Connecting the Dots: Revelations Part I

Revelations

At 10:30 am, Hinata crept out of her room.  Fortunately enough of the tower had been renovated for each of the girls to have their private apartment, so no one noticed her departure, nor her uneasy way of slinking through the halls on her way to the exit.  Not that there were many to notice her, most of the others were already busy or out on patrol.    Technically, Hinata was supposed to be on patrol now too, but Robin had granted her time off and sent Chouji in her place.  He hadn't been too happy with it though… with Ino nearly incapable of serving, Naruto and Sakura insisting on separate patrols, and Lee nearly killing himself with training each day, Hinata's day off had been a little hard to fit in.  She'd done three extra patrols in order to get this one off.

It was worth it though.  She had to go to the restaurant, she HAD to find out what was going on with her… what was going on with Ino.  True, she did not know whether her problem was connected with Ino's, nor whether the strange man could explain them, nor even whether the old man's friend was the same strange man she had met earlier.  But she had to do something.

The man had been the breaking point.  Yesterday, she'd been up on the roof with Sakura, staring off into the ocean, trying to decide whether or not to go to the meeting.  And then, suddenly, a man had floated into her vision.  A pale, white man, dressed in what seemed like some kind of bizarre red circus outfit.  When she'd gasped and started upright, Sakura had glanced at her and asked what was wrong.  But the man had stared straight at her, as if astonished, and slowly he had faded away again.

That had decided her.  No matter the consequences, she needed to figure out what was going on with her.   And, if possible, what was going on with Ino.

She knew it had to be her fault.  She'd done that… that thing with Ino, she'd touched her and made her understand the language.  That had to be the reason why Ino was shut up in her room with all the lights off.  Somehow, she must have done something else to Ino that had made her so jumpy and nervous.

So for herself and for Ino, she had to go out to meet this man in the restaurant, in the hopes he might be able to help.  And, preferably, she had to do it without any of her friends noticing.  She didn't know WHAT this man would think if she brought any friends along.  Nor what her friends would think, for that matter.  

Fortunately, after nearly a lifetime of being invisible, Hinata was more than capable of slinking through the Tower down to the ground floor.  She paused before the garage, but then passed on.  Those 'car' things were still somewhat beyond her.  A few minutes good running should get her there in no time.  All she had to do was go out the door and…

"Hinata?"

Of all the times she'd hoped to attract Naruto's attention, why did he have to pick now, when she'd hoped not to?

Trembling uncontrollably, Hinata turned to face the grinning blonde.  "G-g-good m-m-morning N-Naruto-kun."

"Not morning for much longer," chuckled Naruto, walking up to her.  "Have you seen Kiba or any of the others?  I thought I might do some sparring or something."  His eyes lit up suddenly.  "Hey, unless you…"

"I'm… I'm afraid I'm just going out to lunch, Naruto-kun."  Hinata gave a little bow, her insides twisting.  Of all the times for him to make that offer!  Now he'd think she was avoiding him.

"Lunch?  Where?"  Naruto cocked an eyebrow in interest.

"Um… a place… called the, ah… Noodle Nexus, I think."  Belatedly Hinata realized she had no idea where the restaurant was.

Naruto's face lit up.  "Seriously?  That place is AWESOME!  They've got like sixty different kinds of ramen there, it's like… oh man, it's not as good as Ichiraku's, but still!"  He closed his eyes in ecstasy.  "Oh, boy.  I still haven't tried their chocolate ramen."  His eyes popped open again, bright and eager.  "Hey!  Is it okay if I tag along?"

Hinata blinked.  Several times.  Her face flamed up.  The blood was throbbing in her eardrums, she could feel heat burning from her skin.  All her former thoughts—Ino, the strange man, the things she'd seen—went flying away in a heartbeat.  "B-but Na-Na-Na-Naruto-kun…"

"Please?"  His face took on a puppy-dog like expression.  "I'll pay for my own food!  I'll pay for yours, even!  Please?"

