A/N: Surprise~!
Isn't it remarkable what a bit of feedback can do? Folks REALLY wanted that third chapter early, so here we go, a weekly update.
Spoilers for the Atom Eve Special once more, but that's fairly obvious by now isn't it?
If this gets a lot of feedback, I'll do my very best to ensure another early update.
In other news depression's starting to hit real hard these days. Sometimes I wonder why I do anything at all. I can't claim to understand what's going wrong with my head. I don't even know why! One moment I'm fine, then my mood craters for a few hours, then I'm back again for a bit, and the cycle repeats. Its rather annoying; as though I've become a prisoner in my own mind sometimes. Sure, what's one more mental problem on the pile. Not like I don't have enough, what with already being this old. Feels like every day is a battle sometimes.
*siiiigh* Don't mind the rambling of this geezer...
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site finally here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends rapidly grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes to legends far greater than I.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
Finally, there IS a picture of her siblings in their proper, human form, which only makes their fates even sadder.
Its. Easy enough to find on youtube: "Happy Birthday, Atom Eve" and yeesh, its a real gut punch.
There we go. You're welcome~! Now then, lets see if anyone gets this reference...
"There is no length a father will not go to for his children. He will endure any pain.
Take on any adversary or adversity that comes his way.
Even travel to the very ends of the earth.
Such is a Father's love.
~a reference.
One Happy Family
"You can fly?!"
"Yup! And jump good!"
Laughter bubbled up in Eve, high and giddy and free as her father gathered his legs beneath him and leaped again, sending the two of them hurtling through the air once more. All the while, he kept her tucked snugly against his chest with one arm while keeping the other loose and free; ready to defend her against the horrors of the world. It felt...nice to be carried. To not use her powers for once and just be a passenger. She could have flown sure, but for once, just this once...she didn't mind being carried like a princess.
Was this what it felt like to have a real Dad?
Whatever it was, she was along for the ride, clinging onto him for dear life as he bounded between buildings with supernatural grace, each leap carrying them further and further towards the chaos ahead. Still, why Fire Shadow? She'd chosen Atom Eve because it sounded kickass, but she couldn't understand why Dad's secret identity would be quite so...silly. He'd said Polly-Mom!-had chosen it. She knew so little about her. It hurt, not knowing who she was, not knowing if she was alive or dead.
She didn't even have a picture of her...
"Brandyworth said today was your birthday." Naruto said suddenly, apropos of nothing. "Is that true?"
Her head whipped up. "Huh?"
"Your birthday." he looked down at her with a rueful smile. "Is it today?"
"It is." she squirmed in his arms as another powerful leap carried them across the city. "I'm twelve now."
He swore softly to himself. "I'll get you something nice once this is over."
That sounded nice, but her thoughts persisted, gnawing at her.
"Do you think...Mom is still alive?"
She expected an outburst, anger at the very least. None came. Dad planted his feet atop a skyscraper and released her, letting her squirm her way free as he stopped short of the edge. He flicked down his hood and cast a quick glance toward the rising smoke on the highway -it looked like he wanted to race over their right away- but when he looked back to her, Eve saw that desire wither and die in his eyes. Wind swept through his hair and she glimpsed a scarlet stain amidst the spiky mess. Somehow she doubted it was ketchup.
He'd killed people; he must've having escaped that awful lab.
Why didn't that bother her?
Should it bother her?
...I don't know." when he finally spoke, Naruto sounded tired; it was the sigh of a man who'd missed much. "I just don't know. If she is, she's barely alive and I can't sense her. Its been twelve years-
"But you survived!" she latched onto his sleeve, tugging at his burnt hoodie, heart in her throat. "You didn't die!"
"I'm not exactly normal." he said. "Your mother was, for the most part."
"Mom wasn't like you?"
"She was not." he echoed her, a distant look in his eyes. "Polly was an ordinary woman, but all the more feisty for it. Would you believe our first meeting began with cold coffee all over my face?"
Samantha felt her hands fly to her face. "No!"
"Yes." his chuckle proved a hoarse one. "I tried a god-awful pickup line on her and paid the price for it. Later, after we became friends, she discovered my true nature. Even later, after we grew...closer, she came up with that god-awful hero name you heard earlier. I wanted to use "Hokage" but nooo, she insisted no one would know what that meant, so it was Fire Shadow or nothing."
