Naruto perched on top of the rocket, his raven-like form blending with the shadows. His sharp senses spread out across the battlefield, covering the beach, ocean, and sky. The moment the enemy entered his range, he sent out a telepathic alert.
"I sense a hostile presence near the beach."
Nightwing's response was swift.
"Support Lagoon Boy."
Naruto's eyes flickered toward the water, pinpointing his teammate's location. Lagoon Boy was eager—too eager. The Atlantean was still fresh to the hero game and had a habit of charging in without fully thinking things through. Naruto could see right through him.
Watching Lagoon Boy, Naruto was reminded of his younger self—the desperate need to prove himself, the desire to stand out. But what truly caught his attention was the one-sided relationship the green-skinned Atlantean was trapped in.
'He really thinks she loves him, huh? Man... I never want to be the rebound guy. That's just depressing.'
Naruto had seen Superboy and Miss Martian's tension from day one. The way she forced a smile around Lagoon Boy, while Connor couldn't even look at her without pain. It was obvious—Lagoon Boy was a distraction for her, not someone she truly loved.
Naruto wasn't sure if he should feel pity or secondhand embarrassment.
Not wanting to dwell on someone else's love life, Naruto split off a clone and sent it down to Lagoon Boy's side.
Without a sound, Naruto's clone appeared beside him.
"Hey, how's it going?"
"By Neptune's beard!" Lagoon Boy nearly jumped out of his skin, his gills flaring in surprise. "Warn me before you do that!"
Naruto chuckled. "You need to get used to that."
Lagoon Boy huffed but quickly regained his excitement. "Yeah, yeah, I'll deal with it. Now, let's get cracking, mon ami." He cracked his knuckles, grinning viciously at the incoming fight.
To Lagoon Boy, Naruto was an unknown figure—someone immensely powerful but distant. They hadn't spoken much, and LB figured Naruto was just another guy who took things too seriously.
He didn't seem to have any sense of fun.
But then—
"Right, let's have some fun. Do you want to compete with me?" Naruto smirked.
Lagoon Boy blinked before grinning wide.
"Dude, you're on!"
Without hesitation, Lagoon Boy launched himself into the water, cutting through it like a torpedo. The enemy hadn't even disembarked yet, but LB was already preparing to throw hands.
Naruto followed, vanishing in a flicker of movement.
The enemy manta troopers had barely touched the water before Lagoon Boy struck.
He moved like he belonged in the sea, weaving through the water and sending high-pressure blasts toward the enemy. His attacks slammed into their armor, knocking them around before they could react.
Naruto wasn't about to be left behind.
He appeared among the soldiers like a phantom, weaving through them with ease. With one punch, he shattered their armor and sent them flying. Each strike was precise—lethal if he wanted, but just enough to take them out.
Above them, Aqualad watched everything unfold.
He wasn't sure what to think. Naruto was a wild card. He had expected a challenge from the team, but this level of interference wasn't part of the plan.
Even so, he trusted Nightwing. If Nightwing had brought Naruto in on the secret mission, then he had no choice but to adapt.
Naruto had just crushed another enemy trooper when he felt the shift in energy.
A sudden surge of electricity rippled through the water—Aqualad was attacking.
Lagoon Boy was completely caught off guard.
But before the lightning could strike—Naruto moved.
In an instant, he grabbed Lagoon Boy and blurred out of range.
The attack missed, electrifying only empty water.
Lagoon Boy gasped, realizing just how close he had been to getting fried.
"Thanks, man. I was about to get zapped."
Naruto released him. "No problem. Just fight carefully and keep your eyes on the battlefield, not just your opponent."
Aqualad saw the battle turning against him. His forces were falling, the launch site was still intact, and the mission was going sideways.
I have to finish this.
He moved toward the launch site, switching tactics. Missiles launched from the manta ship, streaking toward the rocket.
But the team was ready.
Artemis, Nightwing, and the others had been anticipating the strike.
Naruto, already positioned above, sent a chakra wave through the air, intercepting the incoming explosives. The sky lit up with explosions, but none reached their target.
Aqualad landed near Nightwing and Artemis, keeping up the act of an enemy. But his eyes flickered toward his old teammates. Seeing them again, fighting against them—it wasn't easy.
"Aqualad, Naruto knows about the mission. He's with us."
Nightwing's voice came through his comms, steady and assured.
"If you need help, ask him. I don't want anyone getting hurt tonight."
Aqualad didn't respond, but he processed the information quickly.
The mission had to continue.
Aqualad struck with precision.
He moved toward Artemis, his attacks sharp and overwhelming. The moment presented itself—he landed the final blow.
With a deadly strike to her chest, Artemis staggered backward.
She fell.
The world around them seemed to slow as her body collapsed. Blood spilled onto the sand.
The team watched, horrified.
Aqualad's expression remained unreadable.
He had to sell the act.
"This is what happens when you stand in my way." His voice was cold, merciless.
