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Chapter XII: Kobra Strikes!

Last Time.

"I heard Sportsmaster... Think there's a mole on your team?"

Starfire looked at them in confusion. "There's not an animal on our team." Naruto smiled at that before speaking.

"No, a 'Mole', for human terms aside from the animal, is a person who's with the bad guys but are pretending to be a good guy so they can give them information. And no I don't think we have one on our team... But Sportsmaster knew information that he shouldn't... I'll look into it." Naruto replied as Red Arrow raised an eyebrow.

"Not going to tell the others?"

Naruto shook his head before replying. "No. I don't want them turning on each other. And I don't want to tip-off the mole if there is one."

"Red Arrow... You could have gone to the Justice League for help. But instead, you came to us.." Red Arrow sighed before looking at him.

"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." He finished shaking their hands.

Lex, Early Morning.

Lex poured two drinks before speaking up. "That went well... Both Li and Tseng was impressed with Mercy's. Equipment, and are quite literally buying into the 'Peace'." He took the drinks and walked across the room. "Our plan to ensure the unification of Rhelasia under Lexcorp's political, and economic guidance is a success."

He finished handing the drink to Ra's al Ghul who smiled. "And make sure every corner of the World. Sees the Light." He finished as they clanked their glasses together.

Now

Gotham City Observatory; September 11, 21:48 EDT.

Batman and Robin looked down as masked men with one giant one carried an unconscious man with short brown hair and goatee over his shoulder. They used their grappling guns to swing down and kick two men down before attacking the rest. Several men shot at them causing Batman to throw a batterang to cut the diorama of Mars down.

It hit a few men as it rolled to the tall one who punched it towards Batman hitting him with it. Robin ran behind him and grabbed the Astronomer, only to be punched away tearing something off the man.

A Few Hours Later.

The duo woke up, and Batman looked at Robin. "You alright?" He asked as Robin shook his head.

"Feeling the 'Aster'. But I'm fine." Robin picked up what he tore off showing the Astronomers I.D. "Dr. Jason Burr, Lead Astronomer. Full Access-A/DC. Expires 8/14." Robin was pulled from his thoughts as Batman dove to a man who was going to eat a pill.

"Stop!"

All but one man ate a pill before Robin threw a shuriken at the last. "There's still one left!" He knocked the pill away, and Batman dashed over and grabbed him.

He pulled the mask off showing a bald man with a cobra tattoo.

Minneapolis Hotel; September 12, 21:57 CDT.

"Recognized: Kage, 17. Artemis, B01. Black Canary, 16. Spoiler, B08. Flash, 04. Kid Flash, B03. Batman, 02. Robin, B02."

Everyone gathered in the basement of the hotel and shared what they found. "Canary, Spoiler, Artemis, and I tracked the cobra dagger until they changed clothes close to here," Naruto explained as Flash picked up after him.

"Kid Flash, and I tracked the cobra venom thief here with pollen found at the crime scene."

"And Robin, and I interrogated a kidnapper into giving us a location of a Monastery used by Jeffery Burr... The fraternal twin of Dr. Jason Burr better known as... Kobra." He finished as they left for the Monastery out of a hidden door.

Monastery September 12, 22:00 CDT.

The heroes walked in seeing Kobra, and his followers holding the dagger, and venom above a tied up Jason.

"All hail Naga-Naga. All hail Kobra!"

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose before bringing his bow out. "Let's take them down!" He jumped over the railing before attacking several of the men as Canary, Flash, and Batman fought Mammoth.

Shimmer brought a cobra over to Kobra who lifted the dagger. "As an Astronomer, I believe you'll appreciate the irony, my brother... The stars and moon are in alignment for this, and I need your blood." Kobra said stabbing Jason in the chest before taking the blood on the dagger and gave it to the snake. The snake suddenly glowed yellow and grew into a giant snake.

(A/N: Picture Manda's size.)

"Oh come on! How come every snake villain I fight has a giant one with them!?" Naruto exclaimed as the snake broke out, and slithered to the city.

Black Canary stopped at the opening and looked at the Team. "We'll handle the snake, you take care of Kobra."

Minneapolis September 12, 22:39 CDT.

Naruto and Batman distracted the snake as it coiled around a walkway between two buildings as Flash got the civilians out. As soon as Flash got the last person out, the snake crushed the walkway and attacked Batman who was climbing on top of him. The snake looked down, saw Black Canary, and lunged.

"Canary look out!" Naruto yelled pulling an arrow with white kanji on the shaft.

He fired it at Canary's feet, flashed to her, and pushed her out-of-the-way. "Kage!" She yelled as the snake brought his mouth down, and cracked the pavement around him.

The snake quickly slithered away as Flash stopped by Black Canary who's still in shock. "Canary come on! Kage wouldn't want you to feel bad for him."

