Disclaimer: I don't own DC or Naruto. I think I've said both enough that the point came across.

Senkō

5: Mind Over Mirror

"Take a deep breath," J'onn J'onzz said. The Martian Manhunter was seated across from Mercury in the library of the Hall of Justice. The speedster was the first hero his age in this room as far as he knew. Quite frankly, he wasn't a fan of the civilians watching him in the window above. Still, Mercury closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Good." J'onn's red eyes glowed. "Now...Let me see your mind."

Naruto shot up from where he was under water; he coughed the liquid up that had been in his lungs. A hand was held out in front of him and he took it while he continued to cough. Once he was back on his feet, Naruto looked around. Pipes lined the rock walls, there was a dark green lighting of the cavern and the water was up to his knees. With a final cough, Naruto looked to the one that helped him.

"Thanks...J'onn," he said. It was still so weird to talk to the Martian. Hopefully the feeling went away in time.

"It will," J'onn said. Naruto blinked and J'onn smiled lightly. "You let me in, now I know the thoughts that hit the front of your mind. I apologize for invading your space."

"Like you said, I let you in." Naruto smiled back. He looked around and frowned. "So...My mind is a sewer?"

"A representation of loneliness, depression, and many other negative outlooks," J'onn said as he looked around with a frown. "Your life before now has not been a good one."

"Maybe I'm better off not remembering," Naruto said under his breath.

"No. You cannot ignore your past, however horrible it may have been," J'onn said. "Your past is what has made you who you are today, even if you don't remember it. It has made you appreciative for everything in life. It has given you a strong will, as evidence by the green light. In another life, you would've been a prime candidate for a Green Lantern."

Naruto made a noncommittal hum and looked around before he spotted a gleam. He walked towards it, J'onn hovering behind him. The water sloshed as Naruto made his way through it to his goal. What felt like hours passed before he wound up in front of the source of the gleam.

It was a cage, was being the operative term. Large and made of steel, the bars were as wide as Naruto's shoulders and it looked like it was over a hundred feet tall. The blond's blue eyes widened as he looked up and found the bars wrenched open. Only instead of being burst out, they were thrust in, warped and broken.

"Something took whatever you locked away in here," J'onn said. He held his hand up and reached for the bars. He was suddenly repelled and shot away from the prison with a painful cry.

"J'onn!" Naruto said as he ran over to the Martian and arrived at his side with a splash. He helped J'onn up to his feet while the Manhunter held his head. "Are you okay?"

"There's a strong psionic shield around the cage." J'onn groaned, his eyes squeezed tight before they opened. "Whatever was once in the cage was powerful. It erected a barrier to protect itself."

"Wait, I thought you said I locked something in there?" Naruto said while his brows furrowed together.

J'onn shook his head. "No. The barrier was erected by a different being, it said so in the backlash I received."

"Oh." Naruto looked back at the cell. "That's not the only thing though is it?"

"No." J'onn narrowed his eyes. "Something powerful ripped through the barrier like it was tissue paper. The question is not what ripped through the barrier, but why did it? What was taken from you?"

"You got me." Naruto shrugged.

"Whatever it was, it was filled with rage," J'onn said. He stared into the abyss of the cage, his eyes narrowed in thought. "A lot of rage."

"So, discover anything new about yourself with Mr. Green?" Jay asked as they grabbed a meal at the food stand. Their 'snack' made heads turn and eyes stare. A mountain of hot dogs covered their lunch trays and the two heroes took a seat at a table.

"Apparently, life wasn't so good for me when I was younger," Naruto said with a sigh. He devoured a few hot dogs with superhuman speed, an act that got him some attention from the guests. When he was finished, a closed fist was held in front of his mouth while he muffled a burp. "Excuse me. And there was something..."

"Something?" Jay picked up a hotdog and looked at Naruto expectantly.

Naruto rested his chin in his hand and looked at a hotdog on his plate. "Something was...ripped out of me."

