This story have been floating in my head for a while now, so gonna put it out there
Secret War: Aftermath
It's there, just beyond his reach, out of his hand, he can do it, just crawl, foward, he is strong, he know this, he can do it
his body in terrible shape, his right arm gone, he had holes in his body that shouldn't be there, he is walking on a very thin line between life and death
and yet, he crawl, he give up and that would be the end of it, he know this, he refuse to entertain that notion, that would not be his fate, he would embrace death only when he allow it
blood soak the ground, the lush green field is painted with his blood, his breath ragged, desperately clinging more to whatever is left in his broken lungs
he crawl, he defy, he rage, he cry
"Kid"
he glance behind him, a assortment of group in colorful bright costume, their face held sorrow and regret, their movement tense, ready to sprang out if needed
symbol on their chest, a, x, 4, af, s, so many symbol, a oath of alliance
they stood there, to stop him, he had to get away, from them, they betray him, brought the world to it's knee, he won't go down, not like this
"kid, you need to calm down, we not here to hurt you" he could barely heard it out, a short man, dress in yellow and blue costume, step up, raising his hand, a show of harmless gesture
but he know, these people is anything but harmless, they are the reason why he like this
"s-stay ... b-back" his throat is full of his own blood, with all the strength he have left, he pull out a detonator, a final act of defiance, he hold his gun from his holster with his left hand, a finisher in between his teeth
that stop them, standing still, all of them spoke with each other in hush whisper, panic and concern evident on their face
"he ... don't trust ... we hurt him ... mind" he could barely make the words out from the group, delirious as he is, he took him a while to realize he felt something prodding against the back of his mind
knowing what that meant, he let out guttural growl and shoot, the bullets deflected from certain people, two woman, one dress in tight, green and yellow costume while the other one simply wear a white garment with fur coat
they both had x symbol on them ... and the most dangerous out of them all
he crawl with his back, he clench the detonator between his teeth, the group look more startle by this and bicker between themselves more
he crawl, more and more until his back hit something, he froze, he slowly crane his neck upward, his eyes finally let out it's tear
for a long time, he never felt more at peace than now
a man stood over him, a paternal gaze in his eyes, donned in armor and red cape, slowly bend down and carry him in his arm, he let tears finally flow freely
Finally, He felt at peace
"HA" With a gasp, he open his eyes and look around in panic, only to calm down when he realized he in a bar, his bar
"another nightmare" he lean back, he really need to see nico about these nightmare, it's becoming a nuisance
He crack his neck and started working, it's been five years ever since he got here, a world so different from his home
CLING
"Sorry, the bar isn't open yet for at least two hour" opening up a bar was something he didn't expect to do in his life but he found it a refreshing change from his current job
"make it a exception for this time, son, i need a strong one, enough to knock me out"
he know that voice, turning around, nick fury, the old school commando of shield, clad in black, leather trench coat, a cigar in his mouth
"what do you want fury?" him and the old warhawk never get along well, despite their relationship is purely business and nothing more than just mildly amicable however, recent event have left him resent the director of shield
"Booker's on rocks and a ashtray" fury notice the glare and sigh "look, son, i'm not here to start trouble, i have plenty of that already, i would appreciate it if you would do the same"
"there's plenty bar you can go to fury, the fuck you want now?" despite naruto anger, he still make the drinks and put out the ashtray "you always plan two to fifty fucking steps ahead"
"at this hour, are you kidding me kid?" Fury let out a chuckle, taking his drink "you know this city well as i do" he down his bourbon in one go "that hit the spot"
"you done?" Naruto crossed his arm impatiently
"you still smoke?" fury ignore the question, taking out a pack and put one on the counter, cuban, just like how fury like it "don't tell me you quit?"
