Chapter Text
Chapter 4: Domestic and World Affairs
Mount Justice
September 7, 06:41 EDT
It has been a few days since the team and Naruto returned from their respective missions as Superboy was currently in the hangar of the cave working on his red motorcycle. His new companion Sphere rolled behind him, trying to get his attention.
“Jealous much?” Superboy jokingly asked the sentient technology as Sphere merely beeped behind him, wanting Superboy’s attention for itself. Sphere rolled itself back and forth in hopes of getting his attention.
“All right, all right.”
Superboy appeased Sphere by rubbing the orb and giving it a bit of attention. They were interrupted by a female voice originating from deeper in the cave.
“Ready for school?”
Turning his head towards the source of the question, Connor saw a group approaching him consisting of Martian Manhunter, Red Tornado, Kaldur, M’gann, and Naruto.
“I made our lunches,” M’gann followed up as she floated over while holding a couple brown paper bags.
“The first day of the scholastic season carries great cultural resonance. We want to wish you three well,” Martian Manhunter greeted Superboy as the young teenagers would be attending their first day at Happy Harbor High School.
“Guess it’s not a Kryptonian thing?” Superboy asked rhetorically as his progenitor Superman was nowhere to be seen to give such a blessing.
“You may wish to change before you depart,” Kaldur brought up as he motioned towards M’gann and Superboy who were both wearing their hero outfits, unlike Naruto who was wearing his casual outfit of an orange hoodie, blue jeans, and sneakers.
“Ah, I spent hours choosing this outfit,” M’gann declared as her clothes shifted into an outfit consisting of a short-sleeved maroon vest over a white blouse with a matching maroon knee length skirt, calf-length white socks, and black flat shoes.
“What do you think? Can M’gann M’orzz pass as an Earth girl now?” M’gann asked as she turned towards Kaldur with hopeful eyes.
“Well …,” Kaldur hesitated to speak as he pondered how to address a different issue with M’gann’s appearance.
“Just kidding!” M’gann exclaimed as she was well aware of a glaring issue in her appearance to fit in. She quickly shifted the color of her skin to a peach tone to give herself the appearance of a Caucasian ginger girl.
“Meet Megan Morse,” M’gann introduced herself as she twirled in place before giving a curtsy to formally introduce her Earth identity to the rest of the group.
“What’s your new name?” M’gann excitedly asked Superboy as she turned towards him.
“My what?” Superboy asked in confusion as he hadn’t even considered giving himself an alias.
“I chose the name John Jones for myself and suggested John Smith for Red Tornado,” Martian Manhunter interjected by shape shifting into a tall African American man wearing a blue suit, white collared shirt, and red tie as to provide an example of civilian identities that the two League members have taken. “You could be a John too.”
“Pass,” Superboy rejected the notion while crossing his arms as the name didn’t sit well with him.
“Connor’s always been my favorite name,” M’gann suggested as she laid her hands on Superboy’s right side to offer a comforting solution. Superboy merely shrugged his shoulders at the suggestion as it made no difference to him.
“A last name will also be required,” Kaldur followed up as Superboy accepted the given name.
“Perhaps Kent?” Martian Manhunter suggested.
“Oh, in memory of Dr. Fate, the late Kent Nelson,” M’gann expressed her joy for Connor receiving such a meaningful namesake.
“Of course …,” Martian Manhunter replied with uncertainty in his voice as he shifted back to his green Martian form as both M’gann and Connor were unaware of the true meaning behind such a last name.
“Ok, sure. I guess it’d be an honor or something,” Connor accepted the new name as it made no difference to him.
“Well, Connor Kent, time to change your shirt,” M’gann said as she wagged her finger towards him and pointed at the red Superman logo on his black t-shirt. “You don’t want to reveal your identity.”
Looking to appease M’gann, Connor took off his shirt to flip it inside-out and inadvertently caused M’gann to gain a flushed look as he flashed her his muscular torso.
“Ugh, will this work?” Connor asked in exasperation.
“Hmm, works for me,” M’gann sighed in a dreamy voice.
“You know, I could have helped with an easier solution,” Naruto interjected as he demonstrated a basic glamor charm to the group by waving his hand and hid his whisker marks from the world.
“Wait, shouldn’t I be Connor Nelson?” Connor asked aloud as he put on his reversed shirt.
“Well, that would clash with the name I chose for myself,” Naruto replied as the three teenagers prepared to commute to school via M’gann’s bioship. “I’m going by the name Naruto Nelson since Uzumaki is a pretty unique last name.”
“They grow up so fast,” Martian Manhunter mused as the remaining members watched the trio leave for their first ever day of school. As the trio left to embark on a new journey in unfamiliar territory, the eyes of the world were focused on a different affair in politics.
Taipei
September 7, 19:20 NST
Halfway across the world, numerous new outlets, including the major American network GBS, were reporting on the peace summit in Taiwan. They had a reporter on site who was a Caucasian woman with blonde layered hair and was wearing a maroon outfit of a fitted jacket with a matching knee-length skirt.
“This is Cat Grant reporting from Taipei where the historic peace summit between South Rhelasia and North Rhelasia has completely broken down. As a last resort, Prime Minister Tseng of South Rhelasia and North Rhelasia's General Singh Manh Li have agreed to bring in an independent arbitrator. But who is it? Speculation has run from the secretary general of the United Nations to Superman. But the Man of Steel seems unlikely, as I'm told the arbitrator is due to arrive by car, not cape, at any moment.”
Various vehicles approached the venue for the peace summit as dignitaries arrived to participate. Observing from nearby was a young man with auburn hair wearing sunglasses, an earpiece, and formal wear consisting of a black suit, black tie, white collared shirt, with matching black dress pants. Unknown to the general public, this young man is Roy Harper, also known as the hero Red Arrow, the former protege of Green Arrow.
Bringing his left hand to his earpiece, Roy contacted one of his most trusted friends.
“Aqualad,” came a voice through Roy’s comms, answering the call.
“Red Arrow,” Roy responded. “I need access to the Justice League’s database and the exact height of the League of Shadow assassin known as Cheshire.”
“Checking,” Aqualad stated as he brought up Mount Justice’s holographic computer system to run a check through the database. A photo of a woman wearing a smiling cat mask and a green kimono outfit was brought up. “Cheshire is 1.67 meters.”
“Ummm …,” Roy questioned aloud.
“She is 5’6” and exceptionally dangerous,” Aqualad smirked as he found amusem*nt in Roy’s inexperience with the metric system. “Do you require backup?”
“Please,” Roy scoffed at the suggestion of receiving help as he used his high tech sunglasses to begin scanning the crowd for a woman matching the height of Cheshire.
“The last thing I need is the Junior Justice League.”
“Just our computer.”
Roy’s line of sight locked onto a woman with dark hair wearing a black cap who was working at one of the many stalls.
“Good luck, my friend. Aqualad out.”
Roy opened up his briefcase which contained his collapsible red bow within and turned his attention to the sound of sirens. A motorcade was approaching consisting of six motorcycles escorting a white sedan in the middle.
“The arbitrator has arrived,” Cat reported to the news camera.
As the motorcade came to a stop, the assassin Cheshire emerged atop of the vendor stall in full costume while holding a rocket launcher. As she had her finger on the trigger and aimed at the sedan’s front windshield, she didn’t see the incoming red-tipped blunt arrow aimed at the front of her rocket launcher.
“Ahh!” Cheshire exclaimed as the impact from the arrow knocked her aim off course and caused the rocket to fire off into the air. The sound of the RPG flying through the air caused the crowd to scream in fear and disperse from around the sedan. Security shouted towards the civilians as several men brought out their pistols to escort their VIPs from the premises.
“Did you get that? Did you get the shot?” Cat questioned her cameraman as she was kneeling to the ground to avoid any potential shooters.
Seeing that her initial assassination attempt had failed, Cheshire abandoned the rocket launcher in favor of jumping down and traversing the crowd by hopping on the shoulders of various bystanders. Dropping to ground level, she engaged the various security men in an impressive display of close quarters combat. A roundhouse kick knocked down the first man as she judo flipped the second who took a swing at her head.
A third man came up behind her to capture in a bear hug as two more approached her from the left and right. Kicking off the ground, Cheshire performed a split kick in midair to strike the approaching security while still held in the bear hug. Using gravity, Cheshire rotated her falling body to get out of the hold and performed a spinning kick to take down her former captor.
