Breaking Limits

"I've made up my mind. I'm going to use this power to fight against crime, to protect the innocent citizens of Central City," Barry declared, his face radiant with the glow of righteousness. He felt blessed to have such abilities that could aid the innocent and take down the malevolent, filling him with a sense of profound satisfaction. "Elon, both of us are empowered. We can join forces to combat crime, protect the innocent, and make this world a better place." Barry, brimming with excitement, extended an olive branch to Elon.

The birth of The Flash was unfolding before Elon. As he pondered, he thought this might set the future back on the right track. To ensure it, he decided to stoke the flames a bit later.

Elon didn't immediately respond, pausing for a moment before speaking with a pained voice, "Barry, what I need more than anything is to return to my world."

Hearing this, Barry's excitement settled into a somber realization. He felt ashamed for being so caught up in his own thrill of fighting crime that he hadn't considered Elon's anguish and desperation of being far from home. Barry's thoughts drifted to the night his mother was murdered, the pain of being unable to defend her, the despair of helplessness. He believed no one should have to bear such a burden, and it only strengthened his resolve to fight crime and uncover the truth about his mother's death.

"Barry, I'm sorry I can't join you in your fight against crime, but when you need me, I'll be there to help," Elon said, managing a smile as he patted Barry's shoulder.

"Elon, I'm sorry, and thank you. Don't give up; we'll work hard together," Barry hugged Elon, his eyes glistening with tears, moved by the sentiment.

After chatting for a bit more and donning their test suits, both men were ready. Barry's suit remained unchanged, a red bodysuit that reached his thighs. Elon's was a black version, also thigh-length, but made of a thicker material which, according to Cisco, was manufactured from a high-temperature resistant fiberglass designed to withstand the heat from electrical currents.

Stepping outside, Cisco approached them, "How do you guys feel?"

"It's tight. This thing makes me feel a bit shy," Elon confessed.

"I feel like my muscles are being constricted," Barry added.

"Just relax, my friends," Cisco chuckled. "In a moment, just run as hard as you can, and soon you'll be able to shed these suits. Who wants to go first?"

Elon raised his hand, eager to get the tight suit off due to its revealing nature. "OK, Elon. When you're at the starting block, give it everything you've got. Dr. Wells will monitor your electrical output, and Caitlin will keep an eye on your vital organs. And for you, Flash, I've created something special."

Cisco produced a small device emblazoned with a yellow lightning bolt. "This is a two-way communicator I've made to enhance communication. As long as you don't intentionally fry it with electricity, we'll stay in touch without interference. Later on, I plan to add a camera, biometrics, and other gadgets, but that's for the future."

Elon accepted the device, the symbol that, in the original timeline, Cisco had given to The Flash. Now in his hands, it felt like a burden. Elon sensed that everything about The Flash seemed to be tilting towards him: the relationships, the moniker, the future.

"Barry, let me give you a push to become The Flash," Elon thought as he crouched at the starting block, buttocks raised.

"3... 2... 1, GO!" Cisco shouted, punching the air.

Silver arcs of electricity erupted, scorching the ground in a circle around Elon, who kept the currents tightly controlled within himself.

Transforming into a figure of silver lightning, Elon sprinted forward. His speed was like that of a train thundering along the tracks, the air seemingly ablaze with his passing, leaving a charred trail behind.

His body's air was compressed to the max, the positive and negative nuclei spinning rapidly to generate electricity.

"Faster!" Elon roared inwardly, his physical speed augmented by the electric acceleration, every cell operating at its limit.

He didn't feel the exhilaration of wind rushing past; instead, he faced a barrier like cling film, impossible to break through. His body emitted a sizzling sound as it moved at its peak, enveloped by an electromagnetic field extending three meters around him, shrouded in lightning.

With a primal roar, Elon realized he couldn't push any further.

After fifteen minutes of all-out, frenzied exertion, the electric glow dissipated, and Elon slowed to a jog, turning back towards the research van, now fully recovered and his sweat evaporated.

"Flash, you're incredible, like a runaway locomotive," Cisco exclaimed.

Compared to Barry and Reverse-Flash's speed, Elon's was slow, unable to even break the sound barrier. But he understood his strengths weren't in speed but in lightning, electromagnetic fields, and the intense heat generated by electronic friction. He didn't belittle himself nor overestimate his abilities, measuring himself with a mindful scale.

Elon laughed, "I'm far too slow. Barry could outpace me by miles in an instant."

Caitlin, surprised, commented, "Mr. Elon, your body is excessively robust. You pushed yourself to the limit and recovered in mere seconds. It's incredible. Your average speed was 58.4 meters per second, and at the twelfth minute, you reached a peak of 96.8 meters per second. Though you could only maintain it for three minutes, it's still quite remarkable. The maximum current you emitted could power S.T.A.R. Labs for months."

Dr. Wells' concern eased as he witnessed Elon's maximum power output. The sheer force and majesty of it, as if he could shatter the heavens, was intimidating even to Wells, who was Reverse-Flash and Elon's enemy. The formidable aura shook him to his core, yet as the data came in, his worries subsided. Elon's top speed was only 96.8 meters per second, a pace that couldn't even graze his coat tails.

"You can't even touch the hem of my garment," Wells sneered inwardly, though his face showed a sincere smile.

"That was fantastic, Elon. Looks like we'll be counting on you for our power supply from now on," Wells said, giving Elon a thumbs-up.