6

Chapter VI: Cold Case.

Last Time.

The person came out reviling Red Arrow. "Nice. I almost believed you were Canary's niece." He said before crossing his arms. "But we know you're not... I'm sure Kage, Black Canary, and Batman have a reason for keeping both of your backgrounds a secret. So they're safe with me."

"But I'm warning you... Don't hurt my friends.."

The booth lit up, and Naruto walked out. "You don't need to worry about the 'Junior Justice League' Red Arrow... After all, they can handle themselves. And they have me watching their backs."

Roy left as the girls looked down. "Just so you know... I think you should tell them. Better to get it out now." He said hugging Artemis before turning to Spoiler. "Come on. I know Paula wants to see you after so long. Last time she saw you, you were five."

Infinity Island August 09, 23:26 EDT.

Sensei was meditating as four screens came up for the Light. "Report."

Sensei opened his eyes and spoke. "Master. We got the Star Labs data before Ojo got captured. But the Wayne Tech still alludes us."

Another voice spoke up after he finished. "Once again the young heroes interfered, so it's fortunate we have an operative on the... Inside." He finished making Sensei smirk.

Now.

Gotham City, Naruto's Penthouse August 10, 7:00 EDT.

Naruto was making breakfast as Paula wheeled in. "Morning." She greeted as Naruto flipped the eggs.

"Morning. Are the girls up?" He asked as Paula nodded.

"Yes. They're getting ready. I can't believe Stephanie's mother is dead."

Naruto nodded before putting the eggs on a plate and putting it on the table as the girls came in. "Morning girls."

Artemis yawned as she stretched in her pajamas. "Morning. Why are we getting up this early?" Naruto smirked before replying. "Some training today before I ask for a mission."

Mount Justice, August 13, 15:28 EDT.

The Team was sitting in makeshift desks as Captain Atom, a man whose entire body was covered in silver, metallic skin, save for his gloves and boots, which are red. He has a stylized red atom symbol on his chest was giving a lecture on espionage.

Naruto who's standing beside Atom chuckled as he saw the board looks on everyone especially his daughter who was having trouble staying awake.

'Sure takes me back.' He thought as Atom pointed to a holographic board.

"And that means advanced research, hours of reading, and being on stakeouts... And, of course, you must always remain alert..." Atom trailed off seeing everyone's not paying attention. "This is boring isn't it?" He asked as the Team quickly denied it.

Naruto sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. 'How can Atom make something like espionage sound boring?'

Atom sighed before bringing up a classified file on the screen. "Alright. Let's learn in the field. This is a cold case from Vietnam." Opening it up, it showed the information of a blonde-haired man in army uniform. "Captain Nathaniel C. Adams. United States Air Force. Convicted in '68 of murdering Air Force General Clement Lemar."

"He died in prison. But I received a reliable source that he was framed." Atom pointed at them before continuing. "Your assignment: Investigate. Prove Adam's innocence, or reconfirm his guilt, and report to me."

Superboy raised an eyebrow before speaking up. "You want to send super-powered operatives for this?"

Atom shrugged before pointing to the board. "Alright. Back to the lecture."

"NO!"

Naruto smiled before stepping forward. "OK Team. Artemis and I won't be on this one. We've got patrolling to do and I've got Watchtower guard duty after that." He turned to M'gann and Robin. "To start things off, I want you two to go to D.C. and start there." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a watch. "Starfire." Starfire looked at him.

"Yes, friend Naruto."

Naruto gave her the watch and puts it on her left wrist. "Press the button." She did that and transformed. She's now a Caucasian girl with dark red hair and dark green eyes wearing a dark purple skirt with a lighter purple top with tennis shoes.

"That's so you can leave this place, and not worry about people finding out you're a hero." (1.)

Washington D.C. August 13, 23:03 EDT.

Miss. Martian flew inside the Pentagon under her cloaking as Robin went inside the air ducts. He soon followed Miss. Martian went into an empty restroom and transformed into a female JAG Officer with blonde hair, and glasses.

Miss Martian walked to a room where an older Caucasian man with blue eyes and grey hair sat at a desk.

