I OWN NOTHING

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-Cadmus Laboratory-

Madame Rouge entered the seemingly unremarkable two-story building under a common disguise of a pair of shades, a trench-coat, and matching hat. Being one of the deadliest agents in the Brotherhood of Evil, if not their best, she was often called to deal with the most unsavory of jobs or keep an eye on their bigger projects. Upon setting foot inside the elevator past a large lobby with thick pillars supporting most of the upper floor, she changed into her usual getup… by shifting her body to reabsorb the clothes. Once comfortable in her own skin, literally, she began to descend to her new mission… And she was being watched from afar by Naruto… and Naruto, along with Naruto, as well as Naruto.

"So, boss… what did you need us for?" one of the clones asked the original.

"Brainstorming, guys, you know the drill by now," the real blond told his copies.

One of the boys rubbed his chin, "So, uh, the usual talking to yourself as if you're not crazy? Did you really need us for this? You did choose to not follow sensei's line of job."

"I know it's not going to lead to catching Slade, getting him to pay for that Hell comes later," the real deal told his clones. "He let us clear my name… well, our name for a reason. And while I hate how his stupid plans end up putting us as a hamster in a maze, I'm not running through the stupid walls he put, I am breaking through them."

"You are practically playing right into his hands, so how does this help you not be like him?" the third double asked. "Of course, we refused the whole being cold, broody, and professional just to tell sensei we won't be like him. We haven't really changed how bratty we are because of that."

"Look, I figured I'd try to at least debate things with myself before I get to punching him in the face," the main Naruto told his doppelgangers. He then pointed at each of them in order, "Ichi, tell me why my plans rule and agree with everything I say."

"Anything you say, boss," the first clone, Ichi, nodded.

"Nii, you will tell me why my plans suck and disagree with everything I tell you."

"This is already a bad idea," clone two, Nii, replied.

"And San, you will point out why there's no… I don't know, honor, or morals, in my plans."

"Everything we're doing is to spite the man who took us under his wing because we're a sore loser," the last clone, San, pointed out. "For all the stupid ways he tried to make us stronger by forcing us to fight at our worst to become our best, he did succeed… We've got no love for him, for sure."

"Pretty sure he was a worse sore loser than us and refused to give us any chance of winning," Nii replied. "Of course, it somehow worked out due to us not being normal humans, and-"

"Guys, I need you to talk to me," the original groaned at his copies. "Not each other."

"Okay, boss," Ichi beamed with a thumb up.

"First plan," Naruto started. "I sneak into the lab, track down the lead scientists in their shadows until I bump into Rouge, and take her out to get her to confess, and also stealing anything in it to prove my innocence and whatever evil plan she's sure to have."

Ichi clapped, "Nice plan, boss, that creepy lady is sure to have something nefarious there."

Nii blanched, "Stupid plan, boss, we don't know how many enemies there are inside."

San rubbed his chin, "Wouldn't it be better to get any documents than downright forcing her to talk? I mean, we would look suspicious beating answers out of a woman, even if she's a villain."

"Second plan, then…" Naruto pondered, taking a pensive pose with one fist to his forehead and the other fist propping up his chin as he sat cross-legged. "I take on a disguise of any worker who just goes out, slide in after stealing their ID and anything needed for access, and get files as well as pictures of Rouge working there… before I knock her out."

Ichi nodded, "Revenge on the red lady sounds fun, and we can get access to more rooms."

Nii sighed, "We may be hard-pressed for access if it requires biological scans or passwords."

San deadpanned, "You're thinking about revenge first, clearing your name last."

"Third plan, get constructive criticism from you guys," the real deal groaned at his copies like a bitter old man. Rubbing his face, he growled, "No, no, it is my fault…"

San decided to help, "Keep in mind you're trying way too hard to not be like Slade yet want to beat him at his game. This is not something you can easily answer talking to yourself… literally."

Nii agreed, "Sorry, boss, but your best plan is indeed to sneak in and try to get answers. Eventually, you will find an unexpected obstacle to overcome whether you like it or not."

Ichi shrugged, "And it's not like we haven't improvised before, even before Slade's lessons."

"Just one thing…" San stated. "Why would he have us come this way?"

"Have we gotten to know him on an actual personal level?" Nii rhetorically asked.

"Maybe he hates that Rouge lady as much as we do right now," Ichi shrugged. "Or he really wants us to see what's in there."

All four blond boys looked at each other, the original pondering, "Not the first time he's misled me… He is really cutting all my options of choice here, the creep."

"Zero strings attached if we clear our name, though," San pointed out.

"Clearly, we wouldn't have a way for truly tracking him down afterwards," Nii noticed.

Blinking, Ichi asked, "Is this truly how he's letting us go?"

"We're sure to run into him sooner or later," Naruto sighed. "He's not going to let his student just leave without a true final test, let alone tell us if we truly surpassed him or not."

Ichi then grinned, "Let's be better than him, then. That's also a good payback."

"Better how?" Naruto asked.

"Would you be talking to three copies of yourself if you had any idea?" San asked with half-lidded eyes.

"Gee, I sure am a jerk," Naruto groaned and looked at the building. "Now… how to get in?"