Reaching towards her sides, Cheshire pulled a pair of sais held in reverse grip as she ran towards the sedan and leapt into the air. Seeing her approach the target, Red Arrow took aim and fired off an arrow that opened up into a net in an attempt to capture Cheshire midair. Seeing the incoming threat to her objective, Cheshire swiped at the net with her sais and cut it apart. What she couldn’t prevent was Red Arrow tackling her out of the air and preventing her from advancing on her target. The two came to a stop a few feet away, but it gave the security enough time to surround her with rifles aimed at her body.
“Don't move,” one of the men shouted towards Cheshire as several rifles were co*cked and ready to fire upon her.
“We have just witnessed an assassination attempt live. Thankfully, no one seems to have been hurt, including our mystery arbitrator,” Cat continued to report as the rear door to the sedan opened up and allowed the mystery person to exit the vehicle. Numerous cameras flashed as the media snapped photos of the arrival of the arbitrator revealing themself. Out of the car emerged a tall, ball-headed Caucasian man wearing a black suit, white shirt, and a dark blue tie.
“Lex Luthor?” came the perplexed voice of Cat Grant after recognizing the tech billionaire emerging from the vehicle.
In the aftermath of the foiled assassination attempt, Cheshire was placed into the back of a police car while Red Arrow was still held by local law enforcement. Lex’s head of security Mercy Graves, a woman with medium length brown hair and was wearing a dark suit, had just gotten off the phone before nodding her head at Lex.
“We have confirmation,” Lex said to the police. “This one’s Green Arrow’s pal, Speedy.”
“It’s Red Arrow now,” Roy grumpily replied as he hated not being recognized on his own merit.
“He must be questioned,” one of the policemen demanded.
“Lex Luthor vouches for him, captain. Release the sidekick.”
“Ex–sidekick,” Roy followed up as the police captain began to remove his handcuffs. “And I don’t need any favors from you.”
“Apologies. I didn’t realize you wished to join the young lady behind bars,” Lex mocked as Roy approached to give the arbitrator a stare down.
“You may have everyone here fooled, Luthor, but I know what you are,” Roy replied in a stern voice as he referenced the dark rumors surrounding the businessman.
“Oh, I don’t pretend to be an angel. It just so happens that this time, I’m on the side of the angels,” Lex responded while neither confirming nor denying Roy’s accusations.
The two turned to enter the building where the peace summit was being held. The inside was a mix of mostly red and yellow interior with red carpets and paintings hanging on the walls. More cameras flashed inside as Lex approached the stairs where two groups were waiting for his arrival.
“The violence outside has not helped the peace process,” Cat commented as Lex approached the two representatives.
“Hiring assassins, Li? Had you no one among your own troops to do the North’s dirty work?” Tseng accused General Li of being the one responsible for the misconduct.
“I need no assassin, Tseng. Such is the method of a Souther coward,” General Li shot back in rebuttal as the two continued to bicker and place blame on the other.
“Tensions are running high and troops are massing on the border between the two countries. Right now, Lex Luthor seems to be the best or only hope for peace,” Cat commented as anxiety was rising amongst the crowd.
“Why should either side trust you?” Roy asked Lex as he also looked at the bickering representatives from afar.
“Because LexCorp is a company founded on peaceful enterprise for all humanity,” Lex responded as if it were obvious.
“Cut the act, Luthor. I’ve got intel linking Lexcorp shell companies to the sale of weapons in both Rhelasias. You’re profiting off this war. So, what’s your angle?”
Lex leaned in to whisper, “War income is pocket change compared to the billions to be made investing in a peaceful, United Rhelasia. And isn’t it better to have peace, even if that scoundrel Lex Luthor profits from it?”
“That scoundrel may not survive to profit. Cheshire failed, but the League of Shadows won’t stop until the contract is fulfilled.”
“Which does beg the questions, who hired the league?” Lex asked rhetorically.
“And were you really the target?” Or was your death just a convenient way to sabotage the summit?” Red Arrow mused aloud.
“Allow me to hire you to find out.”
“Your money has blood on it, and I’m not here to make a buck.”
“Haha, so you’ll provide your services, but for free? I can live with that, hero. Now, excuse me. I have a hemisphere to save,” Lex ended the conversation as he approached Prime Minister Tseng and General Li. “Gentleman, gentleman, shall we attempt some smiles for the cameras?”
Happy Harbor High School
September 7, 07:57 EDT
Teenage students were gathered outside the school in the parking lot in groups before the start of school. One such student was a boy on a skateboard weaving around groups of students before performing a kickflip. However, he should have been paying attention to his pathing as he was about to crash into Connor who was walking in front of M’gann and Naruto.
“Aah! Hey! Ugh, woah!” the skateboarder exclaimed as he was picked off his skateboard by the back of his jacket by Connor.
“Explain this,” Connor demanded from the skateboarder as he pointed a finger into the scared boy’s chest.
“Ugh, woah, what?” the boy panicked as he was held up by Connor.
“What’s your problem?” Connor heard from the side.
Turning his head, he saw a tall African American boy wearing a blue shirt with a Superman emblem on it who had his left arm draped on an African American girl whose hair was in two puffs while wearing a black and yellow cheerleading uniform.
“Put my man Marvin down,” the boy followed up with as he took his arm off the girl to be more intimidating.
“Uh, I don’t think he likes my shirt,” the skateboarder nervously said.
Taking a second to look around, Connor raised an eyebrow as he saw many students wearing shirts with superhero emblems on them.
“Your shirt’s fine. Everyone’s shirt is fine,” Connor grit his teeth as he let Marvin down.
“Someone’s fine,” the African girl commented while giving Connor an appreciative gaze.
Not like that comment, the African boy had a frown on his face as he approached Connor.
M’gann hoped to defuse the situation by introducing herself and her fellow new students.
“Hi. We’re new. I’m Megan Morse, this is Connor Kent, and that’s Naruto Nelson,” M’gann introduced each one of them by their civilian names.
“Triple alliteration. I like it,” Marvin commented as Connor approached the taller African boy.
The two had a stare down as they tried to intimidate the other. Luckily, the two didn’t become physical as a person clearing their throat was heard with the sound of fingers snapping. Off to the side was a Caucasian man with brown hair wearing a green jacket and gray pants.
“Okay, time to get to homeroom gang,” the man broke up the impending fight as he instructed the students to head to class.
Connor and the dark skinned boy looked back towards each other before Connor had his shoulder bumped as the other boy walked past him. Gritting his teeth in anger, Connor stepped forward to stop the other boy but was interrupted by M’gann.
“Connor!” M’gann’s voice was heard in his mind as she stood in front of him to prevent him from escalating the situation. Grumbling to himself in frustration, he watched on as other students began to head into the school building.
Behind them, Marvin approached them alongside a Caucasian girl with short black hair and blue eyes who was also wearing the cheerleading uniform.
“I’m Wendy. I was new last year, so I know how hard it is to fit in. But you look like instant Bumblebee material to me,” introducing herself to M’gann.
At the word bumblebee, M’gann and Connor gained surprised expressions. Seeing their confused expressions, Wendy decided to clarify.
Cheerleaders. The Bumblebees,” Wendy explained while doing a twirl. “Tryouts are after school.”
At her explanation, M’gann gasped and gained an excited expression as she clasped her hands together in anticipation.
“Thanks, I’ll be there.”
“I didn’t know you were interested in cheerleading Megan,” Naruto interjected as he had been quiet the whole time. “Well, if anyone has a chance at making it, it’s you Megan. You’re the most positive person I know.”
“Oh, thank you Naruto.”
Marvin, on the other hand, was more impressed with Connor.
“Dude. Facing down Mal Duncan? Fierce,” he said to Connor as he was both impressed and fearful. “Not too bright, but fierce.”
The school bell chose that moment to ring which alerted the remaining students to head in for their first class of the day.
Taipei Police Station
Following the failed assassination attempt of Lex Luthor, Red Arrow was currently standing outside the cell which housed Cheshire who was currently keeping busy by performing martial arts kata with her mask off.
“Aren’t you going to ask me anything?” Cheshire asked as Red Arrow continued to stare at her.
“I think you know what I’m after,” Red Arrow responded as his intentions were obvious.
“I do, actually.”
“Who hired you?”
