12 Chapter 12: Ice Gun & Bette
"Ah, the beach," Barry mused to himself, taking in the sandy expanse around him.
Dressed in nothing but shorts and barefoot, Barry's well-defined muscles caught the attention of onlookers as he scanned the shoreline. He cracked his neck, readying himself for his training.
'Sure, it's an eye candy spot, but training comes first,' Barry reminded himself, making his way to the edge of the water. With determination, he began running along the sandy trails, pushing himself to his limits without tapping into his speed.
Onlookers observed with curiosity, some guessing the purpose behind Barry's intense workout.
"To survive," Barry muttered to himself, pouring his energy into each stride as he ran tirelessly for hours, drawing admiration from those who witnessed his dedication.
As the sun reached its zenith, Barry paused to catch his breath, then moved away from the crowd to focus on his next exercise. With relentless determination, he punched into the sand, feeling the strain on his knuckles, which soon healed as if untouched.
Barry persisted until 2 pm, then made his way to a nearby steak shop, where he replenished his energy with a hearty meal of steak and vegetables, ready to continue his training regimen with renewed vigor.
As Barry savored his meal, his phone rang, displaying Caitlin's name on the screen. He answered, and Caitlin's concerned voice came through.
"Barry, where are you?" Caitlin inquired.
"Metropolis Beach," Barry replied casually.
"Why are you there?" Caitlin questioned, her tone indicating concern.
"I'm training. Is everything okay?" Barry asked, sensing Caitlin's unease.
"Sort of. Dr. Wells is furious with Cisco for creating an ice gun that was stolen," Caitlin explained.
"For real?" Barry exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes," Caitlin confirmed.
"Do you want me to help track down the thief?" Barry offered.
"If you can, that would be great. I feel bad for Cisco," Caitlin admitted.
"I'll do my best to find any leads," Barry assured her.
"Thank you. He won't even let me assist him," Caitlin sighed.
"Don't worry about it," Barry comforted her.
"Does Dr. Wells know you're in Metropolis?" Caitlin asked.
"I'm sure he's aware," Barry replied confidently.
"In that case, give me a call if you uncover anything," Caitlin requested.
"Will do," Barry affirmed before ending the call.
Barry let out a sigh, brushing off the news about the stolen ice gun. "I'm just here to train. It's just an ice gun. I'll deal with it later. It's not like it's a time traveler or something."
After finishing his meal, Barry engaged in shadow fighting, focusing his energy on honing his skills.
Meanwhile, back at Star Labs, Cisco tirelessly searched for leads regarding the stolen ice gun and the janitor responsible. Despite his efforts, he hit a dead end when he discovered the janitor had sold the gun to someone not captured on CCTV.
"Damn it, this leads nowhere," Cisco muttered in frustration, resting his head on the table in defeat.
Felicity entered the cortex, sensing Cisco's frustration. "What's going on?"
"It's nothing," Cisco deflected, closing his browser and attempting to clear his mind as he excused himself to the restroom.
Staring at himself in the mirror, Cisco splashed water on his face, reflecting on Dr. Wells' anger. "I've never seen Dr. Wells that mad before. I really need Barry's quick thinking to solve this. But I shouldn't rely on him too much. Let's try again."
After hours of fruitless searching, Cisco realized the only lead left was the janitor's location, which he had already found.
"I can't interrogate him alone," Cisco admitted to himself, realizing he needed Barry's help to proceed further.
Meanwhile, Barry luxuriated in a hot bath, allowing the warmth to soothe his tired muscles.
'I'm mentally exhausted. I have no idea how much faster I've become. I need Cisco's help to measure my speed, but I'm wary of giving Dr. Wells any data on it,' Barry thought to himself, pondering his dilemma.
After a few more minutes, Barry emerged from the bath, dressed, and prepared to leave the shop. As he exited, he overheard a conversation between two people nearby.
"Jimmy, that article won't cut it."
"What should I do then?"
