44

Chapter XLIV: Salvage.

Last Time.

"It wasn't that bad," Dinah said with a small blush.

"I had trouble speaking for the rest of the day," Naruto said as she finished feeding Quentin before fixing her top.

Naruto took his son as she did, and proceeded to gently pat his back until the sound of a little burp was heard.

Mount Justice January 26, 00:16 EST.

The six Leaguers that attacked Rimbor stood on the beach talking to their proteges with Captain Atom. Kage sighed as he stood with Wonder Woman beside Troia and Wonder Girl. "I wish you'd let me go with you." He said making her shake her head at that.

"No, you're needed here. And only the six that are accused need to take this odyssey, though Hawkman insists on accompanying his spouse."

Naruto rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah, so why can't I go? Didn't that whole ceremony we had back in 2011 make us husband and wife? So I can't accompany you because..?"

"You're whipped."

Wonder Girl said making his shoulders slump. "And Icon will act as our liaison as he's versed in Intergalactic Laws." Wonder Woman finished before Naruto wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll miss you."

She smiled as she kissed him. Making Troia uncomfortably cough.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Naruto looked to see Megaera fly down in black jeans with tears at the knees, tennis shoes, and a red tank top.

"It's fine, honey," Naruto said letting Wonder Woman go so Megaera could walk over to talk.

Later, Green Lantern created a jet that took the six, Hawkman, and Icon up into the night sky. Naruto turned to leave, only for his eyebrow to twitch seeing Megaera kissing Conner. "Damn it! Cut that out!"

Now.

Gotham; Naruto's Penthouse January 27, 08:27 EST.

Naruto was in his room wearing latex gloves as he changed Lian's diaper on a changing table. He threw the diaper away before applying a clean one on Lian. "I swear all you and your brother do is poop." He said as she smiled up at him.

He took his gloves off before tickling her stomach getting her to giggle. He put her onesie on her and picked her up. He then started to think back to the circumstances that brought the little girl in his arms into his life.

(Flashback.)

Gotham; Naruto's Penthouse November 14, 2015, 20:02 EST.

"Come on honey, you can-!"

Thunk!

Naruto stopped as a knife was thrown at him, and hit the wall under his crotch. "Don't 'honey' me you bastARD!" Jade yelled picking another knife up as Naruto was pinned to the wall with them. "I haaaattteee yoouuuuu!" She trailed off as Talia was helping her give birth.

"One more push."

Naruto ducked as a knife hit just above his head before hearing crying. "It's a girl, Jade." Talia handed Jade her daughter causing her to smile.

"Lian."

Naruto was able to let out a sigh of relief, knowing that no more knives would be thrown his way.

(Flashback End.)

Naruto held Lian against his shoulder as he walked into the kitchen and put her in her high chair as Dinah was feeding Quinten. "You're making faces again," Naruto said watching Dinah make faces as she fed her son.

"No, I'm not." She said as Quentin took a bite from his spoon.

Naruto rolled his eyes as he put Lian's bib on her that had 'Daddy's Princess' written on it. She bounced in her seat and clapped her hands as Naruto picked up a small jar of baby food and a small spoon. He fed Lian who opened her mouth as he scooped up the food and gave it to her.

He chuckled as a little got on her chin before using the spoon to pick it up. "Here Lian," Naruto said giving her the spoon as she ate the food. Dinah hummed before looking at Naruto.

"You sure those security seals are still working?" Naruto nodded at that as Lian took another bite of her food.

"Yes. They've worked even after Crane tried to attack the East Coast three years ago."

Dinah huffed at that. "I still wish you would have let me help." Naruto sighed at that.

"With that Knight woman helping them? No, it was safer for you to get out and protect Damian and the others."

(Flashback.)

Gotham October 31, 2013, 19:00 EDT.

Naruto changed into his new costume beside the clock tower before hearing Killer Frost speak. "So... We're going after that cult leader, Deacon Blackfire?" Naruto nodded before looking at the bay.

"Yeah, see if we can find him before Batman needs our help," Naruto said before going to the edge of the building.

"A member of the cult was seen a few blocks aw-!" He stopped at Miss Martian and came up on his glasses.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need you back at the clock tower. It's about Wonder Girl."