As if on cue, a loud explosion rang from the second floor of the laboratory with clouds of smoke and jets of flames flying out of a window.

"That'll work," all four boys said in unison with Naruto adding. "Ichi, pass. Nii, security. San, you and I clear the way inside and watch out for Rouge. Let me know if you see her."

"Yessir," the three nodded.

Jumping to their target, all four teens landed on the rooftop after clearing the entire distance from the building opposite the lab. Landing silently, they dashed as hushed whispers to the corners of the roof. Each clone and the real one turned to each other then and there with the original Naruto next to what brought him and his clones to check the place. Ichi, Nii, and San gave him the okay sign, allowing their leader to get in without much trouble. Vaulting over the edge, the main blond used his chakra to stick to the wall, flinging himself into the open window while his clones broke in from other sides.

"Help!" he heard people cry out inside as scientists in lab coats ran away from the fire.

Gazing up at a sprinkler system, and noticing a terrified man surrounded by flames, Naruto was quick to launch one of his knives and break open the tube, spraying water and a clear path for the man to run off to safety. However, he would not be thanked since he dashed forward before he could have been seen. If Madame Rouge had done anything to make the blond hate her, it was ruining his public image, and he was sure that if anyone had a chance to recognize him it was the people working with the French lady.

Ichi arrived to meet him, much to his confusion, "Weird news, boss, no guards around the floors."

Nii skidded to a halt next to the other clone, "Weider yet, no security room here or downstairs."

San leapt in, "Obviously, no sign of Rouge… and the fire is pretty minor…"

"Do you think Deathstroke was behind it?" Naruto asked his copies.

"Possible, but… would he really give us such an easy way in?" Ichi tried to picture it.

"No, he was definitely there to shoot at us when the police surrounded us," Nii pointed out.

"And get us to look more intimidating so they shot us," San reminded them. "Well, this chaos works."

"For now," Nii argued.

"Like this is the least crazy thing we've done," Naruto said.

"We could have, you know, just tried to escape from Deathstroke," Ichi pointed out… and was immediately flicked on the forehead by his original counterpart. He whined as he nursed the sore spot, "Ow! What?! It's the truth!"

"I could have run off, I had countless chances to escape and leave it all behind," Naruto started with an annoyed tone. "And every time I saw that, you know why I decided to go back and endure his training."

"You already stated you have no love for the guy…" San stated tiredly.

"Because I want to show Slade I can take on all of his stupid challenges and become better than him!" the boy finally snapped. "Days of famine, sleepless nights, weeks trekking through inhospitable lands while poisoned! I endured every single thing just to prove anything that creep could dish out I'd stomp! That's the only reason I am here instead of working as his competitor, just to spite him!"

"Does that make sense to anyone?" Ichi asked worriedly.

"Oh, it doesn't need logic!" Naruto roared to the skies. "He decided to look down on me, I chose to go through it to show I can be the best of the best of the best! And when he and I cross paths again, I'm showing him just how much greater a fighter I've become! None of his stupid cold-blooded killer with no heart crap, I'll simply show him I can easily kick his teeth in!"

"Have you even considered a plan afterwards?" Nii questioned.

"Unfortunately, no…" Naruto sighed, then groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Great, this is just great, having an existential crisis while talking to myself at 17."

"At least you considered not showing sensei every trick you've got under your sleeve," Ichi told his boss with a smirk. "The surprise will really shock him when he sees how strong you really are…"

"Yeah, and then… let's see what fate has in store," Naruto shrugged with a grin. "Can't be too bad."

Reverberating in his head, a dark voice made itself known, "Wanna bet?"

"Zip it, fluff," was Naruto's swift reply before he and his clones walked to the elevator, forcing the doors open for all four to jump down and into the depths.

-Cadmus Sub-Level 52 - Moments earlier-

Rouge was utterly displeased as she made her way to a lab, ignoring the rocky walls which made it look like an abandoned cave with blue orbs on the walls, and opened a door to an ample and mostly empty room, "Professor, what is the status of the project?"

"Madame Rouge, I must ask you to-" the man's words were cut short by Rouge's elastic arm shooting out, extending to grab him by the lapels and pull him closer.

Giving the man a small smile, Rouge spoke sweetly, "I hope you do not forget what it is you are working for, Professor Hamilton." She said warningly at the end, "You're being provided everything you could ask for and more for answers to mankind's biggest challenge and threat for a reason."

Setting him down, she dusted his shoulders, allowing Hamilton to adjust his rectangular, black-trimmed glasses. Being a middle-aged man with a completely average height and physique, he stood out most because of his lab-coat and hair. Cutting his light brown hair as short as possible to keep it easy to manage, he spotted a bushy mustache and goatee which gave him a slightly satyr-like look. Unlike Madame Rouge, though, he truly seemed out of place due to the genuine look of concern and care he had. It was the wrinkled brow which spoke of seeing too much, enough to work with such a woman.

"I apologize, but this requires time, effort, and patience," Hamilton explained with a stern tone and looked at the large pod in the middle of the room connected to countless tubes on the ceiling.

"And so, this is the weapon to fight the Justice League," Rouge analyzed the contents of the pod. "Seems like a waste of time, especially considering the prototype and who the big target is."

