Gilbert Halstrom was terrified as he ran for his life through the streets of Metropolis. His breathing was heavy and his footfalls smacked against the pavement loudly as he attempted to escape his pursuer. Taking a brief look back, he saw no sign of them. He didn't know what terrified him more, the fact that they had disappeared, or the thought that were likely still hunting. Coming across a door, he attempted to open it but it was locked, just as two red beams struck the knob and melted it in his hands. He whimpered in pain at the burns the melted brass left in his palms before turning and seeing his pursuer landing behind him.

"What's with the running doc?" Supergirl's voice called in a sadistic tone. "We both know how this is going to turn out."

"I didn't tell anyone! I swear!" Halstrom insisted, backing against a wall fearfully.

"Good. Then you're the only loose end," she smirked before hearing the sound of guns being cocked not far away. Just as she turned, a green bolt of energy was fired from one of the guns, grazing her shoulder due to its Kryptonite composition, as she clutched the burn painfully.

Suddenly, her grimace turned into a murderous glare. Halstrom used this opportunity to attempt running again, but she didn't care. She'd find him again. Rocketing off, she stole a rifle from one of the gunmen before smashing it across his face violently. She then threw his unconscious body into another one of the gunmen who tried to shoot her in retaliation. Three more gunmen soon joined the fray, flying in on jetpacks as the Kryptonian glared before descending to street level. As the armed men followed her, she used her heat vision to remove a chunk of building, causing it to fall on one of her pursuers.

Then, flying up high, she tore a billboard from the roof of a nearby building before using it to pummel the last two gunmen, taking them out of the fight as she resumed her search for Halstrom. Using her super hearing, she easily tracked him to a laboratory, where she smashed the doors down before tucking a stray strand of hair away from her face. She continued to follow Halstrom's trail to a back room, but before she could enter a robot appeared from another room.

The robot looked like a Mars rover, but it was adorned with various clamps, straps, and surgical saws. One of the arms it had even possessed a king syringe type probe, equipped with a kryptonite lance. It grabbed her with one of its arms before tossing her away over a table and into a wall. She got up just in time to bat away a blade that came close to her throat, before ripping the arm off and bashing the drone with it. Then, she picked up a nearby table before throwing it into the drone and sending both across the room where they promptly smashed against a wall.

Catching her breath quickly, she heard Halstrom's panicked sounds and entered the room that the robot came from, seeing the scientist cowering in the corner with a fearful look on his face.

"You can scream now if you want," A sick and triumphant smirk on her face as her eyes glowed red and the scientist let out one last cry of terror.

"NOOO!" Supergirl cried out as she sat bolt upright in her bed. Sweat poured off of her forehead as she tore her covers off and trembled in fear of what she just saw. Taking a look around, she was in her bedroom at the Kent house in Smallville. She thought back to the dream with a frown. What could it mean anyway? Why was she chasing down a man in Metropolis only to kill him?

She clutched her knees to her chest before the smell of burning met her nostrils. She took a cursory glance up to see two holes from her heat vision, still freshly singed in her bedroom's ceiling.

"Wow, I still don't know how you got her to actually say yes," Naruto chuckled before taking another sip of his drink. He and Green Arrow just got back from a minor mission regarding a small gang stealing from various banks in Star City and had since retired to the Watchtower for lunch.

Green Arrow shrugged plainly before finishing another bite of his sandwich. "Trust me, I don't get it either. Not that I'm complaining or anything."

Before Naruto could reply, the cafeteria door opened, revealing a rather dejected looking Supergirl. The girl was out of sorts for the last few days and had gone into a private meeting with J'onn this morning to see if he could help her with something. Clearly by her expression she didn't receive anything to lift her spirits.

"Hey Kara, is everything okay?" Naruto asked her, briefly startling the teen before she walked over to where the two were eating. She sat down with them before explaining her problem as they finished their lunch. Naruto nodded sympathetically while Arrow shook his head.

"So what's the big deal? You had some nightmares," the archer rationalized as the Kryptonian sighed.

"These weren't just dreams. They felt like they really happened," Supergirl insisted.

