Hey everyone! I know we are going through some outright INSANE times, but I hope you are all safe. I'm sure many of you are going stir crazy with these quarantines, but I sincerely hope this chapter will help make things more bareable. Enjoy!

Klarion watched everything unfold in the realm Wotan had banished his prey to through a crystal ball as the witch boy sat in a lotus position, levitating in place. "Well, this is interesting." The witch boy sneered. Tiki meowed in his lap. "Patience Tiko. We'll spring the trap soon enough." The demon cat meowed again. "What? Really?" The image in the ball switched to an image of Zatara, traversing the chaotic realm as he carried the helmet of fate under his right arm. "Hehe..." Klarion chuckled. "Isn't this a riot!? Not only do I have Nabuu right where I want him, but if I take out Zatara, the helmet will be trapped, sealed away from the mortals forever!" His grin widened to nearly the edges of his head. Tiko pawed at him. "Don't worry, I'll keep that...whatchamacallit again? Jinchi? Jinchubuki?" Tiko lowered her head in shame. "Whatever. I'll make sure that...'kid' lives."

Klarion finally stood from his meditative position and touched down on the floor. "Well, let us be off." Like he was pressing a button in thin air, he seemingly opened a black hole with his finger, and stepped right in.

HAPPY HARBOR, RI UTC 2:30

"I'm sorry, I don't believe I've seen them." A lone mother with a toddler at her hand said as she looked at the photograph.

Aqualad sighed as he tucked it back into his left pocket and rummaged through his right. "Thanks anyway. If you do see something...please contact this number." He handed her a private number, which she graciously accepted.

"If I do, I will. Though I think you should file a police report first." she said.

"Already done." Aqualad lied. "Just doing what I can on my part."

Truth was, they couldn't. Naruto was from another world, and Zatanna's situation was problematic. People would ask questions about what a teenage orphan from New York was doing in Rhode Island. If the police got involved, it would be difficult to steer them away from the League.

As Aqualad walked away, he went into his telepathic link. The entire team was out looking for them, including Miss Martian. "Anything?"

"I think I've got a lead." Miss Martian, currently as Megan, said. "Naruto and Zatanna got ice cream together. They were headed into Memorial Park."

"Anything else?" Aqualad asked.

"There is one thing." Superboy said as he came beside Miss Martian, who just gave him a dirty look. "A middle-aged man with reddish-brown hair and a suit approached them. Someone saw them; the man handed Zatanna a card. The witness turned away after that. Though..."

"...though?" Aqualad prodded him.

"He said he heard something like thunder, but when he turned around, they were all gone. I didn't see any evidence of some kind of disturbance. Grass looks and smells clean."

"There are no CTVs in that area." Robin said over the link. "So we can't see for ourselves what happened."

"Maybe Dr. Fate can help?" Artemis asked out of the blue.

"Probably." Kid Flash answered. "Two problems. One: We don't know HOW to contact Dr. Fate. We may have been to the Tower of Fate before, but it could be anywhere now. Two: Even if Zatara is his host, there's no guarantee that he will go rescue his daughter. Nabuu is more concerned about the big picture than one individual. Zatara probably has no say over what happens now."

There was a bit of silence between them. Talking about Fate made everyone uncomfortable, especially given his current host. Deciding to turn to their newest partners, Aqualad broadcasted "Sakura? Sasuke? Any luck on your ends?"

"Negative on that." Sasuke answered. "I figured the dobe would get lost here on his own, but the mountain isn't exactly an easy place to miss. He should have been back by now."

"What now?" Sakura asked.

"Most of the residents are turning in." Aqualad answered. "Get some rest, everyone. We've done all we can for now."

"Miss Martian and I will search a little longer." Superboy suddenly announced. "We don't need as much sleep as the rest of you. We'll try another sweep before heading home."

"Roger that." Aqualad answered. "Thank you, you two. Good luck."

As soon as the telepathic conference was closed, Superboy spoke to M'Gann verbally. "Let's try the west side again..."

"Let's split up." M'Gann cut him off, holding up her hand. "You let me know if you find anything..."

"Why can't we do it together?" Superboy asked, though he had a feeling he knew why.