"Our main funder is quite narrow-minded with that goal," Hamilton pointed out dryly and placed his hands behind his back. "Desmond has had to cut corners because of the samples we've collected. I am just trying to somehow make the process more streamlined."

"To create the perfect army for The Light," Rouge smirked. "How sentient is it?"

"Not an it," Hamilton whispered.

"Pardon moi?" Rouge asked with a smirk. "Attached to this creature grown out of a beaker?"

Closing his eyes, knowing the woman was not above retaliation if he were to lash out, the professor spoke through clenched teeth, "Sentient enough…" he loosened his jaw. "Knowledgeable and with a vast intellect on more than the subjects taught. Even gaining a personality…"

"Exactly how does a thinking weapon helps us?" Rouge asked.

"You may ask that to the ones who gave you your powers," another man growled as he entered the room, causing Rouge to glare yet do nothing. "Hamilton, what are you doing still checking on this-"

"I'm doing our job, Desmond," Hamilton growled.

Desmond was a far more disheveled and obviously grumpier scientist. Looking far more bitter than his colleague, as well as obsessed with his work, he had long brown hair tied in the back in a messy ponytail. He wore a standard white lab coat, glasses, brown sandals and had slight wrinkles on his face and streaks of white in his hair, an indicator that Hamilton wasn't the only man with years of experience.

"How about the sample I asked for?" Desmond growled back.

Sighing, Hamilton produced a vial with a dark orange liquid which he handed his coworker, "I did my best to refine it, but you're still too hasty when it comes to trying out this formula."

"We do not live forever, Hamilton," Desmond nearly snapped as he snatched the vial.

"Given you told us not to abandon our posts after the report of the fire, I agree," Hamilton added some venom to his tone.

"Reports indicate it was a minor fire, nothing to worry about, nor anything the fire department can't deal with," Desmond growled and left the room, but not without ominous words which he accentuated as venomously. "And you know that if a head will roll for failures, it is mine, so do not dare to talk as if I'm being reckless here."

"Vibrant work environment," Rouge dryly remarked. "So, professor, how much longer will this little pet be recharging its batteries?"

"Quite a short while," Hamilton replied, biting his tongue before correcting the sadistic woman again. He then turned to the side, "And I see you have discarded your G-Gnome, again…"

He looked at a small humanoid creature akin to an imp. It was a small humanoid being with small horns, circular beady red eyes, grayish skin with black marks, and no larger than a garden gnome.

"They slow me down," Rouge stated.

A red glow emanated from the small imp's horns, causing Hamilton to nod, "And it appears that will be the excuse you use for the board… There's an intruder… Correction, there are intruders."

Balling her hand into a tight fist at the accusatory tone the professor used, Rouge narrowed her eyes but showed no other sign of anger as she calmly and coldly said, "Point me to them."

"Keep contact with the intruders to a minimum, Rouge," Hamilton reminded her. "Your presence is incriminating enough."

"Do not forget who gives orders, professor," she reminded him as well… then paused. "Also, tell me if the intruder is a pretty boy."

Processing such question caused Hamilton to pause thinking, "Beg your pardon?"

"It's easier to identify him that way," she stated casually.

"Vaguely describing him as pretty?" he retorted irately.

"Fair enough," she nodded and tried to recall what Naruto looked like. "Picture a muscular teenage version of David Bowie with a ponytail but no perfectly chiseled cheekbones."

"Oddly helpful…" he admitted.

-Sub-Level 26-

"Grab on!" Naruto whisper-shouted to his clones, and at once all four boys kicked against each other.

Using the impulse, they launched themselves to the walls of the elevator, from which they jumped off to land atop the elevator without making a sound, just as it stopped. Deciding to go alone to not draw any unwanted attention, Naruto motioned for his clones to dispel. Each of his copies nodded and vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving him alone to pry open the emergency latch atop the elevator and check in. He found a lead, an angry scientist who seemed to need less coffee and more rest, and also a shave.

Desmond entered the vast hallway with a frown, seemingly growling to himself, "I don't care! Have I clearly said no interruptions or not?!"

Seeing the door about to close, Naruto latched onto the ceiling with his hands and feet, crawling on it with expert chakra control on the tips of his fingers and toes. Placing as much of his body as humanly possibly close to the flat surface, he was like a spider tracking down the man who didn't hear nor even sense the boy in orange. Keeping a few defensive options in mind should he run into Rouge or worse, the whiskered teen pulled out his tactical knife and placed the blade between his teeth. Lucky him, his current lead was too focused on his ramblings to notice his presence and the ceiling was far up enough for him to remain out of sight and mind of anyone. Of course, he couldn't fully follow the man when he entered a room with a keycard, accessing what had to be some chemical lab with cryogenic chambers judging by the darkness and cold air he saw through the door.

