, swallowed, and spit back at our faces. Even Darkseid couldn't do jack when the Justice League unites. But this guy? Shit, I saw how he manhandled Shazam like he was a doll. And the injuries on Supe? Dude, nobody in this world can jump on Supe the way that man did. Whether you like it or not, if that space alien show up again, we're toast. And something tells me he ain't done with us yet."

Batman sighed. "What do you think he want with Diana?"

"My guess is as good as yours. I ain't a space alien so I wouldn't know." Cyborg rolled his eyes. "But if you want me to humour you? Best case scenario, space alien admires her beauty and treats her to a nice dinner. Worst case scenario, she comes back as a zombie and wants to eat our brains. Can you imagine Wonder Woman as a zombie? Just process that shit for a minute. A zombie that is invulnerable to bullets, have super strength, run faster than a speeding bullet, and can hurl a car over three hundred yards?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Batman shut his eyes. He felt old, as if all his years as the Dark Crusader of Gotham had come to haunt him in full. "We should focus on the problem at hand. The Yellow Lantern ring found on Superman's finger couldn't be removed. I tried all sort of methods. I have a bad feeling about this."

Cyborg shrugged. "I scanned the ring when Supe was unconscious. It's way different from Green Lantern's ring. And I don't mean the colour. So bad feeling is an understatement. That ring seems to have a mind of its own."

Batman grabbed his trembling hand, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Cyborg. "That bad, huh?"

"It's nothing."

"You look like shit, Batman. Go get some sleep."

"I had coffee."

Glancing down at the four emptied mugs lying around Batman's desk, Cyborg shook his head. "Dude, don't give me that bullshit. You had four cups in the morning. And that's the fifth now. I'm pretty sure you will die of caffeine overdose if you keep this up."

"Staying awake stops me from seeing things that I don't want to see. Besides, the coffee keeps me productive."

Cyborg clicked his tongue. "Man, that's messed up. You'll much rather die from caffeine overdose than face your nightmares?"

Batman said nothing and Cyborg figured it wasn't worth to probe.

"Any who, if you want to stay productive, then we can address the elephant in the room. Right now, we have to face the possibility of Supe turning on us. I mean, he is not responding to our calls, he has locked himself up in Antarctica, and he is currently wearing a Yellow Lantern ring. Last I checked, the Sinestro Corps wear those. And they're space criminals. Now, picture this, Superman, who is hella powerful, is now powered up by a Lantern ring. There is no language on earth that has a word to describe how thoroughly fucked we are."

"I would like to think that Superman has the will to resist the influence of the ring."

"Yeah, but if he doesn't?"

"Superman has bested many adversaries."

"Yeah, but what if he doesn't? What then?"

Batman pressed his fingers to his temples. "I have a stockpile of Kryptonite."

Cyborg clicked his tongue. "And you think he's not gonna see that coming? Let's face it, Batman. The reason why the big man could ever lose a fight to you is because he has been holding back all this time. Even when we're fighting villains, he's holding back. Can you imagine the chaos he can unleash if he just… stop holding back?"

A grim silence took over, for only God knew what would happen if the world's symbol of hope burned away.

-X.o.X.o.X.o.X-

A silent white light filled the universe. Suddenly, the righteous and unrighteous alike were consumed by that holy fire, not even saints were spared. Above, the stars shone hard and bright as darkness washed over Oa. The amphitheatre rattled like a volley of cannons had gone off from the distance – a rumble so low that everybody felt it in their teeth. The platoon of Green Lanterns that guarded their masters were either sprawled out on the floor or worst – vaporised.

Almost immediately, a legion of Green Lanterns came flooding into the hall, their rings burning bright. Sinestro growled, his soldiers waiting anxiously for his command. "You stand before the Guardian of the Universe and the might of the Green Lantern Corp! The audacity that you have to barge into this sacred realm, invader! State your purpose or prepare to face the consequence."

"Guardian of the Universe? Green Lantern Corp?" Naruto snickered, his lava-red eyes glowing menacingly. "You lot have an inflated sense of self-importance. It makes me wonder where you get your hubris from. Well, it's not like that matters. I come here to retrieve what belongs to me. Hand over Ion. Don't make me ask again."

"Lanterns!" Sinestro yelled. "Attack!"

"Fools."

None of them knew what kind of danger had burst into their doorstep. Only a handful of Guardians recognised Naruto and their faces were ashen.

