A/N: Special thanks to Midnight Lost for his contributions. Reviews, Feedback, and constructive criticism are always welcome.
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A/N 2: Random question to everyone... has anyone else gotten this 'offers' of Art Commissions that feel like a scam? I have gotten two so far. Please PM me if you have, thank you.
In loving memory of Stan Lee. Thank you for the creation of many favorite heroes and stories. Excelsior!
Chapter One: Pilot.
It was yet another school day at Visions Academy, with numerous students going about their own business while in between classes. One student in particular was getting some textbooks from his locker, not seeing a certain Jock wearing a varsity jacket, who caught a ball that was tossed to him by a teammate… and took the opportunity to 'accidentally' slam into the unfortunate student with his back, knocking him into the locker and breaking his glasses.
"Whoa, so sorry about that Puny Parker." The Jock spoke in a mocking tone with an obviously fake apology.
The boy known as Parker, better known as Peter Parker, grimaced as he inspected his glasses which were now cracked and broken which meant he would need to get a replacement. Due to his nerdy appearance and interests, he was often targeted by various bullies in school, his most frequent tormentor being the current captain of the football team, Flash Thompson.
Perhaps it was due to his meekness or lack of strength that also contributed to him being regularly picked on since it was a known fact that he wouldn't put up any resistance. Before Peter could say anything, a blur appeared which roughly shoved Flash away as a female voice called out "Don't you dare touch him! Why can't you just leave him alone?"
The science expert didn't need his glasses to know that the voice belonged to Gwendolyn Maxine Stacy, more simply and commonly known as 'Gwen', one of his best friends since childhood. A girl with a punk rock attitude and heart of gold. She was part of the gymnastics team, the current cheerleader captain, a talented drummer and was exceptionally popular.
"Heh. Why not? Parker doesn't have a problem with it, right?" Flash spoke defiantly as he sent a look towards his favored victim, almost daring him to talk back.
"I do have a problem with it." Spoke a masculine voice from behind the Jock, as another student who also wore a varsity Jacket appeared from behind Flash and grabbed him by his collar, yanking on him hard and sending the bully sprawling on the floor.
He then found his football snatched out of his hands with the newcomer squeezing it hard until it popped and deflated. "Hey! That was autographed!" The bully yelled out in dismay at seeing his ball being destroyed.
"Doesn't feel very nice when people break your stuff, now does it Flash?" The new voice asked with a snarl as Gwen smirked at the newcomer with her best friend Peter recognizing him as well. Who in the school wouldn't know him? It was none other than Naruto Uzumaki Stacy. Gwen's Twin brother.
Naruto is a physically and academically gifted student and is also extremely popular and well liked by teachers and students alike, with some exceptions of course. He was a rising star on the sports teams, most especially the football team, could fluently speak multiple languages, and was a talented guitarist and singer that often played with his sister who formed their own band together. (Additional members pending)
He was also known to have a laid back, friendly and loyal personality which only added to his popularity. The whiskered teen could be your best friend for all time, or your worst enemy if you tried to cross him or hurt his friends. There were even rumors circulating that the Football team's Coach was considering making Naruto the team captain instead, a rumor which greatly irked the current captain, Flash Thompson, immensely.
Strangely, nobody seemed to know which of the Stacy twins was the elder sibling. Not even the twins themselves or their father seemed to know either. Many believed this to be due to some sort of weird mishap or clerical error for when they were born. One thing that was a certainty though, was the fact that the twins were never far apart from one another for long periods of time.
Hell, Gwen signed up for the cheerleading squad specifically to support her brother during his games. They were two peas in a pod, that was for sure.
Peter stopped his musing as he saw Flash get up and dust off his jacket while sneering at the whiskered teen. "Stay the hell out of my business, Uzumaki! I was just playing around." The Jock bully spoke defensively, earning a scoff from Naruto.
"Beating down a helpless guy and breaking his glasses, which he literally needs in order to see straight, isn't what I would call 'playing around'. That reminds me, I heard from somewhere that bullies pick on those weaker than them or those who won't fight back because of their own insecurities and inadequacies. I wonder what place of weakness that yours comes from?" Naruto asked at the end with a raised eyebrow.
His question made his fellow Jock immediately balk and seemed to break out in a cold sweat. He then gained a grumpy expression and stuffed his hands in his pockets before marching off in defeat and grumbling something under his breath. It seemed that the whiskered blonde had struck a very sensitive spot, which drove the bully away.
"You okay there Pete? Looked like you got hit pretty hard." The twin brother asked out of concern as he turned towards his friend with the science wiz adjusting his currently broken glasses, most likely trying to position them so he could see a little better.
"I'll be okay. My glasses are insured, fortunately." Peter mumbled as he continued to collect his textbooks, his tone sounding… defeated. This made the twins exchange looks for a brief moment as they felt worried for their friend.
"Hey, Peter, you shouldn't let guys like Flash just push you around. You should fight back somehow." Gwen spoke encouragingly, trying to share some much needed advice so that her childhood friend would finally put his foot down.
"Nah. No way I could take on Flash and win." Peter spoke in a dejected voice while shaking his head.
"It isn't really about 'winning' per se. It's about taking a stand. Bullies are insecure cowards by nature. They'll always target folks that can't or won't fight back. All you have to do is show them you aren't scared of them. Secondly, you don't need to use your fists. Sometimes you can cut down someone with just your words. There's a reason why people say 'the pen is mightier than the sword." Naruto explained calmly, hoping to get through to his friend.
The only response that the spectacled teen gave was a long and drawn out sigh before shutting his locker and walking away with his textbooks. "I'm getting worried about Peter. He's a nice guy, maybe too nice, but he doesn't deserve this." Gwen spoke to her twin brother worriedly in Japanese.
From an early age, Naruto had learned Japanese as his second language with his twin also doing the same. The two of them often communicated in their second language to keep their conversations largely private when they didn't want anyone eavesdropping on them.
The whiskered twin nodded as he replied back "Yeah. I know what you mean. Peter's been holding in his true feelings. I'm worried about what may happen when the proverbial bottle breaks open. Maybe we should try talking to him again when he's in a better mood. We could try again tomorrow during the school trip."
