Hello again everyone! Yes, this is up earlier than usual, and that's a good thing! From now on, I'm dividing all new chapters into parts to give you more content sooner!
Not much else to say: eagerly awaiting Young Justice Season 3. Too bad I can't put "eagerly" in front of anything Naruto related anymore. But, story for another day, right? On with the show!
The crowd erupted into chaos at Savage's declaration. He had to conceal his grin. "This brings back memories of Feudal Japan…" After all, he helped start the samurai class, the shogun and even the ninja in his world. And once they outlived their usefulness in his grand plan, he helped eliminate them and began the Meji era. He anticipated this was going to be fun…
"What proof do you have to back up these ridiculous charges!?" another shouted.
Savage reached into his coat, and produced a metallic orb with several white lenses embedded in it. "Observe." He rolled it onto the floor, and the orb created holograms of several people. "These are the most powerful criminals of my world." Savage said as everyone stared at awe of the projections of light, the technology clearly foreign to them. "Their powers and abilities are much greater than that of the average person on my world, and they use their gifts to terrorize and bring chaos my planet." They saw a man in green create a dragon as it devoured a mother and baby. Another showed a man in black brutally beat a middle-aged man, slamming his head against a marble wall. Several more with incredible skills overwhelmed the witnesses.
However, two in the audience were not convinced: Tsunade and Kakashi. "Something's not right." Kakashi whispered to her.
"You're right." Tsunade agreed. Immediately, Tsunade knew this man couldn't be trusted. However, she didn't have enough to prove him a fraud just yet. But she could still cast doubts on him. "Excuse me!" Tsunade exclaimed as she stepped forward. "With all due respect, my lords, I have reason to doubt the veracity of this man!" Tsunade waited for everyone to settle down. "My village had received visitors from another world, similar to the people here!" Pointing to a man in blue with a red cape, she continued "One carried this symbol, and he was instrumental in saving the lives of my village's genin!"
Savage's eyes narrowed. "It seems I have to resort to my demonstration." Behind his back, Savage pressed the button on a receiver.
Elsewhere in the forest behind the castle, a metallic pod was propped up against a tree. Suddenly, it opened, revealing what seemed to be Superboy in his white solar suit. However, when his eyes opened, they were different from Superboy's, showing black eyes with blue pupils.
"The Kryptonian symbol of war is common among their people." Savage answered Tsunade's question. "Though I've no doubt the individual you met was a just person, he is not the norm. The Kryptonians were a war-mongering race that would wreak havoc on any world with a yellow sun, where they are nearly all-powerful." Savage stepped down from the auditorium, addressing the others. "And he is not necessarily the only threat." Savage turned to a man in green. "The Green Lantern Corps were once a benevolent space force whose mission was to maintain order in the galaxy. But the Guardians have become corrupted, and have sent forth a quest of conquest and genocide in the name of order." He then turned the man with a demonic looking cape. "And the Batman…no one knows his origins. But he has made it his mission to target innocents and torture them, subjecting them to the same hell he went through before his transformation…"
Suddenly, something crashed through the roof. Everyone jumped back, thinking it was a weapon or giant piece of debris. When the dust cleared, a young man in white stood from his crouched position. Tsunade and Kakashi's eyes widened in recognition. "Superboy?" Kakashi asked.
When he opened his eyes, Kakashi realized this was a different individual altogether. His neutral face quickly changed aggressive. "RAHHH!"
He suddenly jumped at Kakashi and Tsunade, the former tackling the new Hokage as he passed over them. Kakashi turned to face him once he landed, but stopped when he realized "Superboy" never touched the ground. Looking up, he saw he was indeed hovering near the roof. "That is not Superboy. Not the one we met" Kakashi whispered.
"AGH!" The Superboy imposter flew towards them, Tsunade picking them both up as she leaped away where the Kryptonian punched; the floor shattered and debris scattered everywhere, much like one of Tsunade's punches.
"He's as strong as you are!" Kakashi exclaimed.
"Yeah, that's a problem." Tsunade nodded. "But can he fight!?" Tsunade charged, taking into the air with a spinning kick. Her kick landed on the stranger's face, and it felt like her femur was about to shatter upon contact. "NGH!" Tsunade couldn't take it and lifted her leg, desperately rubbing it. Though the fake Superboy crashed through the abandoned tables and into the wall, he got back up like it was nothing; the original Superboy would have at least been dazed by that blow. Suddenly, red light shot out of his eyes; Tsunade cartwheeled away on instinct, and the floor where she was caught fire on impact. "What was that!?"
The samurai present attacked with their swords, and the blades all snapped as soon as they brought them down. "RAHHH!" The super-powered teen swatted them all away like flies.
As the Fire Daimyo began to cower in fear, Savage took him by the arm. "Protect your lords!" he ordered the samurai. "This way, my lord."
As Savage pulled him away from the commotion into another room, the Daimyo asked "W-who is that!?"
"One of the Kryptonians." Savage said. "Your men mayl slow him down, IF we're lucky, but I fear they will not be able to accomplish much else." He released him and pulled out a grenade launcher from underneath his coat.
"You mean we're DOOMED!?" the Daimyo screamed.
Savage sneered as he pulled out a canister. "Not while I'm around." He said, looking at it before loading it into his weapon.
"Raikiri!" Kakashi charged with his signature attack at the Kryptonian.
He thrust…and felt his hand nearly break. "YAH!" The Superboy look-alike uppercutted Kakashi, sending him crashing into the family shrine and knocking him out cold. Some samurai threw their manriki-kusari chains at him to restrain him. The boy merely pulled back, sending several flying. He shot his heat vision again, forcing many to flee and dissecting another in half.
Tsunade looked on, unable to understand. "He may just look like him, but he's not the same boy I faced before!"
"Come on, you cowards!" A shouted as he rallied the other kages. "Take him out!"
The three other kages jumped into battle. "Wait!" Tsunade pleaded with them. "We don't know-!"
However, none listened; in this situation, who could blame them? The Raikage powered up his Raiton Chakra Mode, increasing his speed, strength and durability immensely as electricity surrounded his body. The Kryptonian saw him but couldn't react in time as A tackled him through the wall. A landed several punches, ignoring the pain in hopes at least one of them would hurt the enemy. The Kryptonian finally got his bearings straight and grabbed both his fists, stopping the large man dead in his tracks. A clenched his teeth as he tried to push him, but the Kryptonian flew up and took the Raikage with him. At a rather high altitude, he stopped and punched A right back into the castle. The Raikage amongst the rubble, wheezing. Without pause, the Kryptonian came back down hard on him, forcing him to squirm from the shock.
"Get off of him!" Explosive kunai were hurled at the boy's back; it didn't hurt him, but he clearly hated it, as he flew up to observe the new aggressors. Mei and Oonoki stood their ground.
"Now!" Oonoki brought his hands together as dust flew to his palms. It started to become a cube, the dust swirling inside. "Jinton! Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu!" The Tsuchikage threw the cube at the white costumed boy. Though he caught it, the impact was enough to push him back slightly. Oonoki brought his arms down, bringing the cube down and taking the boy with it down to the floor below. "That cube is denser than any element on this earth! You can't escape!" Oonoki taunted him. Though the Kryptonian struggled, he began to slowly lift the cube up, suddenly throwing it back up into the sky. "Impossible…" the Tsuchikage gasped.
