In today's National News we report on the mysterious disappearance…again, of Wonder Woman, but this time, it seems that someone has taken over her responsibilities in Gateway City. Who is this mysterious individual, is he a member of the Justice League, and is he yet another Kryptonian that has taken residence on planet earth?
Stay tuned as we follow up on this story with a live interview of Scot Free, the overnight billionaire who has taken the forex trading, stock exchange market, and mining industry by storm. His current wealth is estimated at fifteenth in the entire world, and experts predict that he will be in the top five by the end of the semester if he carries on at his current trajectory.
"Your subordinates are making their waves aren't they? Filling in for Wonder Woman is a good way to win a lot of approval ratings and become an instant sensation. And of course, starting a multi billion dollar company is also a good way to gain both popularity and most importantly, power and influence." Zalika said as she watched the news with her boss.
It was a late in the evening, but Naruto was still in the office as he had some stuff he wanted to go over with Zalika. The work was complete now though, or at least they had gotten as far as they wanted to go for the evening, and were just unwinding and watching the news together.
"Indeed. Physical, magical, and/or meta power is important, and so is technological superiority, but social, financial and political influence are just as important. They are making the right moves, and what makes it even better is that I didn't even have to give them any orders." Naruto retorted.
"Agreed. Yesterday it was the Emerald Empress and Firestorm that took center stage in the news, and then both made waves when they said that they were not part of the Justice League and had no intention of joining either. We can expect the same waves when Powerman is interviewed shortly." Zalika retorted.
"Excellent. Powerful and talented heroes refusing to be a part of the Justice League after Supergirl recently rejected an invite to join? This will do well to weaken the position of the Justice League. People will begin to ask themselves why these new heroes want nothing to do with the league. Conspiracy theories will run rampant." Naruto said with a diabolical smirk.
"All according to plan." Zalika said with an equally diabolical smirk on her facial features.
"Indeed." Naruto said satisfactory.
"Oh, here goes Mon El's interview, lets listen in shall we." Naruto said, politely signaling for Zalika to be silent for the time being.
Interview:
"Louis Lane of the Daily Planet, good day to you, Powerman." Louis greeted politely.
"Good day to you too, Ms Lane." Mon El greeted back.
"So, Powerman, first of all, and I'm sure everyone would agree that while not the most important question, that it is however the one they are most curious about – are you a Kryptonian and if you are, are you related to Kara Zor El and Kal El aka Supergirl and Superman of the Kryptonian House of El?" Louis asked curiously.
"Hmmm…..that is, believe it or not, a complicated question, one that doesn't have a straight forward answer." Mon El said with a thoughtful facial expression.
"Really? It seems simple enough, I mean, you're either Kryptonian or you're not, and you're either related to Supergirl and Superman, or you're not." Louis said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, which in a way it was.
"Okay, let's see. I guess you could call me a distant relative. I share their clan name as my full name is Mon El, but I am not of Krypton but of their sister planet, Daxam. So, not a Kryptonian but a Daxamite." Mon El tried to simplify it as much as possible.
"A Daxamite? Never heard of it before. Certainly neither Superman nor Supergirl have ever mentioned a sister planet in the past." Louis said with a deep frown.
"Nor would they. While we were not exactly enemies, Daxam and Krypton were not friends either. In fact, the neutrality and peace between the two planets was shaky at best. The two species are distant relatives though, in fact, Daxamites were originally Kryptonians who lost a civil war in Krypton, and after losing the war, escaped to Daxam to start a new life there. They were lead by a member of the El family, a younger brother who didn't see eye to eye with his older brother when it came to the future of Krypton. That younger brother would become the King of Daxam and changed his name, from El, to Gand." Mon El said as he gave a historically accurate account of his origins.
"Wait….are you implying that you are King of Daxam?" Louis asked as realization dawned on her.
"Prince of Daxam. My father, Lar Gand, is the King of Daxam." Mon El replied.
"If your father is Lar Gand, then why do you use the El surname? And if your father is King, then why are you here on earth and not on Daxam?" Louis Lane asked confusedly.
"To honor our history, every fourth generational first born son is named 'El', so that we may never forget where we come from. And as for why I am here, well, I had to escape Daxam when Krypton blew up because the debris from the explosion hit Daxam like a super meteor storm. All life was vanquished and the planet was rendered uninhabitable." Mon El explained.
"Oh my God that sounds terrible. But doesn't that mean you have a grudge against Kryptonians since they are the reason your planet was destroyed?" Louis pressed.
"Not at all. Kryptonians hated us but I very much doubt they would resort to destroying their own planet and killing themselves just to destroy us." Mon El replied smoothly.
"Ehehe, well, when you put it like that I guess no one can make a case against you, but moving on to the next question, what are the, if any, genetic differences between Krytonians and Daxamites?" Louis asked curiously.
"Very few. We Daxamites are after all descendants of Krypton." Mon El replied, deciding not to reveal his weakness to lead despite being cured of it, nor the weakness of Kryptonians to kryptonite due to the fact that the public was still not aware of Superman's weakness to kryptonite as it was only the government and a few super heroes and super villains who were aware of it, although the list was rapidly growing admittedly.
"I see. So, Wonder Woman? Do you know her? And if you do, do you know where she is? Did she ask you to fill in for her or did you just decide to do it out of the goodness of your heart?" Louis asked curiously.
"She asked me to fill in for her. She and I are good friends. But really I would have done it anyway without her needing to ask. As for her whereabouts, I'm afraid I am not at liberty to say. You will have to ask her where she was yourself when she returns and she will tell you, or she will not." Powerman replied.
"Why the secrecy Powerman? We know that Wonder Woman defected from the Justice League recently, why? Has she become a villain? And what about you? Are you a new member of the Justice League? Do you want to join the league if you are not in fact a member yet?" Louis pressed even harder than before.
"There is no secrecy. I simply believe that Wonder Woman's privacy should be respected as I do with anyone else's. And no, I have no intention of joining the Justice League. I respect what they are doing, I respect their beliefs and ideals, and I respect all the sacrifices they have made for the safety and protection of planet earth and even other planets that were on the brink of destruction. Respect and appreciate I should say…." Mon El trailed off.
"But…?" Louis asked.
"But nothing. I respect and appreciate the Justice League." Mon El deadpanned.
"It's just….it sounded like you were building up to something, especially when you were telling us about how much you respect and appreciate the Justice League." Louis said with a little exasperation.
"Oh, well, I apologize for leading you on. But no, I was not building up to anything. I just wanted to make it clear that despite having no intention to join the league, I am however not opposed to their existence or their way of doing things. The Justice League are noble warriors of Justice." Mon El said.
'Shit! He's not giving me anything to work with. He is too prepared for this interview.' Louis thought in frustration.
"Prince Mon El, where are the rest of your people? Why have you not bothered to check if any of them are still alive? And your father? King Lar Gand? You spoke of him as if he were alive. Have you spoken to him? What does he think about you shirking your responsibilities to your people in order to play hero on planet earth?" Louis asked diabolically.
'She's trying to rile me up and set a trap for me. I wonder why? Did Superman put her up to this? Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter. My story has no holes in it.' Mon El rationalized.
"I'm certain that most of my people perished, but I am also certain a lot of them, including my mother and father survived. In fact I plan to search for them as soon Wonder Woman returns from her sabbatical. I have the means to send a distress call from anywhere in the universe, but if I did that, my parents would bring their entire armada to earth space. I'm sure you can figure out how not so well that would end, especially if they tried to do to earth what General Zod tried to do." Powerman replied sincerely.
"Zod was a mad man…."
"That is an entirely subjective observation. One could just as easily argue that he was a man who had lost everything, and was desperate to save his people and rebuild at any cost. From his perspective, Kal El was the mad one. But nevertheless, I think I could talk my dad out of doing the same as Zod did, but why take that risk? Better I search for them instead of bringing them here don't you think?" Mon El retorted.
"So you want to protect earth, even from your own people? Superman arrived on earth as a toddler and was raised as a human, Super Girl was 13 years old by her account when she arrived, still young enough to have adopted the human culture. You seem to have been raised and groomed as a Daxamite. So why? Why protect earth? Why care at all about us?" Louis asked curiously, and suspiciously.
"That is a very long story, but to try and put it simply, I have a found a mentor who was able to bring out the best in me here on earth. In Daxam, I was actually a failure, a disgrace of a prince. I was weak. I had no motivation, no ambition, no sense of purpose or direction. Honestly, most of the people feared the day that my father passed away and I took his place. However, if they met the Prince Mon El that I am now, my parents, and my people, I believe they would be very proud, and would be grateful to the people that have made me the man I am today, the earthlings that made me the person that I am." Mon El replied sincerely, of course leaving out the part where these earthlings were literal Gods walking amongst men, referring of course to mostly Naruto, but also Diana.