A bitter laugh escaped her. "She does sound feisty. I don't even know what she looks like."
"There might be some photos back at our old place."
Eve perked up. "Old place?"
"We had a house." he chuckled a little, running one hand through his dirty hair. "Saved up and bought it ourselves...before everything went wrong. I'm not sure if its still standing. Someone might've torn it down and sold the lot for all I know." When he saw her hopeful expression, his shoulders drooped. "But we can look, if you like."
"Together?"
"Together." he patted her head.
Well, that settled things then, didn't it?
Mom...she had to be alive. Dad was here, and Dad said she was a fighter. That meant she must be out there somewhere, right?
.
..
...right?
"Its alright to be afraid." Dad's hand moved a little higher, tousling her hair. "Fear is natural. The problem is, the more you fear something, the more likely you are to make it come true. In the end, its all bout trust." she pursed her lips in a pout and he laughed. "But what is trust, hmm? Trust is having confidence in another. Not blind trust like an animal. Genuine trust. For instance, I'd trust you have my back if someone attacked me, and I'd like to think you would trust me to catch you if you fell."
Her head bobbed. That made sense. "Jut like I trust you.
"And why is that?
"Because you're my dad." She knew it with her whole heart now; that little chat had served to solidify their bond. "And you're a good person. You wouldn't let anyone hurt me."
"Of course not." He sounded pleased, as if she'd just passed some unspoken test between the two of them.
Another explosion echoed from the city below, drawing a wince from the both of them.
She looked that way and glimpsed a traffic pileup from afar; cars smashed against one another on one side, a crude police barricade on the other...what was that? No, who was that? Even at this height she could see four distinct figures in the distance on the other side of the blockade. They didn't look...right. Whatever they were, they were hunched over, snarling at the boys in blue.
Dad made a noise caught somewhere between a gasp and a snarl. "Those poor things...
Her brow furrowed. "Poor things? What he talking about?
"Dad? You're not making any sense."
"Eve, there's something you should know." he looked away with a grimace, pained by the words for reasons she couldn't understand. "Something I didn't have a chance to tell you before. When I was...unconscious, the scientists did things to me. Took...samples from me."
Weird. What did he mean by that. "Okay...?"
"Not okay!" his voice sharpened for a moment before he mastered himself. "They took tissue samples. Among other things. My DNA...
He cast a meaningful look to the hunched figures down below.
...and what do you think they did with those samples?"
Realization broke like so much glass.
Oh. Ohh. Ohhh that wasn't good.
Naruto's response was the proverbial nail in the coffin. "Those are your siblings down there causing chaos. They were made then raised by the government and no, before you ask, I've never met them. Didn't even know they existed until recently."
A family. Brothers. Sisters. She'd never thought about having any before.
And yet his words rang true. "So why are they down there causing trouble?"
I expect we're about to find out.
"But how do you know?"
He tapped a finger to his head. "I can sense their dormant chakra, same as yours."
She rounded on him. "My whatsit?"
"Chakra." he held up a finger. "You have it, or rather, a version of it. Your brothers and sisters do as well." he leaned over the edge, regarding the smoke below. Gunshots crackled out as the police opened fire on their attackers, both briefly driving them back and buying him a moment to explain. "But just having chakra doesn't make you powerful. You have to know how to unlock it, utilize it, make it flourish."
"I think I get it...?"
"You don't." Naruto tousled her hair. "But that's alright, I'll explain. Anyone with my DNA would be fast, strong, a proper pain to put down, but you don't awaken chakra just by cloning some shinobi tissue among...other things." a brief winced flitted across his face. "You only create the potential for it. I think you've partially unlocked yours through your ability to interface with molecules, but there's still so much more you can do. In a way, that ability of yours is a lot like Onoki's, but dialed up to the max. There's still so much you can do and you don't even realize it-
A scream arose from below.
"Look," Dad drawled, "You don't have to go down there if you don't want to, you know. If its too much for you, I understand." He looked back to, scratching a whiskered cheek with one finger. "Its been a crazy day and its only going to get crazier from here on out. I won't blame you if you want to sit this one out."
