Connecting the Dots--A Naruto/DCAU crossover

Reconciliation

"Well, this is new," commented Shikamaru from his prone position on the stretcher. "What's the occasion, Luthor? Usually you guys drug me when you move me to a new cell."

"You're not going to a new cell, Mr. Nara." Luthor walked at a brisk pace just astride him. The two orderlies and four guards accompanying Shikamaru's stretcher down the hall struggled to keep up with him. "This is a field trip of sorts. I think there's something you ought to see."

"Oh?" Shikamaru hadn't bothered testing the restraints on the stretcher. After all, Luthor would surely notice any attempt he made, and almost certainly the man wasn't stupid enough to settle for anything less than the strongest bands.

"Indeed. It occurred to me, Mr. Nara, that you perhaps do not realize the full magnitude of what you are caught up in. After all, you have been held in a small white room since your arrival in this world. I thought, perhaps if you gained some insight into the broader picture, it might give you some... perspective."

"Ah. I see." Shikamaru carefully kept the smug look from his face. Showing off. I've rankled his pride, and now he wants to impress me. Maybe even make me afraid of him again. Whatever he does, this is definitely going to be useful.

"Somehow, I doubt you really do understand, Mr. Nara." There was the whoosh of a door and Luthor preceded the caravan into a slightly darkened room. Shikamaru could see little while lying straight back, but there were a great many beeping sounds and flickering blue lights played across the ceiling. "However, hopefully by the end of this exercise you will." Luthor gestured to one of the orderlies. "Let him see."

The orderly fiddled with the controls on the stretcher, and Shikamaru's helpless body went from horizontal to vertical in one smooth motion. Blinking in the sudden light, he took in his surroundings.

Clearly, he was in a control room of some kind. Computers of all sorts filled the room, lining the walls and flickering in the air. Through the smoked glass in the front of the room, he could see that they were in some sort of balcony, above a larger room filled with even more computers, arranged in tier-like rows before a massive screen that filled the whole of the opposite wall.

All this was remarkable enough (Computers were singularly rare in Konoha, and Shikamaru had maybe seen all of three in his life), but at the moment Shikamaru's attention was taken by the red-haired figure standing demurely before him.

"Karin?"

"Ah, you know my new assistant." Luthor moved back into his field of vision. "Unlike you, she has proved most cooperative, even putting her specific talents to work for us. She is here because it is precisely her work that is under examination in today's demonstration. I have no fears though..." Luthor patted Karin on the neck. "...she seems to be a most capable scientist."

Shikamaru didn't answer. Karin's wide, darting eyes and shallow breath spoke volumes about her state of mind, and she hadn't been quite able to suppress the shudder that accompanied Luthor's neck-pat. From what Shikamaru knew of the man, he wouldn't be surprised if he'd done that deliberately.

"Well, my dear..." and Shikamaru KNEW that was deliberate, "...are we ready to begin?"

Karin swallowed. "Y-y-yes Luthor-sama. Test-subject 39 is in position and awaiting our orders. Surveillence units are standing by with live video feed." Turning, she pressed a few switches and the main screen flooded into life.