The two worlds, at their core, were similar. Both were populated by the sentient species known as Homo Sapiens, or humans. Both planets had diverse climates and similar biological life. And both were home to warriors of great power; some used their powers for good, others for their own personal means, and others for evil.
One was home to the ninja, an entire world dedicated to their culture and power. While many of these ninja were encouraged to use their skills for justice, the main priority of all ninjas was to protect and serve their villages. The villages resided in many countries, but were governed independently of their host country. The Five most powerful villages developed the Kage system, in which the village leader would be recognized as the direct link between the village and the outside world. This has lead to both competition and cooperation with many villages. Some, however, pledge no allegiance; some become missing nins, ninja who have abandoned their homelands to pursue their own goals. Some are just muscle for hire while others become grave threats to their world.
The other world once had a similar culture, but only in one small country, which has since moved on and sees their version of ninjutsu as an antiquity. Now, technology guides this world. This version of earth has seen the rise of many warriors over thousands of years, the ninjas being only one of many. The most recent were the rise of "Super Heroes". These individuals pledge allegiance not to nations (though it is generally a prerogative by them to uphold the laws of each recognized nation) but to ideals. And no two superheroes were alike; each have different methods, different skills and tools. Some operate out in the open, others prefer not to be seen. Some have trained their entire lives to obtain their skills, others were just born with them. Some weren't even from this world! One group of heroes came together, and formed the Justice League, dedicated to defending the laws of their world and its people.
Though the groups of these two warriors are different, they do share one similarity: training children to develop their own skills and fight alongside them. While this has been a long tradition in the ninja world, the hero world has only recently (and reluctantly) began to take on apprentices dubbed by their civilians as "sidekicks".
And it seems a group of young ninjas will be meeting these "sidekicks"...
In the ninja world, a man crouched over a balcony, reading his book. Even when off-duty, he was dressed in his work clothes: sandals, a black uniform that covered his entire body along with a green vest over his torso containing all kinds of tools. He also had on his hiate, or metal band with the symbol of his village. In his case, it contained a spiral engraved in the metal, with a point on the left. There was one other unusual feature about him: his mask, covering all but his silver hair and right eye. His name was Kakashi Hatake, one of the village's most powerful jonin (elite ninja). He also went by another name: the copy ninja. Thanks to a gift from a friend, he had duplicated many techniques over the years, making him powerful enough to rival even the Kage-level ninjas on the continent.
"Enjoying it, Kakashi?" a voice from above said. "I put a lot of hard work into that one."
Kakashi didn't flinch as the man behind him leaped from the roof onto the stand. He was quite tall, well over 6 feet and had a more muscular build than his younger peer. He wore wooden geta on his feet and had a green kimono with a red shawl over his shoulders His hair was pure white, spiky and tied in a pony tail, giving him a lion-like look. His most distinctive features were probably the red markings trailing down from his eyes like tears of blood. He was known of Jiraiya, one of 3 legendary ninja who originated from Konoha village.
"I'm not exactly a picky reader when it comes to your books, Jiraiya." Kakashi replied as he closed it. Truth be told, he collected all of them; he was probably Jiraiya's biggest fan in that particular line of work. "But I take it you didn't come here for a critique, right?" he asked as he turned to face him.
Jiraiya nodded grimly. "Perceptive as ever. You know the organization, Akatsuki, right?"
"The one Orochimaru used to be a part of? Yeah, I remember." Kakashi replied, referring to Jiraiya's rival and former teammate.
"It seems they're finally stepping into the light, becoming more active. And I'm worried...especially concerning two of your students." Kakashi had a good idea of whom he meant. "First off, there's Itachi."
Kakashi frowned under his mask. "Sasuke's not ready...I'm not sure he ever will be..."
Jiraiya continued. "Second, I'm not clear on the details, but it seems they're after the Kyuubi."
Kakashi's face would have looked even grimmer than before had his mask allowed it. "We better not tell him. He'll only want to face them head on..."
Jiraiya frowned as he cupped his face in disappointment. "Kami. I was hoping he developed a bit more of his father's tact, but it seems he really does take after his mother." Jiraiya's scowl turned into a grin. "Still...it might be a perfect opportunity to further his training."
"It will have to wait." Kakashi suddenly announced. "Though we don't have a new Hokage yet, we're still being sent out on missions by the council. Missions no genin should have to take, with or without their instructors."
"That desperate?" Jiraiya asked curiously.
"That desperate." Kakashi confirmed. "Run your plans by the council anyhow, although I doubt they'll approve of you training him..."
"Actually, my official explanation would be quite practical to their interests." Jiraiya said. "I figured just dragging the boy along with me would be a perfect time to do so when I'm ready."
"Okay then. Just visit him when you have the chance."
"There is one more thing...it's not clear exactly what Akatsuki is doing right now. But rumor has it they're going about 'bridging the gap between worlds.'". Kakashi only looked at him more confused than before, which Jiraiya waved off. "It's probably just some weird saying they came up with, a motto. I'm sure it's nothing."
"Perhaps. But this is Akatsuki we're talking about; we can't take that chance." Jiraiya nodded in agreement as Kakashi then stuffed his book into his vest, and with grace and strength that took a lifetime to achieve, he leaped across rooftops like a bird in flight.
OCT 26 2010
0:900 UTC
WATCHTOWER
In the world of heroes, a large space station that looked like an ordinary building embedded in an asteroid traveled along the planet's orbit. Inside, heroes of all shapes and colors gathered, either lounging about, monitoring activities across the planet, or in the case of one, following up on previous investigations. He was tall and muscular, but not much about his actual features could be seen except for his chin, as his costume covered his entire body. The suit was a dark gray costume of kevlar, while the other extremities such as the gloves, boots and cape were black. His mask had two sharp "ears" while his cape ended in jagged edges. His gauntlets spikes along the wrists, and around his waist was a yellow belt. In the center of his chest was a bat symbol. He was the Batman, also known as the World's Greatest Detective and the Dark Knight. He was a man of few words, and intimidated almost anyone who came into contact with him, even those who had superhuman abilites.
"Reviewing another case?" The man who stepped into the room was regarded as Batman's complete opposite. Like Batman, he was tall and muscular. However, the similarities ended there. His face was completely uncovered, showing his black hair and blue eyes. His costume was a lot more colorful too. It was blue with a red cape and boots. It also looked like he was wearing red briefs on the outside, which led to the running joke among the public about superheroes wearing long underwear for clothes. The symbol on his chest was supposed to have been an alien symbol for hope, but to most earthlings it looked like the English letter S. He was Superman, widely regarded as the most powerful being on earth. Despite his god-like status, he was also probably the most humble and friendly of the entire super hero community. And despite their disagreements at times, the two were known to work together very well.
"The watchtower detected some kind of energy spike." Batman explained, not bothering to look behind him.
"How bad?" Superman asked as he leaned over his shoulder for a better look at the data.
"Can't say. It occurred twice, and both times were very brief. Though there were traces of Zeta radiation, both sites were mixed with many other energies. I'm still working on isolating a few of them." Batman replied as he continued typing in commands.
Just then, a message on the computer showed up, coming from an individual named Captain Atom. Batman opened it, and a new window popped up, showing what seemed to be a man completely covered in white plastic staring at him. "Captain Atom to Justice League. There are reports coming in of several top-tier villains acting up across the globe. Their presence at this time is not code red, but it is cause for concern and must be dealt with."
"Acknowledged. Send me the coordinates for each and I'll send in teams accordingly." Batman replied. A satellite picture of the entire globe was displayed as red dots marked their targets and details. "Superman, it seems Metallo is acting up in New Zealand. I'll need you and Wonder Woman there."
