Itachi woke with a start as something bounced off his head. He heard a few more bounces beside him and saw the culprit had been a small rubber ball.
"Morning." Sasori said walking past him now wearing a simple white shirt and sweatpants. Itachi grabbed the ball off the floor and looked over towards the redhead annoyed.
"Don't give me that. You're lucky I didn't just slit your throat." Sasori replied sensing the look as he moved towards the door. Itachi rubbed his eyes and groaned as he tried to fully wake himself up drowning out the sounds of conversation that Sasori seemed to be having. When he opened his eyes again, the red haired puppeteer had returned to his sight with a square cardboard box with the letters PIZZA on it which he then threw onto a nearby table. "Breakfast."
Itachi looked confused but the hunger he had quickly drowned it out. He opened the box and after inspecting the rather strange looking food took a piece. The explosion of flavor he tasted nearly threw him to the ground. "Wow."
"It doesn't look like much, but its got some flavor to it." Sasori agreed pulling a large plastic bottle filled with a dark brown liquid from the fridge. "You want a drink?"
"Water, thank you." Itachi replied before taking another bite. Sasori nodded as he poured the liquid into his cup before grabbing another and heading over to the sink. When he came back, Itachi had started on his third slice.
"Hungry eh?"
"It's good." Itachi replied finishing off another bite. "So what happens now?"
"I don't have a clue." Sasori admitted taking a seat. "I had almost given up hope on finding anyone else here. But with you here now, I'm wondering if the others are here as well."
"The rest of the Akatsuki?"
"Yes. If the both of us died yet again, It's stands to reason there's a possibility that the rest of us who were reanimated suffered the same fate."
"Even so, there's no good reason to say that they are here as well." Itachi pointed out. "Some of us weren't exactly subtle in nature."
"I'm aware. And even if they are, who's to say no one else came with them." Sasori said drinking the liquid that was fizzing in his cup of his. "Which if that's the case, that's going to raise no small amount of concern."
"Amongst whom?" Itachi asked leaning back into his chair.
"How much do you know about the wider world?" Sasori asked.
Itachi shrugged his shoulders, giving Sasori his answer.
"As expected." Sasori replied shifting his eye upward. "Come with me." He ordered closing the box of pizza. Itachi followed him up the stairs and through the open door. He didn't hide yet another confused look at what lied in side it. Rows of ancient looking objects were scattered upon shelves all around the large room upon what looked like home made shelves. The shelves filled all four walls of the room save for a large window that led to a metal deck on the outside. The only other objects in the room besides that were stashed behind a waist high granite table that blocked off another door and a completely glassed up shelf of doll sized puppets.
"Mind the antiques." Sasori ordered again as he leaped over table.
"You run a shop?" Itachi asked.
"It's a living." Sasori grumbled as he reached behind a rather bland looking on the shelf right behind him. Itachi thought he heard a small clicking noise and was soon surprised when one of the shelves slid into the one beside it and another door appeared in its place. As Sasori took the boxes to through the door behind his desk Itachi walked to the newer opening. It opened to a narrow flight of stairs that went up to what Itachi guessed was the third level of the building.
Once there he was greeted with multitude of lights each emitting from about twelve different screens of various size. Dozens of people would pop up onto the screens as well, talk for a bit then vanish to show presumably what each was talking about. All in all, it caused Itachi to take a step back, right into Sasori.
"A bit off putting isn't it?" Sasori asked moving pushing him aside and moving to a single chair that sat right in the middle of all the chaotic screens. "I'll admit it took a me a good time to get used too."
"What are these?"
"Television sets, computers, radios, anything and everything I could get my hands on that keeps me tuned into the world around me." Sasori said.
"Are all these things happening at the same time?" Itachi asked astonished at the sheer volume of what he saw as he eyes dashed from one screen to another.
"Some are more recent than others. You'll find that this world isn't exactly short on anarchy." Sasori replied as he began furiously tapping on the keyboard on his laptop. "And this is just the stuff that is allowed to be viewed by the public. What the people are not allowed to see, that's where things really get interesting." Sasori said forming a rather creepy smile.
