15 Chapter 15: Glimpse of the Future
Just want to rant a bit, fuck green card and broly
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Dr. Stein, who's currently inhabiting Ronnie's body, is finally catching some sleep after several sleepless nights due to his recent checkups.
"So, Barry, what's the plan?" Caitlin inquired, knowing that it concerned her fiancé.
"I've got an idea. Just give me a day or two, and I'll sort this out," Barry reassured as he headed to the gadget rooms to work on replicating the technology used to separate Ronnie and Dr. Stein.
"Dr. Stein's atoms are rejecting Ronnie's. If this continues—" Cisco began, but Dr. Wells interjected, "He could go nuclear."
"Dr. Wells? I didn't expect to see you here," Caitlin remarked, surprised by Dr. Wells's presence.
"What's going on here?" Dr. Wells inquired.
"We're planning to separate Ronnie and Dr. Stein into two individuals," Cisco explained.
"That would be disastrous. It could devastate the city. The unstable atoms, when separated, would trigger a massive explosion," Dr. Wells warned. "Barry may have good intentions, but he's not an engineer or a doctor. He's just a man with newfound powers trying to play hero. Caitlin, as a doctor, do you really trust Barry's judgment over mine, a renowned scientist?"
Caitlin looked away, while Cisco remained silent.
"Caitlin, go check on Barry and see what he's up to," Dr. Wells instructed.
Caitlin followed his orders, entering the gadget room to find Barry staring at three transparent boards covered in white writing, with a marker resting on his lips.
"Oh, Caitlin, did you come because Dr. Wells sent you?" Barry asked, crossing something out on his notes. "This won't work; I need a replacement for the tachyon. What could possibly substitute it?"
"Yes," Caitlin replied.
"Don't worry, Caitlin. I'll save your fiancé. Trust me," Barry assured her. "I'll figure it out. Now, please, let me concentrate."
"Thank you, Barry," Caitlin said, feeling touched, and she left the room, leaning against the corridor wall with a smile.
Back in the cortex, Cisco approached Caitlin and whispered, "Do you know what Barry's working on?"
"I'm not sure, but it looks like some sort of circular device," Caitlin replied.
"We'll just have to trust him and wait," Cisco said.
Meanwhile, Barry was struggling to find a solution, his mind racing with ideas.
"Fuck"
Barry scratched his head in frustration.
'Why can't I solve this? I've calculated everything correctly. If I'm not careful when the quantum splicer activates, it could explode right in my face.'
Taking a seat, Barry studied the calculations on the board. After a few minutes, it clicked.
'Now that's sorted, I need to find a replacement for the Tachyon. Hmm, what could work? Ah, the Alcubierre drive might do the trick. If I integrate it into the quantum splicer, it could contain the explosion.'
Barry cracked his neck and got to work on creating the device, one that could manipulate space.
'It requires negative energy, which meta-humans possess a lot of. Dark Matter serves as the perfect source of negative energy. With proper manipulation, this device could function.'
...
The next morning,
Around 9 am, Barry finally finished a modified version of the quantum splicer. He also completed a new suit. Grabbing the quantum splicer and a small metal ball, he tucked them into his pocket.
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Barry walked into the testing room where Dr. Stein was currently staying.
Dr. Stein noticed the device in Barry's hand and observed his tired, exhausted face. "You managed to create it in just one day?" he exclaimed, surprised.
"Yeah, let's test it outside the city limits," Barry suggested, leading Dr. Stein out of the building to an empty field.
"Whoa, moving like this is making me feel nauseous," Dr. Stein remarked.
"Now, I'm going to activate the device, and you should revert to your normal selves," Barry explained.
"Let's do it," Dr. Stein agreed.
Barry placed the device on Dr. Stein's chest, and it adhered to his body, glowing red. He pressed the button and quickly ran as far away as possible.
But nothing happened except for Ronnie and Dr. Stein being separated. Barry turned back and rushed to them.
"I thought there would be an explosion from the leftover energy, but it seems the device managed to regulate it," Barry commented.
Ronnie and Dr. Stein couldn't believe what had just happened.
"Thank you," Ronnie expressed his gratitude.
"We're grateful for your help," Dr. Stein added.
"Now, I must warn you both that you may need to fuse again, as there's still an essence of dark matter within you. To prevent the buildup of dark matter, you'll need to fuse again," Barry advised. "Understand?"
"Yeah," Ronnie nodded.
"But before you go, what's your name, young man? I'd like to know the name of our savior," Dr. Stein inquired.
"I'm Barry Allen. Now, let's get you both back to Star Labs," Barry said, leading them back inside.
...
Back at Star Labs, Ronnie embraced his fiancée after being apart for so long.
"I missed you, Ronnie," Caitlin said.
"I missed you too," Ronnie replied.
Then he greeted Cisco like an old friend.
"Ronnie Raymond," Cisco greeted.
"Cisco Ramon," Ronnie replied, and the two of them exchanged a bro shake.
"I should have opened the vault," Cisco whispered regretfully.
"No," Ronnie shook his head, patting Cisco's shoulder reassuringly.
Next, he greeted Dr. Wells.
"Dr. Wells, what happened to your leg?" Ronnie asked.
"Long story short, it's my own fault, and I also take responsibility for what happened to you," Dr. Wells explained.
Meanwhile, Dr. Stein accompanied Barry as he sent Dr. Stein home.
"I don't know what to say, but thank you, Barry," Dr. Stein expressed his gratitude.
"It's okay. Now go and meet your wife. I'll see you in the near future," Barry replied, patting Dr. Stein's shoulder before vanishing in a flash of lightning.
Soon after, someone opened the door, and Clarissa, Dr. Stein's wife, saw him and immediately hugged him.
"I'm sorry, Clarissa," Dr. Stein apologized.
"It's okay," Clarissa reassured him.
As for Barry, he headed straight to his bed and drifted off to sleep.
Deep in his sleep, Barry experienced a vision of the future, a grim one. The surroundings were desolate, with buildings in ruins and human skeletons scattered on the ground.
"Is this some kind of apocalypse?" Barry wondered aloud.
But then he saw another version of himself, standing and staring into the sky. Suddenly, that version turned around, shocking Barry to the core.
This alternate version had long, sharp fingers and teeth, yellow skin, glowing yellow eyes, and the symbol of fear on his chest.
"Parallax?" Barry gasped, confused and terrified.
Before he could react, the terrifying version of himself began chasing him. Barry tried to run, but before he could escape, the nightmare ended, and he woke up in a cold sweat.
Barry sat up, breathing heavily, still reeling from the shock.
"What the hell was that?" he muttered. 'That's never happened before. Why now?'
Deciding he needed to clear his head, Barry got out of bed and headed for a shower, letting the water calm his nerves as it cascaded over his face.
'If that's real, I'm in deep shit,' Barry thought to himself.
After finishing his shower, he went for a run, engaging in shadow boxing to distract himself from the unsettling vision.