The blonde drummer nodded in agreement since the school trip would be at a laboratory that was being run by a Dr. Curt Connors, a scientist that their best friend looked up to and was often inspired by. If a trip like that didn't cheer him up, then nothing would.
"So then, a big game is coming up next week, do those rumors about you being made the team captain hold any water?" She asked her twin, switching back to English and elbowed him in the ribs in a friendly manner, trying to change the subject to lighten the mood.
"Don't spread this around, but the coach is definitely thinking hard on it. Depending on how I do in the game could definitely cement his choice." The whiskered twin spoke with a large grin, still speaking in Japanese since he didn't want anyone to hear that tidbit of information.
"Awesome. I'll be sure to get the squad to cheer extra loud for you during the game. Dad will be there too. He promised to come and he is determined to make good on it this time." She replied with a huge grin and a friendly wink. Being the Cheerleader captain did come with a few perks, such as favoring certain players, namely her brother when he was on the field which only added to his popularity.
Of course the squad had absolutely no objections for the special treatment either since they all hoped that it would earn them some points with the whiskered twin. After all, there were many girls and even some guys that wanted to hook up with him… very badly.
"Good to know. I'm always glad whenever Dad can come around and watch me play. Means the world to have his support." Naruto spoke with a grin as he adjusted his jacket, his other half giving him a mock hurt expression and giving a pouty face.
"Awwww. What about your twin sister? Doesn't my support mean anything to you?" She asked him while making her lip quiver, here eyes becoming akin to that of a hurt puppy which made her brother shake his head and playfully punch her shoulder.
"I thought it went without needing to be said, you jerk." He responded in a tone filled with fake anger and frustration, the twins laughing at each other as they made their way to their next class. They both entered their Mathematics class and took their respective seats in the back row which were conveniently next to one another.
On the chalkboard was a notice that read 'Test today!' which made a lot of the other students shudder in dismay since they had neglected studying. Once class was called into session and the test papers were passed around, the students began to work on their respective papers.
Naruto seemed to quickly breeze through the material with apparent ease, while his sister was hot on his heels until she got stuck on one of the questions. She glanced over to him, tapping her pencil to her desk four times to get his attention, he looked over to her which prompted her to begin 'speaking' to him in American Sign Language, another language that she learned to privately communicate with him in case they couldn't speak aloud or hear each other… It was also useful for 'speaking' to each other during class as well when they needed to help one another out… though most usually it was Naruto helping Gwen during a test.
"SOS. Remind me. What is the formula to solve question nine? Kind of drawing a blank here." She signed towards her twin, who simply chuckled at her, shaking his head a bit, making her roll her eyes and sign in mock frustration "Come on already! Not everyone is blessed with an eidetic memory! Asshole!"
This made him chuckle a bit more as he gave her a playful wink and began to sign back. "Okay, okay. No need to resort to insults. Just divide by x, then take the square root of both sides and divide that by the value of n."
"Appreciate it. I have no idea why they need to make math so complicated." She responded in ASL before returning to her paperwork, determined to finish out the test before time ran out. She and her twin both finished far ahead of the other students in their class. As more and more students began finishing their own papers, the Teacher's Assistant went around gathering up the completed papers so that they may be graded.
It wasn't much longer before the bell rang, signaling the end of class and the school day itself. The students all approached the teacher's desk, gathering up their respective tests, many of them groaning at their low scores, or looking relieved at simply passing. When it was the Stacy siblings' turn, the teacher greeted them with a big grin and pushed their papers out to them and said "Once again, the Wonder twins perform at their usual standards."
They looked at their tests and found that they had both achieved perfect scores, though in the case of Gwen, it was thanks to a little help from her sibling. They took their papers and made their way outside to catch their bus to home. The whiskered sibling had his hands clasped behind his head as they walked through the halls, taking notice of a number of flyers and posters that were promoting the school dance that was coming up next month.
"Looking forward to the dance? Any idea who you're going with?" Gwen asked her brother, who had a thoughtful look on his face as he shrugged.
"Haven't decided yet. My locker is jam packed, top to bottom with invitations and requests. Makes it kind of hard to pick. Popularity comes with certain perks, and also certain downsides." He responded with a dry laugh, with his sister snickering a bit as she nodded in agreement. She had also received a number of invites herself.
"I was thinking of asking Peter to be my date at the dance, as a friend of course." She responded, her words making her brother nod approvingly since he was sure that Peter would like to be asked out and hang out with his best friends.
"I think that's a good idea. Would hate for Peter to be left out. I've also been thinking that maybe we should ask him to join our band. I think he could totally rock a keytar with a little practice." Naruto spoke with his sister, taking a fast liking to that idea since it would be nice to include their friend in some of their interests and maybe get him to branch out a little bit more.
As they stepped outside, Naruto groaned a bit as he felt as if his head were splitting open, making him bring a hand up to his forehead, his ears ringing and his brain throbbing inside of his skull. Seeing his discomfort, Gwen immediately began massaging his temples gently. "It's happening again, isn't it? Another headache?" She asked him since he had been having some pretty severe headaches and migraines over the past few months.
"Yeah. This one isn't as bad though." He responded as the pain began to drain away as his twin continued soothing him, making him sigh in relief as it passed. The first time he got one of these headaches, it felt almost as if a jackhammer was threatening to split his skull open, the pain was so intense that he had collapsed on the floor in the middle of a family dinner and began screaming in pain, crying his eyes out and begging for the pain to stop.
All Gwen could do for him at that point of time was hold him close and try to comfort him as their dad called an ambulance. It was a very scary time for the Stacy's, especially for Naruto. The doctors ran every kind of test and scan that came to mind, but couldn't find anything physically wrong with him. All they could do was prescribe him some medication to help ease the pain whenever it flared up.
The whiskered twin reached into his pocket and popped down his medicine for good measure to ease the pain with his sister putting his arm around her shoulders to help support him as she took him to a nearby bench to get his second wind. The bus wouldn't leave for a bit longer, and even if they missed it, they could still walk home.
"Ugh. I don't know why this keeps happening." Naruto muttered in annoyance, though most fortunately, his headaches were gradually decreasing in intensity, much to his relief. Once the pain finally faded his ears perked up as he looked down towards a far off street corner and frowned a bit, his sister catching this and raised an eyebrow.