"Interesting. So tell us, Powerman, who are these people….these….earthlings…that have made you the man you are today? And who is the man that you are today? Who is Mon El? Who is Powerman?" Louis asked curiously.
"Wonder Woman, obviously, is one of them. And the other person I would rather not say. He is not a very public person, in fact, he prefers to be left out of the chaos and craziness of the super hero life entirely. Also, I do not want to put a target on his back, so I'm afraid I cannot really say, but if you must know, Powerman is a strong, confident, just, ambitious, diligent, disciplined, caring, focused, reliable, and determined individual. Most of all, Powerman is a good person who only wants the best for his people, and by his people I mean all of his people, Daxamites and Earthlings alike." Powerman replied sincerely.
"I see. Sounds reassuring, but also vague. For instance, what would you do if Daxam and Earth went to war? Which side would you…"
"I'm sorry Ms Lane but I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut you short. There is bank robbery occurring in Iran Francisco Avenue at Gateway Bank! But don't worry, Mon El of the Sentinels of Justice, chaired by Wonder Woman, will stop this crime in its tracks!" Powerman said as he disappeared from sight, flying up and away so fast that by the time Louis regained her bearing, he was already long gone.
"A…ahem…!" Louis coughed as she tried to clear both her eyes and her lungs, having inhaled the wind that picked up when Powerman flew away and also suffering from temporary blindness thanks to the dust that came with the wind.
"Well, it seems like that is all we will be hearing from Powerman today. His departure however is awfully suspicious given the nature of the question that I was about to ask him. Who would he choose between Daxam and Earth? We all know what side Superman would choose, he already chose us over his own people. He already sacrificed everything for our sake."
"Powerman has evaded the question entirely, allegedly due to there being lives at stake. And what are these Sentinels of Justice? If Wonder Woman defected only to start her own league of justice, then does that mean her departure from the league was not as amicable as we were lead to believe? Who are the other members of these Sentinels of Justice? Please send your comments on the phone number, email address, or the social media page of the daily planet written below on your screen. Tell us what you, the people, think." Louis capped off her broadcast.
Back At the Office:
"She really is making her relationship to Superman, and therefore her bias, rather obvious isn't she? It's a wonder no one has figured it out yet." Zalika said, shaking her head in dismay.
"Last year, Clark Kent made a media appearance while wearing a Superman Costume. No one recognized him. Superman has mastered the art of hiding in plain sight. There is also the fact that Superman is so powerful that there are actual cults that worship him as a God. They literally believe that him being a God is the only explanation for his achievements. They would never expect a God to be in a relationship with a mere human like Louis Lane, nor especially would they expect an average joe like Clark Kent to be Superman." Naruto retorted.
"I guess that makes sense. I mean, I can't really say since I have the benefit of actually knowing that he is in fact Clark Kent. Still, Powerman is going to have to be careful. Louis is very protective of Superman's status and popularity, and Powerman is a direct threat to that. She will leave no stone unturned in order to find some dirt on him." Zalika warned.
"True, but that's why we have you isn't it? You need to keep track of Louis Lane's investigation and prepare counter measures should she actually find something." Naruto retorted.
"Counter measures? What kind of counter measures?"
"I don't mean the fatal kind if that is what you mean. We know her secret. She is Superman's girlfriend, he is Clark Kent and she knows this, but as a reporter, has consistently lied to the people about it. She also cheats to gain her success as she frequently uses Superman's powers and his protectiveness of her to get scoops that no one else can. She doesn't disclose this advantage when she collects all of those accolades for her outstanding work and 'bravery'." Naruto explained.
"That's a rather long way of basically just telling me to blackmail the shit out of the bitch." Zalika retorted much to Naruto's amusement.
"Hehe, okay Hack, please blackmail the shit out of the bitch should she prove to be a hindrance to our goals." Naruto said amusedly.
"Very well. But that last part…"
"I told him to tell the world about the Sentinels. It's a move that puts more heat on the Justice League while also having the potential to win us favor with the people. It's both an experimental move and a set up for when The Hive finally leaves the shadows and comes into the light. It will also help us to practice the art of public manipulation. Don't worry, everyone is on board." Naruto explained.
"I see. Anyway, your appointment has arrived. I'm surprised though, I didn't expect him to make such a public appearance, by his standards at least." Hack said, referring of course to the fact that Vandal Savage, along with his two daughters, had decided to schedule an actual appointment with Naruto and was coming into the Wave Consolidated International Head Office through the front door.
"Given who we are dealing with, we have to assume that this is a strategy of some sort." Naruto retorted.
"What kind of ass backwards strategy is that?" Zalika asked incredulously.
"Well, Vandal Savage is someone both the secret service departments of the Government aka Amanda Waller and the Justice League are keeping tabs on. If he is here, in broad day light, it means that those organizations will also be keeping an eye on me too." Naruto retorted.
"But Vandal knows that the Justice League is already keeping an eye on you. Its not too much of a stretch to think that the Government is doing the same." Zalika retorted.
"There is keeping an eye on someone from a distance, and then there is applying pressure and restricting someone's movements while running an active investigation of a person. In any case, Queen Perdita revealed the existence of both The Light and the Hive following the incident between Defiance and The High Evolutionary in Vlatava. The Justice League already know that I am Kitsune, and seeing me in a meeting with Savage will either make them think that I am a member of The Light, or confirm to them that I am the leader of Hive." Naruto retorted.
"Yes, I see now. The reveal of you being The Hive boss will certainly cause the Government and The Justice League to magnify their scope even further than it is on you. This could mean that Savage, and therefore The Light have figured out what game we're playing and this is the first step of their counter attack. The real question I suppose is what do you plan to do about it?" Hack asked warily.
"I'm going to run for president." Naruto deadpanned, causing Hack to choke on her coffee as she had just taken a sip when Naruto said that.
"W-what…the….actual f-fuck?" Hack asked incredulously, trying to subdue her coughing fit but also not willing to wait for it to subside before asking the obvious question, at least, obvious in so far as she was concerned.
"It's been the end game for a while now, well, not thee end game but more of a mini endgame. We have our feet firmly planted in Vlatava, and Markovia will soon follow. With the untapped potential of both those countries, we will eventually be able to control the European economic and political landscape. And by becoming President of America, I will be able to instantly have all of North and South America under my thumb. And if I have Europe and America, I practically have the whole world. Eventually I will task you with going back to Kenya and taking over. It will be your entry point to eventually taking over Africa." Naruto explained, taking a momentary pause before continuing with his explanation.
"Besides, Lex Luthor's recent appointment as UN secretary is a threat that I must counter effectively. The Justice League refuses to play politics, but politics are a powerful weapon when used efficiently. Ultimately, I plan to eliminate that entire field. Eventually, everyone in the world will be under the thumb of the HIVE. There will no longer be countries, continents, or politics, there will only be the HIVE." Naruto said diabolically.
"That could take forever. I could be long dead by the time that plan comes to fruition." Hack said with despair.
"Not at all. You won't even be old. I don't even understand why you do not know this since you have unlimited access to my businesses and properties. Wave Consolidated, which is effectively a subsidiary of The HIVE, has bases in literally every major city in the world. I did that by the time I was 20 years old. I told you Zalika, I will eliminate politics. Wave Consolidated aka The HIVE will run the world. I will infiltrate the political sphere and dismantle it from within." Naruto retorted.
"Okay fine, I know you well enough to know that you have some sort of plan. But how are you going to run for president when there is video evidence that you are Kitsune, and that you are a New God? Did you forget that the Justice League have Supergirl recorded on tape saying as such?" Hack asked curiously.
"The Justice League won't release such a tape because they do not play politics, and in any case even if they did want to release it, they wouldn't do it without first black mailing me, more specifically, Batman wouldn't do it without first black mailing me. That's when I'll threaten to reveal their secrets to the world." Naruto retorted.
"You mean reveal their secret identities?"
"That, amongst other things. Plus, I can easily disprove being Kitsune. The shadow clone technique should do the job. After all, I can't be at two places at once now can I?" Naruto asked rhetorically.
"Okay, I guess it does sound like you have everything under control. President Uzumaki huh? Has a nice ring to it." Hack said excitedly.
"It does doesn't it…?" Naruto trailed off as there was a knock at his door.
"Our guests have arrived. Call Instant and tell him to bring Painkiller. Tell them lunch break is over. And as for you, get back into my computer." Naruto ordered authoritatively.