Itachi moved over to see what he meant but not before his eyes lingered on yet another screen as a red blur flew past the screen. Sasori looked to see what was keeping the Uchiha and chuckled at the sight of Itachi's seemingly growing confusion at one particular figure. "Ah, but first you'd like a proper schooling in the world of Superheroes?"
"That would probably the wisest choice before I do anything else." Itachi replied with a nod.
"Right." Sasori sighed. Before turning his chair towards him. "I think the best way to explain it would be starting with the big one. He's called Superman."
A new screen caught Itachi's attention as did the figure that it showed. A well muscled man with slicked back black hair, perfectly white smile, a hefty chin, and the strangest clothes Itachi had seen that accompanied a bright red cape. "So who is he?"
Clark couldn't hide a smile as he locked the door to his apartment and picked up his suitcase. What could he say, he was going home for Christmas. Was it cheesy? Oh unbelievably so, but was that never a bad thing as far as he was concerned. If anything people could stand for a little more cheese in their life. Especially the woman who greeted him at the bottom floor of the building.
"Took you long enough Smallvile."
"Hey, had to to double check everything." Clark defended as he adjusted his glasses.
"Can't risk forgetting your cowboy toothbrush huh?"
"It's a collectors item." Clark replied with a wink as he tossed his stuff into he trunk of the cab.
"You're hopeless you know that?" Lois asked not hiding a smile.
"Yep glad to see you decided to actually follow through."
"Hey, I'm a woman of my word." Lois replied. "You got the Pulitzer, and now I'm roughing it in the boonies for the holidays."
"Tell me you actually had plans." Clark said closing the trunk. Lois gave her response in a raised finger. Clark laughed and moved back over to her. "Trust me, Smallville isn't as bad of a place as you think."
"I'm not worried its going to be bad Kent. Just that it's going to be boring."
"Oh right, can't have you be bored. You might actually have to do something else besides chase after monsters or aliens fighting giant robots."
"Mock me all you want." Lois replied with a shrug. "But that's just how I am. I can't stand cheesy things like smalltown Christmases or….. you know, you."
"I know." Clark replied opening the door for her. "And that's why I'll have a good time changing your mind."
Lois looked at the door than back to Clark who just smirked down at her. She tried her best to fight a chuckle before stepping into the cab. Clark closed the door behind her and practically skipped over to his side of the taxi.
"I'm gonna have this guy run you over if you keep doing that." Lois said to him as he got in.
"Please. You love it."
"So to sum up he's easily the most powerful among them. Though he also has the biggest conscious so that could be exploitable."
"Exploitable?" Itachi asked with an edge to his voice.
"If it comes to it. Only fools fail to consider every option." Sasori clarified tilting his head seemingly amused by Itachi's hesitation. Itachi reluctantly nodded in agreement.
"Fair enough I suppose."
"You seem like your under the impression that I want to cause harm to these people." Sasori replied rubbing his neck. " On the contrary, I do my best to avoid them.
"Why's that?" Itachi asked.
"Not long after I first arrive here, I had an encounter with a member of the Bat family that resides here in this city. Called himself Batman." Sasori's calm eyes briefly shifted to anger before flashing back to normal.
"What were you doing?"
"Surviving…." Sasori replied with a slight edge to his voice that implied not to question him about it further. "Long story short, if Superman is the most powerful, Batman is the most dangerous."
Itachi listened with intent as Sasori described the notoriously dark and brooding Dark Knight of Gotham.
"Isn't that kind of rude?"
"Rude?" Bruce asked blowing on his newly poured coffee.
"Well yeah, I mean you basically up and leave when their in the middle of talking to you. Doesn't' that seem rude to you?"
Bruce didn't respond instead opting to to drink as Alfred gave a small smile towards young Tim who sat at the opposite end of the table as he sipped his own cup of tea.
"True. But master Bruce has never particularly cared about the opinions of others."
