Rio Skyron: Oh James has a big reckoning coming for his actions and its name is Carson.
Brave2000: I'm totally with you! Their fight is going to be epic.
Trollzor69: For me to answer that either way would be a spoiler.
Brave2000: That's the point of the Wrath character. To make Itachi question everything he's ever believed in, including his very own morals which you're really going to see in the next few chapters as they fight. Itachi is literally fighting the old version of himself.
Guest: I can't really answer that because it would be a spoiler.
Meito Uchiha: Thanks for the compliment!
Guest: If I decide to write them a happy ending, the wedding suggestion might be a good idea.
Guest: Oh the Masked Stranger will be unmasked by the time the final fight happens. I don't know if I'll have the world watch that fight since they're going to be watching Itachi vs. Wrath but I might change my mind later. Good review!
Guest: Yeah but not in too much depth like he did with the others.
Brady420: We'll just have to wait and see if she forgives him.
Wrath stood in front of a mirror and gazed at himself. It was almost like he was peering into his own soul and searching for answers. Today is the day that he had been waiting for since he first formed a thought. He dreamed of killing his other half, Itachi, and today would be the day of their fight. That wasn't what had Wrath in deep thought though. Itachi had become a bit of an afterthought to him, just a pawn in this chessboard called life. It was everyone else that consumed his mind.
'Mother, father, little brother, Shisui, Jason, Cassandra…and even all of the people I've killed in this bloody crusade to change the world. I wish I could say that I've remained faithful throughout the process, but I'd be lying. Truth is that I doubt and flip-flop almost every day. I know Itachi does too. Before we fight, I need to find out why or I'll always be a bird in a cage.' Wrath thought as he left the room went to Carla's living room where Carson, Carla, and James were all waiting for him.
"Geez Itachi, I never took you for a guy who cared about his looks. You were in there forever." Carla commented.
"My apologies, I got lost in thought." Wrath said as he walked towards Carson. She saw the look in his eyes and voiced her concern, "Are you alright? You're acting weird. Well, weird for you that is."
Wrath smiled at Carson to put her at ease. He has spent the past week with her. He'd wake up early in the morning and travel to meet her and, with the exception of work because Ms. Yumi would have been able to tell that Wrath is an imposter, he spent all day with her. He genuinely enjoyed her joyful vibe. She made this hell of a life just a little bit happier for him. It's why what was about to happen later when she discovers the truth will kill him.
"I'm just thinking about how grateful I am for meeting you, Carson. I have not been the best friend to you and yet you still stayed by my side. You never gave up on me. You don't know what that means to me…what you mean to me." Wrath said as he gazed into her eyes.
Carson's breath stopped and she began to blush wildly, "Itachi…stop you're embarrassing me. It's nothing. You already know how I feel about you. And I know that you consider me…precious."
"It's more than that…so much more. By the end of the day, I promise that you'll find out the truth about me…about Itachi Uchiha." Wrath said as he cupped her face.
"At a football game…how romantic. But I'll take it. I've wanted to be with you for a while now. You know that. Are you finally ready to be with me?" Carson asked. Wrath grabbed a piece of paper with an address to give to Carson.
"Tell you what; meet me here before the football game starts. I'll tell you everything there and you will know how Itachi Uchiha feels about you. I want to change the world to a better place. I'll need you in order to accomplish that." Wrath said.
"I'll help you in any way I can, I swear." Carson said as she kissed Wrath on the cheek. Carla cooed at them as James did his best not to throw up. Wrath eventually left while saying that he had to meet with his teammate. Carson and Carla accepted that and got ready for the football game later. James wasn't as gullible and decided to confront the clone once they were outside.
"What are you planning Wrath? Why are you having my sister meet you later by herself?" James demanded.
"She won't be by herself. She'll have you there with her to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. I want you to hear what I have to say too." Wrath replied.
"Why? What's the point of any of this?" James asked. Wrath turned to him with a stoic look, "To test the limit of my abilities."
Wrath then disappeared into the shadows as he left James alone. The young man had no idea what to think or expect from this meeting with Wrath. All he did know was that a lot people's lives may hinge on what happens in this meeting. He had to stop Wrath at all costs. Even if it meant asking for help from the last guy he'd ever want to.
James sighed as he got into his car and began to speed as fast as he could. His destination is Happy Harbor and he prays that he isn't too late for Carson's sake.
In the Cave, the young heroes were currently getting ready for an afternoon of fun and entertainment. The long awaited football game in Gotham is happening later today so the teens were getting their outfits ready and prepping themselves for some action. They were all sitting in the lounge talking about it. Even though Itachi wasn't going with them, he was there with them. Granted he wasn't actually talking much, but being there at all is progress over the cold shoulder he had been giving them.
Itachi apologized for how he was acting. In truth, he was scared. Wrath is the single most dangerous opponent that Itachi has ever faced. It wasn't because he had overwhelming power because Itachi was confident in his ability to defeat his clone. The fear stemmed from the fact that never in Itachi's life could he imagine facing one man who hated him as much as Wrath does. And he faced his brother after all of their family drama.
That fear turned into anger that was taken out on his teammates and for that he apologized. The Team quickly forgave him since they understood the circumstances. They only asked that Itachi talks to them more about how he's really feeling. It is when impossible situations like this arise to threaten the world that the Team is most needed. They're not meant to operate alone, not even someone as powerful as Itachi. Artemis punched Itachi in the arm as a sign of affection.
"Don't forget that we're heroes too. We can help you defeat that clone. With us by your side there's no way we can lose. Remember that next time you go solo jerk mode on us again." She chided.
"You're right. I've been acting selfishly. I'll put my trust in my friends instead of myself like how I'm used to." Itachi promised.
"Good, now if you really wanna prove that you'll reconsider your position on going to this football game with us. Ninjas got to have fun too, you know." She teased.
"I'm sorry, but someone has to stay here to watch over things in the Cave. Plus, I can't go to Gotham as long as it coincides with Wrath's plans. He'll come here and we'll be waiting when he does." Itachi replied.
"You darn right we'll be. But until that day comes you're gonna have to live a little. Wrath hasn't been active in weeks so just enjoy the time you have left to relax." Wally added.
"I'll relax when Wrath and his accomplice are both defeated. And not a moment before." Itachi answered as he put an end to the discussion.
"Are you sure you're not Batman's clone? Geez, live a little. I guess if that's your choice we'll respect it, but don't be mad when you miss out on all of the fun. The Mayor of Gotham is even supposed to be there to make a big speech on behalf of Gotham. All of his cabinet and the former police commissioner will be there as a show of solidarity. Maybe an appearance from the Crow will help with that picture but since you're so adamant about leaving I guess the world can settle for now." Robin said offhandedly.