She flinched and stepped back on the rooftop, stung by his words. "Are you telling me to leave?"
"No, no." he drew her in for a quick hug. "Never. Its just...I don't want this to traumatize you. And there's a good chance it will.
Indignation coiled in her, heady and angry. "Hey! I can be brave!"
"You don't understand." his hand came down on her shoulder, keeping her from running off. "They may be your siblings, but they've gone through hell. I can sense that. They're a bundle of nerves, anxiety and anger right now. That's putting aside what's been done to their bodies. They're still human, but only just. Its going to take an awful lot of work for me and Kurama to fix them, assuming we can.
"What's a Kurama?"
"Technically your uncle," He winked. "You've got a piece of his chakra and he's very eager to meet you."
I'll explain later. Last chance to back out."
Did she want to do this? No. Did she have to? Yes. She'd never forgive herself otherwise. "I have to do this."
"Alright, then." he granted her a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'll be with you every step of the way." His words comforted her, soothed away the last of her fears as he looked her way. "You good to fly on your own from here on out?"
"Uhhh, excuse me?" She clicked her tongue at him and planted a fist on her hip. "Superhero, remember? Anything you can do, I can do better. Can you keep up with me old man?"
Her words were bravado and they both knew it; she was trying to psych herself up, push away the fear before it got the better of her.
"Is that so?" a rare, genuine smile spread across his face, actually reaching his eyes this time. "Try to keep up then, rookie."
He rocketed down to the highway below, with her only a heartbeat behind.
Now that they'd come closer she could seen what her "siblings" were. Dad had been right. None of them looked even remotely human. The boys wore black breeches and all but one of the girls were wrapped in some hideous black one-piece jumspuit that bulged in all the wrong places, echoing their deformities yet further.
There was something wrong with them, Eve realized. They had been broken and twisted, the horrors they'd suffered left their flesh practically sloughing off their bodies. One, at least, she could be certain was a boy, and the other a girl, but the other two were almost too deformed for her to even recognize, their skin red and raw and interfaced with ghastly tech that made them appear more machine than many.
These were her siblings...?
One of them saw them coming, screamed at the officers and launched an empty car their way.
Dad shot forward at speed, blocked it with a giant hand -it looked just like one of her abilities, but gold- and deftly planted it on its side in the street, creating an impromptu barrier of sorts between them and the people who just-might-be-her-siblings. He landed behind it and she floated in beside him as he turned to face the officers, grinning from ear to ear. "
"Fall back and form a perimeter, gentlemen."
The youngest of them bridled. "Who are you two supposed to be?! This entire area is locked down! Get the hell outta here-
One of the quartet took advantage of his distraction and flung another car -this one a van- at the back of his head.
Dad caught it.
Just, snatched it up by the undercarriage and tossed the empty vehicle back at them. The quartet scattered for cover.
So did the police. "We'll...ah, just fall back and form that perimeter, yeah?"
Dad rolled his eyes their way. "That'd be great."
Eve turned shining eyes on him. "That was totally wicked! Can I do that?"
He winked and vaulted over the barrier, letting her hover after him. "With proper training you'll be able to everything I can, someday."
How could he be so calm under fire like this? What the heck was he, really? Immortal? Invincible? Neither of those things? Sometimes he acted like he didn't have a care -or fear!- in the world. Or maybe he did and he was just good at hiding them-
"Heads up!"
Something lunged at her, tackled her in midair and grabbed her. Whatever it was it was wet and it smelled.
"Get off!" She panicked and blasted them away.
They struck the windshield of a police cruiser and just...splattered across it.
As she looked on, the ghastly little thing actually reformed-eweweeewgrossgrossGROSS!-and dragged itself toward her. Even missing an eye and most of its face it still lurched forwards. Its body crumbled with every step it took, bits of decaying flesh and cybernetics falling from it body.
Dad met it halfway, drawing the poor creature into his arms.
Eve rounded on him desperate for answers. "What's happening?!
"Her body's falling apart." a mournful sigh escaped him. "She's dying." From there he began to speak fervently to the creature in question. "Hold on, kiddo. I can fix this. Don't you die on me. You're not allowed to die, you hear?!"
