2 Maybe things aren't so bad
Today, the date was Saturday, 11/16/13. My place of residence, the Central City Forensics Lab.
The first night I had arrived in this alternate demotion and adjusted accordingly, I had found the staff refrigerator in the company break room by snooping around. Well, snooping around as best as I could being a 6 foot 300+ pound man.
Luckily for this 300+ pound man, The fridge was stacked to the brim with food. Well, frozen food to be exact considering that the fridge was actually an industrial-grade freezer. That when coupled with the microwave made me a very happy dimensional hopper. Whoever was the lead/director of this lab was, they must have really cared about me. There were enough Pepperoni pizza rolls to make a grown man-child cry.
In the cabinets, I discovered canned foods such as fruits, and veggies so I had no concerns when it came to bowel movements. I was provided with almost everything I needed including utensils plates, and a staff bathroom.
To avoid contact with people, I used the janitorial keys that I previously discovered a week prior to unlock the hatch to the roof, which no one made sure was secure.
The first time I went up to climb the ladder leading to the rooftop, I realized that it was almost completely abandoned. There were old shattered and mildewed 2x4s scattered on the floor and a whole bunch of random pieces of litter scattered everywhere. From the amount of maintenance, it seemed like no one had made their presence known for at least a year, which was great news for me.
At times when I was on the roof of that lab when the coast was clear, I would look out into the distance watching the city beneath me, gazing upon the people who looked like ants who were fictional now made real. Oftentimes philosophical quandaries would ravage my mind endlessly. I would often contemplate my existence and the very universe around me. When I wasn't thinking about grandiose topics such as reality, I thought about my future; thinking about whether or not being struck by a lightning bolt was a good idea or not. After all, Barry was predestined to become the flash. The same case couldn't be said for an anomaly like me. In fact, I was very aware that I was far more likely to die from the fabric of reality-bending strike that would come down from the heavens than getting Sci-fi powers… but that was a risk I was willing to take.
If I was going to be powerless just like in my other world, then I would rather die than repeat that same humiliating and degrading life.
'I will take charge of the future's outcome.'
My heart was settled on a single goal.
'Get powers and become the superhero you always wanted to be. The superhero you praised as a kid.' I thought, clenching my fist.
***
The next morning,
"*Slam*"
"AHh!"
I overslept as Barry got into work.
The sound of the door crashing shut scared the ever-living hell out of me, making me involuntarily scream as my sleep was rudely interrupted.
'Fuck! There is no way on God's green earth he didn't hear me.'
My assumption was definitely correct, although I wish it weren't.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I'm usually the first one here…Is someone here?" Barry asked.
I covered my mouth and halted my breath.
I could hear his step getting closer and closer while I began to panic more and more.
The seconds slowly ticked as the droplets on my forehead began to drip.
"Danny? Or is it Shelby?" Barry shouted.
I had long since abandoned my robe because after being in it for so long, I began to stink. Danny was a member of the janitorial staff. He was also the person whose jumpsuit I had on. Shelby was a coworker of Barry's.
'Shit-shit-shit!'
I crawled over to a corner of the closet and put the towels that I had been using as a blanket over my head and feet. If I was lucky, Barry would believe that I was just a whole bunch of used towels.
"Sorry if I was a bit offensive. I couldn't tell if that scream was coming from a male or… ya know, never mind. But anyway, I'm gonna make some coffee. I'll make you some too if you want any. When it comes to the Barista Hands, everyone knows I'm second to none." He said as he walked right past the door making his way into the break room.
As he did, I tried to get one more towel that was hanging above my head on a shelf just in case my feet poked out of the cloth mountain I made, blowing my cover. But gravity and momentum had other things in store for me…
"*Ting-ting-ting*"
The towel I had grabbed had an empty bucket laying on top of it.
"What the hell was that?" Barry questioned under his breath.
At that moment, I could audibly hear his sneakers squeak on the floor as he turned around making his way to the closet.
"*step-step-step-step-step*"
As his footsteps encroached upon my location, I could hear my heart pumping faster and faster. Unconsciously, My breathing became heavier.