"Roger that sir." Hack complied as she set about fulfilling Naruto's orders while Naruto told the guard to come into the office.
"Sir, as ordered, we have escorted Mr Savage and his daughters to your office. Shall I let them in?" The guard asked, in the nick of time too as Painkiller and Instant teleported into the office, Painkiller appearing on Naruto's right hand side and Instant on the left.
"Let them in. They are my honored guests" Naruto said calmly, the guard nodding his head as he ushered in Savage and his daughters.
"Young Mr Uzumaki, New God of Apokolips. Son of Deathstroke The Terminator and Gilotina The Executioner. It is an honor to meet your acquaintance again." Savage said with what was meant to be a warm smile but manifested as a bit of a sinister smirk, Savage, despite himself, unable to resist the feeling of superiority he felt at uncovering the secrets of the young Uzumaki.
"Interesting. When you came to see me last time, it did not appear as though you knew the full extent of my lineage. I wonder how you uncovered the rest of it? Klarion help you with that perhaps?" Naruto asked casually, successfully hiding his concern, concern not for himself, but for the sake of his mother, whose life would be put in peril if Darkseid ever found out about his existence.
"An accurate assessment, partially at least. Klarion was able to identify you as a New God, particularly of Apokoliptan origin. However, he was unable to identify from whose womb you came from. But once I knew you were a New God, and once Klarion confirmed the true extent of your power, it was pretty easy to narrow down. To have power and potential so great that Klarion would even dare to compare you to Darkseid himself, your mother would have to at least be a high born New God."
"Granny Goodness and The Furies were the obvious place to look, and once I began looking, your resemblance to Gilotina became obvious. Even a blind man would not be able to miss it." Savage said with confidence and certainty.
"I see. I guess your alliance with the Dark Lord is a reality after all. Not that I ever doubted my mother's historical accounts but sometimes it helps to hear from the horse's mouth itself." Naruto retorted.
"I don't know anything about an alliance with Darkseid."
"Your intimate knowledge of his armies and his generals tells me otherwise." Naruto countered.
"…"
"Does Darkseid know about your existence? I cannot imagine dear old mommy's safety would be guaranteed if such information were to reach the Dark Lord's ear." Savage asked with a grave undertone.
"Does the Justice League know that you are allied with the forces of an Evil Alien God who seeks the anti life equation so that he can control and enslave the entire universe? They have been a thorn on your side, I cannot imagine how much they would ramp up their efforts against you if they knew who you were sleeping in bed with." Naruto countered.
"And you think that is worth your mother's life?" Savage asked with a raised eyebrow.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Unlike you, I see the value of the Justice League. If you harm my mother, I will use them to destroy you. Or rather I should say, I will use you both to destroy each other." Naruto countered.
"Leaving you to take the spoils for yourself, without having to lift a finger." Savage replied with a tone that surprisingly seemed like it contained trace amounts of pride in it.
"Well, I wouldn't say without lifting a finger. Darkseid would still be out there. But at least I wouldn't have to worry about The Light or The Justice League anymore. I could just focus on one enemy." Naruto retorted.
'Not counting the Guardians of Oa and their Green Lantern Corps of course.' Naruto thought as his mind ran through all the possible scenarios at super godly speeds.
"I see that the potential death and/or suffering of your mother does not have enough of an impact over you to be used as a leverage." Savage observed.
"I was raised in a ninja clan. You cannot use emotions to control or influence me." Naruto deadpanned.
"So it seems. The more I learn about you, the more impressed I am. I wish you had been born to me instead of Deathstroke. Things would have been more simpler, and better for all of us." Savage said unashamedly.
"I on the other hand, despite his flaws, would not trade Deathstroke or The Yellow Flash for anyone, not even you." Naruto said as respectfully as possible, but also just as firmly.
"I see. Well….may I sit?" Savage asked politely.
"You need not ask. Of course you may. I was taught to treat my elders with respect and honor." Naruto retorted.
"Thank you for your kindness." Savage said as he sat down on the other side of Naruto's desk, his daughters however refusing the gesture as they chose to stand on guard, just like Naruto's own guards were.
"So…., why did you call me here, Nathaniel?" Savage asked with mock curiosity.
"To ask of your intentions. It's no secret that our treaty was violated, and that it resulted in the complete extermination of one of The Light's factions by one of the HIVE's factions. Are we at war now, or do we return to the status quo?" Naruto asked calmly.
"Interesting….." Savage trailed off, intrigued, causing Naruto to raise a single eyebrow at him.
"You do not appear to be concerned or care one way or another. War? Peace? it does not seem to matter to you where the dice falls. What only matters is what is and what is not. You genuinely only mean to confirm whether we are fighting or not, but do not care to sway things one way or the other." Savage observed, very accurately Naruto had to admit.
"So…..which is it?" Naruto asked simply.
"You are a fascinating individual, Nathaniel Wilson. I cannot say that I have ever met anyone like you before."
"Nor have I anyone like you. But I would very much appreciate it if you would be kind enough to answer my question." Naruto deadpanned.
"…"
"No, we are not at war. The circumstances were….suspicious, at best, but as far as the rules are concerned, we, The Light were in the wrong, and must take full accountability for our actions. It was a bit excessive to eliminate the entire faction but I suppose they do not call your father Deathstroke The Terminator for nothing. So no, there are no hard feelings from The Light. Our deal is still in place, in fact, we have already replaced all the lost members. The Light has vast resources, human or otherwise." Savage subtly bragged.
"Good. I'm glad to hear that. Rationality and logic seems to always prevail where you are concerned. I suppose you have had thousands of years of practice to keep your emotions in check. I hope they will be able to remain in check for the foreseeable future." Naruto said, causing Savage to frown slightly as he didn't like the sound of that last part because it made him feel like Naruto knew something that he did not or that Naruto himself was up to something.
"The feeling is mutual, young Nathaniel. But if I may ask, have you given more thought to joining The Light? I must admit I do not fully comprehend your refusal to join. We have the same goal, to turn earth into a formidable army that will take its place as the planet at the center of the universe, to take its place at the very top of the food chain." Vandal proposed once again, seemingly not willing to throw all hope away just yet.
"I don't know about that center of the universe stuff, but yes, I do want to build the ultimate force that will touch and rule not only earth but the entire universe itself. But it is not our goals that separate us Mr Savage, it is our methods. You want to rule through force whereas I want to rule through co-operation. You use fear but I use friendship and trust. We both kill but you don't differentiate between innocent and guilty or good and bad, you just kill whoever is in your way. And finally, you kidnap innocent children, I on the other hand would never stoop so low, nor would I need or want to." Naruto explained, taking a momentary pause before continuing where he left off.
"Even if none of those obstacles existed, there would still be another important difference between The other individual heads of the Light and I. We're simply not on the same level." Naruto deadpanned much to Vandal's confusion and chagrin.
"Not on the same level? Careful Nathaniel, arrogance and pride always precede a great fall." Savage warned gravely.
"It may very well sound like arrogance, but it really isn't. I'm merely pointing out a fact. Which of the Light leaders and their factions is equal to me and my HIVE? Has the battle between Defiance and The High Evolutionary not taught you anything?"
"My HIVE and I, are comparable not to a single faction of the Light, but to the Light itself as a whole. We have just as many factions, just as many resources, and just as much individual and organizational power and resources. In fact, given what happened to the High Evolutionary when they encountered Defiance, one could legitimately argue that The Hive, alone, is far superior to The Light." Naruto said, Savage no longer able to hide the displeasure that he was feeling as a deep frown appeared on not just his facial features, but those of the entire Savage family, at least, those who were present as Arion was the sole member of the family that was not at the meeting, although it goes without saying that he too would have spotted the same look of displeasure if he were present.
"Mr Savage sir, I believe you are operating under a monumental misconception. It is not The Hive that should join The Light, it is The Light that should join The HIVE." Naruto said as if it was general knowledge, as if every primary school child would automatically know the answer to this little dilemma without being taught the subject.
"The Light? Join the HIVE? How preposterous." Savage retorted.
"Is it really? You have The High Evolutionary, the New High Evolutionary I should say, we have Defiance. You have The Legion of Immortals, I have Akatsuki, you have Queen Bee and her Onslaught, we have Wonder Woman and the Sentinels of Justice, you have Ra's Al Ghul and The League of Shadows, we have Jericho and The Royal Flush Unit, you have Ocean Master with the Manta Core and The Drift, we have Hive Queen and The Ultimen, You have The Brain and Masters of Evil, we have Mr Miracle and The Miracles of Liberty, you have Klarion and Masters of Magic, we have Supergirl and the Pursuers of Liberty. And the list goes on." Naruto said, effectively putting the cards on the table for Vandal Savage, who couldn't hide the surprise on his face when he realized how vast and wide Naruto's network was, and of course, also surprised by some of the names, particularly Mr Miracle, Wonder Woman, and Supergirl.