"What's up? You see something you don't like?" She questioned him, earning a small nod from her brother as he stood up with his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah. I can see Liz Allan chatting up Flash. She's telling him that her parents won't be home for the weekend." Naruto spoke while pointing out the couple, which caused his sister to squint her eyes and saw that her brother was indeed correct. It was pretty far off, but she could just barely make out the features of their fellow students.
"That damned tramp! I thought she was with Harry Osborn! Wait… you can hear what they're saying all the way from here?" Gwen asked her sibling as he nodded and turned back towards the school as his eyes narrowed.
"Yeah. Lately, I've been able to hear things I wasn't able to before. I can see things too. Like right now, I can see Harry Osborn talking to our buddy Peter, asking for tutoring. Looks like Peter is fairly open to the idea too. He always did like to help others learn and grow." The whiskered twin stated as he described what he was seeing inside the school, pleased to see that the science expert was having a cordial conversation with Harry. He hadn't spoken to the Osborn boy often, but despite being from a wealthy family and heir to the Oscorp empire, he seemed like a nice guy.
"You're saying you can see straight through walls now? Sheesh, what's next? You're gonna tell me that you're the last son of a dead alien planet that went kablooey? Wait… you haven't tried peeking into the girl's showers or anything have you?" She asked him in a somewhat teasing tone, though instead of taking the joke, her brother gave her a small glare.
"Please Gwen. I'm being serious here. I don't know what's happening right now." The whiskered twin stated as he pulled out his smartphone and pulled up his internet search history on the device as he continued "I've tried doing my research into what could be going on. I tried searching 'people developing or showing signs of powers' and the term 'Mutants' comes up pretty consistently."
'Mutants'. A term that was becoming increasingly common as more and more people began developing special abilities. From what they knew, Mutants were essentially humans who were blessed and sometimes cursed with a special gene that enabled them to gain powers when they hit a certain developmental stage in their lives. Many people were afraid of mutants and what they were capable of, with the more fanatical Anti-Mutant movements calling for rounding them up and putting them into a special prison or even outright killing them.
Most mutants were just people that were trying to live and survive, same as anyone else. Though there was word that there was a sect of them that were also being radicalized as well. A subject that the blonde drummer did not wish to dwell on.
Was it a crime to exist? Was it a sin to simply be born different? Gwen immediately shook her head and spoke to her brother in a reassuring voice "Hey. It's going to be okay. Mutant or not, you're still my brother and other half. I'll love you, always. Powers or no powers. Whatever is going on, we'll figure it out and everything will be okay. Besides, our dad is a police captain. He can help protect you too."
He smiled a bit and warmly embraced his twin, feeling happy that he was raised in such a loving family with the best sister imaginable. Without her and their dad, his life would have likely been an unimaginable pit of despair and loneliness in a cruel and unforgiving world that would likely want to use him as a doormat.
His nose then twitched as he caught the scent of something burning. Almost by instinct and/or intuition, he noticed that the scent was coming from a nearby apartment complex. His gaze pierced through the walls as he saw a family watching television together… nothing out of the usual so far, but he kept getting this nagging feeling that there was something wrong. He tried honing in on the source of that burning stench and then saw in one of the bedrooms was an outlet that had been burnt black.
In the burnt outlet was a partially plugged in phone charger with a penny stuck between the partially exposed prongs and the outlet itself. He recognized this as what was known as the 'outlet challenge'. An extremely dangerous trend that had appeared from social media. Seems like someone saw it online, thought it looked cool and decided to give it a try, possibly a child or young teenager, unaware of the dangers. He looked through the wall that the burnt outlet was connected to and saw that a fire was building up between the walls.
"Gwen. I think we need to call the Fire Department. Stat. There's going to be an electrical fire." The whiskered teen warned his sibling who seemed briefly confused by his statement. His eyes widened as he saw the building electrical fire begin to quickly spread within the walls, it would not be long before the whole place caught fire.
His protective instincts kicked in as he dashed off in a blur with his sister calling out "Naruto! Wait!" but he didn't listen to her as he ran towards the apartment complex at a speed that not even an Olympic level sprinter could hope to surpass, much less equal. He slammed his shoulders through the front door of the complex and pulled the Fire Alarm, almost ripping it out of the wall as it began to ring loudly.
He then sprinted up the stairs towards the apartment where the fire was originating from, easily reaching his destination within seconds and finding himself in front of the door to the soon-to-be scorched apartment as he began pounding on the door with his fist "Out! Out! Everyone out! Fire! Fire!" He yelled almost frantically.
He focused his vision inside the apartment and saw that the flames had already began to spread quickly, the family within was already descending down a fire escape. Thank Kami. Since they were in the clear, he may as well make his exit now… until he was knocked off his feet by an explosion, making him fly backwards down the hallway. He rolled back a few times before landing on his feet and quickly pushing himself back up, realizing that the fire must have hit a gas line.
He heard the sounds of groaning from the next floor up, and he focused his vision once again, seeing an older couple was currently lying on the floor, likely having been knocked out by the explosion. Narrowing his eyes, he quickly zipped up the stairs yet again towards the apartment where the couple was trapped and kicked in the door, with it almost snapping clean in half upon impact as he entered inside.
The whiskered blonde quickly picked up the unconscious couple and slung them both over his shoulders like sacks of potatoes, not exactly the most gentle approach, but he didn't have time for a more comfortable approach given that the fire was worsening by the second. His ears perked up at the sounds of sirens approaching, revealing that help was on the way. That was good. These folks would need medical attention and quickly.
With a grunt of effort he ran back down the stairs and out of the complex, finding himself out in the streets where the residents and onlookers could be seen gathered outside watching as the building went up in flames. When he emerged from the building, carrying the aged couple over his shoulders, the various people could only gape in awe at him… until suddenly they broke into cheers and began recording him, praising him for his daring rescue.
From the crowd, his sister Gwen managed to free herself from the mass of tightly packed bodies and hurled herself at her brother, wrapping her arms around his neck. She was glad to see her brother was safe and sound as she released him, allowing some helpful and kind people to take the couple off the whiskered twin's shoulders and carry them to the approaching ambulances.
