2/3

Well, at least now he was outside. Coughing, Naruto stood to his feet, blinking at the city around him. So this was their village. Impressive, to say the least. Not even Amegakure had had buildings like these, so tall and shiny. And it was big too, he could sense thousands of people around him. All without chakra, unsurprisingly, but that didn't mean they weren't dangerous. He wondered how far he'd flown from the dungeon area and how long it would take the Kage or whatever they had to send people after him.

Suddenly, he stiffened, sensing a sudden rush of creatures toward his location.

I guess not very long, he thought grimly, shifting stance.

Maggie Sawyer knew she should find a new job. She really did. But how the heck are you supposed to do that when you have superpowered whatsits punting random kids into downtown Metropolis? How do you just walk away from a police force that has to deal with inner-city earthquakes caused by super brawls?

Answer: you don't. You hang around until you're a physical liability and then you try to find some way to sacrifice yourself in the line of duty.

Which was what found Sawyer on the lip of a hundred-foot crater with about sixty other officers, all aiming their weapons at a rather angry-looking teenager at the bottom. Looking at his face, Sawyer REALLY wished she could bring up the other forty men she'd brought with her, but they were busy enough evacuating the area. The only thing that made her feel good about the situation at all was the knowledge that the Justice League must know about it, and were probably on their way also.

Which meant they needed to at least hold the kid here until the big guns arrived.

"Listen!" she shouted down at him. "We have you surrounded on all sides!" Technically not true, they barely had enough to cover the one, but she thought it was worth a try. "Lay down your…" she hated this part, "…weapons, artifacts, magical devices, power rings, or any other augmentable accessories and stick your hands in the air!"

The angry face switched to one of confusion. "Nani?"

Great. Just great. Not only did they have a meta, they had a meta that couldn't understand them. Had this kid flown all the way from the Pacific? Sawyer glanced up and down the line of troopers. "You!" she hissed, picking out an oriental-looking SWAT officer. "You speak Japanese?"

The man shook his head. "I'm from Brooklyn, ma'am."

"Crap! What about the rest of you? Know any Japanese?"

"Nope."

"Not really."

"Que dice?"

"Shh, Pablo!"

"My kid watches some TV shows…"

"Okay, I get it!" She hissed. "Alright, so you don't know Japanese." She touched her radio. "Thompson, this is Sawyer. We need a translator down at…"

A startled yelp interrupted her and she glanced up. Several men of her men had whirled and were pointing their guns at a tall, blue skinned creature with cloven hoofs, a tail, horns, and a trident. Just behind him, she could see an enormous man in a mask striding forward, while a girl hovered anxiously overhead, shouting various pacifying expressions at the gun-wielding officers.

Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose. She really needed to find a new job.

An irate shadow slipped through the darkened hallways of Titan's Tower. Batman was swiftly growing frustrated with the situation. When he'd cut the power, he'd expected the Titans to come breaking out of their energy-fed cells and attack the intruders.

He hadn't planned on the teens being imprisoned in an entirely different location. Now he had to wander over the entire base looking for them.

It'd have to be some of the more heavily fortified rooms, he felt sure. Nothing less could've kept them imprisoned for long. Most likely, that meant the training facilities, built to withstand attacks zfrom all four superheroes.

He had one advantage, he supposed. His virus had performed well, triggering the proximity air alert as a distraction for him to penetrate the underwater entrance. That meant they would be busy searching for the outside threat, not for the inside one. And even if they did, the virus would have disabled all internal sensors, so they would have no idea of his presence.

Training room. There. And, if the massive amounts of equipment piled against it was any indication, that's where the captive Titans were.

Batman frowned at the pile blocking the door. If it'd been a tri-coded biometrics lock, he could have simply hacked into it and opened the door. If it had been a simple eight-pin titanium lock with several layers of redundancy, he could have easily picked it.

But it was a pile. And no matter how many different ways you looked at it, there was only really one way to get past a pile without making a big noise. With a disgruntled sigh, Batman set to work clearing it away.

Five minutes later, the door was clear. On a hunch, Batman tried the door. It was unlocked, and swung open. To his further frustration, his entrance seemed to go entirely unnoticed. Hasn't Robin taught them anything? He wondered. I could kill them like this!

Two seconds later, he revised that.

A green bolt of energy lanced out of the darkness, striking him full in the chest and smashing him into the back wall. Pushing past the pain, he rolled aside out of the way of another blast and tensed, ready to move again.