"I see. Finally, the picture is no longer faded. I see it clearly. If this was you returning the courtesy I extended you on our first meeting, then I appreciate it." Vandal replied, referring to the fact that Naruto had basically just given him a complete breakdown of his organization.
"We are now even on that front." Naruto replied, of course, still hiding the fact that he had an entire Space Empire that he ran, and of course, not mentioning how he intended for Diana, Starfire, and Mon El to get the Amazons, Tamarans, and the Daxamites to join his empire.
'Still, this doesn't necessarily give me an advantage over him because of his alliance to the Dark Lord. Although if I look at it another way, his alliance with the Dark Lord will be of little significance if when the time comes, The Hive and The Kitsune Alliance attack simultaneously. The Dark Lord would then be too busy protecting his own home world to lend any help to The Light.' Naruto thought diabolically.
"Indeed we are. Well, anyway, allow me to take my leave, Nathaniel. As always, it was a pleasure. I pray that we will always be able to speak freely and amicably with each other."
"While also preparing for the worst I presume." Naruto countered as he got up and extended his right hand for a hand shake with Mr Savage.
"It goes without saying. No doubt you'll do the same?" Vandal said as he returned the blonde Uzumaki's hand shake.
"I wouldn't be a ninja if I didn't." Naruto said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Meanwhile: Kamui Dimension.
"You did well, Tara. And thank you, your grace, for choosing the HIVE over the Justice League." Naruto deadpanned, as in, the real Naruto, as his shadow clone had remained in his office to keep up appearances, another clone having used a transformation jutsu to imitate Prince Brion and take his place at Justice League's covert team, allowing Naruto to completely infiltrate the Justice League as a result whilst also successfully recruiting Prince Brion without anyone being the wiser.
"I did not choose The Hive, I chose my sister. She just happens to be a member of The HIVE." Prince Brion said defensively.
"That is precisely why I am grateful. A man who values family and will go to the ends of the earth for their family is a man to be admired, and respected. We value those characteristics here in the HIVE." Naruto replied.
"Yes, well, Mr Uzumaki, I also happen to value my country and my people. Tara said that you would not only help me get revenge for our parents and our brother, but that you would help me take my country back and protect it, both as a King and as a Super Hero. When will this happen? Or are you going to preach patience while doing nothing like Nightwing?" Brion asked angrily.
"Idle patience is useless, patience in steady progress on the other hand, is an important characteristic for someone who wants to lead. You will need a lot of patience, your highness. More than you can imagine. But right now, I want to introduce you to your elite guard." Naruto said as his eyes turned metal grey with concentric circles around the pupils, four kamui portals appearing behind him as Prince Brion's new teammates were teleported into the pocket dimension.
"My what…?" Brion trailed off in shock.
"Prince Brion, meet your elite royal guard, The Infinators, otherwise known as Infinity Inc. From left to right they are Fury, Everyman, Trajectory, and Kobold. Fury has super human strength, Trajectory has super human speed, Kobold is a size shifter, and Everyman is a shape shifter. These will be your new Royal Guard, and Tara, will be their captain, with you of course as Supreme Leader. This circle of six will be your anchor. Do not break it. Trust must extend only insofar as the six of you. For everyone else, information is to be shared only on a need to know basis. This system will be the key not only to a successful reign as King, but in order to keep, maintain, and sustain that reign indefinitely. Do you understand, Prince Brion?" Naruto asked forcefully.
"Y-yes sir! I understand." Prince Brion stuttered, slightly overwhelmed by the sudden developments, reality of the seriousness of the situation, and just how seriously Naruto was taking it, hitting Brion like a brick to the face.
"Good. Now, this team, as far as HIVE standards are concerned, is powerful but utterly imbalanced. There are no magic users, no psychics, and no tech experts in the team. There aren't even any teleporters in the team either. To somewhat remedy that, I will be handing each member of the team a brother box. It will be integrated into your combat uniforms. I will also be putting mind protection seals on each one of you. To protect you all from the telepaths." Naruto said with authority.
"Brother box infused suits? That's a major upgrade for all of us. Sounds awesome. It definitely will make up for all of our short comings." Tara said happily.
"Brother box? Is that something similar to a father box?" Brion asked warily.
"Somewhat. Father Box however serves the will of Darkseid of Apokolips. Brother Box serves my will and the will of those who have sworn their fealty to me. So if your vow of fealty is genuine, then Brother Box will act upon your will at all times." Naruto replied.
"I see…." Brion trailed off, a deep frown appearing on his facial features as he thought long and hard about allying himself to this dangerous super god ninja.
"This is a good thing, brother. Vlatava has sworn fealty to the HIVE and seen better days because of it. Markovia can reap the same benefits. And an alliance with Vlatava will make the two neighboring countries into the absolute power houses of Europe. Our people will thrive under the banner of The Hive. No one will dare mess with us again, and if they do, they will meet the wrath of King Brion and Princess Tara of The HIVE. This is what you wanted, for Markovia to have both a King and a Super Hero. Well, now the people will have a Legion of Super Heroes, lead by their beloved King." Tara said passionately.
"Alright. Let us do this. Where do we start?" Brion asked eagerly.
"A King must seize his throne himself and take it by force from his usurpers. I will leave the planning and strategizing to you and your team. Meanwhile, I will get to work on your suits while I give you my personal brand of training for the month. I will train you in the use of your powers, in teamwork, and in general combat techniques, tactics, and strategy. I will also train you to use your mother box enhanced suits efficiently. During this time, you must all think about your mission and how it is you plan to go about it. I will not directly interfere, because I expect all HIVE factions to be able to operate autonomously." Naruto explained, leaving out the fact that all the planning and strategizing might not need to happen at all if The Light honored the agreement to not interfere in each other's business, as he wanted Brion and his team to be prepared for the worst possible outcome.
"We start now." Naruto said as he made a cross hand sign, a shadow clone appearing next to him in a puff of smoke.
"For the rest of your time while I am gone, you will fight my shadow clone. You will fight him until you defeat him, whether that takes a day or a week. You will fight until you cannot fight anymore, and then you will fight again. Only defeating my clone will allow you to move on to the next phase of your training." Naruto said gravely.
"Where will you be going? What's so urgent that you would leave our training to a mere clone?" Brion asked angrily.
"A new player in the game. Someone dangerous. This person has been subtly altering reality by influencing or changing events that took place in the past. He is playing God with our reality. He is very good too, because neither the Speed Force users or Doctor Fate have detected his presence or even the time shifts that he has caused. His tinkering has been inconsequential to me thus far, but now that he is actively trying to erase me from reality, I think its time I paid him a visit, don't you think?" Naruto deadpanned, leaving everyone's mouth on the floor as they couldn't quite believe what the actual fuck they were hearing, and especially how casually their leader was talking about it.
"…"
"Relax. I cannot be erased from existence."
"But we sure can! I'm coming with you! If this guy really exists then he is a direct threat to us all!" Brion exclaimed angrily.
"Your presence would be a nuisance at best, but more likely even less than a nuisance. This guy is at another level entirely. Focus on your training and war preparations and forget about this guy. One of the qualities of the best leaders in the history of the universe is the leader's ability to prioritize and compartmentalize. So, your highness, focus on completing your task, and let me handle mine, okay?" Naruto instructed.
"Hnnnn…..fine! I can see your point. Do as you wish!" Prince Brion said with both understanding and frustration.
"Good. Tara will be your guide and your confidant. She knows everything and has more experience than you. She will help you become the great King you are meant to be. I know you are the older brother and she is your younger sister, so think of this as a test of your humility." Naruto said as he disappeared into a spiraling portal, effectively curbing Brion's pride and insecurities with his words, showing that he had a very high emotional intelligence as he was instantly able to understand the potential ramifications of his instructions and acted to prevent them.
Themyscira: Prison Cells.
"General Antiope. How long does the Queen intend to keep us in these cells? We all know she won't execute the princess, her heiress to the throne. We also know that she will not execute the princess's friends either, for that would irreconcilably damage her relationship with her daughter. So, why don't you tell her to end this charade and summon us to her throne room. The princess has much to discuss with the Queen." Pamela asked irritably.
They had surrendered without resistance, because Wonder Woman had ordered it so, and Pamela had no problem following the princess's orders, after all, these were the princess's people, and she was her commander. However right now, Pamela was getting increasingly frustrated and this whole situation was just reminding her why she became a misanthropist in the first place.