The twins then exchanged looks and knew only one thing now… they were going to have a lot to explain to their dad about.
Later. The Stacy residence.
"... disaster was averted today by a brave youth who spotted the telltale signs of a fire. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree as the son of well known and respected Captain George Stacy showed the city his selfless and heroic nature.
Meet Naruto Uzumaki Stacy, the heartthrob of Vision's Academy, an exemplary and hard working student, and an indispensable member of his school's football team. Naruto saw the first wisps of smoke and quickly rushed to sound the alarm, risking his own life to evacuate an elderly couple who had fallen unconscious after the fire caused an explosion. Here we can see footage of the young man carrying the couple to safety…" A news anchor reported, revealing a recording of the apparent rescue that was caught on a smartphone camera.
The twins watched the news story with that dad sitting next to them as he too observed the story. He had heard about what had happened from some of his friends in the fire department, but to actually see it? God, if his son didn't choose to pursue a career in football, he would definitely make an outstanding addition to the Police or Fire and Rescue.
"As proud as I am that you saved those people and sounded the alarm. I wish that you didn't put yourself in danger like that." George stated as he took a sip of coffee, his voice filled with pride and some light scolding… but mostly pride as he patted his son on the shoulder.
The twins exchanged looks with the two of them sharing a nod together before the whiskered teen turned towards his father. "Yeah. I know Dad. I… I just couldn't stand by and do nothing though. I wasn't thinking… I just acted. I could see where the fire originated from, and then I was running faster than ever. Faster than a normal person could possibly run. I smashed through a door as if it were made of wet cardboard." Naruto spoke, trying to explain his newfound abilities but found it hard to find the right words, perhaps the whole reality of the situation hadn't even fully sunk in for him yet.
"Of course you saw where it came from. You saw the smoke, didn't you? Running fast and smashing through doors? Your coach tells me that you quickly became his best player. Combine your physical prowess with an adrenaline spike, there's no telling what you can do." George said, not fully grasping what his son was trying to say.
The whiskered teen sighed and then glanced at an iron fire poker that was kept by the fireplace, figuring that showing would yield better results than simply telling. He picked up the poker and then began to bend and twist it with shocking ease as if it were made of a soft rubber or putty. Both his father and sister stared in awe at this, with Naruto passing the bent poker to his dad.
George tried to bend the iron poker back into its proper shape, his muscles flexing as he strained with effort. As one might expect, the Captain was physically fit and knew how to handle himself which was pretty much a requirement when dealing with the criminal element, however, no matter how much he tried, the stubborn piece of metal refused to budge for him.
"I've been getting stronger and faster every day. There's also this." The whiskered blonde stated as he focused his gaze on the now bent piece of metal, his eyes glowing a shade of orange as a middle section of the poker began to glow red hot until it melted and split apart.
"Whoa. All you did was look at it! How'd you do that?" George asked as he looked between the two pieces of iron in his hand, with his son chuckling a bit.
"If I focus hard enough, I can burn through stuff as you just saw. Can see through walls too. It's how I knew about the fire, and my sense of hearing and smell have also been massively dialed up. That Heat vision trick I learned by accident. I was dealing with some pretty troublesome homework and accidentally glared a hole through some of my papers, burnt a hole into my desk too." The whiskered teen explained while scratching at his cheek with a lone finger.
Now that he thought about it, his headaches and migraines now made more sense. Most likely it was some sort of sensory overload from his enhanced senses when his powers began to manifest.
"You told me that it was from a chemistry related accident! I knew you were lying! I knew it!" Gwen called out while jabbing a finger towards her sibling who simply raised his hands up in surrender.
"Near as I can figure… I think I might be one of those 'Mutants' that keep being mentioned on the news and stuff." Naruto stated with a sigh as he and his sister gauged their father's reaction. The police captain sat silently as he set aside the halves of the fire poker aside. Their father then ran a hand across his face and deeply sighed.
"I was afraid this day would come." George stated, his words making the twins look at each other in confusion. Their father knew? How? Was he somehow aware that Naruto would develop powers?
"Truthfully, I had hoped that we would never have to speak of this. I didn't think it really mattered, or maybe I was afraid that it would change things… still, you have the right to know the truth, especially with whatever 'changes' you're going through. Son, the truth of the matter is, you're adopted." The captain stated as he laced his fingers together, his statement shocking the siblings.
"Adopted?" Naruto parroted and then began to sputter as he and Gwen looked at each other with the whiskered blonde sputtering "Bu-bu-but… how? People have been referring to me and Gwen as 'Twins' for as long as we can remember!"
"That was an assumption that people came to on their own when I first introduced you as brother and sister… an assumption that I allowed to continue on and refrained from correcting. I thought that if people assumed you were twins, that it would keep them from asking questions about your real origins. I thought it would be better and safer for you that way. I thought that ignorance would be bliss. You may not have my blood, but you are still my son. You always will be." George explained with a wistful smile, feeling sorry that he had kept this lie going for so many years.
"Dad…" Naruto mumbled, the whiskered blonde shedding a tear before wiping it away and sniffling, feeling happy that his father had the kindness in him to take him in as his son. He was happy to be part of a family such as this, even if they weren't related by blood, they were still his family and he loved them.
Gwen wrapped an arm around his shoulders, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck to let him know that she was there for him, making him tear up all the more as he put his own arm around her shoulders in turn. "So then… if we aren't related and I was really adopted then… where did I come from? What happened to my biological parents?" The whiskered sibling asked out of curiosity. A valid question indeed.
The Captain crossed his arms over his chest and began to tell the tale of how he found the child that would become his son and spoke "It was about sixteen years ago now. It was a dark, stormy, and rainy night. I had gotten a call that my wife Helen had gone into labor. I was driving to the hospital as fast as I could… then all of a sudden there was a loud 'bang' and I saw a flash of light. I thought somebody had been shot in a robbery or something.
I leapt out of my car and went to investigate… and there I found you, Naruto. A baby, swaddled up in a blood-soaked blanket. There was this weird glow about you, a sort of crimson aura. You then started crying and the aura faded away. I picked you up and checked you over for injuries, and saw signs that you had been recently birthed, the umbilical cord had been freshly cut from you.
