15

Chapter XV: Home Front.

Last Time.

Walking over, he turned his glasses on and zoomed in to see Deadshot out of his costume laying on his stomach working on a sniper rifle with a five-year-old girl playing behind him.

"GET DOWN!"

He yelled pushing her down as the glass shattered. Getting up, he saw Deadshot pick the girl up, and run down the stairs.

"We'll catch him later," Batman said before leaving with Naruto following.

"Just leave Riddler alive, and we'll call it even. Don't send anyone after him, and he won't deactivate your bombs." Naruto said over his shoulder before walking out, and closing the door.

(Flashback End.)

"Joker was able to escape…survived obviously. The deranged clown was actually the reason the League can't use Mount Justice anymore." Naruto finished as M'gann floated in front of him. "Are those stars in her eyes?" He thought before she spoke up.

"That was soo romantic... Saving Frost I mean." Naruto nodded at that.

"Yes... Plus I couldn't let her die like that." He said with a smile. 'And it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact I was a hormonal teenaged boy again and was single at the time.' He thought before Kurama spoke up.

"Keep telling yourself that."

They continued to talk until Batman came in through the tunnel. "Wait... I thought Waller was a warden wasn't she?" Donna asked as Naruto nodded.

"That's her punishment from her superiors... Since she's not the Warden now I guess she's back with them."

Now.

Gotham City; Naruto's Penthouse September 22, 06:00 EDT.

Artemis groaned as she hit her alarm clock before pulling the covers over her head. Naruto walked in to see Artemis groan again, and smiled. Sneaking over, he started tickling her getting her to laugh, and pulling the cover down. "Sto-Ha! Stop!" She was silenced as Naruto bent down for a kiss. After a moment, he pulled back and smiled.

"Come on. Time for school."

"I don't wanna." She whined sitting up.

"Too bad. I want to see you in your uniform." He soon dodged a pillow she threw.

"Pervert." He chuckled before leaving.

"Only to the ones I love dearly."

(Flashback Six Years Ago.)

Artemis watched as Jade packed her things. "Please don't go," Artemis said as Jade continued.

"Sorry, Sis. Mom's not coming back soon, and I'm not staying here with dad." Jade replied putting a shirt in her duffel bag.

"Dad, you, and me... We have to keep this family from falling apart..."

Jade stopped before slapping her forehead. "Toothbrush. I know I forgot something." She walked to the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush before walking back.

"Dad will come after you," Artemis said before a boy spoke up.

"No, he won't.. I'll make sure of it."

They looked to see A young Naruto wearing black cargo pants, and a dark red shirt.

"Come on squirt. What are you going to do?" Naruto glared at her for a moment.

"Hey, I'm older than you by like three years." She ruffled his hair before leaving.

"Call me in a few years. From the picture, I've seen of you in your teens. I would love to get you." Naruto looked to Artemis before getting another bag out.

"Come on. I'm not leaving you alone with him."

(Flashback End.)

Gotham Academy.

Naruto's car pulled up as he, Artemis, Stephanie, and Starfire in her disguise walked out.

"Artemis, hey!"

Artemis turned to see a blonde-hair girl in a dark blue sweater vest with the Gotham Academy logo, white button-up shirt with a red tie, and blue skirt.

"Bette hello I want you to meet Stephanie and Kory." Before Bette could answer, Dick ran up and took a quick picture with Artemis, and Stephanie.

"We'll laugh about this someday." He said before running off as the girls talked, and Naruto left.

A red-haired girl sighed before looking back behind her. "Why did you do that Dick?" She asked as Dick walked up.

"Nothing Barbara."

Barbara huffed before walking off. "They'll think you're creepy." Dick smiled before looking at her.

"Says the girl with an autograph picture of Kage she keeps in her locker with a heart over him."

She had the tendency to blush. "That's different. He's my future husband." (1.) Dick couldn't help but roll his eyes in response.

Later.

Stephanie sighed from the back as she listened to her history teacher before leaning her head on her hand.

(Flashback Five Years Ago.)

Stephanie wearing a blue dress watched as the police took her father out in cuffs as two stood in front of her blonde-haired mother. "Don't worry miss. Your husband will be going away for a long time."