Someone came cashing down behind her, shattering the hood of a car.
"...!" Eve whirled to face them and flung up a barrier...but no attack came.
He didn't look much better than the rest. He had blond hair like dad's and one good blue eye. The other was a mass of disfigured tissue, just like the rest of him. Her mind designated him as Blond Boy for lack of any other namesake. Did he even have a name...?
"Its hard for us, you know." an unfamiliar voice issued from his throat. "We're not perfect, like you.
"Who are you?"
"You don't know?" the Blond gnashed his teeth at her as his companions lurched forward to join him. "I have to speak for our siblings, they've never been out of their tanks long enough to learn how to talk." The creature in Naruto's arms gurgled pitifully, echoing his claim.
Eve winced despite herself."Our siblings?"
Oh, jeez. Dad really hadn't been wrong after all...
The boy who just might be her little brother scoffed.
"You're phase one," then he pointed to himself. "Phase two," his hand swung out to the disfigured girl beside him, "Phase three," Now the poor twisted creature that just might've been one of her brothers, "Phase four, and of course, you've already met phase five." his good eye swung down to the still-twitching creature sprawled at their feet. "Each attempt less successful than the last. We're all one big happy family."
"Whoa, now." Naruto held up a hand, still cradling the dying girl in his other arm. "You don't want this fight. Let's all just calm down and talk this through-
"Screw you, old man!"
"Old?! Is that any way to talk to your pops?!"
His words had the desired effect. The four of them froze.
The blond one, the only one who seemed to be able to speak, rallied first. "Liar...you're lying! We don't HAVE a father!"
He flung a car at him. Naruto batted it aside with one hand. Glared over them as an explosion bloomed behind him. He stood slowly, hanging his head.
"I AM your father. And this is your sister...
At first glance, he looked the same.
Sounded the same, too.
Normal. Calm.
He was not.
It was only when Eve looked at him, directly at him, when she saw his face rather, that she truly understood the scope of the emotions Naruto was feeling in this moment. He wasn't mad. He'd gone well past that. He was furious. She could see it there in his eyes, the way they kept flickering; from blue to gold, now red then back to angry azure. His very being seemed to shimmer in the afternoon, heat radiating from his shoulders. A deep, shuddering breath escaped him.
"Who did this to you?"
"What are you talking about?" the scraggly blond scowled back at him. "We've always been like this; we were born like this. Made -created!- to be this!"
...do you even have names?!"
"Of course we don't!"
A brutal chill pervaded the air.
For the first time in Samantha's life she felt...fear.
Because her Dad was smiling now. "And who was it that created you?"
"You're awfully chatty for a dead man."
"Indulge me." It was not q request and they all knew it.
Remarkably, the boy did. "Erikson. Big guy. Works for the government."
"I see." Naruto palmed his face. "That's good." His head bobbed in a slow, erratic nod, almost wooden compared to his earlier behavior. "I have a name to work with." he laid a stabilizing hand on her poor, mangled sister at her feet and the decay of her body seemed to slow a little, somehow. "Finally...
Samantha gulped. "Daddy...? Are you-
"Daddy's just fine, sweetheart." he turned that same smile on her; it didn't reach his eyes and the sheer glacial rage in his gaze made her tremble. "Don't worry. I'm just going to feed this Erickson their heart. That's all."
Meep.
"Daddy, no!"
He scowled. "Daddy yes!"
Before their very eyes Naruto threw his head back and roared. The moment he did, his body burned gold and black. Eve recoiled, warding one hand before her face. It was like watching a second sun be born, a blazing inferno so bright it cast countless shadows in all directions. In an instant, she understood his hero name. Fire Shadow. He burned so very brightly, eclipsing everyone before him. The ground seemed to melt at his very feet, such was the intensity of the head he emitted. But he didn't stop there.
"No more!" he bit out the words. "I'm not losing one more life on my watch!"
Dropping down to a knee, he laid both hands upon the poor, broken girl she'd accidentally maimed.
"Easy, now." he crooned. "Its alright. I know it huts. I'm here. Daddy's going to make it all better. Just give me a second."
He laid golden hands on her battered, broken back. The specimen quivered under his touch. There was a blinding pulse of light and then...