Don'tfaintDon'tfaintDon'tfaintDon'tfaintDon'tfaaaaaainnnnnt….  "O-o-o-o-of c-c-c-course you may accompany me, Naruto-kun, if you wish it."

With a whoop, Naruto leapt into the air and pumped his fist.  "Awesome!  Ramen, here we come!"

****************************

"She saw you?"  Superman frowned.  "Are you sure?"

"Hey, I'm a flippin' ghost," snapped Green Arrow.  Or rather, not Green Arrow, but Deadman, a ghost currently inhabiting Arrow's body.  "I know the difference between looking at someone and looking through them.  Besides, she gasped and jumped up and everything—that's pretty much standard reaction when you see a ghost."

"Perhaps she has some kind of psychic ability to perceive the identities of remaining energies and their respective consciousnesses," suggested Mr. Terrific.

Arrow's eyebrow quirked at the man.  "What's all this now?  Psychic identities and whatza?"

"He doesn't think you're a ghost."  Superman pressed his fingers to his head.

"No, I don't believe ghosts exist.  'Deadman' just happens to be one of the phenomena regularly mistaken for ghosts."

"Oh really?"  Deadman's voice took on a somewhat more annoyed tone.  "Well, that's good to know.  What am I then?"

Mr. Terrific didn't even blink.  "Most likely residual psychic energies strongly connected with the identity of their former owner.  Perhaps released in the intense trauma forced upon by death, trauma which also caused the energies to form a self-delusionary perception of themselves as a single entity…"

"Oh, forget it."  Deadman—or rather, Green Arrow—turned back to Superman.  "I guess it took me a while to get used to the idea too.  Anyway, yeah, I'm pretty sure she saw me.  Not sure how… I mean, she didn't seem like a medium or anything magical…"

"Perhaps this chakra of theirs has something to do with it?  Otherwise, I believe that girl also has some special seeing ability…"

"Uh-uh.  None of the others could see me, not even the other weird kid with white eyes.  I think the creepy grey girl knew I was there, but she just ignored me."

Superman glanced to Mr. Terrific, who shrugged.  "Blue Devil did say there was something odd about her.  Perhaps this is a manifestation of it."

"Seems to be."  Superman nodded.  "You're sure you don't know anything more?"

"Nope."  Deadman shook Arrow's head.   "Except I can't body-jack her like what I'm doing to this guy now.  I've done it to some of the others—outside the tower, of course, the creepy grey girl's got that shielded with sigils and other stuff—but I just bounce right off her.  I don't think she even notices.  Same thing with the blonde kid, though that felt a bit more painful."  Arrow's body shivered at the memory.  "Anyway.  But aside from that, no.  Nothin."

"Hm.  And you're sure you haven't noticed anything strange about the energy around her?"

It may have been Superman's imagination, but it seemed that Deadman hesitated ever so slightly.  "Ah… Na.  Nah.  Never seen it before."

"Okay."  Superman turned away from the ghost-possessed Arrow.  "You can let Arrow go now.  Let us know if you find anything further."


*********************

"Isn't this place great, Hinata?" asked Naruto, mouth full of ramen.

"Umm… yes, Naruto-kun.  Yes it is."  

"How can you tell?  You haven't even touched your ramen!"

"Oh!"  Hinata gave a little jump.  "Oh, yes."  She started to pick at her bowl of noodles.  Between a lunch with her crush and a meeting with the mysterious otherworldly benefactor, she really didn't have much of an appetite.

"See?  Isn't this place awesome?"

"Oh yes… yes, definitely."  Hinata cast a nervous glance at the clock.  They had probably another ten minutes before she could expect her visitor.  She needed to get Naruto to leave before then, but… but… surely a few more  moments couldn't hurt?  "Yes, it's very nice Naruto-kun."

"Glad you like it," nodded Naruto, slurping up a long and floppy noodle.  "Actually, I was kinda thinking of asking you down here anyway, so this works out really well."

"What?"  Hinata whipped around to stare at him.

"Well…"  Strangely embarrassed, Naruto turned away to look out the window, scratching the back of his head.  "I wanted… I mean, I never really got the chance to talk to you about… well, y'know."  He glanced back and tried a half-hearted smile.  "The whole thing with Pain."