"I don't know, I've had some dreams that felt mighty real," Arrow mused before turning to see Black Canary, who was currently talking with Fire and Ice. "There was this one the other night…"

"Hey she's already having nightmares. No need to make her day even worse," Naruto interjected with look of disapproval.

"The point is that I couldn't live with myself if I really did what I saw," Supergirl insisted before looking at the two. "Now, are you two gonna help me or not?"

"You know it kid," Naruto nodded with a reassuring grin as he patted her shoulder gently.

"So will I," Arrow added. "But vague memories like one of those alien abductions? Maybe you've just been hanging out in Kansas for too long"

"I wouldn't be so sure," a new voice interrupted. "Especially since she is the alien."

The three turned to see the ever paranoid Question sit down with them. His blue trench coat and pants with matching fedora were on him looking as clean as always, and despite his expressionless blank face, he always carried a grim mood about himself.

"You've got all the signs of repressed memories. People dream what their minds don't want to remember; easier to convince themselves it's all bunk," the detective insisted as Naruto frowned.

"What exactly would she want to repress memories of?" The Hokage asked, almost dreading the answer.

"You were treated for injuries at S.T.A.R. Labs, correct?" Question continued, his faceless visage pointing straight at the Kryptonian teenager.

"Yeah" Supergirl nodded. "A few years ago, when Superman was brainwashed by Darkseid and attacked the Earth. I got hurt and he took me to S.T.A.R. for help. I was in a coma for part of it"

"Meaning that there's a gap in time you can't account for. That's where we need to investigate," Question deduced as Green Arrow groaned in annoyance.

"Okay, enough! Don't listen to this guy everything's conspiracies with him"

"Hey at least he's coming up with somewhere we can start, and that's better than where we were," Naruto interjected.

"And it's not conspiracies, its conspiracy; singular. Follow me" Question finished before standing and beckoning them to follow him to his room on the Watchtower.

"Why do I get the feeling that every time you take a Rorschach test you answer with 'Who really shot President Kennedy?' or something like that," Green Arrow sighed as the three followed the faceless detective to his bedroom.

Once inside and the doors were shut, Question walked over to his desk and began digging for some notes while the three heroes inspected his corkboard full of strings connecting pictures, magazine articles, and conspiracy headlines.

"Going as far as Ancient Egypt there've been a cabal of powerful individuals directing the course of human history. However, the common man prefers to believe that they don't exist, and that aids their success," the detective began, however the others were too focused on the odd collection of clippings.

"Global warming, military upheavals in the third world, and actors elected to public office?" Supergirl said, confused.

"Chupacabra sightings in Texas, 31 ice cream flavors, Hawaiian Pizza? What the hell?" Naruto asked incredulously. 'Was this guy high when he wrote this crap?!' he thought in alarm.

"The spread of coffee bars, germs outpacing antibiotics, and boy-bands?" Green Arrow read skeptically. "Come on, who would gain from all of this?"

"Who indeed?" Question asked as Naruto looked to Green Arrow.

"You know, maybe I was wrong about this."

"What does any of this have to do with my dreams?" Supergirl asked.

"If I'm right, you're part of it; you're going to need my help. I'm going with you," Question said, stuffing something in his jacket pocket before heading to the door.

"Hold you horses," Green Arrow urged as he grabbed the detective's shoulder. "No one asked for more help. This whole trip might just prove that the kid shouldn't eat nachos before bed"

"Peanut-Butter sandwiches," Question said, correcting him.

"How did you… what, do you go through my trash?!" Supergirl screeched indignantly.

"Please" Question responded, almost sounding insulted. "I go through everyone's trash."

"Even mine?" Naruto asked skeptically, folding his arms as he narrowed his eyes at the conspiracy theorist.

"Especially yours's and your dark haired friend's."

Following the recommendation that the Question made, the four heroes made their way down to S.T.A.R. Labs where they were greeted by Professor Hamilton. The middle-aged scientist had blonde hair and a beard, as well as thick rimmed glasses. Hamilton was a long-time friend of both Superman and Supergirl, and after being informed of the situation Hamilton walked them down to the medical wing.