"You know damn well why, Connor!" M'Gann snapped back. "You just disappeared for a whole day, and on a special occasion! And you won't tell me why!" The Martian turned around. "So, what was it? Did you not want to celebrate? You really couldn't put up with one night of partying? Or...is there someone else?"

"What!? No!" Superboy shouted. "M'Gann, I wouldn't..."

"...then what!?" Miss Martian cut him off again. Sensing no one around, she changed back to her green form and then turned translucent. "I'll check the other side. I'll see you at the cave...whenever you decide to come by."

Superboy looked on as she flew away (he could see her with his senses). Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out what seemed to be a small lead box. Opening it, he looked at the red strips which loosely resembled Superman's symbol. Sighing, he wondered: should he tell her? But then, that would mean revealing his true genetic heritage...

"Can't you just teleport us out of here?" Naruto whined as they traversed the strange wasteland they were all trapped in.

"Magic isn't a cure-all solution." Jason drawled. "It's almost an inverse science, if you will. It has rules. Just not the same rules of the mortal realm." Jason looked across the landscape. "And if we are to get out of here, we must figure out how this particular realm works."

"Okay..." Naruto said as he crossed his arms. "...so, how do we do that?"

Jason didn't turn to look at him as his expression remained dead-panned. "...I've no idea."

Naruto sighed. Zatanna placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry; we'll figure this out." Zatanna said. Approaching Jason, she said "Mr. Blood? You said you would help me with my magic training...perhaps now would be a good time."

Jason gave her a small smile. "I suppose there's no better opportunity to do so." He agreed. "Anyway, the best starting point would be to work backwards. Wotan's magic is Norse in origin; perhaps that would help us find a clue."

Jason pulled out a stone with a weird symbol on it. "You're going to use a rock?" Naruto asked.

Jason only glared at him. "Well, I suppose we could go our separate ways and leave you to find your own way out..."

"No, no!" Naruto frantically waved his arms. "I'll wait!"

The Brit only rolled his eyes. "This is a rune, a talisman for Norse magic. Very hard to find these days; this is the only one I own."

"So, it can get us out of here?" Zatanna asked.

"Alone, probably not." Blood answered. "But perhaps it can provide us with a clue." Blood held out a stone to her. "I think a good place to start would be the exact moment when Wotan banished us here. If we can deduce the exact spell, we may be able to find a solution. Would you do the honors?"

Zatanna smiled, and placed her hands above the rock. "Wohs su eht tnahc Natow desu." She said, barely above a whisper.

Slowly, an image formed, perfectly capturing an image from their memories when Wotan first banished them...

Wotan, at that moment, flew through the strange dimension as he searched for his quarry. "A fine morning for a fly, isn't it?"

Wotan turned around, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Klarion!"

Klarion only smirked, still hovering in his lotus position with his familiar in his lap. "I love what you've done with the place." He said, looking around.

The sorcerer was afraid, given what happened on Roanoke Island. "I...I.."

"Oh, spare me." Klarion sighed, waving him off. "If anything, you should be thanking me."

"Thanking you!?"

"How else do you think you escaped the Tower of Fate? It was only because I tore a hole into Fate's defenses from the other side." Klarion smirked. "Of course, of all of those sorcerers, you were the only one that never stopped trying to escape. And, I felt you deserved a chance to take out Fate, given your...interesting history." Klarion stroked his cat. "For some reason, this realm neutralizes the helmet's link with it's host. Now, that third-rate wizard is trapped here without his shiny new powers. Kill him, and leave the helmet here. Fate will never interfere in our affairs again. At least for a few centuries."

Wotan slowly smiled at the thought.

Both Jason and Zatanna studied the mystical playback, while Naruto just sat, picking his ear. "...I think we might be in the legendary world of Muspelheim."

"Muspelheim?" Zatanna asked.

"In Norse tradition, there are 9 realms. Judging by this place, I'd say we're in the realm of demons. Muspelheim."

"Can't you just say the same thing as that Wotan guy and get us out?" Naruto asked.

"Magic is more than just words, Naruto." Zatanna explained. "You have to be able to feel the energy; the words are just the tool used to conduct that energy."

"And you need the both the proper words to do it as easy as Wotan, and know WHICH energy to harness." Jason added. "In Wotan's case, he uses ancient Norse magic, so now we know the words, but not which energy to harness." Blood said. "But...there may be a solution."