"Oh."  Hinata immediately looked down, away.  "W-w-we don't h-h-have to.  I mean, if y-y-you don't f-feel comfortable…"

"No, no.  I want to… I mean, we need to talk about it.  It's just…"  Naruto sighed.  "Okay, first off.  Jumping out there, in front of Pain, trying to take him down?  That was probably the stupidest thing in the world to do."

Still staring at the floor, Hinata gave a short, feeble nod.  "Yes.  I know."

"There was absolutely no way in the world you ever stood a chance there.  I mean, you tried to take on a guy who leveled the entire village.  It was probably the stupidest thing you've ever done."  He paused a moment, then continued, "It was also one of the most incredibly awesome things I've ever seen."

Hinata's head jerked back up.  "B-but N-na-naruto-kun…"

"Hinata, you faced off against a god.  Or at least a wannabe god.  And you even put up a fight against him, if not a very long one.  That's some serious level of awesome."  Grinning, Naruto gave a little shrug.  "Besides, when it comes to doing stupid things, I'm not exactly one to talk."

Hinata hiccupped out a laugh.  

"But it was still stupid.  Really stupid.  Promise me you'll never do anything as stupid as that again."  Naruto's face had returned to its serious expression.  

"O-okay."  Hinata nodded.  She could refuse him nothing, much less something like this.

"Good," sighed Naruto, leaning back.  "That's… all I wanted to talk about, I guess."

All? some distant part of Hinata's mind wailed.  But she kept her mouth shut and tried to let her relief overwhelm her disappointment.  At least it was over with now. At least…

"Did you mean what you said back there, by the way?"  Naruto was looking at her again.  "About… you know, me showing you the way, and… all that?"

Overcome with embarrassment, Hinata could barely nod her head.  "Y-yes."

Naruto looked away, out the window.  He drummed his fingers restlessly on the table, bit his lip, then finally said: "That's… not really such a great idea."

Hinata frowned.  "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm a stupid guy, that's what I mean," grunted Naruto.  "I mean, my way basically is… throw yourself at a problem and hope it gives before you do.  I tough it out because I can, but it's not really the best way, or even really a good way."

"But it is…"  Hinata shrank a little as Naruto shifted around to stare at her, but she kept on regardless.  "It's… you keep trying, Naruto.  You always keep trying, no matter how many times you fail.  It's…  That's what I mean.  I always… I always give up, sometimes even before I try."  Voice now little more than a whisper, she stared at the floor.  "But you… you keep trying.  And that's how you always win."

She looked up to see Naruto shaking his head.  "But not without a lot of pain.  I mean, that's cool for me and all.  Healing factor, y'know.  But for someone else… Shikamaru can think his way out of a steel prison and not get anybody hurt.  Shino can always figure out what's going on, and usually think of some kind of strategy to work with it.  Even Neji can usually… do SOMETHING."  He shrugged.  "The point is, my way's painful.  And slow."

"But it works, Naruto."

"For me, yeah.  But for someone like you… there are lots of better ways to follow, Hinata.  You should really…"

"I don't want to!"  Hinata suddenly snapped.  "And those other ways aren't better, they're just… different ways!  Of doing yours!  Shikamaru never used to take planning seriously until you motivated him to keep trying!  Neji always thought there was a cage limiting his growth until he met you!  Shino…"  Hinata paused in her rant, "Shino's always been Shino, really—but even he realized how important it was to try for things!  None of them would be anything without you!"

"But Hinata…"

"It's… you need to start realizing how important you are to people, Naruto."  Eyes nearly brimming, Hinata looked away.  "You inspire… everybody  to keep trying harder.  Because that's why… that's why you're always getting stronger.  Because you never give up."

There was a long silence.  Hinata didn't dare to look at Naruto, she just sat there, eyes squeezed shut, heedless of the liquid seeping from her eyelids.  The only sound in the restaurant was the ticking of the clock.

"Not very observant, is he?"