"Apparently it is not." Mei said as her mouth swelled. "Yoton! Youryu no Jutsu!" Lava poured out of her mouth like a cascading river. The lava caught the boy, causing him to scream and carry him away. However, he flew out. Though his leggings were burned away, his legs were otherwise unharmed, at worst steaming from the heat. At that point, everyone stood there, frozen in fear. How could anyone hurt this monster!?
His eyes began to glow again…" Everyone!" Tsunade shouted. "SCATTER!" The Kryptonian shot his heat vision, burning everything in sight indiscriminately.
As Tsunade and Kakashi took shelter under a turned over bench, they heard a high-pitched hissing sound above them. They saw Savage atop the auditorium pointing a device that looked like a hand-held canon at the boy. A projectile fired out of it; the boy caught it easily, but then the object exploded into green dust. The boy choked and fell to the floor. Savage holstered his weapon, and leaped into action. The Kryptonian lunged at him with a punch, but Savage easily blocked it and countered with a right hook, hard enough to draw blood and knock him out. Quickly, he took out another apparatus and wrapped it around the boy's neck like a collar. Savage sighed as he relaxed. "It's okay. You're all safe now."
Everyone got up in awe of what he had accomplished. "What did you do?" Tsunade asked.
"I shot the only material that can harm a fully-powered Kryptonian: Kryptonite, radioactive fragments of their home world." He lifted the unconscious boy, and emphasized the collar. "And we keep all super-powered rogues in check with inhibitor collars like these. They are designed to neutralize powers deemed superhuman. Plus…" Savage pulled out a remote, pressing it. The collar discharged with electricity, causing the boy to yell out in pain. Savage quickly switched it off before slamming him back onto the floor, knocking him out yet again. "…it has an electric device to paralyze prisoners in pain if they somehow get out of line."
As he finally released him, he addressed everyone. "I apologize for the mess; it seemed they sent one of their scouts to follow me here. I came here to warn you all about an impending war; unfortunately, it seems that war is upon you now!" As he waited for the heated shouts and discussions to die down, he continued. "I have learned much about your world; the good news is, the powers and skills of your ninja will give you a fighting chance. However, you are also behind technologically, which these criminals will use to their advantage! If you accept my aid, I can provide you with weapons and technology of all kinds to combat this threat."
"What do you have to gain by helping us!?" A shouted, struggling to support himself; he had not taken a beating like that for a long time now.
"It is quite simple, really: your strength." Savage answered. "We have people with gifts comparable to yours on my world. However, they are very rare, whereas here such abilities are quite common. We have the technology, but you have the manpower. We can help each other…"
Finally, the Daimyo walked to Savage's side. "I wish to support Savage-san in his mission, and provide him with anything he needs. Our survival depends on it." He held up his hand. "All in favor?"
All the other Daimyos voted in favor of the proposal. Savage bowed. "Thank you all; I am truly grateful." Savage then lifted the unconscious Kryptonian over his shoulder. "I must return to my world to take this one to prison; you will hear from me within a month."
"Do what you must, Savage. We will prepare ourselves for the coming war." The Daimyo bowed back.
As Savage walked away, Tsunade approached him. "Savage-san!" He turned to face her. "Three of my genin have disappeared into your world. I would like to accompany you-"
"I'm sorry, but that will not be possible." Savage said. "At the moment, my home base has sensitive information that we cannot share with anyone. But, I will give word to look out for your children." He then gave her a faint smile. "In fact, I heard…rumors. I will look into them."
With that, Savage walked off. "He's not going to get them back." Kakashi whispered to her. "In fact, he planned this. I know it."
"I agree." Tsunade nodded. "But without hard evidence, we can't act. He has the Daimyos under his thumb; they'll never believe us. We will just have to wait…and see."
United States
November 12th
MST 17:09
On the other world, Team 7 was once again adjusting, this time as members of another team in addition to being guests. Thankfully, they weren't put to the test as new members of the team ever since the agreement. Until today. They were putting together Wally's surprise birthday party…which he had known about (even Naruto wondered if it could be a surprise party at that point). Then, out of nowhere, Batman ordered them to the mission room. And even after all they had experienced here, nothing could prepare them for giant flying snow machines capable of bringing forth a premature winter across a land mass bigger than their own. It was to be a joint mission between the League and the Team, the former loaning out cold weather outfits to three ninjas. For some reason, Batman sent Kid Flash on a mission to deliver a heart to a little girl. Though he was upset at being left out, he did his duty and left everyone else to the big mission.
And the machines just HAD to be equipped with self-defense systems. "HOLEE-!" Naruto ran as a canon appeared out of a trap door, leaving a trail of ice as it tried to make him into an ice cube.
"Katon! Goukakyu no Jutsu!" A fireball melted the canons. Naruto looked up the column, seeing Sasuke up above. "This was your idea, dobe!" Sasuke shouted.
Sakura ran from behind him and threw a birdarang at it, destroying it completely. "Come on, Naruto! Pick up the pace!"
"Guys, remember, we need to bring these things down!" Miss Martian told them over her telepathic link. "Don't waste your energy doing superficial damage!"
Naruto sighed as he made another clone and prepared a Rasengan. "Got it." "And for SOME reason, Wally had to miss out on all the fun here today…" he had to remind himself. As the Rasengan formed, Naruto charged up the pillar, using his chakra to stick to the wall and avoid the traps. "RAHHH!" Naruto reached the top, taking into the air and smashing the Rasengan on the machine's core system on top. The machine exploded on its sides, and gravity finally began to take hold of it. "Oh, crap!"
Naruto and the others ran across, hoping someone would catch them before they kissed dirt. They jumped, and Miss Martian caught Sakura and Sasuke with her telekinesis as she flew by. Somehow, however, she missed Naruto. "WHAT ABOUT ME!" Naruto screamed as he plummeted further.
Suddenly, Naruto landed face first into the side car of Sphere, Superboy driving her. "Sorry!" Superboy said. "One down, four to go!"
Happy Harbor
November 13th
13:03 EST
Eventually, all five of the machines were brought down. All took a hot shower and were intent to relax afterwards. The team got quite the scare when the news broadcasted that the kid whom Kid Flash was supposed to deliver the heart to (and who also happened to be a queen) died. An hour later, the breaking news came that she was actually alive; it was a ruse set up by Kid Flash to get the would-be saboteur of the operation, someone named Vertigo, to confess. At that moment, Naruto felt that Kid Flash's part of the day was the most fun. He certainly came back in a better mood than when he left, putting the delivery bag on the souvenir rack. "Well, that was an eventful first day as being part of this team." Naruto moaned sarcastically as he and his friends sank back into the couch.
"Boring is good, Naruto." Sakura sighed. "We've dealt with enough crazy as it is."
"You weren't the one who landed face first into Sphere!" Naruto shouted, pointing at his nose.
"What are you complaining about, dobe?" Sasuke asked. "You healed up." That was certainly true; however messed up his nose may have been upon impact, there was no sign of injury now. Sasuke sat straight and looked right at him. "In fact…how DO you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Heal." Sasuke said. "I first noticed after the incident with Harm; your cuts were disappearing faster than normal. Then I remembered the time you were stupid enough to stab your own hand to prevent yourself from being poisoned. Kakashi said you were going to be fine, but you shouldn't have been. You practically carved a new hole into your hand. There is no way he would have continued the mission if you were in any real danger…"
"Sasuke-kun, what are you getting at?" Sakura asked. She couldn't deny it was peculiar, but the tone he made was almost…threatening.