"Stay back!" came a defiant, though quavering, voice. "Do not approach friend Raven and I, or I shall be forced to begin the disintegration!"

The Tamaranian. "Starfire, correct?" Finally catching sight of her crouched against the far wall, he lit a flare to reveal himself.

The girl's eyes widened. "B-batman!" She whispered, face brightening. "Oh this is most joyous! I offer the apologies for my rash actions, but I did not…"

"It's alright." He assured her, striding forward. "Where's Robin and the rest of them?"

"I do not know."

He suppressed a groan. "Fine. What about your attackers? How many in the tower?"

"There were three who attacked us." She replied quickly. For some reason she didn't seem to be able to get up, and remained crouched on the floor as he approached. "One can be able to turn his body into water, another had the strength and could change his body shape, and the other…" she frowned. "I sorrow, but I don't know."

At the very least, she seemed capable of summing up situations, Batman noted approvingly. And now that he was closer, he could see why she couldn't move. The whole left side of her was bruised and bloody. From the stiff way she held herself up, he guessed there was worse than that. "Broken ribs?" He questioned, kneeling.

She nodded. "My right leg also. The strong one was very fast."

"Hmm," he nodded, working quickly. He could splint the leg with some bits from the debris outside, and perhaps work something out for the cracked rib, but the girl would definitely need medical attention quickly.

The glint of metal caught his eye and he examined the mangled steel bindings on her wrists. Apart from some rather odd symbols painted onto the surface, they seemed to be very ordinary—and hence inadequate—handcuffs. "They tried to restrain you?" He cocked an eyebrow at her. "With these?"

Starfire nodded.

Snorting, Batman finished up. These intruders couldn't be very bright, if they had thought things like that would hold a Tamaranian. "Can you walk now?"

"I can fly." She shrugged.

Right. He'd forgotten that. He moved over to the dark bundle in the corner. Hunched in a small ball, the pale girl appeared to be completely unconscious. "What's wrong with her?"

He could almost hear the confusion in the other girl's voice. "I do not know! Friend Raven was like that when I awoke in the room, and she will not respond to my entreaties. It is most distressing! Friend Cyborg said the third one had wounded her, but she does not seem injured!"

"No she doesn't," mused he, giving the girl a quick diagnosis. There didn't seem to be anything physically wrong with the girl. Perhaps magic? From what he knew of this girl, she should be fairly resilient to such things, but at the same time she might be especially vulnerable in certain areas also. But… the visitors he had encountered had exhibited no magic-like powers.

With a frown, he shook his head clear of the problems, deciding to settle them later. He opened the cuffs holding the girl—noting again the strange symbols—and threw her over his shoulder. "We're going down to the underwater entrance." He informed the Tamaranian. "My sub is waiting down there. I need you and her to stay put there until I return with the others."

"But… but…" the girl's forehead furrowed in distress, "but I wish to help friends Robin, Cyborg and Beastboy also!"

"You're in no condition to fight, and I need you to guard her." Batman replied evenly, indicating the comatose Raven. Truthfully, he simply wanted the two girls out of his way. Despite the impressive records of both, Batman preferred to work by himself, especially on a stealth infiltration like this one. It was best to avoid confronting any of the intruders as long as there were still hostages in the building.

Unfortunately, they ended up confronting one right at the underwater entrance. A silver-haired one with a disturbingly large sword.

Naruto studied the group of soldiers on the hill. They seemed to be conferring about something, probably the three people he had sensed approaching their location. Carefully he focused on the group, trying to determine as much as he could about them.

Suddenly he stiffened. This chakra...

It was a really bizarre signature, but it was undoubtedly chakra, and undoubtedly large. So far, Naruto had only met one sizeable source of chakra in this world, and he had no desire to meet it again. Swiftly turning, he darted away from the team on the hill, straight for the gleaming towers on the other side.

Behind him he heard a sharp exclamation and several loud pops. Dust was kicked up around him and several things whizzed past his ear, but he kept running. He sensed the other three, including the chakra source, shoot forward at him, and he leapt into the air at the building. It was a little difficult to anchor his feet on the smooth metal (glass?) surface of the building, but he managed it and kept running. To his surprise, the chakra source, along with the biggest of the three, stopped at the foot of the building.

To his greater surprise, the third jumped into the air and flew. At him.

Naruto had met a great many ninjas, but not many of them could fly. Even less of them could move as quickly or as fast as the girl pursuing him. To make matters worse, he could hear her babbling out the name of a new jutsu.

Thinking quickly, he turned and leapt at her. "RASENGAN!"