"Gah?!"
A thin reedy cry filled the air; the cry of a startled child.
Samantha's vision recovered quickly, and she was able to see the miracle first; and what a miracle it was.
In place of what was once a twisted creature of metal and flesh, she found herself looking at a little girl huddled among bits of sundered cybernetics, naked as the day she was born. She looked up and Eve recoiled when she glimpsed stunned green eyes and long rust-red hair. She couldn't have been more than five years old, though it was hard to tell, given how she was hunched over at Dad's feet. Eve felt her heart hitch at the sight of her. She looked like a mini version of her, just with darker hair and a freckled face...
"Ah?" the reborn girl gazed down at her hands and tried to speak, but couldn't; though she could understand speech, she still lacking the capacity to form words herself. "Ahhh...?"
It didn't stop the tears from her eyes. She hiccuped softly and patted herself down, still in shock, fascinated by her fingers and toes.
Naruto patted her head. "Welcome to the world, Amanda. Do you like that name?"
Evidently the little lass did; because she tried to stand.
"No, no, no!" Naruto swiftly removed his hoodie -exposing his upper torso- and draped the heavy blue fragment over her to preserve her decency. "None of that, sweetie. Give yourself time to heal. Why don't you take a rest? You must be tired...
Much to Eve's surprise, her littlest sister shook her head and clutched at the hoodie with intent.
"Ah! Ahh! Ahhh!" she pointed eagerly towards her stunned siblings, frantically to communicate something.
"Of course." Naruto was all smiles as he kissed her pale forehead. "They're next. Just gimme a minute or three...
Little Amanda nodded and made a satisfied noise, pleased that he understood simple instructions.
"That's my girl. Eve, be a dear and look after your baby sister for a bit, would you?"
Stunned, she found herself walking forward on numb legs to do just that.
Amanda took one look at her, burbled happily, then reached for her with wide eyes and open arms.
It was never a contest.
Samantha felt her heart twist in her chest and then her body betrayed her. Just like that she found herself scooped the girl up, ill-fitting hoodie and all. The very second she had her up in her arms, Amanda latched on like a spider monkey, refusing to let her go.
It felt...nice. Really nice, just holding her like this.
"Isn't this nice?" Dad drew them both into a crushing hug. "We're one big happy family."
Quite suddenly, the blond boy over there didn't look so angry anymore. Nor did the rest of his mutated siblings. "What did you do to her...?"
"I fixed her." Naruto climbed to his feet and dusted his bloody trousers down. "Which is exactly what I'm going to do for you three!" He flung out a hand outward, stabbing a finger their way, causing the monstrous trio to freeze under his glare. "Now, we can do this one of two ways. First," he raised his right hand, "There's the easy way. You give up, sit down like good little boys and girls and let me fix your everything; all that's wrong with you, all that's been done to you. Or," and she didn't miss the sadness in his voice, "We can go the hard way; in which case you try to fight me-
The blond boy raised a mangled arm at him, eye wild with panic. "This is a trick! You're trying to trick us! We won't be fooled!"
-now hold on!" Dad held up a tan hand. "You might have misheard me. This option ends with you knocked out cold and me healing you regardless. One way or another, I AM going to be your father. One of these choices simply involves a little more tough love, that's all. So which will it be? Easy way, or hard way?
They roared and rushed him.
Naruto exhaled softly. "Hard way it is!"
With a patient smile and a parental roll of the eyes he glided forward, ducked under a savage swipe, then planted an open palm in the boy's gut. He folded like a house of cards and rocketed across the freeway to strike an empty van. In the same instant the other two blitzed him. Dad caught them by their faces and flung them away.
"Whoa...
This was her Dad.
This was not a fight. This was discipline. This was him laying down the law.
The blond boy rushed him.
Dad glanced at him askance.
Just...looked at him and the boy froze.
"Calm down, Kurama." He muttered softly. "Don't scare the poor kid half to death."
The Blond Boy dropped to a knee, gasping for air. Naruto reached for him and nearly lost it as his siblings flanked him.
It gave his siblings a chance to counterattack, for all the good it did them.
"This is not who you are." Naruto blew out a heavy sigh as he swayed away from the duo. "This is not who you are meant to be, and this is not who you are GOING to be if I have anything to say about it!"