Naturally, I took you with me to the hospital. One stop shopping. I would get you looked over then let the proper authorities handle the rest and be there for my wife for when she gave birth to our child. Everything was going well, the doctors and nurses took a look at you, and found you to be in perfect health. I decided to keep an eye on you, I guess I felt responsible since I found you.
I held onto you as I waited for my wife to give birth. You cried and cried and just kept on crying. There didn't seem to be any way to stop you from bawling your eyes out. Finally, I received word that my wife Helen had given birth to a girl. I took you with me to greet her and my new daughter, I don't even know why, I just did.
When I got there… Helen was cradling our baby girl, our Gwen who was also crying. She looked at me then at you, she seemed confused, a little woozy as she said 'Twins? Doctors didn't tell me there were twins.' It was then that I got to hold you both together for the first time. As soon as I held you together, the two of you immediately stopped crying and began to smile and make happy little noises. It was then that I knew that you two were meant to be together, I didn't know why at the time, but somehow I just knew that you weren't meant to be separated.
Not long after… Helen passed away, the birthing process had been too much for her. I still had you both though, so I took you in Naruto, and decided to keep you and raise you along with Gwen. There was a note pinned to your blanket, it was written in Japanese so I had to find someone to translate it, the note was a name… your name. Naruto Uzumaki.
I tried to find your parents, I really did. I had questions for them. I wanted to know why they would leave their baby behind, I wanted to know about that red glow… but I could never find any signs of them. In the end, I decided that it didn't matter since you were still my son.
Watching you grow up alongside Gwen was a joy that I shall always carry with me. You were both beautiful, bright, friendly, joyful, perfect. The best children any parent could ask for. I sometimes wondered about that glow to this day, wondering if I had imagined it or if it was real. Regardless of the case, you grew up to be a perfectly happy and normal child alongside your 'twin'. I thought that would be more than enough… now it seems that you're gaining powers. I don't know if that glow is involved in that, but I always knew that you were special."
"Wow." Were the only words that the Siblings could say as they heard the story, the two of them blinking their eyes in amazement and wonder. Unfortunately, this left Naruto with far more questions than answers. What became of his biological parents, or at the least his mother? Why had he been left behind and alone? What was this weird glow that his father saw?
"This is… well… a LOT to take in." The drummer muttered, her words perfectly echoing her brother's own thoughts. They both gazed into each other's eyes, silently reaching an agreement with one another. Even if they weren't related by blood… They were still twin siblings. Two sides of the same coin. Neither of them would ever feel complete without the other as they had nothing but unconditional love for one another. Did anything have to really change between them?
"I'm sorry for hiding the truth from you. I really am." George apologized to his son who simply nodded and gave a warm smile.
"Don't worry about it Dad. I understand everything. I couldn't ask for a better dad or sister. Still, I can't help but wonder…" Naruto spoke and then stopped in mid-sentence as he seemed to be quietly musing to himself now.
"Can't help but wonder about your parents and powers? I wish I could tell you more, I really do. I don't know exactly where you came from or why you have these powers, but one thing I do know is that you were put on this good earth and blessed with all your gifts and talents, that you can do all the amazing things that you are capable of for a reason. I don't know what that reason is exactly, but I like to think that it is for a good one." George spoke with an encouraging smile.
His son smirked a bit and nodded along. Here for a reason, eh? His father, the man he looked up to the most, was a police officer, a damned good one too. An officer that protected and served the people to the best of his abilities with all the tools he had available. "If that's the case, then maybe I should use my powers to try and help people? I may not be obligated to, but I still want to help those that can't help themselves. If my abilities can save lives and protect others, then I should use them to do so." Naruto mused aloud while scratching his cheek with a lone finger.
"You mean… as a vigilante or a superhero? Son, the law exists for a reason. If you go around and start taking the law into your own hands then you will quickly run into trouble. If you really want to use your powers for good, then perhaps it would be best if you join the police academy. Become a cop, a protector of the law, like your old man." George suggested, trying to think of and offer another path for his son.
"I'll run into trouble regardless, cop or not. I don't intend to outright break the law. Skirt around it? Bend it? Sure. Break it? Never. If it helps, think of me as a concerned private citizen doing my part for the community. That aside, if I allow my powers and identity go public, then that could put a target on yours and Gwen's back. People could try to hurt you to get to me as they would either feel threatened by me and my powers or would try and take advantage of them. Think of all the radical Anti-Mutant sentiments that you may see on the news." The whiskered teen pointed out.
His father raised a finger and opened his mouth before quickly clamping it shut. His son had a point. If his powers became public knowledge then people would begin asking questions, the kind of which none of them had any real answers to, which in turn would definitely put them in danger. "Come on dad! Think about it! There might be some threats that regular police can't handle by themselves. I can also skirt around corners that you and the other cops can't." Naruto added as he continued to make his case… and he made a solid point.
There were indeed a number of threats out there that the police couldn't normally handle, mainly those of the super powered variety that were becoming increasingly common. What better way to fight someone with powers than with somebody else that had powers? Many Supers were wildcards, and it would be nice to have at least one that he could count on in a pinch. If need be, he could deputize his son whenever he adopted his Superhero persona.
"Hrrmmm. I don't like the idea of you diving into danger… but I also know that you're too all-fired stubborn to be deterred. All right then. If you want to become a Hero, I'll support you and cover for you as best I can. So long as you follow through on your promise to bend the rules or work around them but never break them, then I can look the other way and protect you. If you cross the line, I may not be able to do so." George stated with a half smile, reluctantly giving his blessing, his adopted son nodding in complete understanding.
"Yeeeeeeesssssss! This is so freaking cool! My brother is gonna be a freaking Superhero! Ooooooh. Naruto! You gotta let me work on your costume! Please?! Please?! I wanna contribute something here! If you don't let me design your costume, I will go insane and I will take you with me screaming to the nuthouse!" Gwen half-shouted in an excited and hyper manner which made her other half shrink a bit as he got a feeling that if he were to try and deny his sibling… it would end very badly for him.