"I'm sure the city will survive without me. Go have fun today. Make sure Zatanna has plenty to smile about. She deserves the distraction." Itachi responded. It's true that Zatanna was still grieving from the loss of her father to Nabu so this trip would be a great way for her to get it out of her mind. The others let Itachi be and decided to start heading to the game. They wanted to be there early enough to get all of the snacks they needed before the game started since they knew the stadium is sold out and will be packed. They waved him goodbye as they went through the zeta-tube.
Itachi's smile dropped when they left. He went to the monitoring screen to view all of the world news. It's been pretty quiet since criminal activity has dropped. It turns out that the criminals are just as scared of getting on Wrath's radar as they are of getting on the Crow's. Wrath, though he hasn't killed in weeks, made it quite obvious that he enjoys brutality. The League discovered the corpses of the Suicide Squad. Wrath left them hanging on the Gotham Bridge. It was an obvious ploy to get in Itachi's head. It was determined that the members had been dead for weeks, way before Itachi and Wrath made their deal. But it angered Itachi all the same.
Itachi didn't want to admit it, but he knew he couldn't be mad at Wrath for doing that. There were times where Itachi wanted to do that as well, and back in his world, times where he actually did do it with Kisame by his side. The hidden reason why Itachi was so irked by Wrath is because Wrath reminded him so much of himself back when he was a member of the Akatsuki. He hated himself back then and the feeling hasn't changed over time.
'But Carson and the other helped me to get over my hatred. I have to protect them.' Itachi thought. Just then, the Cave alarm rang and alerted Itachi of an intruder. Itachi assumed that Wrath had finally found him. It would make since to wait till the whole group was gone to try and go after Itachi alone. It's why Itachi was adamant on staying. He put his mask on and got ready to face the intruder, but as he rounded the corner he was shocked by who the intruder really was.
"Crow, I mean Itachi, I need your help." James said as he revealed himself as the intruder. Itachi halted his advance. He turned the Cave's alarm system off and eyes James weirdly, "How did you know where I was?"
"That's not important. We need to go now before it's too late." James frantically said.
"It's very important to me. Don't make me repeat myself." Itachi asked. James gulped before speaking again. He knew he was in the presence of a killer and was very wary of him, "I'm an agent of Argus. We are a covert government funded organization tasked with the protection of the world from metahumans. We know that you and the other heroes reside here."
"I know of Argus. You all deal with some very dangerous projects. Why should I help a group like you?" Itachi asked.
"Because if you don't Wrath is going to hurt Carson. She's with him in Gotham and if we don't hurry it could be too late." James answered.
'No, no, no, no. How could I let this happen?' Itachi thought. He remained calm about this. He knew being irrational wouldn't help Carson at all. Before he could start formulating a solution, Itachi first had to get an answer to one thing about what James said that was really disturbing him.
"The way you spoke of him makes it seems like you've met Wrath before. He looks just like me but you know that he's not me. You even knew to go to me for help. What's really going on?" Itachi demanded.
James knew that this would eventually happen. It didn't make what he was about to say any easier or less scary because of who he was saying it to, "I know because I created Wrath. I am the person responsible for giving him life and if we don't hurry, I'll be the person responsible for causing Carson's death."
Itachi stood there in shock of James' confession. For the first time in years, Itachi had finally come across something that he had no idea how to react to. James stood there with guilt all over his face and Itachi knew that the young man wasn't lying to him.
"All those people…are dead because of you. Why would you create such a monster?" Itachi asked is a quiet, calm tone.
"Because I hated you…I still hate you even right now. But Carson's safety means more to me than my hatred of you. So please help me save her." James begged.
"What did I do to ever make you hate me?" Itachi asked. James looked at Itachi with piercing eyes, "You…stole my sister's heart away from me. She loves you more than her own brother. And if we don't hurry, Wrath with steal her away from you…in a more permanent way."
Itachi steeled his emotions and put his mask on as he headed to the zeta-tubes. James ran after him to catch up, "Wait up! Aren't you mad at me? Aren't you going to hit me or put me in that mind torture stuff that you do? Why are you just walking away and where are you going?!"
"I'm heading over to Gotham. All of that other stuff doesn't matter to me. I only care about saving Carson from that monster. I'll need your help. Do you know where they are?" Itachi asked as he got into shinobi mode.
"I don't know where they're heading, but Carla does. We can go to her house and get the information from her." James reluctantly said.
"Let's go then." Itachi said as the two beamed away in a rush to save a girl that both of them loved dearly. They both had the same thoughts as they left, 'Please be safe!'
While these events were transpiring on Earth, the Justice League is on the Watchtower in space and is having an important meeting that pertains to the future of its existence. They are voting on the expansion of its membership and had a whole lot of variables and factors to take in. The members in attendance were Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern (John Stewart since Hal Jordan was on a classified mission), Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Red Tornado, Captain Marvel, Doctor Fate, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Hawkman, and Hawkwoman.
They chose today to have the meeting because with the kids all going to that football game in Gotham it made it easier on the adults since they didn't have to worry about them on missions. The exception, of course, was Itachi who was by himself to the last of their knowledge. He hadn't told them about the information James had just revealed so everything was going according to plan as far as they knew.
Black Canary really worried about him. She'd taken an immediate liking to him since they first sparred. While it is true that his past was off-putting to her, she didn't let that cloud the fact that Itachi was a good person at heart and only wanted peace. That's why this crusade to stop his clone was really disheartening to her because she saw how negatively it was affecting him. Itachi has shown signs of improvement in the past week, but the fire in his eyes whenever Wrath is brought up is still very palpable and makes Itachi look scary. But despite all of that, she knew that if his name is brought up that she wouldn't hesitate to vote him into the League. He's more than proven himself to her. She just didn't want to take him away from his friends because as dark as he's acting right now, she's seen Itachi act even darker when he was alone in the Akatsuki after he murdered his clan.
"Our agenda is clear. What's at stake should not be underestimated," Aquaman stated.
"The decisions made today will reverberate for years to come." Superman continued.
"And determine whether or not the world will continue to put their faith in the Justice League." Wonder Woman added.
"Please, take your seat. We have work to do." Batman said at the meeting got started. The members of the Justice League were all seated and ready to discuss important matters pertaining to their future direction as a unit.
"Another expansion of the League could generate another escalation of hostilities from our enemies. No one needs nor wants another Injustice League. Nor Wrath, who is on another level of tyranny." Manhunter started.
"Batman, do you have any leads on Wrath's motives or whereabouts?" John Stewart asked as the acting Green Lantern.
"No, he's fallen off of the grid since the incident with Klarion. All we do know is that he plans on fighting Crow in Gotham at some point and countermeasures have been taken to prevent that from happening." The vigilante responded.
"That is very unfortunate. We need to find Wrath and apprehend him quickly before he does decide to become active again. But we still have the expansion to discuss. Despite legitimate concerns, we still have the option to vote yes or not on all candidates. So I nominate Icon for League membership." Superman announced.