“Shadows.”
“Who hired them?”
“I don’t ask.”
“What’s the endgame?” The peace summit or Luthor himself?”
Taking the chance to taunt Red Arrow, Cheshire turned to face him while making a finger gun gesture.
“Two birds, one stone. Hey, where are your little sidekick friends? They’re always fun to play with. Especially Ar … chery Girl. I like her,” Cheshire had to catch herself from saying something telling in regards to how she knew the blonde archer on the team.
“She … they aren’t in my league,” Red Arrow answered while narrowing his eyes as he hated being associated with being a sidekick.
“And you think you’re in mine?” Cheshire asked as she approached the cell’s vertical bars and reached through to grab Red Arrow by the front of his uniform and brought their faces closer together. “Where’s Green Arrow when you need him?”
“I don’t.”
“Sure about that?” Cheshire asked as she placed a hand on the back of Red Arrow’s head and continued speaking in her husky tone before suddenly dropping to the floor.
“Oh no,” Red Arrow bemused as he slowly backed away from the cell before an explosion rocked the room they were in from the wall at the back of the cell.
Smoke instantly filled the room as a hole was blown open in the wall of the cell. The blast caused alarms to blare within the police station while a rope could be seen lowering from the outside. Cheshire was on the ground coughing as a man wearing a gray hockey mask descended the rope and hung right outside the hole.
The masked man was tall with short, blonde hair and was strongly built. He wore what seems like a sleeveless blue muscle shirt, with a collar that covers some of his neck. Both arms were protected by elbow pads as well as fingerless gloves. This was Sportsmaster, an assassin whose main gimmick was the use of technology that looked like sports equipment.
“Ugh, it had to be you,” Cheshire grunted out in disgust upon seeing her rescuer.
“Beggars can’t be choosers, little girl,” the masked man responded. “Coming?”
The man slid down the escape rope and gave Cheshire space to run out of the hole to grab the lifeline. Twirling herself so her feet could brace against the outside wall, Cheshire followed suit in descending down the rope.
Red Arrow was a step late as he had to pick himself off the floor following the blast. Rushing towards the hole, he could only grunt in frustration at the cell bars obstructing him from pursuing the escaped criminal. Alarms blared throughout the police station as Roy ran up to the roof of the building. Shoulder tackling the door allowed Roy to quickly exit atop the roof as he ran to the edge. Looking below him, he spotted Cheshire and the masked man running atop rooftops of smaller buildings towards a helicopter in the distance.
With a destination in mind, Red Arrow fired a grappling arrow towards another building to create a zipline for him to slide across to close the distance between himself and the helicopter. The escaping duo looked to their left and noticed Red Arrow sliding along the zipline and was quickly catching up to them. Cheshire was quick to take action in preventing Red Arrow’s pursuit of them.
“I admire persistence, but,” Cheshire said aloud as she threw a ninja star at the zipline and cut it off. The broken line caused Red Arrow to fall to a rooftop below and forced him into a roll to cushion the fall. Unfortunately for Roy, this gave Cheshire and Sportsmaster time to enter the escape helicopter.
“Go! Go!” Sportsmaster yelled at the pilot as he and Cheshire got themselves situated inside the chopper. The helicopter ascended into the air as Red Arrow finally reached the edge of the takeoff building. Seeing the escape vehicle, Red Arrow fired a grappling arrow that was attached to the outside of the helicopter. Keeping a strong grip and the grapple line, Red Arrow was lifted into the air as well.
“Are you even trying to ditch this guy?” Sportsmaster questioned Cheshire as he noticed their tagalong holding on for his life.
With her sai in hand, Cheshire leaned towards the connective line from the grappling arrow.
“I really hate to admit it, but he has a point,” Cheshire said as she cut the line and sent Red Arrow hurtling towards the ground.
Seeing the imminent danger he was in, Red Arrow fired off an arrow towards the roof he was falling towards which created a bed of red high-density polyurethane foam for a soft landing as his body hit the roof. Sitting up in the foam, Red Arrow took out a small device which opened up to show it was tracking the escape helicopter as the arrowhead was still embedded into it.
As for the escaped duo, they successfully made it to their destination in order to meet with their employer. However, the sentiment between the pair was a bit hostile.
“Because I’m a professional, I won’t kill you … at least not while we’re on the job,” Cheshire coldly said to Sportsmaster.
“You wouldn’t have this job if not for me. Grow up already,” Sportsmaster replied tauntingly in a reference to their past history.
Their banter was cut short as the voice of their employer interrupted them.
“The evening’s agenda was to create strife between nations, not my assassins,” came the voice of an older man with black hair that had gray streaks and was wearing a high-collared green cloak that had gold buttons. Underneath, he wore a black vest with gold hems, a white undershirt, and a golden sash. He also had on black pants and knee-high black boots. This man was Ra’s Al Ghul and leader of the assassins group known as the League of Shadows.
“Master,” Cheshire greeted as she bowed while kneeling with her right leg on the ground with her left knee upright.
“And client,” Ra’s reminded Cheshire. “So, twice you have disappointed in your failure. Luthor has been a thorn in my side for far too long, and peaceful countries rarely call upon the League of Shadows.”
Unbeknownst to the trio of assassins, Red Arrow was observing the gathering from nearby through a pair of binoculars.
“Ra’s Al Ghul,” Red Arrow spoke aloud as he recognized the famed leader of the League of Shadows. He continued to observe as Ra’s approached the other assassins.
“I expect a better outcome and less interference from that boy,” Ra’s demanded of the two as he turned his face towards Red Arrow’s position.
Hearing their client’s disappointment, Cheshire and Sportsmaster looked behind themselves to spot Red Arrow.
“Perfect,” Red Arrow grunted as he realized his stealthy reconnaissance was compromised. He quickly nocked a blunt arrow and fired at Ra’s only for Sportsmaster to deflect it by getting in front of the intended target and swiping with a javelin.
Seeing the initial arrow get intercepted, Red Arrow began running off to the side while simultaneously firing more arrows. Cheshire chose to deflect the follow up shots with her sais while moving like an acrobat. She timed her jumps with her slashes to allow her to get up onto the same level as Red Arrow who fired two arrows at once at Cheshire. A jumping slash from each of her sais cut those arrows apart as well as allowed Cheshire to perform a downward slash at Red Arrow.
Red Arrow performed a back handspring away from Cheshire’s falling form as he prepared to fire another arrow. Cheshire ducked her head to avoid the close range arrow shot at her as she began to engage Red Arrow in close quarters. Cheshire stabbed with one sai that was blocked by Red Arrow’s bow but was followed up by a spin kick. Cheshire then followed up with a knee that caught Red Arrow in the stomach as the two continued to trade blows.
Seeing the two fighting, Sportsmaster decided to intervene as he used a collapsible pole to perform a vault to get him high in the air. From his utility belt, Sportsmaster threw out a spinning disk towards Red Arrow that was hidden behind Cheshire’s body. As Cheshire moved to the side, Red Arrow was caught by surprise at the approaching projectile and brought up his bow to defend himself. Unfortunately, the disk’s high spinning frequency cut his bow in half while continuing its path to destroy part of a nearby roof.
Red Arrow once again had to dodge to the side in order to avoid the slash from Cheshire. Looking behind himself, Red Arrow saw a body of water below him as he had to take a breather and assess his situation against two opponents.
“I hear you go by Red Arrow now. Heh, more like Broken Arrow,” Sportsmaster taunted the archer who was caught in a tight situation.
Looking to his left, Red Arrow saw Cheshire who mocked him by waving her hand at him while Sportsmaster approached him from the right while holding two javelins. Sportsmaster hurled one at Red Arrow’s feet which exploded on impact. Red Arrow jumped backwards in a dive towards the water below as Sportsmaster ran to throw a follow up javelin at Red Arrow’s descending body.
Red Arrow’s body hit the water and was followed in suit by the javelin. An explosion created a pillar from underneath the surface, but a body wasn’t seen floating in the aftermath. With the nuisance dealt with, Sportsmaster and Cheshire walked away and back to Ra’s.
Unseen by them, Red Arrow pulled himself atop a pier away from the battle site as he gasped for air. Gasping for breaths of air, Red Arrow pushed himself up to his knees and activated the earpiece in his left ear.
“It’s me. I may … possibly be in over my head,” Red Arrow begrudgingly admitted to himself as he called for help.