"This is where we treated you when you were in your coma," The scientist explained as he gestured to an operating table while the four looked around suspiciously. "You were on life-support the whole time; I promise you weren't running around on violent missions," he said with a kind smile as Question folded his arms across his chest.

"Well then Professor Hamilton, maybe you can tell us why her memories led her here," the faceless detective asked dubiously.

"I think I can explain that," the scientist nodded calmly, before cupping his chin in thought. "You said you mentioned some sort of torture device?"

"Yes," Supergirl nodded.

"With robotic arms, and a long probe in the center?" the scientist continued before Green Arrow cut in.

"Cut to the chase. You say you've seen something like it?"

"In fact I have," Hamilton chuckled before striding across the room and pressing a button on the wall, which caused a door to open. One the other side of the door was the exact robot from Supergirl's dream, much to the surprise of the heroes.

Hamilton took the remote and moved it forwards so they could get a closer look at it before explaining. "It's not a torture device, it's a surgical robot. It has a kryptonite tipped lance, because it was the only way to operate on you. Supergirl, that robot saved your life," He said as the teen looked at the robot in awe.

"As for the rest of her dream, we humans are used to being vulnerable. But to Supergirl, surgery must have seemed terribly invasive. You were powerless to defend yourself, so it's possible that your mind created a scenario of fighting back," He finished before putting the robot away as the heroes nodded before beginning to file out.

"Well, I think that answered everything," Green Arrow smirked, sighing in relief.

"A little too well, don't you think?" Question asked, a suspicious tone still evident in his voice.

"Let me guess, you still think something's up?" Naruto groaned in annoyance.

"Something is always up," The detective retorted as the blonde shinobi rolled his eyes in return.

"Uh guys," Supergirl called before pointing up the street, where three attack helicopters were quickly closing in on them. The lead chopper immediately released a silver android which tackled Supergirl to the ground as armed men started firing at the heroes from the choppers.

Arrow and Question immediately dove for cover while Naruto easily evaded the lasers. "Oh, so that's how it's going to be?" He says with a smirk before throwing a flurry of shuriken back at the choppers which started dropping their soldiers off on the ground.

Green Arrow took this opportunity to fire a smokescreen arrow, allowing for Question to get in unseen as he quickly took down two of the soldiers. Afterwards, Green Arrow used an explosive arrow to ground one of the choppers by destroying its rotors while Supergirl knocked the robot aside and punched its head off. Naruto then leaped high into the air before kicking away one of the helicopter's rotors, thus wrecking another one of the choppers.

With their robot destroyed, the attacking soldiers quickly retrieved their unconscious comrades before escaping in the last helicopter. "What was that all about?" Arrow asked, panting as he surveyed the area around them.

"Isn't it obvious? We're asking questions someone doesn't want answered," Question says seriously before starting to walk off to examine the remains of the robot.

"Oh learn a new tune already!" The archer called in exasperation as Naruto rejoined him and Supergirl.

"I'm starting to think he's right," The teenaged hero muttered as Naruto nodded.

"I got to admit, it is a little suspicious how they show up just as we were leaving S.T.A.R. Labs."

Question meanwhile, was analyzing the pieces of the robot carefully while his peers walked over to him. "Standard Z-8 Combat Trainer," He mutters before taking the robot's severed head and showing It to the others to confirm his suspicions.

"Like the ones we use in our training simulations. The League buys them in bulk," Green Arrow confirmed.

"So?" Supergirl said, rolling her eyes.

"So who do we buy them from?" Question responded.

"The army, I think…" Supergirl answered before a sudden realization came over her. "Oh, wait a minute…"

"Another fun fact," Question continued. "The man who commissioned the Z-8 project? He's the same man who put you into the hospital."

"General Hardcastle? But he's retired now, isn't he?" Supergirl asked.

"You mean that asshole general who tried to kill you and Superman a while back?" Naruto questioned.

"Yes and he's gone. And hoping to be forgotten," The detective finished as the Leaguers exchanged unsure looks with each other.

