Quick-Silver (CH 1)

A/N: This story is rated M for mature content not suitable for children.

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Chapter 1: Look Into The Future and Past

Star City

My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I am the fastest man alive. I was hit by a lightning bolt, and it gave me superhuman abilities. Now I can run at speeds faster than any car, jet, or anything in the world.

Some may see me as a villain, others see me as a hero, but I will protect my city, Star City, no matter the cost because I am Quick-Silver.

Naruto, clad in a striking hero outfit adorned with silver and gold, dashed through Star City as arcs of golden lightning swirled around him. He sped off in the direction of a bank robbery he had just heard about.

Naruto raced towards Star City Bank in a flash. Upon reaching the location, he noticed that the police had cordoned off the area, while the robbers inside were keeping the bank's patrons as hostages.

Naruto wasted no time and activated his incredible speed to rush in. As he entered, everything around him appeared to move in slow motion. He noticed one of the bank robbers violently hitting a male security guard with a gun. Uzumaki deduced that this guard was likely the one who activated the silent alarm, effectively cornering the robbers inside the bank.

Another bank robber was intimidating a beautiful dark-haired woman, holding a gun to her head to prevent her from fighting back. Naruto watched the scene with disdain, realizing that the criminal must have thought he was destined for prison anyway, so he might as well try to take advantage of the situation before that happened.

In total, there were three robbers, and the last one was in the corner on a phone. Naruto guessed he was speaking to someone about how to escape from the bank.

Naruto chose to spring into action with his incredible speed to confront the criminal attacking the woman with dark hair. He unleashed a flurry of punches to the man's face and struck him in the groin, leaving the assailant unable to react due to Naruto's swift movements.

The Uzumaki took similar action against all the bank robbers and swiftly relocated the hostages outside to safety, all within the span of a single second.

Naruto took a moment to observe his efforts as the three criminals collapsed to the ground, their weapons abandoned as they groaned in agony.

Naruto was aware that he may have gone too far, but he couldn't stand by while women were attacked. The blonde man observed as blood stained the men's pants, knowing they would never be able to use their manhoods again. Their faces were in equally bad shape, bruised and bleeding.

"That settles it," Naruto said, a proud smile on his face. "These criminals will never commit a crime again after getting their balls destroyed, but if they do, I would be merciful next time."

Just before Naruto could disappear, he noticed a figure in a red bodysuit materialize in a manner similar to his own incredible speed. The Uzumaki quickly identified the man as the Flash, another speedster from Star City.

"What did you do?" the Flash demanded as he surveyed the damage Naruto done to the three bank robbers. "How could you do something like this?"

Naruto observed the Flash with a bewildered expression, as if he were clueless. He managed to tackle the issue with a level of intensity that the crimson hero failed to achieve. The blonde's thoughts drifted back to when everything began.

"I'm taking action where you won't, Barry. I'm making sure criminals face real consequences instead of just receiving a slap on the wrist," Naruto said with a fierce growl. He had witnessed the cycle of criminals being sent to court, where they claim insanity or their lawyers manage to get them off with minimal sentences, only to see them return to the streets and continue to terrorize innocent people. But that's not going to happen anymore.

"You need to put a stop to Naruto; this isn't the way to handle things. Even if they are criminals, you can't just go around injuring and killing people," Barry said fervently. He understood that his former friend aimed to do good and safeguard others, but the methods being used were misguided. "If you refuse to change your approach, I will stop you with force if necessary."

The two stared intensely at each other, one advocating for justice rooted in compassion and faith in the inherent goodness of people, while the other supported a harsher form of justice that imposes severe penalties on offenders to ensure they can no longer harm anyone.

Flashback Scene Ahead

Star City (One Year Ago)

"Dammit!" Naruto exclaimed, frustrated after losing his job as a waiter. He had defended one of his female friends when an obnoxious guy got inappropriate, and he ended up giving the jerk a punch to the jaw.

"What should I do now?" Naruto muttered to himself as he made his way home. As an orphan living on his own and putting himself through college, he was facing the reality that without a job, he wouldn't be able to cover his bills or continue his education.

Above him, the blonde young man remained oblivious to the clouds flickering with golden lightning as the sky turned ominous. Naruto let out a sigh, realizing that his efforts to play the hero had led him to a bleak situation---now he faced homelessness and an uncertain future.