Naruto quickly jumped to the clock tower having Frost create an ice trail to run over. The ice melted behind her from the warm weather.

Naruto jumped on the roof of the tower before hitting his computer on his arm protector. A small square door opened in half just in front of him before jumping down. Inside, he saw the clock face on each wall, with a bookcase on each side in the middle of the room. One has a sofa in it and the other a bed. Both are made to fold into the cases to make more room.

"Oh, you're here already."

Naruto looked back to see M'gann walking out of a restroom beside an elevator as Frost jumped down the entrance on the roof. "Yeah, I was just next door," Naruto replied before going to a bust, pushed the head up, and pressed a red button.

"Sorry to hide everything, a force of habit since this is a place where Dick rents while in town and he has friends that unexpectedly stop by. I hear Barbara will move in here after graduating high school as well." M'gann explained as the lights went off and the bed and sofa folded in the cases before they went into the floor.

Metal covered the clock faces before L.E.D. lights came on as a keyboard came up in the middle of the room. A holo-screen came up on each wall as Batman came down from the roof entrance. "That Knight woman who's working with the Scarecrow has Wonder Girl."

"What?" Naruto asked dumbfounded that his daughter of all people got kidnapped. "How the hell did that happen?"

Batman typed on the computer showing armored cars passing by the cameras. "Apparently, the woman's ability to use the same powers as you and the people of your World." Naruto blinked at that.

"How? I mean the best Tsunade and the Toads have done is have me and my family over for a day or two before the chakra runs out and we come back here." Naruto explained as Batman scanned the tires of one car as it sped past the clock tower. "Could she have been transported here like I was?"

"Or she's from another dimension." Batman finished before they left.

"I'll wait here til you need me. I'm allergic to guns." Frost said as Batman closed the 'Batcave' and the furniture came back up. Naruto and Batman ran to the edge of the roof and jumped down to where both their vehicles are before going inside.

They each pressed a button having their tires separate and going on a swivel to act like a tank. Several non-lethal guns came up on top with a missile launcher for the Knight's tanks as well.

(A/N: Picture the tank mode for both.)

Naruto looked at the windshield as a light came over the tire tracks they needed to follow. "Hey, Naruto..." Naruto heard Killer Frost over his earpiece just before a screen came over his steering wheel.

"Yeah?"

He asked making her smirk. "His car's bigger." Naruto's eyebrow twitched at that.

"Shut up." He said before Batman spoke.

"We can use the Forensic Scanner to follow the tire tracks."

Doing that, they slowly followed the tracks as the scanner had to scan every few seconds. "Alfred," Batman said as they went a block away towards the bridge. "Activate the Batcave security protocol. That Knight woman knew Donna's identity."

"So she may know about the Cave," Alfred stated.

Naruto nodded at that before speaking. "Do the same for the clock tower, M'gann." A few minutes went by and they came up to the bridge to Miagani Island, only to see that it was drawn up. "Shit, M'gann, the bridge to Miagani Island is drawn. Can you lower it?"

A few moments went by before Miss Martian came up. "No, the signal's jammed."

Naruto and Batman ejected from their seats and proceeded to glide and run up to the top of the bridge. "Then we go on foot." Batman looked to see a tower a few blocks away before speaking.

"The jammer is at the tower."

They glided and jumped towards the tower before landing on gargoyles as several armed guards in military armor guarded a laptop. Naruto saw one flying a drone as he talked to another guard before jumping to the gargoyle above them.

Batman went through a vent cover and slid down to a system underneath the floor before Naruto jumped down and slammed the men's heads together. He grabbed the remote control and directed the drone over two men as Batman knocked the man at the laptop out.

He pressed a button making the drone taser the last two men before dropping down as Batman typed on the computer. "Alfred, we have the codes, you or Miss Martian try to lower the bridge." Before either could answer, another voice spoke up.

"Forget Scarecrow. It's time to face your true nemesis, Batman."

Naruto looked to see the Riddler take over the surrounding electronic billboards. "Nigma," Batman said before Riddler continued.

"Riddle me this. Why would a bat and a ninja come to an abandoned orphanage?" The video changed to show both Catwoman and Cheshire tied to chairs with Catwoman blindfolded and Cheshire has a bag over her head.