Despite the initial skepticism of Green Arrow, the heroes had little trouble finding the missing General. Despite his best efforts at covering up his hideaway, Question still somehow had the coordinates to the cabin he'd been hiding in for several years (a fact that reminded Naruto a bit of the ANBU). After giving them to the Watchtower's teleporter, the four heroes arrived in front of the cabin that was sheltered far off in the woods. Walking up to the cabin, Naruto turned the knob to find it unlocked and dim; the only light coming from a half-lit fireplace.

"Figured someone'd come for me someday" a raspy voice called as the heroes turned to see an aging man, turning on a lamp that sat on the table next to him. In his hand was an unusual looking pistol that he aimed warily at Supergirl. "Only thought they'd be from the other side. This weapon fires a projectile of Kryptonite pellets, suspended in a liquid-silicon core. Causes maximum scatter on impact. Only gets one shot, but trust me alien. It'll do the job."

Supergirl immediately raised her hands slowly, surrendering. "We're not here to hurt you. We just have some questions" she said slowly as Hardcastle snorted, raising his eyebrow skeptically.

"Sorry if I don't take your word for it. As I recall, your kind can be fickle." the General said smugly as Naruto stood in front of Kara protectively.

"Listen, we really don't have time for this. Besides, you take that shot, you've done nothing but piss me and my friends off and that's nothing compared to what her cousin can do when gets his hands on you." He said seriously as Hardcastle seemed to weigh his options. That moment of hesitation was all Question needed to disarm the older man.

"Come on, be a good host. Tell us a story," Green Arrow smirked.

Hardcastle frowned before gesturing to his couch, as the heroes took seats and got ready to listen to the man's account. Question stuffed the gun in his jacket to ensure the general didn't do anything rash.

"The army shut me out after Superman invaded. The feeling upstairs was that I failed when it counted most, so how could I lead again? I got the message and took early retirement," the General recounted with a sigh as he tended to the dying fire.

"The problem is I know too much," He continued before walking back to his armchair and sitting down. "One of these days they'll decide to shut me up."

"Who will? What do you know?" Supergirl asked, confused.

Hardcastle leaned forward, staring her down hard. "The military and big business have been in cahoots for decades. Top secret stuff, experiments on metahumans, mutants, and aliens. Searching for new technologies, both for national security and for profit. That Volcana woman?" He continued, referring to one of Superman's rogues and an occasional opponent of the League. "She was one of ours. Same as those freaks the Joker dressed up as playing cards when he attacked Las Vegas."

"I'm sorry, but what the hell does any of this have to do with Supergirl?" Naruto questioned.

"It has to do with all of you," Hardcastle insisted with narrowed eyes. "Your little club up in that spaceship? There's a file on every single one of you. But I don't know anything about these dreams of yours" he admits with a sigh. "If it is connected to these people, I've been out of the loop too long to know."

"And how to we find these people?" Question probed further.

"You don't. They find you." Hardcastle finished chillingly, sending a shiver up the spines of each of the heroes while Naruto simply glared before they all stood up to leave.

"Thanks anyway," Naruto calls back as the four exited the cabin, and he sighs. "Well, there goes our only lead."

"Not necessarily. I just need some time to process this," Question insisted before placing a finger to his communicator. "Martian, pick us up," He called before the four were instantly transported back to the Watchtower.

After the heroes left, a sudden shadow fell over the porch of the cabin. Inside, Hardcastle poured himself a glass of whiskey before downing it in one gulp. Every time he came back to these secrets he knew, he found that a good strong drink was essential. After setting the glass down, he heard the door open again as he sighed in annoyance.

"What," I told you everything I…" He started before turning to see a suspiciously familiar figure standing in the doorway. "Supergirl?"

The woman he was looking at first appeared to be Supergirl, but she was clearly much older, Her entire outfit was a one-piece white jumpsuit that bared her legs, with long white gloves that went up to her elbows, and white boots that went almost to her knees. Her blond hair was cut short in a bob-cut as she gave a small shrug.

"Yes, and no," she answered vaguely. "My friends call me Galatea. Are you a friend General?"

Hardcastle instantly found the underlying threat in her tone as he immediately tried to reach for his Kryptonite gun. Galatea however, blasted it with her heat vision one of the beams searing itself across Hardcastle's palm as he cried out in sudden pain, falling back into his chair as he clutched his hand painfully.

