Writhing in her bed, sheets a tangled messed her morning was starting in an all too familiar fashion. Phantom sensations lingered, mirroring a night's worth of activities she hadn't experienced first hand. The images, the impressions were becoming stronger. She felt she had been touched in places no one ever had; could recall the feel of a perfectly heated shower she'd never been in. His feel, his scent, his weight. The only thing worse than Galatea having to endure the sexual exploits of her genetic counterpart were the days they spent apart.
Her dreams were dominated by images of a redhead with an acerbic wit and knowing touch. But there was something else, too, just out of reach. A piece of the puzzle she knew but couldn't recall, a thought turned vapor she longed to solidify. Mixed with a learned, and likely programmed, desire to replace her original Galatea was reaching her limits. She was straining against her gilded cage. The Fortress of Solitude, an alleged temporary home but felt like a prison.
Superman claimed she could leave. He only stored her there until he could figure some things out and present her with options. Cadmus was no more and she was practical above all else so she agreed. That'd been weeks ago. She wanted out. She wanted to start her life. The quiet of the ice palace did little to dissuade her from one thought; she'd have all she wanted if Kara wasn't in the way. The sheltered princess that liked to play at being a hero.
She slipped into her shower, the water never quite right. Not like when he held her up against the wall as she wrapped her limbs around him. She shivered as she pictured him whispering in her ear how good she felt as he took her. She wanted it to be a reality, deserved for it to be.
If only Kara wasn't in the way.
Galatea slipped out of the shower and got ready for the day. Krypto was awaiting her as she stepped out of her bedroom, ever patient for his morning head pats. She obliged the wonder dog and made her way to the kitchen, to another meal alone. The silence roundly mocked by kara's meals with family in the morning or impromptu date nights. Her life was full. Galatea's was empty and the more she considered it the more she loathed her genetic match. Every good memory forced into Galatea's head was an attack, a cruel insult.
She was in the heart of a frozen wasteland but saw the warmth of another's life, the alternative she was meant to end. Cadmus may have been uprooted but that simply meant when she got her hands on that bimbo it'd be personal. That'd make the hurting all the more fun. She finished her meal with more anticipation than she started. A quick clean up and she exited the fortress, off to stalk her prey.
"Remember, sir, two drops," Wintergreen cautioned as he passed over the glass vial across the kitchen island. He wasn't a particular fan of this… habit of his ward but there wasn't much he could do except make sure things were arranged to limit fallout. He knew the usage started after he achieved an ability he dubbed "Sage Mode". The enhanced form boosted his already impressive empathy. Naruto never spoke about what he sensed but it changed him.
Wintergreen all but coerced a promise from him that he'd never use more than twice a year and never without supervision. It was a reluctant agreement but one he had stuck to. What concerned Wintergreen wasn't his indulging but what may have driven him to do so. His mask of wry detachment was so well practiced it was difficult to get a read on his true emotional state but this year had come with some severe blows and a host of new responsibilities he may have never wanted.
"Yes, yes, two drops per eye."
"Master Naruto," Wintergreen spoke with a tinge of exasperation.
"I do make the stuff, ya know," Naruto responded and chuckled.
"I am aware, sir," Wintergreen responded drolly.
"Then please, good sir, allow me to do my drugs in peace," Naruto requested, throwing in a bow for good measure. He took the glass vial and made his way to the couch. Wintergreen watched as the Luthor heir placed the drops of liquid LSD in his eyes and then laid down. Retrieving a bottle of water, he placed it by the intoxicated Uzumaki and took custody of his phone, making sure the young man wouldn't be interrupted for the duration. As he departed, he took a look back and hoped Naruto would find the clarity he was seeking.
Kara wasn't accustomed to being nervous. She fiddled with her hands while swaying back and forth as she grappled with the alien sensation. Maybe her general imperviousness warded against anxiety, it was worth considering but later, as the two women she requested an audience looked upon her expectantly. She inhaled and exhaled, focusing on the task at hand while wishing she'd prepared more; however, her delays were making things even more awkward and the two women before her had better things to do than to wait for her to find her nerve.