"get to the fucking point"
" ... fine" Fury let out a chuckle, sighing and took out a file, slid it across the counter "i've got a job for you"
"i'm off the market" naruto didn't even bother looking at the file, already know what the gig was about, instead he took a rag and wipe his counter
"for three months" fury said in a sharp tones, he had been keeping a close eyes on the redhead after all "Then you step back in, the game never end, not for me or you, you know this"
"perhaps" fury was right, he been doing this for so long, he couldn't picture himself do anything else other than hired killer, Imagine all he want, but he couldn't get out, it's pretty much his life work "But then again, the thunderbolt are no more, i make it clear when you send one of my brother to space damn nowhere"
"he was out of control" fury just pour himself another drink, stoic as ever, a expression crafted by experience for years "vegas was the last straw, you couldn't step in, so i did"
Naruto could feel himself scowling, anger stirring real ugly but he held it in, not in his bar "nonetheless, i'm the only one left, everyone doing their own thing these days"
"you think i need a whole team for this?" fury raise a brow, he already know what the old warhawk thinking
"i don't give a shit of what you thinking, fury" he grunted, putting away his rag "you a crazy bastard as always, i ain't signing up for a secret war"
naruto own spy network have been picking up a chatter around, some supervillain now working in top class, high tech suit and weaponary, naruto himself stop a few just a week ago, trapster, king cobra
it took it upon himself to dig up where these villain got their tech from, the tinkerer, bankroll by latveria, he suspect it was doctor doom but rule it out once he find out doom is in hell, apparently some skirmish with the fantastic four end with doom in hell
how on earth they manage to do that is beyond him
someone else in latveria then, though his contact didn't give him anything other than that, he suspect fury know who did it
hence why the old man is desperate enough to come to him for help, naruto made it very clear he didn't even want to see a single hair from fury ever since that incident
A unsanctioned operation on foreign soil, it just scream disaster in the end, while him and thunderbolt do operate outside u.s in the past, his op are excused because of pmc policy, in a way, his is a legal mercenary company
"maybe i am ... but this whole shit-show is forcing my hand, the president doesn't want to take action against latveria" fury grunted, he doesn't even look surprise that naruto had this intel, this time, he drinking straight from the bottle "and it's not just you, i am assembling the others"
Naruto didn't bother to ask, probably some secret agent or heroes fury plan to recruit "well, you can count me out, i ain't joining"
The director of shield just nodded, he expect at least this much, he stood up and put a card on the counter "give me a call if you change your mind"
Naruto inspect the card as fury walk out, it's a blank white card, probably need a special uv light to reveal whatever inscribed on it, he took it and put it in his pocket
"one day fury" he sigh, sitting down, he took out one of his finest drink, mead "these things are gonna bite you back in the ass"
And he was right, not even a year later, those who were in the 'secret wars' got targeted, make it even worse, they didn't even know why they were being hunted in the first place
Luke cage was the first one that got hit, rendering him in a coma, then captain america, luckily, the man manage to scare his attacker off
Then Daredevil and spider-man, ambush by scorcher and diamondback, luckily, the villain wasn't expecting spider-man to be there so it level the playing field
His Intel told him wolverine was also targeted, at the school too, he ain't worry to much about it though, knowing wolverine, he would be clawing his way out
"i warn you fury" he muttered, setting up a sniping position far across from mount sinai hospital, which is far away from the fight, he watch with his binocular as the fantastic four join in, together, they fought the tech theme villain
until lucia von bardas show up, a latverian politician who took over doom place when the said ruler got banish to hell, apparently, it was fury doing when lucia being reported as dead when doom castle crumble
"Sometimes, i really wonder how you even live this long fury" propping a barrett M82 on a tripod, he adjust the scope before putting one in the chamber, a special bullet made with a very special tip, made from vibranium and adamantium
He took a deep breath, his eyes focus on the cyborg lucia, who amassed her tech villain together and absorb their energy to make one giant dome, a bomb ready to wipe out new york
He exhale and squeeze the trigger, a deafening sound, the bullet travel all the way across ... and straight through her heart
he watch through his scope, lucia horrified look as life fade from her eyes, her chest exploding rather violently, her limp body fall to the ground, among everything else
he turn his sight on fury, who for once, look tired for his age, his head swiveling around, probably looking for him
there's another woman who stood before fury, her expression panic as she also looking around, she probably fury back up plan
he put down his rifle once he saw the blackbird approaching, the x-men aircraft, this is gonna get messy
"you reap what you sow fury" he mutter, putting everything back in a case, he clean up everything that could lead back to him and went home
Fury owed him one and he plan to cash in that favor in the future
CHING
He didn't even need to turn around to see who turn up in his bar
"Malt Scotch?"