"Eddie, sweetie, you're confusing us with Robin and Spoiler. The big guys and we aren't all that close." Catwoman said before Riddler came back on topic.

"Oh, I know! It's because of what will happen to their friends if they don't show up in time."

Gotham Orphanage October 31, 19:28 EDT.

Kage and Batman dropped down at the abandoned Orphanage before walking in. Naruto saw that after the office you first go in, the next room is sunken in a floor to keep Catwoman and Cheshire from escaping. They jumped down and saw the large room had metal flooring before dashing to the women.

"Batman, Kage? That had better be you, and you had better be sorry." Catwoman said as they untied them.

Naruto noticed they each had chokers on with a cat emblem on them before Riddler came up on projector screens. "All four contestants are here! Tonight folks, we've got riddles galore!"

Naruto heard something before glancing back to see robots jump out of the metal floor as Riddler continued. "Let me introduce my beautiful assistants. It was hard dealing with the intellectually impaired. So, I created my own."

Naruto dashed forward and fought alongside Cheshire to take out the robots as Batman fought with Catwoman. After taking care of the last one, Riddler came up and explained that the 'collars' the women are wearing are bombs and at least one of them would have to go out to either race on a track or figure out a 'riddle room' with their car.

"Batman's done the first one already, and since that woman cut off access to all the Islands. I'll let you go to each challenge at your own pace if you can get to the islands. We have all night, after all."

Naruto sighed before walking to the exit. "I'll wait here in case there's something we need to do here," Batman said as Naruto waved his arms.

"Got it, be back after going to Chinatown," Naruto replied as directions came up on his glasses.

Gotham; Bleake Island Chinatown, October 31, 19:46 EDT.

Naruto drove the Tumbler into a freight elevator beside a building and went underground before hearing the Riddler taunt him that he won't figure out this riddle room. Once inside, Naruto drove down a tunnel and saw two ramps balanced with red and green walls.

'Must be those walls we have to move to complete it. Just like Batman had to go through a tunnel for his race.' Naruto thought before going out of his car and going to the first one.

He saw a large pad with a green question mark on it before standing on it. He remote-controlled his car to the ramp and moved the walls with a button to lock it in place to a platform. Going to the next ramp, Naruto moved the car to the back wall before locking it in place by moving several walls to do so. He then hit the thrusters having the Tumbler jump to the other side and had a tether attached to a generator to power the room. The Tumbler lowered down on an elevator as Riddler came up.

"Excellent! Come to the platform beside my screen."

Naruto saw lights in the shape of a backward 'D'. All but the lower left light was a red dead cat's head while the one was the green question mark. "Key vases just came up in the same shape here," Batman said as Naruto nodded. "Got it, it's the lower one on my left," Naruto said sending a picture.

"OK, now a door just lit up here," Batman said before Riddler came back up. "Like with the challenges, one of you needs to do one at the Orphanage with either Catwoman or Cheshire," Riddler said as Naruto got in his car to go back to the Orphanage.

Orphanage October 31, 19:59 EDT.

Naruto jumped down to the others after figuring out a riddle to unlock the doors. He saw a seven on each collar before going to Cheshire. "You OK?"

She nodded before speaking. "Yeah, just going to be another long night. Too Bad it's not our usual long nights back in my bed." Naruto smiled at her before Batman spoke.

"Let's get to work on getting the other Islands open. Going after the Knight will be a good start." Naruto nodded and left with Batman.

(Flashback End.)

Naruto wiped Lian's chin before Paula walked in and picked her up. "How's my big girl?" She asked patting her back as Dinah did the same to Quentin.

Naruto got up and stretched before speaking. "I've got to go and help Conner out with finding out where the bomb came from."

Washington, D.C. February 13, 21:06 EST.

Kage, wearing a back baby carrier with a sleeping Quentin watched beside Green Arrow as they saw a disheveled Red Arrow stop a robber. He then kept a wad of cash as the store owner came up to him.

Naruto saw Red's hair was unkempt and longer and he has a 5 o'clock shadow. Naruto used his glasses to zoom in and saw bags under his domino mask before Green Arrow spoke.

"Found him, and it's worse than we thought."

Mount Justice February 13, 21:51 EST.

A clone of Kage watched a video of Adam Strange who looked at them with another Scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs. "We are now activating the satellites."