Shaking off the safety straps, Diana popped open her aircraft's canopy and climbed out. She loved her plane, she really did, and its invisibility made it a wonderful tool for stealth and recon, but after combing the city three times without result, Diana was tired of it.

Diana was, first and foremost, a warrior. A princess also, an immortal, a creature blessed by the gods, but foremost, she was a warrior. And warriors, at least Amazonian ones, did not hide. They met and faced their foes head-on. In her time of exile from Themyscira, Diana had learned to modify this view somewhat, but she still preferred open and honorable combat.

Batman did not, she knew. And as she was in Batman's city, she had felt it only right to follow his path and do things quietly.

But that wasn't working. Try though she might, she could not find the three teenagers Batman had described. Wherever they were, they were staying low. Doubtless she could outwait them, but as she'd told Batman, time was of the essence here. They needed to find the dimensional visitors soon. And—she felt a shamefaced smile tug at her lips—a small part of her wanted to find and defeat them before Batman returned from his "private business." If she could do that, it would be an infallible proof that she could help him in his quest to save Gotham.

So Wonder Woman, immortal princess of the Amazons, stepped from her plane and flew off into the Gotham skies.

If she could not find the prey, she would draw it out.

Suigetsu grinned as he regarded the strange trio. Though he wasn't sure who the man in the dark cape was, he didn't look particularly threatening, and the blue-cloaked girl over his shoulder was completely unconscious. The only real threat was the orange girl in purple, and he'd fought her before. This should be easy.

Finding them had been surprisingly simple. After the lights went out, Sasuke had ordered him into the water so he could defend against any attacks. He had sensed the strange vessel almost immediately, but by the time he'd tracked it to the underwater cave, there was no one to be found. Unwilling to leave such an obvious clue, he'd hung around in the shadows until the owner returned.

Patience had paid off, the owner was here, and the two girl prisoners with him. "Thought you were getting out this way, did you?" he taunted.

The dark man regarded him impassively. "You have one chance to surrender."

"Huh?" Suigetsu cocked an incredulous eyebrow. "No, I'm pretty sure you got that the wrong way around there. YOU have one chance to surrender. And actually…" he grinned. "…I don't even think I'm gonna give you that."

He dashed forward, but before he could blink, the man had leapt away and tossed his unconscious cargo to the orange girl. "Get out of here and head for the clock tower!" He ordered.

"But…!"

"Keep out of this!" he warned, shooting her a glance. Hesitating only momentarily, she gathered her friend's body in her arms and flew for the underwater exit.

"Hey!" Suigetsu's eyes widened. Sasuke'd kill him if they got away! Quickly he dashed back toward the water. The dark man blocked his path, but he turned into water and went straight through him, diving into the pool on the other side. The orange shape of the girl was growing distant in the water already, but for an elemental like him, that should be no…

Coldness shot through him and he found himself locked in place, unable to pursue. Glancing back, he saw why. His legs, and the entire section of water surrounding them, were frozen in one huge block of ice. Just above, he could see a large, dark shape descending.

Seriously? This guy could do that too?

He had no more time than that to get angry, for the next second the man was smashing into the ice, and Suigetsu was experiencing something vaguely like having his legs snapped off at the knee. It was only an annoyance—he swiftly made a new pair out of water—but it hurt.

"Darn you." He snarled, coming up out of the water. "You're gonna pay for that."

Leaping from the water, the man snorted and threw one of his strange boomerang things into the rafters above the pool. Suigetsu glanced up at it, puzzled, then his eyes widened with sudden comprehending.

A long cable, crackling with Raiton energy, fell into the pool.

Atom Smasher crouched low over Stargirl, impassively noting the thud of sidewalk chunks as they bounced off his back. Whatever was in that glowing orb the kid had aimed at Stargirl, it was a good thing Blue Devil had knocked him off course so it landed on the street instead. Stargirl put up a good fight, but she was just a kid herself, and really had nothing special outside of the staff she was carrying. Any one of the blocks falling could easily crack her skull open.

Cautiously, he stood to his feet, shaking the remaining debris off. "You okay?" he asked.

"Sore, but I'm good." She grumbled, standing to her feet. "What's with that kid?"

"He's a demon," hissed the third member of their party, leaping next to them.

"Look who's talking." Stargirl cocked an eye at Blue Devil, grinning. "You sure? He doesn't look like any of the evil spirits I've met."

"I know his kind."

Failing to see the importance of the question, Atom Smasher shrugged. "In any case, he's dangerous." He intoned. "Watchtower, is force authorized?"