Dad flowed like water, weaving around their clumsy strikes, never striking directly, giving ground and letting them wear themselves down until, finally, he happened. He found an opening, kicked one of the boys away into the other and rounded on their suddenly solitary sister. Alone, she was no match for him.
It didn't stop her from trying to be.
He caught the girl's warped fist, sliced off a grasping fleshy tendril, then twisted her arm right round and flung her over his shoulder, slamming her into the street. Flat on her back and stunned by the sudden savagery of his stack, they couldn't react in time when he pressed a knee into their gut, pinning them in place.
"Gotcha." Their eyes widened as his shadow fell over them. "Now hold still."
They snarled up at him and flailed like a hellcat, feral to the last.
"You don't even realize I'm trying to help you. How sad."
He grabbed them by the face with both hands and the world burned gold once more as his chakra sang through the air.
This time, Eve was wise enough to avert her eyes.
And the light faded.
"Gah...? A stunned redheaded girl laid on her back and stared up at her perfect hands, her lithe form still clad in that ugly black jumspuit. It must've been made of a special material that conformed to the body, because now it clung to her decidedly normal form, preserving her decency in a way that it hadn't for little Amanda. She was at least older than her; she'd hazard her age at ten years, more or less. Her eyes were also a piercing shade of blue and filled with so much confusion.
"Good morning, Jessica." Naruto named her sister and patted her head in the same instant. "Hope you enjoy your new life. Be a dear and go stand over there with your sisters."
He was still speaking when a fleshy fist crashed into the back of his head.
"Look what you're doing!"
"What I'm doing?! He batted the Blond Boy's arm aside and kneed him in the chin, only to grunt as the other jumped onto his back and tried to strangle him with a fleshy tendrils. "I'm saving you!" A gasp tore out of him as a fleshy tendril wound its way around his throat. "I didn't start this! I didn't even wanna do this!
"THEN DIE ALREADY!"
Dad didn't dignify that with a verbal response. He just reared back and stomped. A spiked of hardened earth burst from the street and struck the Blond Boy in the chest, launching him away. Eve knew what was coming next, even if the other boy didn't. Sure enough, Naruto reached backward and grabbed the head of the boy still clinging to his back. Golden palms clamped down as a cry burst forth, both from him and the little fiend even now trying to choke him out.
Let there be light.
Chakra flared and the lad crashed backward with a gasp, not as a monster, but a human. He landed hard on his rear, black breeches tattered and torn. Eve felt a tiny laugh tumble from her lips. Was she going crazy, or was she getting used to this? Because she didn't even balk at his appearance now. His head was a cloud of auburn curls, his eyes a piercing shade of violet, his face writ in confusion. Seven years old. Probably. She was having an awful time keeping track of all these ages.
He turned a baffled look on Naruto, unable to speak like the red. "Ahhh?"
Little Amanda clapped happily.
"That's right Bad! Bad boy!" Dad took him by the shoulders and frogmarched him their way with singular determination. "You cut that out right now, Luca! That's right!" he snapped at him when the little boy balked." You have a name, so you don't get to act like an animal anymore! Now be a good boy and make up with your sister or so help me I will ground you for LIFE!"
That just left...
An awful crack filled the air.
Dad tumbled to the side, hissing in pain.
And something shifted in her peripherals vision.
Blond Boy slammed down on her from above with a bloodcurdling shriek.
"YOU!"
Hardened fists fused with concrete chunks crashed into her desperate barrier and found themselves rebuffed. A wild face leered back at her, made mad with sadness and sorrow. She recoiled from the sheer intensity of it. The agony, the fury, the misery of it all. He'd gone insane. Completely, utterly insane...
"Why do you exist?!" he howled at her, snarling through broken teeth as he whaled on her shield. "It isn't fair! You're taking everything away from me! Even my siblings! How come you get a Father?! Why didn't I!? He's making everything perfect for you! EXCEPT ME!"
"Calm down!" she rasped back, wincing as the barrier cracked, shielding Amanda with her good arm. Where had Dad gone?! "I don't want to fight you! It doesn't have to be this way! We could all move in with him and doctor Brandyworth!"