"Uhm, thanks for meeting with me, Diana; Shayera. Look, I'll be blunt. I'm strong and fast but don't have much in the way of combat technique. I am requesting your aid in remedying that."
"You want our help in training?" Shayera asked in mild disbelief. Kara nodded and found herself in an embrace with the Princess of the Amazons.
"This is truly magnificent, Kara. I am always happy to help my sisters in heroism." Diana's cheer neutralized Kara's remaining anxiety.
"Sure," Shayera said in a much more subdued manner but Kara smiled at her in thanks all the same.
"Thanks, both of you. So, how does this work?"
"First, what would you say is your general level?" Diana asked
"I have a lot of experience but because of my abilities it's not like I get into many extended fights so… seasoned amateur as far as pure technical skill, I guess," Kara said. It hurt her pride a little to admit as much but with her strength and speed she mostly had to focus on avoiding traps or long distance abilities. Once she managed that, she could pound most enemies into submission in short order so learning a style was not a priority.
"Why come to us now?" Shayera questioned.
"I've just seen the benefits of being more efficient and controlled when I fight." Hawkgirl nodded. "The best way to see where we can help is to get a fuller sense of how you fight. In this case that would mean a spar."
Something hit the ground fast and hard, shaking the trio of women with the aftershocks and blinding them in a dust cloud. "If you need someone to beat on her I volunteer as tribute." The dust cleared to reveal a red eyed Galatea approaching the heroines slowly.
"How does a pod person know about The Hunger Games?" Kara questioned and paid attention to the snarl that formed on her clone's face.
"Empty headed fool. Die!" Galatea commanded as she unleashed her heat vision.
When he opened his eyes, Naruto hadn't expected to be located in a seemingly endless forest; a forest with trees tall enough to block all natural light. But the darkened surroundings did not feel threatening. Besides, the scents were so welcoming, the cocktail of dew and moss and aged trees with an abundance of life left. He was relaxed but not unaware so he was not taken by surprise at hearing someone approach him. But he was surprised by who it was.
"Pam?" he whispered as the very sight of her caused a deep ache within him. Standing there in near perfect stillness in a white, ,sleeveless dress; V-neckline and asymmetrical hem. Her hair could only be called tame in comparison to his spiky locks and her emerald eyes met his own with the utmost confidence. Her smile, a small gesture that used to improve the day no matter how good or bad it'd been now felt like a knife wielded with precision. The grief, an emotion he'd thought he'd lived through and processed came rampaging back.
"Pam," he called again as he approached. Her smile never wavered as she turned and ran away. Unconsciously, Naruto followed her. It vexed him, the inability to keep up, to catch her. He knew he should have no trouble in doing so and yet he couldn't. He hopped over roots and ducked low hanging branches as he kept on her trial.
Until she reached a cliff. He felt relieved. The chase was over. Or so he thought. She dove. He followed, hitting the water immediately after she did. He did not pause his descent into the pitch black body. Her body went limp as it sank. He could still see her and as long as he could he wouldn't stop. But just like the chase, she was so infuriatingly close and yet he could not reach her.
Panic rose from within as questions he'd refused to contemplate resurfaced. Was this how she died? Had she been conscious but too injured to do anything? Watching her sink, watching her die was beyond torture and he wanted it to end. Frustration mounted as he stretched as far as he could until, miraculously he grabbed hold of her hand.
Again Naruto was in for a surprise as when he attempted to pull her toward him, she produced a greater force and pulled him toward her. He was confused when he was pulled toward the surface of a tranquil body of water. Not even ripples were seen. Nor was Pam. He looked down at his reflection and realized he was in different clothes. Black leg and body armor with a matching cowl and mask to cover the bottom of his face. He also felt the weapons strapped to his back.
He knew where he was. Or better yet, remembered. It'd been several years and he'd hoped to never see this place again. Instinctively, he took off and soon saw a sandbar with a single palm tree but the landmarks weren't his focus. It was the individual sitting there serenely, draped in a white cloak. When Naruto was within meters of the figure he stopped. The man turned toward him, an identical face now staring at him.