Galatea suddenly took on a superior smirk as she slowly approached his chair before standing over the General's injured form. "Guess that's a no."

After returning to the Watchtower, the four heroes retired back to Question's room mulling over what they just heard. Question muttered to himself incoherently, Green Arrow watched him with folded arms, and Naruto looked back at the corkboard while Supergirl napped on his bed.

Suddenly, Supergirl shot awake with a scared gasp, a look of terror on her face as the three heroes suddenly snapped to attention.

"You okay kid?" Naruto asked as Question groaned.

"Excuse me if I bore you," the detective groaned dryly as Green Arrow glared at him.

"Hey lay off!" he said, defending the teen as she shook her head.

"Hardcastle's gone" she said to the others' surprise. "I… I just know"

As the four heroes turned back to process this new information, Question's communicator went off on his desk. "Question?" Martian Manhunter called though the device.

"Go ahead" Question answered, grabbing the communicator quickly.

"Look at your monitor; I'm patching through a live feed," the martian said cryptically before all four heroes crowded around the screen which suddenly blared to life, showing a middle-aged balding man who was reporting for the Eagle Network news station.

"A scientist named Gilbert Halstrom has been reported missing" J'onn explained. "He's from a biotech company called Nuvo-Gen. It's the man from Kara's dream."

"He really did exist," Supergirl breathed before looking down. "Or, he did anyway," She muttered quietly.

"And only one network had the story," Question commented.

"Now that's the first lead in this whole business that I can wrap my head around," Green Arrow grinned before standing up. "C'mon. We go to Nuvo-Gen, we find out who this guy was"

"No" Question argued. "First we find the source of the report," He insisted.

"What for?" Arrow groaned.

"Don't you know who owns the Eagle Network?" Question said, almost smugly before pointing back at his board of newspaper clippings. "The real puppet-masters."

The three blinked plainly as Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Are you freakin' kidding me?" He deadpanned.

"Look," Arrow sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why don't we split up? Kara, Naruto, and I will go to Nuvo-Gen, and you can go wherever you want," The archer relented, seemingly placating the paranoid investigator.

Back in Metropolis in a high-class steakhouse stood Lasser, a Middle-aged balding TV reporter who worked for the Eagle Network and reported on the Halstrom investigation. He exited the restaurant and started walking off before being stopped by a friend of his named Jerry.

"Hey Lasser!" Jerry called out to him. "I saw that bit on Eagle Today, now that's reporting!"

"Thanks" Lasser called back with a superior grin and condescending tone. "You get home safe."

Before he could walk off, Jerry grabbed a hold of his arm. "The thing is, Nuvo-Gen is a real hush-hush kind of joint, and Halstrom didn't have any family to file a missing person's report. Between you and me, how'd you hear about this story?" He asked.

Good old-fashioned legwork Jerry. You should try it sometime." the reporter answered before walking off and calling a taxi. Stepping into the vehicle, he looked up with a smirk. "Commodore Hotel," He called as the driver nodded before driving off. However, after a few blocks, the taxi suddenly turned off the street and into a side alley.

"Something wrong?" Lasser asked as the driver shook his head.

"Gotta write up my fare report," The taxi driver replied as Lasser nodded, seemingly pleased by the answer. "What do you think of that corporate prepackaged pop that kids like these days?" the driver asked, seemingly making conversation.

Lasser gave a short barking laugh before shaking his head. "Hate it."

"Uh-huh," the driver muttered before tuning the radio to one of those very songs and turning the volume up to the max as yellow smoke suddenly appeared out of his jacket.

"Hey!" Lasser called in annoyance, grabbing the driver's shoulder. "I just said…" he continued before trailing off and blanching as the driver's coat turned blue, and his face disappeared. Lasser gave a short scream before suddenly coming face-to-face with the Question.

Late at night in the Nuvo-Gen laboratory, the night watchman watched the clock impatiently, waiting for his replacement to show up. After a few minutes, he looked up to see a muscular man with blonde hair and a goatee approaching, swinging a small lunchbox.