Jay polished off a few hot dogs before he interlaced his fingers in thought and stared at his adopted grandson. "...Do you think that's what caused your memory loss?"

"Maybe," Naruto said with a shrug. He picked another hotdog up and prepared to eat it when his helmet beeped. With a blink of surprise, Naruto dropped the hotdog and tapped the side of the left wing on his helmet. Images displayed themselves on his eye-guard and a voice patched through.

"This is Doctor Harrison Wells of the S.T.A.R. Labs in Keystone City." A man said in an urgent but calm tone. He was middle-aged with dark hair and glasses, as one would expect of a scientist. "Am I speaking with Mercury?"

"This is Mercury, what's wrong Doc?" Naruto asked as he got to his feet. Jay looked up at him in surprise, but Naruto paid him no mind.

"It seems my presence has attracted an old colleague of mine to Keystone," Dr. Wells said. The camera shook and the doctor stumbled for a moment before he righted himself. "Get the Flash! Tell him that Mirror Master is back and-!"

The screen got jacked and a man wearing a green mask with orange lenses over his eyes. He lifted a green hand up and wagged a finger with a tisk. "Naughty, naughty, Wells. This Flash wannabe isn't on the A-game and Flash himself is busy with a tsunami recovery. You'd best stay away, kid. This is personal business."

"You can't stop me if you tried!" Naruto said with a frown. He ended the connection and looked at Jay. "Some guy named Mirror Master is back and attacking Keystone's S.T.A.R. Labs."

"Well, we'd better hurry up and get over there," Jay said as he got to his feet. The both of them looked at the hotdogs and regrettably threw them out before they sped away, much to the enjoyment of the civilians present.

The run didn't take very long, an easy five minutes from Cincinnati to Keystone. Mercury came to a stop outside of the S.T.A.R. Labs building, not even a drop of sweat on his face. A beat later and Jay came to a stop beside him with his hands on his knees.

"Whoo boy!" Jay took in a breath of air. He righted himself and then put a hand on his back, which cracked on his movement. "Haven't run that fast in a while...I need to get back in shape."

"You didn't have to come," Mercury said as he walked to the doors.

Jay shook his head. "Mirror Master is unlike anyone you've ever faced before, Nate. He's patient and calculating, not as careful as Capt. Cold, but a lot smarter than some of my rogues."

"I'll take your word for it, Gramps." Mercury grabbed the door handle and immediately recoiled. "Ye-ouch! There's some kind of current running through the doors."

"That's S.T.A.R. Labs security for you. Best that money can buy," Jay said. He looked at Mercury. "Looks like we'll have to find a weak spot."

"This is S.T.A.R. Labs, though," Mercury said. His brows furrowed together in thought and he crossed his arms. "Like you said, best security money can buy."

Jay smirked. "Ah, but money can't buy us. And they never thought we speedsters would steal anything from behind their doors since they know us."

"So it's not speed proof!" Mercury beamed. He threw a thumb behind him. "I'll go left, you go right?"

"Sound's good to me," Jay said. The two speedsters vanished in opposite directions. They ran up the side, cleared the roof, checked the back, and searched the sides of the building in less than two minutes. They regrouped in the front. "I didn't see anything but a few vents too small to climb through and the back door has a magnetic lock."

"Yeah, I know. But was it electrified?" Mercury smirked at the older speedster.

Jay blinked before he laughed. He sighed and put a hand on Mercury's shoulder. "I'm too old to vibrate through walls, but you're not. I'll stick around and get the police ready. Be careful, Na-Mercury. Mirror Master is smart, and a smart villain is a lot harder to beat than a dumb one."

Mercury nodded before he ran around to the back of the facility. He came to a stop at the back door and put his hand on the steel. Behind his helmet's visor, Mercury's eyes narrowed. He brought his hand back to the right wing on his helmet and his visor scanned it.