Returning to the hotel, Red Arrow was in Lex Luthor’s room with the arbitrator in question alongside the bodyguard, Mercy Graves.
“The League of Shadows wants you dead,” the archer informed Luthor while crossing his arms.
“Doesn’t every league?” Luthor joked as he adjusted the cuffs of his dress shirt.
“It’s not just Cheshire. It’s Sportsmaster and Ra’s Al Ghul himself.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Luthor responded as Mercy assisted him in putting on his suit jacket. “Ra’s is something of a competitor of mine.”
“Then maybe I should stand aside and watch you take each other out.”
“Your stab at pragmatism is, well, adorable,” Luthor condescendingly responded. “But the summit and peace are at stake, remember? We’ll increase security. Though if the Shadows think you’re dead, maybe we can surprise them.”
“I’ve got a better surprise,” Red Arrow confidently stated.
Happy Harbor High School
Back in school, the class were watching a television set with Cat Grant reporting on the events of the peace summit.
“If Lex Luthor’s unknown strategy for peace fails, the two Rhelasias are looking at all out war before morning.”
The teacher at the front of the class turned off the TV in order to address the students.
“Who can tell me more about Rhelasia?” asked the teacher who was the same man from earlier in the school parking lot. “Marvin?”
“Huh?” was Marvin’s surprised response as he previously had his eyes closed during the new report and was unprepared to be called upon. “Well, um, Mr. Carr, it’s better than Fakeasia.”
Some of the other students chuckled at Marvin’s answer as it was obvious Marvin was joking to save face.
“Anyone else,” Mr. Carr sighed under his breath because of his inattentive student.
“Modern Rhelasia was created in 1855 and ruled by the Bokun Dynasty until it was divided by the great powers into North and South Rhelasia after World War II,” Connor answered, which came as a shock to the rest of the class.
“Very good,” Mr. Carr smiled as he was glad that one of his students provided an excellent answer.
“But, why are they fighting? They’re all humans. I mean, Rhelasians, right?” Connor asked as the nuances of war and hate were unknown experiences for the young clone.
“Right on both counts, actually,” Mr. Carr agreed with Connor.
“It’s a cycle of generational hatred,” came a voice from behind Connor. The rest of the class turned to look at Naruto who continued speaking.
“The current generation is taught to hate the enemy by their parents and previous generations. They’ve grown up hating each other for every slight that they probably forgot the reason they split in the first place. They can’t work towards peace until they reach an understanding for their differences or similarities.”
“Well, that is quite the philosophical outlook on the situation. And, your name is?” Mr. Carr asked as he looked towards the attendance chart.
“Naruto Nelson.”
“Well, Naruto. I think you have quite the insight for this situation. What made you think of that?”
“Just some comics I read,” Naruto answered while shrugging which caused the rest of the class to chuckle.
Smiling to himself, Mr. Carr turned his back to the class to write on the blackboard as a voice was heard within the minds of Connor and Naruto.
“It’s no different on Mars,” M’gann telepathically spoke to her teammates as she sat to the left of Connor. “The White Martian minority are treated as second-class citizens by the Green majority. Of course, I’m green, but that doesn’t make it right.”
“I don’t think it’s the same thing, M’gann,” Naruto answered in his mind. “The Rhelasians hate each other because they have a history of violence. It sounds like Martians have a society based on status above others. It reminds me of the bloodline clans from my world who had inherited skills which gave them a sense of superiority.”
The life experiences of his fellow teammates gave Connor something to ponder as he listened to his friends share about life on their worlds.
Peace Summit
Taipei
Things were still at an impasse back at the peace summit as Red Arrow and Mercy both stood behind Lex who sat in the middle of the Rhelasian delegations. New crews continuously captured photographs as the back and forth continued between Tseng and Li.
“Reunification is unthinkable.”
“Our peoples no longer have anything in common.”
“Gentleman, this is mere rhetoric. Despite your differences, you still share an appreciation for many things such as the exquisite art of the Rhelasian Tea Ceremony,” Luthor placated both Tseng and Li as he continued his role as arbitrator.
Unbeknownst to the feuding Rhelasians, a young woman with white face paint wearing a red robe and gold robe was approaching the delegates while pushing a tea cart. What the woman did not expect was for a dark skinned teen before her to turn around and prevent her approach.
“That is far enough, Cheshire,” Aqualad revealed himself to the assassin as he held his water bearer in a defensive position.
Hearing his declaration, the nearby reporters gasped in surprise as Red Arrow put himself in a defensive position in front of Luthor while nocking an arrow.
Seeing that her cover was blown, Cheshire smirked as she pressed a red button on the handles of the cart. With a yell of effort, Cheshire shoved the cart forward.
Recognizing the danger, Aqualad used his water bearers to create a defensive wall of water by drawing upon the water from the glasses on the tables. Furthermore, Red Arrow fired his arrow in the open space that was about to be blocked off by the water wall. The arrow met its mark as it struck the cart and an explosion rang throughout the reception hall.
“Grrr,” Aqualad grunted in effort as he held back the resulting explosion. The impact of the blast had blown off his jacket’s sleeves as his feet slid back while trying to maintain footing.
Dropping the water shield, Aqualad was on one knee as he panted from stress of absorbing the explosive blast. Red Arrow stood next to him as they both saw Cheshire pick herself up from the floor.
“It’s over, Cheshire,” Red Arrow declared while holding an arrow ready to fire at her.
“You would think so,” Cheshire confidently replied as a helicopter ascended into view through the blown wall of the hotel behind her. The chopper’s side opened up to reveal Sportsmaster as well as half a dozen armed assassins.
Seeing the danger, Tseng shouted for his security detail to stop them. Guards armed with police batons rushed forward to cover the left and right sides. Similarly, the team of assassins rushed forward while Sportsmaster took a more leisurely walk to approach the young heroes. Cheshire had a bit more flair as she backflipped in place to unsheath her sais.
“Take Sportsmaster, Cheshire’s mine,” Red Arrow instructed Aqualad as his eyes narrowed in concentration.
“So territorial, and only our third date,” Cheshire bantered back.
Red Arrow took a shot which was deflected by a swipe from Cheshire. Aqualad took this opportunity to run up and flip over Cheshire in order to engage Sportsmaster.
Nearby, Sportsmaster was weaving and dodging around the baton strikes from the Rhelasian security detail. Sportsmaster easily danced around as he would throw kicks out at vulnerable places on their bodies as each of the men whiffed their attacks towards the assassin. He was caught off guard as a flail created from Aqualad’s water bearer struck in the head.
Recovering from the blow, he focused his attention on the protege of Aquaman who approached with two flails swinging at him. Taking out a javelin from his utility belt, Sportsmaster deflected and clashed with the water bearers.
“Hah, hah,” Cheshire deflected several arrows aimed at her with her sais while retreating a few steps back. “You called one of your sidekick friends, but didn’t you tell me they weren’t in your league?”
Distracted by Cheshire’s words, Aqualad didn’t see Sportsmaster rushing forward to catch him in a clothesline. The brunt of the attack flipped Aqualad backwards onto his stomach and made him lose focus in maintaining his water flails. This gave Sportsmaster the chance to take out his own flail from his back pocket which expanded in size after leaving its containment. The spiked ball hit the floor with a large thump as a small crater was created from the impact.
Sportsmaster launched the spiked ball at Aqualad’s face after a quick windup. Seeing the incoming danger, Aqualad rolled to the side to dodge the hit. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor and the other delegates watched on from the background as the chaos unfolded around them.
Cheshire kept the offensive going on Red Arrow as her acrobatic movements and deadly slashes kept Roy on the backfoot. She backflipped a few meters away to create some space as her hands went into her robe to grab projectiles and threw the throwing stars at Red Arrow. Red Arrow kept his bow in front of him to deflect the incoming weapons as he continued to struggle in their fight.
Back with Aqualad, he was dodging stabs from Sportsmaster who had equipped himself with a fencing saber. Stepping back, Aqualad had his water bearers take on the form of two machetes.
“Not bad, Lad. Better than your team did at Santa Prisca or Bialya,” Sportsmaster taunted the dark skinned teenager.
“How did you …?” Aqualad asked in confusion as he held the two water blades in front of him in a defensive stance.
“Let’s just say I have an inside source. Very inside.”