Naruto looked to see La'gann, M'gann, Conner, and Jaime watching with him as a green barrier surrounded the Earth just above the Watchtower. "Professor Carr!" La'gann said looking at Snapper standing behind a sad Garfield wearing a red hat, black shirt under a jean jacket, and cargo pants.

"You should have your student write a term paper about this."

Garfield glared before rubbing his thumb over his throat at that. "With the Zeta Shield in place, no alien can teleport to or from Earth."

Naruto blinked at that before seeing Mal walk up to him. "Yeah, we all knew that."

"Why did you go into exposition mode? Think there's someone who missed our adventures, or something?" Naruto asked before Conner spoke up.

"The shield's great. But it won't stop a ship or a Boom Tube."

Jaime looked confused at that. "What's a Boom Tube?"

"Boom Tube: An alternate means of instant transport to distant locations. Not compatible." The Scarab informed Jaime who glanced to his back.

"Not compatible with what? I swear you don't make any sense!" The others looked at him oddly before Superboy spoke.

"Where's Nightwing and Troia?"

Naruto glanced at him before speaking. "Nightwing is with Boss. Personal stuff, he said. Troia is back at the penthouse helping Artemis watch Lian and Damian while doing some studying for classes." Superboy sighed at that before Naruto spoke. "Take Jaime with you. He can use the experience."

Washington, D.C. February 13, 22:02 EST.

Red Arrow shot a zip line down and fell onto a roof before seeing two sets of feet in front of him. Looking up, he saw Green Arrow and Kage without his bow and quiver. "Hey Roy, need a hand?" Green Arrow asked holding out his left hand. Only for Red to slap it away as he got up.

"No."

"We think you do."

Red looked to see Nightwing and Wally wearing a coat walk out of the shadows. As well as Black Canary and Jim Harper. "I have nothing to say to you. Nothing to explain. Nothing to justify." Red said turning to walk away. And had Green Arrow take the wad from him.

"Nothing?"

"It's... Not what it looks like. I mean, that store owner won't miss it. He offered a reward anyway. Besides, I deserve it! That guy wouldn't have any of it if it wasn't for me."

Naruto crossed his arms before Wally spoke. "Dude, are you listening to yourself?" Red took the wad from Green Arrow before speaking.

"Look! I need it to find the real Roy Harper. Whom you've all given up on finding!" Naruto rubbed the back of his head at that.

Washington, D.C A Few Miles Away, February 13, 22:17 EST.

Blue Beetle, Superboy, and Wolf were flying on the Super Cycle towards D.C. before Beetle heard the Scarab. "Ask. Ask!" Beetle sighed in annoyance at that.

"Alright already, I'll ask!"

Superboy looked back at Beetle before looking back to fly. "Ask what?" Beetle sighed before speaking.

"Anything you want to let me in on about this mission? Look I know I'm probably not your first choice for this."

Superboy brought up Malana Island and explained that he was tracking Intergang with Naruto as they dealt with similar Alien Tech. As they passed the Lincoln Memorial, they missed a young man looking up at them.

He's wearing biker-themed clothes with a red helmet, body armor under a black leather jacket with white pauldrons on the shoulders, a red hood that's pulled down, and black pants with combat boots. At his waist is two pistols with extended barrels for silencers. He has a pouch tied around his right thigh. (1.)

He looked up at the heroes before pulling his hood up, shadowing all of his face except his chin.

"You the new guy in town?"

The man quickly took out his pistols and turned to see Megaera in her costume and Nyssa wearing a black oni mask.

"Who wants to know?" The man asked using a voice modulator to make his voice deeper.

Megaera just smirked. "I would like to offer you a place on my new Team to take down the Light. Permanently."

The man snorted at that. "Why? Aren't you with them?" Megaera looked to see a light under the hood before sighing.

'That Knight bitch must have sold some tech. That's like her visor that gave her information on anyone and a map of Gotham on it.' She thought before speaking. "As a... Mole, I guess, now. But I joined to kill them. The only problem is they're hardly together in the same room. They just meet using monitors, especially since Black Manta is in."

"So I'm building a Team to go against them once the time is right." She finished before the man lowered his weapons.

"Once the time is right?"