Superman groaned at the prospect of having to face Metallo; not one of his favorites. "And you?"
"It seems Ra's Al Ghul is in Egypt. I'll be there shortly. But first...I need to call in the team." he said as he got up to leave.
Ino Yamanaka was considered the prettiest girl in her class. Her blonde hair and stunning eyes certainly helped. For all her good looks, however, she couldn't get the attention of the boy of her dreams. "Oh well. Some day, Sasuke-kun will be all mine!" she grinned maniacally in the mirror as she brushed her recently shortened hair. She dressed in purple, which seemed to be more for attention than for practicality...and that was exactly what she wanted. Most ninja hardly relied on camouflage colors to hide nowadays anyway.
Just then, a knock came on her door. "Ino-chan!" her father called. "Asuma's here! It's time for your mission!"
"Coming!" Ino put her brush away and ran down the stairs as she prepared to do her duty as a kunoichi (female ninja) of Konoha.
STAR CITY
09:15 UTC
"Quick! Close the door!"
4 masked crooks had successfully managed to open a vault from behind an alley with no surveillance and loot the money inside without tripping an alarm. But, if experience was any indication, that was only half the battle. When it Star City, you never knew just what could happen...an arrow coming your way for one thing. One of the hoodlums slammed the truck door closed and smacked it, indicating they were ready to go. "Okay, that's a-" Suddenly, something fast flew by his head as he was knocked to the ground.
"The Arrow's here!"
Quickly, they took out their weapons, and scanned the horizon. "I see him!" one shouted as he fired his machine gun, but his target gracefully cartwheeled out of the way of the trajectory. The man in question wore a green tunic and hood, much like a legendary hero from long ago. In addition, he sported a blonde goatee and a black mask across his face. His most unique feature, though, was the quiver of arrows and bow her carried. He was known as Green Arrow, a member of the Justice League with a penchant for archery.
"Stop staring, you idiot! Take him down!"
Before any of the thugs could get a chance to fill his body with lead, Green Arrow pulled his bow and sent another arrow his way. Unlike the last, which was blunted, this one exploded and sprung a green net. In less than a second, the thug was bound, unarmed, and on the street like a potato sack.
Of the remaining 2, one grabbed his partner and pulled him into the van's driver seat."Put the petal to the metal!" he shouted.
"But Daryl...we can't just leave him there..." the new driver protested.
"It's him or us! Now move it!" Just then, what seemed to be tar smeared the windshield. "Crap!" Another arrow came in and literally exploded on contact with the front tire.
Realizing they had been foiled, both crooks ditched their ride and tried to escape on foot. The driver suddenly felt his legs tied up by bolas. His partner stopped dead in his tracks as he recognized the person in front of him.
She was young, probably no more than 15. She was covered in a more modern military-style green suit with an arrow head on her chest. Her face was covered in an open green mask, and she kept her blonde hair tied in a pony tail. She was Green Arrow's newest sidekick, Artemis, named after the Greek Goddess of the hunt. "Robbing banks!? Seriously!? Could you guys at least TRY to be a little original!?" she quipped.
The crook took his chances and tried to knock her out with his fists, but Artemis closed the distance first and punched him in the gut. Despite the significant age and size difference, the man keeled over, leaving him open to an ax kick to the head.
As he slumped down, Green Arrow joined his protegee on the ground. "Good work, kid."
"Thanks." Artemis replied. "Was it normally this boring here when Speedy...I mean, Red Arrow was with you?" Truth be told, lately missions were more exciting with the "team" than with her mentor.
"No..." Green Arrow answered as he cuffed Artemis's punching bag. "But trust me, you'll prefer the boring stuff in time." He turned around as he listened to the approaching sirens. "We're done here; let's head out."
"Right."
Just then, Green Arrow pressed the communicator in his ear as it alerted him. "Green Arrow here...really? OK, understood. I'll let her know." he released the device, signing off.
"What?" Artemis asked.
"I need to head out to Russia." Green Arrow explained. "And you're needed at the cave."
Back in Fire Country, a rogue ronin peaked out of the bushes to make sure it was safe. Figuring now was the best time, he leaped out and made a break for it. He carried with him an ink painting that he stole from his own damiyo right under his nose. He figured he'd sell it, make money, and get the heck out of there. Suddenly, he found himself paralyzed; all he could move was his eyes and mouth. "W-what's going on!? What happened!?"
"I did." The thief found his limbs moving against his will as his body to turned around to face his apparent captor, who was a boy of no more than 13 at best. This boy wore a gray jacket, fishnet undershirt and shorts containing various pouches. His dark hair was tied in a straight pony tail, and he had a somewhat bored expression on his face. "In truth, though, you brought this on yourself." His name was Shikamaru Nara. He had a reputation in the village for being the laziest genin (lowest ranking ninja) but no one could deny his brilliance. "That doesn't belong to you..." Shikamaru said. "Now drop it."
He made a motion as if he held something, stretched out his arm, and opened his closed fist. The rogue made the same motions at the same time, and lost his treasure. He then noticed their shadows were somehow connected. "What the-?"
Then, Shikamaru's shadow receded, and the rogue could move again. Not that it would do it much good; a blow to the back of the neck knocked him out cold before he could so much as blink. A man with dark hair and a beard with the standard ninja attire of this world stood over him, and slung him over his shoulder like he weighed nothing. "Good work, Shikamaru." his mentor, Asuma Sarutobi, son of the late Third Hokage, said.
PACIFIC OCEAN
UTC 09:15
Somewhere, far in the ocean of the other world, a Japanese ship tore across the sea. It's purpose was whaling...however, this was a tricky business with several regulations. Seeing that whales were an endangered animal, the maximum cache for kills was very low. Not to mention ever since a once mythological kingdom was now given a voice, it complicated manners of the sea even further. That didn't stop the wealthy demand for what was considered a delicacy in their country, and this ship in particular was going well over it's maximum quota over the past few months. The captain of the ship calmly sipped his tea as he monitored the radar. A pod of Right Whales were ahead, and they were closing in on them. The captain took the radio and said "This is your captain speaking. We are closing in on the prize. Prepare the harpoons and the net."
The crew got ready to nail one. The harpoon flew...and suddenly the waves rose, slowing the giant arrow. Then, as if by magic, the water pulled itself back to sea level, the sudden force snapping the harpoon's cord and taking the spear with it. The captain's eyes widened as he grabbed the radio; he had a feeling he knew what was going on. "Get the ammunition! Quickly! We're about to have intruders on board!"
As soon as he gave the order, he saw another whale on the radar, this one coming towards the ship. While it was slow, the ship and it would collide soon if he didn't turn it around. However, if he turned around, the ship could risk losing its prey. Deciding to risk a confrontation with the league's oddest member, he pushed forward. Soon enough, the whale was right next to the ship, and jumped. What appeared to be two men hung on, and jumped from the whale, landing several stories below without so much as an injury upon landing.
The first one looked like he came from the West. Over 6 feet tall with short blond hair and a thick beard, he was powerfully built as well, and would have been exemplary as an art piece in many European cultures. He seemed to wear an orange shirt and green pants with fins, both of which seemed to be covered in scales. The other was dark-skinned, as if he was from Africa. His blond hair was not even an inch long, but covered his entire scalp. Also distinguishing him from the other was what appeared to be gills protruding from his neck. He was younger than the other, a teenager who only stood approximately 5 ft 7. In addition, he sported tattoos like snakes down his arms. His attire was similar to the other, but colored red and blue, and looked more plastic than organic, though his pants also sported fins and was barefoot. He also had a pack with two protrusions sticking out. They were, respectably, Aquaman, King of Atlantis, and his own sidekick, Aqualad.