Red Arrow stood a few meters behind Aqualad and saw the interaction between him and Sportsmaster. Taking aim with his bow, Red Arrow looked higher above in the room and saw the pipes with the sprinkler system.
“Aqualad, let’s end this,” Red Arrow declared as he fired an explosive arrow upwards. The blast from the arrow set off the numerous sprinklers which both filled up the room as well as provided Aqualad a vast source of water to attack with.
Lifting his arms up, Aqualad transformed the well of water into the shape of a dragon which was set upon the various assassins. The water dragon weaved throughout the ballroom as the assassins were knocked off their feet from the force of colliding with the beast.
Landing in front of Sportsmaster was Cheshire who finally donned her cat mask while taking out a round object from her pocket. Tossing the orb at the water dragon, a blast was created which filled the room with black smoke. The water dragon collapsed as Aqualad and Red Arrow both began coughing from the smoke that now permeated the room.
Out of the smoke emerged one of the League assassins jumping towards Lex Luthor. The would-be assassin brandished twin swords as his falling form descended towards the Rhelasian delegates.
Undeterred by the assassin, Luthor calmly instructed his bodyguard to defend them.
“Mercy,” Luthor addressed her as he was completely calm in regards to the situation.
Raising her right arm towards the assassin, Mercy’s arm opened up to show circuitry beneath and revealing to everyone that her was a prosthetic weapon. A barrel was pointed at the assassin from the arm as a yellow orb charged to fire a beam of light. The beam struck the assassin midair and sent him flying, knocking him unconscious.
Looking back, both Cheshire and Sportsmaster were nowhere to be seen.
Mercy’s arm closed up on itself and once again took the appearance of a normal human arm.
“Gives new meaning to the arms race, doesn’t she?” Luthor joked towards the Rhelasian delegation as both Tseng and Li sighed in relief.
“That technology is most impressive, Luthor,” General Li complimented.
“We owe you our lives, sir,” Tseng followed up as he shook hands with Luthor in gratitude.
“They owe Him their lives?” Red Arrow asked Aqualad in disbelief as he couldn’t believe the outcome of this situation.
Later at the Peace Summit
“Yes, quite a coup for Lex Luthor. Under his leadership, North and South Rhelasia are signing the treaty which could eventually lead to reunification,” Cat Grant reported as cameras flashed to document the momentous occasion.
“I can’t believe we just did a solid for Lex Luthor,” Red Arrow said to Aqualad in exasperation of the outcome for this ridiculous situation. All his effort was ignored in favor of the work supposedly done by Luthor.
“Not for Luthor, for peace,” Aqualad reminded Red Arrow as the two began walking to exit out of the venue. “Beyond that, if Ra’s and the League of Shadows wanted to sabotage the summit, the signing of their treaty renders their contract moot. It is over.”
“Is it? I heard what Sportsmaster said. Do you really think there’s a mole on your team feeding him intel?”
“I can not rule out the possibility. I will investigate, quietly.”
“Not telling them?”
“I do not want the unit unraveling over baseless suspicions. And if there is a mole, I have no wish to tip him or her off.”
“Good luck with that.”
“One moment, my friend. Tonight, you could have called Green Arrow for help or the Justice League. Instead, your first instinct was to call the cave.”
“You’re right. The team deserves … has my respect. I’m still getting used to this solo act stuff. But if you need me, I’ll be there.”
With a smile from both friends, the two shook hands in a show of respect and camaraderie.
Luthor’s Hotel Room
“That went well,” Luthor declared as he poured a drink for both himself and his guest. “Both Li and Tseng were quite impressed with Mercy’s equipment and are quite literally buying into the peace. Our plan to ensure the eventual reunification of Rhelasia under LexCorp’s political and economic guidance is a success.”
Bringing over the second drink, Lex offered the drink to Ra’s Al Ghul who accepted it.
“And thus, another corner of the world sees the Light,” Ra’s declared as he accepted the drink while clinking the glasses in a toast.
Happy Harbor High School Football Field
Afterschool
While the world watched with bated breath on the results of the Peace Summit, there were other affairs occuring back with the new students. Connor and Naruto sat in the bleachers as they watched M’gann prepare to try out for the Bumblebees.
M’gann had switched her outfit to a white sleeveless shirt with a red letter “M” on the left breast, a short, blue skit, and blue tennis shoes. She also wore white gloves on her hands.
“Okay, Megan. You’re up,” Wendy informed her while standing beside two fellow Bumblebee members, all of whom were wearing the black and yellow cheerleading uniform.
Nodding her head, M’gann prepared her routine by placing her hands on her hips.
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Hornets, Hornets, can't be beat Bzz, ting, ow,” M’gann cheered as she jumped and moved her arms around her. She made use of her hands to mimic a bee’s stinger and ended her short routine with her right fist raised to strike a pose.
M’gann put her hands in front of her as she waited for the decision from the other girls. The three Bumblebee members turned towards each other to discuss M’gann’s tryout in hushed voices.
“How’d I do?” M’gann clasped her hands together and asked Wendy who had approached.
“I thought you did great, and I’m really sorry about this,” Wendy replied as the other two Bumblebee members approached M’gann from behind while holding a tub filled with water.
“Ahhh!” M’gann exclaimed as the two sneaking Bumblebee members dumped the water onto her.
Seeing this happen, Connor growled in anger as he got up from the bleachers while breaking off sections from where his hands had been holding onto.
“Connor, no!” M’gann telepathically warned Connor as she could sense his rage.
Hearing her frantic warning, Connor stumbled down the rows of bleachers before falling on his back onto the track field below.
“Sorry. It’s a stupid initiation ritual that I wish my teammates would abandon,” Wendy explained as she looked at her fellow cheerleaders.
“Wait. Initiation ritual?” M’gann asked as she pressed her hands against her cheeks. “Hello, Megan. That means I made the team. Um, I, I did, right?”
“You’re a Bumblebee, girl,” Karen, the African girl with her hair in puffs, confirmed for M’gann.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” M’gann excitedly exclaimed as she hugged the rest of the cheerleading squad.
“So is that your boyfriend?” Karen asked while using her right thumb to point towards Connor who was still face planted nearby. “Because he’s hot, but kind of a freak.”
Connor took the chance to get back up and came over to the rest of the girls. Naruto, meanwhile, had descended the bleachers from the nearby steps to join his fellow male.
“You’ll have to excuse Connor. He can be a bit protective of his friends, especially considering Megan is very trusting. Like I told you earlier, Megan is the most positive person I know,” Naruto explained to Wendy.
Turning to Connor, Naruto made a motion with his head towards M’gann.
“Maybe you should let Megan borrow your jacket until she can get changed,” Naruto suggested to Connor.
Without a word or second thought, Connor removed his jacket and held it towards M’gann to wear. Grateful for the gesture, M’gann was also surprised when Connor went over to the nearby bench to pick up her textbooks.
“You’re carrying my books?” M’gann asked surprised as he had already loaned her his jacket.
“What, you want them to get wet?” was Connor’s gruff response.
“Maybe you should go get dried up before we all head home,” Naruto suggested to M’gann who was still quite wet from being drenched by the other cheerleaders.
“Good idea. I’ll be back soon,” M’gann agreed with Naruto as she decided to head to nearby locker rooms to borrow a towel.
Naruto and Connor watched her walk off with the rest of the Bumblebees before Naruto decided to speak up.
“What’s going on, Connor?” Naruto asked as he had seen Connor’s behavior all day.
“What do you mean?” Connor responded with a puzzled look.
“What I mean is that you’ve been looking at M’gann all day. Did something happen between you two?”
Connor looked around to make sure nobody was listening before responding.
“Back in Bialya, M’gann helped put my memories back together after a psychic made the team forget the last couple months of our memories.”
“I heard about that. What does that have to do with how you’ve been looking at her all day?”
“I’m a clone who’s only been alive for six months. M’gann helped put me back together, and I saw something about her that she probably didn’t mean to show.”
“Like what? Did you see her memories?”
“No, but I saw something she probably didn’t mean to share.”
“Are you going to bring that up with her?”
“No, it’s her secret to share. I just don’t know how I should feel knowing about it without her knowing.”
“Connor, do you have feelings for M’gann?”
“What? Where did that come from?”
“It sounds like you shared an intimate moment in your mind with her and uncovered something personal about her. You’re unsure about how you should be acting around her, but you’ve been really protective of her all day.”