"Why is that? Is it because you suspect that Icon might be Kryptonian like you did with Captain Marvel?" Green Arrow said while chiding the man of steel. Marvel thought it was cool that he was confused for being an alien while Wonder Woman agreed with Icon as a candidate. She did so because he had a female protégé named Rocket and thought that the League could use more female members to the agreement of Black Canary and Hawkwoman.
"The next nomination is The Atom." Flash said. Captain Marvel openly questioned how useful a man like him could be to the League. Batman was quick to defend the nomination, "It's not his size that makes him useful. It's his brain."
"Absolutely! Still we could always use more raw power and Earth has a third Green Lantern, Guy Gardner." Flash suggested. He was quickly shot down by John Stewart.
"No!" He emphatically answered.
"But we could really use-"
"No!"
"What about the members of the Team?" Captain Marvel suggested.
"No. Red Arrow and The Crow may be over the age of eighteen, but the rest of the Team is still too young. We're not inducting children into the League." Superman resolutely said.
"That seems myopic. I have been one with both Kid Flash and Aqualad. Both are ready." Doctor Fate added.
"And what of Zatanna?"
"Absolutely not!" Wonder Woman smirked at the great sorcerer, "That sounded almost protective, doctor. At least we know that Zatara is still in that helmet somewhere."
"Why is Doctor Fate here as a member? You extort Zatara into giving his life to you by threatening to take over the body of his daughter. Not cool." Marvel said while voicing his displeasure.
Now the topic was on said sorcerer, "Should such behavior be condoned?"
"Zatara desires Doctor Fate remain with the League. Even he understands that the world needs Fate to help the young savior sent from God to prevent The Day of Golden Light from transpiring. And that day is almost upon us." Nabu replied.
"How convenient. You get endorsed by the captive host that only you can hear," Marvel said as a jab at Fate.
"What exactly is the day of Golden Light? You mention it a lot along with preparing Itachi for it?" Superman asked. By the way Nabu spoke; it signaled the end of the world.
"It is the sole reason the savior was sent here by God. It signals both heaven and hell to strike this planet, thus destroying all barriers put in place to prevent the Great Convergence." Fate explained.
"And that is?" Flash asked.
"The end of life as we all know it. It is imperative that the Great Convergence never happens. In order for that to happen, we must stop The Day of Golden Light from happening. Or at least that is what the great prophecy sent from God reads once deciphered. Though when it last happened is still unknown, the last Great Convergence that occurred is what allowed the great threat passageway into our realm. We must stop it from happening again." Fate said to the confusion of everyone. This was the first time they were hearing any of this. Batman intervened and decided to table the end of the world talk for another date. They already had enough on their plate.
"Next up, Plastic Man," Captain Marvel laughed at the mere suggestion of this. Flash was doubtful as well considering that Plastic Man had a criminal record. As Marvel laughed, the room got silent as they all turned towards him.
"Maybe it's time we all talked about the elephant in the room. Should Captain Marvel stay a member even though he's really only ten years old?"" Flash reluctantly said.
"He does possess an adult body and the Wisdom of Solomon." Red Arrow added.
"Wisdom does not equal maturity." Aquaman said sounding like he was against the idea.
"Hey, I'm sitting right here." Marvel said as he didn't get why this was an issue now supposed to when they didn't know his true age.
"Then Billy, maybe you should leave until we hash this out," Black Canary said in a softer tone. Batman was against that suggestion. You could tell he had a different level of respect for the hero because while the Canary just referred to him by his real name, Batman gave him the respect of being called by his superhero name, "No, Captain Marvel is a member and is entitled to participate until or unless he is voted out."
"It's not just his age. It's the fact that he lied about it." Wonder Woman retorted.
"I didn't lie…exactly. I just left out the part about being a kid." Marvel said in his own defense. Wonder Woman still considered a lie of omission to still be a lie. She was upset that he left an important secret from them and how no one in the League knew the truth. Well, no one except Batman of course.
"I did," The vigilante simply said as he destroyed her whole argument with just two words. Diana made sure to voice her displeasure of this revelation, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since you indoctrinated Robin into crime fighting at the ripe age of nine."
"Robin needed to help bring the men who murdered his family to justice." Batman replied.
"So he could turn out like you?" Dinna coldly asked. Batman merely replied that it was because he didn't want Robin to turn out like him and after seeing the hell Itachi went through in his life because he had no one to pull him out of the darkness; he'd say that he has validated in his decision.
"You seem to reach consensus that eighteen years is a suitable minimum age for joining the League, yet what of Miss Martian? Though she is a biological adolescent by Martian standards, she was born forty-eight Earth years ago." Manhunter said as he challenged the flaws of this rule.
"What is the deciding factor, chronology or biology? Take Superboy." Red Tornado began. Black Canary agreed. She considered him one of her project along with Itachi so she felt it was unfair to make him wait seventeen years since technically he was less than a year old. Superman got really quiet and his favorite thing to look at suddenly became the floor.
"Last but not least…The Crow. Do we believe that he is a suitable candidate for joining the League?" Batman asked.
"I for one think he's more than suitable. We all know his resume and the things he has accomplished since arriving on this Earth. Saving the kids, saving Gotham, and on instances saving us. Despite his dark upbringing, Itachi has always fought for peace the best way he saw fit. He belongs with us." Black Canary adamantly argued.
"Best way he saw fit? Was that before or after he murdered his entire family and became a terrorist?" John Stewart asked much to the ire of Black Canary.
"You saw his past John. He had no choice. It was either do that or lose everyone. His village planned on killing his family whether he chose to help them do it or not. Plus, he was only a thirteen year old boy at the time. What could he have honestly done differently?" She protested.
"He…could have tried to talk to his parents before doing what he did. He even admitted so himself. Look I like him and I'm grateful that he's saved my knuckleheaded nephew several times, but can you really blame me for doubting whether or not a mass murderer belongs on a team of heroes?" The Flash asked.
"The young savior is not perfect, but God chose him to save us all. Surely that must mean something. I firmly believe that the best course is to vote The Crow in." Doctor Fate added.
"Yeah, Itachi…I mean the Crow is a cool guy. Plus, he gives great advice. You should have seen the way he was able to level with Aqualad when he was close to quitting the Team. He's a natural leader." Marvel added.
"While it is true that Aqualad holds The Crow in very high regards, let's not use that as a crutch to just look past the young man's dark past. I know the extreme circumstance didn't leave him with much choice, but the choice he did make wound up being wrong in the end. The Crow admitted so himself." Aquaman harshly said.
"Wouldn't you do anything to protect the kingdom of Atlantis? That's all Itachi did. I know that killing is wrong, but was it really Itachi who killed his family that day? The way I see it, it was that vile man Danzo who killed them. He just used Itachi as his weapon of choice to do it." Wonder Woman added.