Hinata recoiled with a start at the sudden voice.  Sitting just across from her was the strange red-haired man in the green trenchcoat, his eyes fixed on an unconscious Naruto.  

*********************

Striding from the practice room, Robin called back, "We'll do some more Sambo tomorrow.  In the meantime, keep practicing those forms I showed you."

"Yosh, Robin-sensei!"

Training Lee was surprisingly easy once Robin hit on the idea of only allowing him to use the new moves during their spars.  Although he was as fast as ever, Lee had understandable difficulty in using the new forms, and that gave Robin a decided edge.  And once Lee had mastered the forms (usually after a few days of solid training) he was exhausted enough for Robin to at least keep up with.  Still.  He tended to win most of their bouts.

But Robin was getting better too.  His already-primed reflexes had nearly doubled in speed, and he had gained a much closer working knowledge of Lee's style.  There were definite elements of Wing Chun in it, though it seemed to have evolved in a much different manner.  Most noticeable was its reliance on footwork.  Apparently the ninjas wanted the hands free as much as possible, presumably to perform their 'seals' with.

Neji, though, Robin didn't quite know how to handle.  He didn't know many martial arts that depended only on touch points, and he wasn't familiar enough with the Hyuuga's power to develop any.  Neji's style was understandably hand-based—apparently that was how they shot the chakra at the internal organs—but that made it a little predictable.  And also, he imagined, kept the Hyuuga from using jutsus as the other ninjas did.  Perhaps chakra could also be directed through the feet?  He'd have to talk to Neji about that.

For the moment, though, he had more pressing matters, namely, Neji's cousin.  The girl had been strangely insistent on getting time off on this particular day, at this particular time, and had offered no explanation why.  Obviously, she had a meeting or event of some kind to attend, but none of the other ninjas had objected to being offered the same time slot, so they were not meeting with her.  But if she was not meeting with someone in the tower, who WAS she meeting with?

The ploy was so obvious, Robin had almost suspected a counter-ploy, but the frail Hyuuga did not seem like the type.  Unless, of course, THAT was also a ploy, but Robin doubted it.  In any case, she apparently hadn't noticed the device he'd planted on her headband this morning, because the blinking dot on the control room screen was still there, and it was nowhere near the tower.  

"Switch to video feed."  Robin ordered as he entered the room.

"Affirmative," replied the computer.

The screen went entirely dark and remained so.  "Unavailable," explained the computer, with a hint of apology.

Robin frowned.  "Audio?"

"Unavailable."

"Hm."  Perhaps the Hyuuga girl had figured it out after all.  "Assess tracker condition."

"Tracker: Operational and in working order."

"Signal strength?"

"Signal strength within prime parameters.  Two-second delay between tracker recording and update on screen."

"Audio and Video elements of tracker?"

"Operational but unresponsive."

Curious.  Few people would have the know-how to do that to one of Robin's trackers, and certainly none of the ninjas would.  An accident, then?  Unlikely.  In any case, there was one way to tell for sure.  "Play back tracker video feed two minutes prior to last recorded available data feed."

"Affirmative."  The screen filled with an image of a very familiar diner, with a very familiar blonde sitting at it.  

Robin frowned in surprise.  She was meeting with Naruto?  But Naruto had been willing to patrol at this time, so how… of course.  His doppelganger ability.  Robin should have thought of that.  Why all the secrecy though?  Just a shy girl's desire to keep her affairs private?  Possible, he supposed.  But why would Naruto hide it?  Because of Sakura, perhaps?  He still hadn't figured out THAT whole mess.

The video suddenly blacked out and Robin shook himself into alertness.  "Replay last five seconds."

"Affirmative." The screen showed an apparently neck-level view of the diner window and the street beyond.  A few people passed by and then… blackness.  No static, no sudden movement, just… blackness.

"Hm."  Very puzzling.  By all appearances, the girl had done nothing to the device, certainly it was in the same place it had been, but yet it could give him no information.  How odd.

Perhaps listening to their conversation would give him a better idea.  Robin clicked a few keys on the computer and settled back to listen.  As Naruto's comments about ramen filled his ears, he continued thinking on one thing.