Taking a second to ponder Naruto’s words, Connor finally vocalized his thoughts.
“I don’t know if I have feelings for her. I just don’t know how I should feel about the situation.”
“Well, maybe you should talk to her about this,” Naruto recommended.
“Oh yeah? Are you going to talk with Artemis about what happened between you two?” Connor jokingly asked.
“What are you talking about?” Naruto nervously responded as his eyes darted to the side and broke eye contact.
“I’m talking about what happened during your ‘spar’,” Connor followed up as he used his hands to make finger quotes. “Super hearing, remember.”
“I don’t know. I’ve wanted to talk with her about what happened, but she changes the subject everytime I bring it up. I guess all I can do is keep trying to sort it out,” Naruto resigned himself to sigh about the situation. “Maybe you’ll get the chance to clear up the situation with M’gann too.”
“Maybe.”
Before the two could continue their conversation, the two of them saw M’gann approaching them. They waved at her as they all prepared to head back to the Cave together.
However, Naruto’s phone made a sound indicating a notification from inside his pocket. Taking out his phone, he saw that he’d received a text message from Zatanna.
‘Hey Naruto, just letting you know I’ll be doing a magic show in Gotham next week on the 16th in place of my dad. It would mean so much to me if you could make it. Let me know so I can send you details on the time and place.’
“Guess I get to see Zatanna again soon,” Naruto thought to himself as he responded with an affirmative to the text.
Gotham City
September 16, 19:58 EDT
A little over a week has passed since Naruto started school. He was currently in Gotham City to attend the magic show that Zatanna had invited him to. A stage was erected in front of the Gotham Mint as the venue for the show.
Naruto had the night off as only Connor and M’gann were given a recent mission to infiltrate Belle Reve Penitentiary posing as the Terror Twins, Tommy and Tuppence Terror. Naruto was currently looking for a good seat as the show was about to begin. To his surprise, he spotted a familiar blonde ponytail in the crowd. Making his way over, his suspicion was proven correct when he saw Artemis seated in the crowd next to a dark haired woman in a wheelchair.
“Artemis, is that you?” Naruto called out as he approached her.
Turning her head, Artemis was surprised to see her fellow hero approaching her.
“Naruto, what are you doing here?” Artemis tried to hide the surprise in her voice at meeting one of her fellow heroes outside of the cave.
“A friend of mine invited me. What brings you to Gotham? I thought you lived in Star City with your uncle.”
“Well, ummm …,” Artemis stammered as she tried to come up with a good explanation as to why she was in Gotham City and not Star City. Her train of thought was interrupted as the woman beside her spoke up.
“Artemis, aren’t you going to introduce your friend to me?” came a voice from the dark haired woman beside Artemis.
Looking past Artemis, Naruto was able to take in the appearance of the woman in the wheelchair. She had black hair down to the nape of her neck, dark eyes, and pronounced cheekbones and lips. Her hair was combed to either side behind her ears, though she also had bangs hanging near her eyes and beside both her ears. She wore an open, royal-blue, cardigan-sweater with the sleeves rolled to her elbow and a white shirt beneath it. Her outfit was finished with dark-green trousers and black sneakers. She also had olive toned skin which was similar to Artemis.
“Right. Mom, this is Naruto. Naruto, this is my mom, Paula Crock,” Artemis introduced the two to each other.
“It’s nice to meet ya, Mrs. Crock,” Naruto greeted her by extending his right hand out to shake.
“You can call me Paula, and it’s nice to meet you too,” Paula kindly responded as she took Naruto’s hand to shake. “How do you know Artemis?”
“We know each other from my extracurriculars, mom,” Artemis gave her mother a pointed look as if to convey a hidden message.
“Ahh, I see,” Paula accepted the explanation as she understood the nuances behind it. “Also, Artemis lives here in Gotham with me. She is in Star City with her uncle for her extracurricular activities.”
“Yeah, that’s it,” Artemis readily agreed with her mother. “I’m here because the Wayne Foundation that sponsors my school scholarship is also hosting this event. They sent me an invite to come.”
“Well, it’s good to see you, Artemis,” Naruto accepted the explanation. “I wanted to talk to you about our spar the other day.”
“Spar?” Paula questioned.
“Umm, let’s talk about that later,” Artemis was quick to change the subject.
Luckily, it seems that a helping hand was provided for Artemis as the lights dimmed down and a spotlight shone on the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for magic,” a female voice rang out.
Pink smoke suddenly appeared on stage as vision was obscured where the spotlight was shining. As the smoke dissipated, Zatanna appeared on stage wearing a black tophat with a purple stripe, a black jacket over a white blouse with a purple vest, white gloves, nylon fishnet stockings, and black high heels while she sat atop a purple cloth that had a night’s sky theme which appeared to be levitating. She was also holding a long, thin, black and white rod which acted as a magician’s wand.
“Good evening, Gotham. I’m Zatanna,” Zatanna greeted the crowd as she hopped off the table. She pulled the cloth upwards to reveal that there was nothing underneath that was supporting her weight. Shaking the cloth, white doves appeared from underneath and flew above the audience.
Zatanna walked towards the crowd while removing her hat from her head and held it upside down.
“Tonight, I can promise you a few surprises,” Zatanna addressed the crowd while twirling her wand which caused a bouquet of flowers to bloom from the opening of her hat.
“A thrill or two along the way.”
A green snake appeared from inside the bouquet as it reared its head towards Zatannawith an open mouth. However, Zatanna merely moved the hat away from her body.
“And with luck, a happy ending,” Zatanna finished her introduction by turning the flowers and snake into bubbles that ascended into the night sky.
The crowd cheered and clapped at the display of showmanship displayed by the attractive magician.
“I’d like to thank the Wayne Foundation for sponsoring this event. Now, open your heart to magic, and become a child again,” the magician continued as she removed both her gloves and hid them between her hands. Opening them up, she revealed another dove that took flight.
As Zatanna continued to dazzle the crowd, Naruto watched on with a bright smile on his face. While his study of magic was more focused on combat, Zatanna showed a mastery of sleight of hand and skill. She played to the crowd as she entranced them with her stage presence and abilities.
At one point in her performance, she made another bouquet appear which she tossed into the crowd. The bundle of flowers landed in Naruto’s lap as the rest of the audience clapped.
“You seem to be having a good time. I didn’t know leggy girls in nylons were your type,” Artemis commented as she noticed how large Naruto’s smile was.
“Well, I did come here to show her my support,” Naruto responded as he picked up the flowers.
“Wait, she’s the friend who invited you?” Artemis asked as she turned to look at Zatanna on stage.
“Yeah, she’s one of the first friends I made since I moved,” Naruto informed Artemis while subtly making mention of his arrival on this planet as he and the rest of the audience continued to clap for Zatanna’s performance. “I met her when old man Kent was meeting with her father Zatara.”
Back with Zatanna, it seemed like she was getting ready for a finale as the curtain backdrop for the stage opened up to show the Gotham Mint building behind the stage.
“Thank you. You know, I have this little problem with money. Seems like it disappears before I even make it. And here to demonstrate are Mr. Irving Fauncewater, director of the Gotham Mint, and noted magic debunker Dr. Montague Kane.”
From the side of the stage, two men were walking up and approaching Zatanna on stage as she introduced them. Irving Fauncewater was an older bald man with glasses and was wearing an orange suit along with a white collared shirt and purple tie. Dr. Kane was a man with black hair that was slicked back and was wearing a gray suit with black lapels.
“Welcome, gentleman,” Zatanna greeted the two men.
“Miss Zatanna,” Kane greeted the magician.
“This is so exciting,” Fauncewater greeted with excitement. As he stepped forward to shake Zatanna’s hand, he stumbled forward but was held up by her to keep him from falling.
“Let me guess, first time on stage, Mr. Faucewater? Nothing like enthusiasm, right folks?” Zatanna asked the audience which got them to laugh in response.
“The way they’re responding, one would think your ridiculous stunt was going to work,” Kane commented from the side.
“Just to clue you in, Dr. Kane here makes a living exposing magicians’ secrets,” Zatanna informed the crowd.
“Simple tricks and nonsense,” Kane replied to the accusation.
“Uh huh. And I’ve invited him here to find the secret of the feat I’m attempting tonight.”
