Chapter 23: Purging

"Barry, I think you're ready to take a boxing license," the coach remarks.

"Sure, when is it?" Barry asks.

"Next week, there will be a provisional exam. So, be prepared," the coach replies.

"I'll be there," Barry confirms.

"Remember to keep up the training," the coach advises as he watches Barry walk out of the gym.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Barry responds before leaving.

After this, Barry heads straight to his company, which is now full of robots disguised as humans, with only a few human guards remaining.

"Good morning, sir," the guard greets.

"Good morning. Have you guys handled everything?" Barry inquires.

"Yes, we've completed all our assigned tasks," the guard confirms.

"Nice. Have fun working," Barry replies as he heads inside the building. He enters the elevator and inputs a code: 105195912. The elevator descends.

When the elevator arrives, the doors open to reveal the incomplete area, with many robots drilling the ground to expand the new hideout.

Barry pulls out his phone and asks, "Gideon, what's the status of the Tachyon suit?"

"It's going to take about 5 days before it's finished," Gideon responds through Barry's phone.

"Good enough. See you then, Gideon," Barry says.

"You too, Barry," Gideon replies before disconnecting from the phone.

Barry stretches his arms and begins assisting the robots in expanding the new hideout.

Meanwhile, in another part of the world, a green shooting star streaks across the sky, crashing to the ground and decimating the landscape.

As the dust settles, it becomes apparent that the shooting star was actually a man dressed in green, a Green Lantern who has arrived on Earth in critical condition, his body battered and injured.

"Dammit, Sinestro, and fuck you, Guardians," the man curses, revealing himself to be Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern. He has just narrowly escaped the clutches of Sinestro and the Guardians.

"I need to hold onto this ring. Without it, I'm defenseless. The Guardians have been deceived by Sinestro. I need to find a way to recharge it and strike back," Hal Jordan resolves.

With that, Hal begins to walk away, deactivating his Green Lantern power in order to conserve energy.

...

The hideout is now 70% complete, and Barry takes a moment to rest, sitting against the wall and sipping water.

"This will be my fortress, just in case Star Labs is compromised," Barry remarks, aware of the potential risks.

"Barry," his phone speaks as Gideon connects to it.

"Hmm," Barry responds.

"There are a few crimes happening in the states. Would you like to handle it?" Gideon asks.

"Sure, send me the locations. I'll be there," Barry replies, quickly washing up and donning his suit before heading to the designated location.

As Barry begins running around the city, Cisco, Caitlin, and Ronnie observe the activity on the monitors at Star Labs. Cisco immediately tries to reach Barry.

"Barry, do you hear me?" Cisco asks.

"Yeah, what is it?" Barry responds, dodging an incoming AK-47 shot as multiple people with guns appear in front of him.

"Can you explain the video footage?" Cisco presses.

"The video already explained it to you. I'm doing what I said I would," Barry replies calmly as he proceeds to break the assailants' hands, causing them to scream in pain.

"What's going on?" Caitlin asks, alarmed.

"You're hearing people scream for help," Barry states matter-of-factly.

"What do you think you're doing? You shouldn't be using torture," Ronnie interjects, his concern evident.

"So, it's fine if the FBI uses torture, or soldiers, but when I do it, it's wrong?! These guys are scum of the Earth. Who are you to judge me?" Barry responds with annoyance, clearly frustrated by the situation.

Having seen the capability of these individuals, Barry refuses to let them continue causing suffering.

Ronnie is at a loss for words as he realizes he can't argue with Barry's conviction. Barry then addresses Cisco and Caitlin.

"Cisco, Caitlin, I won't be available in Central City. This country needs to be purged before anything else," Barry declares.

"What do you mean?" Cisco asks, understanding what Barry is planning.

"It's time to put an end to the biggest criminals in history," Barry states before abruptly cutting off communication with Cisco.

"The US," Cisco mutters in realization. "The world will be in chaos soon."

J'onn leaves the cortex with a smile, knowing that Barry is keeping his promise.

-Flashback-

"I've seen many people, both like me and human, being experimented on. Is it possible to stop corruption in this country?" J'onn asks, recalling the countless individuals subjected to experimentation, including himself.

"No," Barry responds bluntly.

"Why?" J'onn presses for an explanation.

"Because the root of corruption lies with those at the top," Barry explains. "But I promise to do my best to uproot it."

"How?" J'onn inquires, curious about Barry's strategy.

"By destroying what they love the most—without using money or power. I'll render them powerless and ensure they become so pathetic that I become their number one concern in the entire world," Barry declares, his eyes reflecting anger.

J'onn is taken aback by the intensity of emotion emanating from Barry.

"They will be terrified of me, and I'll be the one they fear the most. The things I've seen with my own eyes cannot express how angry I am," Barry declares, his determination evident.

While this conversation unfolds, Clark hears it with his super hearing and smiles, reassured of Barry's trustworthiness despite being human.

'I will support you, Barry,' Clark thinks to himself, silently offering his backing.

-Flasback End-

Barry stands directly in front of the mayor, his eyes glowing yellow as he grabs the mayor by the collar.

"Tell me, Mayor. What have you been up to these days?" Barry demands.

The mayor gulps nervously and stammers, "Helping the people?"

Barry slaps the mayor across the face and growls, "Don't lie. I have all the evidence. If you don't tell me the truth, you'll wish you were meeting God already."

"I didn't do anything!" the mayor protests.

Barry begins to unleash a relentless assault on the mayor, delivering a barrage of blows reminiscent of the Dempsey Roll from Ippo. The onslaught is so brutal that all of the mayor's teeth are knocked out.

Barry grabs the mayor by the hair and sneers, "Hope you enjoy your time in prison. I've already paid off some of the inmates to make your life a living hell."

"You're not a hero!" the mayor spits defiantly.

"Who said I was? I am the hope of the people and the harbinger of fear." Barry declares, his voice chilling.

The mayor's entire body trembles in fear, and he urinates on himself before fainting from fright.

"Really, dude?" Barry sighs, shaking his head. He then activates his earpiece and speaks into it, "Gideon, have you compiled all of his wrongdoings?"

"Yes, I have," Gideon confirms.

"Great. On to the next person," Barry says, determined to continue his mission.

After dealing with numerous corrupt leaders and individuals with bad reputations, Barry subjects them to various forms of trauma. He completes the task of cleansing the state of Missouri from corruption.

The extent of the atrocities is so severe that many individuals are compelled to step into the roles of the corrupt leaders. This time, the news cannot ignore the events, as they are widely known by the public.

On the internet, anticipation grows for the next target. Users with rational minds rally behind The Flash, spreading awareness of his actions and garnering support to aid him in his mission.