"(Turn back)!" Aquaman commanded the crew in Japanese. "(You are violating international law, as well as the terms set by my kingdom! Do so peacefully; I do not wish to bring anyone harm)."
However, if it meant getting paid, the whalers were more than willing to bring them harm. A crew member snuck up behind them, wielding a flamethrower. They heard from an American mob in Metropolis that Atlanteans were vulnerable to extreme heat. As one prepared to take position, Aqualad noticed him in the corner of his eye. "Look out, my king!" Aqualad unleashed one of his water bearers, unleashing a whip made of water. The whip tangled the nozzle, and pushed it to the floor as the flames seared the metal hull.
"(If you've chosen to fight, so be it!)" Aquaman leaped into a crowd of sailors. Though they tried to subdue him with numbers and belted him with various instruments that could crack a normal man's skull, Aquaman's skin resisted them all, and he shrugged them off with ease as he beat them down like flies against a horsetail. Aqualad was having similar success, having felled 3 grown men with a kick, and transforming his water bearers into bats. It seemed none of the crew would have any success in attacking them directly. One of the sailors managed to get the drop on Aqualad and wrap a chain around his neck. Strong as he was, the neck was still a vulnerable point on Atlanteans as it was for humans. He knew he wouldn't allow him to choke him for long, and his partner got back up with the flamethrower to burn him. "Aqualad!" Aquaman punched one sailor out of the way, digging his hands into a metal panel and tearing it off as if it were mere aluminum foil. He flung it at the wielder of the flamethrower, cracking his ribs and knocking him out cold. Aqualad, finally gaining some leverage, pulled the chain closer as his tattoos began to glow blue. An electrical discharge poured from his body, along the metal and into the sailor, as he screamed and passed out. "Are you alright!?" Aquaman shouted as he ran towards his protegee.
"I am fine, sire. I've had worse." Aqualad, or Kalduron as he was normally called, smiled.
Aquaman placed his hand on the teen's shoulder. "Of course. How silly of me." He looked up towards the hull, where the captain was staring back at him, wide-eyed in fear. "Come. We have a captain whom we need to discuss important matters with."
"Aye, my king." Aqualad saluted by bringing his fist towards his temple.
As they made their way over, Aquaman heard the communicator in his ear go off as well. "Aquaman here." he replied as he pressed it. "Uh huh...understood. I'll Zeta to India as soon as I'm finished here. And I'll send Aqualad to the cave as well.
"Lee!" Mighty Guy was one of Konoha's best taijutsu (hand to hand combat) fighters, though he was also known as one of the oddest jonins to walk the planet (and in this world, that's saying a lot.) With a dark bowl cut, a large nose and teeth, and most noticably, his green leotard suit, he was certainly an odd one, to say the least. But none of that ever concerned him. What did right now was the recovery of his favorite pupil, who fashioned himself in Guy's own likeness. Or was, until an injury during his chunin exam crippled him. "How's my favorite pupil doing!?" he yelled inside the apartment, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.
"Gai-sensei!" Lee hobbled out of his room, going as fast as his crutches would take him. "What brings you here?" he asked, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible.
Gai did his best to keep himself from crying at the sight. It was a small comfort to him to see Lee still wearing the green suit he gave him, even though he didn't and wouldn't be exercising for a while. "To see you of course! I've got just the thing to make you stronger!" he practically yelled, desperately attempting to mask his own sadness.
He suddenly set down a huge bowl of dark buns on his kitchen table, which Lee only looked at skeptically. "What are those!?"
"My own personal snack! Just one of these will make you that much stronger, and help you recover faster!"
Lee only stared at them; they looked disgusting. But with Gai going out of his way to help him...Lee couldn't refuse. He picked one up, and took a bite. Lee's cheeks seem to explode as he forced himself not to spit it out.
"Think of it as training, Lee! These spicy buns will help maintain your pain threshold! Plus, they're three times more nutritious than broccoli! That's why their taste is so off!"
Lee, noticing his teacher did not lose any enthusiasm, forced himself to swallow it. "There!" Gai exclaimed proudly. "Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Lee suddenly grabbed more, which caused Gai to stand in alarm. "You idiot! You don't have to eat them all at once!" On the inside, though, Gai was smiling. Lee hadn't given up on recovery; so neither would he.
CENTRAL CITY
09:20 UTC
Central City was having a quiet day, it seemed. For one teenager, he felt he needed a little bit of quiet. He was lean, with freckles and red hair. He also sported a cast around his right arm. His name was Wally West. He was also known as Kid Flash, partner of the fastest man alive. Granted, he didn't appreciate the fact that his injury was holding him back. But he had already pulled some stunts with the cast on; he tried his best not to make matters worse. He decided he should make the most of his free time and spend some of his allowance. His double-life as a super hero in training made him forget some of his passions, and led to him saving up a ridiculous amount of cash for a teenager his age.
"I heard Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is out...maybe I'll see if I can get a good deal." Wally walked into a Gamestop, and began browsing. Just when he thought he found his prize, something shook the building. "Aw, come on!" Wally moaned. Quickly, though not as quickly as he could, he ran out of the store to look outside. "Crap. Not him." A comical-looking man with pointy side-burns wearing a green and yellow stripped leotard stood atop a giant toy top, tearing its way through the road. In case you couldn't guess, this man's name was the Top. Wally was really trying to stay out of trouble to allow his arm to fully heal. But... "Duty calls..."
Faster than anyone could see, Wally ran out of the public eye, at least 200 mph, as he went into a secluded alleyway. He suddenly spun like a tornado. In 3 seconds, he emerged seemingly a different person. He was covered in yellow body armor with red gloves and boots. His chest bore a lightning bolt, and his ear pieces resembled them too. On top of that, goggles sat above his eyes as most of his face was covered in a yellow mask. Minus the cast, this was the true appearance of Kid Flash. "Alright. Let's get this over with." he told himself as he took off again.
Kid Flash raced out and caught up with Top on the road. "So, bank robbery!? Resisting arrest!? McDonald's brought out the McRibs again and you're trying to beat traffic!?" he kept asking excitedly.
The Top looked down, and gawked. "You-!" He quickly composed himself. "No matter. The real Flash is occupied, and without him you should be a piece of cake!"
He tossed several seemingly normal toy tops from his hands, which landed on the ground, keeping up with Kid Flash. Suddenly, they enlarged, protruding saw-like blades. "Aw, come on!" Though it took some effort to do so, he dodged each of them without so much as a scratch on his suit or his cast. "Listen, I can see you're having a bad day, and I'm not in the mood for this! Why don't you just surrender and we'll get this over with...cause you know how this is going to end."
"I do, as a matter of fact." Top proclaimed. "Your obituary in the paper!"
Kid Flash rolled his eyes. "So be it." Quickly, before Top could throw more weapons at him, Kid Flash raced ahead of him, far from his eyesight. Almost too fast for the human eye to see, he raced into a four story building, up a flight of stairs and onto the roof. Using the momentum to carry him, he launched himself into the air, and landed on Top's giant...top. Of course, the top of the top did not actually move; it would have thrown off Top otherwise (AN: does this sound as stupid as I think it does? My bad)
"You made a grave mistake coming up here!" Top exclaimed.
"You made an even bigger mistake being a crook!" Wally suddenly made a motion to run away from him, but even as he moved his legs, stayed in place. As his legs continued to move faster and faster, the top of the...vehicle, began to move.
"What!? What are you-" Top didn't get to finish as he was thrown to his belly and forced to hold onto dear life as the roof began to spin. In an opposite direction of the rest of the machine. "Stop! It will-" Before he could finish, sparks flew off the edges as the machine overheated; KF's make-shift treadmill was ruining all the gears and circuits inside. The unusual vehicle began to slow down significantly as it finally came to a halt.