Naruto himself gulped at the sudden interrogation. "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!? THEY'RE ON TO ME!" He knew the source of his healing, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to share the fact that the Kyuubi that nearly destroyed Konoha lived on inside of him! He wasn't sure how Sasuke would react…and Sakura! He had enough trouble getting her to like him as a friend as it was; he didn't need to blow his slim chances out of the water! "Well…uh…"
"Attention, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke." Red Tornado called over the intercom. "Report to the training room as soon as possible."
The three blinked, and reluctantly got up off the couch. "You think we did something wrong?" Sakura asked.
"We took out those machines like they asked." Sasuke answered. "I don't see what the problem is." He shrugged.
Soon, they entered the room where they saw the Team play games and spar. Black Canary, working the holographic tablets, stood at the center. "Hello." She said. "I saw your performance on the snow machines today."
"Just where did those things come from?" Naruto asked.
"Batman is investigating that right now." Canary answered as she swiped the windows away. "Anyway, I was impressed with the power you displayed. However..." she emphasized. "…your technique and strategy was lacking."
"We've trained our whole lives for things like this." Sasuke answered as he crossed his arms in offense. "We know what we're doing!"
"If I remember the interviews correctly, you're all still learning." Black Canary said, placing her hands on her hips. "There's nothing wrong with that. We were all young once, and I'm sure your teachers on your own world were doing the best they can. However, you have an opportunity here to learn new things. I think we'll start by reviewing your combat skills." Black Canary tossed her jacket to the side, exposing her shoulders. Naruto and Sasuke both blushed at the sight; Sakura growled in jealousy. "Let's have a few sparring sessions. The two rules we have are no attacking vital areas, and no use of powers unless given permission. Now, combat is all about acting, never reacting. You should never allow your opponent to dictate the terms of the fight. Make them fight on YOUR terms."
"Uh-huh." Naruto nodded, unsure if he was really following (admittedly probably a bit distracted).
"I see you don't understand. That's quite alright; let's start with you." Canary said, pointing to him. Naruto nervously stepped forward, noticing a ring forming around his feet. "Whatever happens, don't fall down." Canary told him. "The match will be over if you do." She stepped back into a fighting stance.
Naruto put his [very poor] guards up. He took a deep breath…and jumped forward, shouting his best battle cry. However, Black Canary blocked his attacking arm, smashed an open hand on his chest, and swept his legs, all while he was in mid-air. Naruto spun and landed on his back, the blue circle turning red and reading "FAIL". "Ohh…"
"Now," Canary addressed the others. "…can anyone tell me what he did wrong?"
"Besides being Naruto?" Sasuke quipped, unimpressed.
"He allowed me to dictate the terms." Black Canary answered. "He telegraphed every possible move he could have made, and gave me more targets than I got presents on my best Christmas." She then eyed Sakura. "Why don't you step into the ring?"
Sakura gulped. She didn't know why she should be nervous; she saw Kakashi fight. He was faster, stronger than this woman…and yet she somehow felt this woman could give even him a run for his money somehow. She did as she was told and put more proper guards up. She suddenly ran forward and punched. Black Canary side-stepped her and parried Sakura's wrist. Sakura fell forward from the extra momentum, and was suddenly yanked back and flipped over as Black Canary grabbed her wrist, landing on her back and getting a FAIL from the program. "You weren't as easy to read as your friend, I'll give you that." Black Canary said. "But I could read the fear in your eyes. I could SEE you knew you didn't stand a chance. Never let your opponent know that you cannot win. Fighting psychologically is as important as physically."
"This is a waste of time." Sasuke repeated. "You're good, but I've trained with one of the best on our world. It's as Robin told us; on average, we're faster and stronger than your people. Plus our techniques can match your powers. You're wasting your time going over these things with us."
Black Canary gave him a stern look. "The only one wasting their time is you…if you pass on this opportunity."
Sasuke sighed. "Whatever. I'm out of here." He waved his hand up as he began to walk out.
Not paying attention to where he was going, he suddenly ran into something thick. Superboy stood in his way, arms crossed. "Get in." Sasuke growled, and reluctantly complied as he stepped in.
Naruto and Sakura stood back as they observed. "She's really cool!" Naruto whispered to them. Though Sakura had a feeling Naruto also implied something else, she nonetheless agreed. "She's really good." She replied. "I imagine you didn't have to do this training." She said, turning to Superboy.
Connor winced. "I did. And I still haven't beaten her."
Their eyes widened as they turned their attention back to the ring. Sasuke attacked with a hand strike. Canary side-stepped him and parried the strike, and landed a knee in his stomach. Sasuke slid across the floor on his back, the wind knocked out of him. "Good strike. But your anger gives you away." Sasuke growled as he clenched his fingers. He kiyupped back up, showing off his Sharingan eyes. Black Canary took notice; she remembered from the others' reports about these eyes. However, their function was not clear. Black Canary decided not to stop the fight…yet. Sasuke leaped into the air with a flying kick. Canary knocked his leg down, but Sasuke landed on his feet perfectly; the round wasn't over. Sasuke then tried to sweep her leg, but the heroine cartwheeled away and attacked with kicks of her own. Sasuke blocked, and attacked again, Canary countering them herself. "Is it just me…" Superboy asked. "Or did Sasuke just get a lot better?"
"Yeah, I think so!" Sakura said, smiling at the sight, her inner self screaming and cheering in joy. Naruto just pouted, afraid to admit Sasuke would have the edge in a straight up fight between them.
"You're a cut above your friends…" Black Canary said as she was put on the defensive, blocking Sasuke's rapid strikes. Suddenly, she snaked her hand behind Sasuke's collar. "…but you still have much to learn." Black Canary swept her leg under Sasuke's as she pulled him back, flipping him over on his back. "Always be mindful of your blind spots." She said to all of them. "If your enemy cannot get to you directly, they will use underhanded tactics." Black Canary then turned to Sasuke. "I hope this taught you no matter how good you are, there is always someone better than you."
Sasuke's eyes widened as Itachi came into his mind. Without thinking, he jumped back up and shot a fireball at Black Canary. "SASUKE!" Sakura yelled, as the others watched on in shock.
Canary acted quickly, and unleashed her Canary Cry. The fire was blown out, and Sasuke was thrown clear out of the ring, as the others desperately covered their ears. "Okay, it's NOT a dumb super power!" Sakura corrected herself as she recalled her comment about her powers as Robin shared with her the members of the League. Sasuke breathed as he recovered from the shock, the others running to help him. Black Canary breathed heavily, clearly pissed at the boy. "Get out." Black Canary ordered them, pointing to the door. "OUT!"
Superboy got the three out. Once they were in the main hall, he addressed Naruto and Sakura. "You two, head to your rooms." They nodded, and did as they were told. As soon as they were out of sight, Sasuke grabbed Sasuke by the shirt and pinned him against the wall. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" Superboy shouted. "You could have killed someone with that!"
"You sure didn't complain about those before…" Sasuke hissed.
"This was sparring! We don't aim to kill our friends!" Superboy shouted. Letting him down, he said "I was a lot angrier shortly after I was born than I am now. I was pissed when Black Canary kept knocking me on my ass; I could have taken it up a notch, but even then, I didn't. No matter how angry you are, don't let it control you. You need to channel your anger in a positive way!"
"You think that was angry!?" Sasuke yelled. As he did, black markings like snakes crawled up from the back of his neck and began covering his skin. "You have no idea…"
"Uh, Sasuke?" Superboy asked, suddenly becoming concerned. "You okay?" Sasuke blinked, and stared at his marked hand. His eyes widened in shock, and he immediately made a beeline for the showers.