"Okay, okay. I wouldn't dare cut you out." He said appeasingly, raising his hands in surrender to calm his sibling who wrapped him in a huge hug and kissed him on the cheek, making him chuckle a bit and blush. She then grabbed him by his varsity jacket and practically dragged him into their shared bedroom with their father chuckling in amusement and giving a two-fingered salute to his son as if to say 'Good luck!'
The punkish drummer almost threw her sibling onto his bed and then plopped down on her own, assuming the lotus position as she snatched up a pen and sketchbook, eager to start drawing up some ideas. "Okay, first thing's first! Ask yourself: 'What kind of an impression do I want to make?' Do you want to present yourself as something dark, brooding, and fear inspiring? Or do you want to be more friendly, approachable and potentially offer hope and inspiration to others?" She asked him, eager to hear his input and make his ideas come to life.
He thought for a few moments as he rolled over to his side and rested his head against a loosely closed fist. That was a pretty important question. In many aspects of life, one's reputation and how they present themselves was quite important. First impressions and all of that good stuff.
The whiskered twin scratched his cheek and then said "I don't think being a brooding, dressed all in black, edgelord would suit my style. I want people to feel safe around me. Let's go with something more colorful and approachable looking." He suggested, with his sibling nodding in agreement.
"Okay. We need a good color scheme. Anything come to mind?" She asked him as she jotted down some notes, what would be best for her twin? After thinking it over, Naruto glanced at some copies of the old 'Captain America' comics that were published during World War 2, collectors items that the twins had the fortune to find during a yard sale. They were originally meant to help inspire a sense of patriotism back in those times and to give a morale boost, a way to let people know that they had a protector that was fighting the good fight and standing up to evil and tyranny.
He wanted to follow Captain America's example and be a beacon of hope for others. Even to this day, the man was well respected and inspired others. There were some that would say that the WWII hero fought to serve his country, and that was true, but it wasn't for the government, it was for the people that lived here and it was for a dream. A dream of peace, equality, and doing right by one's fellow man, a dream that many had either forgotten or corrupted for their own gains.
"Maybe something like good old Captain America? With red and blue? Bold and patriotic." Naruto suggested, with his sister immediately liking that idea as she began to scribble and draw up a few rough sketches.
"I like that idea. I know! A cape! You need a cape!" She added in with a big grin, her brother raising an eyebrow.
"Why do I need a cape? Won't it get in the way or get snagged by something or grabbed by an enemy?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, believing that a cape would largely be a hindrance.
Gwen giggled and shook her head at her brother and spoke in an amused tone. "You just need to trust me on this one. Capes are awesome, and a lot cooler than you think. Just try and imagine how awesome you'll look with a cape fluttering in the wind." She explained and then made a fluttering motion with her hand for effect.
He simply shook his head and chuckled a bit, deciding to trust his sister and just go with it... but yeah, a cape would still look cool. With a few tweaks, there may be some practical uses for it as well. He would just need to be careful. He smiled as his sister continued furiously sketching down possible designs with her brother shaking his head as he reminded her "Hey now. Don't burn yourself out. I know you're excited and all, but relax. We don't have to figure everything out in one go. That aside, don't forget we still have school tomorrow. The field trip? Talking to Parker? Ring any bells?"
The blonde drummer chuckled sheepishly and after a few more scribbles, set aside her sketchbook and replied "You're right. Sorry. I guess I got swept up in my own excitement. I still can't believe that my own brother is going to be a Superhero." The whiskered blonde caught a hint of sadness in her voice, mixed in with joy of course. He wondered though where the sadness was coming from.
"What's wrong Gwen? You seemed pretty gung-ho about this. There something you want to say?" He asked, making his other half sigh since there was no point in hiding anything from her brother since they could easily read each other like books.
"I'm not sure how to put this... I guess... I feel like I want to contribute, to be part of your superhero gig. We always did everything together. Everything! I dunno but, maybe I don't want to feel left out or left behind when you start fighting crime or something. I guess I just want to support you in any way I can." She openly admitted, earning an 'Ah' of understanding from her brother.
"I'd like to have you by my side too. If I could, I would take you as my partner in a heartbeat, but without any powers of your own, you could be in great danger. Not that I think you can't handle yourself, of course. Also, I'm not sure if I'd be able to concentrate on fighting crime if I was constantly worried about your safety. Don't worry, I promise to keep you in the loop. We can find a way to let you help out." He said reassuringly, which earned a smile from his sister, glad that she could still help her beloved sibling.
She decided to change the subject and asked "You think that you might be able to help Peter out with your powers or something? Maybe you could show up in your 'Hero' disguise and persona and back him up when he gets picked on again?" This question made the adopted twin frown and shake his head disapprovingly.
"Nah. That wouldn't work. Peter's situation isn't something that can be solved with superpowers. He needs to learn to stand up for himself. I understand he doesn't like violence and prefers to use brains over brawn, but he really needs to grow a backbone or his problems won't be solved. Whatever protection we give him is only temporary, we can't be around for him forever. What if he meets other bullies outside of school? Like when he gets a job or something and gets into adulthood? While we can support him, it is ultimately up to Peter himself to stop his tormentors from picking on him." Naruto stated with a sigh, wishing that the science expert would be a bit more assertive.
"We should definitely talk to him tomorrow. Now then... there is one thing that we need to go over that we can't ignore." Gwen pointed out at the end, making her adoptive twin raise an eyebrow.
"Big or little spoon?" She asked him with a small smile as she and her brother, despite having their own beds, would often cuddle up together in the spoon position for warmth and companionship. It was an almost sacred and intimate act for them. It first started when they were little, seeking mutual protection from thunder and lightning as children, but it then became an almost regular occurrence. It was something that they never truly grew out of but happily embraced.
"I call the big spoon." He rescinded, with his sister grinning as she smoothly slid off her own bed and joined her sibling on his, the two of them slipping under the covers together as they both cuddled up, simply enjoying each other's natural warmth and company. They never really understood why, but it always felt just right to cuddle up like this. It felt almost as natural as breathing to them.