Landing silently next to the door, he pondered his options with clenching the teeth in his teeth, 'Rouge is somewhere here, that old nerd is doing some obviously crazy and shady science stuff, and it seems these people have no cameras…' he did find it odd. 'He wouldn't have sent me here with so little opposition…'

Knowing his mentor, Naruto would have already set foot in a minefield, gotten tossed into a sinking boat filled with giant sharks, or have enough lead flying his way to sink a cruise ship. Leaning on the wall next to the door Desmond entered, the blond tried to find what could be the missing piece of the puzzle. Everything he had seen pointed to it being a test by his master. Vague clues, a chase, and so-called options… A set of options which he had found in a letter where Rouge slipped into. Not only that, but-

Cursing inwardly when hearing the elevator open, he prepared himself for the worst and reached for his broadsword with one hand hovering over the pommel and the other gripping the sheath, "We're in."

Naruto was surprised to see a young 13-year-old leap into the hallway followed by slightly older teens. Fairly short for his age and with a lean, well-toned build, and unkempt hair hanging over his forehead. Donning a uniform comprised of a red vest with black leggings, boots, and gloves, he favored mobility. On the left side of his chest, he had a yellow stylized "R" symbol in a black circle, and around his waist he wore a yellow utility belt. Although well-equipped for battle, he wore a cape over his shoulders that was black on the outside and pale yellow on the inside for seemingly no reason. To protect his identity, he wore a black stylized domino mask.

"And we're with David Bowie's lost son or grandson," said another boy, a redhead.

Judging by his tone and appearance, he was a 15-year-old high-school sophomore with short, spiky dark orange hair, freckles, and green eyes, as well as a lean yet slightly muscular build. His full-body uniform was yellow with red pants, red gloves, and yellow shoes, with a symbol of a red lightning bolt within a white circle on his chest. Finally, he wore red goggles which rested on his forehead. Definitely an athlete with a body made for speed, he was still on the defensive seeing the boy with a knife in his teeth.

"Careful, he's the one behind thar murderous robbery," said the eldest boy.

Glimpses of Kumo shinobi brought an odd sense of nostalgia when seeing the light blond hair cut at the bottom, dark skin, pale green eyes, high cheekbones, and lean build of the other boy. He possessed black, eel-shaped tattoos that ran across his back and along his arms. Most notably for Naruto, the boy also had webbed hands and feet with a set of gills on the side of his neck. His costume was a skin-tight red top that exposed his arms equally tight blue pants which didn't hide his feet with small dorsal fins on the back of the calves. Perhaps the oddest thing was the set of what looked like handles for tactical knives sticking over his shoulders, connected to some backpack.

"Of course, you know me from that," Naruto sighed after pulling the knife from his mouth and spinning it around his index finger. Looking at them as he pocketed the blade in his utility belt with a fluid motion, he said, "Look, I know it's five different levels of stupid to ask you to believe me that I was framed… so I'll ask if you feel up for some bruises."

Motioning at the team to move, Naruto walked slowly to the side, followed by three teenagers who had already gotten ready to fight. Striding as he eyed them, he watched the youngest pull out a pair of black batons, the redhead got into a hunched stance to dash at him, and his fellow blond drew blades made of water out of his backpack. Using a thumb to push out his broadsword just an inch out of the scabbard, he carefully studied their steps, breathing, postures, and minuscule twitches in their eyes.

"Dude, it's three to one," the redhead retorted with half-lidded eyes. "I don't care if you're some super magical samurai-ninja, you should know it's not going to be easy."

"Let's test that," Naruto said, sheathed his sword, and unbuckled his belt, silently dropping it to the side.

Fed up with the attitude, the redhead was the first to charge at high speeds which turned his body into a blur, much to the chagrin of the boy with gills, "Kid Flash, wait!"

Too late, for the freckled boy was about to make contact when he said those words. Naruto noticed the difference in speed and acted as he saw accordingly. Lunging forward in a hunched position, he threw out his arms for a grapple. At the sight of such technique, Kid Flash swerved around the attack… and right into the whiskered teen's fist, face-first!

Red and yellow flew onto a wall, collapsing onto his knees with a shocked expression and a sore jaw, "Did he just read my moves?!" he asked in disbelief. "I was running at him faster than a bullet!"

"Predictable," Naruto taunted and took what appeared to be a standard boxing posture.

"Now he's channeling Geese Howard," Kid Flash groaned.

"Save the video game references for later," the acrobat said and dashed forth.

"Robin, we need a plan of attack," the other boy warned him, but ran along his youngest friend.

"Cornering him is good enough," Robin stated.

Once within range, Naruto side-stepped Robin's batons and hooked one arm around the smaller boy's while grabbing the masked teen's wrist with his free hand. Using a lever motion, he put his shortest opponent in an arm-lock, placing him between both blond teens and stopping the one with gills in his tracks. With a smirk, Naruto flipped Robin in a throw which sent the caped teen's heel smacked his friend right atop the head in a force axe-kick. The moment the two were down, the whiskered boy spun in place and delivered a roundhouse kick behind him. It was Kid Flash who the kick was delivered to, but while he managed to block it with both arms and gritted teeth from the sheer brute force behind the strike, he was stunned enough for Naruto to spin, crouch, and sweep the redhead's feet.

All three were on the ground at around the same time, with Robin grunting, "Alright… I am… whelmed…"

Just as he was about to get up, a knife nailed itself into his cape a couple inches off his armpit, pinning him down. Then another, and another, and three more for good measure. Knives had him glued to the floor, which would have been quite annoying if not for the sound of other sharp metal objects cutting air. He saw the yellow and red clad speedster grunt and fall onto his knees with large needles stuck to his thighs. And then, just as the oldest of the trio got off the ground to strike, he was down with a needle on each bicep and thigh, forcing him to kneel.