"Great!" Naruto shot up. "What is it?"

"We need blood."

Naruto blinked. Jason looked to him, and Naruto began to sweat. "Whoa!" Naruto crawled away. "Let's not resort to human sacrifice just yet!"

"Do not worry; we do not need to resort for murder, nor would my honor ever allow it. I'm not even sure it would be your blood we need anyway, given that you are not from our home planet to begin with."

"Then whose?" Zatanna asked.

"First, yours." Jason answered as he pulled out a vicious looking knife. "You're of our world, and not tainted by the bond of a demon like I am. Do not worry, cutting the palm will do. Second, we'll need some of Wotan's blood. How we can get him here...we'll think of something. Finally, we need the blood of one of the demons here. The combination should be enough for us to isolate the magical energies, and conjure a spell of our own to return us to Earth." Jason sighed.

"You may find difficulty with the demon hunting as well." Another said. "After I got here, they started to avoid this place." The three turned around for a sight they never thought they would see.

"Dad?" Zatanna gasped.

Zatara stood before them, carrying the Helmet of Fate under his arm. "Hello, my darling." He whispered.

Zatanna bolted for him, and hugged him tight. "Oh, dad..." she sobbed.

Zatara said nothing as he stroked her hair and looked up to see Jason Blood before him. "Jason. I see you've gotten the letter."

"And I intend to honor your request, if Zatanna will allow it." He replied.

"So...you're free now?" Naruto asked.

Zatara looked to the helmet, and sighed. "I'm afraid not. This realm somehow neutralizes the Helmet of Fate. For the moment, I am myself. But once we get out of here, I must don it once again."

Zatanna looked up at him in shock. "N...No! You can't, you don't have to!" She pounded on his body. "You upheld the bargain! Whatever broke the contract, you're free now!"

"Oh, Zee..." Zatara said. "I wish that were the case, but it is not to be. There is a great evil coming, and when it comes...the world will need Fate." Zatara pulled away. "But for the moment, that's not important. We need to get out of here."

"Agreed." Blood said.

"You will never leave here alive!"

Naruto and the magicians looked around as the familiar voice of Wotan echoed throughout the land. "He found us!" Jason said.

"On the contrary...I never lost sight of you." An enlarged image of Wotan appeared in the sky, like he was a god looking down on lowly mortals. "And I was on my way to destroy you all personally. But then, you...Dr. Fate! You came here!" It took a moment for them to realize he was talking directly to the Helmet of Fate. "Alas, this is not a realm of order, but of chaos! You cannot thrive here..." The image faded as the real Wotan appeared before them. "And you are all but mere playthings for me. Until I tire of you."

Zatara raised his cane to blast Wotan, but he deflected it with but a wave of his hand. "A mortal magician cannot hope to defeat me here."

"Good thing I am no mere mortal." Jason stepped forward. "Gone, gone the form of man..."

He exploded in fire as his figure grew. "Arise, the demon Etrigan!"

Etrigan breathed his flames. Though Wotan was singed, he quickly repelled them. Etrigan immediately formed a mace and tried to smack him, but Wotan flew over him. The two earthly magicians tried to hit him, but Wotan toyed with them as he dodged and teleported away from their attacks. "Hold still, lest my wrath make you ill!" The demon yelled.

Zatanna and Naruto watched on as it happened. Though Naruto wasn't sure he could help, Zatanna wasn't content with the situation. "I can't stand by and do nothing." Zatanna whispered. Zatanna spotted a fairly large rock on the ground, and she made her move. "Tih Natow ni eht daeh!"

The rock began to shake, and suddenly shot into the air, hitting Wotan in the temple. "Ugh!" Wotan swaggered, and now he was at the mercy of his opponents.

Etrigan grabbed his head, smashing him hard onto the ground. He quickly pulled him out and breathed fire into his some kind of barrier partially protected his face, he still was smoldering from it. He quickly shot his lightning at him, and though the spell caused the demon some pain, he was strong enough to withstand it. "'Tis a pity, Wotan. Here you are mighty, even so you should have ran!" Quickly he cocked back his fist and punched him right in the nose, sending him flying through pure physics.