Then, it exploded, throwing Kid Flash off his feet. "OH CRAP!"
However, before he hit the ground, a red blur ran by and caught him. He was a tall, athletic man dressed in a costume similar to Kid Flash's, but the coloring was opposite his (mostly red) and his mask only exposed his chin. This was the true Flash. He was usually one of the more easy-going members of the league, but at this moment he gave Kid Flash a stern look. "KF, we talked about this." he whispered to him
"And I agreed, remember?" Kid shot back. "I didn't want to get involved, but it didn't seem like you were coming, so I had to. If the shoe were on the other foot, I'd imagine you would leap into action just the same as I did."
Flash rubbed the back of his neck, having no comeback for that. "Point taken. I guess it's a moot point anyway; you're needed at the cave."
Kid Flash's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, what? I thought I was on sick leave!"
"I'm not happy about it either." Flash agreed. "But Batman says you're needed, as support. I'm not clear on the details myself, but just head on down there, okay? I need to stop by Zimbabwe. I don't know the how or why, but Captain Boomerang's down there."
"Do we even have a Zeta tube in Zimbabwe?" KF asked in surprise.
"The one in Johannesburg's the closest. The rest will be a cakewalk for me." Flash winked, and took off at a speed Kid Flash could never hope to match.
"Show off." he muttered.
Kakashi, like many of his peers, was on a mission. However, for this mission, he had to bring with him his genin team, comprised of three members. He saw great potential in each of them, but most of the time they were quite dysfunctional. Still, when they pulled it together, they could accomplish anything. Besides, Kakashi had a connection with the two boys on the team, though he did not let that be known.
Kakashi suddenly signaled for his team to halt as they came into the middle of a field. "Some one's watching us!" He whispered.
"Then, let's take them!" one of the two boys shouted as he flung a kunai into the bushes.
Kakashi resisted the urge to face palm himself. The one who had the most potential was also the most difficult to work with, as well as being a total idiot most of the time. "Too late now. Everyone! Attack formation!" As he said the words, rogue ninja and samurai jumped out of the bushes. They didn't look like too much of a threat, but a cocky ninja was a dead ninja. That worried him about that same particular member of the team as well, but he would just have to do his best to be there for all of them. All 4 members of Team Kakashi broke off, each covering one another by thinning out the numbers of their attackers.
While the attackers knew not to underestimate the kids, it was naturally hard for them to do so. "The little girl is ours!"
The one they were talking about wasn't what most would think of as "ninja". Aside from the fact she was a girl in her early teens, she was short and skinny. She also sported bright pink hair, green eyes, and a red blouse and black shorts. Again, not exactly intimidating. The girl in question was Sakura Haruno. And though she was not Konoha's finest kunoichi, she strove everyday to improve...though not always for the right reasons. "Sakura!" Kakashi called. "Be careful!"
Sakura was way ahead of him; she knew her limits, and knew how to work around them. Making hand signs necessary to perform ninjutsu, she gathered her chakra (life energy). "Bushin no Jutsu!"
Suddenly, two more Sakuras appeared at her side. Each switched places, making sure to hide the real one. "Piece of cake!" One rogue exclaimed. "My swing's good enough to cut down all three of them at once!" He did as he exclaimed. The two bushin evaporated at contact...but where there should have been a real body, the rogue found his katana embedded in a log. "Damn it!" This was the art of substitution, where the ninja would pick a random object and switch places with it without being noticed.
He anticipated the attack, but he reacted too late. Sakura was already behind him, knocking him out with a chop to the back of the neck, a blow that even the largest of men could not resist very well when done correctly.
Another, however, got the drop on her as he grabbed her by the neck and lifted her. "So, tell me, you little tramp; how do you choose to die?" Sakura did not answer; instead, she bit down on his hand, causing him to drop her. "Ow! You'll pay for that-" He stopped as he noticed the explosive tag on his hand. "Oh sh-" The paper on his hand blew up, resulting in severe pain and a nasty burn.
"Yeah!" Sakura shouted as she pumped her fist in victory. "Shannaro!" (AN: For those wondering what that means...it's gibberish) However, Sakura spoke too soon it seemed; suddenly, a pair of weighted bolos tangled her feet, causing her to trip.
"Sakura-chan!" one of her teammates yelled. Two young boys around her age rushed to her aid...
HAPPY HARBOR, RI
UTC 10:00
Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. A nice, quiet community in the Northeastern United States. One would think that none of the world's superheroes would bother living here; crime rates in this area were among the lowest in the country. However, one who had no place else to call her home stayed and attended school here.
To those who thought they knew her, she was a cute teenage girl with long brown hair, freckles, a good figure and charming face. Her personality, while a bit on the ditzy side, was also warmly received as friendly and witty. They called her Megan Morse. Her real name though, was M'gann M'orzz. And currently she was just finishing up with cheer practice. "Whew!" Megan exclaimed as she drank some water. "That was a tough workout!" she exclaimed.
"You're telling me." said another teenager with short, black hair, Wendy.
"Well, I'm rather not have Mal guilt trip me come the next game." said a black girl named Karen, referring to her boyfriend on the football team. "Though the Hornets don't deserve to win the championship if their only redeeming quality is their cheerleaders." The girls chuckled at her wisecrack.
"Well, I'm in the mood for a burger." one of the girls said. "Who's with me?"
As the others raised their hands in agreement, M'gann was about to do the same, but a voice in her mind caught her attention. And no, she isn't crazy. She's just not from this world (this specific earth, to be exact). "M'gann. I'm sorry to interrupt your extra-curricular activities, but Batman has set up a mission for the team. You are to report to Mount Justice at once." The voice was of her Uncle, an extraterrestrial alien called the Martian Manhunter.
Though M'gann was disappointed, she understood the mission came first. "I understand, Uncle J'onn." Megan suddenly grabbed her bags and stood up. "I'm sorry, guys; something just came up. I'll see you all for practice next time!" As she exited the school grounds, she made sure she was not followed as she walked into a secluded area in the park. From there, a transformation took place. Though her shape and hair remained the same, her Caucasian skin became green. Her clothes morphed as well; what was once a white blouse and blue denim skirt grew a red x over it, and a cape appeared from behind. Her sneakers became blue boots as well. This was another form of M'gann: Miss Martian. If you didn't pick up on the names as of yet, she was quite literally from Mars. She immediately turned transparent, almost invisible to the naked eye and flew up into the sky, towards a single solitary mountain on the peninsula. "Must be pretty serious to call me away from my friends." Miss Martian noted.
As Sakura braced herself for an attack, a large windmill shuriken suddenly flew in front of her assailants, forcing them to jump back or risk decapitation. "Why don't you try your luck with me? I'm a far worthier opponent!" Grabbing the large weapon as it came back, stood a young boy just entering his teens. His hair was spiky and black, with matching eyes. In addition, he wore a midnight-blue t-shirt and khaki shorts. On the back of his shirt was a symbol resembling a fan, red and white. He was Sasuke Uchiha. More rogues attacked, but the boy proved to be incredibly fast. In no time, he knocked down several grown men with one blow with precise strikes. He threw several shuriken; while none got in a fatal blow, they all crippled his attackers.
"Sasuke-kun, look out!" Sakura suddenly screamed.
Sasuke back flipped away from a katana aimed for him. He dodged, but noticed a trickle of blood escaped his cheek. "He actually got me!" A sudden fury filled him, as he brought his hands together. "Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!" His cheeks expanded, and like a dragon, he spewed flames at his attackers. Though none were killed, they all stopped, dropped and rolled. After they put the flames out, none were in the mood for a fight.