He's wearing a green, button-up US. military uniform with sets of four stars on either side of his collar, indicating his rank. He also has his name on the right side of his shirt and other badges across the left. Miss. Martian saluted as a camera came out of the vent.

"General Eiling, Sir!" Eiling looked up to her from his reports.

"At ease Captain. And sit." Miss. Martian did that as Eiling continued.

"Want to tell me why the Judge Advocate General Office wants to re-open this case?" He asked holding a folder as Miss Marian sighed.

"Respectfully sir, I can't say. You were the Judge at Captain Adams Court Marshall, and that makes you a witness. Can you tell me what happened?" Eiling sighed and explained how he found Adams guilty, sentenced him to life in prison, and died a year later.

Las Vegas August 13, 20:12 PDT.

Donna, Superboy, Wally, and Starfire looked around the Casino. Starfire looked around seeing the lights, and slot machines as Donna spoke up.

"There's Lieutenant Yarrow at the Blackjack table." They looked, and saw a Caucasian man with grey hair with a tattoo under his Hawaiian shirt, with blue jeans, and white tennis shoes. They walked over as he went over 21. The dealer looked at them and spoke up.

"No one under twenty-one is allowed in the Casino."

Ignoring him, Donna looked to Yarrow. "Lieutenant Yarrow?" Yarrow looked up to them and raised an eyebrow.

"No. Retired. It's Mister Yarrow now." He got up and looked to an empty table outside the Casino. "You must be Journalism students... Let's talk. My luck's run out."

As they sat, he went on to talk about how Adams was set up, and the court was corrupted. "And that's where Judge Wade Eiling. He married Adams's wife and raised his two kids. Now tell me that doesn't stink to high Heaven!"

Arlington, August 13, 23:57 EDT.

Robin and Miss Martian walked into a room. "If Adams was framed, the first place to look is Shirley Manson, the Medical examiner who said Nate wasn't drugged.." He said before they saw an elderly woman lying on the floor with her right arm under her with a slash on her stomach. "Only the Medical examiner, needs an examiner. She has something in her hand, I don't want to disturb the crime scene but I need to see what she's holding."

Miss Martian nodded before lifting her revealing a photo of a group of US. military with a boy. Robin scanned it and brought up a larger one on his wrist computer.

"It's a picture of a group of Military people with a kid. I think the woman in it is Mason but the sixties were a long time ago." Miss. Martian nodded before transforming into the woman in the photo.

"This is her in the picture.." She changed into the woman on the floor. "And this is her now. Their muscular Skeleton's the same."

Suddenly, the door was kicked open, and three police officers ran in. "Alright, freeze…!" One yelled only to see Shirley on the floor, and no one else.

Honolulu, August 13, 19:06 HST.

Kaldur and Stephanie, now wearing a white dress, we're talking to Nathaniel's kids at a table by the beach. The woman has light brown hair that fell to her shoulder, wearing sunglasses, a red long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves pulled up to her elbows, and a black skirt. The man also has short brown hair, and blue eyes wearing an Air Force uniform.

"I'm only here for my sisters Peggy's sake. Nate Adams is not a topic I'd choose to discuss." The man said before Peggy punched him in the shoulder.

"Randy you're talking about our father." Randy scoffed before crossing his arms.

"Wade Eiling's our father. He raised us, Adams lost any rights the day he betrayed his country, and murdered his superior officer"

"Mom never believed he was guilty, and neither did I," Peggy said before Randy raised his hand.

"Sis I love you. But your opinion doesn't count. Dad died in prison before you were born." Peggy laughed before speaking up.

"Ha! You just called him 'dad'."

Later.

Kaldur and Stephanie were walking down the beach as she was talking about their talk with Peggy, and Randy.

"Well. Randy's... Intense but he's realistic." She looked down at the sand as she continued. "Biology hardly guarantees parental skills. Or even basic honesty. Nathaniel Adams may be guilty as charged." She looked up to Kaldur and saw him looking out to sea.

"Kaldur? Kaldur?!" He was jolted from his thoughts and turned to her.