Leaning against the fine-tiled floor, he hyperventilated. "Come on, this shouldn't be happening! Stop, stop…" After much focus, the curse mark receded, and Sasuke fell on all fours.
Superboy and Aqualad opened the doors, finding him struggling to catch his breath. "Sasuke!" Aqualad gasped as he rushed to help him up. "Are you-"
"I'm fine!" Sasuke shouted, smacking his hand away. "Just…just leave me alone!" he said as he hobbled back up and made his way out.
The two looked at him, not liking what they saw. "I think we need to have a chat with Naruto and Sakura…and inform Batman." Aqualad said.
"Agreed." Superboy replied.
Belle Reeve, Louisiana
CST 14:45
Count Werner Vertigo grasped his head in frustration as he sat in the interrogation room at Belle Reeve. "How could I have been so stupid!?" He was a notorious criminal, but because of his ties to Vlatavan royalty, he had diplomatic immunity prior to his latest scheme: the attempted assassination of his niece, the Queen of Vlativa. And because of Kid Flash, the queen stripped him of that diplomatic immunity. His green tunic and cloak was traded for an orange prison jump suit. His sword was reclaimed by the queen, and his Vertigo inducing head piece was destroyed by Kid Flash. In addition, he had an inhibitor collar wrapped around his neck. He didn't have any powers for them to cancel out, but if he got out of line they could easily induce an electric shock to put him back in his place. Of course, he wouldn't be here if he didn't get the sudden urge to come to Kid Flash's hospital bed and gloat.
Suddenly, a knock came at the door. "Hey. You're lawyer's here." The guard said.
Vertigo straightened up as a professionally dressed man entered the room, briefcase in hand. Vertigo sneered at the American legal system. Had he been tried in Vlativa, and his niece been as cold and calculating as he, she could have put him to death at her command. Instead, she decided to show some amount of mercy and allow the United Nations to try him instead. "Mr. Vertigo." The lawyer said as he took a seat across from him. "I'm sorry; COUNT Vertigo. We're not used to addressing royalty here in America." Vertigo growled, but truthfully he wasn't angry. In fact, he was quite giddy about this; he just had to keep up appearances. "The evidence mounted against you is, for lack of a better word, strong. It is quite impossible to dispute a confession that the official authorities did not force upon you. As your attorney, I must advise you to take the plea deal." The man said. Opening his briefcase, he presented Vertigo with papers.
Vertigo barely smiled as he observed the papers. For this man was not just a lawyer; he was also an intermediary for the working assassins on the planet. His legal papers were contracts in disguise to approve a hit. "Thank goodness for Swiss bank accounts…" He quickly signed his papers, including his PIN number and his signature.
"I'm sorry, Count. I promise I will work to at least insure that you will not spend all your life in prison."
"I am…optimistic, about the outcome." Vertigo smiled. The "lawyer" exited the room, as Vertigo rested his chin on his fist. "Enjoy the few days you have left, little Perdita…" Vertigo sneered. "…for if I can't have the throne, no one can!"
New York City
November 14th
Est 23:30
A certain man with brown hair lay back in his cheap motel bed as he watched the news, keeping his eyes peeled for any potential jobs. Lawyers, activists, politicians…all targets worth studying. His cell rang, and looked at the screen. It was off the grid and off any legal plan, operating under a secret network; all calls and messages would be untraceable. Taking a look, he read the text. At first, he decided to pass on the message; he had a certain code on what contracts he would take. Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. Quickly, he reached into a drawer and pulled out a glock, releasing the safety. He opened the door just an inch to see his visitor.
After his visitor left, he reached under the bed for a brief case. Opening it, he gleefully looked at the different parts of a sniper rifle. "Ready for another go, girl?" he asked, smiling. It seemed he had changed his opinion about the job offer.
November 15th
British Columbia
07:30 PST
In a field, a bullseye circle stood. An arrow hit it dead on in the bullseye. Then another, splitting the previous arrow in half. And then another. A middle-aged man, his hair sticking behind him like a cat's, lowered his bow. He huffed; he was getting tired of hitting only standing targets. Then, he felt his phone vibrate. Picking it out of his pocket, he observed the text. Looking up from it, he sneered. "Let's see if this will break me out of my monotony."
With the rising popularity of MMA, many other organizations wanted to cash in on craze. However, some thought the legal tournaments were too soft, not real enough. So underground tournaments were started. No rules, and truly anything goes in these tournaments. Given the bigger problems in the world, these bloodbaths were low on the priority list of the authorities, including the Justice League. Many in law enforcement overlooked it if only because it would cripple many who would cause trouble later…or worse.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
14:00 BRST
Somewhere in Rio de Janeiro, one such tournament was being held. ("Number 7, step up!") the referee called in a large square. The crowd went wild as the contestants stepped up. A shaved man, dressed in fighting shorts and gloves stepped forward. He was in great shape, and covered his arm and the right side of his face with fierce fire tattoos. ("Number 3, you're next!")
A black man stepped forward. His hair was cropped short, and his cheeks bare chest sported tattoos of his own, looking very much like tiger stripes. Dropping his tan jacket, he revealed the stripes covered his entire back as well. He shot him a smug look, confident. "Give me your best shot." The referee threw his hand down, and the fight began.
Number 7 threw a right hook…and it was perfectly parried by Number 3. Three then sent a Tiger's Claw technique into the other man's eyes, paralyzing him. Before he could recover, Number 3 grabbed him in a Muay Thai knee clench and once he was down, 3 put his hand on his opponent's throat, and crushed it. The excited audience died down to a shocked one, as the dead man fell to the floor. Smirking, the stripped killer walked off the stage.
Walking to the bar as if nothing happened, he helped himself to a beer. "That was good work, sir." A skinnier man said, approaching him.
"It was boring." The fighter replied.
"But at least we got paid."
Sighing, the striped man said "Sounds like you got another job lined up."
"I do. Look." The informant said.
Handing him the cellphone, the man looked at the text. "Pays good. Don't see how a little girl can put up a fight."
"It's not her who will be fighting you."
The man read further, then he scratched his chin as it turned into a grin. "Now, THIS could be interesting…."
November 18th
Unknown location
UTC 00:30
Elsewhere, a butler walked down a hall, carrying a silver tray and lid. Opening the door to his master's study, he entered a room sporting the heads of several big game animals, as well as ancient blades from other times among the shelves of books. "Your pheasant is ready, sir."
"Thank you, Charles." The man at the desk waved him off. He sported gray hair and a goatee, and had an eyepatch on his left eye. Currently, he was fixated on his lap top.
"It seems you are focused elsewhere." His butler noted with his eyes glued to the laptop
"A contract has gone out on the Dark Web…"
"And you're going to accept?"
"No. I'm not one to prey upon helpless girls." He answered. "But, something else came up related to this. Something…interesting. Even more so, are the individuals who will be there as well." He got up from his desk, and opened a case on the far side of the wall. "Perhaps it's time to move on to bigger prey." Staring inside, he eyed a mask. It was black on the right, and orange on the left, sporting a ponytail the same color as his hair. Only the orange side had an eyehole…
November 18th
Gotham City
18:00 EST
At Gotham International Airport, the airfield was cleared, watched by men in black suits as a single plane was fueling up. ("Is everything set?") someone said over a cellphone one held.
("So far, so good.") he answered. ("I know Vertigo is imprisoned, but are you sure-?")
("We cannot afford to have the Queen continue to rely on foreigners without compromising the dignity of the crown. As soon as we have finished refueling, we fly straight to Europe.")
("Understood.")