Barry chuckled at the exchange, finding amusement in their banter. However, he remained focused on his own agenda and made his way to the nearest library.
Delving into various books, Barry's mind wandered to the concept of solar propulsion systems. Lost in thought, he contemplated the feasibility of such technology, realizing it was still in its infancy.
'But how can I develop it with the Reverse Flash breathing down my neck? If I create it, he'll surely exploit it, making our confrontation even more unequal,' Barry sighed, feeling the weight of the challenge ahead.
Despite his boredom with reading, Barry persisted, recognizing the necessity of expanding his knowledge.
"I have to keep training; that's my best strategy," Barry muttered to himself, returning the book to its shelf before heading back to the hotel room he had booked.
'With six days left, I need to make every moment count,' Barry reminded himself, determined to continue his preparations for the inevitable confrontation.
The Next Day,
"New day, new me," Barry declared as he resumed his training at the beach, following the routine he had established the day before.
After a few hours of intense workout, the beach began to fill with people, and Barry's phone suddenly rang. He answered, curious about the caller's identity.
"Who is this?" Barry inquired.
"It's Joe. Where have you been?" Joe's voice sounded concerned.
"Away. I'm in Metropolis right now for a business meeting. Is everything alright, Joe? Do you need my help?" Barry asked, sensing Joe's worry.
"No, I'm just worried about you being missing. I haven't seen you for three days," Joe explained.
"Sorry about that. I've been occupied lately," Barry apologized.
"It's okay, but next time, keep me informed," Joe requested.
"Got it. Take care," Barry replied.
"You too," Joe said before ending the call.
"He's still looking out for me, even after all this time," Barry murmured with a fond smile. "Time to get back to training."
Meanwhile, in Central City, the absence of The Flash emboldened criminals, leading to increased daring acts throughout the city.
"We should wait a few more days, just in case," one cautious criminal suggested.
"Why bother waiting? The Flash hasn't shown up. If you're not going to act, I will. Who's with me?" another challenged.
Several criminals raised their hands in agreement, emboldened by the absence of the scarlet speedster.
Unbeknownst to them, Barry's reputation as The Flash served as a deterrent, instilling fear in the hearts of criminals. The lightning symbolized justice, and its absence now gave them a false sense of security.
Barry, however, remained oblivious to the rising criminal activity. He had deliberately silenced notifications on his phone to avoid distractions from crime-fighting duties.
In his mind, he understood that crime would persist, and while he could intervene in some instances, he also recognized the importance of prioritizing his own well-being.
He was determined not to fall into the trap of sacrificing everything to save everyone.
In a hotel room in Central City, Felicity diligently pieced together information on the janitor suspected of stealing Cisco's weapon from Star Labs. She gathered details on his identity, background record, and any other relevant data she could find.
Determined to get to the bottom of the situation, Felicity dialed a familiar number on her phone.
"Ollie, can you assist me with something?" Felicity requested, addressing Oliver Queen, known as Arrow at the time.
"What's going on?" Oliver inquired.
"Someone stole a weapon from Star Labs. It's capable of shooting ice, based on the data I've gathered," Felicity explained.
"Send me the information. I'll take care of it," Oliver replied confidently, ready to spring into action.
As darkness fell over Central City, elsewhere in the city, a woman found herself desperately evading an army squad hot on her trail.
This woman, a military sergeant named Bette San Souci, faced a dire predicament—she possessed a dangerous ability that caused anything she touched to explode.
Determined to evade capture and conceal her identity from CCTV cameras, Bette sought assistance from a compassionate stranger. With their help, she donned a mask to cover her face and a hat to conceal her identity.
"Damn it, he's already breached my home. I'm trapped," Bette muttered to herself as she pressed on with her escape, navigating the city streets cautiously.
With the army closing in on all possible escape routes, Bette felt the walls closing in around her.
"If only there was someone who could help me," she lamented. "I can't keep running like this forever."