My brain sped up a mile a minute.
"*Knock-Knock-Knock*"
"Hey. Did you hear me? I said I was making coffee…" I could almost visualize him standing before me.
Then, I heard the jiggle and twist of a doorknob as Barry was about to come into my safe space when…
"*Creak-slam*"
The sound of the door to the lab was opened and closed.
"Hey, Barr!" I could hear a grizzled man sounding to be in his late 50's."
"Oh, Danny! I thought you were still here."
Barry stated in confusion.
"Nope. Got everything cleaned up. Got off 10 minutes early but I forgot my bag in the break room. Why'd you think I was still here?"
"Oh. It's just, When I came in… I thought I heard a… you know what, never mind." I could hear him letting go of the door which caused a whole bunch of stress to release off of my shoulders.
"Anyway, I was gonna make some coffee. You want some, bud?" Barry offered.
"Nah. I'm good. Tomorrow's my Saturday."
He retorted.
"But don't you have to manage the dealership?"
"Nah. My son takes over on Mondays and my little girl has Tuesdays and Wednesdays."
The man stated.
"Ah. I getcha… Hey, Can I ask you a question? Something that I have always been curious about."
"Anything. Go for it, Barr."
"You've been working here for the past 6 years and some change. You manage and own a car dealership. Why do you still bother cleaning this place? To me, it doesn't look like you're in need."
"Huh?" I could hear slight confusion in Danny's voice with undertones of amusement.
"Yeah. I don't mean to be intrusive by any means. It's just-"
"Haha! Don't worry about it, Bar. No need to get nervous. I don't feel like you're prying at all. It's just, you're the only person to ask me about my life since working here. It just goes to show Joe and your pops raised you right." The man's raspy voice was warm and comforting. From it alone, He gave the presence that you could tell him anything without judgment.
"Then…"
"The reasons I still work in this place are quite simple. The first is, My father told me to always keep myself humble. A man's value is proven with his hands. When you work hard, It builds character and even teaches you a few life lessons. The amount of things and tips that I learned in passing while being in labor jobs could fill a book up. Most of the time, people automatically think your life doesn't matter because you're blue-collar. With that being said, just like your common therapist, you have no emotional investment with us. That makes us very easy to talk to without any fear of judgment or persecution.
Being a blue working around white taught me how to run the very businesses that I own today. Through them, I learn how to invest. Through them, I finally understood the meaning behind you are the company that you hang around. And through listening to different people's life stories, it helped me better myself and find the woman of my dreams. In short… Hard work always pays off. One way or another."
For a moment Barry went silent as he truly digested the word from the wise man, Danny, and so did I. I couldn't help but agree. I had my fair share of experience in the blue life so understood exactly what he meant. His words sat with the both of us… even though I was scared shitless due to my current predicament.
"Thanks… I'm gonna keep that with me." Barry said, endearingly.
"No problem, champ."
"So what's the second reason?"
"The second reason? That's simple… Money laundering."
At his statement, Both of them chuckled.
"Nah… But I gave you all the reasons. I hope you use the knowledge I gave you wisely."
He stated. I couldn't hear Barry's reply so I could only assume he nodded his head.
After talking to each for about 5 minutes, Danny departed leaving Barry and me to be the only people in the building.
"Ahhh! Crap!" Barry screamed which startled me slightly.
"Dang it. I got it all over my pants. *sigh*"
"Perfect day to wear white jeans, Allen. Just, perfect."
"*step-step-step-step-step*"
"I'm pretty she put the extra paper towels in this closet."
'Are you fucking shiting me! What are the chances of him being a clumsy brain dead buffoon!'
After I just calmed my mind, Barry had the nerve to increase my heart rate once more by entering the very closet I was in.
"Hmm? What's the deal with all these towels in the corner like this?"
Barry question.
"And what's a Hot Pocket?"
I felt a rush of anxiety flow through my body for two reasons. The first was that Hot Pockets didn't exist here but pizza rolls did; the second is the moment he bent down, he and I were at eye level.