"Great job Sasuke-kun! You're the best! Sakura screamed as she raised her arms in the air. If you couldn't tell by now, Sakura was madly in love with Sasuke. If the feelings were mutual, Sasuke didn't show it. In fact, he just outright ignored her as he inspected his slight wound.
"It's no good. It's not good enough..." A shadow in his mind flashed, showing blood red eyes with intricate markings. "I'm still not good enough!"
"Teme, watch out!"Sasuke failed to notice a large man with a kabano sneak up behind him. He raised it, and prepared to crack the genin's skull..."
METROPOLIS
UTC 10:20
Metropolis. A city said to represent the best of America, with one of the highest employment rates in the country, leading innovators in technology, and many other aesthetic accomplishments. Still, like any other place, it wasn't perfect. Certainly not on this day.
One blonde-haired reporter was about to explain why as she held up her mic and looked straight into the camera. "This is Cat Grant here, live at Metropolis City Hall! What you are witnessing is a tense hostage standoff, where one lone man has taken the entire city council at gunpoint! The man is identified as Robert Dubois, an Iraq War veteran. Relatives of the gunman say he has suffered from severe PTSD and has a history of mental illness. His demands are to commemorate his brother, also a war veteran, pardon him, and entitle him to an unspecified fixed income. However, time may be running short; assuming the police even give into his demands, the bureaucratic process could take days, if not more. With no sign of Superman, it's likely this could become a violent blood sport."
Suddenly, everyone looked up. Normally, this would mean the arrival of Superman. Today, though, they would have to settle for the next best thing. What seemed to be a large motorcycle in the air descended near the police, flying like a vehicle from the Jetsons, containing two passengers.
One was a large white wolf, easily the size of a tiger. Bits of muscle were showing around it's shoulders, but they did not appear to be wounds, as the animal was not in any apparent pain.
The seemingly human occupant was a different story. He looked to be a 16 year old boy. However, for his age, he was rather tall, nearing six feet. His build was impressive as well; it looked as though he could easily take on a grown man. His short black hair would make girls think of him as something as a heart throb. His pants were rather plain, sporting combat boots. But what really drew everyone's attention was his shirt. A black T-shirt with Superman's S-symbol. This was Superboy. Though not in the same league as the Man of Steel, he was still a force to be reckoned with.
He and his pet Wolf walked over to the cop in charge. "What's the situation?"
"Back off, kid." he replied, believing him to be an ordinary teenager. "There are hostages up there, and it looks like he's going to blow someone's brains out any second! I don't have time to deal with punks playing superhero!"
"Yeah, I can see that." Superboy replied, staring straight ahead into the building. Of course, no ordinary person could do that with their eyes from his position. His telescopic and infrared vision combined gave him a better scope of things, including what the madman was carrying, his location and the hostages. "Wolf." he ordered his pet. "Go around back. Make sure he doesn't see you." The mutant wolf did as he was told while Superboy waited.
"Whatcha gonna do, kid?" the cop asked again. "Get-"
"What Superman would do." was Superboy's only reply as he pushed his way forward past the yellow tape.
Suddenly, he leaped 40 feet into the air and through a wall of solid marble, the impact having no apparent effect on him. Dubois pointed a Gatling gun at him as he realized he was no longer alone; Superboy wondered where he got such a thing. Even stranger to him, this man seemed ready for battle. Outfitted in combat pants and boots, he also wore a simple t-shirt with strips of ammunition wrapped around him, and sported a bandana concealing his face. He looked like he came straight out of a Rambo movie, and had Superboy been human, he wouldn't be sure if he could take him on in a fair fight. "Easy there." Superboy said, softly but authoritatively putting his hand up. "I don't want to hurt you. What say you put the gun down."
"Put the gun down? PUT THE GUN DOWN!?" the crazed veteran screamed. "All those damn pigs in the white house asked us to do was to pick things up, and KILLKILLKILL! My bro and I...we protested! We suggested there was a better way..."
"And then you were discharged, I imagine." Superboy guessed, sympathetic but not backing down.
The man gave him a crazed look. "Threatened, yes. So we kept doing it. They wouldn't let us go that easily; we were the best in the field. Once they were done with us...they threw us out like trash, and put all the blame for their mistakes on us! Took us both to court martial, and bro hanged himself!"
Superboy's hearing could hear his heartbeat; it was steady. "He's telling the truth." Superboy felt for this man; he obviously suffered from a terrible wrong. "I believe you. Just put the gun down. I have friends who can help you right this terrible wrong you have suffered. No one else has to die because of this."
The man seemed conflicted, but gave into his anger. "All will suffer as long as I do."
He then aimed his Gatling gun at Superboy and fired. Though the teen was thrown back against the wall, what would have blown a normal human to bits instead felt like a hornet's nest on him; not one drop of blood appeared on his torn shirt. "Enough!" Superboy ran towards him, blocking the bullets, and grabbed the gun out of his hand like he was a toddler. The weapon was made of solid steel, but Superboy bent it like it was made of plastic.
Dubois elbowed his head...and nearly broke his arm. "Ahh!" he yelled, falling to the floor in pain while Superboy didn't even seem to realize they made contact.
"Give up! It's over." Superboy told him as he grabbed him and pulled him up.
Dubois only snarled. "I guess you're right...it is over!"
He held up a detonator; Superboy guessed it was rigged either to him, the hostages...or the entire building. "Now boy!" Wolf suddenly burst through the door and clamped down on Dubois' hand, forcing him to let go as he yelled in pain. As Dubois held his hand in agony, Superboy crushed the detonator to scrap, and said "Be glad he didn't take your fingers along with it." He turned back to scratch his pet's head. "Good boy."
Later, as the hostages were escorted outside by him, he approached the cops who put Dubois in the back of their car in cuffs. "Take this." Superboy said as he handed the cop a voice recorder. "I suggest you listen and get the FBI to investigate this matter. And that man needs a hospital...not prison." The cop only stared at him skeptically. Then, without another word, he got in his car and took off. Superboy only ran a hand through his hair. "Jeez. Just trying to do what Superman would do." Seeing his t-shirt was now in rags, Superboy looked to Wolf. "Come on, boy. Let's go home."
As he boarded his "Super Cycle", or Sphere as he liked to call her (long story), he noticed he had a message from Batman.
Pressing the play button, it said "Superboy. Report to the cave at once."
Superboy sighed, and looked to his biological companion. "Ready for another go, Wolf?" Wolf barked eagerly in response. "Okay then." Superboy smiled. "Take us up, sphere." The cycle suddenly levitated off the ground and took off to the east at a speed to match jets.
As Sasuke prepared to counter, someone else butted in and kicked the large man down with a surprising show of strength for someone his size. Much like Sakura, most would not think "ninja" upon seeing this boy. Those who thought they knew him wouldn't think so either. He was roughly the same age as Sasuke. In contrast to his rather dark companion, he sported wild blonde hair, and blue eyes. His cheeks looked like they had whiskers. In addition, he was covered from the neck down in an orange jumpsuit. This was Naruto Uzumaki; he had (just barely) graduated at the bottom of his class. Most didn't expect great things of him, but these past few months, he had made amazing progress.
"I had it completely under control!" Sasuke shouted.
"Shut up!" Naruto shouted back as he got his kunai ready and prepared to defend himself.
"Hey!" Kakashi yelled as he kicked another down, still being able to observe the team under his charge. "Less fighting each other, more fighting them!"
Naruto silently agreed, and put his fingers together in a cross-like formation. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Clouds of smoke erupted all around him, and suddenly there were a dozen, if not more Narutos. They each attacked the rogues independently. None seemed to be particularly weaker than the other, and those that were hit evaporated back into smoke.