She nodded before crossing her arms. "Yeah, mainly since Lex has good P.R. now, and they framed my mother so I'm digging up anything that'll help clear her name. It'll be easier to get if they're alive."

"OK, let's talk. You can call me... The Red Hood." Hood introduced himself as the Super Cycle flew towards the Hall of Justice.

Naruto, And The Others February 13, 22:28 EST.

"When was the last time you trained? The last time you slept?" Canary asked as Red looked at the skyline.

"Don't even start." He said looking down.

"Oh?" Canary asked before kicking him and beating him very easily. She grabbed Red just as he was tumbling back to the edge. "'Best shape of your life'? That was me holding back. Way back. Roy, you used to treat your body as a Temple, now..."

She trailed off as Red fell on the roof. "My body's no temple. It's a cheap knockoff."

Naruto rolled his eyes at that. "Oh boo-hoo, first the bratty attitude at not being in the League five years ago now this whole 'feel sorry for me because I'm not the real Speedy' act? What, did Vandal program that into you? People have gone through the worst shit in their life. You. You're whining about being alive? Grow a set and take control of your life."

Red looked up at him as he continued. "Take me for example. My parents died as soon as I was born. I was never adopted and was living by myself since I was five. I was treated like trash for close to the first fifteen years of my life. Am I still bitching and moaning about it? No! I worked myself to the bone to change everyone's opinion about me! That I deserve to be noticed!"

Superboy, Blue Beetle, And Wolf.

The Heroes saw Whisper A'Daire and Bruno Mannheim walk towards the Hall as Bruno held a suitcase. "Blue, can you scan the case? See what they have?"

Beetle nodded as his arm changed into his gun. "Yeah, sure." His eyes glowed yellow before the Scarab spoke. "Cannot scan briefcase. Not compatible." Beetle shook his arm before holding it.

"Not compatible again? What does that even mean?" Superboy looked back at Beetle in confusion before speaking.

"Blue, what do you mean?"

Beetle sighed before speaking. "It's the Scarab. The thing stuck to my spine that gives me the armor and the powers. It's artificial intelligence, created by Ted Kord, the previous Blue Beetle."

"Yeah, I knew him. Good man."

Beetle nodded at that before continuing. "Well, the Scarab advises me. Think Jiminy Cricket, with a really bad attitude. But it can't scan the briefcase for some reason."

Superboy looked back at him. "Can it scan the hall? Ugly may launch an attack on whoever's in there."

"Hall's deserted."

Superboy narrowed his eyes at that. "Then what do they want at the Hall?" He asked before using his vision and saw what looked like a small computer in the briefcase as Bruno opened the case. Sphere revved loudly as her wheels glowed blue. "I don't know. But Sphere doesn't like it. Must be Apokoliptian. Bad news."

They flew down to the duo as Bruno held the device. A wave hit them, having Beetle hiss in pain as Sphere revved. Superboy jumped down with Wolf just as something crashed through the wall from the Hall of Justice. Superboy looked to see the bodies of the Appellaxians merged as one large body made up of each material.

(A/N: Look at Salvage for a better picture.)

"Attack," Bruno ordered as the device lit up.

The Appellaxian attacked having them jump away from a punch. Superboy and Wolf attacked, only for the damaged they made heal as soon as it was hit. Sphere used a ray gun and disrupted the signal having Blue Beetle shake his head before flying up, and created a ray gun and shot a sonic attack.

"BLUE NO!" Superboy yelled before the Appellaxian absorbed the attack, and the crystals glowed.

It shot an attack of its own with more power having Superboy, Wolf, and Sphere fly back as Beetle fell. The Appellaxian stomped on Beetle before growing wings and flew off with Whisper and Bruno.

Naruto And The Others.

"Roy, come back to Star City, it'll be just like old times."

Red sighed at that. "You've got me confused with someone else."

Jim walked over and looked at him. "OK, we get it. You're a clone. I know what you're going through. It's why I quit being Guardian. To figure out who I am."

"Not the only thing you quit doing," Red said causing Jim to sigh.

"Look we all looked for Speedy for months. But Cadmus doesn't keep the source-!"

He was interrupted by Naruto. "Cadmus doesn't, but the Light, or more specifically, Ra's does." The others looked to Naruto who sighed. Yeah... Jade talked to Copperhead. Ra's has Speedy at his base... in the Himalayas." The others looked at him making Naruto shrug. "What? She just told me on the way here. I wanted to wait until everyone was here. That and you need an intervention. You have a problem, Roy."