"Enogeb Natow!" Zatara fired a beam channeled from his cane, knocking the norse sorcerer into a craig. Etrigan prepared to finish him off; quickly, he conjured an axe, and threw it straight at him. However, Wotan turned to lightning and quickly got out of the line of fire.

Before Etrigan could so much as rhyme, Wotan reappeared in front of Naruto and Zatanna, causing them to jump. "You will not interfere!" With a strike of lightning, he cracked the earth beneath their feet.

"Ah!" The two felt themselves move apart, struggling to balance. Naruto quickly picked up two stones, throwing them at Wotan. Lacking the speed Zatanna's magic toss had, they did nothing but irritate the sorcerer further.

"How dare you-!" Wotan aimed directly at Naruto, striking him in the chest.

"Ugh!" Naruto fell and rolled across the ground, falling down into a chasm that opened up.

"Naruto!" Zatanna reached for him. "Gnirb mih-"

Lightning suddenly gagged her mouth and bound her limbs as she was hoisted off the ground. She was then brought face to face with Wotan. "I'll send you to join him soon enough. But I'm not yet." They turned to stare down Zatara and Etrigan. "You will make an excellent hostage."

"AAHHHH!" Naruto fell for a while before brushing against the wall, dislocating his arm. Finally, he hit a few more rocks as he finally reached the bottom. It was one of the most painful experiences he felt; anyone else probably would have died. Almost immediately, he felt his bones fuse back together and his wounds close. That probably hurt worse than the fall itself. "Owww..."

"Oh, don't worry." A sickeningly familiar voice said. "I gave Wotan strict instructions not to kill you." Klarion came into view as he stroked his demonic cat in his arm. "Of course, I helped to make sure you lived. I may have made the fall more painful than necessary to make that happen. Sorry."

Naruto finally got up, and charged for him, his eyes turning red at the sight of him. "You!" He growled.

"Ah, there it is." Klarion said calmly. When Naruto got close, crimson eldritch chains restrained him just as he was within a hair's width of him. Klarion tapped the blonde's forehead, confident he couldn't hurt him. "Still, this isn't your full potential now, is it?" Dark energy poured from his nail into Naruto. Naruto's beastial features increased further with longer fangs and thicker whiskers. An orange cloak of chakra then enveloped his body, extending into a single fox tail behind him. "Hm. There we go." Klarion sneered. Naruto nearly broke his bonds as he suddenly tried to strike him, managing to scratch Klarion across the cheek. Stepping back, the witch boy felt it and looked at the blood in his palm. Giving the wild child a dark smile, he said "We better stop now. I think I've made my point."

Naruto reverted back to his natural state, and fell to his knees. He felt exhausted! Sensing the danger had passed, Klarion approached him. "I'm not here to kill you, nor do I want to fight you." Klarion thought about that for a moment. "At least, not at the moment." He corrected himself. "I just want to talk."

Naruto panted, and looked at him. "I've got nothing to say to you!"

"Eh. Kinda like it better that way. I just need you...to listen."

With a snap of his fingers, the two found themselves at a familiar ramen stand. Naruto spun on his stool as he saw the familiar villagers passing by, some still in their shinobi uniforms. "Are we...?"

"Sort of." Klarion answered as he slurped on some noodles next to him. "This is all from your memories." He explained as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Thanks to Akatsuki, I know WHAT you are." Naruto nearly blanched at his statement. "A jinchuriki, they call you. A human containing a demon. But not everyone saw it that way. To them, you WERE the demon."

Their setting changed as they were now at the Konoha playground. And Klarion managed to shock Naruto again as he had the boy watch his six-year old self. The younger Naruto approached several of the children to play with them, but their parents came up and pulled them away. "Get away, you monster!" One shouted. As the adults walked away with their children, Young Naruto looked down and struggled to hold back his tears.

"Knowing what you do now, do you think they were wrong?" Klarion asked.

Naruto tried to answer, but no words came. He tried a second time, only to say "I'm not a monster!"

"Too bad they don't see it that way. And can you blame them?"

The location changed again to the top of Konoha's walls. Naruto looked to see the village in ruins, and caught sight of the Kyuubi wreaking havoc. "This is-?"