"Clones!? Is that all you're good for!?" One missing nin drew his ninjato and cut each attacking clone down, one by one. Making sure to keep track of the real Naruto since he created them, the rogue quickly approached him and raised his sword. All Naruto had on him was kunai, and Kakashi feared he wasn't ready to block such weapons with just that.
However, before the ninja could complete his attack, a rock under his feet exploded in smoke and suddenly transformed into another Naruto bushin lying on all fours. The rogue tripped over him, dropping his weapon and falling face first in the dirt. Naruto wasted no time, summoning more bushins and leaping into the air. "Uzumaki Naruto Redan!"
The clones dog piled him, attacking the offender everywhere at once. Then, they each kicked him up into the air, while the real Naruto leaped up with him and slammed him back to earth with an axe kick. In no time, the thug was a bruised and bloody mess. "This...is...humiliating..." were his last words before passing out.
His fellow teammates looked on in awe. Kakashi, for one, was quite pleased with what he saw. Naruto was starting to use the unpredictability he was famous for with his pranks in practical combat. "There you go, Naruto...you really can do anything once you put your mind to it."
Sakura, though she would never admit it out loud, was also quite impressed. In fact, ever since the chunin exams she had begun to see Naruto in a new light. "He is getting stronger...maybe Sasuke-kun was right about him saving me from Garaa..."
Sasuke indeed remembered that battle that Sakura was thinking of; she was unconscious, but Sasuke witnessed it first hand. he knew today Naruto wasn't even using a fraction of the power he was capable of. He always respected his determination to be his equal, and hoped one day to fight him...but he feared he may have surpassed him. And if he couldn't beat him, how could he hope to beat Itachi? The very thought of it deepened his scowl, and he gripped his kunai so hard his hand trembled.
"Sasuke!" Sasuke whirled around, preparing to defend himself from another ronin, but a fireball from the other direction burned the attacker before he got close. "Stay on guard!" Kakashi warned as he joined his genins and threw his kunai at would-be attackers. "Everyone!" Kakashi made Kage Bushins of his own, and surrounded the kids. "Behind me! Now!" Though Naruto and Sasuke preferred not to be protected, they both learned to obey their sensei when it came to battles and did as they were told. What bandits remained held their weapons up. However, they dared not approach; slowly, their trembling became obvious, and quickly they took off screaming. "It's always rather refreshing when rogues do the smart thing, don't you agree?" Kakashi asked his students. Though his face was covered by a mask, one could tell he was smiling by the way he closed his visible eye.
While everyone relaxed their guard, Naruto only pouted in frustration. "I wish they stayed!" Naruto shouted, earning an exacerbated look from everyone. "I still have a bunch of cool moves I'd like to try out!"
"Naruto, the best battles are the ones not fought." Kakashi said, trying to be as zen-like as possible.
"Well, that's a stupid saying. Who the heck came up with that!?"
"Kurata Shuzo, you baka!" Sakura suddenly shouted at him. While Sakura had slowly learned to get along better with Naruto overtime, he still tried her patience constantly.
"Never heard of him." Naruto replied smugly.
Sakura face-palmed herself. "Of course you wouldn't have."
"Well, now that that's over with..." Kakashi said as he put away his weapons. "...we can continue on with our mission. Let's go." Without another word, his genin also relaxed and followed their leader.
"I still don't see what the big deal is about a scroll." Naruto muttered. According to Kakashi, the council gave them a mission to retrieve it. Nothing else was said to him.
"It isn't just any scroll, Naruto." Kakashi warned him. "It's the ancient Scroll of Seals. I'm sure you're familiar with it."
"I am?" Naruto asked, surprised.
"Of course; it's the reason why you were allowed to graduate from the academy in the first place." was Kakashi's reply.
Naruto remembered; an academy teacher tricked him into stealing the scroll so he could steal it for himself and put the blame on Naruto. It was from that scroll Naruto mastered his signature technique that even some jonin had trouble with. It was also the day he had learned the terrible secret he himself carried...
"Anyway, we should get going. The bandits stole it while Oto and Suna attacked. And they've had quite a head start; if we don't hurry, I fear the worst."
GOTHAM CITY
11:00 UTC
Gotham City. Once one of America's most prosperous metropolitan areas had been going through a tough time. Economic depression, political corruption, and rising crime-rates changed the city drastically over the years. It was among the Top 3 most dangerous cities in America, and the city struggled with job creation. However, over the past decade the city had been on a small but steady upswing. Criminals were afraid to go out at night, and some citizens predisposed to a life of crime began to turn their lives around. This was the city of Batman; both civilian and criminal would tell you you don't screw with Batman. EVER. However, like many of the other heroes we have visited, he was not alone in this fight.
On this particular day, a bank was suddenly being robbed. All the perpetrators wore black masks that covered their entire faces, yet it did not seem to impede their vision as they forced everyone to the floor and pointed their weapons. The leader barked the usual orders for everyone to freeze while his men blew open the vault. Using an assortment of complicated machinery and explosives, they forced it open, looking at millions, if not billions inside.
"Hurry!" one ordered.
"What're you scared of? The Batman doesn't come out this early..." another teased as he stuffed as many bills as possible into a duffel bag.
"That's a goddamn myth, and you know it! Now hurry it up!" the leader yelled.
Just then, a boy's laughter filled the room. "Did some punk kid get lost or something?" one of the robbers asked. Just then, two wires latched onto one of the men's torso, where he suddenly convulsed as an electric current paralyzed him.
"It's the bat!" The others drew their guns, but red objects came flying at them and knocked their weapons out of their hands. Next thing they knew, a small explosion spread green gas in the room, causing everyone to choke and tear up. One by one, something beat them down to the floor and tied them up.
"What's the hold up!?" Their leader shouted, carrying his shotgun. Upon seeing his fallen comrades, he panicked. The laughter came up again, and the leader frantically pointed his gun everywhere. Finally, it too was knocked out of his hands by a red disk. He would've a breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing his assailant, but quickly realized it was over once he recognized this kid.
A 13-year old boy faced him, falling just short of five feet. He was rather lanky, too. He also sported black pants, a red sleeveless shirt with an R where his heart was, dark gloves, a yellow belt, and a cape that was black on the outside, but yellow on the inside. He also wore a domino mask that seemed to stick to his face. The only other visible feature was his smooth dark hair, two bangs protruding. And then that smile; that obnoxious, grating smile a teenager gives you when they know they've just owned you. This was Robin, also known as the Boy Wonder. Not only was he Batman's sidekick, he was also one of the first and most experienced sidekicks as well. And he was going to prove it again tonight. "You know, you should just give up now. We both know how this is going to end." he warned him, never losing his grin.
The crook only pulled out a stiletto knife, his "common" sense overriding his instincts, telling him not to be afraid. "Fat chance of that, little punk."
Robin, in response, pulled out two escrima sticks from behind his back. "Why is it always a fat chance? That always sounds like a sure thing! What's the point if we already use slim chance to convey the same thing?" Robin had a habit of questioning the use of the English language, often making up new words.
"OH, SHUT UP!" The thief charged, ready to fill the boy with holes. Robin, however, had no such plans to let that happen today. As the robber thrust, Robin quickly flipped over his arm and clocked him in the head with a kick.
Following through, he slammed a stick into his knee, uppercut him as he knelt down, and quickly use the sticks to add a bunch of black marks under his clothes all over. The gang leader finally hunched over, having trouble breathing. Wasting no time, Robin got behind him and cuffed him. Just as the sirens had finally reached earshot, Robin flipped across the furniture, reaching and leaping out of the window, firing his grappling gun and onto the roof. He hung around to make sure the embarassingly ineffective GCPD had everything under control.