"Why did you both have to go?" Naruto pondered quietly as memories of his parents flooded back. His father had been a police officer and his mother a firefighter, and they lost their lives in an accident while attempting to rescue others. He felt a sense of pride for their bravery, but a part of him couldn't help but wish they had considered him before putting themselves in harm's way for strangers.

At Star City Labs, the particle accelerator was experiencing an overload, resulting in a power surge that would alter the destinies of numerous individuals and unveil the extraordinary phenomenon of superhuman abilities to the world.

Once back on the street, Naruto finally spotted the storm clouds above. Lightning bolts of various colors intertwined with gold, though gold was the predominant hue.

"What in the world is that?" Naruto shouted, having never witnessed a lightning bolt with rainbow colors before. This sudden storm that appeared out of nowhere felt eerie to him.

Naruto sprinted towards safety, but just before he could reach it, a flash of golden lightning struck him, shocking onlookers who watched in horror. In an instant, it was all over, leaving Naruto on the ground, severely burned and barely clinging to life.

"Someone call an ambulance urgently!" a man yelled upon noticing Naruto's chest rise and fall with labored breaths. "The poor guy is still hanging on."

The onlookers surrounding Naruto regarded him with sympathy; he was charred and his clothing had fused to his skin. Even if he managed to survive, he would likely be left incapacitated and endure severe agony for the remainder of his life.

A few minutes later, an ambulance arrived, and Naruto was transported to the hospital. Many believed he wouldn't make it, yet against all odds, he managed to survive and made an astonishing recovery.

At Star Labs, a man found himself in a situation similar to Naruto's, but he was in a more favorable state, receiving care from the top experts globally. It would take a significant amount of time before he regained consciousness, as the world around him had also undergone substantial transformations.

Fast Forward

One Year Later

Star City Hospital

"What just happened?" Naruto groaned as he woke up, his head pounding and his body aching. He sat up in a hospital bed, opened his eyes, and immediately wished he hadn't; the bright light felt like needles piercing his eyes, forcing him to shut them again.

The Uzumaki attempted once more, but this time at a slower pace. As he surveyed his surroundings, he identified the space as a hospital room. Reflecting on his past experiences, he recalled being struck by lightning and somehow managing to survive.

"Why do I have all these bandages?" Naruto asked himself, curious if the lightning had left any marks on his face. He got up and headed to the bathroom to remove them and check his reflection.

The blonde had difficulty rising, relying on the bed and the wall for support as he made his way to the bathroom. Once there, he started to remove the bandages, bracing himself for the sight of his scarred face. To his surprise, he appeared completely normal, perhaps even more attractive than before. Observing his reflection, he noticed his features were more chiseled, and as he explored his body, he realized he now had abs that he had never possessed before.

"What in the world is happening?" Naruto murmured, perplexed by how being struck by lightning could somehow enhance his appearance. Suddenly, an odd sensation washed over him, causing him to tremble uncontrollably for a moment before it subsided, leaving him feeling exhausted. "I should head back to bed before I collapse."

Naruto stumbled back to the bed, his limbs feeling weak and wobbly. As soon as he reached it, he flopped down, relieved that he didn't end up face-first on the floor.

Just after Naruto landed on the bed, a nurse entered the room anticipating a comatose patient, but was surprised to find him alert and moving independently.

"Doctor!" the nurse shouted as she hurried out of the room to fetch the physician overseeing Naruto's treatment. Moments later, an Indian man entered the room alongside the nurse, his eyes widening in surprise upon seeing Naruto.

"Greetings, Mr. Uzumaki. I'm Dr. Ramsey Rosso, and I've been your physician for the past year," the Indian man remarked, gazing at Naruto in amazement. "I'm truly astonished by the progress you've made in your recovery."

"What happened to me?" Naruto inquired, seeking further clarity. He was aware that lightning had struck him, which typically would result in severe injury or death. Yet, he only felt a sense of weakness, as if he hadn't used his body in quite some time.

"After you were struck by lightning, you were brought to this place and I managed to stabilize you," Rosso explained while checking Naruto's pulse and inspecting his body for any irregularities. "You had severe burns, and I honestly didn't think you would make it."