It made him pause, if only for a moment.
"Brandyworth?!" The Blond Boy turned his head aside and spat. "He's not our family." another fist smashed into her barrier, fracturing it. "We're the best they could make without him. They talk about us like we're not there, not real, don't matter! All we hear is how perfect you are! How perfect we aren't!
He reared back to hit her barrier again-
"Aaand that's enough out of you!" Naruto was on him a second later, face bloody, grabbing the Blond Boy by the scruff of his neck and hauling him backwards. "You've said your peace, now stop!" The Blond Boy rounded on him and slugged him the face. He took it on the cheek with a grunt and didn't budge; because the arm disintegrated at the elbow. "Stop fighting! You're tearing your body apart!"
"It'll be worth it to see the light drain from her perfect eyes!"
Clenched knuckles snapped his head back in return. ""She's not perfect and neither are you!"
"BECAUSE OF YOU!"
A hand caught his wrist, stopping him short. "And I'm sorry for that."
The Blond Boy balked. "W-What?"
"I'm sorry I wasn't there." when he tried to slug him with the other arm, Dad caught that too. "So sorry." She knew he would. "Sorry for everything. I can't even begin to imagine what you and your siblings must've gone through. I can't change the past. I would if I could. But I can make up for that now...
Golden chakra sparked in his palms, swelling bright.
The Blond Boy balked eyes bulging. "Wait-
"No. I'm not waiting. Never again."
Golden chakra flowed from his wrists and into the Blond Boy's body.
An explosion of light followed, larger and louder than the rest.
And the smoke cleared.
The nameless Blond Boy lay sprawled on his stomach, coughing and hacking, blinking furiously with both eyes as he struggled to reorient himself. Raised both arms. Stood on healed legs. Tawny blond hair hung over his forehead, yet did nothing to disguise his shock. He didn't look that much younger than her. Eleven at a stretch. Oh god, they must've started experimenting on him right after they lost her...
Naruto knelt before him and held out a hand. "Joshua."
The Blond Boy blinked, not quite comprehending. "W-What?"
"Joshua." Dad repeated softly, crouching down before him fully, wearing a wan smile. "Before your sister was born, we picked out two names. Samantha for our first girl, and Joshua for our first boy. That's your name."
Eve found herself hiccuping a little, tears stinging at her eyes. It was such a Dad thing to do. She couldn't help herself.
Her "siblings" couldn't speak, but she could tears in their eyes all the same. They felt as she did.
Josh, meanwhile, regarded the hand as if he expected it to bite him. "A name...
"Yes, and it's all yours." Naruto stared down at him. "Do you remember the facility where you came from?"
Josh nodded slowly. Warily. Hopefully, like a dog kicked one too many times. And yet...
He reached up. Clasped his hand. Dad patiently hauled him up to his feet.
"Great." He grinned with all his teeth. "Lets go find your mother."
A/N: Aaaaaaaand scene.
To be fair, Naruto's not at all inclined to put up with bullshit at the moment.
Well? What say you? Do you want this to be a story? Yes? No? Maybe so? Make yourselves heard! Really need to hear from you, here.
Again, to clarify, "Eve" had FOUR siblings in the special. Two little brothers. Two little sisters. What those poor children became...it made this old man's blood boil.
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this particular story, and others. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself isn't popular? Well...I'll not continue it. I'm working two jobs -might need a third soon!- so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy.
So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Working nearly all hours of the day keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
Aaaand there we go. As ever, reviews keep me alive. Without them, I cannot write. So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly? Hope you enjoy the previews.
They're mostly the same, wouldn't do to spoil things.
(Previews)
You don't seem to understand...
This is not a negotiation.
This is not a warning.
This is not a lie.
This is truth.
"What's so funny, you ask?
You are. Because you do not understand. Do you really think you'll succeed where hundreds have failed? We all know this story. Its been told hundreds of times, passed down throughout history. The names and faces may change, but the roles remain the same. You'll see what happens when you take everything from Him. He'll keep coming back.
He isn't Immortal. He doesn't have to be. He just refuses to die.