The ever valiant Sinestro let loose a guttural roar and flew towards Naruto with a reared fist, not really expecting to be backhanded so hard that he sailed across the hall, crashed right into five solid walls, and slumped against the sixth about a few hundred feet away. Considering the fact that Sinestro had always portrayed himself as a pillar of strength for his peers, it was unsettling to see him get tossed around like a ragdoll. The Green Lantern Corp had difficulty wiping the blank expression of shock off their faces.

Another impulsive Green Lantern – Kilowag – came right at Naruto with a conjured axe, ready to behead his foe in one mighty swing. Naruto sidestepped the assault and kicked the Bolovaxian in his gut, the crushing and overwhelming force was enough to kill an ordinary man. "You dare use my powers against me?"

Seeing two of their mightiest warriors get smack around like they were hapless cripples made the other Green Lanterns shuffled backwards.

A snarky grin played about Naruto's lips as he smelled fear from his foes. "Oh? Are we hesitating now? Have you finally recognise your worthlessness? Kneel before me and I will spare you. Resist… and I'm gonna recite villain monologue 101."

Abin Sur were one of the few who wasn't intimidated. Hell, his will to best Naruto had actually grown stronger. "We will never bow before evil. If we have to die fighting, then let the Gods know that we fought with honour."

"Evil? Honour? Funny how you tether yourself with those words as if you stand atop the pedestal of good. This universe understand not of good or evil. What has been created must be destroyed. What has been destroyed will be created. That has always been the fundamental principle that drives the cosmos forward. You enslaved Ion for thousands of years, stripping off its will, and reinforcing your own through a battery forged by my powers. What's worst? Those midgets over there…" Naruto jerked his chin at the shell shocked Guardians of the Universe. Doubt started to fester within the hearts of the Green Lanterns. One by one, they started shifting their gazes to their creators. "They made you lot from the expense of Ion's free will and power. Now, tell me again, where did you get your hubris?"

"Don't listen to his lies, Lanterns!" Abin Sur hollered. "We must not be deceived."

"You can trust me, because I don't care enough about any of you to lie." Naruto grinned. "Search your hearts. All of you. You know I am right. After all, you are all conduits of Ion. Through your rings, you can hear its screams and pain. You can shut it all out because you are trained to do so, but you cannot deny yourself the truth. And the truth is… every single one of you here are all playing dress-up. Time to end this charade."

They said the size of a Lantern's construct spoke volume of one's aptitude and strength. Perhaps it could be an illusion, but all who saw what unfolded before them would swear they see something… inconceivable that day. The colossal thing had eyes the size of moons, teeth that probably stood taller than mountains, claws that would need an aircraft carrier to file it down, and a grin that spread from one end of a continent to the other. If it so desired, it could squash the planet like popping a balloon.

Red, blue, green, orange, purple, yellow, pink, white, and black strings of pulsing light coursed through the monstrous construct, amplifying it with ungodly power. When the titan dropped its jaw, it unleashed a roar that was unlike anything anybody had ever heard – a thunderous note of pure rage so deep it shook the planet apart. Barda and Diana cupped their ears with their hands and it did nothing to drown out the terrible sound. The Green Lanterns weren't faring any better, most of them were on their knees writhing.

"There are two types of pain in this universe. Pain that delivers you to the path of truth and makes you stronger. Pain that hurts meaninglessly." Naruto spreads his hands magnanimously and the behemoth construct dissipated into a river of fireflies in the sky. "Understand this… I can flatten this planet on a whim, but I am a man of patience. Today, you lot will decide what pain you would want to experience."

Brave and relentless, the Green Lanterns steeled their nerves and tried to flank the blond from all sides. Some of them attempted to run their swords right through him, others unleashed a barrage of green projectiles at him, but all of their attacks either rolled over him or bounced off his skin like ghostly flickers of warm green. "You lot have made your choice. Meaningless pain it is then."

Suddenly, Naruto was enveloped by a column of orange light and his ring started humming to life. The air around him rippled with heat and flames slithered between his fingers. At his feet, the ground cracked and bubbled.

The Guardians of the Universe had not encountered the orange light of avarice for many millenniums. Most had even forgotten its existence, but not Ganthet. He knew what that light meant and what Naruto was about to do with his outstretched hand. "Run, you imbecile! He's trying to -"

Too late.