"I do not have any burns," Naruto remarked while he began to peel away additional bandages, revealing his hands, which had unblemished, healthy skin, and he was confident that his face looked fine as well.

"You appear to be in good shape now, but I can guarantee you that was not the case when you arrived," the doctor remarked, preventing Naruto from stripping off more of his clothes and causing the blushing nurse to faint from a nosebleed. How on earth did a comatose patient end up with abs and a physique that looked like he had been working out the entire time he was unconscious?

Naruto remarked, almost as a question, "It's like a miracle that I'm still alive, let alone in decent health," oblivious to the expression on the doctor's face.

"I can't say for sure whether it's a miracle or not," Rosso responded, his thoughts drifting to the reports circulating about meta-humans and their powers.

Fast Forward

Now able to walk independently, Naruto sat on his hospital bed, anticipating his discharge later that day. During his time of unconsciousness, he had lost both his apartment and scholarship, leaving him without a home and uncertain about his future.

The sole redeeming factor in the chaos of his life was the fact that he now possessed powers. Naruto raised his hand to eye level and shook it, causing it to become a blur, with golden lightning crackling around it.

"Who would have imagined that being struck by lightning could grant you superpowers?" Naruto remarked. It had been roughly a month since he regained consciousness, and during that time, Dr. Rosso had assisted him in regaining his strength and conducted tests on his blood, which revealed that he is a meta-human.

Meta-humans are individuals who were subjected to dark matter following an explosion at a particle accelerator, which granted them extraordinary abilities. Among them is a hero known as The Flash, who possesses super-speed.

"I guess I'm a speedster as well," Naruto remarked as he zipped across the room in under a second. He dashed to the coffee shop just down the street and returned to the room. Meanwhile, the waitress at the coffee shop noticed cash left on the counter and a cup of coffee that she had been preparing for a customer was suddenly missing. Blinking in confusion, she shrugged it off, assuming it was the work of the Flash, and continued on to make another cup of coffee.

"What's next for me?" Naruto thought to himself as he realized that everything he owned was missing; the landlord had tossed it out after he failed to pay rent for two months and his belongings had been taken. "Perhaps I can use my abilities to earn some cash."

"I would recommend you reconsider that, Mister Uzumaki," Dr. Rosso said as he walked into the hospital room and caught part of Naruto's conversation. "Although it may seem like a quick way to earn a lot of money, it will likely attract a lot of negative attention towards you."

Naruto let out a grunt, fully aware that the doctor was correct; both the government and criminal groups would be eager to have a speedster on their side.

"What will I do now?" Naruto inquired, having developed a brotherly bond with Rosso during their time together. Now that he was healthy and the hospital was discharging him, the hospital staff explained that it was meant for the ill, not the healthy, when Rosso requested that Naruto stay longer for additional tests.

"I've got a thought," Rosso stated, and then he proceeded to share his concept with Naruto, both oblivious to the fact that their conversation might alter each other's destinies---or perhaps it wouldn't.

Flashback Scene End

"I can't allow you to continue like this, Naruto. If you continue like this someone could end up getting seriously hurt or worse," Barry warned, his body crackling with speed force energy.

"Seriously, Barry, you're too gentle. I'm doing what you can't bring yourself to do," Naruto responded, preparing to confront his former friend, his golden lightning energy surging around him. "No more words---today, I'll prove that I'm the fastest man alive."

"I will put an end to this, Naruto, for your own sake," Barry declared resolutely. As if a quiet signal had been given, both speedsters launched themselves at each other with unmatched velocity, their fists drawn back and ready to strike.

BOOM

The two forces collided, resulting in a tremendous explosion and an outpouring of speed force energy. It was as if the semi-sentient energy was split, with one side representing Naruto and the other Barry, as red and golden lightning clashed against each other.

Throughout the Multiverse, speedsters linked to the Speed Force sensed an impending shift in the collective power they possessed. This transformation hinged on the outcome of the battle between Naruto and Barry.

Chapter End

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A/N: The upcoming chapter will narrate the start of Barry and Naruto's journey as heroes. The initial chapter is set in the future, and the outcome of their battle will be revealed in the final few chapters of the story.