The queen was just being petty and spiteful for no reason and it infuriated Pamela to no end, though she did well not to show just how much it angered her. Still, maybe talking to the Queen's sister might be of some sort of help. She doubted it but at this point she was willing to try anything.
"What could the deserter possibly have to discuss with her majesty? Why would her majesty be interested in the words of the deserter?" General Antiope asked rhetorically.
"Oh I don't know, maybe because the deserter has been proposed to wed the Emperor of an intergalactic empire, for whom she has a massive amount of love and respect? Perhaps the future Intergalactic Empress wants to discuss the possible consequences that such a union might have on the status of Themisyra, or maybe she just wants her mother's blessing. Who knows?" Pamela said sarcastically.
"Diana is to be wed? She continues to go against everything that we stand for. Does she really hate our ways that much? Does she have that little regard for our customs?" Antiope asked with disappointment.
"What would you have her do? Continue with your custom of kidnapping, raping men, and then killing them off after they have impregnated you? Is that a better way than getting married to the single most amazing, wise, intelligent, powerful, and loving man in the universe?" Pamela asked incredulously.
"Such a man does not exist. You're delusional to think otherwise." Antiope retorted, choosing to completely ignore Pamela's accusation about their old ways of kidnapping, raping, and killing men, especially since the raping part was totally untrue. All those men were more than happy to lay with her amazon sisters, they didn't need to be forced or put under duress for them to sleep with her sisters. They did it willingly, even the married ones.
"Perhaps such a man really doesn't exist. Good thing the person I'm talking about is only half man then, seeing as he is also a New God." Pamela retorted cheekily.
"A New God…?" Antiope trailed off warily.
"Hold your panties general. He owes his loyalty to neither Darkseid or High Father. He is loyal to earth, and of course, to his Inter Galactic Empire, the Kitsune Alliance. His name is Nathaniel Wilson, also known as Kitsune The God Sage, better known on earth as Uzumaki Naruto, the richest man on the planet." Pamela retorted, knowing that Antiope would run to the Queen with this information as she hoped that the intel would help to speed things up a bit.
"So what does Nathaniel Wilson want from us?" Antiope asked warily, fearful of the possibility of being conquered and placed under the rule of a man as she knew from past experiences that something like that could never bode well for the Amazons.
"He wants Diana's hand in marriage. For her to be his eternal life partner. If that means having Themiscyra as an ally, then he is fine with that as well. His main interest is not to rule but to have co operation. He believes that only in working together can we all reach our true potential, and of course, to protect each other and our planet as a whole." Pamela explained.
"So he wants to be able to call on us should the earth be invaded again?" Antiope asked curiously.
"Yes, and that is all. The Emperor truly believes in ruling through friendship and co operation as opposed to force and fear. And of course, he only wants people who want to be by his side as opposed to those who are forced to be by his side." Pamela further explained.
"What happens if the Queen refuses his marriage proposal and has no interest in this Kitsune Alliance?" Antiope asked warily.
"If that scenario pans out, then Lady Diana will renounce and forfeit all of her ties to Themiscyra, and therefore her rightful claim to the throne. In doing so, she will be protecting Themiscyra from having any obligations that stem from her union to Lord Kitsune." Starfire replied, speaking for the first time since Antiope arrived.
"So she intends to marry him irrespective of whether she gets the Queen's blessing or not?" Antiope asked, shocked.
"Yes, but she also doesn't want to force anyone to be bound to unwanted duties and obligations because of her, hence the decision to renounce all her claims to the throne." Starfire replied.
"…"
"Tell me, what are you people? Clearly you aren't humans, certainly not with the green skin and the orange skin." Antiope asked curiously, unable to help herself but to wonder where the hell Diana had met such…creatures.
"I am princess Koriand'r from planet Tamaran. I am the rightful heiress to the throne of Tamaran, so in reality, I am the usurped Queen, usurped, by my own younger sister." Starfire explained.
"And I am human you jackass. Well, sort of. I am a meta human, which is basically a human with super human powers." Pamela replied with some mixed emotions, on one hand irritated at being discriminated against because of her skin color but on the other hand happy that she was being differentiated from other humans, seeing as she still hated the majority of humanity.
"Super powers you say? I see. And what super powers do you have?" Antiope asked with concern, especially because these people had surrendered without using any of their powers, which made Antiope wonder what exactly they were up to, and if they could in fact break out of their prison cells at any time of their choosing.
"Initially I could only manipulate all manner of flora, but after training with Lord Kitsune, I can now create all manner of Flora instead of just manipulating pre existing flora. I also have super strength, durability, speed, and reflexes, and the ability to size shift." Pamela explained sincerely.
"I have super strength, super durability, super speed, flight, and the ability to create and manipulate fire. I can also generate what I refer to as Starbolt energy and shoot beams, lasers, and blasts of energy known as Star Bolts." Starfire explained.
"Interesting. Thank you for your honesty. I will report everything to the Queen, including your sincerity and willingness to co operate with us. Now before I go…" Antiope trailed off as she pulled out a knife from its sheath on her waist and threw it hard and fast straight at Pamela, aiming for the sweet spot right between the eyes.
"Pamela, not having expected the sudden attack, was too shocked to react in time, but thankfully, her friend and partner, Starfire, being a trained warrior since birth, and having trained with the legendary warriors of Okaara, was able to react in time as she shot a miniature starbolt from her right index finger, the starbolt hitting the knife dead center and thereby altering it's trajectory, causing it to go flying towards the left and hit the wall instead of Starfire's friend.
"You…you bitch!" Pamela exclaimed, enraged as she realized that the bitch of a general had just tried to kill her, and she would be dead if not for her friend saving her life because she only had super durability when she was actively gathering sage energy, and besides, she knew that amazons use weapons that are enchanted with magic so there was no guarantee she would have been able to tank the attack even if she had been gathering sage energy.
Nevertheless, Pamela didn't waste any time whatsoever, her murderous instincts kicking in on overdrive as thick vines sprouted out from underneath Antiope's feet and rapidly wrapped her entire body up before she could even think to pull out her sword or jump away, more and more vines sprouting out and coiling around the Amazon General as the vines squeezed the life out of her.
Had she been a normal human, the general would have been turned into minced meat immediately, but thanks to her amazon durability, she was only getting a few broken bones here and a couple of dislocated joints there. Nevertheless, at this rate, she would die in a matter of minutes, maybe even seconds if she didn't find a way to escape the vines.
"Poison Ivy! Stop! You're killing her!" Starfire exclaimed frantically.
"Uh…duh! She tried to freaking kill me! Of course I'm killing her! It's the most logical and natural thing to do when someone tries to kill you." Pamela deadpanned, rolling her eyes at Starfire's propensity to state the obvious.
"She was testing us! She wanted to see if everything we said about our powers and abilities was true. She couldn't report to the Queen based on hearsay alone. She needed to confirm what we said. Attacking us with intent to kill was the only way to do that." Starfire explained frantically.
"That…surprisingly makes a decent amount of sense…" Pamela trailed off with a confused frown on her facial features.
"Damn it! Aaargh! Couldn't she have just asked us to demonstrate our powers? You and your stupid warrior upbringing!" Ivy exclaimed in frustration, but nevertheless releasing the general from her clutches of death, the general falling unceremoniously on the floor as a result.
"You didn't have to drop her like that." Starfire chastised.
"No shit! I wanted to, and we both know she deserved it." Pamela said stubbornly.
"Okay, maybe she did. Now, use your sage energy to heal her. The sooner you do, the sooner she can deliver her intel to the Queen, and the sooner we can get out of these cells." Starfire instructed.
"They're just going to up their security when they find out what happened." Pamela retorted stubbornly.
"Perhaps, but it's not like we can keep the general here forever. The guards she dismissed will come back and I don't know about you but I don't believe it will do us any favors if they come back to find their general in this kind of state." Starfire retorted.
"Oh my God why do you always have to make so much sense! I hate you!" Pamela said in frustration, nevertheless doing as her friend suggested as she created more vines to grab and pull the general towards the bars of the cells, Pamela herself coming closer to the bars in order to place her hands on the general so that she can heal her.
"Next time you try to kill me you better make sure you succeed because I'm not showing you mercy a second time you evil rapist bitch!" Pamela said angrily, Starfire resisting the urge to roll her eyes at Pamela calling anyone evil given her own history.
The Temporal Zone
"Not very easy, time manipulation, is it?" Naruto asked, looking over the shoulder of the person who was trying to erase him from a existence, a tall, blue skinned, muscular bald headed man who was as naked as the day that he was born. The man was startled, to say the least, an emotion he hadn't felt in a very long time as he no longer felt any human emotions, having ascending to become something resembling a God, jumping away reflexively as fear took hold of his soul.