"The night the Kyuubi attacked." Klarion said. Naruto nearly blanched when the beast scooped up an attacking ninja and chomped him down. Just shaking its tails caused the earth to tremble; the tales were true. "This death and destruction is my kind of thing!" Klarion squeed. "But of course, someone had to put a stop to the fun." A shadowy figure, on top of what must've been Gamabunta, confronted the beast. From there, Klarion ended the feed. "I don't think we need to see much more."

Within a moment, they were back at the bottom of the chasm. Giving his cat a quick stroke, he faced Naruto directly. "I'm just curious. Why are you living in service to that place? You were clearly shunned for something out of your control; I just don't get it." He said, shaking his fists.

Naruto snorted confidently. "I'm going to be Hokage so everyone will acknowledge me."

Klarion stared at him for a moment, then snickered. "A tyrant in the making."

"Say what?"

"I've been around for a while, kid. Seen a lot of things. And I've seen plenty of lonely people strive for leadership. It doesn't end well. Here's an example."

They suddenly found themselves in a strange room; Naruto guesses it was on the Earth he was currently stranded on (more or less). In the room, a boy huddled on his bed. Though he was not outwardly expressing emotion, Naruto knew the look of sadness all too well. "What's this?"

"I'm guessing you don't know you're history here very well." Klarion noted. "This boy was pretty average; his father had high expectations of him, but he had other desires, and as a result grew up with little support. He was kind of awkward too; didn't really have a lot of friends."

They then found themselves in what seemed to be an art class, with many young men painting with their brushes. Though he had grown considerably, Naruto recognized the boy now turned into a man. "He was pretty introverted, but strived to be seen as special. Like you." Klarion told him.

"Did he become a famous artist?"

"Nope. He was pretty terrible." Klarion waved him off. "He got rejected, and because he stopped his education early, he didn't have a lot of other options."

The setting changed again, this time to a battlefield. The forest was laid bare and there was nothing but mud and machinery. Naruto ducked as a bullet whizzed by him. After seeing what happened to Sasuke back in Lativa, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of those. Klarion explained "His adopted country found itself in a war, and he volunteered."

Naruto watched as the man ducked in the trench and aimed his gun. "So he became a hero?"

"He served his country well." Klarion answered. "But no, he wasn't celebrated. His side lost, after all." Klarion sneered as he held up his fingers. "But this is where it gets really good."

Snapping them, they saw a neighborhood again, clearly seeing better days. "After the loss, the country was forced into poverty. But many wouldn't take this lying down. He organized them, formed a political party...and won."

Naruto was then in the middle of a large stadium. The man he was watching was now at the center of the podium. He used to be a shy introvert, but seeing him rally the crowds, he seemed like a different person. Naruto also noticed the banners; they were similar to the symbol on Neji's forehead, but thicker, and tilted to the side. "But this is only where the fun begins." Klarion interrupted.

Suddenly, they were in the sky, as planes flew by them and bombed several cities. "He then began to conquer his neighbors. But that's not even the worst...or the best part, if you share my sensibilities." They were then back on the ground, in the middle of a battle even larger than the last one Klarion showed Naruto before. "Eventually, he dragged this entire world in his war, even bigger and bloodier than the last." Klarion could barely contain his chuckle. "And it gets better still...he had to make scapegoats out of certain people...wanna see what he did to them?"

They were then brought to a dank facility...and Naruto nearly vomited at what he saw. "Yup. This was his masterpiece." Klarion laughed.

"No more!" Naruto all but begged as he tried to swipe the images away. "I'm not like that! I never will be!"

"Oh?" Klarion asked as he put his cat down. The illusion vanished, and they were back in the chasm. "And what makes you say that?"

Naruto stood, looking him in the eye. "It was lonely. I won't deny that. But I have friends now. Iruka-sensei. Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke. Sakura. Even Shikamaru and Bushy Brows."

"And do they know about what's inside you?" Klarion asked. "You didn't tell them, did you?" Naruto's eyes widened. "Why not?" Klarion asked, walking closer to him and causing Naruto to back away. "If they were your friends, you would have told them. Am I right? I thought that was how friends work, correct?" Naruto tripped over a rock and fell backwards. "Let me tell you, that...'team', you now hang out with...they've got secrets of their own. Secrets you should have known since you first came here." Klarion then held up his hand. "I'm offering you a partnership. You see...I, and only I...understand you. Those who know you, fear you over something you can't control. I can offer you payback." Naruto, at first, didn't extend his hand. "Come on. It will be worth your while."