To the outside world, he had killed Artemis.
To the team, this was the final step in the mission.
The manta troops were down. The rocket was protected.
Aqualad knew it was time.
He retreated, boarding the Manta Flyer as it soared into the night sky.
A final barrage of missiles rained down, forcing the team to take cover. Smoke and debris filled the air, obscuring his escape.
The battlefield was silent.
Smoke and debris still lingered in the air, a grim reminder of what had just happened. Artemis lay motionless on the ground, her body limp, blood pooling beneath her.
Superboy stood frozen, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His enhanced senses could hear her heartbeat fading, her breathing shallow.
His mind refused to process it.
No... no way. Not Artemis.
Miss Martian, standing just a few steps behind him, felt the overwhelming wave of grief crash into her.
Her eyes widened, and her hands trembled as she instinctively reached out with her telepathy—searching, hoping, praying for a sign.
Artemis? Artemis, answer me!
Nothing.
Her mind was silent.
It was like Artemis was already... gone.
Superboy gritted his teeth, his entire body shaking. He wasn't the emotional type—not like Wally or Dick. But this? This was different.
Artemis was his friend.
They had fought together, bled together, risked their lives for each other.
And now… she was just gone?
"Damn it..." His voice was hoarse, low, filled with something raw.
His grief turned to rage.
He turned toward the retreating Manta Flyer, his eyes blazing red for a second—the urge to burn that ship out of the sky nearly overwhelming.
I could chase them. I could end this. I could—
His hands clenched tighter.
No.
That wasn't what Artemis would have wanted.
Instead, he dropped to his knees next to her, his fingers hovering just above her face but never touching. His breath was heavy, and he felt so damn powerless.
Even with all his strength, all his durability, all his speed—he hadn't been fast enough to save her.
"You idiot..." He muttered, his voice breaking.
"Why did you have to be so reckless?"
But she wasn't answering.
She wasn't coming back.
Miss Martian fell to her knees beside him, her eyes filled with unshed tears.
This couldn't be real.
Artemis was too strong, too stubborn, too damn good at what she did to die like this.
"Artemis..." Her voice cracked, the weight of the moment crushing her.
She wanted to reach out, to feel her mind again—to confirm this was all a mistake.
But all she felt was emptiness.
And that?
That terrified her.
She buried her face in her hands. The guilt hit her next.
If I had just reacted faster… if I had just seen it coming…
She tried to hold herself together, but the tears slipped through her fingers.
She had already lost so much.
Connor... our relationship... my place on the team... and now Artemis?
This was too much.
Too much pain.
Too much loss.
She couldn't take it.
Superboy's jaw tightened, his voice quiet, almost too soft to hear.
"We were supposed to have each other's backs..."
His hands curled into fists again, but this time, they trembled.
For the first time in a long time—he felt helpless.
The world around him blurred, the sounds of the battlefield fading as one painful truth settled in his chest like a crushing weight.
Artemis was dead.
And they could never get her back.
The world blurred around him.
The battle, the explosions, the mission—none of it mattered anymore.
Because Artemis was dead.
And it was his fault.
Lagoon Boy stared at her lifeless body, his webbed hands trembling as he took a step forward—then stopped. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
This... this can't be happening.
She had been right there.
So close.
And yet—he had failed.
He should have been faster. He should have seen it coming. He should have done something—anything— to stop it.
Neptune's beard...
His chest tightened, his lungs burning as he sucked in a sharp breath. The weight of the moment crushed him, drowning him in guilt.
He was the closest to her.
He had the best mobility in water.
He had been fighting alongside her.
But when it mattered most, he wasn't good enough.
He clenched his fists, his gills flaring, his vision turning red—not from anger, but from the sheer force of his shame.
His voice shook when he finally spoke.
"I-I... I should have protected her..."
His words broke in the middle, cracking under the pressure of his failure.
Superboy and Miss Martian were grieving. They were hurt, mourning. But he?
He was responsible.
His stomach churned, a sickening wave of nausea rising inside him as he forced himself to look at her motionless body again.
She trusted me to have her back.
And I let her down.
His breathing became erratic, his body trembling. He wanted to scream, to punch something, to run away from the unbearable weight pressing down on his chest.
But he couldn't.
All he could do was stare at Artemis—his teammate, his friend—knowing that she was gone.
And knowing that it was his fault.
Nightwing stumbled back, his breath catching in his throat as he stared at Artemis's lifeless body. His blue eyes widened in shock, his mind screaming at him to process what had just happened.
No. No, this wasn't supposed to happen.
This was his plan. His idea. He had thought through every detail, accounted for every risk—except this.
He had sent her in knowing how dangerous it was.
And now she was dead.
For the briefest moment, a flash of real grief flickered in his chest. His best friend. His partner. His family.
Gone.
He forced himself to look away, gritting his teeth. The pain was real—but he couldn't let it show. Not here. Not now.