Who was this being? How had he sneaked up on him, how was he even in the temporal zone, a space between worlds where time has absolutely no meaning? What did he want? What was he planning to do to him? Could this being in fact do something to him? These were just some of the thoughts that were running through the blue skinned man as he tried to figure out what this figure wanted from him.
"…"
"You seem confused. I wonder why? You are trying to temper with my timeline, trying to erase me from existence. You shouldn't be confused then, you should know exactly who I am and why I am here." Naruto said with a grave undertone.
"You are here to kill me?" The man asked, intrigued, scared, confused, and wary, emotions that, once again, he could honestly say he thought he was no longer capable of feeling.
"An intriguing idea, one that I would probably enjoy. But I just want to ask some questions for now. Why don't we start with your name, then we will go to what exactly you are and where you come from, and then we can finally discuss exactly what you think you are doing to the timeline, more specifically, my timeline." Naruto retorted.
"I…they call me Doctor Manhattan where I come from, but my birth name is Jonathan Osterman. I was a nuclear physicist once upon a time, but a lab accident caused me to become, well, what I am now. As for what I am doing, well, I'm trying to save your world. To create peace. I left my world to discover more people like me, people with super powers, people who have transcended humanity. I did, and was content for only a brief moment before I discovered that this world was even more chaotic than my world. I'm trying to save this world, as I did mine." The blue skinned naked man said earnestly, as if he truly believed with all his heart what he was saying.
"I see. So tell me, how is that going for you so far?" Naruto asked sarcastically.
"Not well admittedly, but the way you asked that question, it sounds as if you already know the answer. Why is that?" Manhattan asked curiously.
"Time manipulation never works out how you plan. The timeline is like a living being. It wants to stay on course. Every time you change something, it makes some corrections to your meddling. It keeps attempting to stay as close to the original timeline as possible. Course correction so to speak. Changing the future is much easier than changing the past. The future is far more malleable, but even then, the thing you do to change the future might be exactly what leads to the undesirable future. It's why I don't bother to look at the future despite having the ability to peer through the timeline. Besides, life would be so boring if I already knew exactly what was going to happen." Naruto explained patiently.
"So you're saying that it doesn't matter what I do? That I will never get the desired effect?" Doctor Manhattan asked with a deep frown on his facial features.
"I think that deep down, after all your failed experiments, you already know that to be true. Besides, the life equation's encoding in its very nature provides for the free will of all sentient and even non sentient beings. Even if you successfully created peace, how long would it last?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Then what is the point of it all? What is the point of existence?" Manhattan asked with a little despair and desperation.
"The point of it all is to discover the point of it all, or die trying. In our case we cannot die, so the point is to enjoy it all, both the moments of peace and order and the moments of chaos. There is plenty to enjoy in life if you allow yourself the chance." Naruto retorted.
"That sounds childish and immature, certainly beneath me. You're basically telling me to coast through a meaningless life whilst doing meaningless things that have no true impact on the grand scheme of things." Manhattan said with disgust.
"Better than repeatedly beating on a dead horse. Tell me, Doctor Manhattan, what do you see in my future?" Naruto asked diabolically.
"That is precisely the problem. I have been unable to see the future since you came into existence, and have been unable to change your timeline, to erase you from existence. You are a fixed point in the timeline for reasons I cannot fathom. I'm certain that if I could erase you, I would be able to see the future again. My inability to see the future undermines my ability to make the necessary corrections in the timeline." Manhattan said angrily.
"Then it means that my existence is pivotal to the sustenance of the timeline of this universe. But Doctor, the fourth world exists in the fourth dimension, outside of the multiverse. As a result, I only exist in this universe and no other, because my mother came to this particular universe to mate with my father. I am certain that if you went to any other universe parallel to this one, you would be able to see the future of that universe and manipulate its timeline to your heart's content. So, what's stopping you from doing that? Is it pride?" Naruto asked diabolically, at this point knowing that any insinuation of succumbing to petty emotions was something that this person would find offensive.
"Of what good would it do to manipulate the timeline of a lesser universe. This is the prime universe, from which all the others originate from. This one is the blue print. Changing this universe would change all the others, but changing any of the others only changes that one in particular." Doctor Manhattan said irritably.
"I see. You want to control the entire multiverse. How very ambitious of you. Well, good luck with that. As for me, I think I will just return to my jolly good life." Naruto said dismissively, turning his back to Manhattan and flying away, or would have had Doctor Manhattan not created a blue force field around him.
"Where do you think you're going so soon? I am not done with you. In fact, I have a very easy solution to all of my problems. You said something earlier, about the future being more malleable than the past. You are blocking my view of the future, which means that if I kill you now, here, where time has no meaning, I should be able to see the future again. In which case, I should be able to manipulate the future as I see fit." Manhattan said diabolically.
"Shinra Tensei." Naruto said casually, causing the force field Manhattan used on him to dissipate, as if it was washed away from existence by an invisible force, which is of course what really happened.
"I….impossible…!" Manhattan trailed off in surprise.
"I'm only going to warn you once. Just once. Stay away from my timeline, in fact, stay away from my universe, or I will make sure that I not only destroy you, but that you are never able to reconstitute yourself again. Do we understand each other?" Naruto said gravely.
"How do you know that I have the ability to reconstitute myself? When we met earlier, you gave the impression that you knew nothing about me. So how...?" Manhattan asked with both confusion and fear in his tone.
"How indeed….?" Naruto trailed off as his mask disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Just remember, Manhattan, you aren't the only one with the ability to time travel. You have not existed since the beginning of time, you also have a timeline, an origin story, an origin story that can easily be altered…or erased. You can play with the timelines of others, but have you considered what would happen if someone tempered with yours?" Naruto asked, the smirk on his face growing wider as the horror and fear in Manhattan's progressively got worse.
"Think about that before you meddle in my world's affairs again. I won't warn you again." Naruto said as he instantly vanished, as if he was never there to begin with, such was the speed of the flying raijin technique, Naruto deciding to teleport away this time in case Manhattan tried to stop him again, leaving a concerned and scared Godly being in his wake.
Outer Space: Sector 2877
"What in the nine pits of hell….!" Atrocitus exclaimed, shocked to the core as out of nowhere, literally, the Emperor appeared right in front of him, causing him to have to make a dead stop, which was not easy as he had been travelling through space at light speed.
"E…Emperor….what are you doing here, in the middle of nowhere?" Atrocitus stuttered, internally cursing his own mental weakness as he tried but failed to suppress the fear that the emperor was able to dig out from the deepest pits of his mind with his mere presence alone.
"I could ask you the same question, Atrocitus, because to me, it looks like you are flying in a straight bee line in the direction of Oa. But my eyes must be deceiving me, because I could have sworn that I gave you express orders not to directly or indirectly attack the Oans or their army of Green Lanterns. Are you disobeying a direct order, Mad God?" Naruto asked with a grave undertone.
"N-no…! I mean…yes! Yes of course I am! You made a promise to me, Sage God! You promised to get me the revenge that my entire sector and the entire forgotten zone deserves! What was the point of dissolving the barrier separating us from Guardian Space if not to avenge our people!" Atrocitus exclaimed angrily.
"I didn't peg you for such a small minded being, Mad God. A frontal assault on Oa is not a wise move by any yard stick. Igniting a war is also unwise. A war between the Red Lanterns and the Green Lanterns may indeed be inevitable, but if that is the case, then there is no need to rush things. You have the time to build our army by recruiting more red lanterns from both the Forgotten Zone and Guardian Space. You have the opportunity to train our army and make them into a far more formidable force and just as importantly, a far more effective instrument of justice. And you squander all that for what? To satisfy an itch?" Naruto asked condescendingly.
"You do not understand! You have not suffered the losses that we have, so of course you do not understand how I feel…aaaargh!" Atrocitus trailed off as Naruto gave him a powerful psychic blast, a blast of memories and emotions, memories of the time that his entire clan was obliterated and the emotions that he had to go through afterwards, all on his own as his father basically abandoned him right after.
"Do you still believe that I lack comprehension of your losses, Mad God?" Naruto asked rhetorically.
"H-how? How can you be so…so serene, so peaceful, so calm after everything you went through? How can you stand to be the leader of the same organization responsible for the elimination of your loved ones? Are you mad?" Atrocitus asked incredulously.
"Mad? Who can say? Mad people do not know that they are mad. However, understand that I am a ninja, and as a ninja, I do not allow emotions to control me, instead, I control and use them as a source of inspiration and motivation. Do not discard your rage, Mad God, after all, it is the source of your power, but having said that, do not be ruled by it either. Use it as a weapon, not only in battle but also as a source of motivation. You want revenge on the Guardians? What better way to get revenge then to invalidate their existence and take all their life's work away from them?" Naruto asked rhetorically.