A slither of energy slid from Klarion's eyes and into Naruto's, turning them red, similar to how Kyuubi affected him. He saw himself beating down on the adults who shunned him, and those who doubted him bowing to him. Unaware, he extended his hand towards Klarion...

"AAAH!" Zatanna screamed as the electricity traveled through her. Both Etrigan and Zatara froze as Wotan held up Zatanna in front of him, bound by his magic. "It seems not even Etrigan would dare harm an innocent. And you..." Wotan said to Zatara. "Nabu was wrong to put his trust in humanity. Had you both attacked me, you could have won, this child being the only casualty of our feud. But because you care so much about the little things, you lose sight of the big picture..."

With his other hand, he entrapped them both in a magic cage, similar to the one he used in the Bayou months ago. The walls began to close in all of them; Etrigan held it back with his pure strength, but he would not be able to keep it up. "Despite feats of my strength told, this body cannot hold!"

"And you will all die horrifically..." Wotan concluded

Zatanna struggled, trying to mutter whatever spells she could. "Esaeler em!" She murmured under her gag. Nothing. "Esaeler em!" Still nothing as she thrashed. Zatara tried to use every muscle on her face to break out. Still nothing. Finally, she took a deep breath, and spoke her words; she would have been screaming at the top of her lungs had she not been gagged. "ESAELER EM WON!" The eldritch magics binding her broke, causing her to fall to the ground. Without wasting a beat, she screamed "NARUTO!"

Their hands may have been a single fingertip away, when the echoing call vibrated through the chasm. "Naruto!" Zatanna's voice called.

Naruto suddenly blinked, as his eyes turned back to their natural blue. Quickly, Naruto grabbed Klarion's wrist, and pulled him in for a knee to the stomach. "Ugh-!" Before Klarion could do anything more, Naruto then punched him square across the jaw, forcing Klarion to tumble back. Tiko raised her hairs as she hissed loudly in response, but Klarion held out his hand, staying his familiar. Klarion's face warped as he charged up dark energy, Naruto summoning a bushin to fight. After a tense stare-down, Klarion relaxed. "A shame." He said as he straightened up his tie. "It could have been fun."

"Enough talk!" Naruto shouted as he gathered chakra. "Let's do this!"

"I told you I wasn't here to fight." Klarion waved his finger. "I've said all I've come to say. If this is your choice...I hope you're satisfied. Especially when they turn on you!"

Naruto's jutsu dissipated. "What-?"

"I'll just watch from the shadows." A portal opened behind Klarion, which he walked backwards into. "The real question is will they betray you because of what you are...or because of what THEY are?" Finally, Klarion disappeared into the portal, and the hole closed up.

Naruto breathed as he tried to process what Klarion told him. "He knew about me!" He began to breathe deeper. "What else does he know about the others?" Naruto suddenly punched himself in the forehead. "That doesn't matter! Not right now! I have to get back to Z!"

Just then, a low growl permeated throughout the chasm. Naruto froze, as he slowly turned around. "H-Hello?" He asked. Two giant yellow eyes stared back at him from the shadows. Then several other pairs appeared. It was then that Naruto realized that all of them belonged to the same face. "Oh shi-" The giant monster appeared in a flash, opening a giant maw that could swallow him whole...

So...yeah. I just compared Naruto to Hitler!

Don't take it too seriously though (I swear me calling him the Aryan Ninja was a joke!). Remember, Klarion is clearly manipulating Naruto, and just cherry-picked some maybe MINOR similarities to suggest he would really become a monster.

Right now, we do have bigger stuff going on, with the murder of George Floyd, and no that is NOT an overstatement! The man was already handcuffed, and was pinned to the ground, the officers around him clearly in no danger. For those who are suggesting Mr. Floyd was some kind of dangerous criminal...that is IRRELEVANT. It is the job of the police to protect and serve, INCLUDING those they arrest.

If you're going to protest, please do so wisely. Do not loot, cause riots or attack anyone. Carry your phones with you in case of emergency and to record anything else happening, good or bad. Try to practice social distancing as best you can; we're still in a pandemic.

Please stay safe.