"Aqualad, Kid Flash, are you alright?" Robin asked his friend.

"So, those are your names," Naruto grinned darkly as finally had all three names, rubbing his chin. "See, you bring me a good chance to make my job far, far easier…"

"Gloat all you want, this isn't the worst we've dealt with," Aqualad growled defiantly.

"I'd worry more about you," Naruto warned them. "Still, if you need to know my name, it's Fox Fang…" pulling out his tactical knife, he turned to Aqualad and smirked, "I'm also the one and only pupil of Deathstroke, and you're the bargaining chips I need to get to him…"

"Oh," Kid Flash's eyes widened, chuckling nervously. "No, yeah, this is the worst situation we've been in."

-Sub-Level 52-

"What… is the meaning of this, Desmond?" Professor Hamilton was at a loss.

Rouge was surprised, "What are you doing here, little boy?"

"Name's… Fox Fang," Naruto replied after trying to recall the whole name thing for recognition in the world he was in. "And these three are intruders."

Behind Naruto were not only four clones of himself, but the captured and restrained heroes. Kid Flash was unable to do more than walk slowly with the needles in his legs, Aqualad was dragged along by two due to the needles immobilizing his arms and legs, and Robin had a knife to his neck and his arms tied by his cape. All three had no way or reason to fight back against the ponytailed boy, who smirked at the French woman. Seeing that satisfied smirk on his face was more than enough to irk a saint, but she kept a calm façade. It was unexpected to see the boy, but entirely more unexpected to find him bring her possible hostages to use against the League.

"I was as surprised as you, but this is none other than Deathstroke's protégé with a deal for us," the doctor told his co-workers with a dark grin. "He wishes to work for us… for the right price, of course. And I daresay he more than earned a chance to apply for a position here bringing us these gifts."

"You're one messed-up dude, ack!" Kid Flash quipped, only to get kidney-punched by one clone.

"Quite simply, I'm doing your job," Naruto told Rouge. "I merely followed you thanks to the clues I got to get back at you, and what better way to do so than being better than you at what you do."

"Petty, aren't you?" Rouge retorted calmly.

"Like you have no idea, lady," Naruto growled with a glare. "I am also here to get to my sensei. Seeing as he hired you, I want answers on how to find him. You're free to use these guys to get the Justice League to give you a ransom. Part of that better go to my paycheck, though."

"Seems like Deathstroke raised a fine successor," the woman added with a smirk.

"Fine soldier indeed," Desmond agreed with a dark grin. "Come, Fox Fang, let me show you the layout and where to put the hostages."

Going along with a passing glare aimed at Madame Rouge when she winked at him, Naruto tried his best to ignore the urge to punch the woman as one clone of his spoke, "So, doc, what do you even do here?"

"Keeping business going should involve you questioning things less," Desmond replied.

"Job's easier to do if the boss and us know what needs and doesn't need touching," a second copy of the whiskered boy stated. "Like, what are your little friends on your shoulders?"

Hamilton caught up with them, walking beside Naruto, "Genomorphs, highly classified, and what keep this place running. We bio-engineered them to provide electricity, communication, and security."

"Keeping you completely off the grid," the final clone observed. "Taking a page from the myth of Cadmus as well."

"Making your own little servants," the main Naruto had to keep his tone even for that statement.

"No," Desmond corrected. "Making the ideal weapons against the threat of the Justice League."

"Enough of a threat to hire Taffy Lady here as security?" the original growled.

"Our means are justified, trust us," Hamilton said calmly, yet carried a disappointed sigh. "It is not what I initially wished to believe, but there is truth to that fact."

"Consider the unlimited power of someone like Superman," Desmond explained, making a turn towards a large door. "If he were to turn on mankind… should he and the League use their true secret base that rests orbiting the planet with a laser aimed at us, no human would have a chance to win. Every scenario has been tested in hypothesis and beyond, and it is those without powers who lose."

"And you make these cute little fellas to fight them?" Naruto approached one of the G-Gnomes… and just had to scratch its head between the horns. It even purred, "Seriously? They may be powerful, but there is no chance they can take on the likes of Superman himself."

"Do not judge a book by its cover," Desmond warned him, then glared at a large figure approaching. "Speaking of judging… Guardian, what were you even doing?"

Guardian, as identified by Desmond, was a strongly built Caucasian man clad in a dark blue jumpsuit with a golden helmet and golden shoulder and wrist pads. On one arm he carried a large shield which helped understand the name. However, he was also in the company of one of the imp-like genomorphs.

"My apologies, doctor, I…" the man blinked upon recognizing the captured heroes. "Wait, are those…" Right as he was about to finish his train of thought, the G-Gnome's horns glowed red and Guardian's eyes went blank, "…I tried to find any damage the fire caused other than a busted water pipe. So, who is the pretty boy here?"

Recalling how he saved one worker, Naruto chalked the delay to himself and decided to reply, "Fox Fang, I am new here."

"For now focus on keeping any further intrusions while we deal with these three," Desmond growled and the three kept walking. "You can return to your little project, Hamilton."