'Barry Bartholomew Allen. I swear to any god that is observing me throughout the omniverse, I'm gonna knock your fuckin block off if you take a single towel off of my body.'
I balled my fist up as hard as I could ready to punch the shit out of an, seemingly, on the outside viewers, innocent man. I held my breath making sure not to move a single centimeter.
"*sigh* I'll clean it up later."
I heard him fidget over my head in search of something, then he promptly left the room.
"You're lucky." I sighed in relief. I may have been 300 pounds, but that sure didn't mean I couldn't fight. I wouldn't have been able to survive in the Bronx for the majority of my life if that wasn't the case. I had watched Barry in another reality and knew for a fact, he didn't. He was about 45 pounds, a string bean, and a few inches shorter than me from what I saw from the roof. I was in the clear one way or another… But knowing he almost foiled my plan left a sour taste in my mouth. At that moment, I didn't regret taking his powers.
After about an hour, I heard Barry go into the bathroom. I figured that it was the only opportunity to leave, and so I did and snuck up to the roof with the elegance of a ballerina and the speed of a cheetah.
Arriving at my hiding spot, out of breath, I sighed in relief once more.
"That any god or extraterrestrial being that was looking out for me at that moment. You not only saved me, but that boy's jaw as well." I chuckled to myself shaking my head.
***
Two weeks had passed with minor changes occurring. After I had almost gotten caught by Barry, I decided to take all the resources that I could from the lab without anyone noticing and built a tent on the roof. Being in the broom closet was far too risky. With that being said, I was now a certified night owl, sleeping on the roof during the day and enjoying my time watching T.V and eating dinner at night time.
I had 14 to 18 more hours until the particle accelerator's explosion. I was nervous, to say the least. Tomorrow was the 11th, and it would either be the day that I died and left this plane of existence permanently, or the day that I would go into a coma only to be reborn as a deity among men.
"I hope… I hope that things turn out well. If they do… I promise to be the best hero to my ability. I won't lie and say that I will be the most upstanding person… There might even be situations where I need to take lives… But I will try my hardest to be the hero that the people need… That the world needs. So please, keep me safe." I said on my knees looking up to the sky. I wasn't a man of faith by any means… but I was agnostic. If there wasn't a god, I would live life as if there were because after today, it was a possibility that I would meet my maker and be judged for the actions that I committed in my past. I found it best to be on good terms with him before I left this plane, and so, I prayed like this for the past week regularly at the same time.
Getting up, I looked out into the distance and took a deep breath of the invigorating 4 am of fresh air.
"Today… It's the beginning."
I walked downstairs and made my way into the closet. I had a very simplistic plan that I had set in motion. I would wait patiently all day until I heard thunder later on in the day. The moment I did was when I would jump out, Push Barry out of the way, and become the speed force.
…
Soon, minutes had gone by. Then hours. I had no clock, but the sun peeked underneath the door so I knew it was somewhere around 9 am to 1 pm. People had been walking in and out of the lab all morning but I was waiting on one person in particular so I ignored passing conversations. That was until I overheard two very important people conversing, Barry, and a woman, talking. I knew very well who it was… It was the apple of Barry's eye. The Girl he had a crush on since he was 6. Iris West.
"*step-step-step-step-step*"
"Hey! I am ready to see this atom smasher… smashing." She said enthusiastically with a hint of uncertainty.
"There was a shooting today. Your dad needs me to process some evidence, which means I don't know if we're gonna make it to S.T.A.R Labs." Barry stated in disappointment. I could feel exhaustion.
'I feel you bud. I hate working too.' I thought.
"Seeing this thing turn on is your dream. Your sad little nerdy dream. Besides, I canceled a date for this." She said with surprise in her voice with hints of sarcasm as she began to munch on some food. No one liked to be stood up. She wasn't an exception.
"Hey! Hands off my fries."
"Unbelievable." He uttered.
"I'm stress eating over my dissertation." She said matter of factly.
"We started selling cronuts at jitters. I ate two today!"
"If I don't graduate soon, I'm gonna be more muffin top than woman."
"*Sigh* You look amazing."