"Apologies. My thoughts were in Atlantis with..." Stephanie interrupted him by raising a hand.

"Your parents? What are they like?" She asked making Kaldur smile.

My mother, Sha'lain'a, is a Native of the Atlantian city-state of Shayeris. Her skin is nearly golden as her hair..."

"And her gills are quite large, and gorgeous." He looked at her and puts a hand on her shoulder. "My father, Calvin Durham, is a surface-worlder like you... Genetically altered by Black Manta to infiltrate Atlantis as a water breather." Stephanie looked surprised at that.

"Your dad works for Black Mantra?!" Kaldur shook his head before finishing.

"He did. But his love for my mother caused him to switch sides. So perhaps we should reserve judgment on Captain Adams until we have all the facts are in."

Annapolis, August 14, 00:32 EDT.

Robin, Miss. Martian, Wonder Girl, Starfire in her normal form, Kid Flash, and Superboy in their stealth outfits were watching a mansion that looks like a Japanese house where an elderly man was sitting in his robe drinking from a cup sat in front of an opened window.

Miss. Martian spoke up through their link. "I know my grasp on Earth History is largely based on Earth sitcoms. But why would a North Vietnamese General be in a 1968 photo with the US personnel?"

Robin looked down at the picture he scanned and nodded. "Good question. This General Trang was the first person my facial recognition software identified. But that doesn't explain how Trang ended up in a mega-mansion in the States. That takes money, and connections.."

Kid Flash spoke up finishing Robins's sentence. "Two things participating in an illegal smuggling ring might offer."

Wonder Girl nodded as Superboy looked to the mansion. "Maybe Adams was telling the truth."

Starfire nodded before speaking up. "Yes, friends. We must not let this travesty continue."

Superboy's eyes narrowed as he used his thermal vision, and saw a tall man in amour with a katana at his side. "Guys... There's someone else with Trang. And he has a sword."

Robin turned to them as his eyes widened. "Shirley Mason was killed by a sword!"

Kid Flash looked at him before turning to the mansion. "Then what are we waiting for?!"

Superboy was about to jump over but was stopped by Robin. "No... This is a covert mission. We don't take the offensive. We keep to the shadows like Captain Atoms lecture."

Kid Flash looked to him as Miss. Martian pulled her hood up and turned invisible as they were talking. She flew up and phased through the wall seeing the man with Trang. He's wearing a black gold-trimmed Samurai armor.

"I protected you since you were a kid Rako. Have you no loyalty?" Trang asked as Rako smirked.

"I do. Just not to you." He lifted his sword showing it glowing and electricity coming off it.

Miss. Martian lifted it to the ceiling as Rako used his visor, and saw her heat signature. "I see you have a new security system." He slapped her to the ground as she became visible. "I'll just have to disable-!" Superboy and Wonder Girl flew in interrupting him.

"Not going to happen!"

Rako took his sword, and in one swing he cut both on their chests.

Superboy felt something run down to his stomach, and as he looked to see what it was, looked in shock. "I-I'm bleeding?!"

Wonder Girl' whose cut is healing looked to him. "What?! But your skin is supposed to be as strong as steel!"

Kid Flash dashed in, and kicked Rako but was bounced into a table. Miss. Martian lifted Rako who threw a shuriken at her forcing her to focus on them.

Starfire flew in as her eyes and fists glowing green."You will not hurt my friends." She shot several beams at him but he jumped up before throwing a large rug on them.

"What happened?!" Kid Flash yelled before Miss. Martian lifted the rug.

They looked around and saw that both Rako and Trang were gone.

Robin ran ahead to outside as the others followed. "This is embarrassing." Kid Flash said as they walked to the door."Practically a comedy."

They saw Robin looking over Trang's body. "It would be... If Trang's body didn't scream tragedy."

Metropolis, Bibbo's Diner, August 14, 01:45 EDT.

The Team, in their street clothes, was sitting at two tables pushed together on their phones as Donna ordered more food for them after finishing her fifth plate. Stephanie looked on in jealousy at that.