Later, they chased the snake to the top of a car dealership, where it suddenly started to grow a bulge just under the head. It exploded leaving chunks of it all over with some smoke coming out before something hit the ground.

"Oh... Really? I had to go through that again? Why!?"

Canary's eyes widened hearing Naruto's voice before running to him. She had stopped running towards him only to see him covered in guts, blood, and slime. He groaned as he picked up his glasses. "Oh come on! These were new!"

He puts them in a pocket before pulling his hood up, making more slime hit his head. He started cursing in Japanese before calming down and looked at the others. "What? You act as you've never seen a person burst out of a snake before."

He walked up to them as they gave him a wide berth. "We... Are never speaking of this... Again."

Monastery September 12, 23:03 CDT.

Spoiler used her bo-staff on her enemies as Robin used his Eskrima Sticks on his. "Guys! We need to go after Kobra!" He yelled as Kid Flash stopped dashing around, and Artemis shot her arrow that exploded in grey foam over a group of cultists.

They looked to see Kobra ingest the venom, and blood before bringing the dagger down on to Jason. "NO!" They screamed as Spoiler, and Robin threw shurikens, Artemis shot an arrow, and Kid Flash dashed towards him.

Only to stop as Kobra stabbed Jason who disappeared into the dagger, and Kobra transformed into a cobra/human hybrid.

(A/N: Look at Issue #17 for a better image.)

"Now I am the god I was meant to be!" He yelled as the small group of his cult bowed.

"OK. While 'Naga-Naga' is distracted..." Robin said giving Kid Flash a yellow pill who dashed.

"OK. Kobramort... Let's dance!" Kid Flash said as Mammoth walked in front of him.

Kid Flash slides under him, and threw the pill in his mouth, which exploded into a gas, and knocked him out. Spoiler and Robin were fighting Shimmer before Artemis turned around, and fired an arrow that opened into a rope, and tied her up.

"OK, we took care of the..." Robin was interrupted as Kobra attacked them with his tail.

"You forgot about their master... Their 'God'."

Kid Flash dashed around as the others jumped out-of-the-way. "Come on... I'm going to be late for school." Kid Flash wined as the others smiled.

"Really? Mine doesn't start for another week." Spoiler said with Artemis, and Robin nodding in agreement.

Kid getting an idea, grabbed Artemis, and ran to the dagger. "Cover us!" He yelled as Spoiler, and Robin threw down smoke bombs. Artemis and Kid Flash went to the dagger in the stone table, and Kid started pulling it up. "This... Dagger may... Be able to change him back..." He said in-between grunts before finally pulling it off.

"Can you hit him?" Artemis smirked at him before grabbing it. Kid Flash dashed out of the smoke keeping a hand behind him. "Hey, I think if we destroy that dagger. We'll destroy you!" Kobra wrapped him in his tail before laughing.

"Please like a clown like you..." He stopped as he turned his head, and grabbed Robin.

Spoiler unconnected her bo-staff, and used the two ends as handles, as she used the middle to wrap around Kobra's neck. An arrow with the dagger tied on a shot out of the smoke and hits Kobra in the chest. He started to glow before disappearing back into his human form, and Jason came back on the table. The Justice League came back in, and Artemis ran to Naruto.

Only to stop a foot in front of him. "What the hell happened to you?" She asked as he stared at her.

"Nothing... Nothing happened... At all... But I could use a hug." He said spreading his arms out.

"Uhh... No... That's OK." She said but Naruto took a step forward.

"Oh come on... Are you saying you won't hug me if I'm a little dirty?"

Artemis took a few steps back before shaking her head. "No, not at all."

"Then... Hug me." She turned around before running away with Naruto following after her.

Naruto's Penthouse; September 12, 23:45 EDT.

Artemis and Spoiler ran out of the elevator in the hall closet before going to their room where he heard retching. "Oh, Naruto how was... Holy crap what is that smell?" Paula said walking in only to reel back from the smell of Naruto.

"Don't ask." He said before walking to the restroom to take a shower.

"You should really burn your clothes, I don't think we can save them!" She yelled as she heard the shower cut on.

Later, Naruto in his pajama pants walked out towel drying his hair as Paula threw the bag containing his clothes down the trash chute. "We wouldn't be able to explain why clothes that look like Kage's are covered in slime, and blood after he was eaten... Plus I couldn't get close enough to set it on fire." Naruto quickly looked at her, horrified.

"What?"

She pointed to the TV as it showed him bursting out of the snake. "Oh come on!" He yelled as he slumped, and a storm cloud formed over his head.

"What happened with Kobra?" Paula asked as Naruto sighed.

"We never found him... We're thinking he died... Or disappeared so he wouldn't be caught." (1.) He explained before walking to the living room, sat down on the couch, and watched TV.

To Be Continued.