"Scanning...Scanning...Scan complete. Orichalcum. A metal mined and traded from the kingdoms of Atlantis to the world of the surface in order to keep peace between the two. Trade originated back in October of 2001, when King Arthur Curry, also known as Aquaman, attended a-"

"Blah, blah, blah...Don't care. How dense is it?" Mercury frowned as he scrolled ahead and cut the computer off. Finally he came up on the initial scan records. "Three inches? That's a bit thick for a regular door."

Mercury stepped back slightly and took a deep breath. "Okay, well, first time for everything."

Suddenly, his body became a blur as his molecules vibrated. Mercury grunted as he forced himself through the dense Atlantian metal. When he was finally through, though it was mere seconds to normal people it felt like forever for him, Mercury quickly patted himself down and checked over his body. Flash had told him horror stories of losing the tip of his pinky.

"Okay, I'm all here," Mercury sighed in relief. There was a scream and Naruto rushed over to the nearest room. He busted the door down and looked around. "Everyone okay?"

A technician popped up from behind the counter. She had dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and dark eyes. Her face was elated. "The Fla-Er, you're not the Flash?"

Despite himself, Mercury palmed his head. "No, lady, I am not The Flash. Name's Mercury. Where's Dr. Wells?"

"He was in the main lab down at the other side of the building, but Mirror Master is there, too. He locked the whole building down," the technician said.

"Thanks...wait, why did you scream?" Mercury asked, confused.

The technician blushed and looked away. "I, um, saw a spider..."

Mercury blinked. "...Really?"

"Shut up! Don't you have to go stop a supervillain?"

"And on that note, stay here until I come back," Mercury said. He sped out of the room before she could ask him what she should do if he didn't come back.

The technician waited for a minute before she pulled her hair out of the ponytail and tore off the jacket she wore. She draped it over the unconscious blonde and grabbed the white and red cat mask that lay beside her. The mask clicked in place and the assassin pulled out a small USB.

"So that's Mercury, huh? Pretty cute for a kid. Not really my type though," Cheshire said with her mask back in place. She went back to the computer that was on and returned to her mission. She grunted in annoyance as a light on her wristband flashed. "Stupid speedster is setting off all my proximity alerts..."

Mercury came to another stop outside of the main lab door. He jostled the handle and scowled.

"Locked. I can't phase again so soon, I'll be running on fumes," he mumbled. There was an explosion and Mercury ducked back to the other side of the wall, next to the door. He frowned when he heard muffled yelling. Stupid soundproofed rooms. Mercury reached up to his left wing and twisted the knob.

"...What you did to me!? I should kill you, I should tear you apart!" That had to be Mirror Master.

"Sam, I told you that the operation wasn't full proof. I can help you but you have to-" And that was Dr. Wells.

"Oh, no, never again! You won't help anyone else, Wells! I'm going to make sure of it."

"And that's my cue," Mercury said to himself. He dashed back a few feet down the hall and clenched his feet. "This should let me break the door down..."

Mercury burst into a run again and when he was a second away from the door, he jumped up. His feet shot out and he broke the door down off its hinges. Mercury landed with the door on a knee and looked up just as a strange pistol with four glass-like sides was shoved in his face.

"So you're the new Kid Flash?" Mirror Master asked in mild annoyance. He was tall, and wore a strange orange bodysuit that looked nearly see through, only with a green belt, boots and gloves. His head and the upper part of his torso was covered by a green helm, his eyes covered by the same orange-like substance that his suit was made of. To the left, a man in his mid to late forties lay trapped under a giant cube. A mirror cube. That had to be Dr. Wells, and he did not look comfortable.

The hero looked back at Mirror Master. "Name's Mercury."

"Nice to meet you. Prepare to die."

"Not today." Mercury quickly backhanded the gun away from his head and brought his other fist up into Mirror Master's face. The young hero was surprised when he suddenly tumbled through the villain and quickly dodged several blasts from the gun. Mercury ducked behind an overturned lab table and called out. "Neat trick, you do birthday parties?"

"Oh, joy. Another clown with bad jokes," Mirror Master said dryly. "If you must know, that was a...side effect of what Wells did to me. I'm my own reflection."