"Affirmative." Terrific's voice informed them from his earpiece. "Unidentified meta is to be considered hostile. Reinforcements are en route. Force is authorized, attempt to contain threat and if possible, neutralize it."

"Acknowledged." Atom Smasher nodded to the others.

With the sound of coughing, their attacker finally came in view. Blonde hair waved over a pair of curiously yellow eyes (with horizontal irises, no less), and three strange whisker-like scars ran across each side of his face. He wiped a set of bloodied knuckles on his orange jacket and glared at them.

Stargirl tilted her chin thoughtfully. "Y'know… he's kinda cute." Her two allies glanced at her. "What? I'm just saying…"

"Nevermind," interrupted Atom Smasher. "We've got a job to do. You take to the air and try to get at him from his blind spot. Me and Blue Devil… Blue Devil!"

Without waiting for his companion's order, the incarnate spirit had already dashed at their assailant, pitchfork raised. Atom Smasher rushed after him, muttering curses.

The teenager moved with blinding sped and sent Blue Devil flying with a single punch. Just as quickly he whirled around again to meet the enormous punch being thrown at him from the other. He stopped the massive fist with one palm, grabbed hold, and tossed the huge superhero into the air, straight at the oncoming Stargirl, who just barely managed to dodge him and move back to a safer range. The boy, meanwhile, simply shifted back to his original defensive posture.

"I changed my mind." Stargirl remarked as she shot over to a sullen Blue Devil. "He's not cute."

She received a grunt in response. "Hrrf. I told ya already. He's a demon."

"So? Who says demons aren't cute?"

"I know one that ain't."

Stargirl decided not to ask if he was referring to himself or to the boy in the middle. "Anyway, wanna attack with the rest of us this time, instead of going solo? Cause that last round really stunk."

"So long as that thing dies, I don' care." He growled.

"Good… I guess." She eyed him momentarily before touching her communicator. "Hey, Smasher? Yeah, I know. Right, together then. How do you…"

"He's running." Blue Devil interrupted her, pointing after a swiftly disappearing orange figure.

"Crap!" Stargirl shot into the air, Blue Devil a step behind her.

Wonder Woman sighed as she scanned the streets below. Though she hadn't yet drawn out her quarry, she had, apparently drawn thousands of onlookers. She could see crowds gathering everywhere, pointing up in the sky, even faintly cheering.

She wondered if it would bother Bruce. After all, public grandstanding was very much out of his line. With all the fuss he made about operating by his rules in Gotham, perhaps he wouldn't approve of her flying around like this and attracting attention. It might fall under the category of "unsuitable help."

And yet… she couldn't really see why. Batman served as a protector for these people, yes, a warrior, a guardian, but he was a guardian of fear, an avenger of justice. He didn't inspire good deeds, he merely punished evil ones.

Was hope such a bad thing? Even for Gotham?

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed at an odd flash of color from an alleyway. There was a girl… yes, she was dressed in red, and… was that… pink hair?

Diana swept down in triumph. At last. Enough grandstanding. Time to do real work.

Juugo didn't know who the strange man in the dark cape was, but he wished he'd stay still for twenty seconds together.

After Suigetsu had been in the water for a while and it was pretty clear no one was coming, Sasuke-sama had ordered him down to check on the prisoners and see if any of them had caused the blinking thing on the computer. Juugo honestly couldn't say whether any of them had, because just when he'd been about to check up on them, he'd found the man in the dark cape.

What bothered him was that he'd almost missed him. He'd been walking along and come to the barricade in front of the boys rooms, and noticed that it was substantially smaller than it'd been before. The next thing he knew, he'd been hit full in the back by a roundhouse kick that seemed to come from nowhere.

No mere kick, of course, could keep Juugo down for long, nor the three that immediately followed. But the last, striking him full in the face, gave him a rather sizeable headache, enough for him to justify triggering the half-transformation. He'd had enough of this man, it was time to kill him.

Now if the man would just remain in one place for long enough, he would do just that. The caped figure had an annoying habit of not being in the place where Juugo's blows landed, but it was only a matter of time and stamina. And Juugo had plenty of both.

"Stop running, damn you!" he roared, sweeping a stack of crates aside in his fury. His only answer came in the shape of three small pellets that exploded around him. He frowned in annoyance. How many of those things did the man have? Half the hallway had already been destroyed by their battle, and the other half was swiftly following. Not that it mattered to Juugo, the explosions hurt him little more than a bad Katon jutsu, but they were annoying.