The whiskered sibling kissed the back of his sister's head, making her blush a bit and press her back to his chest, the two of them soon drifting off to sleep in blissful comfort and serenity and looking forward to what the next day may bring for them both. The two of them hoped that somehow they may help their best friend find his inner strength and courage.
The next day.
The twins boarded the school bus that would take them to the destination of their field trip, it did not take them long to find Peter Parker who was sitting in the back of the bus. He seemed to be trying to refrain from bouncing in his seat with excitement since they were going to meet with Dr. Curt Conners and get a preview of some of his research.
Most fortunately, it seemed that none of Parker's bullies were on board this bus, most likely they were on a separate one. That was good, this would allow the twins to keep close to their friend and make sure that nobody bothered him during the duration of this trip. They wanted their pal to enjoy himself and have a good time, and when they were able to, get a private moment alone to talk with him about standing up for himself.
While they could bring it up right now, they didn't want to sour Peter's mood since he looked almost as if Christmas had come early for him. They would let him have his fun and enjoyment for now. As the twins made their way towards the back of the bus to join their friend, their ears perked up upon hearing the whispers of their fellow schoolmates. Even without Naruto's enhanced hearing, it was very simple to listen in on what was being said, or at least take an educated guess.
It all pertained to his heroics involving the fire. Quite naturally there was a mix of awe and admiration for his gallant actions, and some bits of jealousy for being on the news. There were even some that were strongly suggesting that the school Principal was planning to personally congratulate him and offer him a reward, possibly some sort of plaque and a commendation for his selfless actions.
Additionally, if the whiskered blonde's admirers liked him before, they were practically salivating now as he was getting some very hungry and thirsty looks from many of the female students and some of the males. The twins ignored this with the Uzumaki sitting next to the spectacled genius with his sibling at his side with her arm hooked around his shoulders.
"Hey Peter. You look like a kid that is about to step into a candy store or something." Gwen greeted with a giggle, prompting the brown haired boy to chuckle in return as he adjusted a new set of glasses on his face and gave an almost shit-eating grin.
"Do I? Can you blame me? We are going to meet THE Dr. Connors! He's a genius in the field of genetics, especially Mutagenics! By the way, you were incredible when you saved that couple!" Peter spoke excitedly, his eyes almost sparkling with a joyful radiance which made the siblings smile as they were glad to see their best pal being so happy.
"Much obliged. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he's been researching a method on how to pass certain desirable traits from animals into humans. Like how certain reptiles can regrow a lost body part." Naruto said, which earned an approving nod from his pal since the adopted twin had hit the proverbial nail on the head.
"Exactly right! Think of the applications! Imagine if people could restore their lost limbs that were lost in accidents or in wars. It could revolutionize the medical industry." The boy genius said with a twinkle in his eye, though the twins didn't share his enthusiasm on that front. While being able to fully restore lost body parts did indeed sound like a good cause, they couldn't help but feel concerned about such a radical treatment that basically shattered the laws of nature as they knew it.
While it was natural for science to push at certain boundaries, and even break them down, there were some lines that shouldn't be crossed. Still, that was but a matter of personal opinion for them. If this research could be used to help people, then maybe it should be explored… safely of course.
The brakes of the bus began to hiss as it started to drive towards their destination, the trio of friends sitting in a comfortable silence. The Twins began to converse in ASL, signing back and forth to one another as they discussed potential Superhero names for Naruto to pass the time before they reached their stop.
They went over a number of different names, though none of them seemed to stick or fit quite right. Some were too wordy, others didn't seem to fit the image he wanted to portray. The twins went in circles for a bit, but made no progress in choosing a suitable name for the Uzumaki's superhero name, so they decided to shelve that topic for the time being. Especially considering the bus was coming to a stop in front of a certain laboratory.
The supervising teacher called for everyone to exit the bus with all the students obediently filing out in an orderly manner. The twins glanced over towards the second bus and spotted the form of Flash Thompson and a few other guys that picked on Peter and gave them all warning glares, silently telling them not to try anything and not to make a scene while on this trip. The message seemed to go through as Flash and his friends all frowned and looked away from the Stacy twins.
Once all the students were properly assembled, it wasn't very long before their designated guide appeared to bring them into the laboratory. The students followed their guide inside to a room that was filled with a variety of equipment and several different animal specimens which ranged from rabbits, mice, and some spiders as well.
Standing in the middle of the room was a man who was wearing a white lab coat who was missing an arm and had a warm and welcoming smile on his face as he greeted the students in a jovial tone "Welcome students of Visions Academy! I am so pleased to have you all here! I'm your host, Dr. Curt Connors. A pleasure to meet you. Feel free to look around for a few minutes if you wish, but please don't touch anything and refrain from bothering the animals. They can be a little testy around strangers. The rabbits are nervous biters."
The doctor then held out his remaining hand, showing off a few bite marks on his fingers, which earned some laughs and looks of sympathy from the various students. The good doctor then added "Feel free to come speak with me about my research if you want to before I get into the lecture. I'm more than happy to answer any questions you may have if you don't understand what it is we're trying to accomplish here."
Peter immediately decided to take this chance to personally speak with the famed Geneticist as he approached the doctor with the Stacy Twins following close behind him as they too wanted to share a few words with Connors. The doctor saw the trio approach and immediately recognized the Uzumaki as he asked "Pardon my asking, but aren't you the boy that saved that couple from the fire just yesterday?"
"That's right. Naruto Stacy, at your service. Nice to meet you, my buddy Peter here is a huge fan. He's been excited to meet you." The blonde spoke in a polite tone and gestured towards his highly intelligent friend who seemed almost ready to wet himself from sheer excitement.
"Wonderful to meet you Peter. I'm always happy to speak with a… well… fan." The good doctor spoke in a flattered tone while rubbing the back of his head with a chuckle.
"It's great to meet you too. I've read all of your books. I don't wish to sound like a sycophant but I think that your research will have great potential in the field of medicine." Peter spoke, his words earning a proud smile from the Geneticist who was pleased to see the good that his research was capable of.
"I read some of your books too. Interesting stuff. In at least one of them, you mentioned your time in the army as a surgeon and lost your arm in an explosion. This was a sort of 'ah-ha' moment for you when you decided to try and find a way to restore people's lost limbs." Gwen stated which prompted the doctor to clutch at the empty sleeve where his missing arm should be.