Within a few minutes, the plane was finished refueling, and the guards gave the okay. Another black suit came out of the airport, pushing a wheelchair forward. It's occupant a 10-year old girl with blond hair. ("How are you feeling, my queen?") he asked.
("I am fine, Victor.") Queen Perdita replied, still recovering from her heart surgery. ("You don't need to wheel me around; I'm feeling better. I can walk fine.")
("I understand you are most eager, my queen. But it is doctor's orders that you don't overexert yourself for the time being; not even the orders of a queen can overrule that.") He smiled. Of all the guards, Victor was the closest thing to a family member to her.
Perdita only pouted. ("Fine.") It seemed all would go well…until a bullet suddenly shot straight out of Victor's heart, missing Perdita's head by a hair. "AIIEEE!"
("Protect the Queen! Protect the plane!") The guards shot wildly, but the gunfire took down one after the other. Another rushed forward towards Perdita, scooping her up and abandoning the wheel chair. By dumb luck, he managed to dodge the bullets and ran up the stairs. ( "GO! GO NOW!") he yelled to the pilot as he quickly fastened the queen into her seat.
Upon the roof of the airport, another hitman readied and aimed a rocket launcher at the plane. The plane drove across the ground, slowly getting ready to ascend as it approached the end of the runway. "Bingo." As soon as the landing gear retracted back inside, he pulled the trigger, the missile launching. It seemed it would hit its mark…until something flew right in front of it, taking the blow of the missile and leaving the plane to fly on its way across the Atlantic. "The hell!?"
The figure collapsed onto the runway, revealing itself to be Superman. Though the missile did knock the wind out of him, he simply got up and shook the cobwebs out of his head; his uniform as usual didn't have a scratch on it. "Superman!? What's he doing here in Gotham!?" one of the others yelled.
"Who cares!? Waste him!"
They fired all their bullets at Superman…and anyone who knew anything about Superman would know what the outcome was. "Really?" Superman asked, raising an eyebrow as the used and blunted bullets on the concrete surrounded him. "What part of 'Man of Steel' do you not get?" Superman quickly flew up and picked up the hitmen one by one with his own super speed. Gathering them near a radio tower, he then bent a large steel beam around them, pinning them to the tower.
"Don't come near me!" Superman turned around as he saw the last hitman hold up a remote. "Though you weren't the super hero I was expecting…I came prepared nonetheless! I rigged this entire airport to blow!" Superman stared him down. "Try and catch me, and their deaths will be on your hands!"
"That would be a problem." Suddenly, he fired his heat vision at the remote.
"AH!" The hitman dropped it as the remote smoldered into a pile of melted junk. Superman was upon him in an instant; grabbing him by the nape of his shirt, he lifted him of the ground with no problem. The hitman tried kicking him, again with the usual results. "OW!" he hissed as he massaged his foot.
Superman sighed as he walked away with him, as if he was handling a toddler going through a tantrum. "When will you guys learn?"
Commissioner Gordon slammed the door to the maximum-security truck as the last of the assassins was taken into custody. Walking towards Superman, he held out his hand. "Thank you for your help, Superman…though I'm surprised the Batman wasn't here."
"Batman had a mission; he anticipated this would happen and asked me to fill in." Superman explained as he returned the handshake. He then took a look at one of the fallen Vlatavan guards as a blanket covered his person before being loaded into an ambulance. "How many?"
"Four of the ten guards were killed; another five are in critical. Only one managed to escape with the plane." The commissioner answered honestly.
"I should have been here sooner." Superman sighed. "If only Two-Face didn't put that plan into motion, I…"
"Even you can't be everywhere at once." Gordon interrupted him. "If you hadn't been here at all, far more lives would have been lost from Harvey's scheme alone." Gordon looked past his head into the night sky. "Either way, I'm just glad that little girl was able to escape with her life." Gordon said. Being a father himself, it made his stomach turn to think anyone would try to hurt a little girl. "But I've a feeling this isn't the last they'll see of hitmen like these. I'm no political expert, but if I'm on point about Vlativa…you can't protect her there."
Superman nodded. "The League will do everything they can."
Superman walked back a few steps, as he took flight into the air, intent to return to Metropolis. Once he was flying level, he activated the Bluetooth in his ear. "Bruce, you there?"
"I'm here." Batman answered. "Thanks for covering for me."
"How's Malaysia?"
"Hot, humid and filled with shadows." Batman replied. "But I can't find any leads…"
"We'll discuss it up at the Watchtower later I also need to debrief you on one of Two-Face's schemes. But I worry we're not done protecting Queen Perdita."
"Unfortunately, we ARE done protecting her." Batman replied. "I suppose we'll have to let the Team take it from here."
"Including the new recruits?" Superman asked.
"ESPECIALLY the new recruits."
Happy Harbor
November 19th
18:00 EST
Time at the Cave was becoming routine for Naruto and his friends. It wasn't bad, but it still wasn't home. They didn't show it, but they were starting to get homesick. While watching TV on some made-up superhero named Spider-Man, they heard over the intercom asking to report for the mission. Naruto and Team 7 dressed up in their normal attire, while the others dressed up in their normal costumes. Even Zatanna got up to join them, having officially joined the team since her father's…ascension.
Finally, they met in the briefing room, where Batman addressed them. Naruto hoped this wouldn't be a regular occurrence. "As I'm sure you all remember from the incident with the snow machines, Kid Flash was absent due to his importance in delivering a heart to a little girl on the West Coast. That girl was Perdita, Queen of Vlativa."
Naruto observed the image on the screen. "She must be great…to rule a country when she's even younger than me…"
"Her uncle, Count Warner Vertigo, tried to sabotage both the delivery and the operation, but thanks to Kid Flash, not only did he ensure her survival, but also insured his conviction, therefore stripping away his diplomatic immunity and allowing the United States government to imprison and charge him." A window opened up, showing men attacking a plane with several firearms, eventually thwarted by Superman. "On her way back to her home country, Perdita was attacked. Thankfully, she escaped with her life."
"Was Vertigo the one who hired them?" Aqualad asked.
"Most likely, though I have not been able to determine his means." Batman answered. "Anyway, she is back in her country, but I fear she will not be safe there. Surely other assassins will try to reap the reward of killing her, and when they do, they will try it in her home country."
The geographic region was then shown on the screen. "Your mission is to protect the Queen until we can verify the threat against her life has been neutralized."
Naruto then raised his hand. "Uh, why can't you guys do it?"
"Naruto!" Sakura hissed as he bonked him across the head. "Ow!"
"Vlativa is a very isolationist country." Batman answered. "The Vlativans are a proud people, and the royal family has been resistant to outside help and influence over the centuries. It was nothing short of a miracle that the royal family caved and allowed her to be operated on in America. And they are especially wary of the League, considering all super-humans an abomination." Batman said. "We cannot risk an international incident without compromising our ability to work around the rest of the world. But, as a black-ops team, you can work in secret and not announce your involvement." Batman looked sternly at Naruto. "Does that answer your question?"
Naruto gulped on reflex. "Uh, yeah. It actually does." He chuckled nervously.
"Very well." Batman said. "Your mission begins… "
"Flash to Batman!" Flash yelled into his cowl. Quickly, Batman pressed the Bluetooth under his cowl, linking the call to the cave's communication system. "Listen, I'm having some trouble with the rogues here back in Central City!" Batman could hear what sounded like lasers. Batman would guess Captain Cold, but he was still in prison. "I could sure use Kid Flash's help if you haven't sent him off already!"