"Long time, no see," he greeted and smiled.
"Why am I here?" Naruto asked his doppleganger. The copy laughed.
"This is meant to be my prison but you ask why you are here? Surely, you see the humor in that."
"I'm laughing so hard it hurts."
"I can tell. Anyway, since this is your trip, why don't you tell me what brought you here?"
"Since I learned of Pam's death… I've been stuck. Going through the motions, relationships in holding patterns."
"Hm, to my mind you've been stuck longer than that but I'm just the part of yourself you casted off so what do I know?" the white clad Naruto asked.
"It was necessary. If I hadn't removed you then you'd still be giving Lex lectures and trying to save him when he clearly couldn't be saved. Not even after what he caused in the Congo. All those people dead and what did we do?"
"We helped their souls find peace."
"Peace? If we'd done what was needed it wouldn't have happened. But you wanted to be a hero and heroes don't kill! We spent years cleaning up after Lex when we knew what he was."
"The man that raised us when he had no reason to."
"The man that sent us to war to further our development. To perfect his weapon!" the Naruto in black yelled.
"And so you cast me out, turn your back on everything you wanted just to spite Lex? Brilliant, genius, prodigal. And what has that earned you? You sit behind a desk running a company you never wanted. You barely interact with people and most of the ones you do are on your payroll. You tried to manipulate Pamela and won't let yourself try with Kara. Oh, and you've become quite the killer. Intergang, Cadmus, Doomsday, the Thanigarians. All-time resume, first ballot hall of famer."
"I am doing a lot of good at LexCorp."
"Not denying that but it doesn't change you never wanted to run it. You remember, right? You wanted to be a hero but your way. One dedicated to going after the criminals that work in boardrooms and neutered the regulatory agencies meant to watch them. But you gave it up."
"Of course I did, it was a child's fantasy. The singular hero changing things by dint of their will. You know who thinks like that? Bruce Wayne. You want to be Bruce Wayne?"
"God no; I have no issue with oral sex."
"What?"
"Nevermind."
"Well, this has been a blast but I really must be going." Naruto said.
"I'm sorry, I can't allow that," his counterpart retorted as he stood up and removed his cloak, revealing a white carbon fiber armor with red accents. He had a kodachi strapped to each leg and placed his hands on their handles. "You've been running from yourself for too long and that ends now."
Naruto laughed but no mirth could be heard as he detached two tomahawks from his back. He didn't like seeing the model of the armor he'd designed all those years ago. He'd put the heroism aside. There was too much pain in the world and he'd already failed at curtailing it when he refused to deal with Lex. "You forget who put you here but that's fine. I kicked your ass once, a repeat performance won't be a hardship."
"Say that after you win, Cuck" the Naruo in white taunted and got the expected reaction as he was blitzed, his kodachi deflecting the overhead swing of the axes.
Faster than any could react, Galatea charged Kara and spirited her away, dragging her against the ground and ripping apart the earth as she did. Kara managed to get free but it only signaled the start of Galatea's attack in earnest. The clone took advantage of her advantages and Cadmus training, quickly overpowering the original.
"Why are you attacking me?" Kara asked sharply as she ducked a wild punch from Galatea and retaliated with a body shot. It backed her up but didn' seem to have the impact she had hoped for.
"For weeks you've been torturing me," Galatea said as she looked at the dirty and disheveled girl. "Memories upon memories of you living life while I'm stuck in a frozen wasteland, when I'm superior to you in every way."
"How is that my fault?"
"You knew of our psychic link."
"So what? I'm not changing how I live for a science experiment, a thing that shouldn't exist," Kara growled at the embodiment of her violation. Neither had anything left to say so charged at the other, a shockwave forming where they intercepted. She tried but as with their previous exchanges, Kara was on the losing end and the damage inflicted was taking a toll. She was slowing down, getting hit more and harder. Galatea formed a hammer fist and sent Kara to the ground with a massive impact.