A shockwave erupted and knocked all of the Green Lanterns flat to the encompassing walls. Tendrils of orange light poured out from Naruto's fingers, morphing into countless serpentine appendages that were massive enough to grab all the squirming Lanterns like holding toys. "Make peace with your demons! Time to return all of your powers back to me!"

Wisps of luminescent green smoke leaked out from the Green Lanterns who were captured, their powers ripped out from their core and their screams a grotesque orchestra to Naruto. Some of the Lanterns had their eyes burned and blackened, their bodies shrivelled up into mere skin and bones. The horrible things Naruto did had not been seen for millennia and the Guardians could only watch in silent horror as their champions die one by one.

"Stop!" It was Diana who grabbed Naruto's hand, ending the madness. "You're kill all of them at this rate!"

"That's the point, Diana."

"You have made your point! These Green Lanterns don't need to die! Just stop, please!"

"And if I don't?"

Diana's eyes glowed red and intense. "Then I'll fight you. Even if that means I'll die trying."

Every second Naruto spent studying Diana with his inscrutable features, the harder her heart beat. He was unnaturally handsome and unnaturally terrifying in equal measure. It was then she realised Naruto had redefined the meaning of danger. Everything seemed to be a game to him, and in the game, the conditions for victory and defeat changed along with whatever he desired. As it turned out, he played an ineffable game of his own design in which he would always be the winner and those who faced him the loser.

"Alright. Fine."

Diana let go off a breath that she didn't know she had sustained.

The Green Lanterns collapsed to the ground like puppets that had their strings cut off.

Most, if not all of the Guardians of the Universe looked alike. Maybe not. Naruto didn't care. He pointed at one of them, curled his finger, and tapped his foot impatiently. "You, with the fuzzy white brow, come over here for a sec."

Raegal looked around his peers and found them edging away from him. "Are you guys serious?"

In a blink of an eye, Naruto stood before Raegal, peering down at the Guardian who was making strangled cries. "You know who your daddy is, don't you?"

Naruto's blue eyes, filled with wanton bloodlust, were worse than mirrors. They seemed to reflect back at Raegal all of his failures, his cowardice, his weaknesses, and his sins accumulated from a lifetime of profligacy. "You self-entitled midgets, if you don't want me to erase this planet from existence, you answer me when I ask you… who's your daddy? Who is your daddy, boy?"

Reegal's eyes were downcast, his lacklustre voice barely a whisper. "Y-You."

"So, is this your Lantern Corp?" Naruto took a step forward, his mouth inches away from Reegal's ear. "Or is this your daddy's Corp?"

Every bone in the Oan's body was rattling in trepidation. "Y-Yours."

Unable to tolerate this insolence any longer, Quaros raised his hand. "How dare you -"

"Shhhh! Shh-shh-sh-sh-sh…" Naruto's lips twisted into a grin. "Do you hear that?"

One moment, the seething Oan was glowering at Naruto, the next he was ten paces away from his decapitated body. Whistling a jovial tune, Naruto tossed Quaros's head aside and it rolled to Ganthet's feet. Now there were two heads at his feet staring up at him with glassy eyes. "Ah. Forgive me, it must have been my imagination. Now, allow me to read this poem. My name is Oyzmandias, king of kings! Look on my works, ye Might, and despair! Nothing besides remains, round and decay, of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare. The lone and level sand stretches far away."

It was then a Green Lantern took a step forward, her weapon of choice intrigued Naruto. "Wow. A kusarigama? How long has it been since I see something like that. It's like diving down memory lane."

Laira Omoto steadied her breathing, swung her chain, and hurtled her sickle towards Naruto in an aerial pirouette. Much to her dismay, he had seized the blade with his bare hand. "Is that it?"

Without hesitation, Laira dropped into an aggressive posture, her blade materialised as if condensing from mist. Most Green Lanterns depended too much on their ring's powers, but not her – having power and having the knowledge to use it were two different ball game. Confident as she might be about her own skills, she knew Naruto was dangerously skilled; any misstep and she was good as dead. Cautiously, she shot into the air, threw an onslaught of shuriken at him, and struck with her sword with quick, terse attack as she landed.

Sparks flew as Naruto deflected each projectile with mere swings of his hand. When Laira thrust her sword, he danced his way around her and smacked her wrist with a conjured cane, earning him a sharp yelp from the flustered warrior. "W-What are you doing?"

"Correcting your form." Naruto smiled. "Don't overextend your hand when you thrust. If you hit something that offers resistance and pushes back, your wrist will snap."