"Hi, I'm Ollie. I'm filling in," the man answered as the guard nodded before shaking his hand.

"What happened to Frank?" He asked as Ollie shrugged.

"I heard some contest guy showed up at his door; got a free trip to Aruba," Ollie answered as the guard groaned.

"Why him and not me?" He complained before grabbing his things and walking off.

"Tell me about it. You have a good one!" Ollie called as the guard waved back at him.

"Good cold one is more like it," He called before swiping his key card and leaving. As the door slowly closed, Supergirl suddenly rushed in, holding Green Arrow's bow and quiver.

"Free trip to Aruba?" she asked with a laugh.

"Had to send Frank somewhere. Shame how he dropped his key card though" the archer replied as Naruto's laugh could be heard.

"I would have picked that place called Tahiti," He mused before appearing from out of the shadows.

As the three heroes shared a small chuckle, they were unaware of another presence. A figure garbed in white landed on the ground and watched the three Leaguers as they walked off down the hall, searching for the company record room, as a white gloved hand slowly opened the front door.

"I never heard of Nuvo-Gen or Halstrom until last night. This girl I've been seeing slipped it to me, said I could run with it." Lasser confessed desperately, fearful for what the Question might do to him.

"The girl. Tell me more," the faceless detective demanded in a threatening tone.

"She's just a girl," Lasser insisted. "Blonde hair, blue eyes. A real farmer's daughter type"

"And a handshake like a vice?" Question asked.

"Y-yeah actually. Really strong. How did you…"

"How long have you been seeing her?" The detective interrupted.

"About a week."

"She have bad dreams?"

"More like tossing and turning."

Question hummed thoughtfully as he cupped his chin and mulled these facts over. "Can't sleep at night," He muttered as Lasser looked at him in confusion.

A few seconds later, Lasser was suddenly hurled out of the taxi and into the street as Question sped off in the taxi towards Nuvo-Gen's laboratory.

"Halstrom was getting a lot of emails from their legal department," Green Arrow said as he scrolled through one of the computers on the desk while Supergirl scoured a second. Naruto was doing double-duty of investigating several files while also watching the door. "Looks like they were scared he was gonna blow the whistle on something," The archer continued.

After another minute of searching, Arrow suddenly sat back in surprise. "I don't believe this. That crazy old Hardcastle was right. These guys claim to be splicing hardier tomatoes, but they've really been experimenting with metahumans DNA."

"Definitely sounds familiar," Naruto thought with a frown as he was reminded of all the depraved experiments that his old foe Orochimaru would conduct over the years in order find the secrets of immortality.

"Guess Nuvo-Gen's using this DNA for a similar purpose" Green Arrow mused.

"Not just any DNA" Supergirl added in a shaky voice. "They're using my DNA" she answered before pointing to her computer screen as both heroes rushed to take a look at the various videos and images that were on display.

All of them showed what appeared to be an older Supergirl performing various training exercises, all of them combat oriented.

"That folder was marked 'Metropolis Training Exercises'. It's me," the teen said with a gulp.

"Um, a little more mature than you," Arrow commented as he continued to watch the video. "But I see your point."

The teen continued to stare at the monitor in fear and shock. "So I was cloned," She surmised with a frown, and an unnervingly calm tone. "We must have some sort of psychic link. That's how I'm seeing things I didn't do."

"So this clone of you actually did those things?" Naruto asked before a sudden blur of motion passed by the door from outside the room. "Oh shit, we got company," Naruto said as the three heroes quickly ran out of the lab and down the hall, where they came across a seemingly empty room. The room itself was large and spacious with purple, hexagonal plates all along the floor.

"What sort of place is this?" Naruto muttered before the walls, floor, and ceiling suddenly lit up. When the light died down, the Leaguers found themselves in what appeared to be Metropolis.

"What's going on?" Supergirl asked as Naruto looked around.

"It's a simulation, like the one on the Watchtower. I guess it's a training area of some sort."

"My training area," a voice interrupted as they looked up to see the clone of Supergirl flying down towards them. Before they could react, she punched Supergirl through one of the buildings before floating above Arrow and Hokage.