Kara watched as the false her swooped down, looking to cause her more pain. The blows never came, the clone was being held back by a golden lasso. Kara watched as the clone made a show of pulling Diana closer to her and had stopped watching her down opponent. Kara fired her heat vision but Galatea did the same even as she was winning her contest of strength with the Amazonian.
"Ha!" Shayera shouted when her mace connected with the artificial Kryptonian. Galatea was then slammed by Diana, which caused Kara's heat blast to narrowly miss her. It didn't take long for her fellow heroines to stand in front of her, giving her precious time to recover. Diana had her sword and shield at the ready, just as Shayera had her mace.
"If you had stayed out of this I would have spared the both of you," Galatea growled as she glared at the heroines with red eyes. "Now, all three of you will die!" she bellowed, unleashing her heat vision.
"You're stuck in a destructive spiral," the castoff part of Naruto said as he tried to swipe at the original's neck. The true Uzumaki swayed from the blade, responding with a double swing aimed at his opponent's midsection. Both strikes were blocked by a single blade with minimal effort. "You feel guilty over things that were not your fault but remain passive when you know your enemies plot in the shadows only moving when they transgress."
"I refuse to allow my so-called enemies to dictate my life," Naruto responded as he trapped a leg using his tomahawk and shoulder checked his other half. The other red head threw a kodachi as a preventative measure as it forced Naruto to dodge. "I won't be drawn into their games."
"No, you'll stand still until they strike," the white armored warrior said as he sheathed his remaining kodachi, opting to draw his katana instead. "But the death you bring in response, is the weight worth it? The faces of the fallen, questioning who they left behind and what brought them to be your enemies. How much longer can you shoulder that before you break?"
Naruto tossed his axes and unveiled his ninjato. "I won't break, that's you. My way isn't perfect, it isn't without sacrifice but I'll carry the burdens." He said as he dashed toward the other Naruto, blurring behind and aiming to stab him in the back. A clang greeted his ears and he braced from the power of the block.
"That's dangerously arrogant. Old Man Hagoromo couldn't keep his sons peaceful by himself, couldn't defeat his mother alone," the katana-wielder said as he performed a downward slash, reversing direction before Naruto could counter and continued to press his attack.
"Arrogance is adopting an entire culture meant to reside outside and above all others. Heroes are well intentioned but are arrogant. I only meant to plant seeds I may not live to see sprout," Naruto defended as he dodged a stab and kicked his other self away. He charged, zig zag in his approach with his blade spinning. The diversionary tactics didn't work but it didn't stop Naruto from trying to fell the man before him.
"It's not a dichotomy! When did you become so rigid?"
"When twenty-seven children, fifty-three women, and sixty men were killed because I turned a blind eye to Lex's activities," Naruto answered. He blocked the katana with the bottom of his sword handle and shot a kick toward the other's face, the man allowing his free forearm to absorb the strike.
"Lex was not our responsibility! No sane system would make the son the watcher of the father!" the other shouted and followed it with a headbutt. Stunned by the blow, Naruto was unprepared for the chokehold he was placed in nor being dragged to the ground. He struggled to free himself but the hold was applied perfectly.
"You can't continue hiding in your towers, walled off from the rest of the world. Just because you can sense the total sum of the world's misery doesn't mean you are solely responsible for fixing it, idiot." The unwanted aspect grew concerned when Naruto stopped struggling. His minor lapse earned him a blow from a metal nunchaku hidden underneath Naruto's armor. Getting cracked in the head, he released the hold and retreated to create some distance. Once his vision cleared he saw Naruto wielding a pair of the chained weapon. He brought out his pair of tonfa and took his stance.
The two stayed in their respective locations, eyeing the other intently. And then, as a signal had been given they raced toward each other, each prepared for this to be their final clash.
Galatea panted as she held her side but her hand did little to stymie the blood loss. The trio were more formidable than she'd expected. As individuals, she'd be able to best any of them though the Amazonian would give her a fight. However, together, they were just enough. Wonder Woman was the tip of the spear and her enchanted sword had tasted Kryptonian blood several times. Hawkgirl and her Nth metal mace also overcame her natural invulnerability while Kara was a bludgeon. Someone that could tank the hits while leaving Galatea open for counters.