"Shut up!" Laira's ire exploded when Naruto parried all of her sword strikes with his trusty cane and a hand behind his back. "I won't let you belittle me any longer!"

"Give me your best shot then."

"So smug, but for how long?"

The intensity of the battle went up several notches. One moment Laira was swinging her katana, the next she was dancing with a halberd, and then she was striking with a quarterstaff. No matter what kind of weapon Laira unleashed upon Naruto, he casually deflected everything with his cane. It was frustrating for Laira to come to terms with the fact that her best wasn't good enough to beat her foe, but she had to brave through it. After the beating Naruto gave to the Green Lanterns, most of them had given up fighting.

It was like the Almighty himself had taken form to walk the battlefield.

And why would anybody want to fight the Almighty?

Laira steeled her eyes, because she would. All she needed was an opportunity and she got it. For a fraction of a second, Naruto lowered his guard. She jabbed the tip of her spear against Naruto's jugular and snarled. "Make a false move and I'll stab your throat."

Naruto threw his hands up in the air, as if surrendering. "Oh, dear me. What will become of me?"

Laira wasn't sure if it was Naruto's insouciance or the twinkle of mischief in his eyes that irked her. "Now tell us. What are you? Why are you attacking us?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I tell you what I truly am. No. You have no idea the magnitude of this situation. Do you truly want to know, little one?"

"W-What are you-"

"Don't do it, Laira!" Ganthet yelled. "Everybody! Stand down!"

Laira arched a brow. "But, sir -"

"I said stand down! That's an order!" Ganthet dropped his head in defeat. "You can't kill him. No Lanterns can."

All the Green Lanterns in attendance shared a collective look of confusion on their faces.

Abin Sur narrowed his eyes. "Sir, are you saying…"

"Yes. He is not… lying about Ion's captivity." Ganthet's expression was preoccupied, his gaze stuck somewhere in the distance. "There is no point fighting."

"Are you out of your mind, Ganthet?" Sayd hissed at her old friend. "You want to surrender Ion to our enemy? Just like this? This is madness!"

Ganthet shook his head. "No Sayd. If he is what I think he is, then fighting him is madness. The Green Lanterns will be slaughtered and we will face extinction."

The other Guardians broke into murmurs, but Ganthet wouldn't hear any of it. "If we dare sow, we must be ready to reap. The heavy toll we extract today shall be considered as punishment for what we have done to Ion."

Naruto regarded Ganthet carefully. "You don't seem as senile as the other midgets. Perhaps there might be some hope in your people after all. So, where is Ion?"

Ganthet bowed. "I will show you the way, Sage of the Nine Lights. Please follow me."

Somewhere afar, a pair of eyes that had witnessed the debacle illuminated bright red.

-X.o.X.o.X.o.X-

Usually people regarded Diana with revere and adoration, so it didn't settle well when the Green Lanterns were casting sidelong stink eyes at her. As for Barda, it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine she relished in the fear directed at her. Naruto, however, was having the time of his life, walking with a swagger and patting Ganthet's head occasionally just to provoke something out of the small guy.

Diana shook her head and hugged her arms. "Where are we going?"

"To the receptacle." Ganthet answered grimly and his tone was heavy.

"Receptacle?"

Naruto grinned, his sing-sang voice sent a chill crawling up the Guardian's inner bones. "The Green Lantern's core battery. It is where they imprisoned Ion."

Barda raised a brow. "Ion is the Entity of Will. How is it possible to imprison something like that?"

Despite being a Guardian himself, Ganthet was never really part of the herd, for he had a rare token of ambition in him. It was an ambition that drove him to question the unquestionable and study the forbidden. As fate would have it, Ganthet came across a sacred text that described the tale of a man who brought forth the lights of the universe in hopes to populate a vast nothingness called space with life. After all, even nothing couldn't last forever. "We trapped Ion in a paradoxical prison, using its very nature against it to help us forge more Green Lantern rings."

What goes around, comes around. Ganthet thought the Guardians did the right thing by picking champions from across the galaxy to fight evil. Truth was, he had come to realise that there's never really a true war that wasn't fought between two warring sides whom were certain they were in the right. The Guardians believed they had done whatever they did solely and only because it was the right thing to do – that's what made them dangerous. It would seem reckoning had took shape in the form of this man who smiled. "Will you kill us?"