Just then, his earpiece began to ring faintly. It was a call from home, though not in the way most teens experience it. Pressing his fingers against his ear, an old man with an english accent spoke. "Master Dick. I presume you're not too busy."
"Just finished up here Alfred; go right ahead." he replied.
"Master Bruce requests your presence at the cave Not the Batcave; the other cave".
" Great. Tell him I'll be there." Robin hung up, and disappeared into the setting sun.
THE CAVE, HAPPY HARBOR, RI
UTC 11:20
"Robin. B01. Access, Granted." A tube glowed as bright as the sun as Robin in uniform suddenly appeared in the entrance. The Zeta tubes allowed for instant teleportation anywhere on the planet, but only the Justice League and their associates could use them, as they did not share the technology with the outside world.
Robin walked into the middle of the structure, waving hello to his comrades. All were in uniform, Including..."KF? Don't you think you should sit this one out?"
Kid Flash rolled his eyes. "Ask Batman about it. Says I'm needed." Everyone agreed it just didn't feel right when he was still recovering from a serious injury. And his cast would make him more of a target than usual.
In the center of the team's base, Batman stood with the rest of the team. Aqualad was in front, as he was the team leader. As Robin took his place, Batman began. "Enemies of the league have been acting up all over the world." he explained as he got a holographic projection of the earth running, red dots marking several locations. "It's too many at once to be a coincidence. We believe these are all elaborate distractions."
"Distractions? Distractions for what?" Robin asked.
Batman pressed a holographic button on the computer, and a yellow dot showed up in a chain of islands called Japan. "We have detected several energy spikes on Okinawa. We believe that our enemies are trying to keep us distracted while they conduct some kind of experiment. We've seen similar energy readings before; it is of the same type detected in Bialya last month, and from the New Gods Superboy had encountered recently."
"Maybe they're smuggling more Apokoliptian tech." Superboy suggested. He only recently heard of the place, thanks to an unusual group of outer dimensional beings referring to themselves as 'New Gods'.
"Possibly." Batman concurred. "But that's not the point. Your mission is to shut the source of the energy spike down. Learn the purpose of it all if you can, but halting the operation, if it is indeed man-made, takes priority. Confiscate or destroy anything that comes through. And be careful."
"Who's involved?" Artemis asked. "Bialya? Intergang?"
"We don't know. But I recommend extra caution because this particular anomaly puts out far more energy the last ones we detected in the past two months." Batman warned them.
Aqualad thought about it. "Either they're bringing in something big...or they've found something big."
"Exactly." Batman confirmed. "You'll all be headed to Okinawa at these coordinates; once it is destroyed and all anomalies neutralized, get out."
"Uh, quick question." Kid Flash asked, raising his cast-arm. "And yes, it has something to do with this." he added, pointing to it.
"If the energy output of these boom tubes are higher than normal, they may risk sucking in anything along with it. It's a slim chance, but still a possibility that must be anticipated. You are to act as back-up and rescue your teammates should that happen." the Dark Knight replied.
"Ah. Gotcha."
"Miss Martian, prepare your bio-ship. Superboy, bring the Sphere along as well." Batman ordered as he shut down the holograms and walked away to deal with something, or rather, someone else. "Your mission begins now."
UTC 12:00
Miss Martian's red bio-ship was faster than any jet the military had to offer. It was still morning in Okinawa, but thankfully according to the map the area they were investigating was not heavily populated. Traveling around the world could be considered one of the perks of their "jobs", but truth of the matter was they never had time to explore and appreciate the different locales. If anything, it was rather routine by now. "Approaching Drop Zone." Miss Martian said as she got her ship to hover in place. A hole formed in the floor of the ship, wide enough for a person to fall through. Most of the team used hooks to lower themselves to the ground. Superboy and Wolf simply touched down; the former had really learned to control his landings. Before he would leave a tremor and a crater in his wake. Miss Martian simply floated down with the rest of them, telekinetically taking Sphere with her while the bio-ship flew away to a secluded but close area.
Quickly, Robin held up a holographic map of their location. Aqualad knelt down to observe."We are approximately 10 clicks from the site. No doubt they have some kind of security. Everyone, stealth mode, just in case." Aqualad pressed his "A" belt buckle, and his red shirt morphed to black. Kid Flash and Artemis did the same on their uniforms, their colors turning black as well. Miss Martian simply willed her clothes to take on the form of a black leotard with a Red X. Robin and Superboy remained as they were; stealth was the former's strong suit, and Superboy's clothes were dark as it was.
They followed the map, walking slowly to not make a sound, and soon, they heard construction up ahead of them. Before some shrubbery, Aqualad ordered them to halt. Looking behind the foliage, their suspicions were confirmed, as a dome had been set up. No doubt to keep something secret. Robin took out a pair of electronic pair of binoculars. Zooming in on one of the security guards' logo, he found the owner: Lexcorp. "Luthor." Aqualad silently commanded the team to disperse.
Quickly, Robin pulled out a Birdarang, and threw it right in front of two security guards. They looked down to inspect it, and a colored gas spewed fourth. The two panicked and were about to radio for help, but their movements slowed, their voices becoming a dull moan as they fell face first into the ground.
Superboy and Aqualad ambushed two other guards and got them in headlocks. Superboy merely held his until he passed out from loss of blood to the brain, while Aqualad shocked his. Both released their victims and restrained them in the surrounding forest before their choke-holds became fatal.
Artemis scaled a tree, signaling out the rest. She opened her bow, and pulled back an arrow. She released it into the crowd, and like Robin before her, gas exploded around them, putting them to sleep. Wasting no time, she singled out the security camera covering one of the main entrances. She shot an arrow right below it. This arrow connected with the camera's circuitry, causing the footage to play back in a loop. Quickly, she jumped out of the tree to meet with the rest of her teammates.
Quickly, the team crowded themselves at the entrance. Superboy went first, using his infrared vision. "I'm not picking up any heat signatures right next to the door, though I'm picking up many others inside."
"As expected." Aqualad agreed. "Robin."
"I'm on it." Robin pulled a wire from his glove, and connected it to the keypad's USB port. A hologram with Robin faces appeared on his sleeve, each one turning green within seconds. When they were all green, the door swished open.
"Move. And be careful." Aqualad commanded as they ran inside.
Inside workers were going about their business, but most were too busy to notice they had intruders. There were security guards, but at the moment the team had a way around them. Quickly and quietly, the scaled the railings of the structure until they were nearly at the ceiling. There were also no security cameras; it seemed whatever was going on, whoever was in charge wanted to do this in absolute secrecy. That had to be an especially bad sign.
"I've a feeling Luthor himself is here." Kid Flash said via telepathic link established by Miss Martian. "No way he would not personally attend to something this big and secret."
"Yeah, I see him." Superboy confirmed. Right on the bottom floor of the dome, Lex Luthor, one of the richest and most influential men in the world, walked about. He was rather tall, but thin, with a completely bald head. He also had a smug look about him, even when it seemed he was rather annoyed. Next to him was a man in a cloak that seemed to be decorated with red clouds; not even with Superboy's senses could he discern other features. But what got the rest of the team's attention was the structure behind them. It was shaped like a medieval asian gate, with all the necessary parts and cultural decorations, but with a darker and more sinister twist, sporting the heads of Japanese Ogres. They couldn't figure out what about this gate was so important just by looking at it. Fortunately for the team, Superboy could listen even from up where they were..
("It is quite remarkable; we never even thought boom tubes could be used this way.") Luthor said, speaking in Japanese.