"Understood." Batman said. Looking to Wally, he said "Change of plans. YOU will be off to Central City while the rest of the Team shall proceed to Vlativa."
Kid Flash looked at him dumbfounded. "Let me get this straight: Back on my birthday, you have the Team and the League team up and keep me out of the loop so I could deliver a heart transplant to the Queen of Vlativa. Now I can go out there and help her again with the others, and NOW YOU'RE SENDING ME AWAY!?" Kid Flash continued. "Is there something you're trying to tell me!?"
"Yes." Batman replied nonchalantly. "Your talents are needed elsewhere. That is all; any more questions?"
Kid Flash sighed. "No." Leaning over to Robin, he whispered "Tell Perdita I said hello when you see her."
"Sure thing, KF." Robin said as they fist-bumped. Turning to the three ninja, Kid Flash said "Good luck to you three. Let me know all about it…Oh! And make sure you pick up a souvenir from the mission! Tradition of ours!"
Kid Flash quickly ran to the Zeta tube. "Kid Flash. Designation B-03. Access, granted." The Zeta tube enveloped him in light, and then he was gone.
Naruto gulped. "You know, he could've…"
"Members of the League and the Team must prioritize and help out whenever possible." Batman said. "Kid Flash was the best choice to help out his mentor…but I can send the three of you out there if you see a problem- "
"No, no!" Sakura said as she covered Naruto's mouth much to his chagrin. "We're happy to help wherever needed!" Secretly, Sakura had been reading up on the villains on this world; the Flash's enemies were mostly a joke on their own, but saw that together they could be quite formidable and rather deadly.
"Good." Batman said. "As I was saying, your mission begins now. By Miss Martian's Bioship, it should take all of you approximately 3 hours to reach the country. It will be night by then, so stay undercover and infiltrate the royal palace of Vlatavastok. Make sure you are not seen, not by the royal guard or Perdita herself." Naruto huffed; it just seemed STUPID that a country would refuse help, even if they were from another country. Or planets. Or universes.
"We will prepare for take-off at once." Aqualad saluted.
As the others went to follow his lead, Batman interrupted. "One more thing." The Team stopped. "This is regarding our new guests." To be more specific, one, but he wasn't going to let on just who yet. "I understand it is difficult for you to adjust to our world. I also understand you have trained under different circumstances and for different purposes. However, this does not excuse you to refuse new knowledge, nor for you attack members of the Team or the League." Even though Naruto and Sakura knew whom he was referring to specifically, the edge in his voice sent shivers down their spine. "One more incident like that, and I will have all three of you quarantined until we can return you home. Is that clear?" Naruto and Sakura only gulped and nodded, while Sasuke sighed, waving his hand as he spun around and turned his back on the Dark Knight. Sakura, and even Naruto, bowed to save face as they headed to the Bioship. Batman thought back to his meeting with Aqualad, Superboy and Black Canary…
Batman reviewed the footage of Sasuke attacking Black Canary with his fireball attack. "Thank you for informing me." He said as he turned to Aqualad and Superboy, shutting the footage off. "Unfortunately, this seems consistent with behavior Sasuke implied during his interview, when his brother was brought up."
"He wants revenge." Aqualad sighed. "Had I known his need for vengeance ran this deep…"
"He was the one who followed us through that Boom Tube and led the others to our world." Superboy interrupted. "Still, neither of us could have known."
"But now that we've seen this…" Aqualad continued.
"Perhaps the Cave is not the best place for Sasuke Uchiha." Batman concluded.
"Naruto and Sakura will never go through with that." Aqualad cautioned him. "More Sakura, probably." He added admittedly. "Whatever Sasuke's faults, the other two have a genuine bond with him. They will never allow us to separate him from them.
"For what it's worth, I was dangerous too when I first came here." Superboy said. "Maybe we should give him time."
"We shall." Batman said. "But this is cause for concern. We will to limit Sasuke's activities with us from now on."
"On missions?" Aqualad asked.
"Yes. But he is still ideal for combat against hostiles. Just keep him in line so he doesn't use deadly force."
"What about those stripes?" Superboy asked. "It seemed to be triggered by his anger, but he was fighting it. Whatever's going on with him, it's not voluntarily."
"I'm afraid I would not know the cause. However…" Batman brought up the 3-D model of a molecular structure. "We found this in Sasuke's blood." Batman said. "But the scientists at STAR LABS could not determine its effects. If anything, this seems…poisonous." Batman shut it off. "From now on, Sasuke Uchiha is under surveillance. Understood?"
Aqualad looked back in the ship as he saw Sasuke fasten his seat belt. Sighing, he turned his attention back to the front as the ship took off.
November 19th
Vlatavastok, Vlatava
UTC 02:00
Vlatava was a humble but beautiful country. The team could see the charming farms and countryside from down below, even under the darkness of night. "This is all there is?" Naruto asked, unimpressed as he looked outside the window.
"Vlatava is very much a third world country." Robin answered. "Their only real industry is agriculture, and even then, there isn't much trade with the outside world. Most of the money is with the royal family."
"Speaking of which…" Artemis pointed straight ahead. "There we go." Up ahead was an elaborate palace, the pillars ornate and wide. It reminded Robin and Artemis of the palace from Aladdin.
"We will park above the main roof." Aqualad ordered. "Everyone, remember to activate stealth mode…" He then turned to the three ninjas. He wasn't too concerned about Sasuke; his dark hair and shirt would serve as viable camouflage. Sakura and Naruto, however, worried him with their bright clothes and hair. "….as for you three, just find some curtains or something to blend into."
The ship parked above, and quietly the Team descended as the ship matched the background behind it. Aqualad led the way towards an air grate, as Robin took out a small explosive and attached it, blowing a joint and allowing them easy access inside.
"This is cool." Naruto whispered. "But how do we know where we're going?"
"Robin, do you have any blueprints of the palace?" Aqualad followed up.
"No." Robin admitted as he looked at his Holo-computer. "Whatever blueprints Vlatava has, it is not posted on the net. But I can make educated guesses on where to go based on the outside look of the palace and general layout of air grates." Robin gave Aqualad directions, everyone following his lead. Either Robin was this good, or it was dumb luck, but they reached their destination.
A large, spacious bedroom was right below them, a king-sized bed with a canopy at the other side. Robin carefully popped the grate below, and silently landed. Quietly, he sprinted over and peaked past the veils. "It's her." He said through the mind-link.
"Everyone, follow me." Aqualad commanded as he came down into the room, mimicking Robin's stealth rather well.
Everyone else, even Superboy, managed to land without making a sound. Naruto was about to come down last, but his knee somehow got caught on the grate, throwing him off and he began to fall out. Sakura was about to gasp in horror, but thankfully Miss Martian managed to catch him before he hit the floor. As he hovered above, he wiped the sweat from his brow. Slowly, Miss Martian eased him on his feet. Sakura then roughly pinched him by the ear, but didn't make the usual noise. She still had her deadly glare though. "Owow…" he hissed in pain quietly
"So, what now?" Superboy asked.
"We will guard the room until dawn." Aqualad said.
"That long?" Sasuke asked.
"Someone has a hit on this girl." Aqualad reminded him. "We don't know how any assassins who picked up the contract will do it. But I do know we have many unique individuals with specialized skills. We need to be ready for anything." Looking towards the doors, Aqualad said "Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke. You have the door. Alert us if anyone comes near, but do not engage unless I tell you to. Understood?"
"Understood." They replied.
"Superboy, Miss Martian. You two take the window. An assassin may use a projectile weapon to kill her. You two are the best options to stop such a thing."