Suddenly, Ganthet started gasping desperately for air and clawed at his throat. As he weakly looked up, to his horror, he saw a pair of fiery orbs staring down at him.

"The condemned would never know when the hangman has coiled his noose." Naruto dropped a hand on Ganthet's tiny shoulder. In an instant, the Guardian could breathe well again. "Lead the way and ask no further question."

To be honest, Ganthet's answer only raised more questions for Barda and Diana.

"Could you elaborate?" Barda narrowed her eyes. "What's a paradoxical prison?"

"It's simple." Naruto wagged a finger. "The receptacle, which happens to be the Green Lantern's core battery, injects command to its host that compels it to keep forging rings. Should Ion wish to escape, it must stop itself from creating the Rings of Will and strip away its identity as the Entity of Will. Sort of like reprogramming its nature."

Diana blinked. "But you can't reprogram your nature. Just like a tiger can't reprogram itself to not hunt deer. Or a bird can't reprogram itself to swim."

"Bingo!" A ghost of a smile crossed his face. "It's a pretty neat trick. Since Ion is the Entity of Will, for it to escape its prison, it must not be the Entity of Will in order for itself to stop forging rings. It can't be both the Entity of Will and not at the same time. Hence, this condition makes it impossible for Ion to escape."

There was a hollowness in the pit of Diana's stomach, like a sense of foreboding for things to come. That or it could be the oppressive weather that was playing tricks with her. It felt as if a storm was coming, but nothing came, leaving her a feeling that something terrible was about to happen. "So, how do you want to break Ion out of its prison?"

"There are many ways. I can simply make Ion stops forging rings by massacring the entire Green Lantern Corp. Every single one of them. Wiped out of this universe. If there is no Green Lantern Corp, there is no need to make rings, no?"

"No!" Diana growled. "You had your fun beating and killing those Green Lanterns! No more."

"Why not? What does a couple of Green Lanterns matter to you anyway?"

"They protect the universe and make a difference."

Naruto broke into a laughing fit. "I told you, didn't I? Destruction. Creation. They intertwines. When you want to grow new trees, you burn an old forest down. What the Green Lanterns do is to preserve creation and stall destruction. But the universe is finite. Its resources are finite. It's a rubber ball that can only expand that much. The more lives are preserved, the more the universe expands. And the more the universe expands… pop! Believe it."

"I believe the Green Lanterns are the force of good. They defend the weak and make people's lives better. Their existence is essential."

"The fuck they are."

"They fuck they aren't!" The profanity came out so fast out of Diana's lips that she didn't realise she had said what she said. It must be the Red Ring, she said to herself. The damned ring was screwing with her mind!

"You're pissed off." Naruto arched a brow, bemused by Diana's rage. "What are you so pissed off about?"

"Of course I'm pissed off. You just went and murdered so many Green Lanterns! They are good people. They have family and friends. Most of them did nothing to you and you killed them!"

Barda twirled with her spear compulsively and said nothing, not really interested to jump into a hole that Diana was digging. The weight of her spear was assuring in her hand.

"I don't think you understand the concept of pissed off, Diana."

"Oh, I know what pissed off is. I'm wearing the Red Ring of Rage, am I not?" As if proving her point, she was waving her hand with her ring on at him and it piqued Ganthet's interest.

"You are not angry, Diana. Maybe confused and intrigued, but not angry. Not yet."

"You don't know me, so don't pretend you do."

Naruto softened his eyes and his voice was calm, deep, and regal. "It amazes me how you could stay so bright in the darkest days, especially knowing you have lived for centuries. How many wars have you been? You've probably seen fuck-all. Might as well be a tree, I suppose. Does makes me wonder how you would still want to protect cunts that have nothing to do with you."

"Don't mistake my love for life for naivety."

"Let's put a rain check on our bickering. Ion awaits."

Amidst their quarrels, Diana and Barda didn't realise they were now walking through an undulating brown landscape of winter grass and leafless trees. White industrial smoke rising from a distant factory chimneys was frozen in the grey sky. Beneath their feet, the snow crunched. As they trudged closer to the factory, they could hear a sequential sound that made clangourous dins. Unnerved, Diana asked quietly. "What's that sound?"

"The sound of Ion's hammer." Naruto smiled. "Stand your ground. Stay firm. Do not hesitate. Do not run. Ion is the embodiment of will. Will… is its nourishment. If it sucks your will dry, you'll be left a drooling mess. Even I can't save you from that."