Bruce turned his famous glare over towards his old friend who returned it in almost equal measure. "I changed your diapers sir, no look you give me is going to intimidate me." Bruce sighed as Alfred took off into the kitchen and Tim got himself a good laugh.
"Look, all I'm saying is maybe you could benefit from not trying to be such a hardass. At least not to the people who help you." Tim continued after calming down
"Any other advice?" Bruce asked, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
"No, just a question." Tim replied his voice growing curious. "What happened between you and Dick?"
"Alfred, when's that meeting with the board again?" Bruce quickly asked eager to change the subject.
"About an hour sir." Alfred answered just as quickly causing Tim to huff in annoyance.
"Best we get moving then." Bruce said suddenly getting up and straightening his tie. He looked over to the still seated Tim. "And did you actually do what I asked you to do."
"Who do you think I am?" Tim asked back just as Bruce Wayne began to move towards the Manor's exit. "I checked the shipping container that had all that weird clay cubes, if I had to guess I'd say it was from Japan."
"My thoughts exactly." Bruce agreed
"So what do we do? We taking a vacation tonight?" Tim asked slightly hopeful at the idea of traveling.
"The Titans did take a mission there sometime ago." Alfred pointed out. "Shall I send them a message?"
"It's a good start." Bruce replied opening the door to the manor and walking out to a newly bought Lamborghini.
"…..That's not….."
"Get used to a lot of things being possible here." Sasori replied.
"A station in space?!"
" Correct. It even caused small alarm to these people some time ago." Itachi's face contorted into a small absurd smile. He wanted to laugh but really couldn't find the energy to do so. This place made absolutely no sense. "Okay. Fine. I'll buy it."
"I really don't care if you do or don't." Sasori replied as his typing continued.
"What are you actually working on?" Itachi asked getting annoyed with the constant noise of the keyboard.
"Finances." Sasori replied.
"I thought you ran an Antique shop."
"I do. But that hardly would pay for all this equipment." Sasori finished. Itachi raised an eyebrow and moved so he could see exactly what his associate was doing.
"So is all that racket your causing supposed to somehow get you money?"
"One thing about this world that I throughly enjoy. Everything's connected here, and it can all be accessed if you know how." Sasori said growing a small sinister smile. A few more taps were made before several numbers started shifting in the right hand corner of the screen.
"Impressive." Itachi replied simply.
"Glad you don't need the Sharingan to see that." Sasori replied leaning back in his chair. "This world's currency is more digital or computer based then back in the Elemental Nations but money is still money."
"Kakazu must be having a field day if he's here." Itachi remarked.
"Indeed." Sasori replied with his eyes shifting to the topic that the masked ninja's name brought up. "Which leads us back to finding out if anyone else is hear."
"And we do that how exactly?"
"Very carefully." Sasori replied before pressing a few more buttons on his keyboard.
"Couldn't we just ask these Superheroes for help?"
"Brilliant idea. And while we're at it, let's tell them how we tried to destroy the world, how you killed your entire family, and anything Hidan ever did. I'm sure we'd hit it off."
Itachi glared at him not appreciating the sarcasm as Sasori explained. "These Superheroes area too simple minded. Their world operates on a system of black and white. I'm uncertain how they will treat us if they were to know about it and I do my best to avoid uncertainties these days."
After a brief bout of thought, Itachi sighed in agreement. It would be a bad idea to get unknowns involved right now. "So we have to do it ourselves then."
"Like always." Sasori added on. "Last night, after you went to sleep I got word to all my contacts to be on the lookout for any other members of the our little group. But as you know my network isn't what it used to be so I wouldn't count on getting information quickly."
"And what am I to do until then?"
"Learn." Sasori ordered. "Properly." He turned his laptop towards the Uchiha and stood up from his chair. Itachi looked at him then back to the computer.
"Did you familiarize yourself with the computers back home?" Sasori asked pulling out a smaller device from his pocketand tapping it.
"To an extent." Itachi replied looking hesitantly at the laptop as he sat down in the chair.
"Good. You'll need it, now just tap on the G icon and we'll get started."