“There is no secret. What you’re proposing is flat-out impossible.”
“Well, everybody, impossible is what I’m all about. We live in a world filled with superheroes and aliens. Why is it so hard to believe in magic? Mr. Fauncewater, open the doors, please.”
Fauncewater had two guards standing outside the Gotham Mint open the doors to reveal the contents inside to the crowd. Inside were stacks of cash piled high near the entrance as the crowd gasped in awe at seeing the money up close.
“$10 million and the means to make it. Take a good look, folks, ‘cause you know what they say about money. “Easy come, easy go!” Zatanna declared as she waved her wand at the building.
A bolt of lightning shot out from the wand towards the building and more pink smoke appeared which rose into the air to obscure the vision of the crowd from seeing the building.
When the smoke dissipated, the crowd cheered and clapped as the building had disappeared.
“Oh, my!” Faucewater exclaimed at seeing the missing building.
“Bravo, my dear,” Kane applauded at Zatanna’s performance. “It was a pleasure to be proven wrong.”
“Thank you, Dr. Kane. And now, just so Mr. Faucewater doesn’t have a fit, I’ll bring it back as good as new. Raeppaer (reappear)!” Zatanna declared as she once again shot a bolt of lightning towards the location of the missing Gotham Mint. More pink smoke filled the area as the building reappeared with the doors open.
“The money. Where’s the money?” Faucewater asked in a panic.
“Where’s the money, he says. It’s right there, isn’t it?” Zatanna gestured towards the building.
“It’s gone! What have you done with it?” Faucewater frantically asked as the inside of the building was bare without any trace of the missing money.
“Now, take it easy, Mr. Faucewater. I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation.” Zatanna tried to placate Faucewater.
“And I’m sure the audience would like to hear it,” Kane chimed in.
“As would the police,” Faucewater added.
“Now, wait a minute,” Zatanna said as she tried to calm them down.
“Police! Police!” Faucewater yelled to get the attention of nearby officers.
Several men in police uniforms ran towards the stage after being called over as Zatanna tried to explain herself.
“Look, it’s a trick, an illusion. I don’t know what went wrong, but if we can all just calm down for a second,” Zatanna asked in a panic as she was surrounded by policemen.
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you,” one officer began reciting her Miranda Rights as another officer placed handcuffs around her wrists and forced her hands behind her back. They then proceeded to escort her into an orange police truck that took off towards the police station.
“She’s been set up,” Naruto said to Artemis as they watched the arrest from the crowd.
“Obviously, but she’s the only suspect, so the police have to hold her,” Artemis responded as they started moving away from the crowd.
“This will give the real thief time to escape,” Paula added in.
“Then we need to catch them and free Zatanna,” Naruto told the mother and daughter duo. “I can’t leave her.”
“You two take care of this,” Paula told the teenagers.
“Are you sure?” Artemis asked her mother.
“Positive. Now go help that young lady.”
“Wait, do you have your gear with you, Artemis?” Naruto asked as he couldn't see any equipment on the archer’s person.
“I have a collapsible crossbow with me but not my costume,” Artemis answered as this had been a night planned to spend with her mother.
“I can fly you both back to your place so you can grab your stuff,” Naruto told them as he looked around them for any lingering eyes before using magic to don his Destiny costume with his hood up.
“Shadow Clone Jutsu,” Naruto said as he put his fingers in a cross formation to summon up two clones to assist him in carrying the two back to their home as well as Paula’s wheelchair.
“Woah, this is the first time I’ve seen you use this,” Artemis idly remarked at seeing the copy of Destiny appear.
“Yeah, I haven’t really needed to use this so far,” Naruto replied while rubbing the back of his head. “I saw so many comments about the overuse of shadow clones and Rasengan in the Menma series that I just got used to fighting without them now. Anyway, where do you two live?”
The group had arrived at the Crock’s apartment so Artemis could collect her gear and change into her costume. Naruto was currently outside Artemis’s room on the phone with Batman as Artemis was getting changed.
“I’ve gotten in contact with the GCPD about Zatanna’s arrest. I’ve vouched for her, so you should be able to go after the real thieves without any worry.”
“Thanks for doing that, Batman. We plan on going back to investigate. Are you or Robin available to help? We could use a detective.”
“No, we’re preoccupied with other crimes in Gotham.”
“It’s no problem. I was just asking because this is your city. I should be able to get Zatanna’s help and our magic should be able to track the real thieves.”
“Keep me posted.”
“Roger that. Destiny out.”
Hanging up the phone, Naruto turned to look at Paula as she wheeled over to him.
“Well Naruto, I think it would be nice for us to get to know each other while Artemis gets ready,” Paula started the conversation off.
“What do you want to know?” Naruto asked as this was the first time he had been alone with his friend’s mother.
“Are you having sexual relations with my daughter?” Paula asked outright with a straight face.
“What?” Naruto violently coughed from the blunt and straightforward tone that Paula had used to ask that particularly embarrassing question.
“You wanted to talk with Artemis about a ‘spar’. Is that what you kids call it?”
“No! Artemis and I are just friends and teammates. I wanted to talk to her about a spar we had recently because of what happened.”
“And what happened during this spar?”
“Uhh …”
Fortune seemed to favor Naruto as Artemis opened her door at that moment with her costume on and equipment ready.
“All right, let’s roll,” Artemis requested before she saw the expressions on Naruto’s and her mother’s faces. “What were you two talking about?”
“Nothing,” Naruto quickly responded as he decided to take hold of Artemis’s hand and lead her away from Paula. “I’ve called Batman, and he’s informed the GCPD about the situation. We’re going to get Zatanna out of lockup and investigate the Gotham Mint for clues.”
“Get back soon, Artemis. I don’t want you out all night,” came Paula’s voice as the two heroes left the apartment.
Taking to the skies, Naruto carried Artemis into the night towards the GCPD. It didn’t take them long to spot the orange police truck that was currently transporting Zatanna. Landing on the street in front, Naruto held out his hand to stop the driver.
“I’m Destiny. I take it Batman has gotten in contact with you,” Naruto asked the truck driver.
“He did. I was going to bring her to the GCPD to collect her statement, but the commissioner told me we would be letting her go,” the driver answered.
“I’m here to take her with us to investigate the missing money. Open the back, please,” Naruto requested.
The door to the back of the truck opened to reveal Zatanna sitting on a bench with her hand handcuffed to a railing. Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing her friend appear next to a blonde girl wearing a uniform similar to Green Arrow’s.
“You’re being released to help us with investigating,” Naruto told Zatanna as he approached her.
“Thank god,” Zatanna sighed in relief as she stood up from the bench, showing that she had gotten herself out of the handcuffs. “I didn’t love the idea of spending the night in jail.”
“Neat trick,” Artemis commented on seeing Zatanna get free from the handcuffs.
“Thanks. I don’t believe we’ve met. Zatanna Zatara,” Zatanna introduced herself as she held out a hand to shake.
“Artemis,” the blonde archer responded as she took Zatanna’s hand.
“Nice abs,” Zatanna commented when she saw Artemis’s midriff at a closer range.
“Nice legs,” Artemis complimented back.
Naruto looked at the two girls with confusion as they seemed to become instant friends somehow.
“Anyway, Artemis is on the team I told you about. We’re gonna find the real thieves who set you up,” Naruto informed the magician. “We’re heading back to the Gotham Mint to look for clues.”
“In that case, I’ll need to do a quick change. This outfit is cute, but not great for catching bad guys,” Zatanna joked as she made a motion of raising her hands above her head from her waist level. “Emit ot yrt tuo eht wen kool (time to try out the new look).”
Gray smoke spiraled around Zatanna’s body as her outfit had changed from her showgirl-like outfit into a magician’s outfit closely resembling her father’s. She wore a white shirt, a black bow tie with white gloves, a low cut yellow vest, a black blazer, black mini-shorts with gray stockings resembling pantyhose, and black boots that reached midway up her calves. Zatanna then decided to strike a pose as she shifted her weight to the left and placed her left hand on her hip while her mouth curved into a smirk.
“We should get going. The place is probably surrounded by cops,” Artemis mentioned.
“Etativel (levitate),” Zatanna chanted as she took to the sky.
Naruto, meanwhile, offered a hand to Artemis to once again carry her as the group made their way towards the Gotham Mint. Landing on the rooftop of the building, they opened up a skylight to descend into the main lobby of the scene of the crime.