"I wouldn't resort to killing an entire race to save my kingdom. Threats of civil war occur, but I talk with them instead of conspiring to murder them." Aquaman responded.
"You aren't a thirteen year old double spy under the orders of a vile snake like Danzo and you don't love your brother. Danzo used both of those factors against Itachi. I may not agree with what he did but I do not judge him for it. It was an impossible decision." The Amazon said as she recalled the horrible images of Itachi's past.
"I don't judge him for it either, but this is the image of the League we're talking about. We must be extremely cautious," Aquaman said as he felt he needed to clarify his position. He knew the world at large wouldn't be as understanding of him if they discovered Itachi's truth, which is why Aquaman was against the idea of the shinobi joining them.
"I view Itachi as a future pillar that can take the League to a new level. He truly fights for peace and is a man I feel like I can trust. His past doesn't change that for me but I do understand if you all may be put off by him. But if I were going into battle right now I'd have no problem calling The Crow as backup. The Crow is a hero in my eyes and I know the world will view him the same way." Superman stated.
"But what about the argument that if The Crow were to have never come here than the people who died during the Cathedral Incident would still be alive. Wrath only exists because Itachi is a part of this world now. And as much as it's hard for some of you to hear, every person that Wrath kills might as well have been killed by Itachi himself." Batman stoically said. That statement got him a massive glare from Canary.
"You dare blame him for that madman's evil crimes?! Itachi-" She was cut off by the vigilante.
"Itachi blames himself much more harshly than I ever could. It's why he wanted to fight Wrath on his own. He feels like since Wrath was born from him, then he should die from him as well. I know very well how hard Itachi takes the deaths of those people on that night. He trains day and night, he's forsaken his friends, and plunged himself into the darkness that he's tried so hard to climb out of. I don't blame him, but if he joins us and the people find out that Wrath is a clone of him, then the people most certainly will chastise both him and the League. And we are already losing the faith of the people." Batman said as he clarified himself.
"These are very valid points that can't be argued against. Though I tend to agree with Canary that The Crow has proven himself as our ally. If worse comes to worse, we could ways just wait before voting on him. Just until things cool down a bit and we finally apprehend Wrath and his accomplice." Green Arrow said as he tried to cool the tension in the room.
Itachi Uchiha was always a tense subject for them. The first time there was a vote pertaining him, the vigilante was suspended from the Team. Then weeks later he came into the Cave barely breathing and on the edge of death all because he was forced to fight a two-on-one fight that wouldn't have happened if he were never suspended. Canary, along with Artemis, tore the League a new one after that happened. They learned that the enemy is watching and waiting to catch Itachi alone so that they can attempt to kill him. It only took Itachi almost dying for them to learn that painful lesson. Hopefully, things can end differently this time but Oliver always knew that things rarely ended happily in the real world.
Itachi and James were both back in Gotham. Their objective was clear: save Carson from Wrath. The only problem was finding out where Carson actually was. The only person who knows that is Carla so they rushed over to her house to get that information.
Carla was currently running around her house in a rush to get ready to head out for the football game. She was late because she had to visit her husband, Phil. Even though she hated what he did to Carson and James when he sold them out to Black Mask, there was still a part of her that was still in love with him. She just couldn't let that go no matter how hard she tried to. It was good to see that he was still in good spirits. The judge was lenient on his sentence because of his years as a police officer and because he had so much intel on the rest of Black Mask's operations that he was cut a deal in time served.
They only talked for ten minutes and it was filled with tension. When she asked him why he did it he just simply said that it was for her. She hated hearing that but accepted his answer. Phil asked if she was going to file for divorce. Carla didn't really have a reply and just answered by saying that she didn't know yet. The two went their separate ways after his time was up and she drove back to her house all the way from Blackgate. The drive took longer than normal because of traffic because of the football game. There are going to be thousands of people attending so the streets were completely filled to the brim.
Carla made it back but she knew that with traffic she was going to be late to the start of the game. Just when she was about to walk out the door Itachi and James walked through the door and spooked Carla. She asked them what was going on after she got her bearing back.
"Why are you two here? Itachi, Carson already left to meet you for your little love confession spot. Don't have her waiting too long." Carla teased. Itachi let out a heavy breath of frustration.
"Carla, you need to tell us where Carson went. She's in grave danger." James frantically said.
"She's supposed to be with him. I'm confused. What's going on and I want the whole truth." Carla said as the look on James' face was starting to scare her. Itachi clarified the situation for her.
"Carla, a clone of me was created. The man responsible for the deaths of all of those people in the Gotham Cathedral attack is my clone, Wrath. He's an exact copy of me and is very dangerous." Itachi explained.
"So you're telling me that the person that's been in my home…who's been spending time getting close to Carson…is Wrath? The mass murderer Wrath? But that means Carson is with Wrath now. Oh my God. He's going to kill her!" Carla said as tears began to flow from her eyes.
"He's not going to hurt her because I'm going to be there to stop him. Tell me where he's having Carson meet him, please." Itachi implored. Carla wrote down the address and gave it to Itachi. She didn't know where the address exactly was, but she just assumed it was some secret romance place for Itachi and Carson. Now she's scared that it may end up being the address to Carson's grave.
"That's one of the entrances to Gotham's catacombs. But why is he having her go down there? I guess it doesn't really matter at this point. Come on, let's go James." Itachi said as he turned to leave. James went to put Carla at ease first before leaving, "Don't worry. We won't let that psycho hurt Carson. You should probably stay inside and lock your doors. He knows where you live now."
"Okay, please be careful. All of you had better come back alive." Carla demanded.
James and Itachi left out and started to head to the location. Itachi stopped and turned to look towards Chinatown much to James' frustration.
"What are you doing?! Carson is in danger and unless we get there in time, we just might lose her! So why are you stopping?!" James yelled frantically.
"I need to go somewhere first. I'll meet you there." Itachi said as disappeared in smoke before James could respond. James growled in frustration before heading off to the location of Wrath and Carson. He prayed that whatever Itachi had to do was quick because he didn't know if he could ever forgive himself if Wrath somehow hurt Carson.
Itachi walked into the Chinatown Mask Shop for the first time in what felt like forever. He wanted to make sure that Wrath didn't do anything to Ms. Yumi while he was away. She may be his guardian, but Itachi still felt responsible for her and wanted to protect her just like Carson.
He stepped into her room and saw she was reading over a note. She looked up at the young Uchiha and gave him the biggest smile he'd ever seen from her. She got up and hugged him to which he happily returned.
"My child, it's so good to see you again. It's been weeks since we last met. No word, no message, I came back from picking up a mask storage to an empty home. Then this Wrath person murders thousands of people and three weeks go by before I see you again. You don't see a problem with that?" Ms. Yumi said while chastising him.
"I know. I'm sorry for worrying you. Things just kept happening one after another and it just wasn't safe for me to be in Gotham." Itachi explained.