"I do not take orders from you, Desmond," Hamilton argued, but the doctor was more stubborn.

"But you do respond to the board," the other scientist argued, locking glares.

"How about you discuss my paycheck with them before you two argue?" Naruto urged them before looking at his clones. "And can someone help and take the dead meat from me?"

Lowering his head, Hamilton turned to leave while Guardian walked to the sidekicks, followed by what appeared to be larger version of the G-Gnomes about 3 to 4 feet tall… and then even larger versions of the Genomorphs, humanoids the size of elephants walking on their knuckles like gorillas. It had all teens in awe at the sight of what Cadmus was capable of.

"How many versions of these guys do you have?" the clone holding Kid Flash asked when handing the redhead to one of the artificial life-forms.

"Enough to keep things running along smoothly," Desmond said proudly before turning and grumbling. "Still, now that those meddlesome brats are out of the way, we must discuss your payment. While it was a good thing to see you, this is cutting into my research."

"Actually, how about pointing me to the cafeteria?" Naruto asked calmly. "I haven't had anything to eat for a while, and it seems you've got everything covered for now. Besides, I can just send one of my clones with you and that way I can stay in touch."

"Go to Sub-Level 1, and you can't miss it with the signs," Desmond told him and the blond and his five clones nodded. The doctor did examine the copy he was left with, "Quite the peculiar powers…"

"Don't stare, it's rude," Naruto said flatly.

Of course, once out of sight and earshot, Naruto turned to his copies as they made their way not to the elevator but a deeper hallway, "Alright, that should work for now."

"Ugh, speak for yourself, dude," one of his doubles groaned and rubbed his thighs. "My legs still feel a bit wobbly after you shot those freaking needles at me. Just what did you even do? And how?"

"Chakra points," Naruto explained. "One of the many things Deathstroke got me to learn after I told him about a few things I could do since I had an actual interest in it… Long story."

"Quite an interesting skill, though," a calmer clone remarked. "Accuracy like that to make acupuncture with such unusual weaponry so efficient it rendered even my powers useless."

"For now, I'm glad that the guy mentored by Deathstroke isn't as heartless as that creep," the first clone said with relief. "No offense, but it is hard to believe he would train you when you are this… you know."

"Believe me, I've had similar conversations all through the day, and it won't change the fact I am doing my best to be petty to him and anyone who wronged me," Naruto stated.

"Pride like that is quite dangerous," the calmer copy remarked. "Still, you spared us."

"You have your uses alive, not dead," Naruto pointed out.

"I bet," the energetic clone said dryly, then turned to where the other was. "So, where to…?" he sighed when noticing the Naruto clone that should be with them and not with Desmond had gone missing, "…oh, I hate it when he does that…"

"Over here," they heard the final Naruto call to them in front of a large circular gate which looked to be twice as thick as any international bank vault. "This is it, Project Kr…"

Indeed, that was on the door with a green light and lettering, making Naruto hum, "Is this what he wanted me to find or…?"

"Maybe you should ask him yourself."

Everyone winced at the sound of Madame Rouge's voice as she walked to the four boys with her hands on his hips, which she swayed confidently. The show of calm superiority came from the army of Genomorphs behind her which surrounded the quartet. Anyone could see she didn't buy the act from the start, which irked the whiskered teen.

"Lady, you truly love pissing me off," Naruto growled and gripped his scabbard tightly in his left hand, pushing an inch of his sword out with his thumb.

"And you tried to play me for a fool," Rouge stated. "Desmond is an opportunistic buffoon, and Hamilton is too focused on his pet project, but I have not made a living without knowing how to play."

Clicking his tongue, Naruto put his hands in a seal, "I kept this technique a secret from Deathstroke to surprise him…" in a cloud of smoke, his clones were revealed to be Kid Flash, Robin, and Aqualad, all of whom got ready for a fight. "Good work, you made it to the top ten of my list of hated faces."

"Robin, door," Aqualad whispered.

"I didn't have time to-" just as the caped boy started, there was a click and a hiss behind the teens.

Naruto thanked his stupid and somewhat infamous luck when a dark-skinned woman in a lab coat with her brown hair in a bun walked out of the room, gaped in shock, and nearly tripped backwards. Without a second of hesitation, the boys ran into the darkness just as Rouge was about to reach for them. Both blonde teens were quick to draw out their weapons as the French woman stretched out her hand, with Naruto slicing the palm open in two and Aqualad lashing out with a water whip at Madame Rouge. The aquatic boy then channeled electricity through his body, lighting up his tattoos, as he electrocuted their pursuer to stun her and push her back. Kid Flash immediately closed the door after scanning the room in a split second and finding the right switch before locking the gate by jabbing the controls.

As for Robin, once the danger was locked outside, he stared into the darkness… ignoring the complaints from Kid Flash, "Ugh, great, now we're trapped!"

"Frankly, as far as improvised plans go, this has been the best I've had," Naruto remarked to himself.

"Now I'm afraid to ask about what other plans you've had in the past," Aqualad retorted.

"Dude, that doesn't matter!" Kid Flash panicked. "We're between an army and a rock wall, and unless we can dig through thousands of feet to the surface, they will get to us!"