“Any idea where to start?” Naruto asked Zatanna as the three of them looked around. “This was supposed to be your trick.”
“I played it straight during most of the performance. I only used a bit of magic at the end to throw in a bit of razzle dazzle,” Zatanna explained.
“Look, there’s a line scraped into the floor where the money was,” Artemis pointed out. “Whatever made it left shards of glass too.”
“That would have been one mighty big piece of glass. Or mirror …,” Zatanna mused as mirrors and projections were commonly used in magic tricks.
“Did you use one? Whoever framed you must have known how you did your trick,” Artemis added.
“I wouldn’t want to take the mystery out of life, but I did.”
“When do you think the real thief stole the money?” Naruto asked as he followed the scaped floor line to a large sculpture molded in the likeness of a giant quarter. “When I used to pull pranks as a kid, I needed to set up the scene in advance to get the timing that I wanted. The thief would need enough time to hide their mirror after your trick was done to get rid of the image of the money.”
“It would have to have been before I did my trick, but how could someone have gotten rid of a mirror big enough to reflect an image of all that money? Are we dealing with a metahuman or another sorcerer?”
“Or maybe he didn’t get rid of the mirror and it’s still here,” Naruto speculated as he tugged on the quarter sculpture. A wallpaper covering was torn away as a mirror was revealed inside.
“Only another magician would have known how to rig this trick to pull off a heist,” Zatanna declared as the group made their exit through the skylight.
“Or someone who knows their methods like that Kane guy,” Artemis added.
“I hear he’s been ripping off illusionists for years. I thought I had a trick he couldn’t expose without even using my magic,” Zatanna followed up.
“Looks like he’s our next lead. Any idea where we can find him?” Artemis asked the resident illusionist.
“He has a place on the outskirts of Gotham. It’s like an old school castle filled with various magician’s items.”
“Then that’s where we’re going next,” Naruto decided.
Flying outside the city limits, the trio came upon Kane’s residence which was a gated property.
“Kcolnu (unlock),” Zatanna chanted to open up a large window on the side of the building.
The three entered the castle and found themselves in a carpeted hallway. The interior design looked as if it was an Egyptian exhibit belonging to a museum with door arches that had hieroglyphics and various vases on stands. Wandering the hall, the group found themselves in a library illuminated by a fireplace with a large armchair turned away from the entrance. The walls were decorated with photographs of aircrafts.
“It would seem I have guests. Come in, and join me by the fire. Come, come. Don't be shy. You've obviously unraveled my little scheme, and I would like to congratulate you face-to-face,” Kane’s voice came from behind the chair.
“You’re not going to have a face when we’re done with you and send you packing to prison,” Zatanna declared as she rushed forward to spin the chair around only to find a mannequin sitting in it with a book on aircraft engineering in its lap.
“It’s a trap!” Artemis yelled as the floor beneath them gave away to reveal a trapdoor had opened. A chamber filled with spikes was down below, but Kane was unfortunate to be dealing with two fliers.
Naruto quickly scooped up Artemis in his arms to prevent her from falling into the spiked pit.
“Where do you think he could be?” Zatanna asked the other two as they took a moment to catch their breath.
Looking more closely at the photographs on the wall, Artemis took note of a newspaper article that stated that Kane had previously purchased a state of the art aircraft named ‘Magician’s Foe’.
“Give you three guesses on what this guy likes and is probably using to escape,” Artemis joked as she pointed out the aircraft theme in the room.
In the Magician’s Foe
The aircraft Magician’s Foe was preparing for takeoff as it gathered speed atop the Gotham River. Kane was seated in a dining room aboard the aircraft that had a glass ceiling view of the outside.
“Take a last longing look, gentlemen. We’re heading to a place where the climate is warmer, the people are friendlier, and the extradition laws are nonexistent,” Kane toasted his two henchmen as he held up a steaming cup of tea.
“The only place you’re heading is to a prison cell,” a female voice rang out which spooked the three men.
Turning his chair around, Kane came face to face with Zatanna coming through the doorway.
“Well done, my dear. You not only eluded my trap but solved my clue as well,” Kane complimented with a taunting undertone in his voice as he turned to his two henchmen. “Get rid of her.”
The two thugs approached the young magician only to receive flying knees to their faces courtesy of Artemis and Destiny.
“You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you Monty?” Zatanna taunted.
Seeing the danger, Kane ran towards a doorway in the back that was concealed by a curtain. As he pulled the curtain back, pink smoke appeared accompanied by a popping sound.
“Ta-da!” Zatanna cheered as she appeared within the smoke. “You’re not getting away, Monty. I’ll show you some real magic. Emoks emoceb sniahc (smoke become chains).”
The remaining pink smoke came alive as it surrounded Kane and took the shape of rings to surround and bind the would-be thief. Grunts were heard to the side as Zatanna turned to see the henchmen were knocked out by her friends.
“Looks like it’s curtains for you, Monty.” Zatanna told Kane as she placed her hands on her hips to gloat.
“Let’s get them into police custody and make sure this thing doesn’t take off,” Naruto added as he approached while carrying the unconscious henchmen.
Later
The three young heroes watched on as Gotham City police took away the three villains in handcuffs and were processing the stolen money as evidence.
“Heck of a night to follow your performance,” Artemis joked.
“Yeah, hopefully this doesn’t happen again. I am ready to fall asleep on a nice comfy bed in my hotel room,” Zatanna yawned as she raised her arms.
“Do you want us to go with you?” Naruto offered to escort her back.
“No need, I’ve got it handled. It was nice to see you, Naruto and to meet you, Artemis. Come see me soon. I miss my best friend,” Zatanna told them as she placed a chaste kiss on Naruto’s cheek which caught him off guard.
An explosion of pink smoke appeared where Zatanna stood and she was nowhere to be seen as the smoke dissipated.
“We should probably get you home before your mom gets upset,” Naruto said as he turned to Artemis.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
Naruto once again took off into the air with Artemis in his arms as the two made their way back to the archer’s apartment.
“So, Zatanna sure is cute. Are you two dating?” Artemis made conversation as the two flew.
“Huh? No, we’re just friends like I told you earlier.”
“Do you want to date her?”
“I don’t know. I’ve kind of been thinking about something that happened with someone else who wouldn’t give us a chance to talk.”
Artemis understood what he was referring to and turned to face away from him as her cheeks turned red. She was clearly embarrassed when remembering the intimate moment they shared.
“Are we ever going to talk about what happened?” Naruto pressed further. “It was an accident, but it did make me think about you more.”
“You’ve been thinking about me?”
“I have, and I was wondering if you would be willing to go on a date with me?”
“Hmmm,” Artemis hummed as she tried to appear as if she was contemplating an answer. “Alright, call me when you have something planned.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Now get me home.”
The rest of the flight was a comfortable silence for the two as they neared their destination and landed on the fire escape outside her bedroom window.
“I’ll call you soon, Artemis. Good night,” Naruto said as he was about to take off.
“Wait,” Artemis called out before he could leave. She raised her hand to his facemask to pull it down before placing her lips on his. The kiss lasted a few seconds, but the warmth that spread through the two teens made it feel like it lasted longer.
“That’s how you say, good night,” Artemis told Naruto in a husky tone filled with confidence as she removed her lips from his.
Smiling like a loon, Naruto could only nod as he ascended into the air. Artemis smiled to herself as she watched him disappear from sight. Entering her room through her window, she was greeted by the sound of her mother’s voice.
“Welcome back.”
“Hey, mom. I’m back and going to bed.”
“So, that was the Naruto I’ve heard about. I like him.”
“I’ve never spoken about him to you.”
Paula merely spun her wheelchair around as she rolled herself to exit her daughter’s room.
“A word of advice, Artemis. The walls are thin and you should be aware of your surroundings during your ‘private time’.”
Artemis could only look on with a mortified expression on her face as her mother left her room. The only thing she could do was cover her face with her hands as she fell back onto her bed. Hopefully a good night’s sleep would help her in forgetting the embarrassment she was experiencing at this moment.
Author’s Note: Thank you for reading the latest chapter of my story. I am planning on cross-posting this on both FFN and AO3. I want to potentially include lemons in the future. The FFN chapter will have an indicator of where it was removed and the AO3 chapter will have the full chapter. I hope my readers continue to enjoy my story.