"Is everything alright? You seem distressed." She noted.
"It's Wrath. You see, he's my clone. He's dead set on avenging what I did to the Uchiha clan. It's why he killed all of those people in the cathedral. He's deranged and dangerous. Wrath blames the world for what happens and aims to change it with blood. He's threatened those close to me and even has Carson in his grip. I'm going to go try and save her. I just wanted to make sure he didn't hurt you before I left." Itachi explained.
"Oh my poor child. I'm so sorry you've had to go through this. The world has an ugly habit of making people only see the worse in it. I believe it's trying to do that to you by bringing Wrath to existence. Don't let him take you back into the darkness Itachi." Ms. Yumi begged.
"It's too late for that. My mistake was deceiving myself into believing that I could be redeemed from my past. I made friends, good friends, I tried to save people with my gifts instead of lying and killing them, but all that has come from it has been nothing but death. I don't know what the Sage of Six paths saw in me. I'm no hero." Itachi lamented.
"Stop that brooding and stop attacking yourself. You are a hero. You've saved the people of this city countless times and I know that you will do it again. This world may be cruel, but that'll only change with kindness from people like you. Wrath is the embodiment of the darkness in your heart. He is the very part of yourself that you hate. You have to forgive yourself. It's the only way to become who you are meant to be." She advised.
"Why do you believe in me so much? All I've ever done is fail the ones I love the most." Itachi sadly said.
"Because Itachi…I care about you like you were my own son. That is what you mean to me. Itachi Uchiha…my son." She said as sincerely as she could. Itachi was almost moved to tears by her words.
"Thank you. You don't know what that means to me. I'm going to leave now to get Carson and end this nightmare. Please stay safe while I'm gone." Itachi said as they hugged one last time.
"I'll be waiting for your return. Don't let the hate consume you. The Uchiha's are infamous for letting their love turn to hate and allowing it to devour them. The person who wins this fight between you and Wrath will be the person who is finally able to let go of their hatred. The world is counting on you." She said as she released him from the hug.
"I won't let you down. You've been like a mother to me. After the massacre, I thought that I had lost my mother forever. But I still feel her love for me. I feel it in you and you will never know how much that means to me…what you mean to me. I won't let you down." Itachi said before disappearing.
Ms. Yumi gave a sad smile and shed a tear from his words. She truly hoped that Itachi wins this fight, 'You could never let me down. I'm more scared of what will happen if you feel like you let yourself down.'
Carson was currently in catacombs with who she still believed was Itachi, but in reality she was walking with his clone, Wrath. They had been walking through there because Wrath had something important he wanted Carson to hear and he felt this place was the best place to hear it. As they walked, Carson began to notice that the air got colder and colder around her. With the torch Wrath had she could clearly see the decayed skeletons that were embedded into the wall.
"Itachi, what is this place? I never knew you were into skulls." She reluctantly said.
"This is where Gotham began. It was literally built over these catacombs to become the thriving city it is today. Here we are." Wrath said as they walked into a room. They had been walking for what felt like forever so Carson was glad to finally be at their final destination. She was just bummed that she was missing part of the football game.
"This had better be good. I'm missing the big game for this. I hope you appreciate me for this." Carson said as Wrath smiled at her. She noted that the room they were in looked like it was a work study of some kind. It had chairs, a desk, and all kinds of books here.
"You could never know how much I appreciate you. Come on, take a seat." Wrath said as they sat down after Wrath lit the lights of the room up. Wrath noted how good Carson looked in his head. She had on a maroon polo shirt on with a pair of tight-fitted blue jeans on. Her hair was straight and she had just the slightest touch of make-up on. She was truly beautiful to him. He felt bad for only coming here in ha plain button up shirt with an open trench coat and khaki's. He had an armband on his left arm that had the Uchiha crest on it.
"You look beautiful Carson. Thank you for coming." Wrath said. The dim lights in the room were just bright enough to show her blushing at his complement.
"T-Thanks. You look handsome yourself. So…what is it that you wanted to tell me? Something about how you really feel." She started as she subconsciously scooted her chair closer to Wrath's.
"You once told me that you wanted to be with me and that I made you happy. Did you mean it? Do you still feel that way about me?" He asked in a sign of vulnerability.
"Of course I do. Is that what this is about? You dork." She said teasing him. Wrath smiled at her response, "Good, so what would you say if I told you that I love you?"
Carson gasped and stared at him. She had no idea where he was taking this, "You…love me? I…I don't know what to say?"
"Say something," Wrath implored of her. She still was speechless. She waited a long time to hear Itachi say those words, but to hear it come out now and so bluntly was surprising. Wrath thought that she had rejected him and began to get up to walk away when she grabbed hold of his hand to keep him in place.
"I'd respond by saying what took you so long you dork." She said with tears of joy in her eyes. Wrath pulled her close to him as they embraced each other. Then Carson took it to another step as she leaned her head up to kiss him on the lips. At first the kiss was short and sweet, but eventually they deepened it and let out all of the compassion they had been holding back this entire time. When they were done, both of them were breathless. Just then, loud cheering erupted and brought Carson out of her euphoric gaze.
"What was that?" She asked with confusion. Wrath smiled at her confused look, "That would be the crowd cheering because the Knights just scored. We're standing directly underneath the football stadium. We're just behind where the halftime show is going to play in a few minutes."
"How did you find out about this place? That's amazing," She exclaimed with joy. Wrath loved how exited she was, "I just didn't want you to miss the game. You had been talking about it all week long so I looked for a place to confess my feelings for you with privacy while you're still able to enjoy the game. What do you think?"
"You're the best for this," She hugged him again. He loved having her body close to his. She coughed and separated before asking him a serious question, "So…are we like together now?"
"I am yours and you are mine," He responded. She smiled at his response. Carson wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his face down to hers, "Kiss me again." She whispered.
They shared another kiss as the crowd above kept cheering. Wrath wanted to stay like this forever, but he knew that this moment was unfortunately only temporary. Wrath was sad because he knew how this would end, 'Please forgive me for what's about to happen. You don't deserve any of this. I just hope that one day you understand why it had to be like this.'
Itachi caught up with James just outside of the entrance into the catacombs. He could tell that the James was angry for waiting, but Itachi explained his desire to check on Ms. Yumi and James reluctantly let it go.
"Let's just save my sister already…" James said as they ran through into the dark tunnels. It was a race against time for the two of them. Luckily they didn't have to go through the trouble of figuring out where to go because of the lights that were lit. Itachi leered behind his mask at this, "Wrath wants us to find him. Stay alert, James."
"Yeah I kinda figured that. How are we going to get Carson out of there?" James asked as he wanted to know what the plan is.