Two years ago.

Stephanie saw two policemen standing outside of her apartment before they stopped her. "Don't go in there." One said as two paramedics wheeled out a person under a sheet.

Suddenly, the person's arm fell out showing several punctured holes near the elbow. "MOM!"

(Flashback End.)

Stephanie was nudged by Artemis as Kory walked up to them as the bell ranged. "Friends. I'm learning so much today in the school."

Artemis smiled as she picks up her bag. "Then you'll love lunchtime." Kory smiled before reaching into her bag.

"Oh, I know. I already packed several of the mustard for the lunchtime." She picked up a large bottle of mustard as the girls sweat-dropped.

Mount Justice; September 22, 18:43 EDT.

Superboy was kissing Wonder Girl as Sphere rolled up, and beeped. "Well... Someone's jealous." Wonder Girl said with a smile as Superboy looked down.

"Maybe. Or maybe..." He trailed off as Kid Flash walked up finishing a sandwich.

"Hey, guys... Is Naruto not around? Because you haven't left each other's side all day today." (2.)

They chuckled as they patted Sphere. "Dad's helping Artemis out before coming here."

Over on the other side, Aqualad was talking to Red Tornado about the possible mole before the tunnel lit up. "Recognized: Starfire, B08."

Starfire flew in with a smile. "Friend Aqualad! I had the greatest time in the school today."

He smiled as Red Tornado left. "Well. I'm needed at the Watchtower. But whatever you do Aqualad... I'm sure it would be the right one."

Gotham City, September 22, 19:30 EDT.

Naruto, Artemis, and Spoiler stopped at the Beta Tube phone booth as Robin dropped down. "Spoiler, Artemis... Fancy meeting you here." They raised an eyebrow before shrugging.

"Yeah. I thought you would go to one near the Bat Cave." Naruto said as Robin shrugged.

"I had to stop a robbery near here."

He stepped in, and a bright light shone as the others left with Naruto last.

As he got inside, he suddenly dodged a fire blast and coughed seeing smoke. "Guys! You alright!?" He asked as Robin, Spoiler, and Artemis jumped out of the smoke.

"Who the hell's attacking us!?" Artemis asked/yelled as she shot arrows in the smoke before more fire came at them.

"I don't know, but we need to retreat and form a plan," Robin said before looking to his left. "The back exit!"

They ran to the exit only to have water crash from the exit. "Damn move!" Naruto said before shooting three arrows that exploded in ice stopping the water.

They ran into the gym trying to contact the Team. "I'm not picking them up on our earpieces, or link." Spoiler said running into the shower as a fire tornado came to them.

"And my link to the Bat Cave's down!" Robin said turning on the water before the pipes burst flooding the room.

Robin placed a bomb on the wall and made a hole for them to escape through. They ran into the kitchen, and Spoiler looked to the oven. "The vent!"

Naruto jumped over and opened the vent allowing the girls to go first. "Come on Robin!"

"Coming, just downloading the blueprints." He replied running over as he heard footsteps.

As they crawled in the vents, Robin directed them on where to go before coming to the boiler room. "This way." They ran downstairs as a female figure dropped down through the ceiling covered in fire, making everything over-heat. "Crap that's not good," Robin said running to the other side of the room. He looked at his holographic screen and looked around. "There should be a vent here."

Artemis found it on the floor and jumped down as the others followed. Naruto dropped an arrow as Robin left a bomb on a tank before dropping them down. After crawling for a moment, Robin stopped near a box and connected his computer to it. "Robin, bring up any camera footage to see who we're dealing with," Naruto said as Robin brought up four different videos one having the Team talking in the hanger.

"Stephanie starts school today. Think she has trouble maintaining her loyalties?"

Spoiler narrowed her eyes before seeing the team get attacked by water. Checking the other cameras they got taken out before seeing the attacker's face. "It seems like they knew where the cameras were," Naruto said before moving down the vent. "Come on. There's a secret passage in the library."

"Really? Cliché much?" Artemis asked as Naruto shrugged.

"Only room that had it. It wasn't a library when the League used it." They dropped down and looked around before hearing Red Tornado's voice.

"Team."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at that. "I thought Red was at the tower today... And comms are down."