("Nor me with my special abilities.") the other said in the same language. ("And your weapons; even an ordinary man can become deadly.")
Luthor only smiled. ("Relatively. The best still require years of training. But enough of that; you said you had friends you wanted to bring to this side?")
("Allies would be a more appropriate term. I know what makes them tick; they will serve you well.")
("Most excellent. I am rather curious as to what this...Akatsuki, can do.")
("You will find out soon enough.")
"Superboy, can you hear what they're saying?" Aqualad asked.
"Yeah, though they're talking in Japanese. But it seems they want to bring over some people from another world."
"What kinds?" Kid Flash asked. "And wait, since when did you learn how to speak Japanese?"
"Genomorph education; they uploaded every language on earth into my mind. But to answer your real question: I don't know." Superboy admitted. "But apparently they're called Akatsuki."
"Red Dawn...isn't that supposed to be an old movie?" Robin asked.
"Well, we'll probably have to add copyright infringement to their rap sheet once we catch them." Kid Flash quipped back sarcastically.
"Negative." Aqualad said. "We need to destroy the boom tube while we have the chance, and make sure no one...or nothing...gets out. Miss Martian." he ordered.
On command, Miss Martian became almost invisible, and would remain that way as long as she made no sudden movements. "I'm going in." she told everyone. She flew into the area, making sure not to bump into anyone. Soon, she came upon the gate up close. At first glanced, it looked ancient. But looking at the gears and circuitry involved, Miss Martian knew there was much more to this. "Guys. Whatever it is, it looks feudal. Like it belongs in this region. But the technology is definitely alien."
Everyone looked at each other. Aqualad nodded at Kid Flash, who crouched into a starting position. "Destroy it as discreetly as possible. We're here to back you up, but be careful."
("It's taken quite a bit of time and research, but as you can see, we're ready for a test run.") Luthor continued to explain.
("Yes. I suppose I should volunteer. Should anything go wrong, I know how to get back here on my own.")
Staring ahead at the gate, he suddenly went stiff. ("What is it?") Luthor asked.
("It seems you have an intruder.")
Luthor sighed and pressed his fingers against his forehead in irritation. "Just when you think you have flawless defense..." he grumbled, immediately pressing his Blue Tooth. "Hello, Otis? It seems we have an intruder. No, I don't see him either, that's why we have one." The stranger pointed in the general direction of the gate. "In fact, if it's who I think it is, I'd imagine we have several. Shoot at the gate but do not hit it. Understood? Good." Luthor then turned to his partner. ("We're going to test ahead of schedule. If successful, maybe you could do away with our pests?")
("I'll see what I can do.") The man replied.
Suddenly, a bullet whizzed past Miss Martian. Though her cheek was cut, she avoided a potentially fatal blow. But more would come if she didn't get help as she desperately hovered back and fourth to avoid gunfire while keeping her visibility low. "So much for recon! Request back up, NOW!"
"I'm on my way, M'gann!" Superboy shouted in her mind. With a single bound, Superboy leaped right into the line of fire, the bullets bouncing off him like pebbles. Miss Martian, knowing she was found out, phased out of camouflage and readied for battle too.
"We're on our way." Aqualad informed her. "Kid, do not move until I give the ok!" While Wally wanted to help, he knew he would be a liability if he didn't comply with Aqualad's plan.
Robin was able to get by no problem; quickly and quietly, he sneaked past all guards. Finding the snipers above, he threw his birdarangs at them, calculating that the fall nor the explosions would kill them. The timers on his weapons went off, and next thing the gunman knew, the scaffolds gave way as they took a shortcut down to earth. His two friends safe from harm, Robin joined them in the open, flinging his birdarangs at anyone who came near.
Artemis simply took cover behind one of the many consoles, her bow at the ready. With expert marksmanship, she fired her arrows. Some sprayed knockout gas, incapacitating any assailants. Others exploded with liquid nitrogen, destroying the weapons' integrity. Others simply hit the gunmen with blunt force. However, she too was forced to move forward as others fired at her from behind.
Aqualad knocked any of his attackers away with a hammer and mace made out of water; getting to the center to help Miss Martian was not a problem for him
Miss Martian, her concentration now on battle, used her telekinesis to simply pick up the assailants and knock them against anything hard.
Sphere and Wolf helped too; Sphere simply ran over the gunmen while Wolf pounced on them, wounding but never killing. Once the team was united, it was clear the mercenaries were outmatched.
Meanwhile, Luthor and his partner looked on. ("Truth be told...I'm quite impressed.") the partner said. ("Their abilities are extraordinary. I can see why they give you such trouble.)"
("The Justice League gives us trouble.") Luthor reprimanded him. ("These...punks...are just annoyances.")
("Still, if you allow them to continue, they will be much more than an annoyance. It's best to stamp out weeds while they're young before they become strong and sturdy vines.")
Luthor sneered. ("True enough. Shall I leave them in your capable hands?")
("I doubt killing them would be easy..especially the muscular one, if what you told me about him is true...but perhaps banishing them will buy us some time.") A red eye with intricate patterns came alive in his one eye hole on the right as he put his hands together, index fingers up.
Suddenly, the gates began to open. "Uh...guys?" Miss Martian asked. "I think we have a big problem here!"
The wider the gates opened, a spiral of light opened up. "That's the same portal I've seen with the boom tubes!" Superboy exclaimed.
In an instant, an incredibly strong draft began to pull them in. Aqualad, recognizing the danger, shouted "Everyone! Fall back! Now!"
Everyone tried to make a hasty retreat, but the suction grew in strength rapidly. "Now I know why Batman wanted KF with us!" Robin exclaimed as he began to feel himself become weightless. Quickly, he fired his grappling hook; the line found a target and would never break, but if that didn't give, his arms would. The wind was now strong enough to pick him right off his feet.
Sphere, unable to get any traction, was the first to go as the orb was lifted off the ground and into the portal. "SPHERE!" Superboy cried in anguish, digging his arm into the earth and holding on to Wolf.
Miss Martian tried to hold on, but she wasn't able to do speed flights like Superman; it was all she could do just to keep away. Aqualad dug a waterbearer into the ground while Artemis shot her own line to steady herself. "KF!" Aqualad shouted in the psychic link.
"On it!" Kid Flash threw caution to the wind and ran towards his teammates at the speed of a jet.
"Kid Flash!" Artemis yelled as she tied her lifeline to her waist. "Take it!" Shooting another arrow, Kid Flash retrieved it just before it was sucked into the portal.
Quickly, he circled everyone; though the portal caused him to slow immensely, he was still able to gain enough traction to stay ahead of it. "Okay! Everyone; hold on!" Kid Flash gave it everything he got, pulling his teammates away from the portal. A slow pace, but it would have to do; he was making enough progress to pull them away.
Luthor looked on from above, displeased. ("It seems they need a little push.")
("Leave it to me.") The masked man said as he seemingly imploded on himself.
In less than a second, he was before Kid Flash. "What the-!?" The masked man looked him right in the eyes, his red eye spinning like a dreidel. Kid Flash began to feel his body go slack as everything went black. He heard his teammates call out to him, but they felt like faint whispers. Miss Martian, realizing that Kid Flash was out for the count, tried to pick up the slack, but her telekinesis could only do so much. The assailant helped her by throwing a kunai her way. Though it missed, it was enough to break her concentration. In the blink of an eye, she, and her teammates, were sucked in along with her.
And so it begins! I may have made some goofs with some of the timezones and UTC, so just let me know if I did. Also, I'm assuming that Star City is somewhere along the west coast (at least in Young Justice), though I acknowledge I could be very, very wrong.
Next time, The Team meets...Team 7. Couldn't figure out a better way to phrase that.