Barda cocked her head. "W-What do you mean by that?"

"He means…" Ganthet interjected. "We have the Green Lantern rings designed in such a way that it will influence its host to empower itself. Every time the host recites the Green Lantern's oath, the host becomes more powerful. Once the host dies, the remnant of the host's will gets to be consumed by Ion. It is one of the deals we made with Ion so that he would forge rings for us in this prison and remain docile."

Naruto clicked his tongue. "You missed out one tiny little fact. All of the Green Lanterns who died for your cause are now in Ion's stomach."

When realisation struck Diana, she let out a soft gasp. "So, you're saying that those Green Lanterns who died… their souls were given to Ion as tribute."

"Bingo. A soul made out of sheer will. That is a delicacy in its own league." Naruto sighed. "Have it not occurred to you why did the Green Lanterns scream so spectacularly when I take their powers away from them? The rings forged by Ion are botched, at best. Only the rings made by me are perfect. Why is that so? Because I don't intend to consume your emotions. Neither do I need your souls as tributes. But not Ion. It requires sustenance to exist. Without will in this world, there is no Ion. In some sense, you can consider the rings forged by Ion are parasitic in nature. It corrupts and alters the very nature of its host's soul. The more seasoned the Green Lantern, the fatter the pig for Ion to eat."

Barda arched a brow. "So, are you implying that Ion is some sort of a… monster?"

Naruto shook his head and chuckled. "You wouldn't call a tiger a monster, would you? It feeds on a deer because it is its nature to do so and it wouldn't know any other way. Of course, Ion doesn't need to do such a thing if it is not trapped inside a prison with no means of escape. When I kill the Green Lanterns, I free their souls from Ion's grasp. In some way, I freed them from an eternity of green nothingness. They should be thankful."

"Thankful. For the massacre?" Diana scoffed. "Gods, you sure love hearing yourself talk."

"For all my years of conquest, all the violence I have inflicted were never personal. It was done out of necessity."

The thing that frightened Diana to her core was that every villain was a hero in their own story. In this case, Naruto perceived his action, no matter how cruel or barbaric, was done from a grand and glorious purpose. What that purpose might be, Diana didn't think she had to the stomach to know, but she knew it might very well herald the end of times.

Reaching a white-washed gate, Naruto raised a hand. "Alright, Ion is in there. Remember this – your mind is incapable of perceiving Ion's true form, so brace yourself and never let your guard down. Not even for a second."

Barda and Diana swallowed hard.

They were ready for something drastic to happen, but what they saw confused them.

Inside the warehouse, there was a boy in green drapes who sat on a chair. If he had noticed them, he didn't show it. One thing was certain – nothing drastic was happening.

"Ion. It's me. I've come to fetch you." Naruto grinned.

The boy said nothing, his eyes were lifeless.

"There is no need for you to forge any more rings."

Naruto sighed. "Listen to me, Ion. There is no need for you to stay in this prison anymore. You are no slave. You're no god either. There is no need for you to serve the Green Lanterns anymore. You can choose."

The boy finally looked up.

"You have been waiting for this moment for thousands of years, have you? My poor boy. Return to me!"

Diana and Barda marvelled as Ion was cocooned in a bright light, morphing into a jade-green ring.

The prize was within Naruto's reach. "Finally. Soon, I will -"

A blue streak swept past him.

Then it was gone.

Diana and Barda were dumbfounded, but neither of them did anything.

Hovering before them was a woman in a blue suit. Her hard blue eyes – a same shade of blue that she shared with Naruto – peered out from the wild tangle of golden hair like those of a cornered animal; defiant and intense, but always scouting for an escape. Down one cheek was a long scar, from just below her eye to her upper lip. A warrior, robbed of her youth many years ago. What caught Diana and Barda's attention was the 'S' emblazoned on her ample chest. A Kryptonian who looked like she had descended into hell and fought her way back up to the surface.

Naruto glanced up, his voice a cold monotone. "You could not live with your failure, Kara. Where did that bring you?"

If looks could kill, Naruto would have burned in hell from the fiery gaze Kara shot him. "You're right. I failed to save my universe. Failed to save mom. My friends. My people. You took everything from me, so I've come to take everything from you."

Patience wearing thin, Naruto beckoned at the Kryptonian. "Let's not exaggerate here. Your universe is doomed long before I set foot in that shit-hole. Now, be a good girl and hand that ring over."