"So what do you think?" Galatea asked with a smirk as she opened her arms. "It's important that you like yourself, and I'm you. Just accelerated a few extra years. Plus better trained and a heck of a lot smarter," she boasted to the teenage Kryptonian.

"Does smarter have to mean arrogant as well?" Naruto frowned as he got into a fighting stance and prepared for the worst.

"She lured us here. Her lackeys couldn't get rid of us at S.T.A.R. so she came after us here, on her home turf." Supergirl grunted as she stood up.

"It's like you're reading my mind, which is actually the problem," Galatea mused before she was suddenly struck from behind and knocked into a parked car by a kick from Naruto.

"Couldn't you have just asked nicely?" Naruto called out rhetorically as the clone slowly stood up again. Supergirl took this opportunity to deliver a wicked uppercut to her clone's jaw, sending her sprawling before an explosive arrow, courtesy of Green Arrow, knocked her further back. However, the clone was unharmed as she fired a blast of heat-vision that knocked the archer through a car, and then a window, leaving him unconscious.

"Arrow!" Supergirl called in alarm before trying to help her friend. Unfortunately, Galatea was quicker as she grasped the teen's cap and threw her down into the street. She smirked slightly before a large golden clawed hand knocked her into a lamp post. She turned to see Naruto already in his Six Paths mode watching her carefully from the sidewalk.

Snarling, she rocketed towards Naruto and thrust her fist through his chest!

"NO!" Supergirl saw her clone's arm going through her friend. But something was wrong; the clone had performed a fatal move, but Naruto didn't even look worried. He then suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke much to the clone's surprise before she felt a sharp pain in her back as Naruto had slammed a Odama Rasengan into the clone from behind sending her crashing into the ground.

"How did you…?" Galatea called out as she picked herself up from the crater.

"It's called a substitution." Naruto replied with a grin on his face.

That was all the time that Supergirl needed to grab a fallen lamp post before knocking the clone away across the city like a baseball.

"Damn, that's some arm," Naruto mused as he watched the clone get launched away. "Ever thought about trying out for baseball?"

"I think they would have me tested for steroids if they saw that just now," Supergirl quipped as the clone was then knocked through several buildings. "She probably won't be slowed down much," she frowned as the Seventh Hokage nodded.

"Right. Let's hit her while she's down," Naruto nodded before the two ran off. Green Arrow, meanwhile, was slowly waking up just as Question came in to help the archer stand.

"Anything break?" The paranoid detective asked.

"Just my stride," The archer laughed.

"Nap's over. Come on," Question urged as the two followed their team mates.

As Supergirl flew on ahead, she was suddenly tackled by the clone, creating a massive trench through the street as an enraged Galatea glared down at her. "Next time, get your own dreams," She seethed before she was suddenly punched away by Naruto again. However, this time the shinobi didn't hold back and let lose the full strength of his Chakra Mode, sending the clone flying back as she clutched her bleeding nose in pain, certain that it was now broken.

"Who do you work for?" Supergirl asked weakly as Naruto slowly helped her up, her own healing factor slowly repairing her wounds.

"Really? At the top?" the clone asked with a laugh. "Even I don't know that. But I do know that I can't work in secret if you keep seeing what I do," She frowned before charging her heat-vision. "So, sayonara sister."

"That's not the only reason is it," A voice called as Galatea turned to see Question and Green Arrow turning up, the former walking over to her slowly with his hands in his pockets. "You were setting up this bait before Supergirl started asking questions. It's because the link works both ways," The faceless man deduced. "While she was seeing what you were doing, you were feeling her conscience," Galatea listened to him before turning her head away, trying to ignore him. "That's why you couldn't sleep at night. And I'll bet that got in the way of your work."

The detective suddenly leaned in close, knowing his words were true and getting to her. "It bites having someone in your head, doesn't it?"

"Y-you don't know what you're talking about," the clone insisted, taking a step back.

"No?" Question asked with an almost amused voice as he took another step forwards. "Prove it. Kill me."