"Yes." They answered as they observed the window.
Aqualad turned to his other two long-time friends. "Artemis, Zatanna. We need eyes outside. Go back out the way we came, but take care that none of you are spotted. If you spot an immediate threat, alert us immediately and do what you can until back up arrives."
"Copy that." Artemis replied.
"Etativel." Zatanna quietly commanded. She and Artemis slowly floated back up to the grate.
"How much longer?" Naruto groaned on the link. At least he was getting the hang of this.
"It's four in the morning here, so…two hours at least." Aqualad replied. "As soon as her servants come, we will hide and trail them from there."
UTC 05:30
Three hours had passed since they entered. The team was positioned as planned. The three ninjas stood by the door, although Naruto had fallen asleep, much to Sakura's annoyance. The whole time, Perdita was fast asleep. Sakura's head shot up as she faintly heard footsteps. She elbowed Naruto, who shot awake. He was about to yell when Sasuke covered his mouth. "Someone's coming!" Sakura warned on the mind-link.
"Everyone!" Aqualad ordered as he jumped out an open window. "Hide in your positions!" Superboy jumped out of sight, and Miss Martian retained her camofluage mode. Robin, well…who knew where he went? Sakura was amazed that he could wear an outfit almost as colorful as Naruto's and somehow become invisible at will.
Team 7 pressed themselves against the door as it opened. A prim man in a butler outfit, followed by a maid pushing an elaborate tray with a platter on top walked in. ("Your majesty?") the butler said as he gently nudged her shoulder. ("Are you awake?")
Perdita slowly stirred awake. ("Good morning, Louis. Ivana.") She said as she stretched.
("How are you feeling?") Louis, the butler asked.
("I'm feeling well. I still feel rather sluggish, though.")
("You're still in recovery from a very delicate operation, on your heart no less.") He reminded her.
("I made you your favorite.") Ivana said as she lifted the tray, revealing French Toast with eggs.
("Thank you so much!") the young queen exclaimed. The team waited patiently as Perdita ate away at her breakfast. ("What's on the schedule for today?") she asked as her maid helped her dress behind the dresser
("First, you shall address the court of your health.") Louis began to list off her duties of the day. ("Afterwards, it will be the usual paperwork, and we still must deal with the fallout from Count Vertigo.")
("Not Count anymore.") Perdita reminded him, saying his name with distaste. ("Vertigo tried to sabotage my operation in order to become king.") Perdita said as she stepped out of the dresser, dressed in a puffy pink dress and white gloves. ("We have his confession, therefore the court should not take issue with my actions at that time. Let us not forget, he was always a criminal who has committed robbery, extortion and probably murdered many people as well.")
("I understand, my queen, but many do not see it that way.") Louis explained to her. ("Whatever his shortcomings, the people still see Warner Vertigo as a prestigious member of the royal family, members of whom must be protected at all costs. If something were to happen to you, there would be no one to rule the country.")
Perdita sighed as she looked down at her skirt, Ivana putting her crown on her head. ("One thing at a time, then.") She said quietly.
("If you're not feeling up to it, we can cancel everything for today and let you rest longer…") Louis offered.
("No, it's fine.") Perdita said. ("We can't keep the people on edge forever. No matter how much we may suffer, our duties to our people come first.") She said as she eyed a photograph on her desk, showing a man with blond hair and beard, dressed in a royal suit. In addition, the man wore a ribbon with several banners on it. Perdita's eyes began to water, before she turned back to her servants. ("Shall we begin?") she said, putting on a smile.
("Yes. We shall.") Louis held out his hand, which Perdita gladly took as she lifted the hem of her skirt to walk, Ivana following in after her. At that time, Aqualad knew it was time to act.
"Trail them. Zatanna, Artemis, please meet up with us at their next destination. I've a feeling your skills will be needed where the Queen is. Superboy, Miss Martian, hold your positions." As the team tracked her without tipping off the guards, Naruto thought back to the conversation he overheard. At so young an age, she was the ruler of a country. Yet, she also looked rather…well, sad.
UTC 06:00
Guard duty paid well, but it was an absolute bitch to do. The Royal Vlatavan guards were trained to stay in place, and observe all. It was mostly for formality now; after all, with security cameras, one really didn't have to be here. However, it was insisted to have guards posted in areas where the security cameras could not see. Little did they know, that's exactly where two hostiles would make their move.
Suddenly, one of the guards felt strong hands on his jaw, and that was his last memory as his neck was broken. His partner was about to cry out and shoot, when a hand from behind plunged a kabar knife into his heart. The guards fell, as their two killers looked at each other, the stripped man and the man with the eye-patch. "You here trying to one-up my job!?" the stripped man accused the other.
The eye-patched man chuckled. "Oh, don't worry, Mr. Turner." He assured him, raising his hands. The stripped man's eye brow rose, as his hand tensed up. "I'm well aware of the contract you're trying to complete. While I personally don't approve, it is not my business to pry into the nature of another's work. Especially when it concerns fellow…hunters, like ourselves you could say."
Ben Turner breathed deep. "If you're not here for the queen, why are ya here?"
"Actually, I am here BECAUSE of you. Well, you, and Mr. King, and Mr. Lawton anyway."
"Merylin and Deadshot are here too?"
"As I was saying, I am not here to take the target away from any of you." The man silver-haired man repeated himself. "I am here for certain people who will be here BECAUSE of her."
"So, you're not against me?" Turner asked.
"So long as you don't kill any who stand in your way. At least, not too soon." The silver-haired man emphasized.
Turner looked around, and nodded. "Just don't get in MY way, old man." As Turner turned down the hall, the silver-haired man smirked.
He walked down the hall, carrying a large brief-case with him. Quickly, he ducked into a room, probably a confession booth of sorts, and quickly opened it up. Inside was a broadsword, a pair of handguns with ammo, and a belt of grenades. A long stick was impeded at the top as well. However, the first thing he reached for was his one-eyed mask. "Let's get to work."
The palace of Vlatava was surrounded by luscious green hills. Most tourists came these parts for the scenery. For others, though, this was the perfect vantage point for killing, which was what two men walking down the hill had in mind. "It seems we've got a conflict, King." One said.
"From what I understand, we shouldn't." the man known as Arthur King answered. "Don't you have a daughter?"
"I'm not killing my little girl, if that's what you're insinuating." The man known as Floyd Lawton shot back. "Besides, all children grow into adults anyway; they all die in the end." Lawton than turned to King. "Just make sure you don't get in my way. As much as I would like to put a bullet between your eyes, there ain't no price on your head. I don't waste bullets on non-targets or non-combatants"
"Likewise." Arthur said as he adjusted the quiver on his back before dropping his suitcase. Opening it, he pulled out a compound bow. Lawton also unbuttoned his trench coat, revealing red and silver body armor. His suitcase opened to reveal a high-powered sniper rifle. "I suppose this is where we part ways." Arthur, also known as Merlyn, waved at him. "May the best killer win."
"I intend to." The man known as Deadshot loaded his weapon as Merlyn ran down the hill. As good as Merlyn was, his arrows could only travel so far. Deadshot, however, didn't have such limitations. He put on a mask, also silver with a red eye piece on the right. He was ready to target now.
"Wow." Naruto said in awe. The Vlatavan court was humongous, populated with people in fancy clothes and musicians playing the violin in the background. "I don't think I've ever seen so many important people in a room at once."
"I hear the Daimyos throw parties like this every day." Sakura said, equally curious. "I guess that's what happen when you have too much money and time on your hands."