"Wells did to you?" Mercury asked. He slowly popped his head up and ducked under another blast.

"Yes, well. You see, I was diagnosed with cancer a few years back while serving some time for my previous actions against The Flash." Mirror Master shook his head as Mercury dove through him once more. The transparent villain turned and fired several beams at the speedster until Mercury was pinned behind a crate. "A S.T.A.R. Labs doctor came to me with an offer. I become a lab rat for a cure and my sentence would be cut in half. No brainer. A few needles and I figured I'd be back on the street. Alas, it wasn't to be. Something went wrong. Sure, my cancer was cured, but now for the most part, I'm a freak!"

"Doesn't seem to be bothering you all that much," Mercury said. He chanced a glance from his cover and then ducked back in at a close beam.

"Oh, I may not seem it, but I'm absolutely livid. I'm an abomination against nature. A Meta! I'm no better than The Flash!"

"What's wrong with The Flash?" Mercury asked.

"He's arrogant!" Mirror Master seethed. "His speed gives him a sense of superiority, like he was better than the rest of us crooks. He's not! One wrong thing in his life and he can go just as bad as us! Or worse!"

"Yeah, doubt it," Mercury said to himself. He frowned. Okay, Mirror Master is smart and has me pinned down. But he's angry. Angry means mistakes. His touch must affect that gun of his, otherwise I would've been able to grab it when I made my move last time. So if I can just get him to go solid...I'll have to hit him right after he takes a shot...It'd be so much easier if I could double up with Wally or Barry.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"

Mercury grabbed his head. "Not now..."

"Hey kid, did I get you?" Mirror Master took a few wary steps forward. He smirked. "Cuz if I did, I'd feel just terrible."

"Heh, who said I was the real one?"

"Seriously!?" Mercury growled and grabbed at his head. "So not the time!"

"Boss!"

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Ha! You owe me Ramen, Kakashi-sensei!"

"You know the plan?"

"Of course I do, I'm you."

"Oh, right."

"Come out, come out. I just want you to reflect on your poor decisions," Mirror Master said as he moved closer.

Mercury growled and tightened his hands on the side of his helmet. The throbs dimmed down and a soothing clarity filled his head. He looked up and in the reflection of his now blank visor, Naruto saw sparks appear in the whites of his eyes. An idea struck and Mercury hardened his gaze.

"Hey, double M?" he called out from his hiding spot. "How good is your aim?"

Mirror Master scowled. "Impeccable. Why?"

"I want to see if I can dodge your blast with it coming right at me. I know I can outrun your eyes, but can I outrun your shot?" Mercury asked.

A smirk crossed the man's face. "Alright, boy. Your hubris will be your downfall. Step out."

Mercury stepped out and lifted his hands in surrender. Seconds of silence ticked by on a small watch. Then suddenly, a white laser blast pierced through the young hero's chest and he slumped back against the wall. The cauterized hole smoked and blood left his lips as Mercury sunk down to the ground.

"Ha-ha! Yes! Oh, it feels good to put down an arrogant speedster! If only you were The Flash!" Mirror Master cheered.

"I can't believe you're going to be able to look at yourself in the mirror after that!"

The voice had Mirror Master spin around just in time for a supersonic punch to smash into his face. Mirror Master flew back and landed in a heap next to Mercury, only for that Mercury to fade away. The real Mercury rolled his wrist and smirked.

"Reflect on that, smart guy," he said. Mercury quickly grabbed the gun and tossed it away where it shattered against the wall. Mercury then went over to Dr. Wells, who had an impressed look on his face.

"Bravo," he said with a smile. He winced and grabbed at the cube. "I don't suppose you have super strength, do you? I've lost feeling in my legs."

"No, but I do have a very active imagination." Mercury stepped back and pointed his arms at the cube before he began to spin them and create a vortex that propelled the cube from the man's back. "Can you walk?"