"I do not think that I fully comprehend what you are saying? Are you saying that I should kill the Guardians and take over the Green Lantern Corps like you did with the Hive? Because I'm afraid that is not possible! I could never become an instrument of something created by the Guardians!" Atrocitus spat.
"That is not what I am saying. I told you to build your army by recruiting more Red Lanterns and training them to be the best didn't I? Why do you think I told you that? The Green Lanterns have at least one lantern per sector. I think that the Red Lanterns should also have at least one lantern per sector, and I think that the Red Lanterns should be better, faster, smarter, and more effective than the Green Lanterns, and be seen to deal a far more effective form of Justice than the Green Lanterns….."
"…so that the people of the universe no longer see the value or use of having Green Lanterns around!" Atrocitus said out loud, finishing Naruto's sentence as realization dawned on him as he finally understood what the Sage God was trying to tell him.
"Exactly. Render their existence meaningless. The Blue Lanterns will co-operate with you to that end. The Red Lanterns will create fear out of those who would even think to participate in any form of injustice, and the Blue Lanterns will bring hope for a brighter future for those who have suffered at the hands of injustice. The Green Lanterns will be rendered obsolete. Of course, this might motivate them to start a war against the Red Lanterns, but would they willingly go up against not one but two lantern corps? I doubt it. But if it did happen, and you didn't intentionally ignite the war, then I would give you full leave to do whatever it takes to obliterate the Guardians and their Green Lanterns." Naruto retorted.
"So that was your plan all along? Make them suffer fate that we suffered. To be forgotten and relegated to irrelevance. And then, when they have suffered more than they can bare, to obliterate them from existence. I was foolish, and short sighted. Please accept my apology, Sage God, for my foolishness, and for pulling you away from whatever business you were dealing with before you had to intercede on my behalf." Atrocitus said with genuine humility, something that Naruto never thought he would ever see on the Mad God himself.
"You should be sorry. After all, I was busy trying to stop a Godly being from another universe from trying to erase me from existence before I had to leave abruptly, on your behalf." Naruto said half seriously, much to Atrocitus's surprise as he couldn't even comprehend what kind of being Naruto was talking about.
"Did you kill him?" Atrocitus asked with a little too much curiosity, at least more than he wanted to portray.
"It was not necessary. I am one of several fixed points in the timeline, he cannot erase me from existence. He on the other hand is not a fixed point. I can erase him, and I made sure he understood that before I left him to his devices. He won't be bothering me any longer, at least, not any time soon." Naruto explained, so that whatever sinister plot Atrocitus thought he could master died before it gathered any momentum.
"A fixed point you say?" Atrocitus asked curiously.
"Think of me as an immovable object. The only way to get rid of me is to kill me in the present, and good luck with that my angry friend." Naruto said as, just as he did when he came, he was gone in an instant, vanished, as if he had never been there to begin with.
'That technique, the flying raijin. What an ominous ability, to move from one fixed point to another in an instant, and to think he can use this ability in battle. I suppose his genius abilities are the reason he is both my greatest ally and my greatest enemy.' Atrocitus thought as he turned back and began making his way back to Ysmalt, excitement coursing through his veins at the thought of the massive recruitment drive he was about to push for the Red Lantern Corps.
' As I suspected. He has marked me with his technique formula. He must have integrated the formula into the seal he used to put the Butcher inside of me. He has thought of everything and covered all of his bases, on top of that he cannot even be defeated via time travelling. Both his power and his intellect are mountains too high for me to successfully climb over.' Atrocitus thought, his will to overthrow the Emperor waning as a result, although his anger grew even more as a result of his frustration, which of ironically, was a good thing for someone who was powered by and motivated by anger.
Themyscira: Queen's Throne Room
"Diana, Exiled Princess of Themiscyra, escorted by her companions, Starfire and Posion Ivy. I will hear you now. Speak freely, and swiftly, so that my judgement may be just as swift. How did you find Themiscyra, and why have you returned? What do you want?" Queen Hippolyta asked curiously.
She has long blonde hair, blue eyes, and has the beauty of a thousand Amazon Women, despite her significantly advanced age. Somehow, one could tell that she was much older than Diana but at the same time she didn't look old at all, with not a single wrinkle or grey hair on her body. She was wearing her full armor along with her Tiara that signified her status as Queen of the amazons, her throne a perfect fit, as if it was made specifically for her, which in fact was the case.
"My beloved mother, my Queen and protector of the Amazon Warrior Tribe, I, your only true flesh and blood daughter, wish to first and foremost, present you with this most precious token of both my apology and appreciation for allowing me, unworthy as I am, to speak in your presence." Diana said humbly, nodding to Starfire as the Tamaran warrior princess carried the heavy looking golden box she had on her shoulders towards the Queen, stopping just before the stairs leading to th throne itself and prostrating herself as she presented the Queen's gift to her royal guard. The queen in turn nodding to her royal guard, Persephone, to open the box and see what it is that was inside.
"B-by the Gods…!" Persephone whisper exclaimed, shock coursing through her veins as she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing with her own two eyes.
"What is it, Persephone?" Hippolyta asked anxiously.
"Her grace, it is unmistakable, this armor, it is made of Olympium, the metal of the Old Gods." Persephone said as she pulled out a full body armor that had metal wings on it, undoubtedly the most beautiful armor she or anyone in Themiscyra had ever seen before.
"The armor was forged by my betrothed, Emperor Kitsune, otherwise known as Nathaniel Wilson, born of the seed of metahuman mercenary Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke the Terminator and elite member of the New God Furies, Gilotina the Executioner. In his earlier childhood he was raised and trained in the Uzumaki Ninja Clan by Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina." Diana explained patiently.
"Gilotina the Executioner? I remember her. I fought her, alongside your aunt, King Atlan, and a great wizard from the world of man. Even together we were no match for her. If it wasn't for the intervention of the Godess of the Hunt, Artemis, we would have surely died. This Slade Wilson, he must be an extraordinary man for The Executioner, out of all the great warriors in the entire universe, to have chosen him to sire a son for her." Queen Hippolyta said with intrigue.
"He is a complicated man, or at least was. Nathaniel is changing him, and has changed him…for the better. As far as his abilities on the battlefield, well…let us just say that they do not call him The Terminator for nothing." Diana retorted, Hippolyta remaining silent as she observed every inch of her daughter, from her physical condition to her body language, and even to the minute inflections in her facial features.
"…"
"We know of the Uzumaki Clan too. They fought with us against the forces of the Dark Lord. Their leader at the time was Uzumaki Nagato. He was great warrior, and an even better leader. The Uzumaki Clan, despite utilizing darker methods, have, just like the Amazons, defended the world of men for millenia." Hippolyta said as she thought deep and hard about the situation.
She knew the Uzumaki clan very well, or at least, what it was the last time they interacted with the clan. They were ninja, and lived by the shinobi code in its entirety, at least, almost all of it anyway. The one thing they had that most shinobi didn't have was honor. Once an oath was made, the Uzumaki clan were known to never go back on their word, no matter what. In that aspect, their moral compass was more aligned to that of a samurai more than that of a shinobi, which of course is one of the reasons the Amazons had such a profound respect for the clan.
"Nathaniel, my beloved, is the last living member of the Uzumaki clan. The entire clan was decimated by The Hive, under orders of their former, late leader, The Jackal. They were ambushed and obliterated using highly sophisticated weapons technology. Nathaniel had only been a teenager at the time, and he had been away on a mission with his biological father. I apologize for being the bearer of these most terrible news, my Queen." Diana said dejectedly, Hippolyta looking like someone had kicked a puppy right in front of her as she tried very hard to suppress the tears from her eyes.
"B-by the Gods….!" Hippolyta said as she remembered all the friends she made during the last war against the Dark Lord.
Of course, she knew that they had died long ago, as, while the Uzumaki clan were known for their longevity, living up to three and sometimes four times the age of normal humans, there was no way they could still have been alive after all these millenia. However, to hear that even their descendants had been extinguished and together with that, their legacy, brought the kind of pain to her heart she hadn't felt since her daughter left the island against her will.
'Nagato, Mito….please forgive me for not being there to protect your descendants. I should have found a way to keep in touch with your people. Maybe none of this would have happened.' Hippolyta thought, blaming herself for something that was well beyond her control, such was the extent of the grief that she felt.