Itachi did so, surprised that touching the icon with his finger opened something new. "Fascinating."
Sasori nodded as he looked over the Uchiha's shoulder to makes sure he adjusted properly.
It was a cold sunny day in Jump City. Strange considering it was settled nicely along the California coast but nothing unheard off. Crime was down and no world ending events were currently on the horizon, so the Teen Titans found themselves goofing off in the living room of their tower. Raven was hovering quietly next to a coffee machine reading what she considered to be a very interesting book. Cyborg and Beastboy sat on their very comfortable black couch and Robin sat opposite of Raven about as engaged with his computer as Raven was with her book.
"Well thanks for letting me know, asshole." Robin grumbled under his breath as the picture of a newly minted Gotham Robin article flashed behind the screen of his computer. Really, was it too much to ask for a heads up when you knighted a new sidekick? Especially when he has the same name?
"I did not know you had a brother." Starfire said walking up to his side.
"I don't. This is a new kid." Robin replied.
"Who also calls himself Robin?"
"Yeah. Just a miscommunication. I'll talk to him and see what gives." Robin said with a sigh. Starfire looked concerned.
"Batman you mean?"
"Yeah." He replied a little too annoyed.
"He and I still don't quite get along."
"Yet we're going to see him in a few days." Starfire said putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I want to put the past behind me. Only way I can do that is to finally talk to them about it." Robin replied taking her hand in his. "You're still coming right? Tamaraan doesn't have a holiday I don't know about this time of year?"
"Oh yes! I am most looking forward to meeting your other friends in Gotham!"
"YO!" A familiar voice called out over to the pair.
"What?" Robin asked across the room over to his friend.
"So just to be clear Huntress isn't available?" Cyborg asked leaning back against the couch.
"I told you she's going out with Question." Robin replied annoyed.
"But the dude has no face!" Beastboy wined beside his mechanical friend. "How does that even work?!"
"I don't kno…..Why are you two even asking that?!" Robin exclaimed
"Dude! We're going to Gotham!" Beastboy exclaimed. "Black Canary, Huntress, Batgirl, how can you not be excited?!"
Robin resisted the urge to smack his forehead and settled for just sighing. Raven did the same as Starfire smiled at the excitement Beastboy was emitting. Just as he began to yell out a reply, a blinding white light flared across the entire tower blinding all of the Titans at once before almost instantly fading out.
"What the hell?" Cyborg asked quickly scanning the outside view with his cybernetic eye.
"Cyborg what do you see?" Robin asked readying himself for a fight.
"Are we under attack?" Starfire called out, her hands quickly adopting a light green aura.
"I don't think so. I don't see…..Wait." Cyborg zoomed further out as the vision in his other eye finally began to return. " Something just fell into the ocean."
"Titans Go!" Robin ordered
The windows all along the living room slid down as the five flew out of the tower and over the ocean. Cyborg's eyes kept itself locked on the very faint heat signature in the shape of a human as it sank deeper into the winter ocean. It wasn't moving.
"It's definitely a person. And it doesn't look like he's out for an afternoon swim." Cyborg said standing on the platform Raven had just created.
"He's not gonna last long in the water. Beastboy" Robin said as he held onto Starfire's arm. Beastboy nodded from his hawk form and quickly dove straight down into the bay shifting into a large green bear just as he impacted. A few moments later he sprung back up to the surface with the naked body of an alarmingly thin man pale as snow and just as cold laid on his back.
"Dudes! The guy is naked!"
"I can see that." Raven sighed as a black aura gripped the man's body shielding it from view save for his head. It sported pure crimson hair that draped over his eyes and partially hid a frighteningly thin face that combined with the rest of his body showed that he really wasn't in good health.
"He's barely breathing. Let's get him to the Tower." Cyborg said getting a much better scan of the man's body. "He's really going to need it."
A/N: And so the saga continues. Not much to say about this chapter really just that it was fun to write. Anyway,I hope you all enjoyed it and I highly encourage to leave your thoughts. Whatever they may be.
Until we meet again, farewell.