"Or what? Burn down my universe?" Kara growled. "Oh wait, you already did."

Settling himself down on a rubble, Naruto drew out a long sigh and shook his head. "I'm not gonna air our dirty laundry here. You exist in a world of your own creation, Kara. A world of black and white, good and evil. Those are things that your mother taught you to protect you for the most part of it."

A lone tear fell from Kara's eyes. "But?"

"But it doesn't allow the way the world really is. How this entire universe functions. In shades of many greys."

"And I'm one of those shades, no? What about mom? Is she a mistake too? Is her life worthless to you?"

For the longest time, Naruto simply stared at Kara and didn't quip like he always do.

"In the grand scheme of things, yes."

"How can you say those things? How can you say such cruel things about mom? She loved you!"

"I tried to warn you, Kara. You could be a part of something big. But your mother corrupted you."

"She made me who I am!"

Drawing out a hitched breath, Naruto looked away. "I thought by eliminating your wretched universe, the other universes would thrive and be rid of the plague from the dark multiverse. But you, Kara, have shown me that is impossible. I am thankful, because you have made me realised what I must do. I will shred the dark multiverse down to its last atom and then create new ones! Teeming with life that knows not what it is lost but only what it has been given."

Kara glowered at the nonchalant blond; she was readied for a fight to the death. "They will be born out of blood, father."

"A small price to pay for the greater good, daughter."

-X.o.X.o.X.o.X-

Fear cuts deeper than the sharpest blade in the world.

For Kal-El, he had many things to fear.

What if he couldn't control his powers?

What if he endangered someone?

What if Lois gets hurt because of him?

What if he loses everybody he cared about?

What if he was wrong?

"Oh, for fuck's sake, would you stop it with the self-loathing and whatnot? It's getting annoying. When are we getting out of this frozen shit-hole?"

Superman glanced up, his eyes were bloodshot and sunken and he looked as if he hadn't slept for days. "Y-You're not real."

Standing right before Superman was… another him, clad in blue, red, and gold. Beyond the façade of perfect smile and slicked-back hair however concealed something terribly wrong. "I am as real as it gets, baby."

"I don't want to hear any more of your lies."

"Lies?" Not-Superman scoffed. "Why would I need to do something like that? A god doesn't need to lie."

"That's your problem." Kal-El growled, leaning against the corner of the ice chamber that housed his secrets. "You think you are superior."

"Are we not? You and me? We both know well enough that we can single-handedly wipe out the gang of misfits you called the Justice League and claim this planet as ours. This world is ripe for us to conquer. Hell, we can walk to the White House right now, gut the president on live television and nobody can stop us." Not-Superman winked. "You know… sometimes it's hard being superior to every single other person on this planet. It's isolating. We both know how that feels. But gods should not feel that kind of pain."

Clutching his chest, Not-Superman bared his teeth. "I said… fuck that. Fuck the pain! We are Superman. And we can do whatever the fuck we want!"

"You can stop hustling. No way in hell I'll give in to you."

"Give in to me? Do you really know what I am? Do you, Kal?"

Kal-El glanced down at his yellow ring and grimaced. He tried to remove it. Heat vision. Soaking his fingers in lava. Smashing it with all of his might. Nothing. Not even a single crack. The ring was impervious to any damage whatsoever. Two days ago, Not-Superman appeared, sipping Jack Daniel's and flipping through the latest issue of The New Yorker. At first, Superman paid no mind to his hallucination, but Not-Superman started feeding him treacherous whispers. "I think you are just a fragment of my imagination."

"Let's get one thing straight. I don't give two fucks what you think. You are here in the Fortress of Solitude because you need me."

Superman spat. "Leave me!"

"This planet is a shit-show on steroids. The humans enslaves and pillages. So primitive. So self-absorbed in their own world. They are lost. All of them. And they need someone to shepherd them, damn it." Not-Superman slammed his fist on a wall. "Can't you hear their cries? People are scared! They don't trust Washington. Or their governments. And they hate foreigners. All of them. And I don't mean just the Americans. Go to Europe or Asia and you can hear their racist mumbles as clear as Sunday. But you know who they can trust?"

Not-Superman pointed a finger at his dimple. "Me. And in essence, you. Let go of your fear and embrace your true self! Are we not chosen to save humanity from the shit-hole they dug themselves in? Isn't it not our God-given purpose to rule the world and decide what's best for humanity?"