"and a cigar"
He smirk, taking out the whiskey and the cigar fury gave him, he turn around and put it on the counter, the man took it and sniffed,. growling
"that son of a bitch got you too?"
"he try" naruto chuckle, leave it to wolverine to hold a grudge "but i refuse, so tell me, considering all of you look confused yesterday, i'm right to guess fury altered your memory?"
"He know my past, he know i would do it even without messing with my brain" Logan growl, out of anger, he pop his claw out "instead, he had to be a asshole and went with it"
"that's warhawks for you" naruto pull out one of his own cigar, made from his home, smoking it himself "i told you many years ago, you don't owe to fury, you make a deal with him, once you slip and in his debt, you bet your hairy ass he's gonna use you"
"He know what those bastard do to me" Logan snarled, these mind fuck thing clearly making him rattled than the rest "the x-progam, the hand, hydra, fury knew all about those and more yet he still making the same mistake like those bastard"
SNIKT
"And he's about to get the same taste like them, the next time i see him"
"if you see him" despite the aggression logan is putting off, Naruto's appear calm and collected as he smoke "fury be underground, it be harder than finding a worm in a desert"
"i find him ..." that was a promise, coming from wolverine, he always find someone whenever he want it
suddenly, his phone rang, he take a look at it, it's his proximity alert, it told him what's going around in new york
"help yourself, i got a job to do" he open a shelf, a duffel bag, he sling it around his shoulder "if i find all of my drinks are gone by the time i'm back, i've sueing you"
"i thought you off the market?"
"this time, it's a charity case"
Why did her life have to be so miserable?
she want to be a superhero, like spider-man, got her superpower, join the avengers, got the name jewel
that didn't work out, some asshole like purple man try to control her, thank god he didn't sexually assault her
her career as superhero ended short with a bitter taste but she get better out of it, thanks to luke cage, her boyfriend, who current whereabout are unknown to her, thanks to nick fury
and now, she is being kidnapped by hydra, who persistent in telling her that this is not a kidnapping, more like recruiting
"To start, if you need us to, we can help hide it for you" the "special agent" cohen smirk, giving her a huge brick of cash "set you up with one of those offshore thingamabobs"
Jessica took the money with astonished look, she never seen money stacked like this before, let alone hold it
"i know we're pushing a little hard here" cohen had a look like as if she won the greatest lottery ever "but time is of the essence ... fury made himself weak, we have to be re-"
BAM
Before the hydra agent could finish her sentence, a deafening sound echoed and her head had a huge hole in it
"where the fu-" the other four hydra agent didn't even stood a chance as something pierce through their brain
"Fuck" jessica cursed, bringing down a table and hiding behind it
"if i wanna kill you, that table won't stop me"
She peer from the side of the table, a gnarly voice came from the entrance of the warehouse, a figure deck in orange and black armor, a helmet with orange and black side by side
'a m4' she noticed the firearm in his hand, she maybe strong but she ain't bulletproof like her boyfriend, she decides to play it safe "who are you?"
"Someone who had a beef with these guys" he casually walk past her and looting the corpse, which irked her a bit "lemme guess, you looking for your boyfriend?"
"you know luke?" she knew it's risky to trust someone, especially during these confusing times but she is desperate "do you know where he is?"
"Night medical center in Chinatown" he said that without even hesitation, Jessica almost cry, almost, people have been shifty with her ever since last night "ask around for night nurse and someone lead you to her"
Scratch that, she let a tear loose, two days of running around, trying to find her boyfriend have been exhausting for her, she deserve to cry a bit
"t-thank you" she whisper, a breakthrough for all the trouble she went "what's your name"
He was silent, as if considering telling her, after getting what he want, he walk away "you can thank by not telling the shield agent who were on their way here, that i'm not the one who save you" he gave her just a glance
"and the name is Deathstroke"
The end, it's something i wanna try, for this naruto, i intent to make him a assassin, based on Deathstroke with a little twist, you see in the next chapter