"Believe it or not, I can cut through," Naruto stated and sheathed his sword.

"Really?" the redhead asked hopefully.

"Speaking of…" Aqualad eyed his fellow blond carefully. "That strike… You meant to harm her in a permanent manner."

"It didn't work, though," Naruto pointed out.

"Tell me honestly, did you know she wouldn't bleed?" the water wielder asked sternly. "Were you fully aware she can regenerate before this encounter?"

"You guys better save that morality debate for later," Robin told them as he held up his gauntlet, which had an in-built computer he used to hack the room. "I've found… something."

"Wait, isn't Batman the no-killing guy?" Kid Flash recalled.

"Of course, but… well, look," he aimed a finger up.

The other boys did and stared in disbelief… Inside of a pod, slumbering in the center of the dimly lit room, was a sleeping blonde young woman who at least was only a couple years older than Naruto. What was clear first and foremost to the four teens was that she had a body which could bounce marbles off it with wide hips, thick thighs, a rounded caboose, and a pair of breasts which could make any lesser man stop thinking. She was impressively built, with strong arms and an athletic build giving her shapely legs. Everything was more captivating due to her wearing a white leotard over her body with matching high-heeled short boots and gloves, and a short bob cut of hair. Over her leotard was a cut onto her chest to reveal a decent amount of her cleavage, and perched above her head were three G-Gnomes. Her eyes twitched underneath their lids, her face set in a cold frown as she slept.

"It's a girl?" Kid Flash asked.

"More like… a Supergirl," Robin corrected. "Codename: Galatea, a Genomorph made with Kryptonian DNA. Created to fight Superman should he ever go rogue. That is why this is called Project Kr… as in Krypton."

"No way the big guy knows about this," Kid Flash remarked.

"Like having Madame Rouge of the Brotherhood of Evil wasn't enough of a clue on that?" Robin barely held back the sarcasm.

"Okay, enough," Naruto rubbed his face, looking at the sleeping woman with a deep frown. Clicking his tongue in disgust, he turned to the others, "You guys have no reason to like me, and I sure as Hell don't like having to carry you out of here…"

"Gee, thanks for the love," Kid Flash did not hide his sarcasm.

"Point is, I'm sick and tired of people using others for stupid goals," Naruto stated with a glare at the red and yellow clad boy's remark. "Cadmus wants to use this Galatea for their stupid paranoid war, and the creep I had to call sensei for four years wanted me to be his successor. I at least had the choice to go along his plans to spite him when I see him again by showing him what I can truly do."

"And Galatea is not given such an option," Aqualad saw where the blond was going.

"I could have run off," Naruto admitted yet again. "Call me a sore loser…"

"Thankfully, one fighting for a just cause now," Aqualad said and turned to the others, who had similar looks on their faces. "We must release her."

"On it," Robin nodded and plugged his gauntlet to the main computer in front of the pod.

"Just cause or not, it's as if we're getting the beautiful princess of Hyrule out of her crystal prison," Naruto stated.

Quirking an eyebrow, the redhead spoke up, "Dude, Zelda? Really? Nothing wrong with her, she is quite magical, but… talk about a basic first crush."

At that, Naruto became offended, "I played Ocarina of Time enough times for the freaking cartridge to burn, of course I did everything to help Zelda in her quest to save Hyrule!"

"Is it the time to discuss crushes on video game characters?" the shortest of the heroes asked while typing.

"First off, what is he referencing?" the Aqualad asked in confusion.

"Video game which defined a generation and generations to come," the redhead stated, then glared at the other boy in his team. "And hey, it says a lot about a man if you see his taste in girls, Robin."

"Kid Flash, are we really having this conversation with a wanted fugitive?" Aqualad asked dryly.

"Depends…" Kid Flash rubbed his chin. "Did you play Twilight Princess and Wind Waker?"

"Majora's Mask as well, and Zelda shall always be the reason I fight evil for," Naruto said determined.

"Seriously?" Kid Flash retorted incredulously, "You're saying that after meeting Midna?"

"How can I not when Zelda's the one trying to put others first when Ganondorf's ugly mug ruins everything?" Naruto replied irately. "Seriously, screw that guy for trying to ruin her peaceful reign."

Robin grimaced, "Look, once I finish, we better get ready to explain things and then get ready to run."

"Like we need to worry, with a Kryptonian on our side, we pretty much have this won," Kid Flash said.

"Don't be so sure…"

Just then, Galatea's eyes snapped open. Naruto had all of a second to gasp before her eyes glowed red… Two beams drilled right through the glass before she had flown at Kid Flash fast enough to throw his reflexes into overdrive… prompting the whiskered teen to use his substitution technique.

"Guh…"

He saw it in slow motion. A train wreck he couldn't escape from. Her hand punching through his chest, obliterating his heart completely, and then out. Blood soaking her fist before a follow up palm to his body broke every rib he had and sent him flying into a wall. Naruto's head slumped over, and as he slid down, his own blood covered every square inch of wall behind him.

"Holy crap…" Kid Flash whispered in horrified realization.

"We made a mistake," Aqualad replied fearfully.

"A massive one," Robin added and prepared for the worst.