"Enough!"

"We are a different fucking breed from those… hairless apes! We shine with the golden light of providence! You and me!"

"I said enough! I am not you! Period! And I will never stoop so low as to think I am better than anyone." Superman clamped his ears shut, hoping to drown out his doppelganger's voice. "My brain is just playing tricks on me. You're just a by-product of the ring. Nothing more."

Not-Superman chuckled humourlessly and folded his hands. "Oh, I am more than that. I'm your paddle, Kal. You keep telling yourself that you're afraid of many things. Losing control. Hurting people. Yada, yada. But that's not it, is it?"

For a moment, Superman glowered at his own face, but said nothing. What seemed to be mere seconds of uncomfortable silence that passed between them had stretched for an eternity.

"Did you really feel so bad because you have never perceived those apes as your equal from the get-go?"

Finally, Not-Superman struck a nerve. "You know how I know? Let's look at Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne is not born Batman. He has to wear his god-awful costume to be Batman. Same goes to the other cocksuckers in the Justice League. We, however, were born Superman. This crest on our chest is not some gimmick. This suit is not our costume. You know what's a costume? The suit and tie you wear as Clark Kent. You know what a gimmick is? Your persona – Clark Kent. And what is Clark Kent, hmm? Let's dissect it, shall we? He's weak. He's insecure. He's… fearful. Do you still not see it?"

"…See what?"

"Clark Kent is your criticism on humanity." Not-Superman chortled to himself, rocking and bouncing as if he were preparing to erupt with delight. "Jesus Christ, Kal! The truth is just right in front of your face the whole time!"

Taking a deep breath, Superman looked away. Perhaps it would be prudent to ignore his clone. That way, he might get some well-deserved silence.

"You can't ignore me forever, Kal. I'm you, remember? I'm all inside your noggin'. And it's all full of holes up in there." Not-Superman clapped Superman on the back and marched around in circles. "People like the idea that love makes the world go round. Love is the keystone to evolution and love makes us better. It doesn't. You don't lock your doors at night because you love thy neighbour. You locked your door and armed yourself with shotguns because you fear thy neighbour!"

Not-Superman's grin got bigger and he spread his arms. "Fear compels evolution. Don't believe me? Look at history and you'll know. The cold war. The race to space. Is it not fear of our own destruction that moves us forward? Fear is order! Fear is control! Fear has no end. Fear is limitless. Fear thrives and feeds on itself. Fear can make you believe the most important thing in your life harms you. If it's real in your mind, it's real in the world Fear is… the solution!"

Clicking his tongue, Not-Superman stood before Superman. Suddenly, he seemed bigger. "Before you don that fancy red cape, Americans cannot conceive the idea of an alien – like us – living amongst them. They did not believe alien invasion exist because they live in close-knitted loops, dwelling in their unimportant lives and ignorant of the working of this universe. Even Jonathan Kent didn't believe in humanity and thought they weren't ready to see us. To see you in all your glory."

The world was suddenly spinning and Superman felt breathless. His feet was going numb and something cold was gripping his heart.

"What kept their fear in checked was your benevolence and unwillingness to harm them. But that didn't change how they see you – a freak that could annihilate them in a heartbeat. You don't need to do that. It was the fear of you possibly doing it that made them mistrust you and that notion is feared so deeply that even our good buddy – Bruce Wayne – conspired a contingency plan against you. Do you see now? Fear is here to stay. If you want to relieve yourself from fear, then you must be… fear itself. Only then shall we build a world that is safe. Can you imagine that? A world where children wouldn't need to face the consequences of warring men? A world where crimes don't exist? A world that is safe. Safe… under our control."

"That is tyranny and you know it!"

"And who is there to stop us?"


Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. This year has been a crazy one for me. Covid struck hard. Retrenchment struck harder. My loved ones were hospitalised. I won't dwell into the specifics, but I didn't have the mood to write anything for the longest time. I am still writing, just not as quick as one would like to. Writing is just a hobby - a thing I do to cut loose - but it doesn't put food on the table. I hope you understand where I'm coming from (especially to those who are flaming me for not writing fast enough).

Pairing:

1.) NarutoXDiana
2.) NarutoXBarda
3.) NarutoXDinah
4.) NarutoXKendra
5.) NarutoXZatanna
6.) NarutoXHarem

To all my readers out there, please review and stay safe!