"Wrath won't try to harm her. She's just bait that he could use to lure me back into the city. I'm the real target of his ire. Wrath also knows that I'd attack the moment he tried to pull something. The only thing I can't account for is why he chose here to be out battleground. He must have an advantage here but I still don't know what that is." Itachi said with frustration.
"Well you need to think faster because my sister's life is on the line." James chided. James struggled to keep up with the shinobi even though he could tell that Itachi was holding back a significant amount of his true speed. James began to soften his stance, "Why did you let me tag along? How come you didn't blame me for creating Wrath? I deserve it…"
"Blaming you wouldn't have done anything. You did what you felt was right at the time. Though it wound up being a horrible decision that cost a lot of people their lives, I know that it came from your desire to see the world become a better place. It's just unfortunate that you feel like that could only happen if I wasn't in it. As to why you're here with me; my teammates are at the football game right now and the Justice League are in space and out of contact with me. I need someone to be there so that when Wrath and I fight, they can get Carson to safety. It's not too late for you to still be a hero of this story. Just trust me." Itachi implored.
"I see why Carson is so enamored with you. You do have some redeeming qualities, but I still believe that the world is a better place without you in it. I'll help you for now but only for Carson and because I feel responsible for all of the death caused by Wrath. He is the product of both of us, so it only makes sense that it's us that defeats him." James admitted.
"Good, I can feel his presence. We're getting close. Just wait for my signal to grab her and then run for it as fast as possible." Itachi ordered. James nodded his head as the two of them saw light emitting from a doorway. The sprinted into it and saw a sight that they wished they could both forget.
They walked in on Carson and Wrath as they were kissing. The two broke the kiss when James and Itachi walked in. Itachi removed his Crow mask and revealed his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Wrath responded showing his own Mangekyo Sharingan. There was only one difference between the two Uchiha members; Wrath had Carson in his immediate vicinity and Itachi did not. They both knew that Wrath had the advantage and Itachi responded by deactivating his Sharingan.
Carson had a confused look on her face as she looked at the second Itachi that just walked into the room. She also saw her brother with him with further confused her. She turned to Wrath to voice her confusion, "Itachi what's going on? Who is that and why does he look just like you?"
"Get away from him, Carson! That's not Itachi. That's his clone, Wrath, and he plans on using you to hurt him." James shouted.
Carson had a shocked look on her face. She turned to Wrath to see if her brother's accusations were true and the next words that came from Wrath confirmed it for her, "And so it has begun. It's good to see you again, Itachi. I sincerely mean that. I'm glad that you finally made it back home. I have questions for you so please have a seat."
"James is telling the truth? You're…Wrath?" Carson asked with fear and heartbreak in her voice. She was afraid because a homicidal killer was in the room with two of the men she loved more than anything. And she was afraid because the both of those men just witnessed her kiss this killer. She wanted to crawl into a ball and die when she saw Itachi's face. She had no idea what to say.
"I'm not sitting down. Let Carson go so that we can get this fight over with." Itachi ordered. Wrath responded by shrugging and taking a seat himself, "I'm not letting Carson go. She deserves to hear this. Earlier I told her that she would hear the true feelings of Itachi Uchiha, I'm a man of my word."
"What do you want?!" James demanded. Wrath had a stoic look on his face as he began to talk, "I bet you're thinking of some grand and elaborate plan to stop me. Just stop wasting your time, Itachi. I only want to talk. Now, if you really want to fight we can do that but I don't think you'll like where that ends."
Itachi started to notice black sparks of electricity being emitted from Wrath and realized that it was from traces of his Susanoo beginning to form. Wrath smiled at the realization dawning on Itachi's face, "Do you know where we're at?"
"We're in the Gotham Catacombs. Why did you choose here?" Itachi asked.
"Because this is the graveyard of the slaves who built this wonderfully corrupt city. The resting place of the dead, oppressed souls that suffered at the hands of man. Out of sight and mind from the public. This way they never have to acknowledge the horrible acts they committed against them. It is for these souls that I fight because if I don't, nobody will." Wrath answered.
"I thought you wanted the whole world to see when you defeated me and killed me in the most excruciatingly painful way possible." Itachi said while jabbing at him.
"I said that, didn't I? Forget I said that. I was being rash and ignorant. I only wish to talk to you. Besides, don't you realize where exactly we are?" Wrath said. Itachi didn't know how to take that. He was still trying to figure out what game Wrath was trying to play.
"Hello, people of Gotham! How are you enjoying this wonderful game tonight?!" They all heard from above. Itachi and James both gave each other a look of confusion. Wrath simply smiled as he pointed to the chair across from him.
"You sure you don't want to have a seat? You won't be able to enjoy the great halftime show otherwise. We have the best seats of the whole stadium. We're sitting right underneath the rear lower bowl section of the stadium. Aren't your friends sitting there? Interesting, don't you think? It's so loud up there too. Not even the half-kryptonian could hear us. The Martian wouldn't be able to help either will all of the thoughts of thousands of people possibly flooding her mind. Only you can find yourself surrounded by thousands of people and still wind up being all alone, right Itachi?" Wrath noted as more black traces of electricity started to emit from his body.
Itachi got his subtle message; do as I say or I will cave in this catacomb and murder your friends. Itachi knew that summoning a Susanoo down here would kill a lot of people in that stadium and put many more in danger, including his friends. Itachi reluctantly acquiesced to Wrath's suggestion and sat down across from him. Wrath still had Carson close by him so Itachi was still at his mercy. She couldn't even look him in the eye. That's how embarrassed and hurt she was from being used like this.
"How could you use me like that? You manipulated my feelings like some toy or something. You made me feel loved. That's…so cruel." Carson sadly said. Wrath gave her a sad look in return.
"It's true. I did manipulate your feelings of love to my advantage…just like how Itachi manipulated our brother's feelings of love to his advantage. I see why he did it now. You were a great help in getting Itachi to come back to Gotham. Itachi used our brother to his own advantage as he betrayed him and murdered our parents and entire family. Isn't that right, Itachi?" Wrath asked.
Carson was shocked to hear this. She saw the distraught look on Itachi's face as he turned to face her. It was the first time since he walked in that they saw eye to eye with each other. She asked him if what Wrath said was true. Itachi looked in shame as he spoke next, "It's true. I did use him to my advantage. I hurt him like how you hurt Carson. And used him to help further my own agendas."
"Recently, we have been shaken to our core by the threats of a madman by the name of Wrath. He has murdered our men, our women, and our children. He's even murdered those sworn to protect us in his tirade to enforce fear upon us. Wrath is easily the greatest evil the world has ever faced. If we let him continue on like this then he won't stop until he eradicates our very way of life. We must act now!" The mayor of Gotham announced as he addressed the people in attendance. The whole world is watching so they can see Gotham fight back against Wrath with unity and decisiveness.