What could have caused this?

*******************

Hinata stared.  There he was.  The man from the park.  The man she'd seen standing on the water.  The man, she felt certain, who'd done… whatever-it-was that had been done to her.  And he was simply sitting across from her as if it was the most natural thing in the world, hands folded on the table, head tilted quizzically at the slumbering form of her crush.

"An interesting person," commented the man distantly.  "Not the greatest thinker, or the greatest fighter, his main virtue is simply that he doesn't know when to quit."  He arched an eyebrow.  "The boy thrives on struggle, he can never be satisfied except with dissatisfaction.  Fortunately, that is all he is ever likely to find in this life."

"Y-y-y-y-you… y-y-you…"  Hinata stammered.  "H-ha-have you been following me?"

"Yours is the soul that guides me."  The man turned his stare to her.  "I must."

"Wha--what did you do to him?"  She pointed at Naruto.

"Nothing harmful.  He shall awaken after we have finished."

"Finished what?"

"Talking."  His eyes burned into her.  "The knowledge that you need is not yet yours."

"And… you can give it to me?"

"Naturally."  The man gave a measured nod.  "It was for that purpose that I arranged this meeting."

"Th-th-th-the old man…"

Another nod.  "Norman is one of my few intermediaries… friends, I should say.  I did not think it wise to confront you in front of your peers, as they would find your position difficult to understand."  He made a slightly apologetic gesture.  "I could, of course, have appeared to you in a vision, but that might have alerted the half-demon, and in any case Norman tells me visions are disturbing.  Therefore, I deemed a face-to-face talk the most effective medium for the information I have to impart."

"Ah."  Hinata managed.  A few moments later, she finally got out, "Who… who are you?"

"I am the Light of…" the man stopped and seemed to collect himself.  "Forgive me.  Norman is always telling me I must try to be more personable in my interactions with humans.  My NAME is James Corrigan, a former police detective."

"And you… you are responsible for what is… happening to me?"

"Indeed," nodded the man.  "Upon your arrival into this world, I sensed your nature and sought you out.  While you were interred at this city's hospital, I visited you in your sleep and touched you with the Eleventh Presence, granting unto you the powers that you now possess."

Deep in Hinata's mind, the words touched a cord.  She'd felt a presence in her dream, just before waking in the hospital.  "Like the… the speech thing?"

"Yes.  One of my simpler gifts, the Tongue of Fire.  All men, of any nation, world, or plane, can understand your words as you can understand them.  It was necessary you be given it, so you could establish trust between yourself and the reporter, and later between your teammates with the Justice League."

Hinata almost fainted from shock.  "You… you knew?  Back then?  That all this would happen?"

"Some of it."  The man inclined his head.  "I am not all-knowing, but I know certain elements of the future and what I must do to bring them about.  It is crucial, after all, that I fulfill my part in the Great Song."

Song, gift, Tongue of Fire, Eleventh Presence…  Hinata's mind was reeling.  She'd come seeking answers, and so far she'd found only more puzzles.  "Who are you?"  She whispered, staring in bewildered shock at the man.  "Who are you really?"

The man's eyes bored into her.  "You wish to know my true name then?  Very well.  I am Uriel, bearer of the Chalice and the Rod, who stands within the second bloom of the Rose of Light and sings the Third Strain.  I serve as the vengeance of God upon the guilty, and his hand of justice upon those that defy his name.  Upon this world, those that know me call me the Spectre."

****************************

"Angel?"  Shino glanced curiously at Cyborg.  "What is an angel?"  Patrol had been rather quiet today, and Cyborg had just made a passing comment about guardian angels.

"You're kidding, right?"  Cyborg threw him a disbelieving glance.

"I've never heard of it before either," piped Chouji from below.  

"Guess not then."  Cyborg sighed.  "Well, I don't know.  It's just an expression you use, man, when you get the feeling that someone's watching over you.  Y'know, like when you're running down the street toward some baddy, and the bullets are clattering all around you but somehow DON'T HIT you?  That's when you say, 'Man, I must have a guardian angel watching over me.'"