It didn't soothe her ego that she'd given as good as she got. All three women were beaten and battered but that was irrelevant. She hadn't come here to draw with three inferiors. She wanted to end Kara's torments by ending her life. She wouldn't retreat. As bad as she felt she knew they were barely hanging on and Kara was a bimbo not a true warrior. If she faltered the other two would lose their shield and she'd end them once and for all.
The creation of her cage happened silently and faster than she could react. A green cube, immediately recognized as a Green Lantern's construct. Galatea looked up to see him joined by Superman and the Martian. She felt something in her snap as once again her freedoms and choices were going to be taken from her. She used her free hand and hit the wall as hard as she could. It didn't bulge but that only made her try harder. Again and again she hit the energy wall and even incorporated her heat vision but nothing worked. Her wounds weren't healing and she was growing frantic as she pounded against her cell.
"Sleep," she heard a voice whisper in her mind, the same voice that told her to do it the night she was defeated at Cadmus headquarters. She was unconscious before she could ever consider refusing.
"Wow, Cadmus really did a number on her," Naruto said as the three women looked at the red head. They hadn't understood why Galatea stopped her assault or seemed preoccupied with an internal enemy until she past out and Naruto revealed himself in the process of catching her. "Not to make excuses but the psychic link between you two was part of a mental conditioning regimen designed to ensure she'd hate you."
"Uh huh, that's nice and all but what are you doing here? How did you even know to come here?" Kara asked.
"A voice amongst the wind told me," he said. Kara didn't respond, putting it at fifty-fifty odds he was lying or being sincere. A trio of Naruto's emerged breaking Kara from her internal musings.
"My clones can heal you if you're interested," he offered and all three nodded in agreement. Kara, though, was surprised he seemed to be healing Galatea and made note of it.
"Why are you healing her?"
"She's injured would be the simplest answer."
"She also tried to kill me," Kara observed.
"True. Would you like me to ruthlessly murder someone that shares a distinct resembelance with you?"
"Of course not!"
"That's nice," Naruto said as he continued healing Galatea.
"Naruto, are you ok? You're acting weird."
"It's probably the acid," he guessed. "I'm pretty early into my trip and it's been a pretty harrowing one thus far."
"Yea, that'd explain it. Does Mr. Wintergreen know you're here, Naruto? He'll worry if he doesn't."
"I didn't have time to tell him." Kara just shook her head in exasperation. Soon the healing session had finished and Naruto slung Galatea over his shoulders as he walked toward the heroines. Once he reached Kara she played at straightening his shirt but refused eye contact.
"It was sweet of you to come but there was no need to worry, regardless of what the wind said."
"Ok but I think worrying is part of the deal when your girlfriend is a superhero." Kara nodded, the words taking a moment to sink in.
"G-girlfriend? You can't just go deciding things like that by yourself, Naruto."
"Oh, well you wanna be my girlfriend?" he asked, staring into her eyes. She rolled hers internally observing that he would do such a thing while high as a kite.
"Yes, I will be your girlfriend now hand her over to me and go home before Mr. Wintergreen scrambles your security detail."
"Hmm, ok. Come by later?"
"Yes, now go on, get," she said as she shooed him away. Kara expected him to teleport away, or maybe even run. She did not expect him to slowly levitate off the ground and then take off like a rocket moments later. Shayera voiced Kara's internal dialogue.
"He can fly? Since when can he fly?"
"I have no idea."
"Maybe the new wind spirit he communicated with gave him the power of flight?" Diana speculated. Kara wanted to laugh at the Princess giving way too much credence to her boyfriend's drug induced ramblings. She decided to head toward the Fortress of Solitude instead, with a side trip to retrieve Clark along the way.
Finished
Yo, long time no see. Naruto gets to fight Yami that wasn't Yami so I couldn't call him Yami even though he was essentially Yami but not yami Yami, ya'mean? Oh, and a little information on Lex and Naruto's fallout. And finally, that little habit I teased early in the story… our boy has a taste for artisanal LSD. But then again, who doesn't?