"The mayor is right. I'm the bad guy who plans on laying waste to your very way of life. It's ironic because when I first woke up, I thought you were the bad guy Itachi. That night I've relived since I first could remember…the night you massacred our entire family for a lie. I've always wondered why they all had to die. It's not like the women and children would have chosen to fight back when they knew they were on the losing side, but you decided that they had to die anyways. Why…why did so many people have to die by your blade Itachi? I just couldn't understand why I had to see my mother and father get butchered like cattle by their own son." Wrath stated.
The room was filled with tension. Carson didn't know how to react to hearing that the man she loved murdered his entire family. She could tell by the guilty look on his face that it was eating at him. Itachi steeled his face as he responded, "I was given a mission by Danzo. My reward was Sasuke being spared. I had to end the civil war before it began. I wanted to save the world from itself."
"I guess if you did it for those reasons, then you didn't really have much of a choice. But was Sasuke spared? Did the civil war end?" Wrath asked curiously. Itachi shook his head, "No, I failed in both ventures. Isn't that why you're here to kill me now?"
"I don't want to kill you, not anymore. The more I think about it, the more I realize how little of a choice you had. It basically came down to the Uchiha making themselves enemies of Sasuke's life. When they did that, the rest was out of your control. I hated you for that. I thought it was the screwed up world, but then I wound up living in that screwed up world. I've met people, good people, that aren't any different from you, I, or and of the Uchiha. They're just born to different last names. I've slept under the enemy's roof, eaten meals with them, and I even fell in love with one of them just like you have. Like you, I truly love Carson and I'm sorry for using her love to help hurt other people. I'm basically doing the same thing you did all those years ago. I'm a hypocrite if I hated you anymore." Wrath admitted to Itachi's shock.
Carson looked at the ground in shame when he said he fell in love. She hated the look of hurt on Itachi's face when he saw them kissing and hoped that he would forgive her for it. Wrath looked between James and Carson before speaking next, "Whether it's defending one's village, clan, or loved ones; we are all the same. We just want to live in our own ideal world."
"You speak of feelings of love and understanding, yet you murder innocent people and hold others hostage. You're scum Wrath and you know it." James said as he insulted the clone.
"If I'm scum, then what does that make you? While you were off in a dark hole conspiring to destroy the Justice League, I was off making real, tangible change with the Suicide Massacre and the Cathedral Catastrophe. Besides, you were the one who created me. In a way, you are just as responsible for all of those people dying as I am. Believe it or not I didn't want to kill all of those people. Just the corrupt ones who let innocent children like Cassandra be tortured and raped by men like the Dollmaker. That church helped to facilitate their suffering and had to burn for it along with its corrupt leadership. Everyone else was just collateral damage that I wished I could have avoided. I got no pleasure from the innocent women and children I killed that night. I'll live with their deaths for the rest of my life...and so will you James." Wrath responded.
Carson's head turned to her brother after hearing that. To find out the church she went to was doing something so deplorable was sickening to her. But what hurt even worse was what Wrath implied about her brother, "Please, please tell me he's lying and you didn't really create this monster? James, tell me he's lying!"
"…he's not lying. I used a sample of Itachi's blood to create him so that we could use him to defend against the metahumans. We couldn't control him though. I never meant for any of this to happen." James said while trying to defend himself.
"But why? What was the point of it? What were you trying to achieve?" Carson asked.
"Isn't it obvious? Carson, James is in love with you. You're not his blood sister, you both know that. Somewhere down the line he stopped viewing you as his sister and started viewing you as his potential lover. You're basically best friends. When Itachi came around, and James saw how strongly you felt about him, he let his jealousy and rage get the better of him and thus I was born. He tried to tell himself it was to save the world, but in the end he's just as selfish and a liar as he claims I am. He's known that I've been impersonating Itachi for a week and yet he said nothing. So I guess that makes him a coward on top of everything else." Wrath stated to everyone's surprise.
"Is…is that true?" Carson reluctantly asked. James nodded in shame. Carson had no idea what to react to more; the fact that her brother created the very being that wants to kill the man she's in love with or the fact that her brother wants to be the man she's in love with. Wrath normally would have been entertained by this, but he only felt sorrow for her having to find out this way, "I'm sorry you had to find out like this. But the world is as cruel as me and Itachi say it is."
"When I came to discover this, I truly started to understand you Itachi. You must have been in so much pain for all of this time. Holding in this much guilt and sorrow is too much for any man to handle. Now that I'm in the position that you were in all those years ago, I can finally understand you." Wrath said sadly to Itachi.
"Why are you doing all of this? What's the point? I thought you hated me, but now you're saying you understand me. First you wanted to fight, but now you want to talk? Which is it?" Itachi asked.
"I just want to make the world a better place. We both do. All of this time, we were basically fighting for the same thing but on different sides. I-," Carson cut him off, "You're wrong! You're all wrong! Killing people won't make the world better; it'll only repeat everything that you think is wrong with it. We have to stop with all of the deaths and lies and talk to each other! Keeping secrets and holding in our true feelings is how this whole mess started. I won't even pretend to understand half of any of this. All I do know is that I'm sick of this tragic hero mess from all of you! You don't have to be as cruel as the world you live in, can't you all see that?"
"Wrath…just let them go. I'll let you kill me and get this over with if you let them go. I don't want to see another loved one disappear. She's right, enough people have died because of the Uchiha. Let this end finally." Itachi begged of his clone.
"I beg of everyone who is watching this, please help me save the world! Join me in this fight against this evil man who wished to see all of us dead. Wrath doesn't know who he's messing with. If you mess with one of us, then you gotta deal with all of us!" The Mayor said as the crowd cheered at him.
Wrath smiled at the man's words as he stood up from his chair. He released his grip on Carson and she immediately ran to Itachi's side. Itachi gave his clone a confused look as to why he gave Carson up so easily. Wrath offered Itachi his hand, "I only want to protect Carson. She's safer with you than me. Stand up, Itachi."
"I know the world must resolve its issues before uniting against Wrath, but I know we can do it. Let's show him that the world is going to beat him and his foolish ideals." The Mayor declared. Wrath smiled at the corrupt leader's words. Wrath knew that the Mayor was just as corrupt as everyone else. He's the one that implemented the unpopular laws that allowed serial killers like The Penguin and Joker to keep getting out because he knew that the people would turn to him for guidance in how to capture them. Supervillains were his one-way ticket to re-elections so he jumped at this opportunity to use Wrath to further his campaign. After this he'd be set for life. Too bad Wrath had other plans.
"You want to protect Carson too. You and I are very much alike. I am your clone so I guess that I shouldn't be too surprised. Though, now I think of you as more of a brother than a template like before. So, big brother, don't you see it too. How similar we are? The love we feel, the darkness we walk to protect it, the guilt of the deaths at our hands, and the possibility of redemption. We both want to change the world for the better and could care less about being a hero to do it. We only do what must be done. It's our father's will passed down to us. He too did what was needed when he accepted the clan's plan because he truly thought it would make the world a better place for his little boys to grow up in it." Wrath said as Itachi reluctantly reciprocated Wrath's outreached hand.