"Whatever. Let's just make sure the girl doesn't get hurt." Sasuke said.
The three hung from the ceiling, their chakra training allowing them to hang upside down on the ceiling (like some superhero who wasn't "real"). Naruto looked and eyed the girl at the end of the table. She was surrounded by servants at her end of the table, being served elegant food. Even though Naruto didn't have any enhanced vision, he got a rather odd feeling from the girl. "She seems…sad." Naruto said.
Sakura, also looking at her, nodded her head. Seemed she also got the same vibe from her. "Where's the rest of her family?"
"Well, if she's queen, it means her father was the king. And if she's been anointed this young…." Sasuke didn't finish the sentence. Even Naruto got the subtilty.
"Her only living relative tried to kill her." The blond remembered.
"I can't imagine how difficult this must be for her." Sakura agreed.
"Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke. You have your eyes on the queen?" Aqualad asked on the mind-link.
"Yeah, we can see her." Naruto answered. "If something bad happens, you really think we can stop whatever it will be?"
"Just make sure if a crisis occurs, you can either intercept the danger, or reach her in time and get her away." Aqualad answered.
"Where are you guys?" Sakura asked as she looked around.
"We're here. Trust us."
Zatanna walked among the people in the court. She should have stood out with her tuxedo costume, but she had casted a spell to switch her normal costume to a purple-pink gown and white gloves. Snatching some h'orderves from a servant walking with a tray, she heard someone whisper to her. Zatanna turned to see Robin wave over to her from under a table. Zatanna quickly walked towards him. "How do you hide without tipping anyone off?"
"Trade secret." Robin whispered. Zatanna offered him her snack, which Robin gladly took. "Mm. Thank you." Robin quickly dropped the table curtain and hid back under.
Aqualad wandered the hallways upstairs, built similarly to an opera-house. From up there, he had a bird's eye view of the court. "Superboy, any changes?"
"Nothing yet, Kaldur." Superboy answered from his spot on the roof, his enhanced vision literally giving him a bird's eye view of the countryside. "So far, so…" Superboy stopped himself as he found something out in the field. "Wait a minute…" Superboy focused on a figure lying down on a hill far away. Focusing, he recognized the object in front of him as a sniper rifle! "Kaldur! Someone's taking aim at her!" Superboy leaped forward, but by then Deadshot pulled the trigger…
Though Aqualad could not see what Superboy did, he quickly took control of the situation. "Naruto! Incoming projectile! Protect the Queen!"
Naruto quickly let go from his place on the ceiling and jumped towards Perdita. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Several Narutos appeared at once as they continued their descent. Perdita and others looked up in a state of panic as several young boys piled on top of her. The shock of his impact was immediately forgotten when several of his clones were blown away by a high-powered bullet. Had Naruto used his real body, he would have been a goner. And had the clones not piled on top of the young girl, a clean bullet hole would be in her head now.
Robin immediately exited his hiding place as he ran towards them. "Naruto! You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good!" Naruto grinned as he dispelled the rest of his clones. Turning his attention to the queen, he said "Don't worry! You're safe in the hands of Naruto Uzu-"His speech was cut off when he realized his hand was on her breast (rather were her breast WOULD be in a few years' time) "-MA! Sorry!" Naruto jumped back in panic at the realization of what he did. Suddenly, he found himself restrained by Lativan guards. "HEY! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, I SWEAR!"
"Dnats Nwod!" Zatanna shouted. The guards immediately relaxed as they let Naruto go.
Robin then stepped in front of her. "Queen Perdita? I'm Robin; I'm a friend of Kid Flash. We're here to protect you!"
Perdita nervously took his hand. "T-thank you."
Aqualad and the rest of Team 7 joined him. "Good job." He complemented Naruto. "Stay alert! I've a feeling we're not out of the woods yet!"
Merlyn was closer to the Palace than Deadshot; no one would expect death by arrows in this day and age. At least, not by traditional arrows anyway. "Sorry, Lawton, but I'm claiming this bounty!" Eyeing a path to hit his target, he released the bow string as he sent an arrow flying. Once it reached it's peak, the arrow swerved and accelerated at an impossible angle as it missed its mark and exploded safely in the sky. "What!?"
"Sorry, but you're going to have to find target practice elsewhere." Miss Martian came into view as her eyes glowed green. As she reached out, Merlyn felt the ground rise under him.
He quickly rolled away from the rising debris before he could get caught. "A martian!?" he thought. He had a feeling he was about to get caught in her psychic field; he had to act fast. Taking an arrow, he scratched it along the hard surface of a rock, causing it to catch fire. Suddenly, he felt in his own body lift off the ground. "Shit!"
"It's over!" the Martian said.
"On the contrary; I've a feeling the game's just getting started!" Merlyn quickly pulled the string and fired the arrow straight at Miss Martian. On instinct, she became intangible and the arrow flew right past her. However, the heat of the flame still affected her as she quickly became solid again, and lost her grip on all she had ensnared. The arrow continued as it landed on the roof. Finally, the flame reached the explosive inside of the arrow tip, and went off.
The roof exploded, and the resulting debris were falling towards everyone inside. "Hold on!" Aqualad unleashed his water bearers, and all the liquid available in the room flew towards him. The water he could gather through the different drinks condensed and held them at bay above Naruto and the Queen. However, even with his great strength, he could only do so much to hold back solid wood and marble with just water! He was starting to lose his grip as his arms began to shake…
"I've got you, Kaldur!" Artemis unleashed an arrow from upstairs. The arrow immediately exploded into red foam, holding everything in place and solidifying. The queen was now in the clear.
"Kaldur! Are you alright!?" M'gann called over the link.
"I'm fine, Miss Martian. Regroup with us as soon as you can! We're moving out!" the team leader answered back.
Suddenly, they heard a crash upstairs from one of the opera windows, and turned to see Artemis fall from her banister. Acting quickly, Robin fired his grappling line and flew up to catch her. Swinging down, Zatanna, Sasuke and Sakura rushed to join them. "Artemis! Are you alright!?" the kunoichi shouted.
Artemis groaned as she forced herself to sit up, and saw her side sporting deadly cuts. "I think I'll be fine; they're not that deep."
"Who did this to you!?" Sakura asked.
Artemis looked back up, and they saw a large man covered in stripes staring down at them. He casually jumped off the banister and landed as if the height was no big thing for him. "Bastard!" Naruto and his clones charged. The man spun and landed a fierce kick across a clone's midsection. He grabbed another, slamming it onto the floor. Within seconds, he dispelled all of them with expert martial arts strikes until only the real one was left. He opened his fist, revealing what seemed to be rings on all his fingers. However, they nestled at the tip of his fingers rather than the middle, and elongated at the top into claws. He gave a mighty swipe, tearing across Naruto's midsection and sending him flying away.
"Naruto!" Sakura cried.
Naruto landed in a heap among the debris. "Ugh!" Gripping his stomach, he could feel the blood pouring out.
"Z! Get Perdita!" Robin ordered. "We have to fall back! NOW!" Robin pulled out his smoke pellets and slammed them onto the floor. The assassin was stopped by the cloud of smoke, but quickly powered through it as he tried to find his targets. When the smoke cleared, they were all gone. Snarling, he casually made his way down the hall.
That's all I'll leave you with right now. Part 2 will be on the way.
Not much information is given on Perdita's family nor Vlatava. I feel portraying them like this makes the most sense; how else would you explain Count Vertigo getting off so easily after Revelations, and why the Queen had to be treated in America rather than her home country? Anyway, just my opinion.