The other heroes looked at the paranoid detective in shock as the clone smirked before raising a fist. Green Arrow knocked an arrow, and Naruto brandished a kunai, each ready for the worst as Question watched her calmly. However, the clone didn't follow through. Instead her fist shook in hesitation before closing her eyes.

Supergirl took this opportunity to smash a car over the clone's head, while Question dove for cover. He knew better than to get between two Kryptonians as Naruto rocketed forward to follow up with a swing from several of his chakra claws. Before Galatea could recover, Supergirl took a girder from one of the ruined buildings and hit her over and over, not letting up before Naruto sent her away with a devastating uppercut.

Galatea steadied herself before looking at the heroes in frustration. Her costume was shredded all along her sleeves, as a collection of bruises and bleeding cuts adorned her body. She took another fighting stance, ready to attack again before a part of the floor between her and the heroes exploded.

"No!" Galatea shouted, looking off into the sky in annoyance. "I can do this!" she insisted with a yell as cracks slowly started to engulf the floor as more explosions rang out, obscuring the clone from their view.

"C'mon! We gotta go!" Supergirl urged before she and the other Leaguers quickly made their retreat, the four only barely escaping before the entire Nuvo-Gen building exploded.

The team returned to the Watchtower, Supergirl retrieving a new intact costume while the others filed their report with the senior League members. After a short chat with an astonished and worried Superman, the four headed back to Question's room as Supergirl was on the phone with Professor Hamilton.

"We searched what was left of the place, but we never found the clone," Supergirl finished in frustration.

"Maybe there was nothing left to find," Green Arrow suggested as Naruto snorted. 'I doubt that,' the blonde thought to himself as Question shook his head.

"Or that's what they want us to think," Question said ominously.

"I'm just glad you're okay Supergirl," the Professor answered in a worried tone.

"Professor," Supergirl started nervously. "To make this clone of me, they would've needed a DNA sample. Is there any chance that it came from your lab?"

"No, we always destroy genetic material after surgery. It's standard procedure," Hamilton assured her.

Supergirl nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer. "Okay. Thanks Professor."

"Give my best to Superman."

"Will do," she finished before hanging up and sighing. The four heroes each exchanged an unsure look, a heavy atmosphere still surrounding them.

"This all started because Superman went renegade," Question muttered, putting another connection up on his board. "They want a superhuman on their side if it ever happens again."

"Whoever they are," Supergirl nodded, afraid of what the answer could be.

In an unknown laboratory, Professor Hamilton walked through a pair of double doors before stepping over to an operating table that was surrounded by military and government officials. The crowd dispersed and left the room as they watched the scientist approach, revealing Galatea. Her head was now completely wrapped up in bandages and her body was covering in numerous injuries ranging from bruises, second degree burns, and severe lacerations. As a result, she was hooked up to a life-support machine, clearly not leaving for a while yet.

"You rest," Hamilton said softly, as he gently stroked and cupped her cheek in a loving fashion. "We'll have you fixed up in no time Galatea." he assured.

Unknown Location

Meanwhile in a certain dimension, a mysterious shadowed figure was surrounded by numerous images depicting the alternate universe his targets have now been sent too.

"How interesting. Despite lacking any chakra whatsoever, this world isn't as defenseless as I thought. They have their own teams of protectors. Even worse…" He continues before observing a image depicting the events of the Thanagarian invasion. "… They are helping them" he finished as he witnessed images of both Naruto and Sasuke.

The figure could only chuckle amusedly as this new development

"While I can easily kill anyone in that other world and steal those two's chakra, I don't want to show my hand just yet. I require pawns who've fought these heroes before," the figure said looking at another image. "And I think I know just who to ask," He finished with a malicious smirk on his face as the only thing visible being his blank white eyes.

In the image was none other than Superman standing over the charred corpse of president Lex Luthor.

AN: Hi everyone, I wanted to finish this chapter before the year was done and that I also wanted to get back to this story for quite some time. I hope you enjoyed Naruto actually contributing to fight and able to use his full power instead of just nerfing him like I've seen in so many other stories. In regards to who that mysterious figure was at the end, anyone who has been watching the Boruto anime lately might have some idea. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and I wish everyone a Happy New Year as I hope next year will be better than the last.