We have a word for that where I come from. I doubt you'd understand it. In the end, its not about whose the strongest, fastest, or even the smartest. Its about not giving up. And he won't. Ever. Not while you have what is his. And you...you're the one he REALLY wants. Steven Erickson. The man behind the curtain! The one who concocted this "brilliant" scheme. You took his wife, you idiot! Her and his unborn child, and then because your sheer stupidity knows no bounds, you used them to make more! How did you think he would react?! No mater what you do to him now, you'll only make him stronger!
So you see, what's so funny, is that you...him, that guy over there, everyone in that facility of yours...
...ALL OF YOU...are, as they say, already dead. You simply haven't realized it yet.
May god have mercy on your sorry souls. Because HE will not."
"KNOCK KNOCK BITCHES! I've come for my wife!"
"You don't seem to understand. I don't give this," he snapped his fingers, "About your precious government. Touch my family again...
He crushed a soldier's skull in his hand. Blood spattered everywhere.
...you will all die screaming."
You know what? Go right ahead. Come. Die. I'll slaughter you. And when you run, when you beg, when you plead, when you look up to me and cry MERCY...I'll say no."
"M-Mom?"
A raspy groan answered her.
Dad swore softly. "Oh, Polly...what did they do to you...?"
"Y-You can fix this, right?! Fix her! You're a healer! You said so!"
His expression was telling. "I'm gonna try...
I see it all now. Every single molecule around us. I can touch them, taste them, control them...I could rearrange your cells to make you whole new people from the monsters you are. You ruined my life. Took everything from me. Hurt people I didn't even know.
"My name is Samantha Eve Uzumaki! And I defy you to even remember who I am!"
She walked through the door, lost in her head.
What she saw within brought her crashing back down to earth.
Oh gods.
Her "parents" were waiting for her.
And where have you been.
Adam wait.
"Dad" scoffed. "Don't stick up for her. She's late for her own birthday!" he glared her. You couldn't even call?
Did...you eat my cake?
How dare you!
THis wasn't the way it was supposed to be.
I need to go.
Go? Go where? Hey! Like it or not, we're the only family you've got.
The wall behind her shattered.
WRONG.
She'd asked Dad to wait. And he had.
Now he burst into the room like a thunderstorm, burning like the sun.
Nolan sighed. "Oh, great. He's back. Thought that bastard went to sleep...
A giant golden fox burst from the building and laid waste to everything around it.
No need to get involved in this disaster. He'd just pretend he didn't see anything...or hear anything...
A mace smashed into his face.
"Good to see you, War Woman." the blond grinned around it. "Mind moving? I just need to kill a few people, take my family, and be on my way.."
She heaved a sigh. "Naruto, no."
"Naruto, yes!"
I don't care how fast you are. I don't care how strong you are, and I don't give a s**t how smart you are. I know your future. You don't live to see tomorrow.
Blood flew through the air.
Is this still fun?! Are you enjoying yourself?! Having fun?! Well?! Answer me!
"Hullo, Nolan. Long time no see.
You have no idea what war is like.
Aha! But I do! The object of any war is victory. At any cost. Or barring that, to make victory so painful, so utterly unobtainable, so repulsive, that they do not want it. Reputation is what people think of you. Character is what you are. Don't test my character, Nolan. It won't end well...for either of us.
...what are you?
"Just a family man." he took a long sip from his mug. "Thula, was it? Run along now. I'm not int he mood. Unless you want to fight. It won't end well. That blade in your hair won't help you."
...I am not here to fight. I am here to talk."
"Go on, then." he took a long drink. "Talk. You have one minute."
And you are?
...Anissa. You're certainly strong for one of your kind.
One of my kind?
Her fist slammed in at his face. He caught it, wrenched her arm down and glared at eher.
Her grin only grew. See? That's exactly what I mean. Impressive! Most impressive! I can see why you beat-
Clenched knuckles barreled up into her chin and sent her flying into the clouds. "You talk too much."
The moment he turned away, she barreled into his back. "Then I'll talk with my fists!"
An elbow barreled down into her neck and plunged her into the ocean.
"Right back at ya!"
EDIT: Hope this story brightened your day and made things better, even if only a little.
Looking forward to chatting with you all when I get back from work~!
Running to the Edge and Claws of a Lion are next.
Warm regards,
~Nz.
R&R~!