'She eats that much but still stays in great shape?! Some girls have all the luck.' She thought before looking to her phone as Megan puts up the link.

"Kids today..." Said Bibbo a man with short brown hair with a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow, and a dirty apron. "They stay out 'til all hours, and for what? So they can ignore each other in my diner!"

He looked to the man he was talking to as the Team brought up the photo Robin scanned on their phones. "Everyone have the photo?" Robin asked as everyone nodded.

Donna looked to Superboy who was looking to his chest with his new shirt. "Superboy you alright?" Superboy looked at her and nodded.

"Yes. I'm fine. It's just a scratch." Robin spoke up after information boxes came up onto the photo.

"Almost done recognizing everyone in the photo. Which we think was taken in 1968 the year Adams was charged with murder."

"Only players not in the photo are Nathaniel Adams. And General Wade Eiling, the Judge who sentenced him to life, where Adams died. After which married Adams's wife, and raised his two kids, Peggy and Randall."

M'gann zoomed in on a kid that was in front. "This boy. Could he be Rako? Trang said he protected him since he was a kid. But Rako said he was loyal to someone else."

Robin zoomed in on a man with short curly hair, and a mustache. "It's a good bet that 'someone' was our missing C.I.A. spook Alec Rois."

Stephanie punched a button on her phone, before speaking up. "This photo's starting to look like a hit list. Rois and Rako must have found out we're investigating Adams's case." Wally spoke up after her.

"And decided to 'tie-up' loose ends. That means either Sgt. Polk or Adams buddy, Henry Yarrow, is next on the list."

Robin glanced over to Kaldur who wasn't looking at the photo, but one of a Caucasian teenager with ruddy hair, aquamarine eyes, and a slender build. Her hair is worn in a pixie cut with longer bangs framing her face. She's wearing a skin-tight, light yellow tank top that bared her midriff, with aquamarine hemming in a pattern resembling a low neckline and around the edges.

Suddenly, the bell on top of the door rang, and Naruto and Artemis walked in. He walked up to the counter and ordered food. "A burger and fries please." He soon turned to the team and mentally asked. "Anything?"

M'gann looked at him. "Well... Two people involved in Captain Adams Court Marshall were killed by someone named Rako, possibly on someone named Alec Rios' orders." Naruto nodded before speaking up.

"Good job. Need any help? We can cut our patrol early."

M'gann shook her head. "No. We're good."

Naruto looked at them before speaking up. "OK. Stephanie has a Hirashin (Flying Thunder God) Kunai on her if you need us."

After finishing their food, Naruto, and Artemis walked outside before Robin looked to Kaldur. "What's our next move boss man?"

Kaldur looked up to them. "Split in half. One team investigate Polk here in Metropolis. And the next protects Henry Yarrow."

Las Vegas August 14, 00:18 PDT.

Superboy, Donna, Robin, and Wally were sitting outside a small one-story house. Donna looked and saw a shadow in the window. "Looks like Yarrow wasn't in on this.. Or he just likes the simple life. "

Wally nodded before speaking p. "I knew I liked that guy. Let's get in there and warn-!"

BOOM!

Wally was cut off as the house exploded. "Crap! Yarrow was in there!" Wally yelled before running around the house and sucking the air outputting the fire out.

"Good job Wally," Superboy said as Wally panted before seeing an arm with an Eagle tattoo on it.

"That's Yarrow. I recognize that tattoo." Donna said before Wally crossed his arms.

"Well unless Kaldur and the girls had better luck with Polk. He's dead also, and our case is closed."

St. George August 14, 03:26 MDT.

The Team walked inside a dark hanger. "Can we get this over with," Superboy said before the lights came on, and they saw Rako, Alec, surrounding them. And Henry Yarrow on a catwalk.

Henry looked to see the Team calmly looking at him. "Not surprised? Figure out this was a trap?" He asked as Kid Flash nodded.

"We did. Although we outnumber you eight to three."

Henry laughed before pointing to Alec who's holding a switch with his thumb on a button. He explained it was a dead-man switch before he noticed someone was gone. "Where's the flipping Boy Wonder?!" He asked pulling a pistol out.