Red walked to him and spoke. "Then let's go-!" Naruto stopped him with a raised hand.

"In a few days. I still need to get a few things ready for the trip. And you need to rest and get some training in."

Superboy, Blue Beetle, Wolf, And Super Cycle.

The trio flew off in the direction that Integrang and the Appellaxian body went in before Beetle spoke. "How're the ears?"

Superboy glanced back before answering. "FINE!" He yelled before clearing his throat "Fine. But what were you thinking using a sonic attack on an Appellaxian?!"

"Dude! I've never heard of a Appe-Whatever before tonight!"

Superboy sighed at that. "Freshmen never do the homework. Didn't you read the case file on the League's first mission? Haven't you taken the guided tour of the hall?"

Beetle just raised his eyebrow at that. "Those are rhetorical right?"

"The Appellaxian was an Alien race of energy beings that attacked Earth twelve years ago, they inhabited elemental bodies. One of which is a crystal that can absorb and redirect sonic attacks." Beetle gained a look of recognition before speaking.

"Oh, what were they doing in the Hall?"

"The Original Eight Members of the Justice League drove them off of Earth. The empty Husks the Aliens left behind became the first trophy of the League. Ugly's device must have woken them up and combined them somehow that he can control. Sphere is tracking them now."

Arlington February 13, 22:45 EST.

The Appellaxian dropped down in the woods and had Whisper and Bruno walk down from its hand. Whisper heard low groans from the Appellaxian before speaking. "It sounds... Sad." Bruno scoffed at that.

"It's an empty husk. It doesn't feel anything. With this, I can extend Intergang's reach exponentially."

"Wow, a five-syllable word. I didn't think you could go past two."

Bruno looked up to see Superboy, Wolf, and Blue Beetle on the Super Cycle before seeing a Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God) Kunai drop. Suddenly, Kage appeared just as Sphere destroyed the device having the Appellaxian go out of control.

"Shit, sometimes I hate Boss," Naruto said revealing he's a clone before gold energy covered him to go into his Chakra Mode. "Let's get wild," Naruto said before disappearing and appearing in the Appellaxian face before punching it. A shockwave came off sending the Appellaxian flying toward a nuclear power plant causing Naruto to curse. "Shit! Not used to taking it easy in this form these past five years."

He saw the Appellaxian walk to the plant having the guards shoot at it. In the woods, three shadowed figures watched the Appellaxian walk towards the plant before the tall muscular one spoke in a deep voice. "The Appellaxian Husk is going into nuclear meltdown. A recipe for disaster."

"Want me to stop the thing?" One asked revealing Sportsmaster's voice.

"Or I could." The other said revealing Cluemaster.

"No. This incident taken to its extreme could be... Useful. But you can deal with the interloping meat back there." The figure said having the duo leave.

Back with the others, Blue Beetle pinned Whisper and Bruno to trees with large blue staples before Naruto spoke. "I'll leave a clone to guard them, let's stop the Appellaxian Husk."

Washington, D.C. February 13, 23:01 EST.

"I'm 'whelmed by all this attention."

Red said sitting on an A.C. unit. "Oh, hell no! We just got Dick to stop doing that. Don't you start!" Naruto said standing beside Canary.

"What are you even doing here West? I thought you ditched the hero gig?" Red asked Wally who spoke up.

"Ditching the gig doesn't mean ditching my friends."

"We checked the math. Speedy was abducted a few months before we even met. You're the only 'you' we trained with, fought beside." Nightwing spoke as Red looked down at the roof.

"Besides us," Naruto spoke up. "I met Speedy when Ollie wanted to recruit him." Red stood up before speaking.

"You done? Do you want to salvage someone's soul? Go get Kaldur to see the light. But leave me out of it." He said before leaving.

"He so reminds me of you when you started the hero thing," Naruto said to Green Arrow before the others left as well.

Quentin woke up and started to fuss before Dinah took him from Naruto. "Oh, did the brooding person wake you up?" She asked rocking her son before walking to the stairs.

"So... You going to get them taser guns again this year for Valentine's?" Arrow asked Naruto who watched his wife's ass before speaking up.