"Indeed you are correct. I would give almost anything to be able to hold my child in both arms and give them a proper hug. Also, having a missing limb is a very huge adjustment. I can't tell you the number of times I have tried 'reaching' for a cup of coffee with my lost arm only to remember it isn't there anymore." Connors stated with a sigh, feeling incomplete due to his missing limb, and not just from a physical aspect.
"Respectfully, Doctor, I think your research is capable of good… but I have certain concerns about the nature of it." Naruto spoke in a blunt tone, earning a small glare from his spectacled friend and a raised eyebrow from the former army surgeon.
"Naruto. You shouldn't criticize someone's work like that, especially if it could help people." Peter spoke in a disapproving tone, but was waved off by the doctor who seemed intrigued by what the adopted Stacy had to say.
"No, no. Let him say his piece. I'm open to feedback and constructive criticism and it sounds like our friend here has something that he believes is important to bring up. A good scientist must consider his research from every potential angle, the good and the bad that it can cause." Connors spoke in a patient tone, showing that he was ready to listen.
The whiskered blonde cleared his throat and then began to speak "If I understand correctly, your goal is to introduce animal DNA to a human host and grant certain traits, most obviously the ability to grow back lost body parts with the help of reptile DNA. I think that my main concern is, for this to work, the animal DNA has to partially overwrite and assimilate itself into the host's own body and DNA structure… but what if the animal DNA begins to radically alter the host from the inside out? What if it overwrites more of the human DNA than intended and causes potential mutations or health complications? It could prove dangerous, and lethal."
"A valid concern. You're not wrong, that is indeed a risk factor. Thus far, animal subjects have proven quite promising, many of the animal subjects you see in this lab were previously missing limbs and have made a full recovery thanks to my serum." Connors stated as he gestured towards the animals in their glass covered pens.
For a brief moment, the Uzumaki heard the Geneticist's heartbeat change for a brief moment, which sent an alarm off in his head. "What about the ones that didn't make it? What happened to them?" The whiskered teen asked, his question making the doctor's heart rate spike as the blonde boy could hear the doctor's beating heart almost hammering in his chest.
Peter glared at his friend, not liking how the conversation was going as it seemed that the whiskered twin was grilling the good doctor. He decided to step in and change the subject as he asked "Dr. Connors, what are the spiders here for? What is their purpose in your research?"
The former surgeon seemed relieved and all too happy for the timely interruption and answered "The spiders are part of another sect of my research that one of my biggest donors and sponsors is keenly interested in. I'm afraid I can't say more than that due to my contract with them."
The Uzumaki wanted to keep asking about the doctor's research and experiment failures, but was cut off as Parker began to animatedly speak with the doctor, making the twins frown. "Did you see the way the doc acted when I brought up the animals that didn't make it? Seems there is something that he isn't saying or telling." Naruto said to his twin with narrowed eyes, speaking in Japanese to his other half.
She nodded and replied back to him "Yeah. He seemed like he had a foot in the grave. The doctor doesn't seem like a bad person, but he's definitely hiding something. I bet something went wrong with the other animals."
"Wouldn't doubt it. Most likely he wants his research to get more funding so he can continue it. Failure wouldn't look good to potential investors and donors. If he really is hiding something, then it won't go well when it comes to light." Naruto stated with a sigh as his sibling nodded in agreement.
The twins then caught sight of something moving down Peter's arm… a spider was inching down towards his forearm, its pincers twitching as if it was getting ready to bite him. They didn't recognize the species, but then, they weren't experts on arachnids. Though the one thought that kept running through their minds was 'What if it is venomous?'
Gwen stepped forward, creeping up on her friend as she slowly raised her hand up to strike the spider. "Peter. Don't move." She warned him, prompting the spectacled genius to adjust his glasses and ask a quick 'Why?'. He then felt a strange tickling on his arm that he hadn't noticed before since he had been focused on Connors.
He looked down and saw the spider, which was rearing up as if to bite him. Peter immediately flipped out and began wildly shaking his hand as he yelled out "GET OFF! GET OFF!" In his panic, he unwittingly sent the spider flying off his arm and caused it to sail through the air until it landed against the back of Gwen's hand where it immediately bit down HARD.
This caused Gwen to cry out in pain as she felt what could only be described as hundreds of hot and cold needles had been jabbed into her flesh as she reflexively shook her hand about to shake off the spider as well, sending it to the floor where Dr. Connors immediately stomped on it several times to ensure it was dead.
The blonde drummer then lurched forward and spat up a mix of saliva and began dry heaving, her body going hot and cold several times. She felt feverish and chilly, she felt like she couldn't breathe and she felt her skin become wet and clammy as sweat began to profusely seep out of her pores. She looked to her brother pleadingly, trying to call out 'Help me!' but no words came out. Naruto's lips moved, but she couldn't hear anything come out of his mouth.
Finally, her eyes rolled up into her head as she lost consciousness with her brother quickly catching her limp form and holding her in his arms in a bridal carry. "Someone call an ambulance!" Dr. Connors called out in worry which immediately prompted several students and some of his lab assistants to immediately whip out their phones to call for help.
Naruto looked at his sister's hand which was already swelling up due to the prominent bite mark. He then glanced at the now dead spider which was now practically paste with some twitching legs. The whiskered teen then snuck a glance at the cages filled with spiders and noticed that they were all present and accounted for, so where in the hell did this one come from? Wherever it had come from, it was obviously aggressive as it had gone out of its way to bite a human.
His every instinct called for him to take his sister and run as quickly as possible to the hospital. He knew that he could do it in ten seconds or less with his enhanced speed, but with all of these witnesses present, he didn't see a means to do it without exposing his powers. Then again, would it even be safe to do so since he didn't yet have a full grasp of his abilities? Likely not. All he could do was sit and wait for an ambulance to arrive.
Unbeknownst to all, fate had taken a drastic turn than what was originally intended. The Uzumaki's presence alone had changed what was meant to be a pre-ordained outcome. Now the powers that be had but two questions: How would this affect this universe? Followed by: What fate awaited these two siblings?
End Chapter one.