Looking at her blood coated fist, Galatea smirked and flicked the dripping liquid off, "I'm going to enjoy this game. That toy is broken though…"

"You will do no such thing, Galatea."

-Outside Project Kr's room-

Desmond was livid, but he had reason to calm down as he, Hamilton, and an annoyed Madame Rouge stood in front of the currently opened door, courtesy of another face. Kid Flash, Robin, and Aqualad had been taken for real by Guardian, who was dragging them behind him with the help of several Genomorphs. Meanwhile, Galatea herself addressed the scientists in charge of Cadmus and a new face with a disappointed expression.

"So… this is the new prototype," Galatea commented. "Be honest with me, was Superboy truly the best name you had for him?"

Just as the name suggested, Superboy looked to be a seemingly 16-year-old Caucasian teenage boy with short black hair and blue eyes currently closed. He was noticeably taller than most people of his physiological age and was quite muscular. And his face appeared to be set with a natural frown. For modesty he donned a white full-body suit with quite the iconic symbol on his chest, a large red "S" inside a diamond-shaped emblem.

"He is the best we could do with what we had," Hamilton answered calmly. "Of course, using such a small sample from Superman, let alone one so damaged, required considerable effort…"

"And money," Desmond added. "Which we had to waste to open the door when you could have easily taken out those boys from the start."

"Be glad I took care of your intruders," Galatea remarked, smirking as she looked at the lifeless body on the floor. "Well, one of them, at least."

"Far too permanently," Madame Rouge replied. "We do not know how he followed me, nor what was his real goal in-"

"Does it matter if the threat is gone?" Galatea challenged playfully, causing the French woman to tense up. "Come on, I know he had a pretty face, but he's a tad young for you, ma'am."

"Enough tomfoolery, Galatea," Hamilton adjusted his glasses and clenched his jaw. "Return to your pod, you haven't recharged yourself enough. As for you, Superboy…"

There was silence upon realizing said figure was gone.

"Can no one do their job right?!" Desmond finally snapped. "Galatea, change of plans. Find him and bring him back."

"Oh, what if he resists?" she asked with an amused grin.

"We can make another… if you leave enough to work with," Desmond stated.

"Sounds doable," Galatea levitated in the air and flew off, leaving Hamilton to glare at his co-worker.

"I thought you cared about the money," the professor said with no intention of hiding his disgust.

"Let's not forget that there are far worse consequences than death waiting for us if we fail this project," Desmond replied in irritation, then turned to Madame Rouge. "If you could oversee that the body arrives safely at the laboratory to collect samples, I'd-"

"What body?" Rouge asked.

"Are you blind?" Desmond nearly snapped. "The one right there in the room, Fox… Fang's?"

Once he realized that his colleague pointed at nothing but a bloody smear, Hamilton grew alarmed, "No way… he couldn't have survived something like that… unless…"

"Deathstroke didn't just train him…" Rouge arrived at the same conclusion as the professor.

Far ahead of them, Naruto was crawling through the ventilation system while having a Die Hard moment of self-reflection, self-criticism, and sarcasm.

"Great plan, go to the room that's where the top weapon is with a crazy psycho French lady and an army of biological weapons outside, bring some nerds along, and get your heart turned into the wall's new coat of paint while you're at it," he chastised before shaking his head and groaning. "Because I have no idea of what is truly going on and there was nothing else that could give me answers about who got me to follow the Taffy Lady, someone who's definitely not the geezer who pumped me with the super-drug which makes him nearly unkillable to heal me when he first found me…" pinching the bridge of his nose, he inhaled and exhaled, "…It wasn't Slade who sent me here. He's enough of a bastard to make me fight impossible odds, but not enough of an asshole to make me fight a Kryptonian without Kryptonite. At least he had the decency to give me a suit with Promethium."

Fortunately for him, he wouldn't have to worry about walking with a hole on his jacket and torso thanks to a special material which repaired itself and a ridiculously fast healing factor.

It left one question, though, who was pulling the strings behind this fiasco?

Leaving that question for later, he kept crawling.

-TBC-

And that's my rap!

Questions you may have with answers:

Did I turn Naruto into Deadpool? Yes, but he's still… somewhat sane.

Am I venting out a bit when explaining why Naruto stuck to Deathstroke's training? I tried hard not to, but it also helped to portray what kind of mentality he has. After the fight with Sasuke, he has nothing to his name and no known way home, so he may as well do something… Yeah, let's say Naruto here has a lot of issues and he's not taking the healthy way.

Galatea? One of those first villainess crushes I had… Sue me, but seeing her being sassy in that leotard and knocking the lights out of anyone in her way with little effort, not to mention those legs, the voice, those piercing blue eyes, and the way her smirk… Sorry, where was I?

Will I pair Galatea with Naruto? He makes her laugh.

How do I see David Bowie anywhere in Naruto? Look up Minato Namikaze and compare him to the glam-rock icon when he played the Goblin King… Fun fact, the Japanese voice actor for Minato also voiced Kira Yoshikage in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, who is early-80s Bowie with far more colorful suits.

Is Naruto going to join the team? After that comment about how Naruto was willing to hurt Rouge, I think you better wait for next chapter to see what path he will choose.

Swordslinger out!