"I'm sorry mother. But you should know, Nathaniel continues to live by the Uzumaki code. And he is immortal, so the name of the Uzumaki and their story will never be forgotten. Their legacy lives on through him. He may not be an Uzumaki by blood, but he was their chosen heir. Their legacy lives on through him." Diana said somberly.
"I believe you daughter. Despite our many differences, not once have I ever doubted your honor and integrity, or even your loyalty to the Amazons. A union between the heir of the Uzumaki clan, who also happens to be an Emperor of an Intergalactic Empire and a New God by lineage, sounds very good on paper. Also, the fact that by marrying you, we would have a direct link to the throne is also a very good thing. However, I shall like to discuss this with the royal council, in fact, with all of the Amazon Generals, who will represent every single military faction in Themiscyra. And then, before we make our final decision, we shall like to meet with Nathaniel Wilson in person. Only then will we make our final decision." Hippolyta replied.
"My Queen! If I may speak freely!" Penelope said frantically.
"You may speak freely Penelope. In fact I insist." Hippolyta said warmly.
"My Queen, we serve the Old Gods. We have always served the Old Gods. We were created by them. The New Gods are the enemy of the Old Gods! If we accept Nathaniel Wilson as our Emperor, then we also accept him as our God. This amounts to a direct betrayal of the Old Gods. We should not even consider such an offer." Penelope said in protest, nods of approval coming from the other Amazon Generals in the room.
"We serve the Old Gods you say?" Hippolyta asked almost condescendingly.
"Y-yes, my queen. It is known, as it has always been." Penelope retorted.
"Well then, allow me to remove the veil from your eyes. We did serve the Old Gods, out of respect and loyalty to Lord Zeus. We only served them, because of their affinity to our creator, Lord Zeus. Lord Zeus is our creator, not the Old Gods….Lord Zeus!" Hippolyta said for emphasis.
"Lord Zeus was betrayed and killed by the Old Gods, who all rallied with Ares, the usurper. The old Gods betrayed our creator and our God, and killed him in mutiny. They rallied behind Ares, our enemy, the same enemy Lord Zeus sort to protect us from when he cast the barrier that shields Themyscira. If the Old Gods betrayed our God, then they betrayed us too and cannot be trusted. If they killed our God and creator, what do you imagine they would do to us?" Hippolyta asked rhetorically.
"….."
"Even Hera stood by and did nothing when her husband was slain. She didn't fight against him, but she didn't help him either. She chose to take a neutral role in the conflict. Are you willing to put your faith in such a Goddess? And if you are, then consider this. Ares is not the only reason Zeus hid us from the world, Hera, is also the reason. In fact, it was her that set Ares loose on us. She was jealous of the love and lust that Zeus had for me, and she was even more angered and filled with hate for the fact that I was pregnant with Diana, your princess. She ordered Ares to rip her out of my belly, and in doing so kill me, your queen, and Diana, your princess." Hippolyta explained much to the shock of Penelope and the other generals.
"But my queen, why did you never make mention of it? Why did you allow us to live a lie for all of these years? Why did you allow us to praise and worship these false Gods?" Penelope asked with both confusion and anger.
"Because Lord Zeus, our God and creator, wished it of me. Despite everything, he loved his wife dearly. He didn't want her name tarnished, and it was his wish that we accept not only him as our God but his entire family. We are his legacy, and what man, God or otherwise, builds a legacy for himself alone and wishes not to share it with his family? All good men, and women, God or otherwise, want nothing more than to have their family and loved ones share in their legacy." Hippolyta explained patiently.
"I see. I….I am sorry my queen, that I spoke against you. I did not know." Penelope said apologetically.
"I should be the one apologizing for allowing you to live a lie. I was only doing as our beloved God and creator wished of me, but I apologize nonetheless." Hippolyta said humbly.
"There is nothing to forgive my queen." Penelope said with conviction and loyalty, her fist smacking against her chest as she declared her fealty to the queen.
"Thank you, general. Now, as for this betrothal and offer of marriage. It is a most interesting offer. Our royal lineage already has the blood of the Old Gods, and if you and Lord Nathaniel Wilson were to sire an heir, then our royal lineage would also have the blood of the New Gods, and the meta humans as well from the father's side of Nathaniel. Of course, Nathaniel himself and his armies would be a valuable asset. We would no longer have to live in fear of Ares and the Old Gods." Hippolyta said contemplatively.
"I sense a but coming….?" Diana enquired.
"But to do so would trample on every tradition of the Amazons. It would require us to further develop and evolve our ways. Amazons are very resistant to change. Some might even see me as a traitor. To make this decision, I shall have to reveal the truth to every one of the Amazons as I did to you and my generals right now. And I shall have to try and convince them to approve of this proposal. If they reject it after everything has been said and done, then unfortunately, I will have to turn you away, daughter." Hippolyta said gravely.
"It is much more than I could have hoped for, My Queen. I would however make the suggestion that you invite Nathaniel over for uh….negotiations. Get to know him, so that you can get a read on him. You are very experienced, you have thousands of years of experience. If you can judge him yourself, then your words will hold more weight to the Amazons." Diana suggested.
"Invite him here, to Themiscyra?" Antiope asked incredulously.
"If he is going to marry our princess I imagine he will have to come here eventually. But even of that, I will have to convince our people. No man has stepped foot here since Steve Trevor, and even that was only accepted, eventually, because of the accidental nature of his arrival. Speaking of which, what ever happened between the two of you?" Hippolyta asked curiously.
"I…it was….well, he was the first man I ever saw or met, and I the first Amazon he ever saw. I guess….I guess it was just an infatuation. I mistook it for love, I guess so did he." Diana said bashfully.
"And Nathaniel? What does he think of Steve, and your past relationship with him?" Hippolyta asked curiously.
"I do not know. We have never talked about him. I have no doubt he knows everything though, he was raised in ninja clan after all. Intelligence gathering is his bread and butter. But he has never mentioned him, or asked about him, or Superman." Diana replied.
"Superman?" Hippolyta asked, Diana's eyes widening as she realized what she just said.
"Uhmm….he, he was my lover, after I broke up with Steve Trevor. Steve is, he has a mortal body, and he will die while I will live forever, assuming I'm not killed at some point. Physically he also could not meet my needs. If I went all out, or used even a fraction of my strength, I could have crushed him. So when I met Superman, named Kal El of Krypton, I thought I had found the perfect match, finally. He was strong, stronger than me at the time, faster too. His body was invulnerable, and from what I understood about his powers, he could live for thousands of years as long as he was under a yellow sun." Diana explained.
"He sounds like an incredible man. What made you leave him? What made you leave him for Nathaniel?" Hippolyta asked curiously.
"I did not. He left me. If I'm being honest, I was never unhappy with him. He fulfilled me more than Steve ever did. But….I also had to compromise myself a lot to be with him. I had to compromise my own beliefs. Superman is a good man, but that is a problem. Too much of anything is a bad thing. He doesn't believe in taking a life no matter what. But how can you protect people when you refuse to eliminate the threats to their lives? Just imagine if Ares attacked now, and I defeated him, but refused to execute him. How does letting him live to plot and scheme again help anyone? It might be morally good to let him live, but good for who?" Diana asked rhetorically.
"You were taught to slaughter your enemies. You were taught the way of the Amazons. You carry a sword and a shield, a shield to protect yourself and those you love, and a sword to cut through those who would harm you and your loved ones. What does this Superman, who doesn't eliminate evil, carry as a weapon?" Persephone asked curiously.
"He carries no weapons. He is the weapon, I suppose. He fights with his bare fists." Diana explained.
"Which I suppose explains his philosophy. You are right, he was a decent match, but not a perfect one. Only someone who understands the way of the warrior, and the way of the world, would be a perfect match for you. It is good that he left you, because it does not seem like you had the will to leave him." Antiope replied.
"Perhaps I didn't, but I sure am glad that he had the will to leave me, even if it was for another woman. It allowed me to find myself again, and to find the perfect match for both me and our people. Nathaniel is….well, I'll say no more about him, you will meet him yourselves, and you will come to your own conclusions, but he has emancipated me. He has shown me that it is okay to be myself. That I do not have to suppress any part of myself to be with him, in fact, he loves me just the way I am and encourages me to embrace every aspect of who I am. He is my true life partner, and I am madly in love with him." Diana spoke passionately.
"The way you speak of him, and the way you describe him, it is not very different to how Zeus used to be, to how he used to make me feel. I recognize your feelings as true, because I know what it is to feel the way that you feel. For your sake, and perhaps our sake too, let us hope that Nathaniel really is who you think he is, and really is what you say he is. In any case, for now, I would like you to meet your younger sibling." Hippolyta said, signaling to the guards to let the aforementioned person in.
"My what…!?"