"I, Hamilton Hill, will be the first to join the call for justice for all of those people that were murdered on that night. Please, follow my lead! Let us finally work towards true peace in our world. It will finally be our world once again! And to you Wrath, I have a personal message!" The Mayor began.
"I think it was meant to be this way between us, Itachi. It all began with a choice to tell a lie, so let's end it with a choice to tell the truth. You and I both know that we were born for this. Both agents of change. The only difference between us is the change we chose to fight for. No one willingly chooses to fight in a war of blood, it's forced upon us. Just like with you and father, we too are on opposite sides and forced to fight. But unlike father…and unlike you…I won't stop and doubt myself. Father saw someone he loved, someone he would have to kill in you Itachi order for his change to be achieved, and lost his way. You saw someone you love, someone you would have to kill in Sasuke in order to change the world and cleanse it from the hatred of the Uchiha, but you too lost your way. I see Carson, someone you and I both love and someone I'd have to kill to see my change achieved, but I won't lose my way. The people I've killed deserve to see me follow this through to the end, or else it would have all been for nothing. The oppressed and tortured souls of the dead deserve justice. I will change the world for the better. I will keep moving forward…until all of my enemies are dead." Wrath declared.
Itachi helplessly looked on as Wrath started to emit a black light from his body. Itachi turned to Carson, who was still close by and trembling, and James as he had a look of fear on his face too. Wrath was starting to form his Susanoo.
"Itachi!"
"Carson!"
The room was caved in as Wrath's Susanoo started to form and grow at an explosive rate, leaving Itachi with little time to react. Their fates were all unknown.
Topside, the Mayor was at the climax of his speech. The members of the Team were actually enjoying themselves, even Zatanna. Conner was distracted because he could swear that he just head people scream, and not in the fun excited way. These screams were in the terrified kind of way. He was about to inform his teammates when the Mayor continued his address.
"Wrath, on this day, I officially declare that as of this moment! For the lives lost on that fateful day by your cowardly attack. We declare-" The Mayor was cut off by as the world bared witness to something truly horrible.
Before Conner could alert his friends of the rumbling ground beneath them, the entire section that they were sitting at was reduced to rubble by the emergence of Wrath's Susanoo. In a fit of power and rage, Wrath finished what the Mayor meant to say, "WAR!"
Knowing that the entire world was watching thanks to all of the video cameras, Wrath's Susanoo let out a monstrous war cry as it completely flattened the stage the Mayor was on with its hardened fist, killing the halftime band that was behind him along with the countless people that died when it emerged from the catacombs and obliterated everything in its path.
It then lifted the Mayor's mangled corpse high up in the air for all to see and summoned a gigantic Shinigami Scythe that bisected the man in front of the entire world. The stadium was now filled with screams of terror. It then turned to the other government officials in the skyboxes and used its scythe to slaughter all of them by swipe across the whole arena. When the deed was done, the Shinigami Scythe was covered in blood and mangled body parts as the Susanoo roared with rage. It eyed the several more thousands of scrambling people it could kill now that Itachi was taken care of.
"I held my end of the bargain and spared these people until our fight. Well our fight has begun! So come stop me if you can Itachi!" Wrath yelled as he continued his rampage on the city of Gotham.
"If there are no other ideas, here are the candidates for new or continued member ship; Doctor Fate, Captain Marvel, Icon, Atom, Plastic Man, Blue Devil, Red Arrow, The Crow, Rocket, and all members of the Team." Superman said as he listed the names off.
"We've debated origin, gender, size, experience, age, temperament, and background. But what are the fundamental criteria for membership?" Batman started.
"When all is said and done, the question must be whom do we trust. Trust to fight beside us. Trust to have our backs. Trust to uphold the high standards and ideals of the Justice League." Wonder Woman added.
"Time to vote..." The League members all went through the list and voted yes or no on all of the candidates. When it was all done, Batman made sure everything was ratified, "All those in favor of ratifying the results say I."
"I!" Everyone in the chamber said.
"All opposed," No one challenged the results so that meant the meeting was over, "Then we are adjourned."
They all were about to leave when an emergency broadcast was played in front of them. They all watched in horror as Wrath emerged from the ground like the devil himself and with his Susanoo already activated. They saw countless people get crushed and killed by his emergence. Then they witnessed him murder the Mayor of Gotham, popstar Matt Braun and his band, and all of Mayor Hill's cabinet members along with whomever else was in the skyboxes with them. What started as a ray of hope and unity has now become a place of death and blood.
"We have to go, now!" Superman ordered as everyone headed towards the Javelin so that they could fight against Wrath. Before they could get it up and running a huge fire blast completely destroyed all of the spaceships. The Masked Stranger was there to impede their progress.
"Hello, nice to meet you. I'm the Masked Stranger you've all heard nothing about. I thought it was time I introduced myself. I picked the perfect day too. The day Wrath decided to change the world." The Stranger said.
"This is a secure facility in space. How did you get here?" Batman demanded. He was furious that not only was his city under attack again, but now he had to figure out how this villain found a way onto the Watchtower.
"Oh, well I was invited in. Simple as that." The Stanger said while dropping in front of the Leaguers. Red lightning was already emitting from the stranger's fists. Wonder Woman was in no mood for games, "Step aside and we'll apprehend you mercifully."
"We're going to that city to stop that madman. Now move!" John Stewart ordered.
"You're not going anywhere. Your opponent is me. It's a good thing we're in space because now the people of Earth won't have to hear you scream like how their heard that Mayor scream before he died. Now come!"
The Justice League was now occupied with the Mask Stranger. The Team's status is unknown because they were in the middle of the rubble Wrath caused when he emerged from the ground. Itachi, Carson and James are in the same boat because they were underground when the attack began. The war had begun and Wrath just threw the first strike. Who will be there to challenge him before he kills more people? While everyone was occupied with their individual fights, a hand emerged from the rubble in the stadium symbolizing the first one to rise up and challenge Wrath. But who does that hand belong to?
That's it for this chapter! It was a long one but I'm happy with the results. There was a whole lot to unpack in this chapter. Wrath tricked Carson into bringing Itachi to Gotham and they all fell into his plan. Have to feel bad for her. She just wants to a normal life. Also there's the revelation of James' feelings. And Itachi walking in on her kissing Wrath had to sting. The war has begun and the bad guys have struck first. Wrath just went straight up slaughtered that Mayor. The Justice League now has to face the Mask Stranger too! I can't wait to get started on writing the response of the heroes. Thanks for all of the love of last chapter. You guys are the best! Keep showing love by hitting follow, favorite, or write a review/PM. Some heavy action chapters are coming up next so stay posted. Until next time guys and gals!