Artemis and Spoiler jumped out just as Naruto jumped in front of them, and saw a red robot with a golden 'M' on his chest.

"Guys move! Rasengan! (Spiraling Sphere!)" Naruto quickly form a blue ball sending him back as a female robot jumped down. "Find that entrance!" He yelled shooting a smoke arrow down.

After getting the entrance, and running down a hall, Artemis stopped. "Did you know Red had siblings?" Naruto shook his head before answering.

"No... But I guess T.O. Marrow built them." He checked his arrows as Artemis sighed in frustration.

"What now? Red Tornado's a powerhouse of the League. How are we going to face two of him?"

"Hello, awesome, bad-ass, and super sexy ninja here," Naruto said before the male robot spoke up through the speakers.

"Artemis, Robin, Spoiler, and Kage. You have ten minutes to give up, or your teammates die." They ran down the hall as the male spoke up every thirty seconds to give them the time.

Suddenly, water crashed in the hall and filled it up. Naruto and Robin pulled re-breathers out before giving ones to the girls as the male robot swam at them. Naruto swam to him and jabbed a kunai in his eye before swimming off as several bombs blew up.

Boom-Boom-Boom!

They surfaced, in the hanger to see Superboy, Wonder Girl, and Kid Flash trapped in metal, Miss Martian, and Aqualad fire cage, and Starfire knocked unconscious and trapped in metal lying on the floor. "Guys, you alright?" Naruto asked swimming to the stairs before being attacked. He looked to see the robots cornering them as Robin threw a shuriken bouncing it off of the male, and hitting beside Kids head. "Move!" Naruto yelled jumping in the water and swam to a vent.

They came up to another one before catching their breaths. "If only I had my E.M.P. arrows." Naruto panted out before Robin blinked.

"We can make one. Right Kid?" After a second, Kid Flash spoke.

"Yeah. If we hurry." He directed them to the Med. Room, and instructed them on turning one of the x-ray tubes into an E.M.P.

After working on it, they left to a hidden part of the hanger. "Need a distraction," Robin said as the others except for M'gann, and Aqualad taunted them. Robin grappled down to hydraulic support before putting the tube inside. "Crap. It's too short, I need a conductor, a piece of metal." He said before being attacked by water.

"AAHH!"

Naruto looked to see his daughter in Sage Mode break out, and attack the female robot. She flew over and threw the robot in the water before grabbing the male one, and holding him. Naruto cursed before going through hand signs and brought a wall of rock out of the wall to protect them. "Artemis give Spoiler your crossbow."

As she did that, Naruto gave them each a regular arrow with a metal tip. "Shoot now!" They shot the tube hitting underneath it, and sent out a pulse that shut down the electronics, and the robots. Naruto sighed putting his glasses on his shirt to hang on the collar. "How much longer till we can call the League?"

Later, after trying to free the others Naruto looked to M'gann who's leaning on him for support. "You alright?" She nodded before Red Tornado flew in.

"What has accord?" He asked as Naruto explained they were attacked by his 'Family'.

"Where were you?" Superboy asked as Red Tornado explained he was on the Watchtower, and beamed to the nearest Zeta-Tube, and flew here.

He walked to the down robots before kneeling as Sphere dropped down. "The pulse wore down!" Robin and Kid yelled as Naruto looked to see Red's eyes glow red as he touched his 'Brother'.

"Run! They just infected Red." He yelled as Red Tornado created ones with his hands, and sucked the air out of the room, knocking the Team out.

Later.

"Kage, Kage."

Naruto woke up to see Superman stare at him. "Ohh... Please tell me you didn't give me mouth to mouth?" He got up to see Green Arrow, Batman, Captain Atom, Black Canary, Flash, Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman.

"What happened?" Batman asked as Naruto held his head.

"Two red robots infected Red to attack us. I saw his eyes glow red just as he touched one of them."

"You're sure?" Batman asked having Naruto nod.

"Yes, You've checked Red before, and knew he had any intent like this removed," Naruto replied walking to M'gann. "You OK?" He asked resting his forehead on hers.

"Yes."

He smiled before leaning back up and walked over to Batman.

To Be Continued.