Dr. Wells tried to stand and cursed when he couldn't. He gave an apologetic smile to the boy. "It wouldn't be too much of a trouble for you to carry me, would it?"

"Nah, I don't think so," Mercury said with a chuckle. He picked the doctor up and asked. "Where to, doc?"

"The control room. Down the hall twenty feet and left down the stairs." Mercury nodded and they quickly wound up there. Mercury set Dr. Wells on a table and followed his instructions to deactivate the lockdown, and then took the doctor out to the paramedics that waited for them.

Mercury rushed back in to grab Mirror Master, only to find him gone. The whiskered hero scowled.

"Figures...I'll just get him next time," Mercury said with a frown. He then rushed throughout the building to help other scientists trapped by Mirror Master's attack.

When he rushed in to help the technician he found earlier, he was surprised to find a blonde in place of the original black-haired one. The woman in question claimed to have been attacked, but didn't blame him for not discovering her sooner after he apologized profusely for his mistake. In her words, he had no way of knowing she was there.

"Anyone left?" Jay asked as he walked up to the younger speedster.

Naruto, his helmet off and his face vibrating to hide his features, shook his head. "No, I triple checked. Any sign of Mirror Master?"

"Not one. That transparency will be a huge problem, too. I'll have to tell Barry when we get home," Jay said.

Naruto held his stomach as it growled. "Yeah, think we can stop for some food on the way?"

Jay laughed. "It's like you read my mind! C'mon, let's hurry so Joan doesn't worry too much."

Three days later and Mercury was at Central City Hospital to check up on Dr. Wells. The staff was kind enough to point the room out. When Naruto learned on the news the day before that Wells had been paralyzed, he felt horrible and decided to drop by to check on him.

Mercury knocked on the door softly.

"Come in," Dr. Wells said. Mercury walked in and rubbed the back of his neck. Dr. Wells blinked and closed his laptop. "Oh, hello. Mercury, right?"

"Yea, um, hi, Dr. Wells. I-I heard about your, um..."

Dr. Wells chuckled wryly and gestured to his legs. "Oh, this? This is just karma. I took a man's life, the life he was comfortable with anyway...this should return the balance."

"Sorry," Mercury blurted out.

"For what?" Dr. Wells arched a brow and nodded to the nearby chair. Mercury took the seat and Dr. Wells adjusted his own to sit back and lowered. "Ah, that's better. I keep asking for more pillows so I'm not lying down all the time. I can't stop working or I'll go crazy. And as we both know, crazy and genius do not go well together."

"Right." Mercury smiled. He sighed. "I'm sorry that I...I wasn't fast enough...if I had beaten Mirror Master sooner..."

"Don't blame yourself," Dr. Wells said. "This was of my own doing. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Thank you for saving my life and the other lives at S.T.A.R. Labs...Mr. Uzumaki."

Mercury blinked. "W-What?"

Dr. Wells smiled. "Come now, I'm a high ranking scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs. And while Flash thought he disabled all of the cameras, he didn't. I know who you are."

Mercury felt a vice grip his heart. He knew? What now? What happens now?

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Dr. Wells said. He interlaced his fingers over his computer. "In fact, I have a proposition for you. I know that you came out of the Speed Force."

"You do?" Mercury blinked.

"Yes." Dr. Wells nodded. "But, you don't remember how or why you went in, do you?"

Mercury opened and closed his mouth before he shook his head.

"I didn't think so." Dr. Wells sighed. He hummed. "If you'd let me, I'd like to find out how you did. The Speed Force is as unknown as most of the universe and aside from Max Mercury – a good man to honor, by the way – no one knows a lot about it."

"You want to study it?"

"No. I'm a physicist. If we could figure out how you went in, we could figure out where you came from," Dr. Wells said. Mercury's eyes widened. "We could find your home."

AN: Okay, first off. I love Harrison Wells. He's so awesome as a 'villain' and so mysterious! Not to mention he's both approving and disapproving of heroics! Ugh, so cool. But that out of the way, here's the new chapter.

Review!