Robin laughed before kicking him. "Flipping your way!" Henry looked to Alec who was struggling.

"Blow this place up!"

"I'm trying."

Suddenly a ball hits his hand encasing it with foam before Kid Flash kicks him down. Starfire flew to Rako who was blinded by Aqualad's water before hitting him in the chest with her beams, Wonder Girl flew over, grabbed him, and threw him into a support beam, knocking him out. Superboy glanced to see Henry aim at Robin and jumped in the way deflecting the bullet, and having one hit Henry in the chest.

Miss. Martian flew up and puts a hand on his head as her eyes glowed. "Henry Yarrow. We must know the truth."

Mount Justice August 14, 11:57 EDT.

The Team was giving their report to Captain Adams, and Naruto with M'gann going first.

"Adams found evidence of a weapons smuggling ring... He brought Intel of a drop to his Superior Officer General Lemar. Unfortunately, Lemar was part of the ring, and saw Adams' Intel as an opportunity."

A picture of Lemar came up as she continued.

"Lemar could get rid of Adams, and the head of the ring.. Henry Yarrow. Yarrow was only a Lieutenant then, and he hated taking orders from him. So Lemar tipped off their North Vietnamese contact General Trang."

A picture of Trang came up beside Lemar.

"Lemar was told Trang had simply been instructed not to show up at the drop... But Lemar secretly ordered Trang to ambush the squad instead."

"All were meant to die, including Yarrow. But Adam's spoiled Lemar's plan by heroically saving himself, and Lt. Yarrow."

Kid Flash picked up after M'gann. "So Yarrow had two problems. His incorruptible buddy Nate, and Lemar, who tried to kill him. So Yarrow pitted them against each other... It wasn't hard to get Adams' riled up and drug his drink. Yarrow sent Adams' to Lemar. And the drug took care of Adams, and Yarrow had Polk kill Lemar with Adams's knife to frame him. The trial was a joke, and nearly everyone was involved in the ring."

Atoms rubbed his chin before speaking up. "And the Judge Eiling?"

Robin spoke up to answer. "Eiling wasn't in the picture. He probably believed Adams' was guilty."

Atoms looked over to M'gann. "Yarrow's death-bed confession didn't confirm that?"

M'gann shook her head before replying. "I'm new to reading non-telepathic minds, and Yarrow died seconds after I linked,"

Spoiler spoke up next bringing up a picture of Polk's house. "For the second time. Yarrow placed Polk in his house to fake his death. They both had the same tattoo."

Aqualad nodded before continuing. "When we saw his house. We just thought that Polk ran. But the height of 'Henry' belonged to Polk."

Superboy walked up and finished the report. "We found Intel leading to St. George Airfield. And we knew it was a trap."

Atom shook his hand before smiling. "Good job Team." Naruto noticed Spoiler looking down.

"What's wrong?" Spoiler sighed before looking up.

"That doesn't help Nathaniel Adams'." Naruto chuckled before glancing back.

"I don't think so. Isn't that right Nate?" The Team looked at Atoms with wide eyes as Atoms face-palmed.

"I didn't want them knowing that Naruto. Why did you bring that up?"

Naruto pointed to the group picture and spoke up. "Because they never told us about who took the picture."

Honolulu, August 14, 09:16 HST.

Miss. Martian was floating above Wade's car before a flash of light shone in. The passenger's door opened, and Nathaniel Adams with white hair walked out, and to his kids. M'gann's eyes glowed as she focused on the car before flying off to the woods.

She landed beside Naruto, who was on his motorcycle. "So?" he asked as M'gann explained.

"Wade was the boss of the ring, and responsible for the killing."

Washington D.C. August 15, 00:00 EDT.

Captain Atom was standing outside Wade's office with a group of Army soldiers with a recorder hearing Alec speak. "That you were the boss of the ring in '68 and behind the killings last week."

Atom nodded before they kicked the door in, and surrounded Wade, and Alec. "Hello, Wade." Atom greeted as two officers arrested Wade and Alec.

To Be Continued.