"So like… an invisible personal bodyguard?"

"I guess.  It's just an expression, dude."

"Interesting.  Is 'angel' your word for bodyguard then?"

"No, I… look, do you guys seriously have no idea about the meaning?"

"I can find no logical counterpart in the dictionary implanted into my head.  The closest I can understand is that it is a minor spirit of some kind."

"That's… about right, I guess.  I dunno, I don't really look into it much myself, but they're like these big guys with wings and halos and harps and stuff.  They're supposed to watch over the earth and the people on it and everything.  I guess… I don't understand your guy's mythology real well, but I suppose the closest thing I could say is that they're like demons, only good."

"Curious.  So they are infinite sources of chakra?  Why do they play harps?"

"No, they… look, dude, just forget it, okay?"  Cyborg sighed and returned to scanning the city skyline.  "Don't even know why I brought it up anymore."

********************

Angel.   Hinata knew, immediately, what the term meant, and also understood how foreign a concept this was to her world.  And yet, in some strange way, she felt completely familiar with it, as if it were some strange concept she'd always known but never really thought about.  She never even considered disbelieving the man, his very presence convinced her of its truth.

"As an angel, I am naturally bound to destiny." continued the Spectre, apparently heedless of her shock, "Or rather, I am bound as all beings are, but have a clearer understanding of my role within it.  Most know me only as an angel of vengeance."  Glancing across the street, he frowned suddenly at a young woman jogging along the sidewalk.  The girl immediately fell to the ground, clutching her heart.

People crowded around the fallen figure outside the window as Hinata gaped in horror.  The Spectre continued to stare out the window dispassionately.  "Ramona Simmons."  He responded, in answer to Hinata's terrified glance.  "Aged twenty-three, lives on Ivy Street, works at Agility Physical Therapy center as a receptionist.  I gave her a simple stroke.  Quick, relatively painless.  I assure you, the young man she murdered three days ago had a MUCH more painful time dying.  I should, perhaps, have dealt with her sooner, but  then she would not have had the chance to inspire a young boy earlier today."

Turning from the window, Hinata closed her eyes and willed herself not to throw up or faint or cry or anything like that.  She needed to focus.

"Where was I?" frowned Spectre.  "Ah yes.  Roles.  Mostly, I am known as the Angel of Vengeance.  And while this is true, I have other roles, one of which I am fulfilling now by meeting with you.  The course of the future is set, and I must make preparations for it.  The power I gave you was one such preparation.  Another is this meeting, arranged at this particular time and place."

Hinata found her voice.  "B-but the old man…"

"Norman chose the place and time himself, yes,"  Spectre nodded.  "I did not know myself when the meeting was to be.  But he did so unwittingly in concert with how they were meant to be.  Destiny and Free Will are surprisingly close in some ways.  If he had not chosen this particular place, for instance, would this boy have accompanied you today?"  He gestured toward Naruto.

Hinata hesitated.  "P-pro-probably n-not.  B-but why…"

"And this time also doubtless has its significances.  At this moment in time, doubtless many other things are happening which, however unwittingly, are connected to what we here are doing and saying.  But then…"  The man shrugged his shoulders.  "…there is nothing new about that.  All events, while uniquely situated in space-time, have close interconnections with all others."

"Ah… I'm… s-sorry, I don't… I'm not sure I quite understand."

"No.  I imagine not, it is a bit difficult to take in all at once."  Spectre let out a hissing sigh.  "Very well.  Let us say, then, that it was important that we meet at this specific place, at this specific time, even if Norman did not intend it to be so when he chose it.  As proof…"  Spectre again gestured toward Naruto, "…we have this boy, who might otherwise not be here."

"B-but… why is it so i-important that Naruto-kun be here?"  Hinata ventured to ask.

Spectre gave a little shrug.  "Several reasons.  He makes a useful example for much of what I have to say, he provides an excuse for your being here, and his presence allows me to explain why I sought you out."  He looked straight at her.  "Because yours is a ministering spirit."

CONTINUED IN PART II!  LINK IN THE DESCRIPTION!

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