"Actually, I got them all flowers."

"What?" Arrow asked as Naruto nodded. "But as long as I've known you, you either never celebrated Valentine's, or gave them non-romantic gifts." Naruto rolled his eyes at that. "Alright, A: some villain that can't get some, ruins our day. And B: most of the time the stores don't have anything. Besides, last year was just a gag gift until we went out on our date."

"But flowers? It's so... Predictable." Naruto grinned at that.

"Yeah, for others. But since all I did was just take them out, give gag gifts, or just plain missed it. I'm now the only man on Earth who'll surprise his girls with flowers. On Valentine's day." Green Arrow looked at him before speaking.

"So... Let me get this straight. For the past, close to 10 years, with all the bad gifts, or not celebrating. Now, you give them flowers?" Naruto nodded at that. "Yeah, like I said; 'Only man who just surprised his girls with flowers, on Valentine's Day'." Green Arrow just stared at him.

"That's ingenious."

Arlington February 13, 23:15 EST.

Kage, his cloak dispersing, looked up at the Appellaxian who was trying to get rid of itself to stop the pain as Beetle translated using a sonic attack. Suddenly, another one hit it, causing it to explode. "Everyone all right?" Naruto asked looking at the woods where the attack came from.

Not seeing anything, he looked to see Blue Beetle catch one of the crystals that were falling from the attack. Later, They made their way back to see Whisper and Bruno tied up on the ground with several weapons lying around them as the clone of Naruto cracked his neck. "Sportsmaster and Cluemaster were here. They tried to take them out."

On the other side of the woods, a bleeding Sportsmaster and Cluemaster limped to the figure. "Kage was with them. We had to leave them." The figure sighed at that.

Palo Alto February 14, 00:03. PST.

Wally walked inside his house and saw a sleeping Pit Bull before hearing Stephanie. "Wait, wait, wait. Naruto just surprised you with flowers? On Valentine's Day?"

Wally saw Stephanie wearing a jersey talking to Artemis on the laptop who had flowers in the background. "Yeah, six years of nothing but crappy presents. And then he pulls this!"

"So he's the first guy since the first Valentine's Day, to surprise their girl with just flowers?!"

Wally just sat down and let them talk before laying his head down on the table.

Blüdhaven February 14, 01:15 EST. (2.)

Red dropped in a dirty apartment with the lights off before taking his mask off and fell on the couch.

"Someone looks worse for wear."

Roy jumped off and aimed his bow. Only to see Cheshire and Blackfire.

Blackfire's blossomed like her sister and is wearing dark purple pants and a black long-sleeved shirt. On her wrist is a watch similar to her sister's so she can blend in. Her hair has grown to reach her ass and is in a braided ponytail that she pulled to wear in front.

"Easy Red. I just stopped by with Blackfire after telling her about Speedy. She's here to beat some sense into you." Cheshire answered pointing to Blackfire.

"Not you too."

Roy groaned as Blackfire snorted. "I'm still your wife, so I think that gives me the right to. You need to get over this hump with Speedy." She walked over holding on to straps over her shoulder. "For yourself, for me... and our daughter." She turned to show a sleeping baby girl with orange skin and black hair in a back baby carrier.

"... Daughter?" He asked as Blackfire handed their daughter to him.

"Jilliand'r. Or Jillian Harper. Roy, you need to get rid of this Speedy baggage. Or you can't be the father she needs you to be."

Washington, D.C. February 14, 01:33 EST.

Fury dropped down in her hangar that had multiple rooms built in it with a large area with multiple monitors and chairs at a large glass desk. Nyssa and Red Hood dropped down having him look around. "So... Just how many are on your... Team?" He asked as Fury put her lasso down.

"Just us three."

"I had to wait for the Light to focus elsewhere so they wouldn't get suspicious. Now, they're partnered with an Alien Race that wants to conquer Earth in retaliation for the Light making the League go on a rampage in another system." Red hood looked around before Nyssa spoke up.

"Take off your helmet. We'll need to know who you are if we're going to trust you."

Red Hood looked at them for a moment before pulling his hood down and pressed a button on the left side of the helmet. The helmet unlocked and expanded a little and he took it off having the women's eyes widen.

"Holy shit."

To Be Continued.