He had to sell this.
He had to make them believe it.
So, with shaking hands, Nightwing dropped to his knees beside Artemis's motionless form. His fingers hovered over her wound, as if hoping—praying—for a pulse.
But there was nothing.
His breath hitched, and then, with a choked, broken voice, he whispered:
"Artemis... no. No, no, no—come on, stay with me!"
His shoulders trembled. His mask hid his eyes, but he made sure his body language conveyed devastation. He pressed a hand to his forehead, as if struggling to keep himself together.
Then, with deliberate slowness, he lifted his head, his expression twisting into one of raw anger and guilt.
He turned to the team, seeing the shock, pain, and grief in their eyes. Miss Martian's hands covered her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. Superboy stood frozen, fists clenched, breathing hard as if he were one second away from losing it completely.
And Lagoon Boy? Crushed.
It worked.
The lie was sinking in.
But even though Nightwing knew it was fake, the way his team looked at him—like they were waiting for him to fix this, to have some kind of answer—it hurt.
Because the truth was, he felt like he had actually failed.
Because in their eyes, he had.
This was his plan.
And now Artemis was "dead."
Even though he knew she wasn't, the weight of responsibility settled like a stone in his chest. The guilt, the second-guessing—it wasn't fake.
Did I really think this was the right call?
What if something goes wrong?
What if this breaks the team beyond repair?
His hands curled into fists, his jaw tightening. There was no turning back now.
So he played his role.
He let his voice break, let his hands shake as he reached down and gently closed Artemis's eyes.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."
And in that moment, the line between the lie and the truth blurred.
Because even if Artemis was still alive...
This was still his fault.
Naruto sat perched atop the massive rocket, his body disguised as a raven, blending seamlessly with the darkness. His sharp eyes scanned the battlefield below, watching as the drama unfolded before him.
Superboy and Miss Martian's confrontation had been raw, filled with unspoken pain and buried regrets. Nightwing's reaction to Artemis's "death" was equally gripping, his anguish almost too real—almost as if he had truly lost her.
It was touching, in a way Naruto hadn't quite expected.
This kind of thing is really new to me... but I like it.
Naruto had seen teams work together before, but never quite like this. Back home, missions were often filled with suspicion, duty, and necessity. Camaraderie existed, but it wasn't always as deep and organic as what he saw here.
This wasn't just a team—it was a family.
This is what I imagined being a shinobi would be like... but I never got to experience it.
A wistful smile tugged at his lips. He could feel the warmth of their bonds, even through their sorrow. Even though it was built on a lie, their care for each other was real.
At least I can enjoy the experience now.
Naruto was pulled from his thoughts as a sudden explosion erupted inside the rocket.
His eyes flickered to the source of the blast, watching as flames and shrapnel burst outward—only to be immediately absorbed into an invisible force.
The rocket continued its ascent, unharmed.
A smirk played on Naruto's lips.
"So the big boss had already arranged for this and used it as a test."
Whoever was behind this had planned for the rocket to fail, likely using this mission to gauge the team's response. But they hadn't accounted for him.
Naruto never left a mission to chance.
From the very beginning, he had laced the entire rocket in a fine layer of his chakra. It acted as a protective shield, ensuring no weak little explosion could touch it.
The mission was a success.
And now... why not take a little detour?
A mischievous grin spread across his face as he rode the rocket into space, sitting on
The moment Naruto broke free of Earth's atmosphere, he felt it—the stillness of space.
It was a breathtaking sight. The vast emptiness stretched out before him, stars twinkling like scattered embers in an endless abyss. The Earth itself sat behind him, a glowing blue gem against the void.
He had never seen anything quite like it.
For a moment, Naruto simply floated, letting the silence wrap around him like a comforting embrace.
Finally, he spread his arms, his body drifting freely as he gazed upon the universe.
"Kurama, does our world look like this too?"
Inside his mind, the great fox hummed in thought.
"Most likely. But I've never been in space, so I wouldn't know."
Naruto chuckled.
"You know, why didn't you ever escape to the moon or another planet? You had centuries to think about it."
Kurama let out a long, tired sigh.
"Ugh. I was too stupid and lazy."
Naruto grinned.
"No need to be so hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes."
Kurama huffed, but there was amusement in his tone.
"Sometimes your outlandish thoughts make so much sense that I wonder why I didn't think of them myself."
Naruto just laughed.
"Well, forget about that. Let's just enjoy the view."
He let himself drift for a few more moments, taking in the endless beauty of the cosmos. The sight etched itself deep into his soul, an image he would never forget.
I should show this to Mom... and if they haven't seen it, Raven and Supergirl too.
It was something too beautiful not to share.
With a final glance at the stars, Naruto turned, his chakra flaring softly as he propelled himself back toward Earth.
He wasn't ready to explore the wider universe yet… but one day, he would.
And when that time came—he'd be unstoppable.