A brief silence ensued between the two.
'Damn… Just like the show from what I remember.' I thought.
"What is so important about this particle accelerator, anyway?"
"*sigh* Harrison wells' work in quantum theory is light-years ahead of anything they're doing at C.E.R.N."
"You're doing that thing where you're not speaking english."
"Okay…"
"Just imagine
That, that dot is everything the human race has ever learned until this moment."
I could hear the snap of a marker's top being taken off.
"Does that include "twerking"?"
"Ha."
'That sounds like something I would've asked.' I couldn't help but chuckle at her remark.
Ignoring her comet, Barry continued.
"That is everything we could learn from the particle accelerator. It's a whole new way of looking at physics. It will literally change the way that we think about everything!"
'I can't lie… His excitement is kinda contagious… But I have no idea what the hell he's talking about.'
"You got to get yourself a girlfriend…"
'Damn… That hurts.' I thought about how even in this brief conversation, I could tell how much Barry liked Iris. It was just a shame that he didn't have the guts to tell her throughout the years they've known each other… but who was I to judge. I was most likely the same way at one point in my life.
'I wonder if she knows… There's no way she could be that dense after all this time… well, Barry is pretty dense himself. She probably at one point liked him but accidentally friend-zoned himself because he lacked0 the proper social cues… Damn… He really is like me from a few years ago now that I think about it.'
I laughed selfdepracatinly
"*Step-Step-Step-*"
"Hey, leave him alone. He's working." Said a grizzled man. I knew who this person was as well.
"Hi, Dad." She said with an aura of innocence.
Ignoring his daughter, He looked to Barry.
"Your test thingy is done."
"Yeah." I couldn't tell who Barry was talking to because it was a muffled whisper, but I guessed he was replying to Iris' statement considering how in love he was with her.
"I think the Mardon brothers are hiding on a farm. The fecal matter I found on the street, it was cow manure, which contained traces of oxytetracycline. It's an antibiotic. There are only four farms in the area that still use it in their feed. Bet you find a really sweet Shelby parked at one of them." He said casually.
'So he found a piece of poop on the street of a relatively large city and found all of that information?'
"Damn…" I whispered.
Barry was one smart cookie. I couldn't fill his shoes when it came to books, that was for sure.
"Dad, seeing as how barry solved your poop problem,
How about letting him go to s.T.A.R. Labs?"
"... Fine, go."
"Yes!" Barry said in excitement which caused Iris to giggle.
"Thank you, Joe." I could hear two sets of footsteps running off towards the entrance. Soon, I could hear Joe leaving as well.
"*Sigh*"
'The coast is clear. Just a few more hours of waiting in this goddamn closet, and superpowers, here I come!' I said with excitement.
'But first…' I removed all the towels from my body, folding them just the way I found them.
"It's hot as hell in here."
No one else was scheduled for today and so I could roam freely.
…
…
All-day, all I did was watch T.V and eat. Soon, an hour passed then three. Then five.
"*Krakoom!*"
A wide smile crept on my face. It was almost time. There were heavy thunder clouds raging in the sky and a sudden downpour of heavy rain.
[And now… We make history. At the press of this button, say goodbye to fossils and say hello to the future.] The audience and press clapped wildly as Harrison Wells was about to press the button that would craft my and so many others' futures.
[Wait! I'm glad you are all excited, but first. Allow me to say this… Without all of you, Central city's citizens wouldn't have been able to arrive at this point of innovation today. It is through the help of all of you that we were able to make these tremendous scientific advancements you see here before you. In a sense, you were the energy that we needed to propel our team towards where we are and will be.]
He then stopped to look emotionally at the crowd and camera.
'Ah… This piece of shit.'
I knew that he meant absolutely nothing he was saying. He was literally and metaphorically a wolf in sheep's clothing. All I could do for now was smile at his gall.
[Now if you would be so kind, please give me a countdown starting from 10. On my mark.]
It was then that I heard footsteps in the distance.
I hurried up and changed the channel back to what Barry left it on and turned the T.V off.
"*Click*"
I made my way into a corner behind a shelf.
"*Creak-Slam*"
The star of the show had just arrived, closing the door behind him. Opportunity in the form of lightning was about to strike.
"*Step-step-step*"
"*Click*"
[I'm Linda Park, and we are live outside S.T.A.R. Labs despite the inclement weather, which is only going to get worse. The torrential downpour has in no way affected the particle accelerator,
which is up and running smoothly, according to S.T.A.R. Labs CEO Harrison wells. The weather is also quite penitential to the accelerator project so...]
Linda then put her hand to her earpiece with a face of concern.
[Wait, we're now being told to evacuate the facility. The storm may have caused a malfunction
of the primary cooling system. Officials are now trying to shut down the particle accelerator, but so far have been unable to regain the-] "*click*"
The T.V shut off which caused Barry to gain a visual look of perplexity on his face.
It was then… I had a familiar feeling in my gut. The same feeling that I felt before I arrived in the broom closet. The feeling in my head also followed causing me to bob my head uncontrollably due to vertigo.
But then… "*Rumble*"
I vibration shook the very earth that I stood on. I could feel it coursing through my very bones. My legs were vibrating so intensely, that the tremors were wavering on pain.
I didn't know why, but I could barely stand.
I then looked over to Barry and realized he wasn't going through the same pain I was. No. Unlike me, He seemed completely fine.
With a little window of opportunity, I stilled my mind for what was about to happen.
The moment I had gained my moment of clarity, Barry stepped up to the window and stared off into the far distance. As he did, so did I.
I could see from the place that I was hiding that an apocalyptic explosion was going off in the faraway distance. The sed explosion… was S.T.A.R Labs. It meant I only had a few seconds left.
'30 max.'
I thought.
'Well… It's time.'
In an instant, I began to run as fast as I could, moving every muscle in my body with all my power which caused their own quakes in a sense. Not because I had any superpowers yet, but because I was fat.
"Hey Barry!" I shouted probably louder that I needed to as I flung myself towards his direction.
I balled my fist up as tightly as I could and coiled every musical group in my right arm.
"Wait, who are-!"
"*Smack*"
As my knuckles collided with his chin in slow motion, I could see my fist warping his fragile face.
Before he could even get his arms up to defend himself, he was out of it and folded to the ground violently banging his head on the floor.
"Holy shit." I then looked at him with a wide eyed expression. Why? Because as he fell, He slammed his head on the concrete and momentarily, it bounced like a basketball.
"Uh… you're not dead are you?" I asked.
"ughhhh." The words that came out of Barry's mouth were incoherent and unintelligible… but at least he was alive and I hadn't killed the main character.
"Okay… He's out… Now. If I remember correctly, there should be a shelf with a whole bunch of random science juice right… There!" I shouted as I ran over to the shelf.
When I arrived, like magic, the laws of physics were being disobeyed before my very eyes. The science stuff started to crawl out of the beakers they were contained in as if trying to escape.
"Shit, no! He was standing by that chain over there as he got struck." I then ran over to the chain Barry used in the show that was a pulley mechanism responsible for shutting the sunroof. I had been running to point A to B so quickly that I had a PTSD episode from the pacer test I took back when I was in school.
"Okay… It was here."
"*Krakoom-Koom*"
As if to confirm my suspicions, the clouds high in the sky started to glow yellow, blue, and white.
"Woah…" It was the only way to reply to such a phenomenal event.
Knowing that I would be struck at any second, I raised my hand high up in the air, waiting for history to play out in my hands.
'This is my moment.'
I then clenched my fist as hard as I could and tensed all of my muscles in order to prepare myself for the oncoming pain.
"Hopefully…. This doesn't-"
"*KRAKAKAKOOOOM*"
'AGHHGGHGHHHHHHHHH!'
As I expected. It was hurting like hell. I could only scream internally as I was paralyzed by the voltage.
My perception slowed… The rain stopped in place. The liquid that I saw almost beginning to spill froze in place. Barr remained motionless. Chaotic energy began to melt my skin…. Muscle tissue… tendons… bones… hair… eyes.
From what I could see… all of it was happening while time was frozen.
soon … I lost all of my senses… But as what felt like an eternity of pain slowly started to subside… I then felt relief.
My body parts that had previously melted started to reinvigorate themselves. Instead of pain, I felt silky strokes wash over my body. I felt… energized! I was being reconstructed… but as this was happening, my eyes that had regenerated slowly started to go dark… I thought, mentally, my processing power was more clear than it had ever been, it was as if the sandman himself started to whisper in my ear.
I was flung backward as all the reimagined strength left my body.
'I can't see… I can't hear… I can't smell… I can't feel.'
All I knew was that I felt the vibration of something hitting my back, or rather, my back hitting something that I had knocked over…
With one last effort, I attempted to open my eyes one last time just to make sure that Barry was alright… and as I used the last bit of strength I had, I peaked and realized that there was a very visible electric current that leaked from my body onto a puddle. That puddle just so happened to be the same puddle that Barry had been soaked in.
I could see strange shockwaves flowing through his skin like tree branches… the very same ones that were flowing through mine. At that moment… I knew… that Barry was one lucky bastard.
'Lucky little rat… I would have taken it all for myself…Luckily for me, I'm probably the progenitor now.
******
"What the hell happened to them?" Said a masculine voice.
I slightly and probably temporarily regained consciousness. Blinding me was a strange light that flickered on and off… but vertically. Considering that I felt as if I was in motion meant that I was most likely on a gurney.
"They were hit by lightning." Said another voice that was unfamiliar.
I was struggling to breathe and had a strange contraption on my face. My arms were locked in place as was my head.
"How the hell are they still alive?" A woman asked.
"One happened to be in a conductive fluid. The other one…"
The second male paused.
"Speak! This is an emergency!"
The woman yelled, getting fed up with the anxiety-inducing pause.
"He was struck directly. I don't know how he's alive either. Considering the destruction of the lab, the bolt should've had enough voltage to turn these two into goop."
******
"Have any relatives come to visit him?"
"No… he's not in our records. As far as we know, he doesn't exist.
I slowly blinked to see four people standing over me…
******
"It's okay… He works for me. I'll take care of him from here. Just like the other one, I'll bring him over to S.T.A.R Labs."
I heard a very familiar voice… one belonging to a very narcissistic and psychopathic individual… but I could do nothing to combat the situation.
******
'How long has it been… Days… Months… Years… Time… it feels so lucid… I'm so tired.'
******
'...'
'...'
'...'
'...'
******
"Well-well-well… It looks like our little anomaly still hasn't woken up."
I couldn't see… but the voice I heard in the past rang in my ears.
I could feel a menacing aura getting closer and closer to me, and soon enough, I could feel his breathing.
"Ya know, I could kill you right now and get away with it… I searched from earth to the moon and couldn't find a trace of you on this planet."
"The only reason I've hesitated to keep you alive is that I know the future… With that being said, I know you aren't an impactful or prevalent figure."
He then paused to gather his thoughts.
"For you… this is very good news. Very good news indeed. Why? Because this means that you'll be a great tool.
******
"It's been 10 months now and I thought about killing you every day… but the problem is… Barry. He isn't fast enough. Book-wise, the boy is sharp as a knife… but when it comes to his use in the Speed Force… He is little more than an imbecile… I plucked him too early. The Barry of my time was a genius… the one here… far from it."
"I took blood samples from you already and know you have Speed Force energy within… as much as Barry in fact. Perhaps… You'll have more potential than him… if that ends up being the case, I would just beagle to kill him on the spot leaving you to be the one to send me back home."
"*sigh*"
"A man can dream."
******
"Dr. Wells. John has shown large improvements in terms of brain activity. It shouldn't be much longer until he wakes."
"That's amazing news to hear Ms. Snow. Give me a rough estimate of when he should return to the land of the living."
"Well, these scans look identical to Barry's. My best guess is that he could be waking up any day now. It's hard to be precise."
"Marvelous news… Marvelous news. Excellent. You and Mr. Ramon